0324-22 NY Times Crossword 24 Mar 22, Thursday

Constructed by: Jess Shulman
Edited by: Will Shortz

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Today’s Reveal Answer: Raise the Bar

We have a rebus puzzle today, with the letters “BAR” appearing together in several squares. Themed answers are in the across-direction, and are kinds of BAR. The “BAR” in those answers has been RAISED into the row above:

• 58A Heighten expectations, say … or a hint to entering four answers in this puzzle : RAISE THE BAR

• 20A Place to order sake and sashimi : SUSHI BAR
• 34A Strip of computer shortcuts : TASK BAR
• 47A Where you might find very little liquor : MINIBAR
• 62A Shabby establishment : DIVE BAR

• 17A Sustainable water receptacles : RAIN BARRELS
• 28A Banned from trade or commerce : EMBARGOED
• 44A Get off : DISEMBARK
• 8D Traditional canoe material : BIRCHBARK
• 18D One with the grounds to serve you? : BARISTA
• 25D Like oxygen therapy chambers : HYPERBARIC
• 51D Club with dinner and a show : CABARET

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Bill’s time: 11m 24s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Big position for an M.B.A. : CFO

A chief financial officer (CFO) might have a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.

13 Language that gave us “pajamas” : URDU

Urdu is one of the two official languages of Pakistan (the other being English), and is one of the 22 scheduled languages in India. Urdu partly developed from Persian and is written from right to left.

Our word “pajamas” (sometimes “PJs” or “jammies”) comes to us from the Indian subcontinent, where “pai jamahs” were loose fitting pants tied at the waist and worn at night by locals and ultimately by the Europeans living there. And “pajamas” is another of those words that I had to learn to spell differently when I came to America. On the other side of the Atlantic, the spelling is “pyjamas”.

15 ___ Minor : URSA

Ursa Minor (Latin for “Smaller Bear”) sits right beside the constellation Draco (Latin for “Dragon”). Ursa Minor used to be considered the wing of Draco, and was once called “Dragon’s Wing”. The tail of the “Smaller Bear” might also be considered as the handle of a ladle, and so the constellation is often referred to as the Little Dipper.

16 Emcee’s warm-up : INTRO

The term “emcee” comes from “MC”, an initialism used for a Master or Mistress of Ceremonies.

19 Sports-star-turned-model Gabrielle : REECE

Gabrielle Reece is quite the athlete. She was on the team that won the first ever Beach Volleyball World Championship, in 1997. She is also a great golfer, and tried hard to make it onto the LPGA circuit.

20 Place to order sake and sashimi : SUSHI BAR

We refer to the Japanese alcoholic beverage made from rice as “sake”. We’ve gotten things a bit mixed up in the West. “Sake” is actually the word that the Japanese use for all alcoholic drinks. What we know as sake, we sometimes refer to as rice wine. Also, the starch in the rice is first converted to sugars that are then fermented into alcohol. This is more akin to a beer-brewing process than wine production, so the end product is really a rice “beer” rather than a rice “wine”.

Anyone going to a sushi restaurant can order all types of raw fish (known collectively as “sashimi”). However, eel is always served cooked, and that’s because the blood of eels contains a protein that cramps muscles if eaten. If the heart muscle “cramps”, the result can be death. The protein is easily rendered harmless by applying heat, i.e. by cooking.

21 Where values may be taught : MATH CLASS

Here’s another term that catches me out all the time, having done my schooling on the other side of the Atlantic. The term “mathematics” is shortened to “math” in the US, but to “maths” in Britain and Ireland.

23 Summer setting for Toronto: Abbr. : EDT

Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)

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).

24 Where the tibia is : SHIN

The tibia is the shinbone, and is the larger of the two bones right below the knee. It is the strongest weight-bearing bone in the human body. “Tibia” is the Roman name for a Greek flute and it is thought that the shinbone was given the same name because flutes were often fashioned out of the shinbones of animals.

27 “Mr. Roboto” band : STYX

Styx is a band that formed in Chicago in 1972. Their biggest hit was “Babe” from 1979, and “Mr. Roboto” from 1983.

“Mr. Roboto” is a song on the 1983 album “Kilroy Was Here” by the Chicago band Styx. The first lines of the song are:

Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto,
Mata ah-oo hima de
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto,
Himitsu wo shiri tai

which translates as:

Thank you very much, Mr. Robot
Until the day (we) meet again
Thank you very much, Mr. Robot
I want to know your secret

28 Banned from trade or commerce : EMBARGOED

“Embargo” and “blockade” are two similar yet different terms. An embargo is a legal prohibition of trade with a particular country, whilst a blockade is an act of war, a militarily enforced prevention of the movement of goods and services. The term “embargo” came into English from Spanish, in the late 16th century.

35 Brita competitor : PUR

Pur is a brand of water filters and related products that was sold to Procter & Gamble in 1999, and sold on again to Helen of Troy Limited.

37 Half of an old movie duo : EBERT

Roger Ebert co-hosted a succession of film review television programs for over 23 years, most famously with Gene Siskel until Siskel passed away in 1999. Siskel and Ebert famously gave their thumbs up or thumbs down to the movies they reviewed. Ebert himself died in 2013.

39 Machu Picchu locale : PERU

Machu Picchu is known as “The Lost City of the Incas”, and it can be visited on a mountain ridge in Peru, 50 miles northwest of the city of Cuzco in the southeast of the country. The name Machu Picchu means “old peak”. The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu originates about 50 miles from Cusco on the Urubamba River in Peru. It can take travelers about 5 days to trek the full length of the trail, passing through many Incan ruins before reaching the Sun Gate on Machu Picchu mountain. The trail was becoming greatly overused, forcing the Peruvian government to limit the number of people on the trail each day to 500. Book early …

41 Elvis Presley’s middle name : ARON

Elvis Aron Presley (aka “the King”) was the younger of two identical twins. His brother was stillborn, and delivered 35 minutes before Elvis. The brother was named Jesse Garon Presley. So, although born a twin, Elvis was raised as an only child.

42 Seasonal drink : EGGNOG

It’s not really clear where the term “nog” (as in “eggnog”) comes from although it might derive from the word “noggin”, which was originally a small wooden cup that was long associated with alcoholic drinks.

44 Get off : DISEMBARK

In getting on and off a seagoing vessel, one embarks and debarks (also “disembarks”). The terms “embark” and “debark” come from the name of the small ship known as a barque.

46 New York City’s ___ Delano Roosevelt Park : SARA

Sara Delano Roosevelt Park is in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The park is named for Sara, the mother of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

48 Marvel mischief-maker : LOKI

Loki is a god appearing in Norse mythology. In one story about Loki, he was punished by other gods for having caused the death of Baldr, the god of light and beauty. Loki is bound to a sharp rock using the entrails of one of his sons. A serpent drips venom which is collected in a bowl, and then his wife must empty the venom onto Loki when the bowl is full. The venom causes Loki great pain, and his writhing results in what we poor mortals experience as earthquakes.

49 East Coast and West Coast educational inits. : USC

The sports teams of the University of South Carolina (USC) have used the moniker “Gamecocks” since about 1900. The name was chosen in honor of a South Carolina revolutionary war hero named Thomas Sumter. Sumter’s nickname was “the Carolina Gamecock”, as British General Banastre Tarleton once said that Sumter “fought like a gamecock”.

The University of Southern California (USC) is a private school in Los Angeles. Apart from its excellent academic record, USC is known for the success of its athletic program. USC Trojans have won more Olympic medals than the students of any other university in the world. The USC marching band is very famous as well, and is known as the “Spirit of Troy”. The band has performed with many celebrities, and is the only college band to have two platinum records.

55 Fastest of three famous ships : PINTA

Famously, Christopher Columbus used three ships in his first voyage across the Atlantic: the Santa Maria, the Niña and the Pinta. The Pinta was the fastest of the three, and it was from the Pinta that the New World was first spotted by a sailor named Rodrigo de Triana who was a lookout on the fateful day. Pinta was a nickname for the ship that translated as “the painted one”. The Pinta’s real name has been lost in the mists of time.

57 Many Bhangra dancers : SIKHS

Sikhism is a religion that was founded in the Punjab region, which straddles the India-Pakistan border. Even though Sikhism was established relatively recently, it is now the fifth-largest organized religion in the world. Sikhism was founded in the 15th century by Guru Nanak.

60 Some nasty weather : SLEET

Apparently, “sleet” is a term used to describe two different weather conditions. One is a shower of ice pellets that are smaller than hail, and the second is a mixture of rain and snow, with the snow melting as it falls.

61 “The jig ___!” : IS UP

Back in Elizabethan times, a “jig” was a trick or game. So, the expression “the jig is up” has for some time meant “the trick or game is exposed”.

62 Shabby establishment : DIVE BAR

We’ve been using the word “dive” in American English for a run-down bar since the latter half of the 19th century. The term comes from the fact that disreputable taverns were usually located in basements, so one had to literally and figuratively dive into them. I’m a big fan …

63 Towel cloth : TERRY

Terry cloth is a fabric designed to absorb lots of liquid. The fabric has relatively large loops of thread that improve the absorption properties. The larger the loop, the more thread, the better the absorption.

Down

4 California’s Big ___ : SUR

Big Sur is a lovely part of the California Coast located south of Monterey and Carmel. The name “Big Sur” comes from the original Spanish description of the area as “el sur grande” meaning “the big south”.

6 Lion of Narnia : ASLAN

In the C. S. Lewis series of books known as “The Chronicles of Narnia”, Aslan is the name of the lion character (as in the title “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”). “Aslan” is actually the Turkish word for lion. Anyone who has read the books will recognize the remarkable similarity between the story of Aslan and the story of Christ, including a sacrifice and resurrection.

Apparently, it’s not certain how C. S. Lewis came to choose Narnia as the name of the fantasy world featured in his series of children’s books, including “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”. There was an ancient city in Umbria that the Romans called Narnia, but there is no evidence of a link.

8 Traditional canoe material : BIRCHBARK

The bark of birch trees (known as “birchbark”) is a useful material that has been used since prehistoric times as a building, crafting and writing material. Birchbark is readily cut, bent and sewn and resembles cardboard, although unlike cardboard, it is also water-resistant. Birchbark was a popular material with Native Americans, used for making canoes, wigwams, scrolls and maps.

9 What a pirouette is performed on : ONE LEG

We took our word “pirouette” directly from French, in which language it has the same meaning, i.e. a rotation in dancing. “Pirouette” is also the French word for “spinning top”.

11 Tolkien monsters : ORCS

According to Tolkien, Orcs are small humanoids that live in his fantasy world of Middle-earth (also called “Mordor”). They are very ugly and dirty, and are fond of eating human flesh.

12 Homer’s local watering hole : MOE’S

The regulars on “The Simpsons” hang out at Moe’s Tavern, which is named for and run by Moe Szyslak. The most popular beer at Moe’s is Duff Beer. The name “Duff” is a reference to the real-life Duffy’s Tavern that used to be East 13th Street in Eugene, Oregon. “The Simpsons” creator Matt Groening used to frequent Duffy’s regularly, and Moe’s looks very much like Duffy’s in terms of decor and floor plan.

14 Home of some N.C.A.A. Wildcats : UNH

The University of New Hampshire (UNH) is the largest university in the state. UNH was founded as the New Hampshire College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts in 1866 in Hanover. The college was moved to Durham in the early 1890s, which is where UNH’s main campus is located to this day. The school’s athletic teams are known as the Wildcats.

18 One with the grounds to serve you? : BARISTA

A barista is a person who serves coffee in a coffee shop. “Barista” is Italian for “bartender”.

22 Nonkosher entree : HAM STEAK

According to Jewish dietary laws, kosher food is fit to eat, and food that is not fit to eat is referred to as treif (or “tref”). The usage of “kosher” has extended to include anything considered legitimate.

27 Subway stop: Abbr. : STN

Station (stn.)

28 Word with dog or elephant : … EAR

The folded-down corner of the page of a book, a temporary placeholder, is known as a “dog-ear”. I suppose that’s because it looks like the ear of a dog …

The corm of some taro plants is used to make poi, a traditional Hawaiian dish (which I think tastes horrible). When a taro plant is grown as an ornamental, it is often called Elephant Ears due to the shape of its large leaves.

29 100-cent unit : EURO

The euro is divided into 100 cents, sometimes referred to as “euro cents”. Some countries within the European Union (Ireland, for example) have taken steps to withdraw the 1-cent and 2-cent coins from circulation by allowing cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest five cents. I found it a little odd when buying something in Ireland recently that was priced at 99 cents, and getting no change after handing over a euro coin …

32 Bowl berry : ACAI

Açaí na tigela is a dish made from the frozen, mashed fruit of the açaí palm and served as a smoothie. Often topped with granola, banana, other berries and syrup, the dish is a specialty in much of Brazil. There’s even a savory version of açaí na tigela (“açaí in the bowl”) that includes shrimp or dried fish and tapioca. Açaí bowls are becoming very popular in North America, especially as a health food.

33 High-minded sort? : POT SMOKER

“Potiguaya” is the Mexican-Spanish word for “marijuana leaves”. The slang name “pot” comes from “potiguaya”.

34 Part of a royal flush : TEN

The poker hand called a royal flush is the highest-ranking hand possible. It consists of a run of 10, jack, queen, king and ace, with all in the same suit.

38 ___ choy : BOK

Bok choy is a variety of Chinese cabbage. “Bok choy” translates as “white vegetable”.

39 Org. for paid drivers : PGA

The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) was founded in 1916 and today has its headquarters (unsurprisingly) in Florida, where so many golfers live. Back in 1916, the PGA was based in New York City.

41 Official pardon : AMNESTY

A pardon is in effect a demonstration of pity and forgiveness for the crime. Amnesty is absolution while formally forgetting (“amnesty” is related to the term “amnesia”) that the crime took place. Further, a pardon can only be awarded to someone who has been convicted, whereas amnesty can be awarded to individuals who have not yet faced trial.

46 About 40% of table salt : SODIUM

An ionic bond is formed between two oppositely-charged ions. A common example is the bond between positively-charged sodium atoms and negatively-charged chlorine atoms to form table salt (NaCl). A covalent bond, on the other hand, is formed when two atoms share electrons. Atoms sharing electrons tend to be stable, so they prefer to stay together rather than apart.

54 The good fairies in “Sleeping Beauty,” e.g. : TRIO

The 1959 Disney animated feature “Sleeping Beauty” was an adaptation of the 1697 Charles Perrault version of the classic fairytale. The soundtrack of the movie drew on the wonderful 1890 “Sleeping Beauty” ballet by Tchaikovsky. The Disney film took up almost the entire decade of the fifties in production, with work on the story beginning in 1951. The voices were recorded in 1952, and then it took from 1953 to 1958 to produce all of the hand-inked animation.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Big position for an M.B.A. : CFO
4 Email folder : SPAM
8 ___ buddy : BOSOM
13 Language that gave us “pajamas” : URDU
15 ___ Minor : URSA
16 Emcee’s warm-up : INTRO
17 Sustainable water receptacles : RAIN BARRELS
19 Sports-star-turned-model Gabrielle : REECE
20 Place to order sake and sashimi : SUSHI BAR
21 Where values may be taught : MATH CLASS
23 Summer setting for Toronto: Abbr. : EDT
24 Where the tibia is : SHIN
26 Attention-getter : AHEM!
27 “Mr. Roboto” band : STYX
28 Banned from trade or commerce : EMBARGOED
31 Sound check sound : TAP TAP
34 Strip of computer shortcuts : TASK BAR
35 Brita competitor : PUR
36 Revered figure : ICON
37 Half of an old movie duo : EBERT
39 Machu Picchu locale : PERU
40 Have a little lamb? : EAT
41 Elvis Presley’s middle name : ARON
42 Seasonal drink : EGGNOG
44 Get off : DISEMBARK
46 New York City’s ___ Delano Roosevelt Park : SARA
47 Where you might find very little liquor : MINIBAR
48 Marvel mischief-maker : LOKI
49 East Coast and West Coast educational inits. : USC
52 Like many endangered species : PROTECTED
55 Fastest of three famous ships : PINTA
57 Many Bhangra dancers : SIKHS
58 Heighten expectations, say … or a hint to entering four answers in this puzzle : RAISE THE BAR
60 Some nasty weather : SLEET
61 “The jig ___!” : IS UP
62 Shabby establishment : DIVE BAR
63 Towel cloth : TERRY
64 “Goodness me!” : OH MY!
65 Stroke … or the object of strokes : PET

Down

1 Malediction : CURSE
2 Credit card issue : FRAUD
3 Poet who’s full of praise : ODIST
4 California’s Big ___ : SUR
5 Blend before use : PREMIX
6 Lion of Narnia : ASLAN
7 Overseas post? : MAST
8 Traditional canoe material : BIRCHBARK
9 What a pirouette is performed on : ONE LEG
10 Secretly unseal, in a way : STEAM OPEN
11 Tolkien monsters : ORCS
12 Homer’s local watering hole : MOE’S
14 Home of some N.C.A.A. Wildcats : UNH
18 One with the grounds to serve you? : BARISTA
22 Nonkosher entree : HAM STEAK
25 Like oxygen therapy chambers : HYPERBARIC
27 Subway stop: Abbr. : STN
28 Word with dog or elephant : … EAR
29 100-cent unit : EURO
30 Acetaminophen, for one : DRUG
31 Even : TIED
32 Bowl berry : ACAI
33 High-minded sort? : POT SMOKER
34 Part of a royal flush : TEN
38 ___ choy : BOK
39 Org. for paid drivers : PGA
41 Official pardon : AMNESTY
43 Complaint : GRIPE
45 This or that : EITHER
46 About 40% of table salt : SODIUM
48 Lead : LEASH
49 Not cool : UNHIP
50 “Stone Cold” ___ Austin (TV host/wrestler) : STEVE
51 Club with dinner and a show : CABARET
52 Attention-getter : PSST!
53 Provoke, with “up” : RILE …
54 The good fairies in “Sleeping Beauty,” e.g. : TRIO
56 “___ be great if …” : IT’D
59 Person with intelligence : SPY

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