Constructed by: Zhouqin Burnikel
Edited by: Will Shortz
Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Reveal Answer: Yes
Themed answers each end with a homophone of the word “YES” written in a foreign language. Clever!
- 61D “That’s correct” … or a hint to the ends of 17-, 28-, 45- and 59-Across, in different languages : YES
- 17A Clearly visible : PLAIN TO SEE (giving the Spanish “si”)
- 28A Hoity-toity : LAH-DI-DAH (giving the Russian “da”)
- 45A Sets lofty goals : AIMS HIGH (giving the Japanese “hai”)
- 59A What egotists use instead of “I” : THE ROYAL WE (giving the French “oui”)
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Bill’s time: 4m 58s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
1 Preceder of Kitts, Lucia and Vincent in country names : SAINT …
Saint Kitts is the more familiar name for Saint Christopher Island, part of the West Indies. Saint Kitts, along with the neighboring island of Nevis, is part of the country known as the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. Saint Kitts has had a troubled history, with the Spanish, British and French all vying for control of the island. Most of the population today is descended from slaves brought onto Saint Kitts to farm tobacco and then sugar cane. Most of the slaves were from Africa, although Irish and Scottish slaves were also used.
The Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia has a population of less than 200,000. Remarkably, Saint Lucia has produced two Nobel Laureates: economist Arthur Lewis and poet Derek Walcott.
“Saint Vincent and the Grenadines” is the full name of the Caribbean nation that’s usually referred to simply as “Saint Vincent”. The Grenadines are a chain of 32 islands, of which Saint Vincent is the larger.
6 Inexpensive sneakers brand : KEDS
Keds is a brand of athletic shoe first introduced in 1916 by US Rubber. The shoe was originally marketed as a rubber-soled, canvas-topped sneaker. Keds celebrated the company’s centennial with a “Ladies First Since 1916” campaign that focuses on female empowerment.
14 Sleeping problem : APNEA
Sleep apnea (“apnoea” in British English) can be caused by an obstruction in the airways, possibly due to obesity or enlarged tonsils.
15 Showy peacock feature : TAIL
The female peafowl, the peahen, has very dull plumage compared to the extravagant display on the tail of the peacock.
16 ___-Lago (presidential retreat) : MAR-A
Mar-a-Lago is resort in Palm Beach, Florida that was built in the 1920s by Marjorie Merriweather Post, the only child and heiress to the fortune accumulated by cereal manufacturer C. W. Post. The name “Mar-a-Lago” translates from Spanish as “Sea-to-Lake”, and is a reference to the fact that property extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Lake Worth Lagoon, which is part of the Intracoastal Waterway. When Post died in 1973, she willed it to the US government for use as a Winter White House. The federal government returned the resort to the Post Foundation ten years later due to the high cost of maintenance and difficulties in maintaining security. Donald Trump purchased Mar-a-Lago in 1985, and the resort finally became an alternative to the White House after he was became US president.
22 Major event in golf or tennis : US OPEN
Golf’s US Open Championship is held on the third Sunday of every June, which also happens to be Father’s Day. The first US Open was held in 1894. 36 holes were played over one day on a 9-hole course in Newport, Rhode Island.
The US Open is one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, having started out as the US National Championship in 1881. Today, the US Open is the last major tournament in the Grand Slam annual series, following the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon.
24 Iran’s capital : TEHRAN
Tehran is the capital of Iran and is the largest city in the Middle East, with a population of about 8.5 million. Iran has been around a really long time and Tehran is actually the country’s 31st national capital.
27 Uncle in patriotic posters : SAM
The famous “I want YOU for the US Army” poster dates back to 1917. It depicts Uncle Sam pointing to the viewer, encouraging young men to report to the nearest recruiting station. The poster was designed by J. M. Flagg and is based on the similar British poster showing Lord Kitchener that was first issued three years earlier.
28 Hoity-toity : LAH-DI-DAH (giving the Russian “da”)
Believe it or not, the term “hoity-toity” has been in the English language since the 1660s, but back then it meant “riotous behavior”. It began to mean “haughty” in the late 1800s, simply because the “haughty” sounds similar to “hoity”.
31 Sgts.’ superiors : LTS
The rank of lieutenant (lt.) is superior to the rank of sergeant (sgt.).
36 Fey of “Baby Mama” : TINA
“Baby Mama” is a 2008 film starring Tina Fey as successful single businesswoman who hires a surrogate mother (played by Amy Poehler). “Baby mama” is a term used these days as an alternative to “single mother”.
37 Alternative to Chicago’s Midway : O’HARE
The IATA airport code for O’Hare International in Chicago is ORD, which comes from Orchard Place Airport/Douglas Field (OR-D).
Midway Airport (MDW) started off with just one cinder runway in 1923, and was called Chicago Air Park. By 1927 the airport had expanded and earned the name Chicago Municipal Airport. In 1932 Midway was the world’s busiest airport, a title it held for thirty years. In 1949, in honor of the WWII Battle of Midway, the airport was renamed again to Chicago Midway Airport. Then in 1955, along came Chicago International Airport and all the major airlines started moving their operations over to the newer facility. Today, Midway is a major hub for Southwest.
39 Reagan ___ (1981-89) : ERA
Ronald Reagan started out his political career as a member of the Democratic Party, but switched to the Republicans in the early fifties. Reagan served as Governor of California for eight years, and vied unsuccessfully for the nomination for US President on two occasions. He finally succeeded in 1980 and defeated President Jimmy Carter to become the 40th US President in 1981.
40 Particulars, in slang : DEETS
“Deets” is slang for “details”.
41 Follower of Lovers’ or Lois : LANE
Lois Lane has been the love interest of Superman/Clark Kent since the comic series was first published in 1938. Lois and Clark both work for the big newspaper in the city of Metropolis called “The Daily Planet”. The couple finally got hitched in the comics (and on television’s “Lois and Clark”) in 1996. One has to wonder how challenging the crossword is in “The Daily Planet” …
42 Eating outing : PICNIC
Our term “picnic” comes from the French word that now has the same meaning, namely “pique-nique”. The original “pique-nique” was a fashionable potluck affair, and not necessarily held outdoors.
56 What an emoji depicts : MOOD
An emoji is a character found on many cell phones that is much like an emoticon, but is more elaborate.
58 Lena of “Chocolat” : OLIN
Lena Olin is a Swedish actress, and clearly someone who had acting in her blood. Her mother was the actress Britta Holmberg and her father the actor and director Stig Olin. Olin had a very successful career in Sweden, often working with the great Ingmar Bergman. Olin’s breakthrough international and English-speaking role was playing opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” released in 1988. Way back in 1974, the lovely Miss Olin was crowned Miss Scandinavia in a beauty pageant for Nordic women held in Helsinki, Finland. Olin’s most famous performance was in “Chocolat” released in 2000, and then she won an Emmy in 2003 for Best Supporting actress in the TV show “Alias”.
The movie “Chocolat” released in 2000 is a big screen adaption of the novel of the same name by Joanne Harris. “Chocolat” tells the story of a young mother with a six-year-old daughter who opens up a chocolate shop in a French village. The mother is played by the talented Juliette Binoche.
59 What egotists use instead of “I” : THE ROYAL WE (giving the French “oui”)
The “royal we” is more correctly called the “majestic plural”, and is the use of a plural pronoun to describe a single person in a high office. I suppose the most often quoted phrase that uses the majestic plural is “We are not amused”, which is often attributed to Queen Victoria. The editorial we is a similar concept, in which a newspaper editor or columnist refers to himself or herself as “we” when giving an opinion.
64 Funny DeGeneres : ELLEN
Ellen DeGeneres is a very, very successful TV personality, having parlayed her career in stand-up comedy into lucrative gigs as an actress and talk show host. Back in 1997 DeGeneres chose the “Oprah Winfrey Show” to announce that she was a lesbian. Her character on “The Ellen Show” also came out as a lesbian in a scene with her therapist, who was played by Oprah Winfrey. Nice twist!
66 Chinese lap dog, informally : PEKE
The pekingese (“peke”) breed originated in China, as one might suspect from the name. Breeding practices have resulted in the the dog having many health problems, including breathing issues related to the “desirable” flat face. Standards have been changed in recent years, demanding an “evident muzzle” in an attempt to breed healthier “pekes”.
67 What strawberries have on the outside that most fruits have on the inside : SEEDS
An achene is a simple, one-seeded dry fruit that is produced by some flowering plants. The so-called “seeds” of strawberries are actually achenes. The strawberry’s seed is found inside the achene. The strawberry itself is an aggregate fruit with lots of achenes that are attached to accessory tissue, albeit very delicious accessory tissue.
Down
2 High-level H.S. English subject : AP LIT
The Advanced Placement (AP) program offers college-level courses to kids who are still in high school. After being tested at the end of the courses, successful students receive credits that count towards a college degree.
6 Neighborhood to get kimchi and bibimbap, informally : K-TOWN
Koreatown (K-Town)
Kimchi is a traditional dish from Korea. The original kimchi is made from fermented vegetables, and is pretty strong stuff …
The name of the Korean dish bibimbap translates literally as “mixed rice”, with “bibim” meaning “mixed ingredients” and “bap” meaning “rice”. Generally, the dish comes as a bowl of white rice topped with sautéed vegetables flavored with chili pepper paste. Variants often include a fried egg and sliced beef.
9 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.
11 Latin motto for a go-getter : CARPE DIEM
“Carpe diem” is a quotation from Horace, one of Ancient Rome’s leading lyric poets. “Carpe diem” translates from Latin as “seize the day” or “enjoy the day”. The satirical motto of a procrastinator is “carpe mañana”, “translating” as “seize tomorrow”.
12 Lake that feeds the Niagara River : ERIE
The mighty Niagara River flows from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, and forms part of the border between the US and Canada. The river is only about 35 miles long, so some describe it as a “strait”. It has a drop in elevation of 325 feet along its length, with 165 feet of that drop taking place at Niagara Falls.
13 “___ the torpedoes …!” : DAMN
The Battle of Mobile Bay took place in 1864 during the Civil War. Famously, the Federal forces led by Admiral David Farragut raced through a minefield in order to get out of range of shore-based runs, even after one of his shops had been lost to the underwater explosives. Also during the engagement, Farragut is reputed to have ordered one of his ships to move ahead rather than slow down when faced with the danger of torpedoes … “Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!”
18 Sentiment from a Latino lover : TE AMO
“I love you” translates into “te amo” in Spanish, and into “je t’aime” in French.
26 “Cosmos” co-creator Carl : SAGAN
“Cosmos: A Personal Journey” is a TV show co-written and presented by astronomer Carl Sagan. Originally airing in 1980, it was the most-watched series in the history of public television until Ken Burns started to produce his documentaries a decade later. Sagan’s opening words for the series are:
The Cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be. Our feeblest contemplations of the Cosmos stir us — there is a tingling in the spine, a catch in the voice, a faint sensation, as if a distant memory, of falling from a height. We know we are approaching the greatest of mysteries.
30 ___ browns (side dish) : HASH
Hash, meaning a dish of beef and vegetables mashed together, is a very American dish and one that really surprised me when I first came across it. “Hash” just seems like such an unappetizing item, but I soon found out how delicious it was. The name “hash” in this context comes from the French “hacher” meaning “to chop”. Back in the early 1900s the dish called “hashed browned potatoes” was developed, which quickly morphed into “hash browns”. From there the likes of corned beef hash was introduced.
31 1970 hit for the Kinks : LOLA
“Lola” is a fabulous song that was written by Ray Davies and released by the Kinks back in 1970. Inspired by a real life incident, the lyrics tell of young man who met a young “lady” in a club, danced with her, and then discovered “she” was actually a transvestite. The storyline isn’t very traditional, but the music is superb.
32 Person from Bangkok : THAI
Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand. The exact etymology of the name “Bangkok” seems unclear, although “bang” is a Thai word for “a village situated on a stream”.
33 Country completely surrounded by Italy : SAN MARINO
San Marino is a small enclave in northern Italy with an area of just under 25 square miles. It is the oldest sovereign state and constitutional republic in the world, and has the world’s oldest constitution (dating back to 1600). What is most impressive to me is that San Marino has no national debt and a budget surplus. One can only dream …
40 Popular rodent control brand : D-CON
d-Con is a line of rodent control products that has been around for over 50 years.
42 Break at the Indy 500 : PIT STOP
The Indianapolis 500 race is held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. The race is run around a 2.5 mile oval, hence requiring 200 laps for completion. The first Indy 500 race was held on Memorial Day in 1911. The winner that day was one Ray Harroun. Harroun had seen someone using a rear view mirror on a horse-drawn vehicle, and decided to fit one on his Marmon “Wasp” motor car. Supposedly, that was the first ever use of a rear view mirror on a motor vehicle.
43 Boise’s state : IDAHO
Boise, Idaho is the largest metropolitan area in the state by far. There are a number of stories pertaining to the etymology of the name “Boise”. One is that French trappers called the tree-lined river that ran through the area “la rivière boisée”, meaning “the wooded river”.
48 Husk-wrapped food item : 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.
50 Strong suit : FORTE
A person’s forte is his or her strength. The term “forte” came into English via French from the Latin “fortis” meaning strong. “Forte” is also a musical direction meaning “loud”.
51 Esther of “Good Times” : ROLLE
Esther Rolle was an actress best known for playing the character Florida Evans on the sitcom “Maude” and on the show’s spinoff “Good Times”.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Preceder of Kitts, Lucia and Vincent in country names : SAINT …
6 Inexpensive sneakers brand : KEDS
10 ___ tea : ICED
14 Sleeping problem : APNEA
15 Showy peacock feature : TAIL
16 ___-Lago (presidential retreat) : MAR-A
17 Clearly visible : PLAIN TO SEE (giving the Spanish “si”)
19 Overly proper : PRIM
20 Belt out a tune : SING
21 Mother sheep : EWE
22 Major event in golf or tennis : US OPEN
24 Iran’s capital : TEHRAN
26 Like two-week-old bread : STALE
27 Uncle in patriotic posters : SAM
28 Hoity-toity : LAH-DI-DAH (giving the Russian “da”)
31 Sgts.’ superiors : LTS
34 Holders for emergency supplies : GO-BAGS
36 Fey of “Baby Mama” : TINA
37 Alternative to Chicago’s Midway : O’HARE
39 Reagan ___ (1981-89) : ERA
40 Particulars, in slang : DEETS
41 Follower of Lovers’ or Lois : LANE
42 Eating outing : PICNIC
44 “Not impressed” : MEH
45 Sets lofty goals : AIMS HIGH (giving the Japanese “hai”)
47 Preceder of com or org : DOT
49 Sharp, as pain : ACUTE
50 Unauthorized drawings of favorite characters : FAN ART
53 Bits of parsley : SPRIGS
55 “That was stupid of me!” : D’OH!
56 What an emoji depicts : MOOD
58 Lena of “Chocolat” : OLIN
59 What egotists use instead of “I” : THE ROYAL WE (giving the French “oui”)
62 Affectionate, as a farewell : FOND
63 Force from office : OUST
64 Funny DeGeneres : ELLEN
65 “Terrible” years for kids : TWOS
66 Chinese lap dog, informally : PEKE
67 What strawberries have on the outside that most fruits have on the inside : SEEDS
Down
1 Gullible sorts : SAPS
2 High-level H.S. English subject : AP LIT
3 Totally silly : INANE
4 Sounds from a stable : NEIGHS
5 Light brown : TAN
6 Neighborhood to get kimchi and bibimbap, informally : K-TOWN
7 Simplicity : EASE
8 Go “pfft” : DIE
9 Detectives : SLEUTHS
10 Ill-mannered : IMPOLITE
11 Latin motto for a go-getter : CARPE DIEM
12 Lake that feeds the Niagara River : ERIE
13 “___ the torpedoes …!” : DAMN
18 Sentiment from a Latino lover : TE AMO
23 Melancholy : SAD
25 Rant and rave : RAGE
26 “Cosmos” co-creator Carl : SAGAN
28 Conifer that loses its needles in the autumn : LARCH
29 Poker stake : ANTE
30 ___ browns (side dish) : HASH
31 1970 hit for the Kinks : LOLA
32 Person from Bangkok : THAI
33 Country completely surrounded by Italy : SAN MARINO
35 Light, light brown : BEIGE
38 Takes back, as an offer : RESCINDS
40 Popular rodent control brand : D-CON
42 Break at the Indy 500 : PIT STOP
43 Boise’s state : IDAHO
46 Greeting from Grandma : HUG
48 Husk-wrapped food item : TAMALE
50 Strong suit : FORTE
51 Esther of “Good Times” : ROLLE
52 Hauled to the impound lot, say : TOWED
53 Pillowy : SOFT
54 Ground breaker : PLOW
55 Office furniture : DESK
57 Scout groups : DENS
60 Shade : HUE
61 “That’s correct” … or a hint to the ends of 17-, 28-, 45- and 59-Across, in different languages : YES
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