Constructed by: Jeff McDermott
Edited by: Will Shortz
Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Reveal Answer: Julep
Themed answers each begin with an ingredient in a mint JULEP:
- 36A Libation made from the beginnings of 17-, 23-, 49- and 59-Across : JULEP
- 17A 1990 #1 hit that begins “Yo, V.I.P., let’s kick it!” : ICE ICE BABY
- 23A Main drag through New Orleans’s French Quarter : BOURBON STREET
- 49A Never-used state : MINT CONDITION
- 59A Wealthy boyfriend, perhaps : SUGAR DADDY
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Bill’s time: 5m 26s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
5 Gobble (down) : SNARF
To snarf down is to gobble up, to eat voraciously. “Snarf” is a slang term that is probably related to “scarf”, which has the same meaning.
14 Loos : LAVS
Our word “lavatory” (sometimes “lav”) originally referred to a washbasin, and comes from the Latin “lavatorium”, a place for washing. In the 1600s, “lavatory” came to mean a washroom, and in the 1920s a toilet.
15 Ralph who ran for president four times : NADER
Ralph Nader has run as a third-party candidate for the office of President of the United States four times now, in every election from 1996 to 2008. Nader’s name was first first linked with the presidential race in 1971, when the famous Dr. Benjamin Spock offered to stand aside as candidate in the 1972 race if Nader would agree to run, but he declined.
17 1990 #1 hit that begins “Yo, V.I.P., let’s kick it!” : ICE ICE BABY
“Ice Ice Baby” is a 1990 song released by rap artist Vanilla Ice. What’s unusual about “Ice Ice Baby” is that it’s a rap song this oldster will actually listen to sometimes. Admittedly, that’s because it features a bassline lifted directly from the 1981 song “Under Pressure” by Queen. And, the lifting of the bassline led to quite a bit of controversy and a lawsuit.
20 The “p” of m.p.h. : PER
Miles per hour (mph)
21 Rock’s Kings of ___ : LEON
Kings of Leon is an American rock band formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band members are all related to each other and chose the group’s name in honor of their common grandfather, whose given name is “Leon”.
22 Retro photo tint : SEPIA
Sepia is that rich, brown-grey color so common in old photographs. “Sepia” is the Latinized version of the Greek word for cuttlefish, as sepia pigment is derived from the ink sac of the cuttlefish. Sepia ink was commonly used for writing and drawing as far back as ancient Rome and ancient Greece. The “sepia tone” of old photographs is not the result of deterioration over time. Rather, it is the result of a deliberate preservation process which converts the metallic silver in the photographic image to a more stable silver sulfide. Prints that have been sepia-toned can last in excess of 150 years.
23 Main drag through New Orleans’s French Quarter : BOURBON STREET
When New Orleans was founded by the French, the House of Bourbon was ruling France. Bourbon Street was named in its honor.
35 Kind of torch : TIKI
A tiki torch is a bamboo torch that’s commonly used in Tiki culture. Tiki culture is a relatively modern invention dating from the 20th century, and is the experience created in Polynesian-style restaurants. The word “Tiki” is borrowed from Polynesia.
36 Libation made from the beginnings of 17-, 23-, 49- and 59-Across : JULEP
A mint julep is a bourbon-based cocktail that is associated with the American South, and with the Kentucky Derby in particular. If you’d like to make yourself a mint julep, one recipe is:
- 3 oz of Bourbon
- 4-6 sprigs of mint
- granulated sugar to taste
Back in the 14th century, libation was the pouring of wine in the honor of a god. The term “libation” comes from the Latin word “libare”, which basically means the same thing. Nowadays we tend to use “libation” as a somewhat ornate word for a drink.
37 Ricelike pasta : ORZO
Orzo is pasta that has been formed into granular shapes, much like barley. And indeed, “orzo” is the Italian word for “barley”. Orzo is also called “risoni”, meaning “large rice”.
41 ___ and Ladders (classic board game) : CHUTES
The game of “Snakes and Ladders” is usually sold as “Chutes and Ladders” in the US. Milton Bradley introduced “chutes” instead of “snakes” in 1943 as children weren’t too fond of snakes back then. Snakes/Chutes and Ladders is based on an ancient Indian game.
43 About 85% of Iberia : SPAIN
Spain is the second largest country in the European Union (after France). “Spain” is an anglicized form of the Spanish name “España”, which comes from the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula “Hispania”.
The Iberian Peninsula in Europe is largely made up of Spain and Portugal. However, also included is the Principality of Andorra in the Pyrénées, a small part of the south of France, and the British Territory of Gibraltar. Iberia takes its name from the Ebro, the longest river in Spain, which the Romans named the “Iber”.
44 Blood-typing letters : ABO
The most important grouping of blood types is the ABO system. Blood is classified as either A, B, AB or O, depending on the type of antigens on the surface of the red blood cells. A secondary designation of blood is the Rh factor, in which other antigens are labelled as either positive or negative. When a patient receives a blood transfusion, ideally the donor blood should be the same type as that of the recipient, as incompatible blood cells can be rejected. However, blood type O-neg can be accepted by recipients with all blood types, A, B, AB or O, and positive or negative. Hence someone with O-neg blood type is called a universal donor.
47 Game with Reverse cards : UNO
UNO is a card game that was developed in the early seventies and that has been sold by Mattel since 1992. UNO falls into the shedding family of card games, meaning that the goal is to get rid of all your cards while preventing opponents from doing the same.
48 Telecommunications giant that merged with T-Mobile in 2020 : SPRINT
The company that we know today as Sprint has a history that is linked with the Southern Pacific railroad company. Southern Pacific developed a microwave communication system for its internal use across its network using rights-of-way associated with the company’s extensive railway lines. In the early seventies, the company laid huge lengths of fiber optic cable in those rights-of-way, alongside the tracks, primarily for internal use. The railroad sold excess fiber capacity to private companies, allowing those companies to operate long distance telephone service outside of AT&T, which at that time had a long-distance monopoly. Southern Pacific took advantage of changing FCC regulations and started offering voice service directly to consumers. That service was offered under the name SPRINT, an acronym that stood for Southern Pacific Railroad Internal Networking Telephony. Very interesting …
T-Mobile is a German telecommunications company, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom. Deutsche Telekom has used the “T” prefix for a number of its services, including T-Com, T-Online and T-Home.
54 “Dies ___” (hymn) : IRAE
“Dies Irae” is Latin for “Day of Wrath”. It is the name of a famous melody in Gregorian Chant, one that is often used as part of the Roman Catholic Requiem Mass.
62 Uber request : RIDE
The basic service offered by ride-hailing company Uber is known as UberX. The service provides a private ride for up to four passengers in a standard car. UberXL provides a minivan or SUV with room for up to 6 passengers.
63 Apt letters missing from con_ _m_ _a_e : TAINT
The letters “TAINT” are found in the word “CONTAMINATE”.
66 Dubious sightings in the Himalayas : YETIS
The yeti, also known as the abominable snowman, is a beast of legend. “Yeti” is a Tibetan term, and the beast is fabled to live in the Himalayan regions of Nepal and Tibet. Our equivalent legend in North America is that of Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch. The study of animals whose existence have not yet been substantiated is called cryptozoology, and a cryptid is a creature or plant that isn’t recognized by the scientific community, but the existence of which has been suggested.
The magnificent Himalaya range of mountains in Asia takes its name from the Sanskrit for “abode of snow”. Geographically, the Himalaya separates the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau to the north.
67 Ophthalmologists’ focus : EYES
Ophthalmology is that branch of medicine dealing with the physiology and health of the eye. “Ophthalmos” is the Greek word for “eye”.
Down
2 Doily feature : LACE
There was a draper in London in the seventeenth century named Doiley, and he gave his name to the lace fabric that he sold. The fabric in turn gave its name to the ornamental mat that we call a “doily”. I can’t stand doilies …
4 Letter before omega : PSI
Psi is the 23rd and penultimate letter of the Greek alphabet, and the one that looks a bit like a trident or a pitchfork.
6 Bigwig : NABOB
A nabob is a person of wealth and prominence. “Nabob” was once used as a title for a governor in India.
A bigwig is someone important. The use of the term “bigwig” harks back to the days when men of authority and rank wore … big wigs.
7 John Hersey’s “A Bell for ___” : ADANO
“A Bell for Adano” is a novel written by John Hersey. Hersey’s story is about an Italian-American US Army officer, Major Joppolo, who found a replacement for a town’s bell stolen by fascists. “A Bell for Adano” was made into a film in 1945, the same year the novel won a Pulitzer.
8 Graycoat, in the Civil War : REB
During the Civil War, a soldier in the Confederate army was often referred to as a “reb” or a “gray”.
11 Taiwan’s capital : TAIPEI
Taipei (officially “Taipei City”) is the capital of Taiwan (officially “the Republic of China”). “Taipei” translates from Chinese as “Northern Taiwan City” and indeed, the capital is situated at the northern tip of Taiwan. The city is nicknamed “City of Azaleas” as flowers are said to bloom better in Taipei than in any other city on the island.
13 Like rococo decoration : ORNATE
The rococo style is also known as “late baroque”. Rococo is a very floral and playful style, very ornate.
22 ___ Lee, longtime head of Marvel Comics : STAN
Stan Lee did just about everything at Marvel Comics over the years, from writing to being president and chairman of the board. If you like superhero movies based on the characters from Marvel Comics, then you could spend a few hours trying to spot Stan Lee in those films as he had a penchant for making cameo appearances. Lee can be spotted in “X-Men” (2000), “Spider-Man” (2002), “Hulk” (2003), “Fantastic Four” (2005), “Iron Man” (2008) and many other films.
24 ___ fiber : OPTIC
Optical fibers are lengths of glass or plastic that are slightly thicker than a human hair. They are usually bundled into cables, and then used for transmission of data signals. Optical transmission has advantages over electrical transmission, especially in terms of interference and loss of signal strength.
25 Vetoes : NIXES
The use of “to nix” as a verb, meaning “to shoot down”, dates back to the early 1900s. Before that, “nix” was just a noun meaning “nothing”. “Nix” comes from the German “nichts”, which also means “nothing”.
27 Retired cross-Atlantic jet, for short : SST
Supersonic transport (SST)
28 Second letter before omega : CHI
The Greek letter chi is the one that looks like our Roman letter X.
32 Informal bed : FUTON
Anyone lucky enough to have visited Japan might be familiar with the traditional Japanese futon. Unlike what we tend to call futon in this country, the Japanese original is a padded mattress and quilt. Japanese futons are usually rolled up in the morning so that the space used for sleeping can be repurposed during the day.
33 Pint glass filler : ALE
The many, many different styles of beer can generally be sorted into two groups: ales and lagers. Ales are fermented at relatively warm temperatures for relatively short periods of time, and use top-fermenting yeasts, i.e. yeasts that float on top of the beer as it ferments. Lagers ferment at relatively low temperatures and for relatively long periods of time. Lagers use bottom-fermenting yeasts, i.e. yeasts that fall to the bottom of the beer as it ferments.
34 Camera setup often worn on the head : GOPRO
GoPro is a company that makes high-definition video cameras that have a rugged design. Famously, GoPro cameras are used in extreme conditions. For example, they are often mounted on moving vehicles or used by people playing sports. Recently, two astronauts on the International Space Station inserted a GoPro camera inside a floating ball of water, and then showed the view from inside the ball of water. Amazing footage …
36 Queen of the gods, in Roman myth : JUNO
Juno was the patron goddess of Rome and the Roman Empire, and also looked after the interests of the women of Rome. She was the sister and wife of Jupiter, the king of the Roman gods.
39 Fruity red wine, familiarly : ZIN
Zinfandel is one of my favorite red wine varietals. It amazes me that the rich and heavy red Zinfandel comes from the same grape as does the sweet White Zinfandel.
40 Toronto’s prov. : ONT
Beautiful Toronto, Ontario is the largest city in Canada, and the fourth most populous city in North America (after Mexico City, New York and Los Angeles).
42 With 19-Across, pal of Tom Sawyer : HUCK …
(19A See 42-Down : … FINN)
“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain was first published in 1884, not here in the US but rather in England. The original launch planned for the US had to be delayed until the following year because some rascal had defaced the plate for one of the illustrations, making an obscene joke. Once the problem was spotted a new plate had to be made, and 30,000 copies already printed had to be reworked to cover up the obscenity.
44 Translucent fossilized resins : AMBERS
Amber’s technical name is “resinite”, reflecting its composition and formation. Amber starts out life as soft sticky tree resin but then under high temperature and pressure from overlying layers of soil, it fossilizes. The sticky resin can trap organisms or other plant matter, and this material can sometimes remain virtually intact inside the amber fossil giving us a unique gift from the past.
45 Three strokes on a par-4 hole, e.g. : BIRDIE
The following terms are routinely used in golf for scores relative to par:
- Bogey: one over par
- Par
- Birdie: one under par
- Eagle: two under par
- Albatross (also “double eagle”): three under par
- Condor: four under par
No one has ever recorded a condor during a professional tournament.
46 Upstate New York river or lake : ONEIDA
Oneida Lake is the largest lake lying entirely within the state of New York. Oneida is situated close to New York’s Finger Lakes, but it isn’t one of them. Having said that, some regard Oneida Lake as the “thumb” that goes along with the “fingers”.
50 Spud : TATER
The word “spud”, used as a slang term for “potato”, was first recorded in the mid-1800s, in New Zealand would you believe?
52 Tehran native : IRANI
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.
60 Dubai and Abu Dhabi are part of it: Abbr. : UAE
Abu Dhabi is one of the seven Emirates that make up the federation known as the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The two largest members of the UAE (geographically) are Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the only two of the seven members that have veto power over UAE policy. Before 1971, the UAE was a British Protectorate, a collection of sheikdoms. The sheikdoms entered into a maritime truce with Britain in 1835, after which they became known as the Trucial States, derived from the word “truce”.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 See 1-Down : … CLOP
5 Gobble (down) : SNARF
10 ___ the Great (10th-century Holy Roman emperor) : OTTO
14 Loos : LAVS
15 Ralph who ran for president four times : NADER
16 Word repeated in “What’s ___ is ___” : FAIR
17 1990 #1 hit that begins “Yo, V.I.P., let’s kick it!” : ICE ICE BABY
19 See 42-Down : … FINN
20 The “p” of m.p.h. : PER
21 Rock’s Kings of ___ : LEON
22 Retro photo tint : SEPIA
23 Main drag through New Orleans’s French Quarter : BOURBON STREET
27 Checks (out) : SCOPES
29 Once ___ lifetime : IN A
30 Rage : IRE
31 Photos : SHOTS
32 Obsolescent means of sending documents : FAXING
35 Kind of torch : TIKI
36 Libation made from the beginnings of 17-, 23-, 49- and 59-Across : JULEP
37 Ricelike pasta : ORZO
41 ___ and Ladders (classic board game) : CHUTES
43 About 85% of Iberia : SPAIN
44 Blood-typing letters : ABO
47 Game with Reverse cards : UNO
48 Telecommunications giant that merged with T-Mobile in 2020 : SPRINT
49 Never-used state : MINT CONDITION
53 Respite : BREAK
54 “Dies ___” (hymn) : IRAE
55 Vote in favor : YEA
58 Computer menu bar heading : EDIT
59 Wealthy boyfriend, perhaps : SUGAR DADDY
62 Uber request : RIDE
63 Apt letters missing from con_ _m_ _a_e : TAINT
64 Amount an employee earns : WAGE
65 Burn superficially : SEAR
66 Dubious sightings in the Himalayas : YETIS
67 Ophthalmologists’ focus : EYES
Down
1 With 1-Across, sound of a carriage horse : CLIP …
2 Doily feature : LACE
3 What airlines sometimes do, causing headaches : OVERBOOK
4 Letter before omega : PSI
5 Scoffs (at) : SNEERS
6 Bigwig : NABOB
7 John Hersey’s “A Bell for ___” : ADANO
8 Graycoat, in the Civil War : REB
9 Word after deep, stir or small : … FRY
10 Figure in a negotiation : OFFER
11 Taiwan’s capital : TAIPEI
12 Like atoms vis-à-vis molecules : TINIER
13 Like rococo decoration : ORNATE
18 Things detectives look for : CLUES
22 ___ Lee, longtime head of Marvel Comics : STAN
24 ___ fiber : OPTIC
25 Vetoes : NIXES
26 Scissor cut : SNIP
27 Retired cross-Atlantic jet, for short : SST
28 Second letter before omega : CHI
32 Informal bed : FUTON
33 Pint glass filler : ALE
34 Camera setup often worn on the head : GOPRO
36 Queen of the gods, in Roman myth : JUNO
38 Time to set aside money for, in a saying : RAINY DAY
39 Fruity red wine, familiarly : ZIN
40 Toronto’s prov. : ONT
42 With 19-Across, pal of Tom Sawyer : HUCK …
43 Worked as a secret agent : SPIED
44 Translucent fossilized resins : AMBERS
45 Three strokes on a par-4 hole, e.g. : BIRDIE
46 Upstate New York river or lake : ONEIDA
48 Begins : STARTS
50 Spud : TATER
51 Toe, e.g. : DIGIT
52 Tehran native : IRANI
56 Cutting part of a knife : EDGE
57 Sailors’ affirmatives : AYES
59 It’s a mess : STY
60 Dubai and Abu Dhabi are part of it: Abbr. : UAE
61 Wonderment : AWE
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