0521-22 NY Times Crossword 21 May 22, Saturday

Constructed by: Ryan McCarty & Yacob Yonas
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: None

Bill’s time: 18m 44s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Rolls dough, perhaps? : CAR PAYMENT

Henry Royce founded the Rolls-Royce company in 1904 with his partner, Charles Rolls. Royce died at 70 years of age in 1933. His last words were, reportedly, “I wish I had spent more time in the office …”

Charles Rolls founded the Rolls-Royce auto manufacturing company along with his partner Henry Royce in 1906. Sadly, Rolls died just a few years later in a plane crash. Rolls was a pioneering aviator. He became the first Briton to die in a powered aircraft crash when the tail of his plane broke off during a flying display.

11 Roll an ill-timed seven, with “out” : CRAP …

To crap out is to make a losing roll on the first throw in a game of craps. A losing roll (aka “a crap”) is a roll of 2, 3 or 12.

15 It’s all black and white : OREO COOKIE

National Oreo Cookie Day is March 6th each year. There is an urban legend that the particular day was chosen as this was the day that the name “Oreo” was registered as a trademark. However, that’s not the case. The application was filed on March 14, 1912 and registration took place on August 12, 1913. The suggestion is that the first Oreos went on sale on March 6, 1912.

17 Che Guevara, when he wrote “The Motorcycle Diaries” : MED STUDENT

Ernesto “Che” Guevara was born in Argentina, and in 1948 he started to study medicine at the University of Buenos Aires. While at school he satisfied his need to “see the world” by taking two long journeys around South America, the story of which are told in Guevara’s memoir later published as “The Motorcycle Diaries”. While traveling, Guevara was moved by the plight of the people he saw and their working conditions and what he viewed as capitalistic exploitation. In Mexico City he met brothers Raul and Fidel Castro and was persuaded to join their cause, the overthrow of the US-backed government in Cuba. He rose to second-in-command among the Cuban insurgents, and when Castro came to power Guevara was influential in repelling the Bay of Pigs Invasion and bringing Soviet nuclear missiles to the island. Guevara left Cuba in 1965 to continue his work as a revolutionary. He was captured by Bolivian forces in 1967, and was executed. Fidel Castro led the public mourning of Guevara’s death, and soon the revolutionary was an icon for many left-wing movements around the world.

18 Private org. involved in the most Supreme Court cases : ACLU

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has its roots in the First World War. It grew out of the National Civil Liberties Bureau (CLB) that was founded to provide legal advice and support to conscientious objectors. The ACLU’s motto is “Because Freedom Can’t Protect Itself”. The ACLU also hosts a blog on the ACLU.org website called “Speak Freely”.

19 Chic : MODISH

“Chic” is a French word meaning “stylish”.

20 Some Yamaha products : JET SKIS

“Jet Ski” is actually a brand name owned by Kawasaki Heavy Industries of Japan. The generic term, not often used, is “personal watercraft”. Most people use the term “jet ski” generically, although “WaveRunner” is also popular. But that’s another brand name, one owned by Yamaha.

23 Selena’s “Baila ___ Cumbia” : ESTA

Singer Selena Quintanilla-Perez, known professionally simply as “Selena”, was murdered in 1995 by the president of her own fan club at the height of her career. In a 1997 biopic about Selena’s life, Jennifer Lopez played the title role. Selena had often been referred to as the “Queen of Tejano” during her career.

26 Zoo heavyweight : RHINO

There are five types of rhinoceros that survive today, with the smaller Javan Rhino being the most rare. The rhinoceros is probably the rarest large mammal on the planet, thanks to poaching. Hunters mainly prize the horn of the rhino as it is used in powdered form in traditional Chinese medicine.

31 Climb the social ladder, in a way : MARRY UP

That’s certainly what I did …

33 It nowadays offers streaming recommendations : TV GUIDE

The first national “TV Guide” was issued in 1953. The cover of that first issue featured a photo of newborn Desi Arnaz, Jr., son of Lucille Ball.

38 Purchase at a pro shop : WOOD

That would be golf.

39 Barbecue coating : MEAT RUB

It is believed that our word “barbecue” (BBQ) comes from the Taíno people of the Caribbean in whose language “barbacoa” means “sacred fire pit”.

46 ___ Gabler, Ibsen title character : HEDDA

“Hedda Gabler” is a play by the great Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen that was first published in 1890. Considered one of the greatest theater roles, the title character of Hedda Gabler is sometimes referred to as the female Hamlet.

Henrik Ibsen was a Norwegian playwright who is considered by many to be the greatest playwright since William Shakespeare. Ibsen was famous for shocking his audiences by exploring subjects that offended the sensibilities of the day (the late 1800s).

49 Catherine, e.g., in “Jules et Jim” : AMIE

A male friend in France is “un ami”, and a female friend is “une amie”.

“Jules et Jim” is a French film directed by François Truffaut that was released in 1962. The movie tells the story of two friends, Jules and Jim, who get involved in a complex love triangle with a woman named Catherine.

50 NyQuil shelfmate : ADVIL PM

NyQuil is a medication designed to relieve the symptoms of a common cold. NyQuil contains loads of ingredients that will make you sleepy, so if you are taking it, it’s safer to do so at night. It’s a Proctor & Gamble brand, and the equivalent non-drowsy formula is known as DayQuil.

54 ___ rage : ‘ROID

Steroids are found commonly in nature, with familiar examples being cholesterol and testosterone. The controversial class of drugs called anabolic steroids (known informally as “‘roids” or simply “steroids”) are artificially produced chemicals designed to mimic the effect of the male sex hormone, testosterone. They are termed “anabolic” as they build up cellular tissue (particularly muscle) in a process called anabolism. Taking anabolic steroids can be termed “juicing”, and the aggressive behavior that can be a side-effect is known as “‘roid rage”.

58 Names : DUBS

Kneel, and a monarch might “dub thee a knight” if you’re lucky. “Dub” is a specific term derived from Old English that was used to mean “make a knight”. As the knight was also given a knightly name at the same time, “dub” came to mean “give someone a name”.

60 Editor’s overruling : STET

“Stet” is a Latin word meaning “let it stand”. In editorial work, the typesetter is instructed to disregard any change previously marked by writing the word “stet” and then underscoring that change with a line of dots or dashes.

Down

1 They can lead to long sentences : COMMAS

Our word “comma” comes into English via Latin from the Greek “komma” meaning “clause in a sentence”.

2 Nipple ring? : AREOLA

An areola (sometimes “areole”) in anatomy is a small ring of color, as in the areola surrounding the nipple, and the areola surrounding the pupil of the eye. “Areola” (plural “areolae”) comes from Latin, meaning “small open space”, and is a diminutive of the Latin word “area”, meaning “open space”.

3 Website with the slogan “Dive into anything” : REDDIT

Reddit.com is a networking and news website that started up in 2005. It is essentially a bulletin board system with posts that are voted up and down by users, which determines the ranking of posts. The name “Reddit” is a play on “read it”, as in “I read it on Reddit”. One popular feature of the Reddit site is an online forum that is similar to a press conference. Known as an AMA (for “ask me anything”), participants have included the likes of President Barack Obama, Madonna, Bill Gates, Stephen Colbert and Gordon Ramsay. President Obama’s AMA was so popular that the high level of traffic brought down many parts of the Reddit site.

4 Put forward : POSIT

To “posit” is to assume as fact, to lay down as a “position”.

7 Admin on 3-Down, e.g. : MOD

Moderator (mod)

9 Michelangelo, e.g. : NINJA TURTLE

The “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” started out as a parody of comic book superheroes, first appearing in a self-published comic book in 1984. A couple of years later the characters were picked up by someone who built a whole line of toys around the characters, and then television and movies followed. Do you remember the names of all four of the Turtles? Their names were all taken from Renaissance artists:

  • Leonardo
  • Raphael
  • Michelangelo
  • Donatello

10 Word before and after “à” : TETE

A “tête-à-tête” is a one-on-one meeting, and a term that translates from French as “head-to-head”.

12 Many a Rolling Stone cover subject : ROCK IDOL

The iconic magazine “Rolling Stone” was founded in San Francisco in 1967. Jann Wenner was a co-founder, and is still the magazine’s chief editor. The name for the publication is taken from the 1950 song “Rollin’ Stone” recorded by Muddy Waters.

25 Lord’s Prayer possessive : THY

The Lord’s Prayer is a central prayer in Christian religions, and is found in two places in the New Testament. In the version in the Gospel of Matthew, the last line of the prayer is “deliver us from evil”. In the Gospel of Luke, the last line is “lead us not into temptation”. The last words of the prayer most often used today are:

For thine is the kingdom,
The power, and the glory,
For ever and ever,
Amen

28 Antioxidant drink brand : BAI

Bai Brands is a beverage company that specializes in low-cal soft drinks that include antioxidants.

33 Devotees of Team Edward and Team Jacob, in fandom slang : TWIHARDS

Author Stephenie Meyer is best-known for her “Twilight” series of vampire romance novels. The “Twilight” books are aimed at young adults. Meyer also wrote a 2008 adult sci-fi novel called “The Host”, which went straight to the top of the New York Times Best Seller list. Obsessive fans of the “Twilight” series of books can be referred to as “Twihards”, a portmanteau of “Twilight” and “die-hard”.

42 ___ Minella (monkey Muppet) : SAL

Sal Minella is a Muppet character. He is the bodyguard for fellow muppet Johnny Fiama who is modeled after Frank Sinatra.

49 Early software version : ALPHA

In the world of software development, the first tested issue of a new program is usually called the alpha version. Expected to have a lot of bugs that need to be fixed, the alpha release is usually distributed to a small number of testers. After reported bugs have been eliminated, the refined version is called a beta and is released to a wider audience, but with the program clearly labeled as “beta”. The users generally check functionality and report further bugs that are encountered. The beta version feeds into a release candidate, the version that is tested just prior to the software being sold into the market, hopefully bug-free.

51 Results of some successful defenses : PHDS

“Ph.D.” is an abbreviation for “philosophiae doctor”, Latin for “teacher of philosophy”. Often, candidates for a PhD already hold a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, so a PhD might be considered a “third degree”.

53 Verdant : LUSH

Back in the late 1500s, “verdant” simply meant “green”, but we now tend to use the term to mean “green and lush with vegetation”. “Viridis” is the Latin for “green”.

56 Long of “The Best Man” : NIA

Nia Long is an American actress who is probably best known for playing Will Smith’s sometime girlfriend and fiancee Lisa Wilkes on the TV show “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air”.

57 Save for later, in a way : DVR

Digital video recorder (DVR)

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Rolls dough, perhaps? : CAR PAYMENT
11 Roll an ill-timed seven, with “out” : CRAP …
15 It’s all black and white : OREO COOKIE
16 Veg out : LOLL
17 Che Guevara, when he wrote “The Motorcycle Diaries” : MED STUDENT
18 Private org. involved in the most Supreme Court cases : ACLU
19 Chic : MODISH
20 Some Yamaha products : JET SKIS
22 Settled down : ALIT
23 Selena’s “Baila ___ Cumbia” : ESTA
26 Zoo heavyweight : RHINO
27 Didn’t play, say : SAT
28 What a duck might be : BATH TOY
30 Actor Levy : DAN
31 Climb the social ladder, in a way : MARRY UP
32 Function : ROLE
33 It nowadays offers streaming recommendations : TV GUIDE
36 Common pharmacy orders : REFILLS
38 Purchase at a pro shop : WOOD
39 Barbecue coating : MEAT RUB
41 Spanish diminutive suffix : -ITO
42 Schedule with little room for spontaneity : SET PLAN
43 Go back : EBB
46 ___ Gabler, Ibsen title character : HEDDA
48 Kind of sheet : SPEC
49 Catherine, e.g., in “Jules et Jim” : AMIE
50 NyQuil shelfmate : ADVIL PM
52 Doles out : ALLOTS
54 ___ rage : ‘ROID
55 Ventriloquist’s prop, maybe : HAND PUPPET
58 Names : DUBS
59 Makes clearly understood : DRIVES HOME
60 Editor’s overruling : STET
61 Like some cookie cutters : STAR-SHAPED

Down

1 They can lead to long sentences : COMMAS
2 Nipple ring? : AREOLA
3 Website with the slogan “Dive into anything” : REDDIT
4 Put forward : POSIT
5 Isn’t oneself? : ACTS
6 “Yeah, that’s right!” : YOU HEARD ME!
7 Admin on 3-Down, e.g. : MOD
8 Barely make do, with “by” : EKE …
9 Michelangelo, e.g. : NINJA TURTLE
10 Word before and after “à” : TETE
11 Look bad together : CLASH
12 Many a Rolling Stone cover subject : ROCK IDOL
13 At the end of the day : ALL IN ALL
14 What some invitees bring to parties : PLUS-ONES
21 “___ me!” : TRY
24 Opposite of dewy-eyed : STREET-SMART
25 Lord’s Prayer possessive : THY
28 Antioxidant drink brand : BAI
29 Luxury attire for white-tie events : OPERA CAPES
31 Feature of many a military obstacle course : MUD
32 Lightly roast : RIB
33 Devotees of Team Edward and Team Jacob, in fandom slang : TWIHARDS
34 Unseated : VOTED OUT
35 Positive impression : GOOD VIBE
37 “Sounds like a good time!” : FUN!
40 “There’s an ___ for that” : APP
42 ___ Minella (monkey Muppet) : SAL
43 Genre for the All-American Rejects : EMO POP
44 Rude refusal : BITE ME
45 Outshone : BESTED
47 Accomplished, old-style : DIDST
49 Early software version : ALPHA
51 Results of some successful defenses : PHDS
53 Verdant : LUSH
56 Long of “The Best Man” : NIA
57 Save for later, in a way : DVR

8 thoughts on “0521-22 NY Times Crossword 21 May 22, Saturday”

  1. 12:50. Zipped through most of it until the lower right, which took me a bit until I came up with STAR SHAPED out of the blue.

    Surprised to see CRAP as an answer given the Times’s prohibition on unpleasant words even when a different definition is intended.

    Also had a chuckle at SAL Minella, which (whom?) I’d never heard of.

  2. 20:12, no errors. Not all that easy, but I was distracted by having to go out and shake snow (!) off neighborhood trees, so I don’t remember now where my problem areas were.

    I’m no bluenose, but I’ve recently been a bit taken aback by some entries I’ve seen in “main-stream” crossword puzzles – particularly in the New Yorker, which has twice referenced a certain “Cardi B” song whose title is a three-letter initialism that I would rather not have had brought to my attention (and that one can look up for oneself, if one is so inclined … 😜). The times, they are a’changing … 😳.

  3. 29:32. Very difficult until it wasn’t – a variation of “easy except when it wasn’t”…

    Seems like I filled in 70% of this puzzle in the last few minutes. Getting the long answers, as usual, was key as a lot of the other clues were well outside my comfort zone.

    I have to admit the answer for the clue “Michelangelo, e.g.” (NINJA TURTLE) blindsided me a bit and gave me a chuckle.

    Realistically, how many people who buy a Rolls Royce have to make CAR PAYMENTs? Rolls owners pay cash.

    Best –

  4. 31:15. Did tomorrow’s (Sunday) puzzle first, without realizing it. TWIHARDS was one of many new terms today. Got a chuckle.

  5. Holy CRAP, I did pretty good on this.
    Messed up on TWIHARDS and HEDDA. Didn’t know either one.
    Guessed at TWINARDS.

    I remember the TV Guide in its hay day. We were subscribed to it. Man , we relied on that thing. You got more than a guide with the tv personality interviews.

  6. 49:04 with one error…I had OTO for 41A…I knew when I got up this morning that I should have studied up on Spanish diminutive suffixes but I just didn’t do it👎👎👎
    Another 2 setter puzzle with all the unknowns in one area (this time it was the SW corner)
    Stay safe😀

Comments are closed.