1221-24 NY Times Crossword 21 Dec 24, Saturday

Bill’s time: 22m 15s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

11 C.D., e.g.: Abbr. : ACCT

A certificate of deposit (CD) is like a less-flexible and higher-paying savings account. Instead of depositing money into a savings account and earning interest periodically, one can open a CD. With a CD one deposits a minimum amount of money but must leave it there for a specified length of time. In return for committing the funds for a fixed period, one is given a higher interest rate than a savings account and can redeem that interest and the initial deposit when the term has expired. CDs are relatively low-risk investments as they are FDIC insured, just like savings accounts.

16 Character who says “I am short, fat and proud of that” : POOH

Alan Alexander (A.A.) Milne was an English author who is best known for his delightful “Winnie-the-Pooh” series of books. He had only one son, Christopher Robin Milne, born in 1920. The young Milne was the inspiration for the Christopher Robin character in the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. Winnie-the-Pooh was named after Christopher Robin’s real teddy bear, one he called Winnie, who in turn was named after a Canadian black bear called Winnie that the Milnes would visit in London Zoo. The original Winnie teddy bear is on display at the main branch of the New York Public Library in New York.

17 The “King of Mambo” : TITO PUENTE

After serving in the Navy in WWII for three years, musician Tito Puente studied at Juilliard, where he got a great grounding in conducting, orchestration and theory. Puente parlayed this education into a career in Latin jazz and mambo. He was known as “El Rey” as well as “The King of Latin Music”.

20 Pill alternatives, in brief : IUDS

It seems that it isn’t fully understood how the intrauterine device (IUD) works. The design that was most popular for decades was a T-shaped plastic frame on which was wound copper wire. It’s thought that the device is an irritant in the uterus causing the body to release chemicals that are hostile to sperm and eggs. This effect is enhanced by the presence of the copper.

“The Pill” is more correctly called “the combined oral contraceptive pill”. The formulation is a combination of an estrogen called estradiol and a progestogen called progestin.

26 Reason for foot-tapping : ANTSINESS

The word “antsy” embodies the concept of “having ants in one’s pants”, meaning being nervous and fidgety. However, “antsy” has been used in English since the 1830s, whereas “ants in the pants” originated a century later.

29 Confirmation, for one : RITE

In some Christian traditions, Confirmation is a rite of initiation.

30 Mount ___, Canada’s highest peak : LOGAN

Mount Logan in southwestern Yukon is the highest peak in Canada, and in North America is second only in height to Denali in Alaska. The Canadian peak is named for the founder of the Geological Survey of Canada, geologist Sir William Edmond Logan.

31 Certain tech exec : CIO

Chief information officer (CIO)

32 Chinese dog breed, for short : PEKE

The pekingese (“peke”) breed originated in China, as one might suspect from the name. Breeding practices have resulted in the dog having many health problems, including breathing issues related to the “desirable” flat face. Standards have been changed in recent years, demanding an “evident muzzle” in an attempt to breed healthier “pekes”.

40 “The Hate U Give” author Thomas : ANGIE

“The Hate U Give” is a 2017 novel for young adults penned by Angie Thomas. Central to the storyline is a white police officer shooting and killing a Black youth. “The Hate U Give” topped The New York Times young adult best-seller list for 50 weeks. Despite this, it was one of the most challenged books for several years, according to the American Library Association.

41 First name in country : REBA

Reba McEntire is a country music singer and television actress. McEntire starred in her own sitcom “Reba” that aired on the WB and the CW cable channels from 2001 to 2007. She is sometimes referred to as “The Queen of Country”.

42 Rooney of “Women Talking” : MARA

Actress Rooney Mara is noted for her role in the 2010 film “The Social Network” and for playing the title character in the 2011 hit movie “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”. Mara has American football in her blood. Her mother’s family founded the Pittsburgh Steelers, and her father’s family founded the New York Giants.

“Women Talking” is a 2022 film based on a 2018 novel of the same name by Miriam Toews. In turn, the novel was inspired by true events that took place in the ultraconservative Mennonite community of Manitoba Colony in the eastern lowlands of Bolivia. The cast of the movie is excellent, and includes Rooney Mara, Claire Foy and Frances McDormand portraying three of the title characters. The title refers to the debate taking place among the women of an isolated Mennonite community who come to realize that they have been raped by the men while sedated with livestock tranquilizer.

43 Most of the 1980s : REAGAN ERA

Ronald Reagan started out his political career as a member of the Democratic Party, but switched to the Republicans in the early fifties. Reagan served as Governor of California for eight years, and vied unsuccessfully for the nomination for US President on two occasions. He finally succeeded in 1980 and defeated President Jimmy Carter to become the 40th US President in 1981.

46 Its first airing was “The French Chef” with Julia Child : PBS

Julia Child was an American chef who is recognized for bringing French cuisine to the American public. During WWII, Julia Child joined the OSS (Office of Strategic Services), the predecessor to the CIA. She worked for the OSS in Washington, Ceylon and China. While in the OSS, she met her husband Paul Child who was also an OSS employee. Paul joined the Foreign Service after the war, and it was his posting to France that created the opportunity for Julie to learn about French cuisine. If you haven’t seen it, I highly, highly recommend the movie “Julie & Julia”, one of the best films of 2009. Meryl Streep does a fabulous job playing the larger-than-life Julia Child.

47 “And the ___ raths outgrabe” (“Jabberwocky” line) : MOME

Here are the first two verses of “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll, probably the one poem that we all just loved learning to recite at school

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!

49 Black-and-white divers : AUKS

Auks are penguin-like sea birds that live in colder northern waters including the Arctic. Like penguins, auks are great swimmers, but unlike penguins, auks can fly.

51 It’s a little shady : BONSAI TREE

The term “bonsai” is used more correctly to describe the Japanese art of growing carefully shaped trees in containers, although it has come to be used as the name for all miniature trees in pots. “Bonsai” translates literally as “tray planting”.

56 Last ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, familiarly : CLEO

Cleopatra was the last pharaoh to rule Egypt. After she died, Egypt became a province in the Roman Empire.

The Ptolemaic dynasty was a Greek royal family that ruled in Egypt from 305 BC to 30 BC. The dynasty started when Ptolemy, one of Alexander the Great’s bodyguards, was given charge of Egypt after Alexander’s death in 323 BC. Ptolemy and his descendants then became the successors to the pharaohs of independent Egypt, and ruled the country until the Romans took over in 30 BC.

Down

2 Lead-in to -gram : EPI-

An epigram is a short and clever statement, poem or discourse.

5 Like a noisy toy : YAPPY

The toy group of dogs is made up of the smallest breeds. The smallest of the small breeds are sometimes called teacup breeds.

11 Shrinks’ org. : APA

American Psychiatric Association (APA)

23 SALT, but not PEPPER : NUCLEAR PACT

There were two rounds of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) between the US and the Soviet Union, and two resulting treaties (SALT I & SALT II). The opening round of SALT I talks were held in Helsinki as far back as 1970, with the resulting treaty signed by President Richard Nixon and General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev in 1972. Brezhnev also signed the SALT II treaty, with President Jimmy Carter in 1979.

24 Star-forming region nearest to Earth : ORION NEBULA

The Orion Nebula is found in the constellation of Orion, just south of Orion’s Belt. Orion’s Nebula is very bright and is easily seen with the naked eye.

26 Jhené ___, Grammy-nominated R&B singer : AIKO

Singer Jhené Aiko is the sister of singer and rapper Mila J.

27 Japanese food that’s a good source of what it spells backward : NORI

Nori is an edible seaweed that we used to know as “laver” when we were living in Wales. Nori is usually dried into thin sheets. Here in the US, we are most familiar with nori as the seaweed used as a wrap for sushi.

33 Noisy Asian bird : MYNA

Some species of myna (also “mynah”) birds are known for their ability to imitate sounds.

36 Latin for “trumpet” : TUBA

The tuba is the lowest-pitched of all brass instruments, and one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra (usually there is just one tuba included in an orchestral line-up). “Tuba” is the Latin word for “trumpet, horn”. Oom-pah-pah …

42 Vineyard eponym : MARTHA

Martha’s Vineyard is a relatively large island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. “Martha’s Vineyard” was originally the name of a smaller island to the south, named by English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold in 1602. The name was eventually transferred to the main island, and is now the eighth-oldest English place-name still used in the US. It is likely that Gosnold named the island for his daughter Martha.

48 Blue laws, e.g. : BANS

Blue laws are prohibitive statutes designed to restrict activities on a Sunday for religious reasons. There seem to be a few dubious etymologies published to explain the use of the term “blue” in such a context. The most credible derivation seems to point at the supporters of Oliver Cromwell in the British Parliament of the mid-17th century, who were referred to as “blue-stockings”.

50 This means trouble : SOS

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.

52 Woodpecker’s fare : SAP

Woodpeckers peck into wood for several reasons. Firstly, pecking into wood can reveal food, usually insects or insect larvae. Secondly, pecking can also create a hole that can be used for nesting. Thirdly, pecking can send messages to other woodpeckers, often declaring territory and sometimes attracting a mate.

54 Short palindrome in the middle of a famous longer one : ERE

The three most famous palindromes in English have to be:

• Able was I ere I saw Elba
• A man, a plan, a canal, Panama!
• Madam, I’m Adam

One of my favorite terms is “Aibohphobia”, although it doesn’t appear in the dictionary and is a joke term. “Aibohphobia” is a great way to describe a fear of palindromes, by creating a palindrome out of the suffix “-phobia”.

55 Track stat : ETD

Estimated time of departure (ETD)