0222-17 New York Times Crossword Answers 22 Feb 17, Wednesday

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Solution to today’s crossword in the New York Times
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Jump to a complete list of today’s clues and answers

CROSSWORD SETTER: Kyle Dolan
THEME: Word to Word
Today’s themed clues are word ladders, with the first and last words pointing to the answers. Each of those answers are common phrases in the format “word to word”.

17A. … SLID SAID SAND SANE SINE NINE … : SLIM TO NONE
31A. … DOTE DOLE DOLL DELL SELL … : NOTE TO SELF
47A. … HERD HEAD HEAT SEAT STAT … : HERE TO STAY
64A. … OMEN OPEN OPED SPED SHED SHAD SHAM WHAM WHAT … : AMEN TO THAT

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 8m 59s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Actress and former mixed martial arts champion Carano : GINA
Gina Carano is a former martial artist from Texas who took up acting when she retired from fighting. As one might expect, Carano tends to appear in action films.

9. Seat at a hootenanny : BALE
Our colloquial word “hootenanny” is now used for a party featuring folk music. The term came into English as a word similar to “thingamajig” or “whatsit”. Out current usage is more akin to its original meaning back in Scotland i.e. “celebration, party”.

16. Operating system with many clones : UNIX
Unix is a computer operating system that was developed at Bell Labs in 1969. The initial name for the project was Uniplexed Information and Computing Service (Unics), and this evolved over time into “Unix”.

20. “… shall not ___ from the earth”: Gettysburg Address : PERISH
I admit to having profound respect and admiration for great speeches delivered by great men and women. Forgive me as I reproduce here the full text of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address:

Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that “all men are created equal.”

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who died here, that the nation might live. This we may, in all propriety do. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow, this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here; while it can never forget what they did here.

It is rather for us the living, we here be dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.

23. Words often spoken with a hand on the Bible : I DO
Do you solemnly (swear/affirm) that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, (so help you God/under pains and penalties of perjury)?

26. Show created by Lena Dunham : GIRLS
Lena Dunham is a co-star in the HBO series “Girls”, and is also the show’s creator. Dunham garnered a lot of attention for herself during the 2012 US Presidential election cycle as she starred in an ad focused on getting out the youth vote. In the spot she compared voting for the first time with having sex for the first time.

28. Where Matt Damon was stranded in a 2015 film : MARS
“The Martian” is a very intriguing 2015 science fiction film starring Matt Damon as an astronaut who is accidentally stranded on Mars. The movie is based on a 2011 novel of the same name by Andrew Weir. One thing that I liked about the film is that the science cited is fairly realistic. In fact, NASA collaborated with the filmmakers extensively from script development to principal casting.

36. Many a chamber piece : TRIO
In the world of chamber music, a trio often includes a piano. Common forms are:

  • Clarinet-cello-piano
  • Clarinet-viola-piano
  • Clarinet-violin-piano

39. Impulse transmission point : SYNAPSE
A synapse is a junction between a nerve cell and another cell over which an electrical or chemical signal can pass.

42. “You’ve said quite enough!,” informally : TMI
TMI (too much information!)

45. 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 and others : SETS
That could be tennis.

46. Part of many Arabic names : IBN
In Arabic names, “ibn” is a word meaning “son of”. The words “bin” and “ben” are also used for “son of”. The word “bint” means “daughter of”. Similarly, in Hebrew “ben” is used to mean “son of”, and “bat” is used to mean “daughter of”.

50. Macbeth, e.g. : SCOT
There is a superstition in the theatrical world that uttering the name “Macbeth” in a theater will bring disaster of some sort. To avoid this, the euphemism “the Scottish Play” is used instead.

51. Puccini title heroine : TOSCA
Unlike so many operas, Giacomo Puccini’s “Tosca” was a big hit right from day one, when it was first performed in 1900 at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome. “Tosca” is currently the eighth-most performed opera in America.

52. Heidi of “Project Runway” : KLUM
German-born Heidi Klum was married to the successful English singer, Seal. Klum is a talented lady and has built a multi-faceted career based on her early success as a model. She is the force behind the Bravo reality show called “Project Runway” that has been on the air since 2004. Klum has been nominated 4-5 times for an Emmy for her association with the show. Klum was also signed up as the official ambassador for Barbie in 2009, the 50th anniversary of the Barbie Doll, and for her service that year a Heidi Klum Barbie was produced. She has been adding a touch of class to the judging panel on the show “America’s Got Talent” since 2013.

56. Growth in an underwater “forest” : KELP
Kelps are large seaweeds that grow in kelp forests underwater. Kelps can grow to over 250 feet in length, and do so very quickly. Some kelps can grow at the rate of 1-2 feet per day.

62. Man exiled from 55-Down : ADAM
(55D. See 62-Across : EDEN)
In the Christian tradition, the “fall of man” took place in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve succumbed to the temptation of eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This went against the bidding of God, and was at the urging of the serpent. As a result, Adam and Eve were banished from Eden to prevent them becoming immortal by eating from the tree of life. The first humans had transitioned from a state of innocent obedience to a state of guilty disobedience.

67. Lymph ___ : NODE
Lymph is a fluid that exists “alongside” blood in the body, transported through lymph vessels. One of the functions of the system is to pick up bacteria in the body, transporting them to lymph nodes where they are destroyed by lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). Lymph can also carry metastatic cancer cells, which can lodge in lymph nodes making lymph nodes a common site where tumors may be found growing.

70. Fit of pique : SNIT
Our term “pique” meaning a “fit of ill feeling” is a French word meaning a “prick, sting, irritation”.

Down
3. Genre for the novelist Patricia Highsmith : NOIR
American novelist Patricia Highsmith was noted for her psychological thrillers, some of which were adapted for the big screen. For example, Alfred Hitchcock’s 1951 film “Strangers on a Train” was based on her 1950 novel of the same name. The more recent movie “The Talented Mr. Ripley” released in 1999 was adapted from her 1955 novel with the same title.

4. Hordes : ARMIES
The Golden Horde was a group of Mongols who ruled over what is now Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Moldova and the Caucasus, from the 1240s until 1502. It has been suggested that the name of the group derives from the yellow tents used by the rulers of the Golden Horde. And, the Golden Horde’s influence and rule led to the term “horde” entering the English language, via many languages spoken in Slavic Eastern Europe.

5. What’s always good in Grenoble? : BON
Grenoble is a city at the foot of the French Alps. Grenoble hosted the 1968 Winter Olympic Games.

7. Fail on a promise : RENEGE
To renege on something is to back out of it. It’s a verb commonly used in card games like bridge and whist. A renege is when a player doesn’t follow suit, even though there may be a card of the suit led in his/her hand.

8. Portmanteau in 2016 world news : BREXIT
The UK held a referendum in June 2016 in which 52% of voters chose to leave the European Union (EU). The term “Brexit” was used for the vote, a portmanteau of “Britain” and “exit”. The vote has led to some debate about the future of the UK. The Scottish electorate voted for the UK to stay in the EU, and so there’s a lot of new talk about Scotland leaving the UK. There’s also some discussion about Northern Ireland’s future in the UK, as the Northern Irish electorate also voted to stay in the EU.

9. Greyhound runner? : BUS
Speaking as someone who lived much of my life outside of the US, I have to say that the Greyhound bus is real symbol of America, famous from so many old movies. In Ireland the official provincial bus service “stole” the famous logo that gracefully adorns the sides of these buses, and uses an Irish Setter in place of the iconic greyhound.

14. Online market for crafts : ETSY
Etsy.com is an e-commerce website where you can buy and sell the kind of items that you might find at a craft fair.

18. Annual writing award : O HENRY
The O. Henry Award has been given annually since 1919 and honors exceptional short stories. “O. Henry” was the pen name of writer William Sydney Porter from Greensboro, North Carolina. O. Henry is famous for his witty short stories that have a clever twist in the tail.

27. The Tigers of the S.E.C. : LSU
The LSU Tigers are the sports teams of Louisiana State University (LSU). They are officially known as the Fightin’ Tigers, and the school mascot is “Mike the Tiger”. The name comes from the days of the Civil War, when two Louisiana brigades earned the nickname the “Louisiana Tigers”. Given the French/Cajun history of Louisiana, the LSU fans use the cheer “Geaux Tigers” instead of “Go Tigers”.

32. Wedding dinner speech, often : TOAST
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 …

33. Gray area : LIMBO
In the Roman Catholic tradition, “Limbo” is a place where souls can remain who cannot enter heaven. For example, infants who have not been baptized are said to reside in Limbo. Limbo is said to be located on the border of Hell. The name was chosen during the Middle Ages from the Latin “limbo” meaning “ornamental border to a fringe”. We use the phrase “in limbo” in contemporary English to mean “in a state of uncertainty”.

41. Engraver’s instrument : STYLET
A stylet is a thin, surgical probe. The term is also used for a thin, pointed weapon like a stiletto.

44. Board hiree, for short : CEO
Chief executive officer (CEO)

48. Geographical quintet : OCEANS
The interconnected system of oceanic waters around our planet is known as the World Ocean. Comprising almost 71% of the Earth’s surface, the World Ocean is divided into, from largest to smallest:

  1. The Pacific Ocean
  2. The Atlantic Ocean
  3. The Indian Ocean
  4. The Southern (Antarctic) Ocean
  5. The Arctic Ocean

50. Hits hard : SMITES
“To smite” is to strike with a firm blow. The term can also mean to strike down and slay.

53. Japanese noodles : UDON
Udon noodles are made from wheat-flour and are very popular in Japanese cuisine like tempura.

54. Demolish : RAZE
To “raze” (“rase”, in UK English) is to level to the ground. I’ve always thought it odd that “raise”, a homophone of “raze”, means to build up.

59. Bloke : CHAP
“Chap” is an informal term for “lad, fellow”, especially in England. The term derives from “chapman”, an obsolete word meaning “purchaser” or “trader”.

“Bloke” is British slang for a fellow. The etymology of “bloke” seems to have been lost in the mists of time.

60. Museum near Westminster Abbey : TATE
The museum known as “the Tate” is actually made up of four separate galleries in England. The original Tate gallery was founded by Sir Henry Tate as the National Gallery of British Art. It is located on Millbank in London, on the site of the old Millbank Prison, and is now called Tate Britain. There is also the Tate Liverpool in the north of England located in an old warehouse, and the Tate St. Ives in the west country located in an old gas works. My favorite of the Tate galleries is the Tate Modern which lies on the banks of the Thames in London. It’s a beautiful building, a converted power station that you have to see to believe.

The correct name for the Gothic church we know as Westminster Abbey is the Collegiate Church of St. Peter at Westminster. The Abbey is a favored location for coronations and royal weddings and burials. A fairly recent royal wedding in the Abbey was the marriage between Prince William and Kate Middleton in April 2011.

63. Rapper ___ Def : MOS
Mos Def is the former stage name of actor and rapper Dante Terrell Smith-Bay, now known as Yasiin Bey. Mos Def is one of the few rap stars who is really making a name for himself in the world of movies. He received critical acclaim for roles in 2003’s “The Italian Job” , 2005’s “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, and for a featured role in an episode of television’s “House”.

65. Lepidopterist’s aid : NET
A lepidopterist is a person who studies butterflies and moths, a name coming from Lepidoptera, the order of insects that encompasses such flying insects. “Lepidoptera” comes from the Greek words for “scale” and “wing”.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Actress and former mixed martial arts champion Carano : GINA
5. Provocative remark : BARB
9. Seat at a hootenanny : BALE
13. Go crazy for : ADORE
15. Part of an order for eggs : OVER
16. Operating system with many clones : UNIX
17. … SLID SAID SAND SANE SINE NINE … : SLIM TO NONE
19. It may help you get up : STEP
20. “… shall not ___ from the earth”: Gettysburg Address : PERISH
21. Call from a counter : NEXT!
23. Words often spoken with a hand on the Bible : I DO
24. Visually assessed : EYED
26. Show created by Lena Dunham : GIRLS
28. Where Matt Damon was stranded in a 2015 film : MARS
31. … DOTE DOLE DOLL DELL SELL … : NOTE TO SELF
35. Archaeologist’s estimate : AGE
36. Many a chamber piece : TRIO
37. Person at a desk : PUPIL
38. What an insider might offer : TIP
39. Impulse transmission point : SYNAPSE
42. “You’ve said quite enough!,” informally : TMI
43. Something a cellphone can replace : CLOCK
45. 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 and others : SETS
46. Part of many Arabic names : IBN
47. … HERD HEAD HEAT SEAT STAT … : HERE TO STAY
50. Macbeth, e.g. : SCOT
51. Puccini title heroine : TOSCA
52. Heidi of “Project Runway” : KLUM
54. ___ department : REC
56. Growth in an underwater “forest” : KELP
58. Things handed down by kings : EDICTS
62. Man exiled from 55-Down : ADAM
64. … OMEN OPEN OPED SPED SHED SHAD SHAM WHAM WHAT … : AMEN TO THAT
66. Home (in on) : ZERO
67. Lymph ___ : NODE
68. “Sweet!,” old-style : NEATO!
69. Wraps up : ENDS
70. Fit of pique : SNIT
71. Erupt : SPEW

Down
1. [OMG!] : GASP!
2. Not in use : IDLE
3. Genre for the novelist Patricia Highsmith : NOIR
4. Hordes : ARMIES
5. What’s always good in Grenoble? : BON
6. Publisher of the old All-True Detective Cases comic books : AVON
7. Fail on a promise : RENEGE
8. Portmanteau in 2016 world news : BREXIT
9. Greyhound runner? : BUS
10. Common bandage additive : ANTISEPTIC
11. Told a tale : LIED
12. Event at a convention center : EXPO
14. Online market for crafts : ETSY
18. Annual writing award : O HENRY
22. Training montages, underdog victories, etc., in sports movies : TROPES
25. Bump off : DO IN
27. The Tigers of the S.E.C. : LSU
28. 6-3, 2-6, 7-6, e.g. : MATCH
29. Nimble : AGILE
30. Progress indicator, of a sort : REPORT CARD
32. Wedding dinner speech, often : TOAST
33. Gray area : LIMBO
34. Camper’s tool : FLINT
36. “For shame!” : TSK TSK!
40. Pinnacle : PEAK
41. Engraver’s instrument : STYLET
44. Board hiree, for short : CEO
48. Geographical quintet : OCEANS
49. Catch for a grizzly : SALMON
50. Hits hard : SMITES
53. Japanese noodles : UDON
54. Demolish : RAZE
55. See 62-Across : EDEN
57. Spa treatment, informally : PEDI
59. Bloke : CHAP
60. Museum near Westminster Abbey : TATE
61. Put away : STOW
63. Rapper ___ Def : MOS
65. Lepidopterist’s aid : NET

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