1010-22 NY Times Crossword 10 Oct 22, Monday

2022-10-062022-10-06

Constructed by: Byron Walden
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: Par Two

Themed answers each include TWO occurrences of “PAR” as a hidden word:

  • 67A Common miniature golf goal … or a hint to what’s found in 17-, 39- and 60-Across : PAR TWO
  • 17A Opponent who helps train a boxer : SPARRING PARTNER
  • 39A Most difficult challenge for many a student driver : PARALLEL PARKING
  • 60A Place in an auto dealership to pick up wiper blades or spark plugs : PARTS DEPARTMENT

Bill’s time: 5m 18s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

11 Show hosts, for short : MCS

The term “emcee” comes from “MC”, an initialism used for a Master or Mistress of Ceremonies.

15 Peacekeeping grp. since 1949 : NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was founded not long after WWII in 1949 and is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. The first NATO Secretary General was Lord Ismay, Winston Churchill’s chief military assistant during WWII. Famously, Lord Ismay said the goal of NATO was “to keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down.”

16 Tuna type in sushi restaurants : 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.

20 Tribal family tree? : TOTEM POLE

“Totem” is a word used to describe any entity that watches over a group of people. As such, totems are usually the subjects of worship. Totem poles are really misnamed, as they are not intended to represent figures to be worshiped, but rather are heraldic in nature, and often celebrating the legends or notable events in the history of a tribe.

25 Spotify or TikTok : APP

Spotify is a popular music-streaming service that was launched in Sweden in 2008.

TikTok is a video-sharing service that is based in China, and is very popular with the younger set. The TikTok mobile app provides tools facilitating production of sophisticated selfie videos that use special effects.

26 ___ Bell (fast-food chain) : TACO

Taco Bell was founded by a former US Marine, 25-year-old Glen Bell. His first restaurant was Bell’s Drive-In, located in Southern California. After opening that first establishment, Bell bought up some more restaurants including four named El Taco. He sold off the El Taco restaurants but used the name in part when he opened his first Taco Bell in 1962. Bell then sold franchises, with the 100th Taco Bell opening in 1967. The ex-Marine sold off the whole chain to PepsiCo in 1978, and I am guessing he made a pretty penny. Taco Bell has been using the “Live Más” slogan since 2012, with “más” being the Spanish word for “more”.

42 White dogs, or bluish-gray cats : MALTESES

The Maltese breed of dog falls into the toy group, as adults weigh just 3-10 pounds. The breed is an old one. Indeed, ancient Greek geographer Strabo suggested in the first century CE that the breed originated on the Mediterranean island of Malta. He also noted that Maltese dogs were favored by noble women.

The cat known as a “Maltese” is one with fur that is primarily blue or gray, regardless of breed. Such coloring was prevalent in cats on the island of Malta, hence the name.

43 Airport code for Australia’s largest city : SYD

Australia’s Sydney Airport (SYD) is located just five miles south of the city center, and next to Botany Bay. There have been plans dating back to the 1940s to build a second airport on the outskirts of the city.

44 End of a soldier’s email address : MIL

The .mil domain was one of the six original generic top-level domains specified. The complete original list is:

  • .com (commercial enterprise)
  • .net (entity involved in network infrastructure e.g. an ISP)
  • .mil (US military)
  • .org (not-for-profit organization)
  • .gov (US federal government entity)
  • .edu (college-level educational institution)

46 YouTube button : PLAY

YouTube is a video-sharing website that was launched in 2005 by three ex-PayPal employees. Google bought YouTube in 2006 for $1.65 billion. Yep, $1.65 billion, less than two years after it was founded …

49 California valley known for its vineyards : NAPA

The first commercial winery in Napa Valley, California was established way back in 1858. However, premium wine production only dates back to the 1960s, with the region really hitting the big time after its success at the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976. The story of that famous blind wine tasting is told in the entertaining 2008 film “Bottle Shock”.

51 Belly up to the ___ : BAR

That’s what I like to do, although the bar seems to be getting further and further away over the years …

54 Narrative transition : SEGUE

A segue is a transition from one topic to the next. “Segue” is an Italian word that literally means “now follows”. It was first used in musical scores directing the performer to play into the next movement without a break. The oft-used term “segway” is given the same meaning, although the word “segway” doesn’t really exist. It is a misspelling of “segue” that has been popularized by its use as the name of the personal transporter known as a Segway.

56 Lead singer for Culture Club : BOY GEORGE

Culture Club is an English pop band that was founded by the lead vocalist Boy George. The group decided on the name “Culture Club” in recognition the varied background of the four band members: representing the gay, black, white, English, Irish and Jewish communities. The band’s most successful releases are “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me”, I’ll Tumble 4 Ya”, and “Karma Chameleon”.

63 Quentin Tarantino’s “___ Fiction” : PULP

I’m not a big fan of director Quentin Tarantino, nor his work. His movies are too violent for me, and the size of his ego just turns me right off. Having said that, I think “Pulp Fiction” is a remarkable film. If you can look past the violence, it’s really well written. And what a legacy it has. John Travolta’s career was on the rocks and he did the film for practically no money, and it turned out to be a re-launch for him. Uma Thurman became a top celebrity overnight from her role. Even Bruce Willis got some good out of it, putting an end to a string of poorly-received performances.

64 More ludicrous : INANER

“Vacuous” and “inane” both mean “silly, empty-headed”. “Vacuous” comes from the Latin word “vacuus” meaning “empty”. “Inane” comes from the Latin “inanitis” meaning “empty space”.

65 Paintball filler : DYE

The “paint” in paintball isn’t actually paint, but rather a mix of gelatin and food coloring.

67 Common miniature golf goal … or a hint to what’s found in 17-, 39- and 60-Across : PAR TWO

Apparently, the first minigolf course in the world was built in St. Andrews in Scotland, and you can still play that course today. Back in 1867, about 100 years after the Royal and Ancient Golf Club was founded, the Ladies’ Putting Club was constructed by some of the golf clubs members so that the ladies could “have a go” at the sport. Back then it was believed that the energetic swing required to hit a ball on a full-size course was far from ladylike, so a small, 18-hole course of putting greens was deemed to be more acceptable. Different times …

Down

1 Farfalle, fettuccine or fusilli : PASTA

Farfalle is commonly referred to as bow-tie pasta because of its shape. The name comes from the Italian “farfalla” meaning “butterfly”.

Fettuccine is a popular type of pasta in Italy, particularly in Rome. It is a flat noodle similar to the smaller tagliatelle that is more popular in Bologna. The most common dish made with fettuccine in North America is Fettuccine Alfredo.

Fusilli is a corkscrew-shaped pasta. The term “fusilli” comes from the Italian word “fuso” meaning “spindle”.

5 Dish with chicken, veal or eggplant, familiarly : PARM

Parmigiana (familiarly “parm”) is a dish from southern Italy. The original parmigiana was made with an eggplant filling, with cheese and tomato layers and then baked. Versions originating outside of Italy have replaced the eggplant with breaded cutlets of chicken or veal.

9 Letter after zeta : ETA

Eta is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, and is a forerunner of our Latin character “H”. Originally denoting a consonant, eta was used as a long vowel in Ancient Greek.

10 “___ the Explorer” : DORA

“Dora the Explorer” is a cartoon series shown on Nickelodeon. Part of Dora’s remit is to introduce the show’s young viewers to some Spanish words and phrases. Dora’s constant companion is an anthropomorphic monkey named “Boots”, because he always wears red boots. She also hangs out with Isa, an iguana.

11 Combo offerings at nail salons : MANI-PEDIS

Manicure & pedicure (mani-pedi)

12 Cabernet or merlot sold in a box, say : CHEAP WINE

The “box wine” package was invented in Australia, back in 1935. The original design had no tap, so the corner had to be cut off the bladder to get at the wine. The bladder with a tap was also invented in Australia, but not until 1967. I’ve done blind taste tests featuring bottled and boxed wines, and love the box concept, especially for a decent red wine …

26 Bygone Russian ruler : TSAR

The last ruler of Imperial Russia was Tsar Nicholas II (of the House of Romanov). Famously, the Tsar and his family were murdered in 1918 in the basement of a house in Yekaterinburg, Russia by members of the Bolshevik secret police. The Tsar’s youngest daughter was 16-year-old Anastasia and rumors of her escape have persisted for years. The rumors grew with the help of numerous women who claimed to be Anastasia. In 2009, DNA testing finally proved that the remains of all of the Tsar’s immediate family, including Anastasia, have been found and identified.

27 Happy as ___ : A CLAM

Our phrase “happy as a clam” dates back to the mid-1600s. Back then it was a more lengthy expression: “happy as a clam in the mud at high tide”. The idea was that a clam would be happy in its muddy home at high tide, because no one from land could get to it and eat it.

32 Brain tests, in brief : EEGS

An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a record of electrical activity caused by the firing of neurons within the brain. The EEG might be used to diagnose epilepsy, or perhaps to determine if a patient is “brain dead”.

40 Tropical fruit with highly nutritious seeds : PAPAYA

The papaya is the fruit of the Carica papaya, a large tree-like plant that is native to southern Mexico and Central America. One traditional use of papaya is as a meat tenderizer. The fruit and sap contain the enzyme papain that breaks down meat fibers. Papain is used today as a component in powdered meat tenderizers.

51 Actor Spiner of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” : BRENT

Actor Brent Spiner plays the android named Lieutenant Commander Data on television’s “Star Trek: The Next Generation”. Spiner also played the eccentric Dr. Brackish Okun in the 1996 movie “Independence Day”.

When Gene Roddenberry was creating the “Star Trek” spin-off series “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, I think he chose a quite magnificent name for the new starship captain. “Jean-Luc Picard” is imitative of one or both of the twin-brother Swiss scientists Auguste and Jean Felix Piccard. The role of Picard was played by the wonderful Shakespearean actor Patrick Stewart.

52 Vice president who resigned in 1973 : AGNEW

Spiro Agnew served as Vice-President under Richard Nixon, before becoming the only VP in American history to resign because of criminal charges (there was a bribery scandal). Agnew was also the first Greek-American to serve as US Vice President as he was the son of a Greek immigrant who had shortened the family name from Anagnostopoulos.

54 Tater : SPUD

The word “spud”, used as a slang term for “potato”, was first recorded in the mid-1800s, in New Zealand would you believe?

55 Channel showing game highlights : ESPN

The initialism “ESPN” stands for Entertainment Sports Programming Network. ESPN is a cable network that broadcasts sports programming 24 hours a day, and was launched back in 1979. ESPN has a lot of ardent fans. Several parents have named their children Espn (usually pronounced “Espen”) in honor of the network.

58 Sicilian stratovolcano : ETNA

Italy is home to three active volcanoes:

  • Stromboli (in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the north coast of Sicily)
  • Vesuvius (overlooking Naples)
  • Etna (on the island of Sicily)

59 “The Wire” character portrayed by Michael K. Williams : OMAR

I didn’t watch the HBO series called “The Wire” when it first aired. We ended up buying all five series on DVD and we watched the whole thing several years ago. It is a great drama series, and I thoroughly recommend it.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Fusses in front of the mirror, say : PRIMPS
7 Crudely mimicked : APED
11 Show hosts, for short : MCS
14 Like outdoor photos taken from above : AERIAL
15 Peacekeeping grp. since 1949 : NATO
16 Tuna type in sushi restaurants : AHI
17 Opponent who helps train a boxer : SPARRING PARTNER
20 Tribal family tree? : TOTEM POLE
21 Operatic solos : ARIAS
22 Broke a fast : ATE
23 Parsley, sage, rosemary or thyme : HERB
25 Spotify or TikTok : APP
26 ___ Bell (fast-food chain) : TACO
29 “Precisely!” : YES!
31 Female sheep : EWE
33 Coastal vista : SEASCAPE
37 Gastrophile : FOODIE
39 Most difficult challenge for many a student driver : PARALLEL PARKING
41 Related to stars : ASTRAL
42 White dogs, or bluish-gray cats : MALTESES
43 Airport code for Australia’s largest city : SYD
44 End of a soldier’s email address : MIL
46 YouTube button : PLAY
47 Lively energy : PEP
49 California valley known for its vineyards : NAPA
51 Belly up to the ___ : BAR
54 Narrative transition : SEGUE
56 Lead singer for Culture Club : BOY GEORGE
60 Place in an auto dealership to pick up wiper blades or spark plugs : PARTS DEPARTMENT
62 Take advantage of : USE
63 Quentin Tarantino’s “___ Fiction” : PULP
64 More ludicrous : INANER
65 Paintball filler : DYE
66 Prone to prying : NOSY
67 Common miniature golf goal … or a hint to what’s found in 17-, 39- and 60-Across : PAR TWO

Down

1 Farfalle, fettuccine or fusilli : PASTA
2 Transplant, as a flower : REPOT
3 Boiling mad : IRATE
4 Bog down : MIRE
5 Dish with chicken, veal or eggplant, familiarly : PARM
6 Inadvertent error : SLIP
7 What a protractor measures : ANGLE
8 Like onion or garlic skin : PAPERY
9 Letter after zeta : ETA
10 “___ the Explorer” : DORA
11 Combo offerings at nail salons : MANI-PEDIS
12 Cabernet or merlot sold in a box, say : CHEAP WINE
13 Titles for knights : SIRS
18 What goners have : NO HOPE
19 Lead-in to “la-la” : TRA-
24 Happen to : BEFALL
26 Bygone Russian ruler : TSAR
27 Happy as ___ : A CLAM
28 Dial a radio show, say : CALL IN
30 “Ish” : SORTA
32 Brain tests, in brief : EEGS
33 Health resorts : SPAS
34 “So simple!” : EASY-PEASY!
35 Credential for a painter or sculptor : ART DEGREE
36 Stately shade tree : ELM
38 “___-doke!” : OKEY
40 Tropical fruit with highly nutritious seeds : PAPAYA
45 Things stuck on file folders : LABELS
48 “To ___ it mildly …” : PUT
50 Red flower of wartime remembrance : POPPY
51 Actor Spiner of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” : BRENT
52 Vice president who resigned in 1973 : AGNEW
53 Having a throwback style : RETRO
54 Tater : SPUD
55 Channel showing game highlights : ESPN
57 Hold firmly : GRIP
58 Sicilian stratovolcano : ETNA
59 “The Wire” character portrayed by Michael K. Williams : OMAR
61 Couple of musicians : DUO