0604-22 NY Times Crossword 4 Jun 22, Saturday

Constructed by: Scott Earl
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: None

Bill’s time: 13m 20s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Senator after whom Honolulu’s airport is named : INOUYE

Senator Daniel Inouye was a US Senator for the state of Hawaii and was the President pro tem of the Senate (the US Vice President is the President of the Senate). Given this role, he was the highest-ranking Japanese-American in the country’s history as he was third in the line of succession to the office of US President. Senator Inouye passed away in 2012. Honolulu’s airport was renamed to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in 2017 in his honor.

14 The burger chain In-N-Out has a famous one : SECRET MENU

Apparently, some fast-food restaurants maintain a “secret” menu of unadvertised selections that customers hear about on the grapevine.

In-N-Out Burger is a fast food chain that’s very popular out here on the left coast. Unusually for a fast food business, In-N-Out Burger has no franchises and is privately owned. The company also prides itself on paying all employees above minimum wage. Also, if you check the packaging of the food and drink items, you’ll find a bible verse discreetly printed on the bottom of cups and wrappers, reflecting the Christian beliefs held by the company ownership. In-N-Out Burger was founded in 1948 by Harry and Esther Snyder, and is now owned by Lynsi Snyder, the couple’s only grandchild.

16 Transport unlikely to operate in the summer : T-BAR

A T-bar is a ski lift on which the skiers are pulled up the hill in pairs, with each pair standing (not sitting!) either side of a T-shaped metal bar. The bar is placed behind the thighs, pulling along the skiers as they remain standing on their skis (hopefully!). There’s also a J-bar, which is a similar device but with each J-shaped bar used by one skier at a time.

18 Like muesli : OATY

“Muesli” is a Swiss-German term describing a breakfast serving of oats, nuts, fruit and milk. “Muesli” is a diminutive of the German word “Mues” meaning “puree”. Delicious …

19 Formal name for 11-Down, in brief : ACA
11D Major legislation of the 111th Congress : OBAMACARE

The correct name for what has been dubbed “Obamacare” is the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (ACA).

20 March word : HUP!

Hup, two, three, four …

21 Savanna and tundra : BIOMES

I tend to think of “biome” as another word for “ecosystem”.

A savanna (also “savannah”) is a grassland. If there are any trees in a savanna, by definition they are small and widely spaced so that light can get to the grasses allowing them to grow unhindered.

Tundra is an ecosystem that is treeless, or very nearly so. There are three types of tundra. Arctic and Antarctic tundra can’t support the growth of trees as the ground is pretty much frozen. Alpine tundra cannot support tree-growth due to high altitude.

23 Sets of closing notes : CODAS

In music, a coda is primarily a passage that brings a movement to a conclusion. “Coda” is Italian for “tail”.

28 Museum pieces you might find to be moving? : OP ART

Op art is also known as optical art, and puts optical illusions to great effect.

33 Mentor to a queen : DRAG MOTHER

The etymology of the term “drag”, as used in the transvestite world, seems to be unclear. It perhaps relates to the tendency of a transvestite’s skirts to drag along the ground in days of old (although why they just didn’t hitch up their skirts is beyond me!).

38 Source of oils used in wellness : 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.

40 Source of oils used in wellness : ALOE

Aloe vera is a succulent plant that grows in relatively dry climates. The plant’s leaves are full of biologically-active compounds that have been studied extensively. Aloe vera has been used for centuries in herbal medicine, mainly for topical treatment of wounds.

44 Course you need a compass to navigate? : GEOMETRY

Our word “geometry” comes from Greek. The Greek “geometria” translates as “geometry, measurement of earth or land”. Hence, there is a link between terms like “geography” and “geology”, and the mathematical word “geometry”.

63 Playground “immunization” : COOTIE SHOT

“Cooties” is WWI British slang for “body lice”. Ugh …

64 ___ club : GLEE

A glee club is a choir group, usually of males, that sings short songs known as “glees”. A glee is a song scored for three or more voices that is performed unaccompanied.

Down

1 His burial place is said to be in Israel’s Cave of Machpelah : ISAAC

According to the Bible, Abraham’s son Isaac was born to Abraham’s wife Sarah when she was beyond her childbearing years and when Abraham was 100 years old. Isaac himself lived until he was 180 years old. When Isaac was just a youth, Abraham was tested by Yahweh (God) and told to build an altar on which he was to sacrifice his only son. At the last minute, an angel appeared and stopped Abraham, telling him to sacrifice a ram instead.

2 Onetime candy maker based in Revere, Mass. : NECCO

Necco Wafers were the best-known product line of the candy manufacturer called the New England Confectionery Company. The firm’s name was abbreviated to “NECCO”, an acronym that became synonymous with the wafers.

3 The bits in a byte, e.g. : OCTAD

In the world of computing, a bit is the basic unit of information. It has a value of 0 or 1. A “byte” is a small collection of “bits” (usually 8), the number of bits needed to uniquely identify a character of text. The prefix mega- stands for 10 to the power of 6, so a megabyte (meg) is 1,000,000 bytes. The prefix giga- means 10 to the power of 9, and so a gigabyte (gig) is 1,000,000,000 bytes. Well, those are the SI definitions of megabyte and gigabyte. The purists still use 2 to the power of 20 for a megabyte (i.e. 1,048,576), and 2 to the power of 30 for a gigabyte.

4 Vote holder on “Survivor” : URN

The reality show “Survivor” is based on a Swedish television series created in 1997 called “Expedition Robinson”.

6 “You, too?!” : ET TU?!

It was Shakespeare who popularized the words “Et tu, Brute?” (meaning “And you, Brutus?”). They appear in his play “Julius Caesar”, although the phrase had been around long before he penned his drama. It’s not known what Julius Caesar actually said in real life (if anything at all) as he was assassinated on the steps of the Senate in Rome.

9 It may be screwed up : BULB

Here’s a light bulb riddle:

Question: How many mystery authors does it take to change a light bulb?Answer: Two! One to screw it almost all the way in, and the other to give it a surprising twist at the end.

11 Major legislation of the 111th Congress : OBAMACARE

The correct name for what has been dubbed “Obamacare” is the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (ACA).

13 All 48, following the Volstead Act : DRY STATES

The Volstead Act was the 1919 law that carried out the intent of the Eighteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, the amendment prohibiting the production, sale and transport of intoxicating liquors.

15 Popular half-hour sketch comedy of the 1970s-’80s, with “The” : … MUPPET SHOW

Jim Henson’s ensemble of puppets known as the Muppets made their debut on the TV show “Sam and Friends” in the 1950s. Some Muppets started appearing in 1969 on “Sesame Street”, and then the troupe were given “The Muppet Show” in 1976. And today, there’s no sign of their popularity waning.

30 Inspector of British fiction : MORSE

“Inspector Morse” is a series of detective novels penned by English crime writer Colin Dexter. The novels were adapted into a very successful television show that occasionally appears in the US on PBS. Morse’s given name is Endeavor, which is also the title of a prequel series “Endeavor” about Morse as a rookie detective. Morse is a very colorful character with a penchant for classical music, real ale and crosswords. I can identify with that …

36 ___ alcohol : ETHYL

Ethyl alcohol is more usually known as ethanol. Ethanol is the alcohol found in intoxicating beverages, and nowadays is also used as a fuel for cars. It is also found in medical wipes and hand sanitizer, in which it acts as an antiseptic.

50 Constellation with Betelgeuse and Bellatrix : ORION

According to Greek mythology, Orion was a giant hunter who was placed in the night sky by Zeus, the king of the gods. Orion is very recognizable as a constellation, especially with the three bright stars known as “Orion’s Belt”. The brightest star in the sky, Sirius, is said to be Orion’s hunting dog, and this star sits at Orion’s “foot”.

60 Actress Claire of “The Crown” : FOY

English actress Claire Foy is perhaps best known in North America for playing Queen Anne Boleyn in the miniseries “Wolf Hall”, and a young Queen Elizabeth II in the award-winning series “The Crown”.

“The Crown” is a historical drama produced for Netflix that covers the life of British Queen Elizabeth II from her marriage to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. For the first two seasons, Elizabeth is played by Claire Foy and Philip by Matt Smith. For the next two seasons, Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies take over as Elizabeth and Philip.

61 Medium strength? : ESP

Extrasensory perception (ESP)

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Senator after whom Honolulu’s airport is named : INOUYE
7 Mag, e.g. : PUB
10 No longer available, in a way : SOLD
14 The burger chain In-N-Out has a famous one : SECRET MENU
16 Transport unlikely to operate in the summer : T-BAR
17 Play it cool : ACT NATURAL
18 Like muesli : OATY
19 Formal name for 11-Down, in brief : ACA
20 March word : HUP!
21 Savanna and tundra : BIOMES
23 Sets of closing notes : CODAS
25 Area near a stage : PIT
28 Museum pieces you might find to be moving? : OP ART
29 Personal identifier in the Deaf community : NAME SIGN
32 Actual employer of some “government consultants,” in brief : CIA
33 Mentor to a queen : DRAG MOTHER
36 Right this way? : EAST
37 Muscle-relieving tools for runners : ROLLERS
38 Source of oils used in wellness : TEA TREE
40 Source of oils used in wellness : ALOE
41 Trio in some bios : SHE/HER/HERS
43 ___ chem (101-level course, familiarly) : GEN
44 Course you need a compass to navigate? : GEOMETRY
45 Lowest-ranking member of a group : OMEGA
47 ___ & Roll (punny name for a sushi bar) : WOK
48 “I’ll ___ it” : ALLOW
52 Kind of motel : NO-TELL
54 Gram alternative : NAN
56 “___ Sleeps Over” (classic children’s book) : IRA
57 L.G.B.T. rights activist Windsor : EDIE
58 “Sigh … never mind” : OH … FORGET IT
62 Beauties : GEMS
63 Playground “immunization” : COOTIE SHOT
64 ___ club : GLEE
65 Partner of 53-Down : KEY
66 Rocky Mountain National Park sights : ASPENS

Down

1 His burial place is said to be in Israel’s Cave of Machpelah : ISAAC
2 Onetime candy maker based in Revere, Mass. : NECCO
3 The bits in a byte, e.g. : OCTAD
4 Vote holder on “Survivor” : URN
5 “Me, too” : YEAH, SAME
6 “You, too?!” : ET TU?!
7 ___ year : PER
8 Spanish article : UNA
9 It may be screwed up : BULB
10 Lower oneself : STOOP
11 Major legislation of the 111th Congress : OBAMACARE
12 Sleepyhead, maybe : LATE RISER
13 All 48, following the Volstead Act : DRY STATES
15 Popular half-hour sketch comedy of the 1970s-’80s, with “The” : … MUPPET SHOW
22 + or – something : ION
24 It’s a matter of degree : ANGLE
26 Sort of : ISH
27 Become one : TIE THE KNOT
30 Inspector of British fiction : MORSE
31 Salute, say : GREET
33 It gets hatched in a fantasy novel : DRAGON EGG
34 One to follow : ROLE MODEL
35 Aid in avoiding distractions : ALONE TIME
36 ___ alcohol : ETHYL
39 Categorizes : ARRANGES
42 Post-punk genre : EMO
44 Partner in a barn dance, maybe : GAL
46 Silly sorts : GEESE
49 Like yoga instructors : LITHE
50 Constellation with Betelgeuse and Bellatrix : ORION
51 Radio broadcast units : WATTS
53 Partner of 65-Across : LOCK
55 What might be a strain in a theater? : ARIA
59 One starting a row? : HOE
60 Actress Claire of “The Crown” : FOY
61 Medium strength? : ESP