0619-22 NY Times Crossword 19 Jun 22, Sunday

Constructed by: Jeremy Newton
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: Some Light Reading

The grid includes seven sets of traffic lights. Across-answers intersecting a light use the color of that light (red, green and yellow). Down-answers intersecting a light use the light’s instruction (stop, go and stop/go):

  • 7A Range of light that’s invisible to the human eye : INFRARED SPECTRUM
  • 23A Strong breath fresheners : WINTERGREEN MINTS
  • 60A Cocktail with an energy boost : VODKA RED BULL
  • 63A Listed, obsolescently : IN THE YELLOW PAGES
  • 66A Washington, with “the” : … EVERGREEN STATE
  • 103A Bust mid-crime : CATCH RED-HANDED
  • 109A Mascot who made his Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade debut in 2017 : THE JOLLY GREEN GIANT
  • 27D Lose its spark, as a relationship : GO STALE
  • 29D Temporary solutions : STOPGAPS
  • 35D Thrilling : HEART-STOPPING
  • 37D “That’s a touchy subject” : DON’T GO THERE
  • 43D “It’s my turn” [or] Comment after rambling on : I’LL GO NOW [or] I’LL STOP NOW
  • 77D Pull off the road for gas or snacks, say : MAKE A STOP
  • 80D Tries : HAS A GO

Bill’s time: 20m 10s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

7 Range of light that’s invisible to the human eye : INFRARED SPECTRUM

At either end of the visible light spectrum are the invisible forms of radiation known as infrared (IR) light and ultraviolet (UV) light. IR light lies just beyond the red end of the visible spectrum, and UV light lies just below the violet end.

20 Brand in the frozen foods aisle : ORE-IDA

Ore-Ida frozen foods are all made using potatoes. The company is located in Oregon, just across the border from Idaho. “Ore-Ida” is a melding of the two state names.

21 Called to Bo-Peep : BAAED

The lines that are most commonly quoted from the rhyme about “Little Bo Peep” are:

Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep,
And can’t tell where to find them;
Leave them alone, And they’ll come home,
Wagging their tails behind them.

But, there are actually four more verses, including this one:

It happened one day, as Bo-peep did stray
Into a meadow hard by,
There she espied their tails side by side,
All hung on a tree to dry.

23 Strong breath fresheners : WINTERGREEN MINTS

The term “wintergreen” is used for a group of aromatic plants. Some wintergreens contain methyl salicylate, which has a taste reminiscent of mint. “Wintergreen” used to describe any plants that remain green through the winter, but that usage has been displaced by “evergreen”.

25 Like one of Michael Jackson’s hands when performing : UNGLOVED

Michael Jackson introduced his one-glove look the same day that he debuted his dance move known as the Moonwalk. It all took place on an NBC TV special in 1983 called “Motown 25”.

26 Exams for top H.S. students : AP TESTS

The Advanced Placement (AP) program offers college-level courses to kids who are still in high school (HS). After being tested at the end of an AP course, successful students receive credits that count towards a college degree.

28 Alternative to JFK : LGA

The three big airports serving New York City (NYC) are John F. Kennedy (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA) and Newark (EWR).

29 Skedaddles : GITS

“Skedaddle” is a slang term meaning “run away” that dates back to the Civil War.

32 Stage set? : THESPIANS

A thespian is an actor. The term “thespian” derives from the name of the Greek poet of the 6th century Thespis, who is known as the father of Greek tragedy.

35 Nathan who said “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country” : HALE

Nathan Hale fought for the Continental Army during the American Revolution, and was most famous for operating as a spy against the British. It was Nathan Hale who uttered the words, just before he was hanged by his British captors, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country”.

40 Mark Twain, religiously : DEIST

Deism (from the Latin “deus” meaning god) is the belief that a supreme being created the universe, a belief based on observation and reason, and without the need for faith. Further, a deist does not accept divine intervention and rather believes that the supreme being, having created the universe, leaves the world to its own devices.

45 John Hancock, famously : SIGNEE

We use the term “John Hancock” to mean a signature. The reference is to the large and flamboyant signature placed by John Hancock on the Declaration of Independence. Hancock was President of the Continental Congress from 1775 to 1777.

49 Beast slain by Hercules in his fourth labor : BOAR

“The Twelve Labors of Hercules” is actually a Greek myth, although “Hercules” is the Roman name for the hero that the Greeks called “Heracles”.

50 Three-pronged letter : PSI

Psi is the 23rd and penultimate letter of the Greek alphabet, and the one that looks a bit like a trident or a pitchfork.

54 Jessica of TV’s “Candy” : BIEL

Jessica Biel is an actress who was known by television audiences for portraying Mary Camden on “7th Heaven”. Biel’s first film role was playing Peter Fonda’s granddaughter in “Ulee’s Gold”. Biel married singer and actor Justin Timberlake in 2012.

55 Treacherous places to land for eagles? : SAND TRAPS

Sand traps on a golf course are referred to as bunkers on the other side of the Atlantic.

The following terms are routinely used in golf for scores relative to par:

  • Bogey: one over par
  • Par
  • Birdie: one under par
  • Eagle: two under par
  • Albatross (also “double eagle”): three under par
  • Condor: four under par

No one has ever recorded a condor during a professional tournament.

57 “Mazel ___!” : TOV

“Mazel tov!” is a Yiddish phrase meaning “Good luck!”

58 Moolah : DOUGH

Lettuce, cabbage, kale, dough, bread, scratch, cheddar, simoleons, clams and moola(h) are all slang terms for money.

60 Cocktail with an energy boost : VODKA RED BULL

Red Bull is a drink from Austria that was introduced in 1987. Red Bull is the most popular “energy drink” in the world. There was some controversy in 2009 when it was discovered that Red Bull imported from Austria contained trace amounts of cocaine.

62 Seedy bar : DIVE

We’ve been using the word “dive” in American English for a run-down bar since the latter half of the 19th century. The term comes from the fact that disreputable taverns were usually located in basements, so one had to figuratively dive into them. I’m a big fan …

63 Listed, obsolescently : IN THE YELLOW PAGES

A yellow pages phone directory is a listing of business and telephone numbers. The first yellow pages directory was introduced here in the US, back in 1886. The phrase “yellow pages” has become almost ubiquitous, although some countries (like my native Ireland) use “golden pages” instead. The term lives on in the modern era, as the name of the business review website Yelp.com is a contraction of “YEL-low P-ages”.

Something described as “obsolescent” is going out of use, becoming “obsolete”.

65 Tennis pro Nastase, the first athlete to sign an endorsement deal with Nike : ILIE

I think that Ilie Nastase was the most entertaining tennis player of the 1970s, the days of Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe. No matter how much pressure there was in a match, Nastase always had time to share a joke with the crowd. After retiring from the sport, he had a few novels published (in French) during the eighties. Then Nastase went into politics, making an unsuccessful run for the mayorship of Bucharest in 1996. He made a successful run for the Romanian Senate though, and was elected senator in 2014.

66 Washington, with “the” : … EVERGREEN STATE

Washington has been nicknamed the Evergreen State since 1890, when the moniker was proposed by journalist turned real estate tycoon Charles Tallmadge Conover. The nickname has never been adopted officially, although it does appear on Washington state license plates. The name is a reference to the abundance of evergreen trees in the state’s forests.

69 Hot ___ (speaker’s worry) : MIC

One of my favorite hot-mic moments took place in 2005, when Paris and London were vying to host the 2012 Olympics. French President Jacques Chirac compared Paris and London in that context while chatting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. Chirac said, over a hot mic:

The only thing that they have ever done for European agriculture is mad cow disease … You cannot trust people who have such bad cuisine.

74 It’s observed at LAX during part of the year : PST

Pacific Standard Time (PST)

75 Cross one’s fingers : HOPE

The crossed-fingers hand gesture is used as a wish for good luck, or sometimes as an excuse for telling a white lie. The gesture originated in the early Christian church when crossing of the fingers invoked the protection of the Christian cross. Crossed fingers were also used by Christians as a secret sign of recognition during the days of persecution by the ancient Romans.

77 Portland native, e.g. : MAINER

Portland is the largest city in Maine, and home to over a third of the state’s population. The name of Portland was chosen in 1786, a reference to the Isle of Portland, which is the southernmost point in the county of Dorset, England.

80 Avid war campaigner : HAWK

The dove is a symbol of peace, and the hawk is a symbol of war.

82 Car in the Beach Boys’ “Fun, Fun, Fun” : T-BIRD

“Fun, Fun, Fun” is a 1964 song written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love for the Beach Boys. The English rock band Status Quo released a great cover version of “Fun, Fun, Fun” in 1996, which featured the Beach Boys on backup vocals.

85 It can be detected using the “bite test” or “vinegar test” : FAKE GOLD

Pyrite is a mineral also known as iron pyrite. Famously, it has an appearance very similar to gold, so has the nickname “fool’s gold”. Pyrite does find its way into some baubles, which go by the name of marcasite jewelry.

89 Noted slacking speedster : HARE

“The Tortoise and the Hare” is perhaps the most famous fable attributed to Aesop. The cocky hare takes a nap during a race against the tortoise, and the tortoise sneaks past the finish line for the win while his speedier friend is sleeping.

93 Certain spa treatment : PEEL

A chemical peel is a technique used to improve the look and feel of the skin. It involves using a chemical to deliberately injure the outermost layer of the skin. The damaged skin dies and peels off, revealing regenerated skin below.

96 1988 #1 country album named for its singer : REBA

Reba McEntire is a country music singer and television actress. McEntire starred in her own sitcom “Reba” that aired on the WB and the CW cable channels from 2001 to 2007. She is sometimes referred to as “The Queen of Country”.

97 Roman god often depicted with a radiant crown : SOL

Sol was the Roman god personifying the Sun. The Greek equivalent was Helios.

98 Zenned out : AT PEACE

Zen is a Buddhist school that developed its own tradition in China back in the 7th century AD. Zen is a Japanese spelling of the Chinese word “chan”, which in turn derives from the Sanskrit word “dhyana” meaning “meditation”.

101 Two-player board game with spies and bombs : STRATEGO

The wonderful board game called Stratego derives from a traditional Chinese game called “Jungle” or “Animal Chess”. The major difference between Stratego and Jungle is that in the latter, the identity of the pieces is not hidden from one’s opponent.

103 Bust mid-crime : CATCH RED-HANDED

To be caught red-handed is to be caught in the act. The expression originated in Scotland and dates back at least to the 1400s. The red in question is blood, as in being caught with blood on one’s hands after perhaps committing a murder or an act of poaching.

106 Lover of psychedelics, informally : ACID HEAD

The term “psychedelic” was coined in 1956 by British-born psychiatrist Humphry Osmond. He proposed the term to describe the effects of taking the drugs LSD and mescaline. He suggested that “psychedelic” be defined as “mind-manifesting”, from the Greek “psyche” (mind) and “delos” (manifest).

108 Putting on the heat? : ARMING

“Packing” and “packing heat” are underworld slang for “carrying a gun”.

109 Mascot who made his Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade debut in 2017 : THE JOLLY GREEN GIANT

The Jolly Green Giant was introduced by Minnesota Valley Canning in 1925 to help sell the company’s peas. He was named after one of the varieties of pea that the company sold, the “Green Giant”. The Jolly Green Giant first appeared in a television commercial in 1953, walking through a valley with young boys running around at his feet. That first commercial proved to be so scary for younger viewers that it was immediately pulled off the air. In 1972, the Jolly Green Giant was given an apprentice called the Little Green Sprout.

The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City has been held every year since 1924, with a brief suspension from 1942-1944. The parade was halted during WWII as there was a need for rubber and helium to support the war effort.

111 Cinq x six : TRENTE

In French, “trente” (thirty) is “cinq x six” (five x six).

Down

1 Hawkeye : IOWAN

Iowa is nicknamed the Hawkeye State in honor of Chief Black Hawk, a leader of the Sauk people during the War of 1812 and the Black Hawk War.

7 Big name in cloud computing : IBM

Tech giant IBM was founded as the Tabulating Machine Company in 1896. The company changed its name to the Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation (CTR) in 1911 and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1916. The name “International Business Machines” (IBM) was given first to the company’s Canadian subsidiary, and then to its South American subsidiary. In 1924, it was decided to adopt the International Business Machines name for the whole company. Good choice …

In the world of computing, when one operates “in the cloud”, one’s files and key applications are not stored on one’s own computer, but rather are residing “in the cloud”, on a computer somewhere out on the Internet. I do 90% of my computing in the cloud. That way I don’t have to worry about backing up files, and I can operate from any computer if I have to …

9 Gargoyles are often depicted with them : FANGS

Gargoyles are fabulous carvings placed on the side of a building. Gargoyles include an internal spout that is designed to convey water collected on the roof away from the walls of the building. The term “gargoyle” comes from the French “gargouille” which can mean “throat, gullet”.

12 Twisting on an axis : SLUING

To slue (also “slew) is to turn sharply, or to rotate on an axis.

14 Heart charts, in brief : EKGS

An EKG measures the electrical activity in the heart. Back in my homeland of Ireland, an EKG is known as an ECG (for electrocardiogram). We use the German name in the US, Elektrokardiogramm, giving us EKG. Apparently the abbreviation EKG is preferred, as ECG might be confused (if poorly handwritten, I guess) with EEG, the abbreviation for an electroencephalogram.

15 Cartoon frame : CEL

In the world of animation, a cel is a transparent sheet on which objects and characters are drawn. In the first half of the 20th century the sheet was actually made of celluloid, giving the “cel” its name.

16 There’s a 4.75% chance of getting this in poker : TWO PAIR

A poker hand with two pairs is usually referred to as “two pair”. However, if one of the pairs is aces, the hand is referred to as “aces up”.

17 Tesla and Edison, famously : RIVALS

George Westinghouse was an American engineer and businessman, and a rival to Thomas Edison in developing the first robust electrical grid for the country. Edison’s approach was to distribute electrical power using DC current, but Westinghouse opted to partner with Nikola Tesla and worked with AC current. AC technology won the day!

18 Early online discussion forum : USENET

Remember the good old days, when you read messages online in “newsgroups”? Well, that system of aggregating public messages is known as Usenet, and it’s still around today. Usenet started operating in 1980, some ten years before the World Wide Web was introduced (which system has displaced Usenet in terms of popularity). Usenet definitely played a significant part in the history of the Internet. For instance, the terms “FAQ” and “spam” were both born on Usenet.

33 Opening words? : HIS

Hi there!

50 Film critic Kael : PAULINE

Pauline Kael was a film critic who wrote for “The New Yorker” magazine from 1968 to 1991.

51 Someone sequencing DNA, e.g. : SPLICER

Recombinant DNA is DNA made under laboratory conditions. The recombination technique (sometimes referred to as “gene splicing”) brings together genetic material from multiple sources. The sources of that genetic material might be from a different part of the same gene, or even from the gene of a different organism. The end result is a new, man-made, genetic combination.

54 Lighter fluid : BUTANE

Butane is a highly flammable organic gas, one that is used as a fuel for lighters, for example. Butane was discovered in 1849, and is closely related to butyric acid, a compound discovered in 1814 and from which the gas gets its name. In turn, butyric acid gets its name from “butyrum”, the Latin for butter. Butyric acid was first isolated from butter.

62 Actor in a much-publicized 2022 defamation case : DEPP

Johnny Depp got his big break as an actor on television, in the eighties television show “21 Jump Street”. Depp’s first film success came when he played the title role in 1990’s “Edward Scissorhands”. He has twice been named Sexiest Man Alive by “People” magazine.

76 Place for a lighthouse : CAPE

The oldest lighthouse still in use is the Tower of Hercules located on the coast of Galicia in northwest Spain. Renovated in 1791, this magnificent lighthouse was built by the Romans in 2nd century CE and has been in constant use since that time. It is believed that the structure’s design is based on the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of Ancient World.

82 Kind of roof for a tiki bar : THATCH

The world’s first tiki bar was called “Don the Beachcomber”, and was opened in L.A. in 1933 by Ernest Gantt (also known as “Donn Beach”). The bar became famous for its exotic rum cocktails. Gantt was called to serve in WWII, and the business expanded dramatically under his ex-wife’s management so that there was a 160-restaurant chain waiting for Gantt when he returned stateside.

83 Peter Pan’s creator : BARRIE

J.M. Barrie’s stage play “Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up” premiered in London in 1904. Barrie adapted the play into a 1911 novel titled “Peter and Wendy”. The character Peter Pan actually predated the play, having been introduced by Barrie as a baby in his 1902 adult novel called “The Little White Bird”.

90 Paper size : LEGAL

Our paper sizes here in North America don’t conform with the standards in the rest of the world. ISO standard sizes used elsewhere were chosen so that the ratio of width to length is usually one to the square root of two. This mathematical relationship means that when you cut a piece of paper in two each half preserves the aspect ratio of the original, which can be useful in making reduced or enlarged copies of documents. Our standard size of “letter” (ltr., 8.5 x 11 inches) was determined in 1980 by the Reagan administration to be the official paper size for the US government. Prior to this, the “legal” size (8.5 x 14 inches) had been the standard, since 1921.

91 Japanese brew : ASAHI

Asahi is a Japanese beer, and the name of the brewery that produces it. “Asahi” is Japanese for “morning sun”. Asahi introduced a “dry beer” in 1987, igniting a craze that rocketed the brewery to the number one spot in terms of beer production in Japan, with Sapporo close behind.

95 Junior’s hurdle : PSAT

Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT)

100 Surname of the “Incredibles” superhero family : PARR

“The Incredibles” is a 2004 animated feature from Pixar, and not a great movie if you ask me. But asking me probably isn’t a good idea, as the film won two Oscars …

104 Yell before a snap : HUT!

The quarterback (QB) starts each play in football with a snap (also called a “hike”). He announces to his teammates the exact moment of the snap by calling out signals, usually including the word “hut” one or more times in a prearranged sequence.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 “In a word … awful!” : IT’S BAD!
7 Range of light that’s invisible to the human eye : INFRARED SPECTRUM
20 Brand in the frozen foods aisle : ORE-IDA
21 Called to Bo-Peep : BAAED
22 “You and me both” : LIKEWISE
23 Strong breath fresheners : WINTERGREEN MINTS
25 Like one of Michael Jackson’s hands when performing : UNGLOVED
26 Exams for top H.S. students : AP TESTS
28 Alternative to JFK : LGA
29 Skedaddles : GITS
30 Reviews negatively : PANS
31 Usual : NORM
32 Stage set? : THESPIANS
35 Nathan who said “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country” : HALE
36 Locks that have been changed : DYED HAIR
39 Inapplicable stat for electric cars : MPG
40 Mark Twain, religiously : DEIST
41 Some art supplies : OILS
42 Label on some jars : TIPS
44 Hon : DEAR
45 John Hancock, famously : SIGNEE
48 Reef predators : EELS
49 Beast slain by Hercules in his fourth labor : BOAR
50 Three-pronged letter : PSI
53 Boatloads : A LOT
54 Jessica of TV’s “Candy” : BIEL
55 Treacherous places to land for eagles? : SAND TRAPS
57 “Mazel ___!” : TOV
58 Moolah : DOUGH
60 Cocktail with an energy boost : VODKA RED BULL
62 Seedy bar : DIVE
63 Listed, obsolescently : IN THE YELLOW PAGES
65 Tennis pro Nastase, the first athlete to sign an endorsement deal with Nike : ILIE
66 Washington, with “the” : … EVERGREEN STATE
68 Hunts, with “on” : PREYS …
69 Hot ___ (speaker’s worry) : MIC
70 Brushes are dipped in them : PAINT CANS
72 Small knocks : NITS
73 See-through piece : PANE
74 It’s observed at LAX during part of the year : PST
75 Cross one’s fingers : HOPE
76 Nickname for Chloe : COCO
77 Portland native, e.g. : MAINER
79 What a raised hand might mean : HERE
80 Avid war campaigner : HAWK
81 [What a snoozefest!] : [YAWN!]
82 Car in the Beach Boys’ “Fun, Fun, Fun” : T-BIRD
84 Sweater fuzz, e.g. : NAP
85 It can be detected using the “bite test” or “vinegar test” : FAKE GOLD
89 Noted slacking speedster : HARE
90 Not stay undefeated : LOSE A GAME
93 Certain spa treatment : PEEL
95 Trim : PARE
96 1988 #1 country album named for its singer : REBA
97 Roman god often depicted with a radiant crown : SOL
98 Zenned out : AT PEACE
101 Two-player board game with spies and bombs : STRATEGO
103 Bust mid-crime : CATCH RED-HANDED
106 Lover of psychedelics, informally : ACID HEAD
107 Words to a silly goose : OH YOU!
108 Putting on the heat? : ARMING
109 Mascot who made his Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade debut in 2017 : THE JOLLY GREEN GIANT
111 Cinq x six : TRENTE

Down

1 Hawkeye : IOWAN
2 Stand for a photograph : TRIPOD
3 Guard : SENTRY
4 “Oh, shove it!” : BITE ME!
5 Fruity refreshments : ADES
6 What nervous eyes might do : DART
7 Big name in cloud computing : IBM
8 Roofer’s power tool : NAILER
9 Gargoyles are often depicted with them : FANGS
10 Draw upon again : RETAP
11 Sponsored content, essentially : ADS
12 Twisting on an axis : SLUING
13 Some ice cream purchases : PINTS
14 Heart charts, in brief : EKGS
15 Cartoon frame : CEL
16 There’s a 4.75% chance of getting this in poker : TWO PAIR
17 Tesla and Edison, famously : RIVALS
18 Early online discussion forum : USENET
19 Pharma supplies : MEDS
27 Lose its spark, as a relationship : GO STALE
29 Temporary solutions : STOPGAPS
33 Opening words? : HIS
34 Little troublemakers : IMPS
35 Thrilling : HEART-STOPPING
37 “That’s a touchy subject” : DON’T GO THERE
38 Move hurriedly : HIE
40 Utterly, in slang : DEAD-ASS
42 Giggle : TEE-HEE
43 “It’s my turn” [or] Comment after rambling on : I’LL GO NOW [or] I’LL STOP NOW
44 Equus africanus asinus, more familiarly : DONKEY
45 Marijuana strains said to be more invigorating : SATIVAS
46 “How marvelous!” : I LOVE IT!
47 Wield authority : GOVERN
48 Lucky numbers in Chinese culture : EIGHTS
49 Stars of the Wild West : BADGES
50 Film critic Kael : PAULINE
51 Someone sequencing DNA, e.g. : SPLICER
52 Vacation getaway : ISLE
54 Lighter fluid : BUTANE
55 Reach, as new heights : SOAR TO
56 Baseball slugger, informally : RBI MAN
58 Lack of harmony : DISCORD
59 Ready to watch later : ON TAPE
60 Major political announcement before a convention, informally : VP PICK
62 Actor in a much-publicized 2022 defamation case : DEPP
76 Place for a lighthouse : CAPE
77 Pull off the road for gas or snacks, say : MAKE A STOP
78 Blow away : AWE
79 Book some wedding entertainment : HIRE A DJ
80 Tries : HAS A GO
81 Starchy vegetable : YAM
82 Kind of roof for a tiki bar : THATCH
83 Peter Pan’s creator : BARRIE
84 Opposite of a superstar : NOBODY
85 Avenger who stepped into the role of Captain America : FALCON
86 Invitation on a wrapped gift : OPEN ME!
87 Preamble : LEAD-IN
88 Clothed, so to speak : DECENT
90 Paper size : LEGAL
91 Japanese brew : ASAHI
92 Prankster’s smug shout : GOT YA!
94 One might be right outside your window : LEDGE
95 Junior’s hurdle : PSAT
96 Stagger about : REEL
99 “Copy ___” : THAT
100 Surname of the “Incredibles” superhero family : PARR
102 Nonetheless, poetically : THO’
103 Lowly worker, so to speak : COG
104 Yell before a snap : HUT!