Day: April 4, 2025

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Constructed by: Katie Hale
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme (according to Bill): Port Man Toes

Themed answers are portmanteau words, but reinterpreted in a “punny” way:

• 17A The ever-increasing size of deer antlers? : STAGFLATION (stag inflation)
• 36A Adversaries from Avignon? : FRENEMIES (French enemies)
• 59A Opinion piece with too many qualifiers? : ADVERTORIAL (adverse editorial)
• 11D Symposium focused on spider silk? : WEBINAR (web seminar)
• 40D Radio program that plays only whale song? : PODCAST (pod broadcast)

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

Bill’s time: 8m 26s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

6 __ latte : CHAI

Chai is a drink made from spiced black tea, honey and milk, with “chai” being the Hindi word for “tea”. We often called tea “a cup of char” growing up in Ireland, with “char” being our slang word for tea, derived from “chai”.

10 Bygone airline : TWA

Back in 1930, when TWA was known as Transcontinental & Western Air (T&WA), the airline introduced one of the first passenger services between the east and west coasts of the US. Known as the Lindbergh Line, travel took about 36 hours and involved an overnight stay in Kansas City.

13 P-A-G-E turner, maybe : VANNA

Vanna White is the lady who turns the letters on the “Wheel of Fortune” game show. White is big into knitting and crochet, and has her own line of yarns called “Vanna’s Choice”.

14 Brother of Groucho : HARPO

Harpo Marx was the second-eldest of the Marx brothers. Harpo’s real name was Adolph, and he earned his nickname because he played the harp. Famously, Harpe didn’t speak on screen, a routine that he developed after reading a review that he performed really well when he just didn’t speak! He would usually whistle or toot a hand-held horn instead of speaking.

Groucho Marx’s real name was Julius Henry Marx. By the time Groucho started his successful, post-Hollywood career hosting the quiz show “You Bet Your Life”, he was sporting a real mustache. For all of his movies, his mustache had been painted on with greasepaint.

17 The ever-increasing size of deer antlers? : STAGFLATION (stag inflation)

Stagflation is a portmanteau, as one might expect, formed from the words stagnation and inflation. It is the condition when a country’s inflation rate is high, and at the same time unemployment is high (i.e. the economy is stagnating).

20 Alter ego of Harvey Dent : TWO-FACE

In the Batman storyline, Harvey Dent was the squeaky-clean District Attorney of Gotham City. Dent worked alongside Batman to fight the city’s crime. However, during a trial of a mob boss, the defendant throws acid at him and scars the left side of Dent’s face. Dent loses his mind and becomes a criminal, calling himself “Two-Face” because of his unfortunate facial features. Two-Face decides whether to do good or evil deeds by flipping a coin.

24 Grammy-winning soprano Renée : FLEMING

Renée Fleming is a marvelous soprano from Indiana, Pennsylvania. Famous for her appearances in opera houses and concert halls all over the world, Fleming is also noted for her willingness to bring her craft to the masses. She was a guest on “Sesame Street” singing “counting lyrics” to an aria from “Rigoletto”, and she has appeared a few times on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion”.

28 Board game with forbidden words : TABOO

Taboo is a guessing game that was introduced by Parker Brothers in 1989. Players must encourage their teammates to guess a word on a card, without using that word or related words defined on the card. It’s a fun game that’s played regularly around here …

31 Actress Davis : GEENA

Hollywood actress Geena Davis established the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media in 2004 after noticing the lack of female characters on television shows while watching with her young daughter. According to Davis:

The fact is women are seriously underrepresented in nearly all sectors of society across the globe, not just on screen, but, for the most part, we are simply not aware to this reality, and media images exert a powerful influence in perpetuating our unconscious bias.

34 Makes shiny, in a way : LACQUERS

Lacquers are durable varnishes. The original lacquers were all natural products, but there’s a tendency today to use the term “shellacs” for natural finishes, and to use “lacquers” for synthetic finishes. The term “lacquer” ultimately comes from the Sanskrit word “laksha”, which described both the lac insect and the resinous secretion the insect produces.

36 Adversaries from Avignon? : FRENEMIES (French enemies)

Avignon is a city in the southeast of France on the Rhône river. It is sometimes called the “City of Popes” as it was home to seven popes during the Catholic schism from 1309 to 1423.

A frenemy is someone who feigns friendship but who is actually an enemy or competitor.

39 Dessert that may be topped with cheddar cheese : APPLE PIE

In French, “à la mode” simply means “fashionable”. In America, the term has also come to describe a way of serving pie. Pie served à la mode includes a dollop of cream or ice cream, or as I recall from my time living in Upstate New York, with a wedge of cheddar cheese.

42 Bangladesh’s capital : DHAKA

Dhaka (once “Dacca”) is the capital city of Bangladesh. Dhaka is known for many things, including production of the finest muslin in the world. It’s also the rickshaw capital of the world, with about 400,000 rickshaws running each day.

50 Fish and chips fish : COD

In Britain and Ireland, the most common fish that is used in traditional “fish and chips” is Atlantic cod. Cod has been overfished all over the world, and is now considered to be an endangered species by many international bodies. Confrontations over fishing rights in the North Atlantic led to conflicts called “the Cod Wars” between Iceland and the UK in the 1950s and the 1970s, with fishing fleets being protected by naval vessels and even shots being fired.

51 Novelist who created the detective Adam Dalgliesh : PD JAMES

P. D. James was an incredibly successful English author of crime fiction, with her most famous books being a series that features a policeman and sometime poet named Adam Dalgliesh. James’ 1992 novel called “The Children of Men” was adapted into a 2006 movie (“Children of Men”) starring Clive Owen and Julianne Moore. It tells of a world that develops after two generations of human infertility.

53 Maybelline product : MASCARA

Maybelline was founded in 1925 in New York by a chemist who was inspired to produce a line of mascara when he noticed his sister applying some makeup. The young lady was using a mixture of Vaseline and coal dust on her eyelashes to make them appear darker and fuller. He produced a product in the laboratory that had a similar effect and started to sell it. The sister’s name was Maybel, and Maybelline became the new company name.

59 Opinion piece with too many qualifiers? : ADVERTORIAL (adverse editorial)

An advertorial is a form of advertising that mimics an editorial. It aims to present information in a way that appears objective and informative, like a regular article, but its primary purpose is to promote a product, service, or idea. I reckon they should be banned …

63 Mex. neighbor : USA

The Mexico-US border stretches almost 2,000 miles, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. It is the most frequently crossed international border in the whole world, with about 350 million legal crossings annually.

66 K-pop boy band : BTS

BTS is a boy band from South Korea with seven members. The initialism “BTS” stands for the phrase “Bangtan Sonyeondan”, which translates literally as “Bulletproof Boy Scouts”. It is the best-selling musical act in the history of South Korea.

68 Teen magazine of the 1990s : SASSY

“Sassy” was a teen magazine published in the late 1980s and 1990s, known for its irreverent, intelligent, and feminist approach to teen culture. There was a spinoff publication called “Dirt: Son of Sassy” aimed at teenage boys, but it lasted for only a brief period in 1992.

Down

1 Docs sent to potential employers : CVS

A curriculum vitae (“CV” or “vita”) is a listing of someone’s work experience and qualifications, and is used mainly in making a job application. The term “curriculum vitae” can be translated from Latin as “course of life”.

2 Panama spot, perhaps : HAT TREE

Panama hats are traditional headgear from Ecuador, and have never been made in volume in Panama. The “panama” moniker came about as many of the hats were shipped to the Isthmus of Panama for transportation by sea to the rest of the world. Authentic panama hats are made from the leaves of a palm-like plant known locally as the jipijapa palm.

3 Where to find some Cirque du Soleil performers : ON A WIRE

Cirque du Soleil is an entertainment company based in Montreal. The company was founded in 1984, by two former street performers, and stages spectacular shows that are a dramatic mix of circus and street entertainment. I’ve seen several Cirque du Soleil shows over the years, and have thoroughly enjoyed every single one. Well, “R.U.N” didn’t “run” in Vegas for very long, and it was a big disappointment …

5 “Bananaphone” singer : RAFFI

“Raffi” is the stage name used by Canadian singer and author Raffi Cavoukian. He is best known for his music written for children.

6 Ballroom style : CHA-CHA

The cha-cha-cha (often simplified to “cha-cha”) is a Latin dance with origins in Cuba, where it was introduced by composer Enrique Jorrin in 1953.

7 Find odious : HATE

Odium is a strong dislike or aversion. The term “odium” is Latin in origin and relates to the Latin word “odi” meaning “I hate”.

8 Glinda portrayer, to fans : ARI

“Wicked” (2024) is the first installment of a two-part film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical of the same name. It stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, and shows the events that lead them to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good. I skipped this one, because I am scared of flying monkeys …

9 Co. founder’s big day : IPO

An initial public offering (IPO) is a significant event for a company as it marks the first time it becomes a publicly traded company. IPOs are often accompanied by a so-called “lock-up period.” This is a period of time, typically 90 to 180 days after the IPO, during which company insiders, such as executives and early investors, are not allowed to sell their shares on the open market. The purpose of the lock-up period is to prevent a flood of shares from hitting the market and potentially driving down the price of the stock.

10 North African flower : THE NILE

Depending on definition, the Nile is regarded generally as the longest river on the planet. The Nile forms from two major tributaries, the White Nile and the Blue Nile, which join together near Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. From Khartoum the Nile flows north, traveling almost entirely through desert making it central to life for those living along its length.

11 Symposium focused on spider silk? : WEBINAR (web seminar)

“Webinar” is short for “Web-based seminar”, i.e. a presentation, lecture or similar event held online. In a Webinar, there is two-way interaction, with the audience able to ask questions of the presenter.

12 Police alert, for short : APB

An All Points Bulletin (APB) is a broadcast from one US law enforcement agency to another.

23 Peat spot : BOG

When dead plant matter accumulates in marshy areas, it may not fully decay due to a lack of oxygen or acidic conditions. We are familiar with this in Ireland, because this decaying matter can form peat, and we have lots and lots of peat bogs around the country.

35 Proof letters : QED

The initialism “QED” is used at the end of a mathematical proof or a philosophical argument. QED stands for the Latin “quod erat demonstrandum” meaning “that which was to be demonstrated”.

38 Lofgren of the E Street Band : NILS

Musician Nils Lofgren was a member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band for over 25 years. Lofgren provided vocals and played guitar, and was hired as the replacement for Steven Van Zandt.

The E Street Band is the backing group for Bruce Springsteen. The band came together in 1972 but didn’t take a formal name until two years later. The keyboard player in the original line up was David Sancious, and his mother allowed the group to rehearse at her home. That home was on E Street in Belmar, New Jersey, and that’s where the band got their name.

39 Weisshorn, e.g. : ALP

The Weisshorn is quite a famous peak in the Swiss Alps, one noted for its pure white slopes and pyramidal shape. The name “Weisshorn” translates from German as “White Peak”).

40 Radio program that plays only whale song? : PODCAST (pod broadcast)

A podcast is an audio or video media file that is made available for download. The name comes from the acronym “POD” meaning “playable on demand”, and “cast” from “broadcasting”. So, basically a podcast is a broadcast that one can play on demand, simply by downloading and opening the podcast file.

41 Bed clothes : PAJAMAS

Our word “pajamas” (sometimes “PJs” or “jammies”) comes to us from the Indian subcontinent, where “pai jamahs” were loose fitting pants tied at the waist and worn at night by locals and ultimately by the Europeans living there. And “pajamas” is another of those words that I had to learn to spell differently when I came to America. On the other side of the Atlantic, the spelling is “pyjamas”.

43 Trees also known as wattles : ACACIAS

Acacia is a genus of trees and shrubs that is also known as thorntree, whistling thorn and wattle. The acacia is the primary food source for the giraffe in the wild, with the animal eating the leaves high in the tree, leaves that are inaccessible to competing species. The natural gum from two species of acacia tree is known as gum arabic, which is used in the food industry as a stabilizer.

44 Seoul natives : KOREANS

Seoul is the capital city of South Korea. The Seoul National Capital Area is home to over 25 million people and is the second largest metropolitan area in the world, second only to Tokyo, Japan.

45 Oral care org. : ADA

American Dental Association (ADA)

52 Renaissance fair quaff : MEAD

Mead is a lovely drink that’s made from fermented honey and water.

A Renaissance faire (Ren faire) is an outdoor public event in which many participants recreate historical settings by dressing in costume. Usually held in North America, many such fairs are set during the English Renaissance, and more particularly during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The definition of “Renaissance” is often stretched quite a bit, with fairs also set during the reign of Henry VIII, and maybe even during medieval times.

55 Actress Gugino : CARLA

Carla Gugino is an actress from Sarasota, Florida. One of Gugino’s television roles was Michael J. Fox’s love interest, Ashley Schaeffer, in the sitcom “Spin City”.

57 “La Vie Bohème” musical : RENT

The musical “Rent” by Jonathan Larson is based on the Puccini opera “La bohème”. “Rent” tells the story of struggling artists and musicians living in the Lower East Side of New York, and is set against the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic. The main character in both “La bohème” and “Rent” is named Mimi. In the former, Mimi is a seamstress suffering from tuberculosis. In the latter, Mimi is an erotic dancer with HIV.