0303-23 NY Times Crossword 3 Mar 23, Friday

Constructed by: Eric Warren
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: None

Bill’s time: 16m 10s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

11 Execs who may issue quarterly statements : CFOS

Chief financial officer (CFO)

16 Gambler’s point spread : LINE

The point spread is the number of points offered to equalize the chances in a wager on a sports event. The team that is perceived as more likely to lose is given “free” points before the game starts, and the person backing the winning team wins only when his/her team scores more than the losing team, including the point spread.

17 Bud’s place, perhaps : BEER FRIDGE

The American beer Budweiser (often shortened to “Bud”) is named for the Czech town of Budweis (“České Budějovice” in Czech). The name is the subject of a dispute as here is an original Czech beer with a similar name, Budweiser Budvar. American Budweiser is sold in most European countries as “Bud”.

18 Great white shark’s only known predator : ORCA

The great white shark is one big fish, and can grow to over 21 feet long and weigh over 7,000 pounds. Great whites also live long lives, over 70 years. They have no natural predator, except for orcas, and are responsible for far more attacks on humans than any other shark species.

19 Unproven skill, briefly : ESP

Extrasensory perception (ESP)

25 Choice chickens : CAPONS

A capon is a castrated cockerel (poor guy!). Castration has a profound effect on the bird (duh!), making the meat more tender to eat when it is slaughtered.

29 Pindar, for one : ODIST

Pindar was an ancient Greek poet who is best known perhaps for composing a series of “Victory Odes” that celebrated triumph in competition, most notably the Olympian Games of the day.

34 Regimen with so-called “fat bombs” : KETO

A ketogenic (also “keto”) diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet. When a body consumes insufficient carbohydrates to meet the need for energy, then the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies in order to make up the energy deficit. An elevated level of ketone bodies in the bloodstream is known as “ketosis”, a term that gives rise to the name “ketogenic diet”. Medical professionals sometimes prescribe a ketogenic diet in order to control epilepsy in children. A condition of ketosis can reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures.

35 Nincompoops : BONEHEADS

The word “nincompoop”, meaning “fool”, seems to have been around for quite a while. It has been used since the 1670s, but no one appears to know its origins.

37 Classic mint brand : CERTS

Certs were the first breath mints to be marketed nationally in the US, hitting the shelves in 1956. A Cert is called a mint, but it isn’t really as it contains no mint oil and instead has its famous ingredient named “Retsyn”. Retsyn is a mixture of copper gluconate (giving the green flecks), partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil (not healthy!) and flavoring (maybe mint?).

39 Philanthropists have them : CAUSES

Philanthropy is a concern for human welfare, and the act of donating to persons or groups who support such concerns. The term “philanthropy” derives from the Greek “phil-” meaning “loving”, and “anthropos” meaning “mankind”.

40 Swords used by Leonardo in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” cartoons : KATANAS

A katana is a curved sword worn by the samurai of Japan. It is sometimes referred to as a “samurai sword”.

The “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” started out as a parody of comic book superheroes, first appearing in a self-published comic book in 1984. A couple of years later the characters were picked up by someone who built a whole line of toys around the characters, and then television and movies followed. Do you remember the names of all four of the Turtles? Their names were all taken from Renaissance artists:

  • Leonardo
  • Raphael
  • Michelangelo
  • Donatello

41 Gefilte fish fish : CARP

Gefilte fish is a dish usually comprising patties of deboned and ground, poached carp, whitefish or pike. The dish’s name is a Yiddish term coming from the Dutch “gevulde vis” meaning “stuffed fish”. The original recipe called for the minced fish to be stuffed into the fish skin during the preparation.

45 The Orioles, on scoreboards : BAL

The Baltimore Orioles (also the O’s, the Birds) are one of the eight charter teams of MLB’s American League, so the franchise dates back to 1901. Prior to 1901, the team had roots in the Minor League Milwaukee Brewers, and indeed entered the American League as the Brewers. In 1902 the Brewers moved to St. Louis and became the Browns. The team didn’t fare well in St. Louis, so when it finally relocated to Baltimore in the early fifties the team changed its name completely, to the Baltimore Orioles. The owners so badly wanted a fresh start that they traded 17 old Browns players with the New York Yankees. The trade didn’t help the team’s performance on the field in those early days, but it did help distance the new team from its past.

48 BMW marque : MINI

The original Mini was a fabulous car, one that I drove all over Ireland in my youth. It had a unique front-wheel-drive layout that took up very little space, allowing for a lot of room (relatively speaking) for passengers and baggage. One space-saving trick was to mount the engine transversely, so it sits rotated 90 degrees from the norm. That engine had a capacity of only 848cc. In 1961, a Mini Cooper model was introduced, which was a sporty version. The Mini Cooper was a phenomenal hit, especially after repeated wins in the Monte Carlo Rally. The Mini marque has been owned by BMW since 1994.

52 Topping for San Diego-style fries : CARNE ASADA

The name of the dish called “carne asada” translates from Spanish as “roasted meat”.

Down

4 2022 Cate Blanchett drama : TAR

Cate Blanchett is a great actress from Australia, and a winner of an Academy Award for playing Katharine Hepburn in “The Aviator”. Winning for that role made Blanchett the first person to win an Academy Award for playing an actor (Hepburn) who had also won an Oscar. Now that, that is trivial information …

7 Kevin of “Bob’s Burgers” : KLINE

Actor Kevin Kline stars in many of my favorite films, like “French Kiss” (in which he had a very impressive French accent) and “A Fish Called Wanda.” Kline also appeared in the romantic comedy “In & Out”, and the modern-day classic “The Big Chill”. It was while shooting “The Big Chill” that Kline met his future wife, actress Phoebe Cates.

8 Comstock ___ (1850s discovery) : LODE

The first major discovery of silver ore in the United States was in 1857 in the Virginia Range in western Utah Territory (now Nevada). The find is said to have been made by two brothers, Ethan Allen Grosh and Hosea Ballou Grosh. The Grosh brothers died before they could register their claim, and Henry T. P Comstock made the claim instead, on learning of the deaths. The deposit came to be known as the Comstock Lode.

10 Sazerac component : RYE

The classic New Orleans cocktail known as a Sazerac is a mixture of rye, absinthe, bitters and sugar. The use of rye is a little incongruous, given that the cocktail is named for the Sazerac de Forge et Fils brand of Cognac that was originally the base spirit.

13 How many 1970s-’80s movies were released : ON CASSETTE

The French for “box” is “casse”. So, a “cassette” is a “little box”.

25 Ballplayer known as “The Georgia Peach” : COBB

Baseball player Ty Cobb was born in Narrows, Georgia and died 74 years later in Atlanta, Georgia. He was nicknamed “The Georgia Peach”. Cobb was one of the richest baseball players of all time. When he retired, Cobb was a major stockholder of the Coca-Cola Corporation. By the time he passed away in 1961, Cobb had an even bigger investment in General Electric. He left an estate after his death worth about $86m (in 2008 dollars). The most common nickname associated with Cobb during his career was “the Georgia Peach”.

26 “Hasta luego!” : ADIOS AMIGO!

The term “adiós” is Spanish for “goodbye”. “Adiós” comes from the phrase “a Dios vos acomiendo” meaning “I commend you to God”.

“Hasta luego” translates literally from Spanish as “until later”, and is used to say “see you later”.

31 The “R” of J. R. Ewing, on “Dallas” : ROSS

The TV soap “Dallas” revolved around the Ewing family. The series that ran for 13 years was originally intended as a five-part mini-series, with the main characters being newlyweds Bobby and Pam Ewing. But, the devious character in the piece, Bobby’s brother J. R., became so popular with audiences that the series was extended with J. R. at the center of the story. Who can remember who shot J.R.? (It was Kristin Shepard: J.R.’s mistress, who was also his sister-in-law).

33 Michael of “Paper Heart” : CERA

Michael Cera is a Canadian actor who played great characters on the TV show “Arrested Development”, and in the 2007 comedy-drama “Juno”. Cera is also quite the musician. He released an indie folk album titled “True That” in 2014.

37 Capital city near Curaçao : CARACAS

Caracas is the capital of Venezuela, and is located in the north of the country. The original settlement of Caracas was named by the Spanish using the name of a local indigenous tribe.

“ABC Islands” is a name given to the three westernmost islands of the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean. The nickname comes from the first letters of the island names: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. All three of the ABC islands are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

41 Queeg’s ship in a 1954 film : CAINE

“The Caine Mutiny” is a Pulitzer-winning, 1951 novel by Herman Wouk. The story involves mutiny and court-martial aboard a US Navy vessel and reflected, at least partly, the personal experiences of Wouk as he served in the Pacific in WWII aboard a destroyer-minesweeper. The novel was adapted into a marvelous film released in 1954 starring Humphrey Bogart as Philip Queeg, the harsh captain of the USS Caine.

44 Lao meat salad : LARB

Larb is a traditional dish from Lao cuisine that is made with minced meat, fish sauce, lime juice, and various herbs and spices. It is often considered the national dish of Laos, although it is also popular in neighboring countries like Thailand and Vietnam. The word “larb” is derived from the Lao word “laap,” which means “to mince” or “to chop finely.”

46 Senator Vinick’s portrayer on “The West Wing” : ALDA

Alan Alda has had a great television career, most notably as a lead actor in “M*A*S*H”. He was born Alphonso D’Abruzzo in the Bronx, New York City. Alda won his first Emmy in 1972, for playing surgeon Hawkeye Pierce on “M*A*S*H”. He also won an Emmy in 2006 for his portrayal of Presidential candidate Senator Arnold Vinick in “The West Wing”. When it comes to the big screen, my favorite of Alda’s movies is the 1978 romantic comedy “Same Time, Next Year” in which he starred opposite Ellen Burstyn.

47 Pre-bar hurdle, in brief : LSAT

Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

49 Email letters : BCC

A blind carbon copy (bcc) is a copy of a document or message that is sent to someone without other recipients of the message knowing about that extra copy.

50 Abbr. on a lawyer’s business card : ESQ

The title “esquire” is of British origin and is used differently today depending on whether one is in the US or the UK. Here in America the term is usually reserved for those practicing the law (both male and female). In the UK, “esquire” is a term of gentle respect reserved for a male who has no other title that one can use. So a mere commoner like me might receive a letter from the bank, say, addressed to W. E. Butler Esq.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Funny joke : RIB-TICKLER
11 Execs who may issue quarterly statements : CFOS
15 Work done in the trenches? : OCEANOLOGY
16 Gambler’s point spread : LINE
17 Bud’s place, perhaps : BEER FRIDGE
18 Great white shark’s only known predator : ORCA
19 Unproven skill, briefly : ESP
20 Extend, in a way : RENEW
21 Show nerves, say : SWEAT
22 Streaked : TORE
23 Something squares lack : HIPNESS
25 Choice chickens : CAPONS
28 They help you see the big picture : CINEMAS
29 Pindar, for one : ODIST
30 Metaphorical throwaway : BATHWATER
32 Bent : BIAS
33 Let go : CEDED
34 Regimen with so-called “fat bombs” : KETO
35 Nincompoops : BONEHEADS
37 Classic mint brand : CERTS
38 “Apologies!” : SO SORRY!
39 Philanthropists have them : CAUSES
40 Swords used by Leonardo in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” cartoons : KATANAS
41 Gefilte fish fish : CARP
42 Divert : AMUSE
43 Primary scheme : PLAN A
45 The Orioles, on scoreboards : BAL
48 BMW marque : MINI
49 Mind matter : BRAIN CELLS
51 Like balsamic vinegar : AGED
52 Topping for San Diego-style fries : CARNE ASADA
53 Stories that may or may not be true : LORE
54 Register domain names like googel.com and gogle.com, e.g. : CYBERSQUAT

Down

1 It’s roomy in a courtroom : ROBE
2 Summer treats : ICES
3 Caller’s signal : BEEP
4 2022 Cate Blanchett drama : TAR
5 Leading : IN FRONT
6 Tools that are hollow inside : CORERS
7 Kevin of “Bob’s Burgers” : KLINE
8 Comstock ___ (1850s discovery) : LODE
9 Some baking discards : EGG WHITES
10 Sazerac component : RYE
11 Circus covering : CLOWN MAKEUP
12 Ones with a burning passion? : FIRE-EATERS
13 How many 1970s-’80s movies were released : ON CASSETTE
14 Rears : SEATS
21 Expel : SPEW
22 Throws away : TOSSES ASIDE
24 Very clear, as some images : IN HD
25 Ballplayer known as “The Georgia Peach” : COBB
26 “Hasta luego!” : ADIOS AMIGO!
27 Professional at pulling strings? : PIANO TUNER
28 Desktop organizer : CADDY
30 Protection for some hikers : BEAR SPRAY
31 The “R” of J. R. Ewing, on “Dallas” : ROSS
33 Michael of “Paper Heart” : CERA
36 Perfect : HONE
37 Capital city near Curaçao : CARACAS
39 Food factory worker : CANNER
40 ___ Haasan, Indian megastar in over 200 films : KAMAL
41 Queeg’s ship in a 1954 film : CAINE
44 Lao meat salad : LARB
45 Color of the sky, in Germany : BLAU
46 Senator Vinick’s portrayer on “The West Wing” : ALDA
47 Pre-bar hurdle, in brief : LSAT
49 Email letters : BCC
50 Abbr. on a lawyer’s business card : ESQ