1012-18 NY Times Crossword 12 Oct 18, Friday

Constructed by: Erik Agard & Bruce Haight
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: Light Bulb

We have a mini-theme today related to the LIGHT BULB defined by the black squares in the center of the grid:

  • 17A. Question after “Hey!” : WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?!
  • 49A. Item suggested visually by the black squares in this puzzle’s grid : LIGHT BULB

Bill’s time: 18m 17s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5. Many a line from Benjamin Franklin : ADAGE

Benjamin Franklin came from a large family. He was his father’s fifteenth child (Josiah Franklin had seventeen children in all, with two wives). Benjamin was born in Boston in 1706. He had very little schooling, heading out to work for his father when he was ten years old. He became an apprentice printer to his older brother at the age of twelve. Benjamin did quite well with that limited education …

15. First name in rap history : TUPAC

Rapper Tupac Amaru Shakur adopted the inventive stage name “2Pac”. He was a hard man, spending eleven months in prison for sexual assault. He was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas at only 25 years of age.

22. “Awake in the Dark” author : EBERT

“Awake in the Dark” is a collection of essays by film critic Roger Ebert that was published in 2006. Subtitled “The Best of Roger Ebert”, the essays were selected from his writings over his 40-year career.

23. Mic holders : MCS

The term “emcee” comes from “MC”, an initialism used for a Master or Mistress of Ceremonies.

26. Soccer superstar Lionel : MESSI

Lionel “Leo” Messi is a soccer player from Argentina. Messi was awarded FIFA’s Ballon d’Or (Golden Ball) award from 2009 to 2013. The Ballon d’Or is presented to the player who is considered the best in the world in the prior year.

27. Gutenberg’s Bible, e.g. : TOME

“Tome” first came into English from the Latin “tomus” which means “section of a book”. The original usage in English was for a single volume in a multi-volume work. By the late 16th century, “tome” had come to mean “large book”.

The Gutenberg Bible was first printed in the 1450s by Johannes Gutenberg in Mainz, Germany. This printing was significant in the history of the printed book because it marked the first time that movable type was used in printing in the West.

28. Workers, dismissively : PEONS

A peon is a lowly worker with no real control over his/her working conditions. The word “peon” comes into English from Spanish, in which language it has the same meaning.

30. Jean who wrote “Wide Sargasso Sea” : RHYS

“Wide Sargasso Sea” was written by Jean Rhys and first published in 1966. It’s a clever work that was written as a sort of prequel to Charlotte Bronte’s famous “Jane Eyre”, which dates back to 1847.

32. Enid who wrote “National Velvet” : BAGNOLD

“National Velvet” is a novel by Enid Bagnold that was first published in 1935. The story centers on Velvet Brown, a 14-year-old girl who rides her own horse to victory in the most celebrated of English horse races, the Grand National steeplechase. A famous film adaptation of the story was released in 1944 starring a young Mickey Rooney and 12-year-old Elizabeth Taylor in the title role. After filming was completed, Taylor was given the horse that she rode as a gift for her birthday.

35. Checker of someone’s vitals : EMT

Emergency medical technician (EMT)

37. Name associated with chicken : TSO

General Tso’s chicken is an American creation, and a dish often found on the menu of a Chinese restaurant. The name General Tso may be a reference to General Zuo Zongtang of the Qing Dynasty, but there is no clear link.

40. Focus of Boyle’s law : GAS

Irishman Robert Boyle is regarded as one of the founders of modern chemistry, although his early work would better be described as “alchemy”. His name is best known from Boyle’s Law, his experimental observation that the pressure of a gas decreases proportionally as its volume increases.

41. Relative of philia and agape, to the Greeks : EROS

The ancient Greeks at least four words for “love”, namely

  • “Philia” for brotherly love
  • “Storge” for familial love
  • “Agape” for selfless, unconditional love
  • “Eros” for passionate love

43. Fortune 500 company whose products have a trademarked green-and-yellow color scheme : DEERE

John Deere invented the first commercially successful steel plow in 1837. Prior to Deere’s invention, farmers used an iron or wooden plow that constantly had to be cleaned as rich soil stuck to its surfaces. The cast-steel plow was revolutionary as its smooth sides solved the problem of “stickiness”. The Deere company that John founded uses the slogan “Nothing Runs Like a Deere”, and has a leaping deer as its logo.

44. Capital of South Sudan : JUBA

Juba is a city on the White Nile in Africa and the capital of the Republic of South Sudan.

45. Hertfordshire neighbor : ESSEX

Essex is a county in England that is referred to as one of the “home counties”. The home counties are those that surround the city of London, outside of London itself. “Home county” is not an official designation but has been in popular use since the 1800s. The list of home counties usually comprises Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey, and Sussex.

47. Provider of a traveler’s check, for short : TSA

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is the agency that employs the good folks that check passengers and baggage at airports.

49. Item suggested visually by the black squares in this puzzle’s grid : LIGHT BULB

Question: How many mystery authors does it take to change a light bulb?Answer: Two! One to screw it almost all the way in, and the other to give it a surprising twist at the end.

52. Like many an ESPN Deportes watcher : LATINO

“Deportes” is Spanish for “sports”.

60. Reduplicative dance name : NAE NAE

The Nae Nae is a hip hop dance that is named for the 2013 song “Drop that NaeNae” recorded by We Are Toon. The main move in the dance involves swaying with one hand in the air and one hand down, with both feet firmly planted on the dancefloor. Go on, do it. You know you want to …

Down

2. Millennials, in relation to their parents : ECHO BOOMERS

Millennials are sometimes referred to as “echo boomers”, as millennials are often the children of “baby boomers”.

The Millennial Generation are sometimes referred to as “Generation Y” (Gen-Y). Millennials were born after the “Gen-Xers”, from the early 1980s to the early 2000s.

A baby boomer is someone who was born in the post-WWII baby boom. The rate of births had been falling fairly steadily in the US at least since 1900, but this trend was sharply reversed in 1946 after WWII. The higher birth rate continued until 1964, when it returned to pre-war levels. Since then the birth rate has continued to decline, although at a slower pace. The period between 1946 and 1964 is often defined as the “baby boom”.

3. “Hope” and “Friendship,” for two : STATE MOTTOS

Several US states have single-word mottos:

  • Eureka (I have found it) — California
  • Dirigo (I lead) — Maine
  • Excelsior (Ever upward) — New York
  • Hope — Rhode Island
  • Friendship — Texas
  • Industry — Utah
  • Forward — Wisconsin

4. HBO’s “Veep,” e.g. : SATIRE

“Veep” is a political satire sitcom on HBO that is a remake of the British show “The Thick of It” (Warning: strong language!). “Veep” is set in the office of a fictional Vice President of the United States played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

5. Envelope abbr. : ATTN

Attention (attn.)

9. Vaper’s device : E-CIG

An electronic cigarette (also called an “e-cigarette”) is a battery-powered device that resembles a real cigarette. The e-cigarette vaporizes a solution that contains nicotine, forming a vapor that resembles smoke. The vapor is inhaled in a process called “vaping”, delivering the nicotine into the body. The assumption is that an e-cigarette is healthier than a regular cigarette as the inhaled vapor is less harmful than inhaled smoke. But, that may not be so …

10. Big name in pharmaceuticals : PFIZER

Pfizer is a pharmaceutical company based in New York City that was founded in 1849 by cousins Charles Pfizer and Charles Erhart. Pfizer has an impressive list of successful products that includes Lipitor (to lower cholesterol), Viagra (to help with erectile dysfunction) and Celebrex (an anti-inflammatory).

18. Juicer : SOT

A “juicer” or “tosspot” is a drunk.

19. Group of whales : GAM

A group of whales can be called a gam, as well as a pod.

23. Heavy metal band with the double-platinum album “Countdown to Extinction” : MEGADETH

The Big Four of thrash metal were Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth. I have no idea what thrash metal is …

25. Seafood known for its sweet taste and delicate texture : SNOW CRAB

Snow crabs are sometimes called queen crabs, especially in Canada.

29. Group running together : SLATE

In an election, a slate is a group of candidates running on a common platform.

42. ___ Kyle, Catwoman’s alter ego : SELINA

Catwoman, the alter ego of Selina Kyle, is a supervillain who is usually depicted as an adversary of Batman in comics. In the sixties television show “Batman”, Catwoman was first portrayed by actress Julie Newmar, but then the more memorable Eartha Kitt took over, with the marvelously “feline voice”. On the big screen, Catwoman has been played by Lee Meriwether in “Batman” (1966), by Michelle Pfeiffer in “Batman Returns” (1992), by Halle Berry in “Catwoman” (2004) and by Anne Hathaway in “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012).

46. Places for pedestrians to be alert, informally : XINGS

Pedestrian crossing (Ped Xing)

52. The International Space Station, e.g. : LAB

International Space Station (ISS) is a modular facility that comprises components launched into space by Russian Proton and Soyuz rockets, and by American Space Shuttles. The station has been occupied by astronauts and scientists continually since November, 2000.

53. DuVernay who directed “A Wrinkle in Time” : AVA

Ava DuVernay is a filmmaker who became the first African-American woman to win the Best Director Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, a feat she achieved in 2012 for her feature film “Middle of Nowhere”. “Middle of Nowhere” tells the story of a woman who drops out of medical school to focus on husband when he is sentenced to 8 years in prison. DuVernay also directed the 2014 film “Selma” about the 1965 voting rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

“A Wrinkle in Time” is a book by Madeleine L’Engle. Published in 1962, it is described as a science fantasy. Included in the book’s cast of characters are Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which, all of whom turn out to be supernatural beings who transport the antagonists through the universe. “A Wrinkle in Time” was adapted into a 2018 movie of the same name starring Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling as the three “Mrs” characters.

56. Italian cardinal : UNO

Cardinal numbers are the whole numbers starting with zero, i.e. 0, 1, 2, 3, etc.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Bitter end? : -NESS
5. Many a line from Benjamin Franklin : ADAGE
10. Fool, in British slang : PRAT
14. Numerical prefix : OCTA-
15. First name in rap history : TUPAC
16. Look (for), as a compliment : FISH
17. Question after “Hey!” : WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?!
20. Bathroom or beach supply : LOTION
21. Eye intently : GAZE AT
22. “Awake in the Dark” author : EBERT
23. Mic holders : MCS
26. Soccer superstar Lionel : MESSI
27. Gutenberg’s Bible, e.g. : TOME
28. Workers, dismissively : PEONS
30. Jean who wrote “Wide Sargasso Sea” : RHYS
31. [Don’t you think you’re milking it a bit too much?] : MOO
32. Enid who wrote “National Velvet” : BAGNOLD
34. ___ milk : OAT
35. Checker of someone’s vitals : EMT
36. 2008 presidential campaign topic : IRAQ WAR
37. Name associated with chicken : TSO
38. Unwavering : SET
39. Takes off : DEDUCTS
40. Focus of Boyle’s law : GAS
41. Relative of philia and agape, to the Greeks : EROS
43. Fortune 500 company whose products have a trademarked green-and-yellow color scheme : DEERE
44. Capital of South Sudan : JUBA
45. Hertfordshire neighbor : ESSEX
47. Provider of a traveler’s check, for short : TSA
48. Like : FANCY
49. Item suggested visually by the black squares in this puzzle’s grid : LIGHT BULB
52. Like many an ESPN Deportes watcher : LATINO
55. Full-bodied : ROBUST
59. Redress : AVENGE
60. Reduplicative dance name : NAE NAE
61. Impressively tough, slangily : BAD ASS
62. Marched : STRODE

Down

1. “Hmm …” : NOW LET ME SEE …
2. Millennials, in relation to their parents : ECHO BOOMERS
3. “Hope” and “Friendship,” for two : STATE MOTTOS
4. HBO’s “Veep,” e.g. : SATIRE
5. Envelope abbr. : ATTN
6. “OB-viously!” : DUH!
7. Parrot : APE
8. Go on and on : GAB
9. Vaper’s device : E-CIG
10. Big name in pharmaceuticals : PFIZER
11. Not be in the driver’s seat : RIDE SHOTGUN
12. Simple : AS EASY AS ABC
13. “In other words …” : THAT IS TO SAY …
18. Juicer : SOT
19. Group of whales : GAM
23. Heavy metal band with the double-platinum album “Countdown to Extinction” : MEGADETH
24. Victory : CONQUEST
25. Seafood known for its sweet taste and delicate texture : SNOW CRAB
28. Peeled : PARED
29. Group running together : SLATE
32. Tender : BID
33. Many profs : DRS
42. ___ Kyle, Catwoman’s alter ego : SELINA
44. Go on and on : JABBER
46. Places for pedestrians to be alert, informally : XINGS
48. Drink with a straw : FLOAT
50. Sez : GOES
51. Some wares in a china shop : URNS
52. The International Space Station, e.g. : LAB
53. DuVernay who directed “A Wrinkle in Time” : AVA
54. ___ Baker (British clothing retailer) : TED
56. Italian cardinal : UNO
57. Bummed : SAD
58. ___ time : TEE