0610-22 NY Times Crossword 10 Jun 22, Friday

Constructed by: Blake Slonecker
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: None

Bill’s time: 14m 35s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

7 Like some rum : SPICED

Rum was first distilled by slaves on the sugarcane plantations of the Caribbean in the 1800s, with the tradition being that the very first production came from Barbados.

19 B preceder : ORAL-

The Oral-B toothbrush was introduced to the world in 1950, designed by a California periodontist. The first “model” was the Oral-B 60, a name given to reflect the 60 tufts in the brush. In 1969, the Oral-B was the first toothbrush to get to the moon as it was the toothbrush of choice for the crew of the Apollo 11 spacecraft.

27 Apple ___ : INC

Apple Computers was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. The company incorporated the following year, but without Wayne. He sold his share of the company back to Jobs and Wozniak, for $800 …

29 Like Gen-Z fans of classic rock, say : BORN TOO LATE

Definitions vary, but it seems that the term “Generation Z” is reserved for the children of “Generation X”, and for the generation that follows the “Millennials” (Generation Y).

35 The Rolling Stones’ “___ a Rainbow” : SHE’S

“She’s a Rainbow” is a 1967 song Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wrote for the Rolling Stones, and a very “un-Rolling Stones” song it is. It was intended as a satirical piece. John Lennon claimed that “She’s a Rainbow” imitated the Beatles song ”All You Need Is Love”.

37 Some sneaks : NIKES

Nike was founded in 1964 in Eugene, Oregon by entrepreneur Phil Knight and track-and-field coach Bill Bowerman as Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS). BRS started out by distributing athletic shoes made in Japan. The company started making its own shoes in 1971 and changed its name to Nike, after the Greek goddess of victory.

42 Scientist for whom a part of the brain is named : BROCA

Paul Broca was a French physician who provided the first anatomical proof that brain function was localized. He studied the brains of individuals suffering from aphasia, the inability to formulate language due to brain injury after a stroke or head trauma. Broca discovered that aphasia patients had lesions in a specific part of the brain, the left frontal region. This region of the brain’s cortex that is responsible for language is now called Broca’s Area, in his honor.

48 Swenson of “Benson” : INGA

Inga Swenson is an American actress. Her best known role was “Gretchen Kraus”, the German cook, and later housekeeper, on the TV show “Benson”. Swenson also appeared in a couple of episodes of “Bonanza” playing the second wife of Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene), and mother of Hoss Cartwright (Dan Blocker). This was despite the fact that in real life, she was actually 4 years younger than Blocker!

The sitcom “Benson” originally aired from 1979 until 1986 and starred Robert Guillaume in the title role. The character Benson DuBois was introduced to the world as the butler to the ultrarich Tate family in the comedy series “Soap”.

53 Birthplace of the Black Panther Party : OAKLAND

The Black Panther Party (BPP) was a far-left revolutionary organization founded in 1966 in Oakland, California. The BPP dissolved in 1982.

55 “There’s no wrong way to eat a ___” (classic tagline) : REESE’S

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups were invented by Harry Burnett “HB” Reese. Peanut Butter Cups were originally called penny cups, reflecting the price at which they were sold. Then inflation took over, and maybe that’s why they were broken into smaller “Pieces” …

Down

1 Buttonhole : ACCOST

To buttonhole someone is to hold a person in conversation against his or her will. The verb “buttonhole” evolved from “buttonhold”, so the original concept was to detain someone by grabbing a coat-button.

2 Parisian sweets? : CHERIE

“Chéri” is a form of familiar address in French, meaning “dear”. “Chéri” is the form used when talking to a male, and “chérie” when addressing a female.

4 Parts of many breakfast buffets : OMELET BARS

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

5 Pick for pics, in brief : SLR

The initialism “SLR” stands for “single lens reflex”. Usually, cameras with changeable lenses are the SLR type. The main feature of an SLR is that a mirror reflects the image seen through the lens out through the viewfinder, so that the photographer sees exactly what the lens sees. The mirror moves out of the way as the picture is taken, and the image that comes through the lens falls onto unexposed film, or nowadays onto a digital sensor.

8 Key partner? : PEELE

The Comedy Central sketch show “Key & Peele” stars comics Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. The duo also wrote an action comedy film called “Keanu” that was released in 2016. The title character is a cat belonging to the boss of a drug cartel. Haven’t seen it …

21 Common condiment with fajitas : PICO DE GALLO

Pico de gallo is a Mexican condiment made from tomato, onion and chili peppers. “Pico de gallo” is Spanish for “beak of rooster”. Apparently this name was given as eating of the condiment with the thumb and forefinger resembled the pecking of a rooster. An alternative name for pico de gallo is “salsa fresca”, which translates literally as “fresh sauce”.

30 W.W. II Dambusters grp. : RAF

The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the oldest independent air force in the world (i.e. the first air force to become independent of army or navy forces). The RAF was formed during WWI on 1 April 1918, a composite of two earlier forces, the Royal Flying Corps (part of the Army) and the Royal Naval Air Service. The RAF’s “finest hour” was the Battle of Britain, when the vastly outnumbered British fighters fought off the might of the Luftwaffe causing Hitler to delay his plan to cross the English Channel. This outcome prompted Winston Churchill to utter the memorable words

Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.

38 Home of the continental U.S.’s geographic center : KANSAS

The geographic center of North America lies in the town of Rugby, North Dakota. The geographic center of the US lies about 20 miles north of the city of Belle Fourche, South Dakota. The geographic center of the contiguous 48 states lies about 3 miles northwest of the city of Lebanon, Kansas.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Puzzling start? : ACROSS
7 Like some rum : SPICED
13 Where catalysts produce reactions, informally : CHEM LAB
15 “Sounds good, but … huh-uh” : YEAH, … NO
16 Root vegetable with stringy stalks : CELERIAC
18 Offset : NEGATE
19 B preceder : ORAL-
20 Painter’s protectors : DROP CLOTHS
22 Blogroll assortment : SITES
24 Pretense : GUISE
25 Roll : BUN
26 Show of authority, metaphorically : TEETH
27 Apple ___ : INC
28 After beginning? : POST-
29 Like Gen-Z fans of classic rock, say : BORN TOO LATE
33 Things often controlled with remotes : GARAGE DOORS
34 Guaranteed success : SUREFIRE HIT
35 The Rolling Stones’ “___ a Rainbow” : SHE’S
36 Ride, in a way : NAG
37 Some sneaks : NIKES
41 Quaint confirmation : ‘TIS
42 Scientist for whom a part of the brain is named : BROCA
44 Skimpy : SCANT
45 With sauce : INSOLENTLY
48 Swenson of “Benson” : INGA
49 Fresh start : NEW DAY
50 Gets a late start? : SLEEPS IN
52 “Get out of here!” : GO HOME!
53 Birthplace of the Black Panther Party : OAKLAND
54 Bad things for a lecturer to hear : SNORES
55 “There’s no wrong way to eat a ___” (classic tagline) : REESE’S

Down

1 Buttonhole : ACCOST
2 Parisian sweets? : CHERIE
3 Get it : RELATE
4 Parts of many breakfast buffets : OMELET BARS
5 Pick for pics, in brief : SLR
6 Hypothesized : SAID
7 Harmonizes : SYNCS
8 Key partner? : PEELE
9 “I, ___,” Shakespeare-inspired novel written from the villain’s perspective : IAGO
10 Some customer service agents nowadays : CHATBOTS
11 Gush : ENTHUSE
12 “___ matter” : DOESN’T
14 Rudely interrupting : BARGING IN ON
17 Offsets : COUNTERACTS
21 Common condiment with fajitas : PICO DE GALLO
23 Support against collapse, with “up” : SHORE …
28 Something past or present : PARTICIPLE
30 W.W. II Dambusters grp. : RAF
31 “That’s a good one!” : OOH!
32 Butcher shop choices : LOINS
33 Question asked by a surprise caller : GUESS WHO!
34 Try to persuade through lies : SHINE ON
35 Smarts : STINGS
38 Home of the continental U.S.’s geographic center : KANSAS
39 Road runner? : ENGINE
40 Foul ball’s place, maybe : STANDS
42 Finger : BLAME
43 Día de los ___ (Spanish holiday) : REYES
46 What someone with anosmia cannot detect : ODOR
47 Vintage, e.g. : YEAR
51 Just get (by) : EKE