0224-23 NY Times Crossword 24 Feb 23, Friday

Constructed by: Margaret Seikel & Sophia Maymudes
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: None

Bill’s time: 12m 22s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Cover story : ALIBI

“Alibi” is the Latin word for “elsewhere” as in, “I claim that I was ‘elsewhere’ when the crime was committed, I have an ‘alibi’”.

11 Kings and queens, e.g. : PIECES

It is believed that the game of chess originated in northwest India. It evolved from a 6th-century game called “chaturanga”, a Sanskrit word meaning “four divisions”. These four (military) divisions were represented in the game:

  • Infantry (now “pawns”)
  • Cavalry (now “knights”)
  • Elephants (now “bishops”)
  • Chariots (now “rooks”)

15 Transport in the film “Roman Holiday” : MOPED

The word “moped” was coined in 1952 by a Swedish journalist named Harald Nielsen. The term is a portmanteau of “motor” and “pedal”.

18 Gaelic tongue : ERSE

There are actually three Erse languages: Irish, Manx (spoken on the Isle of Man) and Scots Gaelic. In their own tongues, these would be “Gaeilge” (in Ireland), “Gaelg” (on the Isle of Man) and “Gaidhlig” (in Scotland).

19 Smart ___ : ALEC

Apparently, the original “smart Alec” (sometimes “Aleck”) was one Alec Hoag, a pimp, thief and confidence trickster who plied his trade in New York City in the 1840s.

20 What musicians pluck on an mbira : TINE

A mbira is a musical instrument from Africa. It consists of metal tines attached to a wooden board that are plucked using the thumbs. The mbira is sometimes referred to as the African thumb piano.

22 One who collects just for kicks? : SNEAKERHEAD

“Sneaker” is a common name for an athletic shoe, one that is now used as everyday casual wear. The term “sneaker” is used widely across the US. Back in my homeland of Ireland, the terms “trainers” and “tennis shoes” are more common.

27 Wayne ___ : MANOR

Wayne Manor is the home of Bruce Wayne, the alter-ego of Batman. It is a huge manor that lies just outside Gotham City. Looking after the house is the Wayne family servant, Alfred. Beneath the grounds of the manor is an extensive cave system where Bruce Wayne put together his Batcave. Access to the cave is via a staircase behind a hidden door. The door is opened by moving the hands of a non-functioning grandfather clock to 10:47, the time at which Wayne’s parents were murdered. It is the murder of his parents that sets Bruce off on his journey of crime fighting.

28 Sources of psilocybin, informally : SHROOMS

Psilocybin is a compound found in many fungi species that converts to a psychedelic (psilocin) when metabolized. Absorbing psilocybin results in mind-altering effects similar to those produced by mescaline and LSD.

34 Nordic noir author Larsson : STIEG

Stieg Larsson was a Swedish journalist and writer. Indeed, one of the main characters in his “Millennium” series of novels is a journalist as well. The first two titles in the series are “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” and “The Girl Who Played with Fire”. The last of the three titles in the Millennium series is “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest”, which was the most-sold book in the US in 2010. All of the books in the series were published after Larsson’s death. He passed away from a heart attack while climbing several flights of stairs, when he was just 50 years old.

36 Two-bit : CHEAPO

The American quarter is a little unusual in the world of decimal currency, if you think about it. Most currencies have a “20-cent” coin, which is easier to work with mathematically. The US went for the quarter in deference to the practice of dividing Spanish Milled Dollars into eight wedge-shaped “bits”. That’s also why the quarter is sometimes referred to as “two bits”. We’ve been using the adjective “two-bit” to mean “cheap, tawdry” at least since 1929. State quarters were introduced in 1999.

37 Green cappuccino alternative : MATCHA LATTE

Matcha is a powder made by grinding dried, green tea leaves. The selected tea bushes are heavily shaded for several weeks prior to harvest, which stimulates the production of chlorophyll resulting in darker green leaves. Matcha is used in East Asian cuisines to prepare tea for drinking, and also as an ingredient in dishes such as ice cream, cakes and sushi rolls.

43 Word with snake or four : … EYES

“Snake eyes” is a slang term describing a roll of two dice in which one pip turns up on each die.

45 One end of Suez? : ZEE

One end of the word “Suez” is a letter Z (zee)

48 ___ Hunt, Tom Cruise’s role in “Mission: Impossible” : ETHAN

It was Tom Cruise’s idea to adapt the “Mission: Impossible” television series for the big screen, and it became the first project for Cruise’s own production company. Cruise took on the starring role of Ethan Hunt, the point man for the Impossible Missions Force (IMF).

53 Workplace for a roughneck : OIL RIG

A roughneck is a crew member on an oil rig.

54 Sweater over a turtleneck, say : LAYER

Until the early 1880s, the word “sweater” applied to clothing worn specifically for weight reduction by “sweating”.

The garment that we know as a “turtleneck” here in North America, is called a “polo neck” or “roll-neck” on the other side of the Atlantic, and a “skivvy” in Australia and New Zealand.

55 One side of a ’90s boy band rivalry : NSYNC

NSYNC was a boy band from Orlando, Florida that was formed in 1995. The name of the group came from a comment by the mother of band member Justin Timberlake, who said the boys voices sounded “in sync”. But, it’s also true that the letters of the name NSYNC are the last letters of the given names of the five band members:

  • Justin Timberlake
  • Chris Kirkpatrick
  • Joey Fatone
  • Lance “Lansten” Bass
  • JC Chasez

Down

1 “Save Me” singer Mann : AIMEE

“Save Me” is a 1999 song written and recorded by Aimee Mann. It was used in the 1999 drama film “Magnolia”, and earned a nomination for that season’s Best Original Song Oscar. The accompanying music video features Mann inserted into scenes from the movie as she sings the song. The video scenes were filmed with Mann and the actors (not digitally manipulated) at the end of a day’s filming. The list of actors appearing in the music video incluse Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hiffman, Tom Cruise and William H. Macy.

4 Sort of creature symbolizing rebirth in ancient Egypt : BEETLE

Scarabs were amulets in ancient Egypt. They were modeled on the dung beetle, as it was viewed as a symbol of the cycle of life.

6 Wireless support providers, at times : BRAS

The first modern bra was invented by a New York socialite named Mary Phelps Jacob in 1913. Jacob was looking for a more comfortable and fashionable alternative to the corsets that were then commonly worn, and she fashioned a bra using two handkerchiefs and some ribbon. She later patented her invention, which she called the “Backless Brassiere.”

8 One of two penguin species endemic to Antarctica : ADELIE

The Adélie penguin is found along the Antarctic coast, and is named after the Antarctic territory called Adélie Land that is claimed by France. Adélie Land was discovered by French explorer Jules Dumont D’Urville in 1840, and he named the territory after his wife Adéle.

9 Lizard with a third eye : IGUANA

Iguanas have what is known as a “third eye” on their heads. Known as the parietal eye, it can sense levels of light, although it cannot make out details.

11 Miley Cyrus or Hannah Montana : POP STAR

Miley Cyrus became famous playing the Disney Channel character “Hannah Montana”. Miley is the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. When she was born, Billy Ray and his wife named their daughter “Destiny Hope”, but soon they themselves calling her “Smiley” as she was always smiling as a baby, and this got shortened to Miley over time. Cute …

12 Some sports V.I.P.s : GMS

General manager (GM)

15 What QR codes might pull up : MENUS

A QR Code (for “Quick Response Code”) is a two-dimensional barcode that is favored over UPC barcodes as it can read more quickly and can store much more information. The QR Code comprises black squares within a square grid on a white background.

19 Cause of fatigue : ANEMIA

The term “anemia” (or “anaemia”, as we write it back in Ireland) comes from a Greek word meaning “lack of blood”. Anemia is a lack of iron in the blood, or a low red blood cell count. Tiredness is a symptom of the condition, and so we use the term “anemic” figuratively to mean “lacking in vitality or substance”.

22 Animal identified by its number of toes : SLOTH

All four of the extant species of three-toed sloths are native to South and Central America. Cousins of the three-toed sloths are the two-toed sloths, of which there are two species still living.

26 They’re good for poaching : BOSCS

Bosc is a cultivar of the European pear that is grown mainly in the northwest of the United States. It is named for French horticulturist Louis Bosc. The cultivar originated in Belgium or France in the early 19th century. The Bosc is that pear with a skin the color of a potato, with a long neck.

33 One-named singer with the 1997 hit “Show Me Love” : ROBYN

“Robyn” is the stage name of Swedish singer Robin Miriam Carlsson.

35 Princess Diana or Diana Ross : GAY ICON

Diana, Princess of Wales was a close friend of the English singer Elton John. At the princess’s funeral, Elton John performed a revised version of his song “Candle in the Wind” to honor his departed friend. The song was released as a single under the name “Candle in the Wind 1997” It became the fastest and best-selling song of all time, and remains the only single ever to be “certified diamond” in the US.

Diana Ross is one of the most prolific recording artists in history. She sang with the Supremes from 1959 to 1970 and then launched an incredibly successful solo career. Ross was listed in the 1993 edition of “The Guinness Book of World Records” as the most successful music artist ever, with eighteen #1 records.

37 Spirit of Oaxaca : MEZCAL

Mezcal (also “mescal”) is a distilled spirit made from the agave plant. Technically, tequila is a type of mezcal that is distilled specifically from the blue agave.

Oaxaca is a state in the southern part of Mexico on the Pacific coast. The state takes the name of Oaxaca, its largest city.

40 Metaphor for fitting items into a moving van : TETRIS

Tetris is a very addictive video game that was developed in the Soviet Union in 1984. The name Tetris comes from a melding of the prefix “tetra-” (as all the game pieces have four segments) and “tennis” (a favorite sport played by the developer). Since 2005 there have been more than 100 million copies of the game installed on cell phones alone.

44 Creepy story? : ATTIC

An attic or loft is a room or space located below the roof of a building. The term “attic” is a shortened form of “attic story”, the uppermost story or level of a house. This term “attic story” originally applied to a low, decorative level built on top of the uppermost story behind a building’s decorative facade. This use of decoration at the top of buildings was common in ancient Greece, and was particularly important in the Attica style. That Attica style was so called because it originated in the historical region of Attica that encompassed the city of Athens. And that’s how our attics are linked to ancient Greece.

46 Cordelia’s father : LEAR

“King Lear” is one of William Shakespeare’s tragedies. Lear’s three daughters figure prominently in the story line. The three are, in order of age:

  • Goneril
  • Regan
  • Cordelia

51 Ron who played Tarzan : ELY

Ron Ely is most famous for playing the title role in the “Tarzan” TV series in the sixties. Years later, Ely hosted the 1980 and 1981 “Miss America” pageants right after longtime host Bert Parks retired, before the job was taken over by Gary Collins. And Ely is a successful mystery novelist. He wrote “Night Shadows” and “East Beach” in the mid-nineties, both of which featured his private eye Jake Sands.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Cover story : ALIBI
6 How many packages are sent : BY AIR
11 Kings and queens, e.g. : PIECES
12 Something that maybe you shouldn’t hold : GRUDGE
13 Discreet look? : NO MAKEUP MAKEUP
15 Transport in the film “Roman Holiday” : MOPED
16 Something plaited : TRESS
17 It’s 328 feet in an Olympic-size pool : LAP
18 Gaelic tongue : ERSE
19 Smart ___ : ALEC
20 What musicians pluck on an mbira : TINE
21 Trail mix bit : NUT
22 One who collects just for kicks? : SNEAKERHEAD
25 Not completely worthless : USABLE
27 Wayne ___ : MANOR
28 Sources of psilocybin, informally : SHROOMS
30 Shell filling station? : TACO BAR
34 Nordic noir author Larsson : STIEG
36 Two-bit : CHEAPO
37 Green cappuccino alternative : MATCHA LATTE
41 Question from a friendly interviewer : LOB
42 Calls someone by the wrong name, say : ERRS
43 Word with snake or four : … EYES
44 Unite : ALLY
45 One end of Suez? : ZEE
46 Aboveboard : LICIT
48 ___ Hunt, Tom Cruise’s role in “Mission: Impossible” : ETHAN
49 One who makes videos, e.g. : CONTENT CREATOR
52 Country singer Jason : ALDEAN
53 Workplace for a roughneck : OIL RIG
54 Sweater over a turtleneck, say : LAYER
55 One side of a ’90s boy band rivalry : NSYNC

Down

1 “Save Me” singer Mann : AIMEE
2 ___ climbing (discipline that debuted at the 2020 Olympics) : LEAD
3 “Ugh!” : ICK!
4 Sort of creature symbolizing rebirth in ancient Egypt : BEETLE
5 Emphatic confirmation about oneself : I SURE AM
6 Wireless support providers, at times : BRAS
7 ___ it up : YUK
8 One of two penguin species endemic to Antarctica : ADELIE
9 Lizard with a third eye : IGUANA
10 Shilled for : REPPED
11 Miley Cyrus or Hannah Montana : POP STAR
12 Some sports V.I.P.s : GMS
13 “Whenever works” : NO RUSH
14 Hardly touch, as one’s food : PECK AT
15 What QR codes might pull up : MENUS
19 Cause of fatigue : ANEMIA
20 Contraction, for one : THROE
22 Animal identified by its number of toes : SLOTH
23 Passes : ENACTS
24 La ___-Posay (skin-care brand) : ROCHE
26 They’re good for poaching : BOSCS
29 Choose … or choice : SELECT
31 One unlikely to make a pass : BALL HOG
32 Electrically neutral, in chemistry : APOLAR
33 One-named singer with the 1997 hit “Show Me Love” : ROBYN
35 Princess Diana or Diana Ross : GAY ICON
37 Spirit of Oaxaca : MEZCAL
38 Space between leaf veins : AREOLA
39 In : TRENDY
40 Metaphor for fitting items into a moving van : TETRIS
44 Creepy story? : ATTIC
46 Cordelia’s father : LEAR
47 Road trip stopover : INN
48 Take in : EARN
50 Place for a graphic image : TEE
51 Ron who played Tarzan : ELY