1105-21 NY Times Crossword 5 Nov 21, Friday

Constructed by: Joseph Greenbaum
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme None

Bill’s time: 16m 10s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

14 One of the Balearic Islands : MINORCA

The island of Minorca in the Mediterranean takes its name from the larger neighboring island of Majorca. The names come from the Latin “Insula Minor” meaning “Minor Island” and “Insula Major” meaning “Major Island”. The island is known as “Minorca” in English, and “Menorca” in Spanish and Catalan.

The Balearic Islands (“Baleares” in Spanish) form an archipelago in the western Mediterranean of the east coast of Spain. The Balearics are made up of four main islands: Ibiza and Formentera (aka “the Pine Islands”), and Majorca and Minorca.

15 Dessert order at a Mexican restaurant : CHURROS

A churro is pastry made from fried dough, and is sometimes called a Spanish doughnut. Churros are often served for breakfast, when they are dipped in hot chocolate or milky coffee.

17 Life-form led by Optimus Prime in the “Transformers” movies : AUTOBOT

The 2007 blockbuster hit movie “Transformers” was inspired by a line of toys. Toy transformers can be morphed from their mundane looking appearance as a vehicle or perhaps an animal, into a robotic action figure. Not a movie that I’ll be renting though …

18 Monthly expense : GAS

The etymology of the term “gasoline”, meaning “fuel of automobiles”, is a little murky. The most common suggestion is that it comes from the trademark “Cazeline” used by English business entrepreneur John Cassell who marketed Patent Cazeline Oil in the early 1860s. Soon after, a Dublin shopkeeper sold a counterfeit version of “Cazeline” oil. When challenged by Cassell, the Irishman changed the name of his product to “Gazeline”. It’s thought that this “Gazeline” led to the introduction of the generic term “gasoline” in North America, starting in 1864.

19 Ballpark figure : GUESSTIMATE

A ballpark figure is an estimated quantity. The original ballpark figure was an estimate of the number of people attending a baseball game, the size of the crowd in the “ballpark”.

21 ___ Lonely Boys, group with the 2004 hit “Heaven” : LOS

Los Lonely Boys is a rock band from San Angelo, Texas. The three band members are three brothers.

34 T-Bird alternative : ‘VETTE

The Chevrolet Corvette was introduced to the world in 1953, and was named after the small maneuverable warship called a corvette. The “Vette” has legs. It is the only American sports car that has been around for over 50 years.

36 Cabbage alternative? : IOU

I owe you (IOU)

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

42 Airs during the holidays : NOELS

“Noël” is the French word for the Christmas season, and ultimately comes from the Latin word for “birth” (natalis). “Noel” has come to be used as an alternative for “Christmas carol”.

43 Jimmy of high-end footwear : CHOO

Jimmy Choo is a designer of handmade women’s shoes who was born in Malaysia but grew up and was educated in London. Choo sold the 50% stake that he had in his shoe manufacturing company in 2001, for 10 million pounds.

47 Pro in D.C. : NAT

The Washington Nationals (“Nats”) started out life as the Montreal Expos in 1969, and were the first Major League Baseball team in Canada. The Expos moved to Washington in 2005 becoming the Nats.

50 “The Bachelorette” network : ABC

“The Bachelorette” is a reality television show about dating with the intent of marriage, and is a spin-off of “The Bachelor”. The marriage that resulted from the first season (2003) is still going strong, with the couple now the parents of two children.

53 Deli lunch options : TURKEY WRAPS

The word “delicatessen” (or “deli” for short) came into English from the German “Delikatessen”. The Germans borrowed the word from French, in which language “délicatesse” means “delicious things (to eat)”. The term’s ultimate root is “delicatus”, the Latin for “giving pleasure, delightful”.

59 Midcruise milieu : OPEN SEA

We use the French term “milieu” (plural “milieux”) to mean “environment, surroundings”. In French, “milieu” is the word for “middle”.

60 Where Bill and Hillary first met : YALE LAW

Hillary Rodham was born in Chicago, Illinois to Hugh Rodham (a businessman in the textile industry) and Dorothy Howell (a homemaker). Hillary was raised in a conservative home, and she campaigned for Republican candidate Barry Goldwater in the 1964 US presidential election. The following year, she served as president of the Young Republicans at Wellesley College. Our former First Lady left the Republican Party expressing disappointment at what she witnessed at the 1968 Republican National Convention in Miami, citing “veiled” racist messages prevalent at that time.

Hillary Rodham was born in Chicago, Illinois to Hugh Rodham (a businessman in the textile industry) and Dorothy Howell (a homemaker). Hillary was raised in a conservative home, and she campaigned for Republican candidate Barry Goldwater in the 1964 US presidential election. The following year, she served as president of the Young Republicans at Wellesley College. Our former First Lady left the Republican Party expressing disappointment at what she witnessed at the 1968 Republican National Convention in Miami, citing “veiled” racist messages prevalent at that time.

64 Automotive amenity that offers an annual Santa Tracker : ONSTAR

The OnStar system was developed as a joint venture between GM, EDS and Hughes. The product itself was launched in 1996. Today, OnStar is only available on GM cars, although it used to be offered on other makes of car through a licensing agreement. OnStar is a subscription service that packages vehicle security, telephone, satellite navigation and remote diagnostics.

65 Stingrays, often : RAGTOPS

“Ragtop” is slang for a convertible automobile.

Down

1 Emissions concern : SMOG

“Smog” is a portmanteau formed by melding “smoke” and “fog”. The term was first used to describe the air around London in the early 1900s. Several cities around the world have a reputation of being particularly smoggy. For example, the most smog-plagued city in Latin America is Mexico City, which is located in a highland “bowl” that traps industrial and vehicle pollution.

2 Like some pools : TIDAL

A tidal pool (also “rock pool”) is a pool of seawater that is left along a rocky coastline after an ebb tide.

4 What something bacillary is shaped like : ROD

All bacilli are rod-shaped bacteria, although all rod-shaped bacteria aren’t necessarily bacilli. One of the more famous members of the genus Bacillus is Bacillus anthracis, which causes anthrax.

6 Protest movement launched in 2011, familiarly : OCCUPY

The Occupy movement is a protest directed against economic and social inequality worldwide. The first such protest to garner major attention took place in Wall Street in 2011, and from there similar protests spread around the world.

8 Barricaded : SHUT

A barricade is an obstruction placed across some form of passage that is designed to prevent the advance of an enemy. The term “barricade” comes from the Spanish “barrica” meaning “barrel”, which possibly is a reference to the 1588 Huguenot riots in Paris. Rioters set up barriers in the streets made from barrels filled with earth and stones.

10 Cry from a balcony : O ROMEO

In the balcony scene in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”, Juliet utters the famous line:

O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?

Every school kid must have commented with a giggle “he’s down in the garden!” Of course, “wherefore” isn’t an archaic word for “where”, but rather an old way of saying “why”. So Juliet is asking, “Why art thou Romeo, a Montague, and hence a sworn enemy of the Capulets?”

11 Big adventure through the concrete jungle : URBAN HIKE

The terms “cement”, “mortar” and ”concrete” are related, and tend to get confused at times. Cement is a binder that hardens over time and binds other materials together. Cement mixed with a fine aggregate forms mortar, a workable paste used to bind building blocks together. Cement mixed with sand and gravel forms concrete, a pourable slurry that hardens into an extremely robust building material.

13 Ciudad del ___, Paraguay’s largest city after Asunción : ESTE

Ciudad del Este is the second largest city in Paraguay (after the capital, Asunción). As the name suggests (“City of the East” in Spanish), Ciudad del Este is on the Eastern border of the country. It is connected to the city of Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil by what is called the Friendship Bridge over the Paraná River. The bridge is extremely busy, as the majority of Paraguay’s imports and exports pass over it.

Asunción is the capital city of Paraguay. It is one of the oldest cities in South America, and hence known as “Mother of Cities”. The city was first visited by Spanish conqueror Juan de Ayolas, and he founded a fort there in 1537 that he called Nuestra Señora Santa María de la Asunción, which is why we use the current name.

20 Follower of Jesus Christ? : … SUPERSTAR

“Jesus Christ Superstar” is a rock opera that was first released in album form in 1970, before being adapted for the stage in 1971. The music was composed by Andrew Lloyd Weber and the lyrics by Tim Rice.

31 It has a $100 billion line of credit with the Treasury Dept. : FDIC

During the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the Banking Act of 1933. The legislation established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), intended to be a temporary government corporation that provided insurance on deposits made by customers of qualified financial institutions. The first accounts to be covered, in 1934, had an insurance limit of $2,500. Since the financial crisis of 2008, that limit is $250,000.

32 Cousin of a firth : LOCH

“Loch” is the Scottish-Gaelic word for “lake”. The Irish-Gaelic word is “lough”, and the Welsh word is “llyn”.

“Firth” is a word used in England and Scotland for an inlet. It tends to be used in the same way as “fjord” is in Scandinavia.

35 Zwölf minus elf : EINS

In German, “zwölf minus elf” (twelve minus eleven) is “eins” (one).

44 Acorn, by another name : OAKNUT

These days, we don’t usually consider acorns as a foodstuff. But in days past, many cultures around the world have used acorns as food. Usually, bitter tannins that occur in acorns need to be leached out in water. Acorn meal can be a substitute for grain flour, which can then be used to make bread. Acorns have also been used as a substitute for coffee, especially when coffee was rationed. Notably, acorn coffee was brewed up by Confederates during the American Civil War, and by Germans during World War II.

46 Fine wool source : ALPACA

Alpacas are like small llamas, but unlike llamas were never beasts of burden. Alpacas were bred specifically for the fleece. As such, there are no known wild alpacas these days, even in their native Peru.

48 Cybertruck maker : TESLA

Tesla’s Cybertruck is an electric-powered pickup truck that the company unveiled in 2019. It’s a pretty futuristic design, one inspired by the flying cars in “Blade Runner” and the automobile/submarine Lotus Esprit in “The Spy Who Loved Me”.

51 Mowgli’s teacher in “The Jungle Book” : BALOO

“The Jungle Book” by Rudyard Kipling was originally published in 1894, and is a collection of adventure stories or fables featuring the animals of the jungle and a young boy named Mowgli. Baloo is a sloth bear that teaches the cubs of a wolf pack the Law of the Jungle. Baloo’s most challenging pupil however is no lupine, but rather the man-cub Mowgli.

53 Lead-in to -graphic : TOPO-

A topographic map is one that illustrates land relief, the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the terrain. Typically, this is done using contour lines that show the steepness of slopes.

58 Many start with “I”: Abbr. : HWYS

The US Interstate System is more correctly known as the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, a nod to President Eisenhower who championed the construction. The President had come to recognise the value of the German autobahn system in his experiences during WWII, and resolved to give the US a similar infrastructure. In real terms, the US Interstate construction project is said to have been the largest public works project since the Pyramids of Egypt.

61 Sinus doc : ENT

Ear, nose and throat specialist (ENT)

In anatomical terms, a sinus is a cavity in tissue. Sinuses are found all over the body, in the kidney and heart for example, but we most commonly think of the paranasal sinuses that surround the nose.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Result of a rise, perhaps : STARDOM
8 Other half : SPOUSE
14 One of the Balearic Islands : MINORCA
15 Dessert order at a Mexican restaurant : CHURROS
16 Quirky sort : ODD DUCK
17 Life-form led by Optimus Prime in the “Transformers” movies : AUTOBOT
18 Monthly expense : GAS
19 Ballpark figure : GUESSTIMATE
21 ___ Lonely Boys, group with the 2004 hit “Heaven” : LOS
23 Button for enlarging an image : PLUS
24 Mark of perfection : TEN
25 Expose : LAY OPEN
28 Really, really : OH SO
31 Gender-___ : FLUID
34 T-Bird alternative : ‘VETTE
36 Cabbage alternative? : IOU
37 “This isn’t a trick question” : DON’T OVERTHINK IT
40 “___ c’est Paris” (French soccer club slogan) : ICI
41 Vibe : SENSE
42 Airs during the holidays : NOELS
43 Jimmy of high-end footwear : CHOO
45 Made it through : GOT PAST
47 Pro in D.C. : NAT
49 Exaggerated : TALL
50 “The Bachelorette” network : ABC
53 Deli lunch options : TURKEY WRAPS
57 Sound after a sip : AHH
59 Midcruise milieu : OPEN SEA
60 Where Bill and Hillary first met : YALE LAW
62 In : POPULAR
63 Budgeting class? : ECONOMY
64 Automotive amenity that offers an annual Santa Tracker : ONSTAR
65 Stingrays, often : RAGTOPS

Down

1 Emissions concern : SMOG
2 Like some pools : TIDAL
3 “Thus …” : AND SO …
4 What something bacillary is shaped like : ROD
5 Word with wonder or designer : … DRUG
6 Protest movement launched in 2011, familiarly : OCCUPY
7 Peace slogan : MAKE LOVE NOT WAR
8 Barricaded : SHUT
9 To ___ mildly : PUT IT
10 Cry from a balcony : O ROMEO
11 Big adventure through the concrete jungle : URBAN HIKE
12 Emissions concern : SOOT
13 Ciudad del ___, Paraguay’s largest city after Asunción : ESTE
15 Sound investment in the 1980s? : CASSETTE PLAYER
20 Follower of Jesus Christ? : … SUPERSTAR
22 Paper cut, e.g. : SLIT
26 Troubles : ADOS
27 ___ power : NTH
29 Sovereign land, so to speak : SOIL
30 Excuses : OUTS
31 It has a $100 billion line of credit with the Treasury Dept. : FDIC
32 Cousin of a firth : LOCH
33 Ones calling the strikes? : UNION REPS
35 Zwölf minus elf : EINS
38 Chill : VEG
39 “___ problem” : NOT A
44 Acorn, by another name : OAKNUT
46 Fine wool source : ALPACA
48 Cybertruck maker : TESLA
51 Mowgli’s teacher in “The Jungle Book” : BALOO
52 Belt wearer, perhaps : CHAMP
53 Lead-in to -graphic : TOPO-
54 Keeping current with : UP ON
55 Graduation class : YEAR
56 This is taking fore-e-ever : SLOG
58 Many start with “I”: Abbr. : HWYS
61 Sinus doc : ENT