0716-19 NY Times Crossword 16 Jul 19, Tuesday

Constructed by: Ross Trudeau
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: A-Frame Buildings

We have a little grid art today. Some black squares, and indeed two whole series of letters A, represent A-FRAME BUILDINGS. Well, maybe A-FRAME roofs:

  • 52A Structures illustrated twice in this puzzle through both black squares and letters : A-FRAME BUILDINGS

Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers

Bill’s time: 10m 33s!

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Start of an incantation : ABRA-

The incantation “abracadabra” has a long history. It was used as far back as the 2nd century AD in ancient Rome when the word was prescribed by a physician to be worn on an amulet to help his emperor recover from disease. “Abracadabra” is Aramaic, and roughly translates as “I will create as I speak”.

10 Landlocked Asian country : LAOS

The present-day nation of Laos can trace its roots back to the historic Lao kingdom of Lan Xang that existed from 1354 to 1707. The full name of the kingdom was “Lan Xang Hom Khao”, which translates as “The Land of a Million Elephants and the White Parasol”.

11 DuVernay who directed “Selma” : AVA

“Selma” is a 2014 film about the Selma to Montgomery marches of 1965. Directed by Ava DuVernay, the movie stars David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Tom Wilkinson as President Lyndon B. Johnson.

14 ‘Vette option : T-TOP

A T-top is a car roof that has removable panels on either side of a rigid bar that runs down the center of the vehicle above the driver.

15 Speedy Amtrak option : ACELA

The Acela Express is the fastest train routinely running in the US, as it gets up to 150 mph at times. The service runs between Boston and Washington D.C. via Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York. Introduced in 2000, the brand name “Acela” was created to evoke “acceleration” and “excellence”.

17 Yours, in Tours : A TOI

Tours is the largest city in the Centre region of France. Sitting on the Loire river, it is said that the people of Tours speak the “purest” form of French in the whole country. The French spoken by a local is also said to be free of any accent.

18 Grp. that combats smuggling : ATF

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) today is part of the Department of Justice (DOJ). 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 (DOJ) as part of the reorganization called for in the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

19 Land made for you and me, in a Woody Guthrie song : AMERICA

Woody Guthrie was a singer-songwriter. He was best known for his recording of the folk song “This Land is Your Land”, the lyrics of which were written by Guthrie himself.

21 Demo material for Wile E. Coyote : TNT

“TNT” is an abbreviation for “trinitrotoluene”. Trinitrotoluene was first produced in 1863 by the German chemist Joseph Wilbrand, who developed it for use as a yellow dye. TNT is relatively difficult to detonate so it was on the market as a dye for some years before its more explosive properties were discovered.

Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner are two much-loved cartoon characters from Warner Bros. Wile E. Coyote was created first, and Road Runner was invented as someone for Wile E. to play off. I love this cartoon; definitely one of the best …

26 Copenhageners, e.g. : DANES

Copenhagen is the largest city and the capital of Denmark. I haven’t had the privilege of visiting Copenhagen, but I hear it is a wonderful metropolis with a marvelous quality of life. The city is also very environmentally friendly, with over a third of its population commuting to work by bicycle.

28 Oasis beast : CAMEL

Perhaps the most distinctive feature of a camel is the large deposit of fatty tissue on its back. The dromedary is the most common camel, and has two humps of fatty tissue on its back. The Bactrian camel has two humps, and makes up just 6% of the world’s camel population. Those fatty humps are useful if no food or water is available, as fat can be broken down into water and energy.

29 Lawn game banned in 1988 : JARTS

Jarts is a brand of lawn darts.

30 In the manner of : A LA

The phrase “in the style of” can be translated into “alla” in Italian and “à la” in French.

32 ___ Amidala, “Star Wars” queen : PADME

In the “Star Wars” universe, Padmé Amidala is the Queen of the planet Naboo. Played very ably by Natalie Portman, Padmé becomes the secret wife of Anakin Skywalker, later revealed to be Darth Vader. As such, Padmé is also the mother of Luke Skywalker and his sister, Princess Leia Organa.

35 Oakland’s Oracle, for one : ARENA

The Oracle Arena in Oakland, California is most famous as the home of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. Having opened in 1996, it is the oldest arena in use for NBA games. One might also argue that the Oakland Arena is home for the Grateful Dead as the band played more concerts there (66) than in any other venue.

37 Diez minus siete : TRES

In Spanish, “diez” (ten) minus “siete” (seven) is “tres” (three).

41 The “e” of i.e. : EST

“Id est” is Latin for “that is”, and is often abbreviated to “i.e.” when used in English.

44 As a group : EN MASSE

“En masse” is a French term, one that best translates as “as a group”

52 Structures illustrated twice in this puzzle through both black squares and letters : A-FRAME BUILDINGS

An A-frame house is one that has a steeply-angled roof, one forming the shape of the letter “A”. The A-frame design is popular in snowy regions, as the roof is so steeply pitched that it does not collect snow.

59 Nae Nae or cancan : DANCE

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 …

The Moulin Rouge cabaret is located right in the middle of one of the red light districts of Paris, the district of Pigalle. You can’t miss the Moulin Rouge as it has a huge red windmill on its roof (“moulin rouge” is French for “red windmill”). The nightclub opened its doors in 1889 and soon after, the working girls of the cabaret adopted a “respectable” party dance and used it to entice their clients. That was the birth of the can-can. Nowadays, the Moulin Rouge is home to a lavish, Las Vegas-style show that costs millions of euros to stage. It features showgirls, dancers and acrobats, a whole host of entertainers in fact. And I am sure the can-can features as well …

60 Captain who circumnavigated the globe : COOK

The famed British explorer Captain James Cook made three voyages of discovery into the Pacific Ocean. Cook was in command of HMS Resolution on his third voyage, and he and his crew he became the first Europeans to visit the Hawaiian Islands, in 1778. He landed on Kauai and named the whole archipelago the Sandwich Islands, in honor of the fourth Earl of Sandwich who was in charge of the British Admiralty at the time. Cook continued his voyage, leaving Hawaii to explore the coast of what is now called Canada and Alaska, and returning to Hawaii the following year. After one month of contact with the native Hawaiians, Cook departed from the islands but was forced to return to repair a broken mast. Relations between the Europeans and the islanders had been good but despite this a dispute developed and got out of control that resulted in Cook being struck on the head and stabbed to death. His body was dragged away by the islanders, and as an apparent sign of respect for the Captain, the natives processed his body according to funeral traditions associated with Hawaiian kings and elders. Eventually, after a petition from the remaining crew, some of Cook’s remains were also returned for a formal burial at sea, adhering to British naval tradition.

61 Flue buildup : SOOT

The flue in a chimney is a duct that conveys exhaust gases from a fire to the outdoors. An important feature of a flue is that its opening is adjustable. When starting a fire, the flue should be wide open, maximizing airflow to get help ignition.

Down

2 Flinched : BATTED AN EYE

At least as far back as the 1800s, the term “batting” was used in falconry to describe the fluttering of a hawk’s wings while on a perch or a fist, as if the bird intended to fly away. The usage of “batting” extended to the fluttering of a human’s eyelids, giving us the expressions “batting an eye” and “batting an eyelid”.

3 Adjuncts to some penthouses : ROOF GARDENS

Originally, the term “penthouse” described a modest building attached to a main structure. In fact, in centuries past, the manger in which Jesus was born was often referred to as a penthouse. The modern, more luxurious connotation dates back to the early twenties.

4 Nile viper : ASP

The asp is a venomous snake found in the Nile region of Africa. It is so venomous that the asp was used in ancient Egypt and Greece as a means of execution. Cleopatra observed such executions noting that the venom brought on sleepiness without any painful spasms. When the great queen opted to commit suicide, the asp was therefore her chosen method.

6 Org. for docs : AMA

American Medical Association (AMA)

8 World’s highest-paid athlete in 2019, per Forbes magazine : 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.

12 Et ___ : ALIA

“Et alii” (et al.) is the equivalent of “et cetera” (etc.), with “et cetera” being used in place of a list of objects, and “et alii” used for a list of names. In fact, “et al.” can stand for “et alii” (a group of males, or males and females), “et aliae” (a group of women) and “et alia” (a group of neuter nouns, or a group of people where the intent is to retain gender-neutrality).

15 Iowa college town : AMES

The Iowa city of Ames was founded as a stop on the Cedar Rapids and Missouri Railroad in 1864. It was named for US Congressman Oakes Ames from the state of Massachusetts in honor of the role that Ames played in the building of the transcontinental railroad.

16 “Hells Bells” band : AC/DC

The Heavy Metal band known as AC/DC was formed by two brothers Malcolm and Angus Young in Australia. The group is usually called “Acca Dacca” down under.

25 Amo, amas, ___ : AMAT

“Amo, amas, amat” translates from Latin as “I love, you love, he/she/it loves”.

27 Sheltered at sea : ALEE

Alee is the direction away from the wind. If a sailor points into the wind, he or she is pointing aweather.

29 Maker of “No more tears” baby shampoo, for short : J AND J

The medical company Johnson & Johnson (J&J) was founded in 1886, not by two brothers as the name would suggest, but by three. Robert Wood Johnson, James Wood Johnson and Edward Mead Johnson formed the company initially to manufacture ready-to-use surgical dressings.

31 Hathaway of Hollywood : ANNE

Actress Anne Hathaway is a favorite of mine, I must say. She starred in “The Devil Wears Prada” in 2006 and in 2007’s “Becoming Jane”, a film that I particularly enjoyed.

33 Alternative to Chanel No. 5 : ESTEE

“Estée” is the signature fragrance from the Estée Lauder Company. “Estée” was the second fragrance developed by Estée Lauder herself, and was introduced in 1968. Lauder’s first fragrance was “Youth Dew”, introduced in 1953.

Chanel No. 5 is a perfume that was released by Coco Chanel back in 1921. Chanel had an affinity for the number “5”, and always presented her dress collection on May 5th (the fifth day of the fifth month). When she was presented a selection of experimental scents as potential choices for the first perfume to bear the Chanel name, she chose the sample in the fifth vial. Chanel instructed that the “sample number 5” should keep its name, asserting that it would bring the scent good luck.

36 Glassworker, at times : ANNEALER

One anneals glass or metal by exposing to a very specific temperature profile, resulting in a tougher or less brittle product.

45 Shenanigans : ANTICS

I suppose one might be forgiven for thinking that “shenanigan” is an Irish term, as it certainly sounds Irish. Usually written in the plural, shenanigans are acts of mischief, pranks. Apparently the word is of uncertain derivation, but was coined in San Francisco and Sacramento, California in the mid-1800s.

49 Abba of Israel : EBAN

Abba Eban was an Israeli diplomat and politician. He was born Aubrey Solomon Meir Eban in Cape Town, South Africa. While working at the United Nations after WWII, Eban changed his given name to “Abba”, the Hebrew word for “father”. Reportedly, he made this change as Eban saw himself as the father of the nation of Israel.

50 Fourth-and-long option : PUNT

That would be football.

51 Subject of a school nurse’s inspection : LICE

Lice (singular “louse”) are small wingless insects of which there are thousands of species, three of which are human disease agents. The three kinds of lice affecting humans are head lice, body lice and pubic lice. Most lice feed on dead skin found on the body of the host animal, although some feed on blood. Ick …

54 Pooh’s pal : ROO

Like most of the characters in A. A. Milne’s “Winnie the Pooh”, the kangaroo named “Roo” was inspired by a stuffed toy belonging to Milne’s son Christopher Robin.

56 Smallest state in India : GOA

Goa is the smallest state in India, and is located in the southwest of the country. The Portuguese landed in Goa in the early 1500s, at first peacefully carrying out trade, but then took the area by force creating Portuguese India. Portugal held onto Portuguese India even after the British pulled out of India in 1947, until the Indian Army marched into the area in 1961.

57 Wild blue yonder : SKY

The official song of the US Air Force (USAF) is entitled “The US Air Force”, and was written in 1938 by Robert MacArthur Crawford. The original title was “Army Air Corps”, and this was changed to “Army Air Force” during WWII when the service changed its name. The current title was adopted in 1947, when the USAF became a separate service. Regardless of the official name, the song is commonly referred to as “Wild Blue Yonder”.

Off we go into the wild blue yonder,
Climbing high into the sun
Here they come zooming to meet our thunder
At ’em boys, Give ‘er the gun!
Down we dive, spouting our flame from under
Off with one helluva roar!
We live in fame or go down in flame. Hey!
Nothing can stop the U.S. Air Force!

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Start of an incantation : ABRA-
6 Up to the task : ABLE
10 Landlocked Asian country : LAOS
11 DuVernay who directed “Selma” : AVA
13 One with a feather duster, maybe : MAID
14 ‘Vette option : T-TOP
15 Speedy Amtrak option : ACELA
17 Yours, in Tours : A TOI
18 Grp. that combats smuggling : ATF
19 Land made for you and me, in a Woody Guthrie song : AMERICA
21 Demo material for Wile E. Coyote : TNT
22 Entertained with a story, say : REGALED
24 Print media revenue source : AD SALES
26 Copenhageners, e.g. : DANES
28 Oasis beast : CAMEL
29 Lawn game banned in 1988 : JARTS
30 In the manner of : A LA
32 ___ Amidala, “Star Wars” queen : PADME
34 “___ quote …” : AND I
35 Oakland’s Oracle, for one : ARENA
37 Diez minus siete : TRES
38 Born : NEE
39 Insect feeler : ANTENNA
41 The “e” of i.e. : EST
42 The Kennedys or the Bushes, so to speak : DYNASTY
44 As a group : EN MASSE
46 Country singer ___ James Decker : JESSIE
47 Very wee : EENSIE
48 Embarrassing fall : FACE PLANT
52 Structures illustrated twice in this puzzle through both black squares and letters : A-FRAME BUILDINGS
58 Male buds : BROS
59 Nae Nae or cancan : DANCE
60 Captain who circumnavigated the globe : COOK
61 Flue buildup : SOOT
62 “Come in!” : ENTER!
63 Influence : SWAY

Down

1 Setting for a classical sacrifice : ALTAR
2 Flinched : BATTED AN EYE
3 Adjuncts to some penthouses : ROOF GARDENS
4 Nile viper : ASP
5 State as fact : AVER
6 Org. for docs : AMA
7 Military field uniform : BATTLEDRESS
8 World’s highest-paid athlete in 2019, per Forbes magazine : LIONEL MESSI
9 Drops (or adds) a line : EDITS
11 Got 100 on : ACED
12 Et ___ : ALIA
15 Iowa college town : AMES
16 “Hells Bells” band : AC/DC
19 Bottles that might be marked “XXX” in the comics : ALES
20 “Stat!” : ASAP!
23 Not pro : ANTI
25 Amo, amas, ___ : AMAT
27 Sheltered at sea : ALEE
29 Maker of “No more tears” baby shampoo, for short : J AND J
30 Pretentious : ARTY
31 Hathaway of Hollywood : ANNE
33 Alternative to Chanel No. 5 : ESTEE
35 Predate : ANTECEDE
36 Glassworker, at times : ANNEALER
39 “Take me ___” : AS I AM
40 Modify : AMEND
43 Equally speedy : AS FAST
45 Shenanigans : ANTICS
49 Abba of Israel : EBAN
50 Fourth-and-long option : PUNT
51 Subject of a school nurse’s inspection : LICE
52 Targets of plank exercises : ABS
53 Do that might block someone’s view, for short : ‘FRO
54 Pooh’s pal : ROO
55 When repeated, calming expression : NOW
56 Smallest state in India : GOA
57 Wild blue yonder : SKY