0911-22 NY Times Crossword 11 Sep 22, Sunday

Constructed by: Derrick Niederman
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: Opposites Attract

Themed answers each include a pair of OPPOSITES as hidden words, sitting side-by-side:

  • 24A English poet who wrote “The Highwayman” : ALFRED NOYES (hiding “NO” and “YES”)
  • 30A Early American pseudonym : POOR RICHARD (hiding “POOR” and “RICH”)
  • 37A Accept imminent punishment : FACE THE MUSIC (hiding “THEM” and “US”)
  • 68A Caesar salad ingredient : HEART OF ROMAINE (hiding “TO” and “FROM”)
  • 98A Scramble some eggs, say : FIX BREAKFAST (hiding “FIX” and “BREAK”)
  • 107A Branch of dentistry that specializes in root canals : ENDODONTICS (hiding “DO” and “DON’T”)
  • 114A Noted songwriter behind Wynonna Judd’s “Tell Me Why” and Linda Ronstadt’s “All My Life” : KARLA BONOFF (hiding “ON” and “OFF”)
  • 46D Same old, same old : ROUTINE (hiding “OUT” and “IN”)
  • 55D Her name is Greek for “all-gifted” : PANDORA (hiding “AND” and “OR”)

Bill’s time: 21m 15s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

11 With 108-Down, hot stretch of summer : DOG …
108D See 11-Across : … DAYS

“Dog Days” is the term given to the warmest and most humid days of summer. The term derives from the ancient belief that hot weather was caused when Sirius (the Dog Star) was in close proximity to the sun.

19 “He’s” this, in a 1963 hit for the Chiffons : SO FINE

“He’s So Fine” is a great little song that was released by the Chiffons in 1962. Famously, the owners of the rights to the song sued George Harrison in 1971, claiming that he was guilty of plagiarizing “He’s So Fine” in writing his hit “My Sweet Lord”. Harrison was found guilty of “subconscious” plagiarism. In a strange twist, the Chiffons recorded a version of “My Sweet Lord” a year before the case was decided.

The Chiffons were a female singing group from the Bronx in New York who were at the height of their success in the early sixties. Soon after releasing the 1962 hit “He’s So Fine”, the group released two singles as the Four Pennies. When “He’s So Fine” became such a great success, they abandoned the Four Pennies moniker and stuck with “the Chiffons”.

24 English poet who wrote “The Highwayman” : ALFRED NOYES (hiding “NO” and “YES”)

Alfred Noyes was an English poet best known for his narrative poem “The Highwayman” that was published in 1906. The highwayman in the poem is in love with an innkeeper’s daughter named Bess. Bess dies trying to warn her lover about an ambush, and then the highwayman dies when trying to exact revenge for her death. The highwayman and Bess meet up as ghosts on winter nights.

26 World Cup org. : FIFA

The International Federation of Association Football (“Fédération Internationale de Football Association” in French) is usually referred to by the acronym “FIFA”. FIFA is the governing body of the game of soccer (association football), and the organizer of the FIFA World Cup held every four years.

27 Digs in the ice? : IGLOO

The Inuit word for “house” is “iglu”, which we usually write as “igloo”. The Greenlandic (yes, that’s a language) word for “house” is very similar, namely “igdlo”. The walls of igloos are tremendous insulators, due to the air pockets in the blocks of snow.

29 Humorist Bombeck : ERMA

Erma Bombeck wrote for newspapers for about 35 years. She produced more than 4,000 witty and humorous columns under the title “At Wit’s End”, with all describing her home life in suburbia.

30 Early American pseudonym : POOR RICHARD (hiding “POOR” and “RICH”)

“Poor Richard’s Almanack” was an annual publication authored by none other than Benjamin Franklin. The first edition hit the shelves in 1732, and was very, very successful, selling about 10,000 copies a year. Apparently Napoleon Bonaparte was a big fan.

33 Prop that enabled Houdini to “walk through” a brick wall : TRAPDOOR

“Harry Houdini” was the stage name of Hungarian-born escapologist and magician Erik Weisz (later changed to “Harry Weiss”). Many people are under the impression that Houdini died while performing an escape that went wrong, an impression created by the storyline in a couple of movies about his life. The truth is that he died of peritonitis from a burst appendix. It is also true that a few days prior to his death Houdini took a series of punches to his stomach as part of his act, but doctors believe that his appendix would have burst regardless.

35 Napoleonic ___ : ERA

By most definitions, the Napoleonic Era started with Napoleon Bonaparte’s coup d’état that effectively ended the French Revolution. The era itself ended with Napoleon’s defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.

39 Republic toppled in 1933 : WEIMAR

At the end of WWI, the imperial government of Germany was overthrown in the German Revolution of November 1918. Just under a year later, a new constitution was adopted by a national assembly in the city of Weimar. The resulting Weimar Republic lasted until German democracy collapsed in the early 1930s and the Nazi Party came to power.

41 Red block in Minecraft : TNT

Minecraft is a video game that was released in 2011. It has been cited as one of the most influential video games of all time.

43 Rapper Fiasco : LUPE

“Lupe Fiasco” is the stage name of rap artist Wasalu Muhammad Jaco. Jaco uses his real name when performing with the rock band Japanese Cartoon.

52 Bird associated with bats : ORIOLE

The songbird called an oriole builds an interesting nest. It is a woven cup-like structure that is suspended from a branch like a hammock.

56 Doctrine of East Asia : TAO

The name of the Chinese character “tao” translates as “path”, but the concept of Taoism signifies the true nature of the world.

58 Six-Day War combatant: Abbr. : ISR

The Six-Day War took place from June 5th to June 10th, 1967, and was fought between Israel and its neighbors Egypt, Jordan and Syria. By the time the ceasefire was signed, Israel had seized huge swaths of land formerly controlled by Arab states, namely the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank of the Jordan River and the Golan Heights. The overall territory under the control of Israel grew by a factor of three in just six days.

59 Natural fertilizer : MANURE

Back in the 1400s, to “manure” was to cultivate using “manual” labor. Over time, “manuring” came to specifically mean “treating the soil with fertilizer, dung and compost”. Today, “manure” is used mainly as a noun describing animal waste collected from stables and barnyards that is often used as a fertilizer.

60 Jack of old TV : PAAR

Jack Paar was most famous as the host of “The Tonight Show”, from 1957 to 1962. When he died in 2004, “Time” magazine wrote that Paar was “the fellow who split talk show history into two eras: “Before Paar and Below Paar”. Very complimentary …

61 Neighbor of Jammu and Kashmir : PUNJAB

Punjab is the most populous province in Pakistan and is home to over half of the country’s citizens. “Punjab” (also “Panjab”) translates as “Five Waters”, a reference to five rivers that form tributaries to the Indus River: Chenab, Jhelum, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej.

64 Instrument that makes a “tsst” sound : HI-HAT

In a drum kit, a hi-hat is a pairing of cymbals that sits on a stand and is played by using a foot pedal. The top cymbal is raised and lowered by the foot, hence creating a crashing sound.

66 “Mazel ___!” : TOV

“Mazel tov!” is a Yiddish phrase meaning “Good luck!”

68 Caesar salad ingredient : HEART OF ROMAINE (hiding “TO” and “FROM”)

Romaine is also known as cos lettuce, with the “romaine” name being most common here in North America.

The caesar salad was created by restaurateur Caesar Cardini at the Hotel Caesar’s in Tijuana, Mexico. The original recipe called for whole lettuce leaves that were to be lifted up by the stem and eaten with the fingers.

71 Clanton at the O.K. Corral : IKE

Ike and Billy Clanton participated in what has to be the most famous gunfight in the history of the Old West, the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral that took place in Tombstone, Arizona. Strangely enough, the fight didn’t happen at the O.K. Corral, but took place six doors down the street in a vacant lot next to a photography studio.

75 Flying ___ (martial arts strike) : KNEE

Martial arts are various fighting traditions and systems used in combat or simply to promote physical well-being. The term “martial” ultimately derives from Latin and means “Arts of Mars”, a reference to Mars, the Roman god of war.

76 Spots for snorkeling : ATOLLS

An atoll is a coral island that is shaped in a ring that encloses a lagoon. There is still some debate as to how an atoll forms, but a theory proposed by Charles Darwin while on his famous voyage aboard HMS Beagle still holds sway. Basically, an atoll was once a volcanic island that had subsided and fallen into the sea. The coastline of the island is home to coral growth which persists even as the island continues to subside inside the circling coral reef.

Our word “snorkel” comes from German navy slang “Schnorchel” meaning “nose, snout”. The German slang was applied to an air-shaft used for submarines, due to its resemblance to a nose, in that air passed through it and it made a “snoring” sound. “Schnorchel” comes from “Schnarchen”, the German for “snore”.

83 Wrap on a rancho : SERAPE

“Serape” is the English pronunciation and spelling of the Spanish word “zarape”. A zarape is like a Mexican poncho, a soft woolen blanket with a hole in the middle for the head. Most serapes have colorful designs that use traditional Mayan motifs.

87 Horse-drawn carriage : SHAY

A chaise is a light carriage with a folding hood that transports one or two people. “Chaise” is the French for “chair”, and takes its name from the “sedan chair” means of transportation. In the US, the name “chaise” evolved into “shay”.

88 “In Praise of Folly” essayist : ERASMUS

Desiderius Erasmus was a Dutch priest and theologian. Erasmus was a very prolific and successful writer and in the 1530s his written works accounted for 10-20% of all book sales in the world. A famous quotation accredited to Erasmus is:

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

90 Norman or English king? : LEAR

Norman Lear wrote and produced some great television shows, including “All in the Family”, “Sanford and Son” and “The Jeffersons”. He also did some film work, including writing and producing the great 1967 movie “Divorce American Style”.

Shakespeare was inspired to write his famous drama “King Lear” by the legend of “Leir of Britain”, the story of a mythological Celtic king.

91 With 93-Across, young river critter : OTTER …
93 See 91-Across : … PUP

Male and female otters are known as dogs and bitches, with the offspring called pups. Males and females are sometimes referred to as boars and sows. A collection of otters is a bevy, family, lodge or perhaps a romp. When in water, a collection of otters can be called a raft.

96 Tribal circle, perhaps : TEPEES

A tepee (also written as “tipi” and “teepee”) is a cone-shaped tent traditionally made from animal hides that is used by the Great Plains Native Americans. A wigwam is a completely different structure and is often a misnomer for a tepee. A wigwam is a domed structure built by Native Americans in the West and Southwest, intended to be a more permanent dwelling. The wigwam can also be covered with hides but more often was covered with grass, reeds, brush or cloth.

105 Large electromotive unit : MEGAVOLT

The volt is a unit of electric potential, or voltage. I always think of electrical voltage as something like water pressure. The higher the pressure of water (voltage), the faster the water flows (the higher the electric current that flows).

Electromotive force (emf) is the name given to the “force” which causes current to flow through a conductor. Roughly speaking, emf is equivalent to voltage. The higher the voltage, the more current tends to flow. The Greek letter epsilon is the symbol used to represent emf.

107 Branch of dentistry that specializes in root canals : ENDODONTICS (hiding “DO” and “DON’T”)

The specialty field of dentistry known as endodontics is concerned with the treatment of the dental pulp, the living tissue found within a tooth.

111 Actress Teri : GARR

Actress Teri Garr had a whole host of minor roles in her youth, including appearances in nine Elvis movies. Garr’s big break came with the role of Inga in “Young Frankenstein”, and her supporting role in “Tootsie” earned Garr an Academy Award nomination. Sadly, Teri Garr suffers from multiple sclerosis. She is a National Ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

112 Davis of “Thelma & Louise” : GEENA

As well as being a successful Hollywood actress, Geena Davis is an accomplished archer and came close to qualifying for the US archery team for the 2000 Summer Olympics. Davis is also a member of American Mensa. She is quite the lady …

“Thelma & Louise” is a thought-provoking movie, and one that is very entertaining. It was directed by Ridley Scott in 1991, and stars two fabulous leads in Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon. You’ll also spot Brad Pitt onscreen in his first significant movie role.

113 Go to sleep, with “out” : CONK …

The phrase “conk out” was coined by airmen during WWI, and was used to describe the stalling of an engine.

119 Goods for sale: Abbr. : MDSE

Merchandise (“mdse.” or “merch”)

120 Taiwan-born filmmaker : ANG LEE

Taiwanese director Ang Lee sure has directed a mixed bag of films, mixed in terms of genre but not in terms of quality. He was at the helm for such classics as “Sense & Sensibility” (my personal favorite), “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, “Hulk”, “Brokeback Mountain” and “Life of Pi”.

121 George Washington chopping down a cherry tree, and others : MYTHS

The famous story about George Washington cutting down a cherry tree as a child has been shown to be fiction. He supposedly was confronted by his father after taking an axe to a tree and confessed with the words, “I’m sorry father, I cannot tell a lie”. Not true …

Down

1 Org. created under F.D.R. : SSA

The Social Security Administration (SSA) was set up as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. The first person to receive a monthly retirement benefit was Ida May Fuller of Vermont who received her first check for the sum of $22.54 after having contributed for three years through payroll taxes. The New Deal turned out to be a good deal for Ms. Fuller, as she lived to be 100 years of age and received a total benefit of almost $23,000, whereas her three years of contributions added up to just $24.75.

2 Howler of a movie? : WOLF MAN

A wolf man is better known perhaps as a werewolf. A werewolf morphs from human form into that of a wolf man when there is a full moon.

4 Rant : TIRADE

The term “tirade” describes a long and vehement speech, and is a word that came into English from French. “Tirade” can have the same meaning in French, but is also the word for “volley”. So, a tirade is a “volley” of words.

6 Talk acronym : TED

The acronym “TED” stands for “Technology, Entertainment and Design”. TED is a set of conferences held around the world by a non-profit group called the Sapling Foundation. The conference subjects are varied, and the meetings are often led by big names such as Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Bill Gates and Jane Goodall. The Sapling Foundation then makes recordings of the conferences available for free online with the intent of disseminating the ideas globally. These conferences are known as “TED Talks”. There are also TEDx events, which are locally-run talks presented under license from TED.

7 Model for a grade schooler : DIORAMA

A diorama is a full-scale or small-scale replica of a scene. We mostly see full-size dioramas in museums, whereas our kids might create small-scale dioramas as homework projects. The original diorama was a picture-viewing device that was invented in 1822 by Louis Daguerre and Charles Marie Bouton. These historic dioramas were quite large, and featured scenes that appeared to change as the lighting was manipulated.

8 Mountain residence : OLYMPUS

Mount Olympus is the highest peak in Greece. In Greek mythology, it was home to the gods, and in particular home to the principal gods known as the Twelve Olympians.

10 What three dots might mean : ESS

The Morse code symbol for the letter S is “dot-dot-dot”.

12 Home of Kenyon College : OHIO

Kenyon College is a private school in Gambier, Ohio that was founded in 1824. The college was established largely with funds from English peers Lord Kenyon and Lord Gambier. The list of Kenyon graduates includes President Rutherford B. Hayes, actor Paul Newman, comedian Jonathan Winters and actress Allison Janney.

14 Org. created under F.D.R. : FDIC

During the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the Banking Act of 1933. The legislation established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), intended to be a temporary government corporation that provided insurance on deposits made by customers of qualified financial institutions. The first accounts to be covered, in 1934, had an insurance limit of $2,500. Since the financial crisis of 2008, that limit is $250,000.

16 Eponym for one of the earth’s five oceans : ATLAS

The earliest known mention of the name “Atlantic”, for the world’s second-largest ocean, was in ancient Greece. The Greeks called said ocean “the Sea of Atlas” or “Atlantis thalassa”.

17 Baby bearer, maybe : STORK

In German and Dutch society, storks resting on the roof of a house were considered a sign of good luck. This tradition led to nursery stories that babies were brought to families by storks.

22 Vice president after Pence : HARRIS

Kamala Harris was a US Senator for California starting in 2017, after serving for six years as the Attorney General of California. In early 2019, Harris announced her run for the Democratic nomination for US president in the 2020 election. Although she dropped out of the race, she was chosen by eventual nominee Joe Biden as his vice-presidential running mate. When the Biden-Harris ticket won the election, Harris became the highest-ranking female politician in the history of the US.

25 One of Neptune’s moons : NEREID

Nereid is the third largest moon of the planet Neptune. In Greek mythology, the Nereids were the sea-nymphs who attended the god Neptune.

30 Second half of an incantation : -POCUS

There appears to be a lot of speculation about the origin of the magician’s phrase “hocus pocus”, but nothing stands out to me as being very definitive.

31 Helen Reddy’s signature hit : I AM WOMAN

The successful singer Helen Reddy was born in Melbourne, Australia. In 1966, Reddy won a talent contest and earned herself a trip to New York City for an audition. The 25-year-old single mother decided to stay in the US, and a few years later was able to launch a successful singing career. Her hit song “I Am Woman”, released in 1972, was the first recording by an Australian artist to reach #1 in the US charts.

33 It shares space with # : THREE

The # symbol is usually referred to as the “number sign”, but here in the US the name “pound sign” is very common as well, as is “hash mark”.

34 Like dipsticks : OILY

One form of measuring dipstick is used to measure the level of oil in an internal combustion engine.

38 Southwestern art hub : TAOS

The town of Taos, New Mexico is named for the Native American village nearby called Taos Pueblo. Taos is famous for its art colony. Artists began settling in Taos in 1899, and the Taos Society of Artists was founded in 1915.

39 Tom Jones and Anthony Hopkins, by birth : WELSHMEN

Tom Jones … someone with a real voice and a great showman. I saw him in Las Vegas many, many moons ago, and it was one of the best Vegas shows I’ve ever attended. Although “Tom Jones” is a carefully selected stage name (he was born Thomas Woodward) the name isn’t too far from reality as Jones is his mother’s maiden name. The stage name was chosen by his manager to capitalize on the appeal of “Tom Jones”, a filmed version of the Henry Fielding novel that was having a successful run at the time. The name also emphasized Tom’s Welsh roots, as Jones is a very common name in Wales.

The marvelous actor Anthony Hopkins got his big break in movies playing Richard the Lionheart in the 1968 historical drama “The Lion in Winter”. Hopkins hails from the south coast of Wales, and was encouraged in his early career by fellow Welshman Richard Burton, whom he met when he was a teenager. I’d say that Hopkins’ best-known film role was Hannibal Lecter in “The Silence of the Lambs”.

44 Suzhou Museum architect : PEI

Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei was raised in Shanghai. He moved to the US to study architecture at the University of Pennsylvania. Although he transferred soon after to MIT. The list of his designs includes the John F. Kennedy Library in Massachusetts, the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, and the celebrated glass-and-steel pyramid in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

47 He set a Guinness World Record in 2014, reporting for 34 consecutive hours : AL ROKER

Al Roker is best known as the weatherman on the “Today” show on NBC. He has successfully branched out from that platform though, and even co-wrote a novel called “The Morning Show Murders”, about a celebrity chef and TV host who gets entangled in mystery. Topical stuff …

As part of a fundraiser to benefit the military and USO, weatherman Al Roker did a non-stop, 34-hour weather forecast on NBC in November, 2014. The event was nicknamed a “Roker-thon”, and set a new Guinness World Record. Roker reproduced the event in different forms in 2015 and 2017. For Roker-thon 2, Al reported on the weather from all fifty states and Washington, D.C. in the same week. For Roker-thon 3, he visited colleges around the country and participated in record-setting stunts such as the longest conga line on ice, and the largest human letter.

48 Boob tubes : TEEVEES

Television (TV, teevee, the tube, the boob tube)

49 Northernmost N.B.A. city, on scoreboards : TOR

The Raptors are an NBA basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario. The franchise was founded, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, when the NBA expanded into Canada in 1995. However, the Grizzlies moved to Memphis in 2001, leaving the Raptors as the only Canadian member of the league. The selection of the name “Raptors” in 1995 was strongly influenced by the popularity of the movie “Jurassic Park in the mid-nineties.

50 Magic power : MOJO

The word “mojo”, meaning “magical charm, magnetism”, is probably of Creole origin.

51 Brotherly figures : FRIARS

The term “monk” tends to be used to describe a male member of a religious order. More correctly, the term is limited to members of a community of men that lives a contemplative life apart from the world. The related term “friar” also applies to male members of a religious community, but friars work with the community at large.

55 Her name is Greek for “all-gifted” : PANDORA (hiding “AND” and “OR”)

According to Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman. She was created by the gods, with each god bestowing on her a gift. Her name can be translated from Greek as “all-gifted”. Pandora is famous for the story of “Pandora’s Box”. The story should be about Pandora’s “Jar”,as a 16th-century error in translation created a “box” out of the “jar”. In the story of Pandora’s Box, curiosity got the better of her and she opened up a box she was meant to leave alone. As a result she released all the evils of mankind, just closing it in time to trap hope inside.

57 Mounds of activity : ANTHILLS

Anthills are actually underground nests. The ants in the colony excavate below ground, resulting in a pile of sand or soil above ground.

62 Pro Bowl side, for short : AFC

The AFC-NFC Pro Bowl is the NFL’s all-star game, and is played towards the end of the season around the time of the Super Bowl. The rules for the Pro Bowl differ from normal NFL games, in order to make the game safer. Apparently, NFL owners don’t want their players getting injured when they’re not playing for their own team.

63 Item with straps : BRA

The word “brassière” is French in origin, but it isn’t the word that the French use for a “bra”. In France, what we call a bra is known as a “soutien-gorge”, which can translate as “supporting the breast”. The word “brassière” is indeed used in France but there it describes a baby’s undershirt, a lifebelt or a harness. “Brassière” comes from the Old French word for an “arm protector” in a military uniform (“bras” is the French for “arm”). Later “brassière” came to mean “breastplate” and from there the word was used for a type of woman’s corset. The word jumped into English around 1900.

65 ___ Master’s Voice : HIS

The RCA logo features a dog named Nipper. Nipper was a real dog from England whose owner, Francis Barraud, made a painting of Nipper listening to a gramophone. Barraud then approached several gramophone manufacturers in the hope they would be interested in using the image for advertising. Nipper’s likeness was indeed picked up, and around that time it was Barraud himself who came up with the slogan “His Master’s Voice”.

70 One who gave us all a lift? : OTIS

Elevators (simple hoists) have been around for a long time. What Elisha Otis did was come up with the “safety elevator”, a design that he showcased at the 1853 World’s Fair in New York. At the Fair, Otis would stand on an elevated platform in front of onlookers and order his assistant to cut the single rope holding up the platform. His safety system kicked in when the platform had only fallen a few inches, amazing the crowd. After this demonstration, the orders came rolling in.

79 Worker with a comb : BEE

Honeybees create a structure within their nests called a honeycomb that is used to contain their larvae and also to store honey and pollen. The honeycomb comprises hexagonal cells made from wax.

81 Mountebank : CHEAT

A mountebank is a charlatan, a swindler. The term applies more specifically to someone who sells quack medicines to a small crowd, using tricks and exaggerated stories to convince individuals to purchase. “Mountebank” comes into English via Italian from “monta” meaning “to mount” and “banco” meaning “bench”. The idea is that the swindler would “mount a bench” from where he can address the crowd and hawk his fraudulent wares.

86 It has its ratios, for short : TRIG

Trigonometry (trig) is a branch of mathematics dealing with triangles, and calculations based on the relationship between a triangle’s angles and the lengths of its sides.

87 Popular beer brand, casually : STELLA

The Belgian beer Stella Artois is named for the brewer Sebastianus Artois. Artois was the master brewer at the Den Hoorn Brewery in Leuven, Belgium in the early 1700s. The Den Hoorn Brewery has been around at least since 1366 … yes, 1366!

89 Meeting with a dead line? : SEANCE

“Séance” is a French word meaning “sitting”. We use the term in English for a sitting in which a spiritualist tries to communicate with the spirits of the dead.

91 One side of the coin : OBVERSE

The two sides of a coin are known as the “obverse” and the “reverse”. The obverse is commonly referred to as “heads”, as it often depicts someone’s head. The reverse is commonly called “tails”, as it is the opposite of “heads”.

92 Baited online : TROLLED

In Internet terms, a troll is someone who attempts to disrupt online group activities. The fishing term “troll” is used to describe such a person as he or she throws out off-topic remarks in an attempt to “lure” others into some emotional response. I must admit to feeling sorry for people who have such sad lives …

97 Lifts up : EXTOLS

To extol something is to praise it loudly. The term “to extol” comes from the Latin “extollere” meaning “to raise up, elevate”.

99 Literary utopia : XANADU

Shangdu (also “Xanadu”) was located in Inner Mongolia in China, just over 200 miles north of China. Shangdu was the capital of the Yuan dynasty that was established in 1271 by Kublai Khan. The Venetian traveler Marco Polo visited Shangdu in about 1272, and the city was destroyed by the Ming army in 1369. Centuries later in 1797, the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge immortalized the city (as “Xanadu”) in his celebrated poem “Kubla Khan”.

The word “Utopia” was coined by Sir Thomas More in his book “Utopia” published in 1516 to describe an idyllic fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. More’s use of the name Utopia comes from the Greek “ou” meaning “not” and “topos” meaning “place”. By calling his perfect island “Not Place”, More was apparently making the point that he didn’t think that the ideal could actually exist.

105 Longtime sports journalist Jim : MCKAY

Jim McKay was a sports journalist, one most famous for hosting ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” for 37 years ending in 1998. McKay also covered 12 Olympic Games, including his memorable coverage of the Munich massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics. McKay also served his country during WWII in the US Navy, in which he was the captain of a minesweeper.

114 Tour de France distance units: Abbr. : KMS

Kilometer (km)

Back in the late 1800s, long-distance cycle races were used as promotional events, traditionally to help boost sales of newspapers. These races usually took place around tracks, but in 1902 the backers of the struggling sports publication “L’Auto” decided to stage a race that would take the competitors all around France. That first Tour de France took place in 1903, starting in Paris and passing through Lyon, Marseilles, Bordeaux, Nantes and then back to Paris.

115 “___, humbug!” : BAH

The classic 1843 novella “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens has left us with a few famous phrases and words. Firstly, it led to popular use of the phrase “Merry Christmas”, and secondly it gave us the word “scrooge” to describe a miserly person. And thirdly, everyone knows that Ebenezer Scrooge uttered the words “Bah! Humbug!”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Try to hit : SWAT AT
7 Numbskull : DOPE
11 With 108-Down, hot stretch of summer : DOG …
14 Moment of inspiration : FLASH
19 “He’s” this, in a 1963 hit for the Chiffons : SO FINE
20 Woes : ILLS
21 “I know, I know!” : OH, OH!
23 What this might mean: ” : DITTO
24 English poet who wrote “The Highwayman” : ALFRED NOYES (hiding “NO” and “YES”)
26 World Cup org. : FIFA
27 Digs in the ice? : IGLOO
28 Persian ___ (rugmaker’s deliberate mistake) : FLAW
29 Humorist Bombeck : ERMA
30 Early American pseudonym : POOR RICHARD (hiding “POOR” and “RICH”)
32 Within : AMID
33 Prop that enabled Houdini to “walk through” a brick wall : TRAPDOOR
35 Napoleonic ___ : ERA
36 Sounds of disapproval : TSKS
37 Accept imminent punishment : FACE THE MUSIC (hiding “THEM” and “US”)
39 Republic toppled in 1933 : WEIMAR
41 Red block in Minecraft : TNT
42 Sopranos’ highlights : ARIAS
43 Rapper Fiasco : LUPE
45 Curse out : SWEAR AT
49 Word with open or pigeon : -TOED
50 I, personally : MYSELF
52 Bird associated with bats : ORIOLE
53 Place side by side : APPOSE
56 Doctrine of East Asia : TAO
58 Six-Day War combatant: Abbr. : ISR
59 Natural fertilizer : MANURE
60 Jack of old TV : PAAR
61 Neighbor of Jammu and Kashmir : PUNJAB
64 Instrument that makes a “tsst” sound : HI-HAT
66 “Mazel ___!” : TOV
67 Wrestler’s goal : PIN
68 Caesar salad ingredient : HEART OF ROMAINE (hiding “TO” and “FROM”)
71 Clanton at the O.K. Corral : IKE
72 It’s over here : END
73 Ground : EARTH
74 Works a wedding, perhaps : CATERS
75 Flying ___ (martial arts strike) : KNEE
76 Spots for snorkeling : ATOLLS
78 Women’s ___ : LIB
80 Helpful connections : INS
81 Friendly conversation ender : CHEERS!
83 Wrap on a rancho : SERAPE
84 Opts : ELECTS
87 Horse-drawn carriage : SHAY
88 “In Praise of Folly” essayist : ERASMUS
90 Norman or English king? : LEAR
91 With 93-Across, young river critter : OTTER …
93 See 91-Across : … PUP
96 Tribal circle, perhaps : TEPEES
98 Scramble some eggs, say : FIX BREAKFAST (hiding “FIX” and “BREAK”)
101 Smile … or shine : BEAM
104 Burden : TAX
105 Large electromotive unit : MEGAVOLT
106 Strong cleaners : LYES
107 Branch of dentistry that specializes in root canals : ENDODONTICS (hiding “DO” and “DON’T”)
110 Name hidden backward in “excellent” : NELL
111 Actress Teri : GARR
112 Davis of “Thelma & Louise” : GEENA
113 Go to sleep, with “out” : CONK …
114 Noted songwriter behind Wynonna Judd’s “Tell Me Why” and Linda Ronstadt’s “All My Life” : KARLA BONOFF (hiding “ON” and “OFF”)
117 You can’t run on this for long : EMPTY
118 ___ Martell, “Game of Thrones” princess : ELIA
119 Goods for sale: Abbr. : MDSE
120 Taiwan-born filmmaker : ANG LEE
121 George Washington chopping down a cherry tree, and others : MYTHS
122 Total mess : STY
123 Sought redress, in a way : SUED
124 Heeded an owner’s order : HEELED

Down

1 Org. created under F.D.R. : SSA
2 Howler of a movie? : WOLF MAN
3 Beset : AFFLICT
4 Rant : TIRADE
5 “So let us begin ___ …”: J.F.K. : ANEW
6 Talk acronym : TED
7 Model for a grade schooler : DIORAMA
8 Mountain residence : OLYMPUS
9 Argues : PLEADS
10 What three dots might mean : ESS
11 Accomplish on behalf of : DO FOR
12 Home of Kenyon College : OHIO
13 Walk, so to speak : GO FREE
14 Org. created under F.D.R. : FDIC
15 Shower : LIGHT RAIN
16 Eponym for one of the earth’s five oceans : ATLAS
17 Baby bearer, maybe : STORK
18 Stove toppers : HOODS
22 Vice president after Pence : HARRIS
25 One of Neptune’s moons : NEREID
30 Second half of an incantation : -POCUS
31 Helen Reddy’s signature hit : I AM WOMAN
32 Rearward, to a rear admiral : AFT
33 It shares space with # : THREE
34 Like dipsticks : OILY
38 Southwestern art hub : TAOS
39 Tom Jones and Anthony Hopkins, by birth : WELSHMEN
40 Make bubbly : AERATE
44 Suzhou Museum architect : PEI
46 Same old, same old : ROUTINE (hiding “OUT” and “IN”)
47 He set a Guinness World Record in 2014, reporting for 34 consecutive hours : AL ROKER
48 Boob tubes : TEEVEES
49 Northernmost N.B.A. city, on scoreboards : TOR
50 Magic power : MOJO
51 Brotherly figures : FRIARS
53 Placate : APPEASE
54 Job with numerous applications? : PAINTER
55 Her name is Greek for “all-gifted” : PANDORA (hiding “AND” and “OR”)
56 One always having a place to hide : TURTLE
57 Mounds of activity : ANTHILLS
61 The standard : PAR
62 Pro Bowl side, for short : AFC
63 Item with straps : BRA
65 ___ Master’s Voice : HIS
68 “I’m in trouble!” : HELP ME!
69 Approach gradually : EASE UP TO
70 One who gave us all a lift? : OTIS
75 Development in cryptography : KEY
77 A few weeks ago, probably : LAST MONTH
79 Worker with a comb : BEE
81 Mountebank : CHEAT
82 “Listen!” : HARK!
85 Some hangouts for remote workers : CAFES
86 It has its ratios, for short : TRIG
87 Popular beer brand, casually : STELLA
89 Meeting with a dead line? : SEANCE
91 One side of the coin : OBVERSE
92 Baited online : TROLLED
93 What all companies try to make : PAYROLL
94 Service charge : USER FEE
95 Scoring figs. : PTS
97 Lifts up : EXTOLS
99 Literary utopia : XANADU
100 Projecting edge : FLANGE
101 Deck out with spangles : BEGEM
102 The other side : ENEMY
103 Crackerjack : ADEPT
105 Longtime sports journalist Jim : MCKAY
108 See 11-Across : … DAYS
109 Still competing : IN IT
111 Sold out : GONE
114 Tour de France distance units: Abbr. : KMS
115 “___, humbug!” : BAH
116 Added paper to, as a printer : FED

9 thoughts on “0911-22 NY Times Crossword 11 Sep 22, Sunday”

  1. Also, Minneapolis (home of the Timberwolves) is north of Toronto by over one degree of latitude. Surprised that error got by.

  2. 29:36. Finally got the theme in the middle of the puzzle, then I used it towards the end. I was trying to find other examples in the puzzle, but all I could come up with was some awkward version of “straight ANG LEe , but I couldn’t make it work.

    It is surprising that the NYT would get those latitudes wrong as Tom R points out, but they can be deceiving. Las Vegas is known for its hot desert climate, but we’re about the same latitude as the Missouri-Arkansas border.

    Want to win a bar bet? Caracas, Venezuela (South America) is actually NORTH of Panama City, Panama (Central America).

    Best –

  3. 47:07, no errors. Didn’t look for the theme until after I finished the grid. Appreciated the added difficulty for the setter to come up with the opposites theme. Also surprised at the geographical error. The Toronto Raptors pushed the “We the North” branding; as a reference to the fact that they are the only Canadian team in the NBA.
    Another geographical bar bet: Reno, NV is west of Los Angeles, CA.

  4. This is a comment on 63 down: the French word for bra, “soutien-gorge”, does not mean held under breast, but rather: supports the breast.

    1. Thank you, Sylvie. My schoolboy French fails yet again 🙂

      As always, I appreciate the help.

  5. Enjoyed the puzzle. Got turned around on 88A ERASMUS and 69D EASE UP TO and 96A TEPEES.

    Had TEPEES to start with. Then got EASE INTO. That left me with TENEES and ERASMIS. I didn’t rethink it. Plus I don’t know many/any … ok.. no essayists.

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