0603-19 NY Times Crossword 3 Jun 19, Monday

Constructed by: Lynn Lempel
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: Good Dog!

Themed answers each end with a command that might be obeyed by a GOOD DOG:

  • 37A Praise after a proper response to the end of the answer to each starred clue : GOOD DOG!
  • 16A *Chief source of support : MAINSTAY (giving “stay”)
  • 22A *Chapel Hill athlete : TAR HEEL (giving “heel”)
  • 50A *”Why?” : HOW COME? (giving “come”)
  • 59A *Tend an absent resident’s property : HOUSE SIT (giving “sit”)
  • 10D *Equitable treatment : FAIR SHAKE (giving “shake”)
  • 32D *Soft bedding material : GOOSE DOWN (giving “down”)

Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers

Bill’s time: 4m 47s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 33 1/3 r.p.m. records : LPS

The first vinyl records designed to play at 33⅓ rpm were introduced by RCA Victor in 1931, but were discontinued due to quality problems. The first long play (LP) 33⅓ rpm disc was introduced by Columbia Records many years later in 1948, with RCA Victor following up with a 45 rpm “single” the following year, in 1949.

4 Cher or Adele, musically : ALTO

In choral music, an alto (plural “alti”) is the second-highest voice in a four-part chorus made up of soprano, contr(alto), tenor and bass. The word “alto” describes the vocal range, that of the deepest female singing-voice, whereas the term “contralto” describes more than just the alto range, but also its quality and timbre. An adult male’s voice (not a boy’s) with the same range as an alto is called a “countertenor”.

“Cher” is the stage name used by singer and actress Cherilyn Sarkisian. Formerly one half of husband-wife duo Sonny & Cher, she is often referred to as the Goddess of Pop. In her acting career, Cher was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar of 1984 for her performance in “Silkwood”. She went further in 1988 and won the Best Actress Oscar for playing Loretta Castorini in “Moonstruck”.

“Adele” is the stage name of English singer Adele Adkins. Adele’s debut album is “19”, named after the age she was during the album’s production. Her second album was even more successful than the first. Called “21”, the second album was released three years after the first, when Adele was three years older. Her third studio album “25”, released in 2015, broke the first-week sales records in both the UK and the US.

14 Building for bovines : BARN

Something described as bovine is related to a cow, ox or buffalo, indeed any ruminant in the genus Bos. “Bos” is the Latin for “cow”, and “bovinus” a Late Latin derivative term.

15 Mogadishu native : SOMALI

Somalia is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Sadly, the nation is noted today for a devastating civil war and for its use as a base for pirates who prey on ships passing through the Indian Ocean along the Somali coast.

Mogadishu is a major port city on the west coast of Africa, and is the capital of Somalia. The city is known locally as Xamar.

19 ___ fixe (preoccupation) : IDEE

An “idée fixe” (a French term) is basically a fixed idea, an obsession

20 General Mills puffed corn cereal : KIX

Kix cereal has been around since 1937, would you believe? Kix used to be just puffed grains, processed to give the characteristic shape. Then the decision was made to add sugar to get better penetration into the young kid marketplace. Sad really …

22 *Chapel Hill athlete : TAR HEEL (giving “heel”)

“Tar Heel” is a nickname for anyone living in, or from, the state of North Carolina. As such, it is the also nickname for an athlete of the University of North Carolina (UNC). No one seems to know for sure where the term “Tar Heel” originated, but it is thought to be related to the historical importance of the tar, pitch and turpentine industries that thrived in the state due to the presence of vast forests of pine trees.

The University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill started enrolling students way back in 1795, making it the oldest public university in the country, i.e. the first to enrol students.

24 Pyromaniacs’ pleasures : FIRES

“Pyro” is the combining form of the Greek word for “fire”. “Pyrotechnics” is the art of making and using fireworks. “Pyromania” is a strong desire to light fires.

25 Monogram for Long John Silver’s creator : RLS

Long John Silver is a character in the novella “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson (RLS). Long John is a pirate with a peg leg.

33 Yankee great Yogi : BERRA

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.

35 Park or Madison, on an N.Y.C. map : AVE

Park Avenue in New York City used to be known as Fourth Avenue, and for much of its length carried the tracks of the New York and Harlem Railroad. When the line was built, some of it was constructed by cutting through the length of the street and then forming underground tunnels by covering over the line with grates and greenery. This greenery formed a parkland between 34th and 40th Streets, and in 1860 the grassy section of Fourth Avenue was renamed Park Avenue, a name that was eventually used for the whole thoroughfare.

Madison Avenue became the center of advertising in the US in the twenties, and serves as the backdrop to the great TV drama “Mad Men”. There aren’t many advertising agencies left on Madison Avenue these days though, as most have moved to other parts of New York City. The street takes its name from Madison Square, which is bounded on one side by Madison Avenue. The square in turn takes its name from James Madison, the fourth President of the United States.

36 Bouncy youngster in Pooh’s crowd : ROO

Like most of the characters in A. A. Milne’s “Winnie the Pooh”, the kangaroo named “Roo” was inspired by a stuffed toy belonging to Milne’s son Christopher Robin.

39 Kesey who wrote “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” : KEN

Ken Kesey wrote the novels “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “Sometimes a Great Notion”. Kesey was one of a group of friends who called themselves the “Merry Pranksters”, a bunch of guys who were associated with the likes of Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and Timothy Leary, all icons of the Beat Generation.

Ken Kesey’s 1962 novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is a set in a psychiatric hospital in Salem, Oregon. The novel was adapted into a stage play in 1963 starring Kirk Douglas, who had purchased the rights to produce it on stage and screen. The film version was finally made in 1975, with Kirk Douglas’s son Michael Douglas as co-producer.

41 Round Mongolian tents : YURTS

A yurt is a wood-framed dwelling that is used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. Although a yurt is a substantial structure, it is also extremely portable.

44 Spot for a teacher’s apple or Apple : DESK

Apple makes versions of its iMac line of computers that are aimed at schools. These are usually low-end machines that sell at a reduced price. Apple used to name such an offering an “eMac”, short for “education Mac”.

46 Virtuous conduct, in Confucianism : TAO

The name of the Chinese character “tao” translates as “path”, but the concept of Taoism signifies the true nature of the world.

47 Dot follower in a website address : … COM

The .com domain was one of the six original generic top-level domains specified. The complete original list is:

  • .com (commercial enterprise)
  • .net (entity involved in network infrastructure e.g. an ISP)
  • .mil (US military)
  • .org (not-for-profit organization)
  • .gov (US federal government entity)
  • .edu (college-level educational institution)

54 Saudi city where Muhammad is buried : MEDINA

Medina is a city in western Saudi Arabia. Medina is the second holiest city in the Islamic tradition after Mecca, as it is the burial place of the Prophet Muhammad.

56 One running for office, informally : POL

Politician (pol)

61 M.L.B. division that includes the Astros : AL WEST

The Houston baseball team changed its name to the Astros (sometimes “’Stros”) from the Colt .45s in 1965 when they started playing in the Astrodome. The Astrodome was so called in recognition of the city’s long association with the US space program. The Astros moved from the National League to the American League starting in the 2013 season.

62 Prefix with tasse meaning “half” : DEMI-

Ever wonder what the difference is between the prefixes “hemi-”, “demi-” and “semi-”, all of which mean “half”? Well, the general observation is that words using the “demi-” prefix date back to the days of Norman influence over the English language. As a result, “demi-” turns up in the world of period costume and coats of arms. Words using “hemi-” tend to have Greek roots, and are prevalent in the world of the sciences and the medical field. Words with “semi-” tend to have Latin roots, and are most often found in music and the arts, and mathematics.

66 Originally named : NEE

“Née” is the French word for “born” when referring to a female. The male equivalent is “né”. The term “née” is mainly used in English when referring to a married woman’s birth name, assuming that she has adopted her husbands name, e.g. Michelle Obama née Robinson, and Melania Trump née Knavs.

Down

2 Devil’s fashion choice, in a Meryl Streep film : PRADA

Prada started out in 1913 as a leather-goods shop in Milan, one established by the two Prada brothers. One of the brothers, Mario Prada, prevented the female members of his family participating in the company as he didn’t believe women should be involved in business (!). When the sexist brother died, his son had no interest in the business so it was his daughter who took over and ran the company for about twenty years, handing it over to her own daughter. I’d say the devil loved that …

“The Devil Wears Prada” is a 2003 novel by Lauren Weisberger that is set in the fashion industry. One of the main characters in the story is Miranda Priestly, the tyrannical editor-in-chief of the the fictional fashion magazine “Runway”. It has been suggested that the Priestly character was inspired by Anna Wintour, the real life editor-in-chief of “Vogue”. Weisberger’s book was adapted into a very successful film with the same title that was released in 2006, with Meryl Streep playing Priestly.

4 Midsection muscles, briefly : ABS

The abdominal muscles (abs) are more correctly referred to as the rectus abdominis muscles. They might be referred to as a “six-pack”, or even a “ten-pack”, in a person who has developed the muscles and who has low body fat. In my case, more like a keg …

5 Potato treats for Hanukkah : LATKES

A latke is a delicious potato pancake (I’m Irish, so anything made with potato is delicious!).

The term “Hanukkah” derives from the Hebrew for “to dedicate”. Hanukkah is a holiday lasting eight days that commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple of Jerusalem after successful Jewish revolt against the Seleucids in the 2nd-century BCE. The story of Hanukkah includes the miracle of the one-day supply of oil that kept the menorah alight for eight days.

7 Black, banded gemstone : 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.

8 Radioer’s “Got it” : ROGER

The term “roger”, meaning “yes” or “acknowledged”, comes from the world of radiotelephony. The British military used a phonetic alphabet in the fifties that included “Roger” to represent the letter “R”. As such, it became customary to say “Roger” when acknowledging a message, with R (Roger) standing for “received”.

17 India’s first P.M. : NEHRU

Jawaharlal Nehru was the very first prime minister of India, serving from 1947-64. Nehru was basically the heir to his mentor Mahatma Gandhi. Nehru’s only daughter Indira, also became prime minister (known as Indira Gandhi through marriage, though she was no relation to Mahatma).

23 Plaintive poem : ELEGY

Perhaps the most famous elegy in the English language is that written by Thomas Gray, which he completed in 1750. His “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” is the source of many oft-quoted phrases, including:

  • Celestial fire
  • Far from the Madding Crowd
  • Kindred spirit

24 Fiestas and Fusions : FORDS

The Fiesta is a car introduced by Ford in 1976, and is a model that has legs. There have been seven generations of Fiesta made, with over 16 million cars sold.

Ford introduced the Fusion midsize car in 2006. A hybrid version of the Fusion came out in 2010, and a plug-in hybrid in 2012.

28 ___ and anon : EVER

“Ever and anon” means “now and then”.

33 Title character in a Sacha Baron Cohen mockumentary : BORAT

The full name of the 2006 “mockumentary” is “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan”. Borat is played by a British comedian, Sacha Baron Cohen. Not my cup of tea …

43 Roast host : EMCEE

The term “emcee” comes from “MC”, an initialism used for a Master or Mistress of Ceremonies.

47 Op-ed offering : COLUMN

“Op-ed” is an abbreviation for “opposite the editorial page”. Op-eds started in “The New York Evening World” in 1921 when the page opposite the editorials was used for articles written by a named guest writer, someone independent of the editorial board.

49 Plant seed with a licoricelike flavor : ANISE

The essential oil in the anise plant is anethole. Anethole has a licorice-like flavor, and is used extensively in cooking and to flavor several distilled alcoholic drinks.

50 Poppycock : HOOEY

“Hooey” is a American slang of unknown origin that is used to mean “nonsense, foolishness”.

It is thought that the relatively gentle term “poppycock”, meaning “nonsense”, comes from a Dutch word for “dung” combined with a Latin word for “excrete”. Not so gentle after all …

51 “Citizen Kane” star Welles : ORSON

1941’s “Citizen Kane” was the first film made by Orson Welles, and is considered by many to be the finest movie ever made. It’s a remarkable achievement by Wells, as he played the lead and also produced and directed. Despite all the accolades for “Citizen Kane” over the decades, the movie was far from a commercial success in its early run and actually lost money at the box office.

53 Beauty mogul Lauder : ESTEE

Estée Lauder was a very successful businesswoman, and someone with a great reputation as a salesperson. Lauder introduced her own line of fragrances in 1953, a bath oil called “Youth Dew”. “Youth Dew” was marketed as a perfume, but it was added to bathwater. All of a sudden women were pouring whole bottles of Ms. Lauder’s “perfume” into their baths while using only a drop or two of French perfumes behind their ears. That’s quite a difference in sales volume …

54 Exam for a wannabe doc : MCAT

Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)

56 Degrees after M.A.s : PHDS

“Ph.D.” is an abbreviation for “philosophiae doctor”, Latin for “teacher of philosophy”. Often, candidates for a PhD already hold a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, so a PhD might be considered a “third degree”.

60 Error indicator in a quotation : SIC

[Sic] indicates that a quotation is written as originally found, perhaps including a typo. “Sic” is Latin for “thus, like this”. The term is more completely written as “sic erat scriptum”, which translates as “thus was it written”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 33 1/3 r.p.m. records : LPS
4 Cher or Adele, musically : ALTO
8 Allude (to) : REFER
13 Annoy : IRK
14 Building for bovines : BARN
15 Mogadishu native : SOMALI
16 *Chief source of support : MAINSTAY (giving “stay”)
18 Self-centeredness : EGOISM
19 ___ fixe (preoccupation) : IDEE
20 General Mills puffed corn cereal : KIX
21 Distances in Britain : METRES
22 *Chapel Hill athlete : TAR HEEL (giving “heel”)
24 Pyromaniacs’ pleasures : FIRES
25 Monogram for Long John Silver’s creator : RLS
26 Cut (off) : LOP
27 Outbuilding for storage : SHED
30 Quarrel : ARGUE
33 Yankee great Yogi : BERRA
35 Park or Madison, on an N.Y.C. map : AVE
36 Bouncy youngster in Pooh’s crowd : ROO
37 Praise after a proper response to the end of the answer to each starred clue : GOOD DOG!
39 Kesey who wrote “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” : KEN
40 Vow sworn at the altar : I DO
41 Round Mongolian tents : YURTS
42 Wary : LEERY
44 Spot for a teacher’s apple or Apple : DESK
46 Virtuous conduct, in Confucianism : TAO
47 Dot follower in a website address : … COM
48 Pass, as a law : ENACT
50 *”Why?” : HOW COME? (giving “come”)
54 Saudi city where Muhammad is buried : MEDINA
56 One running for office, informally : POL
57 Noteworthy periods : ERAS
58 First king of the Franks (A.D. 481) : CLOVIS
59 *Tend an absent resident’s property : HOUSE SIT (giving “sit”)
61 M.L.B. division that includes the Astros : AL WEST
62 Prefix with tasse meaning “half” : DEMI-
63 Word before “blastoff” : ONE …
64 Uptight : TENSE
65 Harmonious, after “in” : … SYNC
66 Originally named : NEE

Down

1 Outer boundary : LIMIT
2 Devil’s fashion choice, in a Meryl Streep film : PRADA
3 Person on a slippery slope : SKIER
4 Midsection muscles, briefly : ABS
5 Potato treats for Hanukkah : LATKES
6 Backpacker’s path : TRAIL
7 Black, banded gemstone : ONYX
8 Radioer’s “Got it” : ROGER
9 Is melodramatic : EMOTES
10 *Equitable treatment : FAIR SHAKE (giving “shake”)
11 Otherwise : ELSE
12 Edges, as of craters : RIMS
15 Athlete getting part-time pay : SEMI-PRO
17 India’s first P.M. : NEHRU
23 Plaintive poem : ELEGY
24 Fiestas and Fusions : FORDS
26 Resulted in : LED TO
28 ___ and anon : EVER
29 Reject as false : DENY
30 Extremely dry : ARID
31 Went as a passenger : RODE
32 *Soft bedding material : GOOSE DOWN (giving “down”)
33 Title character in a Sacha Baron Cohen mockumentary : BORAT
34 Radiant : AGLOW
38 One rejected by a group : OUTCAST
43 Roast host : EMCEE
45 Butchers’ tools : KNIVES
47 Op-ed offering : COLUMN
49 Plant seed with a licoricelike flavor : ANISE
50 Poppycock : HOOEY
51 “Citizen Kane” star Welles : ORSON
52 State that’s the largest U.S. producer of lobsters : MAINE
53 Beauty mogul Lauder : ESTEE
54 Exam for a wannabe doc : MCAT
55 Her: Fr. : ELLE
56 Degrees after M.A.s : PHDS
60 Error indicator in a quotation : SIC