0107-23 NY Times Crossword 7 Jan 23, Saturday

Constructed by: Adam Aaronson
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: None

Bill’s time: 14m 04s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

15 Language that Minecraft was written in : JAVA

Java is a programming language that was developed by Sun Microsystems. Java was originally designed for interactive television, but it didn’t fit the needs at the time. Back then, the language was called Oak, named after an oak tree that stood outside the designer’s office. Later it was called Green, and finally named Java, which was simply picked out of a list of random words.

Minecraft is a video game that was released in 2011. It has been cited as one of the most influential video games of all time.

16 How hors d’oeuvres are served : ON A PLATTER

An hors d’oeuvre is a first course in a meal. “Hors d’oeuvre” translates from French as “apart from the work”, which really means “not the main course”.

18 1996 horror classic originally titled “Scary Movie” : SCREAM

The first installment of the “Scream” franchise of horror films was released in 1996. Each movie features a murderer who adopts the persona of “Ghostface”, a man wearing a mask that resembles the subject in the Edvard Munch painting “The Scream”. Even though the murderer behind the mask changes in each film, the victim is always Sidney Prescott, played by Neve Campbell.

22 Only chemical element whose name fits this answer’s length : TIN

The Latin word for tin is “stannum”, and so tin’s atomic symbol is “Sn”. One of the ores used as a source of tin is “stannite”.

25 Cone head? : SNO-

A sno-cone (also “snow cone”) is just a paper cone filled with crushed ice and topped with flavored water. Italian ice is similar, but different. Whereas the flavoring is added on top of the ice to make a sno-cone, Italian ice is made with water that is flavored before it is frozen.

33 Eco-centric college class, informally? : ITALIAN LIT

Umberto Eco was an Italian writer who is probably best known for his novel “The Name of the Rose”, published in 1980. In 1986, “The Name of the Rose” was adapted into a movie with the same title starring Sean Connery.

36 Produced, as digital currency : MINED

Bitcoin mining is … well, you know … need I say more …? 🙂

37 Wild-tasting : GAMY

The term “game” can be used for wild animals that are hunted for food or sport. The associated adjective “gamey” (sometimes “gamy”) can be used to describe the taste of meat from a game animal, especially if the meat is close to going bad.

38 He’s a mensch : STANDUP GUY

“Mensch” is a word that comes to us via Yiddish, and is ultimately derived from the German “mensch” meaning “human being”. We use the term to describe someone of integrity and honor.

40 J. M. Barrie boatswain : SMEE

In J. M. Barrie’s play and novel about Peter Pan, Smee is one of Captain Hook’s pirates and is Hook’s bosun and right-hand man. Smee is described by Barrie as being “Irish” and “a man who stabbed without offence”. Nice guy! Captain Hook and Smee sail on a pirate ship called the Jolly Roger.

Author and dramatist J.M. Barrie is best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. Barrie wrote a play in 1904 called “Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up”. He turned this into a novel called “Peter and Wendy” in 1911. The girl’s name “Wendy” was very uncommon before Barrie named his character, and he is given credit for making the name as popular as it is today.

A boatswain works on the deck of a boat. He or she is unlicensed, and so is not involved in the navigation or handling of the vessel, and instead is in charge of the other unlicensed workers on the deck. “Boatswain” is pronounced “bosun” and this phonetic spelling is often used interchangeably with “boatswain”. The contraction “bo’s’n” is also very popular.

41 Something people trip on, informally : SHROOMS

Psychedelic microdosing is the practice of taking extremely low doses of psychedelic drugs in order to promote creativity and well-being. Drugs commonly used are lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin (found in “magic mushrooms”). Hmm …

42 Half of a classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon duo : TOM

“Tom and Jerry” is a series of cartoons produced by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera starting in 1940. These short films feature Tom Cat and Jerry Mouse who are always going at it, with Jerry usually emerging victorious.

44 ___ Aarnio, interior designer who created the bubble chair : EERO

Eero Aarnio is a Finnish interior designer, perhaps most famous for creating those round plastic chairs that hang from the ceiling and were very fashionable in the sixties. It was sort of like sitting inside a big ball.

46 A-line line : HEM

An A-line skirt is one that fits snugly at the hips and flares towards the hem. The term “A-line” was first used in fashion by French designer Christian Dior in his 1955 spring collection.

49 Early flat screen : PLASMA TV

Plasma televisions are so called because the screen is made up of tiny cells containing electrically charged ionized gases (plasmas). Each of the cells is effectively a tiny fluorescent lamp.

53 Capital in Lewis and Clark County : HELENA

Helena is the capital of the state of Montana, and is known as the Queen City of the Rockies. Helena’s main street has a very colorful name, i.e. Last Chance Gulch.

60 Word on either side of “vs.” : SPY

“Spy vs. Spy” is a comic strip that has run in “MAD” magazine continuously since 1961. It was drawn by Antonio Prohias, a refugee from Cuba, until his retirement. The early storyline was very fitting for the times, a statement about the futility of the arms race, detente and the Cold War.

61 Some sleeveless frocks : SUNDRESSES

A frock is a woman’s dress, but the term “frock” also describes a robe worn by monks. Our use of “frock” comes from the Old French “froc”, which back in the 12th century was the name for a monk’s habit.

Down

1 Kids’ game cry : GOOSE!

“Duck, Duck, Goose” is a kid’s game, and not one that I’ve heard of outside of crosswords, to be honest …

2 Unit of measure that has a shared etymology with “inch” : OUNCE

Our term “ounce” (abbreviated to “oz.”) comes from the Latin “uncia”, which was 1/12 of a “libra”, the Roman “pound”. “Uncia” is also the derivation of our word “inch”, 1/12 of a foot.

4 Word at the center of Rhode Island’s flag : HOPE

Rhode Island is the smallest state in the union, and is the second-most densely populated. (after New Jersey). Rhode Island is known as the Ocean State (and more informally “Little Rhody”), largely because about 14% of the state’s area is made up of ocean bays and inlets. Exactly how Rhode Island got its name is a little unclear. What is known is that way back in 1524, long before the Pilgrims came to New England, the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano likened an island in the area to the Island of Rhodes in the Mediterranean. There were subsequent references to “Rhode Island” in English publications, before the colonists arrived.

9 Founder of the label Rhyme Syndicate Records : ICE-T

Rapper Ice-T must be tired of having his name come up as an answer in crossword puzzles (I know I am!). Born Tracy Marrow, Ice-T has been interested in acting for decades and made his film debut in the 1984 movie about breakdancing called “Breakin’”. He has also played Detective Fin Tutuola in the TV show “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” since the year 2000.

11 Bit of casino restaurant fare? : BAKED CLAM

The dish known as clams casino comprises clams served on the halfshell with breadcrumbs and bacon, broiled to a golden brown. The recipe originated in Rhode Island, apparently developed by the staff in a hotel in Narragansett, Rhode Island. The dish was named for the hotel, the Little Casino.

13 Longtime A&W competitor : DAD’S

Dad’s root beer was developed by Ely Klapman and Barney Berns in 1937, and was given the name “Dad’s” in honor of Klapman’s father who used to make root beer for his family at home.

15 He hosted the first “Jeopardy!” in the post-Trebek era : JENNINGS

Ken Jennings is a remarkable man, the person who had the longest winning streak on television’s “Jeopardy!”. He has also won more game show money than any other person. He was defeated after 75 appearances on the show, after racking up over $2.5 million in the prior episodes. In 2020, Jennings was named as the first interim host of “Jeopardy!” following the passing of Alex Trebek.

20 Squat : NADA

“Squat” is a slang term for “nothing”. “Squat” and the variant “Jack squat”, probably have a distasteful derivation that is related to a bodily function.

26 People of Unalaska : ALEUTS

Unalaska Island is one of the Aleutian chain of islands off the coast of Alaska. Dutch Harbor, located within the city of Unalaska, is the largest fisheries port in the whole of the United States.

27 Start of some juicy gossip : DID YOU HEAR …?

Our word “gossip” comes from the Old English “godsibb” meaning “godparent”. Back then, the term was used for female friends who attended a birth, and later for anyone engaging in idle talk.

28 Ophthalmologists call it a hordeolum : STYE

A stye is a bacterial infection of the sebaceous glands at the base of the eyelashes, and is also known as a hordeolum.

Ophthalmology is that branch of medicine dealing with the physiology and health of the eye. “Ophthalmos” is the Greek word for “eye”.

29 What might surround a trunk : MOSS

There is a traditionally-held belief that in the northern hemisphere there is a heavier growth of moss on the north-facing side of trees. The assumption is that the sun creates a drier environment on the south side of the tree, an environment that is less conducive to the growth of moss.

32 Bill Clinton played one on “The Arsenio Hall Show” in 1992 : TENOR SAX

President Bill Clinton learned to play the saxophone when he was a boy. He was good enough to play first chair in the saxophone section of the Arkansas state band. My guess is that the former president’s most famous performance on the sax during his political career was on “The Arsenio Hall Show” in 1992. Clinton was a candidate for president at that time, and make quite a splash in the news media when he played “Heartbreak Hotel” on the show.

Arsenio Hall got his big break with his role in the movie “Coming to America” with Eddie Murphy in 1988. The following year he started hosting “The Arsenio Hall Show”, which ran until 1994. He had a loyal group of fans in the audience that had the habit of almost “barking” while pumping their fists in the air. The raucous move became so popular it extended far beyond the influences of Arsenio, and to this day it is still used as a mark of appreciation in some arenas. Not by me, mind you; I’m way too shy …

34 Namibia neighbor: Abbr. : ANG

Angola is a country in south-central Africa on the west coast. It is the fourth largest diamond exporter in Africa, after Botswana, the Congo and South Africa. Such a valuable export hasn’t really helped the living standard of the country’s citizens as life expectancy and infant mortality rates are among the poorest on the continent.

The Republic of Namibia is a country in southern Africa on the Atlantic coast. The Namibian War of Independence fought from 1966 to 1988 eventually resulted in independence for Namibia from South Africa, and a transition from white minority apartheid rule.

47 Parisian preposition : ENTRE

In French, something might perhaps be discussed “entre deux” (between two) or “entre nous” (between us).

48 Guy Fawkes Night accessories : MASKS

Even when I was a kid living in England in the 1960s, we would make up an effigy of Guy Fawkes to parade around the streets in the runup to Guy Fawkes Day, November 5th. Guy Fawkes was the man who led the Gunpowder Plot to blow up the British king and Parliament on November 5, 1605. We kids would use the effigy to raise money from strangers by approaching them with the phrase “penny for the guy”. The money collected was used to buy fireworks that we’d shoot off on Bonfire Night, the name given to the evening of Guy Fawkes Day. The effigy known as “the guy” gave rise in the UK to the use of “guy” to describe a poorly-dressed man. By the mid-1800s, the term “guy” was adopted into American-English to mean simply “fellow”.

52 John who was a pioneer in set theory : VENN

Englishman John Venn was an expert in the field of logic, and introduced the Venn diagram in his book “Symbolic Logic” in 1881. Venn diagrams are used in set theory, to illustrate the logical relationships between sets of variables.

57 Cookie Monster’s real name : SID

Cookie Monster is a beloved Muppet on the TV show “Sesame Street”. He is a big eater and is especially fond of cookies, which he eats while grunting out “Om nom nom nom”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 “Shoot!” : GOSH DARN IT!
11 It’s turned down at a hotel : BED
14 Living under a rock, say : OUT OF TOUCH
15 Language that Minecraft was written in : JAVA
16 How hors d’oeuvres are served : ON A PLATTER
17 Squeezed (out) : EKED
18 1996 horror classic originally titled “Scary Movie” : SCREAM
19 Major upsets, e.g. : STUNNERS
21 “Yikes!” : EEK!
22 Only chemical element whose name fits this answer’s length : TIN
24 Bell of the synth-pop duo Erasure : ANDY
25 Cone head? : SNO-
26 Die-hard enthusiasts, and then some : ADDICTS
29 Moisten, in a way : MIST
33 Eco-centric college class, informally? : ITALIAN LIT
35 At some previous point : ONCE
36 Produced, as digital currency : MINED
37 Wild-tasting : GAMY
38 He’s a mensch : STANDUP GUY
40 J. M. Barrie boatswain : SMEE
41 Something people trip on, informally : SHROOMS
42 Half of a classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon duo : TOM
44 ___ Aarnio, interior designer who created the bubble chair : EERO
45 Refuse to settle, say : SUE
46 A-line line : HEM
49 Early flat screen : PLASMA TV
53 Capital in Lewis and Clark County : HELENA
55 “I thought of a joke about ___, but it’s too corny” (groaner) : IOWA
56 Here, to locals : THESE PARTS
58 Urge : COAX
59 Chores, typically : MENIAL WORK
60 Word on either side of “vs.” : SPY
61 Some sleeveless frocks : SUNDRESSES

Down

1 Kids’ game cry : GOOSE!
2 Unit of measure that has a shared etymology with “inch” : OUNCE
3 Striking : STARK
4 Word at the center of Rhode Island’s flag : HOPE
5 They’re just above C’s : D-FLATS
6 If not more : AT A MINIMUM
7 Go green, perhaps? : ROT
8 “Shoot!” : NUTS!
9 Founder of the label Rhyme Syndicate Records : ICE-T
10 See-___ : THRU
11 Bit of casino restaurant fare? : BAKED CLAM
12 “Ugh, this always happens to me!” : EVERY TIME
13 Longtime A&W competitor : DAD’S
15 He hosted the first “Jeopardy!” in the post-Trebek era : JENNINGS
20 Squat : NADA
23 Policy at some bars and eating establishments : NO TIPS
26 People of Unalaska : ALEUTS
27 Start of some juicy gossip : DID YOU HEAR …?
28 Ophthalmologists call it a hordeolum : STYE
29 What might surround a trunk : MOSS
30 Having been informed : IN THE LOOP
31 Drive off : SCARE AWAY
32 Bill Clinton played one on “The Arsenio Hall Show” in 1992 : TENOR SAX
34 Namibia neighbor: Abbr. : ANG
39 Downfall : DOOM
43 Human-shaped board game piece : MEEPLE
46 ___ journey (literary archetype) : HERO’S
47 Parisian preposition : ENTRE
48 Guy Fawkes Night accessories : MASKS
49 Many posts, informally : PICS
50 Things of use to note takers? : ATMS
51 Miami school, casually : THE U
52 John who was a pioneer in set theory : VENN
54 Code components : LAWS
57 Cookie Monster’s real name : SID