0802-22 NY Times Crossword 2 Aug 22, Tuesday

Constructed by: Jay Kaskel & Daniel Kantor
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: The Price Is Right

Themed answers each include the letter string “ME”, and AFTER it comes a REPEATED letter. Those repeated letters start and end words:

  • 36A Swearing-in words … or a hint to 17-, 22-, 48- and 55-Across : REPEAT AFTER ME
  • 17A In remembrance of former days : FOR OLD TIMES’ SAKE
  • 22A Dim sum serving : STEAMED DUMPLING
  • 48A Product-testing nonprofit since 1936 : CONSUMER REPORTS
  • 55A Late-night show starting in 2003 : JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE

Bill’s time: 7m 00s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Cologne ingredient : MUSK

Musk has such an elegant connotation these days because of its use in the world of perfumery. However, its origin is not quite so glamorous. The original substance called musk, also used in perfumes, was extracted from a gland in the rectal area of the male musk deer. The name “musk” is a Sanskrit word for “testicle”.

Back in 1709, an Italian perfume-maker moved to Cologne in Germany. There he invented a new fragrance that he named Eau de Cologne after his newly adopted town. The fragrance is still produced in Cologne, using a secret formulation. However, the terms “Eau de Cologne” and “cologne”, are now used generically.

14 ___ driver (side hustle, for some) : UBER

The rideshare service Uber takes its name from the English colloquial word “uber” meaning “super, topmost”, which in turn comes from the German “über” meaning “above”.

15 Place for a gig : VENUE

Musicians use “gig” to describe a job, a performance. The term originated in the early 1900s in the world of jazz. The derivative phrase “gig economy” applies to a relatively recent phenomenon where workers find themselves jumping from temporary job to temporary job, from gig to gig.

20 Letter-shaped dress cut : A-LINE

An A-line skirt is one that fits snugly at the hips and flares towards the hem. The term “A-line” was first used in fashion by French designer Christian Dior in his 1955 spring collection.

21 Ballet move : PLIE

The French word for “bent” is “plié”. In the ballet move known as a plié, the knees are bent. A “demi-plié” is a similar move, but with less bending of the knees. A fondu is similar to a plié, except that only one leg remains on the ground.

22 Dim sum serving : STEAMED DUMPLING

Dim sum is a Chinese cuisine made up of small portions of various dishes. The tradition of serving dim sum is associated with the serving of tea, when small delicacies were offered to travelers and guests along with tea as a refreshment. The name “dim sum” translates as “touch the heart” implying that dim sum is not a main meal, just a snack “that touches the heart”.

29 Nincompoop : ASS

The word “nincompoop”, meaning “fool”, seems to have been around for quite a while. It has been used since the 1670s, but no one appears to know its origins.

34 Eldest von Trapp child in “The Sound of Music” : LIESL

The von Trapps portrayed in the musical “The Sound of Music” were a real family, as is well known. In the musical and film, the eldest daughter is Liesl, although in real life her name was Agathe. Agathe came with her family to the US in 1938, and operated a private kindergarten in Baltimore, Maryland for 35 years. Agathe passed away in 2010. Agathe/Liesl was the daughter who was “Sixteen Going on Seventeen”.

40 Many a four-door : SEDAN

The American sedan car is the equivalent of the British and Irish saloon car. By definition, a sedan car has two rows of seating and a separate trunk (boot in Britain and Ireland), although in some models the engine can be at the rear of the car.

41 Deli offerings : MEATS

The word “delicatessen” (or “deli” for short) came into English from the German “Delikatessen”. The Germans borrowed the word from French, in which language “délicatesse” means “delicious things (to eat)”. The term’s ultimate root is “delicatus”, the Latin for “giving pleasure, delightful”.

42 King Kong, for one : APE

When RKO released the 1933 movie “King Kong”, the promotional material listed the ape’s height as 50 feet. During filming, a bust was created for a 40-foot ape, as well as a full-size hand that went with a 70-foot Kong.

43 Eye parts : UVEAS

The uvea is the middle of the three layers that make up the eyeball. The outer layer is called the fibrous tunic, and the inner layer is the retina.

45 Arkansas governor Hutchinson : ASA

Asa Hutchinson is a Republican politician who took over as Governor of Arkansas in January of 2015. Hutchinson comes from a politically active family. Asa’s older brother Tim served a term as US Senator for Arkansas from 1997 to 2003. Tim’s identical twin sons were the first twins to serve alongside each other in the Arkansas General Assembly.

48 Product-testing nonprofit since 1936 : CONSUMER REPORTS

“Consumer Reports” is a monthly magazine that has been published by Consumers Union since 1936. Consumers Union was established as a non-profit organization with the mission to “test products, inform the public, and protect customers.”

53 Lo-o-o-ong time : AEON

Geological time is divided into a number of units of varying lengths. These are, starting from the largest:

  • supereon
  • eon (also “aeon”)
  • era
  • period
  • epoch
  • age

55 Late-night show starting in 2003 : JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE

Jimmy Kimmel is the host of the late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Kimmel also co-hosted “The Man Show” and my personal favorite, “Win Ben Stein’s Money”. Kimmel appeared on the PBS show “Finding Your Roots” in 2020, when he discovered that he was a cousin of Martha Stewart!

61 Mythical ship guarded by Hera : ARGO

In Greek mythology, Jason and the Argonauts set sail on the Argo from the city of Iolcos in search of the Golden Fleece. Jason’s vessel was called the “Argo” in honor of the ship’s builder, a man named Argus.

64 Another name for the Crimson Tide : BAMA

The athletic teams of the University of Alabama (“Bama”) are nicknamed the Crimson Tide, which is a reference to the team colors of crimson and white.

65 What’s missing from matzo : YEAST

Matzo is an unleavened flatbread used in Jewish cuisine, and which plays a central role in the Seder ritual feast that marks the beginning of Passover.

Down

1 “The Lion King” patriarch : MUFASA

In the 1994 movie “The Lion King”, the protagonist is Simba, a lion cub born to Mufasa and Sarabi. The main antagonist is Scar, Simba’s uncle and Mufasa’s brother. Simba is voiced by Matthew Broderick, and Scar is voiced by Jeremy Irons. “Simba” is Swahili for “lion, king, strong”.

4 Swedish currency : KRONA

“Krona” (plural “kronor”) translates in English as “crown”, and is the currency of Sweden. As a member of the European Union, Sweden is required to adopt the euro as its official currency. Such a move isn’t really popular in Sweden and so the Swedish government has been using a legal loophole to allow the country to retain the krona.

5 Palindromic rental : DVD

The abbreviation “DVD” doesn’t actually stand for anything these days, although it was originally short for “digital video disk”. The use of the word “video” was dropped as DVDs started to be used for storing a lot more than video. As a result, some folks assign the phrase “digital versatile disk” to “DVD”.

7 “Star Wars” nickname : ANI

Anakin “Ani” Skywalker is the principal character in the first six of the “Star Wars” movies. His progress chronologically through the series of films is:

  • Episode I: Anakin is a 9-year-old slave boy who earns the promise of Jedi training by young Obi-Wan Kenobi.
  • Episode II: Anakin is 18-years-old and goes on a murdering rampage to avenge the killing of his mother.
  • Episode III: Anakin is 21-years-old and a Jedi knight, but he turns to the Dark Side and becomes Darth Vader. His wife Padme gives birth to twins, Luke and Leia Skywalker.
  • Episode IV: Darth Vader, comes into conflict with his children, Luke Skywalker and the Princess Leia.
  • Episode V: Darth Vader attempts to coax his son Luke over to the dark side, and reveals to Luke that he is his father.
  • Episode VI: Luke learns that Leia is his sister, and takes on the task of bringing Darth Vader back from the Dark Side in order to save the Galaxy. Vader saves his son from the Emperor’s evil grip, dying in the process, but his spirit ends up alongside the spirits of Yoda and Obi-Wan. They all live happily ever after …

8 Brouhaha : RUMPUS

“Brouhaha”, meaning “ado, stir”, was a French word that back in the 1550s meant “the cry of the devil disguised as clergy” . Wow!

10 Propper noun? : EASEL

The word “easel” comes from an old Dutch word meaning “donkey”, would you believe? The idea is that an easel carries its load (an oil painting, say) just as a donkey would be made to carry a load.

18 Moon-landing acronym : LEM

In the Apollo program, the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) was the vehicle that actually landed on the moon and returned the astronauts to the command module that was orbiting overhead. The third LEM built was named “Spider”, and it participated in the Apollo 9 mission which tested the functionality of the LEM design in space. The fourth LEM was called “Snoopy” and it flew around the moon in the Apollo 10 mission, the dress rehearsal for the upcoming moon landing. Apollo 11’s LEM was called “Eagle” and it brought Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to and from the moon’s surface. Another famous LEM was Apollo 13’s Aquarius. Although Aquarius never landed on the moon, it did serve as a “lifeboat” for the three astronauts after the explosive rupture of an oxygen canister in the Service Module.

23 One-named Irish singer : ENYA

Enya’s real name is Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, which can translate from Irish into Enya Brennan. Her Donegal family (in the northwest of Ireland) formed a band called Clannad, which included Enya. In 1980 Enya launched her very successful solo career, eventually becoming Ireland’s best-selling solo musician. And, she sure does turn up a lot in crosswords!

24 Nimrod : DOLT

“Nimrod” is a slang term used to describe a foolish person.

27 Rosé bouquet : NOSE

Rosé wines get their color from the skins of the grapes, although the intensity of the color is not sufficient to make them red wines. Of the varying type of rosé wines available, we are most familiar with sweet White Zinfandels. Personally, I am fond of the dry Provençal rosé wines.

34 Service call? : LET!

That could be tennis.

35 Org. that takes many forms : IRS

Form 1040, issued by the IRS, is the “US Individual Income Tax Return”. It was originally created just for tax returns from 1913, 1914 and 1915, but it’s a form that just keeps on giving, or should I say “taking” …?

36 Certain tow job, informally : REPO

Repossession (repo)

39 Electrically stun : TASE

Victor Appleton wrote a novel for young adults called “Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle”. The company that developed the TASER electroshock weapon partly named its product as a homage to the novel. The acronym “TASER” stands for “Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle”.

49 “Survivor” locale in the South Pacific : SAMOA

The official name for the South Pacific nation formerly known as Western Samoa is the Independent State of Samoa. Samoa is the western part of the island group, with American Samoa lying to the southeast. The whole group of islands used to be known as Navigators Island, a name given by European explorers in recognition of the seafaring skills of the native Samoans.

The reality show “Survivor” is based on a Swedish television series created in 1997 called “Expedition Robinson”.

50 Driver’s one-eighty : UEY

Hang a “uey” or “uie”, make a u-turn, make a 180.

51 Campaign pro : POL

Politician (pol)

55 Vaccine shot, in British lingo : JAB

A vaccine used to be a modified virus administered to an individual to stimulate the immune system into developing immunity, until RNA vaccines were introduced to combat COVID-19. British physician Edward Jenner came up with the first vaccine, injecting people with the cowpox virus in order to prevent smallpox. The term “vaccination” comes from the Latin “vaccinus” meaning “from cows”, with “vacca” translating as “cow”.

56 Portfolio piece, for short : IRA

Individual retirement account (IRA)

57 ___ Grand : MGM

MGM Resorts International is the name given to a chain of hotel resorts and casinos, including the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The MGM Grand Las Vegas was the largest hotel in the world when it opened in 1993.

58 “Mamma ___!” : MIA

The hit musical “Mamma Mia!” was written to showcase the songs of ABBA. I’m a big fan of ABBA’s music, so I’ve seen this show a couple of times and just love it. “Mamma Mia!” is such a big hit on the stage that on any given day there are at least seven performances going on somewhere in the world. There is a really interesting film version of the show that was released in 2008. I think the female lead Meryl Streep is wonderful in the movie, but the male leads … not so much! By the way, one can tell the difference between “Mamma Mia” the ABBA song and “Mamma Mia!” the musical, by noting the difference in the punctuation in the titles.

59 Scrip writers : MDS

“Scrip” (also “script”) is an informal term meaning “prescription”.

60 Give-or-take fig. : EST

Estimate (est.)

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Cologne ingredient : MUSK
5 Kind of planet : DWARF
10 Apt anagram of VILE : EVIL
14 ___ driver (side hustle, for some) : UBER
15 Place for a gig : VENUE
16 Allowing a cross-breeze, say : AIRY
17 In remembrance of former days : FOR OLD TIMES’ SAKE
20 Letter-shaped dress cut : A-LINE
21 Ballet move : PLIE
22 Dim sum serving : STEAMED DUMPLING
29 Nincompoop : ASS
30 Like the deities Loki and Freya : NORSE
31 Little dipper? : TOE
32 Flair : STYLE
34 Eldest von Trapp child in “The Sound of Music” : LIESL
36 Swearing-in words … or a hint to 17-, 22-, 48- and 55-Across : REPEAT AFTER ME
40 Many a four-door : SEDAN
41 Deli offerings : MEATS
42 King Kong, for one : APE
43 Eye parts : UVEAS
45 Arkansas governor Hutchinson : ASA
48 Product-testing nonprofit since 1936 : CONSUMER REPORTS
53 Lo-o-o-ong time : AEON
54 Fairy tale monsters : OGRES
55 Late-night show starting in 2003 : JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE
61 Mythical ship guarded by Hera : ARGO
62 Lemon juice and vinegar, for two : ACIDS
63 With 46-Down, all square : EVEN …
64 Another name for the Crimson Tide : BAMA
65 What’s missing from matzo : YEAST
66 It’s more than a ding : DENT

Down

1 “The Lion King” patriarch : MUFASA
2 Some letter-shaped hardware : U-BOLTS
3 Follower of TV or World : … SERIES
4 Swedish currency : KRONA
5 Palindromic rental : DVD
6 Soaked : WET
7 “Star Wars” nickname : ANI
8 Brouhaha : RUMPUS
9 “Ya get my drift?” : FEEL ME?
10 Propper noun? : EASEL
11 By way of : VIA
12 Peeve : IRK
13 Caustic agent : LYE
18 Moon-landing acronym : LEM
19 Little taste : SIP
23 One-named Irish singer : ENYA
24 Nimrod : DOLT
25 Wishful sort : DREAMER
26 Twosome : ITEM
27 Rosé bouquet : NOSE
28 Foam alternative, in shaving : GEL
32 Rest-and-relaxation retreat : SPA
33 Perfect score in diving : TEN
34 Service call? : LET!
35 Org. that takes many forms : IRS
36 Certain tow job, informally : REPO
37 Earthly paradise : EDEN
38 Phobia : FEAR
39 Electrically stun : TASE
40 Anatomical pouch : SAC
43 “Well … I guess” : UM … OKAY
44 City built on 118 small islands : VENICE
45 Touch down, say : ARRIVE
46 See 63-Across : … STEVEN
47 Give the go-ahead : ASSENT
49 “Survivor” locale in the South Pacific : SAMOA
50 Driver’s one-eighty : UEY
51 Campaign pro : POL
52 Eyed rudely : OGLED
55 Vaccine shot, in British lingo : JAB
56 Portfolio piece, for short : IRA
57 ___ Grand : MGM
58 “Mamma ___!” : MIA
59 Scrip writers : MDS
60 Give-or-take fig. : EST