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Jump to a complete list of today’s clues and answers
CROSSWORD SETTER: Jeffrey Wechsler
THEME: You’ve Got a Friend … today’s themed answers are common phrases, but with the word PAL inserted:
61A. Carole King song title … or a hint to 17-, 34- and 40-Across YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND
17A. Financially distressed royal residence? PALACE IN THE HOLE (from “ace in the hole”)
34A. Pious antelope? IMPALA BELIEVER (from “I’m a Believer”)
40A. Clairvoyant magazine staff? PALMISTS OF TIME (from “mists of time”)
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 11m 32s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Sprinkled stuff TALC
Talc is a mineral, actually hydrated magnesium silicate. Talcum powder is composed of loose talc, although these days “baby powder” is also made from cornstarch.
5. Ottoman honorific AGHA
“Aga” (also “agha”) is a title that was used by both civil and military officials in the Ottoman Empire.
17. Financially distressed royal residence? PALACE IN THE HOLE (from “ace in the hole”)
Stud poker is the name given to many variants of poker, all characterized by the dealer giving each player a mix of cards face-down and face-up. The cards facing downwards are called “hole cards”, cards only visible to the individual who holds that particular hand. This gives rise to the phrase “ace in the hole”, a valuable holding that only the player with the ace is aware of.
21. New Delhi-to-Mumbai dir. SSW
New Delhi is the capital city of India. New Delhi resides within the National Capital Territory of Delhi (otherwise known as the metropolis of Delhi). New Delhi and Delhi, therefore, are two different things.
Mumbai is the most populous city in India, and the second most populous city in the world (after Shanghai). The name of the city was changed from Bombay to Mumbai in 1995.
22. “Downton Abbey” assent YES, SIR
In the incredibly successful period drama “Downton Abbey”, the patriarch of the family living at Downton is Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham or Lord Grantham. The character is played by Hugh Bonneville. Lord Grantham married American Cora Levinson (played by Elizabeth McGovern. Lord and Lady Grantham had three daughters, and no son. The lack of a male heir implied that the Grantham estate would pass to a male cousin, and out of the immediate family. The Grantham daughters are Lady Mary (played by Michelle Dockery), Lady Edith (played by Laura Carmichael) and Lady Sybil (played by Jessica Brown Findlay). Lady Sybil had the audacity to marry the family chauffeur, an Irish nationalist. The shame of it all …
24. Wit WAG
A “wag” or a “card” is a very amusing person, one who is often quite eccentric.
26. “The Golden Arm” of the Baltimore Colts UNITAS
Footballer Johnny Unitas was nicknamed “the Golden Arm” as well as “Johnny U”. Unitas played in the fifties through the seventies, mainly for the Baltimore Colts. He held the record for throwing touchdown passes in consecutive games (47 games) for 52 years, until it was surpassed in 2012 by Drew Brees.
34. Pious antelope? IMPALA BELIEVER (from “I’m a Believer”)
“Impala” is the Zulu word for “gazelle”. When running at a sustained speed, gazelles can move along at 30 miles per hour. If needed, they can accelerate for bursts up to 60 miles per hour.
“I’m a Believer” was a big hit for the Monkees in 1966. The Monkees recording of “I’m a Believer” is a cover version. The song was written and originally recorded by Neil Diamond.
37. Geisha circler OBI
The sash worn as part of traditional Japanese dress is known as an obi. The obi can be tied in what is called a butterfly knot.
The Japanese term “geisha” best translates as “artist” or “performing artist”.
38. Sister of Melpomene ERATO
In Greek mythology, the muses are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. The number of muses is a subject of debate at times, but the most popular view is that there are nine:
– Calliope (epic poetry)
– Clio (history)
– Erato (lyric poetry)
– Euterpe (music)
– Melpomene (tragedy)
– Polyhymnia (choral poetry)
– Terpsichore (dance)
– Thalia (comedy)
– Urania (astronomy)
39. Ho’s accompaniment UKE
The ukulele (“uke”) originated in the 1800s and mimicked a small guitar brought to the Hawaiian Islands by Portuguese immigrants.
The singer and entertainer Don Ho apparently had a pretty liberal arrangement with his wife. When Ho was touring with his two backing singers, Patti Swallie and Elizabeth Guevara, all three of them shared a room together. He had two children with each of his roommates, giving a total of ten kids including the six he had with his wife. The arrangement was quite open, it seems, with all ten kids visiting each other regularly. To each his own …
40. Clairvoyant magazine staff? PALMISTS OF TIME (from “mists of time”)
We’ve been using the term “clairvoyant” to describe a psychic since the nineteenth century. Prior to that, a clairvoyant was a clear-sighted person. The term comes from French, with “clair” meaning “clear” and “voyant” meaning “seeing”.
45. Introduction PROEM
A “proem” is a brief introduction, a prelude. The term comes into English via Old French and is ultimately derived from the Greek “prooimion” meaning “prelude”, especially a prelude to music or poetry.
53. Setting in Eng. GMT
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the time at the Prime Meridian, the meridian that runs through Greenwich in London.
A meridian is a line of longitude, and the Prime Meridian is that line of longitude defined as 0 degrees. The Prime Meridian is also called the Greenwich Meridian as it passes through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich in southeast London. Of course the line of longitude that is used to represent 0 degrees is an arbitrary decision. 25 nations formally decided in 1884 to use the Greenwich Meridian as 0 degrees as it was already a popular choice. That is all except the French, who abstained from the vote and used the Paris Meridian as 0 degrees on French charts for several decades.
56. First name in Western crime JESSE
Jesse James was an outlaw from Missouri who became a legendary figure of the Wild West. James somehow earned the reputation that he was a Robin Hood figure, robbing the rich and giving to the poor, but in fact this is far from the truth. After being chased persistently by law enforcement officers, he was eventually killed by one of his own gang members who hoped to collect a reward. As soon as newspaper reported his death in 1882, rumors started that Jesse James had in fact survived. Eventually, the body buried in the grave marked with Jesse James’ name was exhumed in 1995, and DNA testing showed that almost certainly it was the resting place of the infamous outlaw.
60. Like George H. W. Bush EX-CIA
The CIA headquarters is located in Langley, Virginia in a complex called the George Bush Center for Intelligence, named for former Director of the CIA and US President George H. W. Bush.
61. Carole King song title … or a hint to 17-, 34- and 40-Across YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND
Carole King is a marvelous singer-songwriter from Manhattan, New York. King started her career writing a string of hit songs with her partner and eventual husband Gerry Goffin (although they later divorced). King’s first composition to get to number one was “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”, which she wrote at 18 years of age for the Shirelles. Not so long ago, my wife and I saw the stage musical “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”, which tells the story of King’s music and life. I highly recommend “Beautiful” …
65. Singing daughter of Judy and Vincente LIZA
The actress and singer Liza Minnelli is the daughter of Judy Garland and movie director Vincente Minnelli. Liza won her only Oscar for her lead performance in 1972’s “Cabaret”. She has also won an Emmy, Grammy and Tony, and is one of the very few entertainers to have made that “sweep”.
68. “L’__, c’est moi”: Louis XIV ETAT
“L’État, c’est moi” is a French phrase, supposedly spoken by Louis XIV on his deathbed. It translates to “I am the State”, and would appear to mean that Louis considered himself to be “above his station” as it were. However, many dispute the quotation, and argue that Louis actually said on his deathbed that even though he was dying, the State would live on.
Down
1. Lit TIPSY
The term “tipsy” comes from the verb “to tip” meaning “to overturn, knock over”, and has been meaning “drunk” since the late 1500s.
2. “… __ which will live in infamy”: FDR A DATE
The Infamy Speech was delivered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on December 8, 1941, the day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The speech takes its name for the opening line:
Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.
The phrase “a date which will live in infamy” is often misquoted as “a day which will live in infamy”. The term “infamy” was inserted in the speech just before it was delivered. A previous version read “… a date which will live in world history”.
3. Falana and Glaudini LOLAS
Lola Falana is a singer, dancer and actress who grew up in Philadelphia. In the sixties Falana had an affair with, and later became good friends with, Sammy Davis Jr. Davis helped get her act into Las Vegas where she was very successful, eventually earning Falana the nickname “Queen of Las Vegas”. With her success came money, and so she became the highest paid female performer in Vegas at that time. Sadly, Falana suffers from multiple sclerosis, a disease that forced her to cut short her career as an entertainer.
Lola Glaudini is an actress from New York City who is perhaps best known for playing FBI Special Agent Ella Greenaway on the CBS crime drama “Criminal Minds”.
6. Greek primordial deity GAIA
In ancient Greek religion, Gaia was the Earth goddess, the mother of everything. The Roman equivalent was the goddess Terra.
9. Annually celebrated group THE MAGI
“Magi” is the plural of the Latin word “magus”, a term applied to someone who was able to read the stars. Hence, magi is commonly used with reference to the “wise men from the East” who followed the star and visited Jesus soon after he was born.
12. Sushi kitchen supply EELS
Unagi is the Japanese word for freshwater eel, and unadon is the Japanese word for “eel bowl”. Unadon is actually a contraction of “unagi no kabayaki” (grilled eel) and “donburi” (rice bowl dish).
16. “I often quote myself. It adds spice to my conversation” speaker SHAW
George Bernard Shaw was a very successful Irish playwright. Shaw is the only person to have been awarded both a Nobel Prize for Literature, and an Oscar. He won his Oscar for adapting his own play “Pygmalion” for the 1938 film of the same name starring Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller. Most people are more likely to have seen the musical adaptation of “Pygmalion” that goes by the title “My Fair Lady”.
18. Where gunpowder was invented CHINA
Gunpowder is the earliest known explosive chemical. Also called “black powder”, it is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal and saltpeter (i.e. potassium nitrate). The saltpeter is a powerful oxidizing agent, providing the oxygen to burn the sulfur and charcoal, which acts as the fuel in the mixture. Gunpowder was invented by the Chinese in 8th century.
25. Univ. student’s ordeal GRE
Passing the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is usually a requirement for entry into graduate school here in the US.
27. Wonderland trial evidence TARTS
In the Lewis Carroll novel “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, Alice attends a trial in which the Knave of Hearts is accused of stealing tarts belonging to the Queen of Hearts.
29. __ Hall SETON
Seton Hall is a private, Roman Catholic college in South Orange, New Jersey. The most famous of their sports programs is men’s basketball, played by the Seton Hall Pirates.
32. Chinese toy PEKE
The pekingese breed originated in China, as one might suspect from the name. Breeding practices have resulted in the the dog having many health problems, including breathing issues related to the “desirable” flat face. Standards have been changed in recent years, demanding an “evident muzzle” in an attempt to breed healthier dogs.
35. Close follower of Venus? MILO
The famous “Venus de Milo” is so named as she was discovered in the ruins of the ancient city of Milos, on the Aegean island of the same name. I’ve been lucky enough to see the statue, in the Louvre in Paris, and was surprised at how large it is (6 ft 8 in tall).
41. Citi Field player MET
Citi Field is the relatively new baseball stadium used by the New York Mets, and sits right next door to Shea stadium, where the Mets had played for decades. And the name of course comes from sponsor Citigroup.
42. “D’oh!” I’M A JERK!
“The Simpsons” is one of the most successful programs produced by the Fox Broadcasting Company. Homer Simpson’s catchphrase is “D’oh!”, which became such a famous exclamation that it has been included in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) since 2001. “D’oh!” can be translated as “I should have thought of that!”
44. Napoleonic? IN EXILE
Napoleon was sent into exile twice. A coalition of European powers sent him to the island of Elba in Tuscany in 1814, only for him to escape after a year and return to power. After Wellington defeated him at Waterloo, Napoleon was dispatched to the British-owned island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic, where he spent the last six years of his life.
48. Cribbage pieces PEGS
Cribbage is a great card game that originated in 17th-century England, a creation of the poet Sir John Suckling. One of the unique features of the game is that a cribbage board with pegs is used to keep score. Here in the US, cribbage is very much associated with the submarine service, as it is a favorite game of submariners of all ranks.
51. Japan’s answer to Rodeo Drive GINZA
Ginza is a district in Tokyo that is noted for its western shops, especially the leading fashion stores.
There’s a three-block stretch of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California that is known for expensive shopping, mainly in designer clothes stores.
53. Places to see presses GYMS
Our word “gymnasium” comes from the Greek “gymnasion” meaning “public place where exercise is taken”. The Greek term comes from “gymnos” meaning “naked”, as that physical training was usually done unclothed.
54. Academic MOOT
“To moot” is to bring up as a subject for discussion or debate. So, something that is moot is open to debate. Something that is no longer moot, is no longer worth debating. We don’t seem to be able get that right …
55. “Fantasia” hippo’s garb TUTU
The word “tutu”, used for a ballet dancer’s skirt, is actually a somewhat “naughty” term. It came into English from French in the early 20th century. The French “tutu” is an alteration of the word “cucu”, a childish word meaning “bottom,” or “backside”.
“Fantasia” was Disney’s third feature length movie, released in 1940. The film had a disappointing critical reception and pushed the Disney company into financial difficulties. RKO took over the film’s distribution in 1946. The folks at RKO cut a full hour off the running time and relaunched the movie into a successful run. If you haven’t seen “Fantasia”, I urge you to do so. It’s a real delight …
57. Certain collegian SOPH
The term “sophomore” has been used for a student in the second year of university since the 1680’s. The original meaning of the word was “arguer”. The term has Greek roots, from two Greek words that have been artificially combined in English. The Greek “sophos” means “wise”, and “moros” means “foolish”.
58. Athenian walkway STOA
A stoa was a covered walkway in Ancient Greece. A stoa usually consisted of columns lining the side of a building or buildings, with another row of columns defining the other side of the walkway. The columns supported a roof. Often stoae would surround marketplaces in large cities.
62. Otto __ Bismarck VON
Germany first became a country of her own in 1871 when the Princes of the various independent German states met at Versailles outside Paris to proclaim Wilhelm of Prussia as the Emperor of the German Empire. The man behind this historic development was Wilhelm’s Ministerpräsident, Otto von Bismarck. Von Bismarck was a powerful figure in Prussia and indeed on the world stage, earning him the nickname of the “Iron Chancellor”.
63. Mercury is on its co. logo FTD
Back in 1910, fifteen florists from around America agreed to fulfill each other’s orders using the telegraph system, setting up what they called the Florists’ Telegraph Delivery. The concept grew so large that in 1965 the group started to offer international service, and changed its name to Florists’ Transworld Delivery (FTD).
Mercury was a Roman god called “the messenger”, and the god of trade. Mercury’s name comes from the Latin word “merx” meaning merchandise (and therefore has the same roots as “merchant” and “commerce”).
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Sprinkled stuff TALC
5. Ottoman honorific AGHA
9. Carried TOTED
14. Star often gazed at IDOL
15. Golf inconvenience RAIN SHOWER
17. Financially distressed royal residence? PALACE IN THE HOLE (from “ace in the hole”)
19. Things kept for oneself STASH
20. Elite group A-TEAM
21. New Delhi-to-Mumbai dir. SSW
22. “Downton Abbey” assent YES, SIR
24. Wit WAG
26. “The Golden Arm” of the Baltimore Colts UNITAS
30. Reach uncertainly GROPE
34. Pious antelope? IMPALA BELIEVER (from “I’m a Believer”)
37. Geisha circler OBI
38. Sister of Melpomene ERATO
39. Ho’s accompaniment UKE
40. Clairvoyant magazine staff? PALMISTS OF TIME (from “mists of time”)
45. Introduction PROEM
46. Submitted SENT IN
47. Dance genre TAP
49. Annual delivery vehicle? SLEIGH
53. Setting in Eng. GMT
56. First name in Western crime JESSE
60. Like George H. W. Bush EX-CIA
61. Carole King song title … or a hint to 17-, 34- and 40-Across YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND
64. Rallying, e.g. MOTOR SPORT
65. Singing daughter of Judy and Vincente LIZA
66. Bombed STUNK
67. Expression of appreciation HAND
68. “L’__, c’est moi”: Louis XIV ETAT
Down
1. Lit TIPSY
2. “… __ which will live in infamy”: FDR A DATE
3. Falana and Glaudini LOLAS
4. Infuse with elegance CLASS UP
5. Exist ARE
6. Greek primordial deity GAIA
7. Subtlety HINT
8. Startup money? ANTE
9. Annually celebrated group THE MAGI
10. “How wonderful!” OOH!
11. Dancers, often TWOS
12. Sushi kitchen supply EELS
13. Gained (from) DREW
16. “I often quote myself. It adds spice to my conversation” speaker SHAW
18. Where gunpowder was invented CHINA
23. Irks RILES
25. Univ. student’s ordeal GRE
27. Wonderland trial evidence TARTS
28. Demean ABASE
29. __ Hall SETON
31. Cell with potential OVUM
32. Chinese toy PEKE
33. Poet’s “previously” ERE
34. Construction support I-BAR
35. Close follower of Venus? MILO
36. Some apartments LOFTS
37. On the facing pg. OPP
41. Citi Field player MET
42. “D’oh!” I’M A JERK!
43. Interior construction specialist TILER
44. Napoleonic? IN EXILE
48. Cribbage pieces PEGS
50. Clinch the game, in slang ICE IT
51. Japan’s answer to Rodeo Drive GINZA
52. Attacked HAD AT
53. Places to see presses GYMS
54. Academic MOOT
55. “Fantasia” hippo’s garb TUTU
57. Certain collegian SOPH
58. Athenian walkway STOA
59. Get through work EARN
62. Otto __ Bismarck VON
63. Mercury is on its co. logo FTD
3 letters off in a much better time for me on Fridays than lately. I know not of LIZA, which was responsible for most of it, so one of the more encouraging efforts of the moment.
I just spent too much time getting traction on this one. Once I finally got the theme, the puzzle wasn't too bad, but I probably spent 3/4of my time on the first 1/4 of the puzzle. Still needed a little help so technically DNF.
Always thought it was "a day" rather than A DATE, but the latter makes more sense.
@Vidwan
I had never heard of such a thing as Chinese magic mirrors, and even after reading about it, I still had a hard time wrapping my head around it. I'd love to see one in person; I'd probably understand it better then. It's easy to get turned around in circles with concave and convex lenses and mirrors. Convex lenses cause light to meet or converge. Convex mirrors cause light to spread apart or diverge. These seem to work via convex mirrors (FWIW concave lenses and mirrors have the opposite effect of convex lenses/mirrors). They then somehow etched tiny imperfections into the surface of the mirror that somehow matched the design on the flat rear surface?? That in itself was quite a feat.
There's a paper attached to your link that I might look at when I have time. I do these things by trying to folow the path of a single ray of light and try to see where it goes. I just can't see how this could work but it obviously does. Why do I feel that tequila might help with this one??
I have a very difficult time letting go of such things until I "get" them so this could take some idle weekend time away from me….I think I have some sort of undiagnosed disorder about this sort of "puzzle"
@Willie
Big Blues win but San Jose looks like the best team in the playoffs. Getting past them will not be easy.
Best –
@Carrie
I never have seen a bagel with my own eyes, much less eat one. Pictures, cites, references, sure. As with many of the cites in these crosswords, I figure it's a distinct cultural thing confined to small areas of the country. If I went out searching hard, I could probably find one, but it definitely wouldn't be worth the time.
The award for the most unimaginative, uninspired, characterless, flat, uninteresting, lackluster, dull, drab, boring, dry, humdrum, ho-hum, monochrome, tedious, run-of-the-mill, commonplace, pedestrian, trite, tired, hackneyed, stale, lame, wishy-washy, colorless, anemic, lifeless and insipid "CLUE OF THE YEAR" goes to Jeffrey Wechsler for…..
11D "Dancers, often…………………..TWOS!
While it sounded to me like something Shaq would say it turned out to be George Bernard Shaw for 16 Down and that let to my one letter DNF…Doh!
And the WSJ grid got me with the NE corner. Just could not figure out 10 Across and that made me miss on 13 Down, 16 and 19 Across. Double Doh! My bragging days are way behind me!
See you all tomorrow. I aim to get even…Have a good Friday all.
I got hung up on PEKE/UKE (kept think "ho's" counterpart was "hum"). But a solid Friday grid. Slower than I wanted but acceptable.
Pookie just won "comment of the week" with that one. The outright derision and mockery warms my heart. 🙂 And since I have the next two weeks to myself, I shall go over to the local sports bar, catch a baseball game, and have some wings and a beer. Or TWO!
i had a tough time with the puzzle, but I cannot critisize the constructor – thats what Fridays are for, for obscure clues. I googled often and finally completed it, but there is no joy in Muddsville.
Jeff, I thought you might get a kick out of the chinese magic mirror thing. I'd love to own one, just to impress my friends. Based on the opinion of experts, the rear ( reverse face) face image is projected on a wall THROUGH the shiny concave mirror surface, because somehow a nanometer depth of the rear face image is somehow gets etched into the shiny mirror surface,= not at all visible to the naked eye … and it is this that is projected ona screen.
It took over a hundred years, in 1932, after the evolution of the theory of optics, ( by Newton and others – ) for scientists to somehow explain this phenomena, in the figure of DR. William Bragg, the father of Bragg&Bragg ( father and son Nobel Prize winners 1915 -)of the Xray Crystallography fame.
So it is obviously something, that a layman would have a tough time understanding. How the Han dynasty concieved thus in 200 BCE is a phenomena in itself.
Have a good night, and a good weekend all.
Well, it took forever (mumble mumble 2 hrs) but I finished without an error so I can go into Saturday with a clean slate this week. I thought it was ADAY as well, but that didn't fit. I had a lot of trouble with the midwest and northeast, but they finally fell into place after some experimentation.
@Jeff and Willie We're actually a little worried about the Blues but the Sharks generally do better on the road, at least during the season. See you on the ice on Sunday, while I enjoy our (tied for) 1st place Giants and reunited (with Curry) Warriors. Also tomorrow my 1 FC Koeln take on BVB Dortmund to end the Bundesliga season.
-Dirk
@Tony–LOL! I'll take Shaq over SHAW any day, so I say you finished this one…
I DNF but only missed by a few letters, optimistically speaking. Had to cheat for UKE. Then, once I came here I realized I had another coupla errors: I had ATTA ("father" in Turkish I think) instead of AGHA.
OMG yes, that dancers thing was reedikulous!! Maybe I'll print out a blank copy of this puzzle, fill in EVERY square to spell out TWOS, and mail it to Wechsler. TWOSTWOSTWOSTWOS… How do you like me NOW, Mr. Wechsler???!!
Anyhow…Dirk, looks like you're in better shape than I, heading into Saturday…
Sweet dreams OH THAT REMINDS ME!! Didn't James Taylor write "You've Got A Friend?" Must Google…
Sweet dreams~~™