0605-18 NY Times Crossword Answers 5 Jun 2018, Tuesday

Constructed by: Peter Gordon
Edited by: Will Shortz

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Today’s Theme (according to Bill): Foody Descriptors

Themed answers are compound adjectives used to describe someone, with each starting with an item of food and ending with a body part:

  • 16A. Klutzy : BUTTERFINGERED
  • 30A. Stupid : MUTTONHEADED
  • 38A. Eloquent : HONEY-TONGUED
  • 55A. Cowardly : CHICKEN-LIVERED
  • 23D. Drunk : PIE-EYED

Bill’s time: 6m 11s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5. Hindu social division : CASTE

Although caste systems exist in several societies around the world, we tend to associate the concept with the social stratification that is still found in many parts of India. The term “caste” comes from the Portuguese word “casta” meaning “race, breed”. The Portuguese used the term to describe the hereditary social groups that they found in India when they arrived in the subcontinent in 1498.

13. Island off the western coast of Scotland : IONA

Although the small island of Iona lies just off the west coast of Scotland, it was the site of a monastery built in the Middle Ages by a monk from Ireland names Colm Cille (also known as Columba). Colm Cille and his followers were sent into exile from the Irish mainland and settled in Iona, as at that time the island was part of an Irish kingdom. This monastery in Iona expanded its influence over the decades and founded other institutions all over Ireland and Great Britain. It is believed that the famous Book of Kells may have been written, or at least started, at the monastery on Iona. Iona is also the burial site for Macbeth, King of Scotland who was immortalized in Shakespeare’s fictional account of the king’s life.

16. Klutzy : BUTTERFINGERED

A klutz is an awkward individual, with the term coming from Yiddish. The Yiddish word for a clumsy person is “klots”.

18. Color akin to rouge : CERISE

The name for the red color that we know as “cerise” is the French word for “cherry”.

20. Alan in the Television Hall of Fame : ALDA

Alan Alda has had a great television career, especially of course as a lead actor in “M*A*S*H”. Alda won his first Emmy in 1972, for playing surgeon Hawkeye Pierce on “M*A*S*H”. He won his most recent Emmy in 2006 for his portrayal of Presidential candidate Senator Arnold Vinick in “The West Wing”. When it comes to the big screen, my favorite of Alda’s movies is the 1978 romantic comedy “Same Time, Next Year” in which he starred opposite Ellen Burstyn.

27. Lead-in to gender : CIS-

The term “cisgender” is now used as the opposite of “transgender”. Cisgender people have a gender identity that matches the sex they were assigned at birth.

33. Dir. from Iceland to Ireland : SSE

Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in the whole of Europe, with two-thirds of the nation’s population residing in and around the capital city of Reykjavik. Iceland was settled by the Norse people in AD 874, and was ruled for centuries by Norway and then Denmark. Iceland became independent in 1918, and has been a republic since 1944. Iceland is not a member of the EU but is a member of NATO, having joined in 1949 despite not having a standing army.

The island of Ireland is politically divided between the the Republic of Ireland in the south and Northern Ireland in the north. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, and covers about one-sixth of the island.

34. Rock singer? : LORELEI

Lorelei is the name of a legendary mermaid or nymph who lured fishermen by singing a beautiful song. Lorelei’s aim was to have the fishermen steer their boats onto rocks lurking beneath the water’s surface.

40. Dodges of the 1980s : OMNIS

The Dodge Omni is basically the same car as the Plymouth Horizon, and was produced by Chrysler from 1978-90. The Omni is a front-wheel drive hatchback, the first in a long line of front-wheel drive cars that were very successful for Chrysler. The Omni was actually developed in France, by Chrysler’s Simca division. When production was stopped in the US in 1990, the tooling was sold to an Indian company that continued production for the Asian market for several years.

44. Lincoln in-laws : TODDS

Mary Todd moved in the best of the social circles in Springfield, Illinois and there met the successful lawyer, Abraham Lincoln. The path to their marriage wasn’t exactly smooth, as the engagement was broken once but reinstated, with the couple eventually marrying in 1842.

46. Expert in calculus: Abbr. : DDS

Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)

Calculus or tartar is dental plaque that has hardened on the surface of teeth. Plaque is removed relatively easily by brushing and flossing. Once plaque has hardened into tartar though, a dental hygienist usually needs to intervene.

48. Western defense grp. : NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an international military alliance that was established in 1949. NATO headquarters was initially set up in London, moved to Paris in 1952, and then to Brussels 1967.

60. “That will be ___ the set of sun” (line from the first scene of “Macbeth”) : ERE

61. Third ___ (character who delivers the line in 60-Across) : WITCH

“That will be ere the set of sun” is a line from William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”, a line that is spoken by one of the three witches.

62. Nonkosher lunch orders, briefly : BLTS

The BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato) is the second most popular sandwich in the US, after the plain old ham sandwich.

Down

1. Composer who’s the eponym of a Helsinki park : SIBELIUS

Jean Sibelius is the most famous Finnish classical composer, and shall forever be linked with his wonderful symphonic poem “Finlandia”. Sibelius composed many lovely pieces of music right up until the mid-1920s, when he was in his fifties. Despite all his efforts, he wasn’t able to produce any notable works for the final thirty years of his life.

An eponym is a name for something derived from the name of a person, as in the food item we call a “sandwich”, named for the Earl of Sandwich.

3. Dadaism, pejoratively : ANTI-ART

Dadaism thrived during and just after WWI, and was an anti-war, anti-bourgeois and anti-art culture. The movement began in Zurich, Switzerland started by a group of artists and writers who met to discuss art and put on performances in the Cabaret Voltaire, frequently expressing disgust at the war that was raging across Europe.

5. Lifeguard’s skill, for short : CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has for decades involved the simultaneous compression of the chest to pump blood using the heart, and artificial respiration by blowing air into the lungs. Nowadays emergency services are placing more emphasis on heart compressions, and less on artificial respiration.

12. Heat shields? : BADGES

“Heat” is a slang term for police surveillance or excessives attention from a law enforcement agency.

31. Tours turndown : NON

Tours is the largest city in the Centre region of France. It is said that the people of Tours speak the “purest” form of French in the whole country, and when spoken by a local it is also said to be free of any accent.

32. “Gloria in Excelsis ___” : DEO

“Gloria in excelsis Deo” is a Latin hymn, the title of which translates as “Glory to God in the Highest”.

35. World capital where Harry Houdini and Erno Rubik were born : BUDAPEST

Budapest is the capital city of Hungary. Today’s city was formed with the merging of three cities on the banks of the Danube river in 1873: Buda and Óbuda on the west bank, and Pest on the east bank.

“Harry Houdini” was the stage name of Hungarian-born escapologist and magician Erik Weisz (later changed to “Harry Weiss”). Many people are under the impression that Houdini died while performing an escape that went wrong, an impression created by the storyline in a couple of movies about his life. The truth is that he died of peritonitis from a burst appendix. It is also true that a few days prior to his death Houdini took a series of punches to his stomach as part of his act, but doctors believe that his appendix would have burst regardless.

What was originally called the “Magic Cube” became better known as Rubik’s Cube, named for its inventor Ernő Rubik. Rubik’s Cube is the world’s biggest selling puzzle game, with over 350 million sold in just over 30 years.

36. Colorful ocean phenomena caused by dinoflagellates : RED TIDES

An algal bloom that takes on a red or brown color is commonly referred to as “red tide”. The algae causing the bloom are phytoplankton containing photosynthetic pigments that give the red/brown color. Some red tides are extremely harmful to marine life as there can be a depletion of oxygen dissolved in the seawater. The algae can also contain natural toxins that can kill those creatures that eat it.

37. Takes too much of, for short : OD’S ON

Overdose (OD)

39. King Lear’s eldest daughter : GONERIL

“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

40. Teller of the future : ORACLE

In Ancient Greece and Rome, an oracle was someone believed inspired by the gods to give wise counsel. The word “oracle” derives from the Latin “orare” meaning “to speak”, which is the same root for our word “orator”. One of the most important oracles of Ancient Greece was the priestess to Apollo at Delphi.

47. Part of U.S.S.R.: Abbr. : SOV

When the former Soviet Union (USSR) dissolved in 1991, it was largely replaced by the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The formation of the CIS underscored the new reality, that the former Soviet Republics (SSRs) were now independent states. Most of the 15 former SSRs joined the CIS. Notably, the three Baltic SSRs (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) opted not to join the new commonwealth, and in 2004 joined NATO and the EU.

51. Actress Garr of “Young Frankenstein” : TERI

The lovely Teri Garr had a whole host of minor roles in her youth, including appearances in nine Elvis movies. Garr’s big break came with the role of Inga in “Young Frankenstein”, and her supporting role in “Tootsie” earned Garr an Academy Award nomination. Sadly, Teri Garr suffers from multiple sclerosis. She is a National Ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

I am not really a big fan of movies by Mel Brooks, but “Young Frankenstein” is the exception. I think the cast has a lot to do with me liking the film, as it includes Gene Wilder (Dr. Frankenstein), Teri Garr (Inga), Marty Feldman (Igor) and Gene Hackman (Harold, the blind man).

56. Capt. Jean-___ Picard of the U.S.S. Enterprise : LUC

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.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Headliner : STAR
5. Hindu social division : CASTE
10. Crowd around : MOB
13. Island off the western coast of Scotland : IONA
14. Person handing out chocolate cigars, maybe : PROUD PAPA
16. Klutzy : BUTTERFINGERED
18. Color akin to rouge : CERISE
19. Bad looking : LEERING
20. Alan in the Television Hall of Fame : ALDA
21. Cut (off) : LOP
24. Bendable body part : KNEE
25. Truth tellers’ opposite : LIARS
27. Lead-in to gender : CIS-
29. Psychoanalysis topics : FEARS
30. Stupid : MUTTONHEADED
33. Dir. from Iceland to Ireland : SSE
34. Rock singer? : LORELEI
35. “Dude!” : BRO!
38. Eloquent : HONEY-TONGUED
40. Dodges of the 1980s : OMNIS
43. Match the bet of : SEE
44. Lincoln in-laws : TODDS
45. Edible part of a carrot or radish : ROOT
46. Expert in calculus: Abbr. : DDS
48. Western defense grp. : NATO
49. Bears witness (to) : ATTESTS
53. Nearest target for a bowler : ONE-PIN
55. Cowardly : CHICKEN-LIVERED
58. Goatish : LECHEROUS
59. Sage : WISE
60. “That will be ___ the set of sun” (line from the first scene of “Macbeth”) : ERE
61. Third ___ (character who delivers the line in 60-Across) : WITCH
62. Nonkosher lunch orders, briefly : BLTS

Down

1. Composer who’s the eponym of a Helsinki park : SIBELIUS
2. Line on a band T-shirt, maybe : TOUR DATE
3. Dadaism, pejoratively : ANTI-ART
4. “Phooey!” : RATS!
5. Lifeguard’s skill, for short : CPR
6. Alternative to “Woof!” : ARF!
7. Earth : SOIL
8. What a whistler whistles : TUNE
9. Lip : EDGE
10. Yacht spot : MARINA
11. First game of a series : OPENER
12. Heat shields? : BADGES
15. Snapped to attention, with “up” : PERKED
17. Wriggly swimmer : EEL
18. Sedates : CALMS
22. Autumn colours : OCHRES
23. Drunk : PIE-EYED
26. Forgoes a co-pilot : SOLOS
28. Like some peanuts and winter roads : SALTED
29. Deceptive movement : FEINT
31. Tours turndown : NON
32. “Gloria in Excelsis ___” : DEO
35. World capital where Harry Houdini and Erno Rubik were born : BUDAPEST
36. Colorful ocean phenomena caused by dinoflagellates : RED TIDES
37. Takes too much of, for short : OD’S ON
38. Electronically advanced, informally : HI-TECH
39. King Lear’s eldest daughter : GONERIL
40. Teller of the future : ORACLE
41. Person whose inner child has been released? : MOTHER
42. Small print advertisement : NOTICE
47. Part of U.S.S.R.: Abbr. : SOV
50. Distort : SKEW
51. Actress Garr of “Young Frankenstein” : TERI
52. Impertinent sort : SNOT
54. Neophyte, in modern lingo : NEWB
56. Capt. Jean-___ Picard of the U.S.S. Enterprise : LUC
57. Suffix of approximation : -ISH