0628-22 NY Times Crossword 28 Jun 22, Tuesday

Constructed by: Scott Graham
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme (according to Bill): Teetotal

Themed answers each comprise two words starting with the letter T. And, every clue in the puzzle starts with a T. And, all the black squares in the grids are in T-shapes:

  • 13A “Try and do better!” : TOP THIS!
  • 15A Traditional medicine uses its oil : TEA TREE
  • 29A Tantalizing film preview : TEASER TRAILER
  • 35A Thieves’ stash, maybe : TREASURE TROVE
  • 56A Table the rehearsal for a bit, say : TAKE TEN
  • 57A Tiger’s slot on the schedule, e.g. : TEE TIME

Bill’s time: 7m 39s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

15 Traditional medicine uses its oil : TEA TREE

Tea tree oil is an essential oil that is extracted from the leaves of several species known as “tea tree”, all of which are in the myrtle family. The oil is used as a folk remedy for several skin conditions, including acne, nail fungus and athlete’s foot and dandruff. We are warned that tree oil is poisonous when taken internally, and may cause skin irritation when used externally.

21 Tierney of “The Affair” : MAURA

Maura Tierney is an actress from Boston, Massachusetts. Tierney is best known for playing Lisa Miller on television’s “NewsRadio” and Abby Lockhart on “ER”.

“The Affair” is a drama series on Showtime about a novelist and a waitress having an extramarital affair in a Long Island resort town. Stars of the show are the marvelous Dominic West and Ruth Wilson. I haven’t seen this one, but hear good things …

22 Theater’s ___’acte : ENTR

The term “entr’acte” comes to us from French, and is the interval “entre deux actes” (between two acts) of a theatrical performance. The term often describes some entertainment provided during that interval.

24 “Trapeze: The Unexpurgated Diary of Anaïs ___” : NIN

Anaïs Nin was a French author who was famous for the journals that she wrote for over sixty years from the age of 11 right up to her death. Nin also wrote highly regarded erotica and cited D. H. Lawrence as someone from whom she drew inspiration. Nin was married to banker and artist Hugh Parker Guiler in 1923. Decades later in 1955, Nin married former actor Rupert Pole, even though she was still married to Guiler. Nin and Pole had their marriage annulled in 1966, but just for legal reasons, and they continued to live together as husband and wife until Nin passed away in 1977.

26 “Take heed, ___ summer comes, or cuckoo-birds do sing”: “The Merry Wives of Windsor” : ERE

“The Merry Wives of Windsor” is one of William Shakespeare’s comedies, and perhaps the most farcical of all his works. The main character is Sir John Falstaff, an overweight and jocular character intent on seducing one of the “merry wives”. The Windsor in the title is the Windsor Castle just outside London that is now a favored residence of Queen Elizabeth II.

27 Tagged surreptitiously, as on an email : BCC’ED

A blind carbon copy (bcc) is a copy of a document or message that is sent to someone without other recipients of the message knowing about that extra copy.

29 Tantalizing film preview : TEASER TRAILER

The term “trailer” was originally used in the film industry to describe advertisements for upcoming features. These trailers were originally shown at the end of a movie being screened, hence the name. This practice quickly fell out of favor as theater patrons usually left at the end of the movie without paying much attention to the trailers. So, the trailers were moved to the beginning of the show, but the term “trailer” persisted.

35 Thieves’ stash, maybe : TREASURE TROVE

The term “treasure trove” comes from the Anglo-French “tresor trové “ meaning “found treasure”.

39 Three Stooges member, for a time : SHEMP

If you’ve seen a few of the films starring “The Three Stooges” you might have noticed that the line-up changed over the years. The original trio was made up of Moe and Shemp Howard (two brothers) and Larry Fine (a good friend of the Howards). This line up was usually known as “Moe, Larry and Shemp”. Then Curly Howard replaced his brother when Shemp quit the act, creating the most famous trio, “Moe, Larry And Curly”. Shemp returned when Curly had a debilitating stroke in 1946. Shemp stayed with the troupe until he himself died in 1955. Shemp was replaced by Joe Besser, and then “Curly-Joe” DeRita. When Larry Fine suffered a stroke in 1970, it effectively marked the end of the act.

40 “Touch and Go” singer Ocasek : RIC

Ric Ocasek was an American musician of Czech heritage. He was the lead vocalist of the Cars rock band.

41 Toxicological E.R. cases : ODS

Someone taking an overdose (OD) often ends up in an emergency room (ER).

44 Thames-side art gallery : TATE

The museum known as “the Tate” is actually made up of four separate galleries in England. The original Tate gallery was founded by Sir Henry Tate as the National Gallery of British Art. It is located on Millbank in London, on the site of the old Millbank Prison, and is now called Tate Britain. There is also the Tate Liverpool in the north of England that is located in an old warehouse, and the Tate St. Ives in the west country located in an old gas works. My favorite of the Tate galleries is the Tate Modern which lies on the banks of the Thames in London. It’s a beautiful building, a converted power station that you have to see to believe. As of 2018, the Tate Modern was the most visited art museum in the UK.

46 TDs or FGs : STAT

Touchdown (TD)
Field goal (FG)

50 Turin-based automaker ___ Romeo : ALFA

The “Alfa” in “Alfa Romeo” is actually an acronym, one standing for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili (“Lombard Automobile Factory, Public Company”). ALFA was an enterprise founded in 1909 and which was taken over by Nicola Romeo in 1915. In 1920 the company name was changed to Alfa Romeo.

51 “To: All Staff” note : MEMO

“Memorandum” means “thing to be remembered” in Latin, from the verb “memorare” meaning “to call to mind”.

52 Testarossa or Portofino : FERRARI

The Italian sports car company Ferrari was founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1939. Ferrari built the most expensive car ever sold: a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO that exchanged hands for over $38 million in 2012.

57 Tiger’s slot on the schedule, e.g. : TEE TIME

Golfer Tiger Woods’ real name is Eldrick Tont Woods. “Tont” is a traditional Thai name. Tiger’s father Earl Woods met his second wife Kultida Punsawad in 1966, while on a tour of duty with the US Army in Thailand.

59 Third-largest country in the European Union, after France and Spain : SWEDEN

The country of Sweden emerged during the Middle Ages, and became one of the great powers of Europe in the days of the Swedish Empire in the 17th and early 18th century. Since then Sweden’s influence has waned. What was the eastern part of Sweden was lost to Russia in the early 1800s, and is now modern-day Finland. In the 20th century Sweden has adopted a very non-aggressive stance and was neutral in both World Wars. Sweden is not a member of NATO, but is a member of the European Union, although the country does not use the euro as its currency.

Down

2 Tropical source of milk : COCONUT

The coconut is the fruit of the coconut palm. The term “coconut” comes from “coco” and “nut”, with “coco” being 16th-century Spanish and Portuguese for “head”, and more specifically “grinning face”. The three holes found in the base of a coconut shell might be said to resemble a human face.

5 The Eagles, on scoreboards : PHI

The Philadelphia Eagles were established in 1933 and joined the National Football League as a replacement for the bankrupt Frankford Yellow Jackets, also from Philadelphia. The “Eagle” name was inspired by the Blue Eagle insignia that was used by companies who were in compliance with the National Industrial Recovery Act that was central to President Roosevelt’s New Deal Program.

6 Taurus, Virgo, Libra, etc. : SIGNS

Most of the signs of the classical Greek zodiac are animals. This fact relates to the etymology of the term “zodiac”, which comes from the Greek “zodiakos kyklos”, literally “circle of animals”.

7 Top dog at a corp. : CEO

Chief executive officer (CEO)

8 Tort basis : HARM

“Tort” is a French word meaning “mischief, injury or wrong”. In common law, a tort is a civil wrong that results in the injured party suffering loss or harm, and the injuring party having a legal liability. Tort law differs from criminal law in that torts may result from negligence and not just intentional actions. Also, tort lawsuits may be decided on a preponderance of evidence, without the need of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

9 Twin-blade razor brand : ATRA

Fortunately for crossword constructors, the Atra was introduced by Gillette in 1977, as the first razor with a pivoting head. The Atra was sold as the Contour in some markets and its derivative products are still around today.

11 Toto in “The Wizard of Oz,” e.g. : TERRIER

Most terrier breeds of dog originated in Britain and Ireland. They were developed as working dogs, with the job of controlling populations of rats, rabbits and foxes by rooting them out above and below the ground. The name “terrier” comes via Middle French from the Latin “terra” meaning “earth”, a reflection of the breed’s habit of burrowing into the earth looking for its prey.

Toto is Dorothy’s dog in the film “The Wizard of Oz”, and in the original book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum. Toto was played in the movie by a dog called Terry, but Terry’s name was soon changed to Toto in real life due to the success of the film.

27 Tall one or cold one, in Germany : BIER

In Germany, one might order a “bier” (beer).

28 Title role for Liz Taylor, in brief : CLEO

The 1963 movie “Cleopatra” really is an epic work. It was the highest grossing film of the year, taking in $26 million dollars at the box office, yet it still lost money. The original budget for the film was just $2 million, but so many things went wrong the final cost swelled to a staggering $44 million dollars, making it the second most expensive movie ever made (taking into account inflation). Elizabeth Taylor was supposed to earn a record amount of $1 million for the film, and ended up earning seven times that amount due to delays. But she paid dearly, as she became seriously ill during shooting and had to have an emergency tracheotomy to save her life. The scar in her throat can actually be seen in some of the shots in the film.

31 Telenovela, e.g. : SOAP

A telenovela is a “television novel”, a form of programming that is very popular in Latin America. A telenovela is somewhat like a soap opera that has an end in sight, and that runs for less than a year. I like this quote from an executive at Telemundo:

A telenovela is all about a couple who wants to kiss and a scriptwriter who stands in their way for 150 episodes.

32 Travelers from afar, for short : ETS

Extraterrestrial (ET)

35 Transcendentalist who wrote “Walden” : THOREAU

Henry David Thoreau is a personal hero of mine. Thoreau is best known for his book called “Walden” published in 1854. The book outlines his philosophy of life and details his experiences living in a cabin near Walden Pond just outside Concord, Massachusetts.

38 Teriyaki appetizer, maybe : EDAMAME

Edamame is a simple dish made of immature soybeans still in the pod. The pods are boiled and then salted before serving, usually as a snack or side dish. The name “edamame” translates as “twig bean”.

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.

39 Treats very unfairly, in slang : SHAFTS

To shaft someone is to treat him or her unfairly. It’s one of those terms that I dislike and avoid because it probably derives from slang terms for cruel and tasteless acts.

45 Type of chair : EAMES

Charles and Ray Eames were a husband-wife team of furniture designers. One of the more famous of their designs is the Eames lounge chair that comes with an ottoman. This trendy piece of furniture featured in a late episode of the television show “Frasier”. In the show, Frasier’s Dad remarks that the Eames chair is so comfortable that he might have gotten rid of his tatty old recliner a long time ago.

48 Trojan War god : ARES

The Greek god Ares is often referred to as the Olympian god of warfare, but originally he was regarded as the god of bloodlust and slaughter. Ares united with Aphrodite to create several gods, including Phobos (Fear), Deimos (Terror) and Eros (Desire). Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera, and the Roman equivalent to Ares was Mars.

The ancient city of Troy was located on the west coast of modern-day Turkey. The Trojan War of Greek mythology was precipitated by the elopement of Helen, the wife of the king of Sparta, with Paris of Troy. The war itself largely consisted of a nine-year siege of Troy by the Greeks. We know most about the final year of that siege, as it is described extensively in Homer’s “Iliad”. The city eventually fell when the Greeks hid soldiers inside the Trojan Horse, which the Trojans brought inside the city’s walls. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts …

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Typical ice cream servings : SCOOPS
7 Talkative : CHATTY
13 “Try and do better!” : TOP THIS!
15 Traditional medicine uses its oil : TEA TREE
16 Two pair beats it in poker : ACE HIGH
17 Terrible things : HORRORS
18 Totally vanished : GONE
19 Tip of a plane : NOSE
21 Tierney of “The Affair” : MAURA
22 Theater’s ___’acte : ENTR
23 Trade : SWAP
24 “Trapeze: The Unexpurgated Diary of Anaïs ___” : NIN
25 Twosome : DUO
26 “Take heed, ___ summer comes, or cuckoo-birds do sing”: “The Merry Wives of Windsor” : ERE
27 Tagged surreptitiously, as on an email : BCC’ED
29 Tantalizing film preview : TEASER TRAILER
34 Tipplers drink this in the belief it helps sober them up : HOT COFFEE
35 Thieves’ stash, maybe : TREASURE TROVE
39 Three Stooges member, for a time : SHEMP
40 “Touch and Go” singer Ocasek : RIC
41 Toxicological E.R. cases : ODS
43 To what effect? : HOW?
44 Thames-side art gallery : TATE
46 TDs or FGs : STAT
47 Thunderous, as a crowd : AROAR
50 Turin-based automaker ___ Romeo : ALFA
51 “To: All Staff” note : MEMO
52 Testarossa or Portofino : FERRARI
54 Transgressive, say : IMMORAL
56 Table the rehearsal for a bit, say : TAKE TEN
57 Tiger’s slot on the schedule, e.g. : TEE TIME
58 Thought through, with “out” : SUSSED …
59 Third-largest country in the European Union, after France and Spain : SWEDEN

Down

1 Theatrically presented : STAGED
2 Tropical source of milk : COCONUT
3 Type of sandal : OPEN-TOE
4 Turn the ___ cheek : OTHER
5 The Eagles, on scoreboards : PHI
6 Taurus, Virgo, Libra, etc. : SIGNS
7 Top dog at a corp. : CEO
8 Tort basis : HARM
9 Twin-blade razor brand : ATRA
10 Thrash : TROUNCE
11 Toto in “The Wizard of Oz,” e.g. : TERRIER
12 Two-word tenet of improv comedy : YES, AND …
14 Tub accessory : SHOWER CURTAIN
15 This is what a tailor seeks to provide : THE PERFECT FIT
20 Tailoring-related : SARTORIAL
27 Tall one or cold one, in Germany : BIER
28 Title role for Liz Taylor, in brief : CLEO
30 Throat-clearing sound : AHEM!
31 Telenovela, e.g. : SOAP
32 Travelers from afar, for short : ETS
33 Toward the stern : AFT
35 Transcendentalist who wrote “Walden” : THOREAU
36 Thoroughly overhauls : REWORKS
37 Thing checked at a polling station : VOTER ID
38 Teriyaki appetizer, maybe : EDAMAME
39 Treats very unfairly, in slang : SHAFTS
42 Taken dishonestly : STOLEN
45 Type of chair : EAMES
46 Thwacked, biblically : SMOTE
48 Trojan War god : ARES
49 Tempo : RATE
53 Tomato shade : RED
55 Tabby’s cry : MEW!

10 thoughts on “0628-22 NY Times Crossword 28 Jun 22, Tuesday”

    1. Indeed, PIX. I forgot to mention that fact. I’ve added it above. Thanks for your help! 🙂

  1. 8:58. Completely whiffed on the theme. Forgot even to look for it until I came here to the blog. Well done even if I didn’t notice.

    PHI gave me pause briefly. Sometimes Philadelphia is abbreviated PHA on scoreboards so I was unsure of the “I”.

    I’ll admit that I’ve never sat in an EAMES chair, but they don’t look comfortable at all. It looks like you’re very restricted to one position.

    Best –

  2. 9:24, no errors. I totally missed the theme, too. I don’t think I’ve seen SARTORIAL before in the puzzles. I like it.

  3. 13:36. Noticed an awful lot of T’s in the puzzle, but didn’t make as many connections.

  4. Missed the theme.
    Also missed EAMES. Had EASES, which gave me IS MORAL instead of IMMORAL.

  5. 13 minutes. No errors etc. missed the theme because I wasn’t even thinking about it. Just trying to get the clues as quickly as possible.

  6. In Poker it is correct that two pair beats an Ace high. But that is misleading as the question suggests that the answer should be the next best hand over an Ace high, which of course is one pair.

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