Category: Dena R. Verkuil

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Constructed by: Sala Wanetick & Dena Witkes

Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: End with a Bang

Themed answers each END WITH A synonym of “BANG”:

• 64A Finish dramatically, or what the answers to the starred clues do : END WITH A BANG

• 18A *Time of financial growth : ECONOMIC BOOM
• 26A *What may follow kids in a candy store? : SUGAR CRASH
• 40A *Handshake alternative : FIST BUMP
• 54A *Stressful contest? : POETRY SLAM

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

Bill’s time: 7m 01s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

7A Indian state known for silk and tea : ASSAM

Assam, located in northeastern India, is the largest tea-producing state in the country. It is also famous for its silk production, particularly the golden muga silk.

16A High wispy clouds : CIRRI

Cirrus (plural “cirri”) clouds are those lovely wispy, white strands that are often called “mare’s tails”.

20A Antidiscrimination HR initiative : DEI

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is a framework designed to ensure fair treatment and full participation for all individuals in an organization, particularly historically underrepresented groups.

21A Replace with a grawlix, say : CENSOR

A string of typographical symbols such as “@#%!” that is used to replace a swear word is called a “grawlix”. The term “grawlix” was coined by Mort Walker, the creator of the comic strip “Beetle Bailey”, in 1964.

29A Elixirs : TONICS

An elixir is a solution of alcohol and water that is used to deliver a medicine. The term “elixir” can also be used to mean a medicine that has the power to cure all ills.

32A “To __ is human … ” : ERR

Alexander Pope’s 1711 poem “An Essay on Criticism” is the source of at least three well-known quotations:

• A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring.
• To err is human, to forgive divine.
• For fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

39A TD’s six : PTS

In football, a touchdown (TD) is worth six points (pts.)

40A *Handshake alternative : FIST BUMP

The fist bump is that tapping of fists together as a form of greeting. It is a more “hip” version of a handshake, and might be called a “pounding of flesh”.

45A Italian scooter : VESPA

Vespa is a brand of motor scooter that was originally made in Italy (and now all over the world) by Piaggio. “Vespa” is Italian for “wasp”.

54A *Stressful contest? : POETRY SLAM

A poetry slam is a competition in which poets read their own work (usually), with winners being chosen by members of the audience. Apparently the first poetry slam took place in Chicago in 1986. Now there is a National Poetry Slam that takes place each year, with representatives from the US, Canada and France.

58A Antacid brand : TUMS

The main ingredient in Tums antacid is calcium carbonate. Tums have been on the market since 1930. If you want to save a few pennies, Target brand antacid is identical to Tums, or so I hear …

69A Andrea Gibson’s “__ to the Public Panic Attack” : ODE

American poet and activist Andrea Gibson was appointed Poet Laureate of Colorado in 2023.

70A Oktoberfest mug : STEIN

A stein is a type of beer glass. The term “stein” is German in origin, and is short for “Steinkrug” meaning “stone jug”. “Stein” is German for “stone”.

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 …

71A Soul legend Franklin : ARETHA

I think that Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul”, had a tough life. Franklin had her first son when she was just 14 years old, and her second at 15. In 2008, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked Franklin as number one on its list of the greatest singers of all time.

73A Kagan of the Supreme Court : ELENA

Elena Kagan has broken a few significant glass ceilings in her career. In 2003, she was named the first female dean of Harvard Law School, and in 2009 she became the nation’s first female Solicitor General. Kagan joined the US Supreme Court in 2010, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice John Paul Stevens.

Down

1D Fútbol chant : OLE!

In Spanish, a “fútbol” (football, soccer) supporter might shout “olé!” (bravo!).

2D Abbr. that includes many racial identities : POC

People of Color (POC)

3D Opinion : TWO CENTS

To put in one’s two cents is to add one’s opinion. The American expression derives from the older English version, which is “to put in one’s two pennies’ worth”.

5D Gas in bright signs : NEON

The basic design of neon lighting was first demonstrated at the Paris Motor Show in 1910. Such lighting is made up of glass tubes containing a vacuum into which has been introduced a small amount of neon gas. When a voltage is applied between two electrodes inside the tube, the neon gas “glows” and gives off the familiar light.

9D “No seats” sign : SRO

Standing room only (SRO)

30D Bistro : CAFE

“Bistro” was originally a Parisian slang term describing a little wine shop or restaurant.

35D Awards such as Best Play and Best Team : ESPYS

The ESPY Awards are a creation of the ESPN sports television network. One difference with similarly named awards in the entertainment industry is that ESPY winners are largely chosen based on viewer votes. The acronym “ESPY” stands for “Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly”.

37D Paintballs, e.g. : AMMO

The “paint” in paintball isn’t actually paint, but rather a mix of gelatin and food coloring.

41D Long part of a comet : TAIL

Comets and asteroids are similar, both being relatively small celestial bodies orbiting the sun. Comets differ from asteroids in that they have a coma or tail, especially when they are close enough to the sun. The coma and tail are temporary fuzzy atmospheres that develop due to the presence of solar radiation. Comets are sometimes referred to as “dirty snowballs”, a reference to their composition: rock, dust, water ice and frozen gasses.

44D Cincinnati MLBers : REDS

The Red Scare (i.e. anti-communist sentiment) following WWII had such an effect on the populace that it even caused the Cincinnati baseball team to change its name from the Reds. The team was called the Cincinnati Redlegs from 1953-1958, as the management was fearful of losing money due to public distrust of any association with “Reds”.

45D Doberman docs : VETS

The Doberman Pinscher is a breed of dog that was developed around 1890 in Germany. The person responsible for introducing the breed was Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann, explaining the “Doberman” (sometimes “Dobermann”) name. “Pinschers” are a group of Germanic breeds that possibly owe their name to the English word “pinch”, a reference to the tradition of cropping (pinching) the ears.

48D Faucet : SPIGOT

Back in the 15th century, a spigot was specifically a plug to stop a hole in a cask. Somewhere along the way, a spigot had a valve added for variable control of flow.

49D Ohio city on Lake Erie : TOLEDO

Toledo, Ohio lies in the northwest of the state, at the western end of Lake Erie. Toledo was founded as a result of the prosperity that hit the area when the Miami and Erie Canal was constructed in the 19th century connecting Cincinnati to the Great Lakes. Toledo is known as the Glass City as several glass companies originated there, including Owens Corning and Pilkington North America. There is a large exhibition of glass art at the Toledo Museum of Art.

52D Green film on copper : PATINA

Patina is the oxide film that develops on brass and similar metals over time. For example, it’s the copper patina that makes Lady Liberty the lovely green color that she is.

55D Actress Witherspoon : REESE

“Reese” is not actually actress Witherspoon’s given name. She started out life as Laura Jeanne Witherspoon. “Reese” is her mother’s maiden name.

56D Film starring Barbra Streisand as a woman who pretends to be a yeshiva boy : YENTL

“Yentl” is a play that opened in New York City in 1975. The move to adapt the play for the big screen was led by Barbra Streisand, and indeed she wrote the first outline of a musical version herself as far back as 1968. The film was eventually made and released in 1983, with Streisand performing the lead role.

In the Jewish tradition, a yeshiva is an educational institution focusing on the study of sacred texts.

61D Herring kin : SHAD

The shad is also known as the river herring. The eggs (roe) of the shad are prized as a delicacy, especially in the Eastern US.

62D Dim sum root vegetable : TARO

Taro cake is a Chinese dish made mainly from rice flour and the vegetable taro. As a dim sum dish, it is usually pan-fried and then cut into squares for the table.

Dim sum is a Chinese cuisine made up of small portions of various dishes. The tradition of serving dim sum is associated with the serving of tea, when small delicacies were offered to travelers and guests along with tea as a refreshment. The name “dim sum” translates as “touch the heart” implying that dim sum is not a main meal, just a snack “that touches the heart”.

65D Department head? : DEE

The head letter in the word “department” is a letter D (dee).

67D Org. emulated in “Heated Rivalry” : NHL

“Heated Rivalry” is a Canadian TV drama that is based on the “Game Changers” series of books by Rachel Reid. The story follows a decade-long secret romance between professional hockey rivals Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, played by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie. In honor of the international success of the show, Williams and Storrie served as torchbearers for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, carrying the Olympic flame through the town of Feltre. In the show, their characters competed in a fictionized version of the Winter Games.