0915-23 NY Times Crossword 15 Sep 23, Friday

Bill’s time: 15m 31s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Sick! : SO DOPE

Apparently, something that is described as “dope” is really, really cool …

7 Badger : HARASS

To badger is to harass. The verb “to badger” comes from the cruel practice of badger-baiting, which dates back to medieval times. Badger-baiting is a blood sport in which a dog is used as bait for a badger in its den, to draw it out into the open. The den is an artificial structure built to resemble a natural badgers’ den, complete with a tunnel entrance. The dog is sent down the tunnel causing the badger and dog to lock their jaws on each other. The badger and dog are then removed from the den by pulling on the dog’s tail. Horrible …

15 Sails event? : REGATTA

The word “regatta” is Venetian dialect and was originally used to describe boat races among the gondoliers of Venice on the Grand Canal back in the mid-1600s.

16 eBay feature : LOWERCASE LETTER

The practice of writing compound words with capital letters and no space between, or using a lowercase letter prior to an uppercase letter, is known as “CamelCase”. Examples of words using CamelCase are “PowerPoint”, “MySpace”, “iPhone”, “eBay” and “CamelCase” itself. The idea behind the moniker is that such words have a “humpy” appearance, like the humps of a camel.

18 Pair for each state : SENATORIAL SEATS

The US Senate comprises 100 senators, with each of the fifty states being represented by two popularly elected senators. US senators were appointed by their state legislators from 1798 through 1913, until the Seventeenth Amendment called for popular elections.

20 Creature prized for its long legs : ALASKAN KING CRAB

Fishing for Alaskan king crab is a dangerous occupation, about 80 times more dangerous than the average job. Reportedly, about one crab fisherman dies every week during the fishing season, mostly from drowning or hypothermia.

31 Let’s Make a Deal option : DOOR ONE

The game show “Let’s Make a Deal” first aired way back in 1963. For many years the show was hosted by Monty Hall, from 1963 until 1986, and again briefly in 1991. In more recent years, Wayne Brady took over as host in 2009.

32 Film character who debuted in “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” (2005) : MADEA

“Diary of a Mad Black Woman” is a 2005 film written by Tyler Perry, who also stars as Madea, a recurring character in Perry’s films. The film is based on Perry’s play of the same name. “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” was a box office success, and spawned a franchise of Madea films.

41 Philanthropist George : SOROS

Hungarian businessman George Soros was born György Schwartz in Hungary in 1930. Famously, Soros made a short sale of $10 billion worth of UK pounds during the 1992 Black Wednesday UK currency crisis, making him a profit of over $1 billion. The move led to him being dubbed “the man who broke the Bank of England”.

Philanthropy is a concern for human welfare, and the act of donating to persons or groups who support such concerns. The term “philanthropy” derives from the Greek “phil-” meaning “loving”, and “anthropos” meaning “mankind”.

42 Magic 8 Ball response : SIGNS POINT TO YES

The Magic 8-Ball is a toy, and supposedly a fortune-telling device, introduced by Mattel in 1946. There are 20 answers that the Magic 8-Ball can provide, including:

• Without a doubt
• Ask again later
• My sources say no
• Outlook not so good
• Signs point to yes

53 Instruments made from gourds : MARACAS

Maracas are percussion instruments that are native to Latin America. They are constructed from dried shells, like those of a coconut, to which handles are attached. The shells are filled with dried seeds or beans, and played by shaking.

54 Plant pores : STOMATA

Stomata (the usual plural of “stoma”, and not “stomas”) are pores found under almost every leaf, clearly visible under a simple microscope. The stomata take in air rich in carbon dioxide. Through the process of photosynthesis, the plants generate oxygen, which is released back into the air though the same stomata.

Down

1 Setting in a Spike Lee film : SAL’S

“Do the Right Thing” is a Spike Lee movie that was released in 1989. Much of the action in the film is centered on a local pizzeria called “Sal’s” owned by Italian-American Salvatore Frangione (played by Danny Aiello).

4 Old settings for tragedies : ODEA

In ancient Greece, an odeon (also “odeum”) was like a small theater, with “odeon” literally meaning “building for musical competition”. Odea were used in both Greece and Rome for entertainments such as musical shows and poetry readings.

5 Jaunty : PERT

Our words “jaunty” and “genteel” are related in that they both derive from the French “gentil” meaning “nice, pleasing”. In modern usage, someone described as jaunty has a buoyant air. Someone described as genteel is refined in manner.

6 Subject of the Netflix series “Narcos” : ESCOBAR

Pablo Escobar was a Colombian drug lord, often referred to as the “world’s greatest outlaw”. He is reputed to have been the world’s most successful and richest criminal, and even appeared on the 1989 Forbes list of richest people, at number 7. In 1986, Escobar attempted to enter Colombian politics, pledging to pay off the nation’s $10 billion national debt. The law finally caught up with him in 1993, when he was killed in a gunfight with Colombian government forces.

8 8+, for Yahtzee : AGES

The dice game Yahtzee was introduced in 1956 and is a variant of earlier dice games, especially the game “Yacht” (which even has a similar name). Yahtzee is required entertainment in our house during holidays. The game involves the rolling of five dice, with the intent of getting certain combinations. A lot of those combinations resemble poker hands, such as a straight, three of a kind, four of a kind and a full house.

10 Flour used in Indian cuisine : ATTA

Atta is a whole-wheat flour used to make flatbreads in South Asian cuisine, such as chapati and naan. “Atta” is the Hindi or Urdu word for “dough”.

11 Editor’s note : STET

“Stet” is a Latin word meaning “let it stand”. In editorial work, the typesetter is instructed to disregard any change previously marked by writing the word “stet” and then underscoring that change with a line of dots or dashes.

12 Early 2000s outbreak : SARS

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral disease in humans that went pandemic in 2002/2003. There were over 8,000 confirmed cases, and 12 deaths from the disease during that outbreak. There have been no known cases since 2003, although the disease has not yet been declared as “eradicated”.

15 D.M.V. issuance : REAL ID

What we know today as “Real IDs” are the result of the Real ID Act of 2005. One of the most visible results of the law are state-issued drivers’ licenses that meet new minimum security standards set by the federal government.

In most states, the government agency responsible for vehicle registration and the issuing of driver’s licenses is called the DMV. This initialism usually stands for the Department of Motor Vehicles, but there are “variations on the theme”. For example, in Arizona the responsible agency is called the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), and in Colorado the familiar abbreviation “DMV” stands for Division of Motor Vehicles.

22 ___ Day, winner of a best actress Golden Globe for “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” : ANDRA

Andra Day is a singer/songwriter who grew up in San Diego. Day’s singing career got a lift in 2010 when Stevie Wonder’s wife heard Day performing at a strip mall. Stevie Wonder reached out to Day, and so is at least partly credited with her discovery.

24 The Family Circus cartoonist : KEANE

“The Family Circus” comic strip is written by Bil Keane. Once Bil sketches out the text and idea for the cartoon he sends it off to his son Jeff, who inks and colors it so that it is ready for publication. In the storyline itself, the main characters are based on Bil’s own family. In fact, the character “Jeffy” is based on Jeff, Bil’s son and production assistant.

26 Announcer of yore : CRIER

Town criers make public announcements on the streets, usually shouting “Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!” to attract attention. The term “oyez” derives from the Anglo-Norman word for “listen” and is used in this instance to me “Hear ye!”

27 Wrestler Rousey : RONDA

Ronda Rousey is a mixed martial artist, and the first US woman to win an Olympic medal in judo. Rousey is a popular person online, with hers being the third-most searched name on Google in 2015 (after Lamar Odom and Caitlyn Jenner).

28 Breed of cattle : ANGUS

The full name of the cattle breed is Aberdeen Angus, which is also the name used around the world outside of North America. The breed was developed by crossbreeding cattle from the counties of Aberdeenshire and Angus in Scotland. The breed stands out in the US as Angus cattle don’t have horns.

29 Road Runner’s sounds : BEEPS

Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner are two much-loved cartoon characters from Warner Bros. Wile E. Coyote was created first, and Road Runner was invented as someone for Wile E. to play off. I love this cartoon; it’s definitely one of the best …

35 L.C.D. component : DISPLAY

Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) are the screens that are found in most laptops today, and in flat panel computer screens and some televisions. LCD monitors basically replaced Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) screens, the old television technology.

36 Hair nets : SNOODS

A snood is a net or a bag worn over the hair. “Snood” comes from the Old English word “snod” meaning “ribbon for the hair”.

38 … for anger ___ in the bosom of fools: Ecclesiastes : RESTETH

Ecclesiastes is a book in the Hebrew Bible and in the Christian Old Testament. The term “ecclesiastes” is usually translated as “teacher” or “preacher”, although a more literal translation is “gatherer”.

42 Video game series with “Spa Day” and “Jungle Adventure” expansion packs, with “The” : SIMS

SimCity is a very clever computer game. Players build and grow cities and societies by creating the conditions necessary for people (the Sims) to move in and thrive. SimCity was launched in 1989, and to this day it is consistently ranked as one of the greatest computer games of all time.

44 Richard of Hollywood : GERE

Richard Gere is an American actor who is a practicing Buddhist and has been a student of the Dalai Lama for many years. He has been married three times, including his first marriage to supermodel Cindy Crawford. They were married from 1991 to 1995.

45 Sports org. headquartered in Indianapolis : NCAA

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) dates back to the Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. When his son broke his nose playing football at Harvard, President Roosevelt turned his attention to the number of serious injuries and even deaths occurring in college sports. He instigated meetings between the major educational institutions, leading to the formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS) in 1906, which was given the remit of regulating college sports. The IAAUS became the NCAA in 1910. The NCAA has been headquartered in Indianapolis since 1999.

47 Slacks, informally : TROU

The term “slacks” was introduced in the early 1800s with the meaning “loose trousers”. Those early slacks were part of a military uniform.

48 ___ law : OHM’S

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.

50 One-named designer born Romain de Tirtoff : ERTE

“Erté” was the pseudonym of French (Russian-born) artist and designer Romain de Tirtoff. “Erté” is the French pronunciation of his initials “R.T.” Erté’s diverse portfolio of work included costumes and sets for the “Ziegfeld Follies” of 1923, productions of the Parisian cabaret show “Folies Bergère”, as well as the 1925 epic movie “Ben-Hur”. Erté’s most famous work by far is an image titled “Symphony in Black”. It depicts a tall and slender woman dressed in black, holding a black dog on a leash.