0902-22 NY Times Crossword 2 Sep 22, Friday

Constructed by: Claire Rimkus
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: None

Bill’s time: 10m 02s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

16 2003 search-and-rescue target : NEMO

“Finding Nemo” is a 2003 animated blockbuster from Pixar. The film was the winner of the Oscar that year for Best Animated Feature. Believe it or not, “Finding Nemo” is the best-selling DVD of all time and, until 2010’s “Toy Story 3”, it was the highest-grossing, G-rated movie at the box office.

17 What pings may indicate : CAR TROUBLE

Pinging is also known as “engine knocking”. It is a metallic sound, created when not all of the fuel-air mixture is detonated by the spark plug, with some of it detonated late in the cycle. The late detonation causes the knocking/pinging sound. Additives (anti-knock agents) in gasoline can help reduce the chances of pinging.

18 High, in Paris : HAUT

The French capital Paris is nicknamed “La Ville Lumière” (The City of Light). There are two justifications cited for the moniker. Firstly, the city played a leading role during Europe’s Age of Enlightenment, in the 18th century. In fact, the French refer to the era as “the Century of Lights”. Secondly, and more literally, Paris was one of the first cities in Europe to adopt widespread gas street lighting. There were about 56,000 gas lights illuminating the streets of Paris in the 1860s.

20 Breathing apparatus : GILL

A fish’s gills are the organs equivalent to the lungs of many land animals. The gills can extract oxygen dissolved in water and excrete carbon dioxide.

34 Clutch, e.g. : PURSE

A clutch purse is a handbag with no strap at all. It is designed to be carried in the hand, to be “clutched”.

41 Libreville is its capital : GABON

The nation of Gabon lies on the west coast of Central Africa. Since it became independent from France in 1960, Gabon has become one of the most prosperous countries on the continent, by making use of the abundant natural resources and willing foreign investment.

45 Hilson with the 2010 hit “Pretty Girl Rock” : KERI

Keri Hilson started her career as a songwriter producing hit tracks for others, but she has been making a name for herself as a singer in her own right in the past few years. Having said that, it’s a name that I didn’t know, but I live in the past …

50 Samberg of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” : ANDY

Andy Samberg is an actor and comedian who was a “Saturday Night Live” cast member from 2005 until 2012. Samberg also plays the lead on the police sitcom “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”.

53 When Hamilton meets Burr, in “Hamilton” : ACT I

“Hamilton” is a 2015 musical based on the life of US Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, as described in the 2004 biography by Ron Chernow. The show opened off-Broadway in February 2015, and transferred to Broadway in August of the same year. Advance ticket sales for the Broadway production were unprecedented, and reportedly amounted to $30 million. The representations of the main characters are decidedly ground-breaking. The show is rooted in hip-hop and the main roles such as Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington are all played by African-American and Hispanic actors.

56 Site of the Jordan Gate Towers : AMMAN

Amman is the capital city of Jordan, and one of the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in the world. Amman has been occupied by a number of different civilizations over the centuries, including the Greeks who called it “Philadelphia”, a name retained by the Romans when they occupied the city just after 100 AD.

60 Tim of “Sister, Sister” : REID

Actor Tim Reid appeared on the sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati”. He played the character Venus Flytrap, one of the disc jockeys at the station.

“Sister, Sister” is a sitcom that originally aired from 1994 to 1999 starring identical twin sisters Tia and Tamera Mowry. Tia and Tamera play two sisters who were separated at birth, one being adopted by a single mother, and the other by a single father. The sisters happen upon each other 14 years later, and hilarity ensues …

61 What one might say before conforming : WHEN IN ROME

The proverb “when in Rome, do as the Romans do” probably dates back to the days of St. Augustine. St. Augustine wrote a letter around 390 AD in which he states:

When I go to Rome, I fast on Saturday, but here [Milan] I do not. Do you also follow the custom of whatever church you attend, if you do not want to give or receive scandal?

63 Grp. defending trans rights : ACLU

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has its roots in the First World War. It grew out of the National Civil Liberties Bureau (CLB) that was founded to provide legal advice and support to conscientious objectors. The ACLU’s motto is “Because Freedom Can’t Protect Itself”. The ACLU also hosts a blog on the ACLU.org website called “Speak Freely”.

66 Some bronze applications : SPRAY TANS

The most effective fake tans available today are not dyes or stains. Instead, they are sprays with the active ingredient dihydroxyacetone (DHA). DHA reacts chemically with amino acids in the dead layer of skin on the surface of the body. Sounds a little risky to me …

Down

1 Danish shoe brand : ECCO

I have to say, after owning several pairs, that ECCO shoes are the most comfortable in the world …

2 Side dish with pastrami : SLAW

The term “coleslaw” is an Anglicized version of the Dutch term “koolsla”, which in itself is a shortened form of “Koolsalade” meaning “cabbage salad”.

In the US, pastrami was originally called “pastrama”, and was a dish brought to America by Jewish immigrants from Romania in the second half of the nineteenth century. The original name may have evolved from the Turkish word “pastirma” meaning “pressed”. “Pastrama” likely morphed into “pastrami” influenced by the name of the Italian sausage called salami.

4 Butterfly-attracting perennials : ASTERS

Apparently, most aster species and cultivars bloom relatively late in the year, usually in the fall. The name “aster” comes into English via Latin from the Greek word “astéri” meaning “star”, a reference to the arrangement of the petals of the flower.

5 Earth : TERRA

The Greek goddess personifying the earth was Gaea (also “Gaia”, and meaning “land” or “earth” in Greek). The Roman equivalent goddess was Terra Mater, “Mother Earth”.

6 Nwodim of “S.N.L.” : EGO

Actress and comedian Ego Nwodim joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live” in 2018. She was a biology major at the University of Southern California, a classic foundation for a successful comedian …

23 Bob Odenkirk’s role on “Breaking Bad” : SAUL

“Better Call Saul” is a spin-off drama series from the hit show “Breaking Bad”. The main character is small-time lawyer Saul Goodman, played by Bob Odenkirk, who featured in the original series. “Better Call Saul” is set six years before Goodman makes an appearance in the “Breaking Bad” storyline. The lawyer’s real name is James Morgan McGill, and his pseudonym is a play on the words “S’all good, man!”

26 Expo freebies : SWAG

“Swag” is “loot, stolen property”, and a term that started out as criminal slang in England in the 1830s. “Swag” is also the name given to the promotional freebies available at some events. That said, there’s an urban myth that the promotional version of “swag” is an acronym standing for “stuff we all get”.

27 Tiny bit : IOTA

Iota is the ninth letter in the Greek alphabet, and one that gave rise to our letters I and J. We use the word “iota” to portray something very small, as it is the smallest of all Greek letters.

30 Davis of “Do the Right Thing” : OSSIE

Ossie Davis was a very successful actor, and also a director, poet, playwright and social activist. One of Davis’s better known performances was in the 1993 movie “Grumpy Old Men”, in which he played the owner of the bait shop by the lake.

34 Pasta for a pesto : PENNE

The pasta known as penne comes in two main types, i.e. penne lisce (which is smooth) and penne rigate (which is furrowed).

36 Tiny bit : ATOM

Our word “atom” comes from the Latin “atomus” meaning “indivisible particle”. In turn, the Latin term comes from the Greek “a-tomos” meaning “not-cut”.

40 Lo ___ : MEIN

“Chow mein” has two slightly different meanings on the East and West Coasts of the US. On the East Coast, basic chow mein is a crispy dish, whereas on the West Coast it is a steamed dish that is relatively soft. On the East Coast the steamed dish is available, but under the name “lo mein”. On the West Coast, the crispy dish is also on the menu, as “Hong Kong-style chow mein”.

46 One who’s probably going to work out : GYM RAT

“Gym rat” is a slang term describing someone who spends much of his or her leisure time playing sports or working out at the gym. Never been called a gym rat …

51 Ocean of “Ocean’s Eleven” : DANNY

“Ocean’s 11” is a great film from 1960, starring Frank Sinatra as Danny Ocean. The original storyline is updated for the excellent 2001 remake, with George Clooney playing the lead. In the 1960 movie, the love interest is a character called Beatrice Ocean, played by Angie Dickinson. In the 2001 version, the love interest gets a new name, Tess Ocean, and is played by Julia Roberts. The 2001 remake (titled “Ocean’s Eleven”, note the spelling) spawned two sequels: “Ocean’s Twelve” in 2004 and “Ocean’s Thirteen” in 2007.

57 Cultural attraction in midtown N.Y.C. : MOMA

The founding of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City was very much driven by Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, wife of John D. Rockefeller. Working with two friends, Abby managed to get the museum opened in 1929, just nine days after the Wall Street Crash. The MoMA’s sculpture garden bears the name of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, and has done so since 1949.

58 “So right!” : AMEN!

The word “amen” translates as “so be it”. “Amen” is said to be of Hebrew origin, but it is also likely to be influenced by Aramaic and Arabic.

59 “Queer Eye” star Jonathan Van ___ : NESS

Hairdresser Jonathan Van Ness is best known as the grooming expert on the TV show “Queer Eye” (the Netflix revival of the original series). He joined the cast in 2018.

“Queer Eye” is a reality TV show that was launched in 2003 as “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”. Each episode features a panel of gay professional experts in the fields of fashion and design giving a makeover to a straight man. The show was given a new life in 2018 when it was launched on Netflix as “Queer Eye” with a new “Fab Five” cast.

62 Chemist Noddack who co-discovered rhenium : IDA

Rhenium is one of the rarest metals found in the earth’s crust. It was the last naturally occurring, stable element to be discovered, in 1925. It is named for the river Rhine.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Subject of some family planning : ESTATE LAW
10 Modern-day locale of the ancient Achaemenid Empire : IRAN
14 They may get all tied up : CLOSE GAMES
16 2003 search-and-rescue target : NEMO
17 What pings may indicate : CAR TROUBLE
18 High, in Paris : HAUT
19 Possessive noun? : OWNER
20 Breathing apparatus : GILL
21 “Anything ___?” : ELSE
22 Reckless : RASH
24 Set up : FRAMED
26 Trespasses : SINS
29 On : ATOP
32 Pop singer ___ Max : AVA
33 Romance : WOO
34 Clutch, e.g. : PURSE
35 Landing spot for a bee : PETAL
38 When a procrastinator gets to work : AT THE LAST MINUTE
41 Libreville is its capital : GABON
42 Gave a ticket : CITED
43 Fester : ROT
44 That there, quaintly : YON
45 Hilson with the 2010 hit “Pretty Girl Rock” : KERI
46 Sparklers : GEMS
47 Wound : SNAKED
50 Samberg of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” : ANDY
52 Declaration at the end of an exam : TIME!
53 When Hamilton meets Burr, in “Hamilton” : ACT I
56 Site of the Jordan Gate Towers : AMMAN
60 Tim of “Sister, Sister” : REID
61 What one might say before conforming : WHEN IN ROME
63 Grp. defending trans rights : ACLU
64 Sang : NAMED NAMES
65 “Not a ___!” : PEEP
66 Some bronze applications : SPRAY TANS

Down

1 Danish shoe brand : ECCO
2 Side dish with pastrami : SLAW
3 Not sure which way to go : TORN
4 Butterfly-attracting perennials : ASTERS
5 Earth : TERRA
6 Nwodim of “S.N.L.” : EGO
7 Reel with hilarity? : LAUGH TRACK
8 Prefix with sexual : AMBI-
9 When said three times, expression of mock surprise : WELL
10 Blissed out : IN HEAVEN
11 Response to a juvenile joke, perhaps : REAL MATURE
12 Delight : AMUSE
13 “Point taken” : NOTED
15 Identity : SELF
23 Bob Odenkirk’s role on “Breaking Bad” : SAUL
25 Fast-moving : RAPID
26 Expo freebies : SWAG
27 Tiny bit : IOTA
28 “Far from it!” : NOT BY A MILE!
30 Davis of “Do the Right Thing” : OSSIE
31 Expert in animal control : PET TRAINER
34 Pasta for a pesto : PENNE
36 Tiny bit : ATOM
37 Court calls : LETS
39 Got together : HOOKED UP
40 Lo ___ : MEIN
46 One who’s probably going to work out : GYM RAT
47 Buckle holder : STRAP
48 Actress Emma Roberts, to Julia Roberts : NIECE
49 When a duel may be scheduled : DAWN
51 Ocean of “Ocean’s Eleven” : DANNY
54 Chuck alternative : CHAS
55 Fill-in : TEMP
57 Cultural attraction in midtown N.Y.C. : MOMA
58 “So right!” : AMEN!
59 “Queer Eye” star Jonathan Van ___ : NESS
62 Chemist Noddack who co-discovered rhenium : IDA