1217-23 NY Times Crossword 17 Dec 23, Sunday

Constructed by: Jeremy Newton
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: Get Over It

There is a lot going on in today’s puzzle:

Themed answers each include a rebus square continuing the word BRIDGE.

  • 21A Where Lords Byron and Tennyson studied : CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY
  • 114A Past disagreements that are no longer of concern … or each block of shaded squares in this puzzle? : WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE
  • 12D Left jobs on bad terms, say : BURNED BRIDGES
  • 30D Practices diplomacy : BUILDS BRIDGES
  • 41D Long story short? : ABRIDGED TEXT
  • 58D Co-star of “Airplane!” and “Hot Shots!” : LLOYD BRIDGES
  • 83D Over the line, so to speak : A BRIDGE TOO FAR

Answers crossing those BRIDGES in the intersecting direction “cross” those BRIDGES, ignoring the rebus square.

  • 4D Make out, in London : SNOG (B-OG under the bridge)
  • 44A Murals or graffiti, e.g. : URBAN ART (BA-Y under the bridge)
  • 46A How one might sing an R&B ballad : SOULFULLY (G-ULF under the bridge)
  • 66A 1937 Steinbeck novella : OF MICE AND MEN (O-CEAN under the bridge)
  • 85A 2002 hit song for No Doubt : HELLA GOOD (LAGOO-N under the bridge)
  • 87A Cry for a spell? : ALAKAZAM (LAK-E under the bridge)
  • 105D Brainstorm : IDEA (S-EA under the bridge)

Each rebus square starts or finishes a hidden word, shown in shaded letters. Those hidden words are bodies of water, if we view the letter hidden under each BRIDGE. Those hidden letters, reading from the top of the grid, spell out B-Y-G-O-N-E-S.

  • 122A Apt word spelled from this puzzle’s “covered” letters, top to bottom : BYGONES

WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE is letting BYGONES be BYGONES.

  • 114A Past disagreements that are no longer of concern … or each block of shaded squares in this puzzle? : WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE

Bill’s time: 19m 28s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5 Seesaw-powered vehicle on railroad tracks : HANDCAR

The most notable handcar design used on railroad tracks is powered by a walking beam that passengers alternately push up and down. Thousands of handcars were built for the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad.

18 Bay Area start-up mecca : PALO ALTO

The city of Palo Alto, California takes its name from a specific redwood tree called El Palo Alto (Spanish for “the tall stick”) that is located within the bounds of the city. The tree is 110 feet tall and over a thousand years old.

21 Where Lords Byron and Tennyson studied : CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY

The University of Cambridge in England is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world (after the University of Oxford). It is also the third-oldest university in the world (the University of Bologna is the oldest).

George Gordon Byron, known simply as “Lord Byron”, was an English poet active in the early 1800s. Byron was equally as famous for his poetry as he was for the wild excesses in his personal life. Byron lived much of that life outside of England, and fought for revolutionaries in both Italy and Greece. He died from a fever contracted while fighting for the Greeks against the Ottomans.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson was the Poet Laureate during much of the reign of Queen Victoria. There are many phrases we use today that were first penned by Tennyson, including:

  • – ‘Tis better to have loved and lost / Than never to have loved at all
  • – Theirs not to reason why, / Theirs but to do and die

23 Site of a claw machine : ARCADE

Our word “arcade” comes from the Latin “arcus” meaning “arc”. The first arcades were passages made from a series of arches. This could be an avenue of trees, and eventually any covered avenue. I remember arcades lined with shops and stores when I was growing up on the other side of the Atlantic. Arcades came to be lined with lots of amusements, resulting in amusement arcades and video game arcades.

28 Alternative to Google : BING

Bing is the search engine from Microsoft. “Bing” is the latest name for an engine that Microsoft used to call Live Search, Windows Live Search and MSN Search.

35 Flabbergast : ASTOUND

Apparently, there was a 1772 magazine article that described “flabbergasted” as a word that was in vogue at the time. That article also stated that the origin of the term was uncertain. Someone who is flabbergasted is utterly astonished. Like me, most of the time …

38 Features of Russian Orthodox churches : DOMES

Onion domes, named for their onion-like shape, are usually associated with Russian Orthodox churches. Onion domes are often seen in groups of three or five. The number three represents the Holy Trinity, and the number five represents Jesus Christ and the four evangelists.

40 Trekker to Mecca : HAJI

“Haji” (also “Hajji” and “Hadji”) is the term used for someone who has made a pilgrimage to Mecca, and it is sometimes also used as a form of address for such a person. The journey itself goes by the name “haj”, “hajj” or “hadj”.

44 Murals or graffiti, e.g. : URBAN ART

A mural is a painting that is applied directly to a wall or a ceiling. The term “mural” comes from the Latin “murus” meaning “wall”.

Graffiti is the plural of “graffito”, the Italian for “scribbling”. The word was first used to describe ancient inscriptions on the walls in the ruins of Pompeii.

50 It might make your hair stand on end : MOUSSE

Our word “mousse” is an Old French term meaning “froth”.

55 Mormon Church inits. : LDS

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) is known colloquially as the Mormon Church.

56 Sensational reading material : PULP

“Pulp fiction” was the name given to cheap, fiction magazines that were popular from the late 1890s up to the 1950s. The phrase comes from the inexpensive wood pulp paper that was used for the publications. The upmarket equivalent was printed on fine glossy paper.

66 1937 Steinbeck novella : OF MICE AND MEN

“Of Mice and Men” is a novella written by American author John Steinbeck, published in 1937. The title comes from the famous poem by Robert Burns, “To a Mouse”. The inspirational line from the poem is “The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men, gang aft tagley.” Steinbeck actually wrote “Of Mice and Men” as a “novel-play”, intending that the line from the novel used as a script for a play. I actually saw the theatrical version on stage for the first time quite recently, and really enjoyed it.

71 Count on one hand? : SIXTY

We use base-10, the decimal system for our numbers. Base-60, the sexagesimal system, was used by the ancient Babylonians. This ancient usage gives rise to our 60 seconds in a minute, and 360 (6 x 60) degrees in a circle.

73 Airer of the morning show “Get Up” : ESPN

The initialism “ESPN” stands for Entertainment Sports Programming Network. ESPN is a cable network that broadcasts sports programming 24 hours a day, and was launched back in 1979. ESPN has a lot of ardent fans. Several parents have named their children Espn (usually pronounced “Espen”) in honor of the network.

75 Olive in old comics : OYL

E. C. Segar’s cartoon character Olive Oyl had quite a large family. Her mother is Nana Oyl, and her father Cole Oyl. Olive’s brother is Castor Oyl, and she has uncles named Otto Oyl and Lubry Kent Oyl (my favorite!).

79 Like the moon in a solar eclipse : REAR-LIT

A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes into the shadow cast by the Earth from the light of the Sun, in other words when the Earth is positioned directly between the Sun and the Moon. The more spectacular solar eclipse takes place when the Moon passes in front of the Sun, so that the Earth falls into the shadow cast by the Moon.

81 Malicious Mr. of fiction : HYDE

Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” was published in 1886. There are many tales surrounding the writing of the story, including that the author wrote the basic tale in just three to six days, and spent a few weeks simply refining it. Allegedly, Stevenson’s use of cocaine stimulated his creative juices during those few days of writing.

82 A regular in Italian clubs? : SALAMI

“Salame” (note the letter E at the end) is an Italian sausage that is traditionally associated with the peasant classes. The meat in the sausage is preserved with salt, and it can be hung and stored for as long as ten years. The name “salame” comes from “sale”, the Italian word for salt, and “-ame”, a suffix indicating a collective noun. Our English word “salami” is actually the Italian plural for “salame”.

85 2002 hit song for No Doubt : HELLA GOOD

No Doubt is a rock band that formed in 1986 in Anaheim, California. No Doubt’s lead singer is Gwen Stefani.

91 Significant piece : OPUS

The Latin for “work” is “opus”, with the plural being “opera”. We sometimes use the plural “opuses” in English, but people do that just to annoy me …

94 Fast-food chain with a sunrise in its logo : DEL TACO

The Del Taco chain of fast food restaurants opened for business in 1964, with the first restaurant called “Casa Del Taco” located in Yermo, California. Del Taco serves American-style Mexican cuisine as well as the typical collection of hamburgers, fries and shakes.

98 Call in a ring, for short : TKO

Technical knockout (TKO)

99 Dweller in a tree hollow : OWL

Owls have 14 vertebrae in their necks (compared to our 7). The extra bones in the neck, along with other adaptations allow owls to rotate the head and neck about 270 degrees.

120 Actress Witherspoon : REESE

“Reese” is not actually actress Witherspoon’s given name. She started out life as Laura Jeanne Witherspoon. “Reese” is her mother’s maiden name.

123 Office monitor, in brief : OSHA

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Down

3 Nation across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait from Djibouti : YEMEN

The Bab-el-Mandeb is a strait lying between Yemen in the Middle East and Eritrea and Djibouti in the Horn of Africa. Also known as Mandeb Strait, “Bab-el-Mandeb” translates as “Gate of Tears”. The somewhat terrifying name is a reference to the dangers of navigating the narrow strait.

4 Make out, in London : SNOG

“Snogging” is British slang of unknown origin that dates back to the end of WWII. The term is used for “kissing and cuddling”, what we call “making out” over here in the US.

8 They often need new suits for work, for short : DAS

District attorney (DA)

11 “Succession” TV family : ROYS

“Succession” is a very popular dark comedy-drama series that premiered in 2018. It’s about a family-owned, global media company. The “succession” in question is who will get to run the empire after the passing of the ailing family patriarch. The marvelous Scottish actor Brian Cox plays the head of the company Logan Roy. Great stuff, albeit quite depressing and terrifying …

14 Home of the Rosa Parks Museum : ALABAMA

Rosa Parks was one of a cadre of brave women in days gone by who refused to give up their seats on a bus to white women. It was the stand taken by Rosa Parks on December 1, 1955 that sparked the Montgomery, Alabama Bus Boycott. President Clinton presented Ms. Parks with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1996. When she died in 2005, Rosa Parks became the first ever woman to have her body lie in honor in the US Capitol Rotunda.

15 Siren, for one : SEDUCER

In Greek mythology, the Sirens were seductive bird-women who lured men to their deaths with their song. When Odysseus sailed close to the island home of the Sirens he wanted to hear their voices, but in safety. He had his men plug their ears with beeswax and then ordered them to tie him to the mast and not to free him until they were safe. On hearing their song Odysseus begged to be let loose, but the sailors just tightened his bonds and the whole crew sailed away unharmed. We sometimes use the term “siren” today to describe a seductively charming woman.

18 Alternative to a cab : PINOT

The pinot noir wine grape variety takes its name from the French for “pine” and “black”. The grapes grow in tight clusters shaped like pine cones, and are very dark in color. The pinot noir grape is most closely associated with Burgundy wines in France, although in recent years the popularity (and price) of California pinot noir wine has soared after it featured so prominently in the wonderful 2004 movie “Sideways”. Grab a bottle of pinot, and go rent the movie …

31 How Reubens are made : ON RYE

There are conflicting stories about the origin of the Reuben sandwich. One such story is that it was invented around 1914 by Arnold Reuben, an immigrant from Germany who owned Reuben’s Deli in New York.

37 Fad figurine with colorful unkempt hair : TROLL DOLL

“Troll” is a term that comes from Norse mythology. They are less-than-helpful creatures that tend to live on isolated mountains, in caves and under bridges.

41 Long story short? : ABRIDGED TEXT

The words “abridge” and “abbreviate” both come from the same Latin root “abbreviare”, meaning to “make short”.

42 Au ___ (menu phrase) : JUS

The French term “au jus” is usually translated as “with its own juice”.

47 It’s a lot for a lord to manage : FIEF

In the days of feudalism, a “fief” was basically a “fee” (the words “fee” and “fief” have the same origins) paid by a Lord in exchange for some benefit to him, perhaps loyalty, or military service. The fief itself was often land granted by the Lord. We use the term “fiefdom” (and sometimes “fief) figuratively, to describe a sphere of operation controlled by one dominant person or entity.

49 Don Juan : LADIES’ MAN

Don Juan is a flighty character who has been featured by a number of authors, poets and composers, including Molière, Byron, and Mozart. In the underlying legend, Don Juan ends up talking to the statue of the dead father of one of his conquests. Don Juan dines with the ghost of the dead man and when shaking the hand of the ghost he is dragged away to hell. We now use the term “Don Juan” to describe any womanizer or ladies’ man.

53 Adler who outwitted Sherlock Holmes : IRENE

The character Irene Adler only appears in one of the many Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In the story “A Scandal in Bohemia”, Holmes expresses remarkable admiration for Adler as a woman and as a foe. As a result, derivative works in the Holmes genre often feature Adler as something of a romantic interest for Sherlock.

58 Co-star of “Airplane!” and “Hot Shots!” : LLOYD BRIDGES

Actor Lloyd Bridges is noted for his many television and movie roles over a long and distinguished career. Lloyd is also remembered as the father of two great actor sons: Beau Bridges and Jeff Bridges. Lloyd served with the US Coast Guard during WWII, and was a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary after the war. Sons Beau and Jeff also served in the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Reserve.

59 Left quickly, with “out” : PEELED …

One might peel out at the start of a drag race, for example. It’s possible that the reference here is to a “peel” of rubber left on the road surface due to the tires skidding from the rapid acceleration.

61 “The Crown” actress Claire : FOY

English actress Claire Foy is perhaps best known in North America for playing Queen Anne Boleyn in the miniseries “Wolf Hall”, and a young Queen Elizabeth II in the award-winning series “The Crown”.

63 How some Cajuns converse : IN CREOLE

In the US, the term “Creole” is usually a reference to the people descended from the colonial French and colonial Spanish people who settled in the Louisiana region before it became part of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.

69 “Cómo ___ usted?” : ESTA

“¿Cómo está usted?” is the more formal way of asking “How are you?” in Spanish.

72 Mastodons’ defenses : TUSKS

Mastodons were large mammals that were related to the modern elephant. Mastodons roamed the forest of North and Central America until they became extinct about 10,000 to 11,000 years ago. Their extinction is believed to have come about due to a rapid change in climate.

78 Lapis ___, blue gem pulverized for paint during the Renaissance : LAZULI

Lapis lazuli is a blue, semi-precious stone mined mainly in Afghanistan. “Lapis Lazuli” is Latin for “stone of Lazhward”, referring to the Persian name for the location where the stone was mined. Our word “azure”, a shade of blue, has the same root.

80 “Arabian Nights” prince : AHMED

In the “Arabian Nights”, Prince Ahmed is noted for having a magic tent which would grow larger to shelter an army, and then grow small again so that it could fit into a pocket.

81 1950s school dance : HOP

Sock hops were high school dances typically held in the school gym or cafeteria. The term “sock hop” arose because the dancers were often required to remove their shoes to protect the varnished floor in the gym.

84 Texter’s “To me …” : IMO …

In my opinion (IMO)

87 Operator of the Texas Eagle and Southwest Chief : AMTRAK

“Amtrak” is the name used commercially by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation. It comes from a melding of the words “America” and “track”.

95 Some low-risk government issues, informally : T-BONDS

A Treasury note (T-note) is a government debt that matures in 1-10 years. A T-note has a coupon (interest) payment made every six months. The T-note is purchased at a discount to face value, and at the date of maturity can be redeemed at that face value. A Treasury bill (T-bill) is a similar financial vehicle, but it matures in one year or less, and a T-bond matures in 20-30 years.

96 Take for ___ (bamboozle) : A RIDE

It’s thought that the lovely word “bamboozle” came into English from the Scottish “bombaze” meaning “perplex”. We’ve been using “bamboozle” since the very early 1700s.

97 Natalie with 12 Top 40 hits : COLE

Natalie Cole is the daughter of Nat King Cole. Natalie’s mother was Maria Cole, a singer with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. The most famous version of the hit song “Unforgettable” was released in 1951 by Nat King Cole. In 1991, Natalie Cole recorded a version that was mixed with an earlier 1961 version sung by her father, creating an “unforgettable” father-daughter duet that was made 26 years after Nat King Cole had passed away.

102 California’s San ___ County : MATEO

The San Francisco Bay Area comprises the nine counties that impinge on the San Francisco Bay itself: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma. The region also includes the major cities of San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland.

108 Lowly deckhand : SWAB

“Swabbie” (also “swabby, swab, swabber”) is a slang term meaning “sailor” that we’ve been using since the late 1700s. A swab was originally a member of the crew assigned to the swabbing (mopping) of the ship’s decks.

113 Bitter brew, in brief : IPA

India pale ale (IPA) is a style of beer that originated in England. The beer was originally intended for transportation from England to India, hence the name.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Delights : JOYS
5 Seesaw-powered vehicle on railroad tracks : HANDCAR
12 They may be wireless : BRAS
16 Mass approvals : AMENS
18 Bay Area start-up mecca : PALO ALTO
19 Powered (by) : FUELED
21 Where Lords Byron and Tennyson studied : CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY
23 Site of a claw machine : ARCADE
24 Private meeting : ONE-ON-ONE
25 Add, as cilantro to guacamole : MASH IN
27 “___ of course!” : BUT
28 Alternative to Google : BING
29 Failed web venture, in slang : DOT-BOMB
33 Previously, in poetry : ERE
34 Biggest club in Vegas? : ACE
35 Flabbergast : ASTOUND
36 Real dump : STY
38 Features of Russian Orthodox churches : DOMES
40 Trekker to Mecca : HAJI
43 Org. that employed W.W. II-era Donald Duck as a spokesperson : IRS
44 Murals or graffiti, e.g. : URBAN ART
46 How one might sing an R&B ballad : SOULFULLY
50 It might make your hair stand on end : MOUSSE
51 Whales swim in them : PODS
52 Declaration upon arrival : I MADE IT
55 Mormon Church inits. : LDS
56 Sensational reading material : PULP
60 ___-repeated : OFT
61 Longstanding rivalries : FEUDS
62 Stir up : ROIL
64 Expansive : AMPLE
65 Recreational ___ : USE
66 1937 Steinbeck novella : OF MICE AND MEN
70 Pedicure target : TOE
71 Count on one hand? : SIXTY
73 Airer of the morning show “Get Up” : ESPN
74 Do the bare minimum : COAST
75 Olive in old comics : OYL
76 “You!?,” whimsically : ET TU?!
77 Former M.L.B. left-handed pitchers Jackson and Leiter : ALS
79 Like the moon in a solar eclipse : REAR-LIT
81 Malicious Mr. of fiction : HYDE
82 A regular in Italian clubs? : SALAMI
85 2002 hit song for No Doubt : HELLA GOOD
87 Cry for a spell? : ALAKAZAM!
90 Angsty and brooding : EMO
91 Significant piece : OPUS
92 In the heart of, poetically : MIDST
93 Due ÷ due : UNO
94 Fast-food chain with a sunrise in its logo : DEL TACO
98 Call in a ring, for short : TKO
99 Dweller in a tree hollow : OWL
101 Obnoxiously fratty sort : DUDE-BRO
102 “Allow me to demonstrate?” : MAY I?
106 Be an ambassador for, in brief : REP
107 “It all makes sense now” : OH, I SEE
110 Like some economies and moisturizers : OIL-BASED
112 Left-wing protest group : ANTIFA
114 Past disagreements that are no longer of concern … or each block of shaded squares in this puzzle? : WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE
118 Don’t give up on : KEEP AT
119 How ancient mariners relied on the stars : AS A GUIDE
120 Actress Witherspoon : REESE
121 Sport : WEAR
122 Apt word spelled from this puzzle’s “covered” letters, top to bottom : BYGONES
123 Office monitor, in brief : OSHA

Down

1 Son of Isaac : JACOB
2 Citizen neighboring 3-Down : OMANI
3 Nation across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait from Djibouti : YEMEN
4 Make out, in London : SNOG
5 Must : HAVE TO
6 Drink from the tap? : ALE
7 Negative connector : NOR
8 They often need new suits for work, for short : DAS
9 Move up : CLIMB
10 “___ girl!” : ATTA
11 “Succession” TV family : ROYS
12 Left jobs on bad terms, say : BURNED BRIDGES
13 Remote button : REC
14 Home of the Rosa Parks Museum : ALABAMA
15 Siren, for one : SEDUCER
17 Space heater? : SUN
18 Alternative to a cab : PINOT
19 “Sounds reasonable” : FAIR
20 Abominate : DETEST
22 Go-aheads : NODS
26 “Hi there, friend” : HEY, BUD
30 Practices diplomacy : BUILDS BRIDGES
31 How Reubens are made : ON RYE
32 O.R. V.I.P.s : MDS
35 Suffer : AIL
36 Put together : SUM
37 Fad figurine with colorful unkempt hair : TROLL DOLL
39 What takes a toll? : ONE PM
40 Chooses sidewalk over subway, say : HOOFS IT
41 Long story short? : ABRIDGED TEXT
42 Au ___ (menu phrase) : JUS
45 Dum-dum : ASS
46 Life partner : SPOUSE
47 It’s a lot for a lord to manage : FIEF
48 “I mean … uh … it’s just …” : UM … UM …
49 Don Juan : LADIES’ MAN
53 Adler who outwitted Sherlock Holmes : IRENE
54 Worn ___ frazzle : TO A
57 “Go ahead and decide” : UP TO YOU
58 Co-star of “Airplane!” and “Hot Shots!” : LLOYD BRIDGES
59 Left quickly, with “out” : PEELED …
61 “The Crown” actress Claire : FOY
63 How some Cajuns converse : IN CREOLE
64 Crumb lugger : ANT
67 Required E.M.T. skill : CPR
68 Much of it is junk : MAIL
69 “Cómo ___ usted?” : ESTA
72 Mastodons’ defenses : TUSKS
77 Taking after : A LA
78 Lapis ___, blue gem pulverized for paint during the Renaissance : LAZULI
80 “Arabian Nights” prince : AHMED
81 1950s school dance : HOP
83 Over the line, so to speak : A BRIDGE TOO FAR
84 Texter’s “To me …” : IMO …
86 Sludge : GOO
87 Operator of the Texas Eagle and Southwest Chief : AMTRAK
88 Perfectly refurbished : LIKE NEW
89 Rescue dog, e.g. : ADOPTEE
90 School email ender : EDU
95 Some low-risk government issues, informally : T-BONDS
96 Take for ___ (bamboozle) : A RIDE
97 Natalie with 12 Top 40 hits : COLE
100 “Are you serious?!” : WHAT?!
101 Unlink from a social media post, say : DETAG
102 California’s San ___ County : MATEO
103 Barbecue leftovers : ASHES
104 “Hoo-boy!” : YEESH!
105 Brainstorm : IDEA
108 Lowly deckhand : SWAB
109 What one star may mean : EASY
111 [shiver] : [BRR]
113 Bitter brew, in brief : IPA
115 Cause of a swollen head : EGO
116 Air … or chair : RUN
117 Illegal car maneuver, often : U-IE