Tag: Bulky horn crossword clue

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Constructed by: Ricky J. Sirois

Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Tabletop

The TOP of each themed down-answer is a word that can precede “TABLE”:

• 55A Like some game night games, or a feature of 4-, 11-, 21-, 29-, and 40-Down : TABLETOP

• 4D One who switches sides : TURNCOAT (turntable)
• 11D Basic flotation device : POOL NOODLE (pool table)
• 21D Brewery vessel? : COFFEEPOT (coffee table)
• 29D Purse at a boxing match : PRIZE MONEY (prize table)
• 40D Soccer pitch boundary : SIDELINE (side table)

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

Bill’s time: 6m 45s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

14A Purple yam from the Philippines : UBE

Ube is a species of yam that is purple in color. I’m a big fan of ube ice cream. Yam-flavored ice cream; what’s not to like?!

15A Game with red, yellow, blue, and green cards : UNO

The classic card game Uno now comes in several versions. Uno ColorAdd allows people with color blindness to play, and there is also a Braille version that allows blind and sighted friends to play together.

16A Steel mill material : IRON ORE

Iron ore comes in a number of different forms, like magnetite (the most magnetic of all minerals) and hematite (the most commonly exploited iron ore).

Steel is an alloy that is composed mainly of iron, with a small percentage of carbon.

20A “Across the pond” pond : ATLANTIC

The Atlantic Ocean has been referred to as “the pond” for quite a long time. The expression dates back to the 1640s.

34A Jazz pianist Chick : COREA

Chick Corea is an American jazz pianist. Corea is noted for his work in the area of jazz fusion, as well as for his promotion of Scientology.

35A Execs focused on the bottom line : CFOS

Chief financial officer (CFO)

36A 10th grader, briefly : SOPH

The term “sophomore” has been used since the 1680s for a student in the second year of university. The original meaning of the word was “arguer”. The term has Greek roots, from two Greek words that have been artificially combined in English. The Greek “sophos” means “wise”, and “moros” means “foolish”.

37A Singer-songwriter DiFranco : ANI

Ani DiFranco is a folk-rock singer and songwriter. DiFranco has also been labeled a feminist icon, and in 2006 won the Woman of Courage Award from the National Organization for Women.

41A Kaitlin’s “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” role : DEE

Deandra “Sweet Dee” Reynolds is a character played by Kaitlin Olson on the sitcom “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”. Ronald “Mac” McDonald is also a character on the show, played by Rob McElhenney. Olson and McElhenney met on set, and married in 2008.

42A Totally dismantle : RAZE

To raze (“rase” in British English) is to level to the ground. I’ve always thought it a little quirky that “raise”, a homophone of “raze”, means “build up”.

44A California-based candy company : SEE’S

See’s is a candy manufacturer that was founded in Los Angeles in 1921 by Canadian Charles See and his mother Mary See. Many of us remember the chocolate factory episode of “I Love Lucy”. Well, Lucille Ball and Vivian Vanse spent time at the See’s facility in LA learning how to dip chocolates and work the production line prior to filming that show.

45A Five Pillars religion : ISLAM

Followers of the Muslim tradition believe in the Five Pillars of Islam, five obligatory acts that underpin Muslim life. The Five Pillars are:

1. The Islamic creed
2. Daily prayer
3. Almsgiving (Zakat)
4. Fasting during the month of Ramadan
5. The pilgrimage to Mecca (haj, hajj, hadj) once during a lifetime

50A Fine wool : MERINO

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

52A Summer sign : LEO

Leo is the fifth astrological sign of the Zodiac. People born from July 23 to August 22 are Leos. According to Greek mythology, the constellation Leo represented the Nemean Lion, a beast with impenetrable fur that served as the first of the Twelve Labors of Heracles.

53A Love, in Firenze : AMORE

Florence is the capital city of the Tuscany region in Italy. Something from or related to Florence is described as “Florentine”. The city is known as “Firenze” in Italian.

63A Common oatmeal cookie ingredient : RAISINS

“Raisin” is the French word for “grape”. The French for “raisin” is “raisin sec”, which translates literally as “dried grape”.

64A First Amendment word : FREEDOM

The Constitution of the United States was adopted on September 17, 1787. There have been 27 amendments to the constitution, the first ten of which are collectively called the Bill of Rights. In essence the Bill of Rights limits the power of the Federal Government and protects the rights of individuals. For example, the First Amendment states:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

66A One-on-one chats on soc. media : DMS

Direct message (DM)

Down

1D Bulky horn : TUBA

The tuba is the lowest-pitched of all brass instruments, and one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra (usually there is just one tuba included in an orchestral line-up). “Tuba” is the Latin word for “trumpet, horn”. Oom-pah-pah …

2D Stand watch for, say : ABET

The word “abet” comes into English from the Old French “abeter” meaning “to bait” or “to harass with dogs” (literally “to make bite”). This sense of encouraging something bad to happen morphed into our modern usage of “abet” meaning to aid or encourage someone in a crime.

3D Instagram feed feature : REEL

Reels is a facility introduced by Instagram in 2020. Essentially, it is a feature that competes with TikTok.

4D One who switches sides : TURNCOAT (turntable)

A turncoat is a traitor. The concept behind the term is that a traitor might “turn” his or her “coat” inside-out, to hide a badge or uniform that identifies loyalty or fealty.

6D Mongolian for “waterless place” : GOBI

The Gobi, the large desert in Asia, lies in northern China and southern Mongolia. It is growing at an alarming rate, particularly towards the south. This “desertification” is caused by increased human activity. The Chinese government is trying to halt the desert’s forward progress by planting great swaths of new forest, the so-called “Green Wall of China”. The name “Gobi” is Mongolian for “waterless place, semidesert”.

8D __-Magnon : CRO

Remains of early man, dating back to 35,000 years ago, were found in Abri de Cro-Magnon in southwest France, giving the name to those early humans. Cro-Magnon remains are among the oldest human relics that have been discovered in Europe.

11D Basic flotation device : POOL NOODLE (pool table)

The more correct name for the game of pool is “pocket billiards”. The designation “pool” arose after pocket billiards became a common feature in “pool halls”, places where gamblers “pooled” their money to bet on horse races.

13D Hardens, as concrete : SETS

The terms “cement”, “mortar” and ”concrete” are related, and tend to get confused at times. Cement is a binder that hardens over time and binds other materials together. Cement mixed with a fine aggregate forms mortar, a workable paste used to bind building blocks together. Cement mixed with sand and gravel forms concrete, a pourable slurry that hardens into an extremely robust building material.

18D Word with laissez or savoir : … FAIRE

“Laissez-faire” is a French term that we use to describe non-interference in the affairs of others. The literal translation is “allow to do”.

“Savoir-faire” is a French term that literally means “to know (how) to do”. There’s a similar term in French that we haven’t absorbed into English, i.e. “savoir-vivre” meaning “to know how to live”. “Savoir-vivre” describes the ability to acquit oneself well in the world, in society.

25D Low-level workers : PEONS

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.

29D Purse at a boxing match : PRIZE MONEY (prize table)

A prize table is a designated display area at events such as carnivals, fundraisers, or tournaments. There, attendees can view, win, or redeem prizes. It allows winners to select their own rewards, ranging from toys for children to donated items for raffles.

33D Motif : THEME

A motif is a recurring element in an artistic work or design.

35D G-rated : CLEAN

The Motion Picture Association’s (MPA) film-rating system (PG-13, R, etc.) is purely voluntary and is not backed by any law. Movie theaters agree to abide by the rules that come with the MPA ratings in exchange for access to new movies.

39D Prosecco kin : ASTI

Prosecco still and sparkling wines are named for the village of Prosecco in the province of Trieste in northeastern Italy.

40D Soccer pitch boundary : SIDELINE (side table)

Soccer (also known as “association football”) is the most popular sport in the world. The term “association football” was introduced in 1863 in England, with the name chosen to distinguish the sport from rugby football. The term “soccer” started to appear about 20 years later in Oxford, as an abbreviation for “association”.

46D Vans or Crocs : SHOES

Vans is a manufacturer of mainly skateboarding shoes. The company was founded as a shoe manufacturer in 1966 called the Van Doren Rubber Company. The business turned towards skateboarders in the seventies, and then adopted the “Vans” name in the nineties.

Crocs are foam clogs that were originally designed as shoes to be worn at health spas. I bought a pair of crocs, and then my kids said they weren’t going to talk to me again …

49D Empire State capital : ALBANY

New York’s state capital of Albany was founded as a Dutch trading post called Fort Nassau in 1614. The English took over the settlement in 1664 and called it Albany, naming it after the future King of England James II, whose title at the time was the Duke of Albany. It became the capital of New York State in 1797.

New York is famously known as the “Empire State”. While the precise origin of the moniker is a little hazy, it’s widely believed to have been inspired by George Washington. In a 1785 letter, remarking on New York’s strategic importance with its excellent harbor and access to the interior via the Hudson River, Washington supposedly referred to it as the “Seat of the Empire”.

51D Like a clarinet’s sound : REEDY

The clarinet is a lovely-sounding instrument, isn’t it? The name “clarinet” comes from the Italian word “clarino” meaning “trumpet”, with the “-et” suffix indicating “small”.

54D Rooney of “Women Talking” : MARA

Actress Rooney Mara is noted for her role in the 2010 film “The Social Network” and for playing the title character in the 2011 hit movie “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”. Mara has American football in her blood. Her mother’s family founded the Pittsburgh Steelers, and her father’s family founded the New York Giants.

“Women Talking” is a 2022 film based on a 2018 novel of the same name by Miriam Toews. In turn, the novel was inspired by true events that took place in the ultraconservative Mennonite community of Manitoba Colony in the eastern lowlands of Bolivia. The cast of the movie is excellent, and includes Rooney Mara, Claire Foy and Frances McDormand portraying three of the title characters. The title refers to the debate taking place among the women of an isolated Mennonite community who come to realize that they have been raped by the men while sedated with livestock tranquilizer.

57D Spruce (up) : TIDY

Our verb “to spruce up” means “to make trim or neat”. The term comes from the adjective “spruce”, meaning “smart, neat”. In turn, the adjective comes from “spruce leather”, which was a Prussian leather that was used in England in the 15th and 16th centuries to make a popular style of jerkin that was widely considered to look quite smart.

61D Blini topping : ROE

A blintz (also “blintze” and “blin”, plural “blini”) is a thin pancake similar to a crêpe, although unlike a crêpe, a blintz may contain yeast.

62D Texting format initials : SMS

Short Message Service (SMS) is the name for the text messaging service that many of us still use on our cell phones to contact friends and family.