Category: Hoang-Kim Vu

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Constructed by: Amie Walker & Hoang-Kim Vu
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: Gains

Each themed answers is a common phrase, but we have PUT SOME MUSCLE INTO IT, inserted the name of a muscle:

• 101A “Use all your strength!,” or an alternate title for this puzzle? : PUT SOME MUSCLE INTO IT

• 24A Nearly fails Poseidon’s shop class? : BARELY MAKES A TRIDENT (put a “tri” into “barely makes a dent”)
• 36A Karaoke outing that won’t allow Aretha’s classic song? : RESPECT-LESS NIGHT (put a “pec” into “restless night”)
• 57A Time in the Peace Corps? : SERVICE ABROAD (put an “ab” into “service road”)
• 63A The x- or y-axis, perhaps? : END OF QUADRANT (put a “quad” into “end of rant”)
• 83A Request to an ophthalmologist on a busy afternoon? : DILATE ANOTHER DAY (put a “lat” into “Die Another Day”)

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

Bill’s time: 19m 51s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5 Tapenade, e.g. : DIP

The dish known as tapenade is traditionally made from olives, capers, anchovies and olive oil. The name comes from the Provençal word for capers, i.e. “tapenas”.

8 Pride __ : FLAG

The best-known rainbow flag is the one representing gay pride. Such usage of the rainbow flag was popularized in 1978 by artist Gilbert Baker. The varying colors of the flag represent the diversity of the gay community.

12 Chicago daily, familiarly : TRIB

“The Chicago Tribune” was first published in 1847. The most famous edition of “The Trib” was probably in 1948 when the headline was “DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN”, on the occasion of that year’s presidential election. When it turned out that Truman had actually won, the victor picked up the paper with the erroneous headline and posed for photographs with it … a famous, famous photo, that must have stuck in the craw of the editor at the time.

16 Forum robe : TOGA

In ancient Rome, the color of a man’s toga could indicate the wearer’s social status. For example, a plain white toga (known as a “toga candida”) was worn by candidates for political office, while a “toga praetexta” with a purple border was worn by magistrates and certain priests. A “toga picta”, which was decorated with elaborate embroidery and gold trim, was reserved for victorious generals and triumphal processions.

17 Bread with falafel : PITA

Falafel is a ball of ground chickpeas or fava beans that has been deep fried and served in pita bread. I love chickpeas, but falafel is often too dry for me …

18 Princess Tiana costume topper : TIARA

“The Princess and the Frog” is an animated feature released in 2009 by Walt Disney Studios. The film is set in New Orleans in the twenties. A waitress called Tiana kisses a prince who had been turned into a frog, and then she herself turns into a frog.

19 Taiga or tundra : BIOME

I tend to think of “biome” as another word for “ecosystem”.

The word “taiga” is used for an ecosystem largely covered in coniferous forests that exists in northern regions around the world. “Taiga” is Mongolian in origin, and is sometimes used interchangeably with “boreal forest”.

Tundra is an ecosystem that is treeless, or very nearly so. There are three types of tundra. Arctic and Antarctic tundra can’t support the growth of trees as the ground is pretty much frozen. Alpine tundra cannot support tree-growth due to high altitude.

20 Collage of fabric swatches, paint chips, etc. : MOOD BOARD

A mood board is a collage of objects and images assembled on a surface for the purpose of inspiring perhaps a design or a goal.

22 Birch kin : ALDER

Alders are deciduous (i.e. not evergreen) trees with fruit called catkins. The tree carries both male and female catkins that look very similar to each other, but the male catkin is longer than the female. Alders are pollinated by wind usually, although bees can play a role.

24 Nearly fails Poseidon’s shop class? : BARELY MAKES A TRIDENT (put a “tri” into “barely makes a dent”)

The triceps brachii muscle is found at the back of the upper arm. The muscle’s name translates from Latin to “three-headed arm muscle”, fitting as it is actually made up of three bundles of muscles.

Poseidon was the god of the sea in Greek mythology as well as the Earthshaker, the god responsible for earthquakes.

28 Iowa State town : AMES

Iowa State University of Science and Technology (ISU) is located in Ames, Iowa. Among many other notable milestones, ISU created the country’s first school of veterinary medicine, in 1879. The sports teams of ISU are known as the Cyclones.

29 Activity in a humidified room : HOT YOGA

Hot yoga is performed under relatively hot and humid conditions. The actual temperature and humidity levels are often chosen to resemble those found in India, where yoga originated.

31 Monopoly pair : DICE

The numbers on dice are arranged so that the opposite faces add up to seven. Given this arrangement, the numbers 1, 2 and 3 all meet at a common vertex. There are two ways of arranging the 1, 2 and 3 around the common vertex, a so-called right-handed die (clockwise 1-2-3) or a left-handed die (counterclockwise 1-2-3). Traditionally, dice used in Western cultures are right-handed, whereas Chinese dice are left-handed. Quite interesting …

36 Karaoke outing that won’t allow Aretha’s classic song? : RESPECT-LESS NIGHT (put a “pec” into “restless night”)

“Respect” is a song by Otis Redding, and one that he recorded himself in 1965. It became a hit when Aretha Franklin made her famous cover version in 1967. The Redding and Franklin versions have different storylines though, and different musical “feels”.

“Pecs” is the familiar name for the chest muscle, which is more correctly known as the pectoralis major muscle. “Pectus” is the Latin word for “breast, chest”.

46 __ Eisley: spaceport in the “Star Wars” universe : MOS

In the original “Star Wars” movie (later called “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope”), Mos Eisley is an outpost and hangout of less than reputable traders. The main drinking hole in the outpost is Chalmun’s Spaceport Cantina. Han Solo and Luke Skywalker get attacked there by Sandtroopers, but make their escape.

48 __ Island : RHODE

Rhode Island is the smallest state in the union, and is the second-most densely populated. (after New Jersey). Rhode Island is known as the Ocean State (and more informally “Little Rhody”), largely because about 14% of the state’s area is made up of ocean bays and inlets. Exactly how Rhode Island got its name is a little unclear. What is known is that way back in 1524, long before the Pilgrims came to New England, the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano likened an island in the area to the Island of Rhodes in the Mediterranean. There were subsequent references to “Rhode Island” in English publications, before the colonists arrived.

49 Harris, e.g., informally : VEEP

Kamala Harris was a US Senator for California starting in 2017, after serving for six years as the Attorney General of California. In early 2019, Harris announced her run for the Democratic nomination for US president in the 2020 election. Although she dropped out of the race, she was chosen by eventual nominee Joe Biden as his vice-presidential running mate. When the Biden-Harris ticket won the election, Harris became the first female US vice president, and the highest-ranking female politician in the history of the nation.

50 Shout at the slots : I WON!

Slot machines earned the nickname “one-armed bandits” simply because they had “one arm”, the handle pulled to operate the machine. Well, they also rob your money!

54 Gretzky, once : OILER

Wayne Gretzky is regarded by many as the greatest ever player of ice hockey, and indeed he has the nickname “The Great One”.

57 Time in the Peace Corps? : SERVICE ABROAD (put an “ab” into “service road”)

The Peace Corps is an organization of American volunteers that is run by the US government. The Peace Corps was established by President Kennedy in 1961, and has a three-part mission:

1. Providing technical assistance
2. Helping people outside the US to understand American culture
3. Helping Americans to understand the culture of other countries

The abdominal muscles (abs) are more correctly referred to as the rectus abdominis muscles. They might be referred to as a “six-pack”, or even a “ten-pack”, in a person who has developed the muscles and who has low body fat. In my case, more like a keg …

63 The x- or y-axis, perhaps? : END OF QUADRANT (put a “quad” into “end of rant”)

The quadriceps femoris is the muscle group at the front of the thigh. It is the strongest muscle in the human body, and is also the leanest. The “quads” are actually a group of four muscles in the upper leg, hence the use of the prefix “quad-”.

69 Fizz liquor : GIN

By definition, a cocktail known as a “fizz” includes lemon or lime juice and carbonated water. The most popular of the genre is the gin fizz, made from 3 parts gin, 2 parts lemon juice, 1 part sugar syrup and 5 parts soda water. There is also a variant known as a sloe gin fizz.

73 Native New Zealander : MAORI

The Māori are the indigenous people of New Zealand. They are eastern Polynesian in origin and began arriving in New Zealand relatively recently, starting some time in the late 13th century. The word “māori” simply means “normal”, distinguishing mortal humans from spiritual entities. The Māori refer to New Zealand as “Aotearoa”.

77 “The Powerpuff Girls” voice actress Strong : TARA

Actress Tara Strong is perhaps best known for her voice work. The list of her voice roles includes Dil Pickles on the TV series “Rugrats”.

“The Powerpuff Girls” is a children’s animated television show that airs on the Cartoon Network.

78 With 79-Across, entry in the periodic table’s last column : INERT … 79 See 78-Across : … GAS

An inert gas can be different from a noble gas. Both are relatively non-reactive, but a noble gas is an element. An inert gas might be a compound, i.e. made up of more than one element.

83 Request to an ophthalmologist on a busy afternoon? : DILATE ANOTHER DAY (put a “lat” into “Die Another Day”)

Ophthalmology is that branch of medicine dealing with the physiology and health of the eye. “Ophthalmos” is the Greek word for “eye”.

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”.

“Die Another Day” is a 2002 James Bond movie with Pierce Brosnan starring and Halle Berry as the “Bond Girl”.

88 Curling surface : ICE

I think curling is such a cool game (pun!). It’s somewhat like bowls, but played on a sheet of ice. The sport was supposedly invented in medieval Scotland, and is called curling because of the action of the granite stone as it moves across the ice. A player can make the stone take a curved path (“curl”) by causing it to slowly rotate as it slides.

90 “I Will Wait” band Mumford & __ : SONS

Mumford & Sons is a British folk rock band formed in 2007. They got their name from the lead singer Marcus Mumford’s family name, even though none of the other band members are related to him. My guess is that the group’s most famous song is the excellent “I Will Wait”, written by Mumford and released in 2012.

91 Io or Europa, for Jupiter : MOON

So far, Jupiter is known to have 67 moons, more than any other planet in the Solar System. The four largest moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto) were discovered by Galileo in 1610, making them the first objects found that did not orbit either the Earth or the Sun.

92 NCAA champion swimmer Thomas : LIA

Lia Thomas is a competitive swimmer who won the NCAA Division I 500-yard freestyle national championship in 2022, while she was a student at the University of Pennsylvania. In doing so, Thomas became the first openly transgender athlete to win any NCAA Division I championship.

99 Pot sticker kin : WONTON

A wonton is a dumpling used in Chinese cooking. Wontons are often boiled and served in a wonton soup.

“Pot sticker” is the literal translation of “jiaozi”, the name of a Chinese dumpling.

106 Insertion mark : CARET

The character known as a caret (^) was originally a proofreading mark, one used to indicate where a punctuation mark was to be inserted. “Caret” is Latin for “it lacks”.

107 Carrot, so to speak : INCENTIVE

There is some debate about the “carrot/stick” metaphor. Some say that a carrot represents an incentive and a stick represents a threat, with the idea being that an incentive is more effective than a threat. Another version of the metaphor is that the carrot is dangled on a stick before a donkey, incentivizing the animal to move forward. There’s no threat, just a reward that never gets any more attainable …

110 Penn pals? : IVIES

The University of Pennsylvania (also “Penn” and “UPenn”) was founded in 1740 by Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia. Penn was the first school in the country to offer both graduate and undergraduate courses. Penn’s sports teams are known as the Quakers, and sometimes the Red & Blue.

111 Locale for llamas : ANDES

The Andes range is the longest continuous chain of mountains in the world. It runs down the length of the west coast of South America for about 4,300 miles, from Venezuela in the north to Chile in the south. The highest peak in the Andes is Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina, at an elevation of 22,841 feet. Interestingly, the peak of Mt. Chimborazo in Ecuador is the furthest point on the Earth’s surface from the center of the planet. That’s because of the equatorial “bulge” around the Earth’s “waist”.

116 52-Across honoree for “Fight for You” : HER
[52A Best Original Song, e.g. : OSCAR]

“Fight for You” is a 2021 song co-written and recorded by R&B singer H.E.R. It was written for the biographical crime drama film “Judas and the Black Messiah”, and won that season’s Best Original Song Oscar.

117 Fangorn Forest beings : ENTS

Fangorn Forest is a location in the fictional world of Middle-earth created by J.R.R. Tolkien. Notably, it is the home of the Ents, a race of beings who closely resemble trees.

Down

4 Federer rival : NADAL

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.

7 Lakshmi who wrote the children’s book “Tomatoes for Neela” : PADMA

Padma Lakshmi is a model from India. She is very much into cooking and has published an award-winning cookbook. Lakshmi is now the host of the American TV show “Top Chef”.

11 Brooks of country music : GARTH

Country singer Garth Brooks retired from recording and performing in 2001. He came back out of retirement in 2009, signing a five-year concert deal with the Encore Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.

12 Colorful garment that might feature a peace sign : TIE DYE SHIRT

The peace symbol that we tend to use today was born in the 1950s. It was originally created as the logo for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), an organization based in the UK. The CND symbol was designed by artist Gerald Holtom for a 1958 protest march from Trafalgar Square in London to the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment at Aldermaston in Berkshire, England. The use of the symbol simply spread throughout the world and was used by other disarmament and antiwar activists.

13 Shakespeare character in the lyrics of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” : ROMEO

“Love Story” is a 2008 song written and recorded by Taylor Swift. It was inspired by a boy whom she knew, but never dated. After introducing him to family and friends, all of those around her expressed a lot of dislike for him. To Swift, this felt a little like the premise of “Romeo and Juliet”, and so she referenced Shakespeare’s tragedy as she penned the lyrics of “Love Story”.

15 Bright aquarium fish : BETTA

The betta is a small freshwater fish. It is quite colorful, and so is a popular fish for an aquarium. Bettas are aggressive little creatures, and are commonly called Siamese fighting fish. Apparently, housing two males in a relatively small aquarium will result in the death of one.

17 Wax finish? : … POETIC

The verb “to wax”, in phrases like “wax lyrical” and “wax poetic”, means “to grow”. “To wax” is the opposite of “to wane”, which means “to decrease”. We are probably most familiar with the “waxing and waning” of the moon.

19 Brolly carriers : BRITS

Our term “umbrella” ultimately derives from the Latin “umbra” meaning “shade, shadow”. Famously, British folks are likely to refer to the device as a “brolly”, a term that is just a shortening of “umbrella”.

21 “Say Yes to the Dress” figures : BRIDES

“Say Yes to the Dress” is a reality show about shipping for the perfect wedding dress. Each episode focuses on the staff and customers of Kleinfeld Bridal, a store in Manhattan.

27 Mixology tool : PEELER

A mixologist is someone who is well versed in the mixing of cocktails, said he, reaching for the shaker …

32 Pal of Big Bird and Julia : ELMO

Jim Henson’s ensemble of puppets known as the Muppets made their debut on the TV show “Sam and Friends” in the 1950s. Some Muppets started appearing in 1969 on “Sesame Street”, and then the troupe were given “The Muppet Show” in 1976. And today, there’s no sign of their popularity waning.

34 Decathlon equipment : DISCI

The decathlon event is a track and field competition, with the name “decathlon” coming from the Greek “deka” (ten) and “athlos” (contest). The ten events in the men’s decathlon are:

• 100 meters
• Long jump
• Shot put
• High jump
• 400 meters
• 110 meters hurdles
• Discus throw
• Pole vault
• Javelin throw
• 1500 meters

39 Avocado dish, for short : GUAC

Guacamole is one of my favorite dishes. It is prepared by mashing avocados and perhaps adding the likes of tomato, onion and lime juice. The guacamole recipe dates back as early as the 16th century, to the time of the Aztecs. “Guacamole” translates as “avocado sauce”.

42 Casual top : POLO

René Lacoste was a French tennis player who went into the clothing business, and came up with a more comfortable shirt that players could use. This became known as a “tennis shirt”. When it was adopted for use in the sport of polo, the shirts also became known as “polo shirts”. The “golf shirt” is basically the same thing. The Lacoste line of clothing features a crocodile logo, because René was nicknamed “The Crocodile”.

48 Batman’s boy friend : ROBIN

Batman and Robin are somewhat unique among their superhero compatriots in that they have no special powers, just a whole load of cool gadgets. Batman is sometimes referred to as the Caped Crusader, Robin as the Boy Wonder, and the pair as the Dynamic Duo.

50 Modern location of Nineveh : IRAQ

Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city on the eastern bank of the Tigris River in modern-day Iraq. The ruins of the city are located just on the other side of the river from the Iraqi city of Mosul. At one time, Nineveh was the largest city in the world.

51 Evil doppelgänger in the Mario games : WALUIGI

In the “Mario” franchise of video games, Wario is the archrival to Mario, and Waluigi is Luigi’s archrival. Makes sense …

52 Some apex predators : ORCAS

An apex predator is at the top of a food chain, and has no other natural predators. Examples are the orca (“killer whale”) in the oceans, the lion in Africa, and the Tyrannosaurus in the days of the dinosaurs.

53 Reindeer pal of Olaf the snowman : SVEN

In the 2013 animated film “Frozen”, Olaf is a happy-go-lucky snowman who provides a lot of comic relief in the movie. He is voiced by actor and comedian Josh Gad.

66 __ Sea: former endorheic lake : ARAL

A drainage basin that retains water, allowing no outflow to other bodies of water, is known as a closed lake or endorheic basin. An exorheic basin, or open lake, drains into another body of water (usually a river) and ultimately into the ocean.

67 Rice pancakes served with sambar and chutney : DOSAS

A dosa is a thin, savory pancake from South Indian cuisine. Dosas are made using a fermented batter consisting of ground black lentils and rice. They are usually served hot, and often with chutney and sambar, a lentil-based vegetable stew.

70 L’Occitane product : HAND LOTION

L’Occitane en Provence is a French supplier of personal care products that was founded in 1976. The company name translates as “The Woman from Occitania in Provence”. Occitania is a historical region in Europe that covers much of the southern part of France, Monaco, and a small part of Spain and northern Italy.

76 Leslie __ Jr. of “Glass Onion” : ODOM

Leslie Odom Jr. is the actor and singer who originated the role of Aaron Burr in “Hamilton” on Broadway. More recently, he played Dr. Arbuthnot in the 2017 movie adaptation of Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express”.

“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” is a 2022 sequel to “Knives Out”, with both films written and directed by Rian Johnson and starring Daniel Craig as private investigator Benoit Blanc. Johnson wrote “Glass Onion” during the COVID-19 lockdown, and set the film against the backdrop of the pandemic. The score for both films was written by Nathan Johnson, Rian’s cousin.

80 Pho garnish : BASIL

Pho (pronounced “fuh”) is a noodle soup from Vietnam that is a popular street food. It is often ordered with a side of hanh dam, pickled white onions.

81 “Imagine” singer : LENNON

John Lennon’s magnus opus is his song “Imagine”, released in 1971. “Imagine” was quite successful at the time of its release, but sadly, it only became a number one hit after Lennon was murdered in 1980. According to Lennon, the message behind the song is very simple: a world without countries or religion would be a peaceful place. Love that song …

86 Longtime luxury sedan : TOWN CAR

The Lincoln brand “Town Car” is simply a translation of the French term that was already in use by Cadillac, namely “Sedan de Ville”.

94 Parte de un platillo “ranchero” : HUEVO

The popular breakfast dish huevos rancheros consists mainly of fried eggs served on tortillas and topped with salsa. The dish’s name translates as “eggs ranch-style”.

96 Coffee choice : DECAF

The first successful process for removing caffeine from coffee involved steaming the beans in salt water, and then extracting the caffeine using benzene (a potent carcinogen) as a solvent. Coffee processed this way was sold as Sanka here in the US. There are other processes used these days, and let’s hope they are safer …

103 Lahore language : URDU

Urdu is one of the two official languages of Pakistan (the other being English), and is one of the 22 scheduled languages in India. Urdu partly developed from Persian and is written from right to left.

Lahore is a large city in Pakistan that is second in size only to Karachi. It is known as the Garden of the Mughals (or in English, Moguls) because of its association with the Mughal Empire. The Mughals ruled much of India from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries.

109 Nine Inch Nails quartet? : ENS

There is a quartet of letters N (ens) in the band name “Nine Inch Nails”.

Nine Inch Nails is the name of a rock band that was founded in Cleveland, Ohio in 1988 by singer-songwriter Trent Reznor. Reznor chose the name “Nine Inch Nails” mainly because it abbreviated easily and succinctly, to “NIN”.