Category: C.C. Burnikel

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Constructed by: Steve Marron & Zhouqin Burnikel
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: Do the Dishes

Themed answers sound like common phrases, but refer to DISHES served at a meal:

• 23A Score a seafood morsel in a bite of paella? : PULL A MUSSEL (from “pull a muscle”)
• 25A Carefully check some deli stock? : SCREEN LOX (from “screenlocks”)
• 53A Hamburgers and hot dogs sold at a NASCAR race? : TRACK MEAT (from “track meet”)
• 66A Ingredient that tends to fly out of the stand mixer? : WILD FLOUR (from “wildflower”)
• 82A Make an unusual choice while making borscht? : SKIP A BEET (from “skip a beat”)
• 112A Sketch the Thanksgiving turkey before it’s carved? : DRAW A FOWL (from “draw a foul”)
• 114A Request to a fishmonger for smaller portions? : BREAK MY SOLE (from “break my soul”)
• 41D “This herb is amazing!”? : GREAT THYME (from “great time”)
• 45D Avoid the downside in a corn investment? : HEDGE MAIZE (from “hedge maze”)

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

Bill’s time: 13m 56s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Saoirse of “Lady Bird” : RONAN

Saoirse Ronan is an Irish-American actress, having been born in the Bronx, New York and raised in Carlow and Dublin in Ireland. Ronan’s big break came when she was cast in the 2007 film “Atonement” at 12 years of age, a role for which she was nominated for that season’s Best Supporting Actress Oscar. “Saoirse” is the Irish word for “freedom”.

“Lady Bird” is a 2017 coming-of-age movie starring Saoirse Ronan in the title role, a high school senior who has a strained relationship with her mother (played by Laurie Metcalf). Roman and Metcalf earned themselves Oscar nominations for their performances.

20 Lakers legend Shaquille : O’NEAL

Retired basketball player Shaquille O’Neal now appears regularly as an analyst on the NBA TV show “Inside the NBA”. Shaq has quite a career in the entertainment world. His first rap album, called “Shaq Diesel”, went platinum. He also starred in two of his own reality shows: “Shaq’s Big Challenge” and “Shaq Vs.”

22 Letter before kappa : IOTA

Iota is the ninth letter in the Greek alphabet, and one that gave rise to our letters I and J. We use the word “iota” to portray something very small, as it is the smallest of all Greek letters.

23 Score a seafood morsel in a bite of paella? : PULL A MUSSEL (from “pull a muscle”)

Some argue that eating mussels grown in farms may be friendlier to the planet than following a vegan diet. Mussel farms use no land, no freshwater, no fertilizer, and even clean up the surrounding seawater.

Paella is sometimes referred to as the Spanish national dish, but not by Spaniards. In Spain, paella is regarded as a typical regional dish from Valencia. The name “paella” means “frying pan” in Valencian, and is a reference to the shallow vessel traditionally used to cook the dish over an open fire.

25 Carefully check some deli stock? : SCREEN LOX (from “screenlocks”)

Lox is a brine-cured salmon filet that is finely sliced. The term “lox” comes into English via Yiddish, and derives from the German word for salmon, namely “Lachs”.

27 City viewed from Holmenkollbakken : OSLO

Holmenkollbakken is a ski jumping hill in Oslo that opened for competition way back in 1892.

29 Decree : FIAT

A fiat is an arbitrary rule that is imposed, and is the Latin for “let it be done”.

30 Intel microprocessor : XEON

Intel introduced its Xeon line of microprocessors in 1998. We don’t see them in our home computers as they are targeted at non-consumer workstations.

31 Kelp and sargassum : SEAWEEDS

Kelps are large seaweeds that grow in kelp forests underwater. Kelps can grow to over 250 feet in length, and do so very quickly. Some kelps can grow at the rate of 1-2 feet per day.

The Sargasso Sea is an area within the Atlantic Ocean that is famous as the home to many species of Sargassum, the algae floating on the surface that gives the area its name. The Sargasso Sea is also where both European and American species of eel lay their eggs and hatch their young. The young eels (or “elvers”) then head east or west, depending on the species.

37 Certain, for sure: Abbr. : SYN

“Certain” is a synonym (syn.) of “sure”.

38 __ firma : TERRA

“Terra firma” is Latin for “solid ground”.

40 Patterns in an aviary : PLUMAGES

“Plume” is a French word meaning “feather”. The term migrated into English from Old French in the late 1500s with the same meaning. We also use “plume” to describe something resembling a feather, like perhaps a “feathery” stream of smoke above a fire.

50 No Doubt lead singer Stefani : GWEN

Gwen Stefani is lead singer with the rock band No Doubt. She joined the band in 1986, focused on a solo career from 2004-2008, but is now back singing and working with No Doubt. She joined the reality show “The Voice” as a coach in 2014, replacing Christina Aguilera. A year later, Stefani announced a relationship with Blake Shelton, a fellow coach on “The Voice”.

51 “__ a wrap” : THAT’S

When shooting of a film is concluded the movie is said to wrap, and everyone heads to the wrap party. There is one story that “wrap” is actually an acronym for “wind, reel and print”, a reference to the transition of the filming process into post-production. But, this explanation is disputed.

57 Travis or Haggard of country music : MERLE

Merle Travis was a country and western singer who is perhaps best known for his song “Sixteen Tons”, which is about a coal miner. Travis was born in Kentucky, and wrote several songs about the the lives of American coal miners.

Merle Haggard was a country singer and songwriter whose most famous recording has to be “Okie from Muskogee” released in 1969. Haggard would tell you that the song was actually meant as a spoof, but it has become a country “anthem”.

65 Magician Jillette : PENN

Penn Jillette is one half of the duo of magicians known as Penn & Teller (Penn is the one who talks). Penn teamed up with Teller on stage in 1981, having met him through a friend back in 1974. As well as being talkative onstage, Penn is very vocal offstage when it comes to his causes and beliefs. He is a devout atheist, a libertarian and a supporter of free-market capitalism.

72 Repast : MEAL

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”.

74 50+ group : 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.

80 Raga instrument : SITAR

The sitar has been around since the Middle Ages. It is a stringed instrument that is played by plucking, and is used most often in Hindustani classical music. In the West we have been exposed to the instrument largely through the performances of Ravi Shankar and some music by George Harrison of the Beatles, a onetime student of Shankar.

81 Ming who is the tallest player in the basketball Hall of Fame : YAO

Yao Ming is a retired professional basketball player from Shanghai who played for the Houston Rockets. At 7’6″, Yao was the tallest man playing in the NBA. He has a cute nickname: “the Ming Dynasty”.

82 Make an unusual choice while making borscht? : SKIP A BEET (from “skip a beat”)

Borscht is a beetroot soup that originated in Ukraine. Borscht can be served both hot and cold.

86 “The Long Goodbye” Oscar winner Ahmed : RIZ

British actor and rapper Riz Ahmed released a 2020 studio album called “The Long Goodbye”. He accompanied it with a short film of the same name, which won the Best Live Action Short Film Oscar in 2022.

92 Artists’ lofts : ATELIERS

An atelier is an artist’s studio, with “atelier” being the French word for “studio” or “workshop”.

95 Mike Brady or Phil Dunphy : TV DAD

In the TV show “The Brady Bunch”, the mom is Carol Brady, formerly Carol Martin, played by Florence Henderson. The dad is Mike Brady, played by Robert Reed.

The character Phil Dunphy on the sitcom “Modern Family” is played by actor Ty Burrell. Phil is a real estate agent and refers to his role in his family as “cool Dad”.

97 Mauna __ : LOA

Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii is the largest volcano on the planet (in terms of volume). The name “Mauna Loa” is Hawaiian for “Long Mountain”.

99 Warthog feature : TUSK

The warthog is a wild animal from the pig family found in Sub-Saharan Africa. The animal takes its name from four wart-like protrusions on its head that serve as a means of defense, but are also reserves of fat.

100 Far from calm : IN A PANIC

In Greek mythology, Pan was a lecherous god who was part-man and part-goat, and one who fell in love with Echo the mountain nymph. Echo refused Pan’s advances so that he became very angry. Pan’s anger created a “panic” (a word derived from the name “Pan”) and a group of shepherds were driven to kill Echo.

107 Picnicker’s worry : RAIN

Our term “picnic” comes from the French word that now has the same meaning, namely “pique-nique”. The original “pique-nique” was a fashionable potluck affair, and not necessarily held outdoors.

112 Sketch the Thanksgiving turkey before it’s carved? : DRAW A FOWL (from “draw a foul”)

The tradition of the US President “pardoning” a Thanksgiving turkey was only formalized in 1989, during the administration of President George H.W. Bush. The pardoned turkey is taken to a farm where it gets to live out its life. Prior to 1989, the tradition was more focused on the presentation of a turkey to the White House, and less on the fate of the bird. President Eisenhower was presented with a turkey in each year of his two terms, and he ate them both …

114 Request to a fishmonger for smaller portions? : BREAK MY SOLE (from “break my soul”)

The suffix “-monger” indicates a dealer or trader. For example. A fishmonger sells fish, an ironmonger sells hardware, a warmonger proposes military conflict, and an ideamonger deals in ideas..

119 Noggins : DOMES

Slang terms for “head” include “bean”, “coconut”, “gourd”, “noodle” and “noggin”.

121 Letters on egg cartons : USDA

The USDA grades eggs into three categories for consumers: AA, A, and B. The grade is determined by the interior quality of the egg and the appearance and condition of the shell.

1. USDA Grade AA eggs have whites that are thick and firm; yolks that are high, round, and practically free from defects; and clean, unbroken shells. These highest-quality eggs are deemed best for frying and poaching.
2. USDA Grade A eggs are similar to Grade AA eggs except that the whites are reasonably firm. These eggs are often used in baking and other cooking applications.
3. USDA Grade B eggs have whites that may be thinner and yolks that may be wider and flatter. The shells are unbroken, but may be stained. These eggs are usually used to make liquid, frozen and dried egg products, and are seldom seen in retail stores.

Down

3 Wafer named for its flavor : NILLA

As one might expect, “Nilla” is a shortened form of “vanilla”. However, you won’t find any vanilla in Nilla brand cookies or wafers. They have always been flavored with vanillin, which is synthetic vanilla. Is nothing sacred …?

5 Read Across America org. : NEA

Read Across America is a reading initiative launched in 1997 by the National Education Association (NEA) labor union. Part of the initiative was the observance of National Read Across America Day. Said day is observed annually on the school day nearest to March 2nd, a date chosen because it is the birthday of Dr. Seuss.

6 Beagle, for one : HOUND

The beagle breed of dog is a scent hound, one developed for tracking small game. Because of this characteristic, beagles are often used as detection dogs in customs halls around the world. The world’s most famous beagle is probably Snoopy from the comic strip “Peanuts”.

9 Super conductors? : MAESTROS

“Maestro” is often used to address a musical conductor. “Maestro” (plural “maestri”) is the Italian word for “master, teacher”. The plural in English is usually “maestros”.

13 Chimichanga wrap : TORTILLA

The chimichanga isn’t a dish from Mexican cuisine, but is rather a dish that originated in Arizona, possibly by accident in the 1920s. It is basically a deep-fried burrito (a dish that did originate in Mexico). The name “chimichanga” is Mexican-Spanish for “thingamajig”.

16 Caramel-filled treat : ROLO

Rolo was a hugely popular chocolate candy in Ireland when I was growing up. It was introduced in the thirties in the UK, and is produced under license in the US by Hershey. I was a little disappointed when I had my first taste of the American version as the center is very hard and chewy. The recipe used on the other side of the Atlantic calls for a soft gooey center.

17 Town across the Thames from Windsor : ETON

The town of Eton in Berkshire, England is home to the world-famous Eton College. The original settlement of Eton was located on an island surrounded by the River Thames, and the name “Eton” means “settlement on an island. A stream on one side of the island silted up almost 200 years ago, but it was cleared in 2019 so that Eton qualifies as an island once again.

24 Jack kin : MUENSTER

Muenster is an American cheese, not to be confused with Munster cheese which is from the department called Vosges in the northeast of France. The American cheese is named for the German city of Münster (also “Muenster”) in the northwest of the country, and a city that doesn’t actually have a local cheese named for it.

What we now call Monterey Jack cheese was originally made by Franciscan friars in Monterey, California in the 19th century. In the 1800s, a powerful landowner called David Jack started to make the same cheese as the friars in his own dairy, and marketed it as “Jack’s Cheese” and later “Monterey Jack”.

36 Punishes with a fine : MULCTS

“Mulct” is a term used primarily in civil law for a fine, a financial penalty imposed by a court.

39 Oldest Haim sister : ESTE

Haim is a Los Angeles band consisting of three Haim sisters: Este, Danielle and Alana.

45 Avoid the downside in a corn investment? : HEDGE MAIZE (from “hedge maze”)

“Maize” is another name for “corn”. Even though there is more maize grown in the world than wheat or rice, a relatively small proportion of the total maize crop is consumed directly by humans. That’s because a lot of maize goes to make corn ethanol, animal feed and derivative products like cornstarch and corn syrup. Here in the US, over 40% of the maize produced is used to feed livestock, and about 30% is used to make ethanol.

48 Court fig. : STENO

Stenography is the process of writing in shorthand. The term comes from the Greek “steno” (narrow) and “graphe” (writing). A stenographer might be a court reporter, or a person provided captions accompanying a live television broadcast.

50 “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire” channel : GSN

Game Show Network (GSN)

“Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” is a worldwide game show franchise that started out in the UK in 1998. The US version of the show debuted in 1999 with Regis Philbin as the host. The Indian version is one of the most famous, having provided the setting for the incredibly successful Danny Boyle film “Slumdog Millionaire” that was released in 2008.

52 Jai __ : ALAI

Even though jai alai is often said to be the fastest sport in the world because of the speed of the ball, golf balls usually get going at a greater clip. Although, as a blog reader once pointed out to me, you don’t have to catch a golf ball …

54 Retail giant that owns Food 4 Less and Ralphs : KROGER

The Kroger supermarket chain is the largest grocery store company in the US. It is also the second largest retailer in the country, after Walmart, and the fifth largest retailer in the world. The company was founded in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio by Barney Kroger.

58 Actress Woodard : ALFRE

Alfre Woodard is an actress from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Woodard was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in the 1983 film “Cross Creek”. Off the stage and screen, she is very active in the Democratic Party.

67 Drink with foam art : LATTE

“Latte art” is the name given to the designs that can be drawn on the surface of coffee drinks. Some of those designs can be quite intricate.

68 Operating system developed by Bell Labs : UNIX

Unix is a computer operating system that was developed at Bell Labs in 1969. The initial name for the project was Uniplexed Information and Computing Service (Unics), and this evolved over time into “Unix”.

71 Melodramatic fare : SOAPS

A melodrama is a play or film that usually pits good against evil, with an obvious hero or heroine vying against an obvious villain. Melodrama has evolved over time, originating in the 18th century as a drama for which there was a musical accompaniment. The term is derived from the Greek “melos” meaning “music” and the French “drame” meaning “drama”.

76 Garage cacophony : CAR ALARM

“Cacophony” is such a lovely word, a word used to describe a harsh or jarring sound. The term arises from the Greek “kakos” (bad) and “phone” (voice).

79 Min. parts : SECS

We use base-10, the decimal system for our numbers. Base-60, the sexagesimal system, was used by the ancient Babylonians. This ancient usage gives rise to our 60 seconds in a minute, and 360 (6 x 60) degrees in a circle.

80 Movsesian who co-hosts “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” : SONA

Sona Movsesian became personal assistant to talk show host Conan O’Brien in 2009. Over the years, she has appeared in several TV segments with her boss, and she started co-hosting the “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” podcast in 2018. Now she’s an author, having penned the 2022 New York Times Best Seller “The World’s Worst Assistant”.

84 Unhappy returns? : BAD KARMA

Karma is a religious concept with its basis in Indian faiths. Karma embraces the notion of cause and effect. Good deeds have good consequences at some later point in one’s life, one’s future life, or one’s afterlife. And, bad deeds have bad consequences.

85 “Elon Musk” biographer Walter : ISAACSON

The multi-talented Walter Isaacson served as managing editor of “Time” magazine from 1996 to 2001, head of CNN from 2001 to 2003, and head of the Aspen Institute from 2003 to 2018. He also wrote several high-profile biographies, examining the lives of Henry Kissinger, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Leonardo da Vinci and Elon Musk, among others.

89 Walgreens rival : CVS

CVS receipts are famous for their length and the amount of information they contain and have become somewhat of a pop culture phenomenon. They are so long because they are designed to include as much information as possible about purchases, including details about the products, discounts, and rewards earned. This is part of CVS’s ExtraCare program, which is a marketing tool designed to promote customer loyalty.

93 Elbow room : LEEWAY

Our word “leeway” meaning “spare margin” is nautical in origin. A vessel’s leeway is the amount of drift motion away from her intended course that is caused by the action of the wind.

94 Furniture chain founded in Sweden : IKEA

The IKEA furniture stores use the colors blue and yellow for brand recognition. Blue and yellow are the national colors of Sweden, where IKEA was founded and is headquartered.

96 Hindu festival of lights : DIWALI

Diwali is a popular Hindu festival. It is a “festival of lights”, a celebration of the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. Diwali is observed annually over five days at the conclusion of the summer harvest, and when there is a new moon.

99 Actress Swinton : TILDA

Tilda Swinton is an English actress who is quite famous in her native land. She made a big name for herself outside the UK when she played the “baddie” in the 2007 movie “Michael Clayton”, opposite the “goodie” played by George Clooney. That performance earned Swinton a Best Supporting Actress Oscar.

102 Supermodel Campbell : NAOMI

Naomi Campbell is a supermodel from England. There’s a lot of interest in Campbell’s life off the runway, as she is known to have an explosive temper and has been charged with assault more than once. Her dating life is much-covered in the tabloids as well, and she has been romantically linked in the past with Mike Tyson and Robert De Niro.

104 Game with rooks : CHESS

The corner piece in the game of chess is called a “rook”, a word coming from the Persian “rokh” meaning a “chariot”. The rook has also been called, perhaps incorrectly, the castle, tower, marquess and rector.

110 “The Idol” actress Lily-Rose : DEPP

French-American actress Lily-Rose Depp is the daughter of actors Vanessa Paradis and Johnny Depp. Lily-Rose’s godfather is rock musician Marilyn Manson.

112 Driller’s deg. : DDS

Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)

113 Tallahassee sch. : FSU

Florida State University (FSU) is located in Tallahassee, the state capital of Florida. The school’s athletic teams are known as the Seminoles (sometimes the “‘Noles”). The team name was chosen in 1947 by the students in a vote, and alludes to the Seminole people of Florida.

Tallahassee isn’t only the county seat of Leon County, it is the capital city of Florida. Tallahassee was chosen as the state capital because it was equidistant from the cities of St. Augustine and Pensacola, which had been the capitals of the earlier French and British colonies of East Florida and West Florida.