0124-23 NY Times Crossword 24 Jan 23, Tuesday

Constructed by: Aaron M. Rosenberg & Jeff Chen
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: Bubble Tea

Themed answers each include a type of TEA as a hidden word, spelled out with letters in BUBBLES (circled):

  • 39D Beverage mixed with tapioca pearls … or a description of this puzzle’s circled letters? : BUBBLE TEA
  • 3D Electronic device for a person with voice impairment : SPEECH AID (bubbled “CHAI”)
  • 7D Response from someone who merely glanced at an online post, maybe : TOO LONG, DIDN’T READ (bubbled “OOLONG”)
  • 9D What a U.F.O. might turn out to be : WEATHER BALLOON (bubbled “HERBAL”)
  • 18D Go through one of life’s significant moments : PASS A MILESTONE (bubbled “ASSAM”)

Bill’s time: 8m 13s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Luxuriate : BASK

Our verb “to bask”, meaning “to expose one to pleasant warmth”, is derived from the gruesome, 14th-century term “basken”, meaning “to wallow in blood”. The contemporary usage apparently originated with Shakespeare, who employed “bask” with reference to sunshine in “As You Like It”.

5 Bread that may be stuffed with shawarma : PITA

Shawarma is a popular street food in the Middle East. It is made from thin slices of seasoned and marinated meat, stacked into a cone-shaped column, and then roasted on a vertical spit. Servings are prepared by slicing the outside roasted meat.

13 Clamp that transposes a guitar’s pitch : CAPO

A capo is a clamp-like device that is placed around the neck of a guitar or other stringed instrument to shorten the strings, and hence raise the pitch. The full name, rarely used these days, is “capo tasto”, which is Italian for “head tie”.

15 Horse, in Latin : EQUUS

There are seven living species of mammals in the genus Equus, each of which is referred to as “equine”. The seven species include all horses, asses and zebras. All equine species can crossbreed. For example, a mule is a cross between a male donkey and a female horse, a zorse is a cross between a zebra and a horse, and a zedonk is a cross between a zebra and a donkey.

20 Actress Ward of “CSI: NY” and “FBI” : SELA

Actress Sela Ward turns up in crosswords a lot. She played Teddy Reed in the TV show “Sisters” in the nineties, and was in “Once and Again” from 1999-2002. I don’t know either show, but I do know Ward from the medical drama “House” in which she played the hospital’s lawyer and Greg House’s ex-partner. That was a fun role, I thought. More recently, Ward played a lead role on “CSI: NY” and was a very welcome and much-needed addition to the cast. And, Ward played Dr. Richard Kimble’s murdered wife in the 1993 film version of “The Fugitive”.

23 Red October in “The Hunt for Red October,” e.g. : SUB

“The Hunt for Red October” was the first novel published by Tom Clancy, and one of his best in my humble opinion. The story is centered on the defection of the captain of a top-secret Soviet submarine, who attempts to surrender his vessel to the Americans without the knowledge of his crew. The gripping storyline is actually inspired by real events, the failed mutiny on board the Soviet submarine Storozhevoy in 1975. Unusually, the novel was published by the United States Naval Institute, marking the first time it had ever published a fictional work. To this day, “The Hunt for Red October” is the institute’s most successful title.

24 San Francisco neighborhood with the GLBT Historical Society Museum, with “the” : … CASTRO

A gay village (also “gayborhood”) is a part of a city that is home to and frequented by a large number of LGBT people. Famous gay villages around the world are Soho in London, Chelsea in New York City, the Castro in San Francisco and Boystown in Chicago.

26 “I’m not THAT gullible!” : OH SURE!

A gull is someone easily cheated, a dupe. The term “gull” gave rise to the word “gullible”, which is in common use today. Did you know that the word “gullible” has been removed from all online dictionaries?

32 Scratch like an unhappy tabby : CLAW AT

Tabbies aren’t a breed of cat, but rather are cats with particular markings regardless of breed. Tabbies have coats with stripes, dots and swirling patterns, and usually an “M” mark on the forehead.

38 Elephant of children’s literature : BABAR

“Babar the Elephant” originated in France, a creation of Jean de Brunhoff in 1931. The first book was “Histoire de Babar”, a book so successful it was translated into English two years later for publication in Britain and the US. Jean de Brunhoff wrote six more Babar stories before he died in 1937, and then his son Laurent continued his father’s work.

44 Sky-blue : AZURE

The term “azure” came into English from Persian via Old French. The French word “l’azur” was taken from the Persian name for a place in northeastern Afghanistan called “Lazhward” which was the main source of the semi-precious stone lapis lazuli. The stone has a vivid blue color, and “azure” has been describing this color since the 14th century.

45 Cataclysm in the lore of many world cultures : FLOOD

Our word “cataclysm”, meaning “violent upheaval”, comes from the Greek “kataklyzein”, meaning “deluge, flood” or more literally “to wash down”.

51 Actor ___ Patrick Harris : NEIL

Neil Patrick Harris (NPH) got his big break very early in his career, playing the title role in television’s “Doogie Howser, M.D.” More recently, he played a lead role on the sitcom “How I Met Your Mother”, portraying the shallow womanizer Barney Stinson. Harris is also quite the magician and serves on the Board of Directors of Hollywood’s Magic Castle, a nightclub for magicians and magic enthusiasts.

53 Article of cricket equipment : BAT

Cricket is the national game of England. The term “cricket” apparently comes from the Old French word “criquet” meaning “goalpost, stick”.

57 Maya who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial : LIN

Maya Lin is a Chinese-American artist and architect from Athens, Ohio. Her most famous work is the moving Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Lin was only 21-years-old when she won a public design competition in 1981 to create the memorial. Although her design is very fitting, sadly Lin was not a popular choice for the work given her Asian heritage. As she said herself, she probably would not have been picked had the competition been judged with the knowledge of who was behind each submission.

60 Roughly half of binary code : ONES

We use a base-ten numbering system, with ten digits (0 – 9). The binary system, or base-two, uses just two digits (0 & 1). The binary system is used at a fundamental level in computing, because the number 0 and 1 can be represented by microcircuits being switched “on” or “off”.

62 Unleavened Passover staple : MATZO

Matzo is an unleavened bread that is very brittle. The bread is crushed, creating a Matzo meal that is then formed into balls using eggs and oil as a binder. The balls are usually served in a chicken stock.

67 Oktoberfest vessel : STEIN

Oktoberfest is a 16-day beer festival in Munich that actually starts in September. About six million people attend every year, making it the largest fair in the world. I’ve attended twice, and it really is a remarkable party …

71 Ice cream brand : EDY’S

Dreyer’s ice cream sells its products under the name Dreyer’s in the Western United States, and Edy’s in the Eastern states. The company’s founders were William Dreyer and Joseph Edy.

Down

1 Include covertly in an email thread : BCC

A blind carbon copy (bcc) is a copy of a document or message that is sent to someone without other recipients of the message knowing about that extra copy.

3 Electronic device for a person with voice impairment : SPEECH AID (bubbled “CHAI”)

Chai is a drink made from spiced black tea, honey and milk, with “chai” being the Hindi word for “tea”. We often called tea “a cup of char” growing up in Ireland, with “char” being our slang word for tea, derived from “chai”.

4 Eucalyptus-eating “bear” : KOALA

The koala bear really does look like a little bear, but it’s not even closely related. The koala is an arboreal marsupial and a herbivore, native to the east and south coasts of Australia. Koalas aren’t primates, and are one of the few mammals other than primates who have fingerprints. In fact, it can be very difficult to tell human fingerprints from koala fingerprints, even under an electron microscope. Male koalas are called “bucks”, females are “does”, and young koalas are “joeys”. I’m a little jealous of the koala, as it sleeps up to 20 hours a day …

Eucalyptus (plural “eucalypti”) is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs that is particularly widespread in Australia. The species known as mountain ash or swamp gum is the tallest flowering plant in the world, with the tallest example located in Tasmania and standing at over 325 feet tall.

6 Egotist’s “The party can start now!” : I’M HERE!

An egoist (also “egotist”) is a selfish and conceited person. The opposite would be an altruist.

7 Response from someone who merely glanced at an online post, maybe : TOO LONG, DIDN’T READ (bubbled “OOLONG”)

The name for the Chinese tea called “oolong” translates into English as “black dragon” or “dark dragon”.

9 What a U.F.O. might turn out to be : WEATHER BALLOON (bubbled “HERBAL”)

In 1952, the USAF revived its studies of reported sightings of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) in a program called Project Blue Book. Project Blue Book ran from 1952 until it was shut down in 1969 with the conclusion that there was no threat to national security and that there were no sightings that could not be explained within the bounds of modern scientific knowledge.

10 E.P.A. pollution stat : AQI

The air quality index (AQI) is monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

12 Surgeon’s stitch : SUTURE

A suture is used to close an open wound. The term “suture” comes from the Latin word “suere” meaning “to sew”, the past participle of which is “sutus”.

18 Go through one of life’s significant moments : PASS A MILESTONE (bubbled “ASSAM”)

Assam is a state in the far northeast of India, and just south of the Himalayas. Assam is noted for its tea, as well as its silk.

25 Vietnamese New Year : TET

The full name for the New Year holiday in Vietnam is “Tet Nguyen Dan” meaning “Feast of the First Morning”, with the reference being to the arrival of the season of spring. Tet usually falls on the same day as Chinese New Year.

28 Long-running CBS police drama : NCIS

NCIS is the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which investigates crimes in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The service gives its name to the CBS TV show “NCIS”, a spin-off drama from “JAG” in which the main “NCIS” characters were first introduced. The big star in “NCIS” is the actor Mark Harmon. “NCIS” is now a franchise, with spin-off shows “NCIS: Los Angeles” and “NCIS: New Orleans”.

29 Designer Gucci : ALDO

Gucci was founded in Rome, in 1921, by Guccio Gucci. Guccio’s son Aldo took over the company after his father’s death in 1953. It was Aldo who established the international presence for the brand and opened the company’s first overseas store, in New York City.

33 Low-frequency speaker : WOOFER

In a sound system, a speaker that is designed to produce high frequencies is known as a “tweeter”. A speaker made for low frequencies is called a “woofer”. The aforementioned terms come from the fact that birds migh high-pitched “tweets”, and dogs make low-pitched “woofs”.

35 Mind reader’s ability, in brief : ESP

Extrasensory perception (ESP)

39 Beverage mixed with tapioca pearls … or a description of this puzzle’s circled letters? : BUBBLE TEA

Bubble tea, sometimes called “boba tea”, is a tea-based drink from Taiwan. The “bubbles” are chewy tapioca balls that are usually added to the drink.

40 One of the Starks on “Game of Thrones” : ARYA

Maisie Williams is the English actress who plays the tomboyish young girl Arya Stark on the hit HBO series “Game of Thrones”.

46 Black-and-white cookie : OREO

National Oreo Cookie Day is March 6th each year. There is an urban legend that the particular day was chosen as this was the day that the name “Oreo” was registered as a trademark. However, that’s not the case. The application was filed on March 14, 1912 and registration took place on August 12, 1913. The suggestion is that the first Oreos went on sale on March 6, 1912.

47 Christmas tree : FIR

The custom of decorating trees at Christmas seems to have originated in Renaissance Germany. Those first trees were placed in guildhalls and were decorated with sweets and candy for the apprentices and children. After the Protestant Reformation, the Christmas tree became an alternative in Protestant homes for the Roman Catholic Christmas cribs. The Christmas tree tradition was imported into Britain by the royal family because of its German heritage. That tradition spread from Britain into North America.

50 Like apartments and many tuxedos : RENTED

Apparently, the style of men’s evening dress called a “tuxedo” was first worn to a country club event in 1886 in New York. The use of a dark dinner jacket without tails became fashionable at the club with the members, and the tradition spread from there. The country club was located in Tuxedo Park, New York, giving the style of dress its name.

56 Bold way to solve a sudoku : IN INK

Number puzzles similar to our modern-day Sudoku first appeared in French newspapers in the late 1800s. The format that we use today was created by Howard Garns, a 74-year-old freelance puzzle constructor from Connersville, Indiana and first published in 1979. The format was introduced in Japan in 1984 and given the title of “Sūji wa dokushin ni kagiru”, which translates to “the digits are limited to one occurrence”. The rather elaborate Japanese title was eventually shortened to Sudoku. No doubt many of you are fans of Sudoku puzzles. I know I am …

61 Notary public’s authorizing stamp : SEAL

A notary public is a public officer licensed to perform specific legal actions in non-contentious legal matters. The main duties are to administer oaths, take affidavits and witness the execution of documents.

65 Nitrous oxide, e.g. : GAS

“Laughing gas” is a common name for nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide is used as an anesthetic, particularly by dentists. It is also used in motor racing to increase the power output of engines. Laughing gas was first synthesized by the English chemist Joseph Priestley, but it was Humphry Davy who discovered its potential as an anesthetic. Once it was realized that the gas could give the patient a fit of the giggles, “laughing gas parties” became common among those who could afford them.

66 “Dr.” who performed at the Super Bowl LVI halftime show : DRE

“Dr. Dre” is the stage name of rapper Andre Romelle Young. Dr. Dre is known for his own singing career as well as for producing records and starting the careers of others such as Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 Cent.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Luxuriate : BASK
5 Bread that may be stuffed with shawarma : PITA
9 Moves like a dog’s tail : WAGS
13 Clamp that transposes a guitar’s pitch : CAPO
14 “Hurry! We’re late!” : C’MON!
15 Horse, in Latin : EQUUS
17 Unfair dig in an argument : CHEAP SHOT
19 “We ___ please” : AIM TO
20 Actress Ward of “CSI: NY” and “FBI” : SELA
21 Choose : ELECT
23 Red October in “The Hunt for Red October,” e.g. : SUB
24 San Francisco neighborhood with the GLBT Historical Society Museum, with “the” : … CASTRO
26 “I’m not THAT gullible!” : OH SURE!
28 “Not feeling it” : NAH
30 Witnessed : SEEN
31 One pitching in : HELPER
32 Scratch like an unhappy tabby : CLAW AT
34 Sci-fi or horror : GENRE
36 Challenge for a translator, maybe : IDIOM
37 What free TV usually comes with : ADS
38 Elephant of children’s literature : BABAR
42 “Me too!” : SO DO I!
43 Quick plunge : DIP
44 Sky-blue : AZURE
45 Cataclysm in the lore of many world cultures : FLOOD
47 Space missions that collect data without landing : FLYBYS
48 Professional occupation : CAREER
51 Actor ___ Patrick Harris : NEIL
53 Article of cricket equipment : BAT
54 Opposed (to) : AVERSE
55 Distilled coal product used to preserve wood : TAR OIL
57 Maya who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial : LIN
58 Some travel packages : TOURS
60 Roughly half of binary code : ONES
62 Unleavened Passover staple : MATZO
64 On again, as a flame or romance : REIGNITED
67 Oktoberfest vessel : STEIN
68 Swanky party : GALA
69 In the area : NEAR
70 Upper hand : EDGE
71 Ice cream brand : EDY’S
72 Green that might go in a smoothie : KALE

Down

1 Include covertly in an email thread : BCC
2 Sounds of bliss : AAHS
3 Electronic device for a person with voice impairment : SPEECH AID (bubbled “CHAI”)
4 Eucalyptus-eating “bear” : KOALA
5 Mac alternatives : PCS
6 Egotist’s “The party can start now!” : I’M HERE!
7 Response from someone who merely glanced at an online post, maybe : TOO LONG, DIDN’T READ (bubbled “OOLONG”)
8 Poker buy-in : ANTE
9 What a U.F.O. might turn out to be : WEATHER BALLOON (bubbled “HERBAL”)
10 E.P.A. pollution stat : AQI
11 Clogs, as a machine or process : GUMS UP
12 Surgeon’s stitch : SUTURE
16 Clearheaded : SOBER
18 Go through one of life’s significant moments : PASS A MILESTONE (bubbled “ASSAM”)
22 Journalist/political analyst Nate : COHN
25 Vietnamese New Year : TET
27 Sordid : SLEAZY
28 Long-running CBS police drama : NCIS
29 Designer Gucci : ALDO
33 Low-frequency speaker : WOOFER
35 Mind reader’s ability, in brief : ESP
37 Hubbub : ADO
39 Beverage mixed with tapioca pearls … or a description of this puzzle’s circled letters? : BUBBLE TEA
40 One of the Starks on “Game of Thrones” : ARYA
41 Breather : REST
46 Black-and-white cookie : OREO
47 Christmas tree : FIR
48 Quiets : CALMS
49 Pilot a plane : AVIATE
50 Like apartments and many tuxedos : RENTED
52 With little effort : EASILY
56 Bold way to solve a sudoku : IN INK
59 Impulse : URGE
61 Notary public’s authorizing stamp : SEAL
63 Sharp turn : ZIG
65 Nitrous oxide, e.g. : GAS
66 “Dr.” who performed at the Super Bowl LVI halftime show : DRE