0401-22 NY Times Crossword 1 Apr 22, Friday

Constructed by: Evan Mahnken
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme (according to Bill): April Fool!

There is a note with today’s puzzle:

This puzzle has four different solutions. When you’re done, read the circled letters from top to bottom to find another one.

Well, those four different “solutions” are the four themed answers, all “solutes” dissolved in “solvents”. And, the circled letters spell out “ANOTHER ONE”, literally:

  • 17A Bathroom cabinet item : MOUTHWASH
  • 27A Product often advertising 99.99% effectiveness : HAND SANITIZER
  • 44A It might help clear things up : WINDOW CLEANER
  • 57A Sound filler : SALTWATER

Bill’s time: 30m 49s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 You might bid on it : EBAY

There have been some notable things sold on eBay over the years. For example:

  • Ad space on a guy’s forehead, in the form of a temporary tattoo – $37,375
  • William Shatner’s kidney stone – $25,000
  • A cornflake shaped like Illinois – $1,350
  • A single corn flake – $1.63
  • A box of 10 Twinkies – $59.99
  • The original Hollywood sign – $450,400
  • The meaning of life – $3.26

5 First man, in Maori mythology : TIKI

The Māori are the indigenous people of New Zealand. They are eastern Polynesian in origin and began arriving in New Zealand relatively recently, starting some time in the late 13th century. The word “māori” simply means “normal”, distinguishing mortal humans from spiritual entities. The Māori refer to New Zealand as “Aotearoa”.

9 Lead to : BEGET

Despite the fact that the term “beget” appears in the English translation of the Bible, the use of “beget” in the sense of procreation only dates back to about 1200 AD. Prior to that, “beget” meant “to acquire, seize”.

14 Plant : MOLE

A mole is a spy who works from within the ranks of an enemy’s government of intelligence service. The use of “mole” took off after the publication of John Le Carré’s 1974 novel “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”. The author was himself a former intelligence officer and asserts that “mole” was a term used by the KGB, whereas Western agencies used the term “sleeper agent”.

16 It makes il mondo go ’round : AMORE

In Italian, it’s “amore” (love) that makes “il mondo” (the world) go ‘round.

20 Vegas machine with the best odds? : ATM

Automatic Teller Machine (ATM)

22 “American ___” (Neil Gaiman novel that won the Hugo and Nebula) : GODS

“American Gods” is a 2001 fantasy novel by English author Neil Gaiman. The book has been adapted into a TV series, with the first season airing on Starz in 2017. It’s all about gods and mythological creatures in contemporary America. Not my cup of tea, although there is a leprechaun named Mad Sweeney in the mix …

23 Japanese electronics brand : AIWA

Aiwa was a Japanese company that produced consumer electronics, mainly audio and video equipment. Sony bought Aiwa in 2002 and eventually discontinued the brand in 2006. The Aiwa trademark was acquired by a Chicago-based consumer electronics company in 2015.

24 Brain freeze cause : SLURPEE

Icee and Slurpee are brand names of slushy drinks. Ugh …

31 “Headliner” of the first Warner Bros. short to win an Oscar : TWEETY

Tweety Bird is a yellow canary character that appears in Warner Brothers cartoons. In the main, Tweety Bird was voiced by the great Mel Blanc.

32 ___ Ren of “The Force Awakens” : KYLO

Kylo Ren is the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa in the “Star Wars” universe. The character’s birth name was Ben Solo. He was trained as a Jedi knight by his uncle, Luke Skywalker. However, Ben came to embrace the Dark Side, and changed his name to Kylo Ren. Ren is played by actor Adam Driver.

“Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens” is the seventh episode in the “Star Wars” series of films. Several favorite characters return in “Star Wars VII”, including Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and General Leia Organa (or “Princess Leia” in earlier films, played by Carrie Fisher).

33 Big 12 sch. : ISU

Indiana State University (ISU) was established in Terre Haute in 1865, as the Indiana State Normal School. ISU’s sports teams are called the Sycamores.

Iowa State University of Science and Technology (ISU) is located in Ames, Iowa. Among many other notable milestones, ISU created the country’s first school of veterinary medicine, in 1879. The sports teams of ISU are known as the Cyclones.

38 Ad Council output, for short : PSAS

The Ad Council is a nonprofit that produces public service announcements (PSAs) for various groups, including agencies of the US government. Conceived in 1942, the council operated under the name “War Advertising Council” from 1943 to 1946. It was this organization that produced the famous wartime ads promoting military enlistment, conservation of war materials, and the purchase of war bonds. President Franklin D. Roosevelt made it clear that he wanted the Ad Council to continue its work after the war, and he got his wish.

39 Grp. that advertised in “The Book of Mormon” playbills, surprisingly : LDS

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) is known colloquially as the Mormon Church.

“The Book of Mormon” is a satirical musical by Trey Parker and Matt Stone (of “South Park” fame) and Robert Lopez (of “Avenue Q” and “Frozen” fame). The show follows two missionaries from the Mormon Church seeking converts in a remote village in Uganda.

40 Command after mistakenly pressing Ctrl+Z : REDO

Ctrl+Z is a keyboard shortcut for the command UNDO.

47 Nocturnal marsupial : OPOSSUM

Although they are both marsupials, the opossum and the possum are two distinct animals. True possums are found in Australia and other places in the South Pacific. Opossums are found in North America.

59 Upper atmosphere : ETHER

The Greek philosopher Empedocles proposed that there are four elements that made up the universe, namely earth, water, air and fire. Aristotle later proposed a fifth element which he called aether (also “ether”). Aether was the divine substance that made up the stars and planets. We’re still using the term “ether” with a similar meaning.

60 Little rascal : TYKE

“Tyke” has been used playfully to describe a young child since at least 1902 For centuries before that, a tyke was a cur or mongrel, or perhaps a lazy or lower-class man.

63 Federation formed in 1922, for short : USSR

The former Soviet Union (officially “Union of Soviet Socialist Republics” or “USSR”) was created in 1922, not long after the Russian Revolution of 1917 that overthrew the tsar. Geographically, the new Soviet Union was roughly equivalent to the old Russian Empire, and comprised fifteen Soviet Socialist Republics (SSRs).

Down

3 Who might be asked for a donation, in brief : ALUM

An alumnus (plural “alumni”) is a graduate or former student of a school or college. The female form is “alumna” (plural “alumnae”). The term comes into English from Latin, in which an alumnus is a foster-son or pupil. “Alum” is an informal term used for either an alumna or alumnus.

8 Suffix with bull or bear : -ISH

The terms “bull market” and “bear market” come from the way in which each animal attacks. A bull thrusts his horns upwards (an “up” market), whereas a bear swipes with his paws downward (a “down” market).

10 Citizenship test taker, perhaps : EMIGRE

An émigré (fem. “émigrée”) is an emigrant. The term is French in origin, and particularly applies to someone who is a political refugee from his or her native land.

13 It may be perfect for writing : TENSE

Although we often say “perfect tense” in English, we are usually referring to the “present perfect tense”. The present perfect takes its place alongside the past perfect and future perfect. Verbs in the perfect form use the auxiliary verb “to have” alongside a past participle. For example:

  • I had solved the puzzle (past perfect)
  • I have solved the puzzle (present perfect)
  • I will have solved the puzzle (future perfect)

23 Some sources of vitamin C : ADES

The essential nutrient referred to as vitamin C is also known as L-ascorbic acid or ascorbate. A lack of vitamin C causes the disease scurvy.

24 Ocular affliction : STYE

A stye is a bacterial infection of the sebaceous glands at the base of the eyelashes, and is also known as a hordeolum.

26 Emmy winner Aduba : UZO

Uzo Aduba is an actress best known for playing prison inmate Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren on the Netflix TV show “Orange Is the New Black”.

27 Code inits. : HTML

The initialism “HTML” stands for HyperText Markup Language. HTML is the language used to write most Internet web pages (including this one).

28 How you might feel looking at the Northern Lights : AWED

The spectacular aurora phenomenon is seen lighting up the night sky at both poles of the earth (the Aurora Borealis in the north, and the Aurora Australis in the south). The eerie effect is caused by charged particles colliding with atoms at high latitudes.

37 Biblical land near the kingdoms of Judah and Moab : EDOM

Edom is an ancient Iron Age kingdom located in the south of modern-day Jordan. The area is known for its red-colored sandstone, which gave the kingdom its name. According to the Bible, the Edomites were the descendants of Esau. “Edom” translates from Hebrew as “red”, and was the name given to Esau when he ate the “red pottage”.

38 Scotch flavorer : PEAT

Many whiskies are noted for a peaty, smoky flavor. That taste is introduced when the malted grain is dried over a peat-heated fire.

40 E.R. staffers : RNS

One might find a registered nurse (RN) and a medical doctor (MD) in an emergency room (ER).

41 Brown. follower : EDU

The .edu domain was one of the six original generic top-level domains specified. The complete original list is:

  • .com (commercial enterprise)
  • .net (entity involved in network infrastructure e.g. an ISP)
  • .mil (US military)
  • .org (not-for-profit organization)
  • .gov (US federal government entity)
  • .edu (college-level educational institution)

Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island is one of the eight Ivy League schools. Brown has been around a long time, founded in 1764, years before America declared independence from England. The university took the name of Brown in 1804 after one Nicholas Brown, Jr. gave a substantial gift to the school. The school’s athletic teams are known as the Brown Bears, and their mascot is Bruno.

46 Gets ready, as a cue stick : CHALKS

The name of the game billiards comes from the French word “billiard” that originally described the wooden cue stick. The Old French “bille” translates as “stick of wood”.

47 Fertile spots : OASES

An isolated area of vegetation in a desert is called an oasis (plural “oases”). As water is needed for plant growth, an oasis might also include a spring, pond or small lake. We often use the term “oasis” more generally to describe a haven, a place of rest.

48 Masterwork completed in 1499 : PIETA

The Pietà is a representation of the Virgin Mary holding in her arms the dead body of her son Jesus. The most famous Pietà is undoubtedly the sculpted rendition by Michelangelo that is located in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. That particular sculpture is thought to be the only work that Michelangelo signed. In some depictions of the Pietà, Mary and her son are surrounded by other figures from the New Testament. Such depictions are known as Lamentations.

51 Snack brand owned by PepsiCo : LAY’S

The manufacturers of Frito and Lay potato chips merged to form Frito-Lay in 1961. Frito-Lay then merged with Pepsi-Cola in 1965 to form PepsiCo.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 You might bid on it : EBAY
5 First man, in Maori mythology : TIKI
9 Lead to : BEGET
14 Plant : MOLE
15 Encumbrance : ONUS
16 It makes il mondo go ’round : AMORE
17 Bathroom cabinet item : MOUTHWASH
19 More than flirt with : HIT ON
20 Vegas machine with the best odds? : ATM
21 A head : EACH
22 “American ___” (Neil Gaiman novel that won the Hugo and Nebula) : GODS
23 Japanese electronics brand : AIWA
24 Brain freeze cause : SLURPEE
27 Product often advertising 99.99% effectiveness : HAND SANITIZER
31 “Headliner” of the first Warner Bros. short to win an Oscar : TWEETY
32 ___ Ren of “The Force Awakens” : KYLO
33 Big 12 sch. : ISU
36 Makes a small, plaintive sound : MEWS
37 K.C.-to-Detroit direction : ENE
38 Ad Council output, for short : PSAS
39 Grp. that advertised in “The Book of Mormon” playbills, surprisingly : LDS
40 Command after mistakenly pressing Ctrl+Z : REDO
42 Spicy kind of seasoning : CREOLE
44 It might help clear things up : WINDOW CLEANER
47 Nocturnal marsupial : OPOSSUM
49 Event with Easter eggs : HUNT
50 Runs : AIRS
51 Behind : LATE
52 Where the cucumbers are not for eating : SPA
55 Play matchmaker for : SET UP
57 Sound filler : SALTWATER
59 Upper atmosphere : ETHER
60 Little rascal : TYKE
61 Damage : HARM
62 Authority : SAY-SO
63 Federation formed in 1922, for short : USSR
64 Like many college film projects : ARTY

Down

1 ___ Raducanu, 2021 U.S. Open winner : EMMA
2 Kick hard : BOOT
3 Who might be asked for a donation, in brief : ALUM
4 “___ again …” : YET
5 Illegally parked car, maybe : TOWAWAY
6 How some pet food is sold : IN A CAN
7 Potent marijuana : KUSH
8 Suffix with bull or bear : -ISH
9 Cry of contempt : BAH!
10 Citizenship test taker, perhaps : EMIGRE
11 Get put away : GO TO PRISON
12 Eat at : ERODE
13 It may be perfect for writing : TENSE
18 Job at a bank, say : HEIST
23 Some sources of vitamin C : ADES
24 Ocular affliction : STYE
25 Wee : LI’L
26 Emmy winner Aduba : UZO
27 Code inits. : HTML
28 How you might feel looking at the Northern Lights : AWED
29 Fit for a big write-up, say : NEWSWORTHY
30 “Right?!” : I KNOW!
34 Closing activity : SALE
35 ___ interface : USER
37 Biblical land near the kingdoms of Judah and Moab : EDOM
38 Scotch flavorer : PEAT
40 E.R. staffers : RNS
41 Brown. follower : EDU
42 Mess : CLUTTER
43 Get more 45-Down : RENEW
45 See 43-Down : ISSUES
46 Gets ready, as a cue stick : CHALKS
47 Fertile spots : OASES
48 Masterwork completed in 1499 : PIETA
51 Snack brand owned by PepsiCo : LAY’S
52 Holiday cookie shape : STAR
53 Sassy : PERT
54 Drove : ARMY
56 Whiz : PRO
57 Nickname that’s an alphabet trio : STU
58 “I’ve got it!” : AHA!