Day: January 6, 2026

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Constructed by: Robert S. Gard

Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Backup Bands

Themed answers each contain the name of a BAND, read in the BACK direction, hidden within:

• 59A Supporting musicians, or what can be found in 17-, 31-, 37-, and 44-Across : BACKUP BANDS

• 17A “This could’ve been a lot worse” : IT’S NOT SO BAD (backup BOSTON)
• 31A Jewel boxes : CD CASES (backup AC/DC)
• 37A Antiwar gathering of world leaders : PEACE SUMMIT (backup MUSE)
• 44A Hit that may go out of the park : HOME RUN (backup REM)

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

Bill’s time: 5m 29s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1A Pantry platform : SHELF

The word “pantry” dates back to 1300, when it came into English from the Old French “panetrie” meaning a “bread room”. Bread is “pain” in French, and “panis” in Latin.

6A Contrail, essentially : VAPOR

We talk so often about global warming these days but there is another fascinating phenomenon that is related, and known as “global dimming”. Global dimming is the reduction in the amount of heat that radiates daily from the planet due to the insulating effect of pollution and vapor trails (contrails) from aircraft that are present in the atmosphere. The effect has been touted as a theory for decades but dramatic empirical data became available in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Planes were grounded and the skies over America were clear for three days. There was a stark change in the temperature range measured across the US for these three days, demonstrating the impact that air travel has on our climate.

14A Humped beast at a desert oasis : CAMEL

Perhaps the most distinctive feature of a camel is the large deposit of fatty tissue on its back. The dromedary is the most common camel, and has one hump of fatty tissue on its back. The Bactrian camel has two humps, and makes up just 6% of the world’s camel population. Those fatty humps are useful if no food or water is available, as fat can be broken down into water and energy.

17A “This could’ve been a lot worse” : IT’S NOT SO BAD (backup BOSTON)

Boston is a rock band from … Boston. Boston’s biggest hit is “Amanda”, released in 1986.

21A Paleontologist’s find : FOSSIL

Originally, the term “fossil” described anything that was unearthed, dug up. We tend to define the term more narrowly today, reserving it for the geological remains of a plant or animal. “Fossil” comes from the Latin “fossilis” meaning “dug up”.

Paleontology is the study of prehistoric life. My favorite “paleontologist” is Dr. David Huxley played by Cary Grant opposite Katharine Hepburn in the wonderful 1938 comedy “Bringing Up Baby”.

23A Tire gauge meas. : PSI

Pounds per square inch (PSI) is a measure of pressure.

26A Schleps : TOTES

Our word “schlep” (sometimes “schlepp”) means “carry, drag”. “Schlep” comes from Yiddish, with “shlepen” having the same meaning.

28A High point of a trip to Sicily? : ETNA

According to Greek mythology, Mount Etna was the prison of a monster. After Zeus defeated the 100-headed giant Typhon, he trapped him under the volcano. The eruptions, smoke, and tremors were believed to be the giant’s fiery breath as he struggled to break free.

29A Play with, as a trampoline : JUMP ON

The first modern trampoline was developed in 1936. The apparatus was given its name from the Spanish “trampolín” meaning “diving board”. Trampolines were used during WWII in the training of pilots, to give them exposure to some spatial orientations that would be encountered during flight. Trampolines were also used by astronauts training in the space flight program. The sport of trampolining became an Olympic event starting in the 2000 Games.

31A Jewel boxes : CD CASES (backup AC/DC)

A CD case is also known as a jewel box, and I am really not sure why. I’ve heard some explanations, but not one that I really buy …

The Heavy Metal band known as AC/DC was formed by two brothers Malcolm and Angus Young in Australia. Malcolm and Angus chose the name “AC/DC” after their sister Margaret noticed them on a sewing machine (the abbreviation for alternating current/direct current). The group is usually called “Acca Dacca” down under.

37A Antiwar gathering of world leaders : PEACE SUMMIT (backup MUSE)

Rock band Muse is a trio of musicians who attended school together in Devon, in the English southwest. They got together after leaving school and played together as Gothic Plague, and then Rocket Baby Dolls. Under the latter name, they won a local “battle of the bands” competition, partially by underscoring their goth-glam image by smashing their equipment on stage as a protest statement. The win encouraged the three to quit their jobs, and perform as full-time musicians under the name Muse.

40A “Women Talking” novelist Toews : MIRIAM

Author Miriam Toews grew up in a Mennonite community in Manitoba. She is most famous for her 2018 novel “Women Talking”, which was inspired by the real-life drugging and assault of over 100 women in a Bolivian Mennonite colony. She also wrote a memoir, “Swing Low” published in 2000, in which she wrote in her fathers’ voice, and related the suicides of both her father and her sister.

41A CNN journalist Hill : ERICA

Erica Hill was the co-anchor of “CBS This Morning”, and before that she was co-anchor of CBS’s “The Early Show”. Hill moved in 2008 to NBC News and co-hosted the weekend edition of “Today”. She moved to CNN in 2016.

44A Hit that may go out of the park : HOME RUN (backup REM)

R.E.M. was a rock band from Athens, Georgia that formed in 1980. Apparently, the name “R.E.M.” was chosen randomly from a dictionary.

53A Sentra automaker : NISSAN

The Nissan Sentra is sold as the Nissan Sunny back in Japan. I remember driving a Nissan Sunny over in Ireland for a while, many moons ago …

56A Archer’s projectile : ARROW

An archer is someone who shoots with a bow and arrow. The term “archer” comes from the Latin “arcus” meaning “bow, arc”.

58A Distress signal : SOS

The combination of three dots – three dashes – three dots, is a Morse signal first introduced by the German government as a standard distress call in 1905. The sequence is remembered as the letters SOS (three dots – pause – three dashes – pause – three dots). That said, in the emergency signal there is no pause between the dots and dashes, so “SOS” is really only a mnemonic. Similarly, the phrases “Save Our Souls” and “Save Our Ship” are back-formations that were introduced after the SOS signal was adopted.

64A Tree with serrated leaves : ELM

Elm trees have a unique ability to tolerate urban environments, making them a popular choice for city planners looking to add greenery to their landscapes. They have a high tolerance for air pollution, compacted soil, and other stresses commonly found in urban areas, which allows them to thrive in these environments where other tree species might struggle.

66A Listless feeling : ENNUI

“Ennui” is the French word for “boredom”, and is a term that we now use in English. It’s one of the few French words we’ve imported and haven’t anglicized, and actually pronounce “correctly”.

67A Filmmaker Ang : LEE

Ang Lee is a Taiwanese-born filmmaker who has directed several critically acclaimed and commercially successful movies. He has worked in a variety of genres, including romantic comedies (“Sense and Sensibility”), dramas (“Brokeback Mountain”), and superhero movies (“Hulk”).

68A Warty hoppers : TOADS

The “warts” on the skin of a toad have no relation to the viral infection that can occur on human skin. A toad’s warts are colored bumps that are believed to help the animal blend more effectively into its environment.

Down

3D 911 responders, briefly : EMS

Emergency medical services (EMS)

4D Periscope part : LENS

The prefix “peri-” is Greek in origin and means “around”. An example of its use is “periscope”, a device on a submarine for looking “around”.

9D “Frozen” snowman : 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.

13D Texas city with the Cowboys and the Wings : DALLAS

The Dallas Cowboys play in the National Football Conference (NFC) of the NFL. The Cowboys are famous for a lengthy streak of 20 consecutive winning seasons, from 1966 to 1985. They are the highest-valued sports franchise in the country. The only team in the world that’s worth more money is the UK’s Manchester United soccer team.

The Shock were the professional WNBA team based in Tulsa from 2010 to 2015. The team was founded as the Detroit Shock in 1998, and became the Dallas Wings after leaving Tulsa in 2016.

18D Sci-fi franchise with “Legacy” and “Ares” installments : TRON

Released in 1982, Disney’s “Tron” was one of the first mainstream films to make extensive use of computer graphics. The main role in the movie is played by Jeff Bridges. The original spawned a 2010 sequel called “Tron: Legacy”, as well as a 2012 TV show called “Tron: Uprising”. More recently, a 2025 movie “Tron: Ares” starred Jared Leto, with Bridges reprising his iconic role.

22D Bioluminescence produced by marine microorganisms : SEA FIRE

Some living organisms are able to produce light, a phenomenon known as “bioluminescence”. A famous example on land is the firefly, with its glowing tail. There are many marine animals, such as jellyfish, that emit light. The frequently observed bioluminescence on the surface of the sea is usually caused by plankton. This phenomenon may be referred to as “sea fire”.

23D Garments that might have feet, familiarly : PJS

“PJs” is the shortened form of “pajamas” (or “pyjamas” in British English). The word “pajama” itself comes to English from Hindi, derived from the Persian “pāē-jāma”, meaning “leg garment”.

27D Rugby play with tight formation : SCRUM

If you’ve ever seen a rugby match, you’ll recognize the scrum, in which the players designated as forwards bind together and push against the forwards on the opposing team. It’s a way of restarting the game after various types of stoppages. “Scrum” is short for “scrummage”, which in itself is a variation of “scrimmage”. And “scrimmage” has its roots in the word “skirmish”. If you get the chance, take a look at the Matt Damon-Morgan Freeman movie called “Invictus”, directed by Clint Eastwood. It’s all about rugby in South Africa after Nelson Mandela came to power. A powerful film …

30D Some organic chemistry students : PRE-MEDS

By one definition, an organic chemical is a compound containing carbon-hydrogen and/or carbon-carbon bonds. A more broad definition is that a chemical containing carbon is classed as organic. Back in the mid-1600s, anything described as “organical” related to the body and its organs. In the early 1800s, the phrase “organic chemistry” was coined to describe the study of compounds derived from living things, from nature.

32D Blue pol : DEM

On political maps, red states are predominantly Republican and blue states predominantly Democrat. The designation of red and blue states is a very recent concept, only introduced in the 2000 presidential election by TV journalist, the late Tim Russert. In retrospect, the choice of colors is surprising, as in other democracies around the world red is usually used to describe left-leaning socialist parties (the reds under the bed!), and blue is used for conservative right-wing parties. In election cycles, swing/battleground states are often depicted in purple.

35D River through Paris : SEINE

The Seine is the river that flows through Paris. It empties into the English Channel to the north, at the port city of Le Havre.

36D Mex. neighbor : USA

The Mexico-US border is the most frequently-crossed border in the world, although it is only the tenth longest border in the world between two countries.

38D Grand __: French wine classification : CRU

“Cru” is a term used in the French wine industry that means “growth place”. So, “cru” is the name of the location where the grapes are grown, as opposed to the name of a specific vineyard. The terms “premier cru” and “grand cru” are also used, but the usage depends on the specific wine region. Generally it is a classification awarded to specific vineyards denoting their potential for producing great wines. “Grand cru” is reserved for the very best vineyards, with “premier cru” the level just below.

39D DVR pioneer : TIVO

TiVo was introduced in 1999 and was the world’s first commercially successful digital video recorder (DVR).

44D Gretel’s brother : HANSEL

“Hansel and Gretel” is a Germanic fairy tale found in the collection of the Brothers Grimm. It tells of two siblings, Hansel and Gretel, the children of a woodcutter. The youngsters are abandoned in a forest at the behest of an evil stepmother. Clever Hansel hears of the plan and leaves a trail of pebbles so that he and his sister can find their way home, which they do. But the children are abandoned again and this time leave a trail of breadcrumbs. Unfortunately, the crumbs are eaten by birds and so the children do indeed become lost. But eventually they do all live happily ever after …

45D Baltimore ballplayer : ORIOLE

The Baltimore Orioles (also the O’s, the Birds) are one of the eight charter teams of MLB’s American League, so the franchise dates back to 1901. Prior to 1901, the team had roots in the Minor League Milwaukee Brewers, and indeed entered the American League as the Brewers. In 1902 the Brewers moved to St. Louis and became the Browns. The team didn’t fare well in St. Louis, so when it finally relocated to Baltimore in the early fifties the team changed its name completely, to the Baltimore Orioles. The owners so badly wanted a fresh start that they traded 17 old Browns players with the New York Yankees. The trade didn’t help the team’s performance on the field in those early days, but it did help distance the new team from its past.

47D Org. working against age discrimination : AARP

AARP is the official name now for the interest group that used to be called “The American Association of Retired Persons”. The name change reflects the current focus of the group on all Americans aged 50 or over, as opposed to just people who have retired. The AARP was founded by Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus in 1958 and is a successor to the National Retired Teachers Association, also founded by Andrus over ten years earlier.

57D Taper off : WANE

I used to think that the word “taper” was used for a slender candle because said candle was “tapered” in shape, but it’s exactly the opposite. It turns out that our word “tapered” comes from the candle. “Taper” and “tapur” are Old English words meaning “candle”. From these nouns arose the verb “to taper” meaning “shoot up like flame”. This meaning evolved into “become slender” from the idea that a candle’s flame has such a shape.

60D Tax prep pro : CPA

Certified public accountant (CPA)

66D Sleep cycle letters : REM

“REM” is an acronym standing for “rapid eye movement”. REM sleep takes up 20-25% of the sleeping hours and is the period associated with one’s most vivid dreams.