Thursday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: June 21, 2018

My time: 14:21, not that great.

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Milo Beckman and David Steinberg dreamed up today's horizontal puzzle, where six colors of the rainbow (indigo is rudely excluded) are showcased in six themed across lines, from red in the north to purple in the south.  The actual color names are not included in the answers, or indeed anywhere in the puzzle, however.

So, for example, in the first themed row we have EYES ("some cross-country flights"), CARPET ("path to an Oscar?"), and BARON.  They all start with an implied red.  The next row contains orange BITTERS and orange TREE ("Tropicana plant").  Then there's [Orange]MEN, which is a former name for Syracuse athletes.  In 2004 they changed their name to just the Syracuse Orange.

For yellow we have PEPPERS ("salad items picked at the midpoint of their maturity" --- green peppers are unripe, and red peppers are fully ripened) and BRICK ROAD.  The next step down the rainbow ladder gives us BAY PACKER ("Lambeau Field pro") and my beloved LANTERN.  For blue we get the Beatles' MEANIES, ridiculous Puritan LAWS that don't let you buy beer or toys on the Lord's day, and the University of Delaware mascot Blue HEN.

PROSE, HEARTS, and RAIN finishes the rainbow.

It was fun watching the theme unfold.  With no capper or clue that the puzzle has anything to do with rainbows or colors, it came as a surprise.  I enjoy that during the solving, but I miss having a punchline to bring it all together.

I was also hampered by some crossings at which I had to simply guess.  PERI Gilpin, who plays Roz on "Frasier," is not a name I would have gotten without help.

I put *AVIAN flu for ASIAN flu.  Tricky!

We all know London has one, but did you know Chicago has a neighborhood called HYDE Park as well?  It's on the Western coast of Lake Michigan.

Speaking of the Great Lakes, Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited is a train that runs daily between Chicago and New York City.  It goes through South Bend, Cleveland and Buffalo, along the south shore of Lake Michigan, the Mohawk River, and the ERIE Canal.

Speaking of trains, "grp. called when things go off the rails?" is NTSB, or National Transportation Safety Board.

Sticking with transportation and acronyms, the ICC, or Interstate Commerce Commission, is a former agency that regulated railroads.  It was abolished in 1995.

I have already whined about having to know such garbage as the astrological symbols in order.  Apparently ARIES is the start of the year, if you are a gullible hippie.

I was briefly slowed to see EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) without the C, for Commission, on the end.

I had trouble with PASTORATE, a "minister's office."  It looked right when the whole word was filled in, but not before.

A seminal 1961 Supreme Court case, MAPP v. Ohio, determined that evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment is not admissible in court.

"Prefix with skeptic" is EURO?  What's a EUROskeptic?  Someone opposed to the growing powers of the European Union.

I was unfortunately stymied by Den HAAG, Nederland, but of course it's just Dutch for the Hague.

For "Chilean child" I put *NINO but it's... NENE?  That's Spanish for baby or kid.  Watch me whip, watch me NENE.

Clever clue: "Horse leader?" is REIN.

And that rounds up today's summary.  Remember, it's okay to be OFF ONE'S GAME as long as one OWNS IT.  And with that, ADIOS, AMIGOS.