0622-18 NY Times Crossword Answers 22 Jun 2018, Friday

Constructed by: Andrew Kingsley
Edited by: Will Shortz

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Today’s Theme: None

Bill’s time: 7m 41s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

6. Veal or chicken dish, for short : PARM

Parmigiana is a dish from southern Italy. The original parmigiana was made with an aubergine (eggplant) filling, with cheese and tomato layers and then baked. Versions originating outside of Italy have replaced the aubergine with breaded cutlets of chicken or veal.

14. Like much of Shakespeare’s and Sappho’s love poetry : HOMOEROTIC

Homeoeroticism is a tendency to be sexually aroused by a person of the same gender.

17. Utopian : IDEALISTIC

The word “Utopia” was coined by Sir Thomas More for his book “Utopia” published in 1516 describing an idyllic fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. More’s use of the name Utopia comes from the Greek “ou” meaning “not” and “topos” meaning “place”. By calling his perfect island “Not Place”, More was apparently making the point that he didn’t think that the ideal could actually exist.

18. Actress Sedgwick in Warhol films : EDIE

Edie Sedgwick became famous when she starred in several short films made by Andy Warhol in the sixties. Sedgwick’s life was portrayed in a 2006 biographical film called “Factory Girl”.

20. Wise : SAPIENT

To be sapient is to have great wisdom and discernment. “Sapient” comes from the Latin “sapere” meaning “to perceive, to be wise”.

23. Guest’s sleeping spot, maybe : FUTON

Anyone lucky enough to have visited Japan might be familiar with the traditional Japanese futon. Unlike what we tend to call futon in this country, the Japanese original is a padded mattress and quilt. Japanese futons are usually rolled up in the morning so that the space used for sleeping can be repurposed during the day.

27. Wood used to make electric guitars : ALDER

There appears to be heated debate by those in the know, about whether or not the type of wood used in the construction of electric guitars makes a difference to the sound quality. However, amongst those that value of wood choice, alder is the clear favorite.

32. Sine, cosine or tangent : RATIO

The most familiar trigonometric functions are sine, cosine and tangent (abbreviated to “sin, cos and tan”). Each of these is a ratio, a ratio of two sides of a right-angled triangle. The “reciprocal” of these three functions are secant, cosecant and cotangent. The reciprocal functions are simply the inverted ratios, the inverted sine, cosine and tangent. These inverted ratios should not be confused with the “inverse” trigonometric functions e.g. arcsine, arccosine and arctangent. These inverse functions are the reverse of the sine, cosine and tangent.

33. What Christine is in the book “Christine” : CAR

“Christine” is a 1983 novel from the pen of horror maestro Stephen King. The title character is a 1958 Plymouth Fury automobile that is apparently possessed by supernatural forces. Not my cup of tea …

34. Medal, e.g. : PLACE

In the Ancient Olympic Games, the winner of an event was awarded an olive wreath. When the games were revived in 1896, the winners were originally given a silver medal and an olive branch, with runners-up receiving a bronze medal and a laurel branch. The tradition of giving gold, silver and bronze medals began at the 1904 Summer Olympic Games held in St. Louis, Missouri.

38. Margarita garnishes : LIMES

No one seems to know for sure who first created the cocktail known as a margarita. The most plausible and oft-quoted is that it was invented in 1941 in Ensenada, Mexico. The barman mixed the drink for an important visitor, the daughter of the German ambassador. The daughter’s name was Margarita Henkel, and she lent her name to the new drink. The basic recipe for a margarita is a mixture of tequila, orange-flavored liqueur (like Cointreau) and lime juice.

39. Ailment spreadable through kissing : STREP

Streptococcus bacteria multiply and divide along a single axis so that they form linked chains. That behavior gives the genus of bacteria its name, as “streptos” is Greek for “easily twisted, like a chain”. I had to battle with streptococcal pharyngitis (strep throat) twice in the past few years and it was not at all pleasant, I must say. Another species of streptococcus is responsible for that terrible “flesh-eating” infection that makes the news from time to time.

40. TV character with a rippled snout : ALF

“ALF” is a sitcom that aired in the late eighties. The title character is a hand-puppet, and supposedly an alien named Gordon Shumway from the planet Melmac. The alien crash-landed into the house of amateur radio enthusiast Willie Tanner. Tanner renamed the intruder “ALF”, standing for “alien life form”.

45. Part of CBS: Abbr. : SYST

CBS used to be known as the Columbia Broadcasting System. CBS introduced its “eye” logo in 1951. That logo is based on a Pennsylvania Dutch hex sign.

46. Boutonniere’s spot : LAPEL

A boutonnière is a flower worn by men in the lapel of a jacket, in the buttonhole. In fact, sometimes a boutonnière is referred to as a “buttonhole”, which is the translation of the French term.

48. “2 Broke Girls” actress Dennings : KAT

Kat Dennings is the stage name of actress Katherine Litwack, noted today for her co-starring role on CBS’s sitcom “2 Broke Girls”. Dennings is an avid blogger, and you can check out her video blog on YouTube.

“2 Broke Girls” is a sitcom about two young ladies sharing an apartment in Brooklyn, and their attempts to launch a cupcake business. The title characters are played by Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs.

57. Action film weapons : UZIS

The first Uzi submachine gun was designed in the late 1940s by Major Uziel “Uzi” Gal of the Israel Defense Forces, who gave his name to the gun.

60. King Lear’s loyal servant : KENT

Shakespeare was inspired to write his famous drama “King Lear” by the legend of “Leir of Britain”, the story of a mythological Celtic king.

61. Service with a Street View option : GOOGLE MAPS

Google Maps was developed as a web mapping service for desktops. The (wonderful!) Google Maps mobile app was released in 2008, and is now the most popular smartphone app in the world.

Down

2. Heckled : RODE

Originally, the verb “to heckle” meant to question severely, and for many years was associated with the public questioning of parliamentary candidates in Scotland. In more recent times, the meaning has evolved into questioning that is less polite and that is directed at standup comics.

3. “___ her in a club down in old Soho” (opening lyric of “Lola”) : I MET

“Lola” is a fabulous song that was written by Ray Davies and released by the Kinks back in 1970. Inspired by a real life incident, the lyrics tell of young man who met a young “lady” in a club, danced with her, and then discovered “she” was actually a transvestite. The storyline isn’t very traditional, but the music is superb.

7. Many a role on TV’s “Suits”: Abbr. : ATT

“Suits” is an entertaining, albeit formulaic, legal drama that is set in New York City. One of the main characters in the show Mike Ross, a brilliant law school dropout who poses as a law associate. Mike Ross’ love interest is paralegal Rachel Zane. Zane is played by actress Meghan Markle, who became engaged to the UK’s Prince Harry at the end of 2017.

8. Pioneering photojournalist Jacob : RIIS

Journalist Jacob Riis is famous for his photographs and newspaper articles that highlighted the plight of the impoverished in New York City. He wrote “How the Other Half Lives”, originally an extensive article that appeared in “Scribner’s Magazine” at Christmas 1889. The article had such an impact that Riis was commissioned to expand it into a book, which was published the following year.

9. Big espresso purveyor since 2001 : MCCAFE

McCafé is a chain of coffeehouses owned by McDonald’s. The first McCafé was opened by a McDonald’s franchisee in Australia, after which the company took the concept worldwide. McCafé is the most successful coffee shop brand in Australia and New Zealand.

13. Trademarked repellent : DEET

DEET is short for N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide, an active ingredient in insect repellents. DEET is most often used to repel mosquitoes by applying it to the skin and/or clothing. It is also used to protect against tick bites.

15. Pirate-fighting org. : RIAA

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) represents music distributors. It is the RIAA that certifies records that have gone gold and platinum i.e. reached fixed sales thresholds. It’s also the RIAA that goes after individuals who share music illegally online.

21. They can swing left or right : PURPLE STATES

On political maps, red states are usually Republican and blue states usually Democrat. The designation of red and blue states is a very recent concept, only introduced in the 2000 presidential election by TV journalist, the late Tim Russert. In retrospect, the choice of colors is surprising, as in other democracies around the world red is usually used to describe left-leaning socialist parties (the reds under the bed!), and blue is used for conservative right-wing parties. In election cycles, swing/battleground states are often depicted in purple.

28. Consommé server : LADLE

A consommé is a clear soup made from a clarified stock. Egg whites are used in the clarification process, to remove fat and any sediment.

29. Fantasy sports site : DRAFTKINGS

DraftKings and FanDuel are companies offering fantasy sports games and leagues.

35. Writer on the history of Rome : LIVY

Titus Livius (aka “Livy”) was a Roman historian who lived from 59 BC to AD 17. Livy wrote the definitive history of Rome at that time.

44. Senescence : OLD AGE

Something or someone described as senescent is aging, growing old. The term comes from the Latin “senex” meaning “old”.

49. Beyond stuffy : ANAL

The use of the word “anal” to mean “stiffly conventional” is an abbreviated form of “anal-retentive”, a term derived from Freudian psychology. Regardless, I’m not a big fan of the term …

50. Longest book in the New Testament : LUKE

The Gospel According to Luke is the longest of the four Gospels in the Bible. Some well-known stories are unique to Luke, and do not appear in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark nor John. A couple of examples would be “The Prodigal Son” and “The Good Samaritan”. It is believed that the author of the Gospel of Luke was the same person who wrote “Acts of the Apostles”.

53. Brit discussing American politics : HUME

The TV journalist Brit Hume’s full name is Alexander Britton Hume. He makes a lot of appearances on the Fox News Channel.

54. Algerian city where Camus’s “The Plague” is set : ORAN

Oran lies on the Algerian coast, and is famous for being the port where the French Navy was largely destroyed by the British during WWII in order to avoid the French vessels falling into the hands of Nazi Germany after France surrendered. This decisive and unexpected unilateral action by the British sent a very strong message around the world that Britain was willing to fight alone against the axis powers if necessary.

“The Plague” is a novel by Albert Camus, first published in 1947. It is set in the Algerian port of Oran during a terrible plague.

59. Record : LOG

The word “logbook” dates back to the days when the captain of a ship kept a daily record of the vessel’s speed, progress etc. using a “log”. A log was a wooden float on a knotted line that was dropped overboard to measure speed through the water.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Something to keep a watch on : WRIST
6. Veal or chicken dish, for short : PARM
10. Hard-core : AVID
14. Like much of Shakespeare’s and Sappho’s love poetry : HOMOEROTIC
16. Show of hands? : TIME
17. Utopian : IDEALISTIC
18. Actress Sedgwick in Warhol films : EDIE
19. Fall back : RETREAT
20. Wise : SAPIENT
22. What drivers try not to go over : PAR
23. Guest’s sleeping spot, maybe : FUTON
24. Peter or Paul, but not Mary : TSAR
27. Wood used to make electric guitars : ALDER
30. Hunk : GOB
32. Sine, cosine or tangent : RATIO
33. What Christine is in the book “Christine” : CAR
34. Medal, e.g. : PLACE
36. Take heat from? : UNARM
37. Polish-language film that won a 2014 Oscar : IDA
38. Margarita garnishes : LIMES
39. Ailment spreadable through kissing : STREP
40. TV character with a rippled snout : ALF
41. Facebook calendar addition : EVENT
42. Facebook photo addition : TAG
43. Ready for renting : TO LET
45. Part of CBS: Abbr. : SYST
46. Boutonniere’s spot : LAPEL
48. “2 Broke Girls” actress Dennings : KAT
50. Cold-blooded sorts : LIZARDS
52. Behind the eight ball : IN A HOLE
57. Action film weapons : UZIS
58. Lacking hormones, say : ALL-NATURAL
60. King Lear’s loyal servant : KENT
61. Service with a Street View option : GOOGLE MAPS
62. Lip : EDGE
63. They’re of little use unless they’re cracked : EGGS
64. Horse ___ : SENSE

Down

1. Fan sound : WHIR
2. Heckled : RODE
3. “___ her in a club down in old Soho” (opening lyric of “Lola”) : I MET
4. Not just increase : SOAR
5. Orator’s aid : TELEPROMPTER
6. Like a society in which people are said to be colorblind : POST-RACIAL
7. Many a role on TV’s “Suits”: Abbr. : ATT
8. Pioneering photojournalist Jacob : RIIS
9. Big espresso purveyor since 2001 : MCCAFE
10. Wiped out : ATE IT
11. Subject of some parental restrictions : VIDEO GAMES
12. “Hey, don’t look at me!” : I’M INNOCENT!
13. Trademarked repellent : DEET
15. Pirate-fighting org. : RIAA
21. They can swing left or right : PURPLE STATES
24. Dangled a carrot in front of : TANTALIZED
25. Some late-night viewing : STARGAZING
26. Suffix for the 1% : -AIRE
28. Consommé server : LADLE
29. Fantasy sports site : DRAFTKINGS
31. Sunday ___ : BEST
32. Lack of practice, metaphorically : RUST
35. Writer on the history of Rome : LIVY
44. Senescence : OLD AGE
47. Ctrl+V command : PASTE
49. Beyond stuffy : ANAL
50. Longest book in the New Testament : LUKE
51. Tough going : SLOG
53. Brit discussing American politics : HUME
54. Algerian city where Camus’s “The Plague” is set : ORAN
55. Passes, in a way : LAPS
56. Something ___ : ELSE
59. Record : LOG

12 thoughts on “0622-18 NY Times Crossword Answers 22 Jun 2018, Friday”

  1. 19:06, no errors. For some reason, I struggled with this one (maybe because I was packing for a trip … yeah, that was the reason … 😜).

    I hope everyone appreciates the fact that I have restrained myself from observing that the TSA gets really out of sorts with you when you’re packing for a trip … 😳 … 😜 … 😄

  2. 14:53 No real problems with this one. Last week my times got faster from Thursday to Saturday. This week my times are Wed.- 16:21, Thur.- 15:12 and now today in under 15. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.

  3. 32:43. A pretty standard Friday time for me. I had issues in every corner getting started – particularly in the NE – but once I got a foothold the grid fell into place…until the next section.

    I didn’t even know McCafe was its own entity. I thought it was just coffee at a McDonalds. Where have I been? I don’t ever remember seeing one. They have their own shops like a Starbucks?

    Best –

  4. Bill:
    Your explanation for 3D is incorrect {“…her in a club down in old Soho”(opening lyric of “Lola”)}…That’s the Kinks’ song, LOLA.

    “I met her in a club down in old Soho
    Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like cherry cola
    C-O-L-A cola….”

    1. @PIX
      Thanks for catching that error. I’ll mark that one down to more haste, less speed and too much Irish cheer 🙂 All fixed now.

  5. 27:04, no errors. Enjoyable challenge for me today. Had a particularly difficult time with the upper right section. Trying to fit some sort of “TIMES” into 11D, rather than GAMES. Also, I’M INDECENT fit into 12D in place of I’M INNOCENT. 23A fit FOYER and FLOOR, before FUTON.

    I’d also take issue with ALL NATURAL as being synonymous with ‘Hormone free’. Although hormones can be synthesized, most hormones are natural; and the term ‘all natural’ has no legal definition in the U.S. So (in the U.S. at least) ‘all natural’ products can contain hormones.

  6. 28 mins 38 seconds, and no errors. A 51D and a titanic struggle to finish this, I found myself 52A at several junctures. But I wouldn’t 19A, and in the end it all made 64A. Nice, stiff Friday challenge.

    How anyone could navigate this one in 7:41… wow. Hats off.

  7. Lots of proper nouns, and what did it come down to? The R in CAR and the F in ALF in order to get DRAFT KINGS. And those two letters were my undoing.

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