0323-22 NY Times Crossword 23 Mar 22, Wednesday

Constructed by: Barbara Lin
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme (according to Bill): Flips and Flops

Themed clues are FLIP, FLOP or FLIP-FLOP:

  • 16A FLIP : QUICK SALE
  • 20A FLOP : EPIC FAIL
  • 26A FLIP-FLOP : CASUAL SANDAL
  • 45A FLIP-FLOP : POLICY CHANGE
  • 53A FLIP : COIN TOSS
  • 60A FLOP : PLUNK DOWN

Bill’s time: 13m 48s

Bill’s errors: 2

  • PLUNK DOWN (plonk down)
  • UZO (Ozo)

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Quite dry, but sparkling? : BRUT

Sparkling wines can be classified according to sweetness. These classifications are, from driest to sweetest:

  • Brut Nature
  • Extra Brut
  • Brut
  • Extra Dry
  • Dry
  • Semi-Dry
  • Sweet

5 Swallow or duck : BIRD

Swallows are remarkable birds, at least in one aspect. Swallows, and the related martins, have evolved so that they can feed while flying, snapping up insects in mid-air.

13 ___ fide : BONA

“Bona fide(s)” translates from the Latin as “in good faith”, and is used to indicate honest intentions. It can also mean that something is authentic, like a piece of art that is represented in good faith as being genuine.

15 Hummus, e.g. : PUREE

A purée is a food that has been made smooth by straining or blending. “Purée” is a French term, which I believe is now used to mean “pea soup” (more completely written as “purée de pois”). The French verb “purer” means “to strain, clean”, from the Latin “purare” meaning “to purify, clean”.

The lovely dip/spread called hummus usually contains mashed chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. The name “hummus” is an Arabic word for “chickpeas”.

18 Paperless return option : E-FILE

E-file: that’s certainly what I do with my tax return …

22 Itsy-bitsy biter : FLEA

Fleas are flightless insects, but they sure can jump. Their very specialized hind legs allow them to jump up to 50 times the length of their bodies.

30 Metonym for the U.S. Congress, with “the” : … HILL

The designer of Washington D.C., Pierre L’Enfant, chose the crest of a hill as the site for the future Congress House. He called the location “Jenkins Hill” and “Jenkins Heights”. Earlier records show the name as “New Troy”. Today we call it “Capitol Hill”.

31 Cheney in the House : LIZ

Liz Cheney is the eldest daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney. She was elected to the US House of Representatives in 2016, representing the state of Woming’s single seat. Her father held that same seat for ten years.

36 Mathematician Lovelace : ADA

Ada Lovelace’s real name and title was Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace. She was the only legitimate child of Lord Byron, the poet. Lovelace was fascinated by mathematics and wrote about the work done by Charles Babbage in building his groundbreaking mechanical computer. In some of her notes, she proposed an algorithm for Babbage’s machine to compute Bernoulli numbers. This algorithm is recognized by many as the world’s first computer program and so Lovelace is sometimes called the first “computer programmer”. There is a computer language called “Ada” that was named in her honor. The Ada language was developed from 1977 to 1983 for the US Department of Defense.

37 Rock band that memorably played Carnegie Hall on 2/12/1964, with “the” : BEATLES

The Beatles were described on the sleeve notes of their 1963 album “With the Beatles” as the “fabulous foursome”. The press picked up on the phrase and morphed it into “the Fab Four”.

The prestigious Carnegie Hall in midtown Manhattan opened for business in 1891. The magnificent edifice was named after the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who provided the funds for construction.

40 One of the Manning brothers : ELI

Eli Manning is a retired footballer who played quarterback for the New York Giants. Eli’s brother Peyton Manning retired from football as the quarterback for the Denver Broncos in 2015. Eli and Peyton’s father is Archie Manning, who was also a successful NFL quarterback. Eli, Peyton and Archie co-authored a book for children titled “Family Huddle” in 2009. It describes the Mannings playing football together as young boys.

41 Verboten : TABOO

The word “taboo” was introduced into English by Captain Cook in his book “A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean”. Cook described “tabu” (likely imitative of a Tongan word that he had heard) as something that was both consecrated and forbidden.

“Verboten” is German for “forbidden”, and is a word that we have imported into English.

44 Goal of philanthropy : GOOD

Philanthropy is a concern for human welfare, and the act of donating to persons or groups who support such concerns. The term “philanthropy” derives from the Greek “phil-” meaning “loving”, and “anthropos” meaning “mankind”.

49 Dr. Montgomery on “Grey’s Anatomy” : ADDISON

Actress Kate Walsh is probably best known for playing Dr. Addison Montgomery on “Grey’s Anatomy”, and then leading the cast on the spin-off show “Private Practice”.

52 Fancy pillowcase : SHAM

A sham is something that is imitation, fake. In the world of bed linens, a sham is also an imitation or fake, in the sense that it is a decorative cover designed to cover up a regular pillow used for sleeping.

64 Drink of Athens : OUZO

Ouzo is an apéritif from Greece that is colorless and flavored with anise. Ouzo is similar to French pastis and Italian sambuca.

Athens is the capital city of Greece and is one of the world’s oldest cities, with a history that goes back around 3,400 years. In its heyday, Classical Athens was a remarkable center for the arts and philosophical debate, and was home to Plato and Aristotle. Athens is often called “the cradle of Western civilization” and “the birthplace of democracy”. The city was named for the Greek goddess Athena.

65 Asics competitor : AVIA

The “Avia” brand name for athletic shoes was chosen as “avia” is the Latin word for “to fly”, and suggests the concept of aviation. Avia was founded in Oregon in 1979.

ASICS is a Japanese company based in Kobe that produces athletic gear, including running shoes. The company name comes from the first letters of the Latin phrase “anima sana in corpore sano”, which translates to “a healthy soul in a healthy body”.

66 Famed English boarding school : ETON

The world-famous Eton College is just a brisk walk from Windsor Castle, which itself is just outside London. Eton is noted for producing many British leaders including David Cameron who was British prime minister from 2010 to 2016. The list of Old Etonians also includes Princes William and Harry, the Duke of Wellington and George Orwell. Author Ian Fleming was also an Eton alumnus, as was Fleming’s iconic character James Bond, although 007 was expelled by the school.

Down

1 Cookouts, for short : BBQS

It is believed that our word “barbecue” (BBQ) comes from the Taíno people of the Caribbean in whose language “barbacoa” means “sacred fire pit”.

2 Cad : ROUE

“Roue” is a lovely word, but one used to describe a less than lovely man, someone of loose morals. “Roue” comes from the French word “rouer” meaning “to break on a wheel”. This describes the ancient form of capital punishment where a poor soul was lashed to a wheel and then beaten to death with cudgels and bars. I guess the suggestion is that a roue, with his loose morals, deserves such a punishment.

3 Newton, for one : UNIT

Newtons are units of force. The newton is named for Sir Isaac Newton, the English physicist and mathematician.

5 “Dynamite” boy band : BTS

BTS is a boy band from South Korea with seven members. The initialism “BTS” stands for the phrase “Bangtan Sonyeondan”, which translates literally as “Bulletproof Boy Scouts”. BTS is the best-selling musical act in the history of South Korea.

6 Part of a nest egg, in brief : IRA

A nest egg is an amount of money laid down as a reserve. This is the figurative use of “nest egg” that originally described an artificial egg left in a nest to encourage a hen to lay real eggs in that spot. So our financial nest egg is set aside in anticipation of continued growth, more eggs being laid.

9 With a chip on one’s shoulder : HUFFILY

The idiomatic phrase “to have a chip on one’s shoulder” dates back to at least 1830. It is an American expression making reference to the belligerent practice of putting a wood chip on one’s shoulder and defying someone to knock it off.

17 Caffeine nut : KOLA

The nut of the kola tree has a bitter taste, and is loaded with caffeine. Despite the taste, the nut is habitually chewed in some cultures, especially in West Africa where the tree is commonly found in the rainforest. Here in the US we best know the kola nut as a flavoring used in cola drinks.

Caffeine is a naturally occurring stimulant that is found in several plants. The chemical serves as a natural pesticide by paralyzing and killing certain insects that would otherwise feed on the plant. Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive drug that is consumed by humans across the world.

21 Many a swing voter: Abbr. : IND

Independent (Ind)

23 Magazine that sponsors Women in Hollywood awards : ELLE

“Elle” magazine was founded in 1945 in France and today has the highest circulation of any fashion magazine in the world. “Elle” is the French word for “she”. “Elle” is published monthly worldwide, although you can pick up a weekly edition if you live in France.

24 Home to more than 2,300 languages : ASIA

Most of the world’s population lives in Asia (60%), and Asia is the largest continent in terms of landmass (30% of the world). Asia also has the highest population density (246 people per square mile), and the most populous city on the continent is Shanghai, China.

26 Zoom window : CHAT

Zoom is a videoconferencing app that became remarkably popular in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The market deemed Zoom to be the easiest to use of the free videoconferencing apps. I’ve been using it, but really prefer Google’s Meet offering …

27 Verdi opera set in ancient Egypt : AIDA

“Aida” is a celebrated opera by Giuseppe Verdi that is based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette. Mariette also designed the costumes and stages for the opening performance. The opera was first staged in 1871 in an opera house in Cairo. In the storyline, Aida is an Ethiopian princess brought into Egypt as a slave. Radamès is an Egyptian commander who falls in love with her, and then complications arise!

33 Light element : NEON

The basic design of neon lighting was first demonstrated at the Paris Motor Show in 1910. Such lighting is made up of glass tubes containing a vacuum into which has been introduced a small amount of neon gas. When a voltage is applied between two electrodes inside the tube, the neon gas “glows” and gives off the familiar light.

34 One of a pair in the mule family? : CLOG

Clogs are shoes made from wood, at least in part. The clog originated as a protective item of footwear for use by farm, factory and mine workers.

A mule is a shoe without a back and usually with a closed toe. The original mule was a shoe worn by the highest magistrates in ancient Rome.

37 Third shot, for many : BOOSTER

Immunization is the process used to boost an individual’s immune system making it less likely to succumb to a particular disease. Before we learned to intervene, the immune system was bolstered only by contracting the disease and surviving it. Inoculation was developed specifically for the prevention of smallpox, and involves the introduction of small samples of diseased tissue into the body resulting in a mild case of the disease, and significant boost to the immune system. The related process of vaccination involves the introduction of a benign form of the microorganism or virus into the body so that a boost to the immune system can occur without catching the disease itself.

38 Big name in chips : LAY’S

Lay’s potato chips were introduced in 1938 by Herman W. Lay. Lay started selling his chips out the trunk of his car, traveling all over the US. In those days the chips were pretty much handmade, but Lay put an end to that in 1942. He invented the first continuous potato processor in 1948, and chips started to take over the world!

46 ___ roll (Brits’ term for toilet paper) : LOO

It has been suggested that the British term “loo”, meaning “toilet”, comes from “Waterloo” (water closet … water-loo), but no one seems to know for sure. Another suggestion is that the term comes from the card game of “lanterloo”, in which the pot was called the loo!

49 Less than right : ACUTE

In geometry, there are several classes of angles:

  • Acute (< 90 degrees) 
  • Right (= 90 degrees) 
  • Obtuse (> 90 degrees and < 180 degrees) 
  • Straight (180 degrees) 
  • Reflex (> 180 degrees)

51 “So do I” : DITTO

The word “ditto” was originally used in Italian (from Tuscan dialect) to avoid repetition of the names of months in a series of dates. So, “ditto” is just another wonderful import from that lovely land …

54 Curved line over a series of notes, in sheet music : SLUR

In the world of music, a slur is a curved line that connects neighboring notes that are to be played smoothly, without separation.

56 Flare up? : NOVA

A nova (plural “novae”) is basically a star that suddenly gets much brighter, gradually returning to its original state weeks or even years later. The increased brightness of a nova is due to increased nuclear activity causing the star to pick up extra hydrogen from a neighboring celestial body. A supernova is very different from a nova. A supernova is a very bright burst of light and energy created when most of the material in a star explodes. The bright burst of a supernova is very short-lived compared to the sustained brightness of a nova.

58 Cause for a run, maybe : SNAG

A snag is a pull or a tear in a fabric. A snag, particularly in stockings, might lead to a run. And on the other side of the Atlantic, a “run” is called a “ladder”.

61 Emmy-winning actress 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”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Quite dry, but sparkling? : BRUT
5 Swallow or duck : BIRD
9 Instrument with 47 strings and seven pedals : HARP
13 ___ fide : BONA
14 Proven : TRUE
15 Hummus, e.g. : PUREE
16 FLIP : QUICK SALE
18 Paperless return option : E-FILE
19 Altercation : SET-TO
20 FLOP : EPIC FAIL
22 Itsy-bitsy biter : FLEA
25 Volunteers : ENLISTS
26 FLIP-FLOP : CASUAL SANDAL
30 Metonym for the U.S. Congress, with “the” : … HILL
31 Cheney in the House : LIZ
32 Matches up : SYNCS
36 Mathematician Lovelace : ADA
37 Rock band that memorably played Carnegie Hall on 2/12/1964, with “the” : BEATLES
40 One of the Manning brothers : ELI
41 Verboten : TABOO
43 Polish off : EAT
44 Goal of philanthropy : GOOD
45 FLIP-FLOP : POLICY CHANGE
49 Dr. Montgomery on “Grey’s Anatomy” : ADDISON
52 Fancy pillowcase : SHAM
53 FLIP : COIN TOSS
55 Doesn’t buy, say : RENTS
59 Make a knot not? : UNTIE
60 FLOP : PLUNK DOWN
63 Education professional : TUTOR
64 Drink of Athens : OUZO
65 Asics competitor : AVIA
66 Famed English boarding school : ETON
67 Stepped : TROD
68 Andrew who ran for president and mayor of New York City : YANG

Down

1 Cookouts, for short : BBQS
2 Cad : ROUE
3 Newton, for one : UNIT
4 Like whatever comes after “How should I put this?” : TACTFUL
5 “Dynamite” boy band : BTS
6 Part of a nest egg, in brief : IRA
7 Word that may be defiantly rhymed with “schmool” : RULE
8 Intensify : DEEPEN
9 With a chip on one’s shoulder : HUFFILY
10 Challenging soprano pieces, say : ARIAS
11 Kindled anew : RELIT
12 Pre-pares potatoes? : PEELS
15 Place to play dodgeball, informally : PE CLASS
17 Caffeine nut : KOLA
21 Many a swing voter: Abbr. : IND
23 Magazine that sponsors Women in Hollywood awards : ELLE
24 Home to more than 2,300 languages : ASIA
26 Zoom window : CHAT
27 Verdi opera set in ancient Egypt : AIDA
28 It’s a piece of cake! : SLAB
29 Culture that introduced popcorn to the world : AZTEC
33 Light element : NEON
34 One of a pair in the mule family? : CLOG
35 Pro or con : SIDE
37 Third shot, for many : BOOSTER
38 Big name in chips : LAY’S
39 Make one’s mark, in a way : ETCH
42 Polling subject : OPINION
44 Time for tailgating : GAME DAY
46 ___ roll (Brits’ term for toilet paper) : LOO
47 Where the cool kids go : IN SPOT
48 “Listen!” : HARK!
49 Less than right : ACUTE
50 Food with a hole : DONUT
51 “So do I” : DITTO
54 Curved line over a series of notes, in sheet music : SLUR
56 Flare up? : NOVA
57 Single bed, curiously : TWIN
58 Cause for a run, maybe : SNAG
61 Emmy-winning actress Aduba : UZO
62 Wordlessly agree : NOD