1101-22 NY Times Crossword 1 Nov 22, Tuesday

Constructed by: Bruce Haight
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: Linking Verb

Themed answers each include two words, with “VERB” acting as a hidden LINK between those words:

  • 59A Grammatical connector like “is” or “seem” … or a connector found literally in 16-, 24-, 35- and 49-Across : LINKING VERB
  • 16A Upbeat response to “How are you?” : NEVER BETTER
  • 24A Central Brazil, for the Amazon : RIVER BASIN
  • 35A Musical group that doesn’t play original songs : COVER BAND
  • 49A Costlier than projected : OVER BUDGET

Bill’s time: 8m 19s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

10 Vaccine watchdog org. : FDA

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has its roots in the Division of Chemistry (later “Bureau of Chemistry”) that was part of the US Department of Agriculture. President Theodore Roosevelt gave responsibility for examination of food and drugs to the Bureau of Chemistry with the signing of the Pure Food and Drug Act. The Bureau’s name was changed to the Food, Drug and Insecticide Organization in 1927, and to the Food and Drug Administration in 1930.

A vaccine used to be a modified virus administered to an individual to stimulate the immune system into developing immunity, until mRNA 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”.

13 “Rumour Has It” singer, 2011 : ADELE

“Rumour Has It” is a 2011 song co-written and recorded by English singer-songwriter Adele (hence the spelling “Rumour”). The “rumors” referred to in the song concern media gossip about Adele’s breakup with her boyfriend at the time.

18 Some 401(k) investments, in brief : CDS

A certificate of deposit (CD) is like a less-flexible and higher-paying savings account. Instead of depositing money into a savings account and earning interest periodically, one can open a CD. With a CD one deposits a minimum amount of money but must leave it there for a specified length of time. In return for committing the funds for a fixed period, one is given a higher interest rate than a savings account and can redeem that interest and the initial deposit when the term has expired. CDs are relatively low-risk investments as they are FDIC insured, just like savings accounts.

A 401(k) account resembles an IRA in that contributions can be made from a paycheck prior to the deduction of income taxes. A 401(k) differs from an IRA in that it is an employer-sponsored plan, with payments taken by the employer directly from an employee’s paycheck. Additionally, contributions can be fully or partially matched by an employer.

19 Toledo cheer : OLE!

Toledo is a city in central Spain that is located just over 40 miles south of the capital Madrid. Toledo is sometimes called the “City of Three Cultures”, due to the historical co-existence of Christian, Muslim and Jewish traditions.

24 Central Brazil, for the Amazon : RIVER BASIN

The Amazon River of South America is the world’s largest in terms of volume, and accounts for an amazing one-fifth of the world’s total river flow. Perhaps even more amazing is that there are no bridges across the Amazon! There isn’t even one, mainly because the river flows through tropical rainforest, where there are few roads and cities.

29 Nissan sedan : ALTIMA

Nissan has been making the Altima since 1993. In 2007 the company started to produce a hybrid version, Nissan’s first foray into the hybrid market and a successful one by all accounts. Altima hybrids are even used as police cruisers by the New York Police Department.

31 Russian waterway famed for its sturgeon fishery : VOLGA

The Volga is the longest river in Europe. It is also considered the national river of Russia.

Sturgeons are sometimes classed a primitive fish, meaning that their characteristic features are relatively unchanged when compared to the earliest fossil records. Several species of sturgeon are farmed for their roe, which is made into caviar.

34 ___ Aviv : TEL

The full name of Israel’s second largest city is Tel Aviv-Yafo. “Tel Aviv” translates into “Spring Mound”, and is a name that was chosen in 1910. Tel Aviv was founded in 1909 as a housing development outside the port city of Jaffa. Tel Aviv and Jaffa merged in 1950.

38 Some Facebook exchanges, in brief : IMS

Instant message (IM)

41 Cousins of mandolins : LUTES

A mandolin is a stringed instrument in the lute family. There is also a mandola, a similar instrument that is a little larger. In fact, “mandolin” comes from the Italian word for “little mandola”.

53 1960s film villain with prosthetic metal hands : DR NO

“Dr. No” may have been the first film in the wildly successful James Bond franchise, but it was the sixth novel in the series of books penned by Ian Fleming. Fleming was inspired to write the story after reading the Fu Manchu tales by Sax Rohmer. If you’ve read the Rohmer books or seen the films, you’ll recognize the similarities between the characters Dr. Julius No and Fu Manchu. By the way, the author Ian Fleming tells us that Julius No attended medical school in Milwaukee.

58 Fair-hiring inits. : EEO

“Equal Employment Opportunity” (EEO) is a term that has been around since 1964 when the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was set up by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII of the Act prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin or religion.

62 ___ Jose : SAN

San Jose is the third-largest city in California and is located at the heart of Silicon Valley. The city was founded by the Spanish in 1777 and named El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe. Under Spanish and Mexican rule, the territory of Alta California had its capital in Monterey. When California was made a US state, San Jose was named as the first capital, in 1850. Subsequently, the state legislature met in Vallejo in 1852, Benicia in 1853, and finally settled in Sacramento.

64 Some honkers : GEESE

A collection of geese is referred to as a “gaggle” when on the ground. When geese are in V-formation in flight, they are referred to collectively as a “skein”.

65 “___ to a Superhero” (Weird Al Yankovic parody of “Piano Man”) : ODE

“Weird Al” Yankovic is a singer-songwriter who is noted for writing and performing parodies of popular songs. Of the 150 or so such songs, the best known are probably “Eat It” (parodying “Beat It” by Michael Jackson) and “Like a Surgeon” (parodying “Like a Virgin” by Madonna).

Down

2 “Sweet” sweetheart in a barbershop quartet standard : ADELINE

“Sweet Adeline” is a marvelous ballad that is most often heard these days sung by barbershop groups. My favorite version of “Sweet Adeline” was sung by the Australian group called the Seekers.

5 Dark European thrush : MERL

A merl (also “merle”) is often called a blackbird in Europe. The male merl is completely black, with just a yellow beak.

6 When Juliet drinks a sleeping potion that makes her seem dead : ACT IV

William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” doesn’t end well for the title characters. Juliet takes a potion as a ruse to fool her parents, to trick them into thinking she is dead. The potion puts her in a death-like coma for 24 hours, after which Juliet plans to awaken and run off with Romeo. Juliet sends a message to Romeo apprising him of the plan, but the message fails to arrive. Romeo hears of Juliet’s “death”, and grief-stricken he takes his own life by drinking poison. Juliet awakens from the coma, only to find her lover dead beside her. She picks up a dagger and commits suicide. Nobody lives happily ever after …

7 Coffee in the milky way? : LATTE

The term “latte” is an abbreviation of the Italian “caffelatte” meaning “coffee (and) milk”. Note that in the correct spelling of “latte”, the Italian word for milk; there is no accent over the “e”. An accent is often added by mistake when we use the word in English, perhaps meaning to suggest that the word is French.

8 Uno + due : TRE

In Italian, “uno” (one) plus “due” (two) makes “tre” (three).

11 Was in the slammer : DID TIME

The cooler, the pen, the joint, the slammer, the can … the prison.

12 Arms depot : ARSENAL

Our word “arsenal” comes from the Italian “arzenale”, a work adapted from the Arabic for “workshop”. There was a large wharf in Venice called the Arzenale that became associated with the storage of weapons and ammunition, and this led to our contemporary usage of “arsenal”.

14 18-wheeler : SEMI

A “semi” is a “semi-trailer truck”. The vehicle is so called because it consists of a tractor and a half-trailer. The half-trailer is so called because it only has wheels on the back end, with the front supported by the tractor.

23 Rocker Clapton : ERIC

Can you believe that the great Eric Clapton only had one chart-topper in the US? In 1974, Clapton released a cover version of the Bob Marley classic “I Shot the Sheriff” and ended up selling more copies of that song than Bob Marley did himself. Clapton is the only person to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times: once as a member of the Yardbirds, once as a member of the supergroup Cream, and once as a solo artist.

25 Sitar selection : RAGA

Raga isn’t really a genre of music, but has been described as the “tonal framework” in which Indian classical music is composed. Ravi Shankar was perhaps the most famous raga virtuoso (to us Westerners). Western rock music with a heavy Indian influence might be called raga rock.

The sitar has been around since the Middle Ages. It is a stringed instrument that is played by plucking, and is used most often in Hindustani classical music. In the West we have been exposed to the instrument largely through the performances of Ravi Shankar and some music by George Harrison of the Beatles, a onetime student of Shankar.

28 Big name in water purification : ECOLAB

Ecolab is a company that provides mainly cleaning products to the hospitality and foodservice markets. Ecolab was founded in 1923 as Economics Laboratory with the company’s first product being a cleaning solution for carpets in hotels.

31 Dog shelter employee : VET

“Vet” is an abbreviation for “veterinarian”, a professional who treats animals for disease and injury. The word “veterinary” comes from the Latin “veterinae” meaning “working animals, beasts of burden”.

33 Units of wt. : LBS

The unit of mass that we know today as a pound is descended from the old Roman unit of weight known as a “libra”. That “libra” connection is why we abbreviate “pound” to “lb”. The name “pound” comes from the Latin “pondo” meaning “weight”. Our term “ounce” (abbreviated to “oz.”) comes from the Latin “uncia”, which was 1/12 of a Roman “libra”.

39 Trailer in a theater : MOVIE AD

The term “trailer” was originally used in the film industry to describe advertisements for upcoming features. These trailers were originally shown at the end of a movie being screened, hence the name. This practice quickly fell out of favor as theater patrons usually left at the end of the movie without paying much attention to the trailers. So, the trailers were moved to the beginning of the show, but the term “trailer” persisted.

43 North Carolina athlete : TAR HEEL

“Tar Heel” is a nickname for anyone living in, or from, the state of North Carolina. As such, it is the nickname for an athlete of the University of North Carolina (UNC). No one seems to know for sure where the term “Tar Heel” originated, but it is thought to be related to the historical importance of the tar, pitch and turpentine industries that thrived in the state due to the presence of vast forests of pine trees.

50 Casual fabric : DENIM

Denim fabric originated in Nîmes in France. The French phrase “de Nîmes” (meaning “from Nîmes”) gives us the word “denim”. Also, the French phrase “bleu de Genes” (meaning “blue of Genoa”) gives us our word “jeans”.

51 “Wall Street” character Gordon : GEKKO

“Wall Street” is a very entertaining 1987 film from Oliver Stone starring Charlie Sheen as an up and coming stockbroker, and Michael Douglas as an amoral corporate raider named Gordon Gekko. Douglas’ portrayal of Gekko earned him a Best Actor Oscar, and deservedly so, I’d say …

52 The “E” in HOMES : ERIE

A well-known mnemonic for remembering the names of the Great Lakes is HOMES, an acronym standing for Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. Another mnemonic serving the same purpose is “super heroes must eat oats”.

56 Breakfast brand : EGGO

Eggo is a line of frozen waffles and related products made by Kellogg’s. When they were introduced in the 1930s, the name “Eggo” was chosen to promote the “egginess” of the batter. “Eggo” replaced “Froffles”, the original name chosen by melding “frozen” and “waffles”.

59 Relative of Inc. : LTD

In Britain and Ireland, the most common type of business (my perception anyway) is one that has private shareholders whose liability is limited to the value of their investment. Such a company is known as a private limited company, and has the abbreviation “Ltd.” after the name. If the shares are publicly traded, then the company is a public limited company, and has the letters “plc” after the name.

60 High dudgeon : IRE

“Dudgeon” is a noun describing a state of sullen, ill humor. To be in a state of “high” dudgeon is to be in really ill humor.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 “___ Chair” (term of address at a meeting) : MADAM
6 13-Across, voicewise : ALTO
10 Vaccine watchdog org. : FDA
13 “Rumour Has It” singer, 2011 : ADELE
14 Close one : SCARE
15 Make public : AIR
16 Upbeat response to “How are you?” : NEVER BETTER
18 Some 401(k) investments, in brief : CDS
19 Toledo cheer : OLE!
20 Ceiling : LIMIT
21 Big celebration : FETE
22 Annoy : RILE
24 Central Brazil, for the Amazon : RIVER BASIN
27 Slept soundly? : SNORED
29 Nissan sedan : ALTIMA
30 Grand : EPIC
31 Russian waterway famed for its sturgeon fishery : VOLGA
34 ___ Aviv : TEL
35 Musical group that doesn’t play original songs : COVER BAND
38 Some Facebook exchanges, in brief : IMS
41 Cousins of mandolins : LUTES
42 Write a ticket (for) : CITE
45 Place for a dish that’s come from the oven : HOT PAD
47 “Rumor has it …” : I HEARD …
49 Costlier than projected : OVER BUDGET
53 1960s film villain with prosthetic metal hands : DR NO
54 Water conduit : PIPE
55 Ghostly : EERIE
57 Warm greeting : HUG
58 Fair-hiring inits. : EEO
59 Grammatical connector like “is” or “seem” … or a connector found literally in 16-, 24-, 35- and 49-Across : LINKING VERB
62 ___ Jose : SAN
63 Three-wheeler : TRIKE
64 Some honkers : GEESE
65 “___ to a Superhero” (Weird Al Yankovic parody of “Piano Man”) : ODE
66 Trial version : DEMO
67 Stared at rudely : OGLED

Down

1 Stately homes : MANORS
2 “Sweet” sweetheart in a barbershop quartet standard : ADELINE
3 Take shape : DEVELOP
4 Brewpub order : ALE
5 Dark European thrush : MERL
6 When Juliet drinks a sleeping potion that makes her seem dead : ACT IV
7 Coffee in the milky way? : LATTE
8 Uno + due : TRE
9 Atop, poetically : O’ER
10 Accepts reality : FACES IT
11 Was in the slammer : DID TIME
12 Arms depot : ARSENAL
14 18-wheeler : SEMI
17 Frequent flier? : BIRD
21 Big, as a bonus : FAT
23 Rocker Clapton : ERIC
25 Sitar selection : RAGA
26 Turn pale with shock : BLANCH
28 Big name in water purification : ECOLAB
31 Dog shelter employee : VET
32 Metal source : ORE
33 Units of wt. : LBS
36 On-demand digital video brand : VUDU
37 Fizzled out : DIED
38 Wishful words : I HOPE SO
39 Trailer in a theater : MOVIE AD
40 It’s a start : STEP ONE
43 North Carolina athlete : TAR HEEL
44 One doing lifesaving work at a hosp. : ER NURSE
46 Lead-in to position or occupation : PRE-
47 “Put ___ writing” : IT IN
48 Creature comfort? : DOG BED
50 Casual fabric : DENIM
51 “Wall Street” character Gordon : GEKKO
52 The “E” in HOMES : ERIE
56 Breakfast brand : EGGO
59 Relative of Inc. : LTD
60 High dudgeon : IRE
61 Be a couch potato : VEG

10 thoughts on “1101-22 NY Times Crossword 1 Nov 22, Tuesday”

  1. 10:56. Didn’t really look at the theme until after I’d finished.

    I took a tour of the VOLGA shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union including the city of Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad). I had a chance to visit the Battle of Stalingrad museum and see the Soviet perspective on that battle. Truly a remarkable thing to see.

    Best –

  2. No errors.

    Never heard of VUDU.

    @jeff – probably won’t see this but I would have loved to visit Stalingrad museum! I love all that WWII stuff.

    1. Mike – Consider it seen. It was even more interesting in that I went on May 9, 1995 – the 50th anniversary of victory of WWII. They see WWII as their win. Well they certainly paid the price for it.

      Best –

  3. Vaccine watchdog org.

    FDA?

    That’s a laugh. “Government arm of big pharma” is more accurate.

  4. 16:40 and I had an N where 36D & 45A crossed…never heard of either one…what’s new?
    Stay safe😀

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