0821-23 NY Times Crossword 21 Aug 23, Monday

Constructed by: Jennifer Nutt
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: Shell

Themed answers each start with a word that sounds like something one might “hear” by holding a SHELL up to one’s ear at the shore:

  • 40A Something you might hold to your ear in order to hear the first parts of 18-, 24-, 52- and 62-Across? : SHELL
  • 18A Got hitched : TIED THE KNOT (giving “tide”)
  • 24A Not require fees to be paid : WAIVE CHARGES (giving “wave”)
  • 52A Fruity breakfast biscuit : CURRANT SCONE (giving “current”)
  • 62A “Saturday Night Live” cast member from 1980 to 1984 : EDDIE MURPHY (giving “eddy”)

Bill’s time: 5m 51s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Jamaican music genre : SKA

Ska originated in Jamaica in the late fifties and was the precursor to reggae music. No one has a really definitive etymology of the term “ska”, but it is likely to be imitative of a sound.

4 Largest city in Nebraska : OMAHA

Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska. It is located on the Missouri River, about 10 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River. When Nebraska was still a territory Omaha was its capital, but when Nebraska achieved statehood the capital was moved to the city of Lincoln.

9 Pulitzer or Pritzker : PRIZE

Pulitzer Prizes are awarded annually for achievements in journalism, literature and musical composition. The prize was established back in 1917 by the Hungarian-American newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer. Pulitzer left money in his will for the prize, and for its administration by Columbia University.

The Pritzker Architecture Prize is an annual award that has been presented since 1979. The award is funded by the estate of Jay Pritzker, the founder of the Hyatt Hotel chain.

14 Approximate weight of a full-grown walrus : TON

Walruses are large marine mammals with very prominent tusks. Their natural habitat is in and around the northern hemisphere’s Arctic Ocean.

15 Eggs (on) : URGES

The verb “to edge” has been used to mean to incite, to urge on, from the 16th century. Somewhere along the way “edge” was mistakenly replaced with “egg”, giving us our term “to egg on” meaning “to goad”.

16 Desert watering hole : OASIS

An isolated area of vegetation in a desert is called an oasis (plural “oases”). As water is needed for plant growth, an oasis might also include a spring, pond or small lake. We often use the term “oasis” more generally to describe a haven, a place of rest.

17 Author Bradbury : RAY

Author Ray Bradbury was best known for his speculative fiction works, including “Fahrenheit 451”, “The Martian Chronicles” and “The Illustrated Man”. Bradbury earned his first payment as a writer when he was just 14 years old. That was when he was hired by comedian George Burns to write for the “Burns and Allen” show.

20 Some saxes : ALTOS

Saxophones are made of brass, but they also have some features in common with woodwind instruments, such as the use of a reed to create sound. Because of that reed, the “sax” is classified not as a brass instrument, but as a woodwind.

22 ___-wop : DOO

Doo-wop developed in the 1940s and can be described as a vocal-based R&B music. Even though the style has been around since the forties, the name doo-wop wasn’t introduced until the early sixties.

23 Mount ___, active Italian volcano : ETNA

Italy is home to three active volcanoes:

  • Stromboli (in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the north coast of Sicily)
  • Vesuvius (overlooking Naples)
  • Etna (on the island of Sicily)

28 Hashtag that trended in a late-2010s movement : METOO

The use of the #MeToo hashtag initially was encouraged by actress Alyssa Milano in 2017 to draw attention to sexual assault and sexual harassment. Milano was acting in response to the growing number of allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein. The use of the phrase “Me Too” in the context of sexual misconduct dates back to 2006. Social activist Tarana Burke started to use the phrase on the Myspace social network after a 13-year-old girl told her that she had been sexually assaulted. Apparently, Burke had no response at the time the girl confided in her, but later wished she had responded, “Me too”.

33 App that asks “Where to?” on its home screen : UBER

When transportation company Uber went public in 2019, it was a well-subscribed offering. However, Uber’s shares dropped in value soon after trading opened, and finished the day 11% down. As a result, Uber shares suffered the biggest IPO first-day dollar loss in US history.

39 Lust or envy : SIN

The cardinal sins of Christian ethics are also known as the seven deadly sins. The seven sins are:

  • Wrath
  • Greed
  • Sloth
  • Pride
  • Lust
  • Envy
  • Gluttony

42 Fishy bagel topper : LOX

Lox is a brine-cured salmon filet that is finely sliced. The term “lox” comes into English via Yiddish, and derives from the German word for salmon, namely “Lachs”.

43 Dark beer variety : STOUT

The term “stout” was first used for a type of beer in the 1600s when it was used to describe a “strong, stout” brew, and not necessarily a dark beer as it is today.

46 Berry in a smoothie bowl : ACAI

Açaí (pronounced “ass-aye-ee”) is a palm tree native to Central and South America. The fruit has become very popular in recent years and its juice is a very fashionable addition to juice mixes and smoothies.

50 Story with Achilles : ILIAD

Achilles is the protagonist in Homer’s “Iliad”. When Achilles was born, his mother attempted to make him immortal by dipping him into the River Styx. As he was held by the heel while under the water, this became the only vulnerable point on his body (his Achilles’ heel”). Years later he was killed when a poisoned arrow struck him in the heel. That arrow was shot by Paris.

57 Biblical sister of Rachel : LEAH

According to the Bible, Leah was one of the two wives of Jacob, the other being Leah’s sister Rachel. Jacob’s intention had been to marry Rachel, but Leah and Rachel’s father “switched” his daughters and provided Leah as the veiled bride. Jacob married Rachel a week later, and lived with the two wives concurrently.

61 Ohio city where Goodyear is headquartered : AKRON

For much of the 1800s, the Ohio city of Akron was the fastest-growing city in the country, feeding off the industrial boom of that era. The city was founded in 1825 and its location, along the Ohio and Erie canal connecting Lake Erie with the Ohio River, helped to fuel Akron’s growth. Akron sits at the highest point of the canal and the name “Akron” comes from the Greek word meaning “summit”. Indeed, Akron is the county seat of Summit County. The city earned the moniker “Rubber Capital of the World” for most of the 20th century, as it was home to four major tire companies: Goodrich, Goodyear, Firestone and General Tire.

The Goodyear tire company was founded in 1898. The company was named for Charles Goodyear, the man who invented vulcanized rubber in 1839. Despite the Goodyear name, Charles Goodyear himself had no connection with the company. Sadly, he never really reaped a financial reward for his inventions.

62 “Saturday Night Live” cast member from 1980 to 1984 : EDDIE MURPHY (giving “eddy”)

Eddie Murphy is a multi-faceted performer and entertainer from the Bushwick neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. Murphy was a comedian on “Saturday Night Live” from 1980 to 1984. He has also appeared in several hit movies, the success of which make Murphy the fourth-highest grossing actor in the country, as of 2014.

66 Chicago airport code : ORD

The IATA airport code for O’Hare International in Chicago is ORD, which comes from Orchard Place Airport/Douglas Field (OR-D).

67 Jerry Maguire’s profession in “Jerry Maguire” : AGENT

“Jerry Maguire” is a 1996 film starring Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Renée Zellweger. The title character is played by Cruise, and is a sports agent. There are several lines oft quoted from “Jerry Maguire” including:

  • “Show me the money!”
  • “You complete me”
  • “You had me at ‘hello’”

68 “Twice-Told ___” : TALES

“Twice-Told Tales” is a two-volume collection of short stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne that were published in 1837 and 1842. The books earned the title as each story had previously been published in a magazine or annual.

69 G.I. entertainers : USO

The United Service Organization (USO) was founded in 1941 at the request of President Franklin D. Roosevelt “to handle the on-leave recreation of the men in the armed forces”. A USO tour is undertaken by a troupe of entertainers, many of whom are big-name celebrities. A USO tour usually includes troop locations in combat zones.

Down

2 “Bear” in a eucalyptus forest : KOALA

Koalas are not bears, but are marsupials, which means they carry their young in a pouch.They are known for their diet of eucalyptus leaves, which are toxic to most other animals. To cope with this, koalas have a special digestive system that allows them to break down the toxins and extract the nutrients from the leaves. Koalas are one of the sleepiest animals in the world, sleeping up to 20 hours a day. This is because eucalyptus leaves provide very little energy.

5 Hosp. procedure : MRI

MRI scans can be daunting for many people as they usually involve the patient lying inside a tube with the imaging magnet surrounding the body. Additionally, the scan can take up to 40 minutes in some cases. There are some open MRI scanners available that help prevent a feeling of claustrophobia. However, the images produced by open scanners are of lower quality as they operate at lower magnetic fields.

7 Ibsen’s “___ Gabler” : HEDDA

“Hedda Gabler” is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen that was first published in 1890. The titular character is a woman who is trapped in a loveless marriage and struggling to find meaning in her life. The play was controversial when it was first produced due to its depiction of a strong-willed, independent woman who defies societal expectations and norms.

8 Fur tycoon John Jacob : ASTOR

John Jacob Astor was the patriarch of the famous American Astor dynasty. He was the country’s first multi-millionaire, making his fortune in the trade of fur, real estate and opium. In today’s terms, it has been calculated that by the time of his death he has accumulated a fortune big enough to make him the fourth wealthiest man in American history (in the company of the likes of Andrew Carnegie, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Bill Gates, Henry Ford and John D. Rockefeller).

9 “The Purloined Letter” author : POE

“The Purloined Letter” is the third of Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories to feature Le Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin, Poe’s famous detective. The two earlier stories are the celebrated “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” and “The Mystery of Marie Roget”.

12 National park with the notorious Angels Landing hike : ZION

Angels Landing is a rock formation in Utah’s Zion National Park.

To me, the most spectacular feature of southwestern Utah’s Zion National Park is the magnificent Zion Canyon. The canyon cuts through red Navajo sandstone and truly is a beautiful sight.

13 “Cómo ___ usted?” : ESTA

“¿Cómo está usted?” is the more formal way of asking “How are you?” in Spanish.

27 Lilly of pharmaceuticals : ELI

Eli Lilly is the largest corporation in the state of Indiana. Founder Eli Lilly was a veteran of the Union Army in the Civil War, and a failed Mississippi plantation owner. Later in life he returned to his first profession and opened a pharmaceutical operation to manufacture drugs and sell them wholesale. Under Lilly’s early guidance, the company was the first to create gelatin capsules to hold medicines and the first to use fruit flavoring in liquid medicines.

31 Biblical son of Seth : ENOS

Enos was the son of Seth, and therefore the grandson of Adam and Eve, and nephew of Cain and Abel. According to the ancient Jewish work called the Book of Jubilees, Enos married his own sister Noam.

33 It broke up on Dec. 26, 1991 : USSR

When the former Soviet Union (USSR) dissolved in 1991, it was largely replaced by the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The formation of the CIS underscored the new reality, that the former Soviet Republics (SSRs) were now independent states. Most of the 15 former SSRs joined the CIS. Notably, the three Baltic SSRs (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) opted not to join the new commonwealth, and in 2004 joined NATO and the EU.

36 Jiffy : SEC

“Jiff”, or “jiffy”, meaning “short time, instant” is thought originally to be thieves’ slang for “lightning”.

44 Spiny sea creatures : URCHINS

Sea urchins are globular, spiny creatures found just about everywhere in the ocean. The “roe” of a sea urchin is eaten as a delicacy in several cuisines around the world. In a sushi restaurant, the sea urchin roe is called “uni”. The term “roe” normally means “fish eggs”, but in the case of the sea urchin it refers to the gonads of both the male and female.

45 Letter between sigma and upsilon : TAU

Tau is the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet, and the letter that gave rise to our Roman “T”. Both the letters tau (T) and chi (X) have long been symbolically associated with the cross.

47 Set of antlers : RACK

The antlers on a deer come to points. The higher the number of points, the more prized the head of the deer as a trophy, so I am told …

49 Strait-laced : PRIM

Our term “strait-laced” is used to describe someone who is “excessively inflexible in matters of conduct”. Note the spelling “strait” (and not “straight”), which in this case means “tight”, and is a reference to the laces of a woman’s corset. A woman with a strait-laced (tightly-laced) corset would have a rigid posture. This usage was extended to the figurative meaning of “rigid in conduct”.

55 Viking language : NORSE

The Vikings were a Germanic people from northern Europe who were noted as great seafarers. Key to the success of the Vikings was the design of their famous “longships”. Made from wood, the longship was long and narrow with a shallow hull, It was also light, so that the crew would actually carry it small distances over land and around obstacles. Longships were designed to be propelled by both sail and oars.

57 Metal that an alchemist “converts” into gold : LEAD

One of the main goals of the ancient practice of alchemy was to change base metals into gold, a process known as transmutation.

59 Port of Yemen : ADEN

Aden is a seaport in Yemen that is 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.

63 Summer in Québec : ETE

The name of the province Québec comes from an Algonquin word “kebec” meaning “where the river narrows”. This refers to the area around Quebec City where the St. Lawrence River narrows as it flows through a gap lined by steep cliffs.

64 West Bank grp. : PLO

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was founded in 1964. The PLO’s early stated goal was the liberation of Palestine, with Palestine defined as the geographic entity that existed under the terms of the British Mandate granted by the League of Nations back in 1923. The PLO was granted observer status (i.e. no voting rights) at the United Nations in 1974.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Jamaican music genre : SKA
4 Largest city in Nebraska : OMAHA
9 Pulitzer or Pritzker : PRIZE
14 Approximate weight of a full-grown walrus : TON
15 Eggs (on) : URGES
16 Desert watering hole : OASIS
17 Author Bradbury : RAY
18 Got hitched : TIED THE KNOT (giving “tide”)
20 Some saxes : ALTOS
22 ___-wop : DOO
23 Mount ___, active Italian volcano : ETNA
24 Not require fees to be paid : WAIVE CHARGES (giving “wave”)
28 Hashtag that trended in a late-2010s movement : METOO
29 Covers in goo : SLIMES
33 App that asks “Where to?” on its home screen : UBER
35 Office leader : BOSS
38 Silly : INANE
39 Lust or envy : SIN
40 Something you might hold to your ear in order to hear the first parts of 18-, 24-, 52- and 62-Across? : SHELL
42 Fishy bagel topper : LOX
43 Dark beer variety : STOUT
46 Berry in a smoothie bowl : ACAI
47 Cheerful, as an outlook : ROSY
48 Prepare to regift, perhaps : REWRAP
50 Story with Achilles : ILIAD
52 Fruity breakfast biscuit : CURRANT SCONE (giving “current”)
57 Biblical sister of Rachel : LEAH
60 Debtor’s note : IOU
61 Ohio city where Goodyear is headquartered : AKRON
62 “Saturday Night Live” cast member from 1980 to 1984 : EDDIE MURPHY (giving “eddy”)
66 Chicago airport code : ORD
67 Jerry Maguire’s profession in “Jerry Maguire” : AGENT
68 “Twice-Told ___” : TALES
69 G.I. entertainers : USO
70 Opposite of sparse : DENSE
71 Replay option : SLO-MO
72 Stitch up : SEW

Down

1 Drink sucker-upper : STRAW
2 “Bear” in a eucalyptus forest : KOALA
3 “We’re waiting …” : ANYTIME NOW …
4 Very beginning : OUTSET
5 Hosp. procedure : MRI
6 Mature, as wine : AGE
7 Ibsen’s “___ Gabler” : HEDDA
8 Fur tycoon John Jacob : ASTOR
9 “The Purloined Letter” author : POE
10 Earns and earns and earns : RAKES IN
11 “Money ___ everything” : ISN’T
12 National park with the notorious Angels Landing hike : ZION
13 “Cómo ___ usted?” : ESTA
19 Refuses to share : HOGS
21 Above : OVER
25 Corn interiors : COBS
26 Kerfuffle : HOO-HA
27 Lilly of pharmaceuticals : ELI
30 Stinky : MALODOROUS
31 Biblical son of Seth : ENOS
32 Smokin’ hot : SEXY
33 It broke up on Dec. 26, 1991 : USSR
34 Small snack : BITE
36 Jiffy : SEC
37 Done in, as a dragon : SLAIN
41 Cheery tune : LILT
44 Spiny sea creatures : URCHINS
45 Letter between sigma and upsilon : TAU
47 Set of antlers : RACK
49 Strait-laced : PRIM
51 Words after “because” that don’t really explain : … I SAY SO
53 Decisive victories : ROUTS
54 Of the ear : AURAL
55 Viking language : NORSE
56 Fund, as a university : ENDOW
57 Metal that an alchemist “converts” into gold : LEAD
58 Slight advantage : EDGE
59 Port of Yemen : ADEN
63 Summer in Québec : ETE
64 West Bank grp. : PLO
65 ___ and haw : HEM