Constructed by: Sheldon Polonsky
Edited by: Will Shortz
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… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Theme: Cinemagrams
Themed answers are each ANAGRAMS of the corresponding clue, and the title of a film seen in the CINEMA:
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Bill’s time: 21m 15s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
1 Items used with PINs : ATM CARDS
One enters a Personal Identification Number (PIN) when using an Automated Teller Machine (ATM). Given that the N in PIN stands for “number”, then “PIN number” is a redundant phrase. And, given that the M in ATM stands for “machine”, then “ATM machine” is a redundant phrase as well. Grr …!
9 There’s one for the U.S. Census : BUREAU
The original census was taken during the days of the Roman Republic, and was a reckoning of all adult males who were fit for military service. The first US Census was taken in 1790, and was conducted by federal marshals.
21 Pad Thai garnish : LIME
The delicious dish called pad Thai is a meld of stir-fried rice noodles with tamarind juice, red chili pepper plus a mix of vegetables and possibly tofu, meat or fish. It is usually topped with crushed peanuts, coriander and lime. The name “pad Thai” translates as “fried Thai-style”.
22 Sea captain: robber, thief (2003) : PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
Captain Jack Sparrow is the protagonist in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series of movies, and is played by Johnny Depp. Depp has said that he based his portrayal of Sparrow partly on the Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. I could believe that …
25 Photographer’s tool, for short : SLR
Single-lens reflex (SLR) camera
28 They’re hoppy at happy hour : IPAS
India pale ale (IPA) is a style of beer that originated in England. The beer was originally intended for transportation from England to India, hence the name.
33 All the kings’ men? : CHESS SET
It is believed that the game of chess originated in northwest India. It evolved from a 6th-century game called “chaturanga”, a Sanskrit word meaning “four divisions”. These four (military) divisions were represented in the game:
- Infantry (now “pawns”)
- Cavalry (now “knights”)
- Elephants (now “bishops”)
- Chariots (now “rooks”)
34 True fellow is a find (1946) : IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
The Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” was released in 1946, and is a Frank Capra movie starring James Stewart and Donna Reed. The film’s screenplay was adapted from a short story called “The Greatest Gift” by Philip Van Doren Stern. Remember the famous swimming pool scene? That was shot in Beverly High School gym, and the pool is still in use today.
42 Game pieces in Mastermind : PEGS
Mastermind is a code breaking game that uses colored pegs on decoding board. The “code maker” sets a hidden “code” of four colored pegs into one end of the board, and then the “code breaker” guesses the sequence of colors by laying four pegs into the decoding section of the same board. The code maker responds by revealing how many pegs are guessed correctly and in the right position, and how many are guessed correctly and in the wrong position. The codebreaker uses this information to break the code within a specified number of guesses.
46 Word after contact or before cover : LENS
The concepts that underpin the technology of contact lenses date back to Leonardo Da Vinci. Although Da Vinci didn’t propose the development of the contact lens, he did write about correcting vision by submerging the eye in a bowl of water. Over a hundred years later, René Descartes made a somewhat impractical suggestion, but along the right lines, of using a glass tube filled with liquid that could be placed in contact with the eye to correct vision. The first real contact lenses were developed by German ophthalmologist Adolf Gaston Eugen Fick in 1887.
50 Unfinished attic space : GARRET
A garret is a room on the top floor of a house, one under a gabled roof. “Garret” is a synonym of “attic”.
52 Re: town fire one night (1974) : THE TOWERING INFERNO
The exciting disaster movie “The Towering Inferno” (1974) had an incredible cast, including Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, William Holden, Fay eDunaway, Fred Astaire, Richard Chamberlain, OJ Simpson, Robert Vaughn and Robert Wagner (wow!). The actor who stands out for me is Fred Astaire, and not really for his performance in this film. I find it quite shocking that Astaire’s only Oscar nomination, in his whole career, came from “The Towering Inferno” …
61 Tip of the tongue? : -ESE
The name of a language might use the suffix “-ian” (e.g. “Russian”) or “-ese” (e.g. Chinese).
65 Breed featured in 2009’s “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” : AKITA
The Akita breed of dog is named for its point of origin, Akita Prefecture in Japan. When Helen Keller visited Japan in 1937, she asked for and was given an Akita breed of dog, with the name of Kamikaze-go. Sadly, the dog died within a year from distemper. The following year the Japanese government officially presented Keller with a replacement dog. Supposedly Keller’s dogs were the first members of the breed to be introduced into the US.
“Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” is a 2009 American remake of a 1987 Japanese film “Hachiko Monogatari”. The original film tells the true story of an exceptionally loyal Akita dog who waits at a railway station every day for his master to return from work, even though his owner died years earlier. “Hachi” is set in the US, but tells a similar story. Richard Gere leads the cast, but I hear that the dog steals the show …
67 Miff, with “off” : TEE …
To miff is to put out, to tee off. “To miff” is a verb that has been around since the early 1600s. In 1824, Sir Walter Scott described the word “miffed” as “a women’s phrase”. That should get him a slap, I’d say …
75 Evil Streep had award (2006) : THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
“The Devil Wears Prada” is a 2003 novel by Lauren Weisberger that is set in the fashion industry. One of the main characters in the story is Miranda Priestly, the tyrannical editor-in-chief of the fictional fashion magazine “Runway”. It has been suggested that the Priestly character was inspired by Anna Wintour, the real life editor-in-chief of “Vogue”. Weisberger’s book was adapted into a very successful film with the same title that was released in 2006, with Meryl Streep playing Priestly.
80 Be a paragon of : EMBODY
A paragon is a model of excellence, a peerless example. Ultimately the term derives from the Greek “para-” meaning “on the side” and “akone” meaning “whetstone”. This derivation comes from the ancient practice of using a touchstone to test gold for its level of purity by drawing a line on the stone with the gold and comparing the resulting mark with samples of known purity.
83 The “Y” of Y.S.L. : YVES
Yves Saint Laurent (YSL)
91 M. Ryan, what’s her yell? (1989) : WHEN HARRY MET SALLY
“When Harry Met Sally… “ is a 1989 romantic comedy starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan in the title roles. This marvelous film was written by the late Nora Ephron and directed by Rob Reiner. There’s a famous scene in the movie, filmed in Katz’s Deli in Manhattan, in which the character Sally (fully clothed, while eating) fakes an orgasm at the table in front of Harry. A woman at a nearby table places her order saying, “I’ll have what she’s having”. That woman was Estelle Reiner, director Carl Reiner’s mother. To this day, there is a sign in Katz’s, pointing to Harry and Sally’s table, that reads “Where Harry met Sally… hope you have what she had! Enjoy!”
96 They have massive calves : GLACIERS
A glacier is a body of ice that persists throughout the seasons, and which moves under its own weight. The term “glacier” ultimately derives from the Latin “glacies” meaning “ice”.
100 “OK!” in Okayama : HAI!
The word “yes” translates into “oui” in French, “ja” in German, and “hai” in Japanese.
103 Protected creature in the Congo Basin : GORILLA
The gorilla is the largest primate still in existence, and is one of the nearest living species to humans. Molecular biology studies have shown that our nearest relatives are in fact the species in the genus Pan (the chimpanzee and the bonobo), which split from the human branch of the family 4-6 million years ago. Gorillas and humans diverged at a point about 7 million years ago. The term “gorilla” derives from the Greek “gorillai” meaning “tribe of hairy women”. Wow …!
107 Alternatives to tablets : PCS
The original IBM Personal Computer is model number 5150, which was introduced to the world on August 12, 1981. The term “personal computer” was already in use, but the success of the IBM 5150 led to the term “PC” being used for all computer products compatible with the IBM platform.
110 R.E.M.: alarming to the teens (1984) : A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
“A Nightmare on Elm Street” is a Wes Craven slasher-horror film that was released in 1984. As I don’t do “slasher” or “horror”, I was surprised to learn that Johnny Depp was in the movie, making his feature film debut.
“REM” is an acronym standing for “rapid eye movement”. REM sleep takes up 20-25% of the sleeping hours and is the period associated with one’s most vivid dreams.
115 ___ colada : PINA
“Piña colada” is a Spanish term that translates into “strained pineapple”. The piña colada cocktail was introduced in the Caribe Hilton San Juan in 1954, and since 1978 it has been the official beverage of Puerto Rico. Yum …
116 “Louisiana ___,” music show that helped launch Elvis’s career : HAYRIDE
Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi and moved to Memphis, Tennessee with his family when he was 13-years-old. Once he had achieved fame, Elvis purchased Graceland, the famous Memphis home that he used for himself and his family. I visited Graceland many years ago, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
117 Fried, filled Filipino fare : EMPANADA
An empanada is a dish made by folding pastry around cooked meat and vegetables. To me an empanada looks very similar to a dish I grew up with called a Cornish pasty.
118 Part of STEM: Abbr. : ENGR
The acronym “STEM” stands for the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. An alternative acronym with a similar meaning is MINT, standing for mathematics, information sciences, natural sciences and technology.
Down
1 First courses, informally : APPS
Appetizer (app)
3 First Black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature : MORRISON
Writer Toni Morrison won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993. Amongst other things, Morrison is noted for coining the phrase “our first black President”, a reference to President Bill Clinton.
4 When doubled, a dance : CHA
The cha-cha-cha (often simplified to “cha-cha”) is a Latin dance with origins in Cuba, where it was introduced by composer Enrique Jorrin in 1953.
9 ___ Men (“Who Let the Dogs Out” group) : BAHA
The Baha Men are so called because they hail from the Bahamas. Their big hit was “Who Let the Dogs Out?” That song once ranked third in a list of the world’s most annoying songs!
11 Document stamp abbr. : RECD
Received (recd.)
13 Blimp, e.g. : AIRSHIP
There is an important difference between a blimp (like the Goodyear Blimp) and an airship (like a zeppelin). An airship is a rigid structure with an internal framework that helps maintain the shape of the airbag, whereas a blimp uses the pressure of the helium gas inside the airbag to give it shape.
14 Humanitarian org. with Halloween fund drives : UNICEF
The United Nations Children’s Fund is known by the acronym UNICEF because the organization’s original name when it was founded in 1946 was the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund. The original focus of the fund was to provide relief to children in countries that had been devastated by WWII. UNICEF is supported by contributions from governments, but also by individual donors. One of the more successful programs for collecting private donations is the Trick-or-Treat UNICEF box that has been a tradition here in North America since 1950.
15 First name in Harry Potter : ALBUS
Professor Albus Dumbledore is the headmaster of the school for wizards called Hogwarts, in the Harry Potter universe. Dumbledore’s specialties are nonverbal spells and alchemy. Author J. K. Rowling chose the name Dumbledore as it is an Early English word for a bumblebee. Apparently she pictured him wandering around, humming to himself.
18 Believe in it : TENET
A tenet is an article of faith, something that is held to be true. “Tenet” is Latin for “holds”.
20 Onetime dentist’s supply : ETHER
Ethers are a whole class of organic compounds, but in the vernacular “ether” is specifically diethyl ether. Diethyl ether was once very popular as a general anesthetic.
24 Company with sound financials? : BOSE
Bose Corporation was founded in 1964 by Amar G. Bose, and is a company that specializes in manufacture of audio equipment.
34 “‘Tis an ___ cook that cannot lick his own fingers”: “Romeo and Juliet” : ILL
William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” is all about the love between the two title characters, which is forbidden as the pair come from two families who are sworn enemies. Early in the play, Romeo (a Montague) sneaks into a masquerade ball being held by the Capulets in the hope of meeting a Capulet girl named Rosaline. Instead, he meets and falls for Juliet, also a Capulet. Tragedy ensues …
35 The third of three X’s : TOE
When I was growing up in Ireland we played “noughts and crosses” … our name for the game tic-tac-toe.
36 Opposite of da : NYET
“Nyet” is Russian for “no”, and “da” is Russian for “yes”.
39 Soul singer Bridges : LEON
Leon Bridges is an R&B singer from Fort Worth, Texas who is best known for his 2015 hit “Coming Home”.
43 Paper slips? : ERRATA
“Errata” is the past participle of the Latin word “errare” meaning “to err”. We use “errata” (singular “erratum”) to describe a list of errors that have been noted in some publication.
50 Airborne irritant : GNAT
Gnats are attracted to the smell of rotting food, and vinegar. Simple homemade traps that use vinegar are often constructed to attract and kill gnats.
51 Chicken … or cowed : AFRAID
The verb “to cow” means to intimidate, to scare. The exact etymology of the term seems unclear.
55 “___ on parle français” : ICI
“Ici on parle français” translates from French as “Here, one speaks French”.
63 Impose, as a fine : LEVY
A levy is a tax. The term “levy” comes from Old French in which “levée” means “raising”. So a levy is a tax that has been “raised” (in the sense of “collected”, not “increased”).
64 ___ Lanka : SRI
The island nation of Sri Lanka lies off the southeast coast of India. The name “Sri Lanka” translates from Sanskrit into English as “venerable island”. Before 1970, Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon, a name given to the country during British rule.
70 Brand with an iComfort line : SERTA
Serta was founded in 1931 when a group of 13 mattress manufacturers came together, essentially forming a cooperative. Today, the Serta company is owned by eight independent licensees in a similar arrangement. Serta advertisements feature the Serta Counting Sheep. Each numbered sheep has a different personality, such as:
- #1 The Leader of the Flock
- #½ The Tweener
- #13 Mr. Bad Luck
- #53 The Pessimist
- #86 Benedict Arnold
72 Harvard dropouts, maybe? : ARS
The Boston accent is noted for its broad letter A, and dropping of the letter R.
74 Recurrent space in The Game of Life : PAYDAY
The board game we call “The Game of Life” (also just “Life”) was created quite a few years ago, in 1869 by Milton Bradley. Back then it was called “The Checkered Game of Life” and was the first parlor game to become a popular hit. The modern version of the game was first released in 1960.
79 Drives the getaway car for, say : ABETS
The word “abet” comes into English from the Old French “abeter” meaning “to bait” or “to harass with dogs” (literally “to make bite”). This sense of encouraging something bad to happen morphed into our modern usage of “abet” meaning to aid or encourage someone in a crime.
84 Slangy SoCal dialect : VALSPEAK
Southern California (SoCal)
88 Rhea with four Emmys : PERLMAN
Rhea Perlman’s most famous role has to be Carla Tortelli, the irascible waitress in the long-running sitcom “Cheers”. Perlman is also a successful children’s author, and has published a series of six books called “Otto Undercover”. She married Hollywood actor Danny DeVito in 1982.
90 Phone-tracking org. : NSA
National Security Agency (NSA)
93 Europe’s Three Countries Bridge crosses it : RHINE
The river running through Europe that we know in English as the Rhine, is called “Rhein” in German, “Rhin” in French and “Rijn” in Dutch.
94 Big name in locks : YALE
The Yale brand name of lock comes from Linus Yale Jr., the founder of the original company. Linus Yale was the inventor of the pin tumbler lock.
96 ___-Nuts : GRAPE
C. W. Post decided to get into the cereal business after visiting the Battle Creek Sanitarium operated by John Harvey Kellogg. Post was interested in the chemistry of digestion and was inspired by the dietary products offered by Kellogg at his sanitarium. The first breakfast cereal Post introduced was Grape-Nuts, way back in 1897.
97 World leader who appeared on a Time magazine cover 40 years after his death : LENIN
“Lenin” wasn’t the birth name of the Russian leader. He was born Vladimir Ulyanov, and originally used “Lenin” as a pen name.
104 Trompe l’___ : OEIL
“Trompe l’oeil” is a technique in art that creates the optical illusion that a drawn object exists in three dimensions. “Trompe-l’oeil” is French for “deceive the eye”.
113 Headwear with a pompom : TAM
A tam o’shanter is a man’s cap worn traditionally by Scotsmen. “Tams” were originally all blue (and called “blue bonnets”) but as more dyes became readily available they became more colorful. The name of the cap comes from the title character of the Robert Burns poem “Tam o’ Shanter”.
The French call a ball made of tufted wool a “pompon”, a word that we imported into English directly as “pompon”. We use “pompon” to describe perhaps bobbles on some hats, or the tufted balls that are shaken by cheerleaders at sports events. Over time, the spelling “pompom” has become common in English, probably due to mishearing. To confuse matters a little, we also use the word “pom-pom”, which is a nickname for a British autocannon used mainly as an anti-aircraft weapon, particularly during WWII.
114 Vaccine molecule : RNA
A vaccine used to be a modified virus administered to an individual to stimulate the immune system into developing immunity, until RNA vaccines were introduced to combat COVID-19. British physician Edward Jenner came up with the first vaccine, injecting people with the cowpox virus in order to prevent smallpox. The term “vaccination” comes from the Latin “vaccinus” meaning “from cows”, with “vacca” translating as “cow”.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Items used with PINs : ATM CARDS
9 There’s one for the U.S. Census : BUREAU
15 In a tussle : AT IT
19 Dismiss : POOH-POOH
20 Takes it one step at a time : EASES IN
21 Pad Thai garnish : LIME
22 Sea captain: robber, thief (2003) : PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
25 Photographer’s tool, for short : SLR
26 Unlike this puzzle, we hope : TOO HARD
27 Source of suffering : SCOURGE
28 They’re hoppy at happy hour : IPAS
32 Quaint lead-in to while : ERE-
33 All the kings’ men? : CHESS SET
34 True fellow is a find (1946) : IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
40 With room for interpretation : LOOSELY
41 Top : ONE-UP
42 Game pieces in Mastermind : PEGS
46 Word after contact or before cover : LENS
47 Chill (out) : VEG
49 Bit of deception : PUT-ON
50 Unfinished attic space : GARRET
52 Re: town fire one night (1974) : THE TOWERING INFERNO
56 “Whoopee!” : YAHOO!
59 Origin of the words “club” and “gun” : NORSE
60 It’s a lot in London : CAR PARK
61 Tip of the tongue? : -ESE
62 Best-selling crime novelist Gregg : OLSEN
65 Breed featured in 2009’s “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” : AKITA
67 Miff, with “off” : TEE …
68 One seeking a new agreement, perhaps : STRIKER
70 Ground-breaking tool : SPADE
73 “Not interested” : I PASS
75 Evil Streep had award (2006) : THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
80 Be a paragon of : EMBODY
81 Guys that rhyme with “girls” : EARLS
82 Folder attachment : TAB
83 The “Y” of Y.S.L. : YVES
87 Beams : RAYS
88 Wallop : PASTE
89 One of the Roys on “Succession” : KENDALL
91 M. Ryan, what’s her yell? (1989) : WHEN HARRY MET SALLY
96 They have massive calves : GLACIERS
100 “OK!” in Okayama : HAI!
101 Puts forth : SAYS
102 Account : RECITAL
103 Protected creature in the Congo Basin : GORILLA
107 Alternatives to tablets : PCS
110 R.E.M.: alarming to the teens (1984) : A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
115 ___ colada : PINA
116 “Louisiana ___,” music show that helped launch Elvis’s career : HAYRIDE
117 Fried, filled Filipino fare : EMPANADA
118 Part of STEM: Abbr. : ENGR
119 Angry dog sounds : SNARLS
120 Elf at the North Pole, e.g. : TOYMAKER
Down
1 First courses, informally : APPS
2 Drudgery : TOIL
3 First Black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature : MORRISON
4 When doubled, a dance : CHA
5 Quick to learn : APT
6 Spawn in the sea : ROE
7 “___ thou love life?”: Benjamin Franklin : DOST
8 Drove (away) : SHOOED
9 ___ Men (“Who Let the Dogs Out” group) : BAHA
10 One with a password, maybe : USER
11 Document stamp abbr. : RECD
12 That: Sp. : ESA
13 Blimp, e.g. : AIRSHIP
14 Humanitarian org. with Halloween fund drives : UNICEF
15 First name in Harry Potter : ALBUS
16 Ranks : TIERS
17 Would you look at that! : IMAGE
18 Believe in it : TENET
20 Onetime dentist’s supply : ETHER
23 Front : FORE
24 Company with sound financials? : BOSE
29 Target with a throw : PASS TO
30 “!!!!!” feeling : AWE
31 Crack : SOLVE
33 Held tightly : CLUNG
34 “‘Tis an ___ cook that cannot lick his own fingers”: “Romeo and Juliet” : ILL
35 The third of three X’s : TOE
36 Opposite of da : NYET
37 All ___ (English card game) : FOURS
38 Release, in a way : UNTIE
39 Soul singer Bridges : LEON
42 School for the college-bound : PREP
43 Paper slips? : ERRATA
44 Signs in a bookstore, perhaps : GENRES
45 Encourages : STOKES
48 Out of the park : GONE
49 Each : PER
50 Airborne irritant : GNAT
51 Chicken … or cowed : AFRAID
53 Addicted : HOOKED
54 Broke the finish line ribbon : WON
55 “___ on parle français” : ICI
56 Lead-in to day or year : YESTER-
57 Pulmicort targets it : ASTHMA
58 Adverb in many legal documents : HEREBY
63 Impose, as a fine : LEVY
64 ___ Lanka : SRI
65 Certain banner fodder : ADS
66 Didn’t ditch : KEPT
69 Certain partners’ exchanges : I DOS
70 Brand with an iComfort line : SERTA
71 Less vibrant : PALER
72 Harvard dropouts, maybe? : ARS
74 Recurrent space in The Game of Life : PAYDAY
76 Depends (on) : LEANS
77 Break-even situation : WASH
78 Aid in putting together a fall collection : RAKE
79 Drives the getaway car for, say : ABETS
84 Slangy SoCal dialect : VALSPEAK
85 Sharp turn : ELL
86 Designing : SLY
88 Rhea with four Emmys : PERLMAN
90 Phone-tracking org. : NSA
91 Accompanying : WITH
92 Shrubby areas : HEATHS
93 Europe’s Three Countries Bridge crosses it : RHINE
94 Big name in locks : YALE
95 Grain variety : MILLET
96 ___-Nuts : GRAPE
97 World leader who appeared on a Time magazine cover 40 years after his death : LENIN
98 Sailing through : ACING
99 The world’s most expensive one, the Gurkha Royal Courtesan, costs over $1.3 million : CIGAR
103 Angry dog’s sound : GRRR!
104 Trompe l’___ : OEIL
105 Sticks : RODS
106 Some finds in Fortnite : AMMO
108 Hand over : CEDE
109 Have the lead (in) : STAR
111 Actress Cash of FX’s “You’re the Worst” : AYA
112 Who might bug you? : SPY
113 Headwear with a pompom : TAM
114 Vaccine molecule : RNA
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