Category: Amanda Rafkin

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Constructed by: Amanda Rafkin
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: None

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

Bill’s time: 11m 47s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

11 Alternative bands? : AM/FM

Amplitude modulation/frequency modulation (AM/FM)

16 Wedding dress option : SARI

The item of clothing called a “sari” (also “saree”) is a strip of cloth, as one might imagine, unusual perhaps in that it is unstitched along the whole of its length. The strip of cloth can range from four to nine meters long (that’s a lot of material!). The sari is usually wrapped around the waist, then draped over the shoulder leaving the midriff bare. I must say, it can be a beautiful item of clothing.

19 French military cap : KEPI

A kepi is a circular cap with a visor, one that’s particularly associated with the French military.

21 Oft-used tissue : SINEW

“Sinew” is another name for “tendon”. Tendons are bands of collagen that connect muscle to bone. Tendons are similar to ligaments and fasciae, which are also connective tissue made out of collagen, but ligaments join bone to bone, and fasciae connect muscle to muscle. We also use the term “sinew” to mean muscular power.

28 Muppet who had a cameo on “The West Wing” : ELMO

In 2002, The Muppet Elmo got to testify before a US House subcommittee. Elmo’s goal was to get an increase in funding for music education. In the transcript of the hearing, his statements are ascribed to “Elmo Monster” and “Mr. Monster”.

29 Sara’s “And Just Like That … ” role : CHE

Sara Ramirez is a Mexican-American actress known for playing Callie Torres in “Grey’s Anatomy”. In 2005, Ramirez won a Tony Award for originating the role of Lady of the Lake in the “Spamalot” on Broadway.

“And Just Like That…” is a TV series that serves as a sequel to the hit show “Sex and the City”. All of the four lead actors reprise their roles, bar Kim Cattrall who opted out of playing Samantha Jones again.

30 D.C. figure : POL

Politician (pol)

33 Leaves in tears? : WEEPING WILLOW

The lovely-looking tree known as a weeping willow is native to northern China, although is now found all over the world.

35 Indiana’s conference : THE BIG TEN

The Big Ten is the nation’s oldest Division I college athletic conference. It was founded in 1896, and earned the name “Big Nine” in 1899 when Iowa and Indiana joined to bring the number of teams in the conference to nine. The conference name was changed to the Big Ten after Michigan rejoined in 1917. Right after WWII, the University of Chicago dropped out so the conference became known as the Big Nine again until 1949. The official designation of “Big Ten” was adopted in 1987 when the conference (once again with a complement of ten teams) registered as a not-for-profit corporation. It was decided to keep the official name of Big Ten when Penn State joined in 1990 bringing the number of schools to the level of eleven. The number of schools in the conference continues to evolve, but that “Big Ten” moniker persists.

37 Olive __ : OYL

E. C. Segar’s cartoon character Olive Oyl had quite a large family. Her mother is Nana Oyl, and her father Cole Oyl. Olive’s brother is Castor Oyl, and she has uncles named Otto Oyl and Lubry Kent Oyl (my favorite!).

39 Hrs. not observed by most of Arizona : DST

Arizona and Hawaii are the only two states in the US that do not observe daylight saving time (DST), having opted out when the Uniform Time Act was passed by the US Congress in 1966. Some Native American nations in Arizona observe DST, and some don’t. As a result, times can change back and forth a few times while driving across Arizona during the summer.

42 “__ Sure the Boy I Love” : HE’S

“He’s Sure the Boy I Love” is a 1962 hit credited to the Crystals. Producer Phil Spector had the Blossoms perform the song for the original recording, releasing it as a record released by the Crystals. Spector pulled the same trick with the Crystals’ megahit “He’s a Rebel” that was released earlier that year, and again performed by the Blossoms.

43 “Captain Marvel” actor : LAW

Jude Law is a wonderful English actor, and a big name in Hollywood these days. He makes a great romantic lead, witness his performance in 2006’s “The Holiday” in which he starred opposite Cameron Diaz. He and Diaz were nominated by MTV for the best onscreen kiss that year!

“Captain Marvel” is a superhero movie released in 2019. It was the first film in the Marvel franchise of films to feature a female lead. The title character, Carol Danvers (aka “Captain Marvel”), is played by Brie Larson.

48 “The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On” poet Franny : CHOI

Franny Choi is a poet and playwright from Massachusetts. She is known as a slam poet, participating in many competitions. Her published works are focused on social activism, and equality.

50 Nadal’s nickname : RAFA

Rafael Nadal is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, and he has some superstitions that help him focus on winning. For example, he has a unique pre-match ritual in which he arranges his water bottles in a very specific way. He always places them in a straight line with the labels facing the court, and he adjusts them so that they are perfectly aligned.

57 Creative outlets? : ETSY STORES

Etsy.com was founded in 2005 as a way for artists and craftspeople to sell their handmade goods online, and has since grown to include vintage items and crafting supplies as well. The company’s name is derived from the Italian word “etsi,” which means “oh, yes”? This was a nod to founder Rob Kalin’s love of Italy and his appreciation for the country’s history and artistry.

Down

1 Home of the Bengal Classical Music Festival : 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.

11 City that a bubbly person might enjoy : ASTI

Asti is a city in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. The region is perhaps most famous for its Asti Spumante sparkling white wine.

12 Breed of the Guinness World Records’ longest cat : MAINE COON

The Maine Coon breed of domestic cat is also called the American Longhair. It is native to the state of Maine, and is the official state cat.

“The Guinness Book of World Records” holds some records of its own. It is the best-selling, copyrighted series of books of all time and is one of the books most often stolen from public libraries! The book was first published in 1954 by two twins, Norris and Ross McWhirter. The McWhirter twins found themselves with a smash hit, and eventually became very famous in Britain hosting a TV show based on world records.

14 Hump day time : MIDWEEK

The phrase “hump day” is very North American. It refers to Wednesday, which is the middle day (the hump) of a typical work week.

25 W alternative : OMNI

Omni Hotels & Resorts is headquartered in Dallas, Texas and has properties in the US, Canada and Mexico.

The W chain of hotels is a luxury brand owned by Starwood. Aimed at a younger market, the W properties feature modern, minimalist decor. There’s also a “trendy” use of the letter W throughout the hotels. For example, the pool is called “the Wet”, the laundry bag in each is “the Wash” and the concierge goes by the name “Whatever Whenever”.

27 Singer with the children’s album “Camp Lisa” : LOEB

Singer Lisa Loeb was discovered by actor Ethan Hawke, who lived just across the street from her in New York City. Hawke took a demo of her song “Stay (I Missed You)” and gave it to director Ben Stiller, who in turn used it over the ending credits of his 1994 movie “Reality Bites”. The movie was a hit, the song went to number one, and Loeb became the first artist ever to hit that number one spot without having signed up with a record label. Good for her!

30 Left a drag show? : PEELED OUT

Back in the 18th century, “drag” was slang for a wagon or buggy, as it was “dragged” along by a horse or horses. In the 1930s, the underworld adopted “drag” as slang for an automobile. This sense of the word was imported into automobile racing in the 1940s, giving the name to “drag racing”. A drag race is basically a competition between two cars to determine which can accelerate faster from a standstill.

34 Grammy-winning album with the hit “Earfquake” : IGOR

“Igor” is a 2019 studio album released by Tyler, the Creator. “Tyler, the Creator” is the stage name of rap singer Tyler Okonma.

39 Rational believers : DEISTS

Deism (from the Latin “deus” meaning god) is the belief that a supreme being created the universe, a belief based on observation and reason, and without the need for faith. Further, a deist does not accept divine intervention and rather believes that the supreme being, having created the universe, leaves the world to its own devices.

42 Like a hygge dwelling : HOMEY

“Hygge” is a word used in both Denmark and Norway that describes coziness and conviviality.

43 Oktoberfest choice : LAGER

Lager is so called because of the tradition of cold-storing the beer during fermentation. “Lager” is the German word for “storage”.

Oktoberfest is a 16-day beer festival in Munich that actually starts in September. About six million people attend every year, making it the largest fair in the world. I’ve attended twice, and it really is a remarkable party …

45 L.A.’s __ Towers : WATTS

The Watts Towers are a series of sculptures on display in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. Also known as “Nuestro Pueblo” (Spanish for “Our Town”), the collection was created by Italian-American artist Simon Rodia.

47 Actor Omar : EPPS

Omar Epps is the actor who played Eric Foreman on the excellent television series “House”. Prior to playing Dr. Foreman, Epps had a recurring role playing Dr. Dennis Gant on “ER”. He is good friends with actor and comedian Marlon Wayans. Epps and Wayns were classmates at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School in the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

49 Oil tycoon who once owned the New York Jets : HESS

Leon Hess founded the Hess Oil and Chemical Corporation in the 1930s, originally to distribute heating oil. Today’s Hess Corporation still bears Leon’s name. Leon Hess was also co-owner, and eventually sole owner, of the New York Jets football team from the late sixties until his death in 1999.

50 Settle elsewhere, in jargon : RELO

Relocate (relo)

53 Target of dumbbell rows, informally : LAT

The muscles known as the “lats” are the latissimi dorsi, and are the broadest muscles in the back. “Latissimus” is Latin for “broadest”, and “dorsum” is Latin for “back”.