1126-22 NY Times Crossword 26 Nov 22, Saturday

Constructed by: Kanyin Ajayi
Edited by: Will Shortz

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Today’s Theme: None

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Bill’s time: 12m 20s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Influential book sellers? : BLURBS

The use of the word “blurb”, to describe a publicity notice on a book jacket, dates back to 1907 when it was used by American humorist Gelett Burgess. Burgess used a picture of a fictitious young woman named Miss Belinda Blurb on the dust jacket of a limited run of his 1906 book “Are You a Bromide?” That jacket proclaimed “YES, this is a ‘BLURB’!” The term persists to this day, without the young damsel.

7 High jinks : ANTICS

Our expression “high jinks”, meaning “prank, frolic”, was once the name of an 18th-century Scottish drinking game, would you believe? A bad score on a dice and you had to take a drink, or do something undignified.

16 Jean Rhys novel that’s a response to “Jane Eyre” : WIDE SARGASSO SEA

“Wide Sargasso Sea” was written by Jean Rhys and first published in 1966. It’s a clever work that was written as a sort of prequel to Charlotte Bronte’s famous “Jane Eyre”, which dates back to 1847.

Charlotte Brontë was the eldest of the three Brontë sister authors. Charlotte’s most famous work is the novel “Jane Eyre”, which she published under the pen name Currer Bell. The pen name veiled her gender, but preserved the initials of her real name. After “Jane Eyre” was published, Brontë started to move in the same circles as other successful novelists of the day, including William Makepeace Thackeray and Elizabeth Gaskell. Just two years after Bronte died in her late thirties, it was Gaskell who published the first biography of Charlotte Brontë.

19 Scottish Highlander : GAEL

The Scottish Highlands are that part of the country not classified as the Lowlands(!). The Highlands make up the north and west of Scotland.

23 Finish that’s rough to the touch : STUCCO

Stucco is a decorative coating that is applied to walls and ceilings. “Stucco” is the Italian name for the material, and a word that we imported into English.

32 “Ti ___” (bit of Romance language romance language) : AMO

In Italian, one usually says “ti amo” (I love you) with “grande affetto” (much affection).

33 Bank holding : LIEN

A lien is a right that one has to retain or secure someone’s property until a debt is paid. When an individual takes out a car loan, for example, the lending bank is usually a lien holder. The bank releases the lien on the car when the loan is paid in full.

35 Paulo who wrote “The Alchemist” : COELHO

Paulo Coelho is a novelist and lyricist from Brazil. He wrote the novel titled “The Alchemist” in 1987, which was destined to become one of the biggest selling books in history. It is also the most translated book written by any living author, and is available in 71 languages.

36 Open many tabs, maybe : BARTEND

When we run a “tab” at a bar, we are running a “tabulation”, a listing of what we owe. Such a use of “tab” is American slang that originated in the 1880s.

40 “Crazy Rich Asians” actress Gemma : CHAN

“Crazy Rich Asians” is a 2018 rom-com based on a 2013 novel of the same name by Kevin Kwan. The film garnered a lot of attention and accolades, not only for the quality of the script and performances. It was the first major Hollywood movie to feature a principal cast of Asian descent since 1993’s “The Joy Luck Club”.

44 Bugs’s archenemy : ELMER

Elmer Fudd is one of the most famous Looney Tunes cartoon characters, and is the hapless nemesis of Bugs Bunny. If you have never seen it, check out Elmer and Bugs in the marvelous “Rabbit of Seville”, a short cartoon that parodies Rossini’s “Barber of Seville”. Wonderful stuff …

47 Père d’une princesse : ROI

In French, the “père d’une princesse” (father of a princess) is a “roi” (king).

56 Chinua Achebe novel that’s a response to “Heart of Darkness” : THINGS FALL APART

“Things Fall Apart” is a 1958 novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe. It is set in Nigeria and deals with the changes that came with the invasion of Nigeria by Europeans, primarily from Britain. “Things Fall Apart” is regarded today as a seminal work, and is read and studied all over Africa and around the world. It is the most widely read book in the whole of African literature. The title is a quotation from the poem “The Second Coming” by W. B. Yeats.

61 Alternative to sunbathing : FAKE TAN

The most effective fake tans available today are not dyes or stains. Instead, they are sprays with the active ingredient dihydroxyacetone (DHA). DHA reacts chemically with amino acids in the dead layer of skin on the surface of the body. Sounds a little risky to me …

Down

1 Big competitors in European auto racing : BMWS

The initialism “BMW” stands for “Bayerische Motoren Werke”, which translates into Bavarian Motor Works. BMW was making aircraft engines during WWI, but had to cease that activity according to the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. The company then started making motorcycles, and moved into automobile production starting in 1928. BMW moved back into aircraft engine manufacturing during the build-up of the Luftwaffe prior to WWII.

2 Brie base : LAIT

In French, “fromage” (cheese) is made from “lait” (milk).

Brie is a soft cheese that is named for the French region in which it originated. Brie is similar to the equally famous (and delicious) Camembert. Brie is often served baked in puff pastry with fig jam.

3 Locale in Dante’s “Inferno” : UNDERWORLD

Dante Alighieri’s “Divine Comedy” is an epic poem dating back to the 14th century. The first part of that epic is “Inferno”, which is the Italian word for “Hell”. In the poem, Dante is led on a journey by the poet Virgil, starting at the gates of Hell on which are written the famous words “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here”.

5 Clear the tables : BUS

A busboy is a person who assists a waiter, mainly by clearing tables. The verb “to bus” arose in the early 1900s and is probably a reference to the wheeled cart that was used to carry dishes.

10 Rae of “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl” : ISSA

Issa Rae is a Stanford University graduate who created a YouTube web series called “The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl”. Rae also plays the title role in the series, a young lady named “J”. “Awkward Black Girl” was adapted into an HBO comedy-drama called “Insecure”, in which Issa Rae stars.

15 A toast : SALUT

In French, “salut” means “hi”, and is less formal than “bonjour”. The former term can also be used as a friendly toast.

22 Pain reliever option : TYLENOL

Tylenol is a pain-relieving drug with the active ingredient acetaminophen (which is known as “paracetamol” outside of the US).

24 Ghanaian and Ivorian export : COCOA

The country name “Ghana” translates as “warrior king” in the local language. The British established a colony they named the Gold Coast in 1874, later to become Ghana, as part of the scramble by Europeans to settle as much of Africa as they could. One of Ghana’s most famous sons was Kofi Annan, the diplomat who served as General Secretary of the UN for ten years until the beginning of 2007.

The Republic of Côte d’Ivoire is located in West Africa on the Gulf of Guinea. The country is often referred to in English as “the Ivory Coast”, the direct translation from the French. The official language of the country is French, as for many years it was a French colony.

27 Neighbor of a Yemeni : OMANI

Oman lies on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula and is neighbored by the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Oman is a monarchy, and the official name of the state is the Sultanate of Oman. All of the country’s legislative, executive and judiciary power resides with the hereditary sultan.

29 People claiming to possess special enlightenment : ILLUMINATI

Although there were several groups known as the Illuminati, the reference is usually to the Bavarian Illuminati that was founded in 1776. It was a secret society, and as such was the subject of many rumors and conspiracy theories, which eventually led to the Illuminati being banned by local government and the Roman Catholic Church. Famously, Dan Brown featured the Illuminati in his best-selling 2003 novel “Angels & Demons”.

40 About : CIRCA

“Circa” is a Latin word meaning “around, near, about the time of”. We use “circa” directly in English to mean “about the time of”, as well as in derivative words such as “circle” and “circus”.

50 Singer Ford with the 1988 song “Kiss Me Deadly” : LITA

Lita Ford was the lead singer for the Runaways. She later became famous for her solo work, although I must admit that I’ve never heard of her outside of crosswords …

52 Spoken word competition : SLAM

A poetry slam is a competition in which poets read their own work (usually), with winners being chosen by members of the audience. Apparently the first poetry slam took place in Chicago in 1984. Now there is a National Poetry Slam that takes place each year, with representatives from the US, Canada and France.

54 Ocean Spray prefix : CRAN-

The Ocean Spray brand is owned by a cooperative of growers in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, growers of cranberries and grapefruit.

When early European settlers came across red berries growing in the bogs of the northern part of America, they felt that the plant’s flower and stem resembled the head and bill of a crane. As such, they called the plant “craneberry”, which evolved into “cranberry”.

55 Mountain whose name means “I burn” : ETNA

Mount Etna on the island of Sicily is the largest of three active volcanoes in Italy, and indeed the largest of all active volcanoes in Europe. Etna is about 2 1/2 times the height of its equally famous sister, Mt. Vesuvius. Mt. Etna is home to a 110-km long narrow-gauge railway, and two ski resorts. It is sometimes referred to as “Mongibello” in Italian, and as “Mungibeddu” (sometimes “Muncibeddu”) in Sicilian. The English name “Etna” comes from the Greek “aitho” meaning “I eat”.

57 Tech that reduced demand for maps : GPS

The modern Global Positioning System (GPS) system that we use today was built by the US military who received the massive funding needed because of fears during the Cold War of the use of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. We civilians, all round the world, owe a lot to President Ronald Reagan because he directed the military to make GPS technology available to the public for the common good. President Reagan was moved to do so after the Soviet Union shot down KAL flight 007 carrying 269 people, just because the plane strayed accidentally into Soviet airspace.

59 The first Black American sorority, in brief : AKA

The Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority was founded in 1908 at Howard University in Washington, D.C. It was the first African-American sorority in the country.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Influential book sellers? : BLURBS
7 High jinks : ANTICS
13 Search for the wanted : MANHUNT
15 Eclipses : SHOWS UP
16 Jean Rhys novel that’s a response to “Jane Eyre” : WIDE SARGASSO SEA
18 “Ignore this,” in proofreading : STET
19 Scottish Highlander : GAEL
20 Attitude : SASS
21 Corruption : ROT
23 Finish that’s rough to the touch : STUCCO
26 Six-time N.B.A. All-Star Kyle : LOWRY
28 Inconsistent : HIT-OR-MISS
32 “Ti ___” (bit of Romance language romance language) : AMO
33 Bank holding : LIEN
35 Paulo who wrote “The Alchemist” : COELHO
36 Open many tabs, maybe : BARTEND
38 Not keeping up : TOO SLOW
39 Connected, say : ONLINE
40 “Crazy Rich Asians” actress Gemma : CHAN
41 “___ Belle Histoire” (French love song) : UNE
42 Unfailingly loyal : RIDE-OR-DIE
44 Bugs’s archenemy : ELMER
46 Changes : ALTERS
47 Père d’une princesse : ROI
48 Mope : SULK
51 Shuns, with “out” : ICES …
53 Formerly : ONCE
56 Chinua Achebe novel that’s a response to “Heart of Darkness” : THINGS FALL APART
60 Convenient setting for the forgetful : AUTOPAY
61 Alternative to sunbathing : FAKE TAN
62 “Is it?” : THAT SO?
63 Most seaside towns have one : MARINA
Down
1 Big competitors in European auto racing : BMWS
2 Brie base : LAIT
3 Locale in Dante’s “Inferno” : UNDERWORLD
4 Classical orator : RHETOR
5 Clear the tables : BUS
6 Hiccup, so to speak : SNAG
7 Cries of clarity : AHS
8 Refusals : NOS
9 Pairs : TWOSOMES
10 Rae of “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl” : ISSA
11 They’re not to be missed : CUES
12 Some retreats : SPAS
14 Turned to refuse : TRASHED
15 A toast : SALUT
17 Gain admission : GET IN
22 Pain reliever option : TYLENOL
24 Ghanaian and Ivorian export : COCOA
25 Piano bar mainstay : CROONER
26 Work or workers : LABOR
27 Neighbor of a Yemeni : OMANI
29 People claiming to possess special enlightenment : ILLUMINATI
30 Sparkled : SHONE
31 Preacher, in a parable : SOWER
34 Unmoving : INERT
37 Do the final step in needle-threading : TIE A KNOT
38 Psychoanalytic subject : THE SELF
40 About : CIRCA
43 Idolize : DEIFY
45 Key piece of an overlock sewing machine : LOOPER
48 “Now!” : STAT!
49 “No chance” : UH-UH
50 Singer Ford with the 1988 song “Kiss Me Deadly” : LITA
52 Spoken word competition : SLAM
54 Ocean Spray prefix : CRAN-
55 Mountain whose name means “I burn” : ETNA
57 Tech that reduced demand for maps : GPS
58 Lead-in to Felipe or Miguel : SAO …
59 The first Black American sorority, in brief : AKA

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