0307-22 NY Times Crossword 7 Mar 22, Monday

Constructed by: Sam Acker
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer(s): Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold

Themed answers are DISHES BEST SERVED COLD:

  • 3D With 11-Down, proverb about delayed retribution, with a hint to the answers to this puzzle’s starred clues : REVENGE IS A DISH …
  • 11D See 3-Down : … BEST SERVED COLD
  • 20A *Dessert for which “I scream” : ICE CREAM
  • 30A *Traditional English pub order of fish in a set stock : JELLIED EEL
  • 43A *Picnic bowlful : PASTA SALAD
  • 54A *Tomato-based summer soup : GAZPACHO

Bill’s time: 7m 16s

Bill’s errors: 2

  • GAZPACHO (gaspacho!)
  • ZEKE (Seke!)

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Sea: Fr. : MER

In French, “La Méditerranée” (the Mediterranean) is a “mer” (sea).

4 Capital of North Macedonia : SKOPJE

Skopje is the capital city of North Macedonia. Skopje was hit by a powerful earthquake in 1963 (6.9 on the Richter Scale), which killed over a thousand people, and left over 100,000 people homeless. As well as the loss to life, over 75% of the city was destroyed, triggering a massive rebuilding effort supported by countries in the region and around the globe.

North Macedonia is one of the nations that emerged following the breakup of Yugoslavia from 1989 to 1992. It occupies the northern third of the geographic and historical region known as Macedonia, sharing the area with Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia and Kosovo. North Macedonia used the disputed name “Macedonia” after gaining independence in 1991, but agreed to change the name to “North Macedonia” starting in 2019.

10 26 things learned in kindergarten : ABCS

“Kindergarten” is a German term, one translating as “children’s garden”. The term was coined by the German education authority Friedrich Fröbel in 1837, when he used it as the name for his play and activity institute that he created for young children to use before they headed off to school. His thought was that children should be nourished educationally, like plants in a garden.

14 Gibbon or gorilla : APE

The tailless primates known as apes (also “hominoids”) are divided into two main branches: gibbons (lesser apes) and hominids (great apes). The hominids are the great apes, and belong to the family of primates called Hominidae. Extant genera that make up the family Hominidae are:

  • chimpanzees
  • gorillas
  • humans
  • orangutans

15 Arctic mammal with tusks : WALRUS

Walruses are large marine mammals with very prominent tusks. Their natural habitat is in and around the northern hemisphere’s Arctic Ocean.

Tusks are the front teeth of certain animals that grow continuously. The tusks piggs, hippo and walruses are elongated canine teeth. The tusks of elephants are elongated incisors.

17 Actress Tyler : LIV

Actress and model Liv Tyler is the daughter of Steven Tyler, lead singer with Aerosmith, and Bebe Buell, a celebrated model and singer. Liv Tyler plays the Elf maiden Arwen Undómiel in Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

18 The “i” of Roy G. Biv : INDIGO

The name of the color “indigo” ultimately comes from the Greek “indikon” meaning “blue dye from India”.

“Roy G. Biv” can be used as a mnemonic for the colors in a rainbow:

  • Red
  • Orange
  • Yellow
  • Green
  • Blue
  • Indigo
  • Violet

19 Farming-focused govt. org. : USDA

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) dates back to 1862, when it was established by then-president Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln referred to the USDA as the “people’s department” as our economy had such a vast agrarian base back then.

20 *Dessert for which “I scream” : ICE CREAM

“Oronym” is an informal term used for a pair of phrases that sound identical, or almost identical. A good example would be “I scream” and “ice cream”. There is a marvelous British comedy sketch from the show “The Two Ronnies” that is built around oronyms. Known as the “Four Candles” sketch, it’s a favorite clip of mine …

22 When doubled, popular 1990s sitcom featuring Tia and Tamera Mowry : SISTER

“Sister, Sister” is a sitcom that originally aired from 1994 to 1999 starring identical twin sisters Tia and Tamera Mowry. Tia and Tamera play two sisters who were separated at birth, one being adopted by a single mother, and the other by a single father. The sisters happen upon each other 14 years later, and hilarity ensues …

24 Sports org. for Rangers and Red Wings : NHL

The New York Rangers are an NHL team. They are one of the oldest teams in the league, having joined in 1926. When the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1928, they became the first American team to do so.

The Detroit Red Wings play in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Red Wings have won the Stanley Cup more times than any other US-based NHL team.

25 Group of whales : GAM

A group of whales can be called a gam, as well as a pod.

27 ___ Moines, Iowa : DES

The city of Des Moines is the capital of Iowa, and takes its name from the Des Moines River. The river in turn takes its name from the French “Riviere des Moines” meaning “River of the Monks”. It looks like there isn’t any “monkish” connection to the city’s name per se. “Des Moines” was just the name given by French traders who corrupted “Moingona”, the name of a group of Illinois Native Americans who lived by the river. However, others contend that French Trappist monks, who lived a full 200 miles from the river, somehow influenced the name.

28 Pop singer Lady ___ : GAGA

“Lady Gaga” is the stage name of Stefani Germanotta. Germanotta is a big fan of the band Queen, and she took her stage name from the marvelous Queen song titled “Radio Ga Ga”.

30 *Traditional English pub order of fish in a set stock : JELLIED EEL

Jellied eels are a traditional British dish associated with the working class East End of London. Historically, the eels used were caught in the River Thames. The dish is prepared by boiling up eels that have been chopped into rounds in a seasoned stock and then allowing it to set. The eel contains a lot of gelatinous protein so the stock forms a jelly as it cools.

34 Meeting handout : AGENDA

“Agenda” is a Latin word that translates as “things to be done”, coming from the verb “agere” meaning “to do”.

36 Undergarment with cups : BRA

The word “brassière” is French in origin, but it isn’t the word that the French use for a “bra”. In France, what we call a bra is known as a “soutien-gorge”, translating to “held under the neck”. The word “brassière” is indeed used in France but there it describes a baby’s undershirt, a lifebelt or a harness. “Brassière” comes from the Old French word for an “arm protector” in a military uniform (“bras” is the French for “arm”). Later “brassière” came to mean “breastplate” and from there the word was used for a type of woman’s corset. The word jumped into English around 1900.

37 Bread for a Reuben : RYE

There are conflicting stories about the origin of the Reuben sandwich. One such story is that it was invented around 1914 by Arnold Reuben, an immigrant from Germany who owned Reuben’s Deli in New York.

38 ___ Lanka : SRI

The island nation of Sri Lanka lies off the southeast coast of India. The name “Sri Lanka” translates from Sanskrit into English as “venerable island”. Before 1970, Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon, a name given to the country during British rule.

39 Slugger’s stat, for short : RBI

Run batted in (RBI)

41 A dozen minus one : ELEVEN

Our word “dozen” is used for a group of twelve. We imported it into English from Old French. The modern French word for “twelve” is “douze”, and for “dozen” is “douzaine”.

43 *Picnic bowlful : PASTA SALAD

Our term “picnic” comes from the French word that now has the same meaning, namely “pique-nique”. The original “pique-nique” was a fashionable potluck affair, and not necessarily held outdoors.

47 Event that may be proctored : TEST

A proctor is a supervisor, and especially a person overseeing a school examination or a dormitory. The word “proctor” originated in the late 1500s, and is a contraction of the word “procurator”, the name given to an official agent of a church.

48 Where the biceps and triceps are found : ARM

The biceps muscle is made up of two bundles of muscle, both of which terminate at the same point near the elbow. The heads of the bundles terminate at different points on the scapula or shoulder blade. “Biceps” is Latin for “two-headed”.

The triceps brachii muscle is found at the back of the upper arm. The muscle’s name translates to “three-headed arm muscle”, fitting as it is actually made up of three bundles of muscles.

49 Election mo. : NOV

Election day was chosen by Congress back in 1845. The month of November was selected as it suited an agricultural society, following the fall harvest and yet not too far into winter, which could make travel difficult. Tuesday was chosen so that people had time to travel to polling stations. Monday elections might have meant that some would have to start out on Sunday, and that could interfere with Christian services.

50 Benchmark: Abbr. : STD

A benchmark is something that serves as a standard used to measure others. The original benchmark was a point of reference used by surveyors. Literally, a benchmark was an angle-iron driven into the ground as a support (or “bench”) for a leveling instrument.

54 *Tomato-based summer soup : GAZPACHO

Gazpacho is a cold soup made from vegetables in a tomato base. It originated in Andalusia in southern Spain.

58 Sci-fi princess : LEIA

The full name of the character played by Carrie Fisher in the “Star Wars” series of films is Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan, and later Leia Organa Solo. Leia is the twin sister of Luke Skywalker, and the daughter of Anakin Skywalker (aka “Darth Vader”) and Padmé Amidala. Leia is raised by her adoptive parents Bail and Breha Organa. She eventually marries Han Solo.

61 “___ the fields we go …” : O’ER

The traditional Christmas song “Jingle Bells” was first published in 1857, penned by James Lord Pierpont. We associate the song with Christmas, although in fact Pierpont wrote it as a celebration of Thanksgiving.

Dashing through the snow
In a one horse open sleigh
O’er the fields we go
Laughing all the way

62 The “I” of M.I.T.: Abbr. : INST

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was founded in 1861 and first offered classes in 1865, in the Mercantile building in Boston. Today’s magnificent campus on the banks of the Charles River in Cambridge opened in 1916.

64 Slow Wi-Fi annoyance : LAG

In Internet terms, lag is a delay in response caused by network latency. We might notice lag when streaming a video, for example.

67 Like wine labeled “sec” : DRY

“Sec” is a French term meaning “dry”, and is most familiar on this side of the Atlantic when used to describe wine.

Down

1 Timbuktu’s country : MALI

The Republic of Mali is a landlocked country in western Africa located south of Algeria. Formerly known as French Sudan, the nation’s most famous city is Timbuktu. Mali is the third-largest producer of gold on the continent, after South Africa and Ghana.

2 “The ___ of Gilgamesh” : EPIC

The “Epic of Gilgamesh” is an epic poem from Mesopotamia. It is one of the earliest known works of literature that has survived. Fragments of the first version of the epic date back to the 18th century BC.

3 With 11-Down, proverb about delayed retribution, with a hint to the answers to this puzzle’s starred clues : REVENGE IS A DISH …
11 See 3-Down : … BEST SERVED COLD

The proverb “revenge is a dish best served cold” appears in literature in various forms, dating back at least to the 1841 novel “Mathilde” by Marie Joseph Eugène Sue.

5 “Citizen” played by Orson Welles : KANE

1941’s “Citizen Kane” was the first film made by Orson Welles, and is considered by many to be the finest movie ever made. It’s a remarkable achievement by Wells, as he played the lead and also produced and directed. Despite all the accolades for “Citizen Kane” over the decades, the movie was far from a commercial success in its early run and actually lost money at the box office.

8 Moonshine container : JUG

The illegal distilled spirits known as moonshine can also be referred to as white lightning, mountain dew and hooch.

13 Constellation part : STAR

A constellation is a collection of stars that forms the imaginary outline of a creature or god from mythology, or perhaps an object. There are 48 traditional Western constellations, and these were all defined in Claudius Ptolemy’s 2nd-century treatise called the “Almagest”. Today, there are 88 modern constellations with contiguous boundaries that together cover the entire night sky.

21 Jackie known for doing his own stunts : CHAN

Jackie Chan is an actor from Hong Kong who is noted for his action and martial arts films. When Chan was 17-years-old he featured as a stunt actor in Bruce Lee movies. He also starred in the 1982 Hong Kong action film “Dragon Lord” which includes a fight scene that required an amazing 2900 takes, a record in the movie industry.

26 Sports org. for Rangers and Red Sox : MLB

The Texas Rangers Major League Baseball team is based in Arlington, Texas just outside Dallas. The team was founded as the Washington Senators in 1961, and ended up in Texas ten years later. The team is named after the famous Texas Rangers law enforcement agency.

The Boston Red Sox are one of the most successful Major League Baseball teams and so command a large attendance, but only when on the road. The relatively small capacity of Boston’s Fenway Park, the team’s home since 1912, has dictated that every game the Red Sox have played there has been a sell-out from May of 2003 to April 2013. I recently had the pleasure of touring Fenway Park. It’s quite a place …

29 Taj Mahal city : AGRA

Agra is a medieval city on the banks of the river Yamuna in India that was the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1556 to 1658. The city is home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

  • The Taj Mahal: the famous mausoleum built in memory of Mumtaz Mahal.
  • Agra Fort: the site where the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond was seized.
  • Fatehpur Sikri: a historic city that’s home to well-preserved Mughal architecture.

33 Pre-Easter period : LENT

In Latin, the Christian season that is now called “Lent” was termed “quadragesima” (meaning “fortieth”), a reference to the forty days that Jesus spent in the desert before beginning his public ministry. When the church began its move in the Middle Ages towards using the vernacular, the term “Lent” was introduced. “Lent” comes from “lenz”, the German word for “spring”.

40 McKellen who played Gandalf : IAN

Sir Ian McKellen is a marvelous English actor, one who is comfortable playing anything from Macbeth on stage to Magneto in an “X-Men” movie. On the big screen, McKellen is very famous for playing Gandalf in “The Lord of Rings”. In the UK, Sir Ian is noted for being at the forefront of the campaign for equal rights for gay people, a role he has enthusiastically embraced since the eighties.

Gandalf is an important character in the J. R. R. Tolkien novels “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. He is a wizard known as Gandalf the Grey during his lifetime, and as Gandalf the White after he returns from the dead.

42 “At Last” singer James : ETTA

The 1942 song “At Last” was written for the 1941 musical film “Sun Valley Serenade” in which it is performed by Glenn Miller and his orchestra. Etta James recorded a version of “At Last” in 1960, after which it became her signature song.

46 Sci-fi blockbuster of 2009 : AVATAR

2009’s epic “Avatar” is a science fiction film from James Cameron, who was the director, writer and producer. It was an expensive movie to make and to promote, but was destined to become the highest-grossing film in the history of cinema. 20th Century Fox made a deal with Cameron to produce four “Avatar” sequels.

51 Pelvic bones : ILIA

The sacrum (plural “sacra”) and the two ilia (singular “ileum”) are three bones in the human pelvis.

57 Bacchanalian party : ORGY

A bacchanalia is a drunken spree. The term “bacchanalia” derives from the ancient Roman festival held in honor of Bacchus, the god of winemaking.

60 Wall St. debut : IPO

An initial public offering (IPO) is the very first offer of stock for sale by a company on the open market. In other words, an IPO marks the first time that a company is traded on a public exchange. Companies have an IPO to raise capital to expand (usually).

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Sea: Fr. : MER
4 Capital of North Macedonia : SKOPJE
10 26 things learned in kindergarten : ABCS
14 Gibbon or gorilla : APE
15 Arctic mammal with tusks : WALRUS
16 Be introduced to : MEET
17 Actress Tyler : LIV
18 The “i” of Roy G. Biv : INDIGO
19 Farming-focused govt. org. : USDA
20 *Dessert for which “I scream” : ICE CREAM
22 When doubled, popular 1990s sitcom featuring Tia and Tamera Mowry : SISTER
24 Sports org. for Rangers and Red Wings : NHL
25 Group of whales : GAM
27 ___ Moines, Iowa : DES
28 Pop singer Lady ___ : GAGA
30 *Traditional English pub order of fish in a set stock : JELLIED EEL
34 Meeting handout : AGENDA
36 Undergarment with cups : BRA
37 Bread for a Reuben : RYE
38 ___ Lanka : SRI
39 Slugger’s stat, for short : RBI
41 A dozen minus one : ELEVEN
43 *Picnic bowlful : PASTA SALAD
47 Event that may be proctored : TEST
48 Where the biceps and triceps are found : ARM
49 Election mo. : NOV
50 Benchmark: Abbr. : STD
51 “That’s curtains for me” : I’M DEAD
54 *Tomato-based summer soup : GAZPACHO
58 Sci-fi princess : LEIA
59 Part of an unruly mob : RIOTER
61 “___ the fields we go …” : O’ER
62 The “I” of M.I.T.: Abbr. : INST
63 Pretend shot, in basketball lingo : UP-FAKE
64 Slow Wi-Fi annoyance : LAG
65 Like a used firepit : ASHY
66 Be released from prison : GO FREE
67 Like wine labeled “sec” : DRY

Down

1 Timbuktu’s country : MALI
2 “The ___ of Gilgamesh” : EPIC
3 With 11-Down, proverb about delayed retribution, with a hint to the answers to this puzzle’s starred clues : REVENGE IS A DISH …
4 Pattern that might induce hypnosis : SWIRL
5 “Citizen” played by Orson Welles : KANE
6 “Ripe” time of one’s life : OLD AGE
7 Fundamental, as an urge : PRIMAL
8 Moonshine container : JUG
9 Those: Sp. : ESOS
10 Finding it funny : AMUSED
11 See 3-Down : … BEST SERVED COLD
12 Give up, as land : CEDE
13 Constellation part : STAR
21 Jackie known for doing his own stunts : CHAN
23 As good as it gets : IDEAL
26 Sports org. for Rangers and Red Sox : MLB
28 Shocked reaction : GASP
29 Taj Mahal city : AGRA
30 Boxers’ punches : JABS
31 Steaming mad : IRED
32 The “:” of 🙂 : EYES
33 Pre-Easter period : LENT
35 What gossipy people love to stir up : DRAMA
40 McKellen who played Gandalf : IAN
42 “At Last” singer James : ETTA
44 Agreement between nations : TREATY
45 Conclude use of a computer, e.g. : LOG OFF
46 Sci-fi blockbuster of 2009 : AVATAR
50 Shop-till-you-drop adventure : SPREE
51 Pelvic bones : ILIA
52 Suit-and-tie section in a department store : MEN’S
53 Pharmaceutical product : DRUG
55 ___ Elliott, three-time N.F.L. Pro Bowler, to fans : ZEKE
56 Listen to : HEAR
57 Bacchanalian party : ORGY
60 Wall St. debut : IPO