1111-17 NY Times Crossword Answers 11 Nov 2017, Saturday

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Constructed by: George Barany & Michael Shteyman
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: Veteran’s Day

We have a mini-theme today, with the number “Eleven” hinting at VETERAN’S DAY (today, 11/11). We have ELEVEN 11-LETTER answers in the grid:

  • 60A. How many letters are in the longest answers in this puzzle – or how many of these answers there are : ELEVEN
  • 14A. What “It” is : HORROR FLICK
  • 17A. Something tested at an auto shop : TIRE BALANCE
  • 29A. Deli counter sign : TAKE A NUMBER
  • 34A. Time for remembrance : VETERANS DAY
  • 39A. Debugging? : PEST CONTROL
  • 54A. Plow puller : DRAFT ANIMAL
  • 57A. 1964 role for Honor Blackman : PUSSY GALORE
  • 5D. Star of TV’s “The Untouchables” : ROBERT STACK
  • 9D. Explains : ACCOUNTS FOR
  • 24D. The Mediterranean, to ancient Romans : MARE NOSTRUM
  • 26D. 1942-43 battle site : GUADALCANAL

Bill’s time: 20m 10s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

7. Hot beverage : CHAI

Chai is a drink made from spiced black tea, honey and milk, with “chai” being the Hindi word for “tea”. We often called tea “a cup of char” growing up in Ireland, with “char” being our slang word for tea, derived from “chai”.

16. New England state sch. : URI

The University of Rhode Island (URI) was chartered as an agricultural school back in 1888. Rhody the Ram was chosen as the school’s mascot in 1923, a nod to URI’s agricultural past. As a result, the school’s sports teams are known as the Rams. URI’s main campus is located in the village of Kingston.

18. Whose tears create the morning dew, in myth : EOS

In Greek mythology, Eos was the goddess of the dawn who lived at the edge of the ocean. Eos would wake each morning to welcome her brother Helios the sun. The Roman equivalent of Eos was Aurora.

23. Presidential inits. : RMN

President Richard Milhous Nixon (RMN) used “Milhous” in his name in honor of his mother Hannah Milhous. Richard was born in a house in Yorba Linda, California. You can visit that house today as it is on the grounds of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library. It’s a really interesting way to spend a few hours if you ever get to Yorba Linda …

25. World’s second most populous landlocked country, after Ethiopia : UGANDA

Uganda is a landlocked county in East Africa lying just to the west of Kenya. Uganda was ruled by the British as a protectorate from 1894 and gained independence in 1962. Uganda is very much associated with the tyrannical rule of Idi Amin in the 1970s.

Ethiopia is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation on the continent (after Nigeria) and, with 90 million inhabitants, the most populous landlocked country in the world. Most anthropologists believe that our Homo sapiens species evolved in the region now called Ethiopia, and from there set out to populate the planet.

28. Part of many a business name : LTD

In Britain and Ireland the most common type of business (my perception anyway) is one that has private shareholders whose liability is limited to the value of their investment. Such a company is known as a private limited company, and has the letters “Ltd” after the name. If the shares are publicly traded, then the company is a public limited company, and has the letters “plc” after the name.

29. Deli counter sign : TAKE A NUMBER

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”.

32. Old union member: Abbr. : SSR

The former Soviet Union (USSR) was created in 1922, not long after the Russian Revolution of 1917 that overthrew the Tsar. Geographically, the new Soviet Union was roughly equivalent to the old Russian Empire, and comprised fifteen Soviet Socialist Republics (SSRs).

33. Text alert? : NOTA BENE

“Nota bene” is the Latin for “note well”.

34. Time for remembrance : VETERANS DAY

Veterans Day used to be known as Armistice Day, and is observed on November 11th each year. This particular date was chosen as the Armistice that ended WWI was signed on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.

38. Scale notes : FAS

The solfa syllables are: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la & ti.

46. Group in any circle in a Venn diagram : SET

Englishman John Venn was an expert in the field of logic, and introduced the Venn diagram in his book “Symbolic Logic” in 1881. Venn diagrams are used in set theory, to illustrate the logical relationships between sets of variables.

48. Twerp : TWIT

“Twit” is a word not used very often here in America. It’s a slang term that was quite common in England where it was used for “someone foolish and idiotic”.

51. Friend, in Firenze : AMICO

Florence is the capital city of the Tuscany region in Italy. Something from or related to Florence is described as “Florentine”. The city is known as “Firenze” in Italian.

53. Eponymous weapon designer : UZI

The first Uzi submachine gun was designed in the late 1940s by Major Uziel “Uzi” Gal of the Israel Defense Forces, who gave his name to the gun.

57. 1964 role for Honor Blackman : PUSSY GALORE

“The Avengers” was must-see television when I was growing up. “The Avengers” was a sixties comedy spy series set in England during the days of the Cold War. The hero was John Steed, played ably by Patrick MacNee. Steed had various female partners as the series progressed, the first of which was Cathy Gale, played by Honor Blackman (who also played Pussy Galore in “Goldfinger”). Following Ms. Gale was Emma Peel played by the wonderful Diana Rigg. Finally there was Tara King, played by Linda Thorson.

59. “If you ask me …,” for short : IMHO …

In my humble opinion (IMHO)

60. How many letters are in the longest answers in this puzzle – or how many of these answers there are : ELEVEN

Down

1. “Yentl” setting : SHTETL

The Yiddish word for “town” is “shtot”, and so “shtetl” is the diminutive form meaning “small town”. The fictional shtetl featured in the musical in “Fiddler on the Roof” is called Anatevka, which is also the title of my favorite song from the show.

“Yentl” is a play that opened in New York City in 1975. The move to adapt the play for the big screen was led by Barbara Streisand, and indeed she wrote the first outline of a musical version herself as far back as 1968. The film was eventually made and released in 1983, with Streisand performing the lead role.

2. Agatha Christie once described him as a “detestable, bombastic, tiresome little creature” : POIROT

Hercule Poirot is one of Agatha Christie’s most beloved characters. He is a wonderful Belgian private detective who plies his trade from his base in London. Poirot’s most famous case is the “Murder on the Orient Express”. First appearing in 1920’s “The Mysterious Affair at Styles”, Poirot finally succumbs to a heart condition in the 1975 book “Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case”. Famously, Poirot is fond of using his “little grey cells”.

4. Symbol of bloodlust : ARES

The Greek god Ares is often referred to as the Olympian god of warfare, but originally he was regarded as the god of bloodlust and slaughter. Ares united with Aphrodite to create several gods, including Phobos (Fear), Deimos (Terror) and Eros (Desire). Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera, and the Roman equivalent to Ares was Mars.

5. Star of TV’s “The Untouchables” : ROBERT STACK

The actor Robert Stack appeared in many Hollywood films, but is best known for his TV appearances. Stack played the lead in the crime series “The Untouchables” and was the host of “Unsolved Mysteries”.

“The Untouchables” is a 1957 memoir by famed Prohibition agent Eliot Ness. The book was adapted into a TV show of the same name that in the late fifties and early sixties, starring Robert Stack as Ness. The same memoir was the basis of the 1987 film, again of the same name, with Kevin Costner in the lead role.

6. Foreign title: Abbr. : SRA

The equivalent of “Mrs.” in French is “Mme.” (Madame), in Spanish is “Sra.” (Señora) and in Portuguese is also “Sra.” (Senhora).

10. W.W. II hero : IKE

General Dwight D. Eisenhower (“Ike”) was in command of the European Theater of Operations (ETO) during WWII. If you’re a WWII buff like me, then I recommend you take a look at a great, made-for-TV movie starring Tom Selleck as Eisenhower called “Ike: Countdown to D-Day” that came out in 2004.

11. Pop icon, to members of her “hive” : QUEEN BEY

Beyoncé Knowles established herself in the entertainment industry as the lead singer with the R&B group Destiny’s Child. She launched her solo singing career in 2003, two years after making her first appearance as an actor. In 2006 she played the lead in the very successful movie adaptation of the Broadway musical “Dreamgirls”. Beyoncé is married to rap star Jay-Z. She is also referred to affectionately as “Queen Bey”, a play on the phrase “the queen bee”.

21. Dances done in 2/4 time : SAMBAS

The samba is a Brazilian dance that is very much symbolic of the festival known as Carnival. Like so much culture around the world, the samba has its roots in Africa, as the dance is derived from dances performed by former slaves who migrated into urban Rio de Janeiro in the late 1800s. The exact roots of the name “samba” seem to have been lost in the mists of time. However, my favorite explanation is that it comes from an African Kikongo word “semba” which means “a blow struck with the belly button”. We don’t seem to have a need for such a word in English …

24. The Mediterranean, to ancient Romans : MARE NOSTRUM

The Mediterranean Sea is almost completely enclosed by land, and is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the narrow Strait of Gibraltar. The sea takes its name from the Latin “mediterraneus”, which means “in the middle of land”.

26. 1942-43 battle site : GUADALCANAL

Guadalcanal is the largest island in the Solomon Islands in the South-Western Pacific. The island is named after Guadalcanal, a village in Andalusia, Spain which was the home of the explorer who discovered it.

31. Chicago’s ___ Center : AON

The Aon Center in Chicago is the third-tallest building in the city. There is also an Aon Center in Los Angeles that is the second-tallest building in that city.

32. Acting as a partition : SEPTAL

In the world of anatomy, a septum (plural “septa”) is a dividing wall within a chamber or other structure. For example, the interatrial septum separates the left and right atria of the heart, and the nasal septum separates the nostrils of the nose.

34. Relief for xerosis : VASELINE

Vaseline is a brand of petroleum jelly owned by Unilever. The term “vaseline” has entered many languages, including English, as a generic term for petroleum jelly.

“Xerosis” is the medical term for dry skin, from the Greek word “xero” meaning “dry”.

35. 1/1,000 of a yen : RIN

The rin was a Japanese coin that was worth one thousandth of a yen. After WWII the Japanese yen was greatly devalued, so the rin became completely obsolete and was pulled from circulation in 1953.

36. Computer addresses, for short : IPS

An Internet Protocol (IP) address is a numerical label assigned to every device on a computer network. The device that you’re reading this blog post on has been assigned a unique IP address. You’re being watched …

37. Luddite’s opposite, of a sort : NETIZEN

A netizen is an “Internet citizen”, someone with a presence on the Internet. I guess I would be a netizen, then …

In contemporary usage, a “Luddite” is someone who is slow to adopt new technology. This usage has even been extended to “Neo-Luddism”, meaning the active opposition to some technologies. It has been suggested that the term “Luddism” commemorates a youth called Ned Ludd, who smashed two mechanical knitting machines in 1779, in the belief that they represented automation that took away jobs. In the following decades, Luddism became an active movement, with Luddites going on rampages, smashing equipment that was deemed to create unemployment.

41. Polymathic Isaac : ASIMOV

Isaac Asimov was a wonderful science fiction writer, and a professor of biochemistry. He was a favorite author as I was growing up and I must admit that some hero worship on my part led me to study and work as a biochemist for a short while early in my career. My favorite of his works is the collection of short stories called “I, Robot”. Asimov wrote three autobiographies, the last of which was called “I, Asimov”, which was published in 1994, two years after his death.

43. Like home, on rare occasions : STOLEN

That would be baseball.

53. Subj. of some conspiracy theories : UFO

Unidentified flying object (UFO)

54. Print quality meas. : DPI

Dots per inch (DPI) is a term usually reserved for printing resolution, a measure of the density of individual ink dots that can be positioned on the printed surface. Screen resolution is measured in pixels per inch (PPI), a measure of how closely individual pixels can be placed in a digital display.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Array in ancient battles : SPEARS
7. Hot beverage : CHAI
11. Bradford and Bradshaw, for two: Abbr. : QBS
14. What “It” is : HORROR FLICK
16. New England state sch. : URI
17. Something tested at an auto shop : TIRE BALANCE
18. Whose tears create the morning dew, in myth : EOS
19. Obliterate : ERASE
20. Until : UP TO
21. Multitude : SEA
22. Multitude : TON
23. Presidential inits. : RMN
25. World’s second most populous landlocked country, after Ethiopia : UGANDA
28. Part of many a business name : LTD
29. Deli counter sign : TAKE A NUMBER
32. Old union member: Abbr. : SSR
33. Text alert? : NOTA BENE
34. Time for remembrance : VETERANS DAY
36. Freaking out, say : IN A PANIC
38. Scale notes : FAS
39. Debugging? : PEST CONTROL
41. Comments like “Yer joshin’!” : AWS
44. Things applied to black eyes, traditionally : STEAKS
45. It doesn’t come full circle : ARC
46. Group in any circle in a Venn diagram : SET
47. Cool, in slang : ILL
48. Twerp : TWIT
51. Friend, in Firenze : AMICO
53. Eponymous weapon designer : UZI
54. Plow puller : DRAFT ANIMAL
56. Feature of coastal Louisiana : FEN
57. 1964 role for Honor Blackman : PUSSY GALORE
58. Wedded : ONE
59. “If you ask me …,” for short : IMHO …
60. How many letters are in the longest answers in this puzzle – or how many of these answers there are : ELEVEN

Down

1. “Yentl” setting : SHTETL
2. Agatha Christie once described him as a “detestable, bombastic, tiresome little creature” : POIROT
3. Something to run : ERRAND
4. Symbol of bloodlust : ARES
5. Star of TV’s “The Untouchables” : ROBERT STACK
6. Foreign title: Abbr. : SRA
7. Go hand to hand? : CLAP
8. 60-Across, to 34-Across, e.g. : HINT
9. Explains : ACCOUNTS FOR
10. W.W. II hero : IKE
11. Pop icon, to members of her “hive” : QUEEN BEY
12. Expand : BROADEN
13. One of a pair of fraternal twins, maybe : SIS
15. Fail : FLUNK
21. Dances done in 2/4 time : SAMBAS
24. The Mediterranean, to ancient Romans : MARE NOSTRUM
26. 1942-43 battle site : GUADALCANAL
27. Cost : ARE
30. Pass : ENACT
31. Chicago’s ___ Center : AON
32. Acting as a partition : SEPTAL
34. Relief for xerosis : VASELINE
35. 1/1,000 of a yen : RIN
36. Computer addresses, for short : IPS
37. Luddite’s opposite, of a sort : NETIZEN
40. Dilapidated : RATTY
41. Polymathic Isaac : ASIMOV
42. Words of support : WE CARE
43. Like home, on rare occasions : STOLEN
49. Opposite of dirty : WASH
50. Contingency phrase : IF SO
52. What a marker may mark : MILE
53. Subj. of some conspiracy theories : UFO
54. Print quality meas. : DPI
55. Museum estimate, maybe : AGE