Tag: Cosmic span crossword clue

Advertisement

Constructed by: Emet Ozar

Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme (according to Bill): Say That Again?

Themed answers are common two-word phrases repeated, but parsed into two different words:

• 19A Beer endorsed by a British pop star? : DUA LIPA DUAL IPA
• 24A Relaxed prankster? : A TEASE AT EASE
• 44A Post-punk sudden death period became extremely exciting? : GOTH OT GOT HOT
• 51A Jerk risked growing hangry? : TOOL ATE TOO LATE

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

Bill’s time: 6m 55s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

6A Forensic facility : LAB

Something described as forensic is connected with a court of law, or with public discussion or debate. The term comes from the Latin “forensis” meaning “of a forum, of a place of assembly”. We mainly use the word today to mean “pertaining to legal trials” as in “forensic medicine” and “forensic science”.

9A Largest isle of the Inner Hebrides : SKYE

The Isle of Skye is off the northwest coast of Scotland in the Inner Hebrides. It is the second largest island in the country, and has been linked to the mainland by a road bridge since 1995. I’ve never been there, but I hear the views are spectacular.

The Hebrides are a group of islands just off the west coast of Scotland. They are divided into two main groups: the Inner and Outer Hebrides.

13A Manufacturer “where every mattress is sheep approved” : SERTA

Serta was founded in 1931 when a group of 13 mattress manufacturers came together, essentially forming a cooperative. Today, the Serta company is owned by eight independent licensees in a similar arrangement. Serta advertisements feature the Serta Counting Sheep. Each numbered sheep has a different personality, such as:

• #1 The Leader of the Flock
• #½ The Tweener
• #13 Mr. Bad Luck
• #53 The Pessimist
• #86 Benedict Arnold

14A Zaire’s Mobutu __ Seko : SESE

Mobutu Sese Seko was the longtime President of Zaire (later to be called the Democratic Republic of the Congo). Mobutu was known to be a very corrupt dictator and it is believed that he embezzled over $5 billion from his country. On a lighter note, Mobutu was the money man behind the famous 1974 boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman known as “The Rumble in the Jungle”. Mobutu was anxious to expand the image of Zaire so he used his nation’s funds to entice the fighters to have a go at each other in his homeland.

15A Cosmic span : AEON

Geologic time is divided into a number of units of varying lengths. These are, starting from the largest:

• supereon
• eon (also “aeon”)
• era
• period
• epoch
• age

17A Hidden surprise for an observant gamer : EASTER EGG

In a film, book, computer program (or even a crossword!), an “Easter egg” is a hidden message or inside joke that is left intentionally during production. The term “Easter egg” is used for such a device as it evokes the idea of an Easter egg hunt. You can check out thousands of such Easter eggs at www.eeggs.com.

19A Beer endorsed by a British pop star? : DUA LIPA DUAL IPA

Dua Lipa is a singer-songwriter and fashion model from England. She was born in London to Albanian parents, and considers her native language to be Albanian. She also speaks English with a British accent.

Single, double (or dual), and triple IPAs are all styles of hoppy beer that progressively increase in intensity. Brewers create the stronger double and triple versions by using significantly more malt, which boosts the alcohol content (ABV), with a corresponding increase in hops to balance the sweetness and amplify the bitter, aromatic flavors.

21A Germane : APT

Something that is germane is relevant. “Germane” originally meant “having the same parents”, but the term was used more figuratively to mean “on topic” by William Shakespeare in “Hamlet”. That’s the way we’ve been using the word since “Hamlet” was first performed in the 1600s.

23A Hosp. scan : MRI

An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) machine uses powerful magnetic fields to generate images that can be used by medical professionals to diagnose injury and disease.

30A Smoked jalapeño : CHIPOTLE

The jalapeño is a chili pepper, and a favorite of mine. The pepper’s name translates from Spanish as “from Xalapa”. Xalapa (also “Jalapa”) is the capital of the Mexican state of Veracruz, and the traditional origin of the jalapeño pepper. A smoke-dried jalapeño, called a chipotle, is used for seasoning.

34A Malek of “Oppenheimer” : RAMI

Actor Rami Malek’s big break came with the leading role in the television series “Mr. Robot”. In 2018, Malik gave an Oscar-winning performance playing Freddie Mercury in the hit biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody”. That marked the first time that an actor of Egyptian descent won an Academy Award for Best Actor.

“Oppenheimer” is an epic 2023 film starring Cillian Murphy in the title role. The movie follows J. Robert Oppenheimer, “the father of the atomic bomb”, from his student days right through World War II and beyond. Directed by Christopher Nolan, the film has an amazing ensemble cast that includes:

• Matt Damon (General Leslie Groves)
• Robert Downey Jr. (Lewis Strauss)
• Josh Hartnett (Ernest Lawrence)
• Kenneth Branagh (Niels Bohr)
• Tom Conti (Albert Einstein)
• Gary Oldman (Harry S. Truman)

38A State on the Chukchi Sea : ALASKA

The Chukchi Sea is the part of the Arctic Ocean located between Alaska and Russia. It contains Russia’s Wrangel Island, which is widely believed to be the last place on Earth where woolly mammoths survived.

44A Post-punk sudden death period became extremely exciting? : GOTH OT GOT HOT

The goth subculture developed from the gothic rock scene in the early eighties, and is a derivative of the punk music movement. It started in England and spread to many countries around the globe. The term “goth” comes from the Eastern Germanic tribe called the Goths.

51A Jerk risked growing hangry? : TOOL ATE TOO LATE

“Tool” is one of those slang terms that I dislike immensely, even though it has been used since the 1600s. “Tool” is used to describe a socially inept person and is a reference to the male reproductive organ.

56A Emmy-winning role for Catherine O’Hara : MOIRA ROSE

In the excellent Canadian sitcom “Schitt’s Creek”, the character Moira Rose is an outrageous former soap star, and wife of Johnny Rose and their two adult children, David and Alexis. Moira is played by actress and comedian Catherine O’Hara. Supposedly, the character was inspired by the reality stars on “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” and “The Real Housewives” franchise.

57A Some “Bridgerton” characters : EARLS

“Bridgerton” is a fascinating period drama TV series based on a series of historical romance novels by Julia Quinn. Most of the action takes place in London’s high society during the Regency Era. An intriguing element is the show’s approach to race. There is a common, albeit unfounded, assertion that King George III’s wife Queen Charlotte was of African descent. “Bridgerton” runs with this assertion, portraying the era’s society as quite diverse.

58A Odometer unit : MILE

An odometer measures distance traveled. “Odometer comes from the Greek “hodos” meaning “path” and “metron” meaning “measure”.

59A Mardi __ : GRAS

“Mardi Gras” translates from French as “Fat Tuesday”, and the holiday gets its name from the practice of eating rich foods on the eve of the fasting season known as Lent. Lent starts on the next day, called Ash Wednesday.

61A To boot : ALSO

The noun “boot” was once used to describe something of advantage in trying to accomplish a goal. This obsolete term really only exists in the adverb “to boot” meaning “in addition, over and above”, literally “to advantage”.

63A Frock : DRESS

A frock is a woman’s dress, but the term “frock” also describes a robe worn by monks. Our use of “frock” comes from the Old French “froc”, which back in the 12th century was the name for a monk’s habit.

Down

1D Carne __ : ASADA

The name of the dish called “carne asada” translates from Spanish as “roasted meat”.

4D Bibliography abbr. : ET AL

Back in the 17th century, the term “bibliography” meant “the writing of books”, from the Greek “biblion” meaning “book” and “graphos” meaning “written”. The contemporary usage, describing a list of books related to a particular subject, emerged in the early 19th century.

6D Kryptonite blocker : LEAD

Kryptonite is a radioactive substance from Superman’s destroyed home planet Krypton, Exposure to the material severely weakens him, although its harmful radiation can be blocked by lead.

8D Part of a radioactive decay stream : BETA RAY

Beta particles (the constituents of beta rays) are the products of decay of a radioactive element. They are high-energy electrons or positrons emitted from the nucleus of the decaying element.

11D Practice with poses : YOGA

In the West, we tend to think of yoga as just a physical discipline, a means of exercise that uses specific poses to stretch and strengthen muscles. While it is true that the ancient Indian practice of yoga does involve such physical discipline, the corporeal aspect of the practice plays a relatively small part in the whole philosophy. Other major components are meditation, ethical behavior, breathing and contemplation.

18D Upper echelon : ELITE

We use the word “echelon” (ech.) to describe a rank or level, particularly in the military. The term comes from French, in which language it has the same meaning, although the original meaning in Old French is “rung of a ladder”.

20D Sonia Sanchez, for one : POET

Sonia Sanchez is a poet, writer and professor, and was a leading figure in the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Notably, she developed a stutter after her grandmother’s death when she was six years old. Sanchez has said that this caused her to read more and pay close attention to language and its sounds.

25D Cold War defense gp. : SEATO

The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) was set up in 1954 as a defense organization with the mission to block communist influence growing in Southeast Asia. The driving force behind the organization’s creation was President Eisenhower’s Secretary of State, John Dulles. The list of SEATO members included Australia, France, the Philippines, the UK and the US. The organization was never really considered effective and it fell apart in 1977 largely due to a lack of interest by the members.

27D “Shogun” star Sawai : ANNA

Anna Sawai is a Japanese actress and singer who was born in New Zealand. She began her career in entertainment at a young age, landing the title role in a Tokyo stage production of Annie at just 11 years old. She was also a lead vocalist for the J-pop group FAKY, whose name is an acronym for Five Ass-Kicking Youngsters.

29D Nicollette’s “Desperate Housewives” role : EDIE

Edie Williams is a character on television’s “Desperate Housewives”, played by Nicollette Sheridan. She has had a few marriages as the “Desperate Housewives” storyline progressed. Edie Williams was formerly Edie Britt, Edie McLain and Edie Rothwell.

31D Beyoncé song with the lyric “I got my angel now” : HALO

“Halo” is a pop and R&B ballad from Beyoncé’s 2008 album “I Am… Sasha Fierce”. The song is a declaration of love and adoration, where the singer describes her partner as an angel whose “halo” she can see. “Halo” was co-written by Ryan Tedder of the band OneRepublic, who was at home recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. He and his friend Evan Bogart wrote the song in just three hours.

36D Department store section : PETITES

“Petite” is the French word for “small”, when applied to a feminine noun.

39D Lethargic marsupial : KOALA

Koalas are not bears, but are marsupials, which means they carry their young in a pouch.They are known for their diet of eucalyptus leaves, which are toxic to most other animals. To cope with this, koalas have a special digestive system that allows them to break down the toxins and extract the nutrients from the leaves. Koalas are one of the sleepiest animals in the world, sleeping up to 20 hours a day. This is because eucalyptus leaves provide very little energy.

“Languor”, “lassitude”, “lethargy” and “listlessness” are such lovely words, all l-words meaning “lack of physical energy, torpor”.

40D On the lam : AT LARGE

To be on the lam is to be in flight, to have escaped from prison. “On the lam” is American slang that originated at the end of the 19th century. The word “lam” also means “beat” or “thrash”, as in “lambaste”. So “on the lam” might derive from the phrase “to beat it, scram”.

45D Gainesville collegians : GATORS

The Florida Gators are the sports teams of the University of Florida, located in Gainesville. Sometimes the female teams are called the “Lady Gators”, and all of the fans make up the “Gator Nation”.

The Florida city of Gainesville was established in 1853. The settlement was named for US Army officer Major General Edmund P. Gaines. Gainesville is home to the University of Florida.

48D __ diem : CARPE

“Carpe diem” is a quotation from Horace, one of ancient Rome’s leading lyric poets. “Carpe diem” translates from Latin as “seize the day” or “enjoy the day”. The satirical motto of a procrastinator is “carpe mañana”, “translating” as “seize tomorrow”.

52D Essential __ : OILS

Essential oils are concentrated liquids containing volatile chemical compounds that have a smell or odor. The term “essential” oil comes from the fact that it contains the “essence” of a plant’s fragrance.

53D Cookie since 1912 : OREO

The Oreo cookie was introduced in 1912. It was intended to be a competitor to the very similar Hydrox cookie, which had debuted four years earlier. The Oreo won the resulting battle on the grocery store shelves …

56D UFC sport : MMA

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact combat sport in which competitors use a variety of techniques from a variety of traditional combat sports and martial arts.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the largest promoter in the world of mixed martial arts competitions. I think the idea is that competitors fight each other in various disciplines to see who is the “best of the best” …