0509-23 NY Times Crossword 9 May 23, Tuesday

Constructed by: Margaret Seikel
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme (according to Bill): We Have Two Sign

Themed clues all include a “two-finger” emoji, each in a different context:

  • 20A ✌, at an antiwar protest : PEACE SIGN
  • 52A ✌, from Winston Churchill : V FOR VICTORY
  • 4D ✌, when ordering : TWO, PLEASE
  • 10D ✌, in a silly group photo : BUNNY EARS

Bill’s time: 6m 08s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Ctrl+V command : PASTE

The Control (CTRL) key on a PC keyboard is used to modify the function of other keys. For example, pressing CTRL+C copies a selection to the clipboard, and CTRL+V pastes the contents of the clipboard to a location defined by the cursor. Control keys were introduced on teletypewriters to generate “control characters”, which are non-printing characters that instruct a computer to do something like print a page, ring a bell etc.

9 “Yes we can” sloganeer of 2008 : OBAMA

The 2008 campaign that resulted in the election of President Barack Obama used the slogan “Change we can believe in”, along with the associated chant “Yes We Can”. The words “Yes We Can” were perhaps borrowed from the United Farm Workers, which organization uses the motto “Sí, se puede”. “Sí, se puede” translates as “Yes, it is possible” and is a phrase very much associated with labor leader Cesar Chavez.

14 One of the Ivies : BROWN

Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island is one of the eight Ivy League schools. Brown has been around a long time, founded in 1764, years before America declared independence from England. The university took the name of Brown in 1804 after one Nicholas Brown, Jr. gave a substantial gift to the school. The school’s athletic teams are known as the Brown Bears, and their mascot is Bruno.

The term “Ivy League” originally defined an athletic conference, but now it is used to describe a group of schools of higher education that are associated with both a long tradition and academic excellence. The eight Ivy League Schools are: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale.

15 Japanese sash : OBI

The sash worn as part of traditional Japanese dress is known as an obi. The obi can be tied at the back in what is called a butterfly knot. The term “obi” is also used for the thick cotton belts that are an essential part of the outfits worn by practitioners of many martial arts. The color of the martial arts obi signifies the wearer’s skill level.

16 Disney film set in imperial China : MULAN

“Mulan” is a 1998 animated feature film made by Walt Disney studios. The film is based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, a woman who takes the place of her father in the army and serves with distinction for twelve years without reward. Disney’s lead character was given the name Fa Mulan. Donny Osmond provided the singing voice for one of the lead characters, after which his sons remarked that he had finally made it in show business as he was in a Disney film.

18 Driving for Uber, e.g. : GIG

Musicians use “gig” to describe a job, a performance. The term originated in the early 1900s in the world of jazz. The derivative phrase “gig economy” applies to a relatively recent phenomenon where workers find themselves jumping from temporary job to temporary job, from gig to gig.

The rideshare service Uber takes its name from the English colloquial word “uber” meaning “super, topmost”, which in turn comes from the German “über” meaning “above”.

19 Raffle ticket, e.g. : ENTRY

A raffle is a game of chance in which the prize can be won by numerous people who buy into the draw. Back in the 14th century, in Old French, a “rafle” was a dice game.

20 ✌, at an antiwar protest : PEACE SIGN

One has to be careful making that V-sign depending where you are in the world. Where I came from, the V-for-victory (or peace) sign has to be made with the palm facing outwards. If the sign is made with the palm facing inwards, it can be interpreted as a very obscene gesture.

30 It’s a drag : TOKE

“Toke” is a slang term describing a puff on a marijuana cigarette, or on a pipe containing the drug.

33 ___ Mai, singer with the 2018 hit “Boo’d Up” : ELLA

Ella Mai is an R&B singer from England. Mai went to high school in New York City before returning to Britain.

34 Buckwheat noodles in Tokyo : SOBA

Soba is a thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour. In Japan, the word “soba” tends to describe any thin noodle, in contrast with the thicker noodle called “udon”.

35 Independent divisions, in corporate jargon : SILOS

The noun “jargon” can describe nonsensical and meaningless talk, or the specialized language of a particular group, trade or profession. The term “jargon” is Old French, with the more usual meaning of “chattering”. How apt …

36 Fission focus : ATOM

By some definitions, New Zealand-born physicist and chemist Ernest Rutherford was the first person to “split the atom”. Rutherford bombarded nitrogen with alpha particles and thereby forced neutrons out of the nucleus of the nitrogen atom. The first intentional nuclear “fission” came decades later in the 1930s, with experiments in which larger nuclei were split into smaller nuclei.

40 Treasure stash : TROVE

The term “treasure trove” comes from the Anglo-French “tresor trové “ meaning “found treasure”.

43 Bunches of flowers : POSIES

“Poesy” was the name given to a line of verse engraved on the inner surface of a ring. The related word “posy”, for a bouquet of flowers, arose with the notion that giving a posy might be a message of love, just as a poesy inside a ring could have the same meaning.

45 Person on a beat : COP

In the context of policing, a beat is territory that is patrolled regularly. Back in the 1700s, a beat was a regular route traveled by a person or an animal, from the sense of the “beat” of the feet on the ground while walking.

47 ___’easter : NOR

A nor’easter is a storm that blows from the northeast.

48 “Spring forward” hrs. : DST

On the other side of the Atlantic, Daylight Saving Time (DST) is known as “summer time”. The idea behind summer/daylight-savings is to move clocks forward an hour in spring and backwards in the fall so that afternoons have more daylight. DST was first observed in the US in 1918, and is observed in all states other than Hawaii and Arizona. Hawaii doesn’t really “need” DST as the length of daylight doesn’t vary much due to the state’s tropical latitude. Arizona’s climate dictates that extra afternoon daylight is an economic burden due to increased use of air conditioning systems.

49 Musical set in ancient Egypt : AIDA

The rock musical “Aida” is based on Giuseppe Verdi’s original opera. It premiered in 1998 and is still performed today. Music is by Elton John and lyrics are by Tim Rice.

50 Cathedral recess : APSE

A cathedral is the church at the center of a Christian diocese or episcopate. The name “cathedral” comes from the “cathedra” that it houses, the “seat” of the bishop. That seat is more like a throne.

52 ✌, from Winston Churchill : V FOR VICTORY

Soon after Winston Churchill took over as Prime Minister of the UK in 1940, he delivered some stirring speeches that rallied the country in the face of German victories right across Europe. The first of these was his “Blood, toil, tears, and sweat” speech as he reported the formation of a new coalition government designed to unite the country in time of war. The second was his “We shall fight on the beaches” speech, as he reported the successful evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk. The third speech concluded with, “This was their finest hour”, words delivered to Parliament just as France fell, and Churchill pledged that the British Commonwealth would fight on, alone if necessary. The last lines of this third speech, from this magnificent orator, were:

… But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new dark age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, ‘This was their finest hour’.

57 Hawaiian greeting : ALOHA

The official nickname for Hawaii is “The Aloha State”. Hawaii is also referred to as “Paradise of the Pacific” and “The Islands of Aloha”.

58 “I am woman, hear me ___” : ROAR

The successful singer Helen Reddy was born in Melbourne, Australia. In 1966, Reddy won a talent contest and earned herself a trip to New York City for an audition. The 25-year-old single mother decided to stay in the US, and a few years later was able to launch a successful singing career. Her hit song “I Am Woman”, released in 1972, was the first recording by an Australian artist to reach #1 in the US charts.

62 ___ City (Detroit) : MOTOR

The city of Detroit was founded in 1701 by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, a French explorer. The original settlement was named for the Detroit River, which in turn takes its name from the French word “détroit” meaning “strait”. Detroit became inextricably linked with the automotive business from the very early 20th century when Henry Ford and others set up manufacturing in the area. This link to transportation led to Detroit’s nicknames “Motor City” and “Motown”. The city’s economic strength declined at the beginning of the 21st century, resulting in a 25% drop in population between 2000 and 2010. Detroit filed for the country’s largest municipal bankruptcy in history in 2013, facing a debt of $18.8 billion. The city exited bankruptcy at the end of 2014.

63 Shrek or Fiona : OGRE

Before “Shrek” was a successful movie franchise and Broadway musical, it was a children’s picture book called “Shrek!” that was authored and illustrated by William Steig. The title “Shrek!” came from the German/Yiddish word Schreck, meaning “fear” or “terror”.

64 Boilermaker component : BEER

A boilermaker is a beer cocktail, a serving of beer mixed with a shot of whiskey, or sometimes a shot of tequila or vodka. If the whiskey is still in a shot glass when it’s dropped into the beer, then it’s known as a depth charge.

65 Captain’s “Stop!” : AVAST!

“Avast” is a nautical term used to tell someone to stop or desist from what they are doing. The word comes from the Dutch “hou vast” meaning “hold fast”.

Down

1 “This Old House” network : PBS

“This Old House” first aired in 1979, on PBS, with Bob Vila as host. After ten years on the show, Vila was able to make extra income with commercial endorsements. These earnings caused conflict with commercial-free PBS, and so Vila was replaced by Steve Thomas.

2 Apt name for a curator : ART

The term “curator” is Latin and applies to a manager, guardian or overseer. In English, the original curators were the guardians and overseers of minors and those with mental disease. Today, we use the term “curator” particularly for someone in charge of a museum, zoo or other exhibition.

3 Phillipa of “Hamilton” : SOO

Phillipa Soo is an actress and singer who is perhaps best known for portraying Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, the title character’s wife in the original Broadway production of “Hamilton”.

6 Early home for Abraham Lincoln : LOG CABIN

Abraham Lincoln was born in a one-room log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky making him the first president born in the West. His formal education was limited to a year and a half of schooling. Fortunately for us, Lincoln was an avid reader and educated himself over the years. Even though he was from a rural area, he avoided hunting and fishing because he did not like to kill animals even for food.

7 Theater award that sounds like 15-Across : OBIE
[15A Japanese sash : OBI]

The Obies are the Off-Broadway Theater Awards. They have been presented annually since 1956. The recipients used to be chosen by “The Village Voice” newspaper, but now are jointly administered with the American Theatre Wing.

9 Alpha’s opposite : OMEGA

The Greek alphabet starts with the letter “alpha”, and ends with the letter “omega”.

10 ✌, in a silly group photo : BUNNY EARS

Photobombing is the act of intruding during the taking of a photograph as a practical joke. The term has gotten a lot of usage in recent years due to the proliferation of smartphone cameras. Collins English Dictionary named “photobomb” as Word of the Year for 2014.

27 Breath mint from a tin : ALTOID

Altoids breath mints have been around since 1780, when they were introduced in Britain. The famous tin in which Altoids are sold is often reused for other purposes. The most famous use is as a container for a mini-survival kit.

28 Garlic segments : CLOVES

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.

32 Suffix with schnozz : -OLA

“Schnoz(z)” is a slang term describing a nose, particularly a large one.

Jimmy Durante was a very talented entertainer, with that wonderful, gravelly voice, as well as that large nose that he used in so much of his humor (and earned him the nickname “Schnozzola”). Durante appeared in the Broadway stage musical “Jumbo” in 1935. In one scene, he leads a live elephant across the stage, and gets stopped by a police officer who asks, “What are you doing with that elephant?” Durante replies “What elephant?” and brings the house down every night.

40 Trunk : TORSO

“Torso” (plural “torsi”) is an Italian word meaning “trunk of a statue”, and is a term that we imported into English.

42 Frequent descriptor for 9-Across : NO DRAMA
[9A “Yes we can” sloganeer of 2008 : OBAMA]

Barack Obama earned the nickname “No Drama Obama” during the 2007-2008 presidential campaign, as his progress towards the White Office was viewed by many as relatively cautious and error-free.

43 Toaster treat : POP-TART

Pop-Tart is the most successful single brand for the Kellogg company, as millions of the sugary treats are sold every year. The US Military bought quite a few in 2001, and dropped 2.4 million Pop-Tarts into Afghanistan during the invasion after 9/11.

46 1904 Nobelist who wrote “Conditioned Reflexes” : PAVLOV

Ivan Pavlov was studying gastric function in dogs in the 1890s when he observed that his subject dogs started to salivate before he even presented food to them. This “psychic secretion”, as he called it, interested him so much that he changed the direction of his research and studied the reactions of dogs to various stimuli that were associated with the presentation of food. Famously, he discovered that a dog could be conditioned to respond as though he was about to be fed, just by sensing some stimulus that he had come to associate with food. This might be a bell ringing, an electric shock (poor dog!) or perhaps the waving of a hand. Nowadays we might describe someone as “Pavlov’s Dog” if that person responds just the way he/she has been conditioned to respond, rather than applying critical thinking.

47 Ballpark snack topped with cheese sauce : NACHOS

The dish known as “nachos” was supposedly created by the maître d’ at a restaurant called the Victory Club in the city of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico. The name of the maître d’ was Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya.

51 “404 Not Found,” e.g., in computing : ERROR

An HTTP 404 error is one of the common errors encountered when browsing the World Wide Web. The error is returned when a user accesses a site successfully, but cannot find the page that is requested. Usually, this 404 Not Found error is encountered when clicking on a broken or dead link. As an aside, I’d appreciate it if any reader could contact me or leave a comment if a broken link is encountered on this web site. Thank you!

52 Election Day exhortation : VOTE!

Election day was chosen by Congress back in 1845. The month of November was selected as it suited an agricultural society, following the fall harvest and yet not too far into winter, which could make travel difficult. Tuesday was chosen so that people had time to travel to polling stations. Monday elections might have meant that some would have to start out on Sunday, and that could interfere with Christian services.

53 Speck : IOTA

Iota is the ninth letter in the Greek alphabet, and one that gave rise to our letters I and J. We use the word “iota” to portray something very small, as it is the smallest of all Greek letters.

54 Quiet fitness discipline : YOGA

In the West, we tend to think of yoga as just a physical discipline, a means of exercise that uses specific poses to stretch and strengthen muscles. While it is true that the ancient Indian practice of yoga does involve such physical discipline, the corporeal aspect of the practice plays a relatively small part in the whole philosophy. Other major components are meditation, ethical behavior, breathing and contemplation.

55 The ___ Five (nickname for the “Queer Eye” cast) : FAB

“Queer Eye” is a reality TV show that was launched in 2003 as “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”. Each episode features a panel of gay professional experts in the fields of fashion and design giving a makeover to a straight man. The show was given a new life in 2018 when it was launched on Netflix as “Queer Eye” with a new “Fab Five” cast.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Ctrl+V command : PASTE
6 Tennis shot that might be smashed back : LOB
9 “Yes we can” sloganeer of 2008 : OBAMA
14 One of the Ivies : BROWN
15 Japanese sash : OBI
16 Disney film set in imperial China : MULAN
17 Wasn’t overturned, as a ruling : STOOD
18 Driving for Uber, e.g. : GIG
19 Raffle ticket, e.g. : ENTRY
20 ✌, at an antiwar protest : PEACE SIGN
23 “Shoulda listened to me!” : I TOLD YA!
26 Make believe : PLAYACT
30 It’s a drag : TOKE
31 Reader’s download : E-BOOK
33 ___ Mai, singer with the 2018 hit “Boo’d Up” : ELLA
34 Buckwheat noodles in Tokyo : SOBA
35 Independent divisions, in corporate jargon : SILOS
36 Fission focus : ATOM
37 Bottomless well : ABYSS
39 Grandma, to Brits : NAN
40 Treasure stash : TROVE
41 “Let’s do this thing!” : GAME ON!
43 Bunches of flowers : POSIES
44 “___ to Autocorrect” (Martha Silano poem) : ODE
45 Person on a beat : COP
47 ___’easter : NOR
48 “Spring forward” hrs. : DST
49 Musical set in ancient Egypt : AIDA
50 Cathedral recess : APSE
52 ✌, from Winston Churchill : V FOR VICTORY
55 Print maker? : FOOT
57 Hawaiian greeting : ALOHA
58 “I am woman, hear me ___” : ROAR
61 Buy in, say : ANTE
62 ___ City (Detroit) : MOTOR
63 Shrek or Fiona : OGRE
64 Boilermaker component : BEER
65 Captain’s “Stop!” : AVAST!
66 Incline that affords access : RAMP

Down

1 “This Old House” network : PBS
2 Apt name for a curator : ART
3 Phillipa of “Hamilton” : SOO
4 ✌, when ordering : TWO, PLEASE
5 Ceased : ENDED
6 Early home for Abraham Lincoln : LOG CABIN
7 Theater award that sounds like 15-Across : OBIE
8 Implement for eating soup but probably not for stirring coffee : BIG SPOON
9 Alpha’s opposite : OMEGA
10 ✌, in a silly group photo : BUNNY EARS
11 ___-pop (eclectic genre) : ALT
12 Spoil : MAR
13 At ___ rate : ANY
21 All those in favor, in the Senate : AYES
22 Sorts : ILKS
23 “Full speed ahead!” : IT’S A GO!
24 “That’s a shame” : TOO BAD
25 “I approve” : OK BY ME
27 Breath mint from a tin : ALTOID
28 Garlic segments : CLOVES
29 Most docile : TAMEST
32 Suffix with schnozz : -OLA
38 Prefix with political : SOCIO-
40 Trunk : TORSO
42 Frequent descriptor for 9-Across : NO DRAMA
43 Toaster treat : POP-TART
46 1904 Nobelist who wrote “Conditioned Reflexes” : PAVLOV
47 Ballpark snack topped with cheese sauce : NACHOS
49 Label for a post-makeover photo : AFTER
51 “404 Not Found,” e.g., in computing : ERROR
52 Election Day exhortation : VOTE!
53 Speck : IOTA
54 Quiet fitness discipline : YOGA
55 The ___ Five (nickname for the “Queer Eye” cast) : FAB
56 Soul mate, with “the” : … ONE
59 Pitching ability, colloquially : ARM
60 Be an agent for : REP

11 thoughts on “0509-23 NY Times Crossword 9 May 23, Tuesday”

  1. 6:07, no errors. I have to wonder if the emojis in this one will cause problems in syndication.

  2. 7:58. Usually themes like this are a little more complicated, but since it’s a Tuesday I guess they took it easy on us.

    Still in Mexico. No DST here. They did away with it this year. Why can’t we do that?????

    Best –

    1. 👍
      Fast.
      I watched it after doing the puzzle myself.

      I clocked in at 14:13 with three errors.
      No V for victory, not my finest hour LOL.

  3. 17:16 no errors…so that’s what that smudge on the theme clues was?
    Stay safe😀

  4. My paper (Long Beach Press-Telegram) just had a very faint smudge – so faint I didn’t even notice it. Afterwards I looked closely and it was in fact a very faint “V sign” emoji.

  5. Something no one has pointed out is that there is a “Vee” sign made by the black squares in the grid.

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