0628-18 NY Times Crossword Answers 28 Jun 2018, Thursday

Constructed by: Jeff Chen
Edited by: Will Shortz

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Today’s Reveal Answer: Enter

Themed answer are in the across-direction, and in two parts. After the first part, we hit “ENTER” and continue on the line below. The word “ENTER” makes up the middle of the complete answer:

  • 37A. Key that moves the cursor to the next line … or a hint to answering five clues in this puzzle : ENTER
  • 1A. Assume a leading role : TAKE CENTER STAGE
  • 15A. Insects that nest in deadwood : CARPENTER ANTS
  • 32A. In sci-fi, it had the registry number NCC-1701 : USS ENTERPRISE
  • 49A. Classic Scott Joplin rag : THE ENTERTAINER
  • 65A. “Fowl”-tasting Japanese dish : CHICKEN TERIYAKI

Bill’s time: 12m 16s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

6. Jackson 5 coifs, informally : FROS

The Jackson 5 singing group was originally made up of brothers Tito, Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael. The four eldest brothers continued to perform, using the name “The Jacksons”, after Michael went solo.

10. ___ lepton (subatomic particle) : TAU

Leptons are subatomic particles, of which there are two major classes. There are charged leptons, and neutral leptons. The most common charged leptons are electrons. Neutral leptons are also known as “neutrinos”.

15. Insects that nest in deadwood : CARPENTER ANTS

Carpenter ants can wreak havoc in a wooden structure. They burrow into damp wood creating galleries and pathways that form a complex network of nests. Unlike termites though, carpenter ants don’t feed on the wood.

16. Jordanian tourist site : PETRA

The archaeological city of Petra in Jordan sounds like a fabulous sight, and is known for its beautiful buildings that have been carved out of the natural rock. Petra is Jordan’s most visited tourist attraction.

17. Logician’s “E” : ERAT

The initialism “QED” is used at the end of a mathematical proof or a philosophical argument. QED stands for the Latin “quod erat demonstrandum” meaning “that which was to be demonstrated”.

19. Big name in cosmetics : ESTEE

Estée Lauder was a very successful businesswoman, and someone with a great reputation as a salesperson. Lauder introduced her own line of fragrances in 1953, a bath oil called “Youth Dew”. “Youth Dew” was marketed as a perfume, but it was added to bathwater. All of a sudden women were pouring whole bottles of Ms. Lauder’s “perfume” into their baths while using only a drop or two of French perfumes behind their ears. That’s quite a difference in sales volume …

21. Wheat whacker : SCYTHE

I guess there are several designs of scythe, e.g. English scythes and Austrian scythes. The two main components of any scythe are the blade and the handle known as a snaith.

26. Professional who’s often busy in Q2 : CPA

Certified public accountant (CPA)

28. Collectors of DNA : CSIS

Crime scene investigator (CSI)

29. Met people : OPERA STARS

The Metropolitan Opera (often simply “the Met”) of New York City is the largest classical music organization in the country, presenting about 220 performances each and every year. Founded in 1880, the Met is renowned for using technology to expand its audiences. Performances have been broadcast live on radio since 1931, and on television since 1977. And since 2006 you can go see a live performance from New York in high definition on the big screen, at a movie theater near you …

32. In sci-fi, it had the registry number NCC-1701 : USS ENTERPRISE

The USS Enterprise is a starship in the “Star Trek” universe (pun!). There have been several generations of starship with the name Enterprise, starting with the vessel numbered NCC-1701, which appeared in the original TV series. My favorite “Star Trek” series is “Next Generation”, which features USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D.

33. Short dagger : STILETTO

The stiletto knife was developed in Italy, and is a knife intended for thrusting and stabbing as opposed to slashing and cutting. The term “stiletto” comes from the Latin “stilus”, which was a thin pointed writing instrument used in Ancient Rome to engrave wax or clay tablets. And, there are also stiletto heels on some women’s shoes, heels that are long and thin.

41. Whom mentors mentor : TRAINEES

A mentor is a trusted teacher or counselor. The term comes Homer’s “Odyssey” in which there is a character called Mentor. Mentor is a friend of Odysseus, although he is a relatively ineffective old man. However, the goddess Athena takes on Mentor’s appearance in order to guide Odysseus’s young son Telemachus through difficult times.

44. One of the 12 tributes in “The Hunger Games” : RUE

“The Hunger Games” is a 2008 novel by Suzanne Collins, and the first in a trilogy of titles that also includes “Catching Fire” (2009) and “Mockingjay” (2010). “The Hunger Games” was adapted into a very successful movie released in 2012, with the sequels following soon after. Amazon.com reports more sales of “The Hunger Games” series books than even the “Harry Potter” series.

45. Pheromone, notably : ATTRACTANT

A pheromone is a chemical secreted by an animal that triggers a social response of some sort in members of the same species. Sex pheromones are usually released by females, indicating availability for breeding. Trail pheromones are laid down to guide others from a nest to food. Territorial pheromones are used to mark the boundaries of an animal’s territory.

48. Real know-it-all? : SIRI

Siri is a software application that works with Apple’s iOS operating system. “Siri” is an acronym standing for Speech Interpretation and Recognition Interface. Voice-over artist Susan Bennett revealed herself as the female American voice of Siri a few years ago. The British version of Siri is called Daniel, and the Australian version is called Karen. Also, “Siri” is a Norwegian name meaning “beautiful woman who leads you to victory”, and was the name the developer had chosen for his first child.

49. Classic Scott Joplin rag : THE ENTERTAINER

Ragtime music was at the height of it popularity in the early 1900s. It takes its name from its characteristic “ragged” rhythms. The most famous ragtime composer was Scott Joplin, who had a big hit with his “Maple Leaf Rag” when it was published in 1899. He followed that up with a string of hits, including the “Pine Apple Rag” (sic). Ragtime fell out of favor about 1917 when the public turned to jazz. It had a resurgence in the forties when jazz musicians started to include ragtime tunes in their repertoires. But it was the 1973 movie “The Sting” that brought the true revival, as the hit soundtrack included numerous ragtime tunes by Scott Joplin, including the celebrated “The Entertainer” originally published in 1902.

50. They might be linked by LANs : PCS

Local Area Network (LAN)

51. Literally, “big wind” : TYPHOON

The term “typhoon” may come from the Cantonese “tai fung”, which translates as “a great wind”.

55. Actress Anouk of “La Dolce Vita” : AIMEE

Anouk Aimée is a French film actress. Aimée’s most famous film outside of France is probably the internationally successful 1966 French hit “A Man and a Woman”, in which she played the female lead.

The title of the celebrated 1960 Federico Fellini film “La Dolce Vita” translates from Italian as “The Good Life”. There is a character in the film called Paparazzo who is a news photographer. It is this character who gives us our word “Paparazzi”, a term used for photographers who make careers out of taking candid shots of celebrities.

56. Teri Garr’s role in “Young Frankenstein” : INGA

I am not really a big fan of movies by Mel Brooks, but “Young Frankenstein” is the exception. I think the cast has a lot to do with me liking the film, as it includes Gene Wilder (Dr. Frankenstein), Teri Garr (Inga), Marty Feldman (Igor) and Gene Hackman (Harold, the blind man).

57. ___ 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 so 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.

64. Indigo dye source : ANIL

“Anil” is another name for the indigo plant, as well as the name for the blue indigo dye that is obtained from it. The color of anil is relatively close to navy blue. The main coloring agent in indigo dye is a crystalline powder called indigotin.

65. “Fowl”-tasting Japanese dish : CHICKEN TERIYAKI

Teriyaki is a Japanese technique of cooking in which the foods are grilled in a sweet soy sauce marinade. The marinade may or may not include ginger.

66. Scammer’s ID target : SSN

Social Security number (SSN)

Down

1. Shortening in the kitchen? : TSP

Teaspoon (tsp.)

3. Actress Dennings of “2 Broke Girls” : 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.

4. “Great” birds : EGRETS

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.

5. Order in a lawyer’s letter : CEASE

… and desist.

6. Bohemian sorts : FREE SPIRITS

The region known as Bohemia covers most of the Czech Republic. Centuries ago, it was wrongly believed that gypsies came from Bohemia, giving rise to the term “Bohemian” meaning a “gypsy of society”.

8. Ones going down the tubes? : OVA

The Fallopian tubes leading from the ovaries of female mammals in the uterus. The tubes are named for the 16th-century Italian anatomist Gabriello Fallopio, who was the first to describe them.

10. Some Hindu meditative exercises : TANTRA

Tantrism (sometimes “Tantra”) is a relatively recent class of religious ritual and meditation that has its roots in 5th century India. The tantras are sometimes considered as advanced teachings that extend the basic tenets of several Indian religions including Buddhism and Hinduism.

11. Last U.S. president who never had a vice president : ARTHUR

Chester Alan Arthur (CAA) was the 21st President of the US, and came to power after the assassination of James Garfield in 1881. President Arthur was known to be socially adept, and was very conscious of his role in society. He was always immaculately attired, apparently even changing his pants several times in a day. He was called “Chet” by family and friends, and sometimes answered to his middle name, Alan. However, he insisted that Alan be pronounced with the stress on the second syllable, Al-an.

President Chester Alan Arthur (CAA) came to power after the assassination of James Garfield in 1881. After Arthur was promoted to president, the office of vice president was left unfilled. The need to replace to the vice president was not called out in the US Constitution until the adoption of the 25th Amendment in 1967. Arthur was the last US president to serve without a vice president.

15. Small, low island : CAY

A “key” (also “cay”) is a low offshore island, as in the Florida Keys. Our term in English comes from the Spanish “cayo” meaning “shoal, reef”.

22. Workers and soldiers : CASTES

Many creatures organize themselves into a social structure, a phenomenon known as “eusociality”. Examples of such creatures would be ants, bees and wasps, where there are queens, workers and soldiers. The groups within such a hierarchical structure are known as castes. The word “caste” was borrowed from the class divisions in Indian society (although the word “caste” and hierarchical concept was actually introduced by the Portuguese).

23. Victoria’s Secret specification : D-CUP

Victoria’s Secret was founded in 1977 in San Francisco, California. The founder wanted to create an environment where men were comfortable buying lingerie for their wives or girlfriends, an alternative to a department store.

24. Country in a Beatles title : USSR

By the time the Beatles recorded “Back in the U.S.S.R”, they were having a lot of problems working with each other. The song was recorded in 1968, with the band formally dissolving in 1970. Tensions were so great during the recording of “Back in the U.S.S.R” that Ringo Starr actually stormed out saying that he had quit, and the remaining three Beatles made the record without Ringo. Drums were played mainly by Paul McCartney, but there are also drum tracks on the final cut by both George Harrison and John Lennon. Interesting, huh?

25. Assent in Andalusia : SI SI

Andalusia (“Andalucía” in Spanish) is one of the seventeen autonomous communities in the Kingdom of Spain, and is the most southerly. The capital of Andalusia is the old city of Seville. The name Andalusia comes from its Arabic name, Al-Andalus, reflecting the region’s history as the center of Muslim power in Iberia during medieval times.

26. Bona fides : CREDENTIALS

“Bona fide(s)” translates from the Latin as “in good faith”, and is used to indicate honest intentions. It can also mean that something is authentic, like a piece of art that is represented in good faith as being genuine.

30. First name on the Supreme Court : ELENA

Elena Kagan was the Solicitor General of the United States from 2009 until 2010, when she replaced Justice John Paul Stevens on the US Supreme Court. That made Justice Kagan the first female US Solicitor General and the fourth female US Supreme Court justice. Kagan also served as the first female dean of Harvard Law School from 2003 to 2009.

31. Style: Fr. : TON

“Ton” is a French word meaning “manners, style, tone”.

33. Wear seen in “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” : SERAPE

“Serape” is the English pronunciation and spelling of the Spanish word “zarape”. A zarape is like a Mexican poncho, a soft woolen blanket with a hole in the middle for the head. Most serapes have colorful designs that use traditional Mayan motifs.

38. Alvin and the Chipmunks, e.g. : TRIO

Alvin and the Chipmunks is a cartoon musical group that was created for the recording of a novelty song in 1958 called “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)”. The three Chipmunks (Alvin, Simon and Theodore) were all voiced by singer Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. but with a speedy playback to create high-pitched voices.

39. Bread common to many countries : EURO

The eurozone (also “euro area”) is a monetary and economic union within the European Union that uses the euro as a shared legal tender and sole currency.

43. Part of a dict. entry : ETYM

Etymology (etym.)’

45. Chest protectors? : ATTICS

An attic or loft is a room or space located below the roof of a building. The term “attic” is a shortened form of “attic story”, the uppermost story or level of a house. This term “attic story” originally applied to a low, decorative level built on top of the uppermost story behind a building’s decorative facade. This use of decoration at the top of buildings was common in ancient Greece, and was particularly important in the Attica style. That Attica style was so called because it originated in the historical region of Attica that encompassed the city of Athens. And that’s how our attics are linked to ancient Greece.

46. Macbeth and Macduff : THANES

Thanes were Scottish aristocrats. The most famous thanes have to be the Shakespearean characters Macbeth (the Thane of Glamis, later Thane of Cawdor, and still later King of Scotland) and MacDuff (the Thane of Fife). Other thanes in “Macbeth” are Ross, Lennox and Angus, as well as Menteith and Caithness.

52. Joe of Hollywood : PESCI

Joe Pesci got his big break in movies with a supporting role in “Raging Bull” starring Robert De Niro, earning Pesci an Oscar nomination early in his career. There followed a string of gangster roles played alongside De Niro, namely “Once Upon a Time in America”, “Goodfellas” and “Casino”. But I like Pesci’s comedic acting best of all. He was marvelous in the “Home Alone” films, the “Lethal Weapon” series, and my personal favorite, “My Cousin Vinny”. Pesci gets a mention in the stage musical “Jersey Boys”, which isn’t too surprising as he is one of the show’s producers.

54. Hip-hop artist with the #1 album “Hip Hop Is Dead” : NAS

Rapper Nas used to go by an earlier stage name “Nasty Nas”, and before that by his real name “Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones”. Nas released his first album “Illmatic” in 1994, and inventively titled his fifth studio album “Stillmatic”, released in 2001. Not my cup of tea, I would say …

55. Sales caveat : AS IS

A caveat is a warning or a qualification. “Caveat” is the Latin for “let him beware”.

58. Messenger molecule : RNA

Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) is an essential catalyst in the manufacture of proteins in the body. The genetic code in DNA determines the sequence of amino acids that make up each protein. That sequence is read in DNA by messenger RNA, and amino acids are delivered for protein manufacture in the correct sequence by what is called transfer RNA. The amino acids are then formed into proteins by ribosomal RNA.

60. G.I. classification : MIA

Missing in action (MIA)

The initials “GI” stand for “Government Issue”, and not “General Infantry” as is widely believed. “GI” was first used in the military to denote equipment made from Galvanized Iron and during WWI, incoming German shells were nicknamed “GI cans”. Soon after, the term GI came to be associated with “Government Issue” and eventually became an adjective to describe anything associated with the Army.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Assume a leading role : TAKE CENTER STAGE
6. Jackson 5 coifs, informally : FROS
10. ___ lepton (subatomic particle) : TAU
14. Hindu sun god : RAVI
15. Insects that nest in deadwood : CARPENTER ANTS
16. Jordanian tourist site : PETRA
17. Logician’s “E” : ERAT
19. Big name in cosmetics : ESTEE
21. Wheat whacker : SCYTHE
23. Cleaning tools : DUSTERS
26. Professional who’s often busy in Q2 : CPA
27. Cause of some spinning wheels : RUT
28. Collectors of DNA : CSIS
29. Met people : OPERA STARS
32. In sci-fi, it had the registry number NCC-1701 : USS ENTERPRISE
33. Short dagger : STILETTO
36. Like almost all of Turkey’s flag : RED
37. Key that moves the cursor to the next line … or a hint to answering five clues in this puzzle : ENTER
41. Whom mentors mentor : TRAINEES
44. One of the 12 tributes in “The Hunger Games” : RUE
45. Pheromone, notably : ATTRACTANT
48. Real know-it-all? : SIRI
49. Classic Scott Joplin rag : THE ENTERTAINER
50. They might be linked by LANs : PCS
51. Literally, “big wind” : TYPHOON
55. Actress Anouk of “La Dolce Vita” : AIMEE
56. Teri Garr’s role in “Young Frankenstein” : INGA
57. ___ Minor : URSA
59. Four people might compete in them : SEMIS
63. Fair grades : CEES
64. Indigo dye source : ANIL
65. “Fowl”-tasting Japanese dish : CHICKEN TERIYAKI
66. Scammer’s ID target : SSN
67. Highland youth : LASS

Down

1. Shortening in the kitchen? : TSP
2. Downed : ATE
3. Actress Dennings of “2 Broke Girls” : KAT
4. “Great” birds : EGRETS
5. Order in a lawyer’s letter : CEASE
6. Bohemian sorts : FREE SPIRITS
7. Scarce : RARE
8. Ones going down the tubes? : OVA
9. Holds : SITS PAT
10. Some Hindu meditative exercises : TANTRA
11. Last U.S. president who never had a vice president : ARTHUR
12. Some big sports stories : UPSETS
15. Small, low island : CAY
20. Home run ___ (baseball highlight) : TROT
22. Workers and soldiers : CASTES
23. Victoria’s Secret specification : D-CUP
24. Country in a Beatles title : USSR
25. Assent in Andalusia : SI SI
26. Bona fides : CREDENTIALS
30. First name on the Supreme Court : ELENA
31. Style: Fr. : TON
33. Wear seen in “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” : SERAPE
35. Symphony section: Abbr. : STR
38. Alvin and the Chipmunks, e.g. : TRIO
39. Bread common to many countries : EURO
40. Pull (in) : REIN
42. Building of interest, maybe : ACCRUAL
43. Part of a dict. entry : ETYM
45. Chest protectors? : ATTICS
46. Macbeth and Macduff : THANES
47. Model Chrissy : TEIGEN
48. Author Gail with biographies of Hillary Clinton and Mikhail Gorbachev : SHEEHY
52. Joe of Hollywood : PESCI
54. Hip-hop artist with the #1 album “Hip Hop Is Dead” : NAS
55. Sales caveat : AS IS
58. Messenger molecule : RNA
60. G.I. classification : MIA
61. ___ factor : ICK
62. Compete in slopestyle, say : SKI

14 thoughts on “0628-18 NY Times Crossword Answers 28 Jun 2018, Thursday”

    1. @Anonymous … Whoever you are, please read Bill’s FAQ (reached by clicking on the little icon in the upper right corner all the way at the top of this page), where he explains exactly how he solves the puzzle.

      I suppose it’s possible that your occasional comments are meant as a kind of compliment to Bill (an expression of awe at his solving prowess), but they instead come across as cowardly and mean-spirited.

  1. 20:07 I knew something fishy was going on right away but wasn’t sure what it was until I got to 32A. I knew the answer and that it was longer than three letters. I still got hung up a bit on the right side of the grid, especially in the bottom corner. Interesting and creative puzzle.

  2. 23:03, no errors. It took me a long time to understand the gimmick, after which things settled down, but it still took some time to verify that all the theme answers made sense and that I had fixed all the missteps that I had made along the way. Good puzzle.

  3. @Dale Stewart
    I just saw your response to me on Tuesday. Actually, I get the papers from someone twice a week, so I usually do these NYT puzzles after you – sometimes days. Since I often see things days after syndication time, I have to figure out how to post sometimes so I know people will actually see things. Hopefully the Puzzle Society suggestion will turn out to be good to at least get you comfortable with the idea of those grids.

  4. 27:06, no errors. A lot of the current cultural references were out of my strike zone, having never watched the Hunger Games, any CSI or 2 Broke Girls. Fortunately, for me, 54D NAS was filled by crosses without my having to even read the clue. Additional challenge was the inconsistency with which the theme was applied: suffixed to the upper entry the first 2 times; prefixed to the lower entry the next 2 times; split between the upper and lower entries the 5th time. All in all, it was a good challenge to my abilities.

  5. Dave — agree with your comment to Anonymous.

    Bill — snaith! Aka snath! What a lovely word; never heard. Thank you.

  6. A “wheat whacker” is better described as a “flail” whereas a “scythe” is a wheat cutter…used for cutting stalks of wheat to be put into bundles for drying and prior to threshing or “whacking”.

  7. 26 minutes on the dot before I gave up on this over-engineered overly “cute” pile of poo. 8 answers I couldn’t fill or “make fit” with this forced gag.

  8. Too complicated for me. And I’m allegedly smart. (I allege it all the time.) DNF at 7:45 pm. Bah humbug.

  9. If TANTRA is plural… could TANTRUM be the singular form of the Hindu exercise? If so – my two-year-old grandson is a yogi master!

  10. Canary Islands (Islas Canarias) is actually the most southerly of the seventeen autonomous communities in Spain. The islands are down off the west coast of Africa. They are geographically part of Africa though politically part of Spain. I lived a year in Andalucía and a year in the Canaries. They are both fantastic.

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