Day: June 9, 2025

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Constructed by: August Miller
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Meals-on-Wheels

Themed answers include MEALS, which all rest ON WHEELS (letters O) in the row below:

• 55A Nonprofit that delivers food to the elderly, or what can be found three times in this puzzle? : MEALS-ON-WHEELS

• 20A Cozy spot for a morning repast : BREAKFAST NOOK
• 22A Chooses : OPTS
• 23A Delights : JOYS

• 34A Not in the office, perhaps : OUT TO LUNCH
• 41A “You and me both!” : SO DO I

• 42A Evening ringer : DINNER BELL
• 46A Rising, as a ballerina : ON TOE

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

Bill’s time: 5m 12s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Current locale of NASA’s Perseverance rover : MARS

Perseverance is a NASA rover that landed on Mars in 2021. It is the first Mars rover to carry a helicopter, called Ingenuity, which made the first powered flight on another planet the day after Perseverance landed.

5 The Great Pyramid, for one : TOMB

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and yet it is the only one of the Wonders that is basically intact today. Egyptologists believe that the structure took ten to twenty years to complete, and that it dates back to around 2560 BC. The Great Pyramid of Giza was the tallest man-made structure in the world for nearly 3,900 years, until it was surpassed by Lincoln Cathedral in England in 1311 AD.

15 “Search Party” star Shawkat : ALIA

Alia Shawkat is an actor who might be best known for playing Maeby Fünke on the sitcom “Arrested Development”. She is best friends with fellow actor Elliot Page (formerly Ellen Page), whom Shawkat met while filming the 2009 movie “Whip It”.

“Search Party” is a sitcom that started airing in 2016. It is a dark comedy that is noted for its changing themes from season to season. For example, the first season focuses on a mystery, and is reminiscent of Nancy Drew stories. The second season includes elements used by Hitchcock in his psychological thrillers. The third season features a courtroom drama narrative, reminiscent of the novels of John Grisham. Interesting idea …

19 __ Allen furniture : ETHAN

Ethan Allen was one of the founders of the state of Vermont. Allen was also a hero in the American Revolutionary War, famous for leading (along with Benedict Arnold) the small band of men known as the Green Mountain Boys that captured Fort Ticonderoga. And yes, the Ethan Allen store and furniture line is named for Ethan Allen the patriot, even though he had nothing to do with the furniture business.

20 Cozy spot for a morning repast : BREAKFAST NOOK

“Breakfast” comes from Middle English “brekfast”, which originated from the phrase “breken fast”. This literally means “to break one’s fast” or “end abstinence from food”. The word refers to the first meal of the day, eaten after the period of fasting that occurs during sleep. It’s essentially the meal that “breaks” the “fast” of the night.

Our word “repast”, meaning “meal”, came to us via French (in which language “repas” is “meal”). Ultimately the term comes from the Latin “repascere” meaning “to repeatedly graze”.

24 Budget exec : CFO

Chief financial officer (CFO)

28 Huffy state : PIQUE

Our term “pique” meaning “fit of ill feeling” is a French word meaning “prick, sting, irritation”.

34 Not in the office, perhaps : OUT TO LUNCH

“Lunch” is an abbreviated form of “luncheon”, but the exact etymology of “luncheon” seems unclear. That said, back in the 1650s, a luncheon was a light snack eaten between regular mealtimes, as opposed to a regular midday repast.

40 P-shaped Greek letter : RHO

Rho is the Greek letter that looks just like our Roman letter “p”, although it is equivalent to the Roman letter R. It is the 17th letter in the Greek alphabet.

42 Evening ringer : DINNER BELL

The etymology of the word “dinner” is quite interesting! Here’s a breakdown:

Our word “dinner” comes from the Old French word “disner,” which meant “to break one’s fast.” Originally, “dinner” referred to the first meal of the day, which would break the overnight fast. Over time, as social customs evolved and the main meal shifted later in the day, the meaning of “dinner” changed to refer to the main meal of the day, regardless of when it was eaten.

45 XPS laptop maker : DELL

XPS is a line of laptop and desktop computers made by Dell. Apparently, Dell has never officially stated what “XPS” stands for, but it’s widely believed within the tech community to be an acronym meaning “eXtreme Performance System”. This aligns with the XPS line’s focus on high-end components and delivering powerful performance for demanding users.

49 Where Katie Ledecky won four Olympic golds : RIO

Katie Ledecky is a swimmer who won her first Olympic gold medal at just 15 years of age, in the 800-meter freestyle. In 2016, Ledecky also became the youngest person to make “Time” magazine’s “Time 100” annual list of most influential people in the American world. Katie’s uncle is Jon Ledecky, an owner of the New York Islanders hockey team.

50 In-game hint providers, for short : NPCS

Non-player character (NPC)

55 Nonprofit that delivers food to the elderly, or what can be found three times in this puzzle? : MEALS-ON-WHEELS

Meals-on-Wheels is a program that addresses food insecurity and social isolation among seniors. The concept emerged in Britain during World War II when the Women’s Voluntary Service for Civil Defence began delivering meals to those who had been bombed out of their homes. The name “Meals-on-Wheels” originated from the various wheeled methods used to deliver the food, including prams, carts, bicycles with baskets, and cars. Inspired by this initiative, the first Meals-on-Wheels program in the United States began in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1954.

60 “My Ántonia” novelist Cather : WILLA

American author Willa Cather wrote what’s referred to as the “Prairie Trilogy”, novels that tell the story of Swedish immigrants living in Nebraska. The titles in the trilogy are “O Pioneers!”, “The Song of the Lark” and “My Ántonia”. Cather won the Pulitzer Prize for another novel “One of Ours”, which is set in Nebraska and the French battlefields of WWI.

63 Band’s release : ALBUM

The Latin word “album” translates as “white”. Back in the 17th century, public notices and lists of names were written on a board painted white, or in a souvenir book with white pages known as an “albo” (from “album”). Over time, the term “album” came to be used in English for a blank book created to collect signatures or other mementos. By the end of the 19th century, albums were used to collect photographs. The term “album” was applied to long-playing gramophone records in the early 1950s, because the record sleeves resembled large photographic albums.

66 Stay in a heated yurt, perhaps : GLAMP

“Glamping” is “glamorous camping”, camping with comforts and amenities.

A yurt is a wood-framed dwelling that is used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. Although a yurt is a substantial structure, it is also extremely portable.

Down

1 Studio with a roaring mascot : MGM

There has been a lion in the logo of the MGM studio since 1924. The original was an Irishman (!), a lion named Slats who was born in Dublin Zoo in 1919. However, it wasn’t until Jackie took over from Slats in 1928 that the roar was heard, as the era of silent movies was coming to an end. The current lion is called Leo, and he has been around since 1957.

2 Like a Bedouin : ARAB

Bedouin tribes are Arab ethnic groups that predominantly live in the Middle East, in desert areas. Bedouin tribes tend to be nomadic, not settling permanently in one location.

3 Motel 6 competitor : RED ROOF INN

The Red Roof Inn chain of hotels was founded in Columbus, Ohio in 1972, with the intent of providing affordable accommodation. The chain’s original slogan was “Sleep Cheap”.

The ubiquitous Motel 6 is the largest owned-and-operated hotel chain in North America. The chain was founded in Santa Barbara, California in 1962 by two building contractors. Their idea was to offer budget accommodation for just $6 per night, hence the name Motel 6.

6 Frozen “Frozen” character : OLAF

In the 2013 animated film “Frozen”, Olaf is a happy-go-lucky snowman who provides a lot of comic relief in the movie. He is voiced by actor and comedian Josh Gad.

7 Rapper Nicki : MINAJ

Nicki Minaj is a rapper from the New York borough of Queens who was born in Trinidad.

8 Low opera voice : BASSO

The bass is the lowest male singing voice. A man with such a voice might be called a “basso” (plural “bassi”). In an opera, the villain of the piece is usually played by a basso.

10 Gp. whose newest member is Sweden : NATO

The country of Sweden emerged during the Middle Ages, and became one of the great powers of Europe in the days of the Swedish Empire in the 17th and early 18th century. Since then Sweden’s influence has waned. What was the eastern part of Sweden was lost to Russia in the early 1800s, and is now modern-day Finland. In the 20th century Sweden has adopted a very non-aggressive stance and was neutral in both World Wars. Sweden is a member of the European Union, although the country does not use the euro as its currency. And, Sweden joined NATO in 2024, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

11 Short and modest “I think … ” : IMHO …

In my humble opinion (IMHO)

12 Tropical wood : TEAK

Teak is a hardwood tree in the mint family that is commonly found in monsoon forests of Asia. Teak’s tight grain and high oil content make it very suitable for constructing outdoor furniture, where weather resistance is valued. For the same reason, teak is the wood of choice for wooden decks on boats.

13 Fig. on Form W-2 : SSN

Form W-2 is provided by US employers to their employees by January 31 each year. The form reports wages paid to the employees, as well as taxes withheld.

18 Meaty spread : PATE

Pâté is a rich spreadable paste made from a mixture of ground meat and fat to which various vegetables, herbs and spices may be added. The most famous version of the paste is pâté de foie gras, which is made from the fattened livers of geese (“foie gras” means “fat liver” in French).

25 First __: Shakespeare collection : FOLIO

“First Folio” is the name commonly used for a collection of William Shakespeare’s plays published in 1623 under the title “Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories & Tragedies”. The “First Folio” originally sold for one pound, which is about $230 in today’s money. About 750 copies were made, and there are just under 230 copies believed to still exist. A copy stolen from Durham University in 1998 was recovered in 2008, and was valued at about 15 million pounds.

27 Where the sidewalk ends : CURB

“Curb” is another of those words that I had to learn when I came to the US. We park by the “kerb” on the other side of the Atlantic. Oh, and the “pavement”, that’s what we call the “footpath” (because the footpath is “paved”!). It’s very confusing when you arrive in this country from Ireland, and a little dangerous, when one has been taught to “walk on the pavement” …

29 The “Q” of QED : QUOD

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”.

31 Food safety concern : E COLI

Escherichia coli (E. coli) are usually harmless bacteria found in the human gut, working away quite happily. However, there are some strains that can produce lethal toxins. These strains can make their way into the food chain from animal fecal matter that comes into contact with food designated for human consumption.

35 With 65-Across, 2022 black comedy film set in a restaurant : THE …
65 See 35-Down : … MENU

“The Menu” is a 2022 comedy horror movie starring Ralph Fiennes as a celebrity chef with an exclusive restaurant. I’m afraid that I don’t do horror, not even comedy horror …

37 City on the Big Island : HILO

Hilo is the largest settlement on the Big Island of Hawaii, and has a population of over 43,000 (that’s not very many!). I love the Big Island …

39 Many an orange-red indicator light : NEON LAMP

The basic design of neon lighting was first demonstrated at the Paris Motor Show in 1910. Such lighting is made up of glass tubes containing a vacuum into which has been introduced a small amount of neon gas. When a voltage is applied between two electrodes inside the tube, the neon gas “glows” and gives off the familiar light.

43 House lawmakers, briefly : REPS

As a result of the 2020 census, the state with the largest delegation to the US House of Representatives is California, with 52 representatives. Six states have just one representative: Alaska, Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming.

44 Organisms that are like tiny ecosystems : LICHENS

Lichens are interesting organisms, as they are made up of a partnership of a fungus and either an alga or a bacterium existing in a symbiotic relationship. The algae or bacteria are capable of photosynthesis, and so manufacture simple sugars using light and carbon dioxide from the air. The fungus uses the manufactured sugars, and in return provides a stable environment for the algae or bacteria to thrive.

51 With 52-Down, reptile with red, yellow, and black bands : CORAL … 52 See 51-Down : … SNAKE

Coral snakes are a widely distributed group of snakes, with species found in much of the world. In North America, they are mainly found in the southern US. The bite of a coral snake is particularly nasty, although few such bites are reported each year.

54 Curly hairdos : PERMS

“Perm” is the common name given to a permanent wave, a chemical or thermal treatment of hair to produce waves or curls.

55 Pepper grinder : MILL

The fruit of the black pepper plant are drupes called peppercorns. Each peppercorn is dark red in color, and contains a stone that in turn encloses a single black pepper seed. Black pepper is made by grinding dried berries that have been picked before they ripen. White pepper is made by grinding the seeds of ripe peppercorns, The seeds are extracted by soaking the fruit in water and removing the outer layer.

56 Idris of “Luther” : ELBA

“Luther” is a British television series starring Idris Elba in the title role as Detective Chief Inspector John Luther. There has been talk about developing a US version of “Luther”, and a Russian version was first broadcast in 2016 using the title “Klim”.

57 Reunion attendee : ALUM

An alumnus (plural “alumni”) is a graduate or former student of a school or college. The female form is “alumna” (plural “alumnae”). The term comes into English from Latin, in which an alumnus is a foster-son or pupil. “Alum” is an informal term used for either an alumna or alumnus.

58 Court order : WRIT

A writ is an order issued by some formal body (these days, usually a court) with the order being in “written” form. Warrants and subpoenas are examples of writs.

62 Prom rental : TUX

Apparently, the style of men’s evening dress called a “tuxedo” was first worn to a country club event in 1886 in New York. The use of a dark dinner jacket without tails became fashionable at the club with the members, and the tradition spread from there. The country club was located in Tuxedo Park, New York, giving the style of dress its name.