Day: June 21, 2025

Advertisement

Constructed by: Alan Massengill & Doug Peterson
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: None

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

Bill’s time: 15m 09s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Ocean spray? : SEA SALT

The lobbyists have done their shameful job when it comes to the labeling of “sea salt”. In the US, sea salt doesn’t even have to come from the sea. The argument is that all salt came from the sea if you look back far enough. The politics of food; don’t get me started …

15 Flurry : HUSTLE AND BUSTLE

Back in the 1680s, “to hustle” meant “to shake to and fro”. The term particularly referred to shaking money in a cap as part of the game “hustle-cap”. “Hustle” seems to have evolved from the Dutch “hutselen” meaning “to shake”. By the end of the 1820s, to hustle was to bustle, to move quickly.

18 Capital of Cambodia : RIELS

The Cambodian riel was introduced in 1953, and was taken out of circulation by the Khmer Rouge in 1975 when they completely abolished money on taking control of the country. After the Vietnamese invasion of 1978, money was reintroduced and the Cambodian people are still using the “second” riel. The original riel was divided into 100 centimes, but this was changed to 100 “sen” in 1959.

23 Numbers game : KENO

The name of the game keno has French or Latin roots, with the French “quine” being a term describing five winning numbers, and the Latin “quini” meaning “five each”. The game originated in China and was introduced into the West by Chinese immigrants who were working on the first Transcontinental Railroad in the 1800s.

24 Really chill : ZEN

Zen is a Buddhist school that developed its own tradition in China back in the 7th century AD. “Zen” is a Japanese spelling of the Chinese word “chan”, which in turn derives from the Sanskrit word “dhyana” meaning “meditation”.

25 Highlands estate owner : LAIRD

“Laird” is just the word “lord” in the local English dialect in Scotland and the north of England.

27 Works from home? : BATS

That would be baseball …

30 Nancy, to Fritzi Ritz : NIECE

8-year-old Nancy Ritz has been in her own comic strip “Nancy” since 1938. Since 1938, her best friend has been the lazy Sluggo Smith. Nancy is actually a little older than she looks. She first appeared in 1933 when the same strip was called “Fritzi Ritz”. Within a few years, Nancy took over as the main character and so the strip was renamed to “Nancy”.

32 Surveyor’s support : 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.

35 CLE team : CAVS

The Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavs joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1970.

39 NL players since 2022 : DHS

Baseball’s American League (AL) has allowed a designated hitter (DH) in each team’s lineup since 1973, whereas the National League (NL) only adopted the DH rule in 2022.

42 Groks : GETS

To grok is to understand. “Grok” is a slang term that’s really only used in “techie” circles. It is the creation of science fiction author Robert Heinlein, who coined it in his 1961 novel “Stranger in a Strange Land”.

45 “How To Triumph Like a Girl” poet Limón : ADA

“How to Triumph Like a Girl” is a poem by Ada Limón that celebrates womanhood. She uses the term “lady horses” as a metaphor for female power and grace.

46 New York minute : TRICE

The expression “in a New York minute” is used to indicate that something happens very quickly. It is based on the idea that everything moves faster in the Big Apple, which I suppose is true …!

47 One-off : NONCE

The quaint phrase “for the nonce” means “for the present, for now”.

Down

1 Red selection : SHIRAZ

The Iranian city of Shiraz has long been associated with wine, but there is no proven link between the city and the wine/grape we know today as “Shiraz” (also called “Syrah”). Having said that, some clay jars were found just outside of the city of Shiraz that contained wine; wine that was 7,000 years old!

2 Carol Burnett character : EUNICE

Eunice Harper Higgins is a character from “The Family” sketches on “The Carol Burnett Show”, portrayed by Carol Burnett herself. Such was the success of the character that she featured in her own TV movie “Eunice”, which aired in 1982.

4 Steps over a wall : STILE

A stile is a structure allowing people to pass over or through a fence, while at the same time preventing livestock from escaping. The derivative term “turnstile” describes a revolving structure in a wall or fence that allows the controlled passage of people.

5 Element of the Third Pillar of Islam : ALMS

Followers of the Muslim tradition believe in the Five Pillars of Islam, five obligatory acts that underpin Muslim life. The Five Pillars are:

1. The Islamic creed
2. Daily prayer
3. Almsgiving (Zakat)
4. Fasting during the month of Ramadan
5. The pilgrimage to Mecca (haj, hajj, hadj) once during a lifetime

7 Tea ceremony surfaces : TATAMIS

A tatami is a traditional mat used on floors in Japan. The term “tatami” comes from the Japanese word “tatamu” meaning “to fold”, reflecting the fact that the mat is designed to be folded up for storage.

9 Many semi pros : CB’ERS

A CB’er is someone who operates a Citizens Band (CB) radio. In 1945, the FCC set aside certain radio frequencies for the personal use of citizens. The use of the Citizens Band increased throughout the seventies as advances in electronics brought down the size of transceivers and their cost. There aren’t many CB radios sold these days though, as they have largely been replaced by cell phones.

11 Retirement income org. : SSA

The Social Security Administration (SSA) was set up as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. The first person to receive a monthly retirement benefit was Ida May Fuller of Vermont who received her first check for the sum of $22.54 after having contributed for three years through payroll taxes. The New Deal turned out to be a good deal for Ms. Fuller, as she lived to be 100 years of age and received a total benefit of almost $23,000, whereas her three years of contributions added up to just $24.75.

12 Lift provider on a runway : STILETTO

The stiletto knife was developed in Italy, and is a knife intended for thrusting and stabbing as opposed to slashing and cutting. The term “stiletto” comes from the Latin “stilus”, which was a thin pointed writing instrument used in ancient Rome to engrave wax or clay tablets. And, there are also stiletto heels on some women’s shoes, heels that are long and thin.

13 Only Top 40 hit for actor/singer Jack Wagner : ALL I NEED

Jack Wagner is an actor who gained widespread recognition playing Frisco Jones on the popular soap opera “General Hospital” in the 1980s, a role that gave him the opportunity to show off his talent as a singer. His ballad “All I Need” was released during his time on the show, and made it to the top of the music charts.

14 Tyrants : DESPOTS

A despot is a ruler with absolute power, and often one who wields that power oppressively. “Despot” is an old French term from the 14th century that is ultimately derived from the Greek “despotes” meaning “master of a household, absolute ruler”.

22 Western : OATER

The term “oater” that is used for a Western movie comes from the number of horses seen, as horses love oats!

23 Trademarked pods : K-CUPS

A K-Cup is a single-portion cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate in which the beverage is prepared in situ. K-Cup packs are used with brewing machines made by Keurig, a manufacturer of coffee brewers based in Reading, Massachusetts. Personally, I use a Nespresso machine …

25 Chabert of “Mean Girls” : LACEY

Lacey Chabert is an actress who has become a staple of Hallmark Channel movies. She has earned the title of “Queen of Hallmark Christmas Movies”. I must admit that’s how I know of Chabert, as my wife and I do dip into offerings from the Hallmark channel coming up to Christmas …

“Mean Girls” is a teen comedy movie released in 2004 starring Lindsay Lohan. Tina Fey also puts in an appearance, which really isn’t surprising as Fey wrote the screenplay.

26 Fruit in caponata : OLIVE

Caponata is a traditional Sicilian dish often described as a sweet and sour vegetable stew, with eggplant as the main ingredient. It typically features vegetables like tomatoes, onions, celery, and sometimes bell peppers, along with briny elements such as olives and capers. Sounds yummy, except for the capers …

30 Plummet : NOSEDIVE

To plummet is to plunge downwards. The verb comes from the noun “plummet”, which is an alternative name for a plumb bob. A plumb bob is a weight that is suspended from a string so as to provide a vertical reference line.

33 Passport, for one : LEGAL ID

Identity document (ID)

As a result of a League of Nations conference in 1920, passports are usually written in French and one other language. French was specified back then as it was deemed the language of diplomacy. US passports use French and English, given that English is the nation’s de facto national language. Spanish was added as a language for US passports in the late nineties, in recognition of Spanish-speaking Puerto Rico.

39 “Taxi Driver” Oscar nominee : DE NIRO

Robert De Niro is noted for his longtime and highly successful collaboration with the director Martin Scorsese, in such films as “Taxi Driver” (1976), “Raging Bull” (1980), “GoodFellas” (1990) and “Casino” (1995). De Niro is also noted for his commitment as a method actor. Famously, he gained a full 60 pounds in order to play Jake Lamotta in “Raging Bull”.

“Taxi Driver” is a remarkable 1976 movie directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro. The film is remarkable for some great performances, but also for sparking an attempt on the life of President Ronald Reagan. Would-be assassin John Hinckley, Jr. tried to kill the President in order to impress Jodie Foster. Hinckley had been obsessed with Foster since seeing her performance in the film as child prostitute Iris Steensma.

40 Cyberwarrior, sometimes : HACKER

A computer hacker is a computer expert, and in particular one who uses that expertise to solve problems with hardware and software. So, the original use of the term “hacking” was very positive. Since the 1980s, the term “hacker” is more commonly used for an expert in subverting computer security.

41 Lipizzans, e.g. : STEEDS

The Lipizzan (also “Lipizanner”) is a breed of horse that was developed for nobles in the Habsburg Empire in the 16th century. The breed is named for an old stud farm located near the village of Lipica (“Lipizza” in Italian) in the Karst region of Slovenia. Today, the Lipizzan is very much associated with the Spanish Riding School of Vienna and its world-famous dressage team.

43 “Rainbow __”: classic cartoon that inspired collectible dolls : BRITE

Rainbow Brite is a media franchise that began with Hallmark greeting cards in the 1980s. The central character is a girl with rainbow-colored hair and clothing who lives in Rainbow Land. The franchise gained further popularity through a spinoff animated television series and a movie.

46 Turkey __ : TROT

The turkey trot is a dance step that was popular in the early 1900s, often performed to ragtime music. It was a dance denounced by the Vatican, as some of the positions assumed were deemed suggestive and offensive.

47 Blue species native to Pandora : NA’VI

In James Cameron’s epic “Avatar”, the “blue people” are the Na’vi, the indigenous species that lives on the lush moon called Pandora. The main Na’vi character featured in the film is the female Neytiri. According to Cameron, Neytiri was inspired by the character played by Raquel Welch in the movie “Fantastic Voyage” and the comic book character Vampirella.

49 Comedian Nwodim : EGO

Actress and comedian Ego Nwodim joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live” in 2018. She was a biology major at the University of Southern California, a classic foundation for a successful comedian …

50 Ragnarok figure : GOD

“Ragnarök” is the name given to a set of events in Norse mythology that resulted in the deaths of many famous gods, including Odin and Thor.