0118-23 NY Times Crossword 18 Jan 23, Wednesday

Constructed by: Lindsay McBride
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: Pickup Line

Themed answers might be described as “PICK UP” LINES:

  • 59A “Come here often?,” e.g. … or a hint to 17-, 30-, 35- and 43-Across : PICKUP LINE or “PICK UP” LINE
  • 17A 59-Across from someone who’s paying? : IT’S MY TREAT
  • 30A 59-Across from an anxious caller? : ANSWER THE PHONE
  • 35A 59-Across from a frustrated parent? : CLEAN YOUR ROOM!
  • 43A 59-Across from a carpooler? : DO YOU NEED A RIDE?

Bill’s time: 11m 14s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

14 Gymnast Suni of Team U.S.A. : LEE

Suni Lee is an American gymnast who won the women’s artistic individual all-around event at the 2020 Olympics. A few weeks after her victory in Tokyo, Lee competed in the 30th season of “Dancing with the Stars”, finishing in 5th place.

15 Plaza resident of fiction : ELOISE

Kay Thompson wrote the “Eloise” series of children’s books. Kay Thompson actually lived at the Plaza Hotel in New York, the setting she would choose for her “Eloise” stories. Eloise started out as a hit song for Thompson, a success that she parlayed into the book franchise.

The celebrated Plaza Hotel in New York City is named for Grand Army Plaza, which faces the hotel’s main entrance on Fifth Avenue.

16 What some flakes are made of : BRAN

All-Bran is a breakfast cereal that has been produced by Kellogg’s since 1916. Kellogg’s Bran Flakes had been introduced a year earlier.

20 Feature of Jupiter’s moon Europa : OCEAN

As are many celestial bodies, the moon of Jupiter called Europa was named after a figure in Greek mythology. Europa was a Phoenician woman who was abducted by Zeus. Europa also gave her name to the continent of Europe.

23 Acronymic title for a legendary athlete : THE GOAT

Greatest of all time (GOAT)

26 23-Across, in boxing : ALI

[23A Acronymic title for a legendary athlete : THE GOAT]
Muhammad Ali won 56 professional fights, 37 of which were knockouts. He lost 5 fights, 4 being decisions and one being a technical knockout (TKO). The TKO-loss was Ali’s second-to-last fight, against Larry Holmes. By the time Ali took on Holmes, he was already showing signs of Parkinson’s Syndrome, although the diagnosis would not come until four years later.

41 “I’m ___ of you” (Valentine’s Day message for a plant lover?) : FROND

Saint Valentine’s Day was introduced by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD to honor various martyrs with the name Valentine. However, the saint’s day was dropped by the Roman Catholic church in 1969, by Pope Paul VI. Try telling that to Hallmark though …

42 Mole that should definitely be removed? : SPY

A mole is a spy who works from within the ranks of an enemy’s government of intelligence service. The use of “mole” took off after the publication of John Le Carré’s 1974 novel “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”. The author was himself a former intelligence officer and asserts that “mole” was a term used by the KGB, whereas Western agencies used the term “sleeper agent”.

51 Letters of amusement : LOL

Laugh out loud (LOL)

52 Erstwhile : ONE-TIME

“Erst” is an archaic way of saying “formerly, before the present time”. The term is mostly seen as part of the word “erstwhile”, an adjective meaning “of times past”.

56 Singing rodent of cartoondom : ALVIN

Alvin and the Chipmunks is a cartoon musical group that was created for the recording of a novelty song in 1958 called “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)”. The three Chipmunks (Alvin, Simon and Theodore) were all voiced by singer Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. but with a speedy playback to create high-pitched voices.

57 Bridges in film : JEFF

Jeff Bridges has acting in his blood, as the son of Lloyd and Dorothy Bridges, and younger brother of Beau Bridges. Jeff and Beau used to appear occasionally with their father in the TV show “Sea Hunt” in the late fifties and early sixties. Jeff’s breakthrough role came with the 1971 film “The Last Picture Show”, for which he was nominated for an Oscar (at only 22 years of age). He had to wait until he was 60 years old to win an Oscar though, for his performance in 2009’s “Crazy Heart”. Off the screen, Jeff Bridges is an accomplished photographer. I have a fine book of photographs that he shot on and off film sets over the years …

63 “Frozen” snowman : OLAF

“Frozen” is a 2013 animated feature from Walt Disney Studios that is based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale “The Snow Queen”. The film is all about the exploits of Princess Anna, the younger sister of Elsa, Snow Queen of Arendelle. Spoiler alert: Prince Hans of the Southern Isles seems to be a good guy for most of the film, but turns out to be a baddie in the end. And, a snowman named Olaf provides some comic relief.

65 Feminist assn. since 1966 : NOW

The National Organization for Women (NOW) was founded in 1966. The NOW bylaws include a Statement of Purpose:

NOW’s purpose is to take action through intersectional grassroots activism to promote feminist ideals, lead societal change, eliminate discrimination, and achieve and protect the equal rights of all women and girls in all aspects of social, political, and economic life.

67 Like matryoshka dolls : NESTED

Matryoshka dolls are those wooden nesting dolls that are on sale at every tourist trap across Russia. “Matryoshka” is Russian for “little matron”.

Down

1 Poet who wrote “April is the cruellest month” : ELIOT

T. S. Eliot (TSE) wrote his poem called “The Waste Land” in 1922. “The Waste Land” opens with the famous line, “April is the cruellest month …”

5 Prefix with rock or country : ALT-

“Alt-” is a prefix used to denote “alternative”, and is used to define a number of music genres e.g. alt-rock, alt-country.

7 Game piece with multiple faces : DIE

The numbers on dice are arranged so that the opposite faces add up to seven. Given this arrangement, the numbers 1, 2 and 3 all meet at a common vertex. There are two ways of arranging the 1, 2 and 3 around the common vertex, a so-called right-handed die (clockwise 1-2-3) or a left-handed die (counterclockwise 1-2-3). Traditionally, dice used in Western cultures are right-handed, whereas Chinese dice are left-handed. Quite interesting …

10 Cab alternative : UBER

The rideshare service Uber takes its name from the English colloquial word “uber” meaning “super, topmost”, which in turn comes from the German “über” meaning “above”.

11 1983 hit song that begins with “Domo arigato” : MR ROBOTO

“Mr. Roboto” is a song on the 1983 album “Kilroy Was Here” by the Chicago band Styx. The first lines of the song are:

Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto,
Mata ah-oo hima de
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto,
Himitsu wo shiri tai

which translates as:

Thank you very much, Mr. Robot
Until the day (we) meet again
Thank you very much, Mr. Robot
I want to know your secret

13 Famous bed-in participant : ONO

John Lennon and Yoko Ono married at the height of the Vietnam War in 1969. The couple decided to use the inevitable publicity surrounding their wedding and honeymoon to promote peace in the world. They honeymooned in the Presidential Suite of the Amsterdam Hilton, inviting the world’s press to join them and to witness their “bed-in”. They spent the week talking about peace, and an end to war. The marriage and bed-in is chronicled by the Beatles in their song “The Ballad of John and Yoko”. A few weeks after the marriage, Lennon adopted the middle name “Ono” by deed poll.

22 Certain itinerant musician : PIPER

The legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin dates back to medieval times. Recently there have been suggestions that the story is rooted in some truth, that the town of Hamelin did in fact lose many of its children, perhaps to plague. The suggestion is that the tale is an allegory. The use of the word “pied” implies that the piper dressed in multi-colored clothing. Our contemporary idiom “to pay the piper” means “to bear the cost of a poor decision”. It is a reference to townsfolk of Hamelin who refused to pay the Pied Piper for ridding the town of rats. They ultimately paid the cost when the piper lured their children away.

24 “___ Flux” (1990s animated sci-fi series) : AEON

“Æon Flux” is an animated science-fiction television show that originally aired on MTV in the nineties. The TV show inspired a 2005 movie of the same name that starred Charlize Theron in the title role.

25 Setting for the “Iliad” : TROY

The ancient city of Troy was located on the west coast of modern-day Turkey. The Trojan War of Greek mythology was precipitated by the elopement of Helen, the wife of the king of Sparta, with Paris of Troy. The war itself largely consisted of a nine-year siege of Troy by the Greeks. We know most about the final year of that siege, as it is described extensively in Homer’s “Iliad”. The city eventually fell when the Greeks hid soldiers inside the Trojan Horse, which the Trojans brought inside the city’s walls. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts …

28 “E pluribus ___” : UNUM

From 1776, “E pluribus unum” was the unofficial motto of the United States. The phrase translates from Latin as “Out of many, one”. It was pushed aside in 1956 when an Act of Congress designated “In God We Trust” as the country’s official motto. “In God We Trust” had appeared on US coins since 1864, but was only introduced on paper currency in 1957.

35 Certain slip-on shoe : CROC

Crocs are foam clogs that were originally designed as shoes to be worn at health spas. I recently bought my first pair of crocs, and now my kids won’t talk to me …

37 Ambient musician Brian : ENO

Brian Eno was one of the pioneers of the genre of ambient music. Eno composed an album in 1978 called “Ambient 1: Music for Airports”, which was the first in a series of four albums with an ambient theme. Eno named the tracks, somewhat inventively, 1/1, 1/2, 2/1 and 2/2.

40 Reynolds of “Deadpool” : RYAN

Ryan Reynolds is an actor from Vancouver who is best known these days for playing the title character in the “Deadpool” superhero films. Named “People” magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2010, Ryan has had some high-profile relationships. He was engaged to singer Alanis Morissette for a couple of years, married to actress Scarlett Johansson (again for a couple of years), and is now married to actress Blake Lively whom he met on the set of “Green Lantern”.

41 N.Y.C. drive, with “the” : … FDR

The full name of the parkway known as FDR Drive in New York City is the Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive. The FDR is a parkway that runs along the East River for almost ten miles through Manhattan. A large portion of the road is built on rubble that came from Bristol, England during WWII. The rubble from the bombed city was loaded as ballast on ships returning to the US after having delivered war supplies to England.

45 Five-time Olympic sprinting gold medalist ___ Thompson-Herah : ELAINE

Elaine Thompson-Herah is an Olympic champion sprinter from Jamaica. In a 100m race in 2021, she became the first woman to break the 40 km/h barrier.

53 Celeb gossip show : E! NEWS

E! Entertainment Television started out in 1987 as Movietime, and hired on-air hosts such as Greg Kinnear and Paula Abdul. It was renamed in 1990 to E! Entertainment Television, underscoring the focus on Hollywood gossip and the like.

58 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.

60 Drugstore chain known for long receipts : CVS

The name of the drugstore chain CVS once stood for “Consumer Value Stores”, although these days the company uses the initialism to denote “Convenience, Value and Service”.

61 Baby fox : KIT

Kits are the young of several mammalian species, including the ferret and fox. “Kit” is probably a shortened form of “kitten”.

62 Great Basin tribe : UTE

The Great Basin is a large region of the US covering most of Nevada, much of Utah and some parts of Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon and California. The 200,000 square mile area drains internally, with all precipitation sinking underground or flowing into lakes. Most of the lakes in the Great Basin are saline, including the Great Salt Lake, Pyramid Lake and the Humboldt Sink.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Recede : EBB
4 Submit, as homework : HAND IN
10 “Yeah … I don’t think so” : UM … NO
14 Gymnast Suni of Team U.S.A. : LEE
15 Plaza resident of fiction : ELOISE
16 What some flakes are made of : BRAN
17 59-Across from someone who’s paying? : IT’S MY TREAT
19 Thus : ERGO
20 Feature of Jupiter’s moon Europa : OCEAN
21 Apple field worker? : IT PRO
23 Acronymic title for a legendary athlete : THE GOAT
26 23-Across, in boxing : ALI
27 Purchase : BUY
30 59-Across from an anxious caller? : ANSWER THE PHONE
33 Sound of intrigue : OOH!
34 Thoroughly enjoy : EAT UP
35 59-Across from a frustrated parent? : CLEAN YOUR ROOM!
41 “I’m ___ of you” (Valentine’s Day message for a plant lover?) : FROND
42 Mole that should definitely be removed? : SPY
43 59-Across from a carpooler? : DO YOU NEED A RIDE?
50 Record label for H.E.R. and SZA : RCA
51 Letters of amusement : LOL
52 Erstwhile : ONE-TIME
54 Tons o’ : LOTSA
56 Singing rodent of cartoondom : ALVIN
57 Bridges in film : JEFF
59 “Come here often?,” e.g. … or a hint to 17-, 30-, 35- and 43-Across : PICKUP LINE or “PICK UP” LINE
63 “Frozen” snowman : OLAF
64 It might include a plus one : INVITE
65 Feminist assn. since 1966 : NOW
66 Storage containers : BINS
67 Like matryoshka dolls : NESTED
68 Speech fillers : ERS

Down

1 Poet who wrote “April is the cruellest month” : ELIOT
2 “You ___!” (informal affirmative) : BETCHA
3 Appear in public : BE SEEN
4 “Whoa, take it easy!” : HEY NOW!
5 Prefix with rock or country : ALT-
6 Neither’s partner : NOR
7 Game piece with multiple faces : DIE
8 Name meaning “God is salvation” : ISAIAH
9 Annoy : NETTLE
10 Cab alternative : UBER
11 1983 hit song that begins with “Domo arigato” : MR ROBOTO
12 Prod, and then some : NAG
13 Famous bed-in participant : ONO
18 They have issues, in brief : MAGS
22 Certain itinerant musician : PIPER
24 “___ Flux” (1990s animated sci-fi series) : AEON
25 Setting for the “Iliad” : TROY
28 “E pluribus ___” : UNUM
29 Informal affirmative : YEP
31 Ones being pointed to at a distance : THOSE
32 Good, in Chinese : HAO
35 Certain slip-on shoe : CROC
36 Die-hard follower : LOYAL FAN
37 Ambient musician Brian : ENO
38 Grown-up : ADULT
39 Topknot, for one : UPDO
40 Reynolds of “Deadpool” : RYAN
41 N.Y.C. drive, with “the” : … FDR
44 Straight-up : NO-SPIN
45 Five-time Olympic sprinting gold medalist ___ Thompson-Herah : ELAINE
46 Harvested : REAPED
47 “___ be OK” : IT’LL
48 Heavenly : DIVINE
49 Key of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 : E MINOR
53 Celeb gossip show : E! NEWS
55 Exterminates : OFFS
57 Word with snow or day : … JOB
58 QB Manning : ELI
60 Drugstore chain known for long receipts : CVS
61 Baby fox : KIT
62 Great Basin tribe : UTE

4 thoughts on “0118-23 NY Times Crossword 18 Jan 23, Wednesday”

  1. 14:52. Had LOYAList before FAN which caused all kinds of issues in the SW. Also did TURN IN before HAND IN.

    At least now I know how to say “good” in Chinese.

    Best –

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