Quicklink
Jump to a complete list of today’s clues and answers
CROSSWORD SETTER: Kevin Christian & Jeff Chen
THEME: None
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 12m 42s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
6. “The Hobbit” being ELF
Elves are one of the races inhabiting Middle Earth, J. R. R. Tolkien’s fictional land that appears in “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings”.
“The Hobbit, or There and Back Again” is a children’s fantasy novel by J. R. R. Tolkien that was popular from the time of its first publication in 1937. Included in the early awards for “The Hobbit” was a prize for best juvenile fiction from “The New York Herald Tribune”.
9. Tied accessory ASCOT
An Ascot tie is a horrible-looking (I think!) wide tie that narrows at the neck, which these days is only really worn at weddings. The tie takes its name from the Royal Ascot horse race at which punters still turn up in formal wear at Ascot Racecourse in England.
14. Cameron Indoor Stadium college hoopster BLUE DEVIL
Duke University was founded in 1838 as Brown’s Schoolhouse. The school was renamed to Trinity College in 1859, and to this day the town where the college was located back then is known as Trinity, in honor of the school. The school was moved in 1892 to Durham, North Carolina in part due to generous donations from the wealthy tobacco industrialist Washington Duke. Duke’s donation required that the school open its doors to women, placing them on an equal footing with men. Trinity’s name was changed to Duke in 1924 in recognition of the generosity of the Duke family. Duke’s athletic teams are known as the Blue Devils.
18. Like Zitronen SAUER
In German, lemons (Zitronen) are sour, acidic (sauer).
20. Tons A SLEW
The terms “slew” and “raft” can be used to mean “large amount”.
22. Acidity nos. PHS
As we all recall from chemistry class, a pH of 7 is considered neutral. Anything less than 7 is an acid, and anything above 7 is a base.
24. Virtue of the 2010 Olympic champion ice dancing team Virtue and Moir TESSA
Tessa Virtue is a Canadian ice dancer who won the 2010 Olympic championship along with her partner Scott Moir.
26. Gershon of “Killer Joe” GINA
Gina Gershon is an American actress. Gershon has played a lesbian on screen a number of times and has become somewhat of a gay icon.
“Killer Joe” is 2011 crime movie based on a 1993 play of the same name by William Friedkin. Friedkin also wrote the screenplay for the film. Matthew McConaughey plays the title character, a police detective who moonlights as a contract killer.
27. It involves pockets POOL
The more correct name for the game of pool is pocket billiards. The name “pool” arose after pocket billiards became a common feature in “pool halls”, places where gamblers “pooled” their money to bet on horse races.
29. Some crosses ROODS
A rood is a crucifix that specifically symbolizes the cross on which Jesus was crucified.
31. Alley ending? -OOP
An “alley-oop” is a play in basketball in which one player throw the ball close to the basket for a teammate who usually scores with a slam dunk.
32. Freelancers’ encls. SAES
Stamped addressed envelope (SAE).
The term “free lance” was coined by Sir Walter Scott in his 1820 novel “Ivanhoe”, using it to describe a medieval mercenary warrior. Forty years later, a freelancer was a journalist who did work for more than one publication without a long-term commitment.
34. Ross Sea sight FLOE
An ice floe is a sheet of ice that has separated from an ice field and is floating freely on the ocean.
The Ross Sea is a bay in the Southern Ocean of Antarctica. It was discovered by one James Ross in 1841. A more recent discovery in the waters of the Ross Sea, was a 33 feet long giant squid that was captured in 2007.
40. Tokyo-born artist ONO
The artist Yoko Ono was born into a prosperous Japanese family, and is actually a descendant of one of the emperors of Japan. Her father moved around the world for work, and she lived the first few years of her life in San Francisco. The family returned to Japan, before moving on to New York, Hanoi and back to Japan just before WWII, in time to live through the great fire-bombing of Tokyo in 1945. Immediately after the war the family was far from prosperous. While Yoko’s father was being held in a prison camp in Vietnam, her mother had to resort to begging and bartering to feed her children. When her father was repatriated, life started to return to normal and Yoko was able to attend university. She was the first woman to be accepted into the philosophy program of Gakushuin University.
41. Lit __ CRIT
Literary studies, also called literary criticism (lit. crit.), is the evaluation and interpretation of literature.
42. Kennel pickup area NAPE
Some animals pick up their young by the nape of the neck.
43. Coin first minted in 13th-century France ECU
The écu is an Old French coin. The word “écu ” comes from the Latin “scutum” meaning “shield”. The original écu, introduced in 1266 CE, had a coat of arms on it, a shield.
46. Baryshnikov, at birth LETT
Latvia is one of the former Soviet Socialist Republics. People from Latvia are called Letts.
Mikhail “Misha” Baryshnikov is a Russian-American ballet dancer who was born in Riga, Lativia, in the days of the Soviet Union. He started his dancing career with the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad before defecting to Canada in 1974. The only time my wife ever lined up to get an autograph was when she did so outside the stage door after seeing Baryshnikov dance in Syracuse, New York many moons ago. The man is a god in her eyes …
48. What “c” may mean in South Africa CENT
The Rand is the currency of South Africa. Much of South Africa’s famed gold comes from mines around Johannesburg in the Witwatersrand (Afrikaans for “the ridge of white waters”). The Rand currency takes its name from this ridge. The Rand is subdivided into 100 cents.
50. “One can say everything best over __”: George Eliot A MEAL
“One can say everything best over a meal” is a line from George Eliot’s novel “Adam Bede”.
“Adam Bede” was the first novel written by the English writer George Eliot (aka Mary Ann Evans). It was published in 1859 and has been in print since then, over 150 years.
52. Corp. treasurer, perhaps CFO
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
55. __ Dei AGNUS
“Agnus Dei” is Latin for “Lamb of God”, a term used in Christian faiths for Jesus Christ, symbolizing his role as a sacrificial offering to atone for the sins of man.
57. Bodybuilder Ferrigno LOU
Lou Ferrigno is a retired bodybuilder and an actor from Brooklyn, New York. Ferrigno’s speech is a little impaired because he lost 80% of his hearing as a child, probably due to persistent ear infections.
59. Ballerina Shearer MOIRA
Moira Shearer was a ballet dancer and actress born Scotland. Shearer’s most famous film role was in 1948’s “The Red Shoes”, in which she played the lead character, a ballet dancer called Vicky Page. She was married to the respected English journalist and broadcaster Ludovic Kennedy.
62. Big name in auditing ERNST
Ernst & Young is one of the Big Four accountancy firms, alongside Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Ernst & Young is headquartered in London.
64. Colorful Danish export LEGOS
Lego is manufactured by Lego Group, a privately held company headquartered in Billund, Denmark. The company was founded by a carpenter called Ole Kirk Christiansen in 1934 and the now-famous plastic interlocking blocks were introduced in 1949. The blocks were originally sold under the name “Automatic Binding Bricks” but I think “Lego” is easier to remember! The name “Lego” comes from the Danish term “leg godt” meaning “play well”.
65. B.C. neighbor IDA
The US state of Idaho has a panhandle that extends northwards between Washington and Montana, right up to the border with Canada. Across that border is the Canadian province of British Columbia. Most of Idaho is in the Mountain Time Zone, but Northern Idaho (the Panhandle) is in the Pacific Time Zone.
66. 10th-century English king EDRED
Edred (also “Eadred”) was King of England from 946 until 955.
Down
1. It takes you to the top T-BAR
A T-bar is a type of ski lift in which the skiers are pulled up the hill in pairs, with each pair standing (not sitting!) either side of T-shaped metal bar. The bar is placed behind the thighs, pulling along the skiers as they remain standing on their skis (hopefully!). There’s also a J-bar, a similar device, but with each J-shaped bar used by one skier at a time.
2. Sadie Hawkins creator AL CAPP
Sadie Hawkins was a character in Al Capp’s comic strip “Li’l Abner”. Sadie was still a spinster at the age of 35 so declared a “Sadie Hawkins Day” in which she chased the local men in a footrace, with marriage as the prize when one was caught.
4. “__ Troyens”: Berlioz opera LES
“Les Troyens” (The Trojans) is a grand opera by Hector Berlioz based on Virgil’s epic poem the “Aeneid”. “Les Troyens” was Berlioz’s magnum opus. Sadly, he never got to see it performed.
Hector Berlioz was a French composer active in the Romantic period. Berlioz’s most famous work is probably his “Symphonie fantastique”.
5. Krabappel of “The Simpsons” EDNA
In “the Simpsons” television show, Bart Simpson’s teacher is one Edna Krabappel.
6. More wicked EVILER
Yep … evil , eviler, evilest. I checked …
9. Lhasa __ APSO
The Lhasa apso breed of dog originated in Tibet and is named after “Lhasa” (the capital city) and “apso” (a Tibetan word meaning “bearded”). The Lhasa apso has been around since 800 BC and is one of the oldest breeds in the world, one very closely related to the ancestral wolf.
10. Urban Dictionary content SLANG
Urban Dictionary is a website that was founded in 1999 by a computer science student at Cal Poly. The site contains definitions of mainly slang terms, and is maintained by the site’s members.
13. Roofing material TARPAPER
Tarpaper is a heavy-duty paper that has been impregnated with tar. It is a waterproof material used as an underlay for a roof.
15. Bridge column word EAST
The four people playing a game of bridge are positioned around a table at seats called north, east, south and west.
30. Calyx part SEPAL
In a flower, the sepals are those green, leaf-like structures that are “interleaved” with the petals, providing support. Prior to acting as support for the petals, the sepals protect the flower in bud.
The calyx is the collective name for the sepals of a flower, the outermost whorl that forms the flower (the pretty part!).
33. Aleppo’s land SYRIA
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and is located not far from Damascus, the nation’s capital. Aleppo owes it size and history of prosperity to its location at the end of the Silk Road, the trade route that linked Asia to Europe (and other locations). The Suez Canal was opened up in 1869 bringing a new route for transport of goods, and so Aleppo’s prosperity has declined over the past one hundred years or so.
36. Marlboro Man contemporary JOE CAMEL
The advertising mascot for Camel cigarettes was officially known as “Old Joe”, but was popularly known as “Joe Camel”. Joe originated in the seventies, in an advertising campaign that ran only in Europe where sometimes he was depicted wearing a French Foreign Legion cap. He was imported to the US in 1988 on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Camel brand. The big controversy surrounding the use of the camel character was that a 1991 study found that 5-6 year old children could recognize Joe Camel more readily than either Mickey Mouse or Fred Flintstone. Also, soon after Old Joe was introduced in the US, the Camel brand’s share of the illegal market to underage smokers went up from 1% to just under 33%.
Marlboro cigarettes were launched by Philip Morris in 1924 as a cigarette for women. To that end there was a red band around the filter designed to hide lipstick stains. In the fifties the brand was repositioned as a men’s cigarette, offering men a “manly” filtered cigarette as the world was becoming aware of the link between cigarettes and lung cancer. With the introduction of the Marlboro Man, the rugged cowboy riding across the west, sales rocketed from a 1% market share to become the 4th biggest seller in the country. The original Marlboro Man was model and actor named Darrell Winfield. He received loads of free cigarettes during his reign, I am sure. He died of lung cancer …
38. Frat founded in 1855 at Ohio’s Miami University SIGMA CHI
Sigma Chi is Greek-letter social fraternity that was founded back in 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Sigma Chi was founded by a group of students who split with the existing Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity because of a dispute over who would be elected Poet in the the Erodelphian Literary Society. Sounds serious …
39. Gp. that includes Nigeria OPEC
Nigeria is in West Africa, and it takes its name from the Niger River which flows through the country. Nigeria is the most populous country on the continent, with over 170 million inhabitants. It is also the most populous member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
45. Country with the largest surface area of water CANADA
Canada is the second-largest country in the world, but has more surface area of water than any other nation on Earth. In fact, more than half of the world’s natural lakes are located in Canada.
47. Amble (along) TOOTLE
“To tootle along” is to walk or drive in a leisurely manner.
49. Statue subject TORSO
“Torso” (plural “torsi”) is an Italian word meaning the “trunk of a statue”, a word that we imported into English.
51. “__ and His Empire”: 1972 Pulitzer-winning biography LUCE
W. A. Swanberg wrote biographies of two giants in the publishing world: “Citizen Hearst” (1961) about William Randolph Hearst, and “Luce and His Empire” (1972) about Henry Luce.
Henry Luce was a publisher, mainly of magazines. He was responsible for launching such iconic publications as “Time”, “Life”, “Fortune” and “Sports Illustrated”.
56. Terrier type SKYE
The Skye terrier is a breed of dog that is actually under threat of extinction. A few years ago there were only 30 Skye terriers born in the breed’s native land of the UK.
58. Like many eBay items USED
eBay was founded in 1995 as AuctionWeb as part of a computer programmer’s personal website. One of the first items purchased was a broken laser pointer, for $14.83. The buyer collected broken laser pointers …
61. One hanging out in a coll. office? PHD
PhD is an abbreviation for “philosophiae doctor”, Latin for “teacher of philosophy”.
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Card __ TABLE
6. “The Hobbit” being ELF
9. Tied accessory ASCOT
14. Cameron Indoor Stadium college hoopster BLUE DEVIL
16. It has a backup PLAN A
17. Feigns innocence ACTS NAIVE
18. Like Zitronen SAUER
19. Inexperienced RAW
20. Tons A SLEW
21. First ON TOP
22. Acidity nos. PHS
24. Virtue of the 2010 Olympic champion ice dancing team Virtue and Moir TESSA
26. Gershon of “Killer Joe” GINA
27. It involves pockets POOL
29. Some crosses ROODS
31. Alley ending? -OOP
32. Freelancers’ encls. SAES
34. Ross Sea sight FLOE
35. Captain’s dir. NNE
36. Does some political maneuvering JOCKEYS FOR POWER
40. Tokyo-born artist ONO
41. Lit __ CRIT
42. Kennel pickup area NAPE
43. Coin first minted in 13th-century France ECU
44. Challenging pitch HIGH C
46. Baryshnikov, at birth LETT
48. What “c” may mean in South Africa CENT
50. “One can say everything best over __”: George Eliot A MEAL
52. Corp. treasurer, perhaps CFO
53. Playground comeback AM TOO!
55. __ Dei AGNUS
57. Bodybuilder Ferrigno LOU
59. Ballerina Shearer MOIRA
60. Eccentrics CRACKPOTS
62. Big name in auditing ERNST
63. Police-search discovery HIDEY HOLE
64. Colorful Danish export LEGOS
65. B.C. neighbor IDA
66. 10th-century English king EDRED
Down
1. It takes you to the top T-BAR
2. Sadie Hawkins creator AL CAPP
3. Reaction to excessive attention to detail BUT WHO’S COUNTING?
4. “__ Troyens”: Berlioz opera LES
5. Krabappel of “The Simpsons” EDNA
6. More wicked EVILER
7. Unplugs in a big way LIVES OFF THE GRID
8. Traveled alone, perhaps FLEW SOLO
9. Lhasa __ APSO
10. Urban Dictionary content SLANG
11. Post-washing warning CAUTION: WET FLOOR
12. Game for two ONE-ON-ONE
13. Roofing material TARPAPER
15. Bridge column word EAST
23. Gouge SOAK
25. Festoon ADORN
28. Clinging type LEECH
30. Calyx part SEPAL
33. Aleppo’s land SYRIA
36. Marlboro Man contemporary JOE CAMEL
37. Again ONCE MORE
38. Frat founded in 1855 at Ohio’s Miami University SIGMA CHI
39. Gp. that includes Nigeria OPEC
45. Country with the largest surface area of water CANADA
47. Amble (along) TOOTLE
49. Statue subject TORSO
51. “__ and His Empire”: 1972 Pulitzer-winning biography LUCE
54. Mare’s mouthful OATS
56. Terrier type SKYE
58. Like many eBay items USED
61. One hanging out in a coll. office? PHD
Seriously,,,,"HIDEYHOLE"????? Oh, and "CHI"???? Weak,weak,weak.
Meh
SAES? SASE (Self addressed stamped envelopes) is common, the other is just made up
A little bit of everything in this one. I crashed and burned in the SE corner. TOOTLE??
The Good: info about CANADA, ROODS was new to me, and PLAN A was clever too. Also – no AHA, OHO AHH.etc.
The Bad: SAE…I guess with no stamp, those cheapskate freelancers didn't get a very good response rate. Shouldn't the clue Lit have had a period after it? Need to look up that in the crossword law books.
The Ugly: TOOTLE and HIDEYHOLE. Nuff said. And it's Eadred. Never seen it spelled Edred.
Finally, Llasa apso means bearded capital of a city?? Is there a breed named after a clean-shaven suburb somewhere?? 🙂
Best –
Finished Friday and Saturday with no "final" mistakes but many ink overs…This grid came together with fits and starts and I never got any rhythm going so, even when it was finalized I was ready to look at Bill's blog and see I had goofed up somewhere.
Hope all my puzzle loving friends out there have a great weekend. See you all next week.
@Tony Michael – thanks for the link the other day. So it was a natick that tripped me up.
I'm getting behind on the puzzles, had a busy day yesterday. Haven't done yesterdays or todays yet. Catch up with you all later!
I agree…meh.
I didn't understand the LETT answer to Barishnikov, at birth. Can someone explain…?
My bad. I should have explained the Baryshnikov/LETT link (which I now have, above). He was born in Latvia, and so is a Lett, someone from Latvia.
My only comment today is for all of you who do the puzzle in ink, (that's YOU, Tony, etal).
I just got a FRIXION ERASABLE!!!! gel pen. It works, it really does. Now I can see the darker letters and don't have to buy art pencils.
HIDEY HOLE? Seriously?