0112-25 NY Times Crossword 12 Jan 25, Sunday

Constructed by: Jeffrey Martinovic
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: I Think Knot

Today’s grid includes circled letters that spell out synonyms of “WIRE”. Each “WIRE” crosses one other and is KNOTTED near the center, causing it to change direction from across to down, or down to across.

  • 94A Even … or like three pairs of answers in this puzzle : ALL TIED UP
  • 3D Devices worn by informants … and what can be found inside three pairs of answers in this puzzle : HIDDEN WIRES

The “WIRES” are:

  • STRING knotted with THREAD
  • YARN knotted with CABLE
  • ROPE knotted with CORD

Bill’s time: 14m 51s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

15 Filing pro : CPA

Certified public accountant (CPA)

18 Treasure-seeking woodcutter of folklore : ALI BABA

There is some controversy about the story “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” in that it has been suggested it was not part of the original collection of Arabic tales called “One Thousand and One Nights”. The suggestion is that the Ali Baba tale was added by one of the European translators of the collection.

23 H.S. club with student “diplomats” : MODEL UN

Model United Nations is an educational simulation in which students learn about diplomacy, international relations and the UN in general. Model UN conferences date back to the fifties.

27 Witches’ brew creatures : NEWTS

The Three Witches in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” have some lovely lines as they boil up and evil brew and cast a spell:

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder’s fork, and blind-worm’s sting,
Lizard’s leg, and howlet’s wing,–
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

28 Concocts : DEVISES

To decoct is to extract the flavor of a liquid by boiling down and increasing the concentration. A related term is “to concoct”, meaning “to boil together”. We use the verb “to concoct” in a figurative sense to mean to contrive, devise.

29 Buffalo’s county : ERIE

There are three Erie Counties in the US:

  • Erie County, New York (with Buffalo as the county seat)
  • Erie County, Ohio (with Sandusky as the county seat)
  • Erie County, Pennsylvania (with Erie as the county seat)

33 “The Situation Room” airer : CNN

“The Situation Room” is a CNN news show that airs in the afternoons and is hosted by Wolf Blitzer.

35 Nicholas II was the last one : TSAR

The last ruler of Imperial Russia was Tsar Nicholas II (of the House of Romanov). Famously, the Tsar and his family were murdered in 1918 in the basement of a house in Yekaterinburg, Russia by members of the Bolshevik secret police. The Tsar’s youngest daughter was 16-year-old Anastasia and rumors of her escape have persisted for years. The rumors grew with the help of numerous women who claimed to be Anastasia. In 2009, DNA testing finally proved that the remains of all of the Tsar’s immediate family, including Anastasia, have been found and identified.

37 Measure of resistance : OHM

The unit of electrical resistance is the ohm (with the symbol omega) named after German physicist Georg Simon Ohm. Ohm was the guy who established experimentally that the amount of current flowing through a circuit is directly proportional to the voltage applied, (V=IR) a relationship that every school kid knows as Ohm’s Law.

38 Cathedral feature : APSE

An apse of a church or cathedral is a semicircular recess in an outer wall, usually with a half-dome as a roof and often where there resides an altar. Originally, apses were used as burial places for the clergy and also for storage of important relics.

40 Disco fan on “The Simpsons” : STU

On “The Simpsons”, the character Disco Stu is voiced by Hank Azaria, although the original intent was for him to be voiced by Phil Hartman. Disco Stu is described as “a black, wrinkly John Travolta”.

48 Stick in a bathroom cabinet : Q-TIP

Cotton swabs were originally marketed under the name “Baby Gays”. This was changed in 1926 to “Q-Tips”, with the Q standing for “quality”.

62 Some Korean smartphones : LGS

LG is a very large South Korean manufacturer of electronics, chemicals and telecom products. The company used to be known as Lucky-Goldstar, whence the initialism “LG”.

68 It’s connected to the eustachian tube : EAR

The Eustachian tubes, also known as auditory tubes, are a pair of narrow tubes that connect the middle ear to the back of the throat. They play a crucial role in regulating the air pressure in the middle ear. When we yawn or swallow, the muscles in the Eustachian tubes contract, which helps to equalize the air pressure in the middle ear with the outside environment.

77 Court figure : STENO

Stenography is the process of writing in shorthand. The term comes from the Greek “steno” (narrow) and “graphe” (writing). A stenographer might be a court reporter, or a person provided captions accompanying a live television broadcast.

79 Oxford institution, familiarly : OLE MISS

“Ole Miss” is the nickname for the University of Mississippi located in Oxford, Mississippi. The name “Ole Miss” dates back to 1897, the first year a student yearbook was published. The graduating class held a competition to name the yearbook and “Ole Miss” emerged as the winner. The name stuck to the yearbook, and also as a nickname for the school itself. The University of Mississippi sports teams have been known as the Rebels since 1936. Prior to 1936, they were known as the Mississippi Flood.

86 Like a porcupine’s back : SPINY

Porcupines are rodents with coats of sharp quills that afford protection against predators. The name “porcupine” comes from the Latin “porcus” meaning “pig”, and “spina” meaning “spine”.

107 The stuff of Persian myths? : NINE LIVES

In the English-speaking world, the myth is that cats have nine lives. In Spanish-speaking cultures, cats are said to have seven lives. They are less fortunate in Turkish and Arabic cultures, as the number of lives is limited to six.

The Persian is that long-haired cat with a squashed muzzle. The breed takes its name from its place of origin, namely Persia (Iran).

111 ___ 101, 508-meter skyscraper that was once the world’s tallest : TAIPEI

The building known as Taipei 101, in the capital of Taiwan, is so-called because it has 101 floors, and the capital is Taipei. It was the tallest skyscraper in the world from 2004 until 2010 when the Burj Khalifa was completed in Dubai.

112 Altoid alternatives : TIC TACS

Tic Tacs aren’t American candies (as I’d always mistakenly believed). Tic Tacs are made by the Italian company Ferrero, and were introduced in 1969.

Altoids breath mints have been around since 1780, when they were introduced in Britain. The famous tin in which Altoids are sold is often reused for other purposes. The most famous use is as a container for a mini-survival kit.

119 Archenemy of the Avengers : THANOS

Thanos is a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He was portrayed by Damion Poitier in the 2012 movie “The Avengers”, and by Josh Brolin in several subsequent movies including 2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy”.

121 U.S. president during the moon landing : NIXON

Apollo 11 was the most memorable of all space missions, landing the first humans on the moon on July 20, 1969. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin touched down on the moon’s surface in their landing craft “Eagle”, while Michael Collins orbited in the command module “Columbia”. It was to be the first of five moon landings that would take place from 1969-1972.

Down

7 Sitting meditation pose : ASANA

“Asana” is a Sanskrit word that translates literally as “sitting down”. The asanas are the poses that a practitioner of yoga assumes. The most famous is the lotus position, the cross-legged pose called “padmasana”.

9 Feature visible on a tree stump : GROWTH RING

Growth rings can be seen in a horizontal cross section of a tree trunk. These rings are caused by a change in the rate of growth of a tree that comes with the seasons, so the rings are more easily discerned in trees that grow in regions with marked seasonal changes.

14 Many-hit Wonder : STEVIE

The great musician Stevie Wonder signed on with Motown Records when he was just 11-years-old. He was remarkably loyal to the label, recording with Motown for six decades (before launching his own So What The Fuss Records label). The level of Stevie Wonder’s success is illustrated by his 22 Grammy Awards, the most Grammys awarded to a male solo artist. Wonder was born 6 weeks prematurely, and incomplete development of blood vessels in his eyes caused the retinas to detach leaving him blind soon after birth. His mother, Lula Mae Hardaway, co-wrote many of Stevie’s songs when he was a teenager, including “I Was Made to Love Her”, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours” and “I Don’t Know Why I Love You”.

16 He was named Athlete of the Century by the I.O.C. : PELE

“Pelé” was the nickname of Edson de Nascimento, a soccer player who used the name “Pelé” for most of his life. For my money, Pelé was the world’s greatest ever player of the game. He was the only person to have been a member of three World Cup winning squads (1958, 1962 and 1970), and was a national treasure in his native Brazil. One of Pele’s nicknames was “O Rei do Futebol” (the King of Football).

19 Symbol of a downturn in the business world : BEAR

The terms “bull market” and “bear market” come from the way in which each animal attacks. A bull thrusts his horns upwards (an “up” market), whereas a bear swipes with his paws downward (a “down” market).

30 French wine designation : CRU

“Cru” is a term used in the French wine industry that means “growth place”. So, “cru” is the name of the location where the grapes are grown, as opposed to the name of a specific vineyard. The terms “premier cru” and “grand cru” are also used, but the usage depends on the specific wine region. Generally it is a classification awarded to specific vineyards denoting their potential for producing great wines. “Grand cru” is reserved for the very best vineyards, with “premier cru” the level just below.

33 Big letters in the pharmaceutical industry : CVS

The name of the drugstore chain CVS once stood for “Consumer Value Stores”, although these days the company uses the initialism to denote “Convenience, Value and Service”.

36 Electrical unit : AMP

The unit of electric current is the ampere, which is abbreviated correctly to “A” rather than “amp”. It is named after French physicist André-Marie Ampère, one of the main scientists responsible for the discovery of electromagnetism.

39 Tire reading, for short : PSI

Pounds per square inch (PSI) is a measure of pressure.

41 Shiny festive décor : TINSEL

Back in the mid-1400s, the word “tinsel” applied to cloth into which was woven gold or silver thread. The term came from the Middle French word “estincelle” meaning “spark, spangle”, which ultimately derived from the Latin “scintilla” meaning “spark”. By the end of the 1500s, “tinsel” described thin strips of shiny metal. The word “Tinseltown” wasn’t applied to Hollywood until 1972.

42 Co. that may have a package deal? : UPS

United Parcel Service (UPS) is based in Sandy Springs, Georgia and has its own airline that operates out of Louisville, Kentucky. UPS often goes by the nickname “Brown”, because of its brown delivery trucks and brown uniforms.

44 They watch from afar : SPACE TELESCOPES

The famous Hubble Space Telescope was installed in orbit by the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1990. The telescope was named for the astronomer Edwin Hubble, the man who changed our view of the universe by postulating that the universe is expanding.

46 West Coast airport code : SFO

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) served as the main base of operations for Virgin America (sold to Alaska Airlines), and is also the maintenance hub for United Airlines. Even though SFO is owned and operated by the City and County of San Francisco, the airport is located to the south in San Mateo County.

50 Photography inits. : SLR

Single-lens reflex (SLR) camera

55 Result of a hit single, maybe : RBI

Run batted in (RBI)

57 Ingredient in a certain “salad” : JELL-O

If you like Jell-O, then you might want to stop by LeRoy, New York where you can visit the only Jell-O museum in the world. While at the museum, you can walk along the Jell-O Brick Road …

58 Do-or-die occasions : D-DAYS

The most famous D-Day in history was June 6, 1944, the date of the Normandy landings in WWII. The term “D-Day” is used by the military to designate the day on which a combat operation is to be launched, especially when the actual date has yet to be determined. What D stands for seems to have been lost in the mists of time although the tradition is that D just stands for “Day”. In fact, the French have a similar term, “Jour J” (Day J), with a similar meaning. We also use H-Hour to denote the hour the attack is to commence.

64 Destinations for ambulances, for short : ERS

Our word “ambulance” originated from the French term “hôpital ambulant” meaning “field hospital” (literally “walking hospital”). In the 1850s, the term started to be used for a vehicle transporting the wounded from the battlefield, leading to our “ambulance”.

68 Equestrian’s command : EASY!

Something described as equestrian is related to horses or horsemanship. The term “equestrian” comes from the Latin “equus” meaning “horse”.

72 Dog whose name was Terry before her most famous film role : TOTO

Toto is Dorothy’s dog in the film “The Wizard of Oz”, and in the original book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum. Toto was played in the movie by a dog called Terry, but Terry’s name was soon changed to Toto in real life due to the success of the film.

73 Station locations : DEPOTS

Our term “depot”, meaning “station, warehouse”, comes from the French word “dépôt”. The French term translates into English as “deposit” or “place of deposit”.

76 Blue tang fish of Pixar fame : DORY

Pixar’s 2016 animated feature “Finding Dory” is a sequel to the megahit film “Finding Nemo”. “Finding Dory” seems to have built on the success of its predecessor and had the highest-grossing opening weekend ever in North America for an animated movie.

80 Opera name that might be heard in an opera singer’s warm-up : MIMI

Giacomo Puccini’s 1896 opera “La bohème” tells of a love affair between a poor poet named Rodolfo, and an even poorer seamstress named Mimi. There isn’t a happy ending …

82 Country singer Keith : TOBY

Toby Keith is a country music singer from Clinton, Oklahoma. One of Keith’s number one hits is a 2003 duet with Willie Nelson called “Beer for My Horses”.

87 Muesli brand with mountains on the packaging : ALPEN

Alpen is a British brand of muesli. I grew up on Alpen in Ireland …

“Muesli” is a Swiss-German term describing a breakfast serving of rolled oats, nuts, fruit and milk. The dish can be soaked overnight in milk before serving (“overnight oats”). “Muesli” is a diminutive of the German word “Mues” meaning “puree”. Delicious …

88 Rock and roll Paul of fame : LES

Les Paul was a guitarist, songwriter and inventor. When he was 33 years old, Paul was involved in a near-fatal car crash that left his right arm and elbow shattered. Surgeons offered him the choice of amputation or a rebuilding of the limb that would leave him unable to bend his elbow. He told them to set his arm at just under 90 degrees so that he could at least hold his guitar and perhaps play it.

96 Slain king in “Macbeth” : DUNCAN

In William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”, one of the more famous soliloquies starts with, “Is this a dagger which I see before me …?” There isn’t an actual dagger in front of Macbeth, but instead he sees the vision of a dagger pointing at King Duncan’s bedchamber, perhaps suggesting that he should go ahead with his plan to murder the King.

Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.
I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.
Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible
To feeling as to sight? or art thou but
A dagger of the mind, a false creation,
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?

100 Mythological owner of an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir : ODIN

Sleipnir is an eight-legged horse of Norse mythology, the steed that was ridden by Odin.

102 Foe of a Saxon : CELT

Germanic tribes invaded Great Britain from the early 5th century and created the nation that we now call England. The Anglo-Saxons (sometimes simply “Saxons”), as these tribes came to be called, held sway in the country until the Norman Conquest in 1066. The Anglo-Saxons were descendants of three Germanic tribes:

  • The Angles, from Angeln in Northern Germany (and the tribe that gave the name “England”).
  • The Saxons, from Lower Saxony and Holland.
  • The Jutes, from the Jutland peninsula in Denmark.

103 “Hi” or “bye” on Kauai : ALOHA

Because the Hawaiian island of Kauai is one of the wettest places on earth, all the rainfall has helped to carve out magnificent canyons and left superb waterfalls. The island is often used as a backdrop for movies. The facilities at the island’s Lihue Airport reflect the pleasant climate enjoyed by the Hawaiian Islands. Check-in takes place completely outdoors!

104 Imperial energy meas. : BTU

In the world of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), the power of a heating or cooling unit can be measured using the British Thermal Unit (BTU). This dated unit is the amount of energy required to heat a pound of water so that the water’s temperature increases by one degree Fahrenheit.

106 Baltic capital city : RIGA

Riga is the capital city of Latvia. The historical center of Riga is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, declared as such because of the city’s magnificent examples of Art Nouveau architecture. In fact, Riga has the largest collection of Art Nouveau buildings in the world, with over 750 buildings in the city center designed in the style.

108 ___ cava : VENA

The superior vena cava is a large vein carrying deoxygenated blood from the upper part of the body to the right atrium of the heart. The inferior vena cava does the same thing for the lower part of the body.

109 English prep school with a shade of blue named after it : ETON

Eton blue is the school color that has been used by the Sports teams of Eton College in England since the early 1800s.

113 Tool used in many a sci-fi film : CGI

Computer-generated imagery (CGI)

115 Part of a Latin trio : AMO

“Amo, amas, amat” translates from Latin as “I love, you love, he/she/it loves”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 “It’s fine, I guess” : MEH
4 Dash follower : -CAM
7 Source of some insomnia : ANGST
12 Quick reads on the subway, perhaps : ADS
15 Filing pro : CPA
18 Treasure-seeking woodcutter of folklore : ALI BABA
20 More in need of a massage : SORER
21 Group that works only for a few seconds at a time : PIT CREW
23 H.S. club with student “diplomats” : MODEL UN
24 In unison : AS ONE
25 🙄 : EYE ROLL
26 “To add on …” : AND ALSO …
27 Witches’ brew creatures : NEWTS
28 Concocts : DEVISES
29 Buffalo’s county : ERIE
30 Feline : CATTISH
32 Needles : RIBS
33 “The Situation Room” airer : CNN
35 Nicholas II was the last one : TSAR
37 Measure of resistance : OHM
38 Cathedral feature : APSE
40 Disco fan on “The Simpsons” : STU
43 Some professions : VOWS
45 Literary recommendations : MUST-READS
48 Stick in a bathroom cabinet : Q-TIP
49 Goofs : SLIPS UP
52 Like the glow of the last embers in a fire : FAINT
53 Completely destroyed : IN RUINS
56 Doctoral hurdles : ORALS
57 Double-___ (hypermobile, medically) : JOINTED
59 Gives an illegal assist : ABETS
60 Produce and discharge : SECRETE
62 Some Korean smartphones : LGS
63 R&B singer Williams : DENIECE
65 Suffix with legal and official : -ESE
66 Publican’s offering : ALE
68 It’s connected to the eustachian tube : EAR
69 Org. with four divisions: Atlantic, Central, Pacific and Metropolitan : NHL
70 Told (on) : TATTLED
74 Accepts a ring, in a way : SAYS “I DO”
77 Court figure : STENO
79 Oxford institution, familiarly : OLE MISS
81 Many apartments in a warehouse district : LOFTS
84 Lucky charms : AMULETS
86 Like a porcupine’s back : SPINY
87 Put in front of a fan : AIR-COOL
89 Person who likes to go solo : LONE WOLF
91 [I’m shocked!] : [OMG!]
92 Like many video game characters : PLAYABLE
93 A long, long time : AGES
94 Even … or like three pairs of answers in this puzzle : ALL TIED UP
97 Some drinks and breads : RYES
98 Germs, on the playground : COOTIES
101 Enthusiastic response : SURE CAN!
104 Shots, for example : BAR ORDERS
107 The stuff of Persian myths? : NINE LIVES
111 ___ 101, 508-meter skyscraper that was once the world’s tallest : TAIPEI
112 Altoid alternatives : TIC TACS
116 “Count me in!” : LOVE TO!
117 Goad : URGE ON
118 It might be rolled out in a studio : YOGA MAT
119 Archenemy of the Avengers : THANOS
120 “No thanks” : PASS
121 U.S. president during the moon landing : NIXON
122 Walker with the 2015 triple-platinum hit “Faded” : ALAN

Down

1 Common first word : MAMA
2 Big first name in American business : ELON
3 Devices worn by informants … and what can be found inside three pairs of answers in this puzzle : HIDDEN WIRES
4 Coin toss directive : CALL IT!
5 Exploits, as power : ABUSES
6 Spanish hand : MANO
7 Sitting meditation pose : ASANA
8 How an animal’s length may be measured : NOSE TO TAIL
9 Feature visible on a tree stump : GROWTH RING
10 Feelings : SENTIMENTS
11 Lock : TRESS
12 Did like : APED
13 Ones unlikely to call the handyman, for short : DIY’ERS
14 Many-hit Wonder : STEVIE
15 Bit of embroidery … or what’s depicted literally three times in this puzzle : CROSS-STITCH
16 He was named Athlete of the Century by the I.O.C. : PELE
17 Hole punchers : AWLS
19 Symbol of a downturn in the business world : BEAR
22 House, slangily : CRIB
30 French wine designation : CRU
31 Was ill with : HAD
33 Big letters in the pharmaceutical industry : CVS
34 Like a situation that can’t end badly : NO-LOSE
36 Electrical unit : AMP
39 Tire reading, for short : PSI
41 Shiny festive décor : TINSEL
42 Co. that may have a package deal? : UPS
44 They watch from afar : SPACE TELESCOPES
46 West Coast airport code : SFO
47 Downed : ATE
48 Title bestowed annually in New Orleans : QUEEN OF CARNIVAL
50 Photography inits. : SLR
51 “What’s the ___?” : USE
54 Grandma, endearingly : NAN
55 Result of a hit single, maybe : RBI
57 Ingredient in a certain “salad” : JELL-O
58 Do-or-die occasions : D-DAYS
61 Self image? : TAT
64 Destinations for ambulances, for short : ERS
67 Slippery sorts : EELS
68 Equestrian’s command : EASY!
71 Over : ANEW
72 Dog whose name was Terry before her most famous film role : TOTO
73 Station locations : DEPOTS
74 Lightly burns : SINGES
75 Hip bones : ILIA
76 Blue tang fish of Pixar fame : DORY
77 Ecological portmanteau since 1905 : SMOG
78 Pull some strings, say? : TUNE
80 Opera name that might be heard in an opera singer’s warm-up : MIMI
82 Country singer Keith : TOBY
83 Heavy part of a platform shoe : SOLE
84 Styled after : A LA
85 List of candidates : SLATE
87 Muesli brand with mountains on the packaging : ALPEN
88 Rock and roll Paul of fame : LES
90 Like some playful teasing : FLIRTY
92 Very precise sort : PURIST
95 Wound : LESION
96 Slain king in “Macbeth” : DUNCAN
99 Frequently deconstructed dessert items : OREOS
100 Mythological owner of an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir : ODIN
102 Foe of a Saxon : CELT
103 “Hi” or “bye” on Kauai : ALOHA
104 Imperial energy meas. : BTU
105 Grp. making after-work plans? : AARP
106 Baltic capital city : RIGA
108 ___ cava : VENA
109 English prep school with a shade of blue named after it : ETON
110 Cry for help : SOS
113 Tool used in many a sci-fi film : CGI
114 Burden : TAX
115 Part of a Latin trio : AMO

4 thoughts on “0112-25 NY Times Crossword 12 Jan 25, Sunday”

  1. 30:15, no errors. Paid no attention to the theme until after the puzzle was solved.
    @Bill: I have always appreciated the ‘Wiki-est’ explanations. Might want to review and update your entry for 14D. Stevie Wonder released an album in 2020 under his own label, ending a remarkable 59-year streak of album releases with Motown.

  2. No errors…moved along until I hit the SE corner and that took forever to open up…I was sure that a Saxon foe was a Norman and that just didn’t fit and the muesli brand was a stopper.
    I got the theme after finishing.
    Stay safe😀
    Come on Bills and kick K.C.s swifties 🏈

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