0713-18 NY Times Crossword Answers 13 Jul 2018, Friday

Constructed by: Trenton Charlson
Edited by: Will Shortz

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Today’s Reveal Answer: ZZ Top

We have a mini-theme today, with three answers at the TOP of the grid including the letter sequence ZZ:

  • 52A. Rock band whose name is suggested by the first row of this puzzle : ZZ TOP
  • 1A. Ride : RAZZ
  • 5A. Trattoria offering : PIZZA
  • 10A. Effervescence : FIZZ

Bill’s time: 11m 24s

Bill’s errors: 2

  • GLOB (blob)
  • RAGNAROK (Rabnarok)

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

15. West Indian sorcery : OBEAH

“Obeah” is a West Indian term that describes the folk magic practiced in many of the Caribbean islands.

16. Dirt pie ingredient : OREO

Dirt cake (sometimes “dirt pie”) is a dessert usually made by breaking up Oreo cookies and scattering the pieces over chocolate pudding, and then adding gummy worms on top. Sounds delicious …

20. Inept sorts : NIMRODS

“Nimrod” is a slang term used to describe a foolish person.

24. Aziz of Netflix’s “Master of None” : ANSARI

Aziz Ansari is an actor and comedian from Columbia, South Carolina who is best known for playing Tom Haverford on the sitcom “Parks and Recreation”. Ansari also stars in the Netflix comedy-drama series “Master of None”.

25. Loft addition : DORMER

A dormer is a roofed structure that protrudes from the slope of the main roof.

26. Bush animal, for short : ROO

The word “kangaroo” comes from the Australian Aborigine term for the animal. There’s an oft-quoted story that the explorer James Cook (later Captain Cook) asked a local native what was the name of this remarkable-looking animal, and the native responded with “Kangaroo”. The story is that the native was actually saying “I don’t understand you”, but as cute as that tale is, it’s just an urban myth.

31. Film speed letters : ISO

A photographic film’s “speed” is its sensitivity to light. That sensitivity is given an ISO number such as ISO 100 or ISO 2000. The higher the number, the more sensitive the film is to light.

34. Somewhat icy : ALOOF

I suppose one might guess from the “feel” of the word “aloof” that is has nautical roots. Originally “aloof” meant “to windward” and was the opposite of “alee”. A helmsman might be instructed to stay aloof, to steer the boat into the weather to keep a distance from a lee-shore. It is from this sense of maintaining a distance that aloof came to mean “distant” in terms of personality. Interesting, huh …?

36. Fore-and-aft-rigged vessel : KETCH

A ketch is a sailboat with two masts. The most forward mast is the mainmast, and is the taller of the two. The smaller mast is further aft, and is known as the mizzen mast.

39. Geoffrey of fashion : BEENE

Geoffrey Beene was an American fashion designer. He had an impressive list of clients that included First Ladies Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon and Nancy Reagan.

48. Subject of the 2008 biography “Woman of the House” : PELOSI

Nancy Pelosi is a former Speaker of the House, the 60th person to hold that position. Ms. Pelosi represents a district not far from here, which covers most of San Francisco. She was the first Californian, the first Italian-American and the first woman to be Speaker of the House. As Speaker, she was also second in line, after the Vice President, to take over if President Obama could not finish his term. That made Nancy Pelosi the highest-ranking female politician in US history.

49. Annual event that includes snocross and ski superpipe : X GAMES

The X Games are annual events, with a Summer X Games held every year as well as a Winter X Games. It’s very much a commercial venture, with all aspects controlled by the TV station ESPN. The games focus on extreme action sports, like skateboarding and freestyle motocross in the summer and various extreme snowboarding events in the winter.

52. Rock band whose name is suggested by the first row of this puzzle : ZZ TOP

In the blues rock band ZZ Top, the hairy guitar players are Billy F. Gibbons and Dusty Hill. The relatively clean-shaven drummer is, wait for it … Frank Beard.

56. “The Burning Giraffe” artist : DALI

Salvador Dali’s 1937 painting called “The Burning Giraffe” features two blue female figures in the foreground, figures that Dali described as “tailbone women”. The “burning giraffe” is actually a figure in the background.

58. Martial art whose name means, literally, “sword way” : KENDO

Kendo is a Japanese martial art based on sword fighting.

59. Sophocles tragedy : AJAX

Ajax was a figure in Greek mythology, and was the cousin of Achilles. Ajaz is an important figure in Homer’s “Iliad”. According to Homer, Ajax was chosen by lot to meet Hector in an epic duel that lasted a whole day. The duel ended in a draw.

Sophocles was one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose work has survived. The first of these was Aeschylus, the second Sophocles, and the third Euripides. Sophocles is believed to have written 123 plays, the most famous of which are “Antigone” and “Oedipus the King”.

61. Language from which “kayak” comes : INUIT

There is a type of boat used by Inuit people called an “umiak”. . The term “umiak” means “woman’s boat”, whereas “kayak” means “man’s boat”.

65. “The Garden of ___” (Oscar Wilde poem) : EROS

“The Garden of Eros” is an 1881 poem by Irish author Oscar Wilde. The first verse is:

It is full summer now, the heart of June,
Not yet the sun-burnt reapers are a-stir
Upon the upland meadow where too soon
Rich autumn time, the season’s usurer,
Will lend his hoarded gold to all the trees,
And see his treasure scattered by the wild and spendthrift breeze.

Down

1. Apocalyptic event predicted in Norse mythology : RAGNAROK

“Ragnarök” is the name given to a set of events in Norse mythology that resulted in the deaths of many famous gods, including Odin and Thor.

2. Like a shampoo/conditioner : ALL-IN-ONE

Back in the 1760s, the verb “to shampoo” was an Anglo-Indian word meaning “to massage”. A century later we started to shampoo our hair.

5. Pink, for one : POP DIVA

“P!nk” is the stage name of American singer Alecia Beth Moore. I known so little about “modern” music, but I do like the P!nk song “Just Give Me a Reason” …

6. Sacred symbol of ancient Egypt : IBIS

The ibis is a wading bird that was revered in ancient Egypt. “Ibis” is an interesting word grammatically speaking. You can have one “ibis” or two “ibises”, and then again one has a flock of “ibis”. And if you want to go with the classical plural, instead of two “ibises” you would have two “ibides”!

7. The Hudson’s Tappan ___ Bridge : ZEE

The original Tappan Zee Bridge was more correctly called the Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge, and crossed the Hudson River in New York. That bridge opened in 1955 and was demolished starting in 2017. The replacement Tappan Zee Bridge opened in 2017/2018, and is also known as the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.

The Tappan Zee is a 10-mile stretch of the Hudson River in New York, a place where there is a widening of the waterway. The name comes from the Tappan Native American people and the Dutch word “zee” meaning “sea” or “wide expanse of water”.

8. Galifianakis of “The Hangover” : ZACH

Zach Galifianakis is a stand-up comedian who is making a name for himself on the big screen. Galifianakis garnered a lot of attention for his role in 2009’s “The Hangover”, and also starred opposite Robert Downey Jr. in the 2010 release “Due Date”.

“The Hangover” is a comedy film released in 2009. The action revolves around a bachelor party in Las Vegas. The critics liked this one, although I didn’t really enjoy it too much.

10. Place for an umbrella stand : FOYER

Our term “umbrella” ultimately derives from the Latin “umbra” meaning “shade, shadow”.

“Foyer”, meaning “lobby”, is a French word that we’ve imported into English. In French, “foyer” is used for what we would call a “green room”, a place where actors can gather when not on stage or on set.

11. Heavyweight champion who defeated “Bonecrusher” Smith : IRON MIKE

The boxer Mike Tyson, nicknamed “Iron Mike”, has said some pretty graphic things about his opponents. For example:

  • About Lennox Lewis: “My main objective is to be professional but to kill him.”
  • To Razor Ruddock: “I’m gonna make you my girlfriend.”
  • About Tyrell Biggs: “He was screaming like my wife.”

13. Old-fashioned image projector : ZOETROPE

A zoetrope is a drum-like device with a series of images on the inside, and slits through which the images can be viewed. As the drum is rotated, the images appear to move when viewed through the slits.

21. Fractions of a krona : ORE

“Krona” translates in English as “crown”, and is the currency of Sweden (plural “kronor”). As a member of the European Union, Sweden is required to adopt the euro as its official currency. Such a move isn’t really popular in Sweden and so the Swedish government has been using a legal loophole to allow the country to retain the krona.

28. “Beowulf,” essentially : 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

“Beowulf” is an old epic poem from England, although the story is set in Scandinavia. Beowulf fights a battle, defending the Danish King Hrothgar from the ferocious outcast Grendel. Hrothgar had built a great hall for his people in which they could celebrate; singing, dancing and drinking lots of mead. Grendel was angered by the carousing and attacked the hall, devouring many of the incumbent warriors as they slept. A bit of an extreme reaction to noisy neighbors I’d say …

33. “Peanuts” boy : SCHROEDER

Schroeder is a favorite character of mine in the comic strip “Peanuts”. He is young boy who constantly plays on a toy piano, especially pieces by Beethoven. Schroeder is also the subject of an extreme infatuation by young Lucy van Pelt, who often leans on his piano and looks at him adoringly as he plays.

39. Google alternative : BING

Bing is the search engine from Microsoft. Bing is the latest name for an engine that Microsoft used to call Live Search, Windows Live Search and MSN Search.

42. Vamps : SEXPOTS

A vamp (short for “vampire”) is a seductive woman. The term was first used in reference to the sultry performance of actress Theda Bara in the 1915 film “A Fool There Was”. The movie’s title is a quotation from Rudyard Kipling’s 1897 poem “The Vampire”. Bara’s role was positioned as a “vampire”, a woman out to seduce a man, launching the use of “vamp” as an alternative term for “femme fatale”.

44. What “education is the best provision for,” per Aristotle : OLD AGE

Aristotle was actually a student of Plato in Ancient Greece (and in turn, Plato was a student of Socrates). Aristotle’s most famous student was Alexander the Great.

46. Key for “Spring” in Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” : E MAJOR

“The Four Seasons” is the most famous work by Italian Baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi. It is a collection of four violin concerti that evoke the seasons of the year. Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” is a favorite choice for background music in elevators and elevators. Personally, my favorite use of the piece is as a backdrop to the 1981 romantic comedy film “The Four Seasons”, starring Alan Alda and Carol Burnett.

47. Roosevelt predecessor? : DELANO

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was the only child of Sara Delano and James Roosevelt Sr. The Delano family history in America goes back to the pilgrim Philippe de Lannoy, an immigrant of Flemish descent who arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. The family name “de Lannoy” was anglicized here in the US, to “Delano”. Franklin was to marry Eleanor Roosevelt, and apparently the relationship between Sara and her daughter-in-law was very “strained”.

50. Yahtzee scoresheet row : SIXES

The dice game called Yahtzee was introduced in 1956 and is a variant of earlier dice games, especially the game “Yacht” (which even has a similar name). Yahtzee is required playing in our house at holidays. The game involves the rolling of five dice, with the intent of getting certain combinations. A lot of those combinations resemble poker hands, such as “three of a kind”, “four of a kind” and “full house”.

53. Founder of Stoicism : ZENO

Zeno of Citium was a Greek philosopher famous for teaching at the Stoa Poikile, the “Painted Porch”, located on the north side of the Ancient Agora of Athens. Because of the location of his classes, his philosophy became known as stoicism (from “stoa”, the word for “porch”). And yes, we get our adjective “stoic” from the same root.

55. Comics character who once, surprisingly, solved a sudoku puzzle : ODIE

Odie is Garfield’s best friend, and is a slobbery beagle. Both are characters in Jim Davis’ comic strip named “Garfield”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Ride : RAZZ
5. Trattoria offering : PIZZA
10. Effervescence : FIZZ
14. Natural pain reliever : ALOE
15. West Indian sorcery : OBEAH
16. Dirt pie ingredient : OREO
17. Amorphous mass : GLOB
18. 5-Across unit : PIECE
19. Days long gone : YORE
20. Inept sorts : NIMRODS
22. One low on dough : HAVE-NOT
24. Aziz of Netflix’s “Master of None” : ANSARI
25. Loft addition : DORMER
26. Bush animal, for short : ROO
27. “Still, after all this time …” : EVEN NOW …
31. Film speed letters : ISO
32. Cross to bear : ONUS
34. Somewhat icy : ALOOF
35. What old records and happy-go-lucky people may do : SKIP
36. Fore-and-aft-rigged vessel : KETCH
38. Stoppage : END
39. Geoffrey of fashion : BEENE
40. “Sup?” : HOW GOES IT?
43. Meritorious : WORTHY
45. Picked up on : SENSED
48. Subject of the 2008 biography “Woman of the House” : PELOSI
49. Annual event that includes snocross and ski superpipe : X GAMES
51. Number two : AIDE
52. Rock band whose name is suggested by the first row of this puzzle : ZZ TOP
56. “The Burning Giraffe” artist : DALI
57. ___ school : GRAD
58. Martial art whose name means, literally, “sword way” : KENDO
59. Sophocles tragedy : AJAX
60. Best, but barely : EDGE
61. Language from which “kayak” comes : INUIT
62. Paint swatch selection : TONE
63. Go-getter : DOER
64. Pours on the love : DOTES
65. “The Garden of ___” (Oscar Wilde poem) : EROS

Down

1. Apocalyptic event predicted in Norse mythology : RAGNAROK
2. Like a shampoo/conditioner : ALL-IN-ONE
3. Expands one’s view, in a way : ZOOMS OUT
4. Referee, in slang : ZEBRA
5. Pink, for one : POP DIVA
6. Sacred symbol of ancient Egypt : IBIS
7. The Hudson’s Tappan ___ Bridge : ZEE
8. Galifianakis of “The Hangover” : ZACH
9. Leading : AHEAD OF
10. Place for an umbrella stand : FOYER
11. Heavyweight champion who defeated “Bonecrusher” Smith : IRON MIKE
12. Gets closer and closer : ZEROES IN
13. Old-fashioned image projector : ZOETROPE
21. Fractions of a krona : ORE
23. Word : VOW
28. “Beowulf,” essentially : ELEGY
29. Eating with one’s elbows on the table, e.g. : NO-NO
30. Meeting places : NODES
33. “Peanuts” boy : SCHROEDER
35. Makes plans to tie the knot : SETS A DATE
37. Intense attraction, with “the” : HOTS
39. Google alternative : BING
41. Tiny brain? : WHIZ KID
42. Vamps : SEXPOTS
43. Odd duck : WEIRDO
44. What “education is the best provision for,” per Aristotle : OLD AGE
46. Key for “Spring” in Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” : E MAJOR
47. Roosevelt predecessor? : DELANO
48. Summoned : PAGED
50. Yahtzee scoresheet row : SIXES
53. Founder of Stoicism : ZENO
54. Hardware bit : T-NUT
55. Comics character who once, surprisingly, solved a sudoku puzzle : ODIE