Constructed by: David Steinberg
Edited by: Will Shortz
Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Theme: None
Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers
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Bill’s time: 12m 23s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
17. Record label for Otis Redding : STAX
Stax Records was founded in 1957 as Satellite Records. The biggest star to record with Stax was the great Otis Redding.
Otis Redding is often referred to as the “King of Soul”, and what a voice he had. Like so many of the greats in the world of popular music it seems, Redding was killed in a plane crash, in 1967 when he was just 26 years old. Just three days earlier he had recorded what was to be his biggest hit, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”.
19. Four-finger gestures : AIR QUOTES
Air quotes are those gestures that some make with their fingers to emphasise sarcastically a particular word or phrase.
22. Henry Higgins, to Eliza Doolittle : TUTOR
Eliza Doolittle is Professor Henry Higgins’ speech student in George Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmalion”. “Pygmalion” was adapted by Lerner and Loewe to become the Broadway musical “My Fair Lady”. The musical spun off the wonderful 1964 film of the same name starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. To cockney Eliza Doolittle, Professor Henry Higgins was “‘Enry ‘Iggins”.
23. “Another thing I forgot to mention …”: Abbr. : PPS
One adds a PS (post scriptum, or simply “postscript”) at the end of a letter (ltr.). A second postscript is a post post scriptum, a PPS.
25. Diagonal sail support : SPRIT
A sprit is a pole that extends out from a mast, one often supporting a special sail called a spritsail.
33. Rock band with four(!) self-titled albums : WEEZER
Weezer is an alternative rock band formed in LA in 1992. Apparently, Weezer’s music might be described as “emo”.
35. OS X runner : IMAC
Apple introduced the OS X Operating System in 2000. Each version of this operating system has had a code name, and that code name until recently has been a type of big cat. The versions and code names are:
- 10.0: Cheetah
- 10.1: Puma
- 10.2: Jaguar
- 10.3: Panther
- 10.4: Tiger
- 10.5: Leopard
- 10.6: Snow Leopard
- 10.7: Lion
- 10.8: Mountain Lion
- 10.9: Mavericks
- 10.10: Yosemite
- 10.11: El Capitan
- 10.12: macOS Sierra
38. Monet that isn’t worth much money, say : REPLICA
French artist Claude Monet was one of the founders of the Impressionist movement, and indeed the term “Impressionism” comes from the title of his 1872 painting “Impression, Sunrise”. That work depicts the port of Le Havre, which was Monet’s hometown. Later in his life, Monet purchased a house in Giverny, and famously installed lily ponds and a Japanese bridge in the property’s extensive gardens. He spent two decades painting the water lily ponds, producing his most famous works.
40. Keogh plan alternative : IRA
Keogh plans are retirement plans used by self-employed individuals and small businesses. The plans are named for Democratic member of the US House Eugene James Keogh who sponsored the bill that introduced such plans.
42. Nothing, in Nantes : RIEN
Nantes is a beautiful city located on the delta of the Loire, Erdre and Sèvre rivers. It has the well deserved nickname of “The Venice of the West”. I had the privilege of visiting Nantes a couple of times on business, and I can attest that it really is a charming city …
49. Extras on TV’s “Doctor Who” : ETS
The iconic science-fiction television show “Doctor Who” first aired in 1963 on the BBC, and relaunched in 2005. The relaunched series is produced in-house by the BBC in Cardiff in Wales, the location that is the setting of the successful “Doctor Who” spin-off called “Torchwood”. The new show is about the Cardiff branch of the Torchwood Institute which investigates incidents involving extraterrestrials. And, “Torchwood” is an anagram of “Doctor Who”.
52. What Adderall treats, for short : ADHD
Adderall is a drug used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as well as narcolepsy. Adderall is also misused as a recreational drug as it is considered an aphrodisiac and a euphoriant.
63. Cab charge? : CORKAGE FEE
The cabernet sauvignon grape has been around since the 17th century, and is the result of a chance crossing in southwestern France of the cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc grapes.
65. Bronze producer : SPRAY-ON TAN
The most effective fake tans available today are not dyes or stains. Instead, they are sprays with the active ingredient dihydroxyacetone (DHA). DHA reacts chemically with amino acids in the dead layer of skin on the surface of the body. Sounds a little risky to me …
66. Burgoo or callaloo : STEW
Burgoo is a stew that is popular in the American Midwest and South, in particular. The term “burgoo” was used for a thick porridge back in the late 18th century, and it’s possible that “burgoo” gave rise to our adjective “gooey” meaning “sticky”.
Callaloo is a traditional Caribbean dish that has it roots in West African cuisine. The main ingredient of callaloo is a leafy vegetable, which can vary from region to region. Taro tends to be used in Trinidad, and amaranth elsewhere in the West Indies.
Down
1. Corn flour in Latin American cuisine : MASA
A tamale is a traditional dish from Central America composed of a starchy dough that is steamed or boiled in a wrapper made from a corn husk or banana leaf. The dough is called masa, and can include many different ingredients including meat, cheese, fruit and vegetables.
4. Cosmopolitan feature : SEX QUIZ
“Cosmopolitan” magazine was first published way back in 1886! It started out life as a family magazine, then as a literary publication. “Cosmo” took its present form as a women’s magazine in the sixties.
5. “Li’l Abner” creature : SHMOO
The Shmoo is a cartoon creature who first appeared in the Al Capp comic strip “Li’l Abner” in 1948. Apparently, shmoos are delicious to eat, and love to be eaten. They’ll even jump into the frying pan themselves!
6. Italy’s ___ alla Scala : TEATRO
La Scala Opera House opened in 1778. It was built on the site of the church of Santa Maria della Scala, which gave the theater its name: “Teatro alla Scala” in Italian.
7. Croupier’s implement : RAKE
A croupier is someone who conducts a game at a gambling table. In the world of gaming, the original croupier was someone who stood behind a gambler, holding reserves of cash for the person in a game. Before that, “croupier” was someone who rode behind the main rider on a horse. “Croup” was a Germanic word for “rump”. So, a croupier used to be a “second”, as it were.
8. When “et tu” was spoken : IDES
There were three important days in each month of the old Roman calendar. These days originally depended on the cycles of the moon but were eventually “fixed” by law. “Kalendae” were the first days of each month, originally the days of the new moon. “Nonae” were originally the days of the half moon. And “idus” (the ides) was originally the day of the full moon, eventually fixed at the 15th day of a month. Well, actually the ides were the 15th day of March, May, July and October. For all other months, the ides fell on the 13th. Go figure …
It was Shakespeare who popularized the words “Et tu, Brute?” (meaning “And you, Brutus?”). They appear in his play “Julius Caesar”, although the phrase had been around long before he penned his drama. It’s not known what Julius Caesar actually said in real life (if anything at all) as he was assassinated on on the steps of the Senate in Rome.
9. A trilogy has three: Abbr. : PTS
Part (pt.)
10. “___ Dieu!” : MON
“Mon Dieu!” is French for “My God!”
11. Words said with one’s glass raised : A TOAST!
The tradition of “toasting” someone probably dates back to the reign of Charles II, when the practice was to drink a glass of wine to the health of a beautiful or favored woman. In those days, spiced toast was added to beverages to add flavor, so the use of the word “toast” was an indicator that the lady’s beauty would enhance the wine. Very charming, I must say …
12. French vanilla ice cream ingredient : LAIT
In French, one might pour “lait” (milk) “dans votre café” (in your coffee).
13. Cartoon character who plays a saxophone : LISA
Lisa Simpson is Bart’s brainy younger sister on TV’s “The Simpsons”. Lisa is voiced by actress Yeardley Smith. In a 2008 episode of the show, Lisa enters a crossword tournament. Crossword celebrities Merl Reagle and Will Shortz make appearances in that episode, basically playing cartoon versions of themselves.
14. Skeleton vehicle, in the Olympics : SLED
A luge is a small sled used by one or two people, on which one lies face up and feet first. The luge can be compared to the skeleton, a sled for only one person and on which the rider lies face down and goes down the hill head-first. Yikes!
20. Claptrap : UTTER ROT
“Claptrap” these days means nonsense talk. It was originally a term used on the stage meaning a trick to attract applause, hence the name “clap trap”.
23. Take second : PLACE
In a horse race, the first-place finisher is said to “win”. The second-place finisher “places” and the third-place finisher “shows”.
26. Sauce with the same consonants as what it’s used on : PESTO
“Pesto” is often added to “pasta”.
28. Children’s author who wrote “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” : MILNE
Alan Alexander (A.A.) Milne was an English author who is best known for his delightful “Winnie-the-Pooh” series of books. He had only one son, Christopher Robin Milne, born in 1920. The young Milne was the inspiration for the Christopher Robin character in the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. Winnie-the-Pooh was named after Christopher Robin’s real teddy bear, one he called Winnie, who in turn was named after a Canadian black bear called Winnie that the Milnes would visit in London Zoo. The original Winnie teddy bear is on display at the main branch of the New York Public Library in New York.
29. Bygone record giant : EMI
The Big Four recording labels were (until EMI was broken up in 2012 and absorbed by what became “the Big Three”):
- Universal Music Group
- Sony Music Entertainment
- Warner Music Group
- EMI
30. Stir crazy? : PRISON RIOT
The slang word “stir”, meaning a prison, probably has its roots in Start Newgate prison in London, where it was a nickname for the establishment.
31. Containing gold : AURIC
The prefix “auri-” is used to mean “gold”. “Aurum” is Latin for “gold”.
44. Turns a corner? : DOG-EARS
The folded-down corner of the page of a book, a temporary placeholder, is known as a “dog-ear”. I suppose that’s because it looks like the ear of a dog …
46. Singer/songwriter who composed the Captain & Tennille’s #1 hit “Love Will Keep Us Together” : SEDAKA
Neil Sedaka has been performing and composing for well over 50 years. His list of hits includes classics such as “Stupid Cupid”, “Oh! Carol”, “Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen” and “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do”.
“Love Will Keep Us Together” is a 1973 song that was co-written and recorded by Neil Sedaka. The most successful version of the song was recorded two years later by husband and wife duo Captain & Tennille. “Love Will Keep Us Together” was in fact the best-selling single of 1975.
47. Fuze competitor : NESTEA
Nestea is a brand of iced tea made by Nestlé. The name is a portmanteau of “Nestlé” and “tea”.
54. Hamburger, maybe : HERR
In German, a “Herr” (Mr.) is married to a “Frau” (Mrs.), and they live together in a “Haus” (house).
Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany (after Berlin), and the third largest port in Europe (after Rotterdam and Antwerp).
58. You might be careful opening something with this label : NSFW
The abbreviation “NSFW” stands for “not safe/suitable for work”. It’s Internet slang used to describe online content that is best not viewed at work.
60. Sir ___ of the Round Table : KAY
According to Arthurian legend, Sir Kay was one of the first Knights of the Round Table. He was also King Arthur’s foster brother. Over time, Sir Kay came to be described as a boor and bully, having started out as valiant warrior.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1. Factor in calculating an object’s momentum : MASS
5. Commercial lines? : STRIP MALLS
15. Get in the game : ANTE
16. Complete, as a skeleton : HEAD TO TAIL
17. Record label for Otis Redding : STAX
18. Complains vocally : MAKES NOISE
19. Four-finger gestures : AIR QUOTES
21. Somewhat : A TAD
22. Henry Higgins, to Eliza Doolittle : TUTOR
23. “Another thing I forgot to mention …”: Abbr. : PPS
25. Diagonal sail support : SPRIT
27. Breakfast cookware item : OMELET PAN
33. Rock band with four(!) self-titled albums : WEEZER
35. OS X runner : IMAC
36. Feeling after a guilt trip : RUE
37. “Don’t ___” : ASK
38. Monet that isn’t worth much money, say : REPLICA
40. Keogh plan alternative : IRA
41. Channel that used to show a clip of the 1969 moon landing every hour : MTV
42. Nothing, in Nantes : RIEN
43. Says goodbye to a lover : ENDS IT
45. Scathing : POISON-PEN
48. Four-legged friend : POOCH
49. Extras on TV’s “Doctor Who” : ETS
50. Digitally endorse : E-SIGN
52. What Adderall treats, for short : ADHD
55. Singer whose “Thinking Out Loud” won the 2015 Grammy for Song of the Year : ED SHEERAN
59. Cancel on someone : BREAK A DATE
62. Plagues : AILS
63. Cab charge? : CORKAGE FEE
64. Urban garden locale : ROOF
65. Bronze producer : SPRAY-ON TAN
66. Burgoo or callaloo : STEW
Down
1. Corn flour in Latin American cuisine : MASA
2. Prefix with thesis : ANTI-
3. 1991 sci-fi film sequel : STAR TREK VI
4. Cosmopolitan feature : SEX QUIZ
5. “Li’l Abner” creature : SHMOO
6. Italy’s ___ alla Scala : TEATRO
7. Croupier’s implement : RAKE
8. When “et tu” was spoken : IDES
9. A trilogy has three: Abbr. : PTS
10. “___ Dieu!” : MON
11. Words said with one’s glass raised : A TOAST!
12. French vanilla ice cream ingredient : LAIT
13. Cartoon character who plays a saxophone : LISA
14. Skeleton vehicle, in the Olympics : SLED
20. Claptrap : UTTER ROT
23. Take second : PLACE
24. Popular holiday dessert : PECAN PIE
25. Washington establishment, so it’s said : SWAMP
26. Sauce with the same consonants as what it’s used on : PESTO
28. Children’s author who wrote “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” : MILNE
29. Bygone record giant : EMI
30. Stir crazy? : PRISON RIOT
31. Containing gold : AURIC
32. Poetic preposition : ‘NEATH
34. Symbols of control : REINS
39. Animation : PEP
44. Turns a corner? : DOG-EARS
46. Singer/songwriter who composed the Captain & Tennille’s #1 hit “Love Will Keep Us Together” : SEDAKA
47. Fuze competitor : NESTEA
51. Bright look : SHEEN
52. Start of learning : ABCS
53. Stop bringing up : DROP
54. Hamburger, maybe : HERR
55. Dreamland : EDEN
56. Touched : DAFT
57. Skin softener : ALOE
58. You might be careful opening something with this label : NSFW
60. Sir ___ of the Round Table : KAY
61. Back : AGO
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