1214-24 NY Times Crossword 14 Dec 24, Saturday

Bill’s time: 18m 08s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5 Electric Nissan model : LEAF

The Leaf is an electric car made by Nissan that was introduced in 2010. The model name is an acronym standing for “leading environmentally-friendly affordable car”.

22 Titular TV role for Sandra Oh : EVE

“Killing Eve” is a spy thriller series about an MI5 agent on the trail of a female assassin. The agent is played by Canadian actress Sandra Oh, and the assassin by English actress Jodie Comer. The storyline comes from a series of novellas titled “Codename Villanelle” by British author Luke Jennings.

Canadian actress Sandra Oh is very much associated with the role of Dr. Cristina Yang on “Grey’s Anatomy”, and more recently with the role of Eve Polastri on “Killing Eve” . However, my favorite of Oh’s performances are in the movies “Under the Tuscan Sun” and “Sideways”.

23 Panini, e.g. : MELT

In Italy, a sandwich made from sliced bread is called a “tramezzino”, while sandwiches made from non-sliced breads are called “panini” (singular “panino”). We’ve imported the plural term “panini” into English, to describe a single pressed and toasted sandwich.

24 Grp. whose first letter is now outdated : BSA

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) organization was founded in 1910 by American businessman and philanthropist, William D. Boyce. Legend has it that Boyce was moved to do so after he was helped by a young British boy scout while lost in the fog in London. Inspired by the boy scout’s preparedness and helpfulness, Boyce brought the idea of scouting back to the United States and worked to establish the BSA.

25 Team in the N.H.L.’s Atlantic Division : SABRES

The Buffalo Sabres joined the National Hockey League in the 1970-71 season. The team took the name “Sabres” as the result of a fan contest.

27 A Swiftie might have a favorite one : ERA

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour started on Saint Patrick’s Day in 2023 in Glendale, Arizona, with a schedule covering five continents over two years. Swift described the line up songs as “a journey through the musical eras of [her 17-year] career”.

A swiftie is a fan of singer Taylor Swift. In 2017, the singer trademarked the term “Swifties”. She has also trademarked the term “Swiftmas”.

29 Brainwave-amplifying headpiece worn by Marvel’s Professor X : CEREBRO

In the “X-Men” universe, Cerebro is a device that can amplify the brainwaves of a user with telepathic capabilities. Cerebro is routinely used to distinguish between mutants and humans.

30 Post-run celebrations : CAST PARTIES

When shooting of a film is concluded the movie is said to wrap, and everyone heads to the wrap party. There is one story that “wrap” is actually an acronym for “wind, reel and print”, a reference to the transition of the filming process into post-production. But, this explanation is disputed.

32 Subject of United States v. Windsor (2013) : GAY MARRIAGE

Edith Windsor was the lead plaintiff in the 2013 Supreme Court case “US v. Windsor”. The court ruled that a section of the Defense of Marriage Act was unconstitutional and that the federal government could not deny federal benefits and protections to married lesbian and gay couples.

33 Fashion aesthetic with flower crowns and rustic dresses : COTTAGECORE

Cottagecore is an aesthetic that developed relatively recently, in the 2010s. It emphasizes simplicity and looks to rural life for inspiration and as a motif. Cottagecore embraces things like growing food in one’s garden, baking bread at home, the use of secondhand furniture, and adopting hobbies such as drawing and pottery.

34 Service providers : PASTORS

A pastor is a minister or priest in some Christian traditions. “Pastor” is the Latin word for “shepherd”.

36 Boy band whose members include Suga, Jimin and Jungkook : BTS

BTS is a boy band from South Korea with seven members. The initialism “BTS” stands for the phrase “Bangtan Sonyeondan”, which translates literally as “Bulletproof Boy Scouts”. It is the best-selling musical act in the history of South Korea.

40 Many graders, for short : TAS

Teaching Assistants (TAs)

41 Whom God asked “Why art thou wroth? And why is thy countenance fallen?” : CAIN

As Cain was the first murderer according to the Bible, he is associated with evil or trouble. The idiom “raise Cain” is the equivalent of “raise Hell” and “raise the Devil”. In all cases, the meaning is to bring back evil or to cause trouble.

42 Something taken from waiters to get waters? : AN I

If we take an I from the word “waiters”, we get the word “waters”.

43 Arabic for “greater” : AKBAR

The Arabic phrase “Allahu akbar” is usually translated as “God is greatest”. The phrase can be seen written in Arabic letters at the center of the flag of Iraq, and written 22 times across the flag of Iran.

45 Grub : LARVA

The larva is an intermediate stage in the development of an insect. All four stages are embryo, larva, pupa and imago. “Larva” is a Latin word that can translate as “mask”. The term is used in the context of insects as the larval stage can “mask” the appearance of the adult.

48 What might come up organically : NON-GMO CROP

A genetically modified organism (GMO) is one with genetic material that has been altered by genetic engineering. One might argue that the oldest form of genetic engineering is selective breeding, the use of animals or plants with desired traits for the creation of the next generation.

53 One giveaway for the wolf in “Little Red Riding Hood” : EARS

“Little Red Riding Hood” is a fairy tale that originated in Europe and was first published in France by Charles Perrault in 1697. The title translates into French as “Le Petit Chaperon Rouge”.

54 Indoor-grown marijuana, in slang : ENDO

“Endo” is a slang term for marijuana that is grown indoors, usually using hydroponics. The prefix “endo-” comes from the Greek “endon” meaning “within, inner”.

Down

1 A little bit of everything? : SESAME

An everything bagel has everything on it, i.e. a variety of traditional seasonings like poppy seeds, salt, and sesame seeds.

2 New Hampshire school : EXETER

Phillips Exeter Academy is a private college prepatory school in Exter, New Hampshire that is usually referred to simply as “Exeter”. The list of Exeter former students includes US President Franklin Pierce, writers Gore Vidal, Dan Brown and John Irving, and businessman Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook fame.

3 Soft drink since 1905 : RC COLA

Claude A. Hatcher ran a grocery store in Columbus, Georgia. He decided to develop his own soft drink formula when he balked at the price his store was being charged for Coca-Cola syrup. Hatcher launched the Union Bottling Works in his own grocery store, and introduced Royal Crown Ginger Ale in 1905. The Union Bottling Works was renamed to Chero-Cola in 1910, the Nehi Corporation in 1925, and Royal Crown Company in the mid-fifties. The first RC Cola hit the market in 1934.

6 They really take a toll nowadays : E-ZPASS TAGS

E-ZPass was a technology development driven (pun!) by the tolling agencies of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The first E-ZPass toll booth was built on the New York Thruway, and opened at the Spring Valley toll plaza in 1993.

7 Doja Cat’s given first name, for which her debut album is named : AMALA

Doja Cat is a singer and rapper who first gained popularity with her hit song “Mooo!” in 2018. Her real name is Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini.

10 Award-winning journalist Linda : ELLERBEE

Linda Ellerbee is a television journalist from Bryan, Texas who worked with NBC News. She was also the host of “Nick News” on Nickelodeon.

11 Symbols much seen on March 17 : CLOVERS

Clovers are species of flowering plants in the pea family. Clover leaves are trifoliate, have three leaflets. There are about 5,000 three-leaf clovers for every 1 four-leaf clover, leading to the association of a four-leaf clover with good luck.

The first Saint Patrick’s Day celebration in the US was held in 1600, in St. Augustine, Florida. There is some evidence that the first St. Paddy’s Day parade was held the following year, in the same locale. The annual parade in Boston dates back to 1737, in New York City dates back to 1762, and in Chicago dates back to 1843.

21 Rare and then some : TARTARE

Steak tartare was first served in French restaurants in the early 1900s. Back then, the dish went by the name “steak à l’Americaine”, would you believe? It was basically raw, seasoned beef mixed with egg yolk. A later version of l’Americaine, without the egg yolk and with tartar sauce served on the side, was dubbed “steak tartare”. Over time the two versions became one, and the steak tartare moniker won out. By the way, if you order steak tartare in Switzerland, I believe you are served horse meat. There are now similar “tartare” dishes made with raw salmon, or raw tuna.

24 Midwest city named in an attempt to attract German settlers : BISMARCK, ND

Bismarck is the second most populous city in North Dakota (after Fargo), and the state capital. The site that became the city was originally known as Missouri Crossing, as it was the location where the Lewis and Clark Expedition crossed the river. Missouri Crossing became Edwinton after an employee of the Northern Pacific Railway. The railway company renamed the city Bismarck in honor of German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, as Northern Pacific was hoping for German investment.

28 Annual NASCAR race, familiarly : DAYTONA

The coastal city of Daytona Beach in Florida is known for hard-packed sand on the beach. This makes a good surface for driving motorized vehicles, and resulted in Daytona Beach becoming a center for motorsports. The Daytona 500 is the event with the largest purse on the NASCAR calendar.

32 Tea supplier : GOSSIPER

“Tea” is a slang term used mainly in social media to denote “gossip”.

33 Sicilian treat : CANNOLI

Cannoli (singular “connolo”) are Italian sweet pastries that originated in Sicily. Cannoli are made by filling tubes of fried pastry dough with a creamy filling that usually contains ricotta cheese. “Cannolo” is Italian for “little tube”.

34 Uprights, e.g. : PIANOS

A grand piano is one with the frame supported horizontally on three legs. An upright piano has the frame and strings running vertically. Grand pianos come in many sizes. For example, the length of a concert grand is about 9 feet, a parlor grand is about 7 feet, and a baby grand is about 5 feet.

37 Recorded, in a way : TIVOED

TiVo is a digital video recorder (DVR) that revolutionized the way we watch television. The first TiVo devices were installed in homes in 1999, when they were the first consumer DVRs to hit the market. TiVo was originally marketed as a way to “pause live TV.” It quickly became known for its ability to record TV shows and movies, allowing viewers to watch them at their convenience.

38 Leave la-la land : SNAP TO

“La-la land” is a euphemism for a state of unconsciousness or a dreamworld.

40 Country singer Tucker : TANYA

Country singer Tanya Tucker’s first hit was “Delta Dawn”, which she recorded in 1972 at only 13 years of age.

47 Lead character in “Stranger Things”? : ESS

The first letter in the title “Stranger Things” is a letter S (ess).

“Stranger Things” is a sci-fi horror TV show made for Netflix that aired its first season in 2016. I don’t do horror, and so haven’t seen it …

49 ___ Fields : MRS

The Mrs. Fields brand of snack foods was founded in the late seventies by Debbi Fields. Fields opened her first store in Palo Alto, California.