0627-22 NY Times Crossword 27 Jun 22, Monday
Constructed by: Drew Schmenner
Edited by: Will Shortz
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Today’s Reveal Answer: Setting Sun
Shaded letters in today’s grid show us a SUN that is at its height in the “east” of the grid, and setting as we move to the “west”:
- 11D Predominant religion of Indonesia and Pakistan : SUNNI ISLAM
- 9D Pageant whose hosts have included Bob Barker, Dick Clark and Steve Harvey : MISS UNIVERSE
- 26D Dashboard-mounted navigator : GPS UNIT
- 21D Animal “relative” an astonished person may claim to be : MONKEY’S UNCLE
- 31D What glows in the west at day’s end … or a hint to this puzzle’s sequence of shaded squares : SETTING SUN
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Bill’s time: 6m 15s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
1 Ritzy : POSH
No one really knows the etymology of the word “posh”. The popular myth that “posh” is actually an acronym standing for “port out, starboard home” is completely untrue, and is a story that can actually be traced back to the 1968 movie “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”. The myth is that wealthy British passengers traveling to and from India would book cabins on the port side for the outward journey and the starboard side for the home journey. This trick was supposedly designed to keep their cabins out of the direct sunlight.
The adjective “ritzy” meaning “high quality and luxurious” derives from the opulent Ritz hotels in New York, London, Paris, etc.
5 Like the caboose among all the cars on a train : LAST
The word “caboose” originally came from Middle Dutch and was the word for a ship’s galley. When the last car in a train in North America was given a stove for the comfort of the crew, it took on the name “caboose”. The term has also become slang for a person’s backside.
9 “Perry ___” (classic legal drama) : MASON
“Perry Mason” is a TV series based on the character created by author Erle Stanley Gardner. Premiering in 2020, the show stars Matthew Rhys in the title role. It is set in 1930s, and presents the backstory to the celebrated lawyer depicted in the books and the original TV show from the fifties and sixties starring Raymond Burr.
14 Iams competitor : ALPO
Alpo is a brand of dog food introduced by Allen Products in 1936, with “Alpo” being an abbreviation for “Allen Products”. Lorne Greene used to push Alpo in television spots, as did Ed McMahon and Garfield the Cat, would you believe?
17 When the Allied invasion of Normandy was launched : D-DAY
The most famous D-Day in history was June 6, 1944, the date of the Normandy landings in WWII. The term “D-Day” is used by the military to designate the day on which a combat operation is to be launched, especially when the actual date has yet to be determined. What D stands for seems to have been lost in the mists of time although the tradition is that D just stands for “Day”. In fact, the French have a similar term, “Jour J” (Day J), with a similar meaning. We also use H-Hour to denote the hour the attack is to commence.
The Allied Invasion of Normandy during WWII was given the codename “Operation Overlord”. The Normandy landings that kicked off the invasion on D-Day (6 June 1944) were given the codename “Operation Neptune”.
18 “Movin’ On Up” and “I’ll Be There for You,” for two : THEME SONGS
“Movin’ On Up” is the theme song for “The Jeffersons”, a sitcom that originally aired in the seventies and eighties.
The producers of TV’s hit sitcom “Friends”, David Crane and Marta Kauffman, co-wrote the show’s theme song. The theme was originally just a minute long, and recorded by the Rembrandts. A Nashville radio announcer looped the one-minute song into a standard 3-minute pop song format and it became really popular over the airwaves. The Rembrandts found themselves “having to” come up with a re-write and recorded a full, 3-minute version of the song. They released it on an album in 1995, and made a music video. The video features all six of the “Friends” stars, and pieces of the video appear in the opening sequence of subsequent shows.
20 123 ___ Street (Big Bird’s address) : SESAME
The central location in “Sesame Street” is a three-story row house with the address 123 Sesame Street. The first floor of the house is home to Robinson family, and the second story is occupied by the Rodriguez family. Bert and Ernie live in the basement, and Oscar lives in a trash can outside the house’s fence.
The man “inside” Big Bird on “Sesame Street” is Caroll Spinney, who has been playing the character since 1969. That’s a long time, so Spinney has had an understudy named Matt Vogel since 1998.
22 Clear, as a diner’s table : BUS
A busboy is a person who assists a waiter, mainly by clearing tables. The verb “to bus” arose in the early 1900s and is probably a reference to the wheeled cart that was used to carry dishes.
23 Washington, D.C., baseball player, for short : NAT
The Washington Nationals (“Nats”) started out life as the Montreal Expos in 1969, and were the first Major League Baseball team in Canada. The Expos moved to Washington in 2005 becoming the Nats.
29 Window fixtures most used in the summer, for short : ACS
Air conditioner (AC)
32 Kind of tide whose opposite is “spring” : NEAP
Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon on the oceans. At neap tide, the smaller gravitational effect of the sun cancels out some of the moon’s effect. At spring tide, the sun and the moon’s gravitational forces act in concert causing more extreme movement of the oceans.
34 Board game in which pieces may be captured or crowned : CHECKERS
In the game of checkers, when a “man” reaches the other side of the board, it is promoted to “king”. The king is designated by placing a second piece on top of the first.
46 Rick’s love in “Casablanca” : ILSA
Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund were played by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in the 1942 movie “Casablanca”. I love the words of one critic describing the chemistry between Bogart and Bergman in this film: “She paints his face with her eyes”. Wow …
48 Composer Stravinsky : IGOR
Composer Igor Stravinsky’s most famous works were completed relatively early in his career, when he was quite young. His three ballets “The Firebird”, “Petrushka” and “The Rite of Spring” were published in 1910-1913, when Stravinsky was in his early thirties.
49 1992’s “A Few Good ___” : MEN
The marvelous 1992 movie “A Few Good Men” was adapted for the big screen by Aaron Sorkin, from his own play of the same name. Sorkin is also the man behind “The West Wing” and “The Newsroom” on television, two great shows. Stars of the movie version “A Few Good Men” are Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson and Demi Moore.
51 Brusque : TERSE
Someone described as “brusque” is “gruff, abrupt and curt in manner”. The term comes into English from French, in which language it means “lively, fierce”.
53 Gerund suffix : -ING
A gerund is a form of a verb that can be used as a noun. For example, the gerund of the verb “to solve” is “solving”, as in the phrase “we really enjoyed the solving experience”.
54 Victoria Beckham ___ Adams : NEE
“Posh and Becks” is a portmanteau used for the super-couple pairing of Spice Girl Victoria Beckham (née Adams) and soccer star David Beckham. Other supercouples are/were:
- Tomkat – Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes
- Grant ‘n’ Hurley – Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley
- Brangelina – Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
- Bennifer – Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez
56 Pic taken at arm’s length : SELFIE
A selfie is a self-portrait, one usually taken with a digital camera or cell phone. A “group selfie” is sometimes referred to as a “groufie” or “wefie”. A “couple selfie” is known as an “usie” or “ussie”, although those terms are sometimes also used for a group picture.
64 “___ Las Vegas” (1964 film starring 52-Down) : VIVA
(52D See 64-Across : ELVIS)
“Viva Las Vegas” is an Elvis Presley movie released in 1964 that is considered one of his best films. The good reception for the movie was at least in part due to the performance of the female lead, the talented actress Ann-Margret.
67 401(k) alternatives, for short : IRAS
A 401(k) account resembles an IRA in that contributions can be made from a paycheck prior to the deduction of income taxes. A 401(k) differs from an IRA in that it is an employer-sponsored plan, with payments taken by the employer directly from an employee’s paycheck. Additionally, contributions can be fully or partially matched by an employer.
68 Cylindrical pasta : PENNE
The pasta known as penne comes in two main types, i.e. penne lisce (which is smooth) and penne rigate (which is furrowed).
Down
2 Ye ___ shoppe : OLDE
The word “olde” wasn’t actually used much earlier than the 1920s. “Olde” was introduced to give a quaint antique feel to brand names, shop names etc. as in “Ye Olde Shoppe”.
4 Georgetown University athletes : HOYAS
The athletic teams of Georgetown University are known as the Hoyas. The name is derived from “Hoya Saxa”, a traditional cheer yelled out at Georgetown games as far back as 1893. The term is a mixture of Greek and Latin, with the Greek word “hoya” meaning “such” or “what”, and “saxa” translating from Latin as “rocks” or “small stones”. The cheer is usually rendered in English as “what rocks!”.
7 Office address abbr. : STE
Suite (ste.)
8 Mausoleum : TOMB
One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was the grave of King Mausolus of Persia, known as the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. This gave us our modern word “mausoleum”: a building containing a burial chamber. The most famous mausoleum in the world has to be the Taj Mahal in Agra, India.
9 Pageant whose hosts have included Bob Barker, Dick Clark and Steve Harvey : MISS UNIVERSE
The Miss Universe beauty pageant was founded in 1952. The organization running the contest was bought by Donald Trump in 1996.
Bob Barker is a retired TV host of game shows who is most famous for hosting “The Price Is Right” for 35 years from 1972 to 2007. He retired when he was 83½ years old, having secured the record as the oldest man ever to host a regularly scheduled TV game show. Barker is a celebrated animal rights activist, and became a vegetarian in 1979. He donated $2.5 million to PETA to help establish a new office for the organization in Los Angeles, an office that is now called the Bob Barker Building.
Television personality Dick Clark was best known for hosting “American Bandstand”, the longest-running TV variety show in the country’s history. Clark was also known as the host of the game show “Pyramid”, and of course as host of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” which was broadcast annually from Times Square in New York City. Despite suffering a massive stroke in 2004, and having a speech impairment as a result, Clark appeared on the “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” show right up till the 2011/2012 episode. Clark passed away a few months later, in April 2012 at the age of 82.
Steve Harvey is a comedian and TV personality who really started his successful career in 1990 when he landed the job of hosting “It’s Showtime at the Apollo” in 1990. He has hosted “The Steve Harvey Morning Show” on the radio since 2000, and “Family Feud” on television since 2010.
10 Year, in Buenos Aires : ANO
Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina, and is located on the estuary of the Ria de la Plata. As it is a port city, the people of Buenos Aires are known as porteños (“people of the port”). The name “Buenos Aires” can be translated from Spanish as “fair winds”.
11 Predominant religion of Indonesia and Pakistan : SUNNI ISLAM
The Islamic sects of Sunni and Shia Muslims differ in the belief of who should have taken over leadership of the Muslim faithful after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Followers of the Sunni tradition agree with the decision that the Prophet Muhammad’s confidante Abu Bakr was the right choice to become the first Caliph of the Islamic nation. Followers of the Shia tradition believe that leadership should have stayed within the Prophet Muhammad’s own family, and favored the Prophet’s son-in-law Ali.
Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world, and is the country with the largest population of Muslims. And, Indonesia has an amazing 17,508 islands.
The suffix “-stan” in many place names is Persian for “place of”. One example is “Pakistan”, the Place of the Pure. “Pakistan” is a relatively recent name, coined in 1933. It comes from the abbreviation PAKSTAN, standing for Punjab – Afghan Province – Kashmir – Sindh – BaluchisTAN, all regions in the north of India. The “I” was added to Pakistan to make it easier to pronounce, and to fit the translation “Land of the Pure”.
19 Continental currency since 2002 : EURO
The euro sign (€) looks like a letter C, but with two horizontal lines drawn across the middle. Inspiration for the design comes from the Greek letter epsilon.
21 Animal “relative” an astonished person may claim to be : MONKEY’S UNCLE
When Charles Darwin published his theory of evolution in his book “Descent of Man”, the general reception could at best be described as “skeptical”. The phrase “I’ll be a monkey’s uncle” came out of this reaction, an expression that was designed to ridicule Darwin’s theory.
25 Covering seen at a ballpark : TARP
Originally, tarpaulins were made from canvas covered in tar that rendered the material waterproof. The word “tarpaulin” comes from “tar” and “palling”, with “pall” meaning “heavy cloth covering”.
26 Dashboard-mounted navigator : GPS UNIT
Back in the 1800s, “dashboard” was the name given to a board placed at the front of a carriage to stop mud from “dashing” against the passengers in the carriage, mud that was kicked up by the hooves of the horses. Quite interesting …
28 Greek B’s : BETAS
Beta is the second letter in the Greek alphabet. The term “beta” comes from the Phoenician letter “beth”.
29 Zenith : ACME
The acme is the highest point. The term “acme” comes from the Greek word “akme” that has the same meaning.
The nadir is the direction pointing immediately below a particular location (through to the other side of the Earth for example). The opposite direction, that pointing immediately above, is called the zenith. We use the terms “nadir” and “zenith” figuratively to mean the low and high points in a person’s fortunes.
30 Martial arts action star Jackie : CHAN
Jackie Chan is an actor from Hong Kong who is noted for his action and martial arts films. When Chan was 17-years-old he featured as a stunt actor in Bruce Lee movies. He also starred in the 1982 Hong Kong action film “Dragon Lord” which includes a fight scene that required an amazing 2900 takes, a record in the movie industry.
37 Ike’s partner in the candy aisle : MIKE
“Mike and Ike” is a brand of fruit-flavored candy made by Just Born starting in 1940. Just Born launched quite a unique marketing campaign in 2012 asserting that Mike and Ike had “split up due to creative differences”. The campaign involved production of two different boxes for the candy showing one or the other name scratched out. Clever …
45 Scrumptious bits : MORSELS
A morsel is a small bite, a mouthful of food. The term “morsel” comes from the Latin “morsus” meaning “bite”.
47 War god who’s a foe of Wonder Woman : ARES
Superhero Wonder Woman first appeared in print in 1941, in a publication from DC Comics. As she was created during WWII, Wonder Woman’s first foes were the axis powers. In the less realistic world her biggest foe was and still is Ares, a “baddie” named after the Greek mythological figure. Wonder Woman had several signature expressions, including “Merciful Minerva!”, “Suffering Sappho!” and “Great Hera!”. She also has several devices that she uses in her quest for justice, e.g. the Lasso of Truth, a pair of indestructible bracelets and a tiara that can be used as a deadly projectile. Wonder Woman uses the name “Diana Prince” when “out of uniform”.
50 Occupied, as a lavatory : IN USE
Our word “lavatory” (sometimes “lav”) originally referred to a washbasin, and comes from the Latin “lavatorium”, a place for washing. In the 1600s, “lavatory” came to mean a washroom, and in the 1920s a toilet.
52 See 64-Across : ELVIS
(64A “___ Las Vegas” (1964 film starring 52-Down) : VIVA)
Elvis Presley is often referred to as “the King of Rock and Roll”, or simply “the King”. However, Presley is quoted as saying that Fats Domino was “the real king of rock and roll”.
57 Pyromaniac’s obsession : FIRE
“Pyro-” is the combining form of the Greek word for “fire”. “Pyrotechnics” is the art of making and using fireworks. “Pyromania” is a strong desire to light fires.
58 “Ghostbusters” director Reitman : IVAN
Ivan Reitman is a film producer and director who was born in Slovakia, but who has lived in Canada since he was a small boy. Reitman is best known for producing and directing comedy movies. His long list of hits includes “Stripes”, “Ghostbusters”, “Kindergarten Cop” and “Dave”. Ivan’s son Jason Reitman is also a successful director, and was at the helm for the films “Juno”, “Thank You for Smoking” and “Up in the Air”.
1984’s “Ghostbusters” really is an entertaining movie. It stars Bill Murray and Harold Ramis, and was directed by Ivan Reitman (a trio that also worked together on 1981’s “Stripes”). The first draft of the screenplay was written by another star of the movie, Dan Aykroyd. Aykroyd originally envisioned “Ghostbusters” as a vehicle for himself and John Belushi, but sadly Belushi passed away before the project could be realized.
61 Actor McKellen : IAN
Sir Ian McKellen is a marvelous English actor, one who is comfortable playing anything from Macbeth on stage to Magneto in an “X-Men” movie. On the big screen, McKellen is very famous for playing Gandalf in “The Lord of Rings”. In the UK, Sir Ian is noted for being at the forefront of the campaign for equal rights for gay people, a role he has enthusiastically embraced since the eighties.
62 ___ de cologne : EAU
Back in 1709, an Italian perfume-maker moved to Cologne in Germany. There he invented a new fragrance that he named Eau de Cologne after his newly adopted town. The fragrance is still produced in Cologne, using a secret formulation. However, the terms “Eau de Cologne” and “cologne”, are now used generically.
63 Acorn, for one : NUT
These days, we don’t usually consider acorns as a foodstuff. But in days past, many cultures around the world have used acorns as food. Usually, bitter tannins that occur in acorns need to be leached out in water. Acorn meal can be a substitute for grain flour, which can then be used to make bread. Acorns have also been used as a substitute for coffee, especially when coffee was rationed. Notably, acorn coffee was brewed up by Confederates during the American Civil War, and by Germans during World War II.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Ritzy : POSH
5 Like the caboose among all the cars on a train : LAST
9 “Perry ___” (classic legal drama) : MASON
14 Iams competitor : ALPO
15 Regarding : AS TO
16 Harden (to) : INURE
17 When the Allied invasion of Normandy was launched : D-DAY
18 “Movin’ On Up” and “I’ll Be There for You,” for two : THEME SONGS
20 123 ___ Street (Big Bird’s address) : SESAME
22 Clear, as a diner’s table : BUS
23 Washington, D.C., baseball player, for short : NAT
24 Sound at the start of “gentle” and “giant” : SOFT G
27 Apply, as lotion : RUB IN
29 Window fixtures most used in the summer, for short : ACS
32 Kind of tide whose opposite is “spring” : NEAP
33 “That’s ___ hadn’t heard!” : ONE I
34 Board game in which pieces may be captured or crowned : CHECKERS
36 Reply to “Who’s there?” : IT’S ME
39 Not glossy, as a photo finish : MATTE
40 Baby dog : PUP
42 Legitimate : VALID
43 Submission to a contest : ENTRY
44 Any “Jr.,” to his father : NAMESAKE
46 Rick’s love in “Casablanca” : ILSA
48 Composer Stravinsky : IGOR
49 1992’s “A Few Good ___” : MEN
50 Run up, as expenses : INCUR
51 Brusque : TERSE
53 Gerund suffix : -ING
54 Victoria Beckham ___ Adams : NEE
56 Pic taken at arm’s length : SELFIE
60 What draws recording artists to Nashville and jazz lovers to New Orleans : MUSIC SCENE
64 “___ Las Vegas” (1964 film starring 52-Down) : VIVA
65 Customer’s routine order, with “the” : … USUAL
66 Big rig’s cargo : HAUL
67 401(k) alternatives, for short : IRAS
68 Cylindrical pasta : PENNE
69 On the ___ (unfriendly) : OUTS
70 Certain email folder : SENT
Down
1 Protective gear for in-line skaters : PADS
2 Ye ___ shoppe : OLDE
3 Places to rejuvenate oneself : SPAS
4 Georgetown University athletes : HOYAS
5 Charge for an overdue payment : LATE FEE
6 Cigar residue : ASH
7 Office address abbr. : STE
8 Mausoleum : TOMB
9 Pageant whose hosts have included Bob Barker, Dick Clark and Steve Harvey : MISS UNIVERSE
10 Year, in Buenos Aires : ANO
11 Predominant religion of Indonesia and Pakistan : SUNNI ISLAM
12 Instrument heard at a ballpark : ORGAN
13 Where eggs are laid : NEST
19 Continental currency since 2002 : EURO
21 Animal “relative” an astonished person may claim to be : MONKEY’S UNCLE
25 Covering seen at a ballpark : TARP
26 Dashboard-mounted navigator : GPS UNIT
28 Greek B’s : BETAS
29 Zenith : ACME
30 Martial arts action star Jackie : CHAN
31 What glows in the west at day’s end … or a hint to this puzzle’s sequence of shaded squares : SETTING SUN
35 PC shortcut for “copy” : CTRL-C
37 Ike’s partner in the candy aisle : MIKE
38 Biblical garden : EDEN
41 It may be turned with a swipe on an e-reader : PAGE
45 Scrumptious bits : MORSELS
47 War god who’s a foe of Wonder Woman : ARES
50 Occupied, as a lavatory : IN USE
52 See 64-Across : ELVIS
53 “It’s my turn” : I’M UP
55 Rebounding sound : ECHO
57 Pyromaniac’s obsession : FIRE
58 “Ghostbusters” director Reitman : IVAN
59 Toward the dawn : EAST
61 Actor McKellen : IAN
62 ___ de cologne : EAU
63 Acorn, for one : NUT
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