1202-22 NY Times Crossword 2 Dec 22, Friday

Constructed by: Scott Earl
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: None

Bill’s time: 9m 02s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 1962 #1 hit that the BBC once deemed “too morbid” to play : MONSTER MASH

“Monster Mash” is a fun novelty song released by Bobby Pickett in 1962. Pickett sings “Monster Mash” in a voice that imitates Boris Karloff.

12 Supplements supplier : GNC

General Nutrition Centers (GNC) is a retailer of health and nutrition supplements based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1935 as a small health food store in downtown Pittsburgh. There are now about 5,000 stores in the US. The GNC slogan is “Live Well”.

15 First person plural? : EDITORIAL WE

The “royal we” is more correctly called the “majestic plural”, and is the use of a plural pronoun to describe a single person in a high office. I suppose the most often quoted phrase that uses the majestic plural is “We are not amused”, which is often attributed to Queen Victoria. The “editorial we” is a similar concept, in which a newspaper editor or columnist refers to himself or herself as “we” when giving an opinion.

16 Friend of Lumpy the Heffalump : ROO

The elephant-like creatures in the “Winnie the Pooh” stories by A.A. Milne are known as Heffalumps.

19 Frosty the Snowman’s nose, for one : BUTTON

“Frosty the Snowman” is a song that was first recorded by Gene Autry, in 1950. The song was specifically written in the hope that it would become a follow-up hit to Autry’s “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” that topped the charts the previous year.

20 Like Chicago, geographically : UPSTATE

Chicago, Illinois is the US’s third most populous city, after New York and Los Angeles. It is also home to O’Hare airport, the busiest airport in the whole world (in terms of takeoffs and landings). Chicago takes its name from the Chicago River, which in turn takes its name from the Native American word “shikaakwa” that translates as “wild onion” or “wild garlic”. Early French explorers chose this name as they found dense growths of wild garlic along the banks of the river.

22 Meatless food brand : AMY’S

Amy’s Kitchen is a company making organic and easy-to-prepare frozen food, all of which is vegetarian. The company was founded in 1987 by Andy and Rachel Berliner, and Amy is their daughter.

23 Where some vets were based : ‘NAM

By some definitions, the official involvement of Americans in the Vietnam War started in 1955. At that time, President Eisenhower deployed a Military Assistance Advisory Group to assist in the training of the South Vietnamese Army. American involvement in the conflict officially ended in 1973, with the signing of an agreement that came out of the Paris Peace Accords.

25 They may be mild or minced : OATHS

The verb “to mince” can mean “to make light of”, and more specifically “to criticize using polite language”. William Shakespeare used the term in such a sense in a couple of his plays, although the derivative expression “mince words” was first used in print in Benjamin Disraeli’s first novel “Vivian Grey”, published in 1826:

Your Lordship’s heart is very warm in the cause of a party, which, for I will not mince my words, has betrayed you.

So, to mince words is to moderate one’s language while still giving criticism. The related phrase “minced oath” describes a euphemistic phrase used to replace a more profane phrase, e.g. “gosh” for “God”, “heck” for “hell”.

29 Makes out in England : SNOGS

“Snogging” is British slang of unknown origin that dates back to the end of WWII. The term is used for “kissing and cuddling”, what we call “making out” over here in the US.

34 Quench : SATE

“Sate” is a variant of the older word “satiate”. Both terms can mean either to satisfy an appetite fully, or to eat to excess.

36 Shorthand at a coffee shop : CAF

Caffeine is a naturally occurring stimulant that is found in several plants. The chemical serves as a natural pesticide by paralyzing and killing certain insects that would otherwise feed on the plant. Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive drug that is consumed by humans across the world.

39 What may come as a relief? : MAP

A topographic map is one that illustrates land relief, the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the terrain. Typically, this is done using contour lines that show the steepness of slopes.

47 Daredevil’s helmet attachment, maybe : GOPRO

GoPro is a company that makes high-definition video cameras that have a rugged design. Famously, GoPro cameras are used in extreme conditions. For example, they are often mounted on moving vehicles or used by people playing sports. Two astronauts on the International Space Station inserted a GoPro camera inside a floating ball of water, and then showed the view from inside the ball of water. Amazing footage …

48 Windows portal : MSN

The Microsoft Network (MSN) used to be an Internet service provider (ISP). These days, MSN is mainly a Web portal.

49 Genre for Blackpink or Red Velvet : K-POP

K-pop (Korean pop) is a genre of music from South Korea that emerged in the early nineties.

57 Comfy bit of footwear : MOC

“Moc” is short for “moccasin”, a type of shoe. The moccasin is a traditional form of footwear worn by members of many Native American tribes.

61 Monogram of 1964’s Nobel Peace laureate : MLK

Martin Luther King, Jr’s father was born Michael King. On a trip to Germany in 1934, Michael came to admire Protestant leader Martin Luther and changed his name to Martin Luther King on his return to the United States. Famously, he passed on his new name to his son, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr (MLK).

62 What a camera emoji in an Instagram caption often signifies : PHOTO CREDIT

Instagram (often abbreviated to “Insta”) is a photo-sharing application, one that is extremely popular. Instagram started in San Francisco in 2010. Facebook purchased Instagram two years later, paying $1 billion. The billion-dollar Instagram company had just 13 employees at the time of the sale …

Down

1 Toast opening? : MELBA …

Melba toast is a dry, thinly sliced toast that is usually served with soup or salad. Melba toast was created by chef Auguste Escoffier for opera singer Dame Nellie Melba, for whom he also created the dessert called peach Melba.

2 Sense of loathing : ODIUM

Odium is a strong dislike or aversion. The term “odium” is Latin in origin and relates to the Latin word “odi” meaning “I hate”.

7 Something salted at a Mexican restaurant : RIM

No one seems to know for sure who first created the margarita cocktail. The most plausible and oft-quoted is that it was invented in 1941 in Ensenada, Mexico. The barman mixed the drink for an important visitor, the daughter of the German ambassador. The daughter’s name was Margarita Henkel, and she lent her name to the new drink. The basic recipe for a margarita is a mixture of tequila, orange-flavored liqueur (like Cointreau) and lime juice.

8 Engineer/astronaut Jemison : MAE

Mae Jemison was a crew member on the Space Shuttle Endeavour on a 1992 mission, and as such became the first African-American woman to travel in space. She is also a big fan of “Star Trek” and appeared on an episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation”. That made Jemison the first real astronaut to appear on any of the “Star Trek” shows.

9 Something that’s dropped after it’s finished : ALBUM

The Latin word “album” translates as “white”. Back in the 17th century, public notices and lists of names were written on a board painted white, or in a souvenir book with white pages known as an “albo” (from “album”). Over time, the term “album” came to be used in English for a blank book created to collect signatures or other mementos. By the end of the 19th century, albums were used to collect photographs. The term “album” was applied to long-playing gramophone records in the early 1950s, because the record sleeves resembled large photographic albums.

11 Creator of TV’s “Fraggle Rock” : HENSON

Jim Henson was a puppeteer, and most famously the creator of the Muppets characters. Henson produced his first puppets for a local television station in Hyattsville, Maryland while he was still in high school. As well as the famous Muppet characters, Henson created, operated and voiced the character Yoda in most of the “Star Wars” movies. Henson died from a streptococcal infection in 1990, on the same day that Sammy Davis, Jr. passed away.

13 Guiding light : NORTH STAR

Because the orientation of the Earth’s axis shifts, albeit very slowly, the position of north relative to the stars changes over time. The bright star that is closest to true north is Polaris, and so we call Polaris the “North Star” or “Pole Star”. Because of the relatively stable position of Polaris in the Northern Sky, it is a useful navigational tool. 14,000 years ago, the nearest bright star to true north was Vega, and it will be so again in about 12,000 year’s time.

21 County with 17 of New Mexico’s 25 highest peaks : TAOS

New Mexico’s Taos County was formed in 1852 as one of the nine original counties in the New Mexico Territory.

28 Septet in a carol : SWANS

The fabulous Christmas carol called “The Twelve Days of Christmas” dates back at least to 1780 when it was first published in England, though it may be French in origin. The concept of twelve days of Christmas comes from the tradition that the three kings came to visit the Christ Child twelve days after he was born. This same tradition is the origin of the title to Shakespeare’s play “Twelfth Night”.

30 Word with cap or cream : ICE …

The polar ice cap at the north of our planet is floating pack ice in the Arctic Ocean. The southern polar ice cap is an ice sheet that covers the landmass known as Antarctica. About 70% of all the freshwater on Earth is held in the southern polar ice cap.

31 Place to deliver the goods : CARGO HOLD

Cargo is freight carried by some vehicle. The term “cargo” comes into English via Spanish, ultimately deriving from the Latin “carricare” meaning “to load on a cart”.

33 First network to broadcast a live session of the House of Representatives : C-SPAN

C-SPAN is a privately-funded, nonprofit cable channel that broadcasts continuous coverage of government proceedings. C-SPAN Video Library is an amazing online archive provided by C-SPAN that offers a complete audio and video archive of Congressional proceedings going back to 1987. Users can search the archive for free, by topic, speaker date and more. When the site was launched in 2010, the archive already contained 160,000 hours of programming. There is a section of the archive called “Congressional Chronicle” that is particularly easy to navigate.

35 Short records, for short : EPS

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

38 Medical research org. : NIH

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) organization is made up of 27 different institutes that coordinate their research and services. Examples of member institutes are the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute on Aging.

45 Early happy hour start time : FOUR PM

I personally think that Happy Hour is best enjoyed shaken, not stirred; and with a good crossword …

47 Delta follows it : GAMMA

The Greek alphabet starts off with the letters alpha, beta, gamma …

48 Georgia city with the Tubman Museum : MACON

The Tubman Museum in Macon, Georgia was founded in 1981 to showcase African-American art, history and culture. The facility is named for the celebrated abolitionist and activist Harriet Tubman.

50 ___ parade : PRIDE

The first gay pride parades were held all on the same weekend in 1970, in New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

54 Soft drink brand that sounds like a type of sock : NEHI

The Nehi cola brand has a name that sounds like “knee-high”, a measure of a small stature. Back in the mid-1900’s the Chero-Cola company, which owned the brand, went for a slightly different twist on “knee-high” in advertising. The logo for Nehi was an image of a seated woman’s stockinged legs, with her skirt pulled up to her knees to hint at “knee-high”.

55 “___ homo” : ECCE

According to the Gospel of John, when Pilate presented a scourged and beaten Jesus to the crowd he used the words “Ecce homo”, Latin for “Behold the man”.

56 Banks who coined the term “smizing” : TYRA

To smize is to smile with the eyes. The term “smize” was coined by host Tyra Banks in 2009 on the reality show “America’s Next Top Model”.

59 Flight abbr. : ETD

Estimated time of departure (ETD)

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 1962 #1 hit that the BBC once deemed “too morbid” to play : MONSTER MASH
12 Supplements supplier : GNC
15 First person plural? : EDITORIAL WE
16 Friend of Lumpy the Heffalump : ROO
17 Highest bar? : LIFETIME BAN
18 Directional suffix : -ERN
19 Frosty the Snowman’s nose, for one : BUTTON
20 Like Chicago, geographically : UPSTATE
22 Meatless food brand : AMY’S
23 Where some vets were based : ‘NAM
25 They may be mild or minced : OATHS
26 First indication : ONSET
29 Makes out in England : SNOGS
30 Comment made with eyes closed, perhaps : I CAN’T WATCH
34 Quench : SATE
36 Shorthand at a coffee shop : CAF
37 Talks smack about : HATES ON
39 What may come as a relief? : MAP
40 Does something accidentally, perhaps : ERRS
42 “Don’t tell me what happens yet!” : NO SPOILERS
44 Silly ones : GOOFS
46 Actress Smith of “Why Did I Get Married?” : TASHA
47 Daredevil’s helmet attachment, maybe : GOPRO
48 Windows portal : MSN
49 Genre for Blackpink or Red Velvet : K-POP
53 Steak option for a pescatarian : AHI TUNA
55 Lasting forever, once : ETERNE
57 Comfy bit of footwear : MOC
58 Inclination to prioritize new events over historical ones : RECENCY BIAS
61 Monogram of 1964’s Nobel Peace laureate : MLK
62 What a camera emoji in an Instagram caption often signifies : PHOTO CREDIT
63 Things people pay not to see : ADS
64 They know what you’re thinking : MIND READERS

Down

1 Toast opening? : MELBA …
2 Sense of loathing : ODIUM
3 “Swell!” : NIFTY!
4 University in central Florida : STETSON
5 Completely, after “in” : … TOTO
6 Actress Moriarty of “The Boys” : ERIN
7 Something salted at a Mexican restaurant : RIM
8 Engineer/astronaut Jemison : MAE
9 Something that’s dropped after it’s finished : ALBUM
10 Cashless deal : SWAP
11 Creator of TV’s “Fraggle Rock” : HENSON
12 Unlikely comment from a sore loser : GREAT GAME
13 Guiding light : NORTH STAR
14 Markers used in zigzag drills : CONES
21 County with 17 of New Mexico’s 25 highest peaks : TAOS
23 “Swell!” : NEATO!
24 Validates, with “to” : ATTESTS …
27 Last in a series : NTH
28 Septet in a carol : SWANS
29 Waves away : SHOOS
30 Word with cap or cream : ICE …
31 Place to deliver the goods : CARGO HOLD
32 Ones long in the tooth? : AFRO PICKS
33 First network to broadcast a live session of the House of Representatives : C-SPAN
35 Short records, for short : EPS
38 Medical research org. : NIH
41 Arrange : SORT
43 Locale for many a sunken boat : LAKEBED
45 Early happy hour start time : FOUR PM
47 Delta follows it : GAMMA
48 Georgia city with the Tubman Museum : MACON
50 ___ parade : PRIDE
51 [We’re broadcasting! Don’t interrupt!] : ON AIR
52 Exterminators’ targets : PESTS
54 Soft drink brand that sounds like a type of sock : NEHI
55 “___ homo” : ECCE
56 Banks who coined the term “smizing” : TYRA
59 Flight abbr. : ETD
60 Negative connector : NOR

8 thoughts on “1202-22 NY Times Crossword 2 Dec 22, Friday”

  1. 14:40. I got stuck in the NW. I know of the “Royal We” but had never heard of the EDITORIAL WE. I lost several minutes getting that all sorted out.

  2. 31:21, no errors. Looked like a DNF, happy to finish. Had CARROT in 19A until I sang the song to myself.

  3. 23:02. I tied Bill as long as you don’t count the first 14 minutes I worked on the puzzle.

    Same issues as stated above – CARROT before BUTTON and I was unfamiliar with the EDITORIAL WE.

    Also had LORDS before SWANS, but I was off by a few. Apparently it’s 10 LORDS a leaping.

    Best –

  4. 34:10 Apparently many of us were singing “Frosty The Snowman” and “The Twelve Days Of Christmas” today :- )

    Same initial error, a carrot for a button.

  5. I also had CARROT before BUTTON, but I didn’t remember the song, so I used crosses to correct the misstep … 🙂.

  6. Bill-
    Re: Your comment on 11D,
    I was under the impression that fellow Muppeteer Frank Oz voiced and operated Yoda. ??

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