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Constructed by: Zhouqin Burnikel

Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: None

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… a complete list of answers

Bill’s time: 9m 15s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1A Branch of Islam that includes Zaydism : SHIA

Zaydism is a major branch of Shia Islam, along with Twelverism and Ismailism. It is primarily practiced in Yemen, where its followers comprise approximately 35% of the population.

5A KJ of “Riverdale” : APA

KJ Apa is an actor and musician from New Zealand. He first came to the attention of North American audiences when he was cast as the lead (Archie Andrews) in the teen drama TV series “Riverdale”. Prior to his “Riverdale” casting, Apa had been making regular appearances on the New Zealand primetime soap opera “Shortland Street”.

“Riverdale” is a teen drama TV show based on the “Archie” comic book series. While the “Archie” comics are light in tone, “Riverdale” is a darker production that explores the complex world of the “Archie” characters.

12A Brand with TV ads featuring Garfield : IAMS

Iams dog food was introduced by animal nutritionist Paul Iams. He felt that household pets were suffering somewhat by being fed a diet of table scraps, so he developed dry dog food that he felt was more nutritious and suitable for pet dogs. He founded the Iams company in 1946.

13A Half of all integers : EVENS

An integer is a number that does not include a fraction. The word “integer” is Latin for “whole”.

15A “2 funny” : LMAO

Laughing my a** off (LMAO)

16A Galileo Galilei Airport city : PISA

Italy’s Pisa Airport is also known as Galileo Galilei Airport. It is the busiest airport in Tuscany, and is named for Pisa’s most famous son, polymath Galileo Galilei.

19A Kentucky Derby moniker : RUN FOR THE ROSES

The first Kentucky Derby took place in 1875, and was a race modeled on the Epsom Derby in England. As such, the Kentucky Derby was run over 1½ miles, although in 1896 this was shortened to 1¼ miles. The winning horse is presented with a very elaborate blanket made of red roses, and so the Derby is nicknamed “Run for the Roses”. The race is held on the first Saturday in May each year, and is limited to 3-year-old horses.

21A Narrow passages : STRAITS

A strait (str.) is a narrow waterway connecting two large bodies of water. It might be considered the opposite of an isthmus, which is a narrow strip of land connecting two large land masses. Straits often have significant economic and geopolitical significance, as they can form choke points for maritime traffic. Examples are the Strait of Hormuz (connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman) and the Strait of Gibraltar (connecting the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea).

22A Feature of thioacetone : ODOR

Thioacetone is widely considered the world’s smelliest chemical. During an 1889 attempt to produce the substance in Freiburg, Germany, the foul odor spread so rapidly that it induced spontaneous vomiting in residents and forced a city-wide evacuation.

30A Brian who scored “The Lovely Bones” : ENO

“The Lovely Bones” is a remarkable film directed by Peter Jackson (of “Lord of the Rings” fame). It stars the talented Irish actress, Saoirse Ronan, who plays a 14-year-old girl who has been murdered and is living in a surreal “in-between” world that is neither Heaven nor Earth. I usually find computer-generated graphics in movies overpowering and distracting, but this movie uses the technique to create a beautiful backdrop that really brings the story to life.

37A Pop singer Alessia : CARA

Alessia Cara is a Canadian singer and songwriter known for her soulful voice and introspective lyrics. Born Alessia Caracciolo, she first gained attention by posting covers of popular songs on YouTube at the young age of 13. The online exposure helped her build a following and eventually led to a record deal.

42A “Corduroy” writer/illustrator Freeman : DON

Don Freeman was an author and illustrator best known for his 1968 children’s book “Corduroy”, which tells the story of a teddy bear in a department store. The title refers to the corduroy outfit worn by the bear.

44A Anne who had a recurring role on “The King of Queens” : MEARA

Anne Meara married fellow comedic actor Jerry Stiller in 1954. The couple’s children are actors Ben and Amy Stiller. Meara co-starred with Carroll O’Connor and Martin Balsam in the eighties sitcom “Archie Bunker’s Place”, a spin-off from “All in the Family”.

“The King of Queens” is a sitcom that debuted in 1998 and ran for almost nine years. The title character is Doug Heffernan, played by Kevin James, who is a parcel delivery driver living in Queens, New York. The show was linked to “Everybody Loves Raymond” in a crossover arrangement, with characters from both shows appearing in both sitcoms.

45A Post __ : HOC

Post hoc reasoning is basically an argument made late in the day, a fallacious argument that the earlier event caused the later event.

46A Grammy winner Winans : CECE

CeCe Winans (real given name “Priscilla”) is a Gospel music singer. She is part of a duo with her brother, BeBe Winans (real name Benjamin).

50A Racetrack with twin spires : CHURCHILL DOWNS

Churchill Downs is a thoroughbred racetrack located in Louisville, Kentucky that is famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby each year. The track is named for John and Henry Churchill who once owned the land on which the course was built.

58A Stalking cats : PUMAS

The mountain lion is found in much of the Americas from the Yukon in Canada right down to the southern Andes in South America. Because the mountain lion is found over such a vast area, it has many different names applied by local peoples, such as “cougar” and “puma”. In fact, the mountain lion holds the Guinness record for the animal with the most number of different names, with over 40 in English alone.

Down

4D Happy baby, for one : ASANA

“Ananda Balasana”, literally “blissful child pose”, is the Sanskrit name for the happy baby pose in yoga. The name is a reference to the instinctive way a baby reaches for its feet to stretch the lower back.

7D Pozole peppers : ANCHOS

Pozole is a traditional Mexican stew made with hominy, meat (usually pork or chicken), and a rich broth. It’s often seasoned with a variety of spices, including chili peppers, cumin, and oregano, and garnished with fresh toppings like shredded cabbage, radishes, onions, cilantro, and lime juice. Pozole has a long history in Mexican cuisine, dating back to pre-Hispanic times. There is evidence that, prior to the Spanish conquest, some versions of pozole may have been made with human meat as a ritualistic practice.

9D “Spark” singer Tori : AMOS

“Spark” is a 1998 recording by Tori Amos. It has a sad background, as she wrote the song in response to her suffering a miscarriage. Amos addresses this directly with the lyrics “She’s convinced she could hold back a glacier/But she couldn’t keep baby alive”.

11D Scale name : MOHS

The Mohs scale of mineral hardness was developed in 1812 by Friedrich Mohs. Basically Mohs took minerals and scratched them with other minerals. In this way he was able to determine which minerals were hardest (most scratch resistant) and which softest. On the scale, diamond is the hardest (and rated 10), while talc is the softest (and rated 1).

18D Use a salamander : BROIL

A salamander is a small oven, generally without a door, and with the heat source at the top. They are more common in professional kitchens than in homes, and are used primarily for high-temperature broiling and browning. Ultimately, the name salamander comes from the mythical amphibian with the same name that was supposedly unharmed by flames.

20D Wall Street’s nabe : FIDI

Manhattan’s Financial District is sometimes referred to by the portmanteau “FiDi”.

21D Himalayan ethnic group : SHERPA

In the Tibetan language, “Sherpa” means “eastern people” (sher = east, pa = people). Sherpas are an ethnic group from Nepal, but the name is also used for the local guides who assist mountaineers in the Himalayas, and particularly on Mount Everest.

25D __ Tatin : TARTE

Tarte Tatin is an upside-down apple tart that is very popular in France. The dessert is named for the Hotel Tatin in Lamotte-Beuvron (about 100 miles south of Paris), where it was invented.

32D Guessing game : CHARADES

In the parlor game known as charades, players take turns acting out words or phrases. “Charade” is a French word describing a literary puzzle that was popular in 18th-century France. In said game, the word or phrase was broken into its constituent syllables, with each syllable being described somewhat enigmatically. This puzzle evolved into “acted charades”, which we now refer to simply as “charades”.

34D Frappe ingredient : ICE CREAM

Especially in New England and eastern Canada, a “frappe” (rhyming with “map”) is a thick milkshake made with ice cream.

41D __ Robles, California : PASO

Paso Robles is a lovely little city in San Luis Obispo County, California. Paso Robles is home to many, many wineries. The name Paso Robles translates from Spanish as “The Pass of the Oaks”.

44D Rice vermicelli : MEI FUN

In Chinese cuisine, rice noodles are referred to as “mei fun”. The thinner mei fun is commonly known as rice vermicelli or rice sticks.

49D Nobel, for one : SWEDE

Alfred Nobel was a Swedish chemist and businessman. He is famous for the invention of dynamite during his lifetime, as well as for instituting the Nobel Prizes by providing the necessary funds in his will.

53D Priest in “Lost Horizon” : LAMA

“Lost Horizon” is a spectacular 1937 film directed by Frank Capra, and based on a 1933 James Hilton novel of the same name. The film ran massively over budget, largely due to the cost of a huge film set depicting the idyllic valley of Shangri-La located high in the Himalayas. Famously, the original 132-minute film was cut down to 92 minutes in 1952, amid fears that the utopian Shangri-La sparked an interest in Communism. The complete video of the film was never recovered, although the soundtrack was restored. Contemporary audiences hear 132 minutes of audio, but see only 125 minutes of video, supplemented by stills of the actors in costume on the set.