1008-23 NY Times Crossword 8 Oct 23, Sunday

Constructed by: Sid Sivakumar
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: Tones of Voice

Themed answers come in pairs, one following the other in the grid. The first element of each pair includes a COLORFUL CHARACTER (letter). That color and letter is represented phonetically as the first word in the second element of the pair. The second word of the second element is a synonym of the first element. Complicated …

  • 98A Interesting person … or what’s included, phonetically, five times in this puzzle : COLORFUL CHARACTER
  • 24A One of three spaces on a Monopoly board : CHANCE (includes a “gold N”)
  • 25A Special moment exemplified by 24-Across : GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY
  • 34A The Wright stuff? : AVIATION (includes a “red I”)
  • 36A Air travel option exemplified by 34-Across : RED-EYE FLIGHT
  • 56A This and that : BLEND (includes a “brown E”)
  • 58A Baking aisle purchase exemplified by 56-Across : BROWNIE MIX
  • 68A Containers : VESSELS (includes a “gray V”)
  • 72A Thanksgiving table sights exemplified by 68-Across : GRAVY BOATS
  • 88A Sister-to-be, say : PLEDGE (includes a “pink E”)
  • 91A Agreement exemplified by 88-Across : PINKY PROMISE

Bill’s time: 18m 30s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Some coffee shop orders : MOCHAS

A caffè mocha is a caffè latte that has been flavored with chocolate. One might also regard a caffè mocha as hot chocolate with the addition of a shot of espresso.

7 Bean plant harvested for its sweet pulp : CACAO

Chocolate is made from the seeds of the Theobroma cacao tree. The seeds are very bitter and the traditional drink made with the seed was called “xocolatl” by the Aztecs, meaning “bitter water”. Our word “chocolate” comes from “xocolatl”.

17 Magazine “filler” : AD PAGES

The word “magazine” was originally used to denote a place for storing goods, particularly military arms and ammunition, back in the late 1500s. This usage was extended to include packs of ammunition attached to automatic weapons. The first use of “magazine” in the sense of a periodical or journal dates back to 1731, with the publication of “Gentleman’s Magazine”. “Magazine” had come to mean a printed list of military stores, and the idea was that the new periodical was to be a “storehouse” of information.

20 Like a bunny slope vis-à-vis a black diamond run : EASIER

In North America, ski runs are given a standardized rating in terms of skiing difficulty. The ratings are:

  • Green circles: easy to ski, often termed “bunny slopes”.
  • Blue squares: medium difficulty
  • Black diamond: steep and challenging terrain
  • Double black diamond: experts only (I’ve never braved one!)

22 State whose last four letters are the first four letters of its capital : VERMONT

Montpelier is the capital of the state of Vermont, the smallest state in the Union in terms of population. The city was named for the French city of Montpelier in the days when there was great enthusiasm for things French after the aid received during the American Revolution.

24 One of three spaces on a Monopoly board : CHANCE (includes a “gold N”)

Players of the board game Monopoly are familiar with the accompanying sets of Chance and Community Chest cards. The original version of the game came with just the Chance cards, and those cards came with quotes attributed to Thomas Jefferson, John Ruskin and Andrew Carnegie.

28 Soft mineral : TALC

The Mohs scale of mineral hardness was developed in 1812 by Friedrich Mohs. Basically Mohs took minerals and scratched them with other minerals. In this way he was able to determine which minerals were hardest (most scratch resistant) and which softest. On the scale, diamond is the hardest (and rated 10), while talc is the softest (and rated 1).

34 The Wright stuff? : AVIATION (includes a “red I”)

The Wright Brothers, Orville and Wilbur, used knowledge gained from manufacturing and repairing bicycles when designing the world’s first motor-driven airplane. The key to their success was the development of a mechanical system for controlled flight, building on the existing progress made by others in the fields of wing and engine design.

50 Hunk : ADONIS

In Greek mythology, Adonis is a beautiful young god loved by Aphrodite. Adonis dies in a hunting accident (gored by a boar), but not before he gives Aphrodite a child. Adonis was originally a Phoenician god “absorbed” into Greek lore (Phoenicia is modern day Lebanon). The child born of Adonis to Aphrodite was called Beroe, after which is named Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon. We also use the term “adonis” to mean “beautiful male”.

52 Prefix with -lithic : PALEO-

The prefix “paleo-” means “prehistoric, primitive”. It comes from the Greek word “palaios” which means “old, ancient”. The prefix “neo-” would be the opposite, meaning “new, recent”.

54 Band whose original members were Joey, Johnny, Tommy and Dee Dee : RAMONES

The Ramones were an American punk rock band. The group formed in Forest Hills, New York in the mid-seventies. The band members took on the stage names Dee Dee, Joey, and Johnny Ramone, even though they were not related. The “Ramone” name was imitative of the pseudonym used by Paul McCartney when he booked into hotels anonymously, namely “Paul Ramon”. Arguably, the Ramones were the first punk rock group, defining the genre. Something else that’s not my cup of tea …

58 Baking aisle purchase exemplified by 56-Across : BROWNIE MIX
[56 This and that : BLEND (includes a “brown E”)]

Apparently, the first brownies were created for the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. The recipe was developed by a pastry chef at the city’s Palmer House Hotel. The idea was to produce a cake-like dessert that was small enough and dainty enough to be eaten by ladies as part of a boxed lunch.

60 Windshield setting : DEFROST

What we know as a windshield here in North America, is referred to as a windscreen on the other side of the Atlantic. In America, we use the term “windscreen” for a mesh or foam device placed around a microphone to limit noise caused by wind.

65 Do a restaurant job : BUS

A busboy is a person who assists a waiter, mainly by clearing tables. The verb “to bus” arose in the early 1900s and is probably a reference to the wheeled cart that was used to carry dishes.

80 Blanches : PALES

In cooking, to blanch a food substance is to plunge it into boiling water for a short time and then plunge it into iced water to stop the cooking process. The literal meaning of “blanch” is “whiten” (from French), but the procedure does not necessarily result in a color change. The desired outcome is usually a softening or a reduction in a strong taste.

83 Director Sam : RAIMI

Sam Raimi is a very successful director and producer. He was behind the “Spider-Man” series of films among others, and TV shows such as “Xena: Warrior Princess”. In 1993, Raimi married Gillian Green, the youngest daughter of actor Lorne Greene of “Bonanza” fame. Raimi and Greene named their eldest son Lorne, after his grandfather.

85 Muchachas : CHICAS

In Spanish, a “niña” is a young girl, a child. The term “chica” applies to an older girl or perhaps a young woman. The term “muchacha” applies to girls in general, I think …

91 Agreement exemplified by 88-Across : PINKY PROMISE
[88A Sister-to-be, say : PLEDGE (includes a “pink E”)]

The use of “pinkie” or “pinky” for the little finger or toe comes into English from “pinkje”, the Dutch word for the same digit. Who knew …?

97 “Breaking Bad” role : SAUL

The AMC drama “Breaking Bad” is a well-written show about a high school teacher stricken by lung cancer who turns to a life of crime to make money. It turns out that the teacher has a talent for making high-quality crystal meth. The show was created by Vince Gilligan who had spent many years as a producer and writer of “The X-Files”. There is a “Breaking Bad” spin-off show running on AMC called “Better Call Saul” that focuses on the life of lawyer Saul Goodman. If I’m honest, I enjoyed “Better Call Saul” even more than the original show …

108 Oil-rich peninsula : ARABIA

The Arabian Peninsula (also “Arabia”) is part of Western Asia that is located just north-east of Africa. The peninsula is bordered to the west by the Red Sea, to the northeast by the Persian Gulf, and to the southeast by the Indian Ocean. Most of the Arabian Peninsula is taken up by Saudi Arabia, but also included are Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen. And, it’s the largest peninsula in the world, covering about 1¼ million square miles.

109 Short-story collection that raised early questions on machine ethics : I, ROBOT

Science fiction author Isaac Asimov wrote a marvelous collection of short stories titled “I, Robot” that were first published together in 1950. In the stories, he makes repeated reference to the Three Laws of Robotics, which he introduced in the story “Runaround”, first published in 1942. The three laws are:

  1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
  2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
  3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

110 Pro tennis period since 1968 : OPEN ERA

In the sport of tennis, the Grand Slam tournaments were opened up to professional players, and not just amateurs, in 1968. So, the period since 1968 has been called the “Open Era”.

115 Yahtzee action : REROLL

The dice game Yahtzee was introduced in 1956 and is a variant of earlier dice games, especially the game “Yacht” (which even has a similar name). Yahtzee is required entertainment in our house during holidays. The game involves the rolling of five dice, with the intent of getting certain combinations. A lot of those combinations resemble poker hands, such as a straight, three of a kind, four of a kind and a full house.

118 Football star ___ Beckham Jr. : ODELL

Odell Beckham Jr. is a National Football League wide receiver from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In 2014, “OBJ” made a much-applauded, one-handed catch while falling backwards to score a touchdown for the New York Giants against the Dallas Cowboys, a move that some have dubbed the greatest catch ever made.

Down

1 Big D pro : MAV

The Mavericks (also “Mavs”) are an NBA franchise in Dallas, Texas. The team was founded in 1980, and the Mavericks name was chosen by fan votes. The choice of “Mavericks” was prompted by the fact that the actor James Garner was a part-owner of the team, and Garner of course played the title role in the “Maverick” television series.

“Big D” is a nickname for the city of Dallas, Texas.

2 “___ to a Koala Bear” (Paul McCartney song) : ODE

“Say Say Say” is a 1983 hit song co-written and performed by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson. The song has a famous music video featuring the singers as two con artists named “Mac and Jack”. While filming the video, Michael visited Paul and Linda McCartney, who were staying on a property called Sycamore Ranch. Jackson liked the Sycamore spread, and a few years later purchased it. He renamed it to “Neverland Ranch”.

4 Limelight hog : HAM

The word “ham”, describing a performer who overacts, is a shortened form of “hamfatter” and dates back to the late 1800s. “Hamfatter” comes from a song in old minstrel shows called “The Ham-Fat Man”. It seems that a poorly performing actor was deemed to have the “acting” qualities of a minstrel made up in blackface.

Limelight was an early form of stage lighting that was also known as Drummond Light. The illumination came from the burning of quicklime (calcium hydroxide), hence the name. Although limelights are a thing of the past, the term “in the limelight” is still used when describing someone in the public eye.

7 Port city in Normandy : CAEN

Caen, on the River Orne, lies in the Calvados department of France in the northwest of the country. Caen is famous for the WWII Battle of Caen that left the town practically destroyed. Caen is also the burial place of Norman King William I of England, also known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

Normandy is a region in northern France that is named for the Normans, a people descended from Norse Vikings who arrived from Denmark, Iceland and Norway. The term “Norman” comes from “Norsemen, men from the north”.

8 The “A” of S.A.T.B. : ALTO

The voice types soprano, alto, tenor and bass can be abbreviated to the initialism “SATB”.

18 Florida university named after a pope, for short : ST LEO

Saint Leo University is a private Roman Catholic school located in the town of St. Leo, Florida. The school was founded in 1889 by a group of Benedictine monks, making it the oldest Catholic college in the state. Saint Leo was named for Pope Leo I.

19 Journalist Ifill : GWEN

Gwen Ifill was a television journalist who was regularly seen on PBS’s “Newshour”. Ifill was also the moderator on the weekly PBS show “Washington Week”, and was also selected to moderate the US Vice Presidential debates in 2004 and 2008.

21 Spanish chess piece : REY

In Spanish, a “rey” (king) is a key chess piece.

28 Many discussion section leaders, in brief : TAS

Teaching assistant (TA)

36 Certain chemical reaction : REDOX

In the world of chemistry, redox reactions are those in which electrons are transferred between species. “Redox” is a portmanteau of “reduction” and “oxidation”, where reduction is the gain of electrons by a molecule or atom, and oxidation is the corresponding loss of electrons. Examples of redox reactions are the oxidation of carbon to create carbon dioxide, and the reduction of carbon using hydrogen to create methane.

37 Its academic year consists of three terms called “halves” : ETON

London’s Eton College has three academic terms, although those three terms are known as “halves”. That name dates back to when the school year was split into two halves. The current terms are:

  • The Michaelmas Half (early September to mid-December)
  • The Lent Half (mid-January to late March)
  • The Summer Half (late April to late-June/early-July)

39 “Für ___” : ELISE

“Für Elise” is a beautiful piece of solo piano music by Beethoven that is also known as “Bagatelle in A Minor”. “Für Elise” simply means “For Elise”, but sadly no one knows for sure the identity of the mysterious dedicatee.

46 “Oppenheimer” actor Malek : RAMI

Actor Rami Malek’s big break came with the leading role in the television series “Mr. Robot”. In 2018, Malik gave an Oscar-winning performance playing Freddie Mercury in the hit biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody”. That marked the first time that an actor of Egyptian descent won an Academy Award for Best Actor.

52 “NewsHour” airer : PBS

“NewsHour” is the evening news program broadcast daily by PBS. The show started out as “The MacNeil/Lehrer Report” in 1975, and transitioned into the hour-long program “The NewsHour” in 1983. That transition made “NewsHour” the nation’s first hour-long nightly news broadcast.

57 Sluggish : LOGY

Something or someone described as logy is dull and heavy. “Logy” might come from the Dutch word “log” that means “heavy, dull”.

61 Tire : FLAG

Our verb “to flag” meaning “to tire” was originally used in the sense of something flapping about lazily in the wind. From this it came to mean “to go limp, droop”, and then “to tire”.

67 Fig. created by F.D.R.’s New Deal : SSN

The Social Security Administration (SSA) was set up as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. The first person to receive a monthly retirement benefit was Ida May Fuller of Vermont who received her first check for the sum of $22.54 after having contributed for three years through payroll taxes. The New Deal turned out to be a good deal for Ms. Fuller, as she lived to be 100 years of age and received a total benefit of almost $23,000, whereas her three years of contributions added up to just $24.75.

68 Sweater style : V-NECK

Until the early 1880s, the word “sweater” applied to clothing worn specifically for weight reduction by “sweating”.

70 2022 Super Bowl champ, informally : LA RAM

Super Bowl LVI was played at the end of the 2021 season between the Cincinnati Bengals and the LA Rams. The Rams had home team advantage as the game was played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The Rams emerged victorious, winning 23-20. Apparently, the Super Bowl LVI broadcast was the second-most watched in the history of the NFL.

75 Ancient inhabitants of modern-day Tabasco : OLMECS

The Olmecs were an ancient civilization that lived in the lowlands of south-central Mexico from about 1500 BC to about 400 BC.

76 “Havana” co-star Lena : OLIN

Lena Olin is a Swedish actress, and someone who has acting in her blood. Her mother was the actress Britta Holmberg and her father the actor and director Stig Olin. Olin had a very successful career in Sweden, often working with the great Ingmar Bergman. Olin’s breakthrough international and English-speaking role was playing opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” released in 1988. Way back in 1974, Miss Olin was crowned Miss Scandinavia in a beauty pageant for Nordic women held in Helsinki, Finland. Olin’s most famous performance was in “Chocolat” released in 2000, and then she won an Emmy in 2003 for Best Supporting Actress in the TV show “Alias”.

80 “Angel dust” : PCP

Phencyclidine is a recreational drug usually referred to on the street as “PCP” or “angel dust”.

89 Serengeti grazer : GNU

The Serengeti is a region in Africa located in northern Tanzania and southwest Kenya. The name “Serengeti” comes from the Maasai language and means “Endless Plains”.

90 Fish whose blood is poisonous to humans : EEL

Anyone going to a sushi restaurant can order all types of raw fish (known collectively as “sashimi”). However, eel is always served cooked, and that’s because the blood of eels contains a protein that cramps muscles if eaten. If the heart muscle “cramps”, the result can be death. The protein is easily rendered harmless by applying heat, i.e. by cooking.

92 Author Santha Rama ___ : RAU

Santha Rama Rau was a travel writer from India who lived much of her life in the US. As well as writing her own books, Rau also adapted the E. M. Forster novel “A Passage to India” for the stage.

93 “Super” group : PAC

A political action committee (PAC) is a private group that works to influence the outcome of a particular election or group of elections. Any group becomes a PAC by law when it receives or spends more than $1,000 for the purpose of influencing the outcome of an election. In 2010 the Supreme Court ruled that PACS that did not make direct contributions to candidates or parties could accept unlimited contributions. These “independent, expenditure-only committees” are commonly referred to as “super PACs”.

100 Shortening in the kitchen : LARD

Fat, when extracted from the carcass of an animal, is called suet. Untreated suet decomposes at room temperature quite easily so it has to be rendered, purified to make it stable. Rendered fat from pigs is what we call lard. Rendered beef or mutton fat is known as tallow.

104 Festival whose celebrants throw multihued powders : HOLI

Holi is a Hindu festival, one celebrated in spring, that is also known as the Festival of Colours.

106 Connectors in K’Nex : RODS

The construction toy with the name K’Nex is the phonetic spelling of the word “connects”. The toy was invented by Joel Glickman, who came up with the idea while playing with straws as he sat at a table after a wedding. He launched K’Nex in 1993, and it is still sold in stores.

107 Home makeover, informally : RENO

“Reno” is short for renovation.

111 TV patriarch Stark : NED

Eddard “Ned” Stark is the protagonist in George R. R. Martin’s fantasy novel “A Game of Thrones”, although his character doesn’t exactly come out on top by the end of the story. Stark is played by actor Sean Bean in the HBO television adaptation of the novel.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Some coffee shop orders : MOCHAS
7 Bean plant harvested for its sweet pulp : CACAO
12 Goes all over : ROAMS
17 Magazine “filler” : AD PAGES
19 Bit of rainy-day footwear : GALOSH
20 Like a bunny slope vis-à-vis a black diamond run : EASIER
22 State whose last four letters are the first four letters of its capital : VERMONT
23 Auto washing aid : WET RAG
24 One of three spaces on a Monopoly board : CHANCE (includes a “gold N”)
25 Special moment exemplified by 24-Across : GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY
28 Soft mineral : TALC
32 A real head-turner? : REIN
33 Self-examining question : DO I?
34 The Wright stuff? : AVIATION (includes a “red I”)
36 Air travel option exemplified by 34-Across : RED-EYE FLIGHT
45 Gets the picture : SEES IT
46 Do over, as a bathroom floor : RETILE
47 Cried out in pain : YOWLED
48 Bundle : SHEAF
50 Hunk : ADONIS
51 Animals with tusks : BOARS
52 Prefix with -lithic : PALEO-
54 Band whose original members were Joey, Johnny, Tommy and Dee Dee : RAMONES
56 This and that : BLEND (includes a “brown E”)
58 Baking aisle purchase exemplified by 56-Across : BROWNIE MIX
60 Windshield setting : DEFROST
62 Wrap (up) : SEW
63 Floral adornment : LEI
64 What’s the holdup? : LAG
65 Do a restaurant job : BUS
68 Containers : VESSELS (includes a “gray V”)
72 Thanksgiving table sights exemplified by 68-Across : GRAVY BOATS
76 Arrival : ONSET
77 Lots of land : ACREAGE
79 “In the ___ days …” : OLDEN
80 Blanches : PALES
82 Subjects of some political scandals : BRIBES
83 Director Sam : RAIMI
85 Muchachas : CHICAS
87 Clumsy : OAFISH
88 Sister-to-be, say : PLEDGE (includes a “pink E”)
91 Agreement exemplified by 88-Across : PINKY PROMISE
93 Milieu for much Top 40 music : POP SCENE
95 Talk and talk : YAK
96 Spoils of a shopping spree : HAUL
97 “Breaking Bad” role : SAUL
98 Interesting person … or what’s included, phonetically, five times in this puzzle : COLORFUL CHARACTER
108 Oil-rich peninsula : ARABIA
109 Short-story collection that raised early questions on machine ethics : I, ROBOT
110 Pro tennis period since 1968 : OPEN ERA
115 Yahtzee action : REROLL
116 Cubes, e.g. : SOLIDS
117 Film enthusiast’s creative reinterpretation : FAN EDIT
118 Football star ___ Beckham Jr. : ODELL
119 Doofuses : TWITS
120 “Sup, man!” : YO, DUDE

Down

1 Big D pro : MAV
2 “___ to a Koala Bear” (Paul McCartney song) : ODE
3 Skill practiced on a manikin, for short : CPR
4 Limelight hog : HAM
5 Very eager : AGOG
6 Title with a tilde : SENORITA
7 Port city in Normandy : CAEN
8 The “A” of S.A.T.B. : ALTO
9 Nasdaq listing: Abbr. : CORP
10 Urgently : ASAP
11 “Abso-freakin’-lutely!” : OH GOD, YES!
12 Fix : RECTIFY
13 Home to the Reef Runway, the first major airport runway built completely offshore : OAHU
14 Middle of many similes : … AS AN …
15 Small : MINI
16 Side splitting? : SECT
18 Florida university named after a pope, for short : ST LEO
19 Journalist Ifill : GWEN
21 Spanish chess piece : REY
26 Ruckus : DIN
27 Spawn in water : ROE
28 Many discussion section leaders, in brief : TAS
29 Latin greeting : AVE
30 Stays inconspicuous : LIES LOW
31 Protein source in vegan cheese : CASHEW
35 Attach, as ribbons : TIE ON
36 Certain chemical reaction : REDOX
37 Its academic year consists of three terms called “halves” : ETON
38 Enjoyed a fancy meal : DINED
39 “Für ___” : ELISE
40 Parts of many oak leaves : LOBES
41 “You can’t make me!” : I WON’T!
42 Content : GLAD
43 What’s-___-name : HER
44 Football stat, in brief : TDS
46 “Oppenheimer” actor Malek : RAMI
49 Most open : FREEST
52 “NewsHour” airer : PBS
53 Verb that sounds like a letter : ARE
55 Pen pal from Paris, perhaps : AMIE
56 Not as likely to run away : BRAVER
57 Sluggish : LOGY
59 Danish shoe designer Jacobsen : ILSE
61 Tire : FLAG
65 “Wouldn’t do that if I were you” : BAD IDEA
66 Great Basin people : UTE
67 Fig. created by F.D.R.’s New Deal : SSN
68 Sweater style : V-NECK
69 Many a homework assignment : ESSAY
70 2022 Super Bowl champ, informally : LA RAM
71 Speculative genre : SCI-FI
72 Honkers : GEESE
73 Hardly careful : RASH
74 Sees red : BOILS
75 Ancient inhabitants of modern-day Tabasco : OLMECS
76 “Havana” co-star Lena : OLIN
78 Stat for a cleanup hitter : RBIS
80 “Angel dust” : PCP
81 Tuna variety : AHI
82 Librarian’s offering : BOOKLIST
84 iPhone charger? : APPLE PAY
86 Game in which one player tries to glean information from the other players without being caught : SPYFALL
89 Serengeti grazer : GNU
90 Fish whose blood is poisonous to humans : EEL
92 Author Santha Rama ___ : RAU
93 “Super” group : PAC
94 Lacking : OUT OF
96 Varieties of roles, metaphorically : HATS
98 Word with cable or company : … CAR
99 Stackable treat : OREO
100 Shortening in the kitchen : LARD
101 It has 45 keys : OBOE
102 Small stream : RILL
103 Boast : CROW
104 Festival whose celebrants throw multihued powders : HOLI
105 Somewhat : A BIT
106 Connectors in K’Nex : RODS
107 Home makeover, informally : RENO
111 TV patriarch Stark : NED
112 End of some student accounts : EDU
113 Purge : RID
114 Snacked on : ATE