0530-23 NY Times Crossword 30 May 23, Tuesday

Constructed by: Kathryn Ladner
Edited by: Will Shortz

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Today’s Reveal Answer(s): Eight Birds

All EIGHT Themed answers include the name of a BIRD hidden at the center:

• 15A Like some nosy questions : PROBING (hiding “ROBIN”)
• 16A Dogs like Snoopy : BEAGLES (hiding “EAGLE”)
• 23A Brotherhood : FRATERNITY (hiding “TERN”)
• 30A Baloney : MALARKEY (hiding “LARK”)
• 41A Title role in the Best Picture of 1962 : LAWRENCE (hiding “WREN”)
• 46A Aeronaut propelled by hot air : BALLOONIST (hiding “LOON”)
• 57A Feels remorse over : REGRETS (hiding “EGRET”)
• 61A Made an angry face : SCOWLED (hiding “OWL”)

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Bill’s time: 6m 01s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

8 Thorny savanna tree : ACACIA

Acacia is a genus of trees and shrubs that is also known as thorntree, whistling thorn and wattle. The acacia is the primary food source for the giraffe in the wild, with the animal eating the leaves high in the tree, leaves that are inaccessible to competing species. The natural gum from two species of acacia tree is known as gum arabic, which is used in the food industry as a stabilizer.

A savanna (also “savannah”) is a grassland. If there are any trees in a savanna, by definition they are small and widely spaced so that light can get to the grasses allowing them to grow unhindered.

15 Like some nosy questions : PROBING (hiding “ROBIN”)

The American robin has a reddish-orange breast. This coloring gave the bird its name, due to the similarity to the European robin. The two species are not in fact related, with the American robin being a thrush, and its European cousin an Old World flycatcher. It is the American robin that famously lays light-blue eggs.

16 Dogs like Snoopy : BEAGLES (hiding “EAGLE”)

The beagle breed of dog is a scent hound, one developed for tracking small game. Because of this characteristic, beagles are often used as detection dogs in customs halls around the world. The world’s most famous beagle is probably Snoopy from the comic strip “Peanuts”.

There’s an urban myth out there that Benjamin Franklin was not happy with the choice of the bald eagle as the national bird for the US, and opined that the turkey should fill that role. Letters written by Franklin show that indeed, he was not happy with the choice of the bald eagle, but did not propose the turkey as an alternative. He deemed the bald eagle to be “a bird of bad moral character” that “does not get [its] living honestly”. Franklin went on to describe the image of the bald eagle on the nation’s Great Seal as “more like a turkey”. And that is how urban myths get started …

17 Trade restriction : EMBARGO

“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.

20 Director Howard : RON

Ron Howard sure has come a long way since playing Opie Taylor on “The Andy Griffith Show”. He has directed some fabulous movies including favorites of mine like “Apollo 13”, “The Da Vinci Code” and “A Beautiful Mind”, the latter earning Howard a Best Director Oscar.

23 Brotherhood : FRATERNITY (hiding “TERN”)

Terns are seabirds that are found all over the world. The Arctic Tern makes a very long-distance migration. One Arctic Tern that was tagged as a chick in Great Britain in the summer of 1982, was spotted in Melbourne, Australia just three months later. The bird had traveled over 14,000 miles in over those three months, an average of about 150 miles a day. Remarkable …

27 Reddit Q&A : AMA

Reddit.com is a networking and news website that started up in 2005. It is essentially a bulletin board system with posts that are voted up and down by users, which determines the ranking of posts. The name “Reddit” is a play on “read it”, as in “I read it on Reddit”. One popular feature of the Reddit site is an online forum that is similar to a press conference. Known as an AMA (for “ask me anything”), participants have included the likes of President Barack Obama, Madonna, Bill Gates, Stephen Colbert and Gordon Ramsay. President Obama’s AMA was so popular that the high level of traffic brought down many parts of the Reddit site.

28 Mo. shared by Leo and Virgo : AUG

As the first Emperor of Rome, Octavian was given the name Caesar Augustus. The month of August, originally called “Sextilis” in Latin, was renamed in honor of Augustus.

29 “The ___ of Pooh” (Benjamin Hoff book) : TAO

Author Benjamin Hoff is best known for his 1982 book “The Tao of Pooh”, and a successor title published in 1992 called “The Te of Piglet”. Both books use the “Winnie-the-Pooh” stories to illustrate Taoist beliefs.

30 Baloney : MALARKEY (hiding “LARK”)

It’s not really known how the word “malarkey” came to mean “lies and exaggeration”. What is known is that “Malarkey” is also used as a family name.

“Baloney” is an American English variant of “Bologna” as in the sausage. The term came to be used to mean “nonsense” in the 1920s. “Baloney” was popularized in the 1930s by New York Governor Alfred E. Smith as he used the term quite often.

Larks are small songbirds that are found all over the world, although only the horned lark species is found here in North America. Despite their size, larks are sometimes considered game birds, and can be served up as food. It’s not uncommon to find a dish containing lark meat in southern Europe.

33 Some pickles : DILLS

Dill is a herb in the celery family. Dill seeds can be used for flavoring food, as can dill leaves. In this sense, dill “leaves” are sometimes referred to as dill “weed”.

41 Title role in the Best Picture of 1962 : LAWRENCE (hiding “WREN”)

“Lawrence of Arabia” is a 1962 movie that recounts the real life story of T. E. Lawrence, a British army officer who was famous for his role in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of World War I. The title role in the film is played by Irish actor Peter O’Toole. The role of Sherif Ali ibn el Kharish is played by Omar Sharif.

The wren is a small songbird belonging to the family troglodytidae and the genus troglodytes. Wrens are known for making dome-shaped nests. Despite their small size, they are known for their loud and complex songs. Male wrens often sing to attract mates and to establish territory, They have been known to attack much larger birds that get too close to their nests.

44 “32 Flavors” singer DiFranco : ANI

“32 Flavors” is a song that was written and recorded by Ani DiFranco in 1995. Alana Davis released a cover version of “32 Flavors” as her debut single in 1998. The song title is a pun on the Baskin-Robbins slogan “31 flavors”.

46 Aeronaut propelled by hot air : BALLOONIST (hiding “LOON”)

An aeronaut is a pilot of a craft that is lighter than air, like a hot air balloon for example.

The bird known as a loon here in North America is called a diver in Britain and Ireland. The name “diver” comes from the bird’s habit of swimming calmly and then suddenly diving below the surface to catch a fish. The name “loon” comes from an Old English word meaning “clumsy” and reflects the awkward gait of the bird when walking on land.

50 Soak up the sun : BASK

Our verb “to bask”, meaning “to expose one to pleasant warmth”, is derived from the gruesome, 14th-century term “basken”, meaning “to wallow in blood”. The contemporary usage apparently originated with Shakespeare, who employed “bask” with reference to sunshine in “As You Like It”.

52 Like merlot wine : RED

Merlot is one of the main grapes used to make Bordeaux wines, along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

53 “Ich bin ___ Berliner” : EIN

Ich is the German for “I”, as in “Ich bin ein Berliner” (I am a Berliner), the famous words of support uttered by President John F. Kennedy (JFK) in 1963 in a speech in West Berlin. The supposed translation of “Ich bin ein Berliner” as “I am a jelly doughnut” … that’s just an urban myth. President Kennedy’s use of German was perhaps clumsy (he should have said “Ich bin Berliner”), but I am sure he was understood.

57 Feels remorse over : REGRETS (hiding “EGRET”)

Egrets are a group of several species of white herons. Many egret species were faced with extinction in the 1800s and early 1900s due to plume hunting, a practice driven by the demand for egret plumes that could be incorporated into hats.

61 Made an angry face : SCOWLED (hiding “OWL”)

Owls have 14 vertebrae in their necks (compared to our 7). The extra bones in the neck, along with other adaptations allow owls to rotate the head and neck about 270 degrees.

63 Hero of a Virgil epic : AENEAS

Aeneas was a Trojan hero of myth who traveled to Italy and became the ancestor of all Romans. Aeneas’s story is told in Virgil’s epic poem “The Aeneid”.

64 Legal term meaning “guilty mind” : MENS REA

“Mens rea” is Latin for “guilty mind” and is a central concept in criminal law. The concept is expanded to “actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea” meaning “the act does not make a person guilty unless the mind be also guilty”. In other words, someone should not be deemed guilty of an act, unless he or she had a “guilty mind”, intended to do wrong.

Down

1 Place for experiments : LAB

Our term “laboratory”, often shortened to “lab”, comes from the Medieval Latin word “laboratorium” meaning “place for labor, work”. This in turn comes from the Latin verb “laborare” meaning “to work”.

6 N.Y.C.’s Fifth, e.g. : AVE

Fifth Avenue in New York City is sometimes referred to as the “most expensive street in the world”. The section that runs through Midtown Manhattan is home to upscale stores, such as Saks Fifth Avenue.

7 Picasso’s “___ Demoiselles d’Avignon” : LES

“Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” (“The Young Ladies of Avignon”) is an oil painting created by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso in 1917. The painting is generally regarded as having a profound influence on modern art and is hailed as the most important proto-Cubist work. You can go see “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

10 Lawyers’ grp. : ABA

American Bar Association (ABA)

11 Wispy clouds : CIRRI

Cirrus (plural “cirri”) clouds are those lovely wispy, white strands that are often called “mare’s tails”.

13 “The ___ and the Ecstasy” (biographical novel about Michelangelo) : AGONY

The celebrated Italian Renaissance artist and poet Michelangelo was born Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni in a village near Arezzo in the present-day province of Tuscany. Michelangelo achieved renown during his own lifetime. He was the first Western artist to see his biography published during his own lifetime.

15 Bog fuel : PEAT

When dead plant matter accumulates in marshy areas, it may not fully decay due to a lack of oxygen or acidic conditions. We are familiar with this in Ireland, because what can form then is peat. If the peat bogs get covered over with sedimentary matter, over time pressure and heat can dry out the peat forming a soft brown material called lignite. Given further heat and pressure, and time, lignite converts to coal. So, lignite is a material with characteristics between peat and coal, and is often called “brown coal”.

21 Entire range : GAMUT

In medieval times, the musical scale was denoted by the notes “ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la”. The term “gamma ut”, shortened to “gamut”, was used to describe the whole scale. By the 1620s, “gamut” was being used to mean the entire range of anything, the whole gamut.

25 Speed-detecting device : RADAR

Radar speed guns were first used to monitor traffic by Connecticut State Police in the town of Glastonbury, way back in 1947!

26 Bête ___ (pet peeve) : NOIRE

“Bête noire” translates from French as “black beast”, and is used in English to describe something or someone that is disliked.

32 Rock’s Starr : RINGO

Ringo Starr is a musician, best known as the drummer for the Beatles. In addition to his music career, Ringo Starr has appeared in a number of films. In addition to his film work, Ringo Starr has also done voiceover work for several animated television shows and movies. He has lent his distinctive voice to characters in shows like “Thomas & Friends” and “The Simpsons,” as well as movies like “Yellow Submarine”.

35 Feature of sneakers, typically, but not loafers : LACES

“Sneaker” is a common name for an athletic shoe, one that is now used as everyday casual wear. The term “sneaker” is used widely across the US. Back in my homeland of Ireland, the terms “trainers” and “tennis shoes” are more common.

The loafer slip-on shoe dates back to 1939. “Loafer” was originally a brand name introduced by Fortnum and Mason’s store in London. The derivative term “penny loafer” arose in the late fifties or early sixties, although the exact etymology seems unclear.

36 The “turf” of a “surf and turf” : STEAK

The phrase “surf and turf” hasn’t been around that long, with first known use dating back to 1961 in the “Los Angeles Times”.

38 Comic ___ (oft-mocked typeface) : SANS

Comic Sans MS is a font that looks a bit like that used in old comic books. Comic Sans was released by Microsoft in 1994. If you live in the Netherlands, you are lucky enough to enjoy Comic Sans Day on the first Friday of July each year.

43 Throngs : HORDES

A horde is a large crowd. “Horde” ultimately derives from the Turkish “ordu” meaning “camp, army”.

46 Model airplane material : BALSA

Balsa is a very fast-growing tree that is native to parts of South America. Even though balsa wood is very soft, it is actually classified as a hardwood, the softest of all the hardwoods (go figure!). Balsa is light and strong, so is commonly used in making model airplanes. In WWII, a full-size British plane, the de Havilland Mosquito, was built largely from balsa and plywood. No wonder they called it “The Wooden Wonder” and “The Timber Terror”.

47 Girl who went down a rabbit hole : ALICE

The White Rabbit is a character who appears at the very start of Lewis Carroll’s novel “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”. Alice sees the White Rabbit checking his watch and mumbling “Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!” Alice then follows him down the rabbit hole and into Wonderland.

53 Jennifer who wrote “A Visit From the Goon Squad” : EGAN

Jennifer Egan is an author who grew up in San Francisco. Egan’s 2010 work “A Visit from the Goon Squad” won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Usually termed a novel, “A Visit from the Goon Squad” is structured in such a way that it is sometimes described as a collection of linked short stories.

58 St. Louis-to-Indianapolis dir. : ENE

The city of St. Louis, Missouri was settled by French explorers in 1763. Sitting on the Mississippi River, it grew into a very busy port. By the 1850s, it was the second busiest port in the country, with only New York moving more freight. St. Louis was named for Louis IX of France. Louis was canonized in 1297 by Pope Boniface VIII, and was the only French king to be declared a saint.

Indianapolis is the largest city in Indiana, and is the state capital. The state of Indiana was formed in 1816, with Corydon chosen as the state capitol. The capital was changed to Indianapolis in 1825. Indianapolis is the closest of all capitals to the center of its state.

59 Philosopher Lao-___: Var. : TZE

Lao Tse (also “Lao-Tzu”, “Laozi”) was a central figure in the development of the religion/philosophy of Taoism. Tradition holds that Lao-Tzu wrote the “Tao Te Ching”, a classical Chinese text that is fundamental to the philosophy of Taoism.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Word-for-word : LITERAL
8 Thorny savanna tree : ACACIA
14 Reach, as a goal : ACHIEVE
15 Like some nosy questions : PROBING (hiding “ROBIN”)
16 Dogs like Snoopy : BEAGLES (hiding “EAGLE”)
17 Trade restriction : EMBARGO
18 Biblical possessive : THY
19 Nickname that might drop -vin or -eb : CAL
20 Director Howard : RON
21 General idea : GIST
23 Brotherhood : FRATERNITY (hiding “TERN”)
27 Reddit Q&A : AMA
28 Mo. shared by Leo and Virgo : AUG
29 “The ___ of Pooh” (Benjamin Hoff book) : TAO
30 Baloney : MALARKEY (hiding “LARK”)
33 Some pickles : DILLS
37 Brought together : UNIFIED
38 Eye for a long time : STARE AT
40 Attach with a string or cord : TIE ON
41 Title role in the Best Picture of 1962 : LAWRENCE (hiding “WREN”)
42 Cry of disgust : UGH!
44 “32 Flavors” singer DiFranco : ANI
45 “Chai” in English : TEA
46 Aeronaut propelled by hot air : BALLOONIST (hiding “LOON”)
50 Soak up the sun : BASK
51 Beverage that might be blonde or brown : ALE
52 Like merlot wine : RED
53 “Ich bin ___ Berliner” : EIN
54 Tart light-green drink : LIMEADE
57 Feels remorse over : REGRETS (hiding “EGRET”)
61 Made an angry face : SCOWLED (hiding “OWL”)
62 Stupefied : IN A DAZE
63 Hero of a Virgil epic : AENEAS
64 Legal term meaning “guilty mind” : MENS REA

Down

1 Place for experiments : LAB
2 What rinks have and neat drinks don’t : ICE
3 “Untrue!” : THAT’S A LIE!
4 With 50-Down, things centered in Across answers in this puzzle : EIGHT …
5 Depend (on) : RELY
6 N.Y.C.’s Fifth, e.g. : AVE
7 Picasso’s “___ Demoiselles d’Avignon” : LES
8 Adornment worn above the elbow : ARMLET
9 Corn holder : COB
10 Lawyers’ grp. : ABA
11 Wispy clouds : CIRRI
12 Block of gold : INGOT
13 “The ___ and the Ecstasy” (biographical novel about Michelangelo) : AGONY
15 Bog fuel : PEAT
19 Hard to pin down : CAGY
21 Entire range : GAMUT
22 ___ Perry, award-winning author of “South to America” : IMANI
23 Phony : FAKE
24 Felt remorse over : RUED
25 Speed-detecting device : RADAR
26 Bête ___ (pet peeve) : NOIRE
31 On the wrong side (of) : AFOUL
32 Rock’s Starr : RINGO
34 Offered quiet sympathy, in a way : LENT AN EAR
35 Feature of sneakers, typically, but not loafers : LACES
36 The “turf” of a “surf and turf” : STEAK
38 Comic ___ (oft-mocked typeface) : SANS
39 Nincompoop : TWIT
41 Like eggs in nests and carpet on floors : LAID
43 Throngs : HORDES
46 Model airplane material : BALSA
47 Girl who went down a rabbit hole : ALICE
48 Fruit that makes your lips pucker : LEMON
49 Have to have : NEED
50 See 4-Down : … BIRDS
53 Jennifer who wrote “A Visit From the Goon Squad” : EGAN
55 Woolly mama : EWE
56 In the style of : A LA
57 Crater’s edge : RIM
58 St. Louis-to-Indianapolis dir. : ENE
59 Philosopher Lao-___: Var. : TZE
60 Pirate’s domain : SEA

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