0721-26 NY Times Crossword 21 Jul 26, Tuesday

Bill’s time: 6m 29s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1A “Chocolate” pets : LABS

The Labrador (Lab) breed of dog has been around at least since 1814. The breed comes in three registered colors: black, yellow and chocolate.

5A Genome component : DNA

A genome is all the genetic information of an organism. The term “genome” was coined by German botanist Hans Winkler in 1920, and is a portmanteau of “gene” and “chromosome”. The study of the genome is known as genomics.

21A Awe-inspiring solar phenomenon : AURORA

The spectacular aurora polaris phenomenon is seen lighting up the night sky at both poles of the Earth (the Aurora Borealis in the north, and the Aurora Australis in the south). The eerie effect is caused by charged particles colliding with atoms at high latitudes.

23A Urban environmental hazard : SMOG

The word “smog” is a portmanteau coined in 1905 by Dr. Henry Antoine Des Voeux to describe a mixture of smoke and fog, initially referring to the thick, polluted air in London. The infamous “Great Smog of London” in December 1952 caused thousands of deaths and led to significant environmental legislation.

24A Pen tips : NIBS

“Nib” is a Scottish variant of the Old English word “neb”, with both meaning “beak of a bird”. This usage of “nib” as a beak dates back to the 14th century, with “nib” describing the tip of a pen or quill coming a little later, in the early 1600s.

31A Blood ___ : SERUM

Blood serum (plural “sera”) is the clear, yellowish part of blood i.e. that part which is neither a blood cell nor a clotting factor. Included in blood serum are antibodies, the proteins that are central to our immune system. Blood serum from animals that have immunity to a particular disease can be transferred to another individual, hence providing that second individual with some level of immunity. Blood serum used to pass on immunity can be called “antiserum”.

32A Acorn producer : OAK

These days, we don’t usually consider acorns (the fruit of the oak tree) as a foodstuff. But in days past, many cultures around the world have used acorns as food. Usually, bitter tannins that occur in acorns need to be leached out in water. Acorn meal can be a substitute for grain flour, which can then be used to make bread. Acorns have also been used as a substitute for coffee, especially when coffee was rationed. Notably, acorn coffee was brewed up by Confederates during the American Civil War, and by Germans during World War II.

33A The 12 angry men in “12 Angry Men,” e.g. : JURORS

The powerful 1957 movie “12 Angry Men” was directed by Sidney Lumet, and has a stellar cast of “jury members” including Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Jack Klugman and Ed Begley. If ever there is a movie that clearly was based on a play, it’s this one. Practically the whole film takes place on one set, the jury room.

34A Finish flamboyantly … like 17-, 28-, 43- and 56-Across? : GO OUT WITH A BANG

Our word “flamboyant”, meaning “showy and elaborate”, is a French term meaning “flaming”. The term was first used in English to describe wavy, flame-like curves used in architecture.

40A 2000-09, with “the” : AUGHTS

An “aught” is a zero. The term can be used in the context of dates as in “the aughts”, the years 2000-2009. I’ve also heard those years referred to as “the noughties”.

42A Jumbo : LARGE

James Anthony Bailey collaborated with P. T. Barnum to establish Barnum and Bailey’s Circus. It was Barnum who negotiated the deal to buy a famous elephant from London Zoo in 1882, the one called “Jumbo”. It was the exposure Jumbo got with the circus that brought into common usage our term “jumbo” meaning “huge”.

43A Colorful taffy candy brand : STARBURST

Starburst candy was originally called Opal Fruits when it was first introduced in the United Kingdom in 1960. It wasn’t until 1967 that the candy was introduced in the United States, and it was rebranded as Starburst.

55A Backside : HEINIE

The slang term “heinie”, meaning “rear end”, is probably a contraction of “hind end”.

56A 2023 double-platinum Chappell Roan record : RED WINE SUPERNOVA

“Chappell Roan” is the stage name of singer/songwriter Kayleigh Amstutz. Roan got her start in the music industry after she uploaded an original song titled “Die Young” to YouTube, when she was just 17 years old. She signed on with Atlantic Records soon after.

60A Toyota hybrid : PRIUS

The Toyota Prius is still one of the most fuel-efficient, gasoline-powered cars sold in the US, according to the EPA. The name “Prius” is a Latin word meaning “ahead, leading”. In the US we pronounce the name “pree-us”, but across the Atlantic it’s pronounced “pry-us”. According to Toyota, the plural of “Prius” is “Prii”. We recently gave up our 2012 Prius, with close to 200,000 miles on the clock (and the original brake pads!) …

61A Plumbing fixture found under the sink : P-TRAP

Most sinks in a home have a P-trap in the outlet pipe that empties into the sewer line. This P-trap has at its heart a U-bend that retains a small amount of water after the sink is emptied. This plug of water serves as a seal to prevent sewer gases entering into the home. By virtue of its design, the U-bend can also capture any heavy objects (like an item of jewelry) that might fall through the plughole. But the “trapping” of fallen objects is secondary to the P-trap’s main function of “trapping” sewer gases.

62A Things assayers assay : ORES

An assayer carries out a metallurgical assay to determine the composition of ore found in a mine.

Down

2D Morissette with the 1996 hit “Ironic” : ALANIS

“Ironic” is a 1996 song co-written and recorded by Alanis Morissette. A couple of lines in the song are:

It’s meeting the man of my dreams
And then meeting his beautiful wife

For an awards ceremony in 2004, Morissette changed these lyrics to demonstrate support for same-sex marriage:

It’s meeting the man of my dreams
And then meeting his beautiful husband

3D Corner store : BODEGA

“Bodega” is a Spanish term describing a winery or, these days, a grocery store.

4D Fall, e.g. : SEASON

Here in the US, we tend to refer to the season following summer as “fall”. This name is short for “fall of the leaf”, referring to the loss of leaves by deciduous trees. The term “autumn” is a more common name used in Britain and Ireland instead of “fall”. However, back before the mid-1600s the term “fall” was in common use on the other side of the pond.

6D Japanese city that’s home to the Chinese Sofukuji Temple : NAGASAKI

Nagasaki is a historic city located on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Originally founded by the Portuguese in the mid-16th century as a trading port, Nagasaki became a crucial link between Japan and the West. We also remember the city for its tragic history as the second city to be devastated by an atomic bomb in 1945.

9D Cuban dance style : HABANERA

The dance that we call the “habanera” is known as the “contradanza” in Cuba where it originated. The habanera gained popularity in the 19th century and was the first dance from Cuba to become successful internationally. The name “habanera” is Spanish for “of Havana”.

10D Actress Edebiri : AYO

Actor, comedian and television writer Ayo Edebiri gained prominence for her role as Sydney Adamu, the young sous-chef in the very successful Hulu series “The Bear”.

12D ___ card : SIM

Most cell phones used to have SIM cards. SIM cards hold the personal information of the subscriber, with the acronym being short for “Subscriber Identity Module”. Phone companies have migrated towards the use of eSIMs (embedded SIMs), which don’t require a removable physical card.

14D A standard one has 21 pips : DIE

The numbers on dice are arranged so that the opposite faces add up to seven. Given this arrangement, the numbers 1, 2 and 3 all meet at a common vertex. There are two ways of arranging the 1, 2 and 3 around the common vertex, a so-called right-handed die (counterclockwise 1-2-3) or a left-handed die (clockwise 1-2-3). Traditionally, dice used in Western cultures are left-handed, whereas Chinese dice are right-handed. Quite interesting …

15D Fortune-telling deck : TAROT

Tarot cards have been around since the mid-1400s, and for centuries were simply used for entertainment as a game. It has only been since the late 1700s that the cards have been used by fortune tellers to predict the future. The list of tarot cards includes the Wheel of Fortune, the Hanged Man and the Lovers.

18D Aviary inhabitant : BIRD

An aviary is a large cage that houses birds, and something described as avian is bird-like or bird-related. “Avis” is Latin for “bird”.

26D Town : BURG

“Burg” is an informal term used in the US for a smaller town that comes from the German word “burg” meaning “fortified city”.

27D Texting format, in brief : SMS

Short Message Service (SMS) is the name for the text messaging service that many of us still use on our cell phones to contact friends and family.

29D Many internet spammers : BOTS

Spambots are nasty little computer programs that send out spam emails and messages, often from fake accounts. This blog gets about 500 spam comments a day that I have to delete, almost all of which are written by spambots.

33D Part of a doorframe : JAMB

A door jamb or window jamb is the vertical portion of the frame. The term “jamb” comes from the French word “jambe” meaning “leg”.

35D Shrek, e.g. : OGRE

Cartoonist William Steig chose the name “Shrek” for the protagonist of his 1990 children’s picture book, as he wanted a moniker that reflected the character’s appearance and behavior: a repulsive, fire-breathing monster who revels in his own hideousness. “Shrek” comes from the German “Schreck” and Yiddish “shrek,” both of which translate to “fright, terror”. When DreamWorks adapted the story into the celebrated 2001 animated film, they softened the character into a misunderstood, swamp-dwelling grump.

44D They’re often made at weddings : TOASTS

The tradition of toasting someone probably dates back to the reign of Charles II, when the practice was to drink a glass of wine to the health of a beautiful or favored woman. In those days, spiced toast was added to beverages to add flavor, so the use of the word “toast” was an indicator that the lady’s beauty would enhance the wine. Very charming, I must say …

46D Heavyweight beasts, familiarly : RHINOS

There are five types of rhinoceros that survive today, with the smaller Sumatran Rhino being the most rare. The rhinoceros is probably the rarest large mammal on the planet, thanks to poaching. Hunters mainly prize the horn of the rhino as it is used in powdered form in traditional Chinese medicine.

47D Mexican state bordering Chihuahua : SONORA

Sonora is the state in Mexico that lies just south of Arizona and New Mexico. It is the second-largest state in the country, after Chihuahua.

Chihuahua is a state in northern Mexico that shares a border with Texas and New Mexico. It is the largest state in the country, earning it the nickname “El Estado Grande”. Chihuahua takes its name from the Chihuahuan Desert which lies largely within its borders. The Chihuahua breed of dog takes its name from the state.

48D Hot pot holder : TRIVET

A trivet is an item placed under a hot serving bowl to protect the surface of a dining table. The term “trivet” is also used for a tripod supporting pots over an open fire. “Trivet” comes from the Latin “tripes” meaning “tripod”.

50D Novelist Rand : AYN

Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist born “Alisa Rosenbaum”. Her two best known works are her novels “The Fountainhead” published in 1943 and “Atlas Shrugged” from 1957. Back in 1951, Rand moved from Los Angeles to New York City. Soon after, she gathered a group of admirers around her with whom she discussed philosophy and shared drafts of her magnum opus, “Atlas Shrugged”. This group called itself “The Collective”, and one of the founding members was none other than future Federal Reserve chairman, Alan Greenspan. While both she and her novel “Atlas Shrugged” have become inspirations for American conservatives and the Tea Party in particular, Rand rejected the “right-wing” and “conservative” labels, describing herself instead as a “radical for capitalism”.

56D World of Warcraft, e.g., in brief : RPG

World of Warcraft (WoW) is an online role-playing game (RPG). My son informs me that the game is not that great. Like I would know …

59D Salary : PAY

It has been suggested that our term “salary” comes from the Latin “sal” meaning “salt”. The idea is that a Roman soldier’s “salarium” might have been an allowance to purchase salt.