1016-19 NY Times Crossword 16 Oct 19, Wednesday

Constructed by: Peter A. Collins
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme (according to Bill): Paperwork Reduction

Today’s grid includes a very clever quip:

  • 17A Start of a quip about a hobby group : WE HEARD THE …
  • 23A Part 2 of the quip : … ORIGAMI CLUB HAD …
  • 36A Part 3 of the quip : … FOLDED BUT IN FACT …
  • 49A Part 4 of the quip : … INTEREST IN IT IS …
  • 59A End of the quip : … IN CREASING

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

Bill’s time: 6m 09s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

10 Bad day for Caesar : IDES

In Act I of William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar”, a soothsayer warns the doomed emperor to “beware the ides of March”. Caesar ignores the prophecy and is subsequently killed on the steps of the Capitol by a group of conspirators on that fateful day.

16 Deli cry : NEXT!

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”.

19 Blanchett of “The Aviator” : CATE

Cate Blanchett is a great actress from Australia, and a winner of an Academy Award for playing Katherine Hepburn in “The Aviator”. Winning for that role made Blanchett the first person to win an Academy Award for playing an actor (Hepburn) who had also won an Oscar. Now that, that is trivial information …

“The Aviator” is a great 2004 film, and a biographical piece about much of the life of aviation pioneer Howard Hughes. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the title role, with Cate Blanchett playing a very credible Katharine Hepburn, Hughes’ lover with whom he lived for quite some time. Blanchett won a very much deserved Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. Alan Alda received an Oscar nomination as a supporting actor, playing Senator Owen Brewster, a thorn in the side for Howard Hughes.

21 “Buenos ___” : DIAS

“Buenos dias” translates from Spanish as “good day”, but can also be used to say “good morning”.

22 Kama ___ : SUTRA

The “Kama Sutra” is renowned for its descriptions of positions that can be used for sexual intercourse, but the sutra includes many other texts that deal with various matters of a sexual nature, including how to woo a woman, the conduct of a “chief wife”, the conduct of “other wives”, how to make money as a courtesan, and much more.

23 Part 2 of the quip : … ORIGAMI CLUB HAD …

Origami is the traditional Japanese art form of paper folding. The best-known example of the craft is the paper crane. The word “origami” is derived from “ori“ (folding) and “kami” (paper).

28 Casual pair : LEVIS

Levi Strauss was the founder of the first company in the world to manufacture blue jeans. Levi Strauss & Co. opened in 1853 in San Francisco. Strauss and his business partner were awarded a patent in 1873 for the use of copper rivets to strengthen points of strain on working pants.

33 “Deck the Halls” contraction : ‘TIS

The music for the Christmas song “Deck the Halls” is a traditional Welsh tune that dates back to the 16th century. The same tune was used by Mozart for a violin and piano duet. The lyrics with which we are familiar (other than the “f-la-la”) are American in origin, and were recorded in the 19th century.

“’Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la la la la!”

41 With 42-Across, usual result of a leadoff batter getting three strikes : ONE …

42 See 41-Across : … OUT

That would be baseball.

43 Utah politician Hatch : ORRIN

Orrin Hatch is a former Republican Senator from Utah. Hatch is also quite the musician, and plays the piano, violin and organ. He has composed various compositions, including a song called “Heal Our Land” that was played at the 2005 inauguration of President George W. Bush.

44 ___ Horse : CRAZY

Crazy Horse’s Lakota name translates literally into English as “His Horse is Crazy or Spirited”. Crazy Horse was one of the tribal war party leaders at the Battle of Little Bighorn, also known as Custer’s Last Stand. Crazy Horse surrendered to the US Army in 1877. He was fatally stabbed while in custody, apparently trying to escape after having surrendered. The circumstances surrounding his death are still shrouded in controversy.

47 Shiny fabric : LAME

Lamé is a fabric that has metallic yarns included in the weave. Lamé is a popular fabric for stylish evening wear, and also in the sport of fencing. The metallic threads are conductive and so help register a touch by an épée.

54 Part of U.S.M.C. : CORPS

The US Marine Corps (USMC) is the smallest of the four branches in the US Department of Defense (DOD).

55 Memo abbreviation : ATTN

Attention (attn.)

56 ___ & Perrins (Worcestershire sauce brand) : LEA

Worcestershire sauce is a variant of a fermented fish sauce that has been around since the days of the Roman Empire. The modern sauce was developed and marketed by Messrs. Lea and Perrins in the city of Worcester, then in the county of Worcestershire, hence the name. We vegans aren’t supposed to touch it, as it contains anchovies! Oh, and “Worcestershire” is pronounced “wooster-sheer” …

62 Sicilian peak : ETNA

Mount Etna on the island of Sicily is the largest of three active volcanoes in Italy, and indeed the largest of all active volcano in Europe. Etna is about 2 1/2 times the height of its equally famous sister, Mt. Vesuvius. Mt. Etna is home to a 110-km long narrow-gauge railway, and two ski resorts. It is sometimes referred to as “Mongibello” in Italian, and as “Mungibeddu” in Sicilian. The English name “Etna” comes from the Greek “aitho” meaning “I eat”.

63 Cousin of a bassoon : OBOE

The oboe is perhaps my favorite of the reed instruments. The name “oboe” comes from the French “hautbois” which means “high wood”.

Down

2 Letters from down on the farm? : EIEIO

There was an old American version of the English children’s song “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” (E-I-E-I-O) that was around in the days of WWI. The first line of the older US version goes “Old MacDougal had a farm, in Ohio-i-o”.

3 “My Name Is ___ Lev” (Chaim Potok novel) : ASHER

“My Name Is Asher Lev” is a novel by Rabbi Chaim Potok, first published in 1972. The story follows the experiences of Asher Lev, a Hasidic Jewish boy in New York City. His story continues in the sequel “The Gift of Asher Lev”.

4 Browns’ home, on scoreboards : CLE

The Cleveland Browns football team was a charter member of the All-American Football Conference, formed in 1946. Cleveland is the only NFL city that has never hosted nor sent a team to the Super Bowl.

6 Family name of Morticia and Gomez : ADDAMS

Gomez and Morticia (“Tish”) Addams were the parents in “The Addams Family”, a creation of cartoonist Charles Addams. In the sixties television show, Gomez was played by John Astin and Morticia was played by Carolyn Jones.

7 Rwandan group : TUTSI

The Tutsi are the second largest population in Rwanda, with the Hutu being the largest. The bloody conflict that has existed between the Tutsi and Hutu peoples dates back to about 1880 when Catholic missionaries arrived in the region. The missionaries found that they had more success converting the Hutus than the Tutsi, and when the Germans occupied the area during WWI they confiscated Tutsi land and gave it to Hutu tribes in order to reward religious conversion. This injustice fuels fighting to this very day.

8 Dash readout : MPH

Miles per hour (mph)

Back in the 1800s, “dashboard” was the name given to a board placed at the front of a carriage to stop mud from “dashing” against the passengers in the carriage, mud that was kicked up by the hoofs of the horses. Quite interesting …

10 Some evil spirits : INCUBI

In folklore, a succubus is a female demon that takes on the form of an attractive female in order to seduce unwitting men. The succubus draws energy from the seduced men in order to survive, using sexual intercourse in the same way that a vampire might suck blood for the same purpose. The word succubus derives from the Latin “succubare”, itself from “sub” “cubare” meaning “to lie under”. There is a male equivalent to a succubus, namely an incubus.

11 Galactic Empire superweapon : DEATH STAR

In the “Star Wars” universe, a Death Star is a huge space station that is the size of a moon. A Death Star is armed with a superlaser that can destroy entire planets.

18 Iranian currency : RIAL

The rial is the currency of Iran (as well as Yemen, Oman, Cambodia and Tunisia). Generally, there are 1,000 baisa in a rial.

22 Tahoe, for one : SUV

The Chevrolet Tahoe is basically the same design as the GMC Yukon, with both cars being sports utility vehicles. The Tahoe is rated at 15 mpg for city driving, but there is a hybrid version which is rated at a whopping 21 mpg …

26 Filmmaker Riefenstahl : LENI

Leni Riefenstahl was a German film director, actress and dancer. She was a noted figure moving in Adolf Hitler’s circle, and her most famous film was a propaganda piece called “Triumph of the Will”. “Triumph of the Will” documents the 1934 Nazi Party Congress in Nuremberg. We’ve all probably seen many excerpts, shots of huge crowds, Nazis marching with flags, and frenzied speeches from Hitler. Riefenstahl was arrested after the war and detained for a number of years but never found guilty of any crime. She lived a long life, a very long life. She was married for the second time in 2003, at the age of 101 years. She died just a few weeks later, as she had been suffering from cancer.

29 Co. money manager : CFO

Chief financial officer (CFO)

31 Tiny orbiters : ELECTRONS

Niels Bohr and Ernest Rutherford introduced a model in which the atom comprised a small, positively charged nucleus around which traveled negatively-charged electrons. This model is often referred to as the Rutherford-Bohr model, or simply the Bohr model.

35 Where trains stop: Abbr. : STN

A station (“stn.” or “sta.”) is a railroad (RR) or bus stop.

45 Opportunity to determine if the referee blew it : REPLAY

Back in the early 17th century, a referee was someone who examined patent applications. We started using the same term for a person presiding over a sporting event in the 1820s. “Referee” is a derivative of the verb “to refer”, and literally describes someone who has the authority to make a decision by “referring to” a book, archive etc.

46 ___ longa, vita brevis : ARS

The famous Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates wrote “Art is long, life is short”, which translates into Latin as “Ars longa, vita brevis”.

47 Petrol units : LITRES

Petrol is the same thing as gasoline. “Petrol” comes via French from the Latin “petroleum”, itself derived from “petra” meaning “rock” and “oleum” meaning “oil”.

52 Classic story in which Paris figures prominently : ILIAD

“The Iliad” is an epic poem by the Greek poet Homer that tells the story of the ten-year siege of “Ilium” (i.e. “Troy”) during the Trojan war. “The Odyssey”, also attributed to Homer, is sometimes described as a sequel to “The Iliad”.

57 Like Scotch, for a minimum of three years : AGED

We use the spelling “whiskey” for American and Irish versions of the drink, and “whisky” for Scotch, the Scottish version.

59 What some smartphones run on : IOS

iOS is what Apple now call their mobile operating system. Previously, it was known as iPhone OS.

60 Dream Team members’ org. : NBA

In 1989, the International Basketball Federation changed its rule requiring amateur status for participants in the Olympic Games (although prior to the ruling, European and South American professionals could play). So the US was able to field the “Dream Team” at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. Since the rules changed, the US won gold in four out of the five Olympic tournaments.

61 China’s Sun Yat-___ : SEN

Sun Yat-sen is known as the “Father of the Nation” in China, and is uniquely revered in both mainland China and on the island of Taiwan. During his rule as president of the country he promoted his political philosophy known as the Three Principles of the People, namely nationalism, democracy and the people’s livelihood.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Vacation spot : BEACH
6 Push-button bankers : ATMS
10 Bad day for Caesar : IDES
14 Seat preference, for some : AISLE
15 Fool : DUPE
16 Deli cry : NEXT!
17 Start of a quip about a hobby group : WE HEARD THE …
19 Blanchett of “The Aviator” : CATE
20 Golfer’s concern : LIE
21 “Buenos ___” : DIAS
22 Kama ___ : SUTRA
23 Part 2 of the quip : … ORIGAMI CLUB HAD …
27 Buds : PALS
28 Casual pair : LEVIS
29 Word before sauce or soda : CREAM …
32 Reason why not : CON
33 “Deck the Halls” contraction : ‘TIS
36 Part 3 of the quip : … FOLDED BUT IN FACT …
41 With 42-Across, usual result of a leadoff batter getting three strikes : ONE …
42 See 41-Across : … OUT
43 Utah politician Hatch : ORRIN
44 ___ Horse : CRAZY
47 Shiny fabric : LAME
49 Part 4 of the quip : … INTEREST IN IT IS …
54 Part of U.S.M.C. : CORPS
55 Memo abbreviation : ATTN
56 ___ & Perrins (Worcestershire sauce brand) : LEA
58 Celebrated figure : IDOL
59 End of the quip : … IN CREASING
62 Sicilian peak : ETNA
63 Cousin of a bassoon : OBOE
64 Back-comb : TEASE
65 Full of promise, as an outlook : ROSY
66 Lip : SASS
67 Came to a close : ENDED

Down

1 Cry like a baby : BAWL
2 Letters from down on the farm? : EIEIO
3 “My Name Is ___ Lev” (Chaim Potok novel) : ASHER
4 Browns’ home, on scoreboards : CLE
5 Instance of psychological trickery : HEAD GAME
6 Family name of Morticia and Gomez : ADDAMS
7 Rwandan group : TUTSI
8 Dash readout : MPH
9 Catch, as a movie : SEE
10 Some evil spirits : INCUBI
11 Galactic Empire superweapon : DEATH STAR
12 One playing a small part : EXTRA
13 Place : STEAD
18 Iranian currency : RIAL
22 Tahoe, for one : SUV
24 Modern replacement for a cash register : IPAD
25 Artery problem : CLOT
26 Filmmaker Riefenstahl : LENI
29 Co. money manager : CFO
30 Guitarist Wood of the Rolling Stones : RON
31 Tiny orbiters : ELECTRONS
32 Film director’s cry : CUT!
34 Here, to Henri : ICI
35 Where trains stop: Abbr. : STN
37 Nod off : DOZE
38 Accepts, as an argument : BUYS
39 Put up to run : NOMINATE
40 Agonize (over) : FRET
45 Opportunity to determine if the referee blew it : REPLAY
46 ___ longa, vita brevis : ARS
47 Petrol units : LITRES
48 Prepare to get a hand : ANTE
49 More standoffish : ICIER
50 Acknowledge silently : NOD TO
51 What someone might make a stand for? : TACOS
52 Classic story in which Paris figures prominently : ILIAD
53 Intuition : SENSE
57 Like Scotch, for a minimum of three years : AGED
59 What some smartphones run on : IOS
60 Dream Team members’ org. : NBA
61 China’s Sun Yat-___ : SEN