0929-18 NY Times Crossword 29 Sep 18, Saturday

Constructed by: David Steinberg
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: None

Bill’s time: 15m 19s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Balaclava, for one : KNIT CAP

A balaclava is a piece of headgear that covers the whole head, exposing only the face or part of the face. This warm headgear was originally knitted and sent to British troops who were fighting in bitter cold weather in the Crimean War. The “helmet” took its name from the town of Balaklava that is near Sevastopol in Crimea, Ukraine.

8. Approximately five milliliters: Abbr. : TSP

Teaspoon (tsp.)

15. Powerful tablet : IPAD PRO

The iPad Pro tablet computer, when it was released in November 2015, featured a larger screen than all prior iPad models. The iPad Pro also came with some interesting accessories, including an attachable keyboard and the Apple Pencil.

18. Walgreens competitor : RITE AID

What we know today as Rite Aid started out as one store in Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1962. Rite Aid is now the biggest chain of drugstores on the East Coast of the United States and has operations all over the country.

Walgreens is the largest chain of drugstores in the United States, with over 7,500 retail outlets. The company is named for the owner of the first store and founder of the chain, Charles R. Walgreen. Also, Walgreens claims to have introduced the malted milkshake, in 1922.

19. Level : ECHELON

We use the word “echelon” (ech.) to describe a rank or level, particularly in the military. The term comes from French, in which language it has the same meaning, although the original meaning in Old French is “rung of a ladder”.

20. Bolster : ENHANCE

Back in Ireland I often slept in beds that had a “bolster” as well as pillows. The bolster was usually a long, bed-wide, stuffed cushion, harder than a pillow. It served the purpose of raising the pillows, perhaps as an aid for sitting up in bed. Our modern usage of the verb “bolster”, meaning to give a metaphoric shot in the arm, derives from this “bolster” that we used to sit up against.

22. Equipment used with goggles : SNORKEL

Our word “snorkel” comes from German navy slang “Schnorchel” meaning “nose, snout”. The German slang was applied to an air-shaft used for submarines, due to its resemblance to a nose, in that air passed through it and it made a “snoring” sound. “Schnorchel” comes from “Schnarchen”, the German for “snore”.

31. Commercial name that becomes a Native American tribe if you move its first letter to the end : IHOP

The International House of Pancakes (IHOP) was founded back in 1958. IHOP was originally intended to be called IHOE, the International House of Eggs, but that name didn’t do too well in marketing tests!

Many of the Hopi nation live on a reservation that is actually located within the much larger Navajo reservation in Arizona.

44. Infrequent losers : CASINOS

The term “casino” originated in the 1700s, then describing a public room for music or dancing. “Casino” is a diminutive of “casa” meaning “house”.

53. Juice brand owned by Coca-Cola : ODWALLA

Odwalla is a company in Half Moon Bay (just south of San Francisco) that sells fruit juices, smoothies and energy bars.

54. Nutty confection : PRALINE

A praline is a candy made made out of nuts and sugar syrup. The first pralines were made in France in the 17th century for an industrialist named Marshal du Plessis-Praslin, who gave his name to the confection.

57. Major Tuscan export : CHIANTI

Chianti is a red wine from the Chianti region of central Tuscany in Italy. Historically, Chianti was stored in a characteristically bulbous bottle wrapped in a straw basket. However, the pragmatists have won the day and regular wine bottles tend to be used nowadays.

58. Gang members : ELK

A group of elk is known as a gang.

59. ___ Prize (onetime annual $1 million award) : TED

The acronym “TED” stands for Technology Entertainment and Design. TED is a set of conferences held around the world by a non-profit group called the Sapling Foundation. The conference subjects are varied, and the meetings are often led by big names such as Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Bill Gates and Jane Goodall. The Sapling Foundation then makes recordings of the conferences available for free online with the intent of disseminating the ideas globally. These conferences are known as “TED Talks”.

Down

2. Specific occasion : NONCE

The quaint phrase “for the nonce” means “for the present, for now”.

4. Green land : THE EMERALD ISLE

Ireland is often referred to as “the Emerald Isle” (and described as “green”) because of all that green grass that grows due to the seemingly non-stop rain.

6. “See ya!” : ADIOS!

The term “adiós” is Spanish for “goodbye”. In the Spanish language, “adiós” comes from the phrase “a Dios vos acomiendo” meaning “I commend you to God”.

7. ___ Landing (part of Philadelphia) : PENN’S

Penn’s Landing along the Delaware river in Philadelphia is a waterfront area named for William Penn, the city’s founder. Penn landed near Penn’s Landing when he first arrived in the area.

9. Three-cornered sail : SPINNAKER

A spinnaker is a sail used when a sailboat is sailing off the wind. It is a bulbous sail that balloons out when it fills with wind. Spinnakers might be said to resemble parachutes as they use similar light fabric, and both are often very colorful in design.

10. Rhetoric class concept : PATHOS

Rhetoric is the art of speaking or writing effectively, primarily with the intent to persuade. Aristotle defined three persuasive techniques that can be used to persuade an audience:

  • Ethos is an ethical appeal, an attempt to convince the audience of the good moral character and credibility of the speaker.
  • Logos is an appeal to logic, an attempt to convince an audience by using logic and reason.
  • Pathos is an emotional appeal, an attempt to convince an audience by appealing to their emotions.

27. Gold standard : TROY OUNCE

The system of troy weights is now only used to measure the mass of precious metals and gemstones. The name “troy” likely came from the French town of Troyes, which was famous for trading with the English as far back as the 9th century.

32. Classic film with a screaming boy on its poster : HOME ALONE

“Home Alone” is a 1990 film starring Macaulay Culkin that has become a Christmas classic. Culkin was nominated for a Best Actor Golden Globe for his performance, becoming the youngest actor ever to be so honored.

40. 2013 hit for 2 Chainz and Wiz Khalifa : WE OWN IT

“2 Chainz” is the stage name of rapper Tauheed Epps.

“Wiz Khalifa” is the stage name of rapper Cameron Jibril Thomaz.

44. Thicket : COPSE

A copse is a small stand of trees. The term “copse” originally applied to a small thicket that was specifically grown for cutting.

45. When the Boston Marathon is held : APRIL

The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon, outside of the Olympic event. The first Boston Marathon was held way back in 1897 to celebrate Patriots’ Day, which commemorates the Battles of Lexington and Concord at the start of the American Revolution.

46. Most of a sugar cane : STALK

When sugar cane is processed to extract sugar, it is crushed and mashed to produce a juice. The juice is boiled to make a sugary concentrate called cane syrup, from which sugar crystals are extracted. A second boiling of the leftover syrup produces second molasses, from which more sugar crystals can be extracted. A third boiling results in what is called blackstrap molasses.

49. Locale of America’s deepest gorge : IDAHO

Hells Canyon in the northwestern US is the deepest river gorge in the country. The river that carved out the canyon is the Snake River, itself a tributary of the Columbia.

51. Colorful wraps : SARIS

The item of clothing called a “sari” (also “saree”) is a strip of cloth, as one might imagine, unusual perhaps in that is unstitched along the whole of its length. The strip of cloth can range from four to nine meters long (that’s a lot of material!). The sari is usually wrapped around the waist, then draped over the shoulder leaving the midriff bare. I must say, it can be a beautiful item of clothing.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Balaclava, for one : KNIT CAP
8. Approximately five milliliters: Abbr. : TSP
11. Invasive plant? : SPY
14. “Don’t mean any disrespect,” in modern lingo : NO SHADE
15. Powerful tablet : IPAD PRO
17. Add to a database : ENTER IN
18. Walgreens competitor : RITE AID
19. Level : ECHELON
20. Bolster : ENHANCE
21. Algae touted as a superfood : SEA MOSS
22. Equipment used with goggles : SNORKEL
23. Bánh ___ (Vietnamese cake) : TET
24. Dope : ASS
25. Like idol worshipers : STAR-STRUCK
31. Commercial name that becomes a Native American tribe if you move its first letter to the end : IHOP
35. Counterpart of 6-Down : HOLA!
36. Daring way to go : ROGUE
37. Not go in a straight line : ROVE
38. Give a whoop : YELL
39. Part of some love triangles : OTHER WOMAN
41. Word before or after “one” : DAY
43. Ahead of, old-style : ERE
44. Infrequent losers : CASINOS
48. Natural fuel source : BIOMASS
52. Decides to abstain : OPTS OUT
53. Juice brand owned by Coca-Cola : ODWALLA
54. Nutty confection : PRALINE
55. Indian restaurant fixture : TANDOOR
56. It may be broken in a library : SILENCE
57. Major Tuscan export : CHIANTI
58. Gang members : ELK
59. ___ Prize (onetime annual $1 million award) : TED
60. Person who’s spectacularly awful : HOT MESS

Down

1. Places for braces : KNEES
2. Specific occasion : NONCE
3. Sassy response to a scolding : IS THAT ALL?
4. Green land : THE EMERALD ISLE
5. Where models are assembled? : CAR LOTS
6. “See ya!” : ADIOS!
7. ___ Landing (part of Philadelphia) : PENN’S
8. Runs out of gas : TIRES
9. Three-cornered sail : SPINNAKER
10. Rhetoric class concept : PATHOS
11. Back slap? : SPANK
12. Sales figure : PRICE
13. Go through a voice change? : YODEL
16. Formal opening : DEAR SIR OR MADAM
25. Not forward : SHY
26. Little wiggler : TOE
27. Gold standard : TROY OUNCE
28. Turn : ROT
29. “I’m gonna be sick!” : UGH!
30. Stick in a ball-and-stick game : CUE
32. Classic film with a screaming boy on its poster : HOME ALONE
33. Monthly travelers? : OVA
34. Sty, e.g. : PEN
40. 2013 hit for 2 Chainz and Wiz Khalifa : WE OWN IT
42. Formally choose : ANOINT
44. Thicket : COPSE
45. When the Boston Marathon is held : APRIL
46. Most of a sugar cane : STALK
47. Charger : STEED
48. Screw up : BOTCH
49. Locale of America’s deepest gorge : IDAHO
50. Lineup in 44-Across : SLOTS
51. Colorful wraps : SARIS