1020-22 NY Times Crossword 20 Oct 22, Thursday

Constructed by: Rebecca Goldstein
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: Black Sheep

Themed answers each include a BLACK SHEEP (LAMB, RAM or EWE) hidden in one BLACK square:

  • 31D Familial outcast depicted three times in this puzzle : BLACK SHEEP
  • 15A Ethical gray area : MORAL AMBIGUITY (black LAMB)
  • 19D Italian auto with a bull in its logo : LAMBORGHINI (black LAMB)
  • 34A Place for a spiritual retreat : ASHRAM (black RAM)
  • 21D Sandwich order specification : EXTRA MAYO (black RAM)
  • 56A Slice of brie, e.g. : CHEESE WEDGE (black EWE)
  • 45D “Don’t I know you from somewhere?” : HAVE WE MET? (black EWE)

Bill’s time: 9m 34s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Smart TV brand : RCA

RCA was founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America, and as a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Electric (GE). GE divested RCA in 1932, and then reacquired the company in 1986. Today, RCA is just a brand name owned by Sony Music.

14 One of many on a starfish : ARM

Starfish (sometimes known as “sea stars”) come in many shapes and sizes, but commonly have “pentaradial symmetry”, meaning they have symmetrical body-shapes with five points. Most starfish are predators, mainly living on a diet of mollusks such as clams and oysters.

17 Dude : GUY

Our term “dude” arose as slang in New York City in the 1880s, when it was used to describe a fastidious man. In the early 1900s, the term was extended to mean “city slickers”, easterners who vacationed in the West. The first use of the term “dude ranch” was recorded in 1921.

20 Called balls, say : UMPED

Back in the 15th century, “an umpire” was referred to as “a noumpere”, which was misheard and hence causing the dropping of the initial letter N. The term “noumpere” came from Old French “nonper” meaning “not even, odd number”. The idea was that the original umpire was a third person called on to arbitrate between two, providing that “odd number” needed to decide the dispute.

22 Mustang or Impala : CAR

The Ford Mustang car was introduced in 1964. Back then the Mustang wasn’t a brand new design, but was based on the Ford Falcon. The Mustang was the first of the “pony cars”, American models that are compact and affordable, as well as sporty in image and performance.

The Chevrolet Impala was introduced in 1957. “Impala” is the Zulu word for “gazelle”.

23 Tarnish : SULLY

To sully is to stain, tarnish. The term is often used in the context of sullying or tarnishing a reputation.

26 One may keep you on the right track, for short : GPS

Global positioning system (GPS)

28 James who sang “How Strong Is a Woman” : ETTA

“Etta James” was the stage name of celebrated blues and soul singer Jamesetta Hawkins. James’ most famous recording was her 1960 hit “At Last”, which made it into the pop charts. James performed “At Last” at the age of 71 in 2009 on the reality show “Dancing with the Stars”, which was to be her final television appearance. She passed away in 2012.

29 Accessory for Hello Kitty : HAIR BOW

Hello Kitty is a female bobtail cat, and a character/brand name launched in 1974 by the Japanese company Sanrio. Folks can overpay for stationary, school supplies and fashion accessories with the Hello Kitty character emblazoned thereon.

34 Place for a spiritual retreat : ASHRAM (black RAM)

“Ashram” is a term used in the Hindu tradition to describe a place of spiritual retreat, one that is typically located in a remote location conducive to spiritual instruction and meditation.

36 Eponym for an annual prize for American humor : TWAIN

The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor has been awarded annually since 1998 by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The first recipient of the award was Richard Pryor. George Carlin won in 2008, and was the only person to be awarded posthumously.

44 Place for swimming lessons, informally : THE Y

The YMCA (the Y) is a worldwide movement that has its roots in London, England. There, in 1844, the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) was founded with the intent of promoting Christian principles through the development of “a healthy spirit, mind and body”. The founder, George Williams, saw the need to create YMCA facilities for young men who were flocking to the cities as the Industrial Revolution flourished. He saw that these men were frequenting taverns and brothels, and wanted to offer a more wholesome alternative.

45 Prefix meaning “sun” : HELIO-

Helios was the god of the Sun in Greek mythology, and is the reason that we use the prefix “helio-” to mean “sun”. He was the brother of Selene, the goddess of the moon, and Eos, the goddess of the dawn. Helios drove his chariot of the sun across the sky during the day, returning to the East at night by traveling through the ocean. The Roman equivalent to Helios was Sol.

48 Sisterly : SORORAL

“Sororal” means “sisterly”, coming from the Latin word “soror” meaning “sister”.

53 Actress Mendes : EVA

I am most familiar with actress Eva Mendes as the female lead in the movie “Hitch”, in which she played opposite Will Smith. Mendes started a relationship with fellow actor Ryan Gosling in 2011, and the couple have two children together.

54 Like the bunny slope : TAMEST

In North America, ski runs are given a standardized rating in terms of skiing difficulty. The ratings are:

  • Green circles: easy to ski, often termed “bunny slopes”.
  • Blue squares: medium difficulty
  • Black diamond: steep and challenging terrain
  • Double black diamond: experts only (I’ve never braved one!)

56 Slice of brie, e.g. : CHEESE WEDGE (black EWE)

Brie is a soft cheese that is named for the French region in which it originated. Brie is similar to the equally famous (and delicious) Camembert. Brie is often served baked in puff pastry with fig jam.

64 Dance move named after a Manhattan neighborhood : HARLEM SHAKE

The Harlem Shake is a dance that was introduced in the early eighties in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. The Harlem Shake was based on an Ethiopian dance called Eskista.

The Manhattan district of Harlem is sometimes divided into Central Harlem, West Harlem and East Harlem. East Harlem is also known as “Spanish Harlem”.

67 Sinus doc : ENT

Ear, nose and throat specialist (ENT)

In anatomical terms, a sinus is a cavity in tissue. Sinuses are found all over the body, in the kidney and heart for example, but we most commonly think of the paranasal sinuses that surround the nose.

69 Mideast royal : EMIR

An emir is a prince or chieftain, one most notably from the Middle East in Islamic countries. In English, “emir” can also be written variously as “emeer, amir, ameer” (watch out for those spellings in crosswords!).

70 Part of what makes you you : EGO

“Ego” is another word for “the self”, and is used to distinguish oneself from others and the world around one. In psychoanalysis, the ego is that division of the psyche that is most in touch with external reality, the part that is conscious. “Ego” is a Latin word meaning “I”.

71 Dark volcanic rock : BASALT

Basalt is a volcanic rock that is created when lava cools rapidly at the earth’s surface.

72 Toward el Atlántico, from Cuba : ESTE

The cardinal directions in Spanish are “norte” (north), “este” (east), “sur” (south) and “oeste” (west).

73 Comic book onomatopoeia : POW!

Onomatopoeia is the naming of something by vocally imitating the sound associated with it. Examples of onomatopoeia are “chirp”, “clash”, “click” and “hiccups”.

Down

1 Tagliatelle topper : RAGU

Bolognese sauce is a meat-based sauce originating from Bologna in Italy, hence the name. The recipe is usually referred to as “ragù alla bolognese” in Italian, or simply “ragù”. Note that the Ragú brand of sauces introduced in North America in 1937 takes its name from the same source (pun … sauce!). However, the brand name uses the wrong accent (“Ragú” instead of “Ragù”), which drives a pedant like me crazy ..

Tagliatelle is a type of pasta from eastern Italy. It is similar to fettuccine, and so is made up of long, flat ribbons. The name “tagliatelle“ comes from the Italian “tagliare” meaning “to cut”.

2 Morsel in Hansel and Gretel’s path : CRUMB

“Hansel and Gretel” is a Germanic fairy tale found in the collection of the Brothers Grimm. It tells of two siblings, Hansel and Gretel, the children of a woodcutter. The youngsters are abandoned in a forest at the behest of an evil stepmother. Clever Hansel hears of the plan and leaves a trail of pebbles so that he and his sister can find their way home, which they do. But the children are abandoned again and this time leave a trail of breadcrumbs. Unfortunately, the crumbs are eaten by birds and so the children do indeed become lost. But eventually they do all live happily ever after …

3 Comedian with the 2014 humor book “Yes Please” : AMY POEHLER

Amy Poehler was a cast member on “Saturday Night Live” from 2001 to 2008, notable for appearing in many great sketches, including those where she played Hillary Clinton opposite Tina Fey’s Sarah Palin. Poehler also starred with Fey in the 2008 movie “Baby Mama”. And, Poehler led the cast of the sitcom “Parks and Recreation” for its seven-season run.

5 End of a presidential address? : GOV

The .gov domain was one of the six original generic top-level domains specified. The complete original list is:

  • .com (commercial enterprise)
  • .net (entity involved in network infrastructure e.g. an ISP)
  • .mil (US military)
  • .org (not-for-profit organization)
  • .gov (US federal government entity)
  • .edu (college-level educational institution)

8 Blackjack choice : HIT

“Stand” and “hit me” are instructions to the dealer in the card game Blackjack. The instruction “stand” means “I don’t want any more cards, I’ll use these”. The instruction “hit me” means “please deal me another card”.

9 U.S. Open winner of 1994 and 1999 : AGASSI

Retired tennis professional Andre Agassi has been married to fellow player Steffi Graf since 2001. Agassi wrote an autobiography called “Open”, published in 2009. An amazing revelation in the book is that Agassi’s famous head of hair was actually a wig for much of his playing career. Can you imagine how hard it must have been to play tennis at his level with a rug stuck on?

10 Hawaiian word meaning “hors d’oeuvre” : PUPU

In Hawaiian, “pupu” is a word originally meaning “snail”. Nowadays “pupu” denotes many different types of food that are usually served as hors d’oeuvres. A “pupu platter” is a selection of such foods served in a Hawaiian restaurant.

13 Part of a U.N. address? : NY, NY

The United Nations (UN) headquarters in Manhattan, New York City was completed in 1952. The organization also has three main offices around the world, in Geneva (opened in 1946), in Nairobi (opened in 1996) and in Vienna (opened in 1980).

19 Italian auto with a bull in its logo : LAMBORGHINI (black LAMB)

Ferruccio Lamborghini was in the business of manufacturing tractors back in the late forties. Almost two decades later, he founded Automobili Lamborghini to produce high-end sports cars. That’s quite a target market shift …

21 Sandwich order specification : EXTRA MAYO (black RAM)

Mayonnaise originated in the town of Mahon in Menorca, a Mediterranean island belonging to Spain. The Spanish called the sauce “salsa mahonesa” after the town, and this morphed into the French word “mayonnaise” that we use in English today.

27 Wok, e.g. : PAN

“Wok” is a Cantonese word, and is the name for the frying pan now used in many Asian cuisines.

30 “Notorious” justice, in brief : RBG

The 2015 book “Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg” was co-written by Shana Knizhnik and Iris Carmon. Knizhnik had previously authored a “Notorious R.B.G” blog. The moniker “Notorious RBG” is reminiscent of the name of rap star the Notorious B.I.G.

32 Greek spirit : OUZO

Ouzo is an apéritif from Greece that is colorless and flavored with anise. Ouzo is similar to French pastis and Italian sambuca. All three liqueurs turn cloudy with the addition of water.

33 Small songbird : WREN

The wren is a small songbird belonging to the family troglodytidae and the genus troglodytes. Wrens are known for making dome-shaped nests.

35 Manhattan neighborhood next to TriBeCa : SOHO

The Manhattan neighborhood known today as SoHo was very fashionable in the early 1900s, but as the well-heeled started to move uptown the area became very run down and poorly maintained. Noted for the number of fires that erupted in derelict buildings, SoHo earned the nickname “Hell’s Hundred Acres”. The area was then zoned for manufacturing and became home to many sweatshops. In the mid-1900s artists started to move into open loft spaces and renovating old buildings as the lofts were ideal locations in which an artist could both live and work. In 1968, artists and others organized themselves so that they could legalize their residential use of an area zoned for manufacturing. The group they formed took its name from the name given to the area by the city’s Planning Commission i.e “South of Houston”. This was shortened from So-uth of Ho-uston to SoHo as in “SoHo Artists Association”, and the name stuck.

“TriBeCa” is a clever little acronym that expands into “TRI-angle BE-low CA-nal Street”. The name of the New York City neighborhood was developed by local residents who basically copied the naming technique used by residents of the adjacent area of SoHo, with “SoHo” being short for “SO-uth of HO-uston Street”.

38 Internet service provider whose name is now stylized with a period : AOL

AOL was a leading Internet Service Provider (ISP) in the 1980s and 1990s. The company does still provide dial-up access to the Internet for some subscribers, but most users now access AOL using faster, non-AOL ISPs.

46 “Your Song” singer Rita : ORA

“For You” is a 2018 song recorded by Liam Payne (of One Direction) and Rita Ora. It was used as the lead single from the soundtrack of the movie “Fifty Shades Freed”, the third installment in the “Fifty Shades” trilogy.

49 List on Craigslist, say : RESELL

Craigslist (usually written as “craigslist”) is an online network of communities that features classified advertisements organized geographically. Craigslist was started by Craig Newmark in 1995, originally as an email distribution list for his friends who lived and worked in the San Francisco Bay Area.

52 Coral ___ : SEA

The Coral Sea is part of the South Pacific Ocean lying off the northeast coast of Australia. It is home to the renowned Great Barrier Reef.

54 They’re found in brackets : TEAMS

“Bracketology” is a term used to describe the process of predicting which college basketball teams will advance in a bracket in the annual NCAA Basketball Tournament. President Barack Obama famously participates in an ESPN segment called “Baracketology” in which he predicts the outcome of the tournament, game by game.

55 November, Alfa, ___, Oscar (“NATO” in the NATO alphabet) : TANGO

The NATO phonetic alphabet is also called the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) phonetic alphabet. Alfa, Bravo, Charlie … X-ray, Yankee, Zulu.

56 Cousin of a carp : CHUB

There is a whole family of fish called “chubs” including European chubs, lake chubs, hornyhead chub, creek chubs, and a host of others.

Carp are freshwater fish that are used as food around the world, although they aren’t very popular in North American kitchens. The ornamental fish that we know as goldfish and koi are all types of carp.

57 Tennis’s Mandlikova : HANA

Hana Mandlikova is a former professional tennis star from Czechoslovakia. Mandlikova won four Grand Slam titles and then retired in 1990, at the ripe old age of 28.

59 Actor Idris : ELBA

English actor Idris Elba plays the drug lord Stringer Bell in the marvelous HBO drama series “The Wire”, and played the title character in the 2013 film “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”. Off the screen, Elba occasionally appears as a disk jockey using the name “DJ Big Driis”.

61 Fat in Indian cooking : GHEE

Ghee is clarified butter used in South Asian cuisines. “Ghee” comes from Sanskrit, and translates as “sprinkled”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Smart TV brand : RCA
4 They’re shared by twins : AGES
8 Occur : HAPPEN
14 One of many on a starfish : ARM
15 Ethical gray area : MORAL AMBIGUITY (black LAMB)
17 Dude : GUY
18 “Here’s what we should do” : I’VE GOT A PLAN
20 Called balls, say : UMPED
22 Mustang or Impala : CAR
23 Tarnish : SULLY
24 Complete series, maybe : BOX SET
26 One may keep you on the right track, for short : GPS
28 James who sang “How Strong Is a Woman” : ETTA
29 Accessory for Hello Kitty : HAIR BOW
34 Place for a spiritual retreat : ASHRAM (black RAM)
36 Eponym for an annual prize for American humor : TWAIN
39 Portrait mode feature : BLUR
40 Bar mixer : COLA
42 Big time : EON
43 Word with star or navel : -GAZE
44 Place for swimming lessons, informally : THE Y
45 Prefix meaning “sun” : HELIO-
47 Non-pro : CON
48 Sisterly : SORORAL
50 Flight ___ : RISK
53 Actress Mendes : EVA
54 Like the bunny slope : TAMEST
56 Slice of brie, e.g. : CHEESE WEDGE (black EWE)
62 Laughs : HA HAS
64 Dance move named after a Manhattan neighborhood : HARLEM SHAKE
67 Sinus doc : ENT
68 Not qualified (to) : UNABLE
69 Mideast royal : EMIR
70 Part of what makes you you : EGO
71 Dark volcanic rock : BASALT
72 Toward el Atlántico, from Cuba : ESTE
73 Comic book onomatopoeia : POW!

Down

1 Tagliatelle topper : RAGU
2 Morsel in Hansel and Gretel’s path : CRUMB
3 Comedian with the 2014 humor book “Yes Please” : AMY POEHLER
4 In the thick of : AMIDST
5 End of a presidential address? : GOV
6 Upright : ERECT
7 Chapter after chapter : SAGA
8 Blackjack choice : HIT
9 U.S. Open winner of 1994 and 1999 : AGASSI
10 Hawaiian word meaning “hors d’oeuvre” : PUPU
11 Tablet : PILL
12 Citation abbreviation : ET AL
13 Part of a U.N. address? : NY, NY
19 Italian auto with a bull in its logo : LAMBORGHINI (black LAMB)
21 Sandwich order specification : EXTRA MAYO (black RAM)
25 Accept as a loss : EAT
27 Wok, e.g. : PAN
30 “Notorious” justice, in brief : RBG
31 Familial outcast depicted three times in this puzzle : BLACK SHEEP
32 Greek spirit : OUZO
33 Small songbird : WREN
34 Isn’t oneself? : ACTS
35 Manhattan neighborhood next to TriBeCa : SOHO
37 Some small Scots : WEE LADS
38 Internet service provider whose name is now stylized with a period : AOL
45 “Don’t I know you from somewhere?” : HAVE WE MET? (black EWE)
46 “Your Song” singer Rita : ORA
49 List on Craigslist, say : RESELL
51 Arrival declaration : I’M HERE!
52 Coral ___ : SEA
54 They’re found in brackets : TEAMS
55 November, Alfa, ___, Oscar (“NATO” in the NATO alphabet) : TANGO
56 Cousin of a carp : CHUB
57 Tennis’s Mandlikova : HANA
58 Divisions of history : ERAS
59 Actor Idris : ELBA
61 Fat in Indian cooking : GHEE
63 Put away securely : STOW
66 Hobbyist’s purchase : KIT

12 thoughts on “1020-22 NY Times Crossword 20 Oct 22, Thursday”

  1. This is the first time I have had to look up this page to get any idea about what was going on in the NYT crossword.

    It wasn’t fun. I had no idea what was going on.

  2. 17:09. Once you got the theme, the rest of the puzzle was pretty straightforward.

    Didn’t get THEY for a place for swimming lessons until I came here. THE Y. Doh. I am still not back into crossword-think after a week of tequila in Cabo.

    Best –

  3. Got the theme ok. What was up with the ORGHINI or SORORAL or OUZO?
    Or how about the clue ONOMATOPEIA?

    those were the real puzzlers

  4. 13:20, no errors. Must have somehow missed the “dirty tricks and cheap shots” … 😜.

    SMH … 🤨.

  5. I don’t understand the blank clues 16 A, 60 A and 65 D. I see these from time to time and answer with crosses, but they make no sense to me. What am I missing?

  6. All kinds of stuff going on with this one. Happy to say I finally got it with no errors in 40 minutes. Ironically, 59 down also relates to a famous outcast, though not familial.

  7. @JMG
    The – clues mean that you have to plug something into the blank between answers to give you
    mora LAMB iguity and
    chees EWE dge to give you
    moral ambiguity to answer
    ethical gray area and cheese wedge to answer slice of Brie.
    Two word answers coming from one clue.

  8. Clue 46D (not 45D) was very (totally?) misleading. Logically it is asking for “Your Song” singer Rita’s first name (which is Ora). No way that it is asking for lyrics from the song. But that’s what the “answer” was – havE WE met. Clever theme but not a very good execution of it. Boo. Hiss.

  9. Went into the archive to do this one. Wish I had chosen another archival puzzle. Too clever by half.

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