Day: October 13, 2023

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Constructed by: Doug Peterson
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer(s): Fashion Forward

Themed answers are each common phrases with the second word an object of FASHION, and moved FORWARD to the start:

• 34A With 37-Across, up on the latest trends, and a fitting description of the answers to the starred clues? : FASHION …
• 37A See 34-Across : … FORWARD

• 17A *Refrain from walking on the lawn? : SKIRT GRASS (from “grass skirt”)
• 22A *Doesn’t pay enough in island taxes? : SHORTS BERMUDA (from “Bermuda shorts”)
• 46A *Gives the third degree to the decorator? : PUMPS DESIGNER (from “designer pumps”)
• 52A *Put a limit on wash time? : CAP BATHING (from “bathing cap”)

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

Bill’s time: 7m 56s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 __ Griffin Way: street in Beverly Hills : MERV

Merv Griffin was quite the entertainer, and truly a mogul in the business. He started his career as a singer on the radio during the big band era. In the sixties he hosted his own talk show, and then famously developed such great game shows as “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune”.

5 “Superfudge” writer : BLUME

“Superfudge” is a 1980 children’s novel penned by author Judy Blume. It is the third in the “Fudge” series, which is centered on a boy named Peter Warren Hatcher, and his younger brother Farley Drexel “Fudge” Hatcher. In the third book, Peter and Fudge become brothers to a sister named Tamara Roxanne, and Fudge gets very jealous of the attention given to the baby.

10 Completely level : RAZE

To raze (“rase”, in UK English) is to level to the ground. I’ve always thought it a little quirky that “raise”, a homophone of “raze”, means “build up”.

21 Some invisible inks : ACIDS

Invisible ink becomes invisible soon after writing, and is made visible by applying perhaps heat or UV light. A simple and classic example of an invisible ink is lemon juice. The acidic juice on the paper forms visible esters when heat is applied.

22 *Doesn’t pay enough in island taxes? : SHORTS BERMUDA (from “Bermuda shorts”)

Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory that is located off the east coast of the US. It is named for the Spaniard Juan de Bermúdez who in 1503 became the first European to discover the archipelago. Bermuda is the oldest remaining British Overseas Territory (since Newfoundland became part of Canada in 1949). It is also the most populous British Overseas Territory (since Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997).

The short trousers that we now know as Bermuda shorts were introduced by the British Army for wear in tropical climes. When there was a shortage of clothing during WWII in the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, some local banks supplied their male employees with pants using the British military design. The employees were also issued knee-length socks to wear with the shorts. To this day, a dress shirt, tie and blazer with Bermuda shorts and knee-length socks is considered as appropriate business attire on the island.

28 Hacienda material : ADOBE

In Spanish, the term “hacienda” is often used for a large estate.

31 Alternative to OAK : SFO

The San Francisco Bay Area is served by three major airports: San Francisco (SFO), Oakland (OAK) and San Jose (SJC).

34 With 37-Across, up on the latest trends, and a fitting description of the answers to the starred clues? : FASHION
37 See 34-Across : -FORWARD

Someone described as fashion-forward tends to follow the latest trends in fashion.

40 Dapper : NATTY

A natty dresser is one who dresses smartly. The term “natty” may come from the Middle English “net” meaning “fine, elegant”, in which case it shares its etymology with the word “neat”.

46 *Gives the third degree to the decorator? : PUMPS DESIGNER (from “designer pumps”)

A pump is a woman’s shoe that doesn’t have a strap. Such shoes are probably called “pumps” because of the sound they make while walking in them.

The phrase “third degree” is used to describe a particularly rough interrogation. We seem to be unsure where the expression originates, but there are theories. One is that it refers the third degree level of Freemasonry, which requires rigor and dedication to attain. Another theory is that it comes from Richard Sylvester who was Chief of Police for Washington, D.C. in the early 1900s. Sylvester saw the first degree of police procedure as arrest, the second degree as transportation to jail, and the third degree as interrogation.

61 ThirdLove garments : BRAS

ThirdLove is a supplier of lingerie that was founded in 2013 by Heidi Zak and her husband David Spector. Spector was driven to found her company because of the difficulty she had finding bras that fit comfortably, and also were stylish. Much of ThirdLove’s early success came with supplying bras in half-cup sizes.

62 Circuit device : RELAY

A relay is a switch, one that is operated electrically as opposed to mechanically. Relays tend to be used when a high-power circuit needs to be controlled by a low-power signal.

Down

3 Financial performance measure, for short : ROI

Return on investment (ROI) measures the gains made from investing, relative to the amount invested.

4 Martini ingredient : VERMOUTH

Vermouth is a fortified wine that is infused with various aromatic flavors. The vermouth that we use today originated in Turin, Italy in the mid-1700s. The various vermouths produced all use a neutral grape wine as a base, with alcohol added to fortify it. Dry ingredients like herbs or roots are added to give a distinctive flavor, and then sugar can be added to make the drink sweeter. Today, most vermouth comes from Italy and France.

7 NATO member : USA

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was founded not long after WWII in 1949 and is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. The first NATO Secretary General was Lord Ismay, Winston Churchill’s chief military assistant during WWII. Famously, Lord Ismay said the goal of NATO was “to keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down.”

12 Writer Fitzgerald : ZELDA

Zelda Fitzgerald, the wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald, was a novelist in her own right. Zelda’s one and only novel is “Save Me the Waltz”, a semi-autobiographical account of her life and marriage.

13 Consort of Psyche : EROS

In the myth of Cupid (aka Eros) and Psyche, the two title characters must overcome many obstacles to fulfill their love for each other. Overcome them they do, and the pair marry and enjoy immortal love.

18 UMD athlete : TERP

The sports teams of the University of Maryland (UMD) are called the Maryland Terrapins, or “Terps” for short. The name dates back to 1932 when it was coined by the university’s president at the time, Curley Byrd. He took the name from the diamondback terrapins that are native to the Chesapeake Bay.

21 Honey-colored : AMBER

Amber’s technical name is “resinite”, reflecting its composition and formation. Amber starts out life as soft sticky tree resin but then under high temperature and pressure from overlying layers of soil, it fossilizes. The sticky resin can trap organisms or other plant matter, and this material can sometimes remain virtually intact inside the amber fossil giving us a unique gift from the past.

22 Red Sea peninsula : SINAI

The Sinai Peninsula is in the eastern part of Egypt, and is a triangular landform bounded by the Mediterranean to the north and the Red Sea to the south. It is the only part of Egypt that lies in Asia as opposed to Africa. The eastern land border of the peninsula is shared with Israel, and Israel occupied the Sinai during the 1956 Suez Crisis and the Six-Day War of 1967.

23 “Money __”: Spanish Netflix crime series : HEIST

“Money Heist” (“La casa de papel” in Spanish) is a very successful crime drama series from Spain that transferred to Netflix, after which the show’s run was extended. The show was so successful that Netflix made a documentary called “Money Herist: The Phenomenon”.

24 Skittles package : BAG

Skittles are a brand of fruit-flavored candy that are produced by the Wrigley Company. They are small, round, and chewy, and come in a variety of colors, including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Apparently, there is quite a vigorous debate about whether or not the various colors of Skittle have different flavors, or all taste the same. They look different, and smell different, but do they taste different from each other? That is the question …

25 Spiritually enlighten : EDIFY

To edify is to provide instruction in order to improve spiritually, morally or intellectually. The intent is to “build up” someone’s faith or morality, and so “edify” comes from the Latin “aedificare” meaning “to build, construct”. This Latin root also gives us our word “edifice”, meaning “massive building”.

26 Chocolate-and-caramel candy : ROLO

Rolo was a hugely popular chocolate candy in Ireland when I was growing up. It was introduced in the thirties in the UK, and is produced under license in the US by Hershey. I was a little disappointed when I had my first taste of the American version as the center is very hard and chewy. The recipe used on the other side of the Atlantic calls for a soft gooey center.

33 Baking soda target : ODOR

“Baking soda” is a common name for the compound sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3).

41 Uno e due : TRE

In Italian, “uno e due” (one and two) is “tre” (three).

44 Word said with a curtsy : MILADY

The word “curtsy” (or “curtsey”) is a variant of “courtesy”. The term has been used to describe the bending of the knee and lowering of the body since the 1570s. However, back then it was men who were curtsying as well as women.

45 Impressive entertainment acronym : EGOT

The acronym “EGOT” stands for “Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony”, and is a reference to performers who have won all four awards. Also known as the “Showbiz Award Grand Slam”, there are relatively few individuals who have been so honored. The first five to do so were:

1. Richard Rodgers in 1962
2. Helen Hayes in 1977
3. Rita Moreno in 1977
4. John Gielgud in 1991
5. Audrey Hepburn in 1994 (posthumously)

46 “Soul” studio : PIXAR

“Soul” is a 2020 animated film from Pixar about a jazz pianist whose soul separates from his body after an accident. Jamei Foxx voices the main character, and the supporting cast includes Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Richar Ayoade and Phylicia Rashad. Critics and audiences alike loved this one …

47 City near Rome : UTICA

Utica in New York is known as “Second Chance City” these days, due to the relatively recent influx of refugees from war-torn parts of the world and from Bosnia in particular. These immigrants have helped revitalize the area and reverse a trend of population loss.

It is assumed that Rome, New York is named after the city in Italy, but no one seems to be sure why it is so called. The city, in Upstate New York near Utica, was originally founded as Lynchville. Prior to becoming a city, the settlement was called Fort Stanwix, named for the military outpost that dominated the area.

48 Hummus brand : SABRA

Sabra Dipping is a company that specializes in the production of hummus and guacamole. If I can’t get homemade hummus or guacamole, then Sabra is the way to go …

55 Phrase preceding “By the power vested in me …” : I DO

“By the power vested in me by …” is a line from a traditional wedding ceremony.

56 Evangelical character on “The Simpsons” : NED

Ned Flanders lives next door to Homer Simpson on TV’s “The Simpsons”. Ned was married to Maude, with whom he had two children Rod and Todd. Maude died in an accident involving a T-shirt cannon. Ned is voiced by actor Harry Shearer, and has been around since the very first episode aired in 1989.

57 Island purchase : GAS

The gas pump was actually around before there were cars on the road. The first gas pump was the invention of one Sylvanus Bowser from Fort Wayne, Indiana. His first pump was designed to pump kerosene for lamps and stoves, and was introduced in 1885. As automobiles became popular, he modified the design to pump gasoline. He introduced the Self-Measuring Gasoline Storage Pump in 1905. He marketed his devices all around the world, and in some parts the name “bowser” is still used sometimes to refer to fuel pumps, and indeed some fuel tankers.

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