0527-22 NY Times Crossword 27 May 22, Friday

Constructed by: David Distenfeld
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: None

Bill’s time: 20m 03s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

10 Occasion for a high flute? : TOAST

The tradition of toasting someone probably dates back to the reign of Charles II, when the practice was to drink a glass of wine to the health of a beautiful or favored woman. In those days, spiced toast was added to beverages to add flavor, so the use of the word “toast” was an indicator that the lady’s beauty would enhance the wine. Very charming, I must say …

The narrow bowl of a champagne flute is usually preferred over the wide bowl of a champagne coupe as the smaller surface area of the wine helps retain its carbonation.

18 World record holder? : ATLAS

The famous Flemish geographer Gerardus Mercator published his first collection of maps in 1578. Mercator’s collection contained a frontispiece with an image of Atlas the Titan from Greek mythology holding up the world on his shoulders. That image gave us our term “atlas” that is used for a book of maps.

19 “Do the Right Thing” pizzeria : SAL’S

“Do the Right Thing” is a Spike Lee movie that was released in 1989. Much of the action in the film is centered on a local pizzeria called “Sal’s” owned by Italian-American Salvatore Frangione (played by Danny Aiello).

20 Get around : SKIRT

Back in the 14th century, a skirt was the lower part of a woman’s dress, its lower border. This evolved over time into the usage that we know today. The verb “to skirt”, meaning “to pass along the edge”, comes from the former meaning of the noun.

22 Giant mfr. of industrial machinery : ITT

International Telephone & Telegraph (ITT) was formed in 1920 from the Puerto Rico Telephone Company. ITT divested its telecommunications business in 1986, today the company is known for its products in the field of water and fluids management, as well motion and flow control. Many of ITT’s products are sold into the aerospace market.

25 5/15, e.g. : IDES

There were three important days in each month of the old Roman calendar. These days originally depended on the cycles of the moon but were eventually “fixed” by law. “Kalendae” were the first days of each month, originally the days of the new moon. “Nonae” were originally the days of the half moon. And “idus” (the ides) was originally the day of the full moon, eventually fixed at the 15th day of a month. Actually, the ides were the 15th day of March, May, July and October. For all other months, the ides fell on the 13th. Go figure …

27 Hawaiian chorus : ALOHAS

The Hawaiian word “aloha” has many meanings in English: affection, love, peace, compassion and mercy. More recently, “aloha” has come to mean “hello” and “goodbye”, but only since the mid-1800s.

33 Follower of many state names : EDU

The .edu 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)

38 Pond blossom : LOTUS

The roots of the lotus plant penetrate into the bed of a lake or river, while the leaves float on the water’s surface. This behavior led to the use of the lotus as a symbol in the Buddhist tradition, as a symbol of purity of the body, speech and mind. The idea is that the lotus flower represents the pure body, speech and mind floating above the muddy waters of attachment and desire.

40 Rockets can be found in it, in brief : NBA

The Houston Rockets NBA team was founded as a league expansion team in 1967 in San Diego. The Rockets relocated to Houston in 1971. Surprisingly (to me), the Rockets were not named for Houston’s connection to NASA. The “Rockets” moniker was partly due to San Diego’s more tenuous NASA connection. General Dynamics’ San Diego operation developed and built the first Atlas rockets, including those used in Project Mercury.

47 Herbal infusions : TISANES

“Tisane” is another word for herbal tea. “Tisane” comes into English via French from the Greek “ptisane”, the word for crushed barley.

50 “Psycho” psycho : NORMAN

The top 5 movie villains in the American Film Institute’s list “100 Years … 100 Heroes & Villains” are:

  1. Dr. Hannibal Lecter in “The Silence of the Lambs”
  2. Norman Bates in “Psycho”
  3. Darth Vader in “The Empire Strikes Back”
  4. The Wicked Witch of the West in “The Wizard of Oz”
  5. Nurse Ratched in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”

The classic Alfred Hitchcock suspense film “Psycho” released in 1960 is based on a 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch. The Bloch novel in turn is loosely based on actual crimes committed by murderer and grave robber Ed Gein. When “Psycho” was making its initial run in theaters, latecomers were not granted admission, abiding by a policy instigated by Hitchcock himself. He felt that anyone missing the opening scenes would not enjoy the film.

52 First name in gossip : RONA

Rona Barrett is a gossip columnist originally from New York City but who plies her trade in Southern California. Barrett started out with a gossip column that was syndicated in newspapers but then made a successful transition to television. She made regular appearances in news broadcasts and on her entertainment shows in the sixties and seventies.

56 Spanish key : ISLA

In Spanish, an “isla” (island) is “tierra en el mar” (land in the sea).

58 Kind of cake with layers of coffee and chocolate : OPERA

Opera cake is a confection from French cuisine. A traditional recipe calls for layers of almond sponge cake soaked in coffee syrup, interleaved with ganache and a coffee-flavored buttercream, with the whole thing covered in a chocolate glaze. Wow!

65 Resource in the game Catan : WHEAT

The Settlers of Catan (now just “Catan”) is a board game that was introduced in 1995, in Germany as “Die Siedler von Catan”. The game is very popular in the US and was called “the board game of our time” by the “Washington Post”. My son plays it a lot, and as a lover of board games, I am going to have to check it out …

66 Film technique that accommodates wide- and full-screen display : OPEN MATTE

In the days before widescreen televisions, many movie producers opted to record their films in the 4:3 aspect ratio that suited TV screens. The aspect ratio has to be changed for projection in the widescreen format in a movie theater, and this is achieved using the open matte technique. Quite simply, the top and bottom of the picture is matted out in the projector, and I guess one hopes there’s nothing important going on in those parts of the image!

Down

1 Mustard, for one: Abbr. : COL

Colonel Mustard is one of the suspects in the board game “Clue”.

2 “Is that ___?” : A NO

Yes.

4 Some pudding ingredients : FIGS

The fig is the fruit of a small tree in the mulberry family. Once picked, figs don’t travel very well, so the bulk of figs consumed have been preserved by drying.

6 Like the milk in café au lait, sometimes : SCALDED

“Café au lait” (French for “coffee with milk”) is usually strong drip coffee to which one adds steamed milk. Well, that’s the way we tend to make it here in the US.

7 Improbable orders for oenophiles : HOUSE WINES

In Greek mythology, Oeno was the goddess of wine, giving us “oeno-” as a prefix meaning “wine”. For example, oenology is the study of wine and an oenophile is a wine-lover.

8 Myanmar has two of them : EMS

There are two letters M (ems) in the word “Myanmar”.

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar is the official name of the Asian country that some nations still recognize as the Union of Burma.

10 They’re used during film production and promotion : TRAILERS

The term “trailer” was originally used in the film industry to describe advertisements for upcoming features. These trailers were originally shown at the end of a movie being screened, hence the name. This practice quickly fell out of favor as theater patrons usually left at the end of the movie without paying much attention to the trailers. So, the trailers were moved to the beginning of the show, but the term “trailer” persisted.

11 The one in “Layla” lasts 3 minutes 48 seconds : OUTRO

In the world of pop music, an outro is the opposite to an intro. An outro might perhaps be the concluding track of an album, for example.

“Layla” is one of the great rock anthems of the seventies, released by Derek and the Dominos as a single in 1971. It is a masterpiece of composition, with the first half of the song a great vehicle for the guitar-playing talents of Eric Clapton. The second half is a beautifully melodic piano coda (a coda … taking up half the length of the track!). To top things off we have the “unplugged” version recorded by Clapton in 1992, a fabulous and inventive variation on the original.

Layla, you’ve got me on my knees.
Layla, I’m begging, darling please.
Layla, darling won’t you ease my worried mind.

13 Jacques Cousteau’s milieu : SEA

Jacques-Yves Cousteau started off his career in the French Navy, aiming for a working life in aviation. Because of a car accident, Cousteau had to abandon his first career choice and instead went to sea. Famously, he co-invented the Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA), also called the aqua-lung.

14 Parts of some bowls, in brief : TDS

Touchdown (TD)

In football, touchdowns (TDs) might be scored by running backs (RBs) and wide receivers (WRs).

21 Journalist Swisher : KARA

Kara Swisher is a much-respected technology and business journalist known for covering topics related to Silicon Valley. Swisher was married for about a decade to former Chief Technology Officer of the United States Megan Smith.

22 Dressing option : ITALIAN

Don’t try asking for Italian dressing in Italy, as it’s a North American invention. Italians are fond of dressing their salads with olive oil, vinegar, salt and maybe some black pepper. Try it!

23 Home of the largest street fair in North America : TORONTO

Beautiful Toronto, Ontario is the largest city in Canada, and the fourth most populous city in North America (after Mexico City, New York and Los Angeles).

26 Mama grizzly : SHE-BEAR

The North American brown bear is usually referred to as the grizzly bear. The name “grizzly” was given to the bear by Lewis and Clark. The term “grizzly” might mean “with grey-tipped hair”, or “fear-inspiring”. Both definitions seem to be apt …

43 Buffalo ___ : WING

There are a few stories about how Buffalo wings were first developed, most of them related to the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. If you’re looking for Buffalo wings on a menu in Buffalo, you’ll note that in and around the city they’re just referred to as “wings”.

48 Oscar Wilde tragedy : SALOME

“Salomé” is an 1891 play by Irishman Oscar Wilde that the playwright originally wrote in French. It tells the biblical story of Salome who requested the head of John the Baptist in return for performing the dance of the seven veils. Wilde’s work was adapted by Richard Strauss into an opera of the same name that premiered in Dresden in 1905.

When Oscar Wilde was at the height of his success, he had the Marquess of Queensberry prosecuted for libel. Wilde claimed that Queensberry had left a note at his club with a note that accused the former of sodomy. Queensberry was exonerated during the trial, and Wilde dropped the charges. But the damage was done. Evidence revealed during the trial led to Wilde’s immediate rearrest. He was convicted and served two years in jail.

51 Many a work by the artist Banksy : MURAL

A mural is a painting that is applied directly to a wall or a ceiling. The term “mural” comes from the Latin “murus” meaning “wall”.

Banksy is an English graffiti artist who is noted for his contempt of the British government for condemning his work as vandalism. Banksy’s work can fetch a pretty penny at auction. No one seems to know for sure who Banksy actually is …

55 Mythical archer : EROS

The name of Eros, the Greek god of love, gives rise to our word “erotic” meaning “arousing sexual desire”. Eros was referred to in Latin as both “Amor” (meaning “love”) and “Cupid” (meaning “desire”).

57 Driver in Hollywood : ADAM

Adam Driver is an actor perhaps best known to TV audiences for playing Adam Sackler on the show “Girls” that airs on HBO. Driver’s movie career got a huge boost in 2015 when he played villain Kylo Ren in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”.

59 Letter after upsilon : PHI

Upsilon is the 20th letter in the Greek alphabet, and the character that gives rise to the letter Y that we use in English.

63 Source of withdrawal? : ATM

Automatic Teller Machine (ATM)

64 Article in a French newspaper : LES

The definite article in French can be “le” (with masculine nouns), “la” (with feminine nouns), and “les” (with plural nouns of either gender).

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Lures into a relationship by using a fictional online persona : CATFISHES
10 Occasion for a high flute? : TOAST
15 Like households with stay-at-home spouses, typically : ONE-INCOME
16 Like many spiral notebooks : RULED
17 It may be taken for dramatic effect : LONG PAUSE
18 World record holder? : ATLAS
19 “Do the Right Thing” pizzeria : SAL’S
20 Get around : SKIRT
22 Giant mfr. of industrial machinery : ITT
25 5/15, e.g. : IDES
27 Hawaiian chorus : ALOHAS
30 ___ job : TOW
31 Onboardee : NEW HIRE
33 Follower of many state names : EDU
34 Really dry : ARID
36 Season ticket holder, maybe : DIE-HARD FAN
38 Pond blossom : LOTUS
40 Rockets can be found in it, in brief : NBA
41 Infiltrates : SEEPS
42 Dealing with technical details, say : IN THE WEEDS
45 Blowout : FETE
46 Put away : ATE
47 Herbal infusions : TISANES
49 Do-over : LET
50 “Psycho” psycho : NORMAN
52 First name in gossip : RONA
53 Some SAT takers : SRS
54 Not be completely accurate with : FUDGE
56 Spanish key : ISLA
58 Kind of cake with layers of coffee and chocolate : OPERA
60 Where to find 55 and over? : RADIO DIAL
65 Resource in the game Catan : WHEAT
66 Film technique that accommodates wide- and full-screen display : OPEN MATTE
67 Act crabby? : SIDLE
68 Parents obsessed with play dates? : STAGE MOMS

Down

1 Mustard, for one: Abbr. : COL
2 “Is that ___?” : A NO
3 Start of a count : TEN …
4 Some pudding ingredients : FIGS
5 Hurting : IN PAIN
6 Like the milk in café au lait, sometimes : SCALDED
7 Improbable orders for oenophiles : HOUSE WINES
8 Myanmar has two of them : EMS
9 Matches : SEES
10 They’re used during film production and promotion : TRAILERS
11 The one in “Layla” lasts 3 minutes 48 seconds : OUTRO
12 Mixed emotions, so to speak : ALL THE FEELS
13 Jacques Cousteau’s milieu : SEA
14 Parts of some bowls, in brief : TDS
21 Journalist Swisher : KARA
22 Dressing option : ITALIAN
23 Home of the largest street fair in North America : TORONTO
24 Modern-day scroll, of a sort : TWITTER FEED
26 Mama grizzly : SHE-BEAR
28 Item to pack for a trip abroad : ADAPTER
29 Down times? : SUNSETS
32 “Really? Wow!” : I HAD NO IDEA!
35 “Thanks, Captain Obvious” : DUH!
37 Telephone trio : DEF
39 Prepared to end an engagement : SET A DATE
43 Buffalo ___ : WING
44 Picking up : SENSING
48 Oscar Wilde tragedy : SALOME
51 Many a work by the artist Banksy : MURAL
55 Mythical archer : EROS
57 Driver in Hollywood : ADAM
58 Reactions to strikes? : OWS
59 Letter after upsilon : PHI
61 Suitable : APT
62 “Was ___ blame?” : I TO
63 Source of withdrawal? : ATM
64 Article in a French newspaper : LES