0207-23 NY Times Crossword 7 Feb 23, Tuesday

Constructed by: Ellen Leuschner
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme (according to Bill): Three of a Kind

Themed answers are common phrases reinterpreted as a collection of three similar items:

  • 18A Buchanan-Duck-Duke : DAISY CHAIN
  • 29A Paris Métro-BART-London Underground : SUBWAY SERIES
  • 49A Fender-Gibson-Yamaha : GUITAR STRING
  • 63A Silverado-Ram-Tundra : PICKUP LINE

Bill’s time: 8m 03s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

14 Organizer of a couples cruise? : NOAH

Genesis 6:19-20 states that Noah was instructed to take two animals of every kind into the ark. Later, in Genesis 7:2-3 Noah was instructed to take on board “every clean animal by sevens … male and female, to keep offspring alive on the face of all the earth”. Apparently, “extras” (7 rather than 2) were needed for ritual sacrifice.

15 Greek goddess of marriage : HERA

In Greek mythology, Hera was the wife of Zeus and the goddess of women, marriage, family and childbirth. She was noted for her jealous and vengeful nature, particularly against those who vied for the affections of her husband. The equivalent character to Hera in Roman mythology was Juno. Hera was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea.

16 Justice Ruth ___ Ginsburg : BADER

Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG) served on the US Supreme Court. Justice Ginsburg was the second woman to join the Court, and was nominated by President Bill Clinton. She was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1999 and underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. During that time she did not miss one day on the bench. In 2009 Justice Ginsburg had surgery for pancreatic cancer, and was back to work 12 days later. She had left-lung lobectomy to remove cancerous nodules in 2018, which forced Justice Ginsburg to miss oral argument in January 2019, for the first time since joining the court 25 years earlier. She finally succumbed to pancreatic cancer in 2020. Much of Ginsburg’s life is recounted in the excellent 2018 movie “On the Basis of Sex”.

17 Fraternity party attire that is traditionally Roman, not Greek : TOGA

In ancient Rome, the classical attire known as a toga (plural “togae” or “togas”) was usually worn over a tunic. The tunic was made from linen, and the toga itself was a piece of cloth about twenty feet long made from wool. The toga could only be worn by men, and only if those men were Roman citizens. The female equivalent of the toga was called a “stola”.

18 Buchanan-Duck-Duke : DAISY CHAIN

“The Great Gatsby” is a 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald that tells of the prosperous life of Jay Gatsby during the Roaring 20s. Gatsby develops an obsessive love for Daisy Fay Buchanan, a girl he met while serving during WWI, and meets again some years later after he has improved his social standing.

Daisy Duck was introduced to us in 1940 by Walt Disney. She is a female counterpart to Donald Duck, and a best friend for Minnie Mouse.

“The Dukes of Hazzard” is a comedy adventure TV show that originally aired from 1979 to 1985. The title characters are Bo and Luke Duke, two cousins from the rural part of the fictional county of Hazzard in Georgia. The pair drive around in the General Lee, a flashy Dodge Charger stock car. Other notable characters in the show were Daisy Duke (played by Catherine Bach) and Boss Hogg (played by Sorrell Booke).

23 Snack-motivated Great Dane of toons : SCOOB

“Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!” is a series of cartoons produced for Hanna-Barbera Productions, first broadcast in 1969. The title character is a great Dane dog owned by a young male called Shaggy Rogers. The character’s name was inspired by the famous “doo-be-doo-be-doo” refrain in the Frank Sinatra hit “Strangers in the Night”. Shaggy was voiced by famed disk jockey Casey Kasem. Shaggy and Scooby’s friends are Velma, Fred and Daphne.

29 Paris Métro-BART-London Underground : SUBWAY SERIES

The Paris Métro is the busiest underground transportation system in western Europe. The network carries about 4.5 million passengers a day, which is about the same ridership as the New York City Subway. The system took its name from the company that originally operated it, namely “La Compagnie du chemin de fer métropolitain de Paris” (The Metropolitan Paris Railroad Company), which was shortened to “Métro”. The term “Metro” was then adopted for similar systems in cities all over the world.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is a commuter rail system serving the San Francisco Bay Area.

The official name of the London “Underground” rail network is a little deceptive, as over half of the track system-wide is actually “over ground”, with the underground sections reserved for the central areas. It is the oldest subway system in the world, having opened in 1863. It was also the first system to use electric rolling stock, in 1890. “The Tube”, as it is known by Londoners, isn’t the longest subway system in the world though. That honor belongs to the Shanghai Metro. My personal favorite part of the Tube is the Tube map! It is a marvel of design …

32 “Great” primate : APE

The tailless primates known as apes (also “hominoids”) are divided into two main branches: gibbons (lesser apes) and hominids (great apes). The hominids are the great apes, and belong to the family of primates called Hominidae. Extant genera that make up the family Hominidae are:

  • chimpanzees
  • gorillas
  • humans
  • orangutans

33 Bona fide : REAL

“Bona fide(s)” translates from the Latin as “in good faith”, and is used to indicate honest intentions. It can also mean that something is authentic, like a piece of art that is represented in good faith as being genuine.

46 Brother (and husband) of 15-Across : ZEUS
[15A Greek goddess of marriage : HERA]

In Greek mythology, Zeus served as the king of the Olympic gods, and the god of the sky and thunder. He was the child of Titans Cronus and Rhea, and was married to Hera. Zeus was the equivalent of the Roman god Jupiter, who had similar realms of influence.

48 Actor Aykroyd : DAN

Dan Aykroyd is a Canadian comedian and actor who was born in Ottawa, Ontario, although he is now a naturalized US citizen. Aykroyd was an original cast member on “Saturday Night Live” and fronted the Blues Brothers along with John Belushi.

49 Fender-Gibson-Yamaha : GUITAR STRING

The company that made Fender electric guitars was founded in Fullerton, California in 1946, by Leo Fender.

Gibson is a manufacturer of guitars and other musical instruments. It was founded by Orville Gibson in 1902, although Gibson started making instruments in 1894.

The Japanese company Yamaha started out way back in 1888 as a manufacturer of pianos and reed organs. Even though the company has diversified since then, Yamaha’s logo still reflects its musical roots. Said logo is made up of three intersecting tuning forks, and can even be seen on Yamaha motorcycles and ATVs.

57 Future degree for one taking the GMAT : MBA

The world’s first Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree was offered by Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, in 1908.

If you want to get into a business school’s graduate program then you might have to take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), which will cost you about $250, I believe …

58 Forever stamp letters : USPS

The Forever stamp for first-class postage was introduced by the USPS in 2006 (and about time!). Now we have stamps that are good for first-class postage forever, no matter how often the rates change.

63 Silverado-Ram-Tundra : PICKUP LINE

The GMC Sierra truck is also sold as the Chevrolet Silverado.

Chrysler put ram hood ornaments on all of its Dodge-branded vehicles starting in 1933. When the first line of Dodge trucks and vans were introduced in 1981, they were named “Rams” in honor of that hood ornament.

The Toyota Tundra was the first full-size pickup truck to be manufactured in North America by a Japanese automobile company.

67 Home to Bryce Canyon : UTAH

Bryce Canyon National Park truly is a beautiful part of America. The strange thing is that Bryce isn’t a canyon at all, but rather is a natural amphitheater created by erosion of sedimentary rocks that are part of the Paunsaugunt Plateau.

68 ___ code (404 Not Found, e.g.) : ERROR

An HTTP 404 error is one of the common errors encountered when browsing the World Wide Web. The error is returned when a user accesses a site successfully, but cannot find the page that is requested. Usually, this 404 Not Found error is encountered when clicking on a broken or dead link. As an aside, I’d appreciate it if any reader could contact me or leave a comment if a broken link is encountered on this web site. Thank you!

69 Homecoming attendee, for short : ALUM

An alumnus (plural “alumni”) is a graduate or former student of a school or college. The female form is “alumna” (plural “alumnae”). The term comes into English from Latin, in which an alumnus is a foster-son or pupil. “Alum” is an informal term used for either an alumna or alumnus.

70 Word with circular or nail : … FILE

A wastebasket in an office is sometimes referred to as the “circular file”.

72 State flower of 67-Across : SEGO
[67A Home to Bryce Canyon : UTAH]

The sego lily is the state flower of Utah. It is a perennial plant found throughout the Western United States.

Down

1 Members of a certain colony : ANTS

“Formicary” is another name for “ant nest”, and comes from the Latin “formica” meaning “ant”. The phrase “ant colony” describes the ants living in an ant nest. A formicarium is similar to an aquarium, and used to house an ant colony perhaps for study. The phrase “ant farm” is usually reserved for ant nests built by an ant colony in a formicarium.

3 One of several traded for Jack’s family cow, in a fairy tale : MAGIC BEAN

“Jack and the Beanstalk” is a fairy tale from England. In the story, young Jack sells the family cow for some magic beans. He plants the beans and a massive beanstalk grows up into the sky. At the top of the beanstalk there lives an ogre. Jack climbs the beanstalk and adventures ensue …

5 Third degree? : PHD

“Ph.D.” is an abbreviation for “philosophiae doctor”, Latin for “teacher of philosophy”. Often, candidates for a PhD already hold a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, so a PhD might be considered a “third degree”.

6 Scott Joplin’s “Maple ___ Rag” : LEAF

Scott Joplin was a great American composer and pianist, the “King of Ragtime”. Joplin was born poor, into a laboring family in Texas. He learned his music from local teachers and started out his career as an itinerant musician, traveling around the American South. He found fame with the release of his 1899 composition “Maple Leaf Rag”, regarded as the foundation stone on which ragtime music was built. Joplin’s music, and ragtime in general, was rediscovered by the populace in the early seventies when it was used in the very successful movie “The Sting”.

8 Org. for Jeff Gordon : NASCAR

The acronym “NASCAR” stands for the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. The association is actually a privately held company that was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida. NASCAR is very, very popular and commands the second-largest television audience of any professional sport in America, second only to football.

9 Something to watch on a telly : BBC

“Telly” is a term commonly used in Britain and Ireland that is short for “television”.

11 Famed firefighter Red : ADAIR

Red Adair was a famous fighter of fires in oil fields, and was a native of Houston, Texas. Adair’s exploits were the inspiration for a 1968 movie called “Hellfighters” starring John Wayne.

12 Containers of blood or ore : VEINS

Arteries are vessels that carry blood away from the heart, and veins are vessels carrying blood to the heart.

13 Surrealist Max : ERNST

Max Ernst was a painter and sculptor, and a pioneer in the Dada movement and Surrealism. Ernst was born near Cologne in Germany in 1891 and he was called up to fight in WWI, as were most young German men at that time. In his autobiography he writes “Max Ernst died the 1st of August, 1914”, which was a statement about his experiences in the war. In reality, Ernst died in 1976 having lived to the ripe old age of 85.

The cultural movement known as Surrealism emerged in the 1920s, and grew out of the Dada activities that were a response to WWI. The term “surrealist” was coined by Guillaume Apollinaire, when he used it in the preface of his play “Les Mamelles de Tirésias”.

19 Beast in rare “sightings” : YETI

The yeti, also known as the abominable snowman, is a beast of legend. “Yeti” is a Tibetan term, and the beast is fabled to live in the Himalayan regions of Nepal and Tibet. Our equivalent legend in North America is that of Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch. The study of animals whose existence have not yet been substantiated is called cryptozoology, and a cryptid is a creature or plant that isn’t recognized by the scientific community, but the existence of which has been suggested.

24 Galley propeller : OAR

Galleys were large medieval ships found mainly in the Mediterranean. They were propelled by a combination of sails and oars.

27 Spider’s creation : WEB

The silk that makes up a web is a protein fiber that is “spun” by a spider. Spider silk is about one sixth of the density of steel, yet has a comparable tensile strength.

28 Capital founded during the Viking Age : OSLO

Oslo, the capital of Norway, is an ancient city that was founded around 1048. The medieval city was destroyed by fire in 1624 and was rebuilt by the Danish-Norwegian king Christian IV and renamed to Christiana. In 1877 there was an official change of the spelling of the city’s name to “Kristiana”, and then more recently in 1925 the name was restored to the original Oslo. Things have almost gone full circle and now the center of Oslo, the area that would have been contained by the original medieval walls, has apparently been renamed to Christiana.

The Vikings were a Germanic people from northern Europe who were noted as great seafarers. Key to the success of the Vikings was the design of their famous “longships”. Made from wood, the longship was long and narrow with a shallow hull, It was also light, so that the crew would actually carry it small distances over land and around obstacles. Longships were designed to be propelled by both sail and oars.

30 Bryan Batt’s role on “Mad Men” : SAL

Bryan Batt is an actor best known for his recurring role in the television show “Mad Men”. Batt plays Salvatore Romano, the art director in the Sterling Cooper advertising agency.

31 Sister to Angelica and Peggy in “Hamilton” : ELIZA

Elizabeth “Eliza” Schuyler Hamilton was the wife of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. Eliza was with her husband when he passed away the day after his famous duel with Vice President Aaron Burr.

37 Ballad, e.g. : SONG

Our “ballad”, meaning “narrative song”, came into English from the French “ballade”, meaning “dancing song”. The French term derives from the Latin verb “ballare” meaning “to dance”.

41 ___ capita : PER

“Per capita” is a Latin term used to mean “per person, per unit of population”. The literal translation of the term is “by heads”.

47 Longtime sponsor of 8-Down : STP
[8D Org. for Jeff Gordon : NASCAR]

STP is a brand name of automotive lubricants and additives. The name “STP” is an initialism standing for “Scientifically Treated Petroleum”.

51 Some electric cars : TESLAS

Tesla Motors shortened its name to just “Tesla” in early 2017.

52 Give the cold shoulder : REBUFF

To give someone the cold shoulder is to ignore the person deliberately. A little research into the etymology of “cold shoulder” reveals that there’s some dispute over the origin of the phrase. To me, the most credible suggestion is that the term was coined by Sir Walter Scott in his writings, and he simply used the imagery of someone “turning away, coldly”, to suggest the act of ignoring someone. Less credible is the suggestion that unwelcome visitors to a home in days gone by might be offered a “cold shoulder” of mutton, rather than a hot meal.

53 Louvre Pyramid architect : IM PEI

When I. M. Pei became the first foreign architect to work on the Louvre in Paris, he not only designed the famous glass and steel pyramid, but also worked on renovations throughout the museum. His design was very controversial, causing a lot of ill feelings among the public. Eventually, when the work was complete, public opinion became more favorable. Personally, I think it is magnificent, both inside and out.

54 Car mentioned in the Beach Boys’ “Fun, Fun, Fun” : T-BIRD

Ford manufactured the Thunderbird (T-Bird) from 1955 to 2005. Originally a two-seater sporty convertible, the T-Bird was introduced as a competitor to Chevrolet’s new sports car, the Corvette. The “Thunderbird” name is a reference to a legendary creature from the culture of several Native-American peoples. There’s also a story that the name is a direct reference to the Thunderbird Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California of which the then chairman of Ford’s board was a member.

“Fun, Fun, Fun” is a 1964 song written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love for the Beach Boys. The English rock band Status Quo released a great cover version of “Fun, Fun, Fun” in 1996, which featured the Beach Boys on backup vocals.

55 “___ bleu!” : SACRE

French speakers don’t really use the profanity “sacré bleu”, at least not anymore, but we see it a lot in English literature featuring native French speakers. Most famously it is uttered by Agatha Christie’s delightful Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. There is some dispute about the origins of “sacré bleu” (sacred blue), but French dictionaries explain that it is a “softening” of the alternative “sacré Dieu” (Holy God).

62 Author/illustrator Silverstein : SHEL

Author Shel Silverstein had a varied career and did a lot more than write books. He was a poet, composer, cartoonist and screenwriter among other things. One of his successful children’s books is “A Light in the Attic”, a collection of poems that was first published in 1981. Some parents have tried to get the book banned from libraries. The collection includes the poem “How Not to Have to Dry the Dishes”, which encourages disobedience and making a mess. Scandalous …

64 Big inits. in R.V. hookups : KOA

Kampgrounds of America (KOA) was founded in 1962 by Montana businessman Dave Drum, who opened up his first property along the Yellowstone River. His strategy was to offer a rich package of services including hot showers, restrooms and a store, which he hoped would attract people used to camping in the rough. The original campground was an immediate hit and Drum took on two partners and sold franchises all over the country. There are about 500 KOA sites today.

65 Online address, in brief : URL

An Internet address (like NYXCrossword.com and LAXCrossword.com) is more correctly called a uniform resource locator (URL).

66 Introspective rock genre : EMO

“Emo” is short for “emotional hardcore”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Donations : ALMS
5 Think ahead : PLAN
9 Willing to enter a lion’s den, maybe : BRAVE
14 Organizer of a couples cruise? : NOAH
15 Greek goddess of marriage : HERA
16 Justice Ruth ___ Ginsburg : BADER
17 Fraternity party attire that is traditionally Roman, not Greek : TOGA
18 Buchanan-Duck-Duke : DAISY CHAIN
20 Fishtail, maybe : SKID
21 Confront : FACE
22 Ending with plug or trade : -INS
23 Snack-motivated Great Dane of toons : SCOOB
26 Under the most unfavorable circumstances : AT WORST
29 Paris Métro-BART-London Underground : SUBWAY SERIES
32 “Great” primate : APE
33 Bona fide : REAL
34 “Well, ___ your heart!” : BLESS
38 Info on a trading card : STAT
40 Some undergarments : SLIPS
43 Not deceived by : ONTO
44 Distinction : HONOR
46 Brother (and husband) of 15-Across : ZEUS
48 Actor Aykroyd : DAN
49 Fender-Gibson-Yamaha : GUITAR STRING
53 “My treat!” : IT’S ON ME!
56 Opposite of save : SPEND
57 Future degree for one taking the GMAT : MBA
58 Forever stamp letters : USPS
61 Is up, in baseball : BATS
63 Silverado-Ram-Tundra : PICKUP LINE
67 Home to Bryce Canyon : UTAH
68 ___ code (404 Not Found, e.g.) : ERROR
69 Homecoming attendee, for short : ALUM
70 Word with circular or nail : … FILE
71 Optimal : IDEAL
72 State flower of 67-Across : SEGO
73 Took a nosedive : FELL

Down

1 Members of a certain colony : ANTS
2 Admires : LOOKS UP TO
3 One of several traded for Jack’s family cow, in a fairy tale : MAGIC BEAN
4 One getting shorter throughout the morning : SHADOW
5 Third degree? : PHD
6 Scott Joplin’s “Maple ___ Rag” : LEAF
7 Operatic solo : ARIA
8 Org. for Jeff Gordon : NASCAR
9 Something to watch on a telly : BBC
10 Stadium shout : RAH!
11 Famed firefighter Red : ADAIR
12 Containers of blood or ore : VEINS
13 Surrealist Max : ERNST
19 Beast in rare “sightings” : YETI
24 Galley propeller : OAR
25 Farewells : BYES
27 Spider’s creation : WEB
28 Capital founded during the Viking Age : OSLO
29 Bit of pageant attire : SASH
30 Bryan Batt’s role on “Mad Men” : SAL
31 Sister to Angelica and Peggy in “Hamilton” : ELIZA
35 Finish without anyone winning : END IN A TIE
36 Act confidently : STAND TALL
37 Ballad, e.g. : SONG
39 Like some restaurant orders : TO GO
41 ___ capita : PER
42 Puzzle (out) : SUSS
45 Cry in an emergency : RUN!
47 Longtime sponsor of 8-Down : STP
50 “No need to wake me” : I’M UP
51 Some electric cars : TESLAS
52 Give the cold shoulder : REBUFF
53 Louvre Pyramid architect : IM PEI
54 Car mentioned in the Beach Boys’ “Fun, Fun, Fun” : T-BIRD
55 “___ bleu!” : SACRE
59 Heap : PILE
60 Like a bug in a rug : SNUG
62 Author/illustrator Silverstein : SHEL
64 Big inits. in R.V. hookups : KOA
65 Online address, in brief : URL
66 Introspective rock genre : EMO

5 thoughts on “0207-23 NY Times Crossword 7 Feb 23, Tuesday”

  1. 11:05 no errors. 23A caused me to start thinking about a rebus. Have heard of Scooby Doo referred to as Scooby, but not SCOOB. Didn’t get the theme until seeing Bill’s write up. I haven’t read The Great Gatsby, so Daisy Buchanan didn’t ring a bell.

  2. 9:42 got the theme thanks to the subway references, spent way to much time riding the London Underground and Overground while the rest of the family saw the sights. Would love to go back to Clapham Jct again👍👍

  3. 8:28. Interesting theme. The type that makes you want to think of others – e.g. shoe-cigar-jewelry for BOX SET. I’m sure there are better ones. SUBWAY SERIES was my favorite.

    One of my favorite books I’ve ever read (Is that redundant? How could it be a favorite if I’ve never read it? Anyway..) has been described as “The Great Gatsby” meets “The Godfather”. The book I’m referring to is called “The Gold Coast” by Nelson DeMille. Great great read.

    Best –

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