Tag: Appeal of texting crossword clue

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Constructed by: Priyanka Sethy & Rajiv Sethy

Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: Darn It All

Themed answers include starting and ending letters that together spell out a stitch used in DARNING:

• 120A Laughing hysterically, or what the answers to the starred clues literally are : IN STITCHES

• 23A *Result of turning over a new leaf : BLANK SHEET (giving BLANKET stitch)
• 33A *Staple of mid-century campus style : BASEBALL JACKET (giving BASKET stitch)
• 51A *Composure metaphor in a P.G. Wodehouse title : STIFF UPPER LIP (giving SLIP stitch)
• 69A *Royal who’s next in line : CROWN PRINCESS (giving CROSS stitch)
• 90A *Circle of care : SUPPORT SYSTEM (giving STEM stitch)
• 105A *Silent film legend in a bowler hat : CHARLIE CHAPLIN (giving CHAIN stitch)

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

Bill’s time: 16m 39s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1A Aries animals : RAMS

According to the ancient Greeks, the constellation Aries the Ram represents the mythological winged ram with the Golden Fleece. The Greeks “hijacked” the constellation though, because it also represented a ram in late Babylonian times, long before the Golden Fleece came along.

5A WWII sub : U-BOAT

“U-boat” stands for the German “Unterseeboot” (undersea boat). Notably, a U-boat sank the RMS Lusitania in 1915, an event that helped propel the US into WWI.

19A “Planet of the __” : APES

The “Planet of the Apes” franchise of films is based on a French novel by Pierre Boulle called “La Planète des singes”. The book was published in English as “Monkey Planet”, but was re-released as “Planet of the Apes” when Hollywood had made its choice for a movie title.

20A River that crosses the equator twice : CONGO

The Congo River in Africa is the third-largest in the world in terms of volume of water discharged (after the Amazon and Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna), and the second longest river in Africa (after the Nile). It is also the deepest river in the world, with depths exceeding 700 feet. The name “Congo” comes from the ancient Kingdom of Kongo that was once located at the mouth of the river.

21A Extinct Mauritian bird : DODO

The island of Mauritius lies in the Indian Ocean, about 700 miles east of Madagascar. One of Mauritius’ claim to fame is that it was the only place where one could find the renowned flightless bird called a dodo. The dodo became extinct less than a century after it was discovered, due to human settlement on the island.

25A Onion relative : LEEK

The leek is a vegetable closely related to the onion and the garlic. It is also a national emblem of Wales (along with the daffodil), although I don’t think we know for sure how this came to be. One story is that the Welsh were ordered to wear leeks in their helmets to identify themselves in a battle against the Saxons. Apparently, the battle took place in a field of leeks.

26A Geography text : ATLAS

The first modern atlas was published in 1570 by Abraham Ortelius, a Flemish cartographer. It was called “Theatrum Orbis Terrarum” (Theater of the World).

29A Kebab bread : PITA

The term “kebab” (also “kabob”) covers a wide variety of meat dishes that originated in Persia. In the West, we usually use “kebab” when talking about shish kebab, which is meat (often lamb) served on a skewer. “Shish” comes from the Turkish word for “skewer”.

33A *Staple of mid-century campus style : BASEBALL JACKET

The varsity or letterman jacket is a baseball-style jacket that usually reflects a school’s colors, and bears a varsity letter on the left breast. The style dates back to 1865, when the Harvard baseball team began wearing thick flannel sweaters with a large “H” sewn onto the front.

43A School staff org. : NEA

Founded in 1857, the National Education Association (NEA) is the largest labor union in the country, and mainly represents public school teachers.

45A Government org. with a flower logo : EPA

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) logo is a circular emblem featuring a white flower set against a background representing the environment. This background depicts a blue sky, blue water, and green land, symbolizing the core domains of air, water, and land that the agency is charged with protecting.

49A “__ queen!” : YAS

“Yas” is a slang term used in place of the interjection “yes!”, when it expresses pleasure and excitement. The exclamation often takes the form “Yas queen!”

50A Grand __ : PRIX

Even though the term is used in many competitions, I think that we most associate “Grand Prix” with the series of Formula One motor races. These Formula One Grand Prix races trace their roots back to organized automobile road races from one French town to the next that date back to 1894. “Grand Prix” translates from French as “grand, big prize.”

51A *Composure metaphor in a P.G. Wodehouse title : STIFF UPPER LIP

English author P. G. Wodehouse’s full name was Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse. He is most famous for penning the stories about the goofy Bertie Wooster and his wise and wonderful valet Jeeves. Wodehouse moved to France in 1934, to minimize his tax liability. During WWII he was interned by the Germans for nearly a year, and made broadcasts to the US for the enemy from Germany. Even though his on air talks were relatively apolitical and humorous, they were not well received in his homeland. Wodehouse never returned to England, and died in New York in 1975.

The phrase “stiff upper lip” is a common metaphor for stoicism, reflecting a “keep calm and carry on” attitude. It is a term usually associated with the British, even though the expression is said to have originated in American newspapers in the early 19th century. There is a popular, 1963 novel P.G. Wodehouse novel that uses it in the title: “Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves”.

56A Future JD’s major, maybe : POLI-SCI

Political science (poli-sci)

The law degree that is abbreviated to “J.D.” stands for “Juris Doctor” or “Doctor of Jurisprudence”.

58A Wine-y prefix : OENO-

In Greek mythology, Oeno was the goddess of wine, giving us “oeno-” as a prefix meaning “wine”. For example, oenology is the study of wine and an oenophile is a wine-lover.

60A Fastidious sort : NEATNIK

The suffix “-nik” is of Slavic origin. It is somewhat like the suffix “-er” in English. By adding “-nik” to a noun, the new word describes a person related to what that noun describes. Examples of the use of “-nik” in mainstream English are “beatnik” and “”refusenik”. Examples of more casual “-nik” terms are “neatnik” and “peacenik”.

62A “Killers of the Flower Moon” director : SCORSESE

Movie director Martin Scorsese is very much a New York City native, and is well-known for directing movies set in the Big Apple. Among the list of great Scorsese films are “Taxi Driver”, “Raging Bull”, “GoodFellas”, “Cape Fear”, “Casino” and “The Departed”.

“Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI” is a 2017 book about the Osage murders written by journalist David Grann. The victims of the killing spree were wealthy Osage people who owned land beneath which were lucrative oil deposits. After an investigation by the newly formed FBI, cattle rancher and crime boss William King Hale was found guilty of masterminding the scheme. Martin Scorsese adapted the book into the hit 2023 film “Killers of the flower Moon”.

64A Soba alternative : UDON

Udon noodles are made from wheat-flour and are very popular in Japanese cuisines such as tempura.

65A Fish in East London pie shops : EELS

Jellied eels are a traditional British dish associated with the working class East End of London. Historically, the eels used were caught in the River Thames. The dish is prepared by boiling up eels that have been chopped into rounds in a seasoned stock and then allowing it to set. The eel contains a lot of gelatinous protein so the stock forms a jelly as it cools.

79A Rosary unit : HAIL MARY

“Ave Maria” (“Hail Mary” in English) is the prayer at the core of the Roman Catholic Rosary, which itself is a set of prayers asking for the assistance of the Virgin Mary. Much of the text of the “”Hail Mary”” comes from the Gospel of Luke. The words in Latin are:

AVE MARIA, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

The prayer has been adapted as a hymn. The two most famous musical versions of “Ave Maria” are by Charles Gounod (based on a piece by Bach) and by Franz Schubert.”

The rosary is a set of prayer beads used in the Roman Catholic tradition. The name “rosary” comes from the Latin “rosarium”, the word for a “rose garden” or a “garland of roses”. The term is used figuratively, in the sense of a “garden of prayers”.

81A Too much of a good thing : SURFEIT

A surfeit is an excess quantity. The term “surfeit” comes into English from Old French “sur” (over) and “faire” (do).

84A Fungus propagator : SPORE

Spores are produced by many bacteria, fungi and non-flowering plants. They are a reproductive body encased in a protective shell that is highly resistant to damage, and resistant to heat in particular.

87A Soap with a bird imprint : DOVE BAR

Dove is a line of personal care products made by Unilever. The brand originated in the UK, back in 1955.

94A Static cling particle : ION

Static cling occurs when two materials rub together (like socks in a dryer), and electrons are transferred. This leaves one surface positively charged and the other negatively charged, and electrostatic attraction causes them to stick together.

97A French possessive : A TOI

“À toi” is the French term for “yours”, when talking to someone with whom one is familiar. “À toi” literally means “to you”.

98A Cul-de-__ : SAC

Even though “cul-de-sac” can indeed mean “bottom-of-the-bag” in French, this term is of English origin. It was introduced in aristocratic circles at a time when it was considered very fashionable to speak French. Dead-end streets in France are usually signposted with just a symbol and no accompanying words, but if words are included they are “voie sans issue”, meaning “way without exit”.

102A Tacky : GAUCHE

The word “gauche” describes behavior that is socially awkward or tacky. The term is a direct borrowing of the French word for “left”. This reflects the historical bias against left-handedness, where the “right” hand was considered skillful, while the “left” was viewed as clumsy.

105A *Silent film legend in a bowler hat : CHARLIE CHAPLIN

Charlie Chaplin earned the nickname “The Tramp” (also “Little Tramp”) from the much-loved character that he frequently played on the screen. Chaplin was much-respected as a performer. The great George Bernard Shaw referred to him as “the only genius to come out of the movie industry”.

111A Abbreviation before stating a new fact : TIL

Today I learned (TIL)

112A Nut in early Coke recipes : KOLA

The nut of the kola tree has a bitter taste, and is loaded with caffeine. Despite the taste, the nut is habitually chewed in some cultures, especially in West Africa where the tree is commonly found in the rainforest. Here in the US we best know the kola nut as a flavoring used in cola drinks.

113A Dutch cheese? : EURO

Apparently, we’ve been using the terms “cheddar” and “cheese” as slang terms for money since WWII. The suggestion is that it is a reference to the big lump of cheese that was routinely included in a welfare package issued after the war.

117A __ donna : PRIMA

The Italian operatic term “prima donna” is used for the lead female singer in an opera company. “Prima donna” translates from Italian as “first lady”. The lead male singer is known as the “primo uomo”. The term “prima donna assoluta” is reserved for a prima donna who is generally accepted as being an outstanding performer. We tend to use “prima donna” for a female performer who has an inflated ego.

120A Laughing hysterically, or what the answers to the starred clues literally are : IN STITCHES

A stitch is a sudden stabbing pain in the side. We started using the term “stitch” to mean an amusing person or thing in 1968, from the sense of laughing so much that one was in stitches of pain, as in “he had me in stitches”.

123A Slender woodwinds : OBOES

Woodwind instruments are a subcategory of wind instruments that were traditionally made of wood, although some are now made from metal. There are two main classes of woodwind: flutes and reed instruments. Flutes produce sound by blowing air across the edge of a hole in a cylindrical tube. Reed instruments produce sounds by blowing into a mouthpiece, which then directs the air over a reed or reeds, causing them to vibrate.

125A Source of dust allergies : MITES

Mites are tiny arthropods in the arachnid (spider) class. They are (annoyingly!) very successful creatures that have adapted to all sorts of habitats. And being so small, mites generally pass unnoticed. Ick …

127A Belarus capital : MINSK

Minsk is the capital of Belarus, formerly known as the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. One of Minsk’s more infamous residents was Lee Harvey Oswald, who lived there from 1960 to 1962.

129A Not hot : PASSE

“Passé” is a French word, meaning “past, faded”. We’ve imported the term into English, and use it in the same sense.

Down

1D Jewish leader : RABBI

The term “rabbi” traces its origins to the Hebrew word “rav”, meaning “great” or “master.” Over time, the suffix “-i”, indicating “my,” was added, forming “rabbi”, which literally translates to “my master” or “my teacher”. This title of respect and authority came to denote a Jewish scholar and teacher qualified to make decisions in Jewish law.

2D Poise under pressure : APLOMB

“Aplomb” is such a lovely word, one meaning “confidence, assurance”. It is a French word that literally means “perpendicularity”, or “on the plumb line”. The idea is that someone with aplomb is poised, upright, balanced.

5D La Jolla sch. : UCSD

The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) is located in La Jolla. The school was founded in 1960 as the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Appropriately enough, UCSD’s athletic teams are known as the Tritons, and the school mascot is King Triton.

6D Flower child style : BOHO

“Boho” is short for “Bohemian”.

The region known as Bohemia covers most of the Czech Republic. Centuries ago, it was wrongly believed that gypsies came from Bohemia, giving rise to the term “Bohemian” meaning a “gypsy of society”.

11D Movement in a core-strengthening Pilates exercise : TOE TAP

Pilates is a physical exercise system developed by, and named for, Joseph Pilates. Pilates introduced his system of exercises in 1883 in Germany.

14D Pink-fleshed tropical fruits : GUAVAS

The name “guava” applies to several tropical fruit species. The most frequently eaten species is the apple guava (also “common guava”). Almost half of the world’s guava is produced by India.

16D Kobe Bryant’s team : LA LAKERS

Kobe Bryant played basketball for the LA Lakers. Bryant got his given name from a menu, would you believe? His parents were in a Japanese restaurant and liked the name of “Kobe” beef, the beef from around the city of Kobe on the island of Honshu in Japan. Very sadly, Bryant and his daughter Gianna, along with seven others, were killed in a helicopter crash in 2020.

17D Ottoman title : AGA

“Aga” (also “agha”) is a title that was used by both civil and military officials in the Ottoman Empire.

29D Oyster gem : PEARL

Pearls form in oysters because of a reaction that is similar to an immune system response in higher animals. The pearl is formed as the oysters lay down successive layers of calcium carbonate around some microscopic foreign body that has penetrated the shell.

35D Old name on Chicago’s Willis Tower : SEARS

Sears made a big splash in the world’s newspapers in 1974 when it completed its new headquarters in Chicago, the Sears Tower. At 110 stories, it was the tallest building in the world, and remained so until the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur were completed in 1996. Sears moved out of the building in 1993, but had the rights to the name on the building until early 2009. Since that time, the building has been called the Willis Tower, after the new owners.

37D Actor Momoa : JASON

Jason Momoa is a model and actor who is perhaps best known for playing superhero Aquaman in several DC Comics films. He also played warrior leader Khal Drogo in the HBO TV series “Game of Thrones”. In 2017, Momoa married actress Lisa Bonet, who played Denise Huxtable on “The Cosby Show”.

38D The Mahabharata, for one : EPIC

“Mahabharata” is a Sanskrit epic of ancient India that is the longest epic poem known, from anywhere in the world. It comprises about 1.8 million words, making it about ten times the length of the “Iliad” and the “Odyssey” combined. It is only about four times the length of another major Sanskrit epic, the “Ramayana”.

42D Spanish partner : ESPOSO

In Spanish, a married “hombre” (man) is an “esposo” (husband).

48D Adornment below a maang tikka, perhaps : BINDI

A bindi is a bright decorative dot worn applied to the middle of the forehead, particularly by Hindu women living on the Indian subcontinent. The term “bindi” comes from the Sanskrit “bindu” meaning “point, dot, small particle”.

A maang tikka is a traditional piece of head jewelry worn by South Asian women that rests on the center of the forehead, hanging from the hair.

50D __ Place: Starbucks blend : PIKE

I hear that thousands of tourists line up daily at 1912 Pike Place in Seattle to visit the “original” Starbucks, but they are technically standing in the chain’s second location. The first store opened in 1971 at 2000 Western Avenue, but that building was demolished in 1976, forcing the move to the current spot.

51D Sammy who hit 609 homers : SOSA

Sammy Sosa was firmly in the public eye in 1998 when he and Mark McGwire were vying to be the first to surpass the home run record held by Roger Maris. McGwire fell out of public favor due to stories of steroid abuse (stories which he later admitted were true) while Sosa fell out of favor when he was found to be using a corked bat in a 2003 game.

53D How samosas are fried : IN OIL

A samosa is quite the tasty appetizer. It is usually a triangular-shaped savory that often has a vegetarian filling. The word “samosa” is primarily used on Indian menus, and the name comes from “sanbosag”, the name for the dish in Persia.

54D Dodger great Reese : PEE WEE

Pee Wee Reese was a shortstop who played his professional career with the Brooklyn and LA Dodgers. Reese is remembered not only for his skill on the field, but for his very visible support for teammate Jackie Robinson, who famously struggled to be accepted as the first African-American player in the majors. As he was an outstanding marbles player as a child, Reese was given the nickname “pee wee” after the name for a small marble.

55D Laborer : PEON

A peon is a lowly worker who has no real control over his/her working conditions. The word “peon” comes into English from Spanish, in which language it has the same meaning.

57D Eldest von Trapp daughter : LIESL

The von Trapps portrayed in the musical “The Sound of Music” were a real family, as is well known. In the musical and film, the eldest daughter is Liesl, although in real life her name was Agathe. Agathe came with her family to the US in 1938, and operated a private kindergarten in Baltimore, Maryland for 35 years. Agathe passed away in 2010. Agathe/Liesl was the daughter who was “Sixteen Going on Seventeen”.

61D Sailor’s tattoo, perhaps : ANCHOR

The word “tattoo” (often shortened to “tat”) was first used in English in the writings of the famous English explorer Captain Cook. In his descriptions of the indelible marks adorning the skin of Polynesian natives, Cook anglicized the Tahitian word “tatau” into our “tattoo”. Tattoos are sometimes referred to as “ink”.

67D South Asian dress : SAREE

The item of clothing called a “sari” (also “saree”) is a strip of cloth, as one might imagine, unusual perhaps in that it is unstitched along the whole of its length. The strip of cloth can range from four to nine meters long (that’s a lot of material!). The sari is usually wrapped around the waist, then draped over the shoulder leaving the midriff bare. I must say, it can be a beautiful item of clothing.

70D CBS procedural set in D.C. : NCIS

NCIS is the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which investigates crimes in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The service gives its name to the CBS TV show “NCIS”, a spin-off drama from “JAG” in which the main “NCIS” characters were first introduced. The big star in “NCIS” is the actor Mark Harmon. “NCIS” is now a franchise, with spin-off shows “NCIS: Los Angeles” and “NCIS: New Orleans”.

71D Article II subj. : POTUS

Article II of the US Constitution establishes and defines the powers of the executive branch of the federal government. The article specifically assigns those powers to the office of the president of the US (POTUS).

75D Texter’s show of gratitude : TYSM

Thank you so much (TYSM)

80D Reguetón, e.g. : MUSICA

Reggaetón is a genre of music that is rooted in Latin and Caribbean music. It originated in Panama and today is very much associated with Puerto Rico.

82D “Spider-Man” filmmaker : RAIMI

Sam Raimi is a very successful director and producer. He was behind the “Spider-Man” series of films among others, and TV shows such as “Xena: Warrior Princess”. In 1993, Raimi married Gillian Green, the youngest daughter of actor Lorne Greene of “Bonanza” fame. Raimi and Greene named their eldest son Lorne, after his grandfather.

83D Icy wine drink : FROSE

Frosé is a drink made by freezing rosé wine and grinding it in a blender. The resulting slush is mixed with sugar syrup, strawberry and lemon juice. The name “frosé” is a portmanteau of “frozen” and “rosé”.

84D Mage’s cast : SPELL

“Mage” is an archaic word meaning “magician, wizard”.

85D __ scheme : PONZI

Charles Ponzi was born in Luigi, Italy in 1882 and arrived in the US in 1903, flat broke having gambled away all his money on the voyage to Boston. Ponzi devised a scheme to buy what were known as “international reply coupons” through friends in Italy, which he had sent to him in the US so that he could redeem them on this side of the Atlantic. As the value in the US was greater than that in Italy, he could make a handsome profit. This was in itself an “illegal” transaction, buying an asset in one market at a low price, then immediately selling it in another market at a higher price. But it’s what he did next that became known as a Ponzi Scheme. He couldn’t redeem his coupons quickly enough due to red tape so he approached other investors, initially friends, and had them give him cash so that he could buy more coupons in Italy. He promised the investors he would double their money, which they did initially. Many people wanted to get in on the scheme seeing that Ponzi was able to make the new investors a profit and double the money of the original investors. Eventually, somebody did the math and word started to get out that the investment was risky, so the number of new investors started to fall. Without sufficient new investors Ponzi couldn’t double the money of his latest investors, and the whole scheme unraveled.

87D Hockey puck, e.g. : DISC

Before wooden and rubber pucks were introduced in the late 1800s, ice hockey was played with balls. The first rubber pucks were made by cutting down rubber balls into the shape of discs.

88D Moonfish : OPAH

“Opah” is the more correct name for the fish also known as the sunfish, moonfish or Jerusalem haddock. I’ve seen one in the Monterey Aquarium. It is one huge fish …

89D Calling : VOCATION

A vocation is a calling, particularly a spiritual calling. More generally, it can be a person’s occupation. “Vocation” comes from the Latin “vocare” meaning “to call”, which in turn comes from the Latin “vox” meaning “voice”.

91D Cartoon pig with a British accent : PEPPA

“Peppa Pig” is a children’s animated show that is produced in the UK and airs all over the world. There’s even a Peppa Pig World theme park located in Hampshire, England.

92D British collective : YOU LOT

When are you lot going to finish that crossword?

100D Middle of an ant : THORAX

By definition, an insect has a body made up of three parts: head, thorax and abdomen.

104D National Audubon Society symbols : EGRETS

The National Audubon Society is an environmental organization that was formed in 1905. The society is named for John James Audubon, an ornithologist who compiled his famous book “Birds of America” between 1827 and 1838.

106D Country star LeAnn : RIMES

LeAnn Rimes has been a country music star since she was 13 years old. In 2008 she disclosed publicly that she suffered from the autoimmune disease psoriasis. She has been active since then in raising money to fight the disease and helping fund cancer research as well. So, not only did Rimes win three Grammy Awards in 1997, she also won a 2009 Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Country Music.

107D Metallic mixture : ALLOY

An alloy is a mixture of metals, or a mixture of metal with some other element, that behaves like a metal. Alloys are produced as perhaps cheaper alternatives to pure metals, or as alternatives that have enhanced metallurgical properties. Common examples of alloys are steel, solder, brass, pewter and bronze.

114D Salt Lake City athletes : UTES

The Runnin’ Utes are the basketball team of the University of Utah. The team was given the nickname the Runnin’ Redskins back when Jack Gardner was the head coach from 1953 to 1971. The “Runnin’” part of the name was chosen because Gardner was famous for playing quick offenses. The “Redskins” name was later dropped in favor of the less controversial “Utes”.

117D Fluffy dog, familiarly : POM

The Pomeranian is a small breed of dog named for the Pomerania region of Europe (part of eastern Germany and northern Poland). The breed was much loved by the royalty of Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. In the 19th century, Queen Victoria owned a particularly small Pomeranian. Due to the notoriety of the monarch’s pet, the Pomeranian was bred for small size, so that during the Queen’s admittedly long reign, the size of the average “pom” was reduced by 50% …

118D Slugger’s stat : RBI

Run batted in (RBI)

121D “The Marvels” director DaCosta : NIA

Nia DaCosta was the first woman to direct a superhero movie, doing so for 2023’s “The Marvels”.

“The Marvels” is a 2023 superhero film, and a sequel to 2019’s “Captain Marvel”. Brie Larson reprises the role of Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers. Unusually for superhero movies, this one didn’t do too well at the box office and actually lost money after its run in theaters.

122D IRS form expert : CPA

Certified public accountant (CPA)