0517-21 NY Times Crossword 17 May 21, Monday

Constructed by: Wren Schultz
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer Yes

Themed answers each start with the word “YES” in a non-English language:

  • 67A What the circled letters all mean : YES
  • 16A Alternative to Zumba : JAZZERCISE (starts with “ja”)
  • 29A Where to order a Blizzard : DAIRY QUEEN (starts with “da”)
  • 44A Supposed means of communication with the dead : OUIJA BOARD (starts with “oui”)
  • 60A Biggest city in South Dakota : SIOUX FALLS (starts with “si”)

Bill’s time: 5m 29s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 ___ Newton (cookie) : FIG

The Fig Newton cookie is based on what is actually a very old recipe that dates back to ancient Egypt. Whereas we grew up with “Fig Rolls” in Ireland, here in America the brand name “Fig Newton” was used, as the cookies were originally produced in Newton, Massachusetts.

4 Salty water : BRINE

The briny is the sea, with “brine” meaning “salty water”. The term “briny” was originally used for “tears”.

9 In ___ land (dreaming) : LA-LA

“La-la land” is a euphemism for a state of unconsciousness or a dreamworld.

13 Many a craft brew, in brief : IPA

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.

14 Just before the weekend : FRIDAY

The days of the week are named for celestial bodies and gods

  • Sunday — Sun’s Day
  • Monday — Moon’s Day
  • Tuesday — Tiu’s day
  • Wednesday — Woden’s day
  • Thursday — Thor’s day
  • Friday — Freya’s day
  • Saturday — Saturn’s day

15 Big name in polo shirts : IZOD

Jack Izod was a tailor of some repute over in England producing shirts for King George V, as well as other members of the Royal Family. As Izod was about to retire, he was approached for the use of his name by an American clothing manufacturer based in New York. The brand Izod of London was introduced to America in 1938.

16 Alternative to Zumba : JAZZERCISE (starts with “ja”)

In German, one might answer “ja” (yes) or “nein” (no).

The exercise program known as “Zumba” was developed in the mid-nineties in Cali, Colombia by dancer and choreographer Beto Perez. Along with two partners, Perez introduced a series of fitness videos that they sold using infomercials. The name “Zumba” is just an arbitrary brand name.

18 ___ pro quo : QUID

“Quid pro quo” is Latin for “something for something”, i.e. a swap.

20 Ad ___ committee : HOC

The Latin phrase “ad hoc” means “for this purpose”. An ad hoc committee, for example, is formed for a specific purpose and disbanded after making its final report.

22 Govt. org. with a classified budget : NSA

The National Security Agency (NSA) was set up in 1952 by President Truman, a replacement for the Armed Forces Security Agency that had existed in the Department of Defense since 1949. The NSA has always been clouded in secrecy and even the 1952 letter from President Truman that established the agency was kept under wraps from the public for over a generation. I really like the organization’s nickname … “No Such Agency”.

24 Chevy S.U.V. : TAHOE

The Chevrolet Blazer SUV was renamed as the Tahoe. And, the GMC Yukon is basically the same car. All very confusing …

29 Where to order a Blizzard : DAIRY QUEEN (starts with “da”)

Soft serve ice cream was developed by John McCullough in 1938. McCullough was able to get his new dessert carried by a local ice cream store in Illinois. He and the store owner became so swamped with sales that they opened a store specifically built around the product in Joliet, Illinois, hence creating the first Dairy Queen outlet. There are now over 5,700 Dairy Queen franchises in 19 countries. We’ve even got one in Ireland …

“Nyet” is Russian for “no”, and “da” is Russian for “yes”.

35 Trader ___ (restaurant eponym) : VIC

The “Vic” in “Trader Vic’s” is Victor Jules Bergeron Jr, the founder of the chain of Polynesian-themed restaurants. “Vic” started with just $500 of borrowed money in Oakland, California in 1934, taking over his first establishment. He changed the name to Trader Vic’s, and introduced the Polynesian theme. By the time the sixties rolled round, he had 25 Trader Vic’s restaurants up and running all round the world.

36 Break into with intent to steal : BURGLE

The crime of burglary is the breaking into and entering of a building with the intent to steal. The actual theft itself is a separate crime.

42 Mai ___ (cocktail) : TAI

The mai tai cocktail is strongly associated with the Polynesian islands, but the drink was supposedly invented in 1944 in Trader Vic’s restaurant in Oakland, California. One recipe is 6 parts white rum, 3 parts orange curaçao, 3 parts Orgeat syrup, 1 part rock candy syrup, 2 parts fresh lime juice, all mixed with ice and then a float added of 6 parts dark rum. “Maita’i” is the Tahitian word for “good”.

44 Supposed means of communication with the dead : OUIJA BOARD (starts with “oui”)

The Ouija board was introduced to America as a harmless parlor game at the end of the 19th century, although variations of the board date back to 1100 AD in China, where it was apparently used to “contact” the spirit world. The name “Ouija” is relatively recent, and is probably just a combination of the French and German words for “yes” … “oui” and “ja”.

48 … — … : SOS

The combination of three dots – three dashes – three dots, is a Morse signal first introduced by the German government as a standard distress call in 1905. The sequence is remembered as the letters SOS (three dots – pause – three dashes – pause – three dots). That said, in the emergency signal there is no pause between the dots and dashes, so “SOS” is really only a mnemonic. Similarly, the phrases “Save Our Souls” and “Save Our Ship” are back-formations that were introduced after the SOS signal was adopted.

53 Like many HDTVs, in brief : LCD

Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) are the screens that are found in most laptops today, and in flat panel computer screens and some televisions. LCD monitors basically replaced Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) screens, the old television technology.

59 Interlaced threads : WOVE

There are many types of loom used to weave cloth, but they all hold parallel threads in tension in one direction, while allowing the interweaving of threads in the perpendicular direction. The threads held under tension are the warp threads, and the “woven” threads are the “weft” threads.

60 Biggest city in South Dakota : SIOUX FALLS (starts with “si”)

Sioux Falls is the largest city in the state of South Dakota. The city is named for the cascades on the Big Sioux River on which Sioux Falls is built.

In Spanish, one might answer “si” (yes) or “no” (no).

64 Place to apply ChapStick : LIP

ChapStick is a brand of lip balm produced by Pfizer, although the brand is so popular that the term “chapstick” tends to be used generically. ChapStick was invented way back in the 1880s by a Dr. Charles Browne Fleet in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Down

1 Country whose name is a brand of bottled water : FIJI

The island nation of Fiji is an archipelago in the South Pacific made up of over 330 islands, 110 of which are inhabited. Fiji was occupied by the British for over a century and finally gained its independence in 1970.

2 Apple tablet : IPAD

The iPad wasn’t Apple’s first foray into the world of tablet computing. Apple created great buzz by introducing the Newton MessagePad way back in 1993. This innovative machine was fraught with problems and really died a very slow death, finally being withdrawn from the market in 1998.

7 Daytona 500 acronym : NASCAR

“NASCAR” stands for the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. NASCAR is very, very popular and commands the second-largest television audience of any professional sport in America, second only to football.

8 CBS logo : EYE

CBS used to be known as the Columbia Broadcasting System. CBS introduced its “eye” logo in 1951. That logo is based on a Pennsylvania Dutch hex sign.

9 Kahlúa and Sambuca : LIQUEURS

Kahlúa is a rum-based liqueur from Mexico that has a coffee flavor.

Sambuca is an Italian liqueur that is flavored with anise. Sambuca is often served straight up with three coffee beans floating on the surface. The beans are said to represent health, happiness and prosperity. A more “saucy” representation for the beans is the husband, wife and mistress.

10 Côte d’___ (French Riviera) : AZUR

The Côte d’Azur is on the Mediterranean coast of France and stretches from Saint-Tropez in the west and to the Italian border in the east. In English, we often refer to the area as “the French Riviera”. It’s a little crowded for me (okay, “expensive”), especially in the summer.

“Riviera” is an Italian word meaning “coastline”. The term is often applied to a coastline that is sunny and popular with tourists. The term “the Riviera” is usually reserved for the French Riviera (the Mediterranean coastline in southeastern France), and the Italian Riviera (the Mediterranean coastline centered on Genoa).

14 Admit, with “up” : FESS …

The term “fess” is most often seen as part of the phrasal verb “to fess up” meaning “to admit to something”. “Fess” is simply a shortened form of “confess”.

17 Grey who wrote “Riders of the Purple Sage” : ZANE

Zane Grey certainly did hit on the right niche. He wrote romanticized western novels and stories that really lent themselves to the big screen in the days when westerns were very popular movies. Incredibly, 110 films were made based on his work.

21 Chef’s hat : TOQUE

A toque was a brimless style of hat that was very fashionable in Europe in the 13th to 16th centuries. Nowadays we associate toques with chefs, as it is the name given to a chef’s hat (called a “toque blanche” in French, a “white hat”). A chef’s toque is quite interesting. Many toques have exactly 100 pleats, often said to signify the number of ways that an egg can be cooked.

27 Fancy goodbye : ADIEU

“Adieu” is French for “goodbye, farewell”, from “à Dieu” meaning “to God”. The plural of “adieu” is “adieux”.

28 Giuseppe who composed “Rigoletto” : VERDI

Giuseppe Verdi was an Italian composer, mainly of operas, who was active during the Romantic era. Equally as famous as Verdi’s operas, are arias from those operas such as “La donna è mobile” from “Rigoletto”, “The Drinking Song” from “La Traviata” and “The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves” from “Nabucco”. Verdi was a big fan of William Shakespeare and wrote three operas based on the Bard’s plays: “Macbeth”, “Otello” and “Falstaff”.

“Rigoletto” is one of Giuseppe Verdi’s most famous and oft-performed operas. The storyline comes from Victor Hugo’s play “Le roi s’amuse” (usually translated as “The King’s Fool”). Rigoletto is the king’s fool, the jester.

32 Singer Goulding : ELLIE

Ellie Goulding is a singer-songwriter from England. One of Goulding’s claims to fame is that she sang at the wedding reception of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Buckingham Palace in 2011.

42 Some reading for an I.R.S. auditor : TAX CODE

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.

46 Meat-inspecting org. : USDA

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) classifies meat into eight different grades:

  • Prime
  • Choice
  • Select
  • Standard
  • Commercial
  • Utility
  • Cutter
  • Canner

49 Ham-handed sorts : OAFS

The term “ham-fisted” (also “ham-handed) has been in use since the 1920s, when it was originally used to describe a pilot who was heavy on the controls of a plane.

50 Participated in the first third of a triathlon : SWAM

An Ironman Triathlon is a race involving a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a marathon run of just over 26 miles. The idea for the race came out of a debate between some runners in the 1977 Oahu Perimeter Relay. They were questioning whether runners, swimmers or bikers were the most fit athletes. The debaters decided to combine three local events to determine the answer, inviting athletes from all three disciplines. The events that were mimicked in the first triathlon were the Waikiki Roughwater swim (2.4 miles), the Around-Oahu Bike Race (115 miles) and the Honolulu Marathon (26.2 miles). The idea was that whoever finishes first would be called “the Iron Man”. The first triathlon was run in 1978, with fifteen starters and only twelve finishers. The race format is used all over the world now, but the Hawaiian Ironman is the event that everyone wants to win.

52 “Don’t be ___” (Google motto) : EVIL

“Don’t be evil” is Google’s corporate motto. The concept is incorporated into one of the company’s formally defined Core Values: “Do the right thing: don’t be evil. Honesty and Integrity in all we do. Our business practices are beyond reproach. We make money by doing good things.”

54 Clothing, informally : DUDS

“Duds” is an informal word meaning “clothing”. The term comes from the word “dudde” that was used around 1300 as the name for a cloak.

57 Ballet bend : PLIE

The French word for “bent” is “plié”. In the ballet move known as a plié, the knees are bent. A “demi-plié” is a similar move, but with less bending of the knees.

58 Measures of salt and sugar: Abbr. : TSPS

Teaspoon (tsp.)

60 One crying “Hup, two, three, four!”: Abbr. : SGT

Sergeant (sgt.) is a rank above corporal (cpl.).

61 Critical marks on treasure maps : XES

X marks the spot.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 ___ Newton (cookie) : FIG
4 Salty water : BRINE
9 In ___ land (dreaming) : LA-LA
13 Many a craft brew, in brief : IPA
14 Just before the weekend : FRIDAY
15 Big name in polo shirts : IZOD
16 Alternative to Zumba : JAZZERCISE (starts with “ja”)
18 ___ pro quo : QUID
19 “Don’t get any funny ___” : IDEAS
20 Ad ___ committee : HOC
21 Opportunities to play in games : TURNS
22 Govt. org. with a classified budget : NSA
24 Chevy S.U.V. : TAHOE
26 Donated : GAVE
29 Where to order a Blizzard : DAIRY QUEEN (starts with “da”)
34 Poem of tribute : ODE
35 Trader ___ (restaurant eponym) : VIC
36 Break into with intent to steal : BURGLE
37 Illegally downloaded : PIRATED
40 Early offering, as of goods : PRESALE
41 More sunburned : REDDER
42 Mai ___ (cocktail) : TAI
43 “Look what I ___!” : DID
44 Supposed means of communication with the dead : OUIJA BOARD (starts with “oui”)
46 Employs : USES
47 When some local news airs : AT SIX
48 … — … : SOS
50 Construction details : SPECS
53 Like many HDTVs, in brief : LCD
55 Change with the times : ADAPT
59 Interlaced threads : WOVE
60 Biggest city in South Dakota : SIOUX FALLS (starts with “si”)
62 Like, with “to” : AKIN
63 Noted portrait photographer Anne : GEDDES
64 Place to apply ChapStick : LIP
65 What ice cubes do in the hot sun : MELT
66 Lock of hair : TRESS
67 What the circled letters all mean : YES

Down

1 Country whose name is a brand of bottled water : FIJI
2 Apple tablet : IPAD
3 Fixed look : GAZE
4 “I’m f-f-freezing!” : BRR!
5 Like the 1% : RICH
6 Nonsensical : IDIOTIC
7 Daytona 500 acronym : NASCAR
8 CBS logo : EYE
9 Kahlúa and Sambuca : LIQUEURS
10 Côte d’___ (French Riviera) : AZUR
11 Cut of a pork roast : LOIN
12 Puts two and two together, say : ADDS
14 Admit, with “up” : FESS …
17 Grey who wrote “Riders of the Purple Sage” : ZANE
21 Chef’s hat : TOQUE
23 Most words ending in “-ly” : ADVERBS
25 Cars with gas/electric engines : HYBRIDS
26 Lose one’s amateur status : GO PRO
27 Fancy goodbye : ADIEU
28 Giuseppe who composed “Rigoletto” : VERDI
30 Assistance : AID
31 “Holy smokes!” : EGADS!
32 Singer Goulding : ELLIE
33 Food, water and air : NEEDS
38 Next (to) : ADJACENT
39 Things milking machines attach to : TEATS
40 Number on a miniature golf card : PAR
42 Some reading for an I.R.S. auditor : TAX CODE
45 Slicker : OILIER
46 Meat-inspecting org. : USDA
49 Ham-handed sorts : OAFS
50 Participated in the first third of a triathlon : SWAM
51 Rude touch : POKE
52 “Don’t be ___” (Google motto) : EVIL
54 Clothing, informally : DUDS
56 Friend in a conflict : ALLY
57 Ballet bend : PLIE
58 Measures of salt and sugar: Abbr. : TSPS
60 One crying “Hup, two, three, four!”: Abbr. : SGT
61 Critical marks on treasure maps : XES