0719-11: New York Times Crossword Answers 19 Jul 11, Tuesday

Announcement
I am away on vacation from Sunday, July 17 to Tuesday, August 2. I fully intend to sneak away to do the crossword each day, but probably won’t find time to do many look-ups. Some days I may be a little late posting the solution, and if that should happen, please let me apologize in advance. Email subscribers should check the blog directly at NTYCrossword.com as the solution may be posted by the time they read check their email. Things will be back to normal very shortly! … Bill

QuickLinks:
Solution to today’s crossword in the New York Times
Solution to today’s SYNDICATED New York Times crossword in all other publications

CROSSWORD SETTER: Mark Feldman
THEME: Add a “K” … all of the theme answers are common expressions with the letter “K” added to change the meaning:

17A. Guinevere to Lancelot? : LADY OF THE (K)NIGHT
26A. Shopper for woolen goods? : (K)NIT PICKER
44A. Ewing, DeBusschere and Frazier? : (K)NICK NAMES
59A. Universal tie? : (K)NOT FOR EVERYONE

COMPLETION TIME: 6m 48s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0


Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Port-au-Prince native : HAITIAN
The capital city of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, was hit by a devastating earthquake in January of 2010. The official government estimate of the death toll stands at 230,000 people, with many bodies never recovered.

JOHNNY WEISSMULLER MAUREEN O'SULLIVAN 20X24 PHOTO8. Tarzan and others : APE MEN
“Tarzan” is the title character in the series of books created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The line “Me Tarzan, you Jane” never appeared in the books, and indeed doesn’t even figure in the movies. Apparently Johnny Weissmuller (the original movie “Tarzan”) saw Maureen O’Sullivan (the original movie “Jane”) struggling with a suitcase in the parking lot during filming. He grabbed the bag from her, jokingly saying “Me Tarzan, you Jane”, and people have been quoting those words ever since.

14. One who’s not sure what’s up? : AGNOSTIC
An agnostic is someone who thinks it is impossible to know if there is a God, or perhaps more loosely, someone who is skeptical about the existence of a God.

17. Guinevere to Lancelot? : LADY OF THE (K)NIGHT
In the legend of King Arthur, Arthur’s queen was Guinevere. Part of the legend is that Guinevere had a love affair with one of the Knights of the Round Table, Sir Lancelot.

Bronzed Finish Eros Greek Mythology Statue Cupid19. Greek god with a bow and arrow : EROS
As always seems to be the case with Greek gods, Eros and Aphrodite have overlapping spheres of influence. Aphrodite was the goddess of love between a man and a woman, but Eros was the god who stirred the passions of the male.

20. Competed in a marathon : RAN
The marathon is run over 26 miles and 385 yards, and of course commemorates the legendary messenger run by Pheidippides from the site of the Battle of Marathon back to Athens. The distance run today was decided in 1921, and matches the route of the modern-day Marathon-Athens highway.

Jane Withers "Josephine the Plumber" Autographed 8" X 10" Publicity Photograph (Television Memorabilia)21. Cleanser with the old slogan “Nothing can hold a can to …” : COMET
The Comet brand of household cleanser produced a famous series of ads in the sixties through the eighties that featured a character known as “Josephine the Plumber”. Played by actress Jane Withers, she was noted for uttering the line “Nothing can hold a can to Comet!”

22. News org. : UPI
United Press International was one of the biggest news agencies in the world, sending out news by wire to the major newspapers. UPI ran into trouble with the change in media formats at the end of the twentieth century and lost many of its clients as the afternoon newspapers shut down due to the advent of television news. UPI, which once employed thousands of people, still exists but with only a handful of employees.

Star Trek XI - The Future Begins - Movie Poster (Regular Style) (Size: 27" x 40")41. Sci-fi blockbuster of 2009 : STAR TREK
The 2009 movie “Star Trek” is in effect a “prequel”, telling a story with the same characters from the original “Star Trek” television series, but played by different actors. It’s a pretty good film, I must say, and earned more money than any other movie in the “Star Trek” series. It even won an Oscar (for Best Makeup), the only film in the series to be so honored.

New York Knicks Team Auto Window Decal (12 x 10 -inch)44. Ewing, DeBusschere and Frazier? : (K)NICK NAMES
The New York Knickerbockers is one of only two founding teams of the original National Basketball Association that still plays in its original home city. The other is the Boston Celtics.

51. ___ Palmas : LAS
Gran Canaria, or Grand Canary Island, may be grand but it isn’t quite as big as Tenerife, the largest island of the group and the most populated. The capital of Gran Canaria is Las Palmas, a port of call for Christopher Columbus in 1492 on his way to the Americas.

55. End-of-week cry : TGIF
Thank God It’s Friday is a relatively recent expression, originating in Akron, Ohio. It was a catchphrase used by disk jockey Jerry Healy of WAKR, in the early seventies.

Down
1. Fit : HALE
“Hale” is an adjective meaning “healthy”. Both the words “hale” and “healthy” derive from the the Old English “hal” meaning healthy.

2. Food thickener : AGAR
Agar is a jelly extracted from seaweed that has many uses. It is found in Japanese desserts, and can also be used as a food thickener or even as a laxative. And it is the most common medium used for growing bacteria in Petri dishes.

3. Chinese leader? : INDO-
In the strict sense of the term, Indochina is a region in Southeast Asia that corresponds to the former French territory known as French Indochina. Today this region is made up of the countries of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. However, the term “Indochina” is more generally used to describe Mainland Southeast Asia, and in this usage it also encompasses Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand.

Playskool Mr. Potato Head4. Mr. Potato Head and G.I. Joe : TOYS
Mr. Potato Head is an enduring, popular toy that has been around since its invention by George Lerner in 1949. In its original form, the toy was a collection of eyes, ears, and other facial features, that were designed to be stuck into a real potato. Mr. Potato Head also has the distinction of being the first toy ever to be advertised on television.

G.I. Joe was the original “action figure”, the first toy to carry that description. G.I. Joe first hit the shelves in 1964. There have been a few movies based on the G.I. Joe figure, but, more famous than all of them I would say is the 1997 movie “G.I. Jane” starring Demi Moore in the title role. I think this movie had some potential, to be honest, but it really did not deliver at all.

6. Arm of the Justice Dept. : ATF
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is today part of the department of Justice. The ATF has its roots in the Department of Treasury dating back to 1886 when it was known as the Bureau of Prohibition. “Explosives” was added to the ATF’s name when the bureau was moved under the Department of Justice as part of the government reorganization called for in the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

8. Couples retreat? : ARK
Genesis 6:19-20 states that Noah was instructed to take two animals of every kind into the ark. Later, in Genesis 7:2-3, Noah was instructed to take on board “every clean animal by sevens … male and female, to keep offspring alive on the face of all the earth”. Apparently “extras” (7 rather than 2) were needed for ritual sacrifice.

9. Pound parts : PENCE
I remember the days when there used to be 240 pence (pennies) in an Irish/British pound. Life became so much easier when that was changed to 100 “new” pence in 1971.

T.S. Eliot: An Imperfect Life10. Writer T. S. : ELIOT
T. S. Eliot was born in New England but grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. Much of his college education was at Oxford, and clearly he became comfortable with life in England. In 1927 he became a British citizen, and lived the rest of life in the UK.

15. When said three times, a dance : CHA
The cha-cha-cha is a Latin dance with origins in Cuba, where it was introduced by composer Enrique Jorrin in 1953.

25. Org. whose Web site has a “Where’s My Refund?” section : IRS
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) came into being during the Civil War, to raise money to pay for war expenses. Prior to the introduction of income tax in 1862, taxation was limited to levies on trade and property.

Cheryl Ladd Signed Autographed Reprint Photo 8x1026. One of the angels on “Charlie’s Angels” : KRIS
In the fun TV show from the late seventies and early eighties, “Charlie’s Angels”, Farrah Fawcett-Majors played Jill Munroe. When Fawcett-Majors decided to move on from the show, a new character was introduced to fill her spot, her younger sister, Kris Munroe, played by Cheryl Ladd.

30. Uniform shade : KHAKI
“Khaki” is an Urdu word, translating literally as “dusty”. The word was adopted for its current use as the name of a fabric in the mid-1800s, by the British cavalry in India.

33. Petty officers, informally : BOS’NS
A boatswain works on the deck of a boat, and is unlicensed, so is not involved in the navigation or handling of the vessel. The boatswain has charge of the other unlicensed workers on the deck. Boatswain is pronounced “bosun” and this phonetic spelling is often used interchangeably with “boatswain”. The contraction “bos’n” is also very popular.

Elia Kazan: A Biography34. Director Kazan : ELIA
Elia Kazan won Oscars for best director in 1948 for “Gentleman’s Agreement” and in 1955 for “On The Waterfront”. In 1999, he was given an Academy Lifetime Achievement Award. He also directed “East of Eden” which introduced James Dean to movie audiences, and “Splendor in the Grass” which included Warren Beatty in his debut role.

Round Shaped Edam Cheese by Wisconsin Cheese Mart35. Dutch cheese : EDAM
One cheese that is recognized by its coating is Edam. Edam cheese takes the name after the Dutch town of Edam in North Holland. It is famous for its coating of red paraffin wax, a layer of protection that helps it travel well and prevents spoiling. You might occasionally come across an Edam cheese that is coated in black wax. This means that the underlying cheese has been aged for a minimum of 17 weeks.

36. Cost in dollars of the world’s first TV ad in 1941 : NINE
The world’s first television commercial aired on July 1, 1941 before a baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies. It was aired on the New York station WNBT, and Bulova paid $9 to have their products promoted.

Bruce Jenner autographed 8x10 Photo (Olympic Decathlon) JSA Image #339. Bruce who won the 1976 Olympic decathlon : JENNER
The American athlete Bruce Jenner, owes his fame to his great victory in the decathlon at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. Jenner parlayed his victory into a career for himself in front of the cameras. He has made many television appearances over the years, and has had a starring role in the reality show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” since 2007.

42. ___ Pictures (old studio) : RKO
The RKO Pictures studio was formed when RCA (RADIO Corporation of America) bought the KEITH-Albee-ORPHEUM theaters (and Joe Kennedy’s Film Booking Offices of America). The RKO acronym then comes from “Radio”, “Keith” and “Orpheum”.

47. They parallel radii : ULNAE
The radius and ulna are bones in the forearm. If you hold the palm of your hand up in front of you, the radius is the bone on the “thumb-side” of the arm, and the ulna is the bone on the “pinkie-side”.

Tyra Banks Signed Autographed Reprint Photo 8x1055. Banks of daytime TV : TYRA
Tyra Banks is a tremendously successful model and businesswoman. She hosts, and indeed created, the hit show “America’s Next Top Model “, and has her own talk show. Banks was the first African American woman to make the cover of the “Sports Illustrated” swimsuit issue.

57. “Bus Stop” playwright : INGE
“Bus Stop” is a marvelous play written by William Inge in 1955. The famous 1956 movie of the same name starring Marilyn Monroe is only very loosely based on the play.

Mel Ott: The Little Giant of Baseball60. Giant Mel : OTT
At 5′ 9″, Mel Ott weighed just 170 lb (I don’t think he took steroids!) and yet he was the first National League player to hit over 500 home runs. Sadly, Ott died in a car accident in New Orleans in 1958, when he was only 49 years old.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Port-au-Prince native : HAITIAN
8. Tarzan and others : APE MEN
14. One who’s not sure what’s up? : AGNOSTIC
16. Associate : RELATE
17. Guinevere to Lancelot? : LADY OF THE KNIGHT
19. Greek god with a bow and arrow : EROS
20. Competed in a marathon : RAN
21. Cleanser with the old slogan “Nothing can hold a can to …” : COMET
22. News org. : UPI
24. Like some restrictions : DIETARY
26. Shopper for woolen goods? : KNIT PICKER
31. Flip again, as a coin : RETOSS
32. “Whatever happened to …?” subjects : HAS BEENS
38. Give out : ISSUE
39. Peanut butter container : JAR
40. Blast from the past : OLDIE
41. Sci-fi blockbuster of 2009 : STAR TREK
43. Afghans, e.g. : ASIANS
44. Ewing, DeBusschere and Frazier? : KNICK NAMES
46. Noisy fight : RUCTION
51. ___ Palmas : LAS
52. One way to go when playing poker : ALL IN
53. Pride : EGO
55. End-of-week cry : TGIF
59. Universal tie? : KNOT FOR EVERYONE
63. Not-so-big big bird : EAGLET
64. Power to influence people or things : LEVERAGE
65. Abandon : DESERT
66. Out, but not about : SEDATED

Down
1. Fit : HALE
2. Food thickener : AGAR
3. Chinese leader? : INDO-
4. Mr. Potato Head and G.I. Joe : TOYS
5. Prefix with -meric or -metric : ISO-
6. Arm of the Justice Dept. : ATF
7. Kind of acid : NITRIC
8. Couples retreat? : ARK
9. Pound parts : PENCE
10. Writer T. S. : ELIOT
11. Molten rock : MAGMA
12. Old anesthetic : ETHER
13. Meshlike : NETTY
15. When said three times, a dance : CHA
18. Win over : ENDEAR
22. 16th seed’s bracket win, e.g. : UPSET
23. Greek letters : PIS
25. Org. whose Web site has a “Where’s My Refund?” section : IRS
26. One of the angels on “Charlie’s Angels” : KRIS
27. Cozy home : NEST
28. “___ girl!” : IT’S A
29. See the sights : TOUR
30. Uniform shade : KHAKI
33. Petty officers, informally : BOS’NS
34. Director Kazan : ELIA
35. Dutch cheese : EDAM
36. Cost in dollars of the world’s first TV ad in 1941 : NINE
37. Congressional period: Abbr. : SESS
39. Bruce who won the 1976 Olympic decathlon : JENNER
42. ___ Pictures (old studio) : RKO
43. Rap sheet abbr. : AKA
45. Garlic units : CLOVES
46. Gathered (in) : RAKED
47. They parallel radii : ULNAE
48. Thick-soled shoes : CLOGS
49. Sir or madam : TITLE
50. Figure out (from) : INFER
54. Many a drain cleaner nowadays : GEL
55. Banks of daytime TV : TYRA
56. Farm animal with horns : GOAT
57. “Bus Stop” playwright : INGE
58. Graze (on) : FEED
60. Giant Mel : OTT
61. Holiday prelude : EVE
62. Bloodshot : RED

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