Constructed by: Joe Deeney
Edited by: Will Shortz
Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Reveal Answer: Eyes on the Prize
Themed answers each include a PRIZE as a hidden word. There are letters I, circled in the grid, at the start and end of each prize, in the line above:
- 57A “Stay focused”… or a punny description of the placement of this puzzle’s circled letters : EYES ON THE PRIZE
- 12A Luau dish : POI
- 13A “The Great” pope between Sixtus III and Hilarius : LEO I
- 15A Neil deGrasse Tyson, for one : ASTROPHYSICIST (hiding “TROPHY”)
- 21A One-named Greek-born soft-rock musician : YANNI
- 24A Diamonds, in slang : ICE
- 27A Set up a couple on a blind date, say : PLAYED CUPID (hiding “CUP”)
- 39A Voting against : ANTI
- 40A Shimmery mineral : MICA
- 43A Kept moving quickly : ZOOMED ALONG (hiding “MEDAL”)
- 55A John who wrote “How Does a Poem Mean?” : CIARDI
- 57A “Stay focused”… or a punny description of the placement of this puzzle’s circled letters : EYES ON THE PRIZE
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… a complete list of answers
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Bill’s time: 6m 35s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
1 Big name in artificial intelligence : IBM
Tech giant IBM was founded as the Tabulating Machine Company in 1896. The company changed its name to the Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation (CTR) in 1911 and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1916. The name “International Business Machines” (IBM) was given first to the company’s Canadian subsidiary, and then to its South American subsidiary. In 1924, it was decided to adopt the International Business Machines name for the whole company. Good choice …
8 Women’s links org. : LPGA
The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) was founded in 1950 by a group of 13 lady golfers, and today it is the oldest ongoing women’s sports professional organization in the US.
12 Luau dish : POI
Nowadays, the word “luau” denotes almost any kind of party on the Hawaiian Islands, but to the purist a luau is a feast that always includes a serving of poi, the bulbous underground stems of taro.
13 “The Great” pope between Sixtus III and Hilarius : LEO I
The first pope named Leo is now known as Pope Saint Leo the Great. Leo I is famous for meeting with the feared Attila the Hun and persuading him to turn back his invading force that was threatening to overrun Western Europe.
Pope Saint Hilarius (also Hilary) was head of the Roman Catholic Church from 461 to 468.
14 “The Walking Dead” actress Lauren : COHAN
“The Walking Dead” is a horror television show made by AMC that is based on a comic book series of the same name. There are lots of flesh-eating zombies featured, so I won’t be caught “dead” watching it …
15 Neil deGrasse Tyson, for one : ASTROPHYSICIST (hiding “TROPHY”)
Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist who is noted for his ability to communicate science to the masses. Tyson is well known for his appearances on the great PBS show “Nova”.
20 The Beatles’ “___ a Woman” : SHE’S
Six Beatles song titles feature the word “she”, and they are:
- “Ain’t She Sweet”
- “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window”
- “She Loves You”
- “She Said She Said”
- “She’s a Woman”
- “She’s Leaving Home”
21 One-named Greek-born soft-rock musician : YANNI
Yanni is a remarkable Greek musician who is very successful in the world of New Age music. What I find so remarkable is that he is a self-taught musician. Yanni was born Yiannis Chryssomallis in Kalamata, Greece and moved to the US in 1972 to attend the University of Minnesota.
30 Wine label word : CRU
“Cru” is a term used in the French wine industry that means “growth place”. So, “cru” is the name of the location where the grapes are grown, as opposed to the name of a specific vineyard. The terms “premier cru” and “grand cru” are also used, but the usage depends on the specific wine region. Generally it is a classification awarded to specific vineyards denoting their potential for producing great wines. “Grand cru” is reserved for the very best vineyards, with “premier cru” the level just below.
34 Dungeons & Dragons and Diablo, in brief : RPGS
Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is a complex role-playing game (RPG) introduced in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules Incorporated (TSR). Dungeons & Dragons was probably the first of the modern role-playing games to be developed, and the most successful. It is still played by lots of people today, including my youngest son …
35 “Drag Race” host : RUPAUL
RuPaul is a famous drag queen who has developed a diverse career beyond performing on stage. He works as an actor, model, author and a recording artist. Famously, RuPaul doesn’t mind whether one addresses him as “he” or as “she” …
You can call me he. You can call me she. You can call me Regis and Kathie Lee; I don’t care! Just as long as you call me.
He currently hosts his own reality TV show called “RuPaul’s Drag Race”, which is billed as a search for “America’s next drag superstar”.
37 One way to administer fluids, for short : IV LINE
Intravenous (IV) drip
40 Shimmery mineral : MICA
Mica is a silicate mineral. Thin sheets of mica are transparent and are used in place of glass in certain applications. This form of mica is called isinglass, and as it has a better thermal performance than glass it is a great choice for “peepholes” in boilers and lanterns. Mica is also used in the electronics industry, making use of its unique electrical and thermal insulating properties.
42 Golden Bears’ sch. : CAL
The California Golden Bears are the athletic teams of the University of California, Berkeley. The University of California, Berkeley (Cal) is the most difficult public university to get into in the world. It opened in 1869 and is named for Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkeley.
47 Coast Guard rank: Abbr. : ENS
Ensign is (usually) the most junior rank of commissioned officer in the armed forces. The name comes from the tradition that the junior officer would be given the task of carrying the ensign flag.
The US Coast Guard (USCG) has the distinction of being the country’s oldest continuous seagoing service. The USCG was founded as the Revenue Cutter Service by Alexander Hamilton in 1790.
48 Poem that begins “Once upon a midnight dreary,” with “The” : … RAVEN
The first verse of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” is:
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore-
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
Only this and nothing more.”
55 John who wrote “How Does a Poem Mean?” : CIARDI
John Ciardi was a Bostonian who was mainly known as a poet. Ciardi wrote a textbook on how to read, write and teach poetry titled “How Does a Poem Mean?”. He also published a famous translation of Dante’s “Divine Comedy”.
62 Word after baking or cream : … SODA
“Bicarb” is a familiar term for sodium bicarbonate. Another name for the same compound is “baking soda”. When sodium carbonate is added to a batter, it reacts with acids and releases carbon dioxide which gives baked goods texture, all those “holes”.
Cream soda is a carbonated soft drink that is flavored with vanilla. There is a suggestion that the name “cream soda” was chosen as the taste is reminiscent of an ice cream soda. I’m not so sure …
Down
2 “The Garden of Earthly Delights” painter : BOSCH
Hieronymus Bosch was a Dutch painter who worked late 15th and early 16th centuries. Perhaps his most recognized work is his triptych titled “The Garden of Earthly Delights”.
3 Anglican bishop’s headwear : MITRE
A miter (also “mitre”) is a traditional headdress worn by bishops in some Christian traditions. The term “miter” comes from a Greek word for “headband, turban”.
8 Collections of points in math : LOCI
“Locus” (plural “loci”) is Latin for “place”, and is used in English with the same meaning. The term can also be used to describe a center of power or activity. In mathematics, a locus is a set of points that satisfy some property. For example, a locus might be a straight line, part of a line, a surface, or perhaps a curve.
9 Damning verbal attack : PHILIPPIC
A philippic is a damning speech designed to bring down a politician. The original “philippic” was delivered in the 4th century BCE by the Greek statesman Demosthenes, and was an attack on Philip II of Macedon, hence the name.
10 Filling at a filling station : GAS
The gas pump was actually around before there were cars on the road. The first gas pump was the invention of one Sylvanus Bowser from Fort Wayne, Indiana. His first pump was designed to pump kerosene for lamps and stoves, and was introduced in 1885. As automobiles became popular, he modified the design to pump gasoline. He introduced the Self-Measuring Gasoline Storage Pump in 1905. He marketed his devices all around the world, and in some parts the name “bowser” is still used sometimes to refer to fuel pumps, and indeed some fuel tankers.
11 Hill worker : ANT
Anthills are actually underground nests. The ants in the colony excavate below ground, resulting in a pile of sand or soil above ground.
14 Honda model since 1972 : CIVIC
Introduced in 1972, the Honda Civic is the second-oldest brand of Japanese car made for the US today (only the Toyota Corolla has been around longer). Today’s Civic is a compact car, but the original was smaller, and classed as a sub-compact. The first design had a transverse-mounted engine and front-wheel drive to save on space, copying the configuration introduced with the British Mini.
25 Big name in insurance : CIGNA
The health care management company known as Cigna was formed in 1982 by a merger of two insurance companies. One was Connecticut General (CG) and the other Insurance Company of North America (INA).
26 Famed Ford flop : EDSEL
The Edsel brand of automobile was named for Edsel Ford, son of Henry. Sadly, the name “Edsel” has become synonymous with “failure”, which was no fault of Edsel himself who had died several years before the Edsel line was introduced. When the Ford Motor Company introduced the Edsel on 4 September 1957, Ford proclaimed the day to be “E Day”.
28 The Tigers of the S.E.C. : LSU
The Tigers are the sports teams of Louisiana State University (LSU). They are officially known as the Fightin’ Tigers, and the school mascot is “Mike the Tiger”. The name comes from the days of the Civil War, when two Louisiana brigades earned the nickname the “Louisiana Tigers”. Given the French/Cajun history of Louisiana, the LSU fans use the cheer “Geaux Tigers” instead of “Go Tigers”.
29 Address on a business card : URL
An Internet address (like NYXCrossword.com and LAXCrossword.com) is more correctly called a uniform resource locator (URL).
31 Sentence that’s really two sentences : RUN-ON
A “run-on sentence” is one in which two separate clauses are linked without appropriate conjugation. Two examples would be:
Today’s crossword is really tough I can’t finish.
Today’s crossword is really tough, I can’t finish.
More acceptable sentences would be:
Today’s crossword is really tough. I can’t finish.
Today’s crossword is really tough; I can’t finish.
Today’s crossword is really tough, so I can’t finish.
38 Vincent ___ Gogh : VAN
Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch post-impressionist painter who seems to have had a very tortured existence. Van Gogh only painted for the last ten years of his life, and enjoyed very little celebrity while alive. Today many of his works are easily recognized, and fetch staggering sums in auction houses. Van Gogh suffered from severe depression for many of his final years. When he was only 37, he walked into a field with a revolver and shot himself in the chest. He managed to drag himself back to the inn where he was staying but died there two days later.
40 Dallas baller : MAV
The Mavericks (also “Mavs”) are an NBA franchise in Dallas, Texas. The team was founded in 1980, and the Mavericks name was chosen by fan votes. The choice of “Mavericks” was prompted by the fact that the actor James Garner was a part-owner of the team, and Garner of course played the title role in the “Maverick” television series.
41 Réunion, par exemple : ILE
Réunion is a French island in the Indian Ocean, located east of Madagascar. As the island is a department of France, and has the same status as French domestic departments, Réunion is actually part of the European Union.
45 “Fiddlesticks!” : DARN
We’ve been using “fiddlesticks” to mean “nonsense” since the early 17th century. Prior to that time, “fiddlestick” referred to the bow of a fiddle.
51 Woodworking tools : ADZES
An adze (also “adz”) is similar to an ax, but is different in that the blade of an adze is set at right angles to the tool’s shaft. An ax blade is set in line with the shaft.
52 Lengthy attack : SIEGE
Our word “siege” comes from a 13th-century word for a “seat”. The military usage derives from the concept of a besieging force “sitting down” outside a fortress until it falls.
56 Tablet debut of 2010 : IPAD
The iPad wasn’t Apple’s first foray into the world of tablet computing. Apple created great buzz by introducing the Newton MessagePad way back in 1993. This innovative machine was fraught with problems and really died a very slow death, finally being withdrawn from the market in 1998.
57 That, in Tegucigalpa : ESO
Tegucigalpa is the capital of Honduras, and is a city often known by the name “Téguz”. It is a city with many problems. Its infrastructure is very strained, with the transportation system in particular extremely strapped. Crime is also a big problem, which might be expected given that Tegucigalpa is the capital of the nation with the highest murder rate in the whole world.
58 Since Jan. 1 : YTD
Year-to-date (YTD)
59 Bag-checking org. : TSA
Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
60 Harley-Davidson, on the N.Y.S.E. : HOG
The Nasdaq has some descriptive symbols to represent companies. Here are some examples:
- HOG – Harley-Davidson
- HEINY – Heineken
- ROCK – Gibraltar Industries
- GRR – The Asian Tigers Fund
- BEN – Franklin Resources
- TWNK – Hostess Brands
The Harley-Davidson motorcycle company was founded in the very early 1900s by two childhood friends, William Harley and Arthur Davidson, . Their first design was in effect an engine hooked up to a pedal bicycle, but the 116 cc cylinder capacity simply couldn’t generate enough power to get up the hills of their native city of Milwaukee. The pair came up with a redesigned model that had a cylinder capacity of 405 cc, which the partners built in a shed at the back of Davidson’s house. In 1906, the partners built their first factory, located where the company’s headquarters is to this day, on Juneau Avenue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Famously, Harley motorcycles are nicknamed “hogs”.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Big name in artificial intelligence : IBM
4 Elbow : PROD
8 Women’s links org. : LPGA
12 Luau dish : POI
13 “The Great” pope between Sixtus III and Hilarius : LEO I
14 “The Walking Dead” actress Lauren : COHAN
15 Neil deGrasse Tyson, for one : ASTROPHYSICIST (hiding “TROPHY”)
18 Handwriting on a prescription, perhaps : SCRAWL
19 Satanic : EVIL
20 The Beatles’ “___ a Woman” : SHE’S
21 One-named Greek-born soft-rock musician : YANNI
24 Diamonds, in slang : ICE
27 Set up a couple on a blind date, say : PLAYED CUPID (hiding “CUP”)
30 Wine label word : CRU
33 Large number : SLEW
34 Dungeons & Dragons and Diablo, in brief : RPGS
35 “Drag Race” host : RUPAUL
37 One way to administer fluids, for short : IV LINE
39 Voting against : ANTI
40 Shimmery mineral : MICA
42 Golden Bears’ sch. : CAL
43 Kept moving quickly : ZOOMED ALONG (hiding “MEDAL”)
47 Coast Guard rank: Abbr. : ENS
48 Poem that begins “Once upon a midnight dreary,” with “The” : … RAVEN
49 Best guesses as to “when,” in brief : ETAS
53 Cat’s sound of self-relaxation : PURR
55 John who wrote “How Does a Poem Mean?” : CIARDI
57 “Stay focused”… or a punny description of the placement of this puzzle’s circled letters : EYES ON THE PRIZE
61 Have the wheel : STEER
62 Word after baking or cream : … SODA
63 Beer barrel : KEG
64 Casino figures : ODDS
65 Spent some time in a cellar, say : AGED
66 New Orleans-to-Tampa dir. : ESE
Down
1 “No bid from me” : I PASS
2 “The Garden of Earthly Delights” painter : BOSCH
3 Anglican bishop’s headwear : MITRE
4 Implement that might be pulled by a tractor : PLOW
5 Risky email button to hit accidentally : REPLY ALL
6 “So ni-i-ice!” : OOH!
7 Like some home improvement projects, in brief : DIY
8 Collections of points in math : LOCI
9 Damning verbal attack : PHILIPPIC
10 Filling at a filling station : GAS
11 Hill worker : ANT
14 Honda model since 1972 : CIVIC
16 Coarse file : RASP
17 Dangerous email button to hit accidentally : SEND
22 Vote for : AYE
23 Never-before-seen : NEW
25 Big name in insurance : CIGNA
26 Famed Ford flop : EDSEL
28 The Tigers of the S.E.C. : LSU
29 Address on a business card : URL
30 Mania : CRAZE
31 Sentence that’s really two sentences : RUN-ON
32 Fully informed : UP TO SPEED
36 Target : AIM
37 Words of resignation : I CONCEDE
38 Vincent ___ Gogh : VAN
40 Dallas baller : MAV
41 Réunion, par exemple : ILE
44 What a spell checker’s red squiggly line indicates : ERROR
45 “Fiddlesticks!” : DARN
46 First, second or reverse : GEAR
50 Tot’s transport : TRIKE
51 Woodworking tools : ADZES
52 Lengthy attack : SIEGE
54 A multitool has a lot of them : USES
56 Tablet debut of 2010 : IPAD
57 That, in Tegucigalpa : ESO
58 Since Jan. 1 : YTD
59 Bag-checking org. : TSA
60 Harley-Davidson, on the N.Y.S.E. : HOG
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