Constructed by: Mark Diehl
Edited by: Rich Norris
Quicklink to a complete list of today’s clues and answers
Quicklink to comments
Theme: None
Bill’s time: 20m 35s
Bill’s errors: 2
- FOLDEROL (folderow)
- MCCALL’S (McCawl’s)
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1…Raid units?..SPRAYS
Raid insecticide has been killing bugs since 1956.
7…Pass after all else failed?..HAIL MARY
A “Hail Mary pass” (also called “the long bomb”) is a desperation move in American football in which a long pass is thrown with very little chance of a success, right at the the end of a game or at the end of a half. The term dates back to thirties, and was probably first used at Notre Dame. The “Hail Mary” is a prayer in the Christian tradition that is of particular significance Roman Catholicism.
15…Mine shaft tool..TREPAN
A trepan is a boring tool used to sink mineshafts.
17…Cab Calloway catchphrase..HI-DE-HO
Cab Calloway was a famous jazz singer and bandleader who enjoyed most of his fame in the thirties and forties. His best known recording was the song “Minnie the Moocher” which had a chorus that used the “words” “hi-de-hi” and “hi-de-ho”. Calloway became so associated with the song he earned the nickname “The Hi De Ho Man”.
18…Jonathan’s cousins..WINESAPS
A winesap is a small and tart apple, often used for making cider.
There are a couple of theories about the origins of the Jonathan cultivar of apple. The most likely is that it was developed from an Esopus Spitzenburg seedling on a farm in Woodstock, New York. Originally called the “Rick” apple, after farm-owner Philip Rick, it was renamed by the president of the Albany Horticultural Society. He chose the name “Jonathan” after Jonathan Hasbrouck, a society member who brought the cultivar to the president’s attention.
19…She plays Hermione in “Harry Potter” films..EMMA
Emma Watson is the English actress famous for playing Hermione Granger in the “Harry Potter” series of movies. Watson continued her education while pursuing her acting career and studied at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.
22…Some sleepers..SOFAS
“Sofa” is a Turkish word meaning “bench”.
23…Soup vegetable..LEEK
The leek is a vegetable closely related to the onion and the garlic. It is also a national emblem of Wales (along with the daffodil), although I don’t think we know for sure how this came to be. One story is that the Welsh were ordered to wear leeks in their helmets to identify themselves in a battle against the Saxons. Apparently, the battle took place in a field of leeks.
24…Big name in diamonds..ZALES
The first Zales jewelry store was opened by Morris and William Zale and Ben Lipshy in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1924. Zales became successful largely by offering credit to their customers, a revolutionary concept at the time.
26…Parishioner’s place..NAVE
In large Christian churches, the nave is the main approach to the altar, where most of the congregation are seated.
27…Reagan __..ERA
Ronald Reagan started out his political career as a member of the Democratic Party, but switched to the Republicans in the early fifties. Reagan served as Governor of California for eight years, and vied unsuccessfully for the nomination for US President on two occasions. He finally succeeded in 1980 and defeated President Jimmy Carter to become the 40th US President in 1981.
29…Old tankard material..PEWTER
Pewter is a relatively soft alloy that is made up mostly of tin, with some copper, antimony, bismuth and lead.
31…Stallone, in “Capone”..NITTI
Frank Nitti was one of the top henchmen working for Al Capone. Unlike American-born Capone, Nitti was actually from Italy and was born near the city of Salerno. When Capone was eventually put away for 11 years for tax evasion, Nitti was convicted of the same crime. Nitti was only imprisoned for 18 months, and when released he was labelled as the new head of Capone’s Chicago Outfit. However the truth seems to be that he was just a frontman, with others making the decisions.
“Capone” is a 1975 biopic about infamous gangster Al Capone, with Ben Gazzara playing the title character. Sylvester Stallone makes an early film appearance as Frank “The Enforcer” Nitti, just one year before he hit the big time with “Rocky”.
33…Name on some euros..ESPANA
In Spanish, “Spain” is written as “España”.
41…Charity tourneys..PRO-AMS
“Tourney” is another word for a tournament. The term comes from the Old French word for “contest of armed men”, with “tournoier” meaning “to joust, jilt”.
47…Eats..CHOW
“Chow” is an American slang term for food that originated in California in the mid-1800s. “Chow” comes from the Chinese pidgin English “chow-chow” meaning “food”.
49…Brief subject..LAW
In law, a “brief” is a written argument submitted to a court. The term ultimately derives from the Latin “brevis” meaning “short”.
51…Starbucks order..DECAF
Starbucks is a coffee company based in Seattle, Washington. It is the largest coffeehouse company in the world and has over 19,000 stores. In the 1990s, Starbucks was opening one new store every single day! Starbucks is named after the chief mate on the Pequod in Herman Melville’s book “Moby Dick”.
53…”__-daisy!”..UPSY
“Upsy-daisy” is an interjection sometimes used when lifting up a child. It’s “baby talk”, words of reassurance.
58…Baloney..FOLDEROL
“Falderal” (also “folderal”) is a nonsense word that originated in the 18th century. Aptly enough, “folderol” means “nonsense”.
60…Where Mark Twain married Olivia Langdon..ELMIRA
Elmira is a city in the southern tier of New York State located closed close to the border with Pennsylvania. Elmira was also the family home of Olivia Langdon, wife of Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain). Mark Twain and family are buried in Elmira’s Woodlawn Cemetery.
62…Paratrooper’s start..FREE FALL
The term “parachute” was coined by Frenchman François Blanchard, from “para-” meaning “defence against” and “chute” meaning “a fall”.
64…Commuting metaphor..SARDINES
The commuters were packed in like sardines in a can.
65…Bands of cerebral nerve fibers..PONTES
In anatomical terms, a “pons” (plural “pontes”) is a slender tissue joining two parts of an organ. “Pons” is Latin for “bridge”. Sometimes the term “pons” is used to describe a band of nerve fibers on the front of the brain stem that links (“bridges”) the medulla oblongata and the cerebellum with the upper part of the brain. This band is referred to more completely as the pons Varolii.
Down
1…Napa County city that’s home to Beringer Vineyards..ST HELENA
St. Helena is a city in the Napa Valley wine region of California. There is only one chain restaurant within the city limits, because legislation was passed preventing chain restaurants from setting up shop in St. Helena. That one restaurant was in business before the law was enacted.
4…Vertical, more or less..APEAK
“Apeak” is a nautical term meaning “vertical”, as in “the oarsmen held their oars apeak”.
6…Loser’s mistake?..SNOOZE
You snooze, you lose.
7…”The Shape of Things to Come” author..HG WELLS
The HG Wells science-fiction tale “The Shape of Things to Come”, written in 1933, predicts a global conflict (WWII) that breaks out in 1940 lasting for ten years, after which chaos reigns as no victor emerges. After worldwide plague, a benevolent dictatorship emerges and the world moves towards a serene utopia. In time, the dictators are overthrown and peacefully retired, and the people of the Earth live happily ever after. All are citizens of one global state, with its capital in Basra in the Middle East.
9…Ziering of “Sharknado”..IAN
Ian Ziering is an actor best-known for playing Steve Sanders on the TV show “Beverly Hills, 90210”.
“Sharknado” is a 2013 tongue-in-cheek disaster movie that was made for the Syfy television channel. The basis of the plot is a freak hurricane that hits Los Angeles, resulting in a flood that leaves man-eating sharks roaming the city. I don’t think so …
10…Soapmaking compounds..LYES
Soap is basically made by adding a strong alkali (like lye) to a fat (like olive oil or palm oil). The fats break down in the basic solution in a process called saponification. The crude soap is extracted from the mixture, washed, purified and finished in molds.
11…Stinging builder of mud nests..MASON WASP
Potter wasps (also known as “mason wasps”) are named for the shape of the mud nest that they build.
13…Work on, as a road..REPAVE
Back in Ireland, the “pavement” is what we call the “footpath” (because the footpath is “paved”!). It’s very confusing when you arrive in this country from Ireland, and a little dangerous when one has been taught to “walk on the pavement” …
14…With 12-Down, 1994 Peace Prize sharer..YASSER …
12…See 14-Down.. …ARAFAT
Yasser (also Yasir) Arafat was born in Cairo in 1929, the son of two Palestinians and the second-youngest of seven children. Arafat was beaten by his father as a child and so did not have a good relationship with him. Arafat did not attend his father’s funeral, nor did he visit his grave. The beatings were apparently administered because the young Arafat was repeatedly attending religious services in the Jewish quarter of Cairo. Arafat’s explanation was that he wanted to “study the mentality” of the Jewish people.
21…Peace Nobelist of 1983..WALESA
Lech Walesa worked as an electrician in the Gdansk Shipyards in Poland. Walesa was active in the trade union movement in the days when unions were not welcome behind the Iron Curtain. His efforts resulted in the founding of Solidarity, the first independent trade union in Soviet-controlled territory. For his work, Walesa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and in 1990 he became the first democratically elected President of Poland. He has lost support in Poland in recent years, but he is a very popular booking on the international speaking circuit.
28…High clouds..CIRRI
Cirrus (plural “cirri”) clouds are those lovely wispy, white strands that are often called “mare’s tails”.
32…Like tournament favorites..TOP-SEEDED
A “seeded” player or team in a tournament is one given a preliminary ranking that is used in the initial draw. The intention is that the better competitors do are less likely to meet each other in the early rounds.
34…Ottoman officials..PASHAS
A pasha was a high-ranking official in the Ottoman Empire, roughly equivalent to the English rank of “lord”.
36…Craig role..BOND
I have not been a fan of Daniel Craig as James Bond (preferring Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan in the role). However, I saw “Skyfall” when it first came out and have been won over. “Skyfall” is one of the best Bond films so far, in my humble opinion. And, Adele’s rendition of the title song is an added plus …
38…Medium for da Vinci..OIL PAINT
Leonardo da Vinci was perhaps the most diversely talented person who ever contributed to society. He was a gifted painter, sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer and writer. Da Vinci’s mural “The Last Supper” is the most reproduced work of art in the world.
42…Magazine renamed Rosie in 2001..MCCALL’S
“McCall’s” was a women’s magazine published monthly. The magazine started out life in 1873 under the title “The Queen”, becoming “McCall’s Magazine—The Queen of Fashion” in 1897. Entertainer Rosie O’Donnell took over editorial direction in 2000, and the publication was renamed to “Rosie” in 2001. “Rosie” folded at the end of 2002.
45…”Bewitched” role..ENDORA
In the television sitcom “Bewitched”, Endora was Samantha’s mother, with mother, daughter and indeed granddaughter having the magical powers accorded to witches. Endora was played flamboyantly by Agnes Moorehead.
46…Worker in a cage..TELLER
“To tell” can mean “to count”, as in “telling one’s blessings” and “there are 16, all told”. This usage of the word “tell” gives us the term “bank teller”.
52…Nice school..ECOLE
In French, one might learn “une leçon” (a lesson) in an “école” (school).
The French city of Nice is on the Mediterranean coast in the southeast of the country. Although Nice is only the fifth most populous city in France, it is home to the busiest airport outside of Paris. That’s because of all the tourists flocking to the French Riviera.
53…Dispirit..UNMAN
The verb “to unman” means to deprive of courage or virility. Back in the late 16th century, the term meant “to deprive of the attributes of a human being”.
55…S&L offering..REFI
Refinance (refi)
Savings and Loan (S&L)
61…Early August arrival..LEO
Leo is the fifth astrological sign of the Zodiac. People born from July 23 to August 22 are Leos.
Complete List of Clues and Answers
Across
1…Raid units?..SPRAYS
7…Pass after all else failed?..HAIL MARY
15…Mine shaft tool..TREPAN
16…Ambiguous part..GRAY AREA
17…Cab Calloway catchphrase..HI-DE-HO
18…Jonathan’s cousins..WINESAPS
19…She plays Hermione in “Harry Potter” films..EMMA
20…Falls behind, perhaps..OWES
22…Some sleepers..SOFAS
23…Soup vegetable..LEEK
24…Big name in diamonds..ZALES
26…Parishioner’s place..NAVE
27…Reagan __..ERA
28…Word on a business card..CELL
29…Old tankard material..PEWTER
31…Stallone, in “Capone”..NITTI
33…Name on some euros..ESPANA
35…Takes in..ABSORBS
37…Replacement for unlisted items..AND SO ON
41…Charity tourneys..PRO-AMS
43…Throw out an idea..OPINE
44…Takes root..SETS IN
47…Eats..CHOW
49…Brief subject..LAW
50…Spot for a scrape..KNEE
51…Starbucks order..DECAF
53…”__-daisy!”..UPSY
54…Thumb twiddler..IDLER
56…Dough..CASH
57…Pickup spot?..NAPE
58…Baloney..FOLDEROL
60…Where Mark Twain married Olivia Langdon..ELMIRA
62…Paratrooper’s start..FREE FALL
63…Like beef loin, vis-à-vis chuck..LEANER
64…Commuting metaphor..SARDINES
65…Bands of cerebral nerve fibers..PONTES
Down
1…Napa County city that’s home to Beringer Vineyards..ST HELENA
2…Pricey cut..PRIME RIB
3…2-Down and others..RED MEATS
4…Vertical, more or less..APEAK
5…Slangy agreement..YAH
6…Loser’s mistake?..SNOOZE
7…”The Shape of Things to Come” author..HG WELLS
8…Develop..ARISE
9…Ziering of “Sharknado”..IAN
10…Soapmaking compounds..LYES
11…Stinging builder of mud nests..MASON WASP
12…See 14-Down.. …ARAFAT
13…Work on, as a road..REPAVE
14…With 12-Down, 1994 Peace Prize sharer..YASSER …
21…Peace Nobelist of 1983..WALESA
25…Bridge..SPAN
28…High clouds..CIRRI
30…Fund..ENDOW
32…Like tournament favorites..TOP-SEEDED
34…Ottoman officials..PASHAS
36…Craig role..BOND
38…Medium for da Vinci..OIL PAINT
39…Rampaging..ON A SPREE
40…Day of resolve..NEW YEAR’S
42…Magazine renamed Rosie in 2001..MCCALL’S
44…One-person boats..SKIFFS
45…”Bewitched” role..ENDORA
46…Worker in a cage..TELLER
48…Useful..OF HELP
52…Nice school..ECOLE
53…Dispirit..UNMAN
55…S&L offering..REFI
59…Fared poorly in the wash..RAN
61…Early August arrival..LEO
18:17, no errors, iPad. The “P” at the intersection of TREPAN and APEAK was an educated guess, as I’d never heard of the first word except as a surgical tool and I’d never heard of the second word at all. PONTES was another educated guess: I knew that PONTE in Italian has something to do with bridges (think “Ponte Vecchio” in … Florence?) and I then remembered the Latin phrase “pons medulla” from some long-ago medical article, so PONTES for “bridging” bands of nerve fibers made sense (and, in any case, all the intersecting puzzle entries seemed to work). So … a nice puzzle, but … I’m still kind of looking forward to Monday … 🙂
Re 62A: I thought that the prefix “para,” meant “with.” Paralegal, paramedic etc. It just logically followed in my (admittedly illogical mind) that “parachute” meant “with a chute.”
Hi all (again). Got the puzzles done up to this point, including the WSJ meta (entered), but I’ll reserve comment until I get Sat and Sun done.
@David (yesterday)
People don’t sweat much on using any kind of tool that helps construct puzzles, or anything else that does a simple job better. In fact, when I troll garage sales (where I get most of my reading material these days, btw), I can find a printed pattern dictionary or two published by a couple of the names that are familiar with most constructors. Can’t say there’s much use of them to pick one of them up, given the electronic tools out there. The trend even extends into the electronic world, as a couple of the known constructors are behind some published/subscribed to word/phrase lists and clue databases.
Notably, these tools have raised the quality game of the average constructor, much like the word processor has in the ability to generate good text. The problem in both comes in using them as a crutch, which is evident both cases.
The way this is so with word processors is something well evident (as you noted) in spelling checkers (and grammar checkers). The problem in using those as a crutch is that it still allows errors and doesn’t eliminate the need for good proofreading. In other words it does not obliviate the need to learn how to write properly. The same is true with the crossword constructing tools.
@Pookie
I noticed that he repeats a lot too. I need to research, but I have to wonder if I need to add Weschler to the list of “frequents”…
A worthy Saturday grid. I almost had it, but the NW just gave me too many fits with TREPAN, APEAK (I’ll let Carrie enjoy that one) , HIDEHO, YAH (yep)- not to mention I had “beet” rather than LEEK at first (See: Borshch). Everything else fell into place.
I have to deal with wasps almost constantly where I live. Mason and Potter wasps are similar, but they are different types of wasps. I get something similar here called mud or dirt daubers. I’m constantly knocking their nests off the brick of my house and I must go through 10 cans of wasp spray per season here. I HATE those things!!
Not surprising that changing a long standing magazine from McCalls to Rosie for ego reasons would cause it to fail. I think if I bought Time magazine and changed the name to Jeff magazine it wouldn’t last either…..
Glenn – I like that idea of looking for good reading material at garage sales. I bet you run across some interesting stuff. Although I mostly read ebooks now, I occasionally go into bookstores for hard copies of certain authors I like and have their entire collection.
One of my favorites is Daniel Silva and his protagonist/spy Gabriel Allon. He just came out with a new one in July I’m just getting to this weekend (I hope). I’d recommend the entire series….but I digress.
Very enjoyable and challenging puzzle today. I’d give it an A, but due to APEAK… A-
Best –
Waayyy too tough for me.
Had only 7 words filled in and 2 partials.
HI DE Hi or Hi-DE-HO?
UPSY or UPSA?
All I had for 58A “Baloney” was *****RO*
So I put in TOMMY ROT.
(buzzer!! WRONG!)
Had no idea about McCall’s magazine.
I get a subscription to McCall’s Quilting, so as far as I knew, it hadn’t changed. No wonder after Rosie took over it tanked.
Just noticed that Mark Diehl set both the LA Times as well as the NY Times puzzle today. The guy has been busy. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that happen before.
Oh well, I’ll get to his NYT effort later. I’ll see how they compare
For some reason I didn’t have that much trouble with this grid. I had MaCall’s which screwed things up for awhile and Hi Di Ho which also had me circling in a holding pattern while I straightened that self inflicted injury out. But all things considered it came together much more quickly than my usual Saturday brain busting exercise.
Have a great weekend all.
@Jeff — If you’ve seen Diehl’s NYT effort today, I think you’ll agree that it’s a tougher, but MUCH better, puzzle than this one. The contrast — especially in the quality of the cluing — is so stark that I have to wonder what role the editing played. In my post on the NYT/Parker blog, I said that Diehl never disappoints. I hope this is as close as he ever comes to it.
JB –
All my joking aside, I think both were excellent puzzles.
I just finished his NYT puzzle. Yes it was very good and very hard – a little more challenging than this one. Interestingly, I had a similar result. I had one small patch I couldn’t quite finish but did ok otherwise.
Do you suppose that Will Shortz and Rich Norris got together about today’s puzzles and said “Let’s make a Diehl” and just got confused?…..
Best –