1228-22 NY Times Crossword 28 Dec 22, Wednesday

Constructed by: Josh Goodman
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Themed answers are the names of three women inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice:

  • 53A With 60-Across, institution in which 19-, 25- and 37-Across are (thus far) the only three women ever to be inducted twice : ROCK AND ROLL …
  • 60A See 53-Across : … HALL OF FAME
  • 19A As part of a performing duo in 1991; as a solo artist in 2021 : TINA TURNER
  • 25A As part of a band in 1998; as a solo artist in 2019 : STEVIE NICKS
  • 37A As part of a songwriting duo in 1990; as a solo artist in 2021 : CAROLE KING

Bill’s time: 7m 26s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Part of a Tibetan leader’s title : DALAI

The Dalai Lama is a religious leader in the Gelug branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The current Dalai Lama is the 14th to hold the office. He has indicated that the next Dalai Lama might be found outside of Tibet for the first time, and may even be female.

6 San Luis ___, Calif. : OBISPO

The city of San Luis Obispo is one of the oldest communities in California. The name “San Luis Obispo” translates as “Saint Louis, the Bishop of Toulouse”. In 1990, San Luis Obispo was the first municipality in the world to ban smoking in all indoor public areas.

17 Park in Manhattan, e.g.: Abbr. : AVE

Park Avenue in New York City used to be known as Fourth Avenue, and for much of its length carried the tracks of the New York and Harlem Railroad. When the line was built, some of it was constructed by cutting through the length of the street and then forming underground tunnels by covering over the line with grates and greenery. This greenery formed a parkland between 34th and 40th Streets, and in 1860 the grassy section of Fourth Avenue was renamed Park Avenue, a name that was eventually used for the whole thoroughfare.

18 Disciple of Haile Selassie, informally : RASTA

I must admit that I don’t really know much about Rastafarianism. I do know that a “Rasta”, such as Bob Marley, is a follower of the movement. Some say that Rastafarianism is a religion, some not. I also know that it involves the worship of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia.

Emperor Haile Selassie I ruled Ethiopia until he was removed from power in a revolution in 1974. Selassie died in 1975 under suspicious circumstances and it is widely believed that he was assassinated.

19 As part of a performing duo in 1991; as a solo artist in 2021 : TINA TURNER

“Tina Turner” is the stage name used by Anna Mae Bullock, the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll”. Turner has always loved Europe and moved there in the eighties. She now splits her time between her homes in England, France and Switzerland.

25 As part of a band in 1998; as a solo artist in 2019 : STEVIE NICKS

Singer Stevie Nicks came to fame as the lead singer of Fleetwood Mac. She has a very distinctive voice, heard at its best (I think) on the famous 1977 album “Rumours”.

28 Vessel that’s a homophone of 24-Across : URN
[24A Take home : EARN]

Homophones are words that are pronounced in the same way (e.g., ere, air, err and heir). Homonyms are a subset of homophones, and are words that have the same spelling and the same pronunciation but different meanings, for example, skate (a fish) and skate (worn on the foot).

30 “Place” by Pennsylvania Railroad on a Monopoly board : ST JAMES

There are three “Place” names on a Monopoly board. Those would be St. Charles Place, St. James Place and Park Place.

36 One end of a battery : ANODE

A battery is a device that converts chemical energy into electric energy. A simple battery is made up of three parts: a cathode, an anode and a liquid electrolyte. Ions from the electrolyte react chemically with the material in the anode producing a compound and releasing electrons. At the same time, the electrolyte reacts with the material in the cathode, absorbing electrons and producing a different chemical compound. In this way, there is a buildup of electrons at the anode and a deficit of electrons at the cathode. When a connection (wire, say) is made between the cathode and anode, electrons flow through the resulting circuit from the anode to cathode in an attempt to rectify the electron imbalance.

37 As part of a songwriting duo in 1990; as a solo artist in 2021 : CAROLE KING

Not only is Carole King a highly successful recording artist and performer, she is recognized by many as perhaps the greatest American female songwriter. Many of her earlier hits were co-written with her first husband Gerry Goffin. King’s life and career is celebrated in the marvelous stage show “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”, which I highly recommend.

51 Former Giants QB Manning : ELI

Eli Manning is a retired footballer who played quarterback for the New York Giants. Eli’s brother Peyton Manning retired from football as the quarterback for the Denver Broncos in 2015. Eli and Peyton’s father is Archie Manning, who was also a successful NFL quarterback. Eli, Peyton and Archie co-authored a book for children titled “Family Huddle” in 2009. It describes the Mannings playing football together as young boys.

53 With 60-Across, institution in which 19-, 25- and 37-Across are (thus far) the only three women ever to be inducted twice : ROCK AND ROLL …
60 See 53-Across : … HALL OF FAME

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame can be visited on the shores of Lake Erie in Cleveland, Ohio. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was created in 1983 and started inducting artists in 1986. The Foundation didn’t get a home until the museum was dedicated in Cleveland in 1995. I had the great privilege of visiting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame some years ago and really enjoyed myself. The magnificent building was designed by famed architect I. M. Pei.

57 Pop group whose name is also a rhyme scheme : ABBA

I am an unapologetic fan of ABBA’s music. ABBA was the Swedish group who topped the charts in the seventies and eighties. The name ABBA is an acronym formed from the first letters of the given names of each of the band members: Agnetha, Benny, Bjorn and Anni-Frid. Early in their careers, the four fell in love and formed two married couples: Agnetha and Bjorn, and Benny and Anni-Frid. However, at the height of their success, the relationships became strained and both couples divorced.

58 Acronym that might be shouted before a rash act : YOLO!

You only live once (YOLO)

67 Janelle who sang 2010’s “Tightrope” : MONAE

Janelle Monáe is a singer and actress. I’m not familiar with her as a singer, but did see Monáe play NASA engineer Mary Jackson in the excellent 2016 film “Hidden Figures”.

68 There are about five of these in a tsp. : MLS

For the purpose of cooking and dosing medicines, a teaspoon (tsp.) is 5 mL and a tablespoon (tbsp.) is 15 mL.

69 Way off base : ERRANT

Someone described as errant is roving around, especially in search of adventure, as in “knight-errant”.The term “errant” has come to mean “behaving wrongly” and “straying outside the bounds”.

Down

1 Das or die alternative, in German : DER

The definite article in German is der, die or das, for masculine, feminine and neuter nouns. The indefinite article is ein, eine or ein, again depending on the gender of the noun. A further complication, relative to English, is that the masculine form (and only the masculine form) of the article changes when used in the accusative case, when used with the object of a sentence. The accusative forms are “den” and “einen”.

4 Penultimate part of a Shakespeare play : ACT IV

Shakespeare adopted the five-act structure for most of his plays, thereby using the same format that was used by Seneca for his Roman tragedies. Given five acts, the plays tend to unfold as follows:

  • Act I is used as an introduction
  • Act II is used to complicate things
  • Act III contains the climax of the tale
  • Act IV is used to add some suspense
  • Act V is the conclusion

6 Canadian Thanksgiving mo. : OCT

The Canadian Thanksgiving holiday predates the related celebration in the US. The first Canadian Thanksgiving was held in 1578 by an explorer from England named Martin Frobisher. Frobisher was giving thanks for his safe arrival in the New World, and made the observance in the month of October as this was a tradition in England. All this happened 43 years before the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

7 Russian pancakes : BLINI

A blintz (also “blintze” and “blin”, plural “blini”) is a thin pancake similar to a crêpe, although unlike a crêpe, a blintz may contain yeast.

8 Kind of chemical bond : IONIC

Chemical compounds consist of atoms that are attracted to each other in “chemical bonds”. Chemical bonds are primarily of two types: bonds resulting from electrostatic attraction between atoms with opposite charges (ionic and metallic bonds), and bonds formed through the sharing of electrons (covalent bonds).

10 Part of a water quality evaluation : PH TEST

As we all recall from chemistry class, a pH of 7 is considered neutral. Anything less than 7 is an acid, and anything above 7 is a base.

11 Buckeye State sch. : OSU

Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus was founded back in 1870 as the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. The athletic teams of OSU are called the Buckeyes, named after the state tree of Ohio. In turn the buckeye tree gets its name from the appearance of its fruit, a dark nut with a light patch thought to resemble a “buck’s eye”. The school’s athletic mascot was introduced in 1965, and is an anthropomorphic buckeye nut named Brutus Buckeye.

12 Vancouver Island city for which a chocolate treat is named : NANAIMO

Vancouver Island in British Columbia is the largest island on the west coast of North and South America. Most of the inhabitants of the island live in the city of Victoria, which is the province’s capital. Vancouver Island is named for British naval captain George Vancouver who explored the area in the 1790s.

22 Kind of sax : TENOR

The saxophone was invented by Belgian musician Adolphe Sax, hence the name. Sax developed lip cancer at one point in his life, and one has to wonder if his affliction was related to his saxophone playing (I am sure not!). I had the privilege of visiting Sax’s grave in the Cemetery of Montmartre in Paris a few years ago.

25 Hoagie : SUB

“Hoagy” (sometimes “hoagie”) is another name for a submarine sandwich. The term “hoagy” originated in Philadelphia, and was apparently introduced by Italians working in the shipyards during WWI. The shipyards were located on Hog Island, and the sandwich was first called “the Hog Island”, which morphed into “hoagy”.

26 Grp. known as OTAN in France : NATO

“NATO” is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (or “OTAN” in French, “l’Organisation du Traité de l’Atlantique Nord”).

31 Social worker who was the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize : JANE ADDAMS

Jane Addams was a suffragist and social worker from Cedarville Illinois. Her prominence was such that Addams nominated Theodore Roosevelt for the US Presidency at the Progressive Party’s convention in 1912. In 1931, she became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

33 Skeleton that’s no longer in the closet? : SCANDAL

The idiom “skeleton in the closet” means “secret to hide”. On the other side of the Atlantic, the concept is more likely to be expressed as “skeleton in the cupboard”.

35 Concern for online advertisers, for short : SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO)

38 Caffeine-containing nut : KOLA

The nut of the kola tree has a bitter taste, and is loaded with caffeine. Despite the taste, the nut is habitually chewed in some cultures, especially in West Africa where the tree is commonly found in the rainforest. Here in the US we best know the kola nut as a flavoring used in cola drinks.

39 Goddess of peace : IRENE

Eirene (also “Irene”) was the Greek goddess of peace, with “eirene” being the Greek word for “peace”. The Roman equivalent to Eirene was the goddess Pax.

40 Isaac’s father, in the Bible : ABRAHAM

According to the Bible, Abraham’s son Isaac was born to Abraham’s wife Sarah when she was beyond her childbearing years and when Abraham was 100 years old. Isaac himself lived until he was 180 years old. When Isaac was just a youth, Abraham was tested by Yahweh (God) and told to build an altar on which he was to sacrifice his only son. At the last minute, an angel appeared and stopped Abraham, telling him to sacrifice a ram instead.

41 Game with a bat : TEE-BALL

Although there seems to be some dispute about who invented tee-ball, the game did emerge in the 1950s.

44 Proud and regal : LEONINE

Something described as “leonine” has the characteristics of a lion, is strong and regal. “Leo” is Latin for “lion”.

46 Actor Wheaton : WIL

Wil Wheaton is the actor who grew up playing Ensign Wesley Crusher on the best of the “Star Trek” TV series, “Star Trek: The Next Generation”. In recent years Wheaton has become a de facto spokesman for the so-called “geek” or “nerd” community via a blog that he writes called “Wil Wheaton Dot Net”. He has been playing Dungeons & Dragons for years, and is also someone you’ll see at celebrity poker games on TV. Wheaton appeared regularly on “The Big Bang Theory” during its original run, playing himself.

54 Composer Schumann : CLARA

Clara Schumann was a famous concert pianist, and the wife of composer Robert Schumann. Clara is known not only for her talent on the piano, but also for premiering works by Johannes Brahms, who was a dear friend of the Schumanns.

56 Transfer, as a tulip : REPOT

We usually associate the cultivation of tulips with the Netherlands, but they were first grown commercially in the Ottoman Empire. The name “tulip” ultimately derives from the Ottoman Turkish word “tulbend” that means “muslin, gauze”.

62 Summer hrs. in Pittsburgh : EDT

Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)

Pittsburgh was the world capital of steel production for many years, largely due to the surrounding geography. The area around the city had large deposits of iron, as well as ample forests that provided the charcoal used in smelting. As the supply of wood diminished, local supplies of coal fueled the blast furnaces. Entrepreneurs took full advantage of the local conditions. Henry Bessemer developed the Bessemer process that produced steel, and soon the area’s iron industry converted to steel production. And the demand for steel was high, as the nation started to build a huge railroad network.

64 Japanese currency : YEN

The Korean won, Chinese yuan, and Japanese yen (all of which are Asian currencies) take their names from the Chinese written character that represents “round shape”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Part of a Tibetan leader’s title : DALAI
6 San Luis ___, Calif. : OBISPO
12 Catch, as a criminal : NAB
15 Official decree : EDICT
16 Polishing aids : CLOTHS
17 Park in Manhattan, e.g.: Abbr. : AVE
18 Disciple of Haile Selassie, informally : RASTA
19 As part of a performing duo in 1991; as a solo artist in 2021 : TINA TURNER
21 What might help someone get a leg up? : STILT
23 “Cool!” : NICE!
24 Take home : EARN
25 As part of a band in 1998; as a solo artist in 2019 : STEVIE NICKS
27 Put on staff : HIRE
28 Vessel that’s a homophone of 24-Across : URN
29 Get ___ on (ace) : AN A
30 “Place” by Pennsylvania Railroad on a Monopoly board : ST JAMES
32 Lowest pitches in chords : BASS NOTES
36 One end of a battery : ANODE
37 As part of a songwriting duo in 1990; as a solo artist in 2021 : CAROLE KING
40 Really got to : ATE AT
43 “Rule” stating that the number of transistors per microchip doubles every two years : MOORE’S LAW
47 Brit who wrote “The Vanishing Half” : BENNETT
50 Meadow : LEA
51 Former Giants QB Manning : ELI
52 Understanding of a situation : READ
53 With 60-Across, institution in which 19-, 25- and 37-Across are (thus far) the only three women ever to be inducted twice : ROCK AND ROLL …
57 Pop group whose name is also a rhyme scheme : ABBA
58 Acronym that might be shouted before a rash act : YOLO!
59 Heavens on earth : EDENS
60 See 53-Across : … HALL OF FAME
63 “So sad” : A PITY
65 Serving from a tap : ALE
66 Erupted with laughter : ROARED
67 Janelle who sang 2010’s “Tightrope” : MONAE
68 There are about five of these in a tsp. : MLS
69 Way off base : ERRANT
70 Strict : STERN

Down

1 Das or die alternative, in German : DER
2 2019 sci-fi film whose title means “to the stars” : AD ASTRA
3 Lends an ear : LISTENS
4 Penultimate part of a Shakespeare play : ACT IV
5 Architectural style started, strangely, in England : ITALIANATE
6 Canadian Thanksgiving mo. : OCT
7 Russian pancakes : BLINI
8 Kind of chemical bond : IONIC
9 Shelving area in a library : STACKS
10 Part of a water quality evaluation : PH TEST
11 Buckeye State sch. : OSU
12 Vancouver Island city for which a chocolate treat is named : NANAIMO
13 Contended : AVERRED
14 ___ mountain dog (breed named for its origins near the Swiss capital) : BERNESE
20 Installs again, as a painting : REHANGS
22 Kind of sax : TENOR
25 Hoagie : SUB
26 Grp. known as OTAN in France : NATO
31 Social worker who was the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize : JANE ADDAMS
33 Skeleton that’s no longer in the closet? : SCANDAL
34 Stately tree : ELM
35 Concern for online advertisers, for short : SEO
38 Caffeine-containing nut : KOLA
39 Goddess of peace : IRENE
40 Isaac’s father, in the Bible : ABRAHAM
41 Game with a bat : TEE-BALL
42 Gives permission : ENABLES
44 Proud and regal : LEONINE
45 Like some casts or teams : ALL-STAR
46 Actor Wheaton : WIL
48 Strive to achieve : TRY FOR
49 Over the bounds : TOO FAR
54 Composer Schumann : CLARA
55 Susan G. ___ (breast cancer advocacy organization) : KOMEN
56 Transfer, as a tulip : REPOT
61 It’s unrefined : ORE
62 Summer hrs. in Pittsburgh : EDT
64 Japanese currency : YEN