0722-25 NY Times Crossword 22 Jul 25, Tuesday

Constructed by: Jeremy Newton
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: Scooped Up

A kind blog reader spotted what I did not today. Today’s grid includes a cone (letter V) topped by more and more scoops of ice cream (letters O) as we descend towards the bottom right:

  • 59A Eagerly obtained … or a hint to the contents of this puzzle’s shaded squares? : SCOOPED UP

Bill’s time: 7m 52s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

4A Lather on a latte : FOAM

The term “latte” is an abbreviation of the Italian “caffelatte” meaning “coffee (and) milk”. Note that in the correct spelling of “latte”, the Italian word for milk; there is no accent over the “e”. An accent is often added by mistake when we use the word in English, perhaps meaning to suggest that the word is French.

12A Purple smoothie berry : ACAI

Açaí (pronounced “ass-aye-ee”) is a palm tree native to Central and South America. The fruit has become very popular in recent years and its juice is a very fashionable addition to juice mixes and smoothies.

14A Utah ski resort : ALTA

Alta ski resort actually lies within the Salt Lake City Metropolitan Area. The first ski lift in the resort was opened way back in 1939. Today, Alta is one of only three ski resorts in the country that prohibits snowboarding (along with Deer Valley, Utah and Mad River Glen, Vermont). The ski resort of Snowbird, located next to Alta, has been in operation since 1971.

18A Black tea variety : PEKOE

A pekoe (or more commonly “orange pekoe”) is a medium-grade black tea. There is no orange flavor in an orange pekoe tea. The “orange” name most likely derived from the name of the trading company that brought the tea to Europe from Asia.

25A Inits. of the first female presidential candidate for a major party : HRC

Hillary Rodham was born in Chicago, Illinois to Hugh Rodham (a businessman in the textile industry) and Dorothy Howell (a homemaker). Hillary was raised in a conservative home, and she campaigned for Republican candidate Barry Goldwater in the 1964 US presidential election. The following year, she served as president of the Young Republicans at Wellesley College. Our former First Lady left the Republican Party expressing disappointment at what she witnessed at the 1968 Republican National Convention in Miami, citing “veiled” racist messages prevalent at that time.

26A County at one end of the River Thames : ESSEX

Essex is a county in England that is referred to as one of the “home counties”. The home counties are those that surround the city of London, outside of London itself. “Home county” is not an official designation but has been in popular use since the 1800s. The list of home counties usually comprises Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey, and Sussex.

The River Thames that flows through London is the longest river entirely located in England.

37A Accessory for Batman or Robin : CAPE

Batman and Robin are somewhat unique among their superhero compatriots in that they have no special powers, just a whole load of cool gadgets. Batman is sometimes referred to as the Caped Crusader, Robin as the Boy Wonder, and the pair as the Dynamic Duo.

39A “What a ___!” (“Nonsense!”) : CROCK

We’ve been using the term “crock” to mean “worthless rubbish” since the 1800s. The usage very possibly arose from the use of crockery as chamber pots.

55A Wreak ___ (cause chaos) : HAVOC

Havoc is great damage or destruction. The term “havoc” comes from the Anglo-French phrase “crier havok”, which was an order given in the late 1500s to soldiers, instructing them to seize plunder.

63A Place for umbrellas : BEACH

Our term “umbrella” ultimately derives from the Latin “umbra” meaning “shade, shadow”.

65A Hollywood icon Hayworth : RITA

Rita Hayworth was born in Brooklyn as Margarita Carmen Cansino. Her father was a flamenco dancer from Spain and so his daughter fell naturally into dancing. The family moved to Hollywood where Hayworth’s father set up a dance studio, and there worked with the likes of James Cagney and Jean Harlow. The young Hayworth had a slow start in movies, finding herself typecast because of her Mediterranean features. When she underwent extensive electrolysis to change her forehead and dyed her hair red, she started to get more work (how sad is that?). In 1941 she posed for that famous pin-up picture which accompanied GIs all over the world.

66A Informal hangout at which attendees may jam or gossip : SESH

The use of “jam”, meaning an improvised passage performed by a whole jazz band, dates back to the late twenties. This gave rise to “jam session”, a term used a few years later. The use of “jam” in this context probably stems from the meaning of “jam” as something sweet, something excellent.

Down

4D Iranian language from which we get “turban” : FARSI

Farsi (also known as Persian) is a language spoken by about 62 million people as a first language, and another 50 million or more as a second language. It is the official language of Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan.

9D Heat in the microwave : NUKE

The microwave oven was invented in 1946 by Percy Spencer, an engineer at Raytheon. While he was standing beside an active radar unit, which used microwaves, he noticed that the candy bar in his pocket had melted. Spencer proceeded to expose various foods to microwaves in tests that would lead to the development of the first commercial microwave oven.

17D Jet-black stone : ONYX

Onyx is a form of quartz that comes in many different shades, but most often it’s the black version that’s used for jewelry. The name “onyx” comes from the Greek word for “fingernail”, as onyx in the flesh color is said to resemble a fingernail.

21D Supplies for making sidewalk art : CHALKS

Back in Ireland, the “pavement” is what we call the “sidewalk, footpath” (because the footpath is “paved”, often with “paving” stones!). It’s very confusing when you arrive in this country from Ireland, and a little dangerous when one has been taught from a young age to “walk on the pavement” …

26D Directions on the cake in “Alice in Wonderland” : EAT ME

In Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, Alice follows the white rabbit down a rabbit hole and finds a bottle labeled “DRINK ME”. When she drinks the contents, it causes her to shrink. She also sees a cake adorned with the words “EAT ME” written using currants, and when she eats the cake she grows so big she finds it hard to stand up. After eating the cake, she utters the words, “Curiouser and curiouser”.

30D Roman orator who said “Silence is one of the great arts of conversation” : CICERO

Cicero was a very influential senator in ancient Rome,in part due to his renowned ability to deliver a persuasive speech. His full name was Marcus Tullius Cicero.

32D Vampire bat feature : FANGS

Vampire bats feed mostly in the blood of mammals, including humans. When they find a suitable “victim”, often one that is asleep, the bat usually lands close by and approaches its “meal” on the ground. It makes a small cut with its razor-sharp teeth and laps up the blood. The blood tends to flow freely as the bat’s saliva contains anticoagulants. Reports of bats biting the neck of humans are very rare in the real world, but the neck is the preferred location of attack in the fantasy world of vampires.

33D Work of Puccini or Bellini : OPERA

Giacomo Puccini was an Italian composer who was famous for his operas that are so often performed all over the world. Included in the list of his works are “La bohème”, “Tosca”, “Madama Butterfly” and “Turandot”. Puccini died in Brussels, Belgium in 1924 having suffered from throat cancer. An audience attending a performance of “La bohème” in Rome heard of the composer’s death in the middle of the performance. At the news, the opera was stopped, and the orchestra instead played Chopin’s “Funeral March”.

Vincenzo Bellini was a composer of operas active in the Italian bel canto era of the early 1800s. Bellini’s most famous works are probably “Il pirata” (1827) and “Norma” (1831). Sadly, Bellini died at only 33 years of age, in 1835.

46D Ivory or Dove : SOAP

Ivory soap is one of Procter & Gamble’s oldest products, introduced way back in 1879. Ivory soap is noted for its “purity” and also because of its property of floating in water. Despite urban myths to the contrary, the property of floating in water was developed deliberately by a chemist at the time Ivory was being formulated. The soap floats because the ingredients are mixed longer than necessary for homogenization, which introduces more air into the product.

Dove is a line of personal care products made by Unilever. The brand originated in the UK, back in 1955.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1A Someone getting the red-carpet treatment, in brief : VIP
4A Lather on a latte : FOAM
8A Chew (on) : GNAW
12A Purple smoothie berry : ACAI
14A Utah ski resort : ALTA
15A Direction when things go bad : SOUTH
16A Big ask … or a hint to this puzzle’s shaded squares? : TALL ORDER
18A Black tea variety : PEKOE
19A Ultra-vibrant colors : NEONS
20A “Come again??,” casually : SCUSE ME??
22A In competition (for) : VYING
25A Inits. of the first female presidential candidate for a major party : HRC
26A County at one end of the River Thames : ESSEX
29A Deep-sea predator : ORCA
31A Phenomena leading some to believe that we are not alone : UFOS
35A Sore, as joints : ACHY
36A Ruin, as the end of a movie : SPOIL
37A Accessory for Batman or Robin : CAPE
38A Quartet minus one : TRIO
39A “What a ___!” (“Nonsense!”) : CROCK
40A Was certain of : KNEW
41A Posting at the start of a drive-thru : MENU
42A Wanders here and there : ROVES
43A Storybook baddie : OGRE
44A Females in flocks : EWES
45A Company whose business is picking up? : UBER
46A “Such a pity!” : SO SAD!
47A Planetary body, to poets : ORB
49A Playground comeback to “You have no idea!” : DO TOO!
51A Powerhouse competitors in women’s Olympic gymnastics : TEAM USA
55A Wreak ___ (cause chaos) : HAVOC
58A Superb grade : A-PLUS
59A Eagerly obtained … or a hint to the contents of this puzzle’s shaded squares? : SCOOPED UP
63A Place for umbrellas : BEACH
64A Some hoppy drinks at happy hour, in brief : IPAS
65A Hollywood icon Hayworth : RITA
66A Informal hangout at which attendees may jam or gossip : SESH
67A It’s your destiny : FATE
68A Fresh on the scene : NEW

Down

1D Big winery fixture : VAT
2D Volunteer’s confident cry : I CAN!
3D Ashen-faced : PALE
4D Iranian language from which we get “turban” : FARSI
5D Obsolete : OLD
6D Took a side? : ATE
7D Planet whose evening temperatures plunge to -200°F : MARS
8D Enjoys immensely : GOES CUCKOO OVER
9D Heat in the microwave : NUKE
10D Basic building block : ATOM
11D “This roller coaster is awes-o-o-o-ome!” : WHEE!
13D Words that express a deep-felt affection : I LOVE YOU SO MUCH
15D Part of a cowgirl’s boot : SPUR
17D Jet-black stone : ONYX
21D Supplies for making sidewalk art : CHALKS
23D “Easy peasy!” : NO PROB!
24D Shook it to the beat : GROOVED
26D Directions on the cake in “Alice in Wonderland” : EAT ME
27D Fastener with threads : SCREW
28D What starry skies and star pupils do : SHINE
30D Roman orator who said “Silence is one of the great arts of conversation” : CICERO
32D Vampire bat feature : FANGS
33D Work of Puccini or Bellini : OPERA
34D Stitched (up) : SEWED
36D Outfits for E.R. staff : SCRUBS
46D Ivory or Dove : SOAP
48D Be in a big hurry : RUSH
50D The items over there : THOSE
51D Kept ___ on (monitored) : TABS
52D Weapon for a duel : EPEE
53D “Ah, such is life!” : ALAS!
54D “Keep dreaming, pal!” : AS IF!
56D Father of Thor in both myth and the Marvel Universe : ODIN
57D Just adorable : CUTE
60D Tax prep pro : CPA
61D Something to feed a steed : OAT
62D Pussy foot? : PAW