0630-21 NY Times Crossword 30 Jun 21, Wednesday

Constructed by: Christopher Adams & Adam Aaronson
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer Jenny

Themed answers, collectively, start with “867-5309”, a phone number in the song title “867-5309/Jenny”:

  • 57D Woman in a 1982 hit who can be reached using the starts of the answers to the starred clues : JENNY
  • 17A *Like many old video game soundtracks : EIGHT-BIT
  • 19A *Common purchase for a tailgate : SIX-PACK
  • 26A *Sinbad’s milieu : SEVEN SEAS
  • 41A *Burger chain named for a father and his sons : FIVE GUYS
  • 54A *One of two for the 1990s Chicago Bulls : THREE-PEAT
  • 63A *Anthem whose French lyrics predate its English lyrics : O CANADA
  • 66A *Former fashion retailer so-named for its 57th Street address in Manhattan : NINE WEST

Bill’s time: 14m 03s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

14 E! talk show : THE SOUP

“The Soup” is a show on E! that aired from 2004 until 2015. “The Soup” aired clips from recent shows, with commentary from host Joel McHale. It is a successor to the similar show “Talk Soup” that also aired on E!, from 1991 to 2002, presenting clips from the previous day’s talk shows.

16 Similar chemical compounds : ISOMERS

In the world of chemistry, isomers are two compounds with the same chemical formula (i.e. the same atomic constituents), but with a slightly different arrangement of the atoms relative to each other. The differing arrangement of atoms often leads to different chemical properties.

21 Parts of psyches : EGOS

“Ego” is another word for “the self”, and is used to distinguish oneself from others and the world around one. In psychoanalysis, the ego is that division of the psyche that is most in touch with external reality, the part that is conscious. “Ego” is a Latin word meaning “I”.

26 *Sinbad’s milieu : SEVEN SEAS

The phrase “the seven seas” has been used for centuries by many different peoples. The actual definition of what constitutes the collection of seven has varied depending on the period and the culture. Nowadays we consider the seven largest bodies of water as the seven seas, namely:

  • The North Pacific Ocean
  • The South Pacific Ocean
  • The North Atlantic Ocean
  • The South Atlantic Ocean
  • The Indian Ocean
  • The Southern Ocean
  • The Arctic Ocean

Sinbad is the hero of a set of fictional tales from the Middle East. Sinbad comes from the port city of Basra and had fantastic adventures on voyages throughout the sea east of Africa and south of Asia.

30 Singer Stefani : GWEN

Gwen Stefani is lead singer with the rock band No Doubt. She joined the band in 1986, focused on a solo career from 2004-2008, but is now back singing and working with No Doubt. She joined the reality show “The Voice” as a coach in 2014, replacing Christina Aguilera. A year later, Stefani announced a relationship with Blake Shelton, a fellow coach on “The Voice”.

31 “Survivor” setting, often : ISLE

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

33 Mortgage claim : LIEN

A lien is a right that one has to retain or secure someone’s property until a debt is paid. When an individual takes out a car loan, for example, the lending bank is usually a lien holder. The bank releases the lien on the car when the loan is paid in full.

41 *Burger chain named for a father and his sons : FIVE GUYS

Five Guys is a chain of hamburger joints that started out in Arlington, Virginia and now operates worldwide. Even though the chain was founded by Janie and Jerry Murrell, the “five guys” were Jerry and the couple’s four sons.

46 Some first responders, in brief : EMTS

Emergency medical technician (EMT)

51 Resistance units : OHMS

The unit of electrical resistance is the ohm (with the symbol omega) named after German physicist Georg Simon Ohm. Ohm was the guy who established experimentally that the amount of current flowing through a circuit is directly proportional to the voltage applied, (V=IR) a relationship that every school kid knows as Ohm’s Law.

54 *One of two for the 1990s Chicago Bulls : THREE-PEAT

A three-peat is the winning of a sports championship three seasons in a row. The term “three-peat” was coined in 1988 by LA Lakers’ player Byron Scott, and then trademarked by Lakers’ head coach Pat Riley. The Lakers were attempting in 1988 to clinch their third championship title in a row at that time, and eventually lost to the Detroit Pistons. The Lakers had to wait until the 2002 season to claim that three-peat.

The Chicago Bulls have won six NBA championships in the life of the franchise, all of them in the nineties. They won in the 1991, 1992 and 1993 seasons (a so-called “three-peat”), and then again in 1996, 1997 and 1998 (a second “three-peat”).

63 *Anthem whose French lyrics predate its English lyrics : O CANADA

Canada’s national anthem “O Canada” was commissioned in 1880 by the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, so the original words are in French. The first English translation was made in 1906. The current English lyrics have been revised a few times, but the French version remains the same as it did back in 1880.

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all of us command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

69 All together : EN MASSE

“En masse” is a French term, one that best translates as “as a group”

70 Binge at a buffet, say : OVEREAT

Our word “buffet” comes from the French “bufet” meaning “bench, sideboard”. So, a buffet is a meal served from a “bufet”.

71 Fluctuated wildly : YO-YOED

Would you believe that the first yo-yos date back to 500 BC? There is even an ancient Greek vase painting that shows a young man playing with a yo-yo. Centuries later Filipinos were using yo-yos as hunting tools in the 1500s. “Yo-yo” is a Tagalog (Filipino) word meaning “come-come” or simply “return”.

Down

4 (Spoiler alert!) Sole survivor of the Pequod : ISHMAEL

Ishmael is the narrator and protagonist in the Herman Melville novel “Moby-Dick”.

7 Philip Pullman’s “___ Dark Materials” : HIS

“His Dark Materials” is a fantasy television series based on the epic trilogy of novels of the same name by Philip Pullman. Not for me …

10 Stalemate : IMPASSE

“Impasse” is a French word for a blind alley or an impassable road, and we use the term to mean “stalemate”.

“Stalemate” is a term used in chess when one player (who is not in check) cannot make a legal move. A game of chess with a stalemate is declared a draw. We use the term metaphorically for a no-win situation in general.

11 Star of CBS’s “Madam Secretary” : TEA LEONI

Téa Leoni is an American actress. One of Leoni’s early parts was in the great film “A League of Their Own” (a minor role: Racine at first base). She also played the fiancée of Sam Malone from “Cheers” on the spin-off sitcom “Frasier”. A leading role on the big screen was opposite Adam Sandler in “Spanglish”. My favorite of her more prominent movie roles was as Jane in “Fun with Dick and Jane”. Leoni started playing the title role in the drama series “Madam Secretary” in 2014, and that’s a show I quite enjoy …

“Madam Secretary” is A TV show that first aired from 2014 to 2019. It is about an ex-CIA analyst who is appointed as US Secretary of State. Téa Leoni plays the title role, ably supported by a favorite actress of mine, Bebe Neuwirth. I like this show …

22 Bud in the Baseball Hall of Fame : SELIG

Bud Selig was the Commissioner of Baseball for Major League Baseball from 1998 to 2015. Selig became acting commissioner in 1992 after the resignation of Fay Vincent. The team owners searched for a new commissioner for six years, and finally gave the permanent job to Selig in 1998.

28 Big name in shoes and handbags : ALDO

ALDO is a chain of shoe stores that was founded in Montreal in 1972 by Moroccan-born Canadian Aldo Bensadoun. Bensadoun is the son of a retailer of shoes in Morocco and France, and the grandchild of a cobbler. A man with shoe leather in his blood …

36 Citi Field team, on scoreboards : NYM

Citi Field is a 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.

40 Deprive of strength – not, as is commonly believed, to give strength : ENERVATE

To enervate is to drain of energy. “Enervare” is the Latin for “to weaken”.

42 Pioneering computer : ENIAC

The acronym ENIAC stands for Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator (although many folks insist that the C was for “Computer”). ENIAC was introduced at the University of Pennsylvania in 1946, at which time it was the first general-purpose electronic computer, and dubbed “Giant Brain” by the press. Its original purpose was the calculation of artillery firing tables, but it ended up being used early on to make calculations necessary for the development of the hydrogen bomb. Given its uses, it’s not surprising to hear that development of ENIAC was funded by the US Army during WWII.

53 Credit ___ (banking giant) : SUISSE

Credit Suisse is a financial services company that was founded in 1856 by one Alfred Escher. The original purpose of Credit Suisse (then known as the “Swiss Credit Institution”) was to fund the buildout of the Swiss rail network.

56 Places for speakers : PODIA

“Podium” (plural “podia”) is the Latin word for “raised platform”.

64 Cleveland athlete, for short : CAV

The Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavs joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1970.

65 The “A” of D.A.: Abbr. : ATT

District attorney (DA)

67 ___ pop (genre for Billie Eilish) : EMO

Billie Eilish is a singer-songwriter from Los Angeles. She has won several awards, and is the youngest person to have won all four major Grammy categories in the same year, i.e. Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Handwriting style : SCRIPT
7 Woodland or wetland : HABITAT
14 E! talk show : THE SOUP
16 Similar chemical compounds : ISOMERS
17 *Like many old video game soundtracks : EIGHT-BIT
19 *Common purchase for a tailgate : SIX-PACK
20 Getting close, in a guessing game : WARM
21 Parts of psyches : EGOS
23 Tuner that’s turned : DIAL
24 Moves furtively : SNEAKS
26 *Sinbad’s milieu : SEVEN SEAS
30 Singer Stefani : GWEN
31 “Survivor” setting, often : ISLE
32 Singer’s time to shine : SOLO
33 Mortgage claim : LIEN
35 Suggestion made with a wink and a nudge : INNUENDO
38 “___ said yes!” : SHE
41 *Burger chain named for a father and his sons : FIVE GUYS
43 Minuscule particle : ION
44 Kicked down the road, as an issue : PUNTED ON
46 Some first responders, in brief : EMTS
48 Freshly : ANEW
49 Culmination of a wedding ceremony : KISS
51 Resistance units : OHMS
54 *One of two for the 1990s Chicago Bulls : THREE-PEAT
57 Full of cheer : JOYOUS
59 Video hosting service since 2009 : VEVO
60 Like many baby animals : CUTE
62 Singer’s time to shine : ARIA
63 *Anthem whose French lyrics predate its English lyrics : O CANADA
66 *Former fashion retailer so-named for its 57th Street address in Manhattan : NINE WEST
68 “That’s two hours I’ll never get back!” : HATED IT!
69 All together : EN MASSE
70 Binge at a buffet, say : OVEREAT
71 Fluctuated wildly : YO-YOED

Down

1 Worries anxiously : STEWS
2 Science fiction writer Ted with four Hugo awards : CHIANG
3 Came back, as hair : REGREW
4 (Spoiler alert!) Sole survivor of the Pequod : ISHMAEL
5 Poker prize : POT
6 “A series of ___,” infamous analogy for the internet : TUBES
7 Philip Pullman’s “___ Dark Materials” : HIS
8 Stage digression : ASIDE
9 Completely confine : BOX IN
10 Stalemate : IMPASSE
11 Star of CBS’s “Madam Secretary” : TEA LEONI
12 Circle segment : ARC
13 “For shame!” : TSK!
15 One skewered at a roast? : PIG
18 Throw out : TOSS
22 Bud in the Baseball Hall of Fame : SELIG
25 Part of a place setting : KNIFE
27 Performance sites : VENUES
28 Big name in shoes and handbags : ALDO
29 In a moment : SOON
31 Bring up : INVOKE
34 ___ al-Adha (Muslim holiday) : EID
36 Citi Field team, on scoreboards : NYM
37 “We wanna join!” : US TOO!
38 Altercation : SPAT
39 “Say what?” : HUNH?
40 Deprive of strength – not, as is commonly believed, to give strength : ENERVATE
42 Pioneering computer : ENIAC
45 11- or 12-year-old : TWEENER
47 Draw back (from) : SHY AWAY
50 Bowl over : STUN
52 On a larger scale : MORESO
53 Credit ___ (banking giant) : SUISSE
55 Steer clear of : EVADE
56 Places for speakers : PODIA
57 Woman in a 1982 hit who can be reached using the starts of the answers to the starred clues : JENNY
58 Filled to the brim : SATED
61 What might get under your collar? : TIE
63 “Well, lookee here!” : OHO!
64 Cleveland athlete, for short : CAV
65 The “A” of D.A.: Abbr. : ATT
67 ___ pop (genre for Billie Eilish) : EMO