0430-19 NY Times Crossword 30 Apr 19, Tuesday

Constructed by: Erik Agard
Edited by: Will Shortz

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Today’s Reveal Answer(s): Group Shots

Themed answers each comprise two words, both of which are types of SHOT:

• 38A With 28-Down, multisubject photos … or a hint to the answers to the four starred clues : GROUP …
• 28D See 38-Across : … SHOTS

• 17A *Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band with the hits “The Flame” and “I Want You to Want Me” : CHEAP TRICK (giving “cheap shot” & “trick shot”)
• 58A *Actor’s stand-in : BODY DOUBLE (giving “body shot” & “double shot”)
• 4D *Relative of a facepalm : HEAD SLAP (giving “headshot” & “slap shot”)
• 39D *Track-and-field event : LONG JUMP (giving “long shot” & “jump shot”)

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Bill’s time: 7m 36s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Luau greeting : ALOHA

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.

6 Feudal worker : SERF

A serf was a member of the lowest feudal class, someone attached to land owned by a lord. “Serf” comes from the Latin “servus”, meaning “slave”.

10 City choker : SMOG

“Smog” is a portmanteau formed by melding “smoke” and “fog”. The term was first used to describe the air around London in the early 1900s. Several cities around the world have a reputation of being particularly smoggy. For example, the most smog-plagued city in Latin America is Mexico City, which is located in a highland “bowl” that traps industrial and vehicle pollution.

17 *Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band with the hits “The Flame” and “I Want You to Want Me” : CHEAP TRICK (giving “cheap shot” & “trick shot”)

Cheap Trick is a rock band from Illinois that was formed in 1973. Such is the band’s popularity that the Illinois Senate in 2007 declared that April 1 every year would be Cheap Trick Day.

19 Caustic solutions : LYES

What we call “lye” is usually sodium hydroxide, although historically the term was used for potassium hydroxide. Lye has many uses, including to cure several foodstuffs. Lye can make olives less bitter, for example. The chemical is also found in canned mandarin oranges, pretzels and Japanese ramen noodles. More concentrated grades of lye are used to clear drains and clean ovens. Scary …

20 South African money : RAND

The rand is the currency of South Africa. Much of South Africa’s famed gold comes from mines around Johannesburg in the Witwatersrand (Afrikaans for “the ridge of white waters”). The rand currency takes its name from this ridge.

21 Actress Witherspoon : REESE

“Reese” is not actually actress Witherspoon’s given name. She started out life as Laura Jeanne Witherspoon. “Reese” is her mother’s maiden name.

22 “___ No Sunshine” (1971 hit for Bill Withers) : AIN’T

Bill Withers was working as an assembly operator while he was trying to make a name for himself in the music industry. Even as he found success with his glorious 1971 single “Ain’t No Sunshine”, he held onto his day job, worried that the music industry was unpredictable.

25 Hockey puck, e.g. : DISC

Before wooden and rubber pucks were introduced in the late 1800s, ice hockey was played with balls. The first rubber pucks were made by cutting down rubber balls into the shape of discs.

28 Spicy Chinese cuisine : SZECHUAN

Sichuan (also “Szechuan”) is a province in southwest China. Sichuan is noted for its cuisine, which is hot and spicy as it uses plenty of garlic, chili peppers and the Sichuan peppercorn. A famous Szechuan dish in the US is Kung Pao chicken or shrimp.

36 “Eww, you’ve said quite enough!” : TMI

Too much information! (TMI!)

37 Lone Star State sch. : UTEP

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) was founded in 1914 as the Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy. To this day, there is a mine shaft on the campus. The mascot of the school’s sports teams is Paydirt Pete, a prospector from the mining industry. The teams are also known as the UTEP Miners and Lady Miners.

The single star on the state flag of Texas is a reminder of the “lone star” on the 1836 National Standard of Texas. The single gold star on a blue background symbolized Texas as an independent republic and its struggle for independence from Mexico.

42 “Willy ___ & the Chocolate Factory” : WONKA

Willy Wonka is the lead character in the 1964 novel by Roald Dahl called “Charlie & the Chocolate Factory”. Willy Wonka has been portrayed on the big screen twice. Gene Wilder was a fabulous Wonka in the 1971 version titled “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory”, and Johnny Depp played him in the Tim Burton movie from 2005 called “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”. I’m not too fond of Tim Burton movies, so I haven’t seen that one …

47 Rainbow mnemonic : ROY G BIV

“Roy G. Biv” can be used as a mnemonic for the colors in a rainbow:

• Red
• Orange
• Yellow
• Green
• Blue
• Indigo
• Violet

56 Patron saint of lost causes : JUDE

Saint Jude was one of the twelve apostles, and one who went by the name Thaddeus. In the Roman Catholic tradition, Jude is the patron saint of lost causes and desperate cases.

57 “Othello” villain : IAGO

Iago is the schemer in Shakespeare’s “Othello”. He is a soldier who fought alongside Othello and feels hard done by, missing out on promotion. Iago hatches a plot designed to discredit his rival Cassio by insinuating that Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona, Othello’s wife.

61 A panda, for the World Wildlife Fund : LOGO

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) was founded in 1961. It’s mission is …

… to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.

62 “Raw” or “burnt” hue : UMBER

Umber is an earthy, brown shade. The word “umber” originally described a pigment made from earth found in Umbria, the region in central Italy. In its natural form, the pigment is referred to as “raw umber”. The heated form of the pigment has a more intense color and is known as “burnt umber”.

63 “America the Beautiful” pronoun : THEE

When she was 33 years old, Katharine Lee Bates took a train ride from Massachusetts to Colorado Springs. She was so inspired by many of the beautiful sights she saw on her journey that she wrote a poem she called “Pikes Peak”. Upon publication the poem became quite a hit, and several musical works were adapted to the words of the poem, the most popular being a hymn tune composed by Samuel Ward. Bates’s poem and Ward’s tune were published together for the first time in 1910, and given the title “America the Beautiful”.

65 Tablets with Retina display : IPADS

“Retina Display” is a brand name used by Apple for screens that have a high enough pixel density so that individual pixels are not visible to the naked eye at normal viewing distance.

Down

1 Ghana’s capital : ACCRA

Accra sits on Ghana’s coast and is a major seaport as well as the country’s capital city. The name “Accra” comes from a local word “Nkran” meaning “ants”, a name chosen because of the large number of anthills found in the area when the city was founded.

2 Lindsay of “Mean Girls” : LOHAN

I think that actress Lindsay Lohan’s big break came with the Disney remake of “The Parent Trap” in 1998. I’ve really only enjoyed one of Lohan’s films though, “Freaky Friday” from 2003 in which she stars alongside the fabulous Jamie Lee Curtis.

“Mean Girls” is a teen comedy movie released in 2004 starring Lindsay Lohan. Tina Fey also puts in an appearance, which really isn’t surprising as Fey wrote the screenplay.

5 Egyptian cobra : ASP

The venomous snake called an asp was a symbol of royalty in Ancient Egypt.

6 Ambulance sound : SIREN

Our word “ambulance” originated in the French term “hôpital ambulant” meaning “field hospital” (literally “walking hospital”). In the 1850s, the term started to be used for a vehicle transporting the wounded from the battlefield, leading to our “ambulance”.

7 Falco of TV and film : EDIE

Actress Edie Falco won three Emmy Awards for playing Carmela Soprano on HBO’s outstanding drama series called “The Sopranos”. Falco also won an Emmy in 2010 for playing the title role in “Nurse Jackie”, an excellent black comedy.

8 Letters accompanying college applications, for short : RECS

Recommendation (rec.)

18 Setting for the “Iliad” : TROY

The ancient city of Troy was located on the west coast of modern-day Turkey. The Trojan War of Greek mythology was precipitated by the elopement of Helen, the wife of the king of Sparta, with Paris of Troy. The war itself largely consisted of a nine-year siege of Troy by the Greeks. We know most about the final year of that siege, as it is described extensively in Homer’s “Iliad”. The city eventually fell when the Greeks hid soldiers inside the Trojan Horse, which the Trojans brought inside the city’s walls. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts …

29 Greek counterpart of Jupiter : ZEUS

Jupiter, also known as Jove, was the king of the gods in the Roman tradition, as well as the god of sky and thunder. Jupiter was the Roman equivalent to the Greek god Zeus.

30 With frenzy : AMOK

The phrase “to run amok” (sometimes “to run amuck”) has been around since the 1670s and is derived from the Malay word for “attacking furiously”, “amuk”. The word “amok” was also used as a noun to describe Malay natives who were “frenzied”. Given Malaya’s troubled history, the natives probably had good reason for that frenzy …

31 With 44-Down, jazz great who sang “I Put a Spell on You” : NINA … (44 See 31-Down : … SIMONE)

“Nina Simone” was the stage name of Eunice Waymon. Simone was very much associated with jazz music, although she really wanted to be a classical musician early in her career. She was inspired by a love for the music of Bach.

“I Put a Spell on You” is a song written and recorded by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins that was released in 1956. Nina Simone recorded a popular cover version that was released in 1965, and re-released in 1969. Another cover version of the song was released in 2010 by Shane MacGowan and Friends, a record that was sold to help Concern Worldwide’s work in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake that killed so many. Included in the list of “friends” was Johnny Depp, playing the guitar.

32 Green chip dip, informally : GUAC

Guacamole is one of my favorite dishes. It is prepared by mashing avocados and perhaps adding the likes of tomato, onion and lime juice. The guacamole recipe dates back as early as the 16th century, to the time of the Aztecs. “Guacamole” translates as “avocado sauce”.

41 Sine ___ non : QUA

“Sine qua non” is a Latin phrase that we use to mean “the essential element or condition”. The literal translation is “without which not”. One might say, for example, “a challenging crossword is the sine qua non of a good newspaper”. Well, crossword fans might say that …

47 Synthetic fabric that feels like silk : RAYON

Rayon is a little unusual in the textile industry in that it is not truly a synthetic fiber, but nor can it be called a natural fiber. Rayon is produced from naturally occurring cellulose that is dissolved and then reformed into fibers.

48 Two-time Masters champion Watson : BUBBA

Bubba Watson is a golfer on the PGA Tour from Bagdad, Florida. Watson is known as a big driver of the ball. He can hit a golf ball over 350 yards. Born Gerry Watson, he was nicknamed by his father in honor of football player Bubba Smith.

54 What an emoji might reveal : MOOD

An emoji is a character found on many cell phones that is much like an emoticon, but is more elaborate.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Luau greeting : ALOHA
6 Feudal worker : SERF
10 City choker : SMOG
14 Sights along lane closures : CONES
15 “The very ___!” : IDEA
16 Nickname for Dad : PAPI
17 *Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band with the hits “The Flame” and “I Want You to Want Me” : CHEAP TRICK (giving “cheap shot” & “trick shot”)
19 Caustic solutions : LYES
20 South African money : RAND
21 Actress Witherspoon : REESE
22 “___ No Sunshine” (1971 hit for Bill Withers) : AIN’T
23 Et cetera : AND SO ON
25 Hockey puck, e.g. : DISC
27 Install, as carpet : LAY
28 Spicy Chinese cuisine : SZECHUAN
32 Intimated : GOT AT
35 Where chewing tobacco is placed : CHEEK
36 “Eww, you’ve said quite enough!” : TMI
37 Lone Star State sch. : UTEP
38 With 28-Down, multisubject photos … or a hint to the answers to the four starred clues : GROUP …
39 Den denizen : LION
40 Had a little lamb, say? : ATE
41 What to call it when it’s over : QUITS
42 “Willy ___ & the Chocolate Factory” : WONKA
43 Seeks the opinion of : CONSULTS
45 Adorer : FAN
46 Lab container : VIAL
47 Rainbow mnemonic : ROY G BIV
51 Weaver’s device : LOOM
53 “That is to say …” : I MEAN …
56 Patron saint of lost causes : JUDE
57 “Othello” villain : IAGO
58 *Actor’s stand-in : BODY DOUBLE (giving “body shot” & “double shot”)
60 Amaze : STUN
61 A panda, for the World Wildlife Fund : LOGO
62 “Raw” or “burnt” hue : UMBER
63 “America the Beautiful” pronoun : THEE
64 Bible garden : EDEN
65 Tablets with Retina display : IPADS

Down

1 Ghana’s capital : ACCRA
2 Lindsay of “Mean Girls” : LOHAN
3 Upright : ON END
4 *Relative of a facepalm : HEAD SLAP (giving “headshot” & “slap shot”)
5 Egyptian cobra : ASP
6 Ambulance sound : SIREN
7 Falco of TV and film : EDIE
8 Letters accompanying college applications, for short : RECS
9 Pretentious, in modern lingo : FAKE DEEP
10 Cannonball dive effect : SPLASH
11 Dance floor request : MAY I CUT IN?
12 Store window sign : OPEN
13 Basic point : GIST
18 Setting for the “Iliad” : TROY
24 Cereal morsel : OAT
26 “Gross!” : ICK!
28 See 38-Across : … SHOTS
29 Greek counterpart of Jupiter : ZEUS
30 With frenzy : AMOK
31 With 44-Down, jazz great who sang “I Put a Spell on You” : NINA …
32 Green chip dip, informally : GUAC
33 Palindromic boy’s name : OTTO
34 Youth-oriented Condé Nast publication : TEEN VOGUE
35 Reviews of books and such: Abbr. : CRIT
38 Fall-for-anything : GULLIBLE
39 *Track-and-field event : LONG JUMP (giving “long shot” & “jump shot”)
41 Sine ___ non : QUA
42 “Believe it,” as a retort : WAY
44 See 31-Down : … SIMONE
45 Enamored (of) : FOND
47 Synthetic fabric that feels like silk : RAYON
48 Two-time Masters champion Watson : BUBBA
49 Did a whole lot of nothing : IDLED
50 Swerves : VEERS
51 Lean, as a ship : LIST
52 Solemn vow : OATH
54 What an emoji might reveal : MOOD
55 Narrow advantage : EDGE
59 “Most assuredly, monsieur!” : OUI!

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