Day: April 6, 2025

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Constructed by: Michael Schlossberg
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: I Like Your Style

Themed answers are common phrases reinterpreted with reference to a hairSTYLE:

• 23A Figure likely to wear a beehive? : WINNIE THE POOH
• 33A Ace with a flattop? : NAVAL AVIATOR
• 41A Formal arrangements of bangs? : TWENTY-ONE GUN SALUTES
• 70A Product for those who like fades? : ACID-WASHED JEANS
• 98A One traditionally consulted for extensions? : SWITCHBOARD OPERATOR
• 106A Person to see about a blowout? : AUTO MECHANIC
• 120A Suppliers of color and highlights? : SPORTSCASTERS

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

Bill’s time: 19m 13s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Panthera onca, familiarly : JAGUAR

Panthera is a genus of big cats that includes tigers, lions, jaguars, leopards, and snow leopards. The genetic similarity among the different Panthera species is so close that they can interbreed and produce hybrid offspring, such as the liger (lion-tiger hybrid) and the jaglion (jaguar-lion hybrid).

19 God whose symbol is a lyre : APOLLO

In Greek and Roman mythology, Apollo was the son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin brother of the goddess Artemis. Among other things, Apollo was worshiped as a god of light and the sun, truth and prophecy, archery, as well as healing and plague.

20 Syllabus units : TOPICS

“Syllabus” (plural “syllabi”) is the Latin word for “list”.

21 Subzero suds : ICE BEER

Ice beer is a type of lager that has undergone a process called fractional freezing. This means that the beer has been chilled to the point that ice crystals form. The ice is frozen water, and can be filtered off. This lowers the water content in the beer, hence raising the concentration of alcohol.

23 Figure likely to wear a beehive? : WINNIE-THE-POOH

Winnie-the-Pooh’s favorite food is “hunny”, i.e. “honey”.

That distinctive beehive hairstyle is also called a B-52, because the round, beehive-shape also resembles the bulbous nose of a B-52 bomber! The style originated in 1958, and is credited to Margaret Vinci Heldt, the owner of a hair salon in downtown Chicago. I’m not a fan of the beehive, but I do have to say that Audrey Hepburn carried it off in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, as did Dusty Springfield in her heyday.

28 The Eagles, on scoreboards : PHI

The Philadelphia Eagles were established in 1933 and joined the National Football League as a replacement for the bankrupt Frankford Yellow Jackets, also from Philadelphia. The “Eagle” name was inspired by the Blue Eagle insignia that was used by companies who were in compliance with the National Industrial Recovery Act that was central to President Roosevelt’s New Deal Program.

30 Part of many a baby split in bowling : THREE-PIN

In ten-pin bowling, a baby split occurs when either the 2-7 or 3-10 pins are left standing.

33 Ace with a flattop? : NAVAL AVIATOR

The flattop is a hairstyle characterized by its short sides and a flat, level top. It gained popularity in the mid-1900s, particularly among military personnel and athletes, due to its neat and tidy appearance.

The first launching of an aircraft from a ship took place way back in 1910. Aviation pioneer Eugene Burton Ely flew a Curtiss Pusher airplane from a temporary platform erected on the bow of the USS Birmingham, which was anchored off Norfolk Navy Base in Virginia. Ely also recorded the first landing on a ship two months later, touching down on a platform on the USS Pennsylvania anchored in San Francisco Bay.

38 Vaccine pioneer : SALK

Jonas Salk was an American medical researcher who developed the first safe polio vaccine. In the fifties, especially after the 1952 epidemic, polio was the biggest health fear in the US. It killed thousands and left even more with disabilities, and most of the victims were children. The situation was dire and the authorities immediately quarantined the family of any polio victim. That quarantine was so strict that in many cases the families were not even permitted to attend the funeral of a family member who died from the disease.

41 Formal arrangements of bangs? : TWENTY-ONE GUN SALUTES

The current tradition in the US calls for a 21-gun salute as the highest honor, which is accorded the US president, the nation’s fallen on Memorial Day, and foreign heads of state. However, tradition also dictates a 50-gun “National Salute” on Independence Day, with one round being fired for each state in the union.

“Bangs” is another word that caught me out when I arrived in the US. “Bangs” back in Ireland are called “a fringe”. Apparently the US term is somehow derived from the name given to the hair on a horse’s head.

48 Like muesli : OATY

“Muesli” is a Swiss-German term describing a breakfast serving of rolled oats, nuts, fruit and milk. The dish can be soaked overnight in milk before serving (“overnight oats”). “Muesli” is a diminutive of the German word “Mues” meaning “puree”. Delicious …

49 Burgundy of “Anchorman” : RON

Ron Burgundy is the title character in the “Anchorman” series of films. He is a news anchor played by comedian Will Ferrell. Apparently Burgundy loves a glass of scotch, poetry, and his dog Baxter.

51 Peter or Paul, but not Mary : APOSTLE

Simon Peter (often “Peter” or “Saint Peter”) was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. The Christian tradition holds that Peter founded the Roman Church, and the Roman Catholic tradition holds that Peter was the first pope.

According to the Bible, Saint Paul was an apostle, although he was not one of the original Twelve Apostles. Paul is said to have written 14 of the 27 books in the Christian New Testament.

57 Dreidel, e.g. : TOP

A dreidel is a spinning top with four sides that is often associated with the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Each of the four sides on a dreidel bears a letter from the Hebrew alphabet (nun, gimel, hei and shin). The four letters are the initials of the Hebrew phrase “Nes Gadol Hayah Sham” meaning “a great miracle happened there”. According to tradition, children would be taught Torah while hiding in caves away from the Greeks. When Greek soldiers approached, the children would hide their torah scrolls and play with their dreidels instead.

59 Text-skimming letters : TL;DR

Too long, didn’t read (TL;DR)

62 Unfiltered and unpasteurized brew : REAL ALE

“Real ale” is a relatively contemporary term. It has been used in the UK since 1973 to refer to beer that has been brewed traditionally, and that does not use extraneous carbonation. I am a huge, huge fan …

69 Dashboard fig. : RPM

Back in the 1800s, “dashboard” was the name given to a “board” placed at the front of a carriage to stop mud from “dashing” against the passengers in the carriage, mud that was kicked up by the hooves of the horses. Quite interesting …

74 __ carte menu : A LA

On a restaurant menu, items that are “à la carte” are priced and ordered separately. A menu marked “table d’hôte” (also called “prix fixe”) is a fixed-price menu with limited choice. “Table d’hôte” translates from French as “table of the host”.

77 Gumbo or burgoo : STEW

Gumbo is a type of stew or soup that originated in Louisiana. The primary ingredient can be meat or fish, but to be true gumbo it must include the “holy trinity” of vegetables, namely celery, bell peppers and onion. Okra used to be a requirement but this is no longer the case. Okra gave the dish its name as the vernacular word for the African vegetable is “okingumbo”, from the Bantu language spoken by many of the slaves brought to America.

Burgoo is a stew that is popular in the American Midwest and South, in particular. The term “burgoo” was used for a thick porridge back in the late 18th century, and it’s possible that “burgoo” gave rise to our adjective “gooey” meaning “sticky”.

78 God whose symbol is a hammer : THOR

The hammer associated with the Norse god Thor is known as Mjölnir. The name “Mjölnir” translates as “crusher”.

83 California __ : ROLL

A California roll is a kind of sushi roll that is made inside-out, with the seaweed inside and the rice on the outside. A California roll often includes rice, seaweed, cucumber and avocado. The dish originated in Los Angeles where a chef at the Tokyo Kaikan restaurant substituted avocado for fatty tuna (“toro”) in a traditional sushi recipe. The chef also put the seaweed on the inside, as his American customers preferred not to look directly at seaweed while they were eating it!

89 Brosnan TV role : STEELE

The eighties detective show “Remington Steele” stars Stephanie Zimbalist as a private detective Laura Holt, and Pierce Brosnan as the handsome bad boy Remington Steele, who’s really a good boy. The show successfully melds the detective genre with elements of romantic comedy.

90 Huge statues : COLOSSI

A colossus (plural “colossi”) is an exceptionally large statue, the most famous of which was the Colossus of Rhodes. This was a statue of the god Helios that stood over 100 feet tall, on the Greek island of Rhodes. New York’s Statue of Liberty was designed to have similar dimensions. The Emma Lazarus poem that is inscribed on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty is in fact titled “The New Colossus”. We get our adjective “colossal”, meaning “of exceptional size”, from “colossus”.

92 “Big Blue” : IBM

The origin of the IBM nickname “Big Blue” seems to have been lost in the mists of time. That said, maybe it has something to do with the fact that the IBM logo is blue, and almost every mainframe they produced was painted blue. I remember visiting IBM on business a few times in my career, and back then we were encouraged to wear white shirts and blue suits “to fit in” with our client’s culture.

103 Actress Rowlands : GENA

Gena Rowlands was an actress best known for the films made with her husband, actor and director John Cassavetes. Notably, Rowlands played a lead role opposite James Garner in the weepy, weepy 2004 film “The Notebook”. “The Notebook” was directed by her son Nick Cassavetes. Rowlands was nominated for Oscars for her performances in two films: “Gloria” (1980) and “A Woman Under the Influence” (1974).

104 Garlicky mayonnaise : AIOLI

Aioli is a French sauce made from garlic, egg yolks, and olive oil. The word “aioli” comes from “alh”, the Provençal word for garlic, and “oli”, a Catalan word meaning “oil”.

105 Michael of “Superbad” : CERA

Michael Cera is a Canadian actor who played great characters on the TV show “Arrested Development”, and in the 2007 comedy-drama “Juno”. Cera is also quite the musician. He released an indie folk album titled “True That” in 2014.

“Superbad” is a comedy movie released in 2007. The script for the film was written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Rogen and Goldberg started work on the script when they were just thirteen years old, with the first draft being completed by the time they were fifteen.

109 Mexican resort destination : ACAPULCO

The Mexican city of Acapulco is on the southwest coast of the country, in the state of Guerrero. The name “Acapulco” translates from the local language into “at the big reeds”.

115 Coastal Indian state : GOA

Goa is the smallest state in India, and is located in the southwest of the country. The Portuguese landed in Goa in the early 1500s, at first peacefully carrying out trade, but then took the area by force creating Portuguese India. Portugal held onto Portuguese India even after the British pulled out of India in 1947, until the Indian Army marched into the area in 1961.

116 Santa __, California : ANA

Santa Ana is the county seat of Orange County, California and takes its name from the Santa Ana River that runs through the city.

117 Drudge : PEON

A peon is a lowly worker who has no real control over his/her working conditions. The word “peon” comes into English from Spanish, in which language it has the same meaning.

127 Pumpkin seed : PEPITA

Pumpkin seeds are also known as “pepitas”, from the Mexican Spanish term “pepita de calabaza” meaning “little seed of squash”.

128 Pester : NOODGE

“To noodge” is a slang verb meaning “to nag”. It comes into English from the Yiddish word “nudyen” meaning “to bore, be tedious”.

130 Classic Pontiac : GTO

The Pontiac GTO was produced by GM from 1964 to 1974, and again by a GM subsidiary in Australia from 2004 to 2006. The original GTO’s design is credited to Pontiac chief engineer at the time John DeLorean, who later founded the DeLorean Motor Company.

Down

2 Gorillalike : APISH

The gorilla is the largest primate still in existence, and is one of the nearest living species to humans. Molecular biology studies have shown that our nearest relatives are in fact the species in the genus Pan (the chimpanzee and the bonobo), which split from the human branch of the family 4-6 million years ago. Gorillas and humans diverged at a point about 7 million years ago. The term “gorilla” derives from the Greek “gorillai” meaning “tribe of hairy women”. Wow …!

4 Comrades in arms? : ULNAE

The radius and ulna are bones in the forearm. If you hold the palm of your hand up in front of you, the radius is the bone on the “thumb-side” of the arm, and the ulna is the bone on the “pinky-side”.

5 Comedian Wong : ALI

Ali Wong is a stand-up comedian from San Francisco who is a protégé of Chris Rock. She made two very successful Netflix stand-up specials “Baby Cobra” and “Hard Knock Wife”. She also worked as a writer for the hit sitcom “Fresh Off the Boat”.

6 Blini topper : ROE

A blintz (also “blintze” and “blin”, plural “blini”) is a thin pancake similar to a crêpe, although unlike a crêpe, a blintz may contain yeast.

7 “Au contraire!” : I THINK NOT!

“Au contraire” is French for “on the contrary”.

8 Yuletide : NOEL

Yule celebrations coincide with Christmas, and the words “Christmas” and “Yule” (often “Yuletide”) have become synonymous in much of the world. However, Yule was originally a pagan festival celebrated by Germanic peoples. The name “Yule” comes from the Old Norse word “jol” that was used to describe the festival.

9 Telegram, e.g. : APP

Telegram Messenger (often just “Telegram”) is a cloud-based instant messaging app with a focus on security and speed. Founded by brothers Nikolai and Pavel Durov in 2013, it quickly gained popularity for its commitment to user privacy. It is known for its end-to-end encrypted chats, large group chat capabilities, and features like self-destructing messages. Telegram’s main competitor is WhatsApp.

10 __ Bravo : RIO

The Rio Grande (Spanish for “big river”) is a waterway that forms part of the border between Mexico and the United States. Although we call the river the Rio Grande on this side of the border, in Mexico it is called the Río Bravo or Río Bravo del Norte (Spanish for “furious river of the north”).

12 Vesuvius fallout : ASH

Mount Vesuvius is on the Bay of Naples, just over five miles from the city of Naples. The most famous of the volcano’s eruptions took place in AD 79, the one which destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Today, Vesuvius is considered to be one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, largely because it is at the center of the most densely populated volcanic region in the world, with 3 million people living nearby.

13 “Supernatural” actor Collins : MISHA

Misha Collins is an actor best known for his role as the angel Castiel on the long-running TV series “Supernatural.” Beyond his acting career, Collins is a published poet with works featured in several literary magazines.

“Supernatural” is a fantasy horror TV show on the CW channel that was first broadcast in 2005. I don’t do horror …

14 When Portia says, “The quality of mercy is not strained” : ACT IV

In Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice,” Portia famously delivers a powerful speech on the nature of mercy. She says:

The quality of mercy is not strained.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes

15 Biz bigwig : CEO

A bigwig is someone important. The use of the term “bigwig” harks back to the days when men of authority and rank wore … big wigs.

16 Bug hunter of sorts : BETA TESTER

Back in 1947, famed computer programmer Grace Hopper noticed some colleagues fixing a piece of equipment by removing a dead moth from a relay. She remarked that they were “debugging” the system, and so Hopper has been given credit for popularizing the term “bug” in the context of computing.

18 Greasy spoon fixture : FRYER

“Greasy spoon” is a familiar term describing a restaurant, usually a diner, that is less than pristine and that serves cheap food.

22 Capital with many thermal baths : BUDAPEST

Budapest is the capital of Hungary. Notably, it’s one of only three capital cities in the world that boast an abundance of geothermal springs, the others being Sofia, Bulgaria and Reykjavík, Iceland. It was largely because of these springs that the Romans settled in the area, in the first century CE.

32 Pony up : PAY

“To pony up” means “to pay”. Apparently, the term originated as a slang use of the Latin “legem pone” that was once used for “money”. “Legem Pone” was the title of the Psalm that was read out on March 25 each year, and March 25 was the first payday of the year in days gone by.

42 No longer wax : WANE

The verb “to wax”, in phrases like “wax lyrical” and “wax poetic”, means “to grow”. “To wax” is the opposite of “to wane”, which means “to decrease”. We are probably most familiar with the “waxing and waning” of the moon.

43 Jazzy James : ETTA

Etta James had a tough upbringing and faced many challenges. She was born to an unmarried teenage mother and never knew her father. She experienced abuse and hardship, and even dealt with heroin addiction. Despite all this, she rose to become one of the most iconic and influential singers of all time, known for her powerful voice and soulful performances.

44 African antelope : NYALA

A nyala is an antelope from South Africa with spiral horns. “Nyala” is the Swahili name for the beast.

45 Netflix detective Holmes : ENOLA

“The Enola Holmes Mysteries” is a series of detective novels for young adults by American author Nancy Springer. The title character is the 14-year-old sister of 34-year-old Sherlock Holmes, the detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Springer’s novels were adapted into a 2020 film “Enola Holmes” that Netflix picked up at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. I saw this one, and the sequel, and enjoyed both …

55 D.C. gps. : PACS

A political action committee (PAC) is a private group that works to influence the outcome of a particular election or group of elections. Any group becomes a PAC by law when it receives or spends more than $1,000 for the purpose of influencing the outcome of an election. In 2010 the Supreme Court ruled that PACS that did not make direct contributions to candidates or parties could accept unlimited contributions. These “independent, expenditure-only committees” are commonly referred to as “super PACs”.

56 Snoot : ELITIST

“Snoot” is a variant of “snout”, and is a word that originated in Scotland. The idea is that someone who is snooty, or “snouty”, tends to look down his or her nose at the rest of the world.

60 Great Society pres. : LBJ

The Great Society was a social initiative launched by President Lyndon B. Johnson in the mid-sixties. The initiative had the goal of eliminating poverty and racial injustice. Some of the Great Society programs still exist today, including Medicare and Medicaid.

66 Element between fluorine and sodium on the periodic table : NEON

Neon (Ne) was discovered in 1898 by two British chemists, Sir William Ramsay and Morris Travers. They chilled a sample of air, turning it into a liquid. They then warmed that liquid and separated out the gases that boiled off. Along with nitrogen, oxygen and argon (already known), the pair of scientists discovered two new gases. The first they called “krypton” and the second “neon”. “Krypton” is Greek for “the hidden one” and “neon” is Greek for “new”.

71 “All Quiet on the Western Front” subj. : WWI

“All Quiet on the Western Front” is a 1928 novel by German WWI veteran Erich Maria Remarque. In the book, Remarque describes the awful trials experienced by German soldiers during the war, and then after the war as they try to return to civilian life. The book was adapted into a Hollywood movie of the same name in 1930. The film won Oscars for Outstanding Production and for Best Director (Lewis Milestone).

72 Heebie-jeebies : DREAD

The plural noun “heebie-jeebies” describes a condition of extreme nervousness, one caused by worry or fear. The suggestion is that the term was coined in 1923 by cartoonist Billy De Beck in the “New York American”, although this might just have been the first time that the “heebie-jeebies” appeared in print.

73 Tuscan city with 17 subdivisions : SIENA

Siena is a beautiful city in the Tuscany region of Italy. In the center of Siena is the magnificent medieval square called Piazza del Campo, a paved sloping open area made up of nine triangular sections. The square has to be seen to be believed. Twice a year, the famous bareback horse-race called the Palio di Siena is held in the Piazza.

74 “The __ of the moral universe is long … “: MLK : ARC

Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a speech on the steps of the State Capital in Montgomery, Alabama at the end of the famous Selma to Montgomery March in 1965. The oration is often referred to as the “How Long, Not Long” speech, as King used the phrase several times, including:

How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.

86 Ankle joint bone : TIBIA

The tibia is the shinbone, and is the larger of the two bones right below the knee. It is the strongest weight-bearing bone in the human body. “Tibia” is the Roman name for a Greek flute and it is thought that the shinbone was given the same name because flutes were often fashioned out of the shinbones of animals.

91 “The King and I” land : SIAM

“The King and I” is a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical based on a book by Margaret Landon called “Anna and the King of Siam” first published in 1944. Landon’s book is based on a true story, told in the memoirs of Anna Leonowens. Leonowens was the governess of the children of King Mongkut of Siam in the 1860s, and she also taught the king’s wives.

94 Timbuktu’s country : MALI

The Republic of Mali is a landlocked country in western Africa located south of Algeria. Formerly known as French Sudan, the nation’s most famous city is Timbuktu. Mali is the third-largest producer of gold on the continent, after South Africa and Ghana.

96 Discontinued poison treatment : IPECAC

Syrup of ipecac is a preparation made from the dried roots and rhizomes of the ipecacuanha plant. Until quite recently, the syrup was recommended as an emetic, a substance that induces vomiting. Ipecac accomplishes this by irritating the lining of the stomach. There are concerns about ipecac’s toxicity, and studies have shown that activated charcoal is more effective at preventing the absorption of toxins.

100 Cars singer Ocasek : RIC

Ric Ocasek was an American musician of Czech heritage. He was the lead vocalist of the Cars rock band.

103 __ pig : GUINEA

The guinea pig species of rodent is also known as a cavy. Guinea pigs aren’t related to pigs, and they are not from Guinea (in West Africa). They actually come from the Andes. Guinea pigs were used widely for research in the 1800s and 1900s, and as a result we use the term “guinea pig” for a test subject to this day.

107 “Snowy” wader : EGRET

The snowy egret is a small white heron that is native to the Americas. At one time the egret species was in danger of extinction due to hunting driven by the demand for plumes for women’s hats.

108 Complex structure? : CONDO

The terms “condominium” and “apartment” tend to describe the same type of residential property, namely a private living space with facilities shared with others residing in the same building or complex. The difference is that a condominium is usually owned, and an apartment is rented. At least that’s how it is in the US. The word “condominium” comes from the Latin “com-” (together) and “dominum” (right of ownership).

110 Writer Sinclair : UPTON

Upton Sinclair was a prolific American author, with almost 100 books to his name. Sinclair’s most famous work is probably “The Jungle”, a 1906 novel about the meatpacking industry. Revelations in “The Jungle” contributed to the Meat Inspection Act being passed by Congress a few months after the book was published. Sinclair also wrote “Oil”, published in 1927, which was the basis of the 2007 film “There Will Be Blood” that stars Daniel Day-Lewis.

111 English university city : LEEDS

The University of Leeds, in the north of England, began with the Leeds School of Medicine in 1831 and the Yorkshire College of Science in 1874. These institutions merged in 1884, and in 1904 a royal charter granted the University of Leeds independent status. The list of Leeds alumni includes several Nobel laureates, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

112 Welsh breed : CORGI

The Welsh corgi is a herding dog that originated in Britain, with two recognized breeds: the Pembroke and Cardigan. Corgis aren’t fast enough to do their job by running around livestock like collies, and instead nip at the heels. “Corgi” is Welsh for “dwarf dog”.

119 2022 World Cup champs, briefly : ARG

The 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament was held in Qatar, making it the first World Cup held in an Arab nation. As host nation, Qatar automatically qualified, marking the first time the Qatari national team had participated in the tournament. Argentina emerged victorious, beating France on penalties.

120 Letters on some makeup bottles : SPF

Sun protection factor (SPF)

122 Nail art brand : OPI

Opi (originally “Odontorium Products Inc.”) is a manufacturer of nail polish based in North Hollywood, California. One of Opi’s marketing coups was the introduction of a line of Legally Blonde 2 polishes, which featured in the film.