Constructed by: Grant Boroughs
Edited by: Joel Fagliano
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… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Reveal Answer: Word Choice
Themed answers match the clue when we CHOOSE to include either “W” OR “D” within:
- 58A Author’s concern that, when parsed as four parts, provides a hint to this puzzle’s theme : WORD CHOICE, and “W” OR “D” CHOICE
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Bill’s time: 12m 02s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
5 Cy Young winners, e.g. : ACES
Cy Young was a pitcher in the major leagues from 1890-1911. Young is remembered for pitching the first perfect game of baseball’s modern era. Soon after he died in 1955, the Cy Young Award was created and is presented to the best pitcher in each baseball season.
12 Like many Keats works : ODIC
Poet John Keats is famous for writing a whole series of beautiful odes. The most renowned are the so-called “1819 Odes”, a collection from the year 1819 that includes famous poems such as “Ode on a Grecian Urn”, “Ode to a Nightingale” and “Ode to Psyche”.
13 Swahili honorific : BWANA
“Bwana” is a Swahili word meaning “important person” or “leader of a safari”.
14 “Lucy and ___” (2022 documentary) : DESI
“Lucy and Desi” is an Emmy-winning 2022 documentary directed by comedian and actress Amy Poehler. The film explores the relationship of entertainment legends Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. It includes interviews with the couple’s two children Lucie and Desi Jr.
15 Instrument panels : WASHBOARDS or DASHBOARDS
A jug band features a jug player, as well as others playing ordinary objects perhaps modified to make sound. One such instrument is the washtub bass. The “tub” is a stringed instrument that uses a metal washtub as a resonator. A washboard might also be used in a jug band, as a percussion instrument. The ribbed surface of the washboard is usually scraped using thimbles on the ends of the fingers.
Back in the 1800s, “dashboard” was the name given to a board placed at the front of a carriage to stop mud from “dashing” against the passengers in the carriage, mud that was kicked up by the hooves of the horses. Quite interesting …
23 “Educated insolence,” per Aristotle : WIT
Aristotle was a student of Plato in ancient Greece (and in turn, Plato was a student of Socrates). Aristotle’s most famous student was Alexander the Great.
28 Trademark of deadpan stand-ups : WRY HUMOR or DRY HUMOR
The term “deadpan”, slang for “impassive expression”, comes from “dead” (expressionless) and “pan” (slang for “face”).
30 Lou Grant’s wife on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” : EDIE
The character Lou Grant originated on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”. Grant was Mary Richards’ boss at WJM-TV in Minneapolis, and was played by Ed Asner. As Lou Grant, Asner was the only actor ever to win a comedy and drama Emmy for playing the same character.
40 Like the femur, among all bones in the body : LARGEST
The thigh bone, the femur, is the longest and strongest bone in the human body.
49 Black ___ : ICE
Black ice isn’t really black, but rather is transparent and allows the black color of the pavement below to be seen through it. Black ice is a notable hazard in that it forms in relatively dry conditions from moisture in the road surface itself. When that moisture freezes, it expands and creates an icy, transparent film.
51 What makes a sticker stickier? : AN I
“Sticker” becomes “stickier” by adding a letter I.
53 Dance floor lighting option : STROBE
A strobe light is a device that produces regular flashes, like the light on top of a police car. The term derives from the Greek “strobos” meaning “twisting, whirling”.
57 Ungulate feature : HOOF
Ungulates are hoofed animals. “Ungulate” comes from the Latin “ungula” meaning “hoof” or “claw”, which in turn comes from “unguis” meaning “nail”.
63 Bold, energetic and ambitious type, it’s said : ARIES
Aries the Ram is the first astrological sign in the Zodiac, and is named after the constellation. Your birth sign is Aries if you were born between March 21 and April 20, but if you are an Aries you would know that! “Aries” is the Latin word for “ram”.
67 Words to a betrayer : ET TU?
It was Shakespeare who popularized the words “Et tu, Brute?” (meaning “And you, Brutus?”). They appear in his play “Julius Caesar”, although the phrase had been around long before he penned his drama. It’s not known what Julius Caesar actually said in real life (if anything at all) as he was assassinated on the steps of the Senate in Rome.
Down
1 Major food source animal : COD
In Britain and Ireland, the most common fish that is used in traditional “fish and chips” is Atlantic cod. Cod has been overfished all over the world, and is now considered to be an endangered species by many international bodies. Confrontations over fishing rights in the North Atlantic led to conflicts called “the Cod Wars” between Iceland and the UK in the 1950s and the 1970s, with fishing fleets being protected by naval vessels and even shots being fired.
2 Computing pioneer Lovelace : ADA
Ada Lovelace’s real name and title was Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace. She was the only legitimate child of Lord Byron, the poet. Lovelace was fascinated by mathematics and wrote about the work done by Charles Babbage in building his groundbreaking mechanical computer. In some of her notes, she proposed an algorithm for Babbage’s machine to compute Bernoulli numbers. This algorithm is recognized by many as the world’s first computer program and so Lovelace is sometimes called the first “computer programmer”. There is a computer language called “Ada” that was named in her honor. The Ada language was developed from 1977 to 1983 for the US Department of Defense.
4 ___ Park, neighborhood of Los Angeles : ECHO
Echo Park is a neighborhood in Los Angeles that is home to one of the largest and oldest Lotus flower beds in the country, located in Echo Park Lake. The Lotus flowers bloom every summer and attract visitors from all over the city.
7 Burnt bit of brisket : END
Brisket is a cut of beef from the lower chest of the animal. The brisket muscles contain a large amount of connective tissue, so brisket can be a tough cut and needs to be carefully cooked. It is often braised and cooked as a pot roast, especially as a holiday dish in Jewish cuisine.
8 Confidently struts : SASHAYS
To sashay is to strut along in a showy manner. “Sashay” is an Anglicized form of the French word “chassé”, a sliding step used in square dancing.
9 ___ Bay, neighborhood of the Bronx : PELHAM
The suburban town of Pelham lies about 14 miles northeast of Manhattan. The land on which the town now sits was purchased in 1654 by English-born physician Thomas Pell, who named the area in honor of his old tutor Pelham Burton.
10 Italian cheese : ASIAGO
Asiago is a cheese that is named for the region in northeastern Italy from where it originates. It comes in varying textures depending on its age. Fresh Asiago is very smooth, while aged Asiago can be very crumbly.
14 One of three in an SOS message : DAH
The combination of three dots – three dashes – three dots, is a Morse signal first introduced by the German government as a standard distress call in 1905. The sequence is remembered as the letters SOS (three dots – pause – three dashes – pause – three dots). That said, in the emergency signal there is no pause between the dots and dashes, so “SOS” is really only a mnemonic. Similarly, the phrases “Save Our Souls” and “Save Our Ship” are back-formations that were introduced after the SOS signal was adopted.
20 Melancholy Musketeer : ATHOS
Alexandre Dumas’ “Three Musketeers” are Athos, Porthos and Aramis, although the hero of the novel is the trio’s young protégé D’Artagnan. A musketeer was an infantry soldier who was equipped with a musket. Funnily enough, the three “musketeers” really don’t use their muskets, and are better known for prowess with their swords.
27 “Twilight” protagonist : BELLA
The reference is to a character (Bella Swan) in “The Twilight” series of books by Stephenie Meyer. “The Twilight Saga” is a series of films based on the books. “The Twilight” books feature vampires, and I don’t do vampires …
29 Scooby-Doo, to Scrappy-Doo : UNCLE
Scrappy-Doo is a Great Dane puppy who appears in the “Scooby-Doo” series of cartoons.
32 Druid, e.g. : PAGAN
A pagan is someone who holds religious beliefs that are different from the main religions of the world, and especially someone who believes in polytheism. In classical Latin, “paganus” means “villager, rustic”.
Druids were priests of Celtic Europe during the Iron Age. Historians rely on accounts of the beliefs and practices of druids recorded by the likes of ancient Romans and Greeks, as it is believed that druids themselves were prevented from recording their knowledge by their belief system.
34 Indian honorific : SAHIB
“Sahib” is most recognized as a term of address used in India, where it is used in much the same way as we use “mister” in English. The term was also used to address male Europeans in the days of the British Raj. The correct female form of address is “sahiba”, but in the colonial days the address used was “memsahib”, a melding of “ma’am” and “sahib”
38 Prefix with cumulus : ALTO-
Altocumulus clouds are globular clouds seen in layers at medium altitudes. The name comes from the Latin “altus” meaning “high”, and “cumulus” meaning “heaped”.
41 Fountain of Youth’s promise : RENEWAL
The legend of the Fountain of Youth gained a lot of traction in the 1500s. That’s because a story developed that the Spanish explorer Ponce de León traveled to what is now Florida in search of the legendary spring.
42 Old-timey medicines : TONICS
A tonic is medication that is said to restore health. The original use of the term “tonic” was as an adjective meaning increasing body “tone”.
55 Whistle-blower Brockovich : ERIN
Erin Brockovich is an environmental activist who is famous for the role she played in building a case against Pacific Gas & Electric for contaminating drinking water. Her story was told in a 2000 film titled “Erin Brockovich” starring Julia Roberts in the title role. Brockovich herself actually appeared in the film, as she was given a cameo as a waitress in a restaurant scene.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Site for a light bite : CAFE
5 Cy Young winners, e.g. : ACES
9 Dog leg terminus : PAW or PAD
12 Like many Keats works : ODIC
13 Swahili honorific : BWANA
14 “Lucy and ___” (2022 documentary) : DESI
15 Instrument panels : WASHBOARDS or DASHBOARDS
17 Landed : ALIT
18 Sweatshirt style : HOODIE
19 Syllables of laughter : HAH HAH
21 Word on a nutrition label : FAT
23 “Educated insolence,” per Aristotle : WIT
24 Gesture of reassurance : PAT
25 Long time span : AGE
26 Subject to damages : LIABLE
28 Trademark of deadpan stand-ups : WRY HUMOR or DRY HUMOR
30 Lou Grant’s wife on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” : EDIE
31 Bugs, perhaps : SPIES ON
33 Areas that are lower than their surrounding terrain : WELLS or DELLS
35 “I’m flexible” : ANY
36 Toss out : SCRAP
40 Like the femur, among all bones in the body : LARGEST
43 Quiet period : LULL
44 What lies before you, with “the” : … WAY AHEAD or … DAY AHEAD
47 Not ruling out : OPEN TO
49 Black ___ : ICE
50 Stopover : INN
51 What makes a sticker stickier? : AN I
52 Do some garden work : SOW or SOD
53 Dance floor lighting option : STROBE
55 Text massager : EDITOR
57 Ungulate feature : HOOF
58 Author’s concern that, when parsed as four parts, provides a hint to this puzzle’s theme : WORD CHOICE, and “W” OR “D” CHOICE
62 Sufficient, informally : ENUF
63 Bold, energetic and ambitious type, it’s said : ARIES
64 Speed : ZOOM
65 Collector’s goal : SET
66 Give, but expect back : LEND
67 Words to a betrayer : ET TU?
Down
1 Major food source animal : COD
2 Computing pioneer Lovelace : ADA
3 Swerve wildly from side to side, as a car : FISHTAIL
4 ___ Park, neighborhood of Los Angeles : ECHO
5 Anticipate : AWAIT
6 Mind : CARE
7 Burnt bit of brisket : END
8 Confidently struts : SASHAYS
9 ___ Bay, neighborhood of the Bronx : PELHAM
10 Italian cheese : ASIAGO
11 Fail to act decisively in the face of a challenge : DITHER
13 Legislative collectives : BODIES
14 One of three in an SOS message : DAH
16 Part of a pipe : BOWL
20 Melancholy Musketeer : ATHOS
21 Raced, as away from danger : FLED
22 Right hand : AIDE
24 Feeds (on) : PREYS
27 “Twilight” protagonist : BELLA
28 Lavishly regaled, in a way : DINED
29 Scooby-Doo, to Scrappy-Doo : UNCLE
32 Druid, e.g. : PAGAN
34 Indian honorific : SAHIB
37 Goes hog-wild : RUNS RIOT
38 Prefix with cumulus : ALTO-
39 Move forward resolutely : PLOD
41 Fountain of Youth’s promise : RENEWAL
42 Old-timey medicines : TONICS
44 Things listed on a wedding registry : DISHES
45 Play opener : ACT ONE
46 “Stee-RIKE three!” follower : YER OUT!
48 Essence : PITH
51 Put two and two together, say : ADDED
54 Not quite right : OFF
55 Whistle-blower Brockovich : ERIN
56 Sludge : OOZE
59 Rich rock : ORE
60 Private sleeping accommodations? : COT
61 Big bird : EMU
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Took some mulling over time as I was messed up with cow for 1 down and odes for 12 across. Finally I had an epiphany and suddenly had fishtail pop into my brain for 3 down and that put me on the path to a successful solve.
Looking at Bill’s site and the completed grid I now see I missed every dual letter start to the gimmick. I’m going to assert that each of my answers is correct as they stand including “dashboard”, “day ahead” and “wry humor”.
@Tony, the app accepted either a “w” or a “d” in the circles thus pretty much negating the rebus and rendering the revealer unnecessary. I needed Bill’s explanation to see that there was a rebus. 18:06.
11:23, no errors. About halfway through I could see that the circles could have multiple entries. I gambled that the app would accept either entry without entering them as a rebus. That gamble paid off.
Bill: You’re explanation of 9D is incorrect. You are referring to the town of Pelham , located in Westchester County , north of the Bronx ( and hence north of New York City.) The clue specifically references Pelham BAY, neighborhood OF the Bronx (ie part of the Bronx, hence part of New York City. Don’t they teach useless details of New York City geography in Ireland ?…. [ yes , I grew up near Pelham Bay]
Normally I don’t pay much attention to the themes –I just plod ahead, but today, I found the theme really helpful.
15:19, no errors. I put “D/W” in every rebus square, knowing full well it would take either letter by itself. Silly me … 🙂.