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Constructed by: Debbie Ellerin
Edited by: Patti Varol
Today’s Theme: None
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… a complete list of answers
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Bill’s time: 12m 10s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
1 Netflix series starring Lee Jung-jae : SQUID GAME
“Squid Game” is a brutal survival drama TV series made in South Korea for Netflix. The title refers to a Korean children’s game, and the show itself features a series of children’s games. The players are adults, all of whom are in debt. They play a deadly series of games in the hope of surviving, and winning a multimillion-dollar prize. As I said, brutal …
10 “Where the Impossible Becomes Possible” park : EPCOT
EPCOT Center (now just called “Epcot”) is the theme park beside Walt Disney World in Florida. EPCOT is an acronym standing for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, and is a representation of the future as envisioned by Walt Disney. Walt Disney actually wanted to build a living community for 20,000 residents at EPCOT, but he passed away without that vision being realized.
15 MLB great who said, “Play so good they can’t remember what color you were before the season started” : HANK AARON
The great Hank Aaron (“Hammerin’ Hank” or “the Hammer”) has many claims to fame. One notable fact is that he is the last major league baseball player to have also played in the Negro League.
18 Comfort-first footwear : CROCS
Crocs are foam clogs that were originally designed as shoes to be worn at health spas. I recently bought my first pair of crocs, and now my kids won’t talk to me …
19 Banned spray : DDT
DDT is dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (don’t forget now!). DDT was used with great success to control disease-carrying insects during WWII, and when made available for use after the war it became by far the most popular pesticide. And then Rachel Carson published her famous book “Silent Spring”, suggesting there was a link between DDT and diminishing populations of certain wildlife. It was the public outcry sparked by the book, and reports of links between DDT and cancer, that led to the ban on the use of the chemical in 1972. That ban is touted as the main reason that the bald eagle was rescued from near extinction.
20 Language similar to Thai : LAO
Lao is the official language of Laos. It is also spoken in the northeast of Thailand, but there the language is known as Isan.
22 How Mulan appears for much of “Mulan” : AS A MAN
“Mulan” is a 1998 animated feature film made by Walt Disney studios. The film is based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, a woman who takes the place of her father in the army and serves with distinction for twelve years without reward. Disney’s lead character was given the name Fa Mulan. Donny Osmond provided the singing voice for one of the lead characters, after which his sons remarked that he had finally made it in show business as he was in a Disney film.
25 Bar food : SUSHI
Sushi is a Japanese dish that has as its primary ingredient cooked, vinegared rice. The rice is usually topped with something, most often fish, and can be served in seaweed rolls. If we want raw fish by itself, then we have to order sashimi.
26 Logic game with clickable cells : MINESWEEPER
The relatively simple computer game called Minesweeper has been included in releases of the Microsoft Windows operating system from 1992. The first version of Windows to include Minesweeper was Windows 3.1, but the last version was Windows 7. Windows 8 didn’t include Minesweeper by default, but you could pick up a copy in the Windows Store.
34 Short notes? : IOUS
I owe you (IOU)
35 App glitch : BUG
Back in 1947, famed computer programmer Grace Hopper noticed some colleagues fixing a piece of equipment by removing a dead moth from a relay. She remarked that they were “debugging” the system, and so Hopper has been given credit for popularizing the term “bug” in the context of computing.
36 Costa __ : RICA
Costa Rica is a country in Central America that is bordered by Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the South. Costa Rica is remarkable in my opinion, a leader on the world stage in many areas. It has been referred to as the “greenest” country in the world, the “happiest” country in the world, and has a highly educated populace. In 1949, the country unilaterally abolished its own army … permanently!
37 Often turned down, in a way : DOG-EARED
The folded-down corner of the page of a book, a temporary placeholder, is known as a “dog-ear”. I suppose that’s because it looks like the ear of a dog …
40 Pointless tiles? : BLANKS
That could be Scrabble.
42 Lucky charm : RABBIT’S FOOT
The foot of a rabbit is believed by some to bring good luck to the person carrying it. Such a belief probably originated with the Celts. In some North American traditions, there are some restrictions on the selection of a rabbit’s foot in order for each to qualify as an amulet:
- It has to be the rabbit’s left hind foot.
- The rabbit must have been captured or killed in a cemetery.
- The rabbit must be sacrificed while there is a full moon.
44 Max on the drums : ROACH
Max Roach was a jazz drummer and pioneer of the bebop music genre. He was respected as a musician all over the world. He was awarded eight honorary doctorates in his life, including degrees from the University of Bologna and the Manhattan School of Music. Roach studied classical percussion at the latter in the 1950s.
50 __ Vegas Aces : LAS
The Las Vegas Aces women’s basketball team was formed in Salt Lake City in 1997 as the Utah Starzz. The team became the San Antonio (Silver) Stars in 2002, before moving to Las Vegas as the Aces in 2018.
54 Colorado county with Mesa Verde National Park : MONTEZUMA
Colorado’s Montezuma County lies in the very southwest of the state. It is home to several nationally protected areas that preserve hundreds of structures built by the indigenous people of the area. The most famous is probably the magnificent Mesa Verde National Park, but it is also home to Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, Hovenweep National Monument and Yucca House National Monument.
Mesa Verde National Park is in Colorado. Mesa Verde is home to ancient cliff dwellings built by the Puebloan people, also known as the Anasazi. The most spectacular of these dwellings is Cliff Palace, which is the largest cliff dwelling in North America.
57 Danish astronomer Tycho who lost part of his nose in a duel : BRAHE
Tycho Brahe was a Danish astronomer, and a contemporary of Galileo. Brahe lost his nose in a duel, and wore a replacement made from either silver or gold that was pasted onto his face!
58 Kudos : ACCOLADES
An accolade is an expression of praise. The term “accolade” originally applied to the ceremony of conferring knighthood. Said ceremony involved an embrace around the neck followed by a tapping of a sword on the shoulders. The embrace was called an accolade, from Latin “ad” meaning “to” and “collum” meaning “neck”.
Our word “kudos” means “acclaim given for an exceptional achievement”. “Kudos” is both a singular and plural noun, and comes from the Greek “kyddos” meaning “glory, fame”.
59 Quite full : SATED
“Sate” is a variant of the older word “satiate”. Both terms can mean either to satisfy an appetite fully, or to eat to excess.
60 “Perfection” gesture : CHEF’S KISS
A chef’s kiss is a gesture used by a chef to indicate that a dish has achieved perfection. The gesture involves kissing the tips of the gathered fingers.
Down
1 Pumped? : SHOD
A pump is a woman’s shoe that doesn’t have a strap. Such shoes are probably called “pumps” because of the sound they make while walking in them.
3 Hand and foot : UNITS
A hand is a measurement equal to 4 inches. Today, the hand is mainly used to measure the height of a horse. That measurement is taken from the ground to the withers, the ridge between the horse’s shoulder blades.
The foot has largely been replaced around the world as a unit of length by the meter. In the industrialized world, the most notable exception to the replacement is the United States. Oddly, the foot is still used internationally as the standard measurement of altitude.
4 When doubled, classic New Orleans song : IKO
“Iko Iko” is a song written in 1953 by Sugar Boy Crawford, using the title “Jock-A-Mo”. The Dixie Cups recorded a cover version in 1965, calling it “Iko Iko”. Crawford ended up suing the Dixie Cups as the 1965 song was recorded without reference to the 1953 original.
5 “This Is Us” creator Fogelman : DAN
Dan Fogelman is a producer and screenwriter. He co-wrote the screenplay for the 2006 Pixar feature “Cars”, and wrote the screenplay for the 2011 romcom “Crazy, Stupid, Love”. Fogelman is perhaps best known as the creator of the TV drama “This Is Us”. He is married to actress Caitlin Thompson, who plays the character Madison on “This Is Us”.
6 Gale player : GARLAND
Dorothy Gale is the protagonist in L. Frank Baum’s book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”, and indeed a major character in almost all of the “Oz” series of novels. There is a suggestion that the young heroine was named for Baum’s own niece Dorothy Gage, who died as an infant.
7 European rocket : ARIANE
Ariane is a launch vehicle used by European space agencies. The Ariane rocket is launched from French Guiana in the northern part of South America.
8 Part of MSG : MONO-
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of a naturally-occurring,non-essential amino acid called glutamic acid. It is used widely as a flavor enhancer, particularly in many Asian cuisines. Whether or not it is harmful seems to be still under debate. I say that something produced in a test tube shouldn’t be in our food …
9 Lang. of Ghana : ENG
The country name “Ghana” translates as “warrior king” in the local language. The British established a colony they named the Gold Coast in 1874, later to become Ghana, as part of the scramble by Europeans to settle as much of Africa as they could. One of Ghana’s most famous sons was Kofi Annan, the diplomat who served as General Secretary of the UN for ten years until the beginning of 2007.
11 Thief who may set off a glitter bomb package : PORCH PIRATE
“Porch pirate” is a slang term describing one of those despicable people who steal packages delivered to someone’s home and left outside the door. Porch piracy continues to grow, as online shopping increases in volume. In New York City alone, it is estimated that 90,000 packages were stolen in 2019.
14 Bechdel __ : TEST
American cartoonist Alison Bechdel introduced what’s now known as the Bechdel test in 1985. The test is used to highlight gender inequality in works of fiction. To pass the test, a work must feature at least two female characters who talk to each other about something other than a boy or a man. Apparently, only half of all movies made meet this criterion.
23 Off-menu small bite : AMUSE-BOUCHE
Amuse-bouche is a small, bite-sized hors d’oeuvre served at the start of a restaurant meal. The item is served free, and is not found on the menu. Rather, it is an item selected by the chef, perhaps to show off his or her cooking style, or to prepare the guests for the meal. The term “amuse-bouche” is French, and translates literally as “mouth amuser”.
24 Orbiter until 2001 : MIR
Russia’s Mir space station was a remarkably successful project. It held the record for the longest continuous human presence in space at just under 10 years, until the International Space Station eclipsed that record in 2010. Towards the end of the space station’s life however, the years began to take their toll. There was a dangerous fire, multiple system failures, and a collision with a resupply ship. The Russian commitment to the International Space Station drained funds for repairs, so Mir was allowed to reenter the Earth’s atmosphere and burn up in 2001. “Mir” is a Russian word meaning “peace” or “world”.
25 Party favors : SWAG
“Swag” is “loot, stolen property”, and a term that started out as criminal slang in England in the 1830s. “Swag” is also the name given to the promotional freebies available at some events. That said, there’s an urban myth that the promotional version of “swag” is an acronym standing for “stuff we all get”.
27 Future chips : SPUDS
The word “spud”, used as a slang term for “potato”, was first recorded in the mid-1800s, in New Zealand would you believe?
28 Paper loser : ROCK
Rock-paper-scissors is a hand game played by two people, at least here in North America. Back in Ireland we called the game “scissors-paper-stone”, and another name encountered around the English-speaking world is “roshambo”. The game is often used as a way to choose between two options or two individuals.
29 Swedish folk duo First __ Kit : AID
First Aid Kit is a folk duo from Sweden who have been touring internationally since 2008. The pair are sisters, Johanna and Klara Söderberg.
30 Rude, crude dude : BOOR
Back in the early 1500s, a boor was a rustic person, a peasant farmer, someone associated with the countryside. The term “boor” ultimately comes from the Latin “bos” meaning “cow, ox”. By the mid-1500s, someone described as boorish was considered rude in manner, which is our usage today.
33 “One Mic” rapper : NAS
“One Mic” is a 2002 song recorded by rap singer Nas. Nas is a big fan of singer Phil Collins, and sampled the Collins song “In the Air Tonight” for “One Mic”.
35 Broderick of “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” : BETH
Actress Beth Broderick is perhaps best known for playing the witch named Zelda Spellman on the TV adaptation of the comics series “Sabrina the Teenage Witch”. Off screen, Broderick had a year-long relationship with director Brian De Palma after they met filming the 1990 black comedy “The Bonfire of the Vanities”.
39 Tahdig ingredient : RICE
Scorched rice (also “crunchy rice”) is produced during the cooking of a batch of rice over a flame. It is the slightly browned, thin crust of rice found at the bottom of the pot. In Iran and Afghanistan, the scorched rice is prepared very deliberately by adding perhaps bread, potato or vegetables at the bottom of the rice being cooked. The resulting scorched mixture is known as “tahdig”.
41 Bowie album with “Sound and Vision” : LOW
“Sound and Vision” is a 1977 song written and recorded by David Bowie that was released on his studio album “Low”. Backing vocals were provided by Brian Eno, of ambient music fame, and Mary Hopkin, famous for her 1968 hit “Those Were the Days”.
43 Literature Nobelist Anatole : FRANCE
“Anatole France” was the pen name for French poet and novelist François-Anatole Thibault. France won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1921.
46 Mecca native : SAUDI
Mecca is in the Makkah province of Saudi Arabia. It was the birthplace of Muhammad and is the holiest city in Islam. Every year several million Muslims perform the Hajj, a holy pilgrimage to Mecca.
48 LAPD alerts : APBS
An All Points Bulletin (APB) is a broadcast from one US law enforcement agency to another.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is the third-largest local law enforcement agency in the country, after New York PD and Chicago PD. Among other things, LAPD is famous for creating the first Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team in the US, in 1965.
49 Sox manager Alex : CORA
Alex Cora is a retired baseball player who turned to broadcasting with ESPN after he quit playing. He was named manager of the Boston Red Sox in 2017. Cora was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, where he lives during baseball’s off-season.
50 Drink of Scotland : LOCH
“Loch” is the Scottish-Gaelic word for “lake”. The Irish-Gaelic word is “lough”, and the Welsh word is “llyn”.
52 Photon’s lack : MASS
In the field of electromagnetic radiation, a photon is the basic unit of light, and an elementary particle. The photon is believed to have no mass, but this fact does seem to create some theoretical inconsistencies, inconsistencies that I just do not understand …
The mass of an object differs from its weight. Mass measures the amount of matter present in the object, while its weight is the force exerted on the object by gravity. So, the mass of an object is the same on Earth as it is on the Moon. One the Moon, the same object weighs 16.5% of what it does on Earth.
55 Literal edges : ELS
The start and finish (edges) of the word “literal” are two letters el (els).
56 Drummer Starkey : ZAK
Zak Starkey is an English drummer just like his Dad Richard Starkey, better known as Ringo Starr. Zak has performed with the Who and with Oasis.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Netflix series starring Lee Jung-jae : SQUID GAME
10 “Where the Impossible Becomes Possible” park : EPCOT
15 MLB great who said, “Play so good they can’t remember what color you were before the season started” : HANK AARON
16 Poor showing : NO ONE
17 Fried side : ONION RING
18 Comfort-first footwear : CROCS
19 Banned spray : DDT
20 Language similar to Thai : LAO
21 Server’s need : RACKET
22 How Mulan appears for much of “Mulan” : AS A MAN
25 Bar food : SUSHI
26 Logic game with clickable cells : MINESWEEPER
29 Laughable : ABSURD
32 “Spread the word” : PASS IT ON
34 Short notes? : IOUS
35 App glitch : BUG
36 Costa __ : RICA
37 Often turned down, in a way : DOG-EARED
40 Pointless tiles? : BLANKS
42 Lucky charm : RABBIT’S FOOT
44 Max on the drums : ROACH
45 Most inexperienced : RAWEST
48 Charge : ACCUSE
50 __ Vegas Aces : LAS
51 Purpose : AIM
53 Pupper : POOCH
54 Colorado county with Mesa Verde National Park : MONTEZUMA
57 Danish astronomer Tycho who lost part of his nose in a duel : BRAHE
58 Kudos : ACCOLADES
59 Quite full : SATED
60 “Perfection” gesture : CHEF’S KISS
Down
1 Pumped? : SHOD
2 Chance for some grilling : Q AND A
3 Hand and foot : UNITS
4 When doubled, classic New Orleans song : IKO
5 “This Is Us” creator Fogelman : DAN
6 Gale player : GARLAND
7 European rocket : ARIANE
8 Part of MSG : MONO-
9 Lang. of Ghana : ENG
10 Boxes up : ENCASES
11 Thief who may set off a glitter bomb package : PORCH PIRATE
12 Gingerbread house? : COOKIE TIN
13 Not now : ONCE
14 Bechdel __ : TEST
21 Regrets : RUES
23 Off-menu small bite : AMUSE-BOUCHE
24 Orbiter until 2001 : MIR
25 Party favors : SWAG
27 Future chips : SPUDS
28 Paper loser : ROCK
29 Swedish folk duo First __ Kit : AID
30 Rude, crude dude : BOOR
31 Make easier to swallow : SUGARCOAT
33 “One Mic” rapper : NAS
35 Broderick of “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” : BETH
38 Mortified : ABASHED
39 Tahdig ingredient : RICE
40 Brag about : BOAST OF
41 Bowie album with “Sound and Vision” : LOW
43 Literature Nobelist Anatole : FRANCE
46 Mecca native : SAUDI
47 __ table : TIMES
48 LAPD alerts : APBS
49 Sox manager Alex : CORA
50 Drink of Scotland : LOCH
52 Photon’s lack : MASS
54 Bub : MAC
55 Literal edges : ELS
56 Drummer Starkey : ZAK
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