0622-20 NY Times Crossword 22 Jun 20, Monday

Constructed by: Sid Sivakumar
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: Escapee

Themed answers each include the letter sequence SKP (sounds like “ESCAPEE”):

  • 39A Fugitive who, phonetically, is “hiding” in certain letters in 17-, 21-, 52- and 61-Across : ESCAPEE (sounds like “SKP”)
  • 17A Lines at the office? : DESKPHONES
  • 21A Willing to accept danger : RISK-PRONE
  • 52A Lowest acceptable offers, in stock market lingo : ASK PRICES
  • 61A President between John Tyler and Zachary Taylor : JAMES K POLK

… a complete list of answers

Bill’s time: 6m 20s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Nothin’ : NADA

“Nada” is the Spanish word for “nothing”. “De nada” translates literally from the Spanish as “of nothing”, and is used to mean “you’re welcome” or “don’t mention it”. The French have the same expression “de rien”, also translating to “of nothing” and used the same way.

5 Hula ___ : HOOP

Wham-O was founded in 1948, with the company’s first product being the Wham-O slingshot. Since then, Wham-O has marketed a string of hit toys including the Hula Hoop, Frisbee, Slip ‘N Slide, Silly String, Hacky Sack and Boogie Board.

20 Sandwich shop : DELI

The word “delicatessen” (or “deli” for short) came into English from the German “Delikatessen”. The Germans borrowed the word from French, in which language “délicatesse” means “delicious things (to eat)”. The term’s ultimate root is “delicatus”, the Latin for “giving pleasure, delightful”.

26 Tidbit from Friskies : CAT TREAT

The Friskies brand is known today as a cat food, although it was first introduced as a dry dog food in 1930.

30 Typical physique for a middle-aged guy : DAD BOD

A “dad bod” is a man’s body that is softly rounded. Well, that’s the description I like to use …

34 Baseball hitter’s stat, for short : RBI

Run batted in (RBI)

35 Brief role in a film : CAMEO

Even in my day, a cameo role was more than just a short appearance in a movie (or other artistic piece). For the appearance to be a cameo, the actor had to play himself or herself, and was instantly recognizable. With this meaning it’s easy to see the etymology of the term, as a cameo brooch is one with the recognizable carving of the silhouette of a person. Nowadays, a cameo is any minor role played by a celebrity or famous actor, regardless of the character played.

38 Core muscles, in brief : ABS

The abdominal muscles (abs) are more correctly referred to as the rectus abdominis muscles. They might be referred to as a “six-pack”, or even a “ten-pack”, in a person who has developed the muscles and who has low body fat. In my case, more like a keg …

41 Only four-term prez : FDR

Since the days of President George Washington, there was an informal tradition that a US President could hold office for two terms, but would not run for a third. Franklin D. Roosevelt was the only president to break with this tradition. President Roosevelt was elected to office four times, and died a few months after starting his fourth term. It was President Roosevelt’s decision to ignore the term limit tradition that led to the adoption of the Twenty-Second Amendment of the Constitution, which provides that “no person shall be elected to the office of President more than twice”.

44 “The Hate U Give” heroine : STARR

“The Hate U Give” is a 2018 film that is based on a 2017 novel of the same name by Angie Thomas. Both the film and novel center on the aftermath of a police officer shooting an unarmed teenager.

46 Sound system : STEREO

Monophonic sound (“mono”) is sound reproduced using just one audio channel, which is usually played out of just one speaker. Stereophonic sound is reproduced using two audio channels, with the sound from each channel played out of two different speakers. The pair of stereo speakers are usually positioned apart from each other so that sound appears to come from between the two. Quadraphonic sound (4.0 surround sound) uses four audio channels with the sound played back through four speakers that are often positioned at the corners of the room in which one is listening.

50 ___ de cologne : EAU

Back in 1709, an Italian perfume-maker moved to Cologne in Germany. There he invented a new fragrance that he named Eau de Cologne after his newly adopted town. The fragrance is still produced in Cologne, using a secret formulation. However, the terms “Eau de Cologne” and “cologne”, are now used generically.

58 Rice-shaped pasta : ORZO

Orzo is pasta that has been formed into granular shapes, much like barley. And indeed, “orzo” is the Italian word for “barley”. Orzo is also called “risoni”, meaning “large rice”.

60 Orson Welles’s “Citizen ___” : KANE

In the 1941 film “Citizen Kane”, the newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane builds himself an immense and opulent estate on the Florida coast called Xanadu. Xanadu boasts a Venetian-style canal, complete with gondolas, and a well-stocked zoo. There is also a championship golf course. The estate was inspired by the real-life Hearst Castle, a California mansion owned by William Randolph Hearst.

Orson Welles is perhaps best-remembered in the world of film for his role in 1941’s “Citizen Kane”. In the world of radio, Welles is known for directing and narrating 1938’s famous broadcast of “The War of the Worlds”, a broadcast that convinced many listeners that the Earth was indeed being invaded by aliens.

61 President between John Tyler and Zachary Taylor : JAMES K POLK

James Knox Polk was the 11th US President. Polk is known as a president who delivered on promises that he made during his election campaign. He left office after serving only one term, as he had promised the voters, and then contracted cholera on a goodwill tour of the South. Polk died at only 53 years of age, the youngest age for any president to die in retirement. He also enjoyed the shortest retirement of any president, at only 103 days.

John Tyler was the tenth President of the US, and the first to take the office on the death of the incumbent. Tyler’s predecessor was President William Henry Harrison, who was in office only 32 days before he died of natural causes. For a while there was a little confusion about the wording in the constitution that covered such an eventuality. There was an argument made that Tyler would continue as Vice-President but would assume the responsibilities of the office of President, in effect as “Acting President”. However, Tyler proceeded as though he was taking over as President and took the oath of office in his hotel room in Washington. Soon afterwards, Congress declared that Tyler was indeed President, although many continued to dispute the fact. Many of President Tyler’s opponents referred to him as “His Accidency”. His term in office ended in 1845. When the Civil War began in 1861, Tyler sided with the Confederacy and was even elected to the Confederate House of Representatives for the 3rd District of Virginia. President Tyler passed away only a few days after taking his seat in the House. His death was the only one in presidential history that was not recognized in the nation’s capital, as he sided with the Confederate States.

Zachary Taylor won the 1848 election to become the 12th US president, and the first president to hold office without a political resume. Taylor was a career military man, known as “Old Rough and Ready” Taylor. He died only 16 months into his term, apparently of gastroenteritis. Given that rumors of poisoning persisted over the decades, his body was exhumed in 1991 and tissue samples were checked for signs of foul play. Nothing out of order was discovered, although rumours still persist.

64 Furniture retailer founded in Sweden : IKEA

The IKEA furniture chain was founded by Ingvar Kamprad in 1943, when he was just 17-years-old. IKEA is an acronym standing for Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd (don’t forget now!). Elmtaryd was the name of the farm where Ingvar Kamprad grew up, and Agunnaryd is his home parish in Sweden.

65 Disney’s “Little Mermaid” : ARIEL

In the 1989 Disney animated film “The Little Mermaid”, the title character is given the name “Ariel”. In the original fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen that dates back to 1836, the Little Mermaid is given no name at all. There is a famous statue of the unnamed Little Mermaid sitting in Copenhagen Harbor, in Andersen’s homeland of Denmark.

66 Actress Swenson of “Benson” : INGA

Inga Swenson is an American actress. Her best known role was “Gretchen Kraus”, the German cook, and later housekeeper, on the TV show “Benson”. Swenson also appeared in a couple of episodes of “Bonanza” playing the second wife of Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene), and mother of Hoss Cartwright (Dan Blocker). This was despite the fact that in real life, she was actually 4 years younger than Blocker!

The sitcom “Benson” originally aired from 1979 until 1986 and starred Robert Guillaume in the title role. The character Benson DuBois was introduced to the world as the butler to the ultrarich Tate family in the comedy series “Soap”.

67 Small salamander : NEWT

Salamanders are lizard-like amphibians found all across the northern hemisphere. They are the only vertebrate animals that can regenerate lost limbs.

68 Handicrafts e-tailer : ETSY

Etsy.com is an e-commerce website where you can buy and sell the kind of items that you might find at a craft fair.

Down

3 Clichéd place to be marooned : DESERT ISLE

“Cliché” is a word that comes from the world of printing. In the days when type was added as individual letters into a printing plate, for efficiency some oft-used phrases and words were created as one single slug of metal. The word “cliché” was used for such a grouping of letters. It’s easy to see how the same word would become a term to describe any overused phrase. Supposedly, “cliché” comes from French, from the verb “clicher” meaning “to click”. The idea is that when a matrix of letters was dropped in molten metal to make a cliché, it made a clicking sound.

7 Hyatt alternative : OMNI

Omni Hotels & Resorts is headquartered in Irvine, California and has properties in the US, Canada and Mexico.

9 Fettuccine sauce : ALFREDO

Alfredo sauce is usually associated with the Italian dish called fettuccine Alfredo. The sauce is made from Parmesan cheese and butter, and is named for the Italian restaurant owner Alfredo Di Lelio. Di Lelio’s nephews still own and run a restaurant in Rome called “Il Vero Alfredo”. Here in the US, we often add other ingredients to the basic cheese and butter recipe. The name “fettuccine Alfredo” won’t be found on a menu in Italy today, and instead one can order “fettuccine al burro”.

10 Angel’s wear : HALO

The Greek word “halos” is the name given to the ring of light around the sun or moon, which gives us our word “halo” that is used for a radiant light depicted above the head of a saintly person.

28 Some chain theaters : AMCS

The AMC theater chain used to go by the name American Multi-Cinema Inc., hence the initialism “AMC”.

33 Annual Louisville event : DERBY

The first Kentucky Derby took place in 1875, and is a race modeled on the Epsom Derby in England and the Grand Prix de Paris (now called the “Prix de l‘Arc de Triomphe”). As such, the Kentucky Derby was run over 1½ miles, although in 1896 this was shortened to 1¼ miles. The winning horse is presented with a very elaborate blanket made of red roses, and so the Derby is nicknamed “Run for the Roses”. The race is held on the first Saturday in May each year, and is limited to 3-year-old horses.

36 Gem with a play of colors : OPAL

An opal is often described as having a milky iridescence known as opalescence.

40 Love god : EROS

The name of Eros, the Greek god of love, gives rise to our word “erotic” meaning “arousing sexual desire”. Eros was referred to in Latin as both “Amor” (meaning “love”) and “Cupid” (meaning “desire”).

47 Kind of board with letters printed on it : OUIJA

The Ouija board was introduced to America as a harmless parlor game at the end of the 19th century, although variations of the board date back to 1100 AD in China, where it was apparently used to “contact” the spirit world. The name “Ouija” is relatively recent, and is probably just a combination of the French and German words for “yes” … “oui” and “ja”.

53 Japanese beverage often served hot : SAKE

We refer to the Japanese alcoholic beverage made from rice as “sake”. We’ve gotten things a bit mixed up in the West. “Sake” is actually the word that the Japanese use for all alcoholic drinks. What we know as sake, we sometimes refer to as rice wine. Also, the starch in the rice is first converted to sugars that are then fermented into alcohol. This is more akin to a beer-brewing process than wine production, so the end product is really a rice “beer” rather than a rice “wine”.

59 Gymnast Korbut : OLGA

Olga Korbut is from modern-day Belarus, but was born during the days of the Soviet Union. Korbut competed for the USSR team in the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games. She was 17 when she appeared in the 1972 Munich Games, and had been training in a sports school since she was 8-years-old. The world fell in love with her as she was a very emotional young lady, readily expressing joy and disappointment, something that we weren’t used to seeing in athletes from behind the Iron Curtain. Korbut immigrated to the US in 1991 and now lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.

63 Krazy ___ (comics character) : KAT

“Krazy Kat” is a successful comic strip that ran from 1913-1944 and was drawn by George Herriman.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Nothin’ : NADA
5 Hula ___ : HOOP
9 [Um … I’m standing right here] : [AHEM]
13 Team members that can pull more than their weight on the field? : OXEN
14 Confess (to) : ADMIT
16 Volcanic output : LAVA
17 Lines at the office? : DESKPHONES
19 Ran away from : FLED
20 Sandwich shop : DELI
21 Willing to accept danger : RISK-PRONE
23 Attachment to a fishing rod : REEL
25 Before, to poets : ERE
26 Tidbit from Friskies : CAT TREAT
30 Typical physique for a middle-aged guy : DAD BOD
34 Baseball hitter’s stat, for short : RBI
35 Brief role in a film : CAMEO
37 “___ welcome” : YOU’RE
38 Core muscles, in brief : ABS
39 Fugitive who, phonetically, is “hiding” in certain letters in 17-, 21-, 52- and 61-Across : ESCAPEE (sounds like “SKP”)
41 Only four-term prez : FDR
42 Sphere or cube : SOLID
44 “The Hate U Give” heroine : STARR
45 Black History Mo. : FEB
46 Sound system : STEREO
48 Like a big dog’s lick : SLOBBERY
50 ___ de cologne : EAU
51 Fly high : SOAR
52 Lowest acceptable offers, in stock market lingo : ASK PRICES
58 Rice-shaped pasta : ORZO
60 Orson Welles’s “Citizen ___” : KANE
61 President between John Tyler and Zachary Taylor : JAMES K POLK
64 Furniture retailer founded in Sweden : IKEA
65 Disney’s “Little Mermaid” : ARIEL
66 Actress Swenson of “Benson” : INGA
67 Small salamander : NEWT
68 Handicrafts e-tailer : ETSY
69 Tidy : NEAT

Down

1 Wordlessly express approval : NOD
2 Removed from the schedule, as a TV show : AXED
3 Clichéd place to be marooned : DESERT ISLE
4 Percussive piece of jewelry for an Indian dancer : ANKLET
5 “You wish!” : HAH!
6 Stench : ODOR
7 Hyatt alternative : OMNI
8 Pizzas, e.g. : PIES
9 Fettuccine sauce : ALFREDO
10 Angel’s wear : HALO
11 Like 2, 4, 6, 8 … : EVEN
12 Have it ___ (be assured of success) : MADE
15 Uttered a noise of disapproval : TSKED
18 Place to insert a stud : PIERCED EAR
22 It’s bound to be of use to a churchgoer : PRAYER BOOK
24 Pastures : LEAS
26 Lowbrow : CRASS
27 Head of a monastery : ABBOT
28 Some chain theaters : AMCS
29 Parts of udders : TEATS
31 Neutral area between hostile forces : BUFFER ZONE
32 “___ in the court!” : ORDER
33 Annual Louisville event : DERBY
36 Gem with a play of colors : OPAL
40 Love god : EROS
43 “Once again …” : I REPEAT …
47 Kind of board with letters printed on it : OUIJA
49 Flat, rectangular brooch : BAR PIN
52 Comparable (to) : AKIN
53 Japanese beverage often served hot : SAKE
54 Was sure of : KNEW
55 “___ to elaborate?” : CARE
56 Send off, as rays : EMIT
57 Goes steady with : SEES
59 Gymnast Korbut : OLGA
62 Wily : SLY
63 Krazy ___ (comics character) : KAT

13 thoughts on “0622-20 NY Times Crossword 22 Jun 20, Monday”

  1. 8:39 – No problems other than my hand didn’t seem to be working early this morning and I had to correct a lot of fat fingering.

  2. 8:27, no errors. I had fat fingers, too. Had to search a bit for typos…again.

  3. 7:05. Pretty good Monday puzzle with a better than average Monday theme. SKP? OIC.

    Best –

  4. No errors.. Did not see the theme at all. … So no one was a bit bothered by the clue for 61A?? Two first and last names with no middle initial? Ergo the answer shouldn’t have a middle initial?? Or is this one of the exceptions to assumed crosswording rules??

    1. I don’t know if this is relevant, but the Wikipedia entries for John Tyler and Zachary Taylor seem to indicate that neither of them had a middle name (or maybe they had one and chose not to use it?) , whereas James K. Polk did have one and used its initial. In any case, the clue didn’t bother me.

      In my experience, there are almost no rules of crossword construction that are never, ever, broken … 😜.

  5. @Bill—First let me correct you on a date that you mention in your comment on OUIJA. You have written that similar boards can be traced back to 1100 B.C. in China. It actually should be 1100 A.D.

    I have always wondered about the pronunciation of OUIJA, especially as relates to the last letter A. Even though the dictionary gives some options, it appears that most everybody says “wee-jee”. Like the etymologies of a lot of pronunciations, it’s complicated. But the bottom line for me is to just go along with the majority. I am calling it a “wee-jee” board.

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