Constructed by: Joe Deeney
Edited by: Will Shortz
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… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Theme: None
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Bill’s time: 10m 00s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
10 Characters in the “Iliad”? : IOTAS
In the Greek word “Iliad”, there are two letters iota (letters I).
“Iliad” is an epic poem by the Greek poet Homer that tells the story of the ten-year siege of “Ilium” (i.e. “Troy”) during the Trojan war. “The Odyssey”, also attributed to Homer, is sometimes described as a sequel to “Iliad”.
15 2010 biodrama co-starring 18-Across : THE SOCIAL NETWORK
18 See 15-Across : JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
If you’ve seen the movie “The Social Network”, you might remember that Facebook (FB) started off as “Facemash”, a site created by Mark Zuckerberg while he was attending Harvard. Facemash became “Thefacebook” and membership was opened to students beyond Harvard, initially including Ivy League schools and then most colleges across North America.
Sean Parker came to national attention in 1998 as co-founder of Napster, the file-sharing service for music that caused such a fuss in the recording industry. He started to advise the founders of Facebook in 2004, and became the company’s first president later that year. If you watch the very entertaining movie about Facebook called “The Social Network” you’ll see Parker played by Justin Timberlake. Parker comes across as very obnoxious in the film.
20 Skaggs of bluegrass fame : RICKY
Ricky Skaggs is a bluegrass and country musician who is primarily associated with the mandolin, an instrument that he has been playing since he was a toddler.
21 Trailblazing astronaut Jemison : MAE
Mae Jemison was a crew member on the Space Shuttle Endeavour on a 1992 mission, and as such became the first African-American woman to travel in space. She is also a big fan of “Star Trek” and appeared on an episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation”. That made Jemison the first real astronaut to appear on any of the “Star Trek” shows.
25 1970s-’80s TV character to whom the phrase “jumped the shark” originally referred : FONZ
The phrase “jumping the shark” has been used since 1977 to describe the moment in the life of a TV show when it starts to decline in popularity. The expression comes from a scene in the hit sitcom “Happy Days” when the character Fonzie gets on water skis and is seen literally jumping over a shark. “Happy Days” never recovered.
26 Barrett who co-founded Pink Floyd : SYD
Syd Barrett was the lead singer and a founding member of the English rock band Pink Floyd. Barrett was only active as a musician for just over ten years. He retired from the music scene in 1975 and spent the next 30 years living off Pink Floyd royalties until he passed away in 2006.
32 Greek peak : OSSA
Mount Ossa in Greece is located between Mount Pelion in the south, and the famed Mount Olympus in the north. Mount Ossa is also known as Kissavos.
33 Cousin of “Skol!” : CHEERS!
“Skoal” (sometimes “skol”) is a Scandinavian toast that has roots in the old Norse word “skaal” meaning “cup”.
35 Inspiration for van Gogh : IRISES
Van Gogh painted his “Irises” while he was in an asylum in the south of France the year before he committed suicide. The original owner was a French art critic and supporter of van Gogh who paid 300 francs to purchase the painting. “Irises” was bought for $53.9 million in 1987, making it the most expensive painting sold up to that point. But, the buyer didn’t actually have the necessary funds, so it had to be resold in 1990. It was picked up by the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, where you can see it today.
38 Big source for entertainment news : E! ONLINE
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.
41 Glowing signs : NEONS
The basic design of neon lighting was first demonstrated at the Paris Motor Show in 1910. Such lighting is made up of glass tubes containing a vacuum into which has been introduced a small amount of neon gas. When a voltage is applied between two electrodes inside the tube, the neon gas “glows” and gives off the familiar light.
43 Not over the internet, to a texter : IRL
In real life (IRL)
50 Existential question : AM I?
The philosophy of existentialism basically posits that the individual is responsible for his or her life. One cannot look to a higher being, accident of birth, or any other outside influence to define the meaning of one’s life.
51 Moriarty who wrote “Nine Perfect Strangers” : LIANE
Liane Moriarty is an author from Sydney, Australia. Her most famous work is a 2014 novel titled “Big Little Lies”, which was adapted into a very successful TV series starring Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, and Zoë Kravitz.
56 1995 alternative rock album by 59-Across that is one of the best-selling albums of all time : JAGGED LITTLE PILL
59 See 56-Across : ALANIS MORISSETTE
Alanis Morissette is a Canadian singer-songwriter. After releasing two pop albums in Canada, in 1995 she recorded her first album to be distributed internationally. Called “Jagged Little Pill”, it is a collection of songs with more of a rock influence. The album was a huge success, the highest-selling album of the 1990s, and the highest-selling debut album by any artist at any time (selling over 30 million units).
61 Actress Taylor-Joy of “The Queen’s Gambit” : ANYA
Actress Anya Taylor-Joy had quite the international upbringing. She was born in Miami, and raised in Buenos Aires and then London. She is perhaps best known for playing the title character in the 2020 film adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Emma”, and the lead role in the Netflix miniseries “The Queen’s Gambit”.
“The Queen’s Gambit” is a wonderful 2020 miniseries based on a 1983 novel of the same name by Walter Tevis. Anya Taylor-Joy plays a young chess prodigy who has a tough upbringing in an orphanage, and who then struggles with alcohol and drug dependency. The series was so popular with viewers that it sparked a renewed interest in the game of chess, with sales of chess sets and chess books increasing dramatically.
Down
4 Sweet Italian bubbly : ASTI
Asti is a sparkling white wine from the Piedmont region of Italy that is named for the town of Asti around which the wine is produced. The wine used to be called Asti Spumante, and it had a very bad reputation as a “poor man’s champagne”. The “Spumante” was dropped in a marketing attempt at rebranding associated with a reduction in the amount of residual sugar in the wine.
5 Does drudgery, old-style : MOILS
To moil is to toil or to slave away. The verb “to moil” originally applied to laboring in the mire, the swamp. The term comes from the Old French “moillier” meaning “to wet”, as in getting wet in the mire.
8 Active volcano near Peru’s dormant Pichu Pichu : EL MISTI
El Misti is a volcano that is also known as “Guagua-Putina”. It is located in Southern Peru near the city of Arequipa.
9 “Squawk on the Street” airer : CNBC
“Squawk on the Street” is a CNBC business show that reports live on the first hour and a half of trading on Wall Street.
11 One that gives a hoot : OWL
“Hoot owl” is an informal name for the barred owl. Barred owls have dark stripes running up and down the underside of their bodies, hence the name “barred”. They also have a very distinctive two-phrase vocalization, hence the name “hoot”.
12 Burns poem that opens “Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beastie” : TO A MOUSE
The famous Robert Burns poem “To a Mouse” describes the little creature as a “wee, sleekit, cow’rin, tim’rous beastie” (Small, crafty, cowering, timorous little beast). There’s another oft-quoted line later in the poem, i.e. “The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men, gang aft agley” (The best-laid schemes of mice and men, go often awry). John Steinbeck used this line as inspiration for the title of his 1937 novel “Of Mice and Men”.
16 Tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere : CN TOWER
When I last took the elevator to the top of the CN Tower in Toronto back in the eighties, it was the tallest freestanding structure in the world. It lost that title in 2007 during the construction of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the building which still has that honor. The CN Tower was built by the railway company Canadian National, which gave it the name. After “Canadian” National sold the tower in 1995, it has been known as “Canada’s” National Tower.
25 Choreographer Bob : FOSSE
Bob Fosse won more Tony Awards for choreography than anyone else, a grand total of eight (and another Tony for direction). Fosse also won an Oscar for Best Director for the 1972 movie “Cabaret”, even beating out the formidable Francis Ford Coppola who was nominated that same year for “The Godfather”.
28 “___ Nacht” (Christmas carol) : STILLE
The beautiful Christmas carol “Silent Night” was first performed in Austria in 1818. The words were written by a priest, Father Joseph Mohr, and the melody by an Austrian headmaster, Franz Xaver Gruber. The carol was in German and called “Stille Nacht”. The English translation that we use today was provided to us in 1859 by an American bishop, John Freeman Young from Florida.
30 River spanned by the Pont Alexandre III : SEINE
There are 37 bridges spanning the River Seine in Paris, including 5 pedestrian-only bridges and 2 rail bridges.
33 Genesee Brewery offering : CREAM ALE
One of Genesee Brewing Company’s most famous beers is Genesee Cream Ale, which was introduced in 1960. If you’re ordering a Genesee Cream Ale, you might ask for a “screamer”, which is what some Genesee drinkers call the bottle or can the beer comes in.
34 Ruffian : HOOLIGAN
“Hooligan” is a word that arose in England in the late 1800s and describes an aggressive and violent youth. The term is apparently derived from the Irish family name “Houlihan”. I can’t think why …
36 Lighting of the Olympic flame, and others : RITUALS
A flame is used as the symbol for the Olympic Games in commemoration of the theft of fire for humanity by Prometheus from Zeus in Greek mythology. The symbolic flame was introduced to the Modern Olympics in the 1928 Summer Games in Amsterdam. The tradition of the Olympic torch relay started out as political theater devised and funded by Nazi Germany for the 1936 Summer Games in Berlin.
41 Classic arcade game in which players can be “on fire” : NBA JAM
NBA Jam is an arcade game that was introduced in 1993. It was successful enough to spawn a whole series of NBA Jam video games. Apparently, it became the highest-earning arcade game of all time, and took in over $1 billion dollars in quarters.
44 Industry with lots to offer : REALTY
The terms “realty” and “real estate” actually date back to the late 1600s. Back then, the terms meant “real possessions, things owned that are tangible and real”.
45 ___ Newman, author of “Heather Has Two Mommies” : LESLEA
“Heather Has Two Mommies” is a 1989 children’s book by feminist author Lesléa Newman. It is recognized as a pioneering piece of children’s literature, one of the first to depict a lesbian relationship.
51 Gifts at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport : LEIS
Senator Daniel Inouye was a US Senator for the state of Hawaii and was the President pro tem of the Senate (the US Vice President is the President of the Senate). Given this role, he was the highest-ranking Japanese-American in the country’s history as he was third in the line of succession to the office of US President. Senator Inouye passed away in 2012. Honolulu’s airport was renamed to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in 2017 in his honor.
53 ___ mater : ALMA
The literal translation for the Latin term “alma mater” is “nourishing mother”. The phrase was used in ancient Rome to refer to mother goddesses, and in Medieval Christianity the term was used to refer to the Virgin Mary. Nowadays, one’s alma mater is the school one attended, either high school or college, usually one’s last place of education.
55 Sports sticker? : EPEE
The French word for sword is “épée”. In competitive fencing the épée is connected to a system that records an electrical signal when legal contact is made on an opponent’s body.
57 Serengeti grazer : GNU
The gnu is also known as the wildebeest, and is an antelope native to Africa. “Wildebeest” is a Dutch word meaning “wild beast”.
The Serengeti is a region in Africa located in northern Tanzania and southwest Kenya. The name “Serengeti” comes from the Maasai language and means “Endless Plains”.
58 Aunt, in Arequipa : TIA
Arequipa is located in the south of Peru and is the second-most populous city in the country, after the capital Lima. Arequipa has been the center of many uprisings since the city was founded in 1540, and was declared the nation’s capital on two occasions, in 1835 and in 1883.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 “Out!” : SCRAM!
6 Area of a room, e.g. : SPEC
10 Characters in the “Iliad”? : IOTAS
15 2010 biodrama co-starring 18-Across : THE SOCIAL NETWORK
18 See 15-Across : JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
19 Frustrated and betting emotionally, in poker lingo : ON TILT
20 Skaggs of bluegrass fame : RICKY
21 Trailblazing astronaut Jemison : MAE
22 Make, with “out” : EKE …
23 Some daring ascents : SOLOS
25 1970s-’80s TV character to whom the phrase “jumped the shark” originally referred : FONZ
26 Barrett who co-founded Pink Floyd : SYD
27 Floats : WAFTS
29 No good at all : LOUSY
30 Deems proper : SEES FIT
32 Greek peak : OSSA
33 Cousin of “Skol!” : CHEERS!
35 Inspiration for van Gogh : IRISES
37 Upset : ROIL
38 Big source for entertainment news : E! ONLINE
41 Glowing signs : NEONS
42 Ran over : SPILT
43 Not over the internet, to a texter : IRL
46 Cardboard recycling unit : BALE
47 Get slick, in a way : ICE UP
49 “I never knew!” : GEE!
50 Existential question : AM I?
51 Moriarty who wrote “Nine Perfect Strangers” : LIANE
54 Match points? : ARENAS
56 1995 alternative rock album by 59-Across that is one of the best-selling albums of all time : JAGGED LITTLE PILL
59 See 56-Across : ALANIS MORISSETTE
60 Where orders come from : MENUS
61 Actress Taylor-Joy of “The Queen’s Gambit” : ANYA
62 “Peace” : SEE YA
Down
1 The Hawks of the N.C.A.A., familiarly : ST JOE’S
2 Alternative to smooth, at the grocery : CHUNKY
3 Back from vacation, say : RESTED
4 Sweet Italian bubbly : ASTI
5 Does drudgery, old-style : MOILS
6 Go for a lap? : SIT
7 Form couples : PAIR OFF
8 Active volcano near Peru’s dormant Pichu Pichu : EL MISTI
9 “Squawk on the Street” airer : CNBC
10 “Just doing my job” : I TRY
11 One that gives a hoot : OWL
12 Burns poem that opens “Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beastie” : TO A MOUSE
13 Home of the only active diamond mine in the U.S. : ARKANSAS
14 Morally repulsive, in slang : SKEEZY
16 Tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere : CN TOWER
17 Startled cry : EEK!
24 Misses : LASSES
25 Choreographer Bob : FOSSE
28 “___ Nacht” (Christmas carol) : STILLE
29 Cut next to the ribs : LOIN
30 River spanned by the Pont Alexandre III : SEINE
31 Slippery swimmers : EELS
33 Genesee Brewery offering : CREAM ALE
34 Ruffian : HOOLIGAN
36 Lighting of the Olympic flame, and others : RITUALS
39 That’s what you think! : OPINION
40 “It was worth a shot” : NICE TRY
41 Classic arcade game in which players can be “on fire” : NBA JAM
43 Set on fire : IGNITE
44 Industry with lots to offer : REALTY
45 ___ Newman, author of “Heather Has Two Mommies” : LESLEA
48 Ink, so to speak : PRESS
51 Gifts at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport : LEIS
52 Fingers : IDS
53 ___ mater : ALMA
55 Sports sticker? : EPEE
57 Serengeti grazer : GNU
58 Aunt, in Arequipa : TIA
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