Day: January 25, 2025

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Constructed by: August Miller
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: None

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

Bill’s time: 12m 21s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Droid vendors on Tatooine : JAWAS

In the “Star Wars” universe, the Jawa are a race of rodent-like pygmies who live on the desert planet called Tatooine.

Tatooine is the desert planet that features in almost every “Star Wars” movie. It is the home planet of Anakin and Luke Skywalker, and is also where Obi-Wan Kenobi first met Han Solo.

6 First band from Sweden to win Eurovision : ABBA

We have a big event across Europe every year called the Eurovision Song Contest. Each nation enters one song in competition with each other, and then voters across the whole continent decide on the winner. That’s how ABBA got their big break when they won in 1974 with “Waterloo”. In 1973, Spain’s entry was “Eres tú” (“It’s You”, literally “You Are”) sung by the band Mocedades. “Eres tú” came second in the competition, but should have won in my humble opinion.

10 TV port letters : HDMI

High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)

14 Sushi order with salmon, crab, and avocado : ALASKA ROLL

Despite its name, the Alaska roll wasn’t invented in Alaska. Typically made with salmon, avocado, and cucumber, it is believed to have originated in the Pacific Northwest in the 1970s or 80s. The Alaska roll’s name likely reflects the popularity of salmon in the region.

16 Like Antarctica : ARID

On average, Antarctica is the coldest, driest and windiest of all seven continents. Although Antarctica is very cold, it is essentially a desert, receiving only 8 inches of precipitation annually at the coasts and even less inland.

18 What to say when one doesn’t know what to say? : LINE!

That would be while acting …

19 Canadian series finale? : … ZED

The letter zed has been around since about 1400, and derives from the Greek letter zeta. The spelling and pronunciation “zee”, used in America today, first popped up in the 1670s. The spelling and pronunciation “zed” is still used in Britain and Ireland.

22 Pool surface : FELT

The more correct name for the game of pool is “pocket billiards”. The designation “pool” arose after pocket billiards became a common feature in “pool halls”, places where gamblers “pooled” their money to bet on horse races.

24 Bounty targets : SPILLS

Bounty is a brand of paper towel made by Procter & Gamble.

26 “See you!” : CIAO!

“Ciao” is Italian for “‘bye”. “Arrivederci” is more formal, and translates as “goodbye”.

35 ATV component : ALL

All-terrain vehicle (ATV)

36 Flask : VIAL

A vial is a small vessel, usually closed or closable, used to hold liquids. The term “vial” is derivative of the older “phial” that has the same meaning and is still used.

37 Model Rau who is an ambassador for L’Oréal Paris : INES

Ines Rau is a French model and actress who broke barriers in 2017 by becoming Playboy’s first openly transgender Playmate of the Month.

38 The Binghamton Rumble Ponies, for one : AA TEAM

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies baseball team is an AA-affiliate of the New YorkMets. The Binghamton franchise started out life in 1976 as the Williamsport Bills in Williamsport, Pennsylvania and eventually ended up in Binghamton in 1992 as the Binghamton Mets. The team name was changed to the Rumble Ponies after a name-the-team contest in 2016. “Rumble Ponies” is a reference to ponies on a carousel. Binghamton is nicknamed “The Carousel Capital of the World”.

41 Manhattan’s __ Place : ASTOR

Astor Place is a neighborhood around a two-block street in Manhattan, New York City that bears the same name. It is named for John Jacob Astor, who was once the richest person in the country.

42 Qatari leader : EMIR

Qatar is a sovereign state in the Middle East occupying the Qatar Peninsula, itself located in the Arabian Peninsula. Qatar lies on the Persian Gulf and shares one land border, with Saudi Arabia to the south. The emirate has more oil and gas reserves per capita of population than any other country in the world. In 2010, Qatar had the fastest growing economy in the world, driven by the petrochemical industry.

44 Sammy with two spreads : PBJ

“Sammie” is an informal term meaning “sandwich”.

47 Winter Palace figure : TSAR

The Winter Palace is a magnificent building in St. Petersburg in Russia that was home to the Russian tsars (and tsarinas). Today, the Winter Palace houses the famous Hermitage Museum. I was lucky enough to visit the Palace and museum some years ago, and I have to say that I have rarely been more impressed by a historical building.

51 “NFL Live” analyst Kimes : MINA

Sport journalist Mina Kimes began her career as an investigative journalist for “Fortune” and “Bloomberg”, later transitioning to sports journalism with ESPN in 2014. Kimes quickly became a regular contributor to various ESPN programs like “NFL Live”, “Around the Horn”, and “Highly Questionable”.

52 Living room combo : OTTOMAN SET

The piece of furniture known as an ottoman can be a couch, usually one with a head but no back or sides. Here in the US, the term more commonly applies to a padded and upholstered seat or bench that can also be used as a footrest. The original ottoman couch came from the Ottoman Empire, hence the name.

53 Casual get-together : SESH

Session (abbreviated to “sess.” formally, and “sesh” informally)

Down

1 Toni Morrison novel set in 1920s Harlem : JAZZ

Toni Morrison’s 1992 historical novel “Jazz” is set in Harlem, during the 1920s. The story centers on Violet and Joe Trace, a middle-aged couple whose lives are shattered when Joe has an affair with a young woman named Dorcas. “Jazz” forms the second part of Morrison’s “Dantesque” trilogy, following “Beloved” and preceding “Paradise”.

6 Cant : ARGOT

“Argot” is a French term. It is the name given in the 17th century to “the jargon of the Paris underworld”. Nowadays argot is a set of idioms used by any particular group, the “lingo” of that group.

8 Mario Kart projectile that seeks out the lead racer : BLUE SHELL

“Mario Kart” is a go-kart racing video game series from Nintendo.

9 Flying fig. : ALT

Altitude (alt.)

10 Designation at some meat markets : HALAL

“Halal” is a term describing an action or object that is permissible under Islamic Law. In particular “halal” is used to describe food that can be consumed. Anything that is not allowed is described as “haram”.

12 Heavily abridged installments : MINISODES

“Minisodes” are … “mini episodes”!. The term first emerged in the late 1900s, describing a more condensed version of a main episode.

21 Immune-boosting compound : VITAMIN C

The essential nutrient referred to as vitamin C is also known as L-ascorbic acid or ascorbate. A lack of vitamin C causes the disease scurvy.

22 Some Italian imports : FIATS

Fiat is the largest car manufacturer in Italy, and is headquartered in Turin in the Piedmont region in the north of the country. Fiat was founded in 1899 by Giovanni Agnelli, when the company’s name was “Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torino” (FIAT). A few years ago, Fiat became the majority shareholder in Chrysler.

25 Guillermo del Toro franchise with kaiju : PACIFIC RIM

The “Pacific Rim” franchise is a creation of filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and screenwriter Travis Beacham. Included in the franchise are:

1. “Pacific Rim” (2013 film)
2. “Pacific Rim Uprising” (2018 film)
3. “Pacific Rim: The Black” (2021-22 animated TV show)

It’s all about monsters emerging from a portal in the Pacific Ocean. Not for me …

26 Falsies? : CHARLATANS

A charlatan is someone who makes false claims of skill or knowledge. “Charlatan” is a word we imported from French, although the original derivation is the Italian “ciarlatano”, a term meaning “quack”.

27 Fish hamper : CREEL

A creel is a basket used for catching sea creatures (lobsters, for example). Creel is also the name given to the small wicker basket used to hold fish that have been caught by an angler. “Creel” is originally a Scottish word.

32 “Frasier” role : NILES

In the sitcom “Frasier”, Niles is the brother of the title character Frasier Crane. Frasier is played by Kelsey Grammer and Niles is played by David Hyde Pierce. Frasier was originally intended to be an only child in the show’s storyline, but the producers decided to add a brother when they noted the remarkable similarity in appearance between David Hyde Pierce and Kelsey Grammer.

33 Place with cucumbers and peels : SPA

Apparently, scientists have shown that the inside of a cucumber (“cuke” for short) growing in a field can be up to twenty degrees cooler than the surrounding air. That’s something that was believed by farmers as early as the 1730s, at which time the phrase “cool as a cucumber” was coined.

A chemical peel is a technique used to improve the look and feel of the skin. It involves using a chemical to deliberately injure the outermost layer of the skin. The damaged skin dies and peels off, revealing regenerated skin below.

39 Ark scroll : TORAH

The Torah ark is found in a synagogue, and is the ornamental container in which the Torah scrolls are stored. The word “Torah” best translates as “teaching” or “law”. The Torah ark is referred to as the “Aron Kodesh” in Hebrew, meaning “Holy Ark”.

40 Stand on two legs : BIPOD

A tripod is a three-legged stand that provides stable support for an object, often for a camera. A bipod is a similar two-legged support. Bipods are commonly used to support and steady rifles and automatic weapons. A monopod is a single-legged support. Sports photographers often use a monopod under a long, telephoto lens to reduce camera shake while allowing relatively free movement to capture the action.

41 Bodega fixtures : ATMS

“Bodega” is a Spanish term describing a winery or, these days, a grocery store.

43 King-toppling move : MATE

In the game of chess, when the king is under immediate threat of capture it is said to be “in check”. If the king cannot escape from check, then the game ends in “checkmate” and the player in check loses. In the original Sanskrit game of chess, the king could actually be captured. Then a rule was introduced requiring that a warning be given if capture was imminent (today we announce “check!”) so that an accidental and early ending to the game doesn’t occur.

44 Moneda mexicana : PESO

In Spanish, the peso is the “moneda mexicana” (Mexican currency).

46 Delta force? : JETS

Delta was the world’s largest airline for a while (after merging with Northwest Airlines in 2008) and is the oldest airline still operating in the US. Delta’s roots go back to 1924 before it started carrying passengers when it was Huff Daland Dusters, a crop-dusting company based in Macon, Georgia. The name “Delta Air Service” was introduced in 1928.

48 Indication of shyness? : IOU

I owe you (IOU)

50 Sarah Sherman’s show, for short : SNL

Sarah Sherman is a comedian and actress who uses the stage name “Sarah Squirm”. She joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) in 2021.