0323-21 NY Times Crossword 23 Mar 21, Tuesday

Constructed by: Dan Schoenholz
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: Extra Charge

Themed answers are each common phrases with ION added to the end (an “EXTRA CHARGE”):

  • 60A Unwelcome sight on a bill … or a clue to 16-, 34- and 41-Across : EXTRA CHARGE
  • 16A Job interview for a wannabe tax collector? : IRS AUDITION (from “IRS audit”)
  • 34A What the surfing enthusiast has? : BOARDING PASSION (from “boarding pass”)
  • 41A Name for a huge marathon? : RUN OF THE MILLION (from “run-of-the-mill”)

Bill’s time: 6m 48s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

14 Tiny fly : MIDGE

“Midge” is a familiar term used for many different kinds of small flies.

16 Job interview for a wannabe tax collector? : IRS AUDITION (from “IRS audit”)

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was set up during the Civil War to raise money to cover war expenses. Prior to the introduction of income tax in 1862, the government was funded by levies on trade and property.

18 Certain Dominican : NUN

The Order of Preachers is a Roman Catholic religious order that is often referred to as the Dominicans. The order was founded in France in 1216 by a Spanish priest called Saint Dominic de Guzman.

20 Setting depicted in the Sistine Chapel : EDEN

“The Creation of Adam” is a fresco by Michelangelo that is part of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. Famously, “The Creation of Adam” features Adam and God reaching towards each other, with hands very nearly touching.

The Sistine Chapel is located in the Pope’s residence in Rome. The chapel takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who was responsible for restoring the old Capella Magna in the 15th century. It was about a century later (1508-1512) that Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel under the patronage of Pope Julius II.

23 ___ X : MALCOLM

Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska in 1925. He told his own life story in the incredibly successful book “The Autobiography of Malcolm X”, on which he collaborated with author Alex Haley. Malcolm Little changed his name when he joined the Nation of Islam, choosing “X” to represent the African family name that he could never know.

26 Teri of “Tootsie” : GARR

Actress Teri Garr had a whole host of minor roles in her youth, including appearances in nine Elvis movies. Garr’s big break came with the role of Inga in “Young Frankenstein”, and her supporting role in “Tootsie” earned Garr an Academy Award nomination. Sadly, Teri Garr suffers from multiple sclerosis. She is a National Ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

“Tootsie” is a hilarious 1982 comedy starring Dustin Hoffman in the title role, a male actor who adopts a female identity in order to land an acting job. Jessica Lange won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance in the film. “Tootsie” also provided Geena Davis with her first movie role.

38 “Movin’ ___” : ON UP

“Movin’ On Up” is the theme song for “The Jeffersons”, a sitcom that originally aired in the seventies and eighties.

39 Preceder of “TV” on cable TV : TRU-

truTV is a Turner Broadcasting cable network that launched in 1991 as Court TV. The name, and programming, was changed to truTV in 2008.

40 Brand of cornstarch : ARGO

Argo brand cornstarch first hit the store shelves in 1892.

41 Name for a huge marathon? : RUN OF THE MILLION (from “run-of-the-mill”)

Something described as run-of-the-mill is unspectacular, quite normal. The idea is that the regular production from say a sawmill isn’t perfect, but does the job. Imperfections in the wood can be expected, but the milled wood should get the job done. Going back a few years, similar expressions were quite common, such as “run-of-the-kiln” and “run-of-the-mine”.

48 Too cute, on the Thames : TWEE

In the UK, something “twee” is cutesy or overly nice. “Twee” came from “tweet”, which is the cutesy, baby-talk way of saying “sweet”.

The River Thames that flows through London is the longest river entirely located in England.

54 Compact ___ : DISC

The compact disc (CD) was developed jointly by Philips and Sony as a medium for storing and playing sound recordings. When the first commercial CD was introduced back in 1982, a CD’s storage capacity was far greater than the amount of data that could be stored on the hard drive of personal computers available at that time.

64 ___ dye (chemical coloring) : AZO

Azo compounds have very vivid colors and so are used to make dyes, especially dyes with the colors red, orange and yellow. The term “azo” comes from the French word “azote” meaning “nitrogen”. French chemist Lavoisier coined the term “azote” from the Greek word “azotos” meaning “lifeless”. He used this name as in pure nitrogen/azote animals die and flames are snuffed out (due to a lack of oxygen).

67 Kind of bulb, in brief : LED

A light-emitting diode (LED) is a specialized form of semiconductor that when switched on releases photons (light). LEDs were used in early digital watches, and are getting more and more popular even though their use in electronic equipment is fading away. LEDs are used as replacements for the much less-efficient tungsten light bulbs. I replaced all of my tungsten Xmas lights a few years ago and saved a lot on my electricity bill.

68 Basket shot from behind the arc, in hoops slang : TREY

A trey is a three in a deck of cards. The term “trey” can also be used for a domino with three pips, and even for a three-point play in basketball.

69 Singer Cyrus : MILEY

Miley Cyrus became famous playing the Disney Channel character “Hannah Montana”. Miley is the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. When she was born, Billy Ray and his wife named their daughter “Destiny Hope”, but soon they themselves calling her “Smiley” as she was always smiling as a baby, and this got shortened to Miley over time. Cute …

Down

1 “Hot to trot” or “cool as a cucumber” : IDIOM

Apparently scientists have shown that the inside of a cucumber (“cuke” for short) growing in a field can be up to twenty degrees cooler than the surrounding air. That’s something that was believed by farmers as early as the 1730s, at which time the phrase “cool as a cucumber” was coined.

2 Yogi who said “You can observe a lot by just watching” : BERRA

Yogi Berra is regarded by many as the greatest catcher ever to play in Major League Baseball, and has to be America’s most celebrated “author” of malapropisms. Here are some greats:

  • It ain’t over till it’s over.
  • 90% of the game is half mental.
  • Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.
  • When you come to a fork in the road, take it.
  • It’s déjà vu all over again.
  • Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t go to yours.
  • A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.

3 Studio supporter : EASEL

The word “easel” comes from an old Dutch word meaning “donkey”, would you believe? The idea is that an easel carries its load (an oil painting, say) just as a donkey would be made to carry a load.

4 Similar to : A LA

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

5 East Lansing school, in brief : MSU

Michigan State University (MSU) is located in East Lansing, Michigan. MSU has the largest study-abroad program of any single-campus university in the US. Programs are offered on all continents of the world, including Antarctica. The MSU athletic teams are known as the Spartans.

7 Naming : IDING

Identity document (ID)

9 Married women, in Oaxaca : SENORAS

Oaxaca (officially “Oaxaca de Juárez”) is the capital city of the Mexican state of Oaxaca, which is located in the south of the country.

10 Green Day or Black Sabbath : BAND

Green Day is a punk rock band from just down the road here, from Berkeley, California. The name “Green Day” was chosen by the band to reflect their fondness for marijuana. “Green day” is a slang term used to describe a day spent smoking the drug.

Black Sabbath is an English heavy metal band set up in 1969 in Birmingham in the north of the country. Black Sabbath’s most famous band member was the lead singer, Ozzy Osbourne. Ozzy was kicked out of the group in 1979 as his drug usage was becoming overly disruptive.

11 Magnum ___ : OPUS

“Magnum opus” is a Latin term meaning “great work”. The magnum opus of a writer or composer perhaps, is his or her greatest work.

12 Kyoto dough : YEN

The city of Kyoto was once the capital of Japan, and in fact the name “Kyoto” means “capital city” in Japanese. Kyoto is sometimes referred to as the City of Ten Thousand Shrines.

17 Home to Jawaharlal Nehru University : DELHI

New Delhi is the capital city of India. New Delhi resides within the National Capital Territory of Delhi (otherwise known as the metropolis of Delhi). New Delhi and Delhi, therefore, are two different things.

Jawaharlal Nehru was the first prime minister of India, serving from 1947-64. Nehru was basically the heir to his mentor Mahatma Gandhi. Nehru’s only daughter Indira, also became prime minister (known as Indira Gandhi through marriage, though she was not related to Mahatma).

22 Cures, in a way : DRY-SALTS

Salt is used to “cure” meats. Curing is a preservation process. The salt kills and inhibits the growth of microorganisms by sucking the water out of the microbe’s cells in the process of osmosis. Smoking is also cited as a curing process, although smoking alone is insufficient for preserving food as the antimicrobial smoke compounds only adhere to the outside of the meat or fish. Smoking is usually combined with salt-curing or drying.

25 Neurotic condition, for short : OCD

Apparently, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is the fourth most commonly diagnosed mental disorder, making it about as prevalent as asthma.

27 ___-compliant : ADA

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)

31 Assistant who asks “What can I help you with?” : SIRI

Siri is a software application that works with Apple’s iOS operating system. “Siri” is an acronym standing for Speech Interpretation and Recognition Interface. Voice-over artist Susan Bennett revealed herself as the female American voice of Siri a few years ago. The British version of Siri is called Daniel, and the Australian version is called Karen. Also, “Siri” is a Norwegian name meaning “beautiful woman who leads you to victory”, and was the name the developer had chosen for his first child.

32 Comic strip that’s the source of the line “We have met the enemy and he is us” : POGO

“Pogo” is a comic strip launched in 1948 that was the creation of cartoonist Walt Kelly. The story centers on animals that live in the Okefenokee Swamp on the Georgia-Florida border, with the title character “Pogo Possum” being an anthropomorphic opossum.

33 Soon, poetically : ANON

“Anon” originally meant “at once”, but the term’s meaning evolved into “soon” apparently just because the word was misused over time.

34 When doubled, a Pacific paradise : BORA

Bora Bora is one of the Society Islands of French Polynesia. The name “Bora Bora” is imitative of the Tahitian name for the island and should really be pronounced “pora pora”. “Bora bora” translates as “first born”.

35 Albatross : ONUS

An “albatross” is sometimes a metaphor for a psychological burden. This usage comes from the poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. In the story, an albatross is following a ship, a sign of good fortune. Then the “ancient mariner” shoots the albatross with a crossbow, an act that will bring a curse on the ship. The other sailors punish the mariner by forcing him to wear the dead albatross around his neck.

36 Rosemary Clooney, to George Clooney : AUNT

Rosemary Clooney was a singer who enjoyed most of her success in the 1950s, but who had sustained public exposure right up until her death in 2002. Clooney was married three times, with her first two marriages being to Hollywood actor José Ferrer. Actor George Clooney is Rosemary’s nephew, being the son of her brother Nick Clooney.

37 Does a service station job : PUMPS GAS

The gas pump was actually around before there were cars on the road. The first gas pump was the invention of one Sylvanus Bowser from Fort Wayne, Indiana. His first pump was designed to pump kerosene for lamps and stoves, and was introduced in 1885. As automobiles became popular, he modified the design to pump gasoline. He introduced the Self-Measuring Gasoline Storage Pump in 1905. He marketed his devices all around the world, and in some parts the name “bowser” is still used sometimes to refer to fuel pumps, and indeed some fuel tankers.

42 Farrah of the original “Charlie’s Angels” : FAWCETT

Farrah Fawcett’s first big role was that of Jill Monroe, one of the famous “Charlie’s Angels”. Fawcett’s life off-screen was just as celebrated as her performances on television. Fawcett was married to actor Lee Majors (“The Six Million Dollar Man”) for nine years, and then spent fifteen years with actor Ryan O’Neal.

When the TV show “Charlie’s Angels” started airing in the mid-seventies, it was a little unusual in that it featured three women playing private detectives, a role usually reserved for men. The name first chosen for the show was “The Alley Cats”, then “Harry’s Angels”, before finally settling on “Charlie’s Angels”.

43 Actor Sheridan who co-starred in “Ready Player One” : TYE

The young actor Tye Sheridan had one of the lead roles in the 2012 coming-of-age film “Mud”, which starred Matthew McConaughey.

44 Hipbone-related : ILIAC

The ilium (plural “ilia”) is the upper portion of the hipbone.

45 Like candles before singing “Happy Birthday” : LIT

According to the “Guinness Book of World Records”, “Happy Birthday to You” is the most popular song in the English language. “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” and “Auld Lang Syne” come in second and third.

49 Cosmetician Lauder : ESTEE

Estée Lauder was a very successful businesswoman, and someone with a great reputation as a salesperson. Lauder introduced her own line of fragrances in 1953, a bath oil called “Youth Dew”. “Youth Dew” was marketed as a perfume, but it was added to bathwater. All of a sudden women were pouring whole bottles of Ms. Lauder’s “perfume” into their baths while using only a drop or two of French perfumes behind their ears. That’s quite a difference in sales volume …

55 It can carry a tune : IPOD

The iPod is Apple’s signature line of portable media players. The iPod first hit the market in 2001 with a hard drive-based device, now known as the iPod Classic. Later models all use flash memory, allowing a smaller form factor. The smallest of the flash-based models is the iPod Shuffle, which was introduced in 2005.

57 One side in a college football rivalry since 1890 : ARMY

The first Army-Navy football game took place in November 1890. The annual event is most often played in Philadelphia, as the city is about the same distance from the USMA at West Point, New York and the USNA at Anapolis, Maryland. One of the more memorable Army-Navy games (to trivia lovers) was played in 1893. That’s because Navy Midshipman Joseph M. Reeves wore a helmet, marking the first time a helmet was used for protection in a football game.

61 Child of the ’70s, e.g. : XER

The term “Generation X” originated in the UK where it was the name of a book by Jane Deverson. Her book detailed the results of a study of British youths in 1964, contrasting their lifestyle to those of previous generations. It was Canadian author Douglas Coupland who was responsible for popularizing the term, with his more successful publication “Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture”. By one definition, Gen-Xers were born between 1961 and 1981.

62 Showboater : HAM

The word “ham”, describing a performer who overacts, is a shortened form of “hamfatter” and dates back to the late 1800s. “Hamfatter” comes from a song in old minstrel shows called “The Ham-Fat Man”. It seems that a poorly performing actor was deemed to have the “acting” qualities of a minstrel made up in blackface.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Letter-shaped girder : I-BEAM
6 Prejudice : BIAS
10 Male delivery : BOY
13 Starts hearts, say : DEALS
14 Tiny fly : MIDGE
15 Copy : APE
16 Job interview for a wannabe tax collector? : IRS AUDITION (from “IRS audit”)
18 Certain Dominican : NUN
19 What’s mined to keep? : ORE
20 Setting depicted in the Sistine Chapel : EDEN
21 10:1, e.g. : ODDS
23 ___ X : MALCOLM
26 Teri of “Tootsie” : GARR
28 “Bless you” preceder : ACHOO!
30 Place to get some “me time” : DAY SPA
34 What the surfing enthusiast has? : BOARDING PASSION (from “boarding pass”)
38 “Movin’ ___” : ON UP
39 Preceder of “TV” on cable TV : TRU
40 Brand of cornstarch : ARGO
41 Name for a huge marathon? : RUN OF THE MILLION (from “run-of-the-mill”)
46 On the wrong path : ASTRAY
47 Go halfsies on : SPLIT
48 Too cute, on the Thames : TWEE
50 Hangs tight : SITS PAT
54 Compact ___ : DISC
56 Story that goes on and on … and on : SAGA
58 She might give you her coat : EWE
59 Spout (off) : POP
60 Unwelcome sight on a bill … or a clue to 16-, 34- and 41-Across : EXTRA CHARGE
64 ___ dye (chemical coloring) : AZO
65 Is rife (with) : TEEMS
66 Who might say “Take me to your leader” : ALIEN
67 Kind of bulb, in brief : LED
68 Basket shot from behind the arc, in hoops slang : TREY
69 Singer Cyrus : MILEY

Down

1 “Hot to trot” or “cool as a cucumber” : IDIOM
2 Yogi who said “You can observe a lot by just watching” : BERRA
3 Studio supporter : EASEL
4 Similar to : A LA
5 East Lansing school, in brief : MSU
6 Quick snack : BITE
7 Naming : IDING
8 “Give it ___” : A GO
9 Married women, in Oaxaca : SENORAS
10 Green Day or Black Sabbath : BAND
11 Magnum ___ : OPUS
12 Kyoto dough : YEN
14 The 15th or so : MID-MONTH
17 Home to Jawaharlal Nehru University : DELHI
22 Cures, in a way : DRY-SALTS
24 Alternatives to garages : CARPORTS
25 Neurotic condition, for short : OCD
27 ___-compliant : ADA
29 Nasty sorts : OGRES
31 Assistant who asks “What can I help you with?” : SIRI
32 Comic strip that’s the source of the line “We have met the enemy and he is us” : POGO
33 Soon, poetically : ANON
34 When doubled, a Pacific paradise : BORA
35 Albatross : ONUS
36 Rosemary Clooney, to George Clooney : AUNT
37 Does a service station job : PUMPS GAS
42 Farrah of the original “Charlie’s Angels” : FAWCETT
43 Actor Sheridan who co-starred in “Ready Player One” : TYE
44 Hipbone-related : ILIAC
45 Like candles before singing “Happy Birthday” : LIT
49 Cosmetician Lauder : ESTEE
51 Rising sea levels, e.g. : PERIL
52 “Wow, you shouldn’t have …” : AW, GEE …
53 Itty-bitty : TEENY
54 Go out briefly? : DOZE
55 It can carry a tune : IPOD
57 One side in a college football rivalry since 1890 : ARMY
59 Bud : PAL
61 Child of the ’70s, e.g. : XER
62 Showboater : HAM
63 Woman’s nickname that drops “-son” : ALI