0401-23 NY Times Crossword 1 Apr 23, Saturday

Constructed by: Wyna Liu & Joel Fagliano
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: April Fool!

Themed answers break the crossword rule that words in answers cannot be repeated in clues:

  • 17A When doubled, really like : LIKE
  • 18A Scientific name for the American bison : BISON BISON
  • 34A Cry heard on April Fool‘s Day : APRIL FOOL!
  • 53A Hit Will Smith song from 1997’s “Men in Black” : MEN IN BLACK
  • 58A ___ names : NAME
  • 3DD Pikachu‘s cry in Pokémon : PIKACHU!
  • 20D City down Lake Erie from Buffalo, N.Y. : ERIE, PA
  • 28D Fourth president after Adams : ADAMS
  • 40D Capital of São Tomé and Príncipe : SÃO TOMÉ

Bill’s time: 28m 51s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

16 One member of TV’s “MythBusters” : ADAM SAVAGE

“MythBusters” is an entertaining TV show that was originally hosted by Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage. Prior to the launch of “Mythbusters”, Hyneman and Savage had both developed careers in the world of special effects. In the show, the hosts test the validity of myths and assumptions used in famous movie scenes.

18 Scientific name for the American bison : BISON BISON

There are two species of bison left (four species are extinct). We are most familiar with the American bison (commonly called the American buffalo), but there is also a European bison, which is sometimes called a “wisent”.

22 Airer of “Batman” on 1960s TV : ABC

The television show “Batman” aired from 1966-1968. Burt Ward played Robin opposite Adam West’s Batman. Supposedly, Burt Ward was offered the part taken by Dustin Hoffman in “The Graduate”, but Ward couldn’t get out of his contract for the “Batman” television series. Holy xxxx, Batman!

27 Fabric for a sweater : MOHAIR

The Angora goat produces the wool known as mohair. On the other hand, Angora wool comes from the Angora rabbit. Both rabbit and goat are named for Turkey’s capital Ankara, which was known as “Angora” in many European languages.

Until the early 1880s, the word “sweater” applied to clothing worn specifically for weight reduction by “sweating”.

29 Cell info : DNA

I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that the DNA of living things is so very similar across different species. Human DNA is almost exactly the same for every individual (to the degree of 99.9%). However, those small differences are sufficient to distinguish one individual from another, and to determine whether or not individuals are close family relatives.

30 Parent company of WhatsApp : META

Facebook, Inc. changed its name to Meta Platforms, Inc. in 2021 as part of a rebranding exercise.

WhatsApp is a popular messaging service used on smartphones that sends messages and other files from one mobile phone number to another. Launched in 2011, WhatsApp is incredibly popular, and indeed the most popular messaging service used today. Facebook acquired WhatsApp in 2014, paying over $19 billion.

32 They have lots to deal with : REALTORS

“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.

34 Cry heard on April Fool’s Day : APRIL FOOL!

April Fools’ Day is celebrated on April 1st in the Western world. In the US (and Ireland) one can make practical jokes all day long if one wants, but in the UK there is a noon deadline. Anyone pranking after midday is called an “April Fool”.

36 Experience of feeling unfamiliar with something that’s actually quite familiar to you : JAMAIS VU

“Jamais vu” is French for “never seen”.

38 Break down while reading : PARSE

The verb “to parse” means “to state the parts of speech in a sentence”. “Parse” comes from the Latin word “pars” meaning “part”.

45 Fed. fiscal group : OMB

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the successor to the Bureau of the Budget that was formed in 1970 during the Nixon administration. The main task of the OMB is to prepare the budget for the federal government. The Director of the OMB is a member of the Cabinet.

47 Voyage preceder : BON …

“Bon voyage” translates literally from French into English as “good journey”.

49 Subject of a Kehinde Wiley portrait in the National Portrait Gallery : OBAMA

Kehinde Wiley is a portrait painter based in New York City. Perhaps most famously, he painted a portrait of President Barack Obama in 2018 for the National Portrait Gallery. In the painting, the former president is seated on a chair that appears to float among green foliage.

51 Art pieces that date back to the Han dynasty : WOODCUTS

The Han dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China and lasted from 206 BC to 220 AD. It came after the Qin dynasty, and before the Three Kingdoms.

53 Hit Will Smith song from 1997’s “Men in Black” : MEN IN BLACK

“Men in black” (MIB) are said to have appeared in the past whenever there have been reports of UFO sightings. Supposedly, these men are government agents whose job it is to suppress reports of alien landings. The conspiracy theorists got their day in the movies with the release of a pretty good sci-fi comedy in 1997 called “Men in Black”, starring Will Smith (as Agent J) and Tommy Lee Jones (as Agent K).

59 Brew whose red-and-white logo was inspired by billiard balls : AMSTEL BEER

Amstel is a Dutch beer and brewery that was founded in 1870 in Amsterdam. The brewery takes its name from the Amstel river that runs through the city.

60 Number of stripes on la bandera de España : TRES

In Spanish, there are “tres” (three) stripes on the “la bandera de España” (the flag of Spain).

Down

3 Pikachu’s cry in Pokémon : PIKACHU!

“Pokémon” is the second-biggest video game franchise in the world, second only to the “Mario” franchise. “Pokémon” is a contraction of “Pocket Monsters”.

5 One side in the British Parliament : LABOUR

The UK’s Labour Party was founded in 1900 in response to a demand by the electorate for representation of the urban working class. The party’s first leader was Scottish trade unionist Keir Hardie.

9 Fig. with two hyphens : SSN

A Social Security number (SSN) is divided into three parts, i.e AAA-GG-SSSS. Originally, the Area Number (AAA) was the code for the office that issued the card. Starting in 1973, the Area Number reflected the ZIP code from which the application was made. The GG in the SSN was the Group Number, and the SSSS number the Serial Number. This is all moot today. Since 2011, SSNs have been assigned randomly. Some random numbers, however, have been excluded from use, i.e. Area Numbers 000, 666 (!) and 900-999.

11 Wilcox daughter in “Howards End” : EVIE

“Howards End” is a 1920 novel written by E. M. Forster. Emma Thompson won an Oscar for playing Margaret Schlegel in the excellent 1992 film adaptation.

13 Number one fans? : EGOISTS

An egoist (also “egotist”) is a selfish and conceited person. The opposite would be an altruist.

14 Japanese export beginning in 1982 : SENTRA

The Nissan Sentra is sold as the Nissan Sunny back in Japan.

20 City down Lake Erie from Buffalo, N.Y. : ERIE, PA

Erie is a port city in the very north of Pennsylvania, sitting on the southern shore of Lake Erie. The city takes its name from the Erie Native American tribe that resided in the area. Erie is nicknamed the Gem City, a reference to the “sparkling” water of Lake Erie.

24 Grounds for an apology : SNAFU

“SNAFU” is an acronym standing for “situation normal: all fouled up” (well, that’s the polite version!). As one might perhaps imagine, the term developed in the US Army, during WWII.

25 Buddha is often depicted with one : HALO

Gautama Buddha was the sage on whose teachings the Buddhist tradition was founded. It is generally believed that the Buddha was born as Siddhartha Gautama in Kapilavastu in present-day Nepal, in about 563 BCE.

28 Fourth president after Adams : ADAMS

John Quincy Adams (JQA), the son of John Adams, was the 6th US president. Like his father, John Quincy worked for many years as a diplomat representing the young United States. After leaving office, Adams served in Congress as Representative from Massachusetts, becoming the only president ever to enter the House after leaving the office of president.

30 Grinder : MOLAR

Molars are grinding teeth. The term “molar” comes from the Latin “mola” meaning “millstone”.

36 Noted employer in Clermont, Ky. : JIM BEAM

Jim Beam is the world’s highest-selling brand of bourbon. Jim Beam whiskey has roots going back to around 1795 when Jacob Beam sold his first corn whiskey. The whiskey took on the name “bourbon”, possibly after Bourbon County in Kentucky.

37 They go from 540 to 1700, informally : AM BANDS

In telecommunications, a radio signal is transmitted using a sinusoidal carrier wave. Information is transmitted using this carrier wave in two main ways, by varying (modulating) the instantaneous amplitude (signal strength) of the carrier wave, and by modulating the instantaneous frequency of the carrier wave. The former is referred to as an AM signal (“amplitude modulation”), and the latter as an FM signal (“frequency modulation”).

40 Capital of São Tomé and Príncipe : SÃO TOMÉ

The Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe is an island nation off the west coast of Africa comprising mainly two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe. São Tomé and Príncipe is located in the Gulf of Guinea, off the coast of Gabon. It was colonized by Portugal after POrtuguese explorers discovered the islands in the 15th century. After gaining independence in 1975, São Tomé and Príncipe became the smallest Portuguese-speaking country in the world.

41 Champs can precede this : … ELYSEES

The Avenue des Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous streets in the world. It is the main thoroughfare in Paris, home to the Arc de Triomphe and the Place de la Concorde. The name “Champs-Élysées” is French for Elysian Fields, a place where the righteous went after death, according to Greek mythology.

42 It charges for cleaning : ROOMBA

The Roomba vacuum cleaner is a cool-looking device that navigates its way around a room by itself, picking up dirt as it goes. Like I said, it’s cool-looking, but I am not sure how effective it is …

44 Annual book prize : BOOKER

The literary fiction award that we tend to call “the Booker Prize” was inaugurated in 1969 as the Booker-McConnell Prize, and was named for the UK food wholesaler that was the original sponsor. The British investment company Man Group took over sponsorship in 2002, so that the official name of the award is now the Man Booker Prize.

46 What Terpsichore was the goddess of in Greek myth : DANCE

In Greek mythology, the muses are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. The number of muses is a subject of debate at times, but the most popular view is that there are nine:

  • Calliope (epic poetry)
  • Clio (history)
  • Erato (lyric poetry)
  • Euterpe (music)
  • Melpomene (tragedy)
  • Polyhymnia (choral poetry)
  • Terpsichore (dance)
  • Thalia (comedy)
  • Urania (astronomy)

47 Ball game : BOCCE

The Italian bowling game of bocce (often anglicized as “bocci” or “boccie”) is based on a game played in ancient Rome. “Bocce” is the plural of the Italian word “boccia” meaning “bowl”.

51 Become less brilliant : WANE

The verbs “to wax” and “to wane” come from Old English. To wax is to increase gradually in size, strength, intensity or number. To wane is to decrease gradually.

52 Language common to a profession : CANT

Cant is insincere language, or the language associated with a particular group. Back in the 1600s, the term described the whining of beggars.

54 Puppeteer Baird who performed for “The Sound of Music” : BIL

Bil Baird was a puppeteer whose most famous “partner” was Charlemane, a mangy-maned lion. Baird and Charlemane appeared regularly on the CBS “Morning” show in the fifties.

55 Land bordering 26-Across: Abbr. : LEB
[26A Country whose postal service has a special “Letters to God” dept. : ISR]

Lebanon lies at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. The nation has a rich cultural history, and was home to the ancient civilization of Phoenicia. The name “Lebanon” derives from the Semitic word “lbn” meaning “white”, and is probably a reference to the snow that caps the mountain range known as Mount Lebanon, which parallels the Mediterranean coast.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Pains in the you-know-what : IMPS
5 Awkward things at family movie night : LOVE SCENES
15 Cochon de ___ (suckling pig) : LAIT
16 One member of TV’s “MythBusters” : ADAM SAVAGE
17 When doubled, really like : LIKE
18 Scientific name for the American bison : BISON BISON
19 Bomb : FLAME OUT
21 “Who cares if that happens” : LET IT
22 Airer of “Batman” on 1960s TV : ABC
23 Punch something? : RUM
24 “___ Said” (2022 film) : SHE
26 Country whose postal service has a special “Letters to God” dept. : ISR
27 Fabric for a sweater : MOHAIR
29 Cell info : DNA
30 Parent company of WhatsApp : META
31 Send off : EXUDE
32 They have lots to deal with : REALTORS
34 Cry heard on April Fool’s Day : APRIL FOOL!
36 Experience of feeling unfamiliar with something that’s actually quite familiar to you : JAMAIS VU
38 Break down while reading : PARSE
42 Some auto accessories : RIMS
43 Downside of checking a bag : FEE
44 “Stop kidding yourself” : BE REAL
45 Fed. fiscal group : OMB
46 Herd : cattle :: ___ : snakes : DEN
47 Voyage preceder : BON …
48 Non-Jewish person, from the Yiddish : GOY
49 Subject of a Kehinde Wiley portrait in the National Portrait Gallery : OBAMA
51 Art pieces that date back to the Han dynasty : WOODCUTS
53 Hit Will Smith song from 1997’s “Men in Black” : MEN IN BLACK
56 Spiny-leaved plant in tropical and semitropical climates : ALOE
57 The “fact” that humans use only 10% of our brains, e.g. : BAD SCIENCE
58 ___ names : NAME
59 Brew whose red-and-white logo was inspired by billiard balls : AMSTEL BEER
60 Number of stripes on la bandera de España : TRES

Down

1 Notoriety : ILL FAME
2 Word that means the same thing even with several letters added? : MAILBOX
3 Pikachu’s cry in Pokémon : PIKACHU!
4 Check : STEM
5 One side in the British Parliament : LABOUR
6 Disgust : ODIUM
7 Spanning multiple time zones : VAST
8 Rock type : EMO
9 Fig. with two hyphens : SSN
10 Word with box or car : CABLE …
11 Wilcox daughter in “Howards End” : EVIE
12 Comparatively unpleasant : NASTIER
13 Number one fans? : EGOISTS
14 Japanese export beginning in 1982 : SENTRA
20 City down Lake Erie from Buffalo, N.Y. : ERIE, PA
24 Grounds for an apology : SNAFU
25 Buddha is often depicted with one : HALO
28 Fourth president after Adams : ADAMS
29 Go (into) : DELVE
30 Grinder : MOLAR
32 Up : RISEN
33 High-quality : TOP-END
35 Widespread : RIFE
36 Noted employer in Clermont, Ky. : JIM BEAM
37 They go from 540 to 1700, informally : AM BANDS
39 Going well? : REGULAR
40 Capital of São Tomé and Príncipe : SÃO TOMÉ
41 Champs can precede this : … ELYSEES
42 It charges for cleaning : ROOMBA
44 Annual book prize : BOOKER
46 What Terpsichore was the goddess of in Greek myth : DANCE
47 Ball game : BOCCE
50 Symbol of forgetfulness in Ishiguro’s “The Buried Giant” : MIST
51 Become less brilliant : WANE
52 Language common to a profession : CANT
54 Puppeteer Baird who performed for “The Sound of Music” : BIL
55 Land bordering 26-Across: Abbr. : LEB

13 thoughts on “0401-23 NY Times Crossword 1 Apr 23, Saturday”

  1. 27:54, no errors. Third day in a row the victory jingle surprised me. Took a while to overcome the mental conditioning that “words in answers cannot be repeated in clues”.

  2. 33:16. A good description of this crossword would definitely include a CROSS WORD or two… Actually I was pretty amused by it.

    I was certainly fooled by this. I actually thought APRIL FOOL was FINAL FOUR which happens near April 1 at least. The L, F, and O all fit. And the the fourth president after JQ ADAMS was TYLER…which also fit and I also entered unknowingly. I fell for everything in this puzzle.

    I’ll tip my cap to Rich Norris who did both Friday’s and today’s themeless (or not) puzzles. Both A+ grids. For those that aren’t aware, he used to be the editor of the LA Times puzzles.

    Best –

  3. As the guy on “Laugh In” used to say: verrry interesting (but I ended up liking it) … 😜. 22:10, no errors.

    Maybe it’s just me, but, the last couple of days, something got into a couple of the constructors I patronize: Tim Croce’s Friday puzzle was so hard that I finally took to doing research on Google to work out the answers (something I almost never allow myself to do). Today’s “Saturday Stumper”, from Newsday, was equally hard; I never gave up and used Google, but, after working on it for more than an hour, I left it half-done while I took a five-hour hike, after which I completed the rest (but only by spending at least another hour on it).

    I may be getting too old for this hobby … 😳.

  4. 21:26, no errors. But yeah this is the usual “live right down to my low expectations” thing I’m used to out of most venues. And for the record this was Wyna Liu and Joel Fagliano, not Rich Norris. Just don’t think Bill got it copied in his writeup.

  5. 38:51 no errors.
    Weird one.
    Oh I get it, April 1. It was playing with your head.

    I LOL’d at “Going well” – regular.

  6. wow… caught on about half way through. then resorted to looking up.
    couldn’t take it anymore.

  7. Like Mike I thought there was no hope in hell early on til I caught on that it was deliberately violating a cardinal rule of crosswords. I’m going, are you kidding me? What a joke for a Saturday puzzle, or any puzzle. The clues give you the answers. Then it dawns on you, it’s a joke and the joke’s on you. Otherwise stick a fork in me I was done. Even if you solve it, it succeeds in making a fool of you.
    Especially for those of doing the free delayed version, there is no date or title theme on the puzzle so we are even easier stooges.

  8. Mine’s a month late, but the number 0401 is in the right top
    corner. That’s the date.

    1. I don’t see that on the Seattle Times site I use. All I see is:

      NY Times, Sat, May 6, 2023 Wyna Liu and Joel Fagliano / Will Shortz

  9. I’m a huge fan of the N Y T Friday and Saturday crossword puzzles, but I don’t enjoy having my brain scrambled like a porcelain palace omelette. Maybe I’m only using 9% of my intellect.

Comments are closed.