Constructed by: Laura Dershewitz & Katherine Baicker
Edited by: Joel Fagliano
Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Reveal Answer: Ad Hominem
Themed answers are common phrases, to which we ADD a HOMONYM of the final word. Very, very clever …
- 34A Kind of fallacious argument … or, phonetically, a hint to the answers to the starred clues : AD HOMINEM … or, ADD HOMONYM
- 17A *Mint on a pillow, maybe? : HOTEL SUITE SWEET
- 27A *”Pippi Longstocking,” for one? : PIGTAIL TAIL
- 46A *Marriage ceremony for the perfect guy? : MR RIGHT RITE
- 57A *Mother superior? : SECOND-TO-NONE NUN
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Bill’s time: 8m 56s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
10 URL starter : HTTP
“http” are the first letters in many Internet links. “http” stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol. More secure and “safer” websites (like this one!) use links starting with “https”, which stands for “http secure”).
15 Less-than-stellar sound quality, informally : LO-FI
Hi-fi systems were introduced in the late 1940s. They are pieces of audio equipment designed to give a much higher quality reproduction of sound than cheaper systems available up to that point. “Hi-fi” stands for “high fidelity”.
16 Dayton’s state : OHIO
Dayton is a city in the southwest of Ohio that is famously home to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The city is also referred to as the “Birthplace of Aviation”, as it was in Dayton that Orville and Wilbur Wright built and improved the Wright Flyer. The Wright Flyer made the first controlled and sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft in 1903 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
20 “___ and the Real Girl” (Ryan Gosling film) : LARS
“Lars and the Real Girl” is a pretty weird 2007 film about a shy young man who develops a relationship with an anatomically-correct, life-size doll. Said shy, young man is played by actor Ryan Gosling.
Ryan Gosling is a Canadian actor who is one of a string of entertainers to graduate from the Mickey Mouse Club on the Disney Channel. His career really took off when he played the male lead in the 2004 movie “The Notebook” (the best ever “weepie”, according to my wife). Gosling is quite the musician, and is one half of a rock duo called Dead Man’s Bones.
22 Rwandan people : TUTSI
The Tutsi are the second-largest population in Rwanda, with the Hutu being the largest. The bloody conflict that has existed between the Tutsi and Hutu peoples dates back to about 1880 when Catholic missionaries arrived in the region. The missionaries found that they had more success converting the Hutus than the Tutsi, and when the Germans occupied the area during WWI they confiscated Tutsi land and gave it to Hutu tribes in order to reward religious conversion. This injustice fuels fighting to this very day.
27 *”Pippi Longstocking,” for one? : PIGTAIL TAIL
Pippi Longstocking appears as the heroine in a series of books written by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. Lindgren was quite the activist, very well known in the circles working for children’s and animal rights, In particular, Lindgren campaigned heavily against corporal punishment.
32 60 minuti : ORA
In Italian, there are “sessanta minuti” (sixty minutes) in an “ora” (hour).
34 Kind of fallacious argument … or, phonetically, a hint to the answers to the starred clues : AD HOMINEM … or, ADD HOMONYM
Ad hominem arguments appeal to personal beliefs and/or emotions rather than to logic or reason. The phrase “ad hominem” is Latin meaning “to the man”, indicating that the appeal is to the person with whom one is debating or whom one is trying to influence.
Homonyms are words that have the same spelling and the same pronunciation but different meanings e.g. skate (a fish) and skate (worn on the foot). However, the term “homonyms” can also apply in common parlance to words that are pronounced OR spelled the same way but have different meanings. So one might also refer to the words ere, air, err and heir as homonyms, as they all can be pronounced the same way. Strictly speaking, this is a list of homophones. I know, I don’t like ambiguity either …
55 “Harrumph!,” to Scrooge : BAH!
The classic 1843 novella “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens has left us with a few famous phrases and words. Firstly, it led to popular use of the phrase “Merry Christmas”, and secondly it gave us the word “scrooge” to describe a miserly person. And thirdly, everyone knows that Ebenezer Scrooge uttered the words “Bah! Humbug!”.
61 Gold-coated : GILT
To gild is to coat with gold. The phrase “to gild the lily” means to add unnecessary ornamentation, to try to improve something that is already ideal.
62 ___ nous (privately) : ENTRE
In French, something might perhaps be discussed “entre deux” (between two) or “entre nous” (between us).
65 Floated down a lazy river, perhaps : TUBED
In the activity of river tubing, participants free-float down a river in inflated inner tubes. Tubers can also ride on inner tubes down a snowy slope.
Down
1 Haul, from the Yiddish : SCHLEP
Our word “schlep” (sometimes “schlepp”) means “carry, drag”. “Schlep” comes from Yiddish, with “shlepen” having the same meaning.
2 Country that adopted the euro in 2023 : CROATIA
The Republic of Croatia is a Balkan country. The Croats declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. Croatia became a member of NATO in 2009, and a member of the European Union in 2013.
9 Regimen of healthful meals : DIET PLAN
Quite often, the terms “regime” and “regimen” seem to be used interchangeably. In contemporary usage, “regime” is applied more generally, and “regimen” more specifically. A “regimen” is a systematic approach that one might apply to something, to exercise or diet for example. The term “regime” can also be used in such contexts, but can have additional definitions, such as “government in power”. A form of government cannot be described as a “regimen”.
11 Phoenix basketball team, familiarly : THE SUNS
The Phoenix Suns NBA team are in the Pacific Division, and are the only team in that division not based in California.
25 Delhi wrap : SARI
New Delhi is the capital city of India. New Delhi resides within the National Capital Territory of Delhi (otherwise known as the metropolis of Delhi). New Delhi and Delhi, therefore, are two different things.
28 Kid-lit character who tells his ailing friend, “Today you look very green, even for a frog” : TOAD
The “Frog and Toad” series of books for young children was written and illustrated by Arnold Lobel. The books were the basis of a 2002 Broadway musical called “A Year with Frog and Toad”.
29 Marisa who played herself in a “Seinfeld” cameo : TOMEI
Marisa Tomei’s first screen role was in the daytime soap “As the World Turns”, but her break came with a recurring role in “The Cosby Show” spin-off “A Different World”. Tomei won an Oscar for her delightful performance in “My Cousin Vinny” in 1992.
39 Exam with a capital E : EYE TEST
The commonly used eye chart (that starts with the letters “E FP TOZ LPED”) is called a Snellen chart. The test is named after its developer Herman Snellen, who introduced it way back in 1862.
48 Alternative to a Twinkie : HO HO
Ho Hos snack cakes were first produced in San Francisco in 1967. The “Happy Ho Ho” mascot was created for the brand in the 1970s, and was a cartoon character in a Robin Hood outfit. Ho Hos weren’t the best thing to come out of the sixties I’d say …
The snack cakes called Twinkies have been around since 1930. They were created by a baker called James Dewar, who chose the name from a billboard advertising “Twinkle Toe Shoes”. The original filling in the cake was a banana cream, but this was swapped out as a result of rationing during WWII. The vanilla cream became so popular that the banana recipe was dropped completely.
55 Get out of Dodge … or an electric Chevy : BOLT
The phrase “get out of Dodge”, meaning “scram, flee”, is a reference to Dodge City, Kansas. The phrase became a cliché on TV westerns (mainly “Gunsmoke”, I think) and was then popularized by teenagers in the sixties and seventies.
57 ___ generis (unique) : SUI
“Sui generis” is a Latin expression meaning “of its own kind”. The term can be used in a number of fields, and in philosophy it refers to an idea which cannot be included in a wider concept, and idea of its own kind.
58 Mama’s hermana : TIA
In Spanish, the “hermana” (sister) of your “madre” (mother) is your “tia” (aunt).
Read on, or …
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Get moving : SCOOT
6 Get moving? : PROD
10 URL starter : HTTP
14 Apt rhyme for “lewd” : CRUDE
15 Less-than-stellar sound quality, informally : LO-FI
16 Dayton’s state : OHIO
17 *Mint on a pillow, maybe? : HOTEL SUITE SWEET
20 “___ and the Real Girl” (Ryan Gosling film) : LARS
21 Auditing org. : IRS
22 Rwandan people : TUTSI
23 “When will u b here?” : ETA?
24 The Sports ___ (Portland bar dedicated to women’s athletics) : BRA
25 Emerges from a seed : SPROUTS
27 *”Pippi Longstocking,” for one? : PIGTAIL TAIL
30 Enthusiast : NUT
31 Many millennia : AEON
32 60 minuti : ORA
33 Get a look at : ESPY
34 Kind of fallacious argument … or, phonetically, a hint to the answers to the starred clues : AD HOMINEM … or, ADD HOMONYM
38 Techie or Trekkie, say : NERD
41 Limiting factor for a car rental : AGE
42 Not a hit : MISS
45 Pro for the pirates? : AYE
46 *Marriage ceremony for the perfect guy? : MR RIGHT RITE
50 ___ manner (doctor’s demeanor) : BEDSIDE
52 Android competitor : IOS
53 W.C. : LAV
54 Student with a private teacher : TUTEE
55 “Harrumph!,” to Scrooge : BAH!
56 Dole (out) : METE
57 *Mother superior? : SECOND-TO-NONE NUN
60 App customer : USER
61 Gold-coated : GILT
62 ___ nous (privately) : ENTRE
63 Teensy : ITSY
64 Gobbles up : EATS
65 Floated down a lazy river, perhaps : TUBED
Down
1 Haul, from the Yiddish : SCHLEP
2 Country that adopted the euro in 2023 : CROATIA
3 Indignation : OUTRAGE
4 Praiseful poems : ODES
5 Contact list no. : TEL
6 Like checks and balances? : PLURAL
7 French kings : ROIS
8 Many times, poetically : OFT
9 Regimen of healthful meals : DIET PLAN
10 D.I.Y. genre : HOW-TO
11 Phoenix basketball team, familiarly : THE SUNS
12 Force a game into extra innings, say : TIE IT UP
13 Word before hole or holder : POT-
18 Apple’s digital assistant : SIRI
19 “Um, OK” : SURE
24 Focus of a geologist or music reviewer : BAND
25 Delhi wrap : SARI
26 Pig’s pad : STY
28 Kid-lit character who tells his ailing friend, “Today you look very green, even for a frog” : TOAD
29 Marisa who played herself in a “Seinfeld” cameo : TOMEI
33 Mideast ruler : EMIR
35 Painting style with abrupt transitions of color : HARD EDGE
36 Fairy tale monster : OGRE
37 CPR specialists : EMTS
38 Catch, as a criminal : NAB
39 Exam with a capital E : EYE TEST
40 Simplifies, as a fraction : REDUCES
43 The fourth letter of “bomb,” but not the first : SILENT B
44 Reputation : STATURE
46 Appearance : MIEN
47 Fairy tale monsters : GIANTS
48 Alternative to a Twinkie : HO HO
49 Made level : EVENED
51 Level : STORY
55 Get out of Dodge … or an electric Chevy : BOLT
56 The Cheesecake Factory’s has more than 20 pages : MENU
57 ___ generis (unique) : SUI
58 Mama’s hermana : TIA
59 Not gross, as income : NET
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8 thoughts on “0326-24 NY Times Crossword 26 Mar 24, Tuesday”
Comments are closed.
11:03, no errors. I did this puzzle last night after a long day and the wordplay (AD HOMINEM to ADD HOMONYM) didn’t really sink in until just now. Very clever … 🙂.
15:05, no errors.
11D: Haven’t followed the NBA since the Sonics left Seattle. Thought Bill must have been mistaken when he said that the Pheonix Suns were the only non-California team in the Western Division. Surprised that the Portland Trailblazers are now in the new (to me) Northwest Division. Live and learn.
16:07 idiot that I am, I was still trying to make “ad hominem” into a single word. Never heard the term before. That said, I didn’t pick up on the gimmick until coming here.
14:44,no errors. Struggled a bit with the “add homonym” trick until it finally dawned on me. Crosses helped me a ton.
11:31. Fun theme. Had to lean on it in a few places for some of the fill.
Surprised they didn’t use “guilt” with GILT somehow..
Best –
No errors.
Cute
enough is enough. No more crosswords for me. cancelled my newspaper supscription. adios weenies
No errors but if this is these setters idea of a Tuesday puzzle then if I ever come across them on a Thursday or Friday I think I will find something else to do👎👎
Stay safe😀
Go Orioles⚾️