Category: Emet Ozar

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Constructed by: Emet Ozar & Rachel Fabi
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answers: Raise Your Glass, I’ll Drink to That!

Themed answers are each associated with TOASTING someone or something:

• 20A Pink #1 single, and a hint to the ends of 28- and 47-Across : RAISE YOUR GLASS
• 54A Exclamation after a rousing speech, and a hint to the ends of 28- and 47-Across : I’LL DRINK TO THAT!

• 28A Eggy, bready breakfast choice : FRENCH TOAST
• 47A Raspberries : BRONX CHEERS

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

Bill’s time: 6m 11s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Pace set by a drummer or a metronome : TEMPO

The tempo (plural “tempi”) of a piece of music is usually designated with an Italian word on the score. For example, “grave” is slow and solemn, “andante” is at a walking pace, “scherzo” is fast and light-hearted, and “allegro” is fast, quickly and bright.

A metronome is any device that produces a regular beat. The metronome was invented in 1815 by Johann Maelzel, who intended it to be an instrument for the use of musicians.

16 “Obvs” : NO DUH

“Obvs” is slang for “obviously”.

17 “The Hate U Give” writer Thomas : ANGIE

“The Hate U Give” is a 2018 film that is based on a 2017 novel of the same name by Angie Thomas. Both the film and novel center on the aftermath of a police officer shooting an unarmed teenager.

19 Impressive Blue Angels maneuver : FLYBY

“Blue Angels” is the popular name for the US Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron. The group was formed in 1946 and is the oldest of the US military’s flying aerobatic teams. The squadron took its nickname back in ‘46 from the Blue Angel nightclub that was around at that time in New York City.

20 Pink #1 single, and a hint to the ends of 28- and 47-Across : RAISE YOUR GLASS

“Raise Your Glass” is a song recorded and co-written by American singer Pink as the lead single for her compilation album “Greatest Hits… So Far!!!” The song celebrates the first decade since Pink’s debut in 2000, and is dedicated to her fans who have been supporting her over the years.

23 Painter’s deg. : MFA

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

25 Audit firm exec : CPA

Certified public accountant (CPA)

28 Eggy, bready breakfast choice : FRENCH TOAST

The dish made from bread soaked in milk with beaten eggs and then fried is usually called French toast in the US, but it also goes by the names German toast and Spanish toast. In France, the dish is known as “pain perdu”, which translates as “lost bread”. This name is a reference to the fact that “lost” or “stale” bread can be reclaimed by dipping it in a mixture of milk and eggs and then frying it.

37 Sharp-eyed bird : EAGLE

Eagles have extraordinary eyesight that is several times stronger than that enjoyed by humans. The average eagle weighs about ten pounds, and yet has eyes that are about the same size as human eyes.

39 Muscles worked by dead bug exercises : ABS

Dead bug is a type of core-strengthening exercise that targets the abdominal muscles. It involves lying on one’s back on the floor, and then raising the arms and legs in a coordinated routine.

41 Writer Lebowitz : FRAN

Fran Lebowitz is an author and social commentator very much associated with New York City, where she lives. Lebowitz is also a heavy smoker, and an avid activist for smokers’ rights.

42 Rumpus : MELEE

Our term “melee” comes from the French “mêlée”, and in both languages the word means “confused fight”.

44 Building projects in the toy aisle : LEGO SETS

Lego produces some wonderful specialized sets with which you can build models of celebrated structures, including:

• The Statue of Liberty (2,882 pieces)
• The Sydney Opera House (2,989 pieces)
• The Eiffel Tower (3,428 pieces)
• Tower Bridge (4,295 pieces)
• The Taj Mahal (5,922 pieces)

47 Raspberries : BRONX CHEERS

What is known as a Bronx cheer in the US is called “blowing a raspberry” in other parts of the world. The term “Bronx cheer” is a reference to the sound made by some spectators in Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, in New York City.

51 Abu Dhabi’s fed. : UAE

Abu Dhabi is one of the seven Emirates that make up the federation known as the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The two largest members of the UAE (geographically) are Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the only two of the seven members that have veto power over UAE policy. Before 1971, the UAE was a British Protectorate, a collection of sheikdoms. The sheikdoms entered into a maritime truce with Britain in 1835, after which they became known as the Trucial States, derived from the word “truce”.

52 Cyberchats, for short : IMS

Instant message (IM)

62 Island near Oahu : KAUAI

Because the Hawaiian island of Kauai is one of the wettest places on earth, all the rainfall has helped to carve out magnificent canyons and left superb waterfalls. The island is often used as a backdrop for movies. The facilities at the island’s Lihue Airport reflect the pleasant climate enjoyed by the Hawaiian Islands. Check-in takes place completely outdoors!

63 Art expert Sister Wendy, e.g. : NUN

Wendy Beckett, better known as “Sister Wendy”, was a British nun and art historian who became known internationally in the 1990s as the presenter of a series of BBC documentaries on the history of art. Her programmes, such as “Sister Wendy’s Odyssey” and “Sister Wendy’s Grand Tour”, were very popular in the UK, and on PBS in the US. She was known for her down-to-earth and accessible approach to art history, often using simple language to explain complex concepts.

64 Worcestershire __ : SAUCE

Worcestershire sauce is a variant of a fermented fish sauce that has been around since the days of the Roman Empire. The modern sauce was developed and marketed by Messrs. Lea & Perrins in the city of Worcester, then in the county of Worcestershire, hence the name. We vegans aren’t supposed to touch it, as it contains anchovies! Oh, and “Worcestershire” is pronounced “wooster-sheer” …

66 “If u ask me … ” : IMO …

In my opinion (IMO)

67 Archipelago unit : ISLET

“Archipelago” is our spelling of the Italian “arcipelago”, a word that has Greek roots. The Aegean Sea was once known as the Archipelago. The usage of “Archipelago” migrated over time, eventually applying only to the Aegean Islands. As a result, we use the term “archipelago” today not for a sea, but for a group or chain of islands.

70 Beach umbrella benefit : SHADE

Our term “umbrella” ultimately derives from the Latin “umbra” meaning “shade, shadow”.

Down

1 Pre-Lenin Russian ruler : TSAR

The year 1917 saw two revolutions in Russia, with the pair collectively called “the Russian Revolution”. As a result of the February Revolution that centered on Petrograd, the last Emperor of Russia (Tsar Nicholas II) abdicated and members of the Imperial parliament took control of the country, forming the Russian Provisional Government. The Provisional Government was itself overthrown in the October Revolution, which was led by Vladimir Lenin and the Bolshevik party.

2 Sicilian volcano : ETNA

Mount Etna on the island of Sicily is the largest of three active volcanoes in Italy, and indeed the largest of all active volcanoes in Europe. Etna is about 2 1/2 times the height of its equally famous sister, Mt. Vesuvius. Mt. Etna is home to a 110-km long narrow-gauge railway, and two ski resorts. It is sometimes referred to as “Mongibello” in Italian, and as “Mungibeddu” (sometimes “Muncibeddu”) in Sicilian. The English name “Etna” comes from the Greek “aitho” meaning “I eat”.

3 Gift-bearing Nativity trio : MAGI

“Magi” is the plural of the Latin word “magus”, a term applied to someone who was able to read the stars. Hence, “magi” is commonly used with reference to the “wise men from the East” who followed the star and visited Jesus soon after he was born. In Western Christianity, the three Biblical Magi are:

• Melchior: a scholar from Persia
• Caspar (also “Gaspar”): a scholar from India
• Balthazar: a scholar from Arabia

4 Light-bending block : PRISM

When light passes through a prism, it splits up (disperses) into differing wavelengths. It then becomes clear that white light is actually a mixture of different colors, which show up as a beautiful spectrum.

5 Painter Georgia known for large flowers and New Mexico landscapes : O’KEEFFE

Georgia O’Keeffe was an influential American artist, one who led the introduction of American art into Europe. Famously, she was married to photographer Alfred Stieglitz who helped develop her career in the early days. Georgia O’Keeffe’s last home was in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she had done a lot of her work during her lifetime. She died there in 1986, at the ripe old age of 98. One of her most famous paintings is from 1926, called “Black Iris III”.

8 President between Mitterrand and Sarkozy : CHIRAC

François Mitterrand was the 21st President of France, serving from 1981 to 1995. There was some controversy after his term ended, as it was revealed that for much of the time he was in office he suffered from prostate cancer and falsified his personal medical records to hide the fact from the public. He died from the disease just six months after he handed over the presidency to Jacques Chirac.

Jacques Chirac served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He also served twice as Prime Minister of France, and as the Mayor of Paris.

Nicolas Sarkozy was President of France from 2007 to 2012. Sarkozy’s wife is perhaps as famous as the President himself. He married the singer-songwriter Carla Bruni at the Élysée Palace in 2008.

The very glamorous Carla Bruni is the wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy. She is Sarkozy’s third wife, and this is the first marriage for Bruni. The couple met at a dinner party in November 2007 and were married just three months later. Bruni was born in Italy and was granted French nationality not long after the marriage.

10 Bourbon Street locale, informally : NOLA

The city of New Orleans, Louisiana has the nickname “The Big Easy”. This name might come from the early 1900s when musicians found it relatively “easy” to find work there. The city is also known by the acronym NOLA, standing for New Orleans (NO), Louisiana (LA).

When New Orleans was founded by the French, the House of Bourbon was ruling France. Bourbon Street was named in its honor.

11 Brand found near Ben & Jerry’s : EDY’S

Edy’s is a brand of premium ice cream that was founded in 1928 in Oakland, California. The company’s two signature brands, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream and Edy’s Grand Ice Cream, are named after its founders, William Dreyer and Joseph Edy.

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield did a correspondence course on making ice-cream in 1977 that was given by Pennsylvania State University’s creamery. The following year they opened an ice cream parlor in an old gas station in Burlington, Vermont. Today Ben & Jerry’s has locations in over 20 countries around the world, and theirs was the first brand of ice-cream to go into space.

13 “Love __ neighbor” : THY

The Golden Rule is also known as the ethic of reciprocity, and is a basis for the concept of human rights. A version of the rule used in the Christian tradition is attributed to Jesus:

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

A derivative phrase often heard today is “Love thy neighbor (as thyself)”.

27 __-Saxon : ANGLO

Germanic tribes invaded Great Britain from the early 5th century and created the nation that we now call England. The Anglo-Saxons (sometimes simply “Saxons”), as these tribes came to be called, held sway in the country until the Norman Conquest in 1066. The Anglo-Saxons were descendants of three Germanic tribes:

• The Angles, from Angeln in Northern Germany (and the tribe that gave the name “England”).
• The Saxons, from Lower Saxony and Holland.
• The Jutes, from the Jutland peninsula in Denmark.

30 Aristocratic : NOBLE

Particularly on the other side of the pond, a member of the aristocracy might be referred to as a nob. The term “nob” is slang for “noble”, as in “nobleman, noblewoman”.

31 Buffoons : OAFS

A buffoon is a clown or jester, although the word “buffoon” tends to be used more figuratively to describe someone foolish and ridiculous. The term comes from the Italian “buffa” meaning “joke”.

34 On pins and needles : TENSE

To be on pins and needles is to be in a state of anxious suspense. The phrase “pins and needles” describes the sharp and tingling sensation felt when recovering from numbness.

43 Giving off : EXUDING

To exude is to ooze out, or to display conspicuously. “To exude” comes from the Latin verb “exudare” meaning “to ooze out like sweat” (from “ex-” meaning “out” and “sudor” meaning “sweat”).

45 “True __”: Western remake starring Hailee Steinfeld : GRIT

Hailee Steinfeld is an American actress, singer, and songwriter who gained critical acclaim for her breakout role as Mattie Ross in the Coen brothers’ 2010 western film “True Grit”. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance, making her one of the youngest nominees ever.

The classic 1969 Western movie “True Grit” starring John Wayne is a screen adaptation of a 1968 novel by Charles Portis. The Coen brothers released another big screen adaption of the novel using the same title in 2010 starring Jeff Bridges in the Rooster Cogburn role previously played by John Wayne.

46 Gradual absorption method : OSMOSIS

Osmosis is the movement of a solvent (often water) across a semipermeable membrane. In the process of osmosis, the solvent tends to flow from an area of less concentration to an area of higher concentration. This sense of absorbing water effortlessly gives rise to the expression “learning by osmosis”.

48 Hatchback, e.g. : CAR

A hatchback is a car with a rear door that opens upwards. France’s Citroën car company produced a hatchback configuration in the 1930s for a commercial vehicle. That initial design featured a split door, opening upwards and downwards. A redesign in the 1940s used the more familiar upward-opening door. The word “hatchback” wasn’t used to describe the design back then, as the term wasn’t coined until the 1970s.

49 Tush : HEINIE

The slang term “heinie”, meaning “rear end”, is probably a contraction of “hind end”.

“Tush”, a word meaning “backside”, is an abbreviation of “tochus” that comes from the Yiddish “tokhes”.

54 “Othello” villain : IAGO

“The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice” is a play penned by William Shakespeare that is usually referred to as simply “Othello”. The title character is a military commander (of Moorish origin) in the Venetian army. The villain of the piece is Iago, Othello’s scheming ensign.

55 Traditional Hawaiian feast : LUAU

The Hawaiian party or feast known as a “luau” really dates back to 1819, when King Kamehameha II removed religious laws that governed the eating of meals. These laws called for women and men to eat separately. At the same time as he changed the laws, the king initiated the luau tradition by symbolically eating with the women who moved in his circle.

57 Anesthetized : NUMB

“Aisthesis” is the Greek word for “feeling”, from which “anesthesia” is Greek for “want of feeling, lack of sensation”. And that’s how we get our English term “anesthesia”.

58 Etch A Sketch control : KNOB

Etch A Sketch was introduced in 1960. The toy was developed in France by inventor André Cassagnes, who initially named it “L’Écran Magique” (The Magic Screen).

59 Dance at a 55-Down : HULA
[55D Traditional Hawaiian feast : LUAU]

The hula is a native dance of Hawaii that uses arm movements to relate a story. The hula can be performed while sitting (a noho dance) or while standing (a luna dance).

61 Chapeau’s spot : TETE

In French, one wears a “chapeau” (hat), a “béret” (beret) perhaps, on one’s “tête” (head).

62 Longtime Yankees broadcaster Michael : KAY

Michael Kay is a sportscaster who was made the television play-by-play announcer for the New York Yankees in 1992. Kay also hosts “The Michael Kay Show”, one of the most popular sports talk-radio shows in the country.