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CROSSWORD SETTER: C.C. Burnikel
THEME: Break Bread … the circled letters in today’s grid spell out types of BREAD. The name of each BREAD is BROKEN by a black square. The BROKEN BREADS are:
– NA/AN
– CHALL/AH
– PI/TA
– R/YE
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 6m 18s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
6. IRS enforcer T-MAN
A T-man is a law-enforcement agent of the US Treasury (T is for Treasury).
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury.
10. Galaxy Tab rival IPAD
The groundbreaking iPad was introduced by Apple in 2010. The iOS-based iPads dominated the market for tablet computers until 2013, when Android-based tablets (manufactured by several companies) took over the number-one spot.
The Galaxy Tab is a line of Android-based tablet computers manufactured and sold by Samsung.
16. Indian bridal dress SARI
The item of clothing called a “sari” (also “saree”) is a strip of cloth, as one might imagine, unusual perhaps in that is unstitched along the whole of its length. The strip of cloth can range from four to nine meters long (that’s a lot of material!). The sari is usually wrapped around the waist, then draped over the shoulder leaving the midriff bare. I must say, it can be a beautiful item of clothing.
17. Hard-to-please diva PRIMA DONNA
The Italian operatic term “prima donna” is used for the lead female singer in an opera company. “Prima donna” translates from Italian as “first lady”. The lead male singer is known as the “primo uomo”. The term “prima donna assoluta” is reserved for a prima donna who is generally accepted as being an outstanding performer. We tend to use “prima donna” for a female performer who has an inflated ego.
21. TriCLEAN gasoline brand CITGO
The oil and gasoline company Citgo was founded in 1910 as Cities Services Company, a supplier of gas and electricity to public utilities. City Services Company introduced the Citgo brand in 1965 in its petroleum businesses. Citgo is now owned by the national oil company of Venezuela.
22. Skin ink, casually TAT
The word “tattoo” (often shortened to “tat”) was first used in English in the writings of the famous English explorer Captain Cook. In his descriptions of the indelible marks adorning the skin of Polynesian natives, Cook anglicized the Tahitian word “tatau” into our “tattoo”.
28. Penne __ vodka: pasta dish ALLA
Penne alla vodka is a pasta dish with a sauce made of vodka, cream, tomatoes, onions and sausage or bacon.
31. Former “Tonight Show” announcer Hall EDD
Edd Hall is most famous as the former announcer for Jay Leno on “The Tonight Show”. Hall replaced Ed McMahon when Johnny Carson retired from the show.
34. Like pages worth bookmarking DOG-EARED
The folded-down corner of the page of a book, a temporary placeholder, is known as a “dog-ear”. I suppose that’s because it look like the ear of the dog …
36. Pueblo-dwelling tribe HOPI
Many of the Hopi nation live on a reservation that is actually located within the much larger Navajo reservation in Arizona.
A pueblo is a Native American village, a term used in the American Southwest. The buildings in a pueblo are usually made of stone and adobe mud.
40. Pesto thickeners PINE NUTS
The term “pesto” applies to anything made by pounding. What we tend to know as “pesto” sauce is more properly called “pesto alla genovese”, pesto from Genoa in northern Italy. I love, love pesto sauce …
58. Origami bird CRANE
Origami is the traditional Japanese art form of paper folding. The best-known example of the craft is the paper crane. The word “origami” is derived from “ori“ (folding) and “kami” (paper).
59. Windy City superstation WGN
WGN America is a cable television network based in Chicago. The WGN name has long been associated with Chicago, and is the acronym for the former slogan of the Chicago Tribune: “World’s Greatest Newspaper”.
It seems that the derivation of Chicago’s nickname as the “Windy City” isn’t as obvious as I would have thought. There are two viable theories. First that the weather can be breezy, with wind blowing in off Lake Michigan. The effect of the wind is exaggerated by the grid-layout adopted by city planners after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The second theory is that “windy” means “being full of bluster”. Sportswriters from the rival city of Cincinnati were fond of calling Chicago supporters “windy” in the 1860s and 1870s, meaning that they were full of hot air in their claims that the Chicago White Stockings were superior to the Cincinnati Red Stockings.
60. Bear whose bed was too hard PAPA
The story of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” was first recorded in 1837, in England, although the narrative was around before it was actually written down. The original fairy tale was rather gruesome, but successive versions became more family-oriented. The character that eventually became Goldilocks was originally an elderly woman, and the three “nameless” bears became Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear.
64. Deadlocked EVEN
A “deadlock” is a standstill, a stalemate. The suggestion is that the term was coined in the 1779 play called “The Critic”, from the pen of Richard Brinsley Sheridan.
65. In __: with all judges present BANC
“En banc” is a French term, translating as “on a bench”. It refers to the cases in which all the judges of a court hear a case, as opposed to a case heard just by a panel, a subset of the full complement. The phrase is sometimes written as “in banc” in the US.
66. Diciembre follower ENERO
In Spanish, “el año” (the year) starts in “enero” (January) and ends in “diciembre” (December).
69. Cheryl and Diane LADDS
Cheryl Ladd’s most famous role was Kris Munroe in television’s “Charlie’s Angels”. Ladd replaced Farrah Fawcett-Majors when the latter opted out of the show. Cheryl Ladd was the daughter-in-law of famed Hollywood actor Alan Ladd, as she was married to Ladd’s son, David. After the couple divorced, Cheryl retained the Ladd name.
Diane Ladd is an American actress who was nominated for a Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in the 1990 film “Wild at Heart”. The lead roles in the movie were played by Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern. Laura Dern is Diane Ladd’s daughter in real life, as she was once married to actor Bruce Dern.
Down
1. Llama cousin ALPACA
Alpacas are like small llamas, but unlike llamas were never beasts of burden. Alpacas were bred specifically for the fleece. As such, there are no known wild alpacas these days, even in their native Peru.
2. Ankle bones TARSALS
The tarsals are ankle bones, equivalent to the carpals in the wrist.
3. New Testament letter EPISTLE
By definition, an epistle is a writing sent by one person to a group of people, with the name “epistle” coming from the Greek word for “a letter”. The 21 epistles of the New Testament are letters from various of the Apostles to groups of Christians, with most of them being written by Paul.
4. Branch of the mil. USM
“United States Marine Corps” is usually abbreviated to USMC. The abbreviation USM (for “United States Marines”) is sometimes used, although not by the service itself, I think.
5. Cobbler fruit PEACH
The dessert called “cobbler” originated in colonial America when settlers invented it as a substitute for suet pudding as they didn’t have the necessary ingredients to make the more traditional dish. Instead, they stewed fruit and covered it with a layer of uncooked scones or biscuits, creating a surface that resembled a “cobbled” street, hence the name.
8. River under the Ponte Vecchio ARNO
The Ponte Vecchio is a famous bridge that spans the Arno River in Florence, Italy. The bridge dates back to medieval times, and indeed the name “Ponte Vecchio” translates as “Old Bridge”.
9. Federal hush-hush org. NSA
The National Security Agency (NSA) was set up in 1952 by President Truman, a replacement for the Armed Forces Security Agency that had existed in the Department of Defense since 1949. The NSA has always been clouded in secrecy and even the 1952 letter from President Truman that established the agency was kept under wraps from the public for over a generation. I really like the organization’s nickname … “No Such Agency”.
10. Sci-fi writer Asimov ISAAC
Isaac Asimov was a wonderful science fiction writer, and a professor of biochemistry. He was a favorite author as I was growing up and I must admit that some hero worship on my part led me to study and work as a biochemist for a short while early in my career. My favorite of his works is the collection of short stories called “I, Robot”. Asimov wrote three autobiographies, the last of which was called “I, Asimov”, which was published in 1994, two years after his death.
11. Cat with black fur PANTHER
The big cats known as black panthers are found in Asia, Africa and the Americas. The black panthers of Asia and Africa are black leopards. Those in the Americas are black jaguars.
13. Conk out DIE
The phrase “conk out” was coined by airmen during WWI, and was used to describe the stalling of an engine.
18. Gorilla expert Fossey DIAN
Dian Fossey carried out her famous study of gorilla populations in the mountain forests of Rwanda (NB: it was Jane Goodall that worked with chimpanzees). Sadly, Fossey was found dead in her cabin in Rwanda in 1986, murdered in her bedroom, her skull split open by a machete. The crime was never solved.
24. Hidden store CACHE
A “cache” is a secret supply. We imported the term into English from French Canadian trappers in the 17th century. Back then, “cache” was a slang term for a “hiding place for stores”, derived from the French verb “cacher” meaning “to hide”.
25. Pond plant ALGA
Algae are similar to terrestrial plants in that they use photosynthesis to create sugars from light and carbon dioxide, but they differ in that they have simpler anatomies, and for example lack roots.
33. Polynesian archipelago native TONGAN
The Kingdom of Tonga is made up of 176 islands in the South Pacific, 52 of which are inhabited and scattered over an area of 270,000 square miles. Tonga was given the name Friendly Islands in 1773 when Captain James Cook first landed there, a reference to the warm reception given to the visitors.
The term “Polynesia” was first coined in 1756 by the author Charles de Brosses, when he used it to describe all the islands in the Pacific. This was later restricted to what we now refer to as a subregion of Oceania.
35. Lab gelatins AGARS
Agar (also “agar-agar”) is a jelly extracted from seaweed that has many uses. Agar is found in Japanese desserts, and can also be used as a food thickener or even as a laxative. In the world of science it is the most common medium used for growing bacteria in Petri dishes.
38. “Lord, is __?” IT I
At the Last Supper, Jesus told his apostles that one of them would betray him that day. According to the Gospel of Matthew:
And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?
40. Target score in “Mario Golf” PAR
The “Mario” franchise of video games produced by Nintendo includes several games based on sports, including Mario Tennis, Mario Golf and Mario Baseball.
41. Mrs. McKinley IDA
Ida Saxton met Bill McKinley at a picnic in 1867, just before she headed off to Europe on a “grand tour”. So, the two had to wait until 1869 before they started courting. The couple married in 1871 in Canton, Ohio, Ida’s hometown. Ida McKinley developed epilepsy before her husband was elected to President of the US and became very dependent on him to provide physical and moral support. She always sat by his side at public functions, breaking with the tradition of the President hosting some of the guests, and the First Lady others. After her husband was assassinated, Mrs. McKinley could not bring herself to attend her husband’s funeral, and then withdrew from public view to her home in Canton. She passed away six years after her husband, in 1907.
43. Synthetic rubber compound STYRENE
Styrene is a sweet-smelling, colorless liquid that is used to make the plastic called polystyrene, and the synthetic rubber called styrene-butadiene (SBR).
45. Kelp, e.g. SEAWEED
Kelps are large seaweeds that grow in kelp forests underwater. Kelps can grow to over 250 feet in length, and do so very quickly. Some kelps can grow at the rate of 1-2 feet per day.
49. Law that incited a 1773 Boston revolt TEA ACT
The famous destruction of tea in Boston Harbor to protest against the Tea Act took place on December 16, 1773. The action was referred to as the “destruction of the tea” for decades, and it wasn’t until 1834 that the term “Boston Tea Party” first appeared in print.
52. Sonata movements RONDOS
A rondo was often chosen by composers in the classical period for the last movement of a sonata (or symphony or concerto, for that matter). In rondo form there is a principal theme that alternates with a contrasting theme(s). So, the original theme anchors the whole piece in between secondary digressions.
54. Master, in Swahili BWANA
“Bwana” is a Swahili word meaning “important person” or “leader of a safari”.
Swahili is one of the many Bantu languages spoken in Africa. There are hundreds of Bantu languages, mainly spoken in central, east and southern Africa. The most commonly spoken Bantu language is Swahili, with Zulu coming in second.
58. Chesapeake Bay crustacean CRAB
Chesapeake Bay is on the Atlantic coast and is surrounded by the states of Maryland and Virginia. Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the whole country, with over 150 rivers and streams draining into it.
61. “Selma” director DuVernay AVA
Ava DuVernay is a filmmaker who became the first African American woman to win the Best Director Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, a feat she achieved in 2012 for her feature film “Middle of Nowhere”. “Middle of Nowhere” tells the story of a woman who drops out of medical school to focus on husband when he is sentenced to 8 years in prison. More recently, DuVernay was nominated for a Golden Globe for directing the 2014 historical drama “Selma”.
“Selma” is a 2014 film about the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches of 1965. The film stars British actors David Oyewale as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Tom Wilkinson as President Lyndon Johnson. “Selma” was received extremely well by critics and audiences alike. That said, there is some criticism about the way President Johnson is portrayed as being less supportive of civil rights than is assumed to be the case in reality.
62. Marketing major’s deg. BBA
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)
63. “Messenger” molecule RNA
Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) is an essential catalyst in the manufacture of proteins in the body. The genetic code in DNA determines the sequence of amino acids that make up each protein. That sequence is read in DNA by messenger RNA, and amino acids are delivered for protein manufacture in the correct sequence by what is called transfer RNA. The amino acids are then formed into proteins by ribosomal RNA.
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Gobbled down ATE UP
6. IRS enforcer T-MAN
10. Galaxy Tab rival IPAD
14. Memory slip LAPSE
15. Lifeboat movers OARS
16. Indian bridal dress SARI
17. Hard-to-please diva PRIMA DONNA
19. Money for the pot ANTE
20. Beast of burden ASS
21. TriCLEAN gasoline brand CITGO
22. Skin ink, casually TAT
23. Holder of odds and ends CATCHALL
25. “Bless you!” trigger AHCHOO!
28. Penne __ vodka: pasta dish ALLA
29. Hider in a haystack NEEDLE
31. Former “Tonight Show” announcer Hall EDD
32. Religious offshoot SECT
34. Like pages worth bookmarking DOG-EARED
36. Pueblo-dwelling tribe HOPI
39. Tart taste TANG
40. Pesto thickeners PINE NUTS
44. Short race DASH
47. Hubbub ADO
48. Full of pluck GRITTY
51. Bring up REAR
53. Spot to enjoy oysters and clams RAW BAR
55. Way back when YEARS AGO
57. Have OWN
58. Origami bird CRANE
59. Windy City superstation WGN
60. Bear whose bed was too hard PAPA
62. Dine together, and a hint to this puzzle’s circles BREAK BREAD
64. Deadlocked EVEN
65. In __: with all judges present BANC
66. Diciembre follower ENERO
67. Granny NANA
68. Help, as a fugitive ABET
69. Cheryl and Diane LADDS
Down
1. Llama cousin ALPACA
2. Ankle bones TARSALS
3. New Testament letter EPISTLE
4. Branch of the mil. USM
5. Cobbler fruit PEACH
6. Play the flute TOOTLE
7. Botched up MANGLED
8. River under the Ponte Vecchio ARNO
9. Federal hush-hush org. NSA
10. Sci-fi writer Asimov ISAAC
11. Cat with black fur PANTHER
12. Statues and sculptures ART
13. Conk out DIE
18. Gorilla expert Fossey DIAN
22. Famous last words? THE END
24. Hidden store CACHE
25. Pond plant ALGA
26. Poem of tribute ODE
27. Like 2015 ODD
30. Point DOT
33. Polynesian archipelago native TONGAN
35. Lab gelatins AGARS
37. Contented kitty sound PURR
38. “Lord, is __?” IT I
40. Target score in “Mario Golf” PAR
41. Mrs. McKinley IDA
42. Sign on a new store NOW OPEN
43. Synthetic rubber compound STYRENE
45. Kelp, e.g. SEAWEED
46. Gaunt from exertion HAGGARD
49. Law that incited a 1773 Boston revolt TEA ACT
50. Pull hard YANK
52. Sonata movements RONDOS
54. Master, in Swahili BWANA
56. One resisting authority REBEL
58. Chesapeake Bay crustacean CRAB
60. Cattle holder PEN
61. “Selma” director DuVernay AVA
62. Marketing major’s deg. BBA
63. “Messenger” molecule RNA
Decent Tuesday jaunt, some interesting words in there. I won't bore you with my "constructor conspiracy" again, but it's there.
-Graduates of Annapolis have the option to become junior officers in the USMc, since the Marines don't have their own service academy.
-The BBA used to be called the BSBA (Bachelor of Science in Business Admin)
-Is ALGA the plural of algae? If so, shouldn't the clue be "pond plants?"
-Interesting origin of "Windy City." I always thought it was from Chicago politicians. Isn't it ironic that Chicago mayors talk and are probably more corrupt than anyone, yet it's always the governor of Illinois who gets sent to prison? 😉
OK, now I'm going to float a little joke here. How little, that's up to you: Ahem…
Since NAAN is ubiquitous in India, shouldn't the song by Steam be popular there? The chorus goes:
(na na)(na na), (na na)(na na)/
Hey hey, goodbye!
::rim_shot::
Typical early week grid. I had a few hesitations – e.g. the spelling of AHCHOO – that slowed me a bit but nothing out of the ordinary.
I guess we'll start calling Bill's write his daily EPISTLE to us. I never knew that definition until this morning.
I think the Inland Revenue Service was used in the UK, but the Internal Revenue Service is our friendly neighborhood government funded mooch here in the U.S. I know this as they continually ask me for every penny that I have…..
Best –
Can anyone point me to the use of USM for the USMC by anyone? I don't think so…
Decent, interesting Tuesday, minus the things that have already been pointed out. USM? BBA? 1 error from the latter, since I couldn't proof the middle letter by cross as I actually never have met anyone with that degree and that's where I've worked most of my life. While Wikipedia assures me it's a thing, the predominance of other references tells me it's not much of a thing.
"US Military" is frequently abbreviated to USM, but this is not indicative of any one branch.
Most interesting answer to me: RAWBAR.
Did anyone notice that rye could also be done 'up and over', there was also 'sego' bread and 'baba' (again right to left, up and left to right)
Willie D., How about the band,' Sha-na-na ' ? (stop eating naan, already…) My wife has prohibited Naan from our household because of caloric, cholestrol and other dietary concerns, and I have slyly bought some (uncooked) parothas/ parotas …. which are worse.
Willie D., I enjoyed your Irish link, yesterday, on the reading of the 'Declaration of Independence' 100 years, at the General Post Office …. very much. Thank you.
Inland Revenue, indeed …. that Bill, unconsciously indicates your heritage ! 😉 Coincidentally, the IRS also stands for the Indian Revenue Service, although more commonly referred to as the ITO – Income Tax Office / Officer. A indian candidate, who has been successful in the Union (Central Govt.) administrative competitive exams, and has opted for the tax dept., is entitled to the post nomial of IRS. Thus John Smith, IRS.
The puzzle was easy, and somewhat unusual, in a good sense. I enjoyed it very much.
Sari is too old fashioned for a wedding dress. Based on e-tail sales, a gaghra or a lengha choli is most preferred..
If and when my daughter decides to get married, she can wear jeans or a mini-skirt, for all I care.
Nice to know, Bill, that you were a biochemist, in an earlier life. I'm afraid, I didn;t study enough of that subject.
I would like to think, that Bwana is something like Sahib, in its use.
I worked in a Styrene plant, for a short while, and the synthetic rubber was called ABS – Acrylonitrile -butadiene- styrene.
Have a nice day, all.
@Willie/Glenn
I think the BBA is pretty common but not universal. It usually depends on whether the school has a separate undergrad school of business. Here in Texas it's pretty common – The University of Houston and the University of Texas (among others) offer BBA's. It's essentially the undergraduate version of an MBA. If I remember correctly, most smaller liberal arts schools – including the ivy league schools – don't have separate undergraduate business programs and therefore don't offer BBA's. But they definitely do exist.
@Susan
Interesting observation. I certainly did't notice because I've never heard of those types of bread. In fact, challah bread was unknown to me.
Best –
My father was/is a Marine (once a Marine, always a Marine) and has held national office in the Marine Corp Auxilary League. I think he'd be thinking firing squad if someone referred to the Corp as USM.
I've never heard of TriCLEAN, and maybe vaguely Citgo. Is that in there for the Venezuelan readers of the LA Times?
Matt
@Jeff, Vidwan
That "inland/internal" typo was clearly a throw-back to an earlier life 🙂 Thanks for pointing it out. All fixed now.
Jeff, you never heard of Challah / Hallah Bread ? I can only ascribe that, to you, living in a part of the country, that is bereft of jewish people. <;-D) The bread is somewhat sweet, and of course has a religious significance – but, in my humble opinion, not otherwise particularly noteworthy.
The 'Ch' is pronounced as a guttaral 'KH', with phlegm …. as in Khan.
Being not very perceptive in cryptology, or even intelligent enough to comprehend, I looked at the Xword again, to find letter/word combinations … I found 'pav' ( a cheap, small indian loaf ), 'Sago' ( tapioca, also used in bread ), Oven, Pan and Weed. I must confess to having eaten weed infused bread, once in my life. 🙂
Back to work – earning my real bread.
He caught me and now I'm up for the firing squad. It's Marine CorpS, not Corp. Shame on me!
Matt
@Jeff – agree with you on AHCHOO! Gesundheit is besser wie Krankheit (a truism).
@Vidwan – as usual WOW.
I need to warn people about pine nuts. I ate them for decades, especially i threw them into microwave pesto dishes, but of course, in cookies. I developed "pine mouth" or "pine nut syndrome" last year. In my case, my taste buds became numb. That was mild. Other people get a metallic, bitter, or plasctic-y taste. After a couple weeks, it went away, but i avoid my beloved pine nuts .
@Matt!! LOL — you'd better duck!
I too (like Glenn) got stuck on BBA/BANC, tho I did wind up guessing correctly for the B.
All this NAAN talk makes me think of the less fattening Indian bread, the crispy cracker type OMG what is it called?! Dee-lishious… and I'm blanking on the term. Begins with a P, maybe??
Unbeeeleeevable chaos here at Chez Carrie. Day Two of fierce and perilous tree trimming, during which it suddenly rained here in LA for about 10 minutes. So glad it's over, and SO glad my Airbnb guests weren't here during the mess.
See y'all mañana!!
Sweet dreams~~™
@Carrie – Papadum most probably.
papadum