0412-19 NY Times Crossword 12 Apr 19, Friday

Constructed by: Howard Barkin
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: None

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

Bill’s time: 9m 39s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

15 Bad record : RAP SHEET

A rap sheet is a criminal record. “Rap” is a slang term dating back to the 1700s that means “blame, responsibility” as in “to take the rap”, “bad rap” and “to beat the rap”. This usage morphed into “rap sheet” in the early 1900s.

17 Jalapeño, after smoking : CHIPOTLE

The jalapeño is a chili pepper, and a favorite of mine. The pepper’s name translates from Spanish as “from Xalapa”. Xalapa (also “Jalapa”) is the capital of the Mexican state of Veracruz, and the traditional origin of the jalapeño pepper. A smoke-dried jalapeño, called a chipotle, is used for seasoning.

18 Like Art Nouveau : ORNATE

Art Nouveau (French for “new art”) is a style that was popular from 1890 to 1910. Although the English-speaking world adopted the French name for the style, Art Nouveau was known as “Jugendstil” in Germany, “Modern” in Russia and “Stile Liberty” in Italy.

19 Aesop’s “The ___ and the Grasshopper” : ANT

In Aesop’s fable “The Ant and the Grasshopper”, the grasshopper spends the warm months singing and having a good time while the ant toils away storing food. When winter arrives, the grasshopper starts to die from hunger and begs the ant for food. The ant tells the grasshopper that he should have been more sensible instead of singing away all summer, and maybe he should dance through the winter!

20 Upper-crust sorts, stereotypically : WASPS

The not-so-nice acronym “WASP” stands for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. The term is used for Americans with a relatively high position in society, and who are usually of British descent.

24 Starbucks competitor : MCCAFE

McCafé is a chain of coffeehouses owned by McDonald’s. The first McCafé was opened by a McDonald’s franchisee in Australia, after which the company took the concept worldwide. McCafé is the most successful coffee shop brand in Australia and New Zealand.

26 Soccer superstar Lionel : MESSI

Lionel “Leo” Messi is a soccer player from Argentina. Messi was awarded FIFA’s Ballon d’Or (Golden Ball) award from 2009 to 2013. The Ballon d’Or is presented to the player who is considered the best in the world in the prior year.

29 ___-chic : BOHO

Boho-chic is a style of fashion that grew out of the bohemian and hippie looks.

37 Fruity liqueur : CURACAO

The liqueur known as Curaçao comes from the island of Curaçao in the southern Caribbean. The liqueur is usually given artificial coloring to make it suitable for use in exotic cocktails. The common colors used are blue and orange.

38 “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” co-star : MIA SARA

The character Sloane Peterson in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” is played by the very beautiful actress Mia Sara. Sloane is the girlfriend of the title character.

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” is one of my favorite movies of all time. It was written and directed by John Hughes and released in 1986. There are so many classic scenes in the film, including two wonderful musical interludes. The more sedate of these is a vignette shot in the Art Institute of Chicago that is beautifully filmed. The more upbeat musical scene is a rendition of “Twist and Shout” during a Von Steuben Day parade.

45 Composition of Indonésie : ILES

In French, the nation of “Indonésie” (Indonesia) comprises many, many “îles” (islands).

46 Looping symbols of life : ANKHS

The ankh was the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic character for “eternal life”. The ankh wasn’t just used in inscriptions but was often fashioned into amulets and as surrounds for mirrors (perhaps symbolizing a view into another world). The ankh is also known as “the key of the Nile” and “crux ansata” (Latin for “cross with a handle”).

47 “Sweet” locale in T. S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land” : THAMES

The River Thames flowing through London is the longest river entirely located in England.

T. S. Eliot (TSE) wrote his poem called “The Waste Land” in 1922. “The Waste Land” opens with the famous line, “April is the cruellest month …”

49 Pro caregivers, for short : RNS

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

50 Led a parade, musically : FIFED

A fife is a small flute that is often used in military and marching bands. The name “fife” comes from the German “Pfeife” meaning “pipe”.

52 Title character not requiring an actor : GODOT

“Waiting for Godot” is a play by novelist and playwright Samuel Beckett that premiered in 1953. Irishman Beckett actually wrote the piece in French, under the title “En attendant Godot”. He then translated the play into English himself.

57 Wayne of soccer fame : ROONEY

Wayne Rooney is a famous, and somewhat infamous, soccer player who turned out for Manchester United and the English national team before relocating to the US to play for DC United. Rooney was widely regarded as the most talented player in England in his day, but he also attracted a lot of attention off the field for his wild private life.

61 Lawrence of Arabia portrayer : O’TOOLE

Irish actor Peter O’Toole got his big break in movies when he played the title role in the 1962 epic film “Lawrence of Arabia”. My favorite of O’Toole’s movies is much lighter fare, namely “How to Steal a Million” in which he stars opposite Audrey Hepburn. O’Toole never won an Oscar, but holds the record for the greatest number of Best Actor nominations without a win.

“Lawrence of Arabia” is a 1962 movie that recounts the real life story of T. E. Lawrence, a British army officer famous for his role in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of World War I. The title role in the film is played by Irish actor Peter O’Toole. The role of Sherif Ali ibn el Kharish is played by Omar Sharif.

62 Classic book that begins “At the far end of town where the Grickle-grass grows …” : THE LORAX

“The Lorax” is a children’s book written by Dr. Seuss. It is an allegorical work questioning the problems created by industrialization, and in particular its impact on the environment. At one point in the story, the Lorax “speaks for the trees, for the trees have no tongues”. “The Lorax” was adapted into an animated film that was released in 2012, with Danny DeVito voicing the title character.

63 Show that won the Outstanding Drama Emmy for each of its first four seasons : MAD MEN

“Mad Men” was the flagship show on the AMC television channel for several seasons. Set in the sixties, it’s all about an advertising agency located on Madison Avenue in New York (hence the title). “Mad Men” became the first show created by a basic cable channel to win an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series.

64 Worshiper with an inverted pentagram, maybe : SATANIST

A pentagram is a star-shape with five points that has been drawn using five straight lines. The name “pentagram” comes from the Greek for “five line”. The shape is sometimes also called a “pentacle”, “pentalpha” or “pentangle”. The pentagram is used as a prominent symbol in several religions and movements, notably in modern occultism.

Down

1 Sight on an Alaskan cruise : ORCA

The taxonomic name for the killer whale is “Orcinus orca”. The use of the name “orca”, rather than “killer whale”, is becoming more and more common. The Latin word “Orcinus” means “belonging to Orcus”, with Orcus being the name for the Kingdom of the Dead.

2 German route : BAHN

The federal highway system in Germany is known as the Autobahn (plural “Autobahnen” in German). Famously, there are no federally mandated speed limits on the autobahn, although many, many stretches of the highway do indeed have posted and enforced limits. Where there is no speed limit posted, there is an advisory speed limit of 130 km/hr (81 mph). It is not illegal to travel over this speed limit, but legal liability may increase at higher speeds if that speed contributes to an accident.

4 Rafael Nadal’s home, in Olympics shorthand : ESP

In Spanish, “Spain” is written as “España”.

Rafael “Rafa” Nadal is a Spanish tennis player. He is noted for his expertise on clay courts, which expertise earned him the nickname “The King of Clay”.

9 Invitation qualification : BYO

Bring Your Own Beer/Bottle/Booze (BYOB)

10 Major vessel : AORTA

The aorta originates in the heart and extends down into the abdomen. It is the largest artery in the body.

21 Outlines : SCHEMAS

A schema is an outline or a model. The plural of “schema” is “schemata” and the adjectival form is “schematic”.

23 Agcy. headed by a deputy asst. secretary of labor : OSHA

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created in 1970 during the Nixon administration. OSHA regulates workplaces in the private sector and regulates just one government agency, namely the US Postal Service.

26 Colorful parrot : MACAW

Macaws are beautifully colored birds native to Central and South America that are actually a type of parrot. Most species of macaw are now endangered, with several having become extinct in recent decades. The main threats are deforestation and illegal trapping and trafficking of exotic birds.

27 Piece played in a conservatory : ETUDE

An étude is a short instrumental composition that is usually quite hard to play and is intended to help the performer master a particular technique. “Étude” is the French word for “study”. Études are commonly performed on the piano.

29 Pirated, in a way : BOOTLEG

To bootleg is to make or smuggle alcoholic drinks illegally. The term arose in the late 1800s as slang for the practice of concealing a flask of liquor down the leg of a high boot. The term has been extended to mean the illegal production and sale of just about anything.

35 One with hairy legs : TARANTULA

Tarantulas are spider-like arachnids that are usually quite hairy. The original tarantula was a type of wolf spider found in Europe, found near the southern Italian town called Taranto, hence the name.

42 Many honeymoon locales : RESORTS

The concept of a honeymoon vacation only started in the early 1800s. In Britain, wealthy couples would take a “bridal tour” together after wedding, visiting those friends and relatives who could not attend the ceremony. The etymology of “honeymoon” isn’t very clear, and may even have a negative derivation as it might suggest that the sweetness (honey) of love is doomed to wane like a passing phase of the moon. The equivalent terms in some other languages are “moon of honey” (French), “honey month” (Welsh) and “tinsel week” (German).

48 “Send My Love” singer, 2016 : ADELE

“Adele” is the stage name of English singer Adele Adkins. Adele’s debut album is “19”, named after the age she was during the album’s production. Her second album was even more successful than the first. Called “21”, the second album was released three years after the first, when Adele was three years older. Her third studio album “25”, released in 2015, broke the first-week sales records in both the UK and the US.

49 19th-century author whose works are still read word for word : ROGET

Peter Mark Roget was an English lexicographer. Roget was an avid maker of lists, apparently using the routine of list-making to combat depression, a condition he endured for most of his life. He published his famous thesaurus in 1852, with revisions and expansions being made years later by his son, and then in turn by his grandson.

51 “Not one ___!” : IOTA

Iota is the ninth letter in the Greek alphabet, and one that gave rise to our letters I and J. We use the word “iota” to portray something very small, as it is the smallest of all Greek letters.

53 Site of the 2022 World Cup : DOHA

Doha is the capital city of the Persian Gulf state of Qatar. The name “Doha” translates from Arabic as “the big tree”.

54 Rick’s wife on “The Walking Dead” : LORI

“The Walking Dead” is a horror television show made by AMC that is based on a comic book series of the same name. There are lots of flesh-eating zombies featured, so I won’t be caught “dead” watching it …

55 Santa ___ (some winds) : ANAS

The Santa Ana winds are the very dry air currents that sweep offshore late in the year in Southern California. Because these air currents are so dry, they are noted for their influence over forest fires in the area, especially in the heat of the fall. The winds arise from a buildup of air pressure in the Great Basin that lies between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada. Under the right conditions, that air spills over the peaks of the Sierra Nevada and basically “falls” down the side of the Sierra range, heading for the ocean. As the air falls it becomes drier and heats up so that relative humidity can fall to below 10% by the time it hits the coast.

56 Barely communicate? : SEXT

Sexting (a portmanteau of “sex” and “texting”) is the sending of explicit dialog and images between cell phones. The term “sexting” was coined by the UK’s “Sunday Telegraph Magazine” in a 2005 article.

58 Thirst : YEN

The word “yen”, meaning “urge”, has been around in English since the very early 1900s. It comes from the earlier word “yin” imported from Chinese, which was used in English to describe an intense craving for opium.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Hangs onto something : OBSESSES
9 Establishing : BASING
15 Bad record : RAP SHEET
16 “Hello-o-o-o!” : YOO-HOO!
17 Jalapeño, after smoking : CHIPOTLE
18 Like Art Nouveau : ORNATE
19 Aesop’s “The ___ and the Grasshopper” : ANT
20 Upper-crust sorts, stereotypically : WASPS
22 Utterly, in modern slang : TOTES
23 Elect : OPT
24 Starbucks competitor : MCCAFE
26 Soccer superstar Lionel : MESSI
29 ___-chic : BOHO
30 They’re loaded with cash : ATMS
33 Currently : AT THE MOMENT
36 “I’m in awe” : OOH
37 Fruity liqueur : CURACAO
38 “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” co-star : MIA SARA
40 Ending with many fruit names : -ADE
41 Fried chicken option : EXTRA CRISPY
43 Openly lament : WEEP
45 Composition of Indonésie : ILES
46 Looping symbols of life : ANKHS
47 “Sweet” locale in T. S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land” : THAMES
49 Pro caregivers, for short : RNS
50 Led a parade, musically : FIFED
52 Title character not requiring an actor : GODOT
54 Start of many Southwest place names : LAS
57 Wayne of soccer fame : ROONEY
59 2016 prequel that earned more than a billion dollars at the box office : ROGUE ONE
61 Lawrence of Arabia portrayer : O’TOOLE
62 Classic book that begins “At the far end of town where the Grickle-grass grows …” : THE LORAX
63 Show that won the Outstanding Drama Emmy for each of its first four seasons : MAD MEN
64 Worshiper with an inverted pentagram, maybe : SATANIST

Down

1 Sight on an Alaskan cruise : ORCA
2 German route : BAHN
3 Small peninsula : SPIT
4 Rafael Nadal’s home, in Olympics shorthand : ESP
5 Exhibition highlight : SHOWPIECE
6 Adjust to, as on a thermostat : SET AT
7 Some bottom-dwellers : EELS
8 Part of a blended family : STEPMOM
9 Invitation qualification : BYO
10 Major vessel : AORTA
11 Cousin of “Gosh darn it!” : SON OF A!
12 “Forgive the question …” : I HATE TO ASK …
13 C or D : NOTE
14 Splits : GOES
21 Outlines : SCHEMAS
23 Agcy. headed by a deputy asst. secretary of labor : OSHA
25 Like Bugles snacks : CONIC
26 Colorful parrot : MACAW
27 Piece played in a conservatory : ETUDE
28 Cart fare : STREET FOOD
29 Pirated, in a way : BOOTLEG
31 Transform : MORPH
32 Rebellion leader of 1786 : SHAYS
34 “Haste makes waste,” e.g. : MAXIM
35 One with hairy legs : TARANTULA
39 Reasons to say “I’m sorry” : SINS
42 Many honeymoon locales : RESORTS
44 Whiz : PHENOM
48 “Send My Love” singer, 2016 : ADELE
49 19th-century author whose works are still read word for word : ROGET
50 Email line : FROM
51 “Not one ___!” : IOTA
53 Site of the 2022 World Cup : DOHA
54 Rick’s wife on “The Walking Dead” : LORI
55 Santa ___ (some winds) : ANAS
56 Barely communicate? : SEXT
58 Thirst : YEN
60 Forever, seemingly : EON