Category: Rachel Fabi

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Constructed by: Rebecca Goldstein & Rachel Fabi
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: Creatures of Habit

Themed answers are common phrases reinterpreted as CREATURES that think that they HABITUALLY do something cited in the corresponding clues:

• 22A Canine that thinks it’s an old-timey news announcer? : CRYING WOLF
• 32A Bird that thinks it’s a television show host? : TALKING TURKEY
• 48A Marsupial that thinks it’s an actor? : PLAYING POSSUM
• 67A Tabbies that think they’re collies? : HERDING CATS
• 86A Insects that think they’re outfielders? : CATCHING FLIES
• 99A Lambs that think they’re census takers? : COUNTING SHEEP
• 115A Bird that thinks it’s a restaurant critic? : EATING CROW

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

Bill’s time: 21m 19s

Bill’s errors: 2

• PLAYING POSSUM (playing possom)
• DU-RAG (do-rag!!!)

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Squirrel’s cheekful : ACORN

These days, we don’t usually consider acorns (the fruit of the oak tree) as a foodstuff. But in days past, many cultures around the world have used acorns as food. Usually, bitter tannins that occur in acorns need to be leached out in water. Acorn meal can be a substitute for grain flour, which can then be used to make bread. Acorns have also been used as a substitute for coffee, especially when coffee was rationed. Notably, acorn coffee was brewed up by Confederates during the American Civil War, and by Germans during World War II.

14 Spumante specification : BRUT

Sparkling wines can be classified according to sweetness. These classifications are, from driest to sweetest:

• Brut Nature
• Extra Brut
• Brut
• Extra Dry
• Dry
• Semi-Dry
• Sweet

18 Faith with a shrine in the Hanging Gardens of Haifa : BAHA’I

The Baha’i Terraces (also “Hanging Gardens of Haifa”) comprise 19 terraces and over 1500 steps that ascend Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel. The central terrace is home to the Shrine of the Báb, where the remains of the Báb, the founder of the Bábism faith, is buried.

19 Healing succulent : ALOE

Succulent plants are those with thickened stems and/or leaves that have evolved to retain water. As such, succulents are often found where the climate is particularly dry. The term “succulent” comes from the Latin “sucus” meaning “juice, sap”.

21 “The Chi” creator Waithe : LENA

Lena Waithe’s break as an actress came with a supporting role in the comedy-drama show “Master of None” starting in 2015. The same show brought her significant success as a writer, winning a Primetime Emmy for co-writing the “Thanksgiving” episode with the show’s creator Aziz Ansari. Waithe also serves as executive producer for the horror-drama anthology series “Them”.

24 Bikini in the Pacific, e.g. : ATOLL

The name of Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands comes from the Marshallese name “Pikinni”, meaning “coconut place”. Famously, Bikini Atoll was the site of 23 nuclear detonations by the US from 1946 to 1958.

27 Corvallis sch. : OSU

Oregon State University (OSU) in Corvallis is a public research university that was founded in 1868. It is one of only two universities in the United States (the other being Pennsylvania State University) to have Land, Sea, Sun, and Space Grant designations, meaning that it receives federal funding to conduct research in each of these areas. The university is home to the largest research vessel in the United States academic fleet, the R/V Oceanus, which is used for oceanographic research.

32 Bird that thinks it’s a television show host? : TALKING TURKEY

The phrase “to talk turkey” means “to discuss frankly”. The term originated in colonial times, when it had a different meaning. Talking tukey back then was talking about something pleasant, but in a silly manner. I guess the “silliness” was an allusion to the “silly” gait of the turkey.

36 Contacted privately, in a way : DM’ED

Direct message (DM)

38 Craps cube : DIE

If one considers earlier versions of craps, then the game has been around for a very long time and probably dates back to the Crusades. It may have been derived from an old English game called “hazard” also played with two dice, which was mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” from the 1300s. The American version of the game came here courtesy of the French and first set root in New Orleans where it was given the name “crapaud”, a French word meaning “toad”.

39 Egyptian peninsula : SINAI

The Sinai Peninsula is in the eastern part of Egypt, and is a triangular landform bounded by the Mediterranean to the north and the Red Sea to the south. It is the only part of Egypt that lies in Asia as opposed to Africa. The eastern land border of the peninsula is shared with Israel, and Israel occupied the Sinai during the 1956 Suez Crisis and the Six-Day War of 1967.

40 Ingredient in some vegan marshmallows : AGAR

Agar (also “agar-agar”) is a jelly extracted from seaweed that has many uses. Agar is found in Japanese desserts, and can also be used as a food thickener or even as a laxative. In the world of science, it is the most common medium used for growing bacteria in Petri dishes.

42 “The curl experts” hair care brand : OUIDAD

Ouidad Wise is a Lebanese-born American hairdresser who specializes in styling curly hair. She opened her first salon dedicated to curly hair in 1984, in New York City. Wise also introduced her own line of hair care products, sold under the name “Ouidad”.

48 Marsupial that thinks it’s an actor? : PLAYING POSSUM

The idiom “playing possum” means pretending to be dead. The phrase is used in recognition of the behavior of the Virginia Opossum that does just that, plays dead as a defense mechanism. We often use the term “possum” colloquially for the opossum species that live here in North America, but in fact, the true “possums” are marsupials native to Australia.

51 Agcy. that oversees PubMed : NIH

PubMed is a search engine used to access MEDLINE< a database of life sciences and biomedical information managed by the US National LIbrary of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). PubMed was launched in 1996, giving the public free access to the database.

54 Cambridgeshire cathedral city : ELY

Ely Cathedral is a famous and beautiful church in the city of Ely in the English county of Cambridgeshire. There is a Gothic door on the north face of the cathedral that was designed by Sir Christopher Wren, the man famous as the architect of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Christopher Wren had a personal link to the church, as his uncle was the Bishop of Ely.

58 Snapple rival : NESTEA

Nestea is a brand of iced tea made by Nestlé. The name is a portmanteau of “Nestlé” and “tea”.

60 “Homeland” org. : CIA

“Homeland” is a psychological drama on Showtime about a CIA officer who is convinced that a certain US Marine is a threat to the security of the United States. The show is based on a series from Israeli television called “Hatufim” (Prisoners of War”). I highly recommend it …

62 Sets to zero, as a scale : TARES

Tare is the weight of a container that is deducted from the gross weight to determine the net weight, the weight of the container’s contents.

67 Tabbies that think they’re collies? : HERDING CATS

Tabbies aren’t a breed of cat, but rather are cats with particular markings regardless of breed. Tabbies have coats with stripes, dots and swirling patterns, and usually an “M” mark on the forehead.

The collie isn’t actually a breed of dog, but rather the name given to a group of herding dogs that originated in Scotland and Northern England. An obvious (and wonderful) example would be the border collie. Many dogs classed as collies don’t have the word “collie” in the name of the breed, for example the old English sheepdog and the Shetland sheepdog.

78 Big name in financial services : SCHWAB

The Charles Schwab investment company was founded in 1971 as First Commander Corporation. Investor and businessman Charles Schwab and four partners purchased First Commander and changed the name to Charles Schwab in 1973.

80 Fashion monogram : YSL

Yves Saint Laurent (YSL)

81 Cable network that’s a nonprofit : C-SPAN

C-SPAN is a privately-funded, nonprofit cable channel that broadcasts continuous coverage of government proceedings.

93 Wool type : MERINO

The Merino breed of sheep is prized for the soft quality of its wool.

94 Olympic swimmers Crocker and Thorpe : IANS

Ian Crocker is a former competitive swimmer from Portland, Maine who specialized in the butterfly stroke. Crocker won five Olympic medals over the course of his career and was the first in the world to swim the 100-meter butterfly in under 51 seconds.

Ian Thorpe is a retired competitive swimmer from Australia. Thorpe won five Olympic gold medals, and earned himself the nickname “The Thorpedo”. Analysts have suggested that Thorpe’s success as a swimmer is partially due to his physique. He relies on his legs more than most to get propulsion in the water. And, he has size-17 feet.

96 Picture of Pluto? : CEL

Pluto is Mickey Mouse’s pet dog, as well as a star in his own right. Pluto is an unusual Disney character in that he is portrayed basically as a dog as opposed to a “humanized” version of a dog, as are the other Disney characters.

97 “Star __” : WARS

The main “Star Wars” franchise of films, sometimes referred to as the “Skywalker Saga”, comprises three trilogies:

1. The prequel trilogy:
• Episode I – The Phantom Menace
• Episode II – Attack of the Clones
• Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
2. The original trilogy:
• Episode IV – Star Wars
• Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
• Episode VI – Return of the Jedi
3. The sequel trilogy:
• Episode VII – The Force Awakens
• Episode VIII – The Last Jedi
• Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker

99 Lambs that think they’re census takers? : COUNTING SHEEP

The original census was taken during the days of the Roman Republic, and was a reckoning of all adult males who were fit for military service. The first US Census was taken in 1790, and was conducted by federal marshals.

111 Caramel candy sold in a tube : 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.

113 Word after “Lavender” and “Purple,” in song titles : … HAZE

“Lavender Haze” is a 2022 song co-written and recorded by Taylor Swift. According to Swift, the phrase “lavender haze” is a 1950s expression describing “love”. I’m not so sure, though …

“Purple Haze” is a 1967 song written and recorded by Jimi Hendrix that has been described as a “psychedelic drug song of the sixties”. In fact, the term “purple haze” came to refer to LSD. Hendrix denied any relation of the lyrics to drugs at all.

114 Red Monopoly piece : HOTEL

In the game of Monopoly, one can purchase a hotel by “demolishing” four houses and by paying an extra amount equal to the price of one more house.

115 Bird that thinks it’s a restaurant critic? : EATING CROW

The phrase “eat crow”, an alternative to “eat humble pie”, perhaps refers to the fact that cooked crow may be edible, but is not a great food choice.

119 __ City: Pittsburgh : STEEL

The Pennsylvania city of Pittsburgh was named in 1758 for British statesman and future prime minister William Pitt the Elder. Originally known as Fort Duquesne, the settlement was renamed after it was captured from the French during the Seven Years’ War. The most commonly used nicknames for Pittsburgh are “Steel City”, referring to the history of steel-related industry, and “City of Bridges”, referring to the 446 bridges in the metropolis.

125 Pedometer units : STEPS

A pedometer is an instrument worn by a runner or walker that measures the number of steps taken. The name of the device comes from “pes”, the Latin for “foot”.

Down

2 Pod used as a chocolate substitute : CAROB

The carob is a tree or shrub in the pea family that is mainly grown for its seed pods. The carob seeds are dried or roasted, and when powdered or chipped make a good substitute for chocolate.

4 Occasion to carry an umbrella : RAINY DAY

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”.

5 Diarist Anaïs : NIN

Anaïs Nin was a French author who was famous for the journals that she wrote for over sixty years from the age of 11 right up to her death. Nin also wrote highly regarded erotica and cited D. H. Lawrence as someone from whom she drew inspiration. Nin was married to banker and artist Hugh Parker Guiler in 1923. Decades later in 1955, Nin married former actor Rupert Pole, even though she was still married to Guiler. Nin and Pole had their marriage annulled in 1966, but just for legal reasons, and they continued to live together as husband and wife until Nin passed away in 1977.

6 Carpentry tools : SAWS

A carpenter is someone who shapes and assembles structural woodwork. The term “carpenter” comes from the Late Latin “carpentarius” meaning “wagon or carriage maker”. Both “carpenter” and “car” probably derive ultimately from the Gaulish word “karros” meaning “chariot”. Quite interesting …

10 Phoebe or Cronus : TITAN

In Greek mythology, Phoebe was a daughter of Uranus and Gaia, and one of the Titans. The name “Phoebe” translates from Greek as “pure, bright”. She had two daughters with her brother Coeus, namely Leto and Asteria.

In Greek mythology, Cronus (also “Kronos”) was one of the Titans. He overthrew his father Uranus and took over rule of the Titans. Eventually, Cronus was ousted by his own son Zeus. The Roman equivalent of Cronus was the deity Saturn.

13 Interpretation first provided for a SOTU address in 2021 : ASL

American Sign Language (ASL)

The US President’s State of the Union (SOTU) address is a requirement called out in Article II of the Constitution. George Washington gave the first address before a joint session of Congress in 1790. Thomas Jefferson discontinued the practice of making a personal address by sending Congress a written document that was then read out by a clerk. In 1913, Woodrow Wilson re-established the custom of delivering the message personally, there have been occasions since then when a written address has had to suffice, the last occasion being in 1981 when Jimmy Carter was in office.

15 Light show? : REVUE

“Revue” is the French word for “review”.

16 Principle celebrated on the first night of Kwanzaa : UNITY

Kwanzaa is a celebration of African heritage that lasts from December 26 to January 1 annually. The holiday was introduced in 1966 as an alternative to the existing holidays at the end of the year. The name comes from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza”, meaning “first fruits of the harvest”. The seven days of Kwanzaa are dedicated to seven core principles known as “Nguzo Saba”.

• Umoja (Unity)
• Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
• Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)
• Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)
• Nia (Purpose)
• Kuumba (Creativity)
• Imani (Faith)

28 Stores with Småland play areas : IKEAS

IKEA provides play areas for children in its stores. Those areas are called “Småland”, which is the name of the historical province in southern Sweden where IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad was born and raised.

31 Cry from a Mega Millions winner : I’M RICH!

The Mega Millions lottery game is available in most states of the US, as is its major rival called Powerball.

37 Musher’s conveyance : DOGSLED

Mushing is the use of one or more dogs to pull a sled. “Mush” is thought to come from the French “marche” meaning “go, run”.

41 Jam at a Pride Parade : GAY ANTHEM

The first gay pride parades were held all on the same weekend in 1970, in New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

44 Headwear sported by Rihanna on the cover of British Vogue : DURAG

Hip-hoppers might wear do-rags (also “durags”) today, but they have been around for centuries. The etymology of “do-rag” is pretty evident, i.e. a piece of cloth (rag) to hold a hairstyle (do) in place.

49 Lye, in a lab : NAOH

Sodium hydroxide is a highly caustic salt, with the chemical formula NaOH. Often referred to as “lye”, sodium hydroxide is also known as “caustic soda” because of its caustic properties.

50 Syst. between Baltimore and D.C. : MARC

MARC is a commuter rail system comprising three lines that originate at Union Station in Washington, DC. The acronym “MARC” stands for “Maryland Area Rail Commuter”. MARC has the highest top speed of any commuter rail system in the country, with trains on the Penn Line reaching a speed of 125 mph.

53 Fez danglers : TASSELS

A fez is a red, cylindrical hat worn mainly in North Africa, and by Shriners here in the US. The fez used to be a very popular hat across the Ottoman Empire. The etymology of “fez” is unclear, although it may have something to do with the Moroccan city named Fez.

59 __ cucumber : SEA

Sea cucumbers are marine creatures that do resemble cucumbers, at least in shape, hence the name.

68 LP or EP, e.g. : DISC

An extended-play (EP) record, CD or download contains more music than a single, but less than a long-play (LP) record.

69 Official religion of Djibouti : ISLAM

Djibouti is a country in the Horn of Africa that is located to the northwest of Somalia, with coasts on the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Once known as French Somaliland, the country gained independence from France in 1977. The newly independent nation adopted the same name as Djibouti, the capital city.

81 Easter Island’s country : CHILE

“Rapa Nui” is the Polynesian name for what we are more likely to call “Easter Island”. The European name was coined by the Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen, who came across the island on Easter Sunday in the year 1722. Chilean-owned Easter Island is inhabited and is a location that is remarkably distant from neighboring civilization. The nearest inhabited island is Pitcairn Island, which is almost 1300 miles away.

85 Nasal irrigation vessels : NETI POTS

A neti pot is a spouted vessel that is used for nasal irrigation. “Neti” is a Sanskrit word meaning “nasal cleansing”.

88 First Nations people : CREE

The Cree are one of the largest groups of Native Americans on the continent. In the US, Montana is home to most of the Cree nation. They live on a reservation shared with the Ojibwe people. In Canada, most of the Cree live in Manitoba.

103 Breads with pockets : PITAS

Pita is a lovely bread from Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. It is usually round, and has a “pocket” in the center. The pocket is created by steam that puffs up the dough during cooking leaving a void when the bread cools.

105 Rich cake : TORTE

A torte is a type of cake made primarily with eggs, sugar and ground nuts (but no flour).

106 Single-masted sailboat : SLOOP

Sloops and cutters are sailboats, and each has just one mast. One major difference between the two types of vessel is that the mast on a cutter is set much further aft than the mast on a sloop.

107 Mjölnir wielder : THOR

The hammer associated with the Norse god Thor is known as Mjölnir. The name “Mjölnir” translates as “crusher”.

114 Employee benefit option, for short : HSA

Health savings account (HSA)

115 Manchego source : EWE

Manchego is a cheese made from sheep’s milk that comes from La Mancha in Spain. The term “Manchego” is used to describe things related to La Mancha.

117 Path finder in a Pathfinder, briefly : GPS

The Pathfinder is an SUV sold in North America that is marketed in Japan and the rest of the world as the Nissan Terrano.