Constructed by: Billy Bratton
Edited by: Will Shortz
Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Theme (according to Bill): Don’t State the Obvious!
Themed answers are literal interpretations of exhortative phrases with the emphasis removed:
- 17A Deal with it! : DECK OF CARDS
- 28A Stick with it! : ADHESIVE TAPE
- 43A Get on with it! : BOARDING PASS
- 58A Roll with it! : BOWLING BALL
Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers
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Bill’s time: 7m 08s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
6 Sign of love in Latin America : BESO
In Spanish, a “beso” (kiss) is an “indicación de afecto” (display of affection).
10 “Dynamite” hitmakers, 2020 : BTS
“Dynamite” is a 2020 song released by the boy band BTS from South Korea. It was a huge success internationally and hit number-one in the US charts. “Dynamite” was the first song that BTS fully recorded in English.
20 Musician Brian : ENO
Brian Eno is a musician, composer and record producer from England who first achieved fame as the synthesizer player with Roxy Music. As a producer, Eno has worked with David Bowie, Devo, Talking Heads and U2.
21 Desert or tundra : BIOME
I tend to think of “biome” as another word for “ecosystem”.
Tundra is an ecosystem that is treeless, or very nearly so. There are three types of tundra. Arctic and Antarctic tundra can’t support the growth of trees as the ground is pretty much frozen. Alpine tundra cannot support tree-growth due to high altitude.
31 Gritty film : NOIR
The expression “film noir” has French origins, but only in that it was coined by a French critic in describing a style of Hollywood film. The term, meaning “black film” in French, was first used by Nino Frank in 1946. Film noir often applies to a movie with a melodramatic plot and a private eye or detective at its center. Good examples would be “The Big Sleep” and “D.O.A”.
35 Jennings of “Jeopardy!” : KEN
Ken Jennings is a remarkable man, the person who had the longest winning streak on television’s “Jeopardy!”. He has also won more game show money than any other person. He was defeated after 75 appearances on the show, after racking up over $2.5 million in the prior episodes. In 2020, Jennings was named as the first interim host of “Jeopardy!” following the passing of Alex Trebek.
36 Electrical units : OHMS
The unit of electrical resistance is the ohm (with the symbol omega) named after German physicist Georg Simon Ohm. Ohm was the guy who established experimentally that the amount of current flowing through a circuit is directly proportional to the voltage applied, (V=IR) a relationship that every school kid knows as Ohm’s Law.
37 Fast pitch? : SPIEL
A spiel is a lengthy speech or argument designed to persuade, like a sales pitch. “Spiel” comes to us from German, either directly (“spiel” is the German for “play”) or via the Yiddish “shpil”.
42 “Liberal” things : ARTS
The term “liberal arts” dates back to classical antiquity. The liberal arts were those subjects deemed essential to master for a citizen to take an active part in civil life. “Citizens” were “free people”, hence the use of the term “liberal arts”. The list of subjects studied in olden times were generally sevenfold: grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy/astrology.
53 Stringed instrument in some psychedelic music : SITAR
The sitar has been around since the Middle Ages. It is a stringed instrument that is played by plucking, and is used most often in Hindustani classical music. In the West we have been exposed to the instrument largely through the performances of Ravi Shankar and some music by George Harrison of the Beatles, a onetime student of Shankar.
54 Kitchen wrap? : APRON
In Old French, a “naperon” was a “small table-cloth”. The term was absorbed into English as “napron”, describing a cloth used to cover the front of a person at work. Over time, “a napron” was heard as “an apron”, giving us our contemporary noun “apron”.
61 Thurman of “Pulp Fiction” : UMA
Uma Thurman started her working career as a fashion model, at the age of 15. She appeared in her first movies at 17, with her most acclaimed early role being Cécile de Volanges in 1988’s “Dangerous Liaisons”. Thurman’s career really took off when she played the gangster’s moll Mia in Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” in 1994. My favorite of all Thurman’s movies is “The Truth About Cats & Dogs”, a less acclaimed romcom released in 1996. She took a few years off from acting from 1998 until 2002 following the birth of her first child. It was Tarantino who relaunched her career, giving her the lead in the “Kill Bill” films.
I’m not a big fan of director Quentin Tarantino, nor his work. His movies are too violent for me, and the size of his ego just turns me right off. Having said that, I think “Pulp Fiction” is a remarkable film. If you can look past the violence, it’s really well written. And what a legacy it has. John Travolta’s career was on the rocks and he did the film for practically no money, and it turned out to be a re-launch for him. Uma Thurman became a top celebrity overnight from her role. Even Bruce Willis got some good out of it, putting an end to a string of poorly-received performances.
62 Slowpoke : SNAIL
Back in the early 1800s, a “poke” was a device attached to domestic animals such as pigs or sheep to keep them from escaping their enclosures. The poke was like a yoke with a pole, and slowed the animal down, hence the term “slowpoke”.
63 Painter’s prop : EASEL
The term “easel” comes from an old Dutch word meaning “donkey”, would you believe? The idea is that an easel carries its load (an oil painting, say) just as a donkey would be made to carry a load.
65 What some butterfly wings appear to have : EYES
Several butterfly species, such as the monarch and painted lady, migrate each year over long distances, often thousands of miles. However, no individual butterfly survives the whole journey. Instead, the migrations take place over a number of generations.
Down
1 Ruler of a mythological underworld : HADES
Hades was the god of the underworld to the ancient Greeks. Over time, Hades gave his name to the underworld itself, the place where the dead reside. The term “Hades” was also adopted into the Christian tradition, as an alternative name for hell. But, the concept of hell in Christianity is more akin to the Greek “Tartarus”, which is a dark and gloomy dungeon located in Hades, a place of suffering and torment.
7 Event often in caps on a syllabus : EXAM
“Syllabus” (plural “syllabi”) is the Latin word for “list”.
11 Winning feat achieved twice by the Green Bay Packers (1929-31, 1965-67) : THREE-PEAT
A three-peat is the winning of a sports championship three seasons in a row. The term “three-peat” was coined in 1988 by LA Lakers’ player Byron Scott, and then trademarked by Lakers’ head coach Pat Riley. The Lakers were attempting in 1988 to clinch their third championship title in a row at that time, and eventually lost to the Detroit Pistons. The Lakers had to wait until the 2002 season to claim that three-peat.
When Curly Lambeau founded his small-town football team in Green Bay in 1919, he was working for the Indian Packing Company. Lambeau went to his employers looking for sponsorship and was given $250 provided that the team was named for the company. And so, the team was originally referred to as the Green Bay Indians, but by the time they took to the field for their first game it had changed to the Packers, and Lambeau was $250 richer. Curly Lambeau passed away in 1965, and two months later the Packers renamed their City Stadium to Lambeau Field in his memory.
25 2006 animated film that really should have starred Adam Driver and Parker Posey? : CARS
“Cars” is a 2006 animated feature from Pixar. The great cast of voice actors includes Paul Newman in his last movie role before he passed away in 2008.
Adam Driver is an actor perhaps best known to TV audiences for playing Adam Sackler on the show “Girls” that airs on HBO. Driver’s movie career got a huge boost in 2015 when he played villain Kylo Ren in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”.
Parker Posey is an American actress who has earned the nickname “Queen of the Indies” due to her success in several indie movies. She did miss out on one mainstream role though, as she was edged out by Jennifer Aniston to play Rachel on “Friends”.
31 One getting pwned, often : NOOB
“To pwn” is online gamer-speak for “to own, defeat easily”. It’s likely that “pwn” evolved from “own” as it is a common typo caused by the close proximity of the o- and p-keys on a computer keyboard. “Pwn” is pronounced like “pone”.
32 Classic melodramatic cry : OH, WOE IS ME!
A melodrama is a play or film that usually pits good against evil, with an obvious hero or heroine vying against an obvious villain. Melodrama has evolved over time, originating in the 18th century as a drama for which there was a musical accompaniment. The term is derived from the Greek “melos” meaning “music” and the French “drame” meaning “drama”.
38 Be forlorn : PINE AWAY
Someone described as forlorn appears sad and lonely because he or she has been deserted or abandoned.
39 Prominent instrument in “These Boots Are Made for Walkin'” : BASS
Singer Nancy Sinatra has a few big hits to her name, including 1966’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’”, 1967’s “Somethin’ Stupid”, and 1967’s “You Only Live Twice” (theme song for the movie). Nancy is the daughter of the great Frank Sinatra, who sang “Somethin’ Stupid” with her as a duet. Frank also passed on “You Only Live Twice” before the song was offered to Nancy.
41 Like a cutie patootie : ADORBS
“Adorbs!” is a colloquial term meaning “So cute, adorable!”
Back in the 1920s, the term “patootie” was used for a sweetheart, a very pretty girl. Somehow, the term has evolved into slang for the posterior, rear end.
44 Record label for Diana Ross and Elvis Presley : RCA
RCA Records is the second-oldest recording label in the US, after Columbia Records.
Diana Ross is one of the most prolific recording artists in history. She sang with the Supremes from 1959 to 1970 and then launched an incredibly successful solo career. Ross was listed in the 1993 edition of “The Guinness Book of World Records” as the most successful music artist ever, with eighteen #1 records.
Elvis Presley was drafted into the US Army in 1958, as a private. Although he was only a couple of years into his recording career, he already had a fervent following. While in basic training, he was quite certain that his success would be short-lived, and maybe could not recover after his stint with the Army. He used his leave to record new tracks, keeping his name out there. Presley did basic training at Fort Hood, Texas and was then assigned to the 3rd Armored Division stationed in Friedberg, Germany. It was in Friedberg that he met 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu, whom he would marry after courting her for 7 1/2 years. After two years in the Army, he came back home, to a career that was still soaring.
46 Neuron fiber : AXON
A nerve cell is more correctly called a neuron. The long nerve fiber that conducts signals away from the neuron is known as the axon. The axon is surrounded by a myelin sheath, which acts as an electrical insulator and which increases the rate the impulses pass along the axon.
47 Karaoke participant : SINGER
“Karate” is a Japanese word meaning “empty hand”, and the related word “karaoke” translates as “empty orchestra”.
51 Pioneer in calculus notation : EULER
Leonhard Euler was a brilliant Swiss mathematician and physicist, and a pioneer in the fields of logarithms and graph theory. Euler’s eyesight deteriorated during his working life, and he eventually became almost totally blind.
52 Humdinger : DILLY
A “lollapalooza” is something outstanding, one of a kind, as is a “dilly”.
A humdinger or pip is someone or something outstanding. “Humdinger” is American slang dating back to the early 1900s, and was originally used to describe a particularly attractive woman.
53 Pulitzer winner Bellow : SAUL
Saul Bellow was the only writer to win the National Book Award three times. He also won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1976. Bellow was a Canadian-born American writer, and among his most famous works were “Herzog” and “Humboldt’s Gift”.
55 Demi-___ (ballet move) : PLIE
The French word for “bent” is “plié”. In the ballet move known as a plié, the knees are bent. A “demi-plié” is a similar move, but with less bending of the knees. A fondu is similar to a plié, except that only one leg remains on the ground.
Read on, or …
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Began devouring, say : HAD AT
6 Sign of love in Latin America : BESO
10 “Dynamite” hitmakers, 2020 : BTS
13 “We ___ Blessed” (hymn) : ARE SO
14 Drip with : EXUDE
16 “I’m on to you now!” : OHO!
17 Deal with it! : DECK OF CARDS
19 Fortuneteller’s sphere : ORB
20 Musician Brian : ENO
21 Desert or tundra : BIOME
22 Opinions : TAKES
24 A comment may be dripping with it : SARCASM
26 “Ya dig?” : FEEL ME?
28 Stick with it! : ADHESIVE TAPE
31 Gritty film : NOIR
34 Quick cut : TRIM
35 Jennings of “Jeopardy!” : KEN
36 Electrical units : OHMS
37 Fast pitch? : SPIEL
39 Part of many a friendship bracelet : BEAD
40 Not be square, say : OWE
41 Analogous : AKIN
42 “Liberal” things : ARTS
43 Get on with it! : BOARDING PASS
48 Make cryptic : ENCODE
49 Wasn’t a myth : EXISTED
53 Stringed instrument in some psychedelic music : SITAR
54 Kitchen wrap? : APRON
56 Yes, to Yves : OUI
57 Residue from a barbecue : ASH
58 Roll with it! : BOWLING BALL
61 Thurman of “Pulp Fiction” : UMA
62 Slowpoke : SNAIL
63 Painter’s prop : EASEL
64 Do-over, of a sort : LET
65 What some butterfly wings appear to have : EYES
66 Do over : RETRY
Down
1 Ruler of a mythological underworld : HADES
2 A court may be in the middle of one : ARENA
3 Look of a room : DECOR
4 Big ___ (serious favor) : ASK
5 “Sorry, not sorry!” : TOO BAD!
6 Morph into : BECOME
7 Event often in caps on a syllabus : EXAM
8 Can’t-miss : SUREFIRE
9 Not even : ODD
10 Creator of a spread : BOOKMAKER
11 Winning feat achieved twice by the Green Bay Packers (1929-31, 1965-67) : THREE-PEAT
12 Breaks down : SOBS
15 Respect : ESTEEM
18 Rummage (around) : FISH
23 Lead-in to country or rock : ALT-
25 2006 animated film that really should have starred Adam Driver and Parker Posey? : CARS
27 Not good : EVIL
29 Defend the hive, in a way : STING
30 Tips : ENDS
31 One getting pwned, often : NOOB
32 Classic melodramatic cry : OH, WOE IS ME!
33 “Seriously!” : I MEAN THAT!
37 Kind of mark : SKID
38 Be forlorn : PINE AWAY
39 Prominent instrument in “These Boots Are Made for Walkin'” : BASS
41 Like a cutie patootie : ADORBS
44 Record label for Diana Ross and Elvis Presley : RCA
45 Hazards : PERILS
46 Neuron fiber : AXON
47 Karaoke participant : SINGER
50 A goner : TOAST
51 Pioneer in calculus notation : EULER
52 Humdinger : DILLY
53 Pulitzer winner Bellow : SAUL
55 Demi-___ (ballet move) : PLIE
59 United : ONE
60 Modern love? : BAE
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12 thoughts on “0719-23 NY Times Crossword 19 Jul 23, Wednesday”
Comments are closed.
I must have been asleep this morning. I kept stalling out on this one. 16:54, no errors.
12:20, no errors. Good personal Wednesday effort for me.
In the late 1960’s it seemed that every rock band had to incorporate a SITAR. My personal favorite is ‘Paint It Black’ by the Rolling Stones.
8:52. ADORBS rears its ugly head again.
Didn’t realize the Packers had THREEPEATed long before the Lakers made the term famous. Twice.
Best –
The BULLS made threepeats famous.
9:13, no errors. Pleasant enough, but I don’t remember much about it, as I did it many hours ago, got about four hours sleep, and then went for a nine-mile walk, after which I was able to sleep another couple of hours, but still feel out of it. (The situation with my neighbor is driving me up the wall … 🤪.)
@Jeff … As for ADORBS, I’m sure that it’s LITERALLY a coinage for the ages and will still be around a thousand years from now … 🫣🧐🤪.
19:16 What would constructors do without Brian Eno?
😀
5:20, no errors.
14:23
Errors: 0.
Completed without error.
Didn’t know BESO.
@dave… your neighbor must really be pushing you … 9 mile walk? Wow
about 25 mins – forgot to turn on the timer.
Struggled a bit with this, couple cheats (NOOB/NOIR, AXON – aargh, how could I miss that …).
For me, just happy to get a Wednesday done.