0612-20 NY Times Crossword 12 Jun 20, Friday

Constructed by: Robyn Weintraub
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: None

… a complete list of answers

Bill’s time: 10m 44s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Fed : G-MAN

The nickname “G-men” is short for “government men” and refers to agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

5 New York’s ___ Field : CITI

Citi Field is the relatively new baseball stadium used by the New York Mets that sits right next door to the site of Shea stadium, where the Mets had played for decades. And the new facility’s name comes from corporate sponsor Citigroup.

9 Remote station location : SPACE

The exploration and use of outer space is governed by the Outer Space Treaty that came into force in 1967. The initial signatories were the US, UK and USSR, and now 102 nations are party to the treaty. For the purposes of the treaty, outer space begins at the Kármán line, a theoretical sphere that lies at an altitude of 100km about the Earth’s sea level.

17 When Lady Macbeth sleepwalks : ACT V

Lady Macbeth is an evil and treacherous woman in William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”. The most famous line uttered by Lady Macbeth has to be:

Out, damned spot! Out, I say!

In this line, Lady Macbeth is frantically rubbing at her hand trying to get rid of an imaginary bloodstain left there after she committed four murders.

20 Uncommon amenity on an airplane : FREE WI-FI

“Wi-Fi” is nothing more than a trademark, a trademark registered by an association of manufacturers of equipment that use wireless LAN (Local Area Network) technology. A device labeled with “Wi-Fi” has to meet certain defined technical standards, basically meaning that the devices can talk to each other. The name “Wi-Fi” suggests “Wireless Fidelity”, although apparently the term was never intended to mean anything at all.

22 Resurrection Mass day : EASTER

In the Christian tradition, it is believed that three days after Jesus was put to death, he rose from the dead. Christians commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus on Good Friday, and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday, two days later.

24 Onetime nickname in magazine publishing : HEF

Hugh Hefner (often called “Hef”) was from Chicago. His first publishing job was in the military, where he worked as a writer for a US Army newspaper from 1944-46. He went to college after his military service and then worked as a copywriter for “Esquire” magazine. He left “Esquire” to found his own publication that he called “Playboy”, which first hit the newsstands in 1953. “Playboy” has been around ever since.

25 Mitch’s husband on “Modern Family” : CAM

Actor Eric Stonestreet is best-known for playing Cameron Tucker on the hit comedy show “Modern Family”. Stonestreet is openly straight, but plays the gay partner of the character Mitchell Pritchett. Pritchett is played by openly-gay actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Ferguson jokingly describes Stonestreet as being “gay for pay”.

35 Some workers at Westminster : LORDS

The UK Parliament is divided into two houses, with the upper house known as the House of Lords and the lower house as the House of Commons. The members of the House of Commons are elected, but most new members of the House of Lords are appointed. Historically, a large proportion of the membership of the upper house were hereditary peers, but recent legislative changes are reducing the numbers who can sit in the House of Lords by virtue of birthright.

37 Island north of Australia : TIMOR

Timor is an island in Maritime Southeast Asia. The island is politically divided into West Timor, belonging to Indonesia, and the independent state of East Timor. The name “Timor” comes from a Malay word for “east”, and is used as Timor lies at the eastern end of the Lesser Sunda Islands.

40 It sometimes runs in the woods : RESIN

Resinous trees have evolved the ability to secrete resins in response to an injury. The resin serves as a barrier, protecting the tree from insects and pathogens that might otherwise exploit the site of the injury.

41 Co-star of Kelly and O’Connor in “Singin’ in the Rain” : REYNOLDS

In the wonderful musical film “Singin’ in the Rain”, the character Lina Lamont (played by Jean Hagen) is the actress with the grating voice who has to be dubbed by Kathy Selden (played by Debbie Reynolds). In reality, Debbie Reynolds’ voice was dubbed by an uncredited Betty Noyes.

42 Currency in the Philippines : PESOS

The peso is used in many Spanish-speaking countries around the world. The coin originated in Spain where the word “peso” means “weight”. The original peso was what we know in English as a “piece of eight”, a silver coin of a specific weight that had a nominal value of eight “reales”.

When the Spanish explorer Ruy Lopez de Villalobos discovered the islands of Leyte and Samar, he called them Felipinas, after King Philip II of Spain. Eventually, the name was used for the whole archipelago, becoming what we now call in English, the Philippines.

43 “S.N.L.” head writer in the early 2000s : FEY

Comedian and actress Tina Fey was born Elizabeth Stamatina Fey in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. Fey is perhaps best known to television viewers as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live” (1997-2006), and as the creator and star of the sitcom “30 Rock” (2006-2013).

45 Screening grp. : TSA

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is the agency that employs the good folks who check passengers and baggage at airports.

47 Jet setting : HOT TUB

“Jacuzzi” is one of those brand names that has become so much associated with the product that it is often assumed to be a generic term. The Jacuzzi company was founded in 1915 by the seven(!) Jacuzzi brothers in Berkeley California. The brothers, who were Italian immigrants, pronounced their name “ja-coot-si”, as one might suspect when one realizes the name is of Italian origin. The company started off by making aircraft propellers and then small aircraft, but suspended aircraft production in 1925 when one the brothers was killed in one of their planes. The family then started making hydraulic pumps, and in 1948 developed a submersible bathtub pump so that a son of one of the brothers could enjoy hydrotherapy for his rheumatoid arthritis. The “hydrotherapy product” took off in the fifties with some astute marketing towards “worn-out housewives” and the use of celebrity spokesman Jack Benny.

56 Long-beaked bird : HERON

Herons are birds with long legs that inhabit freshwater and coastal locales. Some herons are routinely referred to as egrets, and others as bitterns. Herons look a lot like storks and cranes, but differ in their appearance in flight. Herons fly with their necks retracted in an S-shape, whereas storks and cranes have their necks extended.

61 It’s a butte and then some : MESA

“Mesa” is the Spanish for “table” and is how we get the term “mesa” that describes the geographic feature. A mesa is similar to a butte. Both are hills with flat tops, but a mesa has a top that is wider than it is tall. A butte is a much narrower formation, taller than it is wide.

Down

4 Campbell of “Scream” : NEVE

Neve Campbell is a Canadian actress whose big break in the movies came with the “Scream” horror film series, in which she had a leading role. I don’t do horror films, so I haven’t seen any of the “Scream” movies. Nor have I seen the TV series “Party of Five” that launched the acting careers of both Campbell and Jennifer Love Hewitt in the nineties.

7 Garr of “Young Frankenstein” : TERI

Actress Teri Garr had a whole host of minor roles in her youth, including appearances in nine Elvis movies. Garr’s big break came with the role of Inga in “Young Frankenstein”, and her supporting role in “Tootsie” earned Garr an Academy Award nomination. Sadly, Teri Garr suffers from multiple sclerosis. She is a National Ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

8 “Monsters, ___” : INC

The animated feature “Monsters, Inc.” was released in 2001, and was Pixar’s fourth full-length movie. It’s about cute monsters, and that’s all I know other than that the voice cast included the likes of John Goodman, Billy Crystal and Steve Buscemi.

9 Some monsters call it home : SESAME STREET

Back in 1966, the Carnegie Institute allocated money to study the use of television to help young children prepare for school. The institute gave an $8million grant to set up the Children’s Television Workshop with the task of creating an educational TV program for young people. The program began to come together, especially after Jim Henson (of Muppet fame) got involved. The name “Sesame Street” was chosen simply because it was the “least disliked” of all names proposed just before the program went on the air.

10 Labs might offer them : PAWS

The Labrador (Lab) breed of dog has been around at least since 1814. The breed comes in three registered colors: black, yellow and chocolate.

12 Cannes offering : CINE

“Cine” is the French word for “cinema”.

Cannes is a city on the French Riviera that is noted as host of the Cannes Film Festival. The decision to host an annual film festival was adopted by the city just before WWII. However, the festival had to wait for the end of the war for its launch in 1946.

13 Many an M.I.T. grad: Abbr. : ENGR

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was founded in 1861 and first offered classes in 1865, in the Mercantile building in Boston. Today’s magnificent campus on the banks of the Charles River in Cambridge opened in 1916.

31 Patisserie purchases : CROISSANTS

Although similar pastries have been around since the 13th century, the croissant was introduced in a Viennese bakery in Paris in 1839. The pastry was named for its shape, as “croissant” is French for “crescent”.

A patisserie is a French bakery that sells pastries, or “tartes”.

32 Adjust the spacing between letters : KERN

Some fonts allow the adjustment of the spacing between individual letters. The process of adjusting that spacing evenly over all letters is called tracking. The process of adjusting the spacing individually between letters is called kerning.

39 Academy newcomer : PLEBE

A plebe is a freshman in the US military and naval academies. The term “plebe” is probably short for “plebeian”, the name given to someone of the common class in ancient Rome (as opposed to a Patrician). “Pleb” is a shortened version of “plebeian”, and is a term used outside of the military schools.

48 Force on Earth : ONE G

The force of gravity (g-force) that we all feel is referred to as “one G”. As gravity is an accelerating force, acceleration is measured relative to that force of gravity. So, if we are sitting in a vehicle that accelerates at 3G, then we are experiencing a force that is three times that which we feel from the gravitational pull of the earth. Zero G is weightlessness that is experienced when in space, and outside the influence of the earth’s gravity.

49 Noob : TYRO

A tyro (also “tiro”) is a beginner or a novice. “Tyro” comes into English from Latin, in which language “tiro” means “recruit”.

“Noob” is a not-so-nice slang term for a “newbie”, and often refers to someone who is new to an online community.

50 Boo Boo, e.g. : TOON

Yogi Bear made his debut for Hanna-Barbera in 1958, on “The Huckleberry Hound Show” before he was given his own series. Do you remember that collar that Yogi wore around his neck? That was a little trick from the animators. By using the collar, for many frames all they had to do was redraw everything from the collar up, saving them lots and lots of time. Yogi and Boo-Boo lived in Jellystone Park, and made Ranger Smith’s life a misery.

51 Porter, for one : COLE

Cole Porter was a little unusual amongst his peers in that he was one of the few successful songwriters who wrote both lyrics and music for his compositions. Porter was seriously injured in a riding accident when in his forties and was left disabled and in pain. Despite this, he continued to work and produced his most successful work after the accident.

52 Geoduck, e.g. : CLAM

The geoduck is a very large species of clam found off the coast of North America. The geoduck’s shell can measure up to 6-8 inches, but the clam’s siphon can extend to over three feet. Geoduck clams live to a ripe old age, with the oldest recorded living for 168 years.

54 Hornswoggled : HAD

To hornswoggle is to cheat, to deceive, to bamboozle.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Fed : G-MAN
5 New York’s ___ Field : CITI
9 Remote station location : SPACE
14 Swarming (with) : RIFE
15 Dark skies, e.g. : OMEN
16 Have dinner on the couch, say : EAT IN
17 When Lady Macbeth sleepwalks : ACT V
18 Option when one wants to move out of the house? : PORCH SWING
20 Uncommon amenity on an airplane : FREE WI-FI
22 Resurrection Mass day : EASTER
23 Rocky peak : TOR
24 Onetime nickname in magazine publishing : HEF
25 Mitch’s husband on “Modern Family” : CAM
26 Stick a fork in : SPEAR
28 Pining and then some : LOVESICK
33 Insufficient : SCANT
34 Not go it alone? : RIDE-SHARE
35 Some workers at Westminster : LORDS
36 Scratch (out), as a crossword answer? : EKE
37 Island north of Australia : TIMOR
38 Filled in : UP TO SPEED
40 It sometimes runs in the woods : RESIN
41 Co-star of Kelly and O’Connor in “Singin’ in the Rain” : REYNOLDS
42 Currency in the Philippines : PESOS
43 “S.N.L.” head writer in the early 2000s : FEY
44 Metal band? : ORE
45 Screening grp. : TSA
47 Jet setting : HOT TUB
51 Small talk : CHITCHAT
53 Words after “Hello-o-o-o-o” : … ANYONE HOME?
55 2-Down part : LENS
56 Long-beaked bird : HERON
57 Word before some sad words : ALAS …
58 It might be abstracto : ARTE
59 Sitting next to a constantly crying baby on a cross-country flight, maybe : AGONY
60 Leave a bad impression? : DENT
61 It’s a butte and then some : MESA

Down

1 Corruption : GRAFT
2 Piece of lab equipment : MICROSCOPE
3 Event that might last until the wee hours : AFTER-PARTY
4 Campbell of “Scream” : NEVE
5 It always turns out the same : COPIER
6 “Later!” : I’M OFF!
7 Garr of “Young Frankenstein” : TERI
8 “Monsters, ___” : INC
9 Some monsters call it home : SESAME STREET
10 Labs might offer them : PAWS
11 In a row : AT IT
12 Cannes offering : CINE
13 Many an M.I.T. grad: Abbr. : ENGR
19 Throw with effort : HEAVE
21 “Why are you all laughing?” : WHAT’S SO FUNNY?
25 Needing a key, perhaps : CODED
27 ___ a happy note : END ON
28 Social media metric : LIKES
29 Recoils (from) : SHIES
30 “Just name the time and place!” : I AM SO THERE!
31 Patisserie purchases : CROISSANTS
32 Adjust the spacing between letters : KERN
33 Shpeak thish way : SLUR
34 Twiggy : REEDY
39 Academy newcomer : PLEBE
42 Mr. Rite? : PRIEST
44 “Hoo boy!” : OH MAN!
46 Where one might stay in a cabin : AT SEA
47 Reaction button option for a Facebook post : HA HA
48 Force on Earth : ONE G
49 Noob : TYRO
50 Boo Boo, e.g. : TOON
51 Porter, for one : COLE
52 Geoduck, e.g. : CLAM
54 Hornswoggled : HAD