0205-18 NY Times Crossword Answers 5 Feb 2018, Monday

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Constructed by: Alan Arbesfeld
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: Phases of the Moon

Themed answers either are, or start with, a phase of the MOON:

  • 60D. It has phases that are represented by the starts of 18-, 29-, 47- and 61-Across … and by 1-Down : MOON
  • 18A. Traditional night for partying : NEW YEAR’S EVE
  • 29A. Curved Pillsbury item : CRESCENT ROLL
  • 47A. Ones calling the plays : QUARTERBACKS
  • 61A. 40-hour-a-week work : FULL-TIME JOB
  • 1D. 50% : HALF

Bill’s time: 4m 29s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

14. Man’s name that’s an investment spelled backward : ARI

“Ari” is “IRA” spelled backwards.

18. Traditional night for partying : NEW YEAR’S EVE

The New Year’s celebration in Scotland is known as Hogmanay, although the term “Hogmanay” actually applies to New Year’s Eve. Such is the extent of the party for Hogmanay, that New Year’s Day is a public holiday across the country, and so is January 2nd.

22. Thomas ___, “Rule, Britannia” composer : ARNE

Thomas Arne was an English composer from London. Arne wrote some iconic compositions, most notably “Rule, Britannia!” He also wrote a version of “God Save the King” that became the British national anthem.

“Rule, Britannia!” was a poem by James Thomson, for which Thomas Arne composed the famous music.

23. Bowling target : PIN

Bowling has been around for an awfully long time. The oldest known reference to the game is in Egypt, where pins and balls were found in an ancient tomb that is over 5,000 years old. The first form of the game to come to America was nine-pin bowling, which had been very popular in Europe for centuries. In 1841 in Connecticut, nine-pin bowling was banned due to its association with gambling. Supposedly, an additional pin was added to get around the ban, and ten-pin bowling was born.

24. Texas landmark to “remember” : ALAMO

The famous Alamo in San Antonio, Texas was originally known as Mission San Antonio de Valero. The mission was founded in 1718 and was the first mission established in the city. The Battle of the Alamo took place in 1836, a thirteen-day siege by the Mexican Army led by President General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Only two people defending the Alamo Mission survived the onslaught. One month later, the Texian army got its revenge by attacking and defeating the Mexican Army in the Battle of San Jacinto. During the surprise attack on Santa Anna’s camp, many of the Texian soldiers were heard to cry “Remember the Alamo!”.

39. Pie ___ mode : A LA

In French, “à la mode” simply means “fashionable”. In America, the term has also come to describe a way of serving pie. Pie served à la mode includes a dollop of cream or ice cream, or as I recall from my time living in Upstate New York, with a wedge of cheddar cheese.

40. Detectives : SLEUTHS

The word “sleuth” came into English from Old Norse as far back as 1200 when it meant the “track or trail of a person”. In the mid-1800s, a sleuthhound described a keen investigator, a hound close on the trail of the suspect. Sleuthhound was shortened to “sleuth” and was used for a detective in general.

42. Batman portrayer Kilmer : VAL

Val Kilmer’s first big leading role in a movie was playing Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s 1991 biopic “The Doors”. A few years later, Kilmer was chosen for the lead in another big production, “Batman Forever”. Things haven’t really gone as well for Kilmer since then, I’d say. Off the screen, he flirted with the idea of running for Governor of New Mexico in 2010. A Hollywood actor as a governor? Would never happen …

65. Guadalajara gold : ORO

Guadalajara is a populous city in the Mexican state of Jalisco. The Mexican city is named after the city of the same name in the center of Spain.

66. Actress Falco of “Nurse Jackie” : EDIE

The actress Edie Falco won three Emmy Awards for playing Carmela Soprano on HBO’s outstanding drama series called “The Sopranos”. Falco also won an Emmy in 2010 for playing the title role in “Nurse Jackie”, an excellent black comedy.

“Nurse Jackie” is a comedy-drama series centered on an emergency room nurse at a hospital in New York City. The lead character is played by Edie Falco, who also played Tony Soprano’s wife on the “The Sopranos”. I binge-watched “Nurse Jackie” a while back and found it to be a very well-written show …

67. “Hot” Mexican dish : TAMALE

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.

69. Clarinet or sax : REED

The clarinet is a lovely-sounding instrument, isn’t it? The name comes from the Italian word “clarino” meaning “trumpet” with the “-et” suffix indicating “small”.

The saxophone was invented by Belgian Adolphe Sax. Sax developed lip cancer at one point in his life, and one has to wonder if his affliction was related to his saxophone playing (I am sure not!). I had the privilege of visiting Sax’s grave in the Cemetery of Montmartre in Paris a few years ago.

Down

2. Song for a diva : ARIA

The term “diva” comes to us from Latin via Italian. “Diva” is the feminine form of “divus” meaning “divine one”. The word is used in Italy to mean “goddess” or “fine lady”, and especially is applied to the prima donna in an opera. We often use the term to describe a singer with a big ego.

3. Early TV comic known for “Your Show of Shows” : SID CAESAR

Sid Caesar achieved fame in the fifties on TV’s “Your Show of Shows”. To be honest, I know Sid Caesar mainly from the very entertaining film version of the musical “Grease”, in which he played Coach Calhoun.

4. Popular cold and flu medicine : CONTAC

Contac is a GlaxoSmithKline product used to treat the symptoms of a cold and influenza. The medicines active ingredient is pseudoephedrine. Pseudoephedrine is a drug with decongestant properties, although it is also a stimulant. Personally, I’d go with hot tea and lemon …

5. “But I heard him exclaim, ___ he drove out of sight …” : ERE

Here are the closing lines to the Christmas poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas”.

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

7. One-named Irish singer : ENYA

Enya’s real name is Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, which can translate from Irish into Enya Brennan. Her Donegal family (in the northwest of Ireland) formed a band called Clannad, which included Enya. In 1980 Enya launched her very successful solo career, eventually becoming Ireland’s best-selling solo musician. And, she sure does turn up a lot in crosswords!

9. Makeshift shelter : LEAN-TO

By definition, a lean-to is a building in which the rafters lean against the wall of another building. A lean-to shelter has a similar appearance, although it is free-standing. The shelter has a single-pitched roof and only three walls.

10. Fleur-de-___ : LIS

“Lys” (also “lis”) is the French word for “lily”, as in “fleur-de-lys”, the heraldic symbol often associated with the French monarchy.

25. Whimper like a baby : MEWL

“To mewl” is to cry weakly like a baby, with the word being somewhat imitative.

26. Like most Bluetooth headsets : ONE-EAR

Bluetooth is a standard for wireless technology that was introduced by Swedish telecom vendor Ericsson in 1994. The name was chosen in honor of Harald Bluetooth, a medieval King of Denmark and Norway. Harald is said to have earned his name because of his love of blueberries, which stained his teeth. Harald was said to have a gift for convincing diverse factions to talk to one another, so Ericsson’s communication protocol was given Harald’s name.

38. Civic-minded group : ELKS

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) was founded in 1868, and is a social club that has about a million members today. It started out as a group of men getting together in a “club” in order to get around the legal opening hours of taverns in New York City. The club took on a new role as it started to look out for poor families of members who passed away. The club now accepts African Americans as members (since the seventies) and women (since the nineties), but atheists still aren’t welcome.

40. Fictional mouse ___ Little : STUART

E. B. (Elwyn Brooks) White was an American writer. His most famous creations were the children’s stories “Charlotte’s Web” and “Stuart Little”, but he also co-authored the writing guide “The Elements of Style” (usually referred to as “Strunk & White”).

41. Male deer : HART

Nowadays, a hart is a male red deer over five years old. A hind is a female red deer.

44. Mensa stats : IQS

Although it is correct these days to say that the abbreviation IQ stands for “intelligence quotient”, the term was actually coined by German psychologist William Stern, so it actually is an abbreviation for the German “Intelligenz-Quotient”.

If you ever learned Latin, “mensa” was probably taught to you in lesson one as it’s the word commonly used as an example of a first declension noun. Mensa means “table”. The Mensa organization, for folks with high IQs, was set up in Oxford, England back in 1946. To become a member, you have to have an IQ that is in the top 2% of the population.

52. Actress Kemper of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” : ELLIE

The actress Ellie Kemper’s big break came with the role of Erin Hannon, a receptionist on the sitcom “The Office”. More recently, Kemper has be playing the title role on the Netflix comedy series “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”.

56. Apple on a desk : IMAC

The iMac is a desktop computer platform from Apple introduced in 1998. One of the main features of the iMac is an “all-in-one” design, with the computer console and monitor integrated. The iMac also came in a range of colors, that Apple marketed as “flavors”, such strawberry, blueberry and lime.

57. Pixar’s “Finding ___” : NEMO

“Finding Nemo” is a 2003 animated blockbuster from Pixar. The film was the winner of the Oscar that year for Best Animated Feature. Believe it or not, “Finding Nemo” is the best-selling DVD of all time and, until 2010’s “Toy Story 3”, it was the highest-grossing, G-rated movie at the box office.

59. Nabisco snack since 1912 : OREO

The Oreo cookie was introduced in 1912. The Oreo was intended to be a competitor to the very similar Hydrox cookie which had debuted four years earlier. The Oreo won the resulting battle on the grocery store shelves …

The National Biscuit Company was formed in 1898 with the merger of three existing bakery businesses. The company name today is “Nabisco”, an abbreviated form of “National Biscuit Company”.

60. It has phases that are represented by the starts of 18-, 29-, 47- and 61-Across … and by 1-Down : MOON

The phases of the moon have been given the following names, in order:

  • New moon
  • Waxing crescent moon
  • First quarter moon
  • Waxing gibbous moon
  • Full moon
  • Waning gibbous moon
  • Third quarter moon
  • Waning crescent moon
  • Dark moon

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Possesses : HAS
4. Grape-Nuts or Apple Jacks : CEREAL
10. Ewe’s offspring : LAMB
14. Man’s name that’s an investment spelled backward : ARI
15. Pumpkin color : ORANGE
16. Revered one : IDOL
17. Pot’s cover : LID
18. Traditional night for partying : NEW YEAR’S EVE
20. Side of a diamond : FACET
22. Thomas ___, “Rule, Britannia” composer : ARNE
23. Bowling target : PIN
24. Texas landmark to “remember” : ALAMO
27. Sampled : TASTED
29. Curved Pillsbury item : CRESCENT ROLL
33. Misplace : LOSE
34. “The Way We ___” : WERE
35. “Yeah, right!” : MY EYE!
39. Pie ___ mode : A LA
40. Detectives : SLEUTHS
42. Batman portrayer Kilmer : VAL
43. Deserve : MERIT
45. ___-Pacific (geopolitical region) : ASIA
46. Something to click online : LINK
47. Ones calling the plays : QUARTERBACKS
50. Teeter-totter : SEESAW
53. Walk with a swagger : STRUT
54. Every last drop : ALL
55. Parade spoiler : RAIN
58. “Piece of cake” or “easy as pie” : IDIOM
61. 40-hour-a-week work : FULL-TIME JOB
65. Guadalajara gold : ORO
66. Actress Falco of “Nurse Jackie” : EDIE
67. “Hot” Mexican dish : TAMALE
68. Prefix with natal or classical : NEO-
69. Clarinet or sax : REED
70. Crossed home plate, say : SCORED
71. One who might follow into a family business : SON

Down

1. 50% : HALF
2. Song for a diva : ARIA
3. Early TV comic known for “Your Show of Shows” : SID CAESAR
4. Popular cold and flu medicine : CONTAC
5. “But I heard him exclaim, ___ he drove out of sight …” : ERE
6. Uncooked : RAW
7. One-named Irish singer : ENYA
8. Ending with golden or teen : -AGER
9. Makeshift shelter : LEAN-TO
10. Fleur-de-___ : LIS
11. Highly capable : ADEPT
12. Multiplex offering : MOVIE
13. Mix : BLEND
19. Kingdoms : REALMS
21. “Anything ___?” : ELSE
25. Whimper like a baby : MEWL
26. Like most Bluetooth headsets : ONE-EAR
28. Underhanded : SLY
29. Tight-lipped sort : CLAM
30. Part to play : ROLE
31. Be confident in : TRUST
32. Fixes, as shoelaces : RETIES
36. Forcible removals, as of tenants : EVICTIONS
37. Pull hard : YANK
38. Civic-minded group : ELKS
40. Fictional mouse ___ Little : STUART
41. Male deer : HART
44. Mensa stats : IQS
46. Lavish praise on : LAUD
48. Hangs around for : AWAITS
49. Gave some money under the table : BRIBED
50. More secure : SAFER
51. Give the slip : ELUDE
52. Actress Kemper of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” : ELLIE
56. Apple on a desk : IMAC
57. Pixar’s “Finding ___” : NEMO
59. Nabisco snack since 1912 : OREO
60. It has phases that are represented by the starts of 18-, 29-, 47- and 61-Across … and by 1-Down : MOON
62. Was in front : LED
63. Pickle holder : JAR
64. Bullfight cheer : OLE!