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: Bill Thompson
THEME: NOELS … each themed answer is a common expression with the letters EL removed:
17A. Groom? : WEDDING CHAP(EL)
25A. Verbal exchange about a harsh review? : PAN(EL) DISCUSSION
37A. Seasonal songs … or a hint to 17-, 25-, 46- and 59-Across : NOELS
46A. Demand during a roadside negotiation? : THROW IN THE TOW(EL)
59A. Stylish Lionel? : MOD(EL) TRAIN SET
COMPLETION TIME: 16m 10s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Univ. with the cheer “Roll Tide!” : BAMA
The athletic teams of the University of Alabama are nicknamed the Crimson Tide, a reference to the team colors, crimson and white.
A fedora is a lovely hat, I think. It is made of felt, and is similar to a trilby but has a broader brim. “Fedora” was a play written for Sarah Bernhardt and first performed in 1889. Bernhardt had the title role of Princess Fedora, and on stage she wore a hat similar to a modern-day fedora. The play gave rise to the women’s fashion accessory, the fedora hat, commonly worn by women into the beginning of the twentieth century. Men then started wearing fedoras, but only when women gave up the fashion …
Rachael Ray is a so-called celebrity chef and host of several shows on the Food Network television channel. She comes from a family steeped in the restaurant tradition, owning and managing a number of restaurants in the northeast of the country.
14. “Ars Amatoria” poet : OVID
The Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso is today known simply as Ovid. He is usually listed alongside the two other great Roman poets, Horace and Virgil.
20. “___ is nothing but perception”: Plato : SCIENCE
Plato was a Greek philosopher and mathematician. He was a student of the equally famous and respected Socrates, and Plato in turn was the teacher and mentor of the celebrated Aristotle.
In the “Star Trek” series on television and in the movies, the colorful character of “Scotty” was played by the Canadian actor James Doohan. Doohan joined the Royal Canadian Artillery at the start of WWII, and participated in the D-Day Invasion of Normandy. After surviving the landing, that same day Doohan was shot by one of his own men in a tragic mishap. Doohan was hit six times, with a bullet to his chest stopped by a silver cigarette case he was carrying. One of Doohan’s fingers was shot off in the incident, an injury that he successfully concealed during his acting career.
35. Water-resistant wood : TEAK
Teak is a hardwood tree in the mint family, commonly found in monsoon forests of Asia.
37. Seasonal songs … or a hint to 17-, 25-, 46- and 59-Across : NOELS
“Noël” is the French word for the Christmas season, ultimately coming from the Latin word for “birth”, “natalis”. Noel has come to be used as an alternative name from a Christmas carol.
40. City at the confluence of the Ouse and Foss : YORK
York is the biggest city on the River Ouse in Yorkshire. The name “Ouse” comes from the Celtic word “usa” meaning water.
43. Muckraker Jacob : RIIS
Jacob Riis is famous for his photographs and newspaper articles that highlighted the plight of the impoverished in New York City. He wrote “How the Other Half Lives”, originally an extensive article that appeared in “Scribner’s Magazine” at Christmas 1889. The article had such an impact that Riis was commissioned to expand it into a book, published the following year.
“My Gal Sal” is a song written by composer Paul Dresser. “My Gal Sal” is also the name of the movie recounting Dresser’s life made in 1942. It stars Victor Mature as Dresser, and Rita Hayworth as Sally “Sal” Elliott.
The original film “The Omen” was released in 1976. “Damien: Omen II” hit the screens in 1978. We were regaled with “Omen III: The Final Conflict” in 1981, and there was even a TV movie “Omen IV: The Awakening” in 1991. I haven’t seen any of them, and have no interest in doing so (despite the excellent cast).
54. Biblical name meaning “father of many” : ABRAHAM
Abraham is a prominent figure in the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions. He was descended from Noah, and was the “father” of many tribes including the Israelites and Ishmaelites. In the Christian tradition then, Jesus was a descendant of Abraham through the Israelite tribe, and in the Muslim tradition, Muhammad was also a descendant, through the Ishmaelite tribe.
Tweety Pie is a colorful (yellow!) character from Warner Bros. featured in the “Looney Tunes” and “Merrie Melodies” series of cartoons. Tweety Pie’s famous line is “I tawt I taw a putty tat”.
![Looney Tunes: Tweet & Lovely [VHS]](https://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0790741792&tag=widgetsamazon-20)
Lionel is the name most associated with toy trains in the US. The first trains rolled off the production line in 1901 and they are still produced today, although the original Lionel Corporation is long gone. In 1995, the brand was bought by an investment company that included train enthusiast Neil Young, the singer, and operated as Lionel, LLC. Neil Young’s financial involvement ended in after a 2008 reorganization of the company following a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, but the company is still producing and selling.
61. Leandro’s love, in a Handel cantata : ERO
The Greek myth of Hero and Leander gave rise to a couple of operas (by Giovanni Bottesini and Arrigo Boito) and a more famous cantata from George Frideric Handel, all called “Ero e Leandro”.
62. Visigoth king who sacked Rome : ALARIC
Alaric I was a Germanic leader, King of the Visigoths from 395-410 AD. Early in his life, Alaric served as a mercenary in the service of the Roman Empire, but such a career didn’t settle well with him. When he became King of the Visigoths, Alaric mounted a campaign to seek new kingdoms and was successful in invading Greece and Italy. His eventual sacking of Rome marked the end of the great Roman Empire.
The singer and songwriter Dion DiMucci went by the stage name of just “Dion”. His most successful year was 1961 when recorded his big hits “Runaround Sue” and “The Wanderer”.
66. French word whose opposite is 2-Down : SANS
“Sans” is the French for “without”.
Down
2. French word whose opposite is 66-Across : AVEC
“Avec” is the French for “with”.
3. Certain skirt : MIDI
The midi skirt extends to the middle of the calf, and was very fashionable in the seventies.
4. Number next to a + : ADDEND
“Addend” is short of addendum, and is the name given to any set of numbers that is to be added.
7. French nobleman : DUC
“Duc”, French for a “duke”.
8. Autumn colors : OCHERS
Ochre is often spelled “ocher” in the US (it’s ochre where I come from). Ocher is a light, yellowy brown color, although variations of the pigment are possible, such as red ocher and purple ocher.
9. Old Spanish silver coins : REALES
The real was the main coin used in Spain from the mid-14th through the mid-19th centuries. “Real” means “royal” in Spanish, and the plural of “real” is “reales”.
Aspirin was a brand name for the drug acetylsalicylic acid. Aspirin was introduced by the German drug company Bayer AG in the late 1800s. As part of the war reparations paid by Germany after WWI, Bayer AG lost the use of the trademark Aspirin (and they also lost use of the trademark Heroin!) and it became a generic term.
Paul Bunyan is a giant of American myth, a skilled lumberjack.
18. Where Francis Scott Key saw bombs bursting : IN AIR
“The Star Spangled Banner” was written by Francis Scott Key. The lyrics were originally a poem by Key, inspired by his witnessing of the bombarding by the British of the American forces at Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in September 1814. The words were then set to the tune of a popular British drinking song written by John Stafford Smith called “The Anacreontic Song”, with Anacreontic Society being a men’s club in London.
25. Super Bowl XXXVI champs, to fans : PATS
The New England Patriots football team won the Super Bowl in 2001, 2003 and 2004.
Sir Alec Guinness played many great roles over a long and distinguished career, but nowadays is best remembered for playing the original Obi-Wan Kenobi in “Star Wars”.
33. Wynken, Blynken and Nod, e.g. : TRIO
“Wynken, Blynken and Nod” is a children’s poem written by Eugene Field, first published in 1889. The original title of the work was “Dutch Lullaby”.
Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter, famous for her self-portraits. She was married to the equally famous artist Diego Rivera. Kahlo was portrayed by the actress Salma Hayek in a film about her colorful life called “Frida” released in 2002.
38. Architect Maya : LIN
Maya Lin is a Chinese American born in Athens Ohio, and is an artist and architect. Her most famous work is the moving Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Lin was only 21-years-old when she won a public design competition in 1981 to create the memorial. Although her design is very fitting, sadly Lin was not a popular choice for the work given her Asian heritage. As she said herself, she probably would not have been picked had the competition been judged with the knowledge of who was behind each submission.
Shari Lewis was the original puppeteer behind the PBS children’s show “Lamb Chop”. After she died in 1998, Lewis’s daughter Mallory took over her role.
Wanda Sykes now has her own talk show (The Wanda Sykes Show) that airs on Fox. Wanda Sykes is a very successful American, comedienne and comic actress, although interestingly, she spent her first five years out of school working for the NSA.
49. Safari antelopes : ELANDS
A eland is a large African antelope, in fact the largest on the continent.
50. Boon’s “Animal House” buddy : OTTER
The very funny 1978 movie “Animal House” has the prefix “National Lampoon’s …” because the storyline came out of tales that had already appeared in “National Lampoon” magazine. “Animal House” was to become the first in a long line of successful “National Lampoon” films. The main pledges in the movie were Tom Hulce, who later played a magnificent “Amadeus”, and Stephen Furst, who later played a regular role on television’s “Babylon 5”.
The beautiful and talented Maureen O’Hara is an Irish actress, famous for her films made with fellow actor John Wayne and the director John Ford. O’Hara was born in a suburb of Dublin called Ranelagh (where many of my own ancestors were born).
India.Arie is an American soul and R&B singer, born India Arie Simpson.
55. First Chinese dynasty : HSIA
The Xia (also “Hsia”) Dynasty was the first Chinese Dynasty, lasting from about 2070 to 1600 BCE.
57. The Dolomites, e.g.: Abbr. : MTNS
The Dolomites are a range of mountains in northeast Italy. Previously called the Pale Mountains, the name was changed to the Dolomites after the rock type known as “dolomite” that is found in plenty in the area.
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Univ. with the cheer “Roll Tide!” : BAMA
5. Indiana Jones accouterment : FEDORA
11. Rachael on the Food Network : RAY
14. “Ars Amatoria” poet : OVID
15. Draws out : EDUCES
16. Like : A LA
17. Groom? : WEDDING CHAP
19. Rocky peak : TOR
20. “___ is nothing but perception”: Plato : SCIENCE
21. Will-o’-the-wisp feature : ELISION
23. “Captain! The engines canna take ___ more!” (line from Scotty on “Star Trek”) : NAE
24. Installs new thatch on, maybe : REROOFS
25. Verbal exchange about a harsh review? : PAN DISCUSSION
30. Bottle marked “XXX” in the comics : ALE
31. Separation : RIFT
32. Homes for some colonies : NESTS
35. Water-resistant wood : TEAK
37. Seasonal songs … or a hint to 17-, 25-, 46- and 59-Across : NOELS
40. City at the confluence of the Ouse and Foss : YORK
41. Skinny sort : SCRAG
43. Muckraker Jacob : RIIS
45. One-eighty : UIE
46. Demand during a roadside negotiation? : THROW IN THE TOW
50. “Fa-a-ancy!” : OOH LA LA
52. “My gal” of song : SAL
53. Eerie 1976 movie with an Oscar-winning score : THE OMEN
54. Biblical name meaning “father of many” : ABRAHAM
58. “I tawt I taw a putty ___” : TAT
59. Stylish Lionel? : MOD TRAIN SET
61. Leandro’s love, in a Handel cantata : ERO
62. Visigoth king who sacked Rome : ALARIC
63. “Runaround Sue” singer, 1961 : DION
64. Grandmaster Flash’s music : RAP
65. Pursue again, as an elected position : RESEEK
66. French word whose opposite is 2-Down : SANS
Down
1. Things to draw : BOWS
2. French word whose opposite is 66-Across : AVEC
3. Certain skirt : MIDI
4. Number next to a + : ADDEND
5. Encloses : FENCES IN
6. Nose (out) : EDGE
7. French nobleman : DUC
8. Autumn colors : OCHERS
9. Old Spanish silver coins : REALES
10. Trademark forfeited by Bayer under the Treaty of Versailles : ASPIRIN
11. Distributes stingily : RATIONS OUT
12. Detached : ALOOF
13. Paul Bunyan tales, e.g. : YARNS
18. Where Francis Scott Key saw bombs bursting : IN AIR
22. “Here, piggies!” : SOOEY
25. Super Bowl XXXVI champs, to fans : PATS
26. Actor Guinness : ALEC
27. In second place, say : NEAR THE TOP
28. Overseer of corp. accts. : CFO
29. Gestation locations : UTERI
33. Wynken, Blynken and Nod, e.g. : TRIO
34. Slant : SKEW
36. Mexican artist Frida : KAHLO
38. Architect Maya : LIN
39. Relaxes, in a way : SITS BACK
42. The problem with these clue? : GRAMMAR
44. Emmy-winning Lewis : SHARI
47. Flamenco cheer : OLE OLE
48. Stand-up comic Sykes and others : WANDAS
49. Safari antelopes : ELANDS
50. Boon’s “Animal House” buddy : OTTER
51. Maureen of “Miracle on 34th Street” : O’HARA
54. Singer India.___ : ARIE
55. First Chinese dynasty : HSIA
56. Very long time : AEON
57. The Dolomites, e.g.: Abbr. : MTNS
60. Uno + due : TRE
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