0422-18 NY Times Crossword Answers 22 Apr 2018, Sunday

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Constructed by: Ross Trudeau
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: Pluses and Minuses

Themed answers are modified versions of well known phrases. That modification is an addition of a letter E to one word (“plus Es”) and a subtraction a letter E to another word (“minus Es”).

  • 23A. Makes eye contact before undressing? : STARES AND STRIPS (from “Stars and Stripes”)
  • 39A. Parent wearing your Superman costume? : FATHER IN ONE’S CAPE (from “feather in one’s cap”)
  • 54A. Script suggestion about starting the fight scene? : NOTE A MOMENT TO SPAR (from “not a moment to spare”)
  • 78A. Ballet choreography? : JETE-PROPELLED PLAN (from “jet-propelled plane”)
  • 96A. Was harder for the bronco buster to hold on to? : HAD LESS HORSE MANE (from “Headless Horseman”)
  • 115A. Like the digit “0” in 2018? : LEAST BUT NOT LAST (from “last but not least”)

Bill’s time: 21m 12s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Bedbug, e.g. : PEST

Bedbugs are parasites that feed on human blood, and their preferred habitat is the mattresses on which people sleep. Bedbugs have been around for thousands of years and were almost eradicated in the 1940s. However, infestations have been increasing since then. Dogs have been trained to detect bedbugs, and are used by some pest control specialists.

9. Gay ___ : PAREE

“Who Said Gay Paree?” is a song from the Cole Porter musical “Can-Can”.

19. R.p.m. indicator : TACH

The tachometer takes its name from the Greek word “tachos” meaning “speed”. A tachometer measures engine revolutions per minute (rpm).

21. Florida city whose name ends with two state postal abbreviations : OCALA

Those postal abbreviations would be CA (California) and LA (Louisiana).

The city of Ocala, Florida was founded near a historic village with the same name. In the local Timucua language “Ocala” means “Big Hammock”. Back in the 1890s, Ocala was famous for its oranges, with over one third of that fruit shipped from Florida coming from the city. Also, thoroughbred horse farming in Florida started in Ocala, back in 1943. Some folks today call Ocala the “Horse Capital of the World”, but I bet that’s disputed by others …

23. Makes eye contact before undressing? : STARES AND STRIPS (from “Stars and Stripes”)

Legend has it that Betsy Ross made the first American flag for General George Washington. However, this story only surfaced during the centennial celebrations of 1876, and although Betsy Ross was indeed one of several flag makers in Philadelphia in the days of George Washington, sadly there’s no definitive evidence that Ross provided that first Stars and Stripes.

26. Hoosier hoopster : PACER

The Indiana Pacers are the professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, who play in the NBA. The name was chosen when the team was formed in 1967. “Pacers” is a homage harness racing pacers (famed in Indiana) and the pace car used in the Indianapolis 500.

The exact origin of the word “hoosier” is unknown, but has been around since at least 1830. The term had no direct linkage with Indiana until John Finley of Richmond, Indiana wrote a poem called “The Hoosier’s Nest” in 1833. A few years later, by 1840, “hoosier” was generally accepted as a term for Indiana residents.

28. Wide-eyed type : NAIF

A naïf is someone who is naive, as “naïf” is the French word for “naive”.

31. One of five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council : USA

The United Nations Security Council has 15 members, 5 of whom are permanent and who have veto power over any resolution. The 10 non-permanent members are elected into place, and hold their seats for two years. The UN charter requires that authorized representatives of the member nations are always present at UN headquarters so that the Security council can meet at any time. The permanent members are:

  • China
  • France
  • Russia
  • United Kingdom
  • United States

44. “Party Up (Up in Here)” rapper, 2000 : DMX

“DMX” and “Dark Man X” are stage names used by rap artist Earl Simmons. DMX’s biggest hit is “Party Up (Up in Here)” released in 1999 (and even I know that song!). DMX seems to get in trouble with the law a lot, an awful lot …

45. Bugs’s cartoon pursuer : ELMER

Elmer Fudd is one of the most famous Looney Tunes cartoon characters, and is the hapless nemesis of Bugs Bunny. If you have never seen it, check out Elmer and Bugs in the marvelous “Rabbit of Seville”, a short cartoon that parodies Rossini’s “Barber of Seville”. Wonderful stuff …

46. Org. with evening meetings : PTA

Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)

47. Book after Jonah : MICAH

The Book of Micah is one of twelve books in the Bible written by the so-called minor prophets. The name “Micah” translates into English from Hebrew as “Who is like God?”

51. Root beer brand since 1937 : DAD’S

Dad’s root beer was developed by Ely Klapman and Barney Berns in 1937, and was given the name “Dad’s” in honor of Klapman’s father who used to make root beer for his family at home.

60. A.F.L. partner : CIO

The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was founded in 1886, making it one of the first federations of unions in the country. Over time the AFL became dominated by craft unions, unions representing skilled workers of particular disciplines. In the early thirties, John L. Lewis led a movement within the AFL to organize workers by industry, believing this would be more effective for the members. But the craft unions refused to budge, so Lewis set up a rival federation of unions in 1932, the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). The two federations became bitter rivals for over two decades until finally merging in 1955 to form the AFL-CIO.

61. The “A” of I.P.A. : ALE

India pale ale (IPA) is a style of beer that originated in England. The beer was originally intended for transportation from England to India, hence the name.

63. Willa who wrote “My Ántonia” : CATHER

American novelist Willa Cather wrote what’s referred to as the “prairie trilogy”, books that tell the story of Swedish immigrants living in Nebraska. The titles in the trilogy are “O Pioneers!”, “The Song of the Lark” and “My Ántonia”. Cather won the Pulitzer Prize for another novel, “One of Ours”, that is set in Nebraska and the French battlefields of WWI.

65. Mean-spirited sort : CHURL

A churl is rude, boorish person. The word “churl” comes from the Old English word “ceorl”, meaning a freeman of the lowest class.

68. Richard Gere title role : DR T

The 2000 movie “Dr. T & the Women” is a pretty good film, starring Richard Gere in the title role. It’s a romantic comedy about a gynecologist, and the women in his private and public life. The list of actresses playing those women is impressive, and includes Helen Hunt, Farrah Fawcett, Laura Dern, Shelley Long, Kate Hudson and Liv Tyler.

70. Greek god of sleep : HYPNOS

The prefix “somni-” indicates “sleep”, from the Latin “somnus” meaning “sleep, drowsiness”. Somnus was the personification of sleep from Roman mythology. The Greek equivalent was the god Hypnos.

76. Early Chinese dynasty : WEI

There were two Wei dynasties in Chinese history. The Cao Wei (220-265) existed during the Three Kingdoms period, and the Northern Wei (386-534) that existed during the Southern and Northern dynasties period.

78. Ballet choreography? : JETE-PROPELLED PLAN (from “jet-propelled plane”)

A “jeté” is a leap in ballet, coming from the French word “jeter” meaning “to throw”. A “jeté en avant” is a “leap to the front”, towards the audience. A “grand jeté” is a long horizontal jump, a split in the air, leaping from one foot to the other.

91. FEMA offering : AID

Federal emergency management has been structured for over 200 years, but what we know today as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was created in 1979 in an Executive Order issued by President Jimmy Carter.

94. Cartoonist Thomas : NAST

Thomas Nast was an American caricaturist and cartoonist. Nast was the creator of the Republican Party elephant, the Democratic Party donkey, Uncle Sam and the image of the plump and jocular Santa Claus that we use today.

96. Was harder for the bronco buster to hold on to? : HAD LESS HORSE MANE (from “Headless Horseman”)

A bronco (also “bronc”) is a horse that is untamed. In Mexican Spanish “bronco” is a word for “horse”, and in the original Spanish “bronco” means “rough, rude”.

The Headless Horseman is a character in Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow “.

103. University of Illinois city : URBANA

Urbana is an Illinois city that is home to most of the campus of the University of Illinois. The city was named in 1833 after Urbana, Ohio, the hometown of State Senator John Vance who provided the names for both the surrounding county of Champaign and the county’s seat of justice, Urbana.

118. Iowa senator elected in 2014 : ERNST

Joni Ernst was elected as a US Senator for Iowa in 2014. Ernst is a Republican who had previously served as a lieutenant colonel in the Iowa National Guard. She is the first female veteran in the US Senate, and the first woman to represent Iowa in the US Congress.

121. James who was nominated for a 1967 Grammy for “Tell Mama” : ETTA

Etta James was best known for her beautiful rendition of the song “At Last”. Sadly, as she disclosed in her autobiography, James lived a life that was ravaged by drug addiction leading to numerous legal and health problems. Ms. James passed away in January 2012 having suffered from leukemia.

Down

1. All-too-common V.A. diagnosis : PTSD

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

3. Fall guy : SCAPEGOAT

A scapegoat is a person chosen to take the blame in place of others. The term comes from the Bible’s Book of Leviticus, which describes a goat that was cast into the desert along with the sins of the community.

6. “Selma” director DuVernay : 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.

7. Southernmost Ivy : PENN

The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) was founded in 1740 by by Benjamin Franklin. Penn was the first school in the country to offer both graduate and undergraduate courses. Penn’s sports teams are known as the Quakers, or sometimes the Red & Blue.

8. Hyphen’s longer cousin : EN DASH

In typography, there are em dashes and en dashes. The em dash is about the width of an “m” character, and an en dash about half that, the width of an “n’ character. An en dash is used, for example, to separate numbers designating a range, as in 5-10 years. The em dash seems to be going out of style, and indeed the application I am using to write this paragraph won’t let me show you one!

“Hyphen” is a Greek word that came into English via Latin while retaining the meaning “mark joining two syllables or words”. It is speculated that the mark was introduced to indicate how a word should be sung. The term comes from the Greek “hypo” and “hen” and translates literally as “under one”.

9. Agricultural locale that’s weed-friendly? : POT FARM

“Potiguaya” is the Mexican-Spanish word for “marijuana leaves”. The slang name “pot” comes from “potiguaya”.

15. Kegler’s org. : PBA

Professional Bowlers Association (PBA)

A “kegler” is a person who plays ten-pin bowling. “Kegel” is a German word for “bowling pin”.

18. It’s a wrap : SERAPE

“Serape” is the English pronunciation and spelling of the Spanish word “zarape”. A zarape is like a Mexican poncho, a soft woolen blanket with a hole in the middle for the head. Most serapes have colorful designs that use traditional Mayan motifs.

33. Auto repair chain : MAACO

MAACO Collision Repair & Auto Painting was founded by Anthony A. Martino ten years after he launched AAMCO Transmissions. The names of both companies were derived from the first letters of his name: AAM.

35. Boxcars half : SIX

“Boxcars” is a slang term for two sixes rolled on a pair of dice, particularly in the game of craps. The idea is that the twelve pips on the dice resemble a pair of boxcars on a freight train.

37. Looped in, in a way : CCED

I wonder do the kids of today know that “cc” stands for carbon copy, and do they have any idea what a carbon copy was? Do you remember how messy carbon paper was to handle? A kind blog reader pointed out to me recently that the abbreviation has evolved and taken on the meaning “courtesy copy” in our modern world.

38. Skipper, informally : CAP’N

The term “skipper”, used for the captain of a ship, comes from the Middle Dutch “scipper”, which has the same meaning. “Scip” is Dutch for “ship”.

41. Kind of tide : NEAP

Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon on the oceans. At neap tide, the smaller gravitational effect of the sun cancels out some of the moon’s effect. At spring tide, the sun and the moon’s gravitational forces act in concert causing more extreme movement of the oceans.

49. The New Yorker cartoonist Chast : ROZ

Roz Chast had her first cartoon published in “The New Yorker” in 1978, and has had more than 800 published since then.

50. Tip of the tongue? : -ESE

Chinese, Japanese, Maltese, etc.

52. Number between nueve and once : DIEZ

“Nueve, diez, once” is Spanish for “nine, ten, eleven”.

56. Politician inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame : NADER

Ralph Nader has run as a third-party candidate for the office of President of the United States four times now, in every election from 1996 to 2008. Nader’s name was first first linked with the presidential race in 1971, when the famous Dr. Benjamin Spock offered to stand aside as candidate in the 1972 race if Nader would agree to run, but he declined.

“Unsafe at Any Speed” is a 1965 book by consumer advocate Ralph Nader in which the author accuses car manufacturers of resisting the introduction of safety features in order to maximize profit.

57. Trunk : TORSO

“Torso” (plural “torsi”) is an Italian word meaning the “trunk of a statue”, and is a term that we imported into English.

59. Vituperated : RAGED AT

Vituperation is sustained, abusive language.

64. Orbitz booking : TRIP

Orbitz is one of the big online travel companies, one that is based in Chicago. Orbitz was originally set up as a joint-venture of several airlines including Continental, Delta, Northwest and United.

73. Dungeons & Dragons, e.g., for short : RPG

Dungeons & Dragons is a complex role-playing game (RPG) introduced in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules Incorporated (TSR). Dungeons & Dragons was probably the first of the modern role-playing games to be developed, and the most successful. It is still played by lots of people today, including my youngest son …

75. First name on the Supreme Court : ELENA

Elena Kagan was the Solicitor General of the United States from 2009 until 2010, when she replaced Justice John Paul Stevens on the US Supreme Court. That made Justice Kagan the first female US Solicitor General and the fourth female US Supreme Court justice. Kagan also served as the first female dean of Harvard Law School from 2003 to 2009.

76. Monsoons : WET SEASONS

The term “monsoon” was first used in India in the days of the British Raj, when it was used to describe the seasonal winds that brought rain from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea from June to September. “Monsoon” is derived from the Portuguese “monção”, which in turn comes from the Arabic “mawsim” meaning “season”.

80. Treeless plain : LLANO

“Llano” is the Spanish word for “plain”.

82. February birthstones : AMETHYSTS

Here is the “official” list of birthstones by month, that we tend to use today:

  • January: Garnet
  • February: Amethyst
  • March: Bloodstone or Aquamarine
  • April: Diamond
  • May: Emerald
  • June: Pearl or Moonstone
  • July: Ruby
  • August: Sardonyx or Peridot
  • September: Sapphire or Lapis Lazuli
  • October: Opal or Pink Tourmaline
  • November: Topaz or Citrine
  • December: Turquoise or Zircon (also now, Tanzanite)

83. 1899 gold rush destination : NOME

The Nome Gold Rush of 1899-1909 was remarkable in the ease that the precious metal could be gathered. Many prospectors were finding gold lying in beach sand and were making their fortunes without even having to make a claim.

90. Makes potable, in a way : DESALTS

Something that is “potable” is fit to drink. The term derives from the Latin verb “potare” meaning “to drink”, which is also the root for our word “potion”.

91. Wall St. worker : ARB

“Arb” is short for “arbitrageur”. That’s someone one who profits from the purchase of securities in one market and the subsequent sale in another by taking advantage of price discrepancies across markets.

93. Supergiant in Cygnus : DENEB

Deneb is the brightest star in the constellation Cygnus, the Swan. The name “Deneb” comes from the Arabic word “dhaneb” meaning “tail”, as it lies at the tail of the swan.

97. Notable whose name is an anagram of GALORE : AL GORE

Al Gore was born in Washington DC, the son of Al Gore, Sr., then a US Representative for the state of Tennessee. After deferring his military service in order to attend Harvard, the younger Gore became eligible for the draft on graduation. Many of his classmates found ways of avoiding the draft, but Gore decided to serve and even took the “tougher” option of joining the army as an enlisted man. Actor Tommy Lee Jones shared a house with Gore in college and says that his buddy told him that even if he could find a way around the draft, someone with less options than him would have to go in his place and that was just wrong.

98. Some arm bones : HUMERI

The humerus is the long bone in the upper arm. The bones in the forearm are the radius and ulna. “Ulna” is the Latin word for “elbow”, and “radius” is Latin for “ray”.

105. Bacon runoff : FAT

“Bacon” is an Old French word that we imported into English. The term ultimately comes from the Proto-Germanic “bakkon” meaning “back meat”.

110. Boundary between the earth and the underworld, in myth : STYX

The River Styx in Greek mythology was the river that formed the boundary between the Earth and the Underworld (or “Hades”). The souls of the newly dead had to cross the River Styx in a ferry boat piloted by Charon. Traditionally, a coin would be placed in the mouths of the dead “to pay the ferryman”.

114. The “e” of i.e. : EST

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

117. When doubled, a 2010s dance craze : 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 …

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Bedbug, e.g. : PEST
5. “Police Line – Do Not Cross” material : TAPE
9. Gay ___ : PAREE
14. Blemish for a straight-A student : B-PLUS
19. R.p.m. indicator : TACH
20. Having gone tit for tat : EVEN
21. Florida city whose name ends with two state postal abbreviations : OCALA
22. Humiliate : ABASE
23. Makes eye contact before undressing? : STARES AND STRIPS (from “Stars and Stripes”)
26. Hoosier hoopster : PACER
27. Expatriate : DEPORT
28. Wide-eyed type : NAIF
29. “What ___ thou?” : SAYST
31. One of five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council : USA
32. One reading up on infant care, maybe : NEW MOM
34. Equilibrium : STASIS
36. Minor setback : HICCUP
38. Butts : CIGS
39. Parent wearing your Superman costume? : FATHER IN ONE’S CAPE (from “feather in one’s cap”)
42. Year abroad : ANO
43. The sun, for one : STAR
44. “Party Up (Up in Here)” rapper, 2000 : DMX
45. Bugs’s cartoon pursuer : ELMER
46. Org. with evening meetings : PTA
47. Book after Jonah : MICAH
49. “Get ___” : REAL
51. Root beer brand since 1937 : DAD’S
54. Script suggestion about starting the fight scene? : NOTE A MOMENT TO SPAR (from “not a moment to spare”)
60. A.F.L. partner : CIO
61. The “A” of I.P.A. : ALE
62. Ocean buildup : SEA OOZE
63. Willa who wrote “My Ántonia” : CATHER
65. Mean-spirited sort : CHURL
68. Richard Gere title role : DR T
69. Eat a little here, a little there : GRAZE
70. Greek god of sleep : HYPNOS
72. Take for granted : PRESUME
76. Early Chinese dynasty : WEI
77. Black ___ : OPS
78. Ballet choreography? : JETE-PROPELLED PLAN (from “jet-propelled plane”)
84. Sport : WEAR
86. RR ___ : XING
87. Widening of the mouth? : DELTA
88. Broody genre : EMO
89. Racy film : NUDIE
91. FEMA offering : AID
94. Cartoonist Thomas : NAST
95. Beaut : GEM
96. Was harder for the bronco buster to hold on to? : HAD LESS HORSE MANE (from “Headless Horseman”)
101. High flier : KITE
102. Firstborn : ELDEST
103. University of Illinois city : URBANA
104. Lumbering, say : OAFISH
106. In days of yore : AGO
107. “Same with me” : AS AM I
109. Subjects of an apartment restriction : PETS
111. Actresses Field and Hawkins : SALLYS
113. Rarity in a Polish name? : VOWEL
115. Like the digit “0” in 2018? : LEAST BUT NOT LAST (from “last but not least”)
118. Iowa senator elected in 2014 : ERNST
119. “… but I could be wrong” : … OR NOT
120. Reynolds of “Deadpool” : RYAN
121. James who was nominated for a 1967 Grammy for “Tell Mama” : ETTA
122. Hives, e.g. : NESTS
123. Forte’s opposite : PIANO
124. Old flames : EXES
125. Balance : REST

Down

1. All-too-common V.A. diagnosis : PTSD
2. Corroded : EATEN INTO
3. Fall guy : SCAPEGOAT
4. Loses intentionally : THROWS
5. What the classics stand : TEST OF TIME
6. “Selma” director DuVernay : AVA
7. Southernmost Ivy : PENN
8. Hyphen’s longer cousin : EN DASH
9. Agricultural locale that’s weed-friendly? : POT FARM
10. Down’s counterpart: Abbr. : ACR
11. Trail mix bit : RAISIN
12. Title city in a 1960 #1 song : EL PASO
13. “Don’t panic” : EASY
14. Event for Jesus described in Matthew 3:13-17 : BAPTISM
15. Kegler’s org. : PBA
16. Popular Mexican folk song : LA CUCARACHA
17. Depletes : USES UP
18. It’s a wrap : SERAPE
24. “Uhh …” : ERM …
25. Positioned : SITED
30. Lambaste : SHELLAC
33. Auto repair chain : MAACO
35. Boxcars half : SIX
37. Looped in, in a way : CCED
38. Skipper, informally : CAP’N
40. Places for conductors : TRAMS
41. Kind of tide : NEAP
43. Breakfast order at a diner : SMALL OJ
48. Giggle syllable : HEE
49. The New Yorker cartoonist Chast : ROZ
50. Tip of the tongue? : -ESE
52. Number between nueve and once : DIEZ
53. Put out : SORE
55. Make : EARN
56. Politician inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame : NADER
57. Trunk : TORSO
58. Tally, in Britain : TOT UP
59. Vituperated : RAGED AT
64. Orbitz booking : TRIP
65. Grub : CHOW
66. Build up : HYPE
67. Fickleness of life : UPS AND DOWNS
71. Demeaners of the #MeToo movement, say : SEXISTS
72. Part of a stockyard : PEN
73. Dungeons & Dragons, e.g., for short : RPG
74. T-shirt size: Abbr. : MED
75. First name on the Supreme Court : ELENA
76. Monsoons : WET SEASONS
79. Draws : TIES
80. Treeless plain : LLANO
81. Put on an act? : LEGISLATE
82. February birthstones : AMETHYSTS
83. 1899 gold rush destination : NOME
85. Be absolutely awesome : RULE
90. Makes potable, in a way : DESALTS
91. Wall St. worker : ARB
92. Probably will : IS APT TO
93. Supergiant in Cygnus : DENEB
96. A state of rapture : HEAVEN
97. Notable whose name is an anagram of GALORE : AL GORE
98. Some arm bones : HUMERI
99. Journalist Fallaci : ORIANA
100. Emotionally developed : MATURE
101. ___ whale : KILLER
105. Bacon runoff : FAT
108. Cockeyed : ALOP
110. Boundary between the earth and the underworld, in myth : STYX
112. R.B.I.s or H.R.s : STAT
114. The “e” of i.e. : EST
116. III or IV, maybe : SON
117. When doubled, a 2010s dance craze : NAE