0902-14 New York Times Crossword Answers 2 Sep 14, Tuesday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Ethan Cooper
THEME: Tuition and … each of today’s answers starts with a COLLEGE EXPENSE:

54A. What tuition and the starts of 17-, 22-, 37-(?) and 47-Across are COLLEGE EXPENSES

17A. Perfect illustration TEXTBOOK EXAMPLE
22A. Unfulfilled potential ROOM TO IMPROVE
37A. Pub tidbit BEER NUT (beer??!!)
47A. Gatherings in which C.E.O.’s are chosen BOARD MEETINGS

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 8m 40s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

5. Blood component PLASM
Plasma (sometimes “plasm”) is the clear, yellow-colored liquid component of blood and lymph in which cells are suspended.

10. Bandmate of Crosby, Stills and Young NASH
The supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) is made up of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash. The band can grow to “CSNY” when the trio is joined by Neil Young. Fans have been known to call the act “C, S, N and sometimes Y”, a play on the expression that names all the vowels, “A, E, I, O, U and sometimes Y”.

14. Dog bullied by Garfield ODIE
Odie is Garfield’s best friend and is a slobbery beagle, a character in Jim Davis’s comic strip.

15. Snoop Dogg, for one, since 2012 RASTA
I must admit that I don’t really understand Rastafarianism. I do know that a “Rasta”, like Bob Marley, is a follower of the movement. Some say that Rastafarianism is a religion, some not. I also know that it involves the worship of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia.

The rap star Snoop Dogg’s real name is Cordozar Calvin Broadus. He is the most famous protege of the notorious rapper Dr. Dre. Sadly, Snoop Dogg has had numerous run-ins with police all round the world, even after he started to live the good life that came with his fame.

20. Fishhook attachment SNELL
A snell is a length of thin line that connects a fishhook to heavier line.

31. Something horrible, with “the” PITS
“The pits” is an American slang term for something really bad, and has been in use since the early fifties. Apparently, “pits” is short for “armpits”.

34. Battlefield food, for short MRE
The Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE) comes in a lightweight package that’s easy to tote around. The MRE replaced the more cumbersome Meal, Combat, Individual (MCI) in 1981, a meal-in-a-can. In turn, the MCI had replaced the C-ration in 1958, a less sophisticated meal-in-a-can with a more limited choice.

35. Honeydews, e.g. MELONS
What we call “honeydew” melons are also known as the White Antibes cultivar, especially in France and Algeria where the cultivar has been grown for many years. Antibes is a commune in southeastern France, located between Nice and Cannes.

36. Big Apple airport code LGA
When traveling to New York City (NYC), one might fly into LaGuardia Airport (LGA).

Fiorello La Guardia was the Mayor of New York from 1934 to 1945, racking up three full terms in office. The famous airport that bears La Guardia’s name was built at his urging, stemming from an incident that took place while he was in office. He was taking a TWA flight to “New York” and was outraged when the plane landed at Newark Airport, in the state of New Jersey. The Mayor demanded that the flight take off again and land at a small airport in Brooklyn. A gaggle of press reporters joined him on the short hop and he gave them a story, urging New Yorkers to support the construction of a new commercial airport within the city’s limits. The new airport, in Queens, opened in 1939 as New York Municipal, often called “LaGuardia” as a nickname. The airport was officially relabeled as “LaGuardia” in 1947.

Apparently the first published use of the term “Big Apple” to describe New York City dates back to 1909. Edward Martin wrote the following in his book “The Wayfarer in New York”:

“Kansas is apt to see in New York a greedy city. . . . It inclines to think that the big apple gets a disproportionate share of the national sap.”

Over ten years later, the term “big apple” was used as a nickname for racetracks in and around New York City. However, the concerted effort to “brand” the city as the Big Apple had to wait until the seventies and was the work of the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau.

39. Letters in a help wanted ad EOE
Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE)

40. With the concession that ALBEIT
“Albeit”is a conjunction meaning “although, even if”. The term dates back to the 1300s, when it was a contraction of the phrase “al be it” meaning “although it be that”.

42. Palais ___ Sports (Paris arena) DES
The Palais de Sports in Paris is an indoor sports arena that was built in 1960. At the time it was the largest venue in the city.

44. Christopher who directed three Batman films NOLAN
Director Christopher Nolan is best known for “rescuing” the floundering Batman movie franchise. He directed three films in the series: “Batman Begins”, “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises”. Nolan also directed a favorite movie of mine, “Inception” from 2010.

45. John who directed “The Maltese Falcon” HUSTON
Movie director John Huston was also a prolific screenwriter and an actor. Unusually, Huston directed his father Walter Huston, and his daughter Anjelica Huston. Walter appeared in “The Maltese Falcon” (1941) and “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” (1948). Anjelica was in “Prizzi’s Honor” (1985).

The classic detective novel “The Maltese Falcon” was written by Dashiell Hammett and first published in 1930. The main character if of course Sam Spade, famously played by Humphrey Bogart in the third movie adaptation of the book, released in 1941.

61. Got the goat of IRKED
Someone who “gets your goat” makes you annoyed or angry. The most-often cited etymology of the phrase lies with the practice of placing goats with racehorses to keep them calm. A trickster who wanted a horse to race badly would steal the goat, causing the horse to become unsettled and race badly.

65. Literary Jane EYRE
“Jane Eyre” is the celebrated novel written by Charlotte Brontë, under the pen name Currer Bell. Over the years, I’ve shared here on my blogs that the “Jane Eyre” story line is a little too dark and Gothic for my taste, but a very persuasive blog reader convinced me to look more at the romantic side of the story and give it a second chance. I watched a wonderful 4-hour television adaptation of the novel made by the BBC a while back and I have to say that because I was focused on the relationship between Jane and Rochester, I was able to push past the Gothic influences (that depress me) so I really enjoyed the story. I thoroughly recommend the 2006 BBC adaptation to fans of the novel.

Down
1. Parts of an ellipsis DOTS
An ellipsis is a series of dots (usually three) used to indicate an omission in some text. The term comes from the Greek word “élleipsis”, which means “omission”.

2. Yemeni port ADEN
Aden is a seaport in Yemen, located on the Gulf of Aden by the eastern approach to the Red Sea. Aden has a long history of British rule, from 1838 until a very messy withdrawal in 1967. A native of Aden is known as an Adeni. Some believe that Cain and Abel are buried in the city.

6. China’s ___-tzu LAO
Lao Tse (also Lao-Tzu) was a central figure in the development of the religion/philosophy of Taoism.

8. “Family Guy” baby STEWIE
“Family Guy” is a very successful animated show on television. It was created by Seth MacFarlane, the same guy who came up with “American Dad!”. My kids love them both. Me, I can’t stand ‘em.

9. “It takes money to make money,” e.g. MAXIM
Our word “maxim” meaning “precept, principle” has been around since the early 1600s. The term ultimately derives from the Latin phrase “maxima popositio”, literally “greatest premise”.

11. Bit of sound equipment AMP
An electric guitar, for example, needs an amplifier (amp) to take the weak signal created by the vibration of the strings and turn it into a signal powerful enough for a loudspeaker.

12. Show on which Lennon and McCartney considered reuniting, for short SNL
The Beatles broke up in 1970. Lorne Michaels, the creator of “Saturday Night Live”, appeared on the show one Saturday and offered to pay the Beatles $3,000 to reunite for one appearance on SNL to sing three songs. Unbeknownst to Michaels, Paul and Linda McCartney were visiting with John Lennon in Lennon’s New York City apartment, and they saw the show. Apparently, Lennon and McCartney actually considered getting into a cab and going over to NBC studios to “gatecrash” the show, that was still airing live. But, they concluded that they were too tired …

18. Rorschach test image BLOT
The Rorschach test is a psychological test in which a subject is asked to interpret a series of inkblots. The test was created by Swiss Freudian psychoanalyst Hermann Rorschach in the 1920s.

19. Small computer program APPLET
“Applet” is the name given to a small application that runs within another, larger computer program.

23. Citi Field mascot MR MET
Mr. Met is the mascot of the New York Mets. He is a guy with a large baseball as a head, and has been elected to the Mascot Hall of Fame.

Citi Field is the relatively new baseball stadium used by the New York Mets, and sits right next door to Shea stadium, where the Mets had played for decades. And the name of course comes from sponsor Citigroup.

26. Wind instruments OBOES
The oboe is perhaps my favorite of the reed instruments. The name “oboe” comes from the French “hautbois” which means “high wood”. When you hear an orchestra tuning before a performance you’ll note (pun intended!) that the oboe starts off the process by playing an “A”. The rest of the musicians in turn tune to that oboe’s “A”.

32. Place where one can come home and chill? IGLOO
The Inuit word for “house” is “iglu”, which we usually write as “igloo”. The Greenlandic (yes, that’s a language) word for “house” is very similar, namely “igdlo”.

33. Indian drum TABLA
A tabla is a percussion instrument used in the Indian subcontinent. The tabla consists of a pair of hand drums and is similar to bongos.

37. Hobo’s accessory BINDLE
“Bindle” is the name given to that bag or sack that the stereotypical hobo carried on a stick over his shoulder. “Bindle” is possibly a corruption of “bundle”.

No one seems to know for sure how the term “hobo” originated, although there are lots of colorful theories. My favorite is that “hobo” comes from the first letters in the words “ho-meward bo-und”, but it doesn’t seem very plausible. A kind blog reader tells me that according to Click and Clack from PBS’s “Car Talk” (a great source!), “hobo” comes from “hoe boy”. Hoe boys were young men with hoes looking for work after the Civil War. Hobos differed from “tramps” and “bums”, in that “bums” refused to work, “tramps” worked when they had to, while “hobos” traveled in search of work.

43. Naive young woman INGENUE
So often in literature, the movies and on stage there is an innocent woman at the the center of the story. Such stock characters came to be known as ingénues, a term derived from the French adjective “ingénu” meaning innocent, virtuous, candid and “ingenuous”.

49. Smart-alecky SASSY
Apparently the original “smart Alec” (sometimes “Aleck”) was Alec Hoag, a pimp, thief and confidence trickster who plied his trade in New York City in the 1840s.

53. “To be,” in Latin ESSE
The Latin term “in esse” is used to mean “actually existing”, and translates as “in being”.

56. Appomattox surrenderer LEE
The Battle of Appomattox Court House was the last engagement by the Army of Northern Virginia, led by Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Immediately after the battle, Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant. When the two men met for the signing of the surrender documents, even though the pair were acquaintances, it was the first time they had seen each other in almost 20 years. Grant started off the conversation by discussing a previous meeting they had during the Mexican-American War, when they were fighting on the same side.

57. Barely manage, with “out” EKE
To “eke out” means to “make something go further or last longer”. For example, you could eke out your income by cutting back on expenses. I always have a problem with the commonly cited definition of “eke out” as “barely get by”. Close but no cigar, I say …

59. Groups of cops: Abbr. PDS
Police department (PD)

“To cop” was northern British dialect for “to seize, catch”. This verb evolved in the noun “copper”, describing a policeman, someone who catches criminals. “Copper” was shortened to “cop”.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. “Oh, hell!” DAMN!
5. Blood component PLASM
10. Bandmate of Crosby, Stills and Young NASH
14. Dog bullied by Garfield ODIE
15. Snoop Dogg, for one, since 2012 RASTA
16. “Let me think … yeah, that’s stupid” UM, NO!
17. Perfect illustration TEXTBOOK EXAMPLE
20. Fishhook attachment SNELL
21. Utterly wear out, in slang WIPE
22. Unfulfilled potential ROOM TO IMPROVE
29. Do one’s best STRIVE
30. Record company LABEL
31. Something horrible, with “the” PITS
34. Battlefield food, for short MRE
35. Honeydews, e.g. MELONS
36. Big Apple airport code LGA
37. Pub tidbit BEER NUT
39. Letters in a help wanted ad EOE
40. With the concession that ALBEIT
42. Palais ___ Sports (Paris arena) DES
43. Belief systems ISMS
44. Christopher who directed three Batman films NOLAN
45. John who directed “The Maltese Falcon” HUSTON
47. Gatherings in which C.E.O.’s are chosen BOARD MEETINGS
50. With 24-Down, blowout result FLAT
51. Stop CEASE
54. What tuition and the starts of 17-, 22-, 37-(?) and 47-Across are COLLEGE EXPENSES
60. Length x width, for a rectangle AREA
61. Got the goat of IRKED
62. Functions USES
63. Slightest of complaints PEEP
64. Female students, condescendingly COEDS
65. Literary Jane EYRE

Down
1. Parts of an ellipsis DOTS
2. Yemeni port ADEN
3. First-week-of-school social event MIXER
4. Unfortunate bottom line on an earnings report NET LOSS
5. Old hand PRO
6. China’s ___-tzu LAO
7. Invite ASK
8. “Family Guy” baby STEWIE
9. “It takes money to make money,” e.g. MAXIM
10. What’s required in some passwords NUMERAL
11. Bit of sound equipment AMP
12. Show on which Lennon and McCartney considered reuniting, for short SNL
13. Hard row to ___ HOE
18. Rorschach test image BLOT
19. Small computer program APPLET
23. Citi Field mascot MR MET
24. See 50-Across TIRE
25. Late, as a video store rental OVERDUE
26. Wind instruments OBOES
27. Snake poison VENOM
28. Someone ___ (not mine or yours) ELSE’S
31. Contingency arrangement PLAN B
32. Place where one can come home and chill? IGLOO
33. Indian drum TABLA
35. “Can you give me any alternative?” MUST I?
37. Hobo’s accessory BINDLE
38. Home located in the sticks? NEST
41. Batting helmet feature EARFLAP
43. Naive young woman INGENUE
45. Not homo- HETERO-
46. “___ upon a time …” ONCE
48. Card tricks, e.g. MAGIC
49. Smart-alecky SASSY
52. Fortuneteller SEER
53. “To be,” in Latin ESSE
54. Headgear often worn backward CAP
55. Miner’s find ORE
56. Appomattox surrenderer LEE
57. Barely manage, with “out” EKE
58. Crossed (out) XED
59. Groups of cops: Abbr. PDS

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