0308-23 NY Times Crossword 8 Mar 23, Wednesday

Constructed by: Miranda Kany
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme (according to Bill): Dip
Themed clues and answers provide measured ingredients in a bowl of dip, and circled letters in the grid reveal the dip as GUACAMOLE:

  • 22A 1/2 cup coarsely chopped, for bright (or soapy) flavor : CILANTRO
  • 40A About two cups cubed, after peeling and pitting : AVOCADO
  • 55A One seeded and minced, for heat : JALAPENO
  • 3D One small red minced, for crunch and tang : ONION
  • 4D Three cloves minced, for depth and aroma : GARLIC
  • 11D One teaspoon, pink or black, for emphasis : SALT
  • 49D One vine-ripe chopped, for texture and color : TOMATO
  • 53D 1/2 teaspoon, for a little extra flavor … really, try it! : CUMIN
  • 57D One small juiced, for citrus notes, and to preserve color : LIME

Bill’s time: 8m 45s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

10 Junior hurdle, for short : PSAT

Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT)

15 Revelers at reunions : ALUMNI

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.

16 Pilgrim at Mecca : HAJI

“Haji” (also “Hajji” and “Hadji”) is the term used for someone who has made a pilgrimage to Mecca, and it is sometimes also used as a form of address for such a person. The journey itself goes by the name “haj”, “hajj” or “hadj”.

19 Chester Arthur’s middle name : ALAN

President Chester Alan Arthur (CAA) came to power after the assassination of James Garfield in 1881. After Arthur was promoted to president, the office of vice president was left unfilled. The need to replace the vice president was not called out in the US Constitution until the adoption of the 25th Amendment in 1967. Arthur was the last US president to serve without a vice president.

22 1/2 cup coarsely chopped, for bright (or soapy) flavor : CILANTRO

What we know here in North America as cilantro is called coriander in the UK and other parts of the world. “Cilantro” is the Spanish name for the herb.

27 Smallville surname : KENT

Smallville, Kansas is the town on Earth in which Superman grew up (as Clark Kent). One of Clark’s best friends in Smallville, and the romantic interest of his youth, was Lana Lang.

34 In ___ parentis (legal term) : LOCO

The Latin phrase “in loco parentis” translates as “in the place of a parent”. We use the term in the law when referring to a person or organization that takes on some of the responsibilities of a parent.

38 Singer Donny or Marie : OSMOND

Former teen idol Donny Osmond was a member of the Osmond Brothers singing group that appeared for years on the “The Andy Williams Show”. At the height of his solo career, Donny teamed up with his younger sister Marie Osmond in their own variety show called “Donny & Marie”. The pair have been working together ever since and have been appearing at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas since 2008.

40 About two cups cubed, after peeling and pitting : AVOCADO

The wonderful avocado comes from a tree that is native to Mexico and Central America. The avocado fruit is sometimes called an avocado pear, because of its shape, even though it is not related to the pear at all. The fruit might also be referred to as an alligator pear, due to the roughness of the green skin of some avocado cultivars.

43 Former Wyoming representative Liz : CHENEY

Liz Cheney is the eldest daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney. She was elected to the US House of Representatives in 2016, representing the state of Woming’s single seat. Her father held that same seat for ten years. Liz Cheney lost a primary race by a landslide in 2022, after she served as Vice Chair of the House January 6 Committee.

47 Money spent in Munich : EUROS

Munich is the capital of the German state of Bavaria, and is the third-largest city in the country (after Berlin and Hamburg). The city is called “München” in German, a term that derives from the Old German word for “by the monks’ place”, which is a reference to the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city in 1158.

55 One seeded and minced, for heat : JALAPENO

The jalapeño is a chili pepper, and a favorite of mine. The pepper’s name translates from Spanish as “from Xalapa”. Xalapa (also “Jalapa”) is the capital of the Mexican state of Veracruz, and the traditional origin of the jalapeño pepper. A smoke-dried jalapeño, called a chipotle, is used for seasoning.

59 Shade a lot like lilac : MAUVE

The name given to the light violet color that we know as “mauve” comes via French from the Latin “malva”. The Latin term translates as “mallow”, the common name of several species of plants, many of which have mauve-colored flowers.

62 Saskatchewan’s second-largest city, after Saskatoon : REGINA

The Canadian province of Saskatchewan (Sask.) takes its name from the Saskatchewan River. The river in turn takes its name from the Cree name, which translates as “swift flowing river”. The capital of Saskatchewan is Regina, although the biggest city in the province is Saskatoon.

65 Soccer great Hamm : MIA

Mia Hamm is a retired American soccer player. She played as a forward on the US national team that won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991. Hamm scored 158 international goals, which was more than any other player in the world, male or female, until the record was broken in 2013. Amazingly, Hamm was born with a clubfoot, and so had to wear corrective shoes when she was growing up.

66 Phenomenon that may be dank or trending : MEME

A meme (from “mineme”) is a cultural practice or idea that is passed on verbally or by repetition from one person to another. The term lends itself very well to the online world where links, emails, files etc. are so easily propagated.

67 Marine fish that’s also the name of a hairstyle : MULLET

A mullet haircut is one that is short at the front and sides, and is long in the back.

69 Kane’s Rosebud, for one : SLED

A central plot line in the 1941 movie “Citizen Kane” is a newsreel reporter’s quest to find the meaning of the dying word “Rosebud” spoken by the title character. Spoiler alert … it is revealed at the end of the movie that “Rosebud” is the name of the sled used by Kane in his childhood, which was the only period of his life in which he was really happy.

70 Brand for a butterfly expert, perhaps : SPEEDO

Speedo brand swimwear was first produced in Australia in 1928, by a hosiery company that wanted to diversify. The brand name was chosen after a slogan competition among employees was won by “Speed on in your Speedos”. It was a long time ago, I guess …

The butterfly is the newest swimming stroke used in competition, having been introduced in 1933. It was originally used as a variant of the breaststroke, in an attempt to gain an advantage in speed over swimmers using the traditional breaststroke movement. The butterfly was carved out as a style of its own in 1952, and made its Olympic debut in 1956.

Down

1 Their blood is toxic to humans : EELS

Anyone going to a sushi restaurant can order all types of raw fish (known collectively as “sashimi”). However, eel is always served cooked, and that’s because the blood of eels contains a protein that cramps muscles if eaten. If the heart muscle “cramps”, the result can be death. The protein is easily rendered harmless by applying heat, i.e. by cooking.

2 Sporty model : COUPE

The type of car known as a “coupe” or “coupé” is a closed automobile with two doors. The name comes from the French word “couper” meaning “to cut”. In most parts of the English-speaking world the pronunciation adheres to the original French, but here in most of North America we go with “coop”. The original coupé was a horse-drawn carriage that was cut (coupé) to eliminate the rear-facing passenger seats. That left just a driver and two front-facing passengers. If the driver was left without a roof and out in the open, then the carriage was known as a “coupé de-ville”.

4 Three cloves minced, for depth and aroma : GARLIC

Our word “garlic” evolved via Old English from “gar” (spear) and “leac” (leek). The use of “spear” is apparently a reference to the shape of a clove.

5 Cotton gin inventor Whitney : ELI

The term “cotton gin” is a contraction of “cotton eng-ine”. The gin is a machine that mechanically separates cotton fibers from the cotton seed. The modern version of the cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney in 1793.

7 Apple for a teacher, maybe : IMAC

Apple makes versions of its iMac line of computers that are aimed at schools. These are usually low-end machines that sell at a reduced price. Apple used to name such an offering an “eMac”, short for “education Mac”.

13 Baseball’s Martinez : TINO

First baseman Tino Martinez has retired from Major League Baseball. Martinez played with a number of teams including the Mariners, Yankees, Cardinals and Devil Rays. Martinez was born and raised in Tampa, Florida and as a boy he worked in his father’s cigar factory.

25 “American Pie” ride : CHEVY

Louis-Joseph Chevrolet was a Swiss race car driver who co-founded the Chevrolet Motor Car Company in 1911. To this day, the company logo is a stylized Swiss cross, in honor of Chevrolet’s Swiss roots.

Don McLean released his greatest hit, “American Pie”, back in 1971. Despite the song’s iconic position in the pop repertoire, McLean has been remarkably reticent about its origins and the meaning of the lyrics. We do know that it was inspired by the death of Buddy Holly in a plane crash (“the day the music died”). McLean has also told us that he first read about the death of his idol when delivering newspapers the day after the crash (“February made me shiver/with every paper I’d deliver”). Although the lyrics have been analyzed and interpreted in depth by many, McLean’s stance remains that it is just a poem set to music.

Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin’ this’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die

26 Lunch that saves the day? : HERO

A hero is a submarine sandwich. It originated in New York City in the 1800s among Italian immigrants who wanted an Italian sandwich that reminded them of home. The name “hero” was coined in the 1930s, supposedly by a food critic in the “New York Herald Tribune” when he wrote that “one had to be a hero” to finish the gigantic sandwich. Hero is a prevalent term to this day in New York City, reserved for a submarine sandwich with an Italian flavor.

29 Talkative bird : MACAW

Macaws are beautifully-colored birds native to Central and South America that are actually a type of parrot. Most species of macaws are now endangered, with several having become extinct in recent decades. The main threats are deforestation and illegal trapping and trafficking of exotic birds.

33 “Grand” ice cream brand : EDY’S

Dreyer’s ice cream sells its products under the name Dreyer’s in the Western United States, and Edy’s in the Eastern states. The company’s founders were William Dreyer and Joseph Edy.

34 Ruth Bader Ginsburg collar fabric : LACE

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”.

35 “From Here to Eternity” setting : OAHU

“From Here to Eternity” is a 1953 film adaptation of a James Jones novel of the same name. The main characters in the story are three soldiers stationed in Hawaii in the days prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. The soldiers are played by Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift and Frank Sinatra. Deborah Kerr and Donna Reed play the love interests. The film (and novel) title is a quotation from the 1892 poem “Gentlemen-Rankers” by Rudyard Kipling:

36 “Moonstruck” star : CHER

“Moonstruck” is a 1987 movie, a romantic comedy starring Cher and Nicolas Cage. There’s a bit of a love triangle in the storyline, with Danny Aiello playing the man who loses the girl. “Moonstruck” won three Oscars and was a huge success, and somehow, I’ve never seen it …

38 Panegyric poet : ODIST

A panegyric was originally a formal speech made in public, the intent of which was to praise some person of some entity. Later, the term came to mean a laudatory verse, such as an ode. “Panegyris” is the Greek for “speech fit for a general assembly”.

40 Fabulous fabulist : AESOP

Aesop is remembered today as a fabulist, a writer of fables. Aesop lived in ancient Greece, probably around the sixth century BC. Supposedly he was born a slave, somehow became a free man, but then met with a sorry end. Aesop was sent to the city of Delphi on a diplomatic mission but instead insulted the Delphians. He was tried on a trumped-up charge of stealing from a temple, sentenced to death and was thrown off a cliff.

41 ___ Minor : ASIA

Asia Minor is also known as Anatolia. It is the geographic part of Asia that protrudes out into the west, towards Europe, and is roughly equivalent to modern-day Turkey.

46 Talkative bird : MYNA

Some species of myna (also “mynah”) birds are known for their ability to imitate sounds.

53 1/2 teaspoon, for a little extra flavor … really, try it! : CUMIN

Cumin is a flowering plant native to the region stretching from the eastern Mediterranean to East India. Cumin spice is made from the dried seeds and is the second most common spice used in the world (only black pepper is more popular). Cumin is particularly associated with Indian cuisine and is a key ingredient in curry powder. Lovely stuff …

54 Role for Patti LuPone and Madonna : EVITA

Singer Patti LuPone won Tonys for playing Eva Peron in “Evita ” and Rose in “Gypsy”.

“Evita” was the follow-up musical to “Jesus Christ Superstar” for Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Both of these works were originally released as album musicals, and very successful ones at that (I remember buying them when they first came out). “Evita” was made into a film in 1996, with Madonna playing the title role and Welsh actor Jonathan Pryce playing her husband Juan Perón.

63 ___ de la Cité : ILE

There are two famous “îles” (islands) in the middle of the River Seine in Paris, one being the Île de la Cité, and the other Île Saint-Louis. Île de la Cité is the most renowned of the two, as it is home to the cathedral of Notre-Dame.

64 Nancy Drew’s beau : NED

I loved the “Nancy Drew” mysteries as a kid (I know, as a boy I “shouldn’t” have been reading girls’ books!). The “Nancy Drew stories” were written by a number of ghost writers, all of whom went by the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. The character was introduced by publisher Edward Stratemeyer in 1930. Nancy Drew’s boyfriend is Ned Nickerson, a college student from Emerson.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Prefix for the green-minded : ECO-
4 Great cleverness : GENIUS
10 Junior hurdle, for short : PSAT
14 Forever and a day : EON
15 Revelers at reunions : ALUMNI
16 Pilgrim at Mecca : HAJI
17 Him, in French : LUI
18 Bawdy : RIBALD
19 Chester Arthur’s middle name : ALAN
20 Wind : SPOOL
22 1/2 cup coarsely chopped, for bright (or soapy) flavor : CILANTRO
24 Add value to : ENRICH
27 Smallville surname : KENT
28 Word with color or rhyme : … SCHEME
30 Sidestep : DODGE
34 In ___ parentis (legal term) : LOCO
37 Noteworthy span : ERA
38 Singer Donny or Marie : OSMOND
39 Sound at the doctor’s office : AAH!
40 About two cups cubed, after peeling and pitting : AVOCADO
42 Pick up the tab : PAY
43 Former Wyoming representative Liz : CHENEY
45 “___ was saying …” : AS I
46 Cat calls : MEWS
47 Money spent in Munich : EUROS
48 Serpentine : TWISTY
50 Carry-out : TO-GO
52 “Stat!” : AT ONCE!
55 One seeded and minced, for heat : JALAPENO
59 Shade a lot like lilac : MAUVE
61 Somewhat : A BIT
62 Saskatchewan’s second-largest city, after Saskatoon : REGINA
65 Soccer great Hamm : MIA
66 Phenomenon that may be dank or trending : MEME
67 Marine fish that’s also the name of a hairstyle : MULLET
68 “___ your move” : IT’S
69 Kane’s Rosebud, for one : SLED
70 Brand for a butterfly expert, perhaps : SPEEDO
71 Bill-blocking vote : NAY

Down

1 Their blood is toxic to humans : EELS
2 Sporty model : COUPE
3 One small red minced, for crunch and tang : ONION
4 Three cloves minced, for depth and aroma : GARLIC
5 Cotton gin inventor Whitney : ELI
6 Gist : NUB
7 Apple for a teacher, maybe : IMAC
8 Reverse a thumbs-up for, on Facebook : UNLIKE
9 Slink : SIDLE
10 Ghostly apparition : PHANTOM
11 One teaspoon, pink or black, for emphasis : SALT
12 Slightly open : AJAR
13 Baseball’s Martinez : TINO
21 “Ish” : OR SO
23 “Thus …” : AND SO …
25 “American Pie” ride : CHEVY
26 Lunch that saves the day? : HERO
29 Talkative bird : MACAW
31 Very cool, in slang : DOPE
32 Chew (on) : GNAW
33 “Grand” ice cream brand : EDY’S
34 Ruth Bader Ginsburg collar fabric : LACE
35 “From Here to Eternity” setting : OAHU
36 “Moonstruck” star : CHER
38 Panegyric poet : ODIST
40 Fabulous fabulist : AESOP
41 ___ Minor : ASIA
44 Written for an instrumentalist : NOTATED
46 Talkative bird : MYNA
48 Build some muscle : TONE UP
49 One vine-ripe chopped, for texture and color : TOMATO
51 They can make you sick : GERMS
53 1/2 teaspoon, for a little extra flavor … really, try it! : CUMIN
54 Role for Patti LuPone and Madonna : EVITA
55 Rocks out : JAMS
56 Mouse with his own island in a Newbery Honor book : ABEL
57 One small juiced, for citrus notes, and to preserve color : LIME
58 Rudely stare at : OGLE
60 Accommodating : EASY
63 ___ de la Cité : ILE
64 Nancy Drew’s beau : NED