0202-23 NY Times Crossword 2 Feb 23, Thursday

Constructed by: Elise Corbin
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: Physics

Themed answers each include “DARK MATTER”, i.e. a starting letter that we cannot see in the grid. Those missing letters spell out “DARK MATTER”:

  • 1A Pit-of-the-stomach feeling : DREAD (D)
  • 9A Wedding walkways : AISLES (A)
  • 20A Get through to : REACH (R)
  • 21A Pool of money : KITTY (K)
  • 40A Natalie Wood’s role in 1961’s “West Side Story” : MARIA (M)
  • 42A Capitol Hill staffers : AIDES (A)
  • 54A Make fun of : TAUNT (T)
  • 56A Error’s counterpart : TRIAL (T)
  • 69A Holiday dependent on the lunisolar calendar : EASTER (E)
  • 71A Train tracks : RAILS (R)

Bill’s time: 10m 22s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5 Fastidious to a fault : ANAL

The use of the word “anal” to mean “stiffly conventional” is an abbreviated form of “anal-retentive”, a term derived from Freudian psychology. Regardless, I’m not a big fan of the term …

14 Literary heroine Jane : EYRE

“Jane Eyre” is a celebrated novel written by Charlotte Brontë, under the pen name Currer Bell. The love story is perhaps represented by the oft-quoted opening lines of the last chapter, “Reader, I married him”. There is a wonderful 4-hour television adaptation made by the BBC that I highly recommend to fans of the novel …

15 Entertainment district in London’s West End : SOHO

The area of London called Soho had a very poor reputation for most of the 20th century as it was home to the city’s red-light district. Soho went through a transformation in recent decades, and has been a very fashionable neighborhood since the 1980s.

16 Watts of “Mulholland Drive” : NAOMI

Actress Naomi Watts was born in the UK and moved to Australia when she was 14 years of age. It was in Australia that Watts got her break in television and movies. Probably her most acclaimed role was in the 2003 film “21 Grams” with Sean Penn and Benicio del Toro. Watts is best friends with fellow Australian actress Nicole Kidman.

“Mulholland Drive” is a thriller released in 2002 that was well received by the critics (although I didn’t like it!). The original idea was for “Mulholland Drive” to be a pilot for a television series, but when ABC saw the filmed pilot they didn’t like it and so passed on it for their schedule. The script was rewritten, some new scenes shot, and after re-editing the movie was released.

17 Seat on a ship : DECK CHAIR

A deck chair is a folding chair with a single strip of fabric that forms the backrest/seat. The term “deck chair” was coined when such folding chairs became common sights on the decks of ocean liners and cruise ships.

19 Robust brew : STOUT

The term “stout” was first used for a type of beer in the 1600s when it was used to describe a “strong, stout” brew, and not necessarily a dark beer as it is today.

21 Pool of money : KITTY

The pot in a card game has been referred to as “the kitty” since the 1880s. It’s not certain how the name “kitty” evolved but possibly it comes from “kit”, the necessary equipment for the game.

23 Start to scream or shout? : ESS

The words “scream” and “shout” both start with a letter S (ess).

26 Sing like Tom Waits : RASP

Tom Waits is a singer-songwriter from Pomona, California. Waits is noted for his growling, rasping voice.

32 “The missing link” : APE-MAN

The term “missing link” is usually applied to the concept that there existed some form of animal that is a hybrid between apes and humans. The idea that there was some “ape-man” is discounted these days by the scientific community, who now favor the theory of evolution.

36 Commercial lead-in to Clean : OXI-

OxiClean is a bleaching agent and cleaner that was famously marketed using infomercials that featured the late Billy Mays.

40 Natalie Wood’s role in 1961’s “West Side Story” : MARIA

In Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story”, the female lead character is Maria. Maria and her older friend Anita are in the group referred to as “the Shark Girls”.

Actress Natalie Wood was born in San Francisco to Russian immigrant parents, her real name being Natalia Nikolaevna Zacharenko. Wood performed in many great films over her relatively short career. She played a leading role in “Miracle on 34th Street” when she was just 8-years-old, and in “Rebel Without a Cause” when she was a teenager. There followed hits like “West Side Story”, “Gypsy” and “Splendor in the Grass”. Wood was married to Robert Wagner, twice. Wagner and Wood were on a weekend boat trip to Santa Catalina Island when she drowned in 1981. The death was deemed an accident after an investigation. However, in 2011 the boat’s captain revealed that he had lied during that investigation and claimed that Wood died as the result of a fight with Wagner. Wood’s death certificate was amended as a result, with a statement that how Wood entered the water was not clearly established.

42 Capitol Hill staffers : AIDES

The designer of Washington D.C., Pierre L’Enfant, chose the crest of a hill as the site for the future Congress House. He called the location “Jenkins Hill” and “Jenkins Heights”. Earlier records show the name as “New Troy”. Today, we call it “Capitol Hill”.

46 Reddit Q&A : AMA

Reddit.com is a networking and news website that started up in 2005. It is essentially a bulletin board system with posts that are voted up and down by users, which determines the ranking of posts. The name “Reddit” is a play on “read it”, as in “I read it on Reddit”. One popular feature of the Reddit site is an online forum that is similar to a press conference. Known as an AMA (for “ask me anything”), participants have included the likes of President Barack Obama, Madonna, Bill Gates, Stephen Colbert and Gordon Ramsay. President Obama’s AMA was so popular that the high level of traffic brought down many parts of the Reddit site.

47 Major provider of scholarships, in brief : ROTC

The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) is a training program for officers based in colleges all around the US. The ROTC program was established in 1862 when as a condition of receiving a land-grant to create colleges, the federal government required that military tactics be part of a new school’s curriculum.

49 Like bananas and banana slugs : YELLOW

The banana is actually a berry, botanically speaking. And, bananas don’t really grow on trees. The “trunk” of the banana plant is in fact a pseudostem. The pseudostem is a false stem comprising rolled bases of leaves, and it can grow to 2 or 3 meters tall.

51 Orangish-brown gem : SARD

Sard is a reddish-brown gem that is often referred to as Carnelian, although generally sard is harder and darker. Sard probably takes its name from the Persian word “sered” meaning yellowish-red.

53 Otolaryngologist, familiarly : ENT

The ear, nose and throat (ENT) branch of medicine is more correctly called “otolaryngology”.

58 Components of a rosary : BEADS

The rosary is a set of prayer beads used in the Roman Catholic tradition. The name “rosary” comes from the Latin “rosarium”, the word for a “rose garden” or a “garland of roses”. The term is used figuratively, in the sense of a “garden of prayers”.

68 Big Ten school : IOWA

The Iowa Hawkeyes are the sports teams of the University of Iowa in Iowa City. The school’s mascot is Herky the Hawk, who first appeared at an Iowa State football game in 1959.

Down

1 With 2-Down, money-saving flight option, often : RED …
2 See 1-Down : … EYE

A red-eye flight is one departing late at night and arriving early the next morning. The term “red-eye” is a reference to tired passengers disembarking with red eyes.

4 Hockey feint : DEKE

A deke, also known as a dangle, is a technique used to get past an opponent in ice hockey. “Deke” is a colloquial shortening of the word “decoy”.

6 ___ Ark : NOAH’S

According to the Bible’s Book of Genesis, Noah was instructed to build his ark 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high. That’s about 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high.

7 Offering on a sushi menu : AHI

Yellowfin and bigeye tuna are usually marketed as “ahi”, the Hawaiian name. They are both big fish, with yellowfish tuna often weighing over 300 pounds, and bigeye tuna getting up to 400 pounds.

8 Mayor Lightfoot of Chicago : LORI

Lori Lightfoot assumed the office of Mayor of Chicago in 2019. She is the first LGBT black female mayor of any major city in the US.

10 Mythological being with a horse’s tail : SATYR

The satyrs of Greek mythology came with a very high sex drive. They are the “rude” male subjects drawn on the side of old Greek vases. The nubile maidens known as nymphs were often an object of attention for the satyrs.

11 Facilities in England : LOO

It has been suggested that the British term “loo”, meaning “toilet”, comes from “Waterloo” (water closet … water-loo), but no one seems to know for sure. Another suggestion is that the term comes from the card game of “lanterloo”, in which the pot was called the loo!

12 Prey for a dingo : EMU

The dingo is a wild dog of Australia. It is thought to have originated from domesticated dogs that were brought to Australia with humans that settled the land centuries ago.

25 Formative : SEMINAL

Something that is seminal is creative and has the power to originate, is formative. The term comes from the Latin “semen” meaning “seed”.

27 Science that deals with the phenomenon spelled out by 10 missing letters in this puzzle : PHYSICS

Dark matter is the theoretical material that makes up over 80% of the universe. Astrophysicists use dark matter to explain the discrepancy between the calculated mass of a large object and the mass determined empirically by observing gravitational effects. The term “dark matter” is an apt one as the matter is invisible to telescopes and neither admits nor absorbs light of significance.

31 ___ collar (iconic Ruth Bader Ginsburg neckwear at the Smithsonian) : DISSENT

Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG) served on the US Supreme Court. Justice Ginsburg was the second woman to join the Court, and was nominated by President Bill Clinton. She was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1999 and underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. During that time she did not miss one day on the bench. In 2009 Justice Ginsburg had surgery for pancreatic cancer, and was back to work 12 days later. She had left-lung lobectomy to remove cancerous nodules in 2018, which forced Justice Ginsburg to miss oral argument in January 2019, for the first time since joining the court 25 years earlier. She finally succumbed to pancreatic cancer in 2020. Much of Ginsburg’s life is recounted in the excellent 2018 movie “On the Basis of Sex”.

33 Part of a coconut that can be shredded : MEAT

The coconut is the fruit of the coconut palm. The term “coconut” comes from “coco” and “nut”, with “coco” being 16th-century Spanish and Portuguese for “head”, and more specifically “grinning face”. The three holes found in the base of a coconut shell might be said to resemble a human face.

39 Along with lentils, one of the two main ingredients in idli : RICE

Idli (also “idly”) are savory rice cakes in the cuisine from the Indian subcontinent. The cakes are made from de-husked, fermented black lentils incorporated into a batter and then steamed.

45 Hyundai Sonata, for one : SEDAN

The Sonata is one of Hyundai’s most successful models, having been introduced in 1985 and still being sold today. The original model didn’t make it to the North American market as it had problems meeting emission standards. The first Sonatas hit this side of the Pacific in 1988, and were assembled in Bromont, Quebec.

57 Princess whose brother is not a prince : LEIA

The full name of the character played by Carrie Fisher in the “Star Wars” series of films is Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan, and later Leia Organa Solo. Leia is the twin sister of Luke Skywalker, and the daughter of Anakin Skywalker (aka “Darth Vader”) and Padmé Amidala. Leia is raised by her adoptive parents Bail and Breha Organa. She eventually marries Han Solo.

59 Ambulance letters : EMS

Emergency medical services (EMS)

63 Father of une princesse : ROI

In French, the “père d’une princesse” (father of a princess) is a “roi” (king).

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Pit-of-the-stomach feeling : DREAD
5 Fastidious to a fault : ANAL
9 Wedding walkways : AISLES
14 Literary heroine Jane : EYRE
15 Entertainment district in London’s West End : SOHO
16 Watts of “Mulholland Drive” : NAOMI
17 Seat on a ship : DECK CHAIR
19 Robust brew : STOUT
20 Get through to : REACH
21 Pool of money : KITTY
23 Start to scream or shout? : ESS
26 Sing like Tom Waits : RASP
28 Phrased : WORDED
32 “The missing link” : APE-MAN
34 Word with raising or splitting : HAIR-
36 Commercial lead-in to Clean : OXI-
37 Domesticated : TAMED
38 Fit of wild emotion : HYSTERICS
40 Natalie Wood’s role in 1961’s “West Side Story” : MARIA
41 Foundation : BASIS
42 Capitol Hill staffers : AIDES
43 Bet the family farm, so to speak : WENT ALL IN
45 Instrument found in a post office or grocery : SCALE
46 Reddit Q&A : AMA
47 Major provider of scholarships, in brief : ROTC
48 Look through a window, say : PEER IN
49 Like bananas and banana slugs : YELLOW
51 Orangish-brown gem : SARD
53 Otolaryngologist, familiarly : ENT
54 Make fun of : TAUNT
56 Error’s counterpart : TRIAL
58 Components of a rosary : BEADS
61 More often than not : IN GENERAL
66 More than enough : AMPLE
67 We: Fr. : NOUS
68 Big Ten school : IOWA
69 Holiday dependent on the lunisolar calendar : EASTER
70 [Ignore that edit] : [STET]
71 Train tracks : RAILS

Down

1 With 2-Down, money-saving flight option, often : RED …
2 See 1-Down : … EYE
3 Certain line segment : ARC
4 Hockey feint : DEKE
5 Receptacle near a firepit : ASH CAN
6 ___ Ark : NOAH’S
7 Offering on a sushi menu : AHI
8 Mayor Lightfoot of Chicago : LORI
9 Yet to come : IN STORE
10 Mythological being with a horse’s tail : SATYR
11 Facilities in England : LOO
12 Prey for a dingo : EMU
13 Command that might precede “Shake!” : SIT!
18 One might have the disclaimer “Professional driver on closed course. Do not attempt.” : CAR AD
22 Dipsticks : TWITS
23 Erode : EAT AWAY
24 “Stop! I’ve heard quite enough!” : SPARE ME!
25 Formative : SEMINAL
27 Science that deals with the phenomenon spelled out by 10 missing letters in this puzzle : PHYSICS
29 “Is it worth the risk?” : DO I DARE?
30 Do great at : EXCEL IN
31 ___ collar (iconic Ruth Bader Ginsburg neckwear at the Smithsonian) : DISSENT
33 Part of a coconut that can be shredded : MEAT
35 Clarification words for a speller : AS IN
38 “Freeze!” : HALT!
39 Along with lentils, one of the two main ingredients in idli : RICE
41 Exposed, as a cover : BLOWN
44 One giving a wake-up call : AROUSER
45 Hyundai Sonata, for one : SEDAN
48 Certain ecclesiastic : PRIEST
50 Punch bowl go-with : LADLE
52 Quibble : ARGUE
55 Some antique collectibles : TINS
57 Princess whose brother is not a prince : LEIA
58 Meadow call : BAA!
59 Ambulance letters : EMS
60 Well-suited : APT
62 “Kidding!” : NOT!
63 Father of une princesse : ROI
64 Saddler’s tool : AWL
65 ___ Américas : LAS