0606-20 NY Times Crossword 6 Jun 20, Saturday

Constructed by: Doug Peterson
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: None

… a complete list of answers

Bill’s time: 23m 53s

Bill’s errors: 2

  • N’DJAMENA (N’Djayena)
  • MEH (yeh)

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Capital of Chad : N’DJAMENA

The landlocked African country called Chad takes its name from the second largest wetland on the continent, which is known as Lake Chad.

17 Folklore character whose stockings are tied with eyelashes : TOM THUMB

The story “Tom Thumb” was originally published way back in 1621, making it the first fairy tale ever printed in English. The title character is a boy who is no bigger than his father’s thumb, hence his name.

18 Course coup : BIRDIE

The following terms are routinely used in golf for scores relative to par:

  • Bogey: one over par
  • Par
  • Birdie: one under par
  • Eagle: two under par
  • Albatross (also “double eagle”): three under par
  • Condor: four under par

No one has ever recorded a condor during a professional tournament.

19 Some indie releases : EPS

An extended-play (EP) record, CD or download contains more music than a single, but less than an LP.

23 ’70s sitcom title role : FRED SANFORD

“Sanford and Son” is an American version of a celebrated hit BBC sitcom that I grew up with in Ireland, called “Steptoe and Son”.

29 Perp’s mark, in cop slang : VIC

In cop-speak, a “perp” (perpetrator) might prey on a “vic” (victim).

33 Language introduced in 1995 : JAVA

Java is a programming language that was developed by Sun Microsystems. Java was originally designed for interactive television, but it didn’t fit the needs at the time. Back then, the language was called Oak, named after an oak tree that stood outside the designer’s office. Later it was called Green, and finally named Java, which was simply picked out of a list of random words.

37 ___ jazz : ACID

The musical genre known as “acid jazz” is also called “club jazz”. The genre originated in London clubs in the 1980s.

39 Lane on the eastern boundary of Covent Garden : DRURY

Covent Garden in London’s West End is associated with the Royal Opera House that is located in the area, and with the former fruit and vegetable market that used to sit right at the center of the district. The name “Covent Garden” comes from the fact that there once was a walled garden in the area owned by the Benedictine Monks of the Abbey of St. Peter in Westminster. The abbey rented out the walled garden calling it “Convent Garden”, and this morphed into the area’s current name.

41 Baseboard fastener : BRAD

A brad is a slender wire nail with a relatively small head that is typically used to tack pieces of wood together, i.e. to fasten either temporarily or with minimal damage to the wood. Nowadays, brads are commonly applied using a nail gun.

43 Tony soprano? : MARIA CALLAS

Although Maria Callas was born in New York City, she was educated in music in Greece, and launched her career in Italy. Her marvelous performances earned her the nickname “La Davina”, and she was described by Leonard Bernstein as “the Bible of opera …”

56 Brie ___, star of 2019’s “Captain Marvel” : LARSON

I mainly recognize actress Brie Larson from playing the daughter of Toni Collete’’s character on the excellent TV show “United States of Tara”. Larson is from Sacramento, and trained at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, where she was the youngest person ever admitted.

“Captain Marvel” is a superhero movie released in 2019. It was the first film in the Marvel franchise of films to feature a female lead. The title character, Carol Davers (aka “Captain Marvel”) is played by Brie Larson.

59 Stand with dogs, say : SNACK BAR

A hot dog is a sausage served in a split roll. The term “hot dog” dates back to the 19th-century and is thought to reflect a commonly-held opinion that the sausages contained dog meat.

Down

3 Undirected sessions : JAMS

The use of “jam”, meaning an improvised passage performed by a whole jazz band, dates back to the late twenties. This gave rise to “jam session”, a term used a few years later. The use of “jam” in this context probably stems from the meaning of “jam” as something sweet, something excellent.

8 Leopards and anacondas, e.g. : AMBUSH PREDATORS

The four “big cats” are the tiger, lion, jaguar and leopard. The largest of the big cats is the tiger, and the smallest is the leopard.

Anacondas are native to the tropical regions of South America. The green anaconda is one of the world’s largest snakes, growing to 17 feet long and weighing up to 550 pounds! Anacondas are not venomous, and prefer to kill their prey by coiling around it and then squeeeeeezing …

9 HQ with runways : AFB

Air Force Base (AFB)

21 Browns, perhaps : SAUTES

“Sauté” is a French word. The literal translation from the French is “jumped” or “bounced”, a reference to the tossing of food while cooking it in a frying pan.

30 Suffragist Elizabeth ___ Stanton : CADY

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the earliest leaders of the women’s rights and women’s suffrage movements in the United States. Notably, she opposed the extension of voting rights to African American men (the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments), even though she was an outspoken abolitionist. She believed that increasing the number of male voters in the country would just make it harder for women to get the vote.

31 Tom Wolfe’s “___ in Full” : A MAN

American author Tom Wolfe started his career as a journalist, and was very much at the center of the New Journalism literary movement of the sixties and seventies. His first book of note was “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test” that tells the story of Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters. Wolfe also wrote “The Right Stuff” about the post-war test pilots and the Project Mercury astronauts.

32 State bordering the Pacific : OAXACA

Oaxaca is a state in the southern part of Mexico on the Pacific coast. The state takes the name of Oaxaca, its largest city.

33 Banned outdoor game : JARTS

Jarts is a brand of lawn darts.

Lawn darts is a game played on lawns in which participants toss large darts towards horizontal targets laid out on the grass. After many injuries, and several deaths, lawn darts were banned in the US and Canada. A modified version of lawn darts that uses projectiles with blunt tips can now be purchased in the US.

35 Shepard who wrote “Pretty Little Liars” : SARA

“Pretty Little Liars” is a mystery drama TV series aimed at teens. It is based on a series of novels penned by Sara Shepard.

36 Novelist O’Brien : EDNA

Edna O’Brien is an Irish novelist and playwright who is known for her works that shine a light on the problems of women relating to men and society in general. O’Brien’s first novel, “The Country Girls”, was banned, burned and denounced by the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland. As a result, O’Brien left the country and now lives in London.

42 Source of fine wool : ALPACA

Alpacas are like small llamas, but unlike llamas were never beasts of burden. Alpacas were bred specifically for the fleece. As such, there are no known wild alpacas these days, even in their native Peru.

45 “___ You” (1975 Minnie Riperton hit) : LOVIN’

Minnie Riperton was a singer best known for the fabulous 1975 hit “Lovin’ You”. Minnie’s daughter is comic actress Maya Rudolph.

46 Presidential dog of the 1940s : FALA

Fala was the famous Scottish Terrier that was ever present at the side of President Franklin D. Roosevelt for many years. The terrier was a Christmas gift to the president from his cousin, who had named the dog Big Boy while she trained him as a puppy. President Roosevelt renamed him after an ancestor of his from Falahill in Scotland, so the dog’s full name was Murray the Outlaw of Falahill. Fala lived on for several years after the president’s passing. I’ve had the privilege of visiting the gravesites of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt in Hyde Park, New York, and Fala is buried just a few feet away from his master.

48 Ancient Dead Sea kingdom : MOAB

In the Bible, Moab was the first son of Lot, and the founder of the Kingdom of Moab. Moab was located on a plateau above the Dead Sea.

The Middle East’s Dead Sea lies more than 1,400 feet below sea level, making it the lowest point on the Earth’s landmass. It is also one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world, with a salt content that is almost ten times that of most oceans.

49 Pop star with top 40 hits in the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s and ’80s : ANKA

Canadian-born Paul Anka’s big hit was in 1957, the song entitled “Diana”. Anka was the subject of a much-lauded documentary film in 1962 called “Lonely Boy”.

50 Scene of W.W. I fighting : YSER

The Yser is a river that originates in northern France and flows through Belgium into the North Sea. The Yser is often associated with WWI as it figured in a major battle early in the conflict. In the first three months of the war, the German Army pushed almost completely through Belgium, inflicting heavy losses on the Belgian Army as the defenders were forced to fight a fast-moving rearguard action. The Germans were intent on pushing right through Belgium and across France in a “race to the sea”. But the Belgians, with the help of their Allies, decided to make a final stand at the Yser Canal in an effort to prevent the Germans reaching the French ports of Calais and Dunkirk. The 22-mile long defensive line was chosen at the Yser because the river and canal system could be flooded to create a barrier that might be defended. The plan was successful and the front was “stabilized”. As we now know, millions of lives were lost over the coming years with very little movement of that battle line.

52 Fighter in the fictional Battle of Isengard : ENT

Ents are tree-like creatures that live in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth in his series of books “The Lord of the Rings”. “Ent” is an Old English word for “giant”.

54 Shamus : TEC

“Shamus” is a slang term describing a policeman or a private investigator. The experts don’t seem so sure, but there is no doubt in my mind that the term derives from the Irish name “Séamus” (“James” in English). In days past, the stereotypical cop hailed from the Auld Sod.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Capital of Chad : N’DJAMENA
9 Charge : ACCUSE
15 Face-to-face challenge : ORAL EXAM
16 Yes-man : FLUNKY
17 Folklore character whose stockings are tied with eyelashes : TOM THUMB
18 Course coup : BIRDIE
19 Some indie releases : EPS
20 ___ Ex (video game franchise) : DEUS
22 Devotee : FIEND
23 ’70s sitcom title role : FRED SANFORD
26 Bar assembly : SALAD
28 Ruby and sapphire : HUES
29 Perp’s mark, in cop slang : VIC
31 110%, perhaps : A-PLUS
32 Exercises one’s discretion : OPTS
33 Language introduced in 1995 : JAVA
34 “I’ll never tell” : MY LIPS ARE SEALED
37 ___ jazz : ACID
38 Forest swingers : AXES
39 Lane on the eastern boundary of Covent Garden : DRURY
40 Unlikely race favorite : NAG
41 Baseboard fastener : BRAD
42 Kicks in : ANTES
43 Tony soprano? : MARIA CALLAS
46 Paid tribute to : FETED
47 Riding on : ATOP
48 Hedging word : MAY
51 Stir up : AROUSE
53 Hands : OVATIONS
56 Brie ___, star of 2019’s “Captain Marvel” : LARSON
57 Airy treat : RICE CAKE
58 Indicate agreement : ASSENT
59 Stand with dogs, say : SNACK BAR

Down

1 Mark down : NOTE
2 Stop discussing : DROP
3 Undirected sessions : JAMS
4 Music genre prefix : ALT-
5 “Big whoop” : MEH
6 Couldn’t contain : EXUDED
7 Going by : NAMED
8 Leopards and anacondas, e.g. : AMBUSH PREDATORS
9 HQ with runways : AFB
10 Long faces? : CLIFFS
11 Cabinet piece : CURIO
12 Fail to appreciate : UNDERVALUE
13 Key explorers : SKIN DIVERS
14 Viewed : EYED
21 Browns, perhaps : SAUTES
23 Tending to change : FLUID
24 Croak : RASP
25 Sad end? : -NESS
26 They’re planted by plants : SPY CAMERAS
27 Denizens of New York City sewers, per an urban legend : ALLIGATORS
30 Suffragist Elizabeth ___ Stanton : CADY
31 Tom Wolfe’s “___ in Full” : A MAN
32 State bordering the Pacific : OAXACA
33 Banned outdoor game : JARTS
35 Shepard who wrote “Pretty Little Liars” : SARA
36 Novelist O’Brien : EDNA
41 Tries for, in a way : BIDS ON
42 Source of fine wool : ALPACA
44 Adapt, say : REUSE
45 “___ You” (1975 Minnie Riperton hit) : LOVIN’
46 Presidential dog of the 1940s : FALA
48 Ancient Dead Sea kingdom : MOAB
49 Pop star with top 40 hits in the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s and ’80s : ANKA
50 Scene of W.W. I fighting : YSER
52 Fighter in the fictional Battle of Isengard : ENT
54 Shamus : TEC
55 ___ factor : ICK

13 thoughts on “0606-20 NY Times Crossword 6 Jun 20, Saturday”

  1. A difficult puzzle … 30:31 after finding and fixing another of those #&%$ typos that bedevil my online solves.

    (And … my apologies for the strong language in the preceding sentence … 😜.)

  2. 35:30. Better effort than yesterday’s. A lot of dead time in this puzzle – i.e. time just looking for something to fill in. Like most Saturdays once you get a foothold the rest falls much more quickly. That plus a few good guesses helped me. Great cluing in this one.

    I got SNACK BAR but had to look at it again after I finished the puzzle to understand the clue. Stand with dogs? Groaner of the day.

    Thought 10D “Long faces?” was something referring to horses, but I got CLIFFS and might be the groaner of the day runner up.

    Best –

  3. 1:12:20 Well, after Friday brutality, I anticipated trouble on Saturday and it didn’t disappoint… Never heard of, or been to, NDJamena, doubted my down responses due to “NDJ” combination, but forged ahead. “See no value” initially, along with “reef diver”, which both failed. Finally accepted that Course coup had nothing to do with dining or classroom work….I could go on about the NW corner, but I’ll just retire to a “I finished the damn thing” lunch…

  4. Like @Jeff, I had a ton of dead time. I gave up at trying to remember N’Djamena and had to look it up. NE and NW were the last to fall. 36:38 with the one lookup. Hard puzzle for me today!

  5. Spent over an hour and technically a DNF because I had to do 5 lookups. This was a tough one for me. SE corner fell ok but as I worked my way back towards the the NW there was too much outside my wheel house. I really got schooled. A humbling lesson.

  6. Where to start? Nowhere for a while until I picked up a few odds and ends to work off of. Did well until I was left with the north west where I got completely locked up. Frustrating to get so close yet so far.
    Saturday as it should be, I suppose.

  7. DNF after 33 minutes. Had 12D UNDER VALUE; but couldn’t get past 13D REEF DIVERS. NE corner blank, except for those entries.

  8. DNF…after 1:20:00 the entire NE corner was still blank…so far this has been a wasted day.
    Stay safe.

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