Day: August 25, 2023

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Constructed by: Doug Peterson
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Edge Case

Themed answers are all at the EDGE of the grid. Each is a kind of CASE:

• 40A Situation that occurs under extreme conditions, and a description of the answer to each starred clue : EDGE CASE

• 1A *Pipe alternative : CIGAR (CASE)
• 6A *”You Were Meant for Me” singer : JEWEL (CASE)
• 11A *Minor mistake : SLIP(CASE)
• 68A *Challenge : TEST (CASE)
• 69A *Tumbler : GLASS (CASE)
• 70A *Least satisfactory : WORST (CASE)
• 1D *On a losing streak : COLD (CASE)
• 14D *Call : PHONE (CASE)
• 28D *Sub supplier : DELI (CASE)
• 38D *Germ of an idea : SEED (CASE)
• 50D *Server’s spot? : COURT (CASE)
• 60D *Charcuterie fare : MEAT (CASE)

Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers

Bill’s time: 10m 00s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

6 *”You Were Meant for Me” singer : JEWEL

Singer Jewel’s full name is Jewel Kilcher. She is married to nine-time world champion rodeo cowboy Ty Murray. You might have seen both of them on “Dancing with the Stars” a few years ago. Jewel was meant to compete but had to pull out at the last minute, so her hubby took her spot. He did surprisingly well!

“You Were Meant for Me” is a 1996 single co-written and recorded by Jewel. There are two versions of the song, and two accompanying music videos. The less successful “radio version” has a music video that was produced by actor Sean Penn. Jewel was in a romantic relationship with Penn at the time of the song’s release.

15 2022 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Tony : OLIVA

Tony Oliva is a former Major League Baseball player who played his whole career for the Minnesota Twins. Oliva suffered from severe knee problems due to multiple injuries, forcing him to play the last four years of his career as a designated hitter (DH). On the bright side, he went into the history books in 1973 when he became the first DH to hit a MLB home run.

16 Savory quality : UMAMI

Umami is one of the five basic tastes, along with sweet, sour, bitter and salty. “Umami” is a Japanese word used to describe “a pleasant savory taste”. Umami was proposed as a basic taste in 1908, but it wasn’t until the mid-1990s that the scientific community finally accepted it as such.

18 Hybrid big cat : LIGER

The tiger is the largest species in the cat family. Tigers have been known to breed with lions. A liger is a cross between a male lion and female tiger. A tigon is a cross between a female lion and a male tiger.

20 Spot’s pal in Pixar’s “The Good Dinosaur” : ARLO

“The Good Dinosaur” is a Pixar movie that premiered in Paris on November 14th, 2015 under the title “Le Voyage d’Arlo”.

23 Like Frederick the Great’s kingdom : PRUSSIAN

Frederick the Great (also “Frederick II”) ruled the German Kingdom of Prussia from 1740 to 1786. Frederick was widely proclaimed as a former hero, great warrior and leader in Germany during WWI and WWII. His reputation has been viewed in a less favorable light since 1945, largely due to the fact that he was revered by Adolf HItler and Nazis in general.

25 Skin bump : WART

A wart is a small eruption on the skin caused by a localized viral infection. Apparently, the most successful treatment is topical use of salicylic acid, with a cure rate of 75%. I think it’s best to avoid getting them …

26 Jedi played by Daisy Ridley : REY

Rey is a central character in the “Star Wars” universe who first appeared in 2015’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. She is trained as a Jedi by Luke Skywalker and his sister Princess Leia Organa. In honor of her mentors, she takes the name Rey Skywalker, and eventually becomes “The Last Jedi”. Rey is played by British actress Daisy Ridley.

British actress Daisy Ridley hit the big time when she landed the role of Rey in the movie “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, a role that she reprised in several subsequent “Star Wars” films. Some might recognize the family name “Ridley”. Daisy’s great-uncle was Arnold Ridley, who played Private Godfrey in the hit Britcom “Dad’s Army”.

30 Tara of the “Sharknado” films : REID

Tara Reid is an actress known for roles she played on television and the big screen. My guess is that her best-known performances were in the “American Pie” series of movies in which she played Vicky. Sadly, Reid succumbed to the pressure to alter her looks with plastic surgery. In interviews, she has shared that her first experience under the knife “went wrong” leading to more surgeries in attempts to rectify the resulting deformity.

“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 …

32 Novelist Santha Rama __ : RAU

Santha Rama Rau was a travel writer from India who lived much of her life in the US. As well as writing her own books, Rau also adapted the E. M. Forster novel “A Passage to India” for the stage.

33 Bistros, e.g. : EATERIES

“Bistro” was originally a Parisian slang term describing a little wine shop or restaurant.

35 Zombies, essentially : CORPSES

A zombie is a corpse that has been brought back to life by some mystical means. Our modern use of the term largely stems from the undead creatures featured in the 1968 horror movie called “Night of the Living Dead”. Now that film I haven’t seen, and probably never will …

39 Inebriated : LIT

Sobriety is the quality of being sober, not intoxicated. The opposite is insobriety, the quality of not being sober. To be inebriated is to be under the influence of alcohol, and the state of being intoxicated is ebriety. Sort those terms out after a glass or two of wine …

42 __ kwon do : TAE

Tae kwon do is the national sport of Korea. “Tae” means “to strike or break with foot”; “kwon” means “to strike or break with fist”; “do” means “way” or “art”. Along with judo, tae kwon do is one of only two martial arts included in the Olympic Games.

47 Rx writers : MDS

There seems to be some uncertainty about the origin of the symbol “Rx” that’s used for a medical prescription. One explanation is that it comes from the astrological sign for Jupiter, a symbol put on prescriptions in days of old to invoke Jupiter’s blessing to help a patient recover.

48 Developer’s map : PLAT

A plat is a map showing actual and planned features. So, a town might have a plat showing existing and intended buildings.

49 Eagle-__ : EYED

Eagles have extraordinary eyesight that is several times stronger than that enjoyed by humans. The average eagle weighs about ten pounds, and yet has eyes that are about the same size as human eyes.

50 Title in a Dumas title : COMTE

“Comte” is the French word for “count”, as in “Le Comte de Monte-Cristo” (The Count of Monte Cristo) by Alexandre Dumas.

54 Some quinceañera attendees : TIAS

In Spanish, a “tia” (aunt) is a member of “la familia” (the family).

“Quinceañera” is a celebration of a girl’s fifteenth birthday, and is an event common in many parts of Latin America.

58 British actor who played Bilbo Baggins : IAN HOLM

English actor Sir Ian Holm was very respected on the stage in the UK, but is better known for his film roles here in the US. He played the hobbit Bilbo Baggins in two of the “Lord of the Rings” movies, and also played the character who is revealed as an android in the film “Alien”.

61 Gabrielle Union’s alma mater : UCLA

Gabrielle Union is a successful American actress who is also an established author. She has written two memoirs (“We’re Going to Need More Wine” and “You Got Anything Stronger”) as well as two children’s books (“Welcome to the Party” and “Shady Baby”).

64 Flood guard : LEVEE

A levee is an artificial bank, usually made of earth, that runs along the length of a river. It is designed to hold back river water at a time of potential flooding. “Levée” is the French word for “raised” and is an American term that originated in French-speaking New Orleans around 1720.

66 2022 role for Pattinson : WAYNE

“The Batman” is a 2022 film, and a reboot of the “Batman” film franchise. It stars Robert Pattinson as the title character (aka Bruce Wayne), and Paul Dano as the Riddler, the antagonist of the piece.

67 __ rock : ARENA

Arena rock (also “stadium rock” and “dad rock”) is rock music played in large arenas. It is a phenomenon that dates back to the British Invasion when successful bands like the Beatles played to large audiences in places such as Shea Stadium in New York.

69 *Tumbler : GLASS

A tumbler is a glass. Back in the 1660s a tumbler was a glass with a rounded or pointed base so that it could not be put down without spilling its contents, as it would “tumble” over. The idea was that one had to drink up before putting the glass down.

Down

3 Power grid measures : GIGAWATTS

James Watt was a Scottish inventor. He figured prominently in the Industrial Revolution in Britain, largely due to the improvements he made to the fledgling steam engine. The SI unit of power is called the watt, and was named in his honor.

7 Classic record label : EMI

EMI was a British music company, with the initialism standing for Electric and Musical Industries.

9 Pedicure abrasive : EMERY

Emery is a very hard type of rock that is crushed for use as an abrasive. Emery paper is made by gluing small particles of emery to paper. Emery boards are just emery paper with a cardboard backing. And emery boards are primarily used for filing nails.

10 Substitution word : LIEU

As one might imagine perhaps, “in lieu” came into English from the Old French word “lieu” meaning “place”, which in turn is derived from the Latin “locum” that also means “place”. So, “in lieu” translates as “in place of”.

11 Demolition derby collision : SMASHUP

In a demolition derby, several drivers smash their cars into each other in an arena, with the intent of being the “last car standing”.

12 “Foreign Affairs” Pulitzer winner : LURIE

Alison Lurie is an American novelist. Lurie won a Pulitzer Prize in 1985 for her novel “Foreign Affairs”. Three of her works have been adapted for television: “The War Between the Tates”, “Imaginary Friends” and “Foreign Affairs”.

13 Mullah’s faith : ISLAM

In the Islamic tradition, a mullah is a man or woman educated in theology and sacred law.

28 *Sub supplier : DELI

The word “delicatessen” (or “deli” for short) came into English from the German “Delikatessen”. The Germans borrowed the word from French, in which language “délicatesse” means “delicious things (to eat)”. The term’s ultimate root is “delicatus”, the Latin for “giving pleasure, delightful”.

31 Brain tests, briefly : EEGS

An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a record of electrical activity caused by the firing of neurons within the brain. The EEG might be used to diagnose epilepsy, or perhaps to determine if a patient is “brain dead”.

32 Stone discovery site : ROSETTA

Rosetta is a coastal city and port on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt. The Rosetta Stone is an ancient Egyptian artifact of tremendous importance in deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics. Carvings on the stone are actually three translations of the same passage of prose, one in Egyptian hieroglyphics, one in Egyptian Demotic language, and one in classical Greek. The stone was discovered by the French military during Napoleon’s 1798-99 campaign in Egypt. Before the French could get it back to France, the stone somehow ended up in enemy hands (the British), so it is now on display in the British Museum. Ownership of the stone is very much in dispute. The French want it and, understandably, the Egyptians would like it back.

35 Asunción abode : CASA

Asunción is the capital city of Paraguay. It is one of the oldest cities in South America, and hence known as “Mother of Cities”. The city was first visited by Spanish conqueror Juan de Ayolas, and he founded a fort there in 1537 that he called Nuestra Señora Santa María de la Asunción, which is why we use the current name.

41 Rock’s Blue Öyster __ : CULT

Blue Öyster Cult is a rock band from Long Island, New York. I may be alone in labeling Blue Öyster Cult as a “one-hit wonder”, but I always associate the band with the marvelous 1976 song “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”.

48 Smoothie fruit : PAPAYA

The papaya (also “papaw”) tropical fruit is native to Mexico and South America. When cultivating papaya trees, only female plants are used. Female plants produce just one, high-quality fruit per tree. Male plants produce several fruit per tree, but they are very poor quality.

57 University of Georgia athlete, familiarly : DAWG

The sports teams of the University of Georgia are called the Bulldogs. The team mascot is known as Hairy Dawg. “Forbes” magazine once listed Hairy Dawg as the third-best sports mascot. Impressive …

58 Tahiti et Martinique : ILES

Tahiti is the most populous island in French Polynesia, which is located in the central Southern Pacific. Although Captain Cook landed in Tahiti in 1769, he wasn’t the first European to do so. However, Cook’s visit was the most significant in that it heralded a whole spate of European visitors, who brought with them prostitution, venereal disease and alcohol. Included among the subsequent visitors was the famous HMS Bounty under the charge of Captain Bligh.

The island of Martinique in the eastern Caribbean is actually a part of France, and is referred to as an “overseas department”. As such, Martinique is part of the European Union and even uses the euro as its currency. The island is fully represented in the French National Assembly and Senate, just like any department within France. It’s sort of like the status of Hawaii within the US.

59 Periscope part : LENS

The prefix “peri-” is Greek in origin and means “around”. An example of its use is “periscope”, a device on a submarine for looking “around”.

60 *Charcuterie fare : MEAT

In French, a “charcutier” is a pork butcher, although the term “charcuterie” has come to describe a genre of cooking focused on prepared meats such as bacon, ham, sausage and pâté. Although these meats often feature pork, it is not exclusively so. The word “charcuterie” comes from the French “chair” meaning “flesh” and “cuit” meaning “cooked”.

63 Progressive business: Abbr. : INS

Progressive is a popular auto insurance company, the one that uses the perky character named “Flo” as a spokesperson. Flo is played by comedian and actress Stephanie Courtney.