Constructed by: Lila Cherry
Edited by: Rich Norris
Quicklink to a complete list of today’s clues and answers
Quicklink to comments
Theme: The Show Must Go On
A part of THE SHOW MUST GO ON to form the ends of today’s themed answers. Each themed answer finishes with something associated with a stage SHOW:
- 58A…Broadway do-or-die philosophy, and a hint to the ends of 17-, 30-, 37- and 44-Across..THE SHOW MUST GO ON
- 17A…End that “I face,” in Sinatra’s “My Way”..THE FINAL CURTAIN
- 30A…It has 32 pieces and a 64-square board..CHESS SET
- 37A…Prepare to fly..SPREAD ONE’S WINGS
- 44A…Vital phase..KEY STAGE
Bill’s time: 6m 33s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1…First assassin to attack Caesar..CASCA
Julius Caesar was assassinated on the 15th (the ides) of March, 44 BC. He was attacked by a group of sixty people in the Roman Senate, and was stabbed 23 times. The first to strike a blow was Servilius Casca, who attacked Caesar from behind and stabbed him in the neck. In Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar”, Casca utters the words “Speak, hands, for me!” just before making the fatal blow. The following line, uttered by Caesar, is more famous: “Et tu, Brute?”
6…Marvel Comics mutants..X-MEN
X-Men is a team of superheroes created by Stan Lee for Marvel Comics. Nowadays the X-Men are perhaps best known as the subject of a series of movies, with Hugh Jackman playing Wolverine, and Patrick Stewart playing Professor Xavier (or simply “Professor X”). Some very respected actors have also played the villains that X-Men have to battle. For example, the enemy called Magneto is portrayed by veteran Shakespearean actor Sir Ian McKellan.
10…Folk singer Joan..BAEZ
Joan Baez is an American folk singer and a prominent activist in the fields of non-violence, civil rights, human rights and environmental protection. Baez has dated some high-profile figures in her life including Bob Dylan, Steve Jobs (of Apple) and Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead.
14…Arctic or Indian..OCEAN
The Arctic Ocean is in the north polar region, and is almost completely covered by sea ice in the winter. I think it’s common knowledge that the amount of sea ice covering the Arctic Ocean during the summer has been dropping in recent times as a consequence of climate change.
The Indian is the third largest of the planet’s oceans, after the Pacific and the Atlantic. It takes its name from the nation of India, the coast of which forms much of the northern boundaries of the ocean.
16…In the style of, in ristorantes..ALLA
The phrase “in the style of” can be translated in “alla” in Italian and “à la” in French.
17…End that “I face,” in Sinatra’s “My Way”..THE FINAL CURTAIN
The song “My Way” has lyrics that were written by Paul Anka in 1969, but the tune itself was composed two years earlier by Claude François and Jacques Revaux. The song had been released with completely different lyrics in France as “Comme d’habitude” (“As Usual”). When Anka heard the song on television in Paris he sought out and obtained the rights to use it himself, for free. Supposedly, “Comme d’habitude” has been recorded in more languages, by more artists, than any other song in the contemporary repertoire.
And now, the end is near
And so I face the final curtain
My friend, I’ll say it clear
I’ll state my case, of which I’m certain
I’ve lived a life that’s full
I traveled each and every highway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way
20…Feudal laborer..SERF
A serf was a member of the lowest feudal class, someone attached to land owned by a lord. “Serf” comes from the Latin “servus”, meaning “slave”.
21…Popeye’s Olive..OYL
“Thimble Theater” was the precursor comic strip to the famous “Popeye” drawn by E. C. Segar. Before Popeye came into the story, the brother and sister characters Castor Oyl and Olive Oyl were the protagonists. And then along comes a sailor …
23…Grounded Aussie birds..EMUS
The emu has had a tough time in Australia since man settled there. There was even an “Emu War” in Western Australia in 1932 when migrating emus competed with livestock for water and food. Soldiers were sent in and used machine guns in an unsuccessful attempt to drive off the “invading force”. The emus were clever, breaking their usual formations and adopting guerrilla tactics, operating as smaller units. After 50 days of “war”, the military withdrew. Subsequent requests for military help for the farmers were ignored. The emus had emerged victorious …
30…It has 32 pieces and a 64-square board..CHESS SET
It is believed that the game of chess originated in northwest India, evolving from a 6th-century game called “chaturanga”, a Sanskrit word meaning “four divisions”. These four (military) divisions were represented in the game:
- Infantry (now “pawns”)
- Cavalry (now “knights”)
- Elephants (now “bishops”)
- Chariots (now “rooks”)
35…__ accompli..FAIT
“Fait accompli” is a French term, literally translating as “accomplished fact”. It is used in English to mean “a done deal”.
36…Often rolled-over investment..IRA
A rollover IRA is a subtype of a traditional Individual Retirement Account (IRA). The funds for a rollover IRA come from another qualified plan such as a 401(k) or a 403(b) account.
42…Self-images..EGOS
Sigmund Freud created a structural model of the human psyche, breaking it into three parts: the id, the ego, and the super-ego. The id is that part of the psyche containing the basic instinctual drives. The ego seeks to please the id by causing realistic behavior that benefits the individual. The super-ego almost has a parental role, contradicting the id by introducing critical thinking and morals to behavioral choices.
47…Decadent, as the snobs in a historic Agnew speech..EFFETE
Spiro Agnew served as Vice-President under Richard Nixon, before becoming the only VP in American history to resign because of criminal charges (there was a bribery scandal). Agnew was also the first Greek-American to serve as US Vice President as he was the son of a Greek immigrant who had shortened the family name from Anagnostopoulos.
Vice President Spiro Agnew railed against those protesting the Vietnam War in 1969, making particular reference to the youth of the country. In one speech he stated, “A spirit of national masochism prevails, encouraged by an effete corps of impudent snobs who characterize themselves as intellectuals.” He later said, “(Student war protesters) have never done a productive thing in their lives … and … They take their tactics from Fidel Castro and their money from daddy.”
50…Drinks with floating ice cream..SODAS
The world’s first ice cream soda was made in 1874, in Philadelphia. Apparently (according to one story anyway) a gentleman named Robert Green was selling flavored sodas and ran out of ice. He got hold of some ice cream and added that to his sodas to keep them cold, and the new treat was an immediate hit.
53…Windy City summer hrs…CDT
Central Daylight Time (CDT)
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.
54…Jersey or Guernsey..ISLE
Jersey and Guernsey are two of the Channel Islands off the coast of Normandy in France. They are “Crown dependencies”, self-governing possessions of the Crown for which the UK is responsible even though they are not part of the UK. The American state of New Jersey is named for the island in the English Channel.
65…Activist Parks..ROSA
Rosa Parks was one of a few brave women in days gone by who refused to give up their seats on a bus to white women. It was the stand taken by Rosa Parks on December 1, 1955 that sparked the Montgomery, Alabama Bus Boycott. President Clinton presented Ms. Parks with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1996. When she died in 2005, Rosa Parks became the first ever woman to have her body lie in honor in the US Capitol Rotunda.
66…Words meaning the same thing: Abbr…SYNS
Synonym (syn.)
67…Furry swimmer..OTTER
The fur of the sea otter is exceptionally thick. It is in fact the densest fur in the whole animal kingdom.
Down
4…The jolt in joe?..CAFFEINE
Caffeine is a naturally occurring stimulant that is found in several plants. The chemical serves as a natural pesticide by paralyzing and killing certain insects that would otherwise feed on the plant. Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive drug that is consumed by humans across the world.
It seems that no one really knows why we refer to coffee as “joe”, but we’ve been doing so since early in WWII.
5…”Give me __!”: start of a Hoosier cheer..AN I
The exact origin of the word “hoosier” is unknown, but has been around since at least 1830. The term had no direct linkage with Indiana until John Finley of Richmond, Indiana wrote a poem called “The Hoosier’s Nest” in 1833. A few years later, by 1840, “hoosier” was generally accepted as a term for Indiana residents.
6…Diagnostic tests..X-RAYS
X-rays were first studied comprehensively by the German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (also “Roentgen”), and it was he who gave the name “X-rays” to this particular type of radiation. Paradoxically, in Röntgen’s native language of German, X-rays are routinely referred to as “Röntgen rays”. In 1901 Röntgen won the first Nobel Prize in Physics that was ever awarded, recognition for his work on X-rays.
8…Top-left PC key..ESC
The escape key (esc) was originally used to control computer peripherals. It was a key that allowed the computer operator to stop what the peripheral was doing (cancel a print job, for example). Nowadays the escape key is used for all sorts of things, especially in gaming programs.
9…Modern, in Munich..NEU
“Neu” is the German word for “new”.
Munich is the capital of the German state of Bavaria, and is the third largest city in the country (after Berlin and Hamburg). The city is called “München” in German, a term that derives from the Old German word for “by the monks’ place”, which is a reference to the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city in 1158.
12…Yale alumni..ELIS
Eli is the nickname for a graduate of Yale University, a term used in honor of the Yale benefactor Elihu Yale.
13…Madcap..ZANY
Something described as “zany” is clownish and bizarre. “Zany” can also be a noun, a term used for a clown or a buffoon. The original noun was “Zanni”, a Venetian dialect variant of Gianni, short for Giovanni (John). Zanni was a character who appeared in comedy plays of the day, and was someone who aped the principal actors.
18…We, to Henri..NOUS
In French, “nous” (we) are “toi et moi” (you and me).
19…Grand slam homer quartet, briefly..RBIS
Runs batted in (RBIs)
27…Eye surgery acronym..LASIK
LASIK surgery uses a laser to reshape the cornea of the eye to improve vision. The LASIK acronym stands for “laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis”.
29…Foolish, in slang..DORKY
I consider “dork” to be pretty offensive slang. It emanated in the sixties among American students, and has its roots in another slang term, a term for male genitalia.
30…Easily tipped boat..CANOE
The boat called a canoe takes its name from the Carib word “kenu” meaning “dugout”. It was Christopher Columbus who brought “kenu” into Spanish as “canoa”, which evolved into our English “canoe”.
32…Rye grass disease..ERGOT
Ergot is a fungus, or actually a group of fungi, that cause disease in rye and related plants. If human eat ergot-contaminated grain, a condition called ergotism can result. Ergotism is the result of consumption of alkaloids produced by the fungi, alkaloids that can cause seizures and manic behavior. It has even been suggested that the hysteria exhibited by the Salem “witches” was perhaps caused by the ingestion of ergot-contaminated rye.
39…Coffeehouse connection..WI-FI
“Wi-Fi” is nothing more than a trademark, a trademark registered by an association of manufacturers of equipment that use wireless LAN (Local Area Network) technology. A device labeled with “Wi-Fi” has to meet certain defined technical standards, basically meaning that the devices can talk to each other. The name “Wi-Fi” suggests “Wireless Fidelity”, although apparently the term was never intended to mean anything at all.
45…California peak..SHASTA
Only two volcanoes in the Cascade Range in the northwest have erupted in the 20th century: Mount St. Helens in 1980 and Mount Lassen in 1915. The last significant eruption of Mount Shasta, a third volcano in the Cascades, was about 200 years ago
46…British balderdash..TOSH
“Tosh” is British slang for “foolish nonsense”, and is likely a combination of “trash” and “bosh”.
“Balderdash” means “senseless jumble of words”. The original balderdash (back before the late 1600s) was a jumbled mix of liquids, like maybe beer and wine, or even beer and milk!
49…Buffalo Wild Wings nickname based on its initials..B-DUBS
Buffalo Wild Wings is a chain of sports bar/restaurants that was founded in Columbus, Ohio in 1982. The initialism “BWW” gives the company nickname “B-Dubs”.
50…Marquee name..STAR
A marquee is a large sign that is placed over the entrance to a theater. The marquee usually displays the names of the film or play currently showing, as well as the principal actors performing.
51…Cincinnati’s state..OHIO
Cincinnati, Ohio was the first major city to be founded after the American Revolution, and indeed was the first major inland city to be founded in the whole country. Cincinnati was a boomtown in the 1800s, but it’s growth slowed as the the railroads displaced the steamboats as the major form of transportation. The city was founded in 1788, and was named “Cincinnati” two years later. It was named for the Society of Cincinnati, an organization with the mission to preserve the ideals and fellowship of the officers of Revolutionary War. The society was in turn named for Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus. cincinnatus was farmer in ancient Rome who left his land to serve as Consul and then lawful dictator of Rome during a war emergency, before happily handing back power to the Senate after the war was won.
57…__’acte: intermission..ENTR
The term “entr’acte” comes to us from French, and is the interval “between two acts” (“entre deux actes”) of a theatrical performance. It often describes some entertainment provided during that interval.
61…Chinese menu general..TSO
General Tso’s chicken is an American creation, often found on the menu of a Chinese restaurant. The name General Tso may be a reference to General Zuo Zongtang of the Qing Dynasty, but there is no clear link.
Complete List of Clues and Answers
Across
1…First assassin to attack Caesar..CASCA
6…Marvel Comics mutants..X-MEN
10…Folk singer Joan..BAEZ
14…Arctic or Indian..OCEAN
15…Bit of trickery..RUSE
16…In the style of, in ristorantes..ALLA
17…End that “I face,” in Sinatra’s “My Way”..THE FINAL CURTAIN
20…Feudal laborer..SERF
21…Popeye’s Olive..OYL
22…Given to giving orders..BOSSY
23…Grounded Aussie birds..EMUS
25…Twirl or whirl..SPIN
27…Gentlemen’s partners..LADIES
30…It has 32 pieces and a 64-square board..CHESS SET
34…Surrounded by..AMONG
35…__ accompli..FAIT
36…Often rolled-over investment..IRA
37…Prepare to fly..SPREAD ONE’S WINGS
41…Kind..ILK
42…Self-images..EGOS
43…Gold bar..INGOT
44…Vital phase..KEY STAGE
47…Decadent, as the snobs in a historic Agnew speech..EFFETE
48…Blessed..HOLY
49…Get-out-of-jail money..BAIL
50…Drinks with floating ice cream..SODAS
53…Windy City summer hrs…CDT
54…Jersey or Guernsey..ISLE
58…Broadway do-or-die philosophy, and a hint to the ends of 17-, 30-, 37- and 44-Across..THE SHOW MUST GO ON
62…Informal negative..AIN’T
63…”No __!”: “Easy!”..PROB
64…Brief..SHORT
65…Activist Parks..ROSA
66…Words meaning the same thing: Abbr…SYNS
67…Furry swimmer..OTTER
Down
1…Emergency shelter beds..COTS
2…Throb..ACHE
3…Fortuneteller..SEER
4…The jolt in joe?..CAFFEINE
5…”Give me __!”: start of a Hoosier cheer..AN I
6…Diagnostic tests..X-RAYS
7…Ponder (over)..MULL
8…Top-left PC key..ESC
9…Modern, in Munich..NEU
10…Twirled sticks..BATONS
11…”That’s a shame”..ALAS
12…Yale alumni..ELIS
13…Madcap..ZANY
18…We, to Henri..NOUS
19…Grand slam homer quartet, briefly..RBIS
24…Prefix with hit or store..MEGA-
25…Backs up in fear..SHIES
26…Cats and dogs..PETS
27…Eye surgery acronym..LASIK
28…More than enough..AMPLE
29…Foolish, in slang..DORKY
30…Easily tipped boat..CANOE
31…Burn slightly..SINGE
32…Rye grass disease..ERGOT
33…Try, as food..TASTE
35…Swimming in pea soup?..FOGGY
38…Hand out cards..DEAL
39…Coffeehouse connection..WI-FI
40…Like airplane services..INFLIGHT
45…California peak..SHASTA
46…British balderdash..TOSH
47…Food, in diner signs..EATS
49…Buffalo Wild Wings nickname based on its initials..B-DUBS
50…Marquee name..STAR
51…Cincinnati’s state..OHIO
52…Family rooms..DENS
53…”Let’s get goin’!”..C’MON!
55…Chimney sweep’s sweepings..SOOT
56…Passed-down knowledge..LORE
57…__’acte: intermission..ENTR
59…Covert or black doings..OPS
60…Droll..WRY
61…Chinese menu general..TSO
Hi all. I really don’t have too much to comment on for puzzles (09/19-25). I commented that they “seemed easy this week” before, but ended up one stupid error on Sunday away from getting zero errors on all of them.
Other than trying to focus on the happy part instead of kicking myself for the “stupid error” part (a problem of mine in general), that makes it pretty hard to assess what was really “hard” without timing them. Fri and Sat were the ones that didn’t fly by for me, but I wouldn’t really say I struggled on either one and even did those faster for average on those days. So pretty hard to say what was more challenging for the week.
I guess time will tell on whether these were easier or I got better, but I’ll take it as a win. Can’t put that much paper up on the refrigerator, but I’m happy about it anyway. 🙂
On a Monday, I had a Natick at BDUBS crosses CDT. I finally went to Google and asked what sport the Buffalo Wild Wings played in. Not a sport, a sports diner. The only one in NYS appears to be in the city near Times Square. Then there’s the whole dubya thing. So. I learned much this A.M.
I believe there is such an establishment in Clifton Park, New York.
Actually, there is a Buffalo Wild Wings establishment in CLIFTON PARK, NY. I have been there a few times and enjoyed it, but I never heard it referred to by the nickname “BDUBS.”
7:34, no errors, iPad. BDUBS? Never heard of that …
Is BDUBS crosswordese, or do people actually say that? I know that the Golden State Warriors of the NBA are referred to as “The Dubs” now by some. Maybe it’s a universal W=Dub fad going on.
Dave -liked the “avoid cliches like the plague” phrase. Similar to – “my son doesn’t understand what the word ‘literally’ means. I don’t know why. I’ve explained it to him literally a million times…”
Carrie – Interesting coincidence of your use of the word “dorky” in your post yesterday, and here it is in today’s puzzle. Conspiracy? And yes I learned Russian at first in school. My high school required 4 years of a language starting in 8th grade. The 5th year was optional. I also studied it in college and spent time over there in Russia. Even with all of that academic study, I still believe most of my proficiency was learned flirting with the women over there. An American male in Moscow in the 90’s who could speak to them in their own language was quite a novelty….so I took advantage of it.. 🙂
I seldom get to practice it anymore except the occasional cab driver in New York, Boston, and even San Francisco. But it comes back to me while watching the show “The Americans” on FX where there is a a lot of Russian spoken.
Best –
I just did today’s (very easy) WSJ puzzle. I’m probably mistaken, but I can’t shake the feeling that I have seen the puzzle before. Did anyone else here do that puzzle? Do WSJ puzzles ever appear elsewhere? (The setter’s name is Nancy Cole Stuart, the editor is Mike Shenk, the title is “P.O. BOXES”, the clue for 1A is “Vatican-related”, and the clue for 1D is “Fall fruit”.)
Hi folks!
@Jeff–LOL! Yes, Rich Norris and I are secretly in cahoots, which is why we haven’t seen AROAR in awhile (my most disliked of the fake Starts-With-A words!!)
As to improving your fluency thru flirting — brilliant, and true. Necessity really motivates, when it comes to keeping our languages sharp.
Easy puzzle on a brutally hot LA day — 105 degrees!!
Be well~~™✌