Constructed by: Alan Olschwang
Edited by: Rich Norris
Quicklink to a complete list of today’s clues and answers
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Theme: Quip Day
Today’s puzzle features a QUIP:
- 20A. Start of a quip : IT WON’T MATTER …
- 29A. Quip, part 2 : … HOW FAR YOU ...
- 38A. Quip, part 3 : … PUSH THE ENVELOPE, …
- 45A. Quip, part 4 : … IT’LL STILL …
- 53A. End of the quip : … BE STATIONERY
Bill’s time: 9m 24s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Did one part of a typical triathlon : SWAM
An Ironman Triathlon is a race involving a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a marathon run of just over 26 miles. The idea for the race came out of a debate between some runners in the 1977 Oahu Perimeter Relay. They were questioning whether runners, swimmers or bikers were the most fit athletes. The debaters decided to combine three local events to determine the answer, inviting athletes from all three disciplines. The events that were mimicked to come up with the first triathlon were the Waikiki Roughwater swim (2.4 miles), the Around-Oahu Bike Race (115 miles) and the Honolulu Marathon (26.2 miles). The idea was that whoever finished first would be called “the Iron Man”. The first triathlon was run in 1978, with fifteen starters and only twelve finishers. The race format is used all over the world now, but the Hawaiian Ironman is the event that everyone wants to win.
10. Camera output : SNAP
The term “snap-shot”, meaning “photograph”, dates back at least to 1894.
14. Tuscan waterway : ARNO
The Arno is the principal river in the Tuscany region of Italy, passing through the cities of Florence and Pisa. Famously the Arno flooded in 1966, the worst flood in the region for centuries. There were numerous deaths and extensive destruction of priceless art treasures, particularly in Florence.
16. 1899 gold rush town : NOME
The Nome Gold Rush of 1899-1909 was remarkable in the ease that the precious metal could be gathered. Many prospectors were finding gold lying in beach sand and were making their fortunes without even having to make a claim.
17. It’s nothing to Noelle : RIEN
The word “nothing” translates to “nada” in Spanish and “rien” in French.
27. “Chicago P.D.” detective Lindsay : ERIN
The police drama “Chicago P.D.” premiered in 2014 as a spin-off from the show “Chicago Fire”.
36. Durango day : DIA
Durango is one of the 31 states of Mexico. Durango is landlocked, and is located in the northwest of the country.
37. Rotation meas. : RPS
Revolutions per second (rps)
42. Pranks, in a way, informally : TPS
TP’ing (toilet papering) is a prank involving the covering of some object or location with rolls and rolls of toilet paper. If you live in Texas or Minnesota, that little “prank” is legal, but if you live here in California it is classed as mischief or vandalism.
43. Browser’s find : URL
Internet addresses (like NYTCrossword.com and LAXCrossword.com) are more correctly called Uniform Resource Locators (URLs).
51. Swiss waterway : AARE
The Aar (also called the “Aare” in German) is the longest river entirely in Switzerland.
60. Hook for landing large fish : GAFF
A gaff is that dangerous-looking metal hook on the end of a pole that fishermen use to drag large fish into their boats.
63. Wines named for an Iberian city : PORTS
The city of Oporto in Portugal gave its name to port wine in the late 1600s, as it was the seaport through which most of the region’s fortified red wine was exported.
The Iberian Peninsula in Europe is largely made up of Spain and Portugal. However, also included is the Principality of Andorra in the Pyrenees, a small part of the south of France, and the British Territory of Gibraltar. Iberia takes its name from the Ebro, the longest river in Spain, which the Romans named the “Iber”.
65. Plot measure : ACRE
At one time, an acre was defined as the amount of land a yoke of oxen could plow in a day. This was more precisely defined as a strip of land “one furrow long” (i.e. one furlong) and one furlong wide. The length of one furlong was equal to 10 chains, or 40 rods. A area of one furlong times 10 rods was one rood.
66. Mexican Academy of Film award : ARIEL
The Ariel is the Mexican Academy of Film Award, set up in 1947. It is considered Mexico’s equivalent to the Oscar. The name “Ariel” is a nod to “Ariel”, an influential essay by Uruguayan author José Enrique Rodó published in 1900.
67. McCain’s alma mater: Abbr. : USNA
John McCain went into the US Naval Academy in 1958, following a family tradition as his father and grandfather were both four-star admirals. The younger McCain did not achieve the same rank, retiring from the Navy as a captain in 1981, but his career development was interrupted by almost six years spent as a prisoner of war (POW) in North Vietnam. John McCain has been a US Senator from Arizona since 1987.
68. Casino device : SHOE
These days, a dealer in a casino usually deals cards from a shoe. The shoe has only been around since 1961 when it was invented by magician John Scarne. The dealing device is so called because early versions resembled a woman’s high-heel shoe.
Down
1. Asian garment : SARI
The item of clothing called a “sari” (also “saree”) is a strip of cloth, as one might imagine, unusual perhaps in that is unstitched along the whole of its length. The strip of cloth can range from four to nine meters long (that’s a lot of material!). The sari is usually wrapped around the waist, then draped over the shoulder leaving the midriff bare. I must say, it can be a beautiful item of clothing.
2. Legal paper : WRIT
A writ is an order issued by some formal body (these days, usually a court) with the order being in written form. Warrants and subpoenas are examples of writs.
4. Yosemite’s El Capitan, e.g. : MONOLITH
El Capitan is a stunning vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park in California. The top of El Capitan has been used as the take-off point for many BASE jumps, parachute jumps made by diving off the top of the rock face. The National Park Service put a stop to the practise in 1999. Soon after, a BASE jumper made an illegal jump to protest the ban. She died …
10. Common nocturnal disturbance : SNORER
My wife solved this clue instantly, while giving me a dirty look …
12. Te-__: cigar brand : AMO
The Te-Amo brand of cigars have been made in the San Andres Valley in the state of Veracruz, Mexico since 1963.
13. __ stirpes: estate law term : PER
Legally speaking, one can leave one’s estate to one’s children (say) “per stirpes” or “per capita”. My basic understanding of these arrangements is that “per stirpes” directs that the shares go to named beneficiaries, or to a named beneficiary’s heir should that beneficiary not survive the benefactor. In the “per capita” arrangement, the estate is divided between the only those named beneficiaries who survive the benefactor, with no shares going to a beneficiary’s heirs. “Per stirpes” translates from Latin as “by branch”, and “per capita” translates as “by heads”.
21. Good-sized combo : NONET
A nonet is a piece of music requiring nine musicians for a performance. The term is also used for the group itself.
22. First name in childcare writing : EDA
Eda LeShan wrote several nonfiction books including “When Your Child Drives You Crazy” and “The Conspiracy Against Childhood”. LeShan was also host of the PBS television show “How Do Your Children Grow?”
28. Brawl in the sticks : RASSLE
“Rassle” is a slang word for “wrestle”.
30. Former “Access Hollywood” anchor Nancy : O’DELL
Nancy O’Dell has been the co-anchor of the TV show “Entertainment Tonight” since 2011, replacing Mary Hart. Nancy O’Dell was the woman to whom Donald Trump referred in the infamous recorded conversation with Billy Bush from 2005.
34. Eye opener? : OPTI-
The linguistic root “-opti-” appears in words such as optical, autopsy and myopia. “-opti-” comes from the Greek for “light, sight”.
39. NW Penn. airport : ERI
Erie International Airport (ERI) is located five miles from the city of Erie, Pennsylvania.
40. Ecuadoran gold region : EL ORO
El Oro is a coastal province in the south of Ecuador. El Oro (meaning “The Gold”) takes its name from the gold production industry. The province is also one of the biggest banana exporters in the world.
47. Abbr. in some Canadian place names : STE
“Sainte” (ste.) is French for “saint”, when referring to a female.
48. LDS part : LATTER
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often abbreviated to “LDS”, is known colloquially as the Mormon Church.
55. Ambivalent : TORN
The prefix “ambi-” that we use to mean “both” is a Latin word that actually means “around” or “round about”. “Ambivalence” was originally just a psychological term, describing “serious conflicting feelings”. Later it came to mean uncertainty about which course to follow.
58. Ancient character : RUNE
A rune is a character in an alphabet that is believed to have mysterious powers. In Norse mythology, the runic alphabet was said to have a divine origin.
59. Sentence component : YEAR
That would be a jail sentence.
61. German gripe : ACH!
The German exclamation “ach!” is usually translated into English as “oh!”
Complete List of Clues and Answers
Across
1. Did one part of a typical triathlon : SWAM
5. Overwhelm : SWAMP
10. Camera output : SNAP
14. Tuscan waterway : ARNO
15. Smoothes : EASES
16. 1899 gold rush town : NOME
17. It’s nothing to Noelle : RIEN
18. Pines, e.g. : TREES
19. Wavy lines, in comics : ODOR
20. Start of a quip : IT WON’T MATTER …
23. Stuff in a sack : LOOT
24. Dough shortage consequence : DEBT
27. “Chicago P.D.” detective Lindsay : ERIN
29. Quip, part 2 : … HOW FAR YOU …
34. Speaks : ORATES
36. Durango day : DIA
37. Rotation meas. : RPS
38. Quip, part 3 : .. PUSH THE ENVELOPE, …
42. Pranks, in a way, informally : TPS
43. Browser’s find : URL
44. Privileged groups : ELITES
45. Quip, part 4 : … IT’LL STILL …
49. Wrapped up : OVER
50. See 52-Down : SEAT
51. Swiss waterway : AARE
53. End of the quip : … BE STATIONERY
60. Hook for landing large fish : GAFF
63. Wines named for an Iberian city : PORTS
64. Pivot around : SLUE
65. Plot measure : ACRE
66. Mexican Academy of Film award : ARIEL
67. McCain’s alma mater: Abbr. : USNA
68. Casino device : SHOE
69. Spider’s web, e.g. : SNARE
70. Jury member : PEER
Down
1. Asian garment : SARI
2. Legal paper : WRIT
3. Once more : ANEW
4. Yosemite’s El Capitan, e.g. : MONOLITH
5. Scrape : SET-TO
6. Affection : WARMTH
7. Europe-bound, perhaps : ASEA
8. Athletic contest : MEET
9. “Hey, you!” : PSST!
10. Common nocturnal disturbance : SNORER
11. Wordless opinion : NOD
12. Te-__: cigar brand : AMO
13. __ stirpes: estate law term : PER
21. Good-sized combo : NONET
22. First name in childcare writing : EDA
25. How many learn : BY ROTE
26. High hat : TOPPER
27. Rages : ERUPTS
28. Brawl in the sticks : RASSLE
30. Former “Access Hollywood” anchor Nancy : O’DELL
31. When repeated, mutually advantageous : WIN
32. Most liked, casually : FAVE
33. Versatility list : USES
34. Eye opener? : OPTI-
35. Close : SHUT
39. NW Penn. airport : ERI
40. Ecuadoran gold region : EL ORO
41. Cheers : LIVENS UP
46. Tuition add-on : LAB FEE
47. Abbr. in some Canadian place names : STE
48. LDS part : LATTER
52. With 50-Across, flier’s option : AISLE
54. Therapeutic resorts : SPAS
55. Ambivalent : TORN
56. One of a tenor’s repertoire : ARIA
57. Word suggesting options : ELSE
58. Ancient character : RUNE
59. Sentence component : YEAR
60. Yakking : GAS
61. German gripe : ACH!
62. One way to sway : FRO
16:22, no errors, iPad. Cute quip.
@Carrie … I think you must have done yesterday what I sometimes do: misread a “5” as a “6” or vice-versa. (Sometimes it’s because my paper contains a somewhat fuzzy version of a puzzle.) The clue for 65A was “Get by the sentry” (SNEAK IN) and the clue for 66A was “Looked inside, in a way” (X-RAYED).
Tough for me, but I was rushing through it. I’ll assume I would have finished unaided if not pressured for time. It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not, I’ll assume it anyway. I needed a couple of Googles to help get some traction. Once I got the quip, the grid filled in easily.
I had RPm rather than RPS for 37A. I figured an “UmE” must be a zen thing….Duh.
For 10A I read SNAP as the noise a camera makes and therefore that noise is the output. I guess it works either way.
Overall a cleverly done puzzle. I remember Alan Olschwang from some very tough NYT puzzles. A lot of unusual letter combos in this grid – e.g. NTM (it won’t matter), RMTH (Warmth), TLLST (it’ll still), SHTH (push the…). I think that got me turned around a few times.
Carrie – From yesterday….What Dave said….
Best –
Hi all! Anyway, one week out from “the holiday season”, with the usual challenges and then some (sadly). Always answers that need to be had I suppose – at least the crossword puzzles always are easier than those, because at least I’m finding the answers to those.
Then there’s always those frustrations of life, like losing a lot of work with a file mishap I had. Luckily I had a prior draft of the biggest work and a final print to compare against, so hopefully too much work wasn’t lost there. Saddest is probably the detailed notes I took for a few books I borrowed that I’m going to have to track down and replace again. But there’s a lot of saved work (old LAT puz files & good Amazon reviews) that got lost. Hopefully the rest can be downloaded. Anyhow, hopefully too much won’t be lost in the end.
Then with the crosswords, at least they’re mostly moving from “frustrating” to “challenging”, save the completely illogical of course. I don’t know if they’re easier or I’m getting better, but I managed Fri/Sat in NYT last week with < 10 letters off. DNFed the Sunday one completely, so always room I suppose.
Anyhow, I definitely do miss getting to be on here for the daily banter and all. Hopefully, if there is offense in writing about this stuff, there isn't too much for it, and hopefully people will have a good week next week as certain activities commence.
I had a tough time, and I cant even think of any jokes to downgrade my utter failure. Another Friday lost. I’m sure, Mr. O constructed a very well thought out puzzle, but I was completely floored. I have much to learn – but my mind is now a tabula rasa – a blank slate.
I liked the quip once I found out the answer. Very punny. The last quip, in a crossword puzzle, at the LA Times. , that I remember was,’ A secret between three men is a secret if two of them are dead’. I’ll never forget that one.
Thank you Bill, for all your explanations. on Per Stirpes and Per Capita, I don’t know whether my will specifies one or the other ….. reminds me …. I don’t even know where my wills are kept. Time to make another half dozen wills ( so that someone will atleast find one _ ) and also a half dozen for my wife, and also something if we both die at the same time – like an airline crash etc. Or, maybe, just let my heirs fight over it to the bitter end …..
I always knew crosswords remind you – in some small way – about the more important things that you have to do in life, but always keep forgetting – or postponing ……
On that pleasant note, have a happy day, and rest of the weekend, all.
Like Jeff I was a DNF due to “RPM” rather than “RPS” and I also looked at “Umes” and thought, “What?” but didn’t fix it. Double D’oh!
Have a nice gateway to the weekend all. See you tomorrow.
Hand up for RPm also. Stared at UMES also and decided it was wrong, but didn’t change to USES ’cause I never heard of RPS.
I don’t get 60D Yakking : GAS.
If it means full of hot air or a gas bag, it would be quite a stretch, if you ask me.
I erased a lot on this.
STATIONERY and ENVELOPE slowly appeared, so I thought 20A would be LETTER instead of MATTER.
Oh well, one wrong letter.
I did better than I thought I would.
Agree with Jeff on “SNAP”
I won’t even begin with my disagreements
with the defs used in today’s mess. Suffice it to say that our English language – already under siege in popular media – took yet another hit of inanity. Will you editors EVER learn to promote quality over the need to make a “clever quip” fit into your grid??
Gad!! One wrong letter, and sure enough it was that stupid “M!!” We should form a club: I even have the acronym! SWABU-IAT = Solvers Who Actually Believe UMES Is A Thing. Who’s with me??!!
Tough puzzle, but a good one, except the UMES mishap. And the resulting quip is cute!! Must re-use.
Hey Glenn, you seem to be alluding to the challenges that the holidays bring. I’m with you there! My family’s not around; usually friends are out of town; it’s rather depressing for me. I’d high tail it OUT OF LA myself except I have my Airbnbs to attend to. I’ve thought of hiring a proxy to cover my business but really can’t afford it. Sorry about your lost work….bummer!! I hope things get sorted out! ?
Meanwhile, Saturday!
Be well~~™???