0612-22 NY Times Crossword 12 Jun 22, Sunday

Constructed by: Will Nediger
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: Didn’t We Just Have This?

Themed answers reference a repeat, and also reference a word used earlier in the grid:

  • 18A Doohickey : THING
  • 27A Argument extender [ref. 18-Across] : AND ANOTHER THING
  • 23A Contest with lots of “tied” scores : RODEO
  • 48A With 87-Across, “I’ve been around the block a few times” [ref. 23-Across] : THIS ISN’T MY …
  • 87A See 48-Across : … FIRST RODEO
  • 33A Eerily familiar feeling : DEJA VU
  • 70A Classic Yogi Berra quote [ref. 33-Across] : IT’S DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN
  • 82A Crib sheet user : BABY
  • 111A Debut album by Britney Spears [ref. 82-Across] : …BABY ONE MORE TIME

Bill’s time: 21m 12s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

13 Composer Bernstein who was unrelated to Leonard : ELMER

Film composer Elmer Bernstein was not related to the famous classical composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein, although the two were friends.

Composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein was a man who made great strides in bringing classical music to the masses. He gave numerous lectures on the subject on television. Indeed, one of my favorite recordings of the instructive “Peter and the Wolf” by Prokofiev is conducted and narrated by Bernstein.

20 Home to the Dole Plantation : OAHU

James Dole lent his name to today’s Dole Food Company. He was known as the Pineapple King, as he developed the pineapple industry in Hawaii and founded the Hawaiian Pineapple Company, the forerunner to the Dole Food Company. Dole might have had some help on the way, as he was a cousin of Sanford B, Dole, President of the Republic of Hawaii from 1894 to 1900.

21 Industry show : EXPO

The first World’s Fair was held in 1851, known back then as the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations. The fair was the idea of Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria. It was held in a magnificent glass and cast-iron structure called the Crystal Palace that was purpose-built for the occasion. The Great Exhibition spawned a tradition of what became known as World’s Fairs, expositions that feature national pavilions created by participating countries. The term “Expo” was coined for Expo 67, a 1967 World’s Fair held in Montreal. Since then, we’ve been using “expo” to describe any large exposition or trade show.

22 Late singer Judd : NAOMI

The Judds were a country music singing duo made up of Naomi Judd and her daughter Wynonna. Naomi Judd was also the mother of actress Ashley Judd, with Ashley and Wynonna being half-sisters.

23 Contest with lots of “tied” scores : RODEO

“Rodeo” is a Spanish word that is usually translated into English as “round up”.

26 Term to drop in a serious relationship, informally : L BOMB

In modern parlance, the “L bomb” would be the word “love”.

30 Tiny amounts : IOTAS

Iota is the ninth letter in the Greek alphabet, and one that gave rise to our letters I and J. We use the word “iota” to portray something very small, as it is the smallest of all Greek letters.

33 Eerily familiar feeling : DEJA VU

“Déjà vu” is French for “already seen”.

45 Slowly makes its way through : OSMOSES

Osmosis is the movement of a solvent (often water) across a semipermeable membrane. In the process of osmosis, the solvent tends to flow from an area of less concentration to an area of higher concentration. This sense of absorbing water effortlessly gives rise to the expression “learning by osmosis”.

47 Fun functions : SHINDIGS

“Shindig” is such a lovely word, I think. It describes a party that usually includes some dancing. Although its origin isn’t really clear, the term perhaps comes from “shinty”, a Scottish game that’s similar to field hockey.

48 With 87-Across, “I’ve been around the block a few times” [ref. 23-Across] : THIS ISN’T MY …
87A See 48-Across : … FIRST RODEO

“Not my first rodeo” means “not the first time I’ve done this”. The phrase started to be used after country singer Vern Gosdin released the song “This Ain’t My First Rodeo” in 1990. Gosdin said that he’d first heard the idiom from a workman who added an extra room over his garage.

53 Yoga pose : ASANA

“Asana” is a Sanskrit word that translates literally as “sitting down”. The asanas are the poses that a practitioner of yoga assumes. The most famous is the lotus position, the cross-legged pose called “padmasana”.

56 Rock’s C.J. or Dee Dee : RAMONE

The Ramones were an American punk rock band. The group formed in Forest Hills, New York in the mid-seventies. The band members took on the stage names Dee Dee, Joey, and Johnny Ramone, even though they were not related. The “Ramone” name was imitative of the pseudonym used by Paul McCartney when he booked into hotels anonymously, namely “Paul Ramon”. Arguably, the Ramones were the first punk rock group, defining the genre. Something else that’s not my cup of tea …

57 Currency of Qatar : RIYAL

The Saudi riyal is the currency of Saudi Arabia, and the Qatari riyal is the currency of Qatar.

67 Molecular messenger : 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 transfer RNA. The amino acids are then formed into proteins by ribosomal RNA.

70 Classic Yogi Berra quote [ref. 33-Across] : IT’S DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN

Yogi Berra is regarded by many as the greatest catcher ever to play in Major League Baseball, and has to be America’s most celebrated “author” of malapropisms. Here are some greats:

  • It ain’t over till it’s over.
  • 90% of the game is half mental.
  • Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.
  • When you come to a fork in the road, take it.
  • It’s déjà vu all over again.
  • Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t go to yours.
  • A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.

75 Fiber made from cellulose : RAYON

Rayon is a little unusual in the textile industry in that it is not truly a synthetic fiber, but nor can it be called a natural fiber. Rayon is produced from naturally occurring cellulose that is dissolved and then reformed into fibers.

Cellulose is a polysaccharide made from thousands of glucose units linked together. It is a naturally occurring compound in the cell walls of green plants, and is also found in most algae. It is actually the most abundant organic polymer on the whole planet. The cellulose content of wood can be as high as 50%, and the cellulose in cotton fiber runs at about 90%. Humans can consume cellulose but can’t really digest it. Ruminants (and termites!) can extract nutritional value from cellulose due to the presence of specific microorganisms in the gut.

76 Chemical ingredient in flubber : BORAX

Borax is also known as sodium borate, and is a salt of boric acid. Borax is a white powder that dissolves easily in water. The compound has many uses, for example as an antifungal agent, water-softening agent and as an antiseptic. Actor and future US president Ronald Reagan used to tout 20 Mule Team Borax that was used as a laundry product.

79 Land divided at the 38th parallel : KOREA

Korea was occupied by the Japanese military from 1910 until Japan surrendered at the end of WWII in 1945. While the UN was working towards a trusteeship administration for Korea, the Soviet Union managed the Korean Peninsula north of the 38th parallel and the US managed the south. The UN’s plans came to naught as the Cold War dictated the establishment of the two separate states of North Korea and South Korea. North Korea invaded the South in 1950, leading to the Korean War. After three years of fighting, the border between the two states became the demarcation line between the two military forces on the day the Armistice Agreement was signed. That line runs diagonally across the 38th parallel, and is better known as the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

81 Former name for the N.B.A.’s Thunder, informally : SONICS

The Seattle SuperSonics were the professional basketball team based in Seattle from 1967 to 2008, at which time the franchise moved to Oklahoma City (and became the Oklahoma City Thunder).

95 Like some arts : MARTIAL

Martial arts are various fighting traditions and systems used in combat or simply to promote physical well-being. The term “martial” ultimately derives from Latin and means “Arts of Mars”, a reference to Mars, the Roman god of war.

97 Broadway composer Jule : STYNE

Jule Styne was an English songwriter who made a name for himself in America with a series of popular musicals. Styne wrote a number of famous songs including “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from “Funny Girl”, “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” from “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”, and “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” from “Gypsy”.

99 Crop that might be insect-resistant, in brief : GMO

A genetically modified organism (GMO) is one with genetic material that has been altered by genetic engineering. One might argue that the oldest form of genetic engineering is selective breeding, the use of animals or plants with desired traits for the creation of the next generation.

102 Sleep inducer : OPIATE

Opiates are the narcotic alkaloids found in the opium poppy plant, although some synthetic versions and derivatives of the same alkaloids are also called opiates. To produce opiates, the latex sap of the opium poppy is collected and processed. The naturally-occurring drugs morphine and codeine can both be extracted from the sap. Some synthesis is required to make derivative drugs like heroin and oxycodone.

104 ___ particle : TAU

Neutrinos are small subatomic particles that do not carry an electric charge. The term “neutrino” is Italian for “small neutral one”, and was coined by physicist Enrico Fermi in 1932. There are three types of neutrino: electron neutrinos, muon neutrinos and tau neutrinos.

108 Algonquian people : MIAMI

The Miami Native-American nation lived in what is now Indiana, western Ohio and southwest Michigan. The Miami were moved by the US government in the 1840s to reservations in Kansas and then Oklahoma. Today, the federal government recognizes the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, but not the Miami Tribe of Indiana.

111 Debut album by Britney Spears [ref. 82-Across] : …BABY ONE MORE TIME

The title track of Britney Spears’s debut album “… Baby One More Time” reached number one in the US charts in 1999. It took her ten years to get another number one.

116 French pronoun : ELLE

In French, “nous sommes” (we are), “vous êtes” (you are), and “ils/elles sont” (they are).

118 Crenshaw or casaba : MELON

A casaba is a type of honeydew melon that ripens relatively late in the season, and so is classed as a winter melon. The casaba takes its name from the Turkish city of Kasaba, from where the fruit was imported into America in the late 1800s.

120 One with a nose for gnus? : LION

The gnu is also known as the wildebeest, and is an antelope native to Africa. “Wildebeest” is a Dutch meaning “wild beast”.

121 A pan might come with just one : STAR

To pan something is to criticize it harshly.

122 Elusive giants : YETIS

The yeti, also known as the abominable snowman, is a beast of legend. “Yeti” is a Tibetan term, and the beast is fabled to live in the Himalayan regions of Nepal and Tibet. Our equivalent legend in North America is that of Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch. The study of animals whose existence have not yet been substantiated is called cryptozoology, and a cryptid is a creature or plant that isn’t recognized by the scientific community, but the existence of which has been suggested.

126 Instrument for Orpheus : LYRE

Orpheus is a figure from Greek mythology very often associated with poetry, singing, music and the lyre in particular. In ancient Greece there was even an Orphic cult that in effect adopted the poetry ascribed to Orpheus as central to the cult’s belief system. The adjectives “Orphic” and “Orphean” describe things pertaining to Orpheus, and because of his romantic, musical bent, the term has come to describe anything melodious or enchanting. One of the more famous stories about Orpheus describes his attempts to rescue his wife Eurydice from the underworld.

Down

1 Transport in a Billy Strayhorn standard : “A” TRAIN

The A Train in the New York City Subway system runs from 207th Street, through Manhattan and over to Far Rockaway in Queens. The service lends its name to a jazz standard “Take the ‘A’ Train”, the signature tune of Duke Ellington and a song much sung by Ella Fitzgerald. One version of the lyrics are:

You must take the A Train
To go to Sugar Hill way up in Harlem
If you miss the A Train
You’ll find you’ve missed the quickest way to Harlem
Hurry, get on, now, it’s coming
Listen to those rails a-thrumming (All Aboard!)
Get on the A Train
Soon you will be on Sugar Hill in Harlem.

2 Showrunner Rhimes : SHONDA

Shonda Rhimes is the creator and head writer of the TV shows “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal”. She also serves as executive producer for the crime shows “How to Get Away with Murder” and “The Catch”. Rhimes also runs her own production company called Shondaland.

4 Sam with 82 P.G.A. Tour wins : SNEAD

Sam Snead was probably the most successful golfer never to win a US Open title, as he won a record 82 PGA Tour events. Snead did win seven majors, but never the US Open. He was also quite the showman. He once hit the scoreboard at Wrigley Field stadium with a golf ball, by teeing off from home plate. Snead’s best-remembered nickname is “Slammin’ Sammy”.

8 Highly unconventional : OUTRE

The word “outré”, meaning “unconventional, bizarre”, comes to us from French, as one might imagine. It is derived from the verb “outrer” meaning “to overdo, exaggerate”. “Outrer” is also the ultimate root of our word “outrage”.

15 Not worth arguing about : MOOT

These “tabling” and “shelving” idioms drive me crazy, because they are often misused. If a topic is shelved, it is set aside. If a topic is tabled, it is brought “off the shelf” and put “on the table” for discussion. I know that language evolves, but I think that it should at least make sense …

16 Goldman who crusaded for birth control access : EMMA

Emma Goldman was an anarchist from present day Lithuania who emigrated to New York City. When President William McKinley was assassinated in 1901, the assassin Leon Czolgosz said that he was inspired to carry out the terrible deed after listening to a speech by Emma Goldman. This was enough for the authorities to arrest Goldman and charge her with planning the killing, although she was released after two weeks.

19 “Never ___ Give You Up” (Rick Astley song) : GONNA

Rick Astley is an English singer best known for his 1987 worldwide hit “Never Gonna Give You Up”. He retired in 1993 but became a huge hit on the Internet in 2007 when a YouTube video of “Never Gonna Give You Up” was chosen by tricksters as a link (labeled as something else) that was sent around the world so that the clip was seen by millions online. The phenomenon was given the name “Rickrolling”. With all the new exposure that the song received Astley made a whopping $12 in royalties from YouTube. Yep, 12 whole dollars.

28 Useless : OTIOSE

“Otiose” means “lazy, indolent”, and comes from the Latin word “otium” meaning “leisure”. Use of the term has extended to mean “without profit, futile”.

37 Web portal with a Bing search bar : MSN

Bing is the search engine from Microsoft. Bing is the latest name for an engine that Microsoft used to call Live Search, Windows Live Search and MSN Search.

38 Ambulance pro : EMT

An emergency medical technician (EMT) might administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

40 Monocle-dropping exclamation : I SAY!

So do I!

44 Sixth of five? : ESP

The so-called sixth sense is extrasensory perception (ESP). It is also referred to as second sight.

60 Sojourner Truth or Frances Harper : ORATOR

Sojourner Truth (real name “Isabella Baumfree”) was an African-American abolitionist and women’s rights activist. Truth was born a slave in New York State, and freed in 1827. She became famous for her speeches against slavery, including her most famous address “Ain’t I a Woman?” that was delivered at the Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio in 1851.

66 “On the Basis of ___” (2018 legal drama) : SEX

Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG) served on the US Supreme Court. Justice Ginsburg was the second woman to join the Court, and was nominated by President Bill Clinton. She was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1999 and underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. During that time she did not miss one day on the bench. In 2009 Justice Ginsburg had surgery for pancreatic cancer, and was back to work 12 days later. She had left-lung lobectomy to remove cancerous nodules in 2018, which forced Justice Ginsburg to miss oral argument in January 2019, for the first time since joining the court 25 years earlier. She finally succumbed to pancreatic cancer in 2020. Much of Ginsburg’s life is recounted in the excellent 2018 movie “On the Basis of Sex”.

71 Sport played on a fronton : JAI ALAI

A fronton is an open-walled playing area used for the sport of jai alai. Although most frontons in the US can be found in Florida, where the sport is most popular, the first jai alai fronton in the country was located in St. Louis. It opened there around the time of the 1904 World’s Fair.

Even though jai alai is often said to be the fastest sport in the world because of the speed of the ball, golf balls usually get going at a greater clip. Although, as a blog reader once pointed out to me, you don’t have to catch a golf ball …

73 Doc who performs Pap smears : GYNO

“Gyneco-” is a prefix meaning female, as in “gynecology”. “Andro-” is a prefix meaning male, as in “androgen”, a steroid hormone that controls the development of masculine characteristics.

78 Black Lives Matter co-founder : AYO TOMETI

The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement started in 2013 after George Zimmerman was acquitted in the shooting death of African-American youth Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida. Three civil rights activists, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi, originated the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter.

83 Santa ___ winds : ANA

The Santa Ana winds are the very dry air currents that sweep offshore late in the year in Southern California. Because these air currents are so dry, they are noted for their influence over forest fires in the area, especially in the heat of the fall. The winds arise from a buildup of air pressure in the Great Basin that lies between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada. Under the right conditions, that air spills over the peaks of the Sierra Nevada and basically “falls” down the side of the Sierra range, heading for the ocean. As the air falls it becomes drier and heats up so that relative humidity can fall to below 10% by the time it hits the coast.

92 Cholesterol-lowering drug : LIPITOR

Lipitor is the Pfizer brand name of the drug atorvastatin. Lipitor is used to lower cholesterol levels, and in 2008 was the highest-selling brand drug in the world.

96 Share on Tumblr, say : REBLOG

Tumblr.com is a website that mainly hosts private blogs.

98 “You can learn from anyone — even your ___”: Ovid : ENEMY

The Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso is known today simply as Ovid. Ovid is usually listed alongside the two other great Roman poets: Horace and Virgil. Although he was immensely popular during his own lifetime, Ovid spent the last ten years of his life in exile. He fell foul of Emperor Augustus and so was banished to Tomis, an island in the Black Sea. What led to this disfavor seems to have been lost in the mists of time.

101 Danish city where Hans Christian Andersen was born : ODENSE

Odense is a city in Denmark named after the Norse god Odin. One of the most famous sons of Odense was Hans Christian Andersen, the celebrated author of children’s stories.

103 ___ al Ghul (on-and-off lover of Batman) : TALIA

Talia al Ghul is a character in the Batman universe created by DC Comics. She is the daughter of Ra’s al Ghul, a supervillain who is often pitted against Batman. Talia al Ghul appears in the 2012 film “The Dark Knight Rises”, and is portrayed by French actress Marion Cotillard.

105 Fennel-like flavoring : ANISE

Fennel is a hardy perennial plant species in the celery family that is used as a herb. It also goes by the name “sweet anise”. Personally, I can’t stand the stuff …

107 Material for some drums : STEEL

Steel drums (also “steelpans”) are musical instruments that originated in Trinidad and Tobago. They were an evolution of similar drums made using bamboo. That evolution started in the early 1940s, when the base material for the drums became 55-gallon oil drums.

108 Online forum V.I.P.s : MODS

Moderator (mod)

110 “The Thin Man” dog : ASTA

Asta is the wonderful little dog in the superb “The Thin Man” series of films starring William Powell and Myrna Loy (as Nick and Nora Charles). In the original story by Dashiell Hammett, Asta was a female Schnauzer, but on screen Asta was played by a wire-haired fox terrier called “Skippy”. Skippy was also the dog in “Bringing Up Baby” with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, the one who kept stealing the dinosaur bone. Skippy retired in 1939, so Asta was played by other dogs in the remainder of “The Thin Man” films.

“The Thin Man” is a detective novel written by Dashiell Hammett that was first published in the magazine “Redbook” in 1934. Hammett never wrote a sequel to his story, but it spawned a wonderful, wonderful series of “The Thin Man” films starring William Powell and Myrna Loy (as Nick and Nora Charles). “The Thin Man” was the last novel that Hammett wrote.

112 Itches : YENS

The word “yen”, meaning “urge”, has been around in English since the very early 1900s. It comes from the earlier word “yin” imported from Chinese, which was used in English to describe an intense craving for opium.

114 Rest on one’s ___ : OARS

To rest on one’s oars is to relax, especially after having made an effort.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Poses : ASKS
5 ___ palm (tropical tree) : COCO
9 Drive (around) : TOOL
13 Composer Bernstein who was unrelated to Leonard : ELMER
18 Doohickey : THING
20 Home to the Dole Plantation : OAHU
21 Industry show : EXPO
22 Late singer Judd : NAOMI
23 Contest with lots of “tied” scores : RODEO
24 In a fight : AT IT
25 Body part that humans have that other primates don’t : CHIN
26 Term to drop in a serious relationship, informally : L BOMB
27 Argument extender [ref. 18-Across] : AND ANOTHER THING
30 Tiny amounts : IOTAS
31 Terse denial : I DIDN’T
32 What seat selection on an airplane often comes with : FEE
33 Eerily familiar feeling : DEJA VU
35 Scottish refusal : NAE
36 Focused on the bull’s-eye : AIMED
39 State fiction as fact : LIE
41 Supervise : OVERSEE
45 Slowly makes its way through : OSMOSES
47 Fun functions : SHINDIGS
48 With 87-Across, “I’ve been around the block a few times” [ref. 23-Across] : THIS ISN’T MY …
53 Yoga pose : ASANA
55 Covering : ATOP
56 Rock’s C.J. or Dee Dee : RAMONE
57 Currency of Qatar : RIYAL
59 Package in Santa’s sleigh : TOY
61 18+, say : ADULT
62 Danger : PERIL
65 Sun block : VISOR
67 Molecular messenger : RNA
70 Classic Yogi Berra quote [ref. 33-Across] : IT’S DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN
74 Whole bunch : LOT
75 Fiber made from cellulose : RAYON
76 Chemical ingredient in flubber : BORAX
77 Did some secretarial work : TYPED
78 The last thing a Mississippi cheerleader wants? : AN I
79 Land divided at the 38th parallel : KOREA
81 Former name for the N.B.A.’s Thunder, informally : SONICS
82 Crib sheet user : BABY
85 Team building : ARENA
87 See 48-Across : … FIRST RODEO
91 Consolidated for easier reading, as a Twitter thread : UNROLLED
93 Composer Luigi who pioneered noise music : RUSSOLO
95 Like some arts : MARTIAL
96 Be an agent for : REP
97 Broadway composer Jule : STYNE
99 Crop that might be insect-resistant, in brief : GMO
102 Sleep inducer : OPIATE
104 ___ particle : TAU
106 Came next : ENSUED
108 Algonquian people : MIAMI
111 Debut album by Britney Spears [ref. 82-Across] : …BABY ONE MORE TIME
115 Beginning : ONSET
116 French pronoun : ELLE
117 Word implied in “I haven’t the foggiest” : IDEA
118 Crenshaw or casaba : MELON
119 “That makes two of us” : DITTO
120 One with a nose for gnus? : LION
121 A pan might come with just one : STAR
122 Elusive giants : YETIS
123 Tread + riser : STAIR
124 Becomes less taut : SAGS
125 Seemingly forever : EONS
126 Instrument for Orpheus : LYRE

Down

1 Transport in a Billy Strayhorn standard : “A” TRAIN
2 Showrunner Rhimes : SHONDA
3 ___ pool : KIDDIE
4 Sam with 82 P.G.A. Tour wins : SNEAD
5 Lay it on thick : COAT
6 Pledge : OATH
7 Political unit of ancient Hawaii : CHIEFDOM
8 Highly unconventional : OUTRE
9 Sector for many start-ups : TECH
10 Durable leather : OXHIDE
11 Give a take : OPINE
12 Doughnut similar to an éclair : LONG JOHN
13 Spice up : ENLIVEN
14 Canadian observance also called Fête du Travail : LABOUR DAY
15 Not worth arguing about : MOOT
16 Goldman who crusaded for birth control access : EMMA
17 Barbecue order : RIBS
19 “Never ___ Give You Up” (Rick Astley song) : GONNA
28 Useless : OTIOSE
29 Prefix with medicine : TELE-
34 One whose work goes over your head : AVIATOR
37 Web portal with a Bing search bar : MSN
38 Ambulance pro : EMT
40 Monocle-dropping exclamation : I SAY!
42 Be on the bottom? : SIT
43 “___-Tripping” (Nikki Giovanni poem) : EGO
44 Sixth of five? : ESP
46 Home country of the poet Adonis : SYRIA
47 Mouth-watering? : SALIVA
48 Park way : TRAIL
49 Was given no other option : HAD TO
50 “There’s no other option” : I MUST
51 Persuaded : SOLD
52 Starting position, maybe : INTERN
54 Relish : SAVOR
58 “Goodness me!” : I’LL BE!
60 Sojourner Truth or Frances Harper : ORATOR
62 It’s illegal for employers to prohibit workers from discussing this : PAY
63 Called to mind : EVOKED
64 Talk at length : RUN ON
66 “On the Basis of ___” (2018 legal drama) : SEX
67 Swift : RAPID
68 Goddaughter, often : NIECE
69 “It therefore follows that …” : AND SO …
71 Sport played on a fronton : JAI ALAI
72 Lazes around : LOAFS
73 Doc who performs Pap smears : GYNO
78 Black Lives Matter co-founder : AYO TOMETI
80 Valuable to collectors : RARE
81 High-minded sort? : STONER
82 Depress, with “out” : BUM …
83 Santa ___ winds : ANA
84 Comment with a shiver : BRR!
86 Marks down, maybe : RELABELS
88 Gave officially : ISSUED TO
89 Deteriorate : ROT
90 Guileful : SLY
92 Cholesterol-lowering drug : LIPITOR
94 ___ and including : UP TO
96 Share on Tumblr, say : REBLOG
98 “You can learn from anyone — even your ___”: Ovid : ENEMY
99 “Yep, you got me” : GUILTY
100 Story of one’s life : MEMOIR
101 Danish city where Hans Christian Andersen was born : ODENSE
103 ___ al Ghul (on-and-off lover of Batman) : TALIA
105 Fennel-like flavoring : ANISE
107 Material for some drums : STEEL
108 Online forum V.I.P.s : MODS
109 Still having a shot at winning : IN IT
110 “The Thin Man” dog : ASTA
112 Itches : YENS
113 Far from friendly : MEAN
114 Rest on one’s ___ : OARS

9 thoughts on “0612-22 NY Times Crossword 12 Jun 22, Sunday”

  1. 16:52. Cute theme. I felt like there were a fair number of obscure (to me) answers in the bottom third that slowed me down a bit, but nothing too vexing.

  2. 22:03. Saw the theme early and leaned on it as much as I could. Only the Brittany Spears title gave me pause.

    I noticed BORAX and DOLE reappear in today’s puzzle.

    YETIS are back as well – which brings up the subject of cryptozoology and cryptozoologists. Is that a major in college now? Do you need to get licensed to call yourself a cryptozoologist? Do they have conventions? Do companies look to hire cryptozoologists?

    Or perhaps if you even consider if YETIS exist, are you at that point engaging in cryptozoology? These are the important issues of our times that our nation and the international community must address…..

    Best –

  3. 41:59. Entered the last letter and got the ‘Almost There’ alert. Fortunately, my error required only changing ARKS/RHONDA to ASKS/SHONDA.
    Today I learned that flubber is an actual compound and not just the imaginary ‘flying rubber’ of the 1961 movie “The Absent Minded Professor”. It is also the title of a 1997 movie starring Robin Williams. Another Hollywood remake that no one asked for.

  4. 1:11:13 and I had ACTS for 1A👎
    I guess obscurity is the new norm with proper names.
    Stay safe😀

  5. Quick run. Got theme early. Couple of mistakes on names that I don’t know.

    LBOMB? Really? I thought it was the LWORD?

  6. Hi Bill,

    If you like the Beach Boys, you will like the Ramones. As Jayne (Wayne) County once said, “The Ramones are just The Beach Boys on speed”! Hook-laden, tuneful, rockin’ stuff from the Ramones….

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