1028-18 NY Times Crossword 28 Oct 18, Sunday

Constructed by: Erik Agard
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: Match Play

Themed answers are in the form X AND Y, where the words “X” and “Y” together make up an anagram of the clue:

  • 119A. Game suggested by this puzzle’s theme : MIXED DOUBLES
  • 23A. Sou’wester : SWEET AND SOUR
  • 28A. Late hours : HEART AND SOUL
  • 45A. Peace marches : PEACHES AND CREAM
  • 62A. “After Earth” : TAR AND FEATHER
  • 77A. Growth ring : RIGHT AND WRONG
  • 97A. Trade punches : STAND UP AND CHEER
  • 111A. Prostates : STOP AND STARE

Bill’s time: 26m 36s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

7. “Be on the lookout” messages, for short : APBS

An All Points Bulletin (APB) is a broadcast from one US law enforcement agency to another.

14. Polo of “The Fosters” : TERI

Teri Polo’s most prominent role on the big screen was Pam Focker in “Meet the Fockers” and its sequel. Pam is the wife of the character played by Ben Stiller. Polo also played the wife of Presidential candidate Matt Santos in “The West Wing”.

“The Fosters” is a teen drama TV show about a lesbian couple raising a blended family of biological, adopted and foster children. Jennifer Lopez is involved in the show as an executive producer.

21. Musical Yoko : ONO

John Lennon and Yoko Ono married at the height of the Vietnam War in 1969. The couple decided to use the inevitable publicity surrounding their wedding and honeymoon to promote peace in the world. They honeymooned in the Presidential Suite of the Amsterdam Hilton, inviting the world’s press to join them and to witness their “bed-in”. They spent the week talking about peace, and an end to war. The marriage and bed-in is chronicled by the Beatles in their song “The Ballad of John and Yoko”.

25. Abbr. in many blood type names : NEG

The most important grouping of blood types is the ABO system. Blood is classified as either A, B, AB or O, depending on the type of antigens on the surface of the red blood cells. A secondary designation of blood is the Rh factor, in which other antigens are labelled as either positive or negative. When a patient receives a blood transfusion, ideally the donor blood should be the same type as that of the recipient, as incompatible blood cells can be rejected. However, blood type O-neg can be accepted by recipients with all blood types, A, B, AB or O, and positive or negative. Hence someone with O-neg blood type is called a universal donor.

26. “Logic dictates …” : ERGO …

“Ergo” is a Latin word meaning “hence, therefore”, and one that we’ve absorbed directly into English.

35. Downfall in pinball : TILT

In a game of pinball, some players get an irresistible urge to “nudge” the machine . Such a nudge, a movement of the machine designed to influence the path taken by the ball, is called a “tilt”. Most pinball machines have sensors designed to detect a tilt, and when activated a “tilt” warning light comes on and the player’s controls are temporarily disabled.

37. Music export from Tokyo, for short : J-POP

“J-pop” is an abbreviation for “Japanese pop”, a genre of music that emerged in the nineties. Although J-pop is rooted in traditional Japanese music, it is heavily influenced by western bands from the sixties such as the Beatles and the Beach Boys.

41. Princess who says “I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board” : LEIA

Princess Leia is Luke Skywalker’s twin sister in the original “Star Wars” trilogy and was played by Carrie Fisher. Carrie Fisher has stated that she hated the famous “cinnamon bun hairstyle” that she had to wear in the films, as she felt it made her face look too round. She also had to to sit for two hours every day just to get her hair styled. Two hours to get your hair done? It takes me just two seconds …

53. Nirvana seeker : YOGI

A yogi is a practitioner of yoga.

Nirvana is a philosophical concept in some Indian-based religions. In the Buddhist tradition, nirvana is the state of being free from suffering i.e. not experiencing craving, anger or other afflicting states.

58. Masthead list, for short : EDS

The masthead is a list often found on the editorial page of a newspaper that gives the members of a newspaper’s editorial board.

70. ___ Lama : DALAI

The Dalai Lama is a religious leader in the Gelug branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The current Dalai Lama is the 14th to hold the office. He has indicated that the next Dalai Lama might be found outside of Tibet for the first time, and may even be female.

72. What un desierto lacks : AGUA

In Spanish, “un desierto” (a desert) lacks “agua” (water).

74. Lyrical lament : ELEGY

Perhaps the most famous elegy in the English language is that written by Thomas Gray, completed in 1750. His “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” is the source of many oft-quoted phrases, including:

  • Celestial fire
  • Far from the Madding Crowd
  • Kindred spirit

100. Hills with gentle slopes on one side and steep slopes on the other : CUESTAS

A cuesta is a hill with a gentle slope on one side and a steep slope on the other. The name “cuesta” is Spanish for “slope of a hill”. The steep slope might be referred to as an escarpment.

104. Verdi tragedy : OTELLO

Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Otello” was first performed in 1887 at La Scala Theater in Milan. The opera is based on Shakespeare’s play “Othello” and is considered by many to be Verdi’s greatest work.

105. “Grand Ole” venue : OPRY

The Grand Ole Opry started out as a radio show in 1925 originally called the WSM “Barn Dance”. In 1927, the “Barn Dance” radio show was broadcast in a slot after an NBC production called “Musical Appreciation Hour”, a collection of classical works including Grand Opera. In a December show, the host of “Barn Dance” announced, “For the past hour, we have been listening to music taken largely from Grand Opera. From now on we will present the ‘Grand Ole Opry'”. That name was used for the radio show from then on.

106. Say whether or not you’ll attend : RSVP

RSVP stands for “répondez s’il vous plaît”, which is French for “answer, please”.

110. Imbroglio : MESS

An imbroglio is difficult or tangled situation. As one might expect, “imbroglio” comes to us from Italian. The Old Italian word “imbrogliare” means to tangle or confuse.

115. French 101 verb : ETRE

The verb “to be” translates into German as “sein”, and into French as “être”.

117. Collaborative site : WIKI

A wiki is a website on which users are allowed to create and edit content themselves. The term “wiki” comes from the name of the first such site, introduced in 1994 and called WikiWikiWeb. “Wiki” is a Hawaiian word for “quick”, and is used because comprehensive content is created very quickly a there are so many collaborators contributing to the site.

125. Racer Luyendyk : ARIE

Arie Luyendyk is a racing driver from the Netherlands, winner of the Indianapolis 500 on two occasions. Luyendyk’s son, also called Arie, is following in his father’s footsteps and is also an auto racer.

126. Half of dos : UNO

In Spanish, two times “uno” (one) is “dos” (two).

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128. Nickel-and-diming sort : SCROOGE

The classic 1843 novella “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens has left us with a few famous phrases and words. Firstly, it led to popular use of the phrase “Merry Christmas”, and secondly it gave us the word “scrooge” meaning a miserly person. And thirdly, everyone knows that Ebenezer Scrooge uttered the words “Bah! Humbug!”.

130. Cockapoo or cockatoo, maybe : PET

Poodle hybrids are sometimes described as “designer dogs”. Examples are the Labradoodle (Labrador retriever and poodle cross), cockapoo (cocker-spaniel and poodle cross) and Jack-A-Poo (Jack Russell and poodle cross).

Cockatoos are birds closely related to the true parrots. The name “cockatoo” probably comes from the Malay “kaka” (parrot) and “tuwah” (older sibling).

131. Cpls.’ superiors : SGTS

Sergeant (sgt.) is a rank above corporal (cpl.).

132. Act obsequiously : KOWTOW

To kowtow is to show servile deference. “Kowtow” comes from the Chinese “k’o-t’ou” which is the name for the custom of kneeling and touching the forehead to the ground in a gesture of respect. The Chinese term literally translates as “knock the head”.

Down

1. Atlanta-based cable inits. : TBS

The tbs cable television station started out in 1967 as local broadcast TV station in Atlanta. The station’s first call letters were WJRJ-TV, and this was changed to WTCG in 1970 when it was acquired by Ted Turner (the TCG stood for Turner Communications Group). In 1976, Turner started distributing WTCG via satellite making its programming available in other parts of the country. WTCG was only the second channel to transmit via satellite, following HBO. The difference was that WTCG was broadcast without requiring a premium subscription. The station’s call sign was changed again in 1979 to WTBS, with TBS standing for Turner Broadcasting System. In 1981, the channel adopted the moniker “Superstation WTBS”.

4. Hero interred in Santa Clara, Cuba : CHE

Ernesto “Che” Guevara was born in Argentina, and in 1948 he started to study medicine at the University of Buenos Aires. While at school he satisfied his need to “see the world” by taking two long journeys around South America, the story of which are told in Guevara’s memoir later published as “The Motorcycle Diaries”. While travelling, Guevara was moved by the plight of the people he saw and their working conditions and what he viewed as capitalistic exploitation. In Mexico City he met brothers Raul and Fidel Castro and was persuaded to join their cause, the overthrow of the US-backed government in Cuba. He rose to second-in-command among the Cuban insurgents, and when Castro came to power Guevara was influential in repelling the Bay of Pigs Invasion and bringing Soviet nuclear missiles to the island. Guevara left Cuba in 1965 to continue his work as a revolutionary. He was captured by Bolivian forces in 1967, and was executed. Fidel Castro led the public mourning of Guevara’s death, and soon the revolutionary was an icon for many left-wing movements around the world.

5. “Later, luv” : TA-TA

An Englishman might say “ta-ta” or “cheerio” instead of “goodbye”. Well, supposedly so …

6. Rhyming nickname in Cardinals history : STAN THE MAN

Stan Musial was a retired baseball player who went by the nickname “Stan the Man”, a moniker he was awarded by the Brooklyn Dodgers fans in 1946. Apparently, off the field Stan was quite the harmonica player.

7. Midriff muscles, for short : ABS

The abdominal muscles (abs) are more correctly referred to as the rectus abdominis muscles. They might be referred to as a “six-pack” in a person who has developed the muscles and who has low body fat. In my case, more like a keg …

9. Sailor in the Navy : BLUEJACKET

“Bluejacket” is a familiar term used for enlisted sailors in the Royal Navy and US Navy. In fact, the basic handbook for US Navy personnel is titled “The Bluejacket’s Manual”.

12. ___ Day vitamins : ONE A

One A Day is a line of multivitamins made by Bayer. One A Day was introduced way back in 1940.

13. Rémy Martin product : COGNAC

Remy Martin is my favorite brand of cognac (remember that when it’s my birthday!). In China, the name Remy Martin is not used, but rather the more colorful moniker “man-headed horse” which describes the centaur logo on the bottle.

15. Dulles designer : EERO SAARINEN

Eero Saarinen was a Finnish-American architect who was renowned in this country for his unique designs for public buildings such as Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Dulles International Airport Terminal, and the TWA building at JFK. The list of his lesser-known, but still impressive, works includes several buildings erected on academic campuses. For example, the Chapel and Kresge Auditorium on the MIT campus, the Emma Hartman Noyes House at Vassar College, the Law School building at the University of Chicago, and Yale’s David S. Ingalls Rink.

16. Pasta sauce brand : RAGU

The Ragú brand of pasta sauce is owned by Unilever. The name ” Ragù” is the Italian word for a sauce used to dress pasta, however the spelling is off a little. In Italian the word is “Ragù” with a grave accent over the “u”, but if you look at a jar of the sauce on the supermarket shelf it is spelled “Ragú” on the label, with an acute accent. Sometimes I think we just don’t try …

17. Longtime singing talent show, familiarly : IDOL

Fox’s “American Idol” is a spin-off show that was created after the amazing success of the British television show “Pop Idol”. Neither program(me) would be my cup of tea …

24. Singer Reese : DELLA

Della Reese is the stage name of the actress, singer and all-round entertainer Deloreese Patricia Early. Her career that started as a singer in the fifties and was revived in the nineties when she played the lead character in the TV show “Touched by an Angel”.

29. Garment worn by John Roberts that’s hidden in his name : ROBE

John Roberts is the 17th Chief Justice of the United States. Roberts was a nominee of President George W. Bush and assumed office in 2005. President Bush first proposed Roberts as an Associate Justice to replace the retiring Sandra Day O’Connor. However, Chief Justice Rehnquist died before Roberts could be confirmed, so President Bush instead nominated Roberts for the vacant Chief Justice seat.

30. R&B’s ___ Hill : DRU

Dru Hill is an R&B singing group from Baltimore, Maryland. Dru Hill was formed in 1992, and is still going strong today. The name “Dru Hill” comes from Druid Hill Park which is found on the west side of Baltimore.

31. Bristol, Conn.-based cable inits. : ESPN

The initialism “ESPN” stands for Entertainment Sports Programming Network. ESPN is a cable network that broadcasts sports programming 24 hours a day, and was launched back in 1979. ESPN has a lot of ardent fans. Several parents have named children Espn (usually pronounced “Espen”) on honor of the network.

32. Sister and wife of Cronus, in myth : RHEA

In Greek mythology, Rhea was one of the Titans. She was the sister and husband of Cronus, and together they had six children, the last of which was Zeus. Cronus swallowed all of his children as soon as they were born, except for Zeus, who Rhea managed to hide from her husband.

In Greek mythology, Cronus (also “Kronos”) was one of the Titans. Cronus overthrew his father Uranus and rook over rule of the Titans. Eventually, Cronus was ousted by own son, Zeus.

34. Result of a religious schism : SECT

A schism is a split or a division, especially in a religion.

40. Japanese dogs with turned-up tails : SHIBA INUS

The Shiba Inu is a Japanese breed of dog that was developed for hunting. Although the exact etymology of “Shibu” is unclear, the term translates as “brushwood”. “Inu” is Japanese for “dog”.

44. Commercial rhyme for “Famous” : AMOS

Wally Amos was a talent agent, one who was in the habit of taking home-baked cookies with him as an enticement to get celebrities to see him. He was urged by friends to open a cookie store (the cookies were that delicious, I guess) and this he did in Los Angeles in 1975 using the name “Famous Amos”. The store was a smash hit and he was able build on the success by introducing his cookies into supermarkets. The brand was eventually purchased, making Wally a rich man, and Famous Amos cookies are still flying off the shelf. Wally Amos also became an energetic literacy advocate. He hosted 30 TV programs in 1987 entitled “Learn to Read” that provided reading instruction targeted at adults.

47. Part of a Mario costume : RED HAT

Mario Bros. started out as an arcade game back in 1983, developed by Nintendo. The more famous of the two brothers, Mario, had already appeared in an earlier arcade game “Donkey Kong”. Mario was given a brother called Luigi, and the pair have been around ever since. In the game, Mario and Luigi are Italian American plumbers from New York City.

54. Director Van Sant : GUS

Gus Van Sant is a movie director (among other things) who has been nominated twice for an Oscar, for “Good Will Hunting” in 1997 and for “Milk” in 2008.

59. Maker of the game Zaxxon : SEGA

Sega is a Japanese video game company headquartered in Tokyo. Sega actually started out 1940 in the US as Standard Games and was located in Honolulu, Hawaii. The owners moved the operation to Tokyo in 1951 and renamed the company to Service Games. The name “Sega” is a combination of the first two letters of the words “Se-rvice” and “Ga-mes”.

61. ___ contendere : NOLO

“Nolo contendere” (sometimes shortened to “nolo”) is a legal term that translates from Latin as “I do not wish to contend”. It’s the plea of no contest, and is an alternative to guilty and not guilty, meaning that one doesn’t admit guilt but nor does one dispute the charge.

64. One of the Castros : RAUL

Raul Castro is the younger brother of Fidel Castro. Raul has been President of Cuba since 2008, when Fidel stepped aside.

66. Dwarf planet with more mass than Pluto : ERIS

Eris is the largest known dwarf planet in our solar system. It is also the ninth largest body orbiting the sun, a fact that helped relegate Pluto (the tenth largest body) from its status of planet in 2006. Eris was discovered in 2005.

67. Good throw? : AFGHAN

An afghan is a blanket or a wrap that is knitted or crocheted from very colorful yarns.

81. ___ Germany : EAST

The former East Germany was known officially as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), or Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR).

91. Brother of Ham : SHEM

According to the Book of Genesis, Noah lived to a ripe old age. Noah fathered his three sons Shem, Ham and Japheth when he was 500 years old, and the Great Flood took place when he was 600.

96. Quaint demographic grouping : YUPPIES

The term “yuppie” first appeared in the 1980s and is short for “young urban professional”. Yuppies are generally regarded as upper middle class or upper class men and women in their twenties or thirties.

107. “¡Let’s go!” : VAMOS!

To vamoose is to to leave, coming from the Spanish “vamos” meaning “let’s go”.

109. Some flight board info : ETDS

Estimated time of departure (ETD)

116. Coin in Köln : EURO

Cologne is the fourth largest city in Germany, and is known as “Köln” in German.

120. Sci-fi C.G.I. creations : ETS

Computer-generated imagery (CGI)

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Chunks of land : TRACTS
7. “Be on the lookout” messages, for short : APBS
11. Person to take complaints to, informally : DOC
14. Polo of “The Fosters” : TERI
18. Popular Dominican dance : BACHATA
20. Leave quickly : BOLT
21. Musical Yoko : ONO
22. Get a ___ on someone : READ
23. Sou’wester : SWEET AND SOUR
25. Abbr. in many blood type names : NEG
26. “Logic dictates …” : ERGO …
27. It’s usually put in the middle of a table : ANTE
28. Late hours : HEART AND SOUL
31. Messes up : ERRS
35. Downfall in pinball : TILT
37. Music export from Tokyo, for short : J-POP
38. Sciences’ counterpart : ARTS
39. “Jeez!” : SHEESH!
41. Princess who says “I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board” : LEIA
43. Campy 1972 vampire film : BLACULA
45. Peace marches : PEACHES AND CREAM
48. Grub : EATS
51. Part of a preschool day : NAPTIME
52. Opinion : TAKE
53. Nirvana seeker : YOGI
56. Sorority letter : RHO
57. Forbiddance : BAN
58. Masthead list, for short : EDS
60. More lit, perhaps : SUNNIER
62. “After Earth” : TAR AND FEATHER
69. Pothead : STONER
70. ___ Lama : DALAI
71. Do the wave? : SURF
72. What un desierto lacks : AGUA
74. Lyrical lament : ELEGY
75. Not able to catch something : IMMUNE
77. Growth ring : RIGHT AND WRONG
80. Farthest point in an orbit around the moon : APOLUNE
82. This woman : SHE
83. Closure opening? : DIS-
84. Vote in France : NON
85. Blue swaths on maps : SEAS
87. They follow oohs : AAHS
90. Like the simplest instructions : ONE-STEP
95. Talk show host Cohen : ANDY
97. Trade punches : STAND UP AND CHEER
100. Hills with gentle slopes on one side and steep slopes on the other : CUESTAS
103. Fake : SHAM
104. Verdi tragedy : OTELLO
105. “Grand Ole” venue : OPRY
106. Say whether or not you’ll attend : RSVP
108. Blow out : SPEW
110. Imbroglio : MESS
111. Prostates : STOP AND STARE
115. French 101 verb : ETRE
117. Collaborative site : WIKI
118. Snatch : COP
119. Game suggested by this puzzle’s theme : MIXED DOUBLES
125. Racer Luyendyk : ARIE
126. Half of dos : UNO
127. Taking care of things : ON IT
128. Nickel-and-diming sort : SCROOGE
129. They might break out in hives : BEES
130. Cockapoo or cockatoo, maybe : PET
131. Cpls.’ superiors : SGTS
132. Act obsequiously : KOWTOW

Down

1. Atlanta-based cable inits. : TBS
2. Cold and wet : RAW
3. Term in tennis, golf and baseball, all with different meanings : ACE
4. Hero interred in Santa Clara, Cuba : CHE
5. “Later, luv” : TA-TA
6. Rhyming nickname in Cardinals history : STAN THE MAN
7. Midriff muscles, for short : ABS
8. “Oh, quit being silly!” : POOH!
9. Sailor in the Navy : BLUEJACKET
10. Seatbelt, e.g. : STRAP
11. “C’mon, be serious” : DON’T PLAY
12. ___ Day vitamins : ONE A
13. Rémy Martin product : COGNAC
14. Bridge-supporting frame : TRESTLE
15. Dulles designer : EERO SAARINEN
16. Pasta sauce brand : RAGU
17. Longtime singing talent show, familiarly : IDOL
19. ___-vaxxers : ANTI
24. Singer Reese : DELLA
29. Garment worn by John Roberts that’s hidden in his name : ROBE
30. R&B’s ___ Hill : DRU
31. Bristol, Conn.-based cable inits. : ESPN
32. Sister and wife of Cronus, in myth : RHEA
33. Collect from the soil : REAP
34. Result of a religious schism : SECT
36. Camping need : TENT
40. Japanese dogs with turned-up tails : SHIBA INUS
42. Neighbor of Wyo. : IDA
44. Commercial rhyme for “Famous” : AMOS
46. Transmits : SENDS
47. Part of a Mario costume : RED HAT
49. Part of a “Which came first?” dilemma : THE EGG
50. Comment before “I missed that” : SORRY
54. Director Van Sant : GUS
55. Cross : INTERSECT
59. Maker of the game Zaxxon : SEGA
61. ___ contendere : NOLO
62. Pad alternative : TAMPON
63. Chinese New Year treat : ALMOND COOKIE
64. One of the Castros : RAUL
65. Shed material : FUR
66. Dwarf planet with more mass than Pluto : ERIS
67. Good throw? : AFGHAN
68. “Get outta here!” : RUN!
70. ___ Taurasi, all-time W.N.B.A. scoring leader : DIANA
73. Supplementary item : ADD-ON
76. Suffix with methyl : -ENE
78. Gymnastics flip : HEADSPRING
79. Arizona capital of the Navajo Nation : WINDOW ROCK
81. ___ Germany : EAST
86. Relatively cool stellar phenomenon : STARSPOT
88. “Come again?” : HUH?
89. Some bathroom installations : SPAS
91. Brother of Ham : SHEM
92. Play starter? : TELE-
93. Sand-burrowing marine creatures : EELS
94. Reasons to do something : PROS
96. Quaint demographic grouping : YUPPIES
98. Number two: Abbr. : ASST
99. Revved up : AMPED
101. Timeline part : ERA
102. Align : SYNC UP
107. “¡Let’s go!” : VAMOS!
109. Some flight board info : ETDS
111. Mop : SWAB
112. Poop out : TIRE
113. Over : DONE
114. ___ interview : EXIT
116. Coin in Köln : EURO
120. Sci-fi C.G.I. creations : ETS
121. Debut, metaphorically : BOW
122. Dealership expanse : LOT
123. I problem? : EGO
124. Hem but not haw? : SEW