0409-23 NY Times Crossword 9 Apr 23, Sunday

Constructed by: John Ewbank
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: If the Clue Fits …

Themed answers are all opening words of common idiomatic phrases:

  • 121A “Etc., etc.” … or a statement about answers to this puzzle’s starred clues? : YOU KNOW THE REST
  • 22A *”Let’s stick with what we’ve got …” : A BIRD IN THE HAND … (… is worth two in the bush)
  • 33A *”How clever we both are …” : GREAT MINDS … (… think alike)
  • 50A *”Look who it is …” : SPEAK OF THE DEVIL … (… here he/she is!)
  • 68A *”Timid types shouldn’t be here …” : IF YOU CAN’T STAND THE HEAT … (… get out of the kitchen)
  • 88A *”Looks can be deceiving …” : ALL THAT GLITTERS … (… is not gold)
  • 105A *”Well, if the locals are doing it …” : WHEN IN ROME … (… do as the Romans do)

Bill’s time: 15m 35s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

8 When repeated, a 1999 #1 Santana hit : MARIA

Santana is a Latin rock band formed by guitarist Carlos Santana in San Francisco in 1967. Santana’s big break came with a well-received performance at Woodstock in 1969, before which the band was completely unknown.

19 Ingredient in a Caesar salad : ROMAINE

Romaine is also known as cos lettuce, with the “romaine” name being most common here in North America.

The caesar salad was created by restaurateur Caesar Cardini at the Hotel Caesar’s in Tijuana, Mexico. The original recipe called for whole lettuce leaves that were to be lifted up by the stem and eaten with the fingers.

21 Highly luminous galactic object : QUASAR

Back in the 1960s, astronomers started to use radio telescopes to detect radio waves emanating from stars. At that time, they also discovered objects that they could not explain, objects that were small and incredibly bright (in terms of radio emissions). They called these objects “quasi-stellar radio sources”, or “quasars”. It turns out that quasars are extremely distant objects in the universe, the farthest objects that we can see from our galaxy. It is believed that they are actually supermassive black holes surrounded by disk-like structures made up of gases that are spiraling into the black hole.

22 *”Let’s stick with what we’ve got …” : A BIRD IN THE HAND … (… is worth two in the bush)

The oft-quoted phrase “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” comes from the world of falconry. The idea is that a bird in the hand (the falcon) is more valuable than two birds in the bush (the prey).

25 Trivia lover, maybe : NERD

Trivia are things of little consequence. “Trivia” is the plural of the Latin word “trivium” which means “a place where three roads meet”. Now that’s what I call a trivial fact …

27 SkyMiles offerer : DELTA

Delta was the world’s largest airline for a while (after merging with Northwest Airlines in 2008) and is the oldest airline still operating in the US. Delta’s roots go back to 1924 before it started carrying passengers when it was Huff Daland Dusters, a crop-dusting company based in Macon, Georgia. The name “Delta Air Service” was introduced in 1928.

29 Pulitzer winner James : AGEE

James Agee was a noted American film critic and screenwriter. Agee wrote an autobiographical novel “A Death in the Family” that won him his Pulitzer in 1958, albeit posthumously. He was also one of the screenwriters for the 1951 classic movie “The African Queen”.

30 Modern dance pioneer Duncan : ISADORA

Isadora Duncan was an American dancer who is regarded as the inventor of American modern dance. Duncan emphasised the torso in her moves, a break from the balletic tradition of moving from the feet. She left the US when she was 22 years old and moved to Europe around 1900, and from there emigrated to the Soviet Union. Duncan had a tragic passing. She loved to travel in open automobiles while wearing a long, flowing scarf. One day her scarf got wrapped around the spokes and axle of the car in which she was traveling, and that broke her neck.

35 Spice grinder : PESTLE

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”.

37 Locale of Hephaestus’ forge, in mythology : ETNA

In Greek mythology, Hephaestus was the god of blacksmiths, sculptors, metallurgy, fire and volcanoes. The Roman equivalent of Hephaestus was Vulcan. Given his spheres of influence, it is perhaps not surprising that Hephaestus made all of the weapons for the gods of Olympus.

39 Jessica of “The Illusionist” : BIEL

Jessica Biel is an actress who was known by television audiences for portraying Mary Camden on “7th Heaven”. Biel’s first film role was playing Peter Fonda’s granddaughter in “Ulee’s Gold”. Biel married singer and actor Justin Timberlake in 2012.

40 Writer/humorist Frazier : IAN

Ian Frazier is a writer and humorist for “The New Yorker”. He also wrote two respected travel books: “Great Plains” and “Travels in Siberia”.

50 *”Look who it is …” : SPEAK OF THE DEVIL … (… here he/she is!)

“Speak/talk of the devil” is used when someone being discussed turns up unexpectedly. The phrase is a short form of the idiom “speak of the devil and he doth appear” that dates back to the 16th century.

56 Road hog? : HARLEY

The Harley-Davidson motorcycle company was founded in the very early 1900s by two childhood friends, William Harley and Arthur Davidson, . Their first design was in effect an engine hooked up to a pedal bicycle, but the 116 cc cylinder capacity simply couldn’t generate enough power to get up the hills of their native city of Milwaukee. The pair came up with a redesigned model that had a cylinder capacity of 405 cc, which the partners built in a shed at the back of Davidson’s house. In 1906, the partners built their first factory, located where the company’s headquarters is to this day, on Juneau Avenue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Famously, Harley motorcycles are nicknamed “hogs”.

61 “Little” car of song that’s “really lookin’ fine” : GTO

“Yeah, yeah, little GTO” are words appearing in the song “G.T.O”, the debut recording for the surf rock group from the sixties known as Ronny & the Daytonas.

62 Orion’s belt points to it : SIRIUS

According to Greek mythology, Orion was a giant hunter who was placed in the night sky by Zeus, the king of the gods. Orion is very recognizable as a constellation, especially with the three bright stars known as “Orion’s Belt”. The brightest star in the sky, Sirius, is said to be Orion’s hunting dog, and this star sits at Orion’s “foot”.

74 Spot for a tat : PEC

“Pecs” is the familiar name for the chest muscle, which is more correctly known as the pectoralis major muscle. “Pectus” is the Latin word for “breast, chest”.

75 Male turkey : TOM

A male turkey is called a tom or a gobbler. Female turkeys are hens, and baby turkeys are called poults.

76 Obsolescent circus workers : TAMERS

Something described as “obsolescent” is going out of use, becoming “obsolete”.

78 Carpenter’s tool : ADZE

An adze (also “adz”) is similar to an ax, but is different in that the blade of an adze is set at right angles to the tool’s shaft. An ax blade is set in line with the shaft.

87 Classic Memphis-based record label : STAX

Stax Records was founded in 1957 as Satellite Records. The biggest star to record with Stax was the great Otis Redding.

88 *”Looks can be deceiving …” : ALL THAT GLITTERS … (… is not gold)

Notably, the proverb “all that glitters is not gold” was used by William Shakespeare in his play “The Merchant of Venice”. However, it is thought that the phrase had already been around for some time.

95 Pants, slangily : TROU

The term “pants”, meaning “trousers”, is an abbreviated form of “pantaloons” and first appeared in the 1840s. Pantaloons were a kind of tights named for a silly old male character in Italian comedy named “Pantaloun” who always wore tight trousers over skinny legs.

98 Director Kazan : ELIA

Elia Kazan won Oscars for best director in 1948 for “Gentleman’s Agreement” and in 1955 for “On The Waterfront”. He was recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences when he was given the 1998 Academy Honorary Award citing his lifetime achievement in the industry. Kazan also directed “East of Eden”, which introduced James Dean to movie audiences, and “Splendor in the Grass” that included Warren Beatty in his debut role.

100 Something a beanie lacks : BRIM

A beanie is a knitted, close-fitting hat with no brim. The name probably comes from the slang term “bean” meaning “head”.

105 *”Well, if the locals are doing it …” : WHEN IN ROME … (… do as the Romans do)

The proverb “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” probably dates back to the days of St. Augustine. St. Augustine wrote a letter around 390 AD in which he states:

When I go to Rome, I fast on Saturday, but here [Milan] I do not. Do you also follow the custom of whatever church you attend, if you do not want to give or receive scandal?

110 Tammy who sang “Stand by Your Man” : WYNETTE

Tammy Wynette was a country music singer and songwriter who is perhaps best known for her 1968 hit record “Stand by Your Man”. The following year, Wynette married fellow country artist George Jones, although the couple divorced in 1975.

113 Greek word meaning “character” : ETHOS

Rhetoric is the art of speaking or writing effectively, primarily with the intent to persuade. Aristotle defined three persuasive techniques that can be used to persuade an audience:

  • Ethos is an ethical appeal, an attempt to convince the audience of the good moral character and credibility of the speaker.
  • Logos is an appeal to logic, an attempt to convince an audience by using logic and reason.
  • Pathos is an emotional appeal, an attempt to convince an audience by appealing to their emotions.

115 Where there’s smoke : FLUE

The flue in a chimney is a duct that conveys exhaust gases from a fire to the outdoors. An important feature of a flue is that its opening is adjustable. When starting a fire, the flue should be wide open, maximizing airflow to get help ignition.

128 Get goose bumps, say : TINGLE

The terms “goose bumps” and “goose flesh” come from the fact that skin which is cold can look like the flesh of a plucked goose.

Down

3 Royal title : EMIR

An emir is a prince or chieftain, one most notably from the Middle East in Islamic countries. In English, “emir” can also be written variously as “emeer, amir, ameer” (watch out for those spellings in crosswords!).

4 The time machine on “Doctor Who” : TARDIS

“Dr Who” is an iconic sci-fi television series that is made in the UK by the BBC. First broadcast in 1963, the show is still running today, making it the longest running sci-fi television show in the world. Dr. Who is a time traveler, from the planet Gallifrey, who “regenerates” from time to time (pun!) so that a new actor fits seamlessly into the storyline. He travels in his famous TARDIS spacecraft. Outwardly, the TARDIS looks like a police call box from the 1950s, but inside it is an enormous, multi-roomed time machine. “TARDIS” is an acronym standing for Time And Relative Dimensions In Space.

5 “Toy Story” antagonist : SID

In the 1995 Pixar hit “Toy Story”, the toys are owned by a boy named Andy Davis. Andy’s neighbor is a not-so-nice boy named Sid Phillips. Sid gets a big kick out of destroying and torturing his own toys, and those owned by others.

6 What makes creamer creamier? : AN I

The word “creamer“ becomes “creamier” by inserting a letter I.

7 What Beethoven did in his 30s and 40s : WENT DEAF

Famously, and tragically, composer Ludwig van Beethoven started to lose his hearing in his late 20s, and was basically deaf for the last ten years of his life. As a result of his deafness, Beethoven was forced to use conversation books in which others communicated to the composer, while he generally responded verbally. 136 of those books survive, and provide some detailed insight into Beethoven’s life.

8 Use as a rendezvous point : MEET AT

A rendezvous is a meeting. The noun used in English comes from the French phrase “rendez vous” meaning “present yourselves”.

9 Essen exclamation : ACH!

Essen is a large industrial city located on the River Ruhr in western Germany. The city experienced major population growth in the mid-1800s that was driven by the iron works established by the Krupp family.

10 What an “@” might signify : ROAD GAME

A person recording the stats for a team on the road, playing at the opponent’s stadium, might use the abbreviation “@” before the name of the opposing team.

11 Word with ear or peace : INNER …

The inner ear is primarily responsible for detecting sound and maintaining balance. It comprises two main parts. The cochlea is the sensory organ of hearing, and the vestibular system coordinates movement with balance.

14 It’s worth one point in cricket : RUN

Cricket is the national game of England. The term “cricket” apparently comes from the Old French word “criquet” meaning “goalpost, stick”.

15 With Desmond Tutu, co-author of the 2016 best seller “The Book of Joy” : DALAI LAMA

The Dalai Lama is a religious leader in the Gelug branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The current Dalai Lama is the 14th to hold the office. He has indicated that the next Dalai Lama might be found outside of Tibet for the first time, and may even be female.

Desmond Tutu was a South African, a former Anglican bishop who was an outspoken opponent of apartheid. Tutu won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009, among other distinguished awards.

17 Au naturel : NAKED

“Au naturel” is a French phrase, one simply meaning “in a natural state”. We use the term in English in the same sense, and also to mean “nude”.

23 English dos : TWO

In Spanish, “dos” (two) is the lowest “número primo” (prime number).

28 Four to five spaces, typically : TAB

Like most features on our computer keyboards, the tab key is a hangover from the days of typewriters. When using a typewriter, making entries into a table was very tedious, involving lots of tapping on the spacebar and backspace key. So, a lever was added to typewriters that allowed the operator to “jump” across the page to positions that could be set by hand. Later this was simplified to a tab key which could be depressed, causing the carriage to jump to the next tab stop in much the same way that the modern tab key works on a computer.

35 Family member that’s also a letter in the NATO alphabet : PAPA

The NATO phonetic alphabet is also called the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) phonetic alphabet. Alfa, Bravo, Charlie … X-ray, Yankee, Zulu.

47 Where a grilled cheese can be found at McDonald’s : SECRET MENU

Apparently, some fast-food restaurants maintain a “secret” menu of unadvertised selections that customers hear about on the grapevine.

51 Choir voice : ALTO

In choral music, an alto (plural “alti”) is the second-highest voice in a four-part chorus made up of soprano, contr(alto), tenor and bass. The word “alto” describes the vocal range, that of the deepest female singing-voice, whereas the term “contralto” describes more than just the alto range, but also its quality and timbre. An adult male’s voice (not a boy’s) with the same range as an alto is called a “countertenor”.

62 Its largest islands are Savai’i and Upolu : SAMOA

Upolu is the second-largest island in the Polynesian island nation of Samoa. The largest Samoan island is Savaiʻi, although Upolu is home to the country’s capital city Apia.

63 The Jazz, on scoreboards : UTA

The Utah Jazz professional basketball team moved to Salt Lake City in 1979. As one might guess from the name, the team originated in New Orleans, but only played there for five seasons. New Orleans was a tough place to be based because venues were hard to come by, and Mardi Gras forced the team to play on the road for a whole month.

64 Carnival dance : SAMBA

The samba is a Brazilian dance that is very much symbolic of the festival of Carnival. Like so much culture around the world, the samba has its roots in Africa, as the dance is derived from dances performed by former slaves who migrated into urban Rio de Janeiro in the late 1800s. The exact roots of the name “samba” seem to have been lost in the mists of time. However, my favorite explanation is that it comes from an African Kikongo word “semba” which means “a blow struck with the belly button”. We don’t seem to have a need for such a word in English …

66 Glamping option named for its shape : BELL TENT

“Glamping” is “glamorous camping”, camping with comforts and amenities.

70 Male swan : COB

An adult male swan is a cob and an adult female is a pen. Young swans are swanlings or cygnets.

72 Bottom of the barrel : DREGS

The dregs in wine, the sediment that settles during fermentation (and sometimes in the bottle), are also called “lees”.

82 Canon offering, in brief : SLR

The Japanese company Canon is largely known in the US for producing quality cameras. The company started out as Precision Optical Industry Laboratory in 1937 making camera bodies. The name was changed in 1947 to Canon.

84 Spotted nocturnal mammal : CIVET

The civet is a spotted cat that is native to Africa and Asia. There is a type of coffee that is highly prized in Vietnam and the Philippines that is made from coffee beans that have been eaten by civets, partially digested and then harvested from the civet’s feces. This civet coffee can cost about $100 a cup, if you want to try some …

85 Play thing? : PROP

We use the word “props” for objects that are used by actors on stage during a play. The term is a shortening of the older term “properties”, which was used with the same meaning up through the 19th century.

86 Bit of redacted info, for short : SSN

Social Security number (SSN)

89 Indubitably : TO BE SURE

Something described as “indubitable” cannot be “doubted”.

90 “Ben-___” : HUR

The celebrated 1959 Charlton Heston movie “Ben-Hur” is a dramatization of a book published in 1880 by Lew Wallace titled “Ben-Hur: A Tale of Christ”. The 1959 epic film won a record 11 Academy Awards, a feat that has been equaled since then but never beaten. The other winners of 11 Oscars are “Titanic” (1997) and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003).

91 A little light combat? : LASER TAG

The name “Laser Tag” is really a misnomer as lasers are rarely used in the game. The “guns” actually send out infrared light, and not laser light, that is picked up by infrared detectors worn by the players.

93 ___ Lilly & Co. : ELI

Eli Lilly is the largest corporation in the state of Indiana. Founder Eli Lilly was a veteran of the Union Army in the Civil War, and a failed Mississippi plantation owner. Later in life he returned to his first profession and opened a pharmaceutical operation to manufacture drugs and sell them wholesale. Under Lilly’s early guidance, the company was the first to create gelatin capsules to hold medicines and the first to use fruit flavoring in liquid medicines.

99 “Have you heard about batik? It’s a dyeing ___” (groaner) : ART

Genuine batik cloth is produced by applying wax to the parts of the cloth that are not to be dyed. After the cloth has been dyed, it is dried and then dipped in a solvent that dissolves the wax. Although wax-resist dyeing of fabric has existed in various parts of the world for centuries, it is most closely associated historically with the island of Java in Indonesia.

105 Resource in the game Catan : WHEAT

The Settlers of Catan (now just “Catan”) is a board game that was introduced in 1995, in Germany as “Die Siedler von Catan”. The game is very popular in the US and was called “the board game of our time” by the “Washington Post”. My son plays it a lot, and as a lover of board games, I am going to have to check it out …

106 French name that is an anagram of a German river : HENRI

The river running through Europe that we know in English as the Rhine, is called “Rhein” in German, “Rhin” in French and “Rijn” in Dutch.

107 Pompeo of “Grey’s Anatomy” : ELLEN

Actress Ellen Pompeo is perhaps best known for playing the title character in the TV medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy”. That gig has paid well. Pompeo was ranked third in the “Forbes” list of highest-paid TV actresses in 2017, with Sofia Vergara (from “Modern Family”) and Kaley Cuoco (from “The Big Bang Theory”) holding the first and second spots respectively.

109 Poet Marianne : MOORE

Marianne Moore is an American poet whose most famous work is probably the poem known as “Poetry”, appropriately enough.

111 With 114-Across, crystal collector, perhaps : NEW …
[114A See 111-Down : … AGER]

The New Age Movement is a western philosophy with roots that date back to the early 1800s. The movement focuses on achieving the highest human potential as an individual and embraces many traditionally eastern spiritual practices, but eschews all religious doctrines. New Age music is composed with the intent of supporting this philosophy. It tends to be very minimalistic, very tonal and harmonic. It is often used as a backdrop for relaxation or meditation.

116 Mother of Apollo and Artemis : LETO

In Greek mythology, the goddess Leto and her sister Asteria are daughters of the Titans Coeus and Phoebe. Leto’s twin children Apollo and Artemis were fathered by Zeus, the king of the gods.

118 Popular online marketplace : ETSY

Etsy.com was founded in 2005 as a way for artists and craftspeople to sell their handmade goods online, and has since grown to include vintage items and crafting supplies as well. The company’s name is derived from the Italian word “etsi,” which means “oh, yes”? This was a nod to founder Rob Kalin’s love of Italy and his appreciation for the country’s history and artistry.

120 Day on Mars : SOL

A solar day on Mars is referred to as a “sol” by astronomers. One sol is equivalent to just under 24 hours 40 minutes here on Earth.

122 Either of two lead characters in “Kiss Me, Kate” : KAY

“Kiss Me, Kate” is a musical written by Cole Porter first produced on Broadway in 1948. Cole Porter had a string of successes in the twenties and thirties including “Gay Divorce” and “Anything Goes”, but he found his career in decline in the forties. “Kiss Me, Kate” proved to be a dramatic comeback, and was the only one of his shows that ran for more than 1,000 performances on Broadway. Famously, “Kiss Me, Kate” is an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Precision woodworking tool : FRETSAW
8 When repeated, a 1999 #1 Santana hit : MARIA
13 Passionate : ARDENT
19 Ingredient in a Caesar salad : ROMAINE
20 A tick or a tock : SECOND
21 Highly luminous galactic object : QUASAR
22 *”Let’s stick with what we’ve got …” : A BIRD IN THE HAND … (… is worth two in the bush)
24 Dissimilar to : UNLIKE
25 Trivia lover, maybe : NERD
26 Blockhead : TWIT
27 SkyMiles offerer : DELTA
29 Pulitzer winner James : AGEE
30 Modern dance pioneer Duncan : ISADORA
33 *”How clever we both are …” : GREAT MINDS … (… think alike)
35 Spice grinder : PESTLE
37 Locale of Hephaestus’ forge, in mythology : ETNA
39 Jessica of “The Illusionist” : BIEL
40 Writer/humorist Frazier : IAN
41 “What a pity!” : ALAS!
43 A butterfly flying into your home is a good one, some say : OMEN
46 They may be yawning : CHASMS
50 *”Look who it is …” : SPEAK OF THE DEVIL … (… here he/she is!)
55 Ground grain : MEAL
56 Road hog? : HARLEY
57 Kind of cable, for short : AUX
58 Twitter boss Musk : ELON
60 Target of tetracycline : ACNE
61 “Little” car of song that’s “really lookin’ fine” : GTO
62 Orion’s belt points to it : SIRIUS
65 Groovy : FAB
67 Chew out : RIP
68 *”Timid types shouldn’t be here …” : IF YOU CAN’T STAND THE HEAT … (… get out of the kitchen)
74 Spot for a tat : PEC
75 Male turkey : TOM
76 Obsolescent circus workers : TAMERS
77 Fate : LOT
78 Carpenter’s tool : ADZE
80 Goes up and down : BOBS
83 Honey : BAE
84 Hardly tiptoes : CLOMPS
87 Classic Memphis-based record label : STAX
88 *”Looks can be deceiving …” : ALL THAT GLITTERS … (… is not gold)
92 From A to Z, maybe : SORTED
95 Pants, slangily : TROU
96 Except : SAVE
97 Palindromic prefix : NON-
98 Director Kazan : ELIA
100 Something a beanie lacks : BRIM
103 Parody : SEND UP
105 *”Well, if the locals are doing it …” : WHEN IN ROME … (… do as the Romans do)
110 Tammy who sang “Stand by Your Man” : WYNETTE
112 Occupied : HELD
113 Greek word meaning “character” : ETHOS
114 See 111-Down : … AGER
115 Where there’s smoke : FLUE
119 Gather, as volunteers : ENLIST
121 “Etc., etc.” … or a statement about answers to this puzzle’s starred clues? : YOU KNOW THE REST
125 Commonly contracted two-word phrase : ARE NOT
126 Why you might run out : ERRAND
127 Makes gassy : AERATES
128 Get goose bumps, say : TINGLE
129 “Ciao!” : SEE YA!
130 Popular papal name : GREGORY

Down

1 Nickname that drops -ces : FRAN
2 Very formal, or very informal, garment : ROBE
3 Royal title : EMIR
4 The time machine on “Doctor Who” : TARDIS
5 “Toy Story” antagonist : SID
6 What makes creamer creamier? : AN I
7 What Beethoven did in his 30s and 40s : WENT DEAF
8 Use as a rendezvous point : MEET AT
9 Essen exclamation : ACH!
10 What an “@” might signify : ROAD GAME
11 Word with ear or peace : INNER …
12 Confuse : ADDLE
13 Like swimming and surfing : AQUATIC
14 It’s worth one point in cricket : RUN
15 With Desmond Tutu, co-author of the 2016 best seller “The Book of Joy” : DALAI LAMA
16 Complete, as a .pdf contract : E-SIGN
17 Au naturel : NAKED
18 Canopy makeup : TREES
20 British draft horse : SHIRE
23 English dos : TWO
28 Four to five spaces, typically : TAB
31 Police operation requiring patience : STAKEOUT
32 Rose gold, e.g. : ALLOY
34 “It’s … OK” : MEH
35 Family member that’s also a letter in the NATO alphabet : PAPA
36 One charged with climate policy : ENERGY CZAR
38 Go-ahead : NOD
40 Sorta : ISH
42 Deck treatment : STAIN
44 “Who’s That Girl?” rapper : EVE
45 It’s nothing : NIL
47 Where a grilled cheese can be found at McDonald’s : SECRET MENU
48 Suffix for a fad : -MANIA
49 Was out : SLEPT
51 Choir voice : ALTO
52 Smart : HURT
53 Have a life : EXIST
54 Sends high into the sky : LOFTS
59 “I don’t think so” : NAH
62 Its largest islands are Savai’i and Upolu : SAMOA
63 The Jazz, on scoreboards : UTA
64 Carnival dance : SAMBA
66 Glamping option named for its shape : BELL TENT
68 “No bid” : I PASS
69 Gave, as nourishment : FED TO
70 Male swan : COB
71 Shipshape : NEAT
72 Bottom of the barrel : DREGS
73 Knee-slapper : HOOT
79 Like many suitcase handles : EXTENDING
81 Club relative : BLT
82 Canon offering, in brief : SLR
84 Spotted nocturnal mammal : CIVET
85 Play thing? : PROP
86 Bit of redacted info, for short : SSN
89 Indubitably : TO BE SURE
90 “Ben-___” : HUR
91 A little light combat? : LASER TAG
93 ___ Lilly & Co. : ELI
94 Breakfast nook : DINETTE
99 “Have you heard about batik? It’s a dyeing ___” (groaner) : ART
101 Childish plea : I WANNA!
102 “Holy smokes!” : MY GOD!
104 Do some maintenance on, as a PC’s disk : DEFRAG
105 Resource in the game Catan : WHEAT
106 French name that is an anagram of a German river : HENRI
107 Pompeo of “Grey’s Anatomy” : ELLEN
108 “Now I remember!” : OH YES!
109 Poet Marianne : MOORE
111 With 114-Across, crystal collector, perhaps : NEW …
116 Mother of Apollo and Artemis : LETO
117 Account holder, e.g. : USER
118 Popular online marketplace : ETSY
120 Day on Mars : SOL
122 Either of two lead characters in “Kiss Me, Kate” : KAY
123 Homophone of 90-Down : HER
124 Poetic palindrome : ERE

14 thoughts on “0409-23 NY Times Crossword 9 Apr 23, Sunday”

  1. 28:33. Finally a break from the very difficult recent weekend puzzles.

    Fun theme, but WHAT THE F…? We can’t even finish words anymore much less phrases. Oh well, NO PROB…

    Best –

  2. 43:04, tried to fit “fire” where “flue” should go, I agree with Jeff, this was a tough week of puzzles, starting with last Sunday, where the app(sorry Jeff, I assume that is shortened from “application”)wouldn’t take the double letter entries…. Happy Easter everybody!

  3. 24:37, no errors. Straightforward, with a pleasant theme.

    The puzzle that Ross Trudeau posted on his website today is much more interesting to me:

    https://rosswordpuzzles.com/2023/04/09/lonely-planet/

    According to Ross, he “coaxed” ChatGPT (the AI program recently released by “Open AI”) into creating this puzzle. What I do not know is exactly what was involved in the “coaxing”. My gut instincts tell me that a complete transcript of the dialog would reveal that a lot of what’s in it came from Ross rather than from ChatGPT (and I implied as much in a post on the site). Still, doing the puzzle was a very interesting exercise (and, if my gut instincts are wrong, a bit frightening).

    Try it and see … 🤨.

    1. Annddd … Ross’s puzzle turned out to be a hoax (a very interesting hoax, mind you … 😜)

    1. Hmm … There is, of course, no rational way to politely reply to an “ad hominem” attack, but I’m reminded of an old song, (sung by Little Jimmy Dickens and Ray Stevens, among others), the chorus of which may serve as an appropriate response:

      https://youtube/_RVXJ3w1Vpo

      I always liked that song … 😜.

        1. LOL that dot is important Dave. What possessed you to remove it? Have you ever seen an url without a dot something?
          No worries puzzle aces are allowed brain farts too.

          1. Believe me, at 80, I’m intimately familiar with all kinds of farts, including the brain type … 😜.

            Having a dot somewhere inside “youtube” just looked wrong to me. Also, I recently observed that a “gmail” address seemed to work when I accidentally typed it without some included dots, and I think that somehow influenced my thinking. (I just did a test and it seems that “gmail” compares what I type to past addresses it knows about and autocorrects me.)

  4. Did fine until I got to the CHASM section. McDonald’s has a secret menu?

    What’s a Bell Tent? Beer Tent worked for me!.. then it didn’t.

  5. @Dave.

    It’s a shortened url, a technique for abbreviating urls that uses a redirect to a longer url.

    Another example : nyti.ms

    paste that into your browser and it will take you to https://www.nytimes.com/

    Same for pep.si

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