Constructed by: Doug Peterson & Patti Varol
Edited by: Rich Norris
Quicklink to a complete list of today’s clues and answers
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Theme: Overlapping Circus Folk
Today’s themed answers are actually two answers that share a common word, but are mashed together. The end result is a very special circus employee:
- 20A…Circus barker turned hurler known for brushbacks?..INSIDE PITCHMAN (“inside pitch” + “pitchman”)
- 40A…Circus emcee turned fry cook?..ONION RINGMASTER (“onion ring” + “ringmaster”)
- 55A…Circus performer turned gardener?..DANDELION TAMER (“dandelion” + “lion tamer”)
Bill’s time: 6m 19s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1…”__ Secretary”: CBS drama..MADAM
“Madam Secretary” is TV show that first aired in 2014. It is about an ex-CIA analyst who is appointed as US Secretary of State. Téa Leoni plays the title role, ably supported by a favorite actress of mine, Bebe Neuwirth. I like this show …
14…Anaheim’s Honda Center, e.g…ARENA
The Honda Center is home to the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks. Formerly known as the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, it was renamed to the Honda Arena in 2006, with Honda paying $60 million for the naming rights for fifteen years.
15…West Coast sch…UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) gets more applications from students than any other university in the country. UCLA also has more students enrolled than any other university in the state.
16…Harbinger..OMEN
A harbinger is a person or a thing that indicates what is to come. The word comes from the Middle English “herbenger”, a person sent ahead to arrange lodgings.
17…Woody Woodpecker’s creator..LANTZ
The much-loved cartoon character called Woody Woodpecker came out of the Walter Lantz animation studio. Woody initially appeared in a cartoon called “Knock Knock” released in 1940. Woody was first voiced by the famous Mel Blanc.
18…Commuter option..RAIL
Our verb “to commute”, meaning “to go back and forth to work”, ultimately derives from the Latin “commutare”, meaning “to often change”. Back in the late 1800s, a “commutation ticket” was a season pass, so named because it allowed one to “change” one kind of payment into another. Quite interesting …
20…Circus barker turned hurler known for brushbacks?..INSIDE PITCHMAN (“inside pitch” + “pitchman”)
A brushback is a baseball pitch designed to intimidate, to push the batter back and away from the plate.
31…Olympics volleyball great Kerri __ Jennings..WALSH
Kerri Walsh Jennings was partner with Misty May-Treanor when they won three gold medals in beach volleyball in the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
39…29-Down’s rock gp…ELO
(29…Jeff of 39-Across..LYNNE)
The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) is a symphonic rock group from the north of England.
46…Emmy contender..ACTOR
The Emmy Awards are the television equivalent of the Oscars in the world of film, the Grammy Awards in music and the Tony Awards for the stage. Emmy Awards are presented throughout the year, depending on the sector of television being honored. The most famous of these ceremonies are the Primetime Emmy Awards and the Daytime Emmy Awards. The distinctive name of “Emmy” is a softened version of the word “immy”, the nickname given to the video camera tubes found in old television cameras.
48…French cathedral city..METZ
The city of Metz is in the northeast of France, close to the German border. Given the proximity to Germany, Metz has both a strong German tradition and a strong French tradition. Metz was handed over to the French following WWI, after nearly 50 years of German rule. It quickly fell back into German hands in 1940 during WWII, with many German officers delighted to have back the city of their birth. Perhaps because of this long association with Germany, the US Army under General Patton encountered stiff resistance when liberating Metz in 1944. The cathedral in Metz is home to the largest expanse of stained glass in the world, almost 70,000 square feet in all.
55…Circus performer turned gardener?..DANDELION TAMER (“dandelion” + “lion tamer”)
The name “dandelion” comes from the French “dent de lion” meaning “lion’s tooth”. The name is a reference to the coarse, tooth-like edges of a dandelion’s leaves.
64…Family name in a 1936 classic..O’HARA
Scarlett O’Hara’s home is the Tara plantation, in Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone with the Wind”. Tara was founded not far from the Georgia city of Jonesboro by Scarlett’s father, Irish immigrant Gerald O’Hara. Gerald won the square mile of land on which Tara was built in an all-night poker game. He named his new abode after the Hill of Tara back in his home country, the ancient seat of the High King of Ireland.
65…Dramatic accusation..ET TU
It was Shakespeare who popularized the words “Et tu, Brute?” (And you, Brutus?), in his play “Julius Caesar”, although the phrase had been around long before he penned his drama. It’s not known what Julius Caesar actually said in real life just before he was assassinated on the steps of the Senate in Rome.
66…Send a quick message to..PING
In the world of computer science, the original “ping” was (and still is) a test message sent over a network between computers to check for a response and to measure the time of that response. We now use the verb “to ping” more generally, meaning to send someone a message, usually a reminder.
67…Contribute, as to a kitty..PAY IN
The “pot” in a card game has been referred to as the kitty since the 1880s. It’s not certain how the name “kitty” evolved but possibly it came from “kit”, the necessary equipment for the game.
69…Merit badge holder..SASH
That would be in the world of scouting.
Down
1…West African country..MALI
The Republic of Mali is a landlocked country in western Africa, south of Algeria. Formerly known as French Sudan, the nation’s most famous city is Timbuktu. Mali is the third-largest producer of gold on the continent, after South Africa and Ghana.
2…Ireland’s __ Islands..ARAN
The Aran Islands are a group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay in the west of Ireland. They are beautiful and desolate places, and one of the few places in Ireland where the main language spoken is Irish, as opposed to English. If you’ve seen the television comedy “Father Ted”, you’ll be familiar with the landscape, as many of the external shots are from Inishmore, one of the Aran Islands.
4…Film noir protagonist..ANTIHERO
An “antihero”, perhaps in a movie or novel, is the “hero” of the piece, but someone who doesn’t exhibit the qualities associated traditionally with a hero, such as bravery or moral fortitude.
5…Miata maker..MAZDA
The Mazda MX-5 is sold as the Miata in North America, and as the Roadster in Japan. I’ve always liked the looks of the Mazda Miata, probably because it reminds me so much of old British sports cars. The Miata is built in Hiroshima, Japan.
6…Prince’s “__ Rain”..PURPLE
“Purple Rain” is a 1984 song by Prince that is the title track from an album of the same name. The album in turn was a soundtrack, of the film “Purple Rain”. The song reached #2 in the charts in 1984, but then made it to #1 soon after Prince’s death in 2016.
7…Berry at health food stores..ACAI
Açaí is a palm tree native to Central and South America. The fruit has become very popular in recent years and its juice is a very fashionable addition to juice mixes and smoothies.
9…Soft minerals..TALCS
Talc is a mineral, actually hydrated magnesium silicate. Talcum powder is composed of loose talc, although these days “baby powder” is also made from cornstarch.
10…Disc-shaped robotic vacuum..ROOMBA
The Roomba vacuum cleaner is a cool-looking device that navigates its way around a room by itself, picking up dirt as it goes. Like I said, it’s cool-looking but I am not sure how effective it is …
11…Austen classic..EMMA
Jane Austen’s novel “Emma” is the tale of Emma Woodhouse and the wonderful George Knightley. At the end of the story, Emma marries Knightley and her young friend Harriet marries Robert Martin, who had been trying to get Harriet’s attention practically from page one of the novel!
12…Nuremberg no..NEIN
Nürnberg (anglicized as “Nuremberg”) is a Bavarian city located north of Munich. Historically it is remembered for the huge Nazi Nuremberg rallies, and the Nuremberg trials that took place at the end of WWII. Nürnberg is sometimes confused with the city of Nürburg in the west of Germany, famous for the Nürburgring race track.
13…Blasted stuff..TNT
“TNT” is an abbreviation for trinitrotoluene. Trinitrotoluene was first produced in 1863 by the German chemist Joseph Wilbrand, who developed it for use as a yellow dye. TNT is relatively difficult to detonate so it was on the market as a dye for some years before its more explosive properties were discovered.
25…Sitcom with a 1974 wedding episode..RHODA
The seventies sitcom “Rhoda” was a spinoff of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” that starred Valerie Harper. The eighth episode of the show was an hour-long special in which Rhoda married her fiance Joe (played by David Groh). At the time of airing it was the second-most watched television episode in history, second only to the 1953 birth of Little Ricky on “I Love Lucy”.
26…Greek column style..IONIC
The Ionic was one of the three classical orders of architecture, the others being the Doric and the Corinthian. An Ionic column is relatively ornate. It usually has grooves running up and down its length and at the top there is a “scroll” design called a “volute”. The scroll motif makes Ionic columns popular for the design of academic buildings. The term “Ionic” means “pertaining to Ionia”, with Ionia being an ancient territory that is located in modern-day Turkey.
27…See 51-Across..PAINT
29…Jeff of 39-Across..LYNNE
Jeff Lynne is a singer-songwriter best known as the leader of the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). Lynne went on to form the Traveling Wilburys supergroup, along with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty.
33…”To __: perchance to dream”: Hamlet..SLEEP
The phrase “To sleep — perchance to dream” comes from Hamlet’s famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy:
To die — to sleep.
To sleep — perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub!
A “rub” is a difficulty or obstruction. The usage predates Shakespeare, and comes from the game of lawn bowls in which a rub is a fault in the bowling surface.
34…Epsom Downs racer..HORSE
The Surrey town of Epsom in England is most famous for its racecourse (Epsom Downs), at which is run the Epsom Derby every year, one of the three races that make up the English Triple Crown. We also come across Epsom salt from time to time. Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate, originally prepared by boiling down mineral waters. Epsom was indeed a spa town at one time. The town is also home to Epsom College, an English “public school” (which actually means “private, and expensive”). One of Epsom’s “old boys” was the Hollywood actor Stewart Granger.
38…__ Prime..AMAZON
Amazon Prime is a membership service that Amazon introduced in 2005. From my perspective, the main features coming with Amazon Prime are free two-day shipping and a large collection of free movies and TV shows that are available for streaming.
55…Excel input..DATA
Microsoft Excel is the spreadsheet program included in the Microsoft Office suite of applications. Microsoft’s first spreadsheet program was introduced back in 1982 and called Multiplan. Multiplan’s popularity waned due to the success of the competing product Lotus 1-2-3. Microsoft then introduced Excel, initially just for the Macintosh. When Excel was extended to Windows, Lotus was slow to respond and Microsoft took over the market.
57…General Organa in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”..LEIA
“Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens” is the seventh episode in the “Star Wars” series of films. Several favorite characters return in “Star Wars VII”, including Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and General Leia Organa (or “Princess Leia” in earlier films, played by Carrie Fisher).
58…Days and Holiday..INNS
The Days Inn hotel chain was founded in 1970 by a real estate developer called Cecil B. Day. One of the features of a Days Inn hotel in those early days was an on-site gas pump, which dispensed gasoline at discount prices.
The first Holiday Inn hotel was opened in 1952. The name for the hotel chain was inspired by the 1942 movie “Holiday Inn” starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire.
60…”The Very Hungry Caterpillar” writer Carle..ERIC
Eric Carle is a very successful children’s author and book illustrator, with over 100 million of his books sold around the world. Carle’s most famous title is “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”, and it alone has sold 30 million copies.
62…Hanukkah celebrator..JEW
The term “Hanukkah” derives from the Hebrew for “to dedicate”. Hanukkah is a holiday lasting eight days that commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple of Jerusalem after successful Jewish revolt against the Seleucids in the 2nd-century BCE. The story of Hanukkah includes the miracle of the one-day supply of oil that kept the menorah alight for eight days.
Complete List of Clues and Answers
Across
1…”__ Secretary”: CBS drama..MADAM
6…Tense period?..PAST
10…Studio payment..RENT
14…Anaheim’s Honda Center, e.g…ARENA
15…West Coast sch…UCLA
16…Harbinger..OMEN
17…Woody Woodpecker’s creator..LANTZ
18…Commuter option..RAIL
19…Skip over..OMIT
20…Circus barker turned hurler known for brushbacks?..INSIDE PITCHMAN (“inside pitch” + “pitchman”)
23…Auditorium..HALL
24…Sound sometimes choked back..SOB
25…Harvest-ready..RIPE
28…Wooded valley..DELL
31…Olympics volleyball great Kerri __ Jennings..WALSH
35…Like fans after a tough win, probably..HOARSE
37…Pro words..YEAS
39…29-Down’s rock gp…ELO
40…Circus emcee turned fry cook?..ONION RINGMASTER (“onion ring” + “ringmaster”)
43…Reason to wear earplugs..DIN
44…A, in many orgs…ASSN
45…Saws..ADAGES
46…Emmy contender..ACTOR
48…French cathedral city..METZ
50…”Not gonna happen”..NOPE
51…With 27-Down, sign on a damp bench..WET
53…Party leader..HOST
55…Circus performer turned gardener?..DANDELION TAMER (“dandelion” + “lion tamer”)
62…Disturbs..JARS
63…Button on some remotes..MENU
64…Family name in a 1936 classic..O’HARA
65…Dramatic accusation..ET TU
66…Send a quick message to..PING
67…Contribute, as to a kitty..PAY IN
68…Stinging insect..WASP
69…Merit badge holder..SASH
70…Baton, say..STICK
Down
1…West African country..MALI
2…Ireland’s __ Islands..ARAN
3…Lairs..DENS
4…Film noir protagonist..ANTIHERO
5…Miata maker..MAZDA
6…Prince’s “__ Rain”..PURPLE
7…Berry at health food stores..ACAI
8…Narrow cut..SLIT
9…Soft minerals..TALCS
10…Disc-shaped robotic vacuum..ROOMBA
11…Austen classic..EMMA
12…Nuremberg no..NEIN
13…Blasted stuff..TNT
21…Respected tribe members..ELDERS
22…Tearful words..HOW SAD
25…Sitcom with a 1974 wedding episode..RHODA
26…Greek column style..IONIC
27…See 51-Across..PAINT
29…Jeff of 39-Across..LYNNE
30…Chair part..LEG
32…Release..LET GO
33…”To __: perchance to dream”: Hamlet..SLEEP
34…Epsom Downs racer..HORSE
36…Caught..SNARED
38…__ Prime..AMAZON
41…Ideology..ISM
42…Red-and-white topper..SANTA HAT
47…Admits (to)..OWNS UP
49…Yet..THOUGH
52…Estimates on weather maps..TEMPS
54…Dots on a subway map..STOPS
55…Excel input..DATA
56…Graphic __..ARTS
57…General Organa in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”..LEIA
58…Days and Holiday..INNS
59…Permission-seeking phrase..MAY I?
60…”The Very Hungry Caterpillar” writer Carle..ERIC
61…Military status..RANK
62…Hanukkah celebrator..JEW
This puzzle was easier than most in a long time. The long answers also had some rhyme and rhythm. Never the less, I had a thoughful time while solving the puzzle, and I enjoyed it. A Thursday, yay !
A ‘commutator’ also allows DC electricity to be generated from an otherwise AC generator, or DC current to be applied to an AC motor. ‘To and fro’ would about describe its action.
I did not know the term ‘hurler known for brushbacks’. I now follow thanks to Bill.
Walter Lantz, he of the Woody Woodpecker fame, brings back many memories.
Have a nice day all. Friday, looms tomorrow…
Kind of a tweener today. I’d call it a Wednesday and a half puzzle. I kind of had a Peggy Lee moment with the theme when I thought “Is that all there is”? With only 3 long answers, I thought it would be more involved somehow.
Took me a while to get SASH for Merit badge holder. I kept thinking of a person or type of scout. Then I realized they’re referring to the badge itself.
Again – lots of new stuff in the blog. I had no idea Days Inn used to sell discounted gasoline. I’d think they could revive that and do well with it in terms of marketing their properties today. But like a lot of things, nobody asked me about it….
OMG – I hadn’t thought of Multiplan or Lotus in ages. My very first company email was on Lotus Notes. You had to click on the lightning bolt to connect and get your emails. I became rather obsessive about it. Thankfully real time email has taken over. I learned spreadsheets on Multiplan and went straight to Excel. I never used a Lotus spreadsheet. Do they still exist?
Best –
13:07, no errors. Easy for a Thursday, but I made a couple of missteps along the way.
THREE RING fit, but it didn’t jibe with RHODA.
That abbreviation for ASSOCIATION almost got me again.
Why do I have so much trouble with that? No idea who LYNNE is.
but it worked.
Just returned from a lovely trip to Ireland. I got an education on Hurling (pronounced Harling in Ireland) and bought an Aran sweater…so I got both those answers. Bill,your mother country is wonderful. We drove from Dublin to Westport along the coast.
Thanks, Penny, and welcome home. I spent a month or so in Louisburgh (just outside Westport) this past summer. I love that place …
Jeff Lynne? with Bob Dylan getting the Nobel Prize for Literature yesterday, I would have thought he would be mentioned before Jeff Lynne. Maybe tomorrow 🙂
Bill– re: 64A– I believe you need the word “game” after poker in your Tara explanation. I know you like to recycle some of your blog write ups and this may have been clipped at some point.
Thanks, Blurble (and Vidwan) for catching that slip. I’ve updated the post and my “blurb database”. Yes, I do have to recycle. There’s only so much to write about Oreos and Mr. T 🙂 Many thanks!
I too, ( probably like a host of other people – ) realized that 64 A had to have been, an ‘all night poker game’ ….. but I am so much in awe of the long hours and hard work that Bill does — and on two fronts — in LAT and the NYT – that I am loathe to correct him, on all the minor mistakes. I still remain in awe and wonder at the drive, within his heart, that carries him on, so – with no backup ! He remains a great imspiration to me.
OMG!! ONE LETTER OFF!! I CALL NATICK AT ARAN/LANTZ, DANG IT!!!!
I’m counting this one as finished, even tho I had an E. Didn’t know ARAN, ran thru several vowels, and was bugged for the rest of the puzzle. Except for that glitch, I agree: a tweener. Easy for a Thursday, but I was too distracted by that one letter, since I figured I’d guessed wrong. And I did. But I say it’s finished!!!
…. anyway……
Re: RHODA: ironically, tho that episode had such huge viewership, the marriage was the worst move that show could have made. It never was the same, and (SPOILER ALERT!!) Rhoda and Joe got divorced. I think viewers preferred Rhoda as a single woman, wry and hapless and over-the-top creative.
Meanwhile, it actually WILL be Dodgers vs Cubs in the NLCS!! I won’t know who I’m rooting for till that first pitch. They say that when you can’t decide between two choices and you flip a coin, you know before it lands which way you want it to go. It’s kinda like that. First pitch will be my coin toss.
Till tomorrow, everyone!
Sweet dreams~~™⚾