Constructed by: Simeon Seigel
Edited by: Will Shortz
Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Reveal Answer: Flip Sides
Themed answers have the front and back SIDES FLIPPED in the grid:
- 64A Opposites … or instructions for answering this puzzle’s starred clues : FLIP SIDES
- 17A *Defeat in a 100-meter dash, say : OUTSPRINT (from PRINTOUTS)
- 26A *Pub seat : BARSTOOL (from TOOLBARS)
- 33A *Realtor’s objective : HOUSE SALE (from ALEHOUSES)
- 45A *Start of a golfer’s action : BACKSWING (from WINGBACKS)
- 51A *Bio pic : HEADSHOT (from HOTHEADS)
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… a complete list of answers
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Bill’s time: 9m 08s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
5 Music genre from Tokyo : J-POP
“J-pop” is an abbreviation for “Japanese pop”, a genre of music that emerged in the nineties. Although J-pop is rooted in traditional Japanese music, it is heavily influenced by western bands from the sixties such as the Beatles and the Beach Boys.
9 Dishes often made with mayo : SLAWS
The term “coleslaw” is an Anglicized version of the Dutch term “koolsla”, which in itself is a shortened form of “Koolsalade” meaning “cabbage salad”.
14 Org. involved in the landmark Loving v. Virginia case of 1967 : ACLU
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has its roots in the First World War. It grew out of the National Civil Liberties Bureau (CLB) that was founded to provide legal advice and support to conscientious objectors. The ACLU’s motto is “Because Freedom Can’t Protect Itself”. The ACLU also hosts a blog on the ACLU.org website called “Speak Freely”.
15 Something a loafer lacks : LACE
The loafer slip-on shoe dates back to 1939. “Loafer” was originally a brand name introduced by Fortnum and Mason’s store in London. The derivative term “penny loafer” arose in the late fifties or early sixties, although the exact etymology seems unclear.
20 Big-eared star of a 1941 film : DUMBO
The 1941 Disney animated film “Dumbo” was made a year after the feature called “Fantasia” was released. “Dumbo” was largely a commercial venture. The film was made quickly and released in theaters as soon as possible, the idea being to recoup the financial losses incurred by “Fantasia”.
32 Some glass 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.’
33 *Realtor’s objective : HOUSE SALE
“Real estate agent” is a general, generic term. “Realtor” is the name given to a member of the trade association known as the National Association of Realtors (NAR). The NAR has gone so far as to trademark the term “Realtor” in the US.
41 Org. that sells large batteries, ironically : AAA
The American Automobile Association (AAA) is a not-for-profit organization focused on lobbying, provision of automobile servicing, and selling of automobile insurance. The AAA was founded in 1902 in Chicago and published the first of its celebrated hotel guides back in 1917.
42 Guitar played by Hendrix and Harrison, familiarly : STRAT
The Stratocaster (often “Strat”) is an electric guitar that has been made by Fender since 1954. The company that made Fender electric guitars was founded in Fullerton, California in 1946 by Leo Fender.
Many of his contemporaries regarded Jimi Hendrix as the greatest electric guitarist in the history of rock music. Hendrix was from Seattle and didn’t really have a really stellar start to his working life. He failed to finish high school and fell foul of the law by getting caught in stolen cars, twice. The courts gave him the option of the army or two years in prison. Hendrix chose the former and soon found himself in the famous 101st Airborne. In the army, his less-than-disciplined ways helped him (as he would have seen it) because his superiors successfully petitioned to get him discharged after serving only one year of his two-year requirement, just to get him out of their hair.
George Harrison is often referred to as the “quiet Beatle”, although he did have a profound influence on the direction taken by the Fab Four. It was Harrison who first became an admirer of Indian culture and led the rest of the group into the Indian way of life. Harrison went as far as embracing the Hindu religion.
58 Powwow host : TRIBE
“Powwow” means “gathering”, and is a word used by Native Americans. The term derives from the Algonquian Narragansett “powwow” which translates as “spiritual leader”. The Narragansett also gave us such words as “moose”, “papoose” and “squash”.
70 Part of CBS: Abbr. : SYST
CBS used to be known as the Columbia Broadcasting System. CBS introduced its “eye” logo in 1951. That logo is based on a Pennsylvania Dutch hex sign.
Down
1 “Columbo” org. : LAPD
“Columbo” is a police drama that aired from 1971-78, with some more episodes made as recently as 2003. Columbo was played by Peter Falk, although the character of Columbo was first played by Bert Freed in 1960 in an episode of “The Chevy Mystery Show”. That first appearance was so successful that the episode was adapted for the stage in 1962, with Thomas Mitchell taking on the role. Then, the same episode was stretched into a TV movie in 1968, with Peter Falk playing Lt. Columbo for the first time.
2 Color from the French for “unbleached” : ECRU
The color ecru is a grayish, yellowish brown. The word “ecru” comes from French and means “raw, unbleached”. “Ecru” has the same roots as our word “crude”.
6 Singer Bono’s given name : PAUL
Irish singer Bono is a Dubliner who was born Paul David Hewson. As a youth, Hewson was given the nickname “Bono Vox” by a friend, a Latin expression meaning “good voice”, and so the singer has been known as Bono since the late seventies. His band’s first name was “Feedback”, later changed to “The Hype”. The band members searched for yet another name and chose U2 from a list of six names suggested by a friend. They picked U2 because it was the name they disliked least …
7 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, e.g. : OCTET
In the original Brothers Grimm fairy tale called “Snow White”, the seven dwarfs were not given any names. The names were added for the 1937 classic Disney film “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. The seven dwarfs are:
- Doc (the leader of the group)
- Grumpy (that would be me, according to my wife …)
- Happy
- Sleepy
- Bashful
- Sneezy
- Dopey
8 Sauce traditionally made in a mortar : PESTO
Pesto sauce is more completely called “pesto alla genovese”, i.e. pesto from Genoa. A traditional recipe calls for crushed garlic, pine nuts, salt, basil leaves, parmesan cheese and olive oil. Yum …
I’ve loved the sound of the words “mortar” and “pestle”, ever since I was first introduced to them in the chemistry lab. The Romans called a receptacle for pounding or grinding things a “mortarium”, giving us “mortar”. Mortarium was also the word for the product of pounding and grinding, which gives us our “mortar” that’s used with bricks to build a wall. And further, short stubby cannons used in the 16th century resembled a grinding bowl and so were called “mortars”, which evolved into our contemporary weapon of the same name. As far as the pestle is concerned, it is also derived from its Latin name “pistillum”, which comes from the word for “crush”.
9 Author of 2015’s “Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir” : STAN LEE
Stan Lee was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer, who is best known for co-creating many of Marvel Comics’ most iconic superheroes, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, and Black Panther.
10 Sign-in sheet, e.g. : LOG
The word “logbook” dates back to the days when the captain of a ship kept a daily record of the vessel’s speed, progress etc. using a “log”. A log was a wooden float on a knotted line that was dropped overboard to measure speed through the water.
11 Show from which “Pinky and the Brain” was spun off : ANIMANIACS
“Animaniacs” is a cartoon series that aired on Fox Kids and then the WB in the nineties. The show was a collaboration between Steven Spielberg and Warner Bros. Animation. One aspect of the show was the occasional humor aimed at an adult audience. Examples were episodes that parodied Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Pirates of Penzance” and “H.M.S. Pinafore”, the Beatles movie “A Hard Day’s Night”, and an episode poking fun at the Three Tenors.
18 Place for a six-pack : TORSO
“Torso” (plural “torsi”) is an Italian word meaning “trunk of a statue”, and is a term that we imported into English.
22 One component of solar wind : ION
The Sun’s upper atmosphere continually ejects a stream of the charged particles that have such high energy that they can escape the Sun’s gravity. This supersonic plasma consisting mainly of electrons, protons and alpha particles is referred to as the solar wind. The solar wind extends as far as the outer limits of our solar system, and is responsible for phenomena such as the Earth’s northern and southern lights, the geomagnetic storms that affect radio reception, and the plasma tails of comets.
25 Petulant pout : MOUE
The term “moue” comes from French, and means “small grimace, pout”.
27 Singer Scaggs with the 1970s hits “Lowdown” and “Lido Shuffle” : BOZ
Boz Scaggs is an American musician, and a longtime collaborator with Steve Miller.
28 Bad guys : CADS
Our word “cad”, meaning “person lacking in finer feelings”, is a shortening of the word “cadet”. “Cad” was first used for a servant, and then students at British universities used “cad” as a term for a boy from the local town. “Cad” took on its current meaning in the 1830s.
31 Like R-rated pics, in brief : NSFW
The abbreviation “NSFW” stands for “not safe/suitable for work”. It’s Internet slang used to describe online content that is best not viewed at work.
34 ___ Cohen, spy portrayed by Sacha Baron Cohen in 2019 : ELI
Sacha Baron Cohen is a comedian and comic actor from England. He is perhaps most famous for playing the characters Borat and Ali G on the small and large screens. I’m wasn’t a fan, but I must admit that I really enjoyed 2020’s “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”.
37 How a jet stream typically flows : EAST
Jet streams are narrow air currents high in the atmosphere that move very quickly around the earth. The major jet streams surrounding our planet move in an easterly direction.
40 Neutrogena dandruff shampoo : T/GEL
Neutrogena is a brand of skincare products that was founded in 1930 as a cosmetics company called Natone.
43 German cry : ACH!
The German exclamation “ach!” is usually translated into English as “oh!”
49 Portuguese holy title : SAO
In Portuguese, the word “são” can mean “saint”, as in São Paulo (Saint Paul) and São José (Saint Joseph). If the saint’s name starts with a letter H or with a vowel, then the word “santo” is used instead, as in Santo Agostinho (Saint Augustine) and Santo Antônio (Saint Anthony).
51 Lackluster : HO-HUM
Something described as lackluster is dull, it “lacks luster”. The term “lack-luster” was probably coined by the Bard himself. William Shakespeare used is in his play “As You Like It”, which was probably written in 1599:
And then he drew a dial from his poke
And, looking on it with lackluster eye,
Says very wisely, “It is ten o’clock.
52 Rear ends : DUFFS
“Duff” is a slang term meaning “buttocks, rump”. The exact etymology isn’t known, but the term dates back to the 1830s.
57 “Whoopie” treats : PIES
A whoopie pie is sometimes referred to as a “BFO”, standing for Big Fat Oreo. The latter term is quite descriptive as a whoopie pie is made from two mound-shaped pieces of chocolate cake placed above and below a white creamy filling. There is some evidence that the confection originated with the Pennsylvania Amish. Apparently, when farmers found the pie in their lunch bags they shouted “whoopie!”, hence the name.
60 Some drones : BEES
Drone bees (and ants) are fertile males of the species, whose sole role in life seems to be to mate with a queen. Given that drone bees make no honey, we sometimes use the term “drone” figuratively, to describe a lazy worker, or someone who lives on the labors of others.
61 Award for great plays : ESPY
The ESPY Awards are a creation of the ESPN sports television network. One difference with similarly named awards in the entertainment industry is that ESPY winners are chosen solely based on viewer votes. The acronym “ESPY” stands for “Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly”.
63 Fast-food chain whose secret recipe includes “11 herbs and spices” : KFC
The famous “Colonel” of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) fame was Harland Sanders, an entrepreneur from Henryville, Indiana. Although not really a “Colonel”, Sanders did indeed serve in the military. He enlisted in the Army as a private in 1906 at the age of 16, lying about his age. He spent the whole of his time in the Army as a soldier in Cuba. It was much later, in the 1930s, that Sanders went into the restaurant business making his specialty deep-fried chicken. By 1935 his reputation as a “character” had grown, so much so that Governor Ruby Laffoon of Kentucky gave Sanders the honorary title of “Kentucky Colonel”. Later in the fifties, Sanders developed his trademark look with the white suit, string tie, mustache and goatee. When Sanders was 65 however, his business failed and in stepped Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s. Thomas simplified the Sanders menu, cutting it back from over a hundred items to just fried chicken and salads. That was enough to launch KFC into the fast food business. Sanders sold the US franchise in 1964 for just $2 million and moved to Canada to grow KFC north of the border. He died in 1980 and is buried in Louisville, Kentucky. The Colonel’s secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices is indeed a trade secret. Apparently there is only one copy of the recipe, a handwritten piece of paper, written in pencil and signed by Colonel Sanders. Since 2009, the piece of paper has been locked in a computerized vault surrounded with motion detectors and security cameras.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 What slackers do vis-à-vis non-slackers : LESS
5 Music genre from Tokyo : J-POP
9 Dishes often made with mayo : SLAWS
14 Org. involved in the landmark Loving v. Virginia case of 1967 : ACLU
15 Something a loafer lacks : LACE
16 Pitched, as speech : TONAL
17 *Defeat in a 100-meter dash, say : OUTSPRINT
19 Uneasy feeling : AGITA
20 Big-eared star of a 1941 film : DUMBO
21 Clear for entry : LET IN
23 Matched : MET
24 It may extend a hand : ARM
26 *Pub seat : BARSTOOL
28 Applies the first row of loops to a knitting needle : CASTS ON
32 Some glass signs : NEONS
33 *Realtor’s objective : HOUSE SALE
36 Publication that’s not on paper : E-ZINE
38 Medic : DOC
39 It’s a bit higher than a D : E-FLAT
41 Org. that sells large batteries, ironically : AAA
42 Guitar played by Hendrix and Harrison, familiarly : STRAT
45 *Start of a golfer’s action : BACKSWING
48 Repair specialists, familiarly : TECHS
50 Like eyes beneath a prominent brow : DEEP-SET
51 *Bio pic : HEADSHOT
54 Unsafe car seat? : LAP
55 Played out : OLD
56 Text before a late-night call, perhaps : YOU UP?
58 Powwow host : TRIBE
62 Memorable parts of songs : HOOKS
64 Opposites … or instructions for answering this puzzle’s starred clues : FLIP SIDES
66 Red, white and blue land, for short : US OF A
67 Take off : FLEE
68 Slip through the cracks? : SEEP
69 “Goodness!” : MERCY!
70 Part of CBS: Abbr. : SYST
71 Partner of nice : EASY
Down
1 “Columbo” org. : LAPD
2 Color from the French for “unbleached” : ECRU
3 Narrow : SLIM
4 One way to get baked : SUNBATH
5 Singer at the Biden/Harris inauguration, familiarly : J.LO
6 Singer Bono’s given name : PAUL
7 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, e.g. : OCTET
8 Sauce traditionally made in a mortar : PESTO
9 Author of 2015’s “Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir” : STAN LEE
10 Sign-in sheet, e.g. : LOG
11 Show from which “Pinky and the Brain” was spun off : ANIMANIACS
12 Reptilian swimmer : WATER SNAKE
13 Wooden skis, essentially : SLATS
18 Place for a six-pack : TORSO
22 One component of solar wind : ION
25 Petulant pout : MOUE
27 Singer Scaggs with the 1970s hits “Lowdown” and “Lido Shuffle” : BOZ
28 Bad guys : CADS
29 Much on the line : A LOT TO LOSE
30 Private entrance, perhaps : SECRET DOOR
31 Like R-rated pics, in brief : NSFW
34 ___ Cohen, spy portrayed by Sacha Baron Cohen in 2019 : ELI
35 Smooth, in a way : SAND
37 How a jet stream typically flows : EAST
40 Neutrogena dandruff shampoo : T/GEL
43 German cry : ACH!
44 “Word has it …” : THEY SAY …
46 Top number in a time signature : BEATS
47 Inform : APPRISE
49 Portuguese holy title : SAO
51 Lackluster : HO-HUM
52 Rear ends : DUFFS
53 Stain, as a reputation : SULLY
57 “Whoopie” treats : PIES
59 Brain spark : IDEA
60 Some drones : BEES
61 Award for great plays : ESPY
63 Fast-food chain whose secret recipe includes “11 herbs and spices” : KFC
65 Walker’s charge : PET
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7 thoughts on “0309-23 NY Times Crossword 9 Mar 23, Thursday”
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26:55, no errors. Looked like a good candidate for a DNF. Took a long time for STAN LEE and ANIMANIACS to coalesce into something recognizable.
For Disney trivia buffs: DUMBO’s real name was Jumbo Junior.
I agree with this post as to the origin of the ‘Penny Loafer’ name:
https://hespokestyle.com/penny-loafers-history/
Although, in my day, penny loafers were typically worn by girls and phone calls cost a dime.
27:43. Got the theme early, but it didn’t help me much with the fill which tripped me up all over the place.
Whenever I see the word “Realtor”, I mention my advocacy of jail time for anyone who pronounces it “real-a-tor”. Maybe someday congress will pass that law.
Bruce – thanks for the info on the genetic influence on the taste of cilantro yesterday. I love cilantro so either I don’t have that gene, or I simply like the taste of soap…..
Best –
Got the theme ok. Off to the races.
Then stuck on 28A and 28D…
Not knowing quilting, I went with BATTS ON… but that should have been wrong because then 28D was BADS. What the ..???? I thought SITAR for 42A. Then I went to ST PAT (guitar?).. That left me with TEC PET DOOR!!! TADA!!!!!
NOPE!!! what the heck is a CAST ON??
drats! Foiled again.
Anon Mike — casting on is just what the clue say — when you start to knit something, and you make the first row of loops on the knitting needles, that’s called casting on.
Incidentally, I once read that knitting was first done by men — possibly Scots? Someone can check that for me. I’m too tired — have Covid. Don’t let anyone tell you it doesn’t exist any more.
Completed with 6 squares in error.
Agita, Animaniacs and Tgel gave me problems as well as the knitting term, ‘casts on’ and I called it a day at 53:12 .
I’m good with that.
👎👎👎👎
Bill does a yeoman’s job with his daily NYT x-word synopses.
I felt that Boz Scaggs merited a more in-depth blurb than
what Bill had posted. Thus, I took the liberty of adding a
bit more info on him, no disrespect to Bill intended …
Boz Scaggs is a Grammy-winning, chart-topping blues, jazz, and R&B singer/songwriter and performer. He served as guitarist and occasional lead singer with the Steve Miller Band in the 1960s, and in the ’70s gained fame with several solo Top 20 hit singles in the United States, including the hits “Lido Shuffle” and “Lowdown” from the critically acclaimed multi-platinum proto-disco breakthrough album Silk Degrees (1976), which peaked at number two in the Top 200. Scaggs’ earthy tenor ranges wide across virtually any material he chooses to sing. His laid-back delivery belies his intense focus and passion. His recordings run the gamut from blues and R&B dates to pop standards to jazz and rock, cut with some of the finest musicians in the business. While he records infrequently, when he does it’s an event. More recent recordings — including 1997’s Come on Home, 2013’s Memphis, 2015’s A Fool to Care, and 2018’s Out of the Blues — all reflect his lifelong obsession with R&B, soul, and blues. He has also performed with the all-star Dukes of September touring group that included Michael McDonald and Donald Fagen.