0303-18 NY Times Crossword Answers 3 Mar 2018, Saturday

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Constructed by: Damon Gulczynski
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: None

Bill’s time: 9m 01s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

16. Enlightened sort : ARHAT

“Arhat” is a Sanskrit word, the exact translation of which is somewhat disputed, with the various Buddhist traditions assuming different meanings. Translations vary from “worthy one” to “vanquisher of enemies”.

18. Site of a 1974 fight won by 40-Across : ZAIRE
(40A. See 18-Across : ALI)

The Rumble in the Jungle was the celebrated 1974 fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman that took place in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The fight was set in Zaire because of financial arrangements between promoter Don King and Zaire’s President Mobutu Seko. Ali coined the term “Rope-a-dope” to describe his incredibly successful strategy in the contest. From the second round onwards, Ali adopted a protected stance on the ropes letting Foreman pound him with blows to the body and head, with Ali using his arms to dissipate the power of the punches. He kept this up until the eighth round, and then opened up and floored the exhausted Foreman with a left-right combination. I hate boxing but I have to say, that was an fascinating fight …

19. Ron ___, nine-time All-Star from the 1960s-’70s Cubs : SANTO

Ron Santo was a professional baseball player most noted for his appearances as third baseman for the Chicago Cubs. Santo suffered diabetes, something he managed to keep to himself for most of his playing career. After he retired, the disease necessitated the amputation of both his legs and complications from diabetes eventually contributed to his death.

22. “The Wire” stickup man : OMAR

The character Omar Little is played by Michael K. Williams on the HBO series “The Wire”.

26. G.I. garb, for short : CAMO

Our word “camouflage” (often abbreviated to “camo”) evolved directly from a Parisian slang term “camoufler” meaning “to disguise”. The term was first used in WWI, although the British navy at that time preferred the expression “dazzle-painting” as it applied to the pattern painted on the hulls of ships.

48. Philosopher who said “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step” : LAO-TZU

Lao Tse (also “Lao-Tzu”) was a central figure in the development of the religion/philosophy of Taoism. Tradition holds that Lao-Tzu wrote the “Tao Te Ching”, a classical Chinese text that is fundamental to the philosophy of Taoism.

52. Puzzle (out) : SUSS

The verb “to suss” means “to figure out”. The term originated in the 1950s as police slang, and is a shortening of “to suspect”.

62. 1983 #1 hit with the lyric “Take, take, take what you need” : SAY SAY SAY

“Say Say Say” is a 1983 hit song co-written and performed by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson. The song has a famous music video featuring the singers as two con artists named “Mac and Jack”. While filming the video, Michael visited Paul and Linda McCartney, who were staying on a property called Sycamore Ranch. Jackson liked the Sycamore spread, and a few years later purchased it. He renamed it to “Neverland Ranch”.

65. Co-star with Shatner and Nimoy : TAKEI

Mr. Hikaru Sulu was played by George Takei in the original “Star Trek” series. Takei has played lots of roles over the years, and is still very active in television. Did you know that he appeared in the 1963 film, “Pt-109”? He played the helmsman steering the Japanese destroyer that ran down John F. Kennedy’s motor torpedo boat. From destroyer helmsman to starship helmsman …

William Shatner is a Canadian actor, one famous for playing Captain James T. Kirk in the original “Star Trek” television series. Shatner was trained as a classical Shakespearean actor, and appeared on stage in many of the Bard’s works early in his career. While playing the Kirk character, he developed a reputation for over-acting, really emphasizing some words in a speech and using an excessive number of pauses. He gave his name to a word “shatneresque”, which describes such a style.

Leonard Nimoy played the logical Mr. Spock in the original “Star Trek” television series. Spock has to be the most popular character on the show, and he kept popping up in “Star Trek” spin offs. Nimoy first worked alongside William Shatner (Captain Kirk) in an episode of “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” (I loved that show as a kid!), with Nimoy playing a bad guy and Shatner playing an U.N.C.L.E. recruit.

66. So-called “Father of Zoology” : ARISTOTLE

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.

67. Cinemax competitor : STARZ

The Starz premium cable channel is owned by the same company that owns the Encore cable channel. Starz was launched in 1994 and mainly shows movies.

Down

1. Bible supporters, often : PEWS

A pew is a bench in a church, one usually with a high back. The original pews were raised and sometimes enclosed seats in the church used by women and important men or families. “Pew” comes from the Old French “puie” meaning “balcony, elevation”.

2. Org. with inspectors : OSHA

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created in 1970 during the Nixon administration. OSHA regulates workplaces in the private sector and regulates just one government agency, namely the US Postal Service.

4. One who might needle you? : TATTOOIST

The word “tattoo” (often shortened to “tat”) was first used in English in the writings of the famous English explorer Captain Cook. In his descriptions of the indelible marks adorning the skin of Polynesian natives, Cook anglicized the Tahitian word “tatau” into our “tattoo”. Tattoos are also sometimes referred to as “ink”.

5. With 59-Down, spa supply : EPSOM …
(59D. See 5-Down : … SALT)

The Surrey town of Epsom in England is most famous for its racecourse (Epsom Downs), at which is run the Epsom Derby every year, one of the three races that make up the English Triple Crown. We also come across Epsom salt from time to time. Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate, originally prepared by boiling down mineral waters. Epsom was indeed a spa town at one time. The town is also home to Epsom College, an English “public school” (which actually means “private, and expensive”). One of Epsom’s “old boys” was the Hollywood actor Stewart Granger.

6. Band with the monster album “Monster” : REM

R.E.M. was a rock band from Athens, Georgia formed in 1980. The name “R.E.M.” was chosen randomly from a dictionary, apparently.

7. Market event, briefly : IPO

An initial public offering (IPO) is the very first offer of stock for sale by a company on the open market. In other words, an IPO marks the first time that a company is traded on a public exchange. Companies have an IPO to raise capital to expand (usually).

8. Novelist ___ Neale Hurston : ZORA

Zora Neale Hurston was an American author, most famous for her 1937 novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God”. Like the author, the main character in the novel is an African American woman, a part played by Halle Berry in a television movie adaptation that first aired in 2005.

9. Linda of Broadway’s “Jekyll & Hyde” : EDER

Linda Eder is a singer and actress. She came to public attention when she won the television talent show “Star Search” for a record 13 weeks in a row. I’ve never heard of her. I know, I lead a sheltered life …

“Jekyll & Hyde” is a stage musical based on the Robert Louis Stevenson novel “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”. There has been talk of musical film as well …

11. Ishmael’s people : ARABS

Ishmael was the first son of Abraham, according to the Bible and the Qur’an. Ishmael’s mother was Hagar, the handmaiden to Abraham’s wife Sarah.

13. Gogol’s “___ Bulba” : TARAS

Nikolai Gogol was a Russian writer who was born in Ukraine. Gogol wrote a lot of satirical pieces that attacked corrupt bureaucracy in Russia, which led to his being exiled. His most famous work is probably “Taras Bulba”, from 1836.

14. Correction corrections : STETS

“Stet” is a Latin word meaning “let it stand”. In editorial work, the typesetter is instructed to disregard any change previously marked by writing the word “stet” and then underscoring that change with a line of dots or dashes.

21. Chem. unit : MOL

A molecule (mol.) is a basic chemical (chem.) unit.

24. Parmesan alternative : ROMANO

“Romano” is actually an American term, and is used for a selection of hard and salty cheeses that are typically grated. One of these cheeses is the Italian Pecorino Romano, from which we get the more generic term “Romano”.

Genuine Parmesan cheese is made in and around the province of Parma in northern Italy, which province gives the cheese its name.

27. Men’s grooming brand : AFTA

Afta is an aftershave in the Mennen range of products that is owned by Colgate-Palmolive.

28. Dramatists’ degs. : MFAS

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

30. “Gesundheit!” : SALUD!

“Salud” is Spanish for “health”, and is used as a toast. Salud!

“Gesundheit” is the German word for “health”, and is used in response to a sneeze in Germany, as indeed it is here in the US quite often.

31. Lime and others : OXIDES

The name of the element “calcium” comes from the Latin “calcis” meaning “lime”. “Quicklime” is a common name for calcium oxide.

33. Popular cracker topper : CHEEZ WHIZ

The processed cheese spread called Cheez Whiz was introduced by Kraft in 1952. And believe it or not, it’s still around …

38. Piece of punditry : OP-ED

“Op-ed” is an abbreviation for “opposite the editorial page”. Op-eds started in “The New York Evening World” in 1921 when the page opposite the editorials was used for articles written by a named guest writer, someone independent of the editorial board.

A pundit is a learned person who one might turn to for an opinion. “Pundit” is derived from the Hindi word “payndit” meaning “learned man”.

44. Email address ending : EDU

The .edu domain was one of the six original generic top-level domains specified. The complete original list is:

  • .com (commercial enterprise)
  • .net (entity involved in network infrastructure e.g. an ISP)
  • .mil (US military)
  • .org (not-for-profit organization)
  • .gov (US federal government entity)
  • .edu (college-level educational institution)

46. 1921 play for which the word “robot” was invented : RUR

Karel Čapek was a Czech writer noted for his works of science fiction. Čapek’s 1920 play “R.U.R.” is remembered in part for introducing the world to the word “robot”. The words “automaton” and “android” were already in use, but Capek gave us “robot” from the original Czech “robota” meaning “forced labor”. The acronym “R.U.R.”, in the context of the play, stands for “Rossum’s Universal Robots”.

50. City at the mouth of the Yodo River : OSAKA

The Japanese city of Osaka used to be called Naniwa, with the name changing to Osaka sometime before 1500. “Osaka” can be translated either as “large hill” or “large slope”. Osaka is sometimes referred to as “the Chicago of Japan” as it is a major center of commerce and industry. The city has also been named the “nation’s kitchen”, and was a center for Japan’s rice trade for centuries.

51. Real stunner : TASER

Victor Appleton wrote a novel for young adults called “Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle”. The company that developed the TASER electroshock weapon partly named its product as a homage to the novel. The acronym “TASER” stands for “Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle”.

53. Improvises, in a way : SCATS

Scat singing is a vocal improvisation found in the world of jazz. There aren’t any words as such in scat singing, just random nonsense syllables made up on the spot.

55. [Can’t wait!] : ASAP!

As soon as possible (ASAP)

56. Brief researcher, briefly : PARA

A paralegal (sometimes just “para”) is a person who is trained sufficiently in legal matters to assist a lawyer. A paralegal cannot engage in the practice of law and must be supervised by a qualified lawyer.

58. Riesling alternative, familiarly : ASTI

Asti is a sparkling white wine from the Piedmont region of Italy, and is named for the town of Asti around which the wine is produced. The wine used to be called Asti Spumante, and it had a very bad reputation as a “poor man’s champagne”. The “Spumante” was dropped in a marketing attempt at rebranding associated with a reduction in the amount of residual sugar in the wine.

The Riesling grape variety originated in the Rhine region of Germany, and is used to make wines that are often described as fruity and aromatic. The wine generally has a high level of acidity which makes it ideal for aging, with some examples being proclaimed as excellent at over a hundred-years-old.

63. Dark side : YIN

The yin and the yang can be illustrated using many different metaphors. In one, as the sun shines on a mountain, the side in the shade is the yin and the side in the light is the yang. The yin is also regarded as the feminine side, and the yang the masculine. The yin can also be associated with the moon, while the yang is associated with the sun.

64. High-speed inits. : SST

The most famous supersonic transport (SST) is the retired Concorde. Concorde was developed and produced under an Anglo-French treaty by France’s Aérospatiale and the UK’s British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). Concordes were mainly operated by Air France and British Airways, with both companies buying the planes with substantial subsidies from the French and British governments. The final Concorde flight was a British Airways plane that landed in the UK on 26 November 2003.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Display, as an image, using only a small number of different tones : POSTERIZE
10. Goes on : LASTS
15. Way out in space : ESCAPE POD
16. Enlightened sort : ARHAT
17. “Further …” : WHAT’S MORE …
18. Site of a 1974 fight won by 40-Across : ZAIRE
19. Ron ___, nine-time All-Star from the 1960s-’70s Cubs : SANTO
20. Kid with a moving life story? : ARMY BRAT
22. “The Wire” stickup man : OMAR
25. Become completely absorbed : OBSESS
26. G.I. garb, for short : CAMO
29. Strike out on one’s own : GO SOLO
32. Staples competitor starting in 1988 : OFFICEMAX
34. Swell : NEATO
39. Put away : STASH
40. See 18-Across : ALI
41. Many a private investigator : EX-COP
42. Try : TASTE
43. Hot take? : NUDE SCENE
45. Like many shorelines : ERODED
47. Car lot designation : USED
48. Philosopher who said “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step” : LAO-TZU
52. Puzzle (out) : SUSS
54. “We’re done here” : IT’S A WRAP
57. “Enough!” : CEASE!
61. Restraint : LEASH
62. 1983 #1 hit with the lyric “Take, take, take what you need” : SAY SAY SAY
65. Co-star with Shatner and Nimoy : TAKEI
66. So-called “Father of Zoology” : ARISTOTLE
67. Cinemax competitor : STARZ
68. Common business attire : PANTSUITS

Down

1. Bible supporters, often : PEWS
2. Org. with inspectors : OSHA
3. Good look : SCAN
4. One who might needle you? : TATTOOIST
5. With 59-Down, spa supply : EPSOM …
6. Band with the monster album “Monster” : REM
7. Market event, briefly : IPO
8. Novelist ___ Neale Hurston : ZORA
9. Linda of Broadway’s “Jekyll & Hyde” : EDER
10. Slugabed : LAZYBONES
11. Ishmael’s people : ARABS
12. Ending with Oxford or Cambridge : -SHIRE
13. Gogol’s “___ Bulba” : TARAS
14. Correction corrections : STETS
21. Chem. unit : MOL
23. Questionnaire info : AGE
24. Parmesan alternative : ROMANO
26. ___ analysis : COST
27. Men’s grooming brand : AFTA
28. Dramatists’ degs. : MFAS
30. “Gesundheit!” : SALUD!
31. Lime and others : OXIDES
33. Popular cracker topper : CHEEZ WHIZ
35. “How rude!” : EXCUSE YOU!
36. Crackerjack : ACES
37. Shade : TONE
38. Piece of punditry : OP-ED
44. Email address ending : EDU
46. 1921 play for which the word “robot” was invented : RUR
48. Airs : LILTS
49. Plagued : ATE AT
50. City at the mouth of the Yodo River : OSAKA
51. Real stunner : TASER
53. Improvises, in a way : SCATS
55. [Can’t wait!] : ASAP!
56. Brief researcher, briefly : PARA
58. Riesling alternative, familiarly : ASTI
59. See 5-Down : … SALT
60. Intel satellites, metaphorically : EYES
63. Dark side : YIN
64. High-speed inits. : SST