0616-19 NY Times Crossword 16 Jun 19, Sunday

Constructed by: Joel Fagliano
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Title: Not in So Many Words

Happy Father’s Day, everyone! Unusually, today’s puzzle is a themeless crossword, although there’s a starting reference to today’s celebration:

  • 1A It was first officially designated in a 1966 Lyndon Johnson proclamation : FATHER’S DAY

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

Bill’s time: 23m 24s

Bill’s errors: 2

  • ADIT (adet)
  • PLISSE (plesse)

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 It was first officially designated in a 1966 Lyndon Johnson proclamation : FATHER’S DAY

Father’s Day was added as an official holiday in 1972, although bills to create the holiday had been with Congress since 1913. By rights, the holiday should be called “Fathers’ Day” (note the punctuation), but the bill that was introduced in 1913 used the “Father’s Day” spelling, and that’s the one that has stuck.

25 Male swan : COB

An adult male swan is a cob, and an adult female is a pen. Young swans are swanlings or cygnets.

26 Static, as an exercise : ISOMETRIC

The word “isometric” comes from Greek, and means “having equal measurement”. Isometric exercise is a resistance exercise in which the muscle does not change in length (and the joint angle stays the same). The alternative would be dynamic exercises, ones using the joint’s full range of motion.

31 World’s largest cosmetics company : L’OREAL

L’Oréal is a French cosmetics company, and indeed the largest cosmetics and beauty company in the world. Here in the US, L’Oréal runs a “Women of Worth” program that honors women who volunteer in their communities.

33 Oscar winner Jared : LETO

Jared Leto is an actor and musician. In the world of music, Leto is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band 30 Seconds to Mars. In the film world, one of his most critically acclaimed role was that of a heroin addict in “Requiem for a Dream”. He also appeared in “American Psycho”, “Panic Room” and “Lord of War”. Leto won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance in 2013’s “Dallas Buyers Club”, which he portraying a transgender woman.

34 Kitchen cabinet : PANTRY

The word “pantry” dates back to 1300 when it came into English from the Old French “panetrie” meaning a “bread room”. Bread is “pain” in French, and “panis” in Latin.

35 Major academic achievements : 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”.

42 Specious arguer : SOPHIST

A sophist is someone who engages in devious argument. Originally “sophist” described a wise or learned person, but over time it has become a term of contempt. Our word “sophisticate” comes from the same Greek root.

51 2019, zodiacally : YEAR OF THE PIG

The 12-year cycle in the Chinese calendar uses the following animals in order:

  • Rat
  • Ox
  • Tiger
  • Rabbit
  • Dragon
  • Snake
  • Horse
  • Goat
  • Monkey
  • Rooster
  • Dog
  • Pig

56 Mine entrance : ADIT

An adit is specific type of mine access, a horizontal shaft that extends into the mine. This can be compared with the more traditional vertical shaft that is used for access into most mines. Adits make sense when the ore is located inside a mountain or hill, as opposed to “underground”, as they allow the mine entrances to be on the valley floor.

57 Calle ___, landmark street in Miami’s Little Havana : OCHO

The Miami neighborhood known as Little Havana is home to many immigrants from Cuba, hence the name. Little Havana is located immediately west of Downtown Miami.

59 Arcade game based on a film of the same name : TRON

Released in 1982, Disney’s “Tron” was one of the first mainstream films to make extensive use of computer graphics. The main role in the movie is played by Jeff Bridges. The original spawned a 2010 sequel called “Tron: Legacy”, as well as a 2012 TV show called “Tron: Uprising”.

61 N.Y.U.’s ___ School of the Arts : TISCH

New York University (NYU) is comprised of fifteen schools, one of which it the Tisch School of the Arts. The Tisch is famous for its acting program, with notable alumni such as Debra Messing, Christopher Guest and Josh Radnor.

78 Word before web or chocolate : DARK

“Dark web” is the name given to content on the World Wide Web that requires specific software and/or authorization for access. The dark web is a subset of the “deep web”, the collection of content on the Web that isn’t indexed by search engines. Dark web users refer to the regular Web that you and I access as “Clearnet”.

82 Onetime U.S. soccer prodigy Freddy : ADU

Freddy Adu is an American soccer player who grew up in Ghana. Adu signed for D.C. United in 2004 when he was only 14 years old. That made him the youngest athlete ever to sign a professional contract in the US.

85 Dates not found on the calendar : TRYSTS

In its most general sense, a tryst is a meeting at an agreed time and place. More usually we consider a tryst to be a prearranged meeting between lovers. The term comes from the Old French “triste”, a waiting place designated when hunting. Further, a tryst taking place at lunchtime is sometimes referred to as a nooner.

87 Hot sauce : TABASCO

Tabasco is one of Mexico’s 31 “estados” (states), and is located in the very southeast of the country.

89 Bank takeback : REPO

Repossession (repo)

91 Great work : OPUS

The Latin for “work” is “opus”, with the plural being “opera”. We sometimes also use the plural “opuses” in English.

93 Kid around : JOSH

When the verb “to josh”, meaning “to kid”, was coined in the 1840s as an American slang term, it was written with a capital J. It is likely that the term somehow comes from the proper name “Joshua”, but no one seems to remember why.

97 Owing : IN THE RED

To be in the red is to be in debt, to owe money. The expression “in the red” is a reference to the accounting practice of recording debts and losses in red ink in ledgers. The related phrase “in the black” means “solvent, making a profit”.

99 Greek goddess of the moon : SELENE

Selene was the Greek goddess of the moon, the equivalent of the Roman deity Luna. Selene gave her name to the word “selenology”, the study of the geology of the moon, and also gave her name to the chemical element “selenium”. According to mythology, Selene fell in love with the handsome hunter/shepherd Endymion, a mere mortal.

100 Police, slangily : FIVE-O

“Five-O” has become urban slang for a police officer, or the police force in general. The term is rooted in the 1970s TV Show “Hawaii Five-O”. Hawaii Five-O was a totally fictional police force created for the television show. The name recognizes that Hawaii was the 50th state to join the union. Steve McGarrett in the original show was played by Jack Lord, and “Danno” Williams was played by James MacArthur.

101 Negatively charged : ANIONIC

As we all recall from science class, a positive ion is called a cation and a negative ion is an anion. The names “cation” and “anion” come from Greek, with “kation” meaning “going down” and “anion” meaning “going up”.

102 Oppositely : VICE VERSA

“Vice versa” is a Latin phrase meaning “with position turned”. We always pronounce this term “incorrectly”. In Latin, a “c” is a hard sound, and a “v” is pronounced like a “w”. The pronunciation should be something like “wee-kay wehr-sa”.

105 Weapon with a distinctive hum : LIGHTSABER

Lightsabers are energy weapons used by the Jedi and the Sith in the “Star Wars” series of films.

107 Classic play with a Delphic oracle : OEDIPUS REX

“Oedipus Rex” (also “Oedipus the King”) is a tragedy penned by the Ancient Greek playwright Sophocles. The play tells the story of Oedipus, a man who becomes king of Thebes. Famously, Oedipus was destined from birth to murder his father and marry his mother.

In ancient Greece and Rome, an oracle was someone believed inspired by the gods to give wise counsel. The word “oracle” derives from the Latin “orare” meaning “to speak”, which is the same root for our word “orator”. One of the most important oracles of ancient Greece was the priestess to Apollo at Delphi.

109 It’s seen near Pennsylvania Avenue : SHORT LINE

The four railroad (RR) properties in the Monopoly board game are:

  • Reading Railroad
  • Pennsylvania Railroad
  • B&O Railroad
  • Short Line

111 Casino attraction : THE SLOTS

Slot machines earned the nickname “one-armed bandits” simply because they had “one arm”, the handle pulled to operate the machine. Well, they also rob your money!

Down

10 Number one on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Pop Songs” list : YESTERDAY

“Yesterday” is such a beautiful ballad. It was written by Paul McCartney, who also routinely performed the song as a solo piece. “Yesterday” wasn’t originally released as a single, and first appeared as a track on the 1965 Beatles album, “Help!” In several polls over in the UK, “Yesterday” has been named the number one pop song of all time.

13 ___ Dew (stylized brand name) : MTN

If you check the can, you’ll see that “Mountain Dew” is now marketed as “Mtn Dew”.

15 Sinclair Lewis novel for which he received (but declined) the Pulitzer Prize : ARROWSMITH

“Arrowsmith” is a 1925 novel by Sinclair Lewis. It recounts the life of doctor and scientist Martin Arrowsmith. At one point, Arrowsmith is sent to study the bubonic plague on an island in the Caribbean. While on the island, Martin’s wife Leora contracts the disease and dies.

18 Nascar mishap : SPIN-OUT

National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR)

21 “My Neighbor ___,” acclaimed animated film from Hayao Miyazaki : TOTORO

Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese film director and animator who specializes in producing anime feature films. Anime is animation in the style of Japanese manga comic books.

24 The “Tullius” of Marcus Tullius Cicero : NOMEN

In an Ancient Roman naming convention, the higher-class male citizens were had three names. First came the “praenomen”, which was the given name. Second was the “nomen”, the person’s clan or “gens”. Lastly came the “cognomen”, the family line with the clan.

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.

34 Sauce traditionally prepared in a mortar : PESTO

The Italian term “pesto” applies to anything made by pounding. What we tend to know as pesto sauce is more properly called “pesto alla genovese”, pesto from Genoa in northern Italy. I love, love pesto sauce …

I’ve loved the sound of the words “mortar” and “pestle”, ever since I was first introduced to them in the chemistry lab. The Romans called a receptacle for pounding or grinding things a “mortarium”, giving us “mortar”. Mortarium was also the word for the product of pounding and grinding, which gives us our “mortar” that’s used with bricks to build a wall. And further, short stubby cannons used in the 16th century resembled a grinding bowl and so were called “mortars”, which evolved into our contemporary weapon of the same name. As far as the pestle is concerned, it is also derived from its Latin name “pistillum”, which comes from the word for “crush”.

42 Delta Air Lines hub : SEA-TAC

Sea-Tac Airport (SEA) is more fully known as Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Sea-Tac is the main hub for Alaska Airlines.

48 Ticker symbol? : HEART EMOJI

An emoji is a character found on many cell phones that is much like an emoticon, but is more elaborate.

50 Meanspirited person : CHURL

A churl is rude, boorish person. The word “churl” comes from the Old English word “ceorl”, meaning a freeman of the lowest class.

53 A ___ (based on logic) : PRIORI

In the world of philosophy, one can have “a priori” knowledge or “a posteriori” knowledge. A priori (“from the earlier”) knowledge is independent of experience, it is just known or assumed. For example, one might say that “all boys are males” is a priori knowledge. A posteriori knowledge relies on experience or some empirical evidence. For example, one might say that “boys are more likely to be diagnosed with ADD” is a posteriori knowledge.

55 Brave deeds celebrated in verse : GESTES

Our word “gest” meaning a great deed or an exploit has been around since about 1300, and comes from the Old French word “geste” meaning the same thing. These days “geste” can also mean “gesture”.

58 They’re found among the reeds : OBOISTS

The oboe is perhaps my favorite of the reed instruments. The name “oboe” comes from the French “hautbois” which means “high wood”.

64 Goldman ___ : SACHS

The investment banking firm Goldman Sachs was founded in New York in 1869 by Marcus Goldman. Samuel Sachs joined the firm in 1882, the same year that he married Louisa Goldman, Marcus’s daughter. The name “Goldman Sachs” was adopted by the firm in 1885. Goldman Sachs made out like bandits during the subprime mortgage crisis of 2007-08 as the company actually short-sold subprime mortgage bonds. As the price of the bonds nose-dived, Goldman Sachs made huge profits.

74 Face-to-face interaction? : SKYPE CALL

The main feature of the Skype application when introduced was that it allows voice communication to take place over the Internet (aka VoIP). Skype has other features such as video conferencing and instant messaging, but the application made its name from voice communication. Skype was founded by two Scandinavian entrepreneurs and the software necessary was developed by a team of engineers in Estonia. The development project was originally called “Sky peer-to-peer” so the first commercial name for the application was “Skyper”. This had to be shortened to “Skype” because the skyper.com domain name was already in use.

77 Cable inits. for cinephiles : TMC

The Movie Channel is owned by Showtime, which in turn is a subsidiary of CBS. The channel’s name is often abbreviated to “TMC”, although this is informal usage.

80 Muslim niqab, e.g. : FACE VEIL

Some Muslim women wear a hijab in the presence of males outside of their immediate family. A hijab is a veil covering the head and chest. Some also wear a niqab as part of the hijab, which is a cloth that covers the face. Other Muslim women wear a burqa, which covers the whole body from the top of the head to the ground.

83 Co-owner of Paddy’s Pub on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” : DENNIS

“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” is a long-running sitcom that premiered in 2005 and that is set in an Irish bar in South Philly. The show has a talented lineup of actors, but the big name in the cast is Danny DeVito.

92 Agcy. created after the Manhattan Project : AEC

The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) was set up right after WWII in 1946, with the aim of promoting the peaceful use of atomic energy. Establishing the AEC was a significant move made by President Truman, as it passed control of atomic energy from the military to the civilian sector. The AEC continued to operate until 1974 when its functions were divided up into two new agencies: the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Energy Research and Development Administration (NRDA). The NRDA was merged with the Federal Energy Administration in 1977 to form the Department of Energy.

The Manhattan project was the joint US-Canada-UK project to develop an atomic bomb during WWII. Initially, the Army headquarters for the program was located on the 18th floor of a building on Broadway in New York City. Eventually, because of that first location, the project adopted the name “Manhattan”.

100 The birds and the bees, e.g. : FAUNA

The fauna is the animal life of a particular region, and the flora is that region’s plant life. The term “fauna” comes from the Roman goddess of earth and fertility who was called Fauna. Flora was the Roman goddess of plants, flowers and fertility.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 It was first officially designated in a 1966 Lyndon Johnson proclamation : FATHER’S DAY
11 Holders of tiny mirrors : COMPACTS
19 Apple Store purchase : IPHONE CASE
20 What studies show that men do more than women, conversationally : INTERRUPT
22 It might require a quick check : SPEED CHESS
23 Star treatment : VENERATION
25 Male swan : COB
26 Static, as an exercise : ISOMETRIC
28 Access with a password : LOG ONTO
29 “Lord, show me ___” : A SIGN
31 World’s largest cosmetics company : L’OREAL
32 Post office? : NEWSROOM
33 Oscar winner Jared : LETO
34 Kitchen cabinet : PANTRY
35 Major academic achievements : PHDS
36 “Yeah, whatever” : SURE
37 Having locks : TRESSED
39 Cocktail of tequila and grapefruit soda : PALOMA
41 Load : TON
42 Specious arguer : SOPHIST
45 Risk taker : DARER
47 One taking the bait : FISH
49 Like Earth’s orbit : ELLIPTIC
51 2019, zodiacally : YEAR OF THE PIG
56 Mine entrance : ADIT
57 Calle ___, landmark street in Miami’s Little Havana : OCHO
59 Arcade game based on a film of the same name : TRON
60 “You listening?” : HEAR ME?
61 N.Y.U.’s ___ School of the Arts : TISCH
63 Got by : SUBSISTED
66 Traces left by burning candles : DRIPS
67 Complete fool : ASSHAT
69 Call of the wild : ROAR
70 Catch a break? : SURF
72 Promote : TOUT
73 Deli machine : CHEESE SLICER
76 Auditorium section beneath the balcony : PARTERRE
78 Word before web or chocolate : DARK
79 Bundle : SHEAF
81 Heather has two, in a children’s book title : MOMMIES
82 Onetime U.S. soccer prodigy Freddy : ADU
85 Dates not found on the calendar : TRYSTS
87 Hot sauce : TABASCO
89 Bank takeback : REPO
91 Great work : OPUS
92 Without profit : AT COST
93 Kid around : JOSH
97 Owing : IN THE RED
99 Greek goddess of the moon : SELENE
100 Police, slangily : FIVE-O
101 Negatively charged : ANIONIC
102 Oppositely : VICE VERSA
104 Internet ___ : ERA
105 Weapon with a distinctive hum : LIGHTSABER
107 Classic play with a Delphic oracle : OEDIPUS REX
109 It’s seen near Pennsylvania Avenue : SHORT LINE
110 Bright shade of red : FIRE-ENGINE
111 Casino attraction : THE SLOTS
112 Buzzer beater? : FLY SWATTER

Down

1 Kind of conservative : FISCAL
2 Put side by side : APPOSE
3 Something to champ at : THE BIT
4 It makes the earth turn : HOE
5 Finish with : END IN
6 Parts of a college app : RECS
7 Thomas Aquinas and others, philosophically : SCHOLASTICS
8 Inferior deities : DAEMONS
9 Put forward : ASSERTED
10 Number one on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Pop Songs” list : YESTERDAY
11 Polite : CIVIL
12 What “accommodate” is often inaccurately spelled with : ONE C
13 ___ Dew (stylized brand name) : MTN
14 Stripped : PEELED OFF
15 Sinclair Lewis novel for which he received (but declined) the Pulitzer Prize : ARROWSMITH
16 Parts of bluffs : CRAGS
17 Coaches : TUTORS
18 Nascar mishap : SPIN-OUT
21 “My Neighbor ___,” acclaimed animated film from Hayao Miyazaki : TOTORO
24 The “Tullius” of Marcus Tullius Cicero : NOMEN
27 Sci-fi weapon : RAY
30 Tied the knot : GOT HITCHED
32 Org. for the Vegas Golden Knights : NHL
34 Sauce traditionally prepared in a mortar : PESTO
35 Repeats mindlessly : PARROTS
38 Embarrassing sound when bending over : RIP
39 Fruits baked in wine : PEARS
40 Tapped, as a cigarette : ASHED
42 Delta Air Lines hub : SEA-TAC
43 Getting up there : OLDISH
44 Puckered fabric : PLISSE
46 Many a local volunteer : RETIREE
48 Ticker symbol? : HEART EMOJI
50 Meanspirited person : CHURL
52 Best : ONE-UP
53 A ___ (based on logic) : PRIORI
54 Sinful : IMPURE
55 Brave deeds celebrated in verse : GESTES
58 They’re found among the reeds : OBOISTS
62 Attacks vigorously : HAS AT
64 Goldman ___ : SACHS
65 An Emmy is awarded for the best one : DRAMA SERIES
68 Many action movie villains : TERRORISTS
71 White coat : FROST
74 Face-to-face interaction? : SKYPE CALL
75 Recite from memory : RATTLE OFF
77 Cable inits. for cinephiles : TMC
80 Muslim niqab, e.g. : FACE VEIL
82 Standard Windows typeface : ARIAL
83 Co-owner of Paddy’s Pub on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” : DENNIS
84 Not loose : UPTIGHT
86 Afrique du ___ : SUD
88 Desiccated : BONE DRY
90 “Pick me! Pick me!” : OH OH OH!
92 Agcy. created after the Manhattan Project : AEC
94 No longer interested : OVER IT
95 Placid : SERENE
96 Scam artist : HOAXER
98 Between: Fr. : ENTRE
99 Begets : SIRES
100 The birds and the bees, e.g. : FAUNA
102 Clothes dryer attachment : VENT
103 Gush : SPEW
106 Part of a Twitter page : BIO
108 Private instructor: Abbr. : SGT