0827-19 NY Times Crossword 27 Aug 19, Tuesday

Constructed by: Daniel Raymon
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: Anagram’s Anagram

Themed answers are the given names of celebrities in the possessive form, followed by an anagram of that name:

  • 17A Actress McCarthy is wandering : MELISSA’S AIMLESS
  • 33A Designer McCartney is prepared : STELLA’S ALL SET
  • 42A Supermodel Hutton is incredible : LAUREN’S UNREAL
  • 60A Singer Love is erudite : DARLENE’S LEARNED

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

Bill’s time: 6m 08s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Head covering similar to a wave cap : DO-RAG

Hip-hoppers might wear do-rags today, but they have been around for centuries. The etymology of “do-rag” is pretty evident: a piece of cloth (rag) to hold a hairstyle (do) in place.

6 Hit 2003-07 teen drama on Fox : THE OC

“The O.C.” is a teen drama that aired for four seasons on Fox finishing up in 2007. I never watched it, but I understand that it is set in Newport Beach in Southern California.

11 One of the Peróns : EVA

Eva Perón was the second wife of President Juan Perón who was in office from 1946 to 1955. The Argentine First Lady was known affectionately by the people as “Evita”, the Spanish language diminutive of “Eva”. “Evita” is also the title of a tremendously successful musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice that is based on the life of Eva Perón.

15 Gardening brand : ORTHO

Ortho is a brand of weed killer owned by Scotts Miracle-Gro.

16 French word on both sides of “à” : VIS

We can use the French phrase “vis-à-vis” as a preposition meaning “compared with”. When used as an adverb or adjective, it means “face-to-face”, which is a more literal translation from French.

17 Actress McCarthy is wandering : MELISSA’S AIMLESS

Melissa McCarthy is an actress and comedian who is perhaps best known on the small screen for playing Molly on the sitcom “Mike & Molly”, and on the big screen for playing the wild and wacky Megan Price in the 2011 comedy “Bridesmaids”. According to “Forbes”, McCarthy was the third-highest paid actress in 2014/2015, after Jennifer Lawrence and Scarlett Johansson.

20 Writer after whom the Edgar Award is named : POE

The Edgar Allan Poe Awards (“Edgars”) are presented annually by the Mystery Writers of America. There are several categories of awards. For example, the Ellery Queen Award honors “writing teams and outstanding people in the mystery-publishing industry”. The Raven Award is presented to non-writers, who contribute to the mystery genre.

32 Approx. : EST

Estimate (est.)

33 Designer McCartney is prepared : STELLA’S ALL SET

Stella McCartney is an English fashion designer. She is the daughter of musician Paul McCartney (of Beatles fame) and photographer Linda McCartney nee Eastman.

39 ___ Reader (quarterly magazine) : UTNE

The “Utne Reader” is known for aggregation and republishing of articles on politics, culture and the environment from other sources in the media. The “Utne Reader” was founded in 1984 by Eric Utne, with management taken over by Eric’s wife Nina Rothschild Utne in 1990.

45 Profs’ support, for short : TAS

Teaching assistant (TA)

47 “What’s in a ___?” (line from Juliet) : NAME

In William Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet”, the lovers discuss the sad fact that they have been born into two feuding families in the famous balcony scene. Juliet says:

O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.

Romeo’s reply includes the famous lines:

What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;

51 Flower parts : SEPALS

In a flower, the sepals are the green, leaf-like structures that are “interleaved” with the petals, providing support. Prior to acting as support for the petals, the sepals protect the flower in bud.

54 Contents of hangars : PLANES

“Hangar” is a French word for “shed”. The French first started using the term to mean “shed for airplanes” in the very early 1900s.

56 Web address ending : ORG

The .org 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)

57 Yellowfin tuna : AHI

Yellowfin and bigeye tuna are usually marketed as “ahi”, the Hawaiian name. They are both big fish, with yellowfish tuna often weighing over 300 pounds, and bigeye tuna getting up to 400 pounds.

60 Singer Love is erudite : DARLENE’S LEARNED

“Erudite” is a lovely-sounding word meaning “learned, well-educated”. The term comes from the Latin verb “erudire” meaning “to educate”, or more literally “to bring out of the rough”.

64 “I’m shocked!” : OMG!

“OMG” is text-speak for “Oh My Gosh!” “Oh My Goodness!” or any other G-words you might care to use …

66 ___ Park, N.J. : MENLO

Menlo Park, New Jersey is noted as the home to the laboratory belonging to Thomas Edison (TAE). We also have a pretty well-known Menlo Park out here in California, home to many of the venture capital companies that tend to make a lot of money out of Silicon Valley businesses.

69 The O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. at Hogwarts : EXAMS

In J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” universe, the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was founded by the four most brilliant witches and wizards of their time: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. Each of the founders lent their name to a House in the school, i.e. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin.

Down

2 Most common commercial name in New York Times crosswords : OREO

How the Oreo cookie came to get its name seems to have been lost in the mists of time. One theory is that it comes from the French “or” meaning “gold”, a reference to the gold color of the original packing. Another suggestion is that the name is the Greek word “oreo” meaning “beautiful, nice, well-done”.

6 “Horned” creatures : TOADS

Horny toads (also called “horned toads”) aren’t toads at all. “Horny toad” is a familiar name for the desert horned lizard, a species of lizard native to the western US. It does look somewhat like a toad though, as it has a very flat and wide body.

7 “48 ___” (1982 film) : HRS

“48 HRS.” is a hilarious 1982 movie starring Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte. Even though the lead characters play a convict and a cop who team up, “48 HRS.” is often cited as the first of the modern “buddy cop” movies, a precursor to the likes of “Beverly Hills Cop” and “Lethal Weapon”.

8 Subj. of a traveler’s text, maybe : ETA

Estimated time of arrival (ETA)

9 Home to Xenia and Zanesville, the most populous U.S. cities starting with “X” and “Z” : OHIO

Xenia, Ohio is in effect a suburb of Dayton. The name “Xenia” is the Greek word for “hospitality”. In terms of population, Xenia is the largest city in the US with a name beginning with the letter X.

The city of Zanesville served as the state capital of Ohio from 1810 to 1812. The city was named for Ebenezer Zane who was responsible for the construction of Zane’s Trace, a road from West Virginia to Kentucky that ran through Ohio. Zanesville, Ohio is the most populous city in the US with a name beginning with the letter Z

10 Hiker’s aid : COMPASS

We use the term “compass” to describe both a drawing tool/mathematical instrument, and a mariner’s directional tool. The name was applied first to the drawing tool, back in the 1300s. The usage extended to the navigational tool a century later. That extension of usage is probably because a directional compass is circular and has a needle or point, and so resembles the mathematical instrument.

18 Direction opposite norte : SUR

The cardinal directions in Spanish are “norte” (north), “este” (east), “sur” (south) and “oeste” (west).

25 Places to put potted plants : SILLS

“Sill plate”, or simply “sill”, is an architectural term describing a bottom horizontal member to which vertical members are attached. Window sills and door sills are specific sill plates found at the bottoms of windows and door openings.

27 Medicinal amt. : TSP

Teaspoon (tsp.)

28 Speaker of a Siouan language : OTO

The Otoe (also “Oto”) Native American tribe originated in the Great Lakes region as part of the Winnebago or Siouan tribes. The group that would become the Otoe broke away from the Winnebago and migrated southwestward, ending up in the Great Plains. In the plains the Otoe adopted a semi-nomadic lifestyle dependent on the horse, with the American bison becoming central to their diet.

29 Competitor of Chase and Citibank : WELLS FARGO

Back in the mid-1800s, Henry Wells founded an express package delivery service called Wells and Company. Around the same time, William Fargo founded Fargo and Company as a competitor. The two decided to join forces instead of competing, and took on a partner and formed the American Express Company (which is still around today). Fargo and Wells then decided to set up a company in California to provide express delivery and banking services, a company they called Wells Fargo.

The original Chase National Bank was formed in 1877. Although he had no connection with the bank, it was named for the former US Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase.

During the global financial crisis of 2008-2009, the US government rescued Citibank by providing loan guarantees and two payments of $25 billion each. It turns out that the government made a tidy profit on that deal, as Citibank has since repaid the loans in full, along with interest.

31 Chicken cordon ___ : BLEU

A “cordon bleu” dish is a meat dish, one prepared by wrapping the meat around cheese, covering with breading and then pan-frying. Specifically, veal cordon bleu is made using veal that is pounded thin and wrapped around slices of ham and cheese. The term “cordon bleu” translated from French as “blue ribbon”.

36 What pounds might be converted to : EUROS

The euro sign (€) looks like a letter C, but with two horizontal lines drawn across the middle. Inspiration for the design comes from the Greek letter epsilon.

The official name of the currency of the UK is the pound sterling (plural “pounds sterling”). The most plausible suggestion for the etymology of the term “sterling” is that it derives from the Old English “steorra” meaning “star”, with the diminutive “-ling”. The resulting “little star” or “sterling” referred to a silver penny used by the English Normans. The pound sterling is the world’s oldest currency still in use.

40 Insurrectionist Turner : NAT

Nat Turner was a slave in Virginia who led a slave rebellion in 1831 that led to the deaths of over a hundred people. Half of the casualties were white,and half were black. The 55 white deaths took place on the day of the rebellion as a growing mob of slaves traveled from house-to-house freeing fellow slaves but also killing any white people they came across; men, women and children. The rebellion was suppressed within two days by a white militia. Slaves involved in the rebellion were tried for insurrection and related crimes, and a total of 56 blacks were executed on suspicion of involvement in the uprising. In the aftermath, life for slaves became even more difficult as any freedoms that they had earned were largely curtailed.

41 Ron of “Tarzan” : ELY

Ron Ely is most famous for playing the title role in the “Tarzan” TV series in the sixties. Years later, Ely hosted the 1980 and 1981 “Miss America” pageants right after longtime host Bert Parks retired, before the job was taken over by Gary Collins. And Ely is a successful mystery novelist. He wrote “Night Shadows” and “East Beach” in the mid-nineties, both of which featured his private eye Jake Sands.

45 Head honcho : TOP DOG

“Honcho” is a slang term meaning “leader”. The word comes to us from Japanese military, in which language a “hancho” is a “squad” (han) “leader” (cho).

50 Supersize: Abbr. : ENL

Enlargement (enl.)

57 Tolstoy’s “___ Karenina” : ANNA

I have to admit to not having read Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina”, but I did see the excellent 1977 British television adaptation starring Nicola Pagett. I also saw the 2012 film adaptation with a screenplay by Tom Stoppard and found that to be far from excellent, awful in fact. I am no Stoppard fan …

58 Steering position : HELM

In its broadest sense, the term “helm” describes the whole of a ship’s steering mechanism, including the rudder and tiller. In a more specific sense, the helm is the handle, tiller or wheel that is used to control the steering gear.

61 Pollution watchdog, for short : EPA

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

62 Financial watchdog, for short : SEC

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was established by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and has primary responsibility for enforcing federal securities law. The first chairman of the SEC was Joe Kennedy, father of future president John F. Kennedy.

63 “Toy Story” dinosaur : REX

In the excellent Pixar film “Toy Story”, Rex is a tyrannosaurus, and a pretty clumsy one at that. He is voiced by actor Wallace Shawn, whose name is perhaps less familiar than his face. Shawn played the neighbor on “The Cosby Show” as well as many, many other supporting characters on TV and the big screen.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Head covering similar to a wave cap : DO-RAG
6 Hit 2003-07 teen drama on Fox : THE OC
11 One of the Peróns : EVA
14 Fragrance : AROMA
15 Gardening brand : ORTHO
16 French word on both sides of “à” : VIS
17 Actress McCarthy is wandering : MELISSA’S AIMLESS
20 Writer after whom the Edgar Award is named : POE
21 Pal : BUD
22 Comfortable with considering : OPEN TO
23 History-making events : FIRSTS
26 Before a sitting judge : AT BAR
27 Item that may say “his” or “hers” : TOWEL
30 Classic barbecue fare : RIBS
32 Approx. : EST
33 Designer McCartney is prepared : STELLA’S ALL SET
37 Campaign undertaking : POLL
38 Helpful : UTILE
39 ___ Reader (quarterly magazine) : UTNE
42 Supermodel Hutton is incredible : LAUREN’S UNREAL
45 Profs’ support, for short : TAS
47 “What’s in a ___?” (line from Juliet) : NAME
48 Tennis point just before a win, maybe : FORTY
49 Hirer’s communication : OFFER
51 Flower parts : SEPALS
54 Contents of hangars : PLANES
56 Web address ending : ORG
57 Yellowfin tuna : AHI
60 Singer Love is erudite : DARLENE’S LEARNED
64 “I’m shocked!” : OMG!
65 Pin point? : LAPEL
66 ___ Park, N.J. : MENLO
67 Prefix with metric or magnetic : GEO-
68 Likely to zone out : SPACY
69 The O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. at Hogwarts : EXAMS

Down

1 Clammy : DAMP
2 Most common commercial name in New York Times crosswords : OREO
3 Focus of a casting director : ROLE
4 Self-reflective question : AM I?
5 Monthly utility payment : GAS BILL
6 “Horned” creatures : TOADS
7 “48 ___” (1982 film) : HRS
8 Subj. of a traveler’s text, maybe : ETA
9 Home to Xenia and Zanesville, the most populous U.S. cities starting with “X” and “Z” : OHIO
10 Hiker’s aid : COMPASS
11 Still preferable : EVEN BETTER
12 Mountaintop views : VISTAS
13 Put into different classes : ASSORT
18 Direction opposite norte : SUR
19 Authorize to : LET
23 Guy : FELLA
24 One at a new job : TRAINEE
25 Places to put potted plants : SILLS
27 Medicinal amt. : TSP
28 Speaker of a Siouan language : OTO
29 Competitor of Chase and Citibank : WELLS FARGO
31 Chicken cordon ___ : BLEU
34 Magnetic quality : AURA
35 Things florists cut : STEMS
36 What pounds might be converted to : EUROS
40 Insurrectionist Turner : NAT
41 Ron of “Tarzan” : ELY
43 Opposite of “winds up” : UNREELS
44 Sports bar showing on many a Sunday afternoon : NFL GAME
45 Head honcho : TOP DOG
46 Burning : AFLAME
50 Supersize: Abbr. : ENL
52 “___ want a cracker?” : POLLY
53 “___ you mad?” : ARE
55 [Just like *that*] : SNAP!
57 Tolstoy’s “___ Karenina” : ANNA
58 Steering position : HELM
59 Pair of promises : I DOS
61 Pollution watchdog, for short : EPA
62 Financial watchdog, for short : SEC
63 “Toy Story” dinosaur : REX