Friday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: December 4, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 13:10, about two minutes faster than average.

I had a little trouble in the northwest corner today.  For "as yet" I put *SO FAR, which really slowed me down because I stuck with it.  It's actually TO NOW.  Adding to that my inclination to think of "tending (to)" as meaning "inclined to," when it's actually MINISTERING, and I was left with a few blanks up there for quite some time.

I didn't know that YEWS symbolized death in Celtic culture. Drooping branches of old yew trees can root and form new trunks where they touch the ground. Thus the yew came to symbolize death and resurrection in Celtic culture. The Celts will also have been familiar with the toxicity of the tree’s needles in particular. This may have further contributed to its connections with death.

I like the clue "before thou knowest" for ANON. 

The site Rotten Tomatoes is owned by FANDANGO, which I really should have guessed much earlier.  I couldn't remember the name of the company.  I was like, Filmago?

Here's a couple of authorial ANNS I don't know: Ann Patchett, who wrote The Patron Saint of Liars and The Dutch House; and Ann Brashares, author of the Sisterhood of Traveling Pants series.  Ha ha, pants shares and Bra shares.

"Brand for determining if you're expecting" is EPT.

Apparently THE CONGO is the world's deepest river.  It's so deep we don't know how deep it is.  That's deep, man.

Los Angeles suburb GLENDALE was the home of the 1970s serial killer the Hillside Strangler.  It borders famed Griffith Park.

MARCO Andretti is the third generation of the famous racing Andrettis, about whom I know nothing.

The QB stat ATT, for attempted passes, was in the puzzle most recently on September 27.

GRETA GERWIG, director of Lady Bird and Little Women, was in the puzzle on November 15.  She  also played the title role Frances Ha.

Clever clues: "One who takes stock" is CATTLE THIEF — that one had me struggling for a bit.  "6-9 months?" is SUMMER, as in the calendar months June (6) to September (9).  "Leaves home?" is TEA POT.

A fairly tough Friday, in my view.  If I were a drinking man, I'd need a stiff shot of AQUA VITAE after all that.