0108-18 NY Times Crossword Answers 8 Jan 2018, Monday

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Constructed by: Sam Ezersky
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: It Rhymes … Oh Yay!

Themed answers rhyme with each other. Well, the last two syllables rhyme:

  • 17A. “Would you mind?” : IS THAT OKAY?
  • 22A. Informal breakfast beverage order : GLASS OF OJ
  • 33A. Hypnotist’s command : YOU WILL OBEY
  • 51A. “Ulysses” star, 1967 : MILO O’SHEA
  • 57A. Cappuccino relative : CAFE AU LAIT

Bill’s time: 6m 42s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

9. Antlered Yellowstone denizens : ELKS

Yellowstone was the first National Park to be established in the world, when it was designated as such by President Grant in 1872. What a great tradition it started! The American National Parks truly are a treasure.

14. Derby entry : HORSE

The first Kentucky Derby took place in 1875, and is a race modeled on the Epsom Derby in England and the Grand Prix de Paris (now called the “Prix de l‘Arc de Triomphe”). As such, the Kentucky Derby was run over 1½ miles, although in 1896 this was shortened to 1¼ miles. The winning horse is presented with a very elaborate blanket made of red roses, and so the Derby is nicknamed “Run for the Roses”. The race is held on the first Saturday in May each year, and is limited to 3-year-old horses.

15. ___ fide (in bad faith) : MALA

“Mala fide” is Latin for “in bad faith” and is in essence the opposite to “bona fide” meaning “in good faith”. Bad faith is a concept defined by the law that addresses the motives behind certain actions.

19. Letter accompanying a college application, informally : REC

Recommendation (rec.)

21. N.F.L. team for which Joe Namath was a QB : NY JETS

The legendary quarterback Joe Namath played most of his professional football games with the New York Jets. He was dubbed “Broadway Joe” in 1965 by offensive tackle Sherman Plunkett, a reference to Namath’s appearance on the cover of “Sports Illustrated”. Namath had played college football with the University of Alabama but left school without finishing his degree, to play professionally. Many years later he enrolled in Alabama’s External Degree program, and graduated with a BA in December 2007, at 64 years of age. Well done, Joe!

25. Approximately, datewise : CIRCA

“Circa” is a Latin word meaning “around, near, about the time of”. We use “circa” directly in English to mean “about the time of”, as well as in derivative words such as “circle” and “circus”.

30. “Dumb” bird : DODO

The dodo was a direct relative of the pigeon and dove, although the fully-grown dodo was usually three feet tall. One of the reasons the dodo comes to mind when we think of extinction of a species, is that it disappeared not too long ago (last recorded alive in 1681) and humans were the reason for its demise. The dodo lived exclusively on the island of Mauritius and when man arrived, we cut back the forests that were its home. We also introduced domestic animals, such as dogs and pigs, that ransacked the dodo’s nests. The dodo was deemed to be an awkward flightless bird and so the term “dodo” has come to mean a dull-witted person.

39. Actor Jared of “Suicide Squad” : LETO

Jared Leto is an actor and musician. In the world of music, Leto is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band 30 Seconds to Mars. In the film world, one of his most critically acclaimed role was that of a heroin addict in “Requiem for a Dream”. He also appeared in “American Psycho”, “Panic Room” and “Lord of War”. Leto won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for portraying a transgender woman in 2013’s “Dallas Buyers Club”.

“Suicide Squad” is superhero film released in 2016, although the title characters are a team of DC Comics “antiheroes”. I haven’t seen the film (I don’t really do superhero movies) but the plot reminds my of 1967’s “The Dirty Dozen”. A government agency puts together a team of supervillains to carry out a dangerous mission in exchange for reduced prison sentences.

42. College dorm overseers, for short : RAS

RAs are resident assistants or resident advisers, the peer leaders found in residence halls, particularly on a college campus.

45. Neckwear for a lobster eater : BIB

The word “bib” comes from the Latin “bibere” meaning “to drink”, as does our word “imbibe”. So, maybe it’s less about spilling the food, and more about soaking up the booze …

49. Skin care brand : AVEDA

Horst Rechelbacher was travelling in India in 1970 when he was introduced to the Hindu science of longevity called Ayurveda, which inspired him to set up his own company of skin and hair care products that he called Aveda. The company opened its doors in 1978 and is based in Blaine, Minnesota.

51. “Ulysses” star, 1967 : MILO O’SHEA

Milo O’Shea was a great Irish character actor from Dublin who has appeared in everything from “Romeo and Juliet” to “The West Wing”. O’Shea passed away in 2013, in New York City.

“Ulysses” is a 1967 movie based on the famous James Joyce novel of the same name. Milo O’Shea played the lead role of Leopold Bloom. The dialogue in the film is lifted almost word for word from the novel, which is probably why “Ulysses” is noted as the first mainstream film to use the “f***” word.

53. Like the first “d” in “Wednesday” : SILENT

“Wotan” is an alternative (High German) spelling of the name Woden, the Anglo-Saxon version of the Norse god Odin. Wotan is the head god in the pagan tradition, but as paganism was gradually replaced by Christianity in the 7th and 8th centuries, Wotan moved from his place in religion and into the realm of folklore. Indeed, he is a precursor of our modern day Father Christmas. Wotan (Woden) also gave his name to Wednesday, Woden’s Day …

55. Salon job : PERM

“Perm” is the name given to a permanent wave, a chemical or thermal treatment of hair to produce waves or curls. I don’t worry about such things, as it’s a number-one all over for me …

57. Cappuccino relative : CAFE AU LAIT

“Café au lait” (coffee with milk) is usually strong drip coffee to which one adds steamed milk. At least that’s the way we tend to make in this country.

The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an order of Roman Catholic friars, an offshoot of the Franciscans. The order split from the Franciscans back in 1520, and were forced to go into hiding from church authorities. The new order was helped by the Camaldolese monks, and in recognition of their assistance, the breakaway monks adopted the Camaldolese hood, known as a capuccio. It is this “capuccio” that gave the order its name, and indeed ultimately gave the name to the Capuchin monkey. The cappuccino coffee is named for the coffee-and-white colored habits worn by Capuchin friars.

64. Like the Amazon rain forest : LUSH

The Amazon rainforest is the world’s largest, covering 1.4 billion acres in nine different countries of South America. Those 1.4 billion acres represent more than half of the rainforest that’s left on the planet.

65. Company heads, in brief : CEOS

Chief executive officer (CEO)

Down

1. “Holy Toledo!” : DEAR GOD!

The origin of the term “Holy Toledo!” is much debated. My favorite story is that it comes from the days of Vaudeville. Back then the week before Easter, known as Holy Week, was the worst week at the box office. Old Vaudeville entertainers used to quip that any week in Toledo was Holy Week, that ticket sales were always bad there. They referred to the city as “Holy Toledo”.

2. Board game named after a Shakespeare play : OTHELLO

The game of Reversi is also sold as Othello. The name “Othello” was chosen as a nod to the play by William Shakespeare.

3. Container for oolong or chai : TEA CADDY

A caddy is a container used for tea. “Caddy” comes from the Malay word “kati”, a unit of weight used as a standard by British tea companies in the East Indies.

4. Figure on Superman’s chest : ESS

Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound…It’s Superman!

6. Branch of dentistry, informally : ORTHO

Orthodontics is a branch of dentistry dealing with the straightening of teeth. The name comes from the Greek “orthos” meaning “straight” and “dontia” meaning “teeth”.

9. Smiley face or frowny face : EMOJI

An emoji is a character found on many cell phones that is much like an emoticon, but more elaborate.

10. Los Angeles hoopsters : LAKERS

The Los Angeles Lakers basketball team started out in 1947 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The team chose the Lakers name in honor of the nickname of Minnesota, “Land of 10,000 Lakes”. The Lakers moved to Los Angeles in 1960.

11. Coffee get-together : KLATCH

A “klatch” (also “klatsch”) is a casual gathering, particularly for conversation. “Klatch” comes from the German “klatschen” meaning “to gossip”.

18. Holder of baseball’s highest career batting average (.366) : TY COBB

The baseball player Ty Cobb was born in Narrows, Georgia and died 74 years later in Atlanta, Georgia. He was nicknamed “The Georgia Peach”. Cobb was one of the richest baseball players of all times. When he retired, Cobb was a major stockholder of the Coca-Cola Corporation. By the time he passed away in 1961, Cobb had an even bigger investment in General Electric. He left an estate after his death worth about $86m (in 2008 dollars). The most common nickname associated with Cobb during his career was “the Georgia Peach”.

34. 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.

36. Cold War weapon inits. : ICBM

An Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with the range necessary to cross between continents. Being ballistic (unlike a cruise missile), an ICBM is guided during the initial launch phase, but later in flight just relies on thrust and gravity to arrive at its target. It is defined as intercontinental as it has a range greater than 3,500 miles. ICBMs are really only used for delivering nuclear warheads. Scary stuff …

The term “Cold War” was coined by the novelist George Orwell in a 1945 essay about the atomic bomb. Orwell described a world under threat of nuclear war as having a “peace that is no peace”, in a permanent state of “cold war”. The specific use of “cold war” to describe the tension between the Eastern bloc and the Western allies is attributed to a 1947 speech by Bernard Baruch, adviser to Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

43. Where birds of a feather flock together : AVIARY

An aviary is a large cage that houses birds. “Avis” is Latin for bird.

44. Many a Snapchat pic : SELFIE

A selfie is a self-portrait, usually one taken with a digital camera or cell phone. A “group selfie” is sometimes referred to as a “groufie” or “wefie”. A “couple selfie” is known as an “usie” or “ussie”, although those terms are sometimes also used for a group picture.

Snapchat is a messaging system that allows users to send photos and video clips to a limited list of recipients. The photos and clips, called “snaps”, can be viewed for only a few seconds before they are deleted from the recipient’s device, and from the Snapchat servers.

50. Monopoly cards : DEEDS

The commercial game of Monopoly is supposedly a remake of “The Landlord’s Game” created in 1903 by a Quaker woman called Lizzie Phillips. Phillips used her game as a tool to explain the single tax theory of American economist Henry George. The Landlord’s Game was first produced commercially in 1924. The incredibly successful derivative game called Monopoly was introduced in 1933 by Charles Darrow, who became a very rich man when Parker Brothers bought the rights to the game just two years later in 1935.

52. Tablets that run Safari : IPADS

Safari is Apple’s flagship Internet browser, one that is used on its Mac line of computers. A mobile version of Safari is included with all iPhones.

54. Rock’s Jethro ___ : TULL

Jethro Tull is a rock band from the UK, formed in 1967 and active until 2012. The band uses the name of a 18th-century, English agriculturist.

58. “Skip to My ___” : LOU

“Skip to My Lou” is a children’s dance that can also be used at a barn dance as an icebreaker. Couples dance to the tune, with an extra male in the middle of the group. The odd man “steals” a lady with whom to dance, leaving her partner to find another. The word “lou” is the Scottish for “love”.

59. Onetime teen heartthrob Efron : ZAC

Zac Efron is an actor from San Luis Obispo, California. Apparently Efron is a heartthrob to “tweenyboppers”. His big break was in the Disney hit movie “High School Musical”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Pour love (on) : DOTE
5. Prod : GOAD
9. Antlered Yellowstone denizens : ELKS
13. “Vous ___ ici” (French for “You are here”) : ETES
14. Derby entry : HORSE
15. ___ fide (in bad faith) : MALA
16. Cries of discovery : AHAS
17. “Would you mind?” : IS THAT OKAY?
19. Letter accompanying a college application, informally : REC
20. “This can’t be good” : UH-OH
21. N.F.L. team for which Joe Namath was a QB : NY JETS
22. Informal breakfast beverage order : GLASS OF OJ
25. Approximately, datewise : CIRCA
26. Cowboy movie setting : OLD WEST
27. “Yes,” at the altar : I DO
29. “Quiet!” : SHH!
30. “Dumb” bird : DODO
31. Botches : FLUBS
33. Hypnotist’s command : YOU WILL OBEY
38. Expensive : PRICY
39. Actor Jared of “Suicide Squad” : LETO
42. College dorm overseers, for short : RAS
45. Neckwear for a lobster eater : BIB
46. Michigan/Ontario border river : ST CLAIR
49. Skin care brand : AVEDA
51. “Ulysses” star, 1967 : MILO O’SHEA
53. Like the first “d” in “Wednesday” : SILENT
55. Salon job : PERM
56. Potentially alarming sight for an ocean bather : FIN
57. Cappuccino relative : CAFE AU LAIT
59. Pizazz : ZING
60. Desertlike : ARID
61. Skiers’ shelter : LODGE
62. Poker table payment : ANTE
63. Strong cleansers : LYES
64. Like the Amazon rain forest : LUSH
65. Company heads, in brief : CEOS

Down

1. “Holy Toledo!” : DEAR GOD!
2. Board game named after a Shakespeare play : OTHELLO
3. Container for oolong or chai : TEA CADDY
4. Figure on Superman’s chest : ESS
5. Stop being strict : GO SOFT
6. Branch of dentistry, informally : ORTHO
7. Fireplace residue : ASH
8. College person with a “list” : DEAN
9. Smiley face or frowny face : EMOJI
10. Los Angeles hoopsters : LAKERS
11. Coffee get-together : KLATCH
12. Prepares for a doctor’s throat examination : SAYS “AH”
14. Chipper greetings : HI-HOS
18. Holder of baseball’s highest career batting average (.366) : TY COBB
20. Manipulate : USE
23. In one fell ___ : SWOOP
24. ___ Stein, Green Party candidate for president in 2012 and 2016 : JILL
28. Twosome : DUO
31. Take to the skies : FLY
32. Opposite of buys : SELLS
34. University of Illinois city : URBANA
35. Nintendo Switch predecessor : WII
36. Cold War weapon inits. : ICBM
37. “Sure, whatever” : YEAH, FINE
40. Connect with : TIE INTO
41. Sunset shades : ORANGES
42. Scamp : RASCAL
43. Where birds of a feather flock together : AVIARY
44. Many a Snapchat pic : SELFIE
46. Santa’s vehicle : SLEIGH
47. Rich cake : TORTE
48. Alternative to “net” or “org” : COM
50. Monopoly cards : DEEDS
52. Tablets that run Safari : IPADS
54. Rock’s Jethro ___ : TULL
58. “Skip to My ___” : LOU
59. Onetime teen heartthrob Efron : ZAC