0727-19 NY Times Crossword 27 Jul 19, Saturday

Constructed by: Byron Walden
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: None

Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers

Bill’s time: 21m 48s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

12 Performance bonus : ENCORE

“Encore!” is French for “again, one more time!”, and is a shout that an audience member will make here in North America to request another song, say. But, the term is not used this way in France. Rather, the audience will shout “Bis!”, which is the Italian for “twice!”

14 Print alternative : CURSIVE

Cursive handwriting is often referred to as “longhand” or “script”, although when I was learning it at school we knew it as “joined-up writing”. The term “cursive” ultimately comes from the Latin verb “currere” meaning “to run”. The idea is that the letters of words are written with a “running” hand.

15 Place for driving lessons : TEE BOX

In the game of golf, a “tee” is a wooden or plastic peg on which one can place a ball when “teeing off”. Also, the “teeing ground” (sometimes “tee” or “tee box”) is the area at the beginning of the hole from which the first stroke is taken, from where one tees off.

20 Hundred Acre Wood youngster : ROO

Hundred Acre Wood is where Winnie the Pooh lives with his friends. According to a map illustrating the books by A. A. Milne, Hundred Acre Wood is part of a larger forest, with Owl’s house sitting right at the center. Piglet also lives in the Hundred Acre Wood, in a beech tree next to a sign that says “TRESPASSERS W”. Piglet says this is short for Trespassers William, which is his grandfather’s name.

21 45th anniversary gifts : SAPPHIRES

Some traditional gifts for wedding anniversaries are:

  • 5th: wooden
  • 10th: tin
  • 15th: crystal
  • 20th: china
  • 25th: silver
  • 30th: pearl
  • 40th: ruby
  • 50th: gold
  • 60th: diamond

22 Dangerous toy : BB GUN

A BB gun is an air pistol or rifle that shoots birdshot known as BBs. Birdshot comes in a number of different sizes, from size 9 (0.070″ in diameter) to size FF (.230″). Birdshot that is size BB (0.180″ in diameter) gives the airgun its name.

25 ___ de boeuf en croûte : FILET

Beef Wellington is an extremely rich dish comprising filet mignon coated with pâté and duxelles (a mixture of sauteed mushrooms and herbs), which is then baked in puff pastry. Despite the claims that the “Wellington” in the name is a reference to the Duke of Wellington, there’s no real evidence that is the case. Beef Wellington is very similar to a classic French dish called “filet de bœuf en croûte”.

27 Roman god invoked by Iago : JANUS

Janus was a Roman god usually depicted with two heads, one looking to the past and the other to the future. As such, as a god Janus is often associated with time. The Romans named the month of Ianuarius (our “January”) after Janus.

Iago is the schemer in Shakespeare’s “Othello”. He is a soldier who fought alongside Othello and feels hard done by, missing out on promotion. Iago hatches a plot designed to discredit his rival Cassio by insinuating that Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona, Othello’s wife.

30 Tragedy that was first performed in 431 B.C. : MEDEA

“Medea” is a tragedy penned by Ancient Greek playwright Euripides. Dealing with the myth of Jason and Medea, it was not received well at its debut in 431 BC. It was premiered at that year’s Dionysia festival in Athens, competing against plays by Euphorion and Sophocles. Euphorion’s play won the competition and Euripides’ “Medea” came in last.

35 Inits. in a bowling alley : AMF

AMF Bowling Centers is an operator of bowling alleys, and is in fact the largest such company in the world.

37 Linguistic borrowing, as “earworm” from “Ohrwurm” : LOAN TRANSLATION

“Earworm” is a colloquial term used for a catchy tune that is also somewhat irritating, one that you can’t get out of your head.

40 One who gets lots of tweets? : AVIARIST

An aviary is a large cage that houses birds, and something described as avian is bird-like or bird-related. “Avis” is Latin for “bird”.

41 World capital on the Rideau Canal : OTTAWA

The Ottawa River takes its name from the Odawa people, an Algonquin nation. The city of Ottawa changed its name to that of the river, from Bytown, in 1855. The original townsite was called Bytown after Captain John By who completed the Rideau Canal that runs from Kingston on Lake Ontario to present-day Ottawa.

42 Moolah : LETTUCE

Lettuce, cabbage, kale, dough, scratch, cheddar, simoleons, clams and moola(h) are all slang terms for money.

44 Simpson who infamously lip-synched a song on “S.N.L.” : ASHLEE

Ashlee Simpson is the younger sister of Jessica Simpson. They are both reality show stars. I know no more …

Down

1 Siamese fighting fish : BETTAS

The betta is a small freshwater fish. It is quite colorful, and so is a popular fish for an aquarium. Bettas are aggressive little creatures, and are commonly called Siamese fighting fish. Apparently, housing two males in a relatively small aquarium will result in the death of one.

2 Iroquois Confederacy nation : ONEIDA

The Iroquois Confederacy was also known as the Five Nations and was comprised of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca nations.

4 Medal with the dates MDCCCXXXIII-MDCCCXCVI : NOBEL PRIZE

The Peace Prize is the most famous of the five prizes bequeathed by Alfred Nobel. The others are for Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Literature. There is also a Nobel Prize in Economics that is awarded along with the original five, but it is funded separately and is awarded “in memory of Alfred Nobel”. Four of the prizes are awarded by Swedish organizations (Alfred Nobel was a Swede) and so the award ceremonies take place in Stockholm. The Peace Prize is awarded by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, and is presented in Oslo.

6 Dances taught by a kumu : HULAS

The hula is a native dance of Hawaii that uses arm movements to relate a story. The hula can be performed while sitting (a noho dance) or while standing (a luna dance).

7 George Orwell’s real first name : ERIC

“George Orwell” was the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair, the famous British author of the classics “Nineteen Eighty-Four” and “Animal Farm”.

10 End up as a wash : EVEN OUT

The phrase “it’s a wash”, meaning “there’s no gain either way”, comes from the underworld. Back in the 19th century, a “wash” was a fake transaction between a seller and a buyer for some illegal purpose.

14 Body in our solar system that was considered a planet in the first half of the 19th century : CERES

Ceres is the smallest dwarf planet in our solar system. Ceres was discovered in 1801 and is the largest body in the asteroid belt, and is the only asteroid that is classified as a dwarf planet. For fifty years, Ceres was classified as the eighth planet circling our sun. The Dawn space probe launched by NASA entered Ceres orbit in March 2015, becoming the first mission to study a dwarf planet at close range.

18 Gogol’s “___ Bulba” : TARAS

Nikolai Gogol was a Russian writer who was born in Ukraine. Gogol wrote a lot of satirical pieces that attacked corrupt bureaucracy in Russia, which led to his being exiled. His most famous work is probably “Taras Bulba”, from 1836.

30 Unesco’s ___ Fund for Girls’ Right to Education : MALALA

“I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban” is a memoir co-written by Malala Yousafzai and British journalist Christina Lamb. The title tells the essence of Malala’s story. She started a blog when she was 11 or 12 that outlined her life in northwest Pakistan under occupation by the Taliban. As the Pakistani military regained control of the area, Malala’s story was related in a documentary and she gave frequent interviews. One day a gunman came looking for her, and found her on a school bus. He shot Malala three times, with one bullet going into her forehead. She survived, and was taken to England to recuperate. She was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 at the age of 17, making her the youngest ever Nobel laureate.

32 Codeine, for one : OPIATE

Opiates are the narcotic alkaloids found in the opium poppy plant, although some synthetic versions and derivatives of the same alkaloids are also called opiates. To produce opiates, the latex sap of the opium poppy is collected and processed. The naturally-occurring drugs morphine and codeine can both be extracted from the sap. Some synthesis is required to make derivative drugs like heroin and oxycodone.

33 Went from adagio to largo, say : SLOWED

An adagio is a piece of music with a slow tempo. The “adagio” marking on the score is an instruction to play the piece slowly and in a stately manner. The word “adagio” is Latin for “at ease”.

Largo is an instruction to play a piece of music with a very slow tempo. “Largo” is an Italian word meaning “broadly”. The instruction “larghetto” means “play broadly”, and “Larghissimo” means “play very, very slowly”.

38 N.B.A. starter?: Abbr. : NATL

The National Basketball Association (NBA) was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The NBA name was adopted in 1949 following a merger with the rival National Basketball League (NBL). Of the four major sports leagues in North America, the NBA has the highest average annual salary per player.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Spring report : BOING!
6 Bad fall : HEADER
12 Performance bonus : ENCORE
14 Print alternative : CURSIVE
15 Place for driving lessons : TEE BOX
16 Salves : RELIEVES
17 Manner of speaking in eastern Virginia : TIDEWATER ACCENT
19 Men : ADULT MALES
20 Hundred Acre Wood youngster : ROO
21 45th anniversary gifts : SAPPHIRES
22 Dangerous toy : BB GUN
24 Charged : RAN AT
25 ___ de boeuf en croûte : FILET
26 Brings on : HIRES
27 Roman god invoked by Iago : JANUS
28 Leveled : RAZED
29 Canal sight : BARGE
30 Tragedy that was first performed in 431 B.C. : MEDEA
31 Don : CRIME BOSS
35 Inits. in a bowling alley : AMF
36 Bygone magazine spinoff : TEEN PEOPLE
37 Linguistic borrowing, as “earworm” from “Ohrwurm” : LOAN TRANSLATION
40 One who gets lots of tweets? : AVIARIST
41 World capital on the Rideau Canal : OTTAWA
42 Moolah : LETTUCE
43 Lead-in to weight : WELTER-
44 Simpson who infamously lip-synched a song on “S.N.L.” : ASHLEE
45 High and thin, as a voice : REEDY

Down

1 Siamese fighting fish : BETTAS
2 Iroquois Confederacy nation : ONEIDA
3 Became impassable, in a way : ICED UP
4 Medal with the dates MDCCCXXXIII-MDCCCXCVI : NOBEL PRIZE
5 What a business might shift resources to : GROWTH AREA
6 Dances taught by a kumu : HULAS
7 George Orwell’s real first name : ERIC
8 “Just ___” : A SEC
9 Branches : DIVERGES
10 End up as a wash : EVEN OUT
11 Surmount : REST ON
13 Checked out : EXAMINED
14 Body in our solar system that was considered a planet in the first half of the 19th century : CERES
16 Found a new tenant for : RELET
18 Gogol’s “___ Bulba” : TARAS
22 Certain obsessive-compulsive : BINGE EATER
23 Shiny blowfly : BLUEBOTTLE
25 Maker of rows : FARM PLOW
26 Trusted : HAD FAITH
27 Believers who practice ahimsa, strict nonviolence to all living creatures : JAINS
28 Strips : REMOVES
29 George ___, co-star with Bette Davis in 11 films, including “Dark Victory” and “Jezebel” : BRENT
30 Unesco’s ___ Fund for Girls’ Right to Education : MALALA
31 Cut off : CEASE
32 Codeine, for one : OPIATE
33 Went from adagio to largo, say : SLOWED
34 In base 6 : SENARY
36 Fleeting moment : TRICE
38 N.B.A. starter?: Abbr. : NATL
39 Reliable : TRUE