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Constructed by: Catherine Cetta
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Making a Face

We are MAKING A FACE in today’s grid, with each themed answer hiding a facial feature within:

• 58A Smirking, scowling, or smiling, and what the sets of circled letters in this puzzle are doing? : MAKING A FACE

• 17A “Everyone knows that!” : IT’S NO SECRET! (hiding “NOSE”)
• 22A Mountain hiker’s protection : BEAR SPRAY (hiding “EARS”)
• 38A “I haven’t decided” : MAYBE YES, MAYBE NO (hiding “EYES”)
• 49A TV episodes that are mostly flashback scenes : CLIP SHOWS (hiding “LIPS”)

Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers

Bill’s time: 6m 08s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

8 Pesto herb : BASIL

Pesto sauce is more completely called “pesto alla genovese”, i.e. pesto from Genoa. A traditional recipe calls for crushed garlic, pine nuts, salt, basil leaves, parmesan cheese and olive oil. Yum …

14 California/Nevada resort lake : TAHOE

Lake Tahoe (often referred to simply as “Tahoe”) is up in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and is located right on the border between California and Nevada. It is the largest alpine lake in the country. Tahoe is also the second deepest lake, with only the beautiful Crater Lake in Oregon being deeper. Given its location, there are tall casinos that sit right on the shore on the Nevada side of the state line where gambling is legal.

15 Bacteria that may cause gastroenteritis : E COLI

Escherichia coli (E. coli) are usually harmless bacteria found in the human gut, working away quite happily. However, there are some strains that can produce lethal toxins. These strains can make their way into the food chain from animal fecal matter that comes into contact with food designated for human consumption.

Gastroenteritis is commonly known as the “stomach flu”, although it’s not related to the influenza virus. It is an inflammation of the stomach and intestines, typically caused by viral or bacterial infections. Symptoms might be diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps, and sometimes fever.

19 Spanish wine region : RIOJA

Rioja wines come from the province of La Rioja in Northern Spain. In my days living back in Europe, Rioja wines were noted for their heavy oaky flavors and it wasn’t uncommon to order a “rough Rioja” when out for dinner of an evening.

21 Main dish : ENTREE

“Entrée” means “entry” in French. An entrée can be something that helps one get “a way in”, an interview for example perhaps helped along by a recommendation letter. In Europe, even in English-speaking countries, the entrée is the name for the “entry” to the meal, the first course. I found the ordering of meals to be very confusing when I first came to America!

22 Mountain hiker’s protection : BEAR SPRAY

Bear spray is a defensive aerosol spray designed to deter aggressive bears. It contains capsaicin, a compound derived from chili peppers, which causes intense burning and temporary blindness in the bear’s eyes and respiratory tract.

28 “Elder” or “Younger” figure of ancient Rome : CATO

Cato the Elder was a Roman statesman, known historically as “the elder” in order to distinguish him from his great-grandson, Cato the Younger. Cato the Elder’s ultimate position within Roman society was that of Censor, making him responsible for maintaining the census, and for supervising public morality. Famously, Cato made several forceful speeches in which he urged the Roman Republic to do battle with her ancient rival Carthage. He ended almost all of his speeches with the phrase “Carthage must be destroyed”.

Cato the Younger was a politician in the late Roman Republic. He was noted for his moral integrity, and his ability as an orator. He is also remembered for an extended conflict that he had with Julius Caesar.

30 Ben Affleck Best Picture winner set in Iran : ARGO

“Argo” is a 2012 movie that is based on the true story of the rescue of six diplomats hiding out during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. The film was directed by and stars Ben Affleck and is produced by Grant Heslov and George Clooney, the same pair who produced the excellent “Good Night, and Good Luck”. I highly recommend “Argo”, although I found the scenes of religious fervor to be very frightening …

33 Cow’s milk cheese from an Alpine region of Italy : ASIAGO

Asiago is a cheese that is named for the region in northeastern Italy from where it originates. It comes in varying textures depending on its age. Fresh Asiago is very smooth, while aged Asiago can be very crumbly.

41 PC pioneer : IBM

The original IBM Personal Computer is model number 5150, which was introduced to the world on August 12, 1981. The term “personal computer” was already in use, but the success of the IBM 5150 led to the term “PC” being used for all computer products compatible with the IBM platform.

42 Military programs intended to influence attitudes : PSY-OPS

Psychological Operations (“PSYOP” or “psy-ops”) is a contemporary name for propaganda, the “winning of hearts and minds” in a combat zone.

46 Scannable bars on mdse. : UPCS

The initialism “UPC” stands for Universal Price Code or Universal Product Code. The first ever UPC-marked item to get scanned in a store was on June 26, 1974 at 08:01 a.m. at Marsh’s supermarket in Troy, Ohio. It was a 10-pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit chewing gum.

48 Word on a red sign : STOP

The first stop sign appeared in Detroit in 1915, though it looked quite different than today. It was a simple square with black letters on a white background. In 1923, the Mississippi Valley Association of State Highway Departments recommended the octagonal shape we know today. This helped drivers recognize it from a distance or even from behind. Reflective materials were added in 1935 for better nighttime visibility, and the red color with white lettering was standardized in 1954 to make it even more noticeable.

54 Caterpillar’s cover : COCOON

Strictly speaking, the term “cocoon” only applies to the tough outer casing created by moth caterpillars. Butterfly caterpillars protect themselves in a hard outer skin to form a pupa known as a chrysalis (plural “chrysalides”). But, butterfly caterpillars don’t go the extra step and a silky cocoon. Famously, silk thread comes from silk cocoons created by silkworms, which mature into silk moths.

62 La Brea __ Pits : TAR

The La Brea Tar Pits are located right in the heart of the city of Los Angeles. At the site there is a constant flow of tar that seeps up to the surface from underground, a phenomenon that has been around for tens of thousands of years. What is significant is that much of the seeping tar is covered by water. Over many, many centuries animals came to the water to drink and became trapped in the tar as they entered the water to quench their thirst. The tar then preserved the bones of the dead animals. Today a museum is located right by the Tar Pits, recovering bones and displaying specimens of the animals found there. It’s well worth a visit if you are in town …

63 “Rolling in the Deep” singer : ADELE

“Rolling in the Deep” is a 2010 song by Adele that she released on her incredibly successful album “21”. The single was Adele’s first #1 in the US.

Down

1 Hibernation location : LAIR

When animals hibernate, they are minimally active, have low body temperatures, relatively slow breathing and a low metabolic rate overall. HIbernation can last days and even months, and is most closely associated with the winter season. The term “hibernation” comes from the Latin “hibernare” meaning “to pass the winter, occupy winter quarters”.

2 Go off-script : AD-LIB

“Ad libitum” is a Latin phrase meaning “at one’s pleasure”. In common usage, the phrase is usually shortened to “ad-lib”. On the stage, the concept of an ad-lib is very familiar.

3 Tea variety : PEKOE

A pekoe (or more commonly “orange pekoe”) is a medium-grade black tea. There is no orange flavor in an orange pekoe tea. The “orange” name most likely derived from the name of the trading company that brought the tea to Europe from Asia.

4 Lion or tiger : CAT

The four “big cats” are the tiger, lion, jaguar and leopard. The largest of the big cats is the tiger, and the smallest is the leopard.

7 British pop singer Lewis : LEONA

Leona Lewis rocketed to fame after winning the British TV show called “The X Factor” (the show that spawned the UK’s “Pop Idol” and America’s “American Idol”).

20 2018 and 2019 Cy Young winner deGrom : JACOB

Jacob deGrom is a baseball pitcher who made his Major League debut with the New York Mets in 2014. Apart from his performance on the field, DeGrom was famous for wearing his hair unusually long for a couple of seasons. There was even a promotional Jacob DeGrom Hair Hat given away at games during the 2016 season.

24 “The White Lotus” actress Parker : POSEY

Parker Posey is an American actress who has earned the nickname “Queen of the Indies” due to her success in several indie movies. She did miss out on one mainstream role though, as she was edged out by Jennifer Aniston to play Rachel on “Friends”.

“The White Lotus” is a comedy-drama TV series about the fictional White Lotus chain of resort hotels. The first season is set in Hawaii, and the second in Sicily. Each season covers a week’s stay at a White Lotus resort. The first season is set in Hawaii, and the second in Sicily. A white lotus flower is symbolic of purity and innocence. Most of the guests and staff at “The White Lotus” are far from pure and innocent. Very enjoyable television, I think …

26 Maine university town : ORONO

The town of Orono is home to the University of Maine that was founded in 1862. The college is actually located on an island (Marsh island) lying between the Penobscot and Stillwater rivers. The town of Orono is named after Joseph Orono, a chief of the Penobscot Nation. The school’s athletic teams are named the Maine Black Bears.

29 __ sauce : SOY

Soy sauce is made by fermenting soybeans with a mold in the presence of water and salt. Charming …

31 Morocco’s capital : RABAT

Rabat is the capital city of the Kingdom of Morocco. After WWII, the United States maintained a major Air Force Base in Rabat, part of Strategic Air Command (SAC). Responding to pressure from the Moroccan government of King Mohammed V, the USAF pulled out in 1963.

34 “Looking for,” in classified ads : ISO

In search of (ISO)

39 Clean Air Act org. : EPA

The Clean Air Act is a US federal law designed to control air pollution nationwide that was first passed in 1963, and significantly amended several times since. It authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect public health and welfare.

40 Yellowstone beast : BISON

There are two species of bison left (four species are extinct). We are most familiar with the American bison (commonly called the American buffalo), but there is also a European bison, which is sometimes called a “wisent”.

Yellowstone was the first National Park to be established in the world when it was designated as such by President Grant in 1872. What a great tradition it started! The American National Parks are truly a treasure …

52 Substance that can be holy or hard : WATER

Hard water and soft water differ primarily in their mineral content. Hard water contains high concentrations of minerals like calcium and magnesium, whereas soft water has a significantly lower mineral content, often achieved through ion exchange processes that replace calcium and magnesium with sodium. A downside of hard water is scale buildup in pipes and appliances. A downside of soft water might be a salty taste due to the high levels of sodium. Swings and roundabouts …

55 Tech news site : CNET

CNET is a technology website, with the acronym “CNET” standing for “computer network”. It started out in 1994 as a television network specializing in technology news. The host of “American Idol”, Ryan Seacrest, started off his career as host of a CNET show.

57 Lobster catcher : TRAP

A lobster pot is used to trap lobsters. It is a chamber with a sturdy frame and walls made of netting. The entrance to the pot is a one-way device, so that lobsters enter the pot to eat the bait, but cannot escape after their meal. Many traps have two chambers: the “kitchen” holds the bait, and the “parlor” holds the trapped lobsters.

58 Gaping mouth : MAW

“Maw” is a term used to describe the mouth or stomach of a carnivorous animal. “Maw” is also used as slang for the mouth or stomach of a greedy person.

60 NPR host Shapiro : ARI

Ari Shapiro served very ably as White House correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR) for several years. He then became a co-host of the network’s drive-time program “All Things Considered” in 2015. When he’s not working, Shapiro likes to sing. He appears regularly as a guest singer with the group Pink Martini, and has appeared on several of the band’s albums. He also turned up as host of the seventh season of the reality game show “The Mole”.