Constructed by: C.C. Burnikel
Edited by: Rich Norris
Quicklink to a complete list of today’s clues and answers
Quicklink to comments
Theme: None
Bill’s time: 14m 45s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1…Tumblr competitor..PINTEREST
Pinterest is a free website which can be used to save and manage images (called “pins”) and other media. For some reason, the vast majority of Pinterest users are women.
Tumblr.com is a website that mainly hosts private blogs.
10…Workers’ rights org…OSHA
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created in 1970 during the Nixon administration. OSHA regulates workplaces in the private sector and regulates just one government agency, namely the US Postal Service.
14…Dunkin’ Donuts buy..ICED LATTE
The term “latte” is an abbreviation of the Italian “caffelatte” meaning “coffee (and) milk”. Note that in the correct spelling of “latte”, the Italian word for milk, there is no accent over the “e”. An accent is often added by mistake when we use the word in English, perhaps meaning to suggest that the word is French.
15…”Gimme five”..UP TOP
The celebratory gesture that we call a “high five” is said to have been invented by former baseball players Dusty Baker and Glenn Burke when they were both playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the later 1970s.
16…Go wild..RAISE CAIN
As Cain was the first murderer according the Bible, he is associated with evil or trouble. The idiom “raise Cain” is the equivalent of “raise Hell” and “raise the Devil”. In all cases the meaning is to bring back evil or to cause trouble.
20…Zero on stage..MOSTEL
Zero Mostel was a stage and screen actor best known perhaps for playing Tevye on stage in “Fiddler on the Roof” and Max Bialystock in the original screen version of “The Producers”. Mostel was one of those many actors whose career languished during the 1950s as he found himself blacklisted by Senator McCarthy and co. But he rebounded, and achieved his greatest success in the sixties.
21…”Later!”..CIAO!
“Ciao” is the Italian for “‘bye”. “Arrivederci” is more formal, and translates as “goodbye”.
23…Marks meaning the same thing..DITTOS
“Ditto” was originally used in Italian (from Tuscan dialect) to avoid repetition of the names of months in a series of dates. So, “ditto” is just another wonderful import from that lovely land …
25…Tongue attachment?..-ESE
Chinese, Japanese, Maltese etc.
29…Lose at the table, with “out”..CRAP
“To crap out” is to make a losing roll on the first throw in a game of craps.
If one considers earlier versions of craps, then the game has been around for a very long time and probably dates back to the Crusades. It may have been derived from an old English game called “hazard” also played with two dice, which was mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” from the 1300s. The American version of the game came here courtesy of the French and first set root in New Orleans where it was given the name “crapaud”, a French word meaning “toad”.
30…Flier to Helsinki..SAS
SAS was formerly known as Scandinavian Airlines System and is the flag carrier of three countries: Denmark, Norway and Sweden. SAS is based at Stockholm Arlanda Airport located just north of the Swedish capital.
32…Coach in six Super Bowls..DON SHULA
Don Shula is a former football player and coach. Shula appeared as head coach in a record six Super Bowls, including a run of three successive Super Bowls (1971-73, winning twice). Shula holds the record for most NFL career wins (347). He also led the Miami Dolphins during their 1972 perfect season, the only perfect season in the history of the NFL.
38…Kim of “Army Wives”..DELANEY
Kim Delaney played Detective Diane Russell on the “NYPD Blue “, an ABC cop show that ran from 1993 to 2005.
41…Grumpy pal..DOC
In the original Brothers Grimm fairy tale called “Snow White”, the seven dwarfs were not given any names. The names were added for the 1937 classic Disney film “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. The seven dwarfs are:
- Doc (the leader of the group)
- Grumpy (that would be me, according to my wife …)
- Happy
- Sleepy
- Bashful
- Sneezy
- Dopey
42…Works in Madrid?..ARTE
In Spanish, a work of “arte” (art) might be in the “Museo del Prado” (Prado Museum) in Madrid.
Madrid is the largest city in Spain and the capital. Madrid is located very close to the geographical center of the country. It is the third-largest city in the European Union (after London and Paris). People from Madrid called themselves Madrileños.
43…Singer with a domed nest..WREN
A wren is a small songbird belonging to the family troglodytidae and the genus troglodytes. Wrens are known for making dome-shaped nests.
45…Trick users, in a way..PHISH
Phishing is the name given to the online practice of stealing usernames, passwords and credit card details by creating a site that deceptively looks reliable and trustworthy. Phishers often send out safe-looking emails or instant messages that direct someone to an equally safe-looking website where the person might inadvertently enter sensitive information. “Phishing” is a play on the word “fishing”, as in “fishing for passwords, PIN numbers etc.”
49…Your, in Tours..TES
“Tes” is the French word for “your”, when referring to a group of items and when talking to someone with whom you are familiar.
50…Sri Lankan exports..PEKOES
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.
The island nation of Sri Lanka lies off the southeast coast of India. The name “Sri Lanka” translates from Sanskrit into English as “venerable island”. Before 1970, Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon, a name given to the country during British rule.
52…”Off the Court” author..ASHE
“Off the Court” is a 1981 autobiography by tennis player Arthur Ashe. The book deals with Ashe’s life off the court including his involvement in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa.
62…Dominican-born designer..DE LA RENTA
Oscar de la Renta is a fashion designer who really came to prominence in the sixties when his designs were worn by Jacqueline Kennedy.
63…WWII Allied invasion vessels..LSTS
LST stands for Landing Ship, Tank. LSTs were the large vessels used mainly in WWII that had doors at either ends through which tanks and other vehicles could roll off and onto beaches. The design concept persists to this day in the huge fleet of commercial roll-on/roll-off car ferries, all inspired by the LST.
Down
2…Samos neighbor named for the son of Daedalus..ICARIA
Icaria (also “Ikaria”) is a Greek island located in the Aegean Sea just over ten miles from the neighboring island of Samos. Icaria is named for Icarus, who is said to have fallen to his death in the sea nearby while trying to escape from Crete with his father Daedalus.
Daedalus was a master craftsman of Greek mythology who was tasked with creating the Labyrinth on the island of Crete that was to house the Minotaur. After the Labyrinth was completed, King Minos imprisoned Daedalus and his son Icarus in a tower, so that he could not spread word of his work. Daedalus fabricated wings so that he and Icarus could escape by flying off the island. Despite being warned by his father, Icarus flew too close to the sun so that the wax holding the wings’ feathers in place melted. Icarus drowned in the sea, and Daedalus escaped.
3…Partner of Marcus..NEIMAN
Herbert Marcus, his sister Carrie Marcus Neiman, and her husband A. L. Neiman, were partners with a tidy of profit of $25,000 from a business they had founded. This was 1907 Atlanta, and they were offered the chance to invest in a new company that was just starting to make “sugary soda drinks”, a company called Coca-Cola. The partners declined, instead returning to their home of Dallas and founding a department store they called Neiman-Marcus.
4…ESPN highlights..TDS
Touchdowns (TDs)
ESPN is the Entertainment Sports Programming Network, a cable network that broadcasts sports programming 24 hours a day. ESPN was launched back in 1979.
7…Latin catchall..ET ALIA
Et alii (et al.) is the equivalent of et cetera (etc.), with et cetera being used in place of a list of objects, and et alii used for a list of names. In fact “et al.” can stand for et alii (for a group of males, or males and females), aliae (for a group of women) and et alia (for a group of neuter nouns, or for a group of people where the intent is to retain gender-neutrality).
9…Number worn by Tony La Russa as a tribute to Sparky Anderson..TEN
Tony La Russa is a former MLB player and manager. Off the field, La Russa is well known in this part of Northern California as the founder of the Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) headquartered in the city of Walnut Creek. The ARF is a “no-kill” animal shelter for abandoned dogs and cats. We rescued our pet dog from the ARF.
Sparky Anderson was a second baseman for the Phillies and manager for the Reds and the Tigers. Anderson won the World Series with the National League’s Reds in 1975 and 1976, and then with the American League’s Tigers in 1984. That made Anderson the first manager to win a World Series with both a National League and American League team.
13…Google Wallet rival..APPLE PAY
Apple Pay is a payment service that operates with many of Apple’s mobile devices. Apple Pay competes directly with Google Wallet. Much as I like the idea behind Apple Pay and Google Wallet, they just don’t seem to be gaining any traction at all in the retail market …
Google Wallet is a clever mobile payment system that allows users to store credit cards, loyalty cards, gift cards and the like on cell phones. The ideal use of the system involves just tapping one’s phone at Wallet-enabled terminal at checkout. But, there aren’t many stores that have such a capability. Great idea though …
15…The __: two-time WWE Tag Team Champions..USOS
The Usos are a wrestling tag team comprising the fraternal twins Jimmy and Jey Uso. Jimmy and Jey are of Samoan descent, but were born in San Francisco. Their real names are Jonathan and Joshua Fatu, but adopted the name “Uso” as it translates to “brother” in Samoan.
29…Rumba relative..CHA-CHA
The cha-cha-cha (often simplified to “cha-cha”) is a Latin dance with origins in Cuba, where it was introduced by composer Enrique Jorrin in 1953.
The rumba is a Cuban dance, with influences brought by African slaves and Spanish colonists. The name “rumba” comes from “rumbo”, the Spanish word for “party, spree”.
37…Cutty __: Scotch..SARK
Cutty Sark Scotch whisky is named for the famous clipper ship. The British ship was built not far from where the Scotch was first blended. The ship in turn is named for the “cutty-sark”, a short skirt mentioned in the poem “Tam o’ Shanter” by Robert Burns.
46…Hong Kong, e.g…ISLAND
Hong Kong Island is in the southern part of the autonomous territory known as Hong Kong, located in the south of Mainland China.
Hong Kong first became part of the British Empire after the First Opium War in 1842. In 1898, Britain signed a 99-year lease to retain control of Hong Kong. That control ended 99 years later in 1997 with a formal transfer of sovereignty back to China.
47…Nest sound?..SHORT E
The letter E in the word “nest” is a short E.
48…Set of seven..HEPTAD
A “heptad” is a group of seven. The prefix “hept-”, that is used for “seven”, comes from Greek. The “sept-” prefix, which means the same thing, comes from Latin.
51…Used, as a counter..SAT AT
When we sit at a “counter” in a diner say, there’s a connection with money lenders. Back in the mid-1300s, a counter was the table used by a money lender doing business. The term came into English from Latin via French, ultimately from “computare” meaning “to count”.
59…Payroll service co…ADP
Automatic Data Processing (ADP) is an enterprise based in Roseland, New Jersey that provides business services to companies.
60…Historic span: Abbr…CEN
Century (cen.)
Complete List of Clues and Answers
Across
1…Tumblr competitor..PINTEREST
10…Workers’ rights org…OSHA
14…Dunkin’ Donuts buy..ICED LATTE
15…”Gimme five”..UP TOP
16…Go wild..RAISE CAIN
17…Sticky corner piece..STAMP
18…Shot target..ARM
19…Joint room?..CELL
20…Zero on stage..MOSTEL
21…”Later!”..CIAO!
23…Marks meaning the same thing..DITTOS
25…Tongue attachment?..-ESE
26…Pulls hard..YANKS
28…Dynamic start..AERO-
29…Lose at the table, with “out”..CRAP
30…Flier to Helsinki..SAS
32…Coach in six Super Bowls..DON SHULA
34…Fencing maneuvers..THRUSTS
38…Kim of “Army Wives”..DELANEY
39…”I agree!”..HEAR, HEAR!
41…Grumpy pal..DOC
42…Works in Madrid?..ARTE
43…Singer with a domed nest..WREN
45…Trick users, in a way..PHISH
49…Your, in Tours..TES
50…Sri Lankan exports..PEKOES
52…”Off the Court” author..ASHE
53…Acted badly..SINNED
55…True-to-life..REAL
57…Cut..LOP
58…Used a drive-thru, maybe..ATE IN
59…Online shopping button..ADD TO CART
61…Tilts..LISTS
62…Dominican-born designer..DE LA RENTA
63…WWII Allied invasion vessels..LSTS
64…Put on..PRETENDED
Down
1…Music industry woe..PIRACY
2…Samos neighbor named for the son of Daedalus..ICARIA
3…Partner of Marcus..NEIMAN
4…ESPN highlights..TDS
5…Util. bill..ELEC
6…Went fast..RACED
7…Latin catchall..ET ALIA
8…Overly formal..STILTED
9…Number worn by Tony La Russa as a tribute to Sparky Anderson..TEN
10…Goes (for)..OPTS
11…Like some Chinese TV stations..STATE-RUN
12…Closing subject..HOME SALE
13…Google Wallet rival..APPLE PAY
15…The __: two-time WWE Tag Team Champions..USOS
20…Daydreamed..MOONED
22…”Well, why not?”..OK, SURE
24…Walked..TROD
27…Beauty pageant band..SASH
29…Rumba relative..CHA-CHA
31…Simmered..STEWED
33…Sty supper..SLOP
34…”No more for me”..THAT’S ALL
35…Finder’s words..HERE IT IS
36…Total mess..RAT’S NEST
37…Cutty __: Scotch..SARK
40…Ask for more..REORDER
44…Item for a sewer..NEEDLE
46…Hong Kong, e.g…ISLAND
47…Nest sound?..SHORT E
48…Set of seven..HEPTAD
50…Farm houses..PENS
51…Used, as a counter..SAT AT
54…Trifling criticisms..NITS
56…Accumulated accounts..LORE
59…Payroll service co…ADP
60…Historic span: Abbr…CEN
This grid was difficult, but solvable, even at four o’clock in the morning.
A note about the cha-cha-cha and the rumba. Both are danced to music in a 4/4 time, with the accent on the counts of four and one (dancers really don’t know how to count!). In the rumba, the slower and sexier of the two dances, the accented counts are emphasized by little or no movement; in the cha-cha-cha, the the beats are accented by rapid staccato movement; 2-3-4&1-2-3. The 4&1 gives the dance its name; 2-3-cha-cha-cha-2-3. While the cha-cha-cha can be a very sexy dance, it is best characterized by the words “cheeky” and “sassy.” When I was competing in Japan, the cha-cha-cha was arguably our best dance (paso doble a close second) and rumba was probably our worst; because of the slow tempo and restrained movement, it is a very difficult dance.
Sorry to go on; it always tickles me to see a dance reference in these grids. I may not dance anymore, but I’m still a dancer, dammit!
@Abby
Welcome to the blog, and (it seems) welcome to the crosswords. Hope you are able to be patient with the grids and us. If you have any questions about what is out there and things like difficulty level, feel free to ask. Speaking from experience, it does take a lot of patience to get into these things, but you will get better with time!
@Carrie
That’s a good way to put it. I notice that I’ve started ignoring spelling a lot more since I started doing grids, given a lot of nonsense that I’ve seen come up in grids that was right. I guess sometimes all you can do is just accept something as it is if everything else makes sense.
@all
I concur with you all on yesterday’s grid (did ’em but usually wait until Monday, couldn’t today). That was the second grid I’ve ever rage-quit on (about 3/4 of the way filled in). More amazing is that Bill beat some of the speed demons that he’s looking to catch on the ACPT with this one.
Thursday had similar characteristics on the lower right corner, but slogged it through. I don’t know how many grids since I had a pure DNF, but that ended the streak at 11 on (more or less) accurate grid-filling.
I’ll get to see how today and tomorrow bode and talk about that on Monday.
Hi all!
“Shorte” I think clues like this are ridiculous.
But overall a good grid and not like yesterday’s nightmare.
On my iPad, no errors, but my time was 39:45! I zipped through the left side and the middle in short order and then slammed into a brick wall on the right. (And I’m not quite sure why.) I don’t like to give up on a puzzle, so I kept staring at it; cracks finally began to appear in the wall, and I did eventually finish.
I’m reminded of a comment from a famous author (whose name I can’t remember at the moment): “Writing is easy for me. I just sit and stare at the typewriter until little drops of blood appear on my forehead.” Yuck … but I can relate … 🙂
Not bad for a Saturday effort. Anything feels better than yesterday’s grid. Ouch. I had never heard of PINTEREST so in the end I guessed and guessed wrong with “panterest” and “acaria”. Acaria sounded good to me so I went with it. But just the one square error.
20D MOONED to me means something completely different. I’ve never heard of it as meaning “daydreamed”. Next time I say “Sorry, I didn’t hear you; I was just mooning”, I bet they look at me funny.
Best –
@Vidwan827 … Almost forgot … I posted something very late yesterday, so I’m repeating it here: During the Cold War, my oldest brother spent a number of years with the USAF Security Service, doing electronic surveillance of the USSR. Because of this, he spent a lot of time in various out-of-the-way places, one of which was Trebizond (a spelling suggested by the spell-checker here). He told a number of interesting stories about the place (most of which, unfortunately, I have now forgotten).
@Jeff and all-
GREAT song, including these lyrics at the bridge. (middle section song)
Don’t know the time
Lordy, I’m in a daze
Sun in the sky
While I moon around, feeling hazy
DAYDREAM ELLINGTON
Goofed on an amateur mistake, spelled CIAO incorrectly. (CAIO) duh!
What was that we were saying about spelling? 🙂
Otherwise a finish for me.
Google Wallet and Apple Pay are tied into the EMV (chip card) implementation. At this point about half of retail stores have the terminals but many have not installed the software or received the certification required from the credit card companies. As a matter of efficiency, pay by phone software will be put in by sellers at the same time as EMV. Since retailers are now liable, since October, for fraudulent charges if they have not put in the EMV capability, it is expected that the timing will pick up in the near future. Since most of the big box stores now have the EMV, fraud has now migrated to small businesses where they have been reluctant to pay for the implementation. Sooner or later everyone will be converted, since at this point nearly 75% of users have the chip cards. The biggest delay right now is the long line waiting for certification from the banks.
I just came here to read the comments ….. since I dont/cant do the Saturday puzzle (!). and I’m glad I did.
David Kennison, I did read your comment yesterday, and, so kindly, repeated today. It makes a lot of sense, since Trebizond is a fairly big city, seaside ( that is, the Black Sea – ) city in NNE Turkey, and like all countries encircling the USSR ( like NE Pakistan, for instance – ) – it would have been an important listening post on the doings in the USSR. I think, I hope, that is all behind us now. Thanks for the info.
Welcome, all new blog members, – the more the merrier. And dont limit yourselves to the crossword clues ;-D). Thanks to Bill, we are a very tolerant and supportive bunch.
Dave Kennison, again, perhaps the suthor you were quoting was Mark Twain. (Actually, this is wrong.) Googled this, and found out it was Walter Winchell writing about the columns by a certain Red Smith, a sports writer…. who also had written, ‘ … writing is like cutting open (one of your – ) veins and bleed.’
To which, someone said, when a column is written, as such (as above – ), you do not expect it to be read, but to be learned, by heart.
Mark Twain, when askd about writing a humor column, every day, …. day after day, wrote…. ‘ You plant the seat of your pants to the seat of the chair, in front of your typewriter, and think till bloods sweats out of your forehead’.
I wonder if Bill does this every day ??
Btw, somebody said. ‘If writing an essay, is living life to the fullest, writing a blog is like living life, at the top of your lungs’.
I wonder what Bill has to say about this.
Finally, a great quote.
“Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.”
Yay! Finished —FINALLY! Took forever! Now I’ve got 10 completed Saturdays to my name — I’m in double digits!!!
Dave, I also had problems with the “east coast,” especially New England, so to speak. Spelled SHULA wrong, and blanked on UP TOP!! even tho it’s an expression I use (geeky, to be sure.) Kept thinking UP HIGH!!
@Glenn — LOL! “Rage quit!!” I definitely had the same experience with Friday’s grid.
Our Tony was Anonymous yesterday!!
Hey JEFF! you mentioned the Spanish of Nova the other day; how “Doesn’t go” isn’t a very good name for a car. Y’all remember the store Osco? I think it started as the new name for Sav-On. Anyway, “Osco” sounds like the Spanish for “nausea.” Not good! I’m convinced that’s why they changed it to CVS. Must go Google that and see if I’m right!
Hope Sunday’s puzzle isn’t a horrible slog….
Be well~~™?