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Constructed by: Ed Sessa
Edited by: Rich Norris
Today’s Reveal Answer: Fair and Square
Today’s grid includes four sets of circled letters F-A-I-R arranged in a SQUARE:
- 35A Honestly … also, like each set of circles? : FAIR AND SQUARE
Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers
Want to discuss the puzzle? Then …
… leave a comment
Bill’s time: 6m 05s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
1 Big __, California : SUR
Big Sur is a lovely part of the California Coast located south of Monterey and Carmel. The name “Big Sur” comes from the original Spanish description of the area as “el sur grande” meaning “the big south”.
4 Photographer’s directive : SMILE
Photographers often instruct us to say “cheese” to elicit a smile-like expression. Even Japanese photographers use the word “cheese” to achieve the same effect. Bulgarians use the word “zele” meaning “cabbage”. The Chinese say “eggplant”, the Danish “orange”, the Iranians “apple” and many Latin Americans say “whiskey”.
9 Medicare section for doctors’ services : PART B
Medicare is divided into four parts:
- A: Hospital Insurance
- B: Medical Insurance
- C: Medicare Advantage Plans
- D: Prescription Drug Plans
16 China from Japan : IMARI
Imari is a port city located on the island of Kyushu in Japan. What Europeans know as Imari porcelain actually isn’t made in Imari, but rather in the nearby town of Arita. The name Imari was given to the porcelain because it was the port through which the ceramic ware was shipped. In Japan, the porcelain is called Arita-yaki.
The ceramic known as “porcelain” can be referred to as “china” or “fine china”, as porcelain was developed in China.
17 Cowed, aptly : BUFFALOED
To buffalo is to bewilder, baffle. The verb probably comes from the animal’s name, as back in the early 1900s, “to buffalo” was “to alarm, overawe”. This meaning likely originated with the tendency for a herd of buffalo to mass panic in the face of danger.
The verb “to cow” means to intimidate, to scare. The exact etymology of the term seems unclear.
20 “House” star Hugh : LAURIE
English actor and comedian Hugh Laurie used to be half of a comedy double act with Stephen Fry called simply “Fry and Laurie”. Fry and Laurie met in Cambridge University through their mutual friend, actress Emma Thompson. Over in North America, Laurie is best known for playing the title role in the medical drama “House”.
23 “Rocketman” John : ELTON
“Rocketman” is a very entertaining musical biopic about the life of Elton John. The title role is taken by English actor Taron Egerton, who actually did a great job singing the songs in the film himself. The movie’s title comes from Elton John’s 1972 hit record “Rocket Man”.
26 Baba in a cave : ALI
In the folk tale “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves”, the title character is a poor woodcutter who discovers the magic phrase “Open sesame!” that opens the thieves’ den.
27 “The Waste Land” poet’s monogram : TSE
T. S. Eliot (TSE) wrote his poem called “The Waste Land” in 1922. “The Waste Land” opens with the famous line, “April is the cruellest month …”
28 Fed. law known as Obamacare : ACA
The correct name for what has been dubbed “Obamacare” is the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (ACA).
29 Hamper : HOG-TIE
The hog-tie was first used on pigs (hence the name), and involves the tying together of all four limbs in order to render the animal immobile. On a pig, or any other four legged animal, the limbs are obviously tied in front. To hogtie a human, the hands are usually tied behind the back and joined to a rope binding the ankles.
32 Industry honcho : BARON
“Honcho” is a slang term meaning “leader”. The word comes to us from Japanese military, in which language a “hancho” is a “squad” (han) “leader” (cho).
34 High times? : NOONS
Our word “noon”, meaning “midday”, comes from the Latin “nona hora” that translates as “ninth hour”. Back in ancient Rome, the “ninth hour” was three in the afternoon. Over the centuries, traditions such as church prayers and “midday” meals shifted from 3 p.m. to 12 p.m., and so “noon” became understood as 12 noon.
39 Cubs’ group : PRIDE
A group of lions is known as a pride. It’s possible that the term “pride”, in this context, derives from the Latin “praeda” meaning “prey”.
43 IRS examiner : AUD
Auditor (aud.)
48 Amazon transports : VANS
The vehicle we call a “van” takes its name from “caravan”, and so “van” is a shortened version of the older term. Back in the 1600s, a caravan was a covered cart. We still use the word “caravan” in Ireland to describe what we call a “mobile home” or “recreational vehicle” here in the US.
50 “Caveman” diet : PALEO
The paleolithic (or “paleo, caveman”) diet is a fad diet that became popular in the 2000s. The idea is to eat wild plants and animals that would have been available to humans during the Paleolithic era (roughly the Stone Age). This period precedes the introduction of agriculture and the domestication of animals. As a result, someone on the diet avoids consuming grains, legumes, dairy and processed foods. The diet consists mainly of lean meat (about 45-65% of the total calorie intake), non-starchy vegetables, fruits, berries and nuts.
52 Wok dish : STIR FRY
“Wok” is a Cantonese word, and is the name for the frying pan now used in many Asian cuisines.
56 Bulgaria’s capital : SOFIA
Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria. Natives pronounce the name “Sofia” with the emphasis on the “o”, while the rest of us tend to stress the “i”. Bulgarians do agree with us though when it comes to the girl’s name “Sofia”, then they stress the “i” like we do!
57 Bob Marley’s religion : RASTAFARI
I must admit that I don’t really know much about Rastafarianism. I do know that a “Rasta”, such as Bob Marley, is a follower of the movement. Some say that Rastafarianism is a religion, some not. I also know that it involves the worship of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia.
Bob Marley was the most widely-known reggae performer, with big hits such as “I Shot the Sheriff”, “No Woman, No Cry” and “One Love”. A little sadly perhaps, Marley’s best-selling album was released three years after he died. That album would be the “legendary” album called “Legend”.
62 Red choice, briefly : ZIN
Zinfandel is one of my favorite red wine varietals. It amazes me that the rich and heavy red Zinfandel comes from the same grape as does the sweet White Zinfandel.
63 Yule melodies : NOELS
“Noël” is the French word for the Christmas season, and ultimately comes from the Latin word for “birth” (natalis). “Noel” has come to be used as an alternative for “Christmas carol”.
Yule celebrations coincide with Christmas, and the words “Christmas” and “Yule” (often “Yuletide”) have become synonymous in much of the world. However, Yule was originally a pagan festival celebrated by Germanic peoples. The name “Yule” comes from the Old Norse word “jol” that was used to describe the festival.
65 ER graph : EKG
An EKG measures the electrical activity in the heart. Back in my homeland of Ireland, an EKG is known as an ECG (for electrocardiogram). We use the German name in the US, Elektrokardiogramm, giving us EKG. Apparently the abbreviation EKG is preferred, as ECG might be confused (if poorly handwritten, I guess) with EEG, the abbreviation for an electroencephalogram.
Down
5 Espionage figure : MOLE
A mole is a spy who works from within the ranks of an enemy’s government of intelligence service. The use of “mole” took off after the publication of John Le Carré’s 1974 novel “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”. The author was himself a former intelligence officer and asserts that “mole” was a term used by the KGB, whereas Western agencies used the term “sleeper agent”.
6 “Letters from __ Jima”: Eastwood film : IWO
“Flags of Our Fathers” is a 2006 war film directed by Clint Eastwood, and based on a 2000 book of the same name by James Bradley. “Flags of Our Fathers” was a somewhat unique film, as it was filmed within a few months of a “paired” movie “Letters from Iwo Jima”, also directed by Eastwood. “Flags of Our Fathers” told the story of the WWII Battle of Iwo Jima from the American perspective, and “Letters from Iwo Jima” told the same story from the Japanese standpoint.
7 “To Kill a Mockingbird” author : LEE
Nelle Harper Lee was an author from Monroeville, Alabama. For many years, Lee had only one published novel to her name, i.e. “To Kill a Mockingbird”. That contribution to the world of literature was enough to earn her the Presidential Medal of Freedom and a Pulitzer Prize. Harper Lee was a close friend of fellow author Truman Capote who was the inspiration for the character named “Dill” in her novel. Lee was all over the news in 2015 as she had published a second novel, titled “Go Set a Watchman”. The experts seem to be agreeing that “Go Set a Watchman” is actually the first draft of “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Lee passed away less than a year after “Go Set a Watchman” hit the stores.
8 Money in music : EDDIE
“Eddie Money” was the stage name of musician Edward Mahoney from New York City. Money was a rock guitarist, saxophonist and singer-songwriter.
9 “La Vie en Rose” chanteuse : PIAF
“La Môme Piaf” (the Little Sparrow) was the nickname of France’s most famous singer, Édith Piaf. What a voice this woman had, and what gorgeous ballads she sang. Édith Piaf lived a life that was not without controversy. She was raised by her mother in a brothel in Normandy, and had a pimp as a boyfriend in her teens. She had one child, while very young, born illegitimately and who died at 2-years-old from meningitis. Her singing career started when she was discovered in the Pigalle area of Paris by nightclub owner Louis Leplée. Leplée was murdered soon after, and Piaf was accused of being an accessory to the murder but was later acquitted. During World War II she was branded a traitor by many as she frequently performed for the German occupying forces, although there are other reports of her supporting the resistance movement. Later in her life she was seriously injured in no less than three near-fatal car accidents, including one with her friend, Charles Aznavour. While recovering from her injuries she became addicted to pain medication, an addiction that lasted for the rest of her life. When she died in 1963 she was denied a Catholic funeral mass because of her lifestyle, but the crowds that turned out for her funeral procession managed to stop all traffic in Paris, the only time that has happened since the end of WWII.
The literal translation of the title to the French song “La Vie en rose” is “Life In Pink”, but a better translation would be “Life Through Rose-Colored Glasses”.
10 “The Kite Runner” boy : AMIR
“The Kite Runner” was the first novel by Khaled Hosseini, published in 2003. The very successful book became an equally successful film released in 2007. “The Kite Runner” tells the story of a young boy named Amir growing up in Kabul, Afghanistan. Author Hosseini is a medical doctor, but after the success of “The Kite Runner” he gave up his practice and is now a full-time writer. His second book, “A Thousand Splendid Suns”, is also a great success.
11 Home heater or engine cooler : RADIATOR
A radiator in a car is a heat exchanger used to transfer thermal energy from the engine block to the atmosphere. Such a radiator is poorly named, as the bulk of the heat is transferred by convection, and not radiation.
13 They’re below par : BIRDIES
The following terms are routinely used in golf for scores relative to par:
- Bogey: one over par
- Par
- Birdie: one under par
- Eagle: two under par
- Albatross (also “double eagle”): three under par
- Condor: four under par
No one has ever recorded a condor during a professional tournament.
25 Folklore sleep aid : SANDMAN
The sandman is a mythical character from folklore who is said to induce sleep and bring good dreams by sprinkling sand on the eyes of children.
28 Coach Parseghian : ARA
Ara Parseghian coached the Notre Dame football team from 1964 to 1974, a period known as “The Era of Ara”.
31 Bearded critter : GOAT
Male goats are bucks or billies, although castrated males are known as wethers. Female goats are does or nannies, and young goats are referred to as kids.
38 Four times a day, in an Rx : QID
Abbreviations on a medical prescription (Rx) are shortened forms of Latin phrases. “Ter in die” is Latin for “three times a day”, abbreviated to “TID”. “Bis in die” (BID) would be twice a day, and “quater in die” (QID) would be four times a day.
42 TV recording device : DVR
Digital video recorder (DVR)
44 Raunchiness : SLEAZE
The term “raunchy” was US Army Air Corps slang back in the 1950s, when it meant “dirty, filthy, unclean”. We’ve only been using “raunchy” to mean “coarse, vulgar” since the mid-sixties.
45 Playwright Ibsen : HENRIK
Henrik Ibsen was a Norwegian playwright who is considered by many to be the greatest playwright since William Shakespeare. Ibsen was famous for shocking his audiences by exploring subjects that offended the sensibilities of the day (the late 1800s).
49 Lew who played Dr. Kildare : AYRES
Hollywood actor Lew Ayres got his big break in “All Quiet On the Western Front”. Famously, he also played Dr. Kildare in several movies. Ayres’ private life wasn’t too dull. He was married three times, Lola Lane and Ginger Rogers being wives one and two. Ayres was also the man for whom actress Jane Wyman left her husband Ronald Reagan, although the Ayres-Wyman relationship didn’t last very long.
Dr. Kildare started out as the main character in a series of films in the thirties and forties. He then became the central persona in a fifties radio show, and a very successful sixties television drama starring Richard Chamberlain in the title role.
50 It has keys for flats : PIANO
The traditional materials used for the manufacture of piano keys were ebony (black) and ivory (white). Ebony is still used, but now for both white and black keys. The white keys are made by covering ebony with white plastic.
51 Chow request : ARF!
The chow chow is a breed of dog that originated in China. The Chinese name for the breed is “Songshi Quan”, which translates as “puffy-lion dog”, a rather apt name given its appearance …
53 Cambodian cash : RIEL
The Cambodian riel was introduced in 1953, and was taken out of circulation by the Khmer Rouge in 1975 when they completely abolished money on taking control of the country. After the Vietnamese invasion of 1978, money was reintroduced and the Cambodian people are still using the “second” riel. The original riel was divided into 100 centimes, but this was changed to 100 “sen” in 1959.
55 [Keep this clue] : [STET]
“Stet” is a Latin word meaning “let it stand”. In editorial work, the typesetter is instructed to disregard any change previously marked by writing the word “stet” and then underscoring that change with a line of dots or dashes.
59 Babe’s place : STY
The hit 1995 film “Babe” was produced and filmed in Australia. The movie is an adaptation of a 1983 novel called “The Sheep-Pig” written by Dick King-Smith. “Babe” was a smash hit at the box office and was extremely well received by the critics. The film was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, but lost out to “Braveheart”. However, it did win the Oscar for Best Visual Effects by beating out “Apollo 13”, which was an amazing feat, I’d say…
Read on, or …
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Big __, California : SUR
4 Photographer’s directive : SMILE
9 Medicare section for doctors’ services : PART B
14 Functionality : USE
15 Hauled away : TOWED
16 China from Japan : IMARI
17 Cowed, aptly : BUFFALOED
19 To help, to Henri : AIDER
20 “House” star Hugh : LAURIE
21 “I can’t think straight right now” : I’M FRIED
23 “Rocketman” John : ELTON
24 “It’s obvious” : I SEE
26 Baba in a cave : ALI
27 “The Waste Land” poet’s monogram : TSE
28 Fed. law known as Obamacare : ACA
29 Hamper : HOG-TIE
32 Industry honcho : BARON
34 High times? : NOONS
35 Honestly … also, like each set of circles? : FAIR AND SQUARE
39 Cubs’ group : PRIDE
40 Between dry and soggy : MOIST
41 Like library books : REREAD
43 IRS examiner : AUD
44 “Don’t say anything!” : SHH!
47 Always, to a poet : E’ER
48 Amazon transports : VANS
50 “Caveman” diet : PALEO
52 Wok dish : STIR FRY
55 Fire alarms : SIRENS
56 Bulgaria’s capital : SOFIA
57 Bob Marley’s religion : RASTAFARI
60 Looked at the wrong way? : OGLED
61 No longer on one’s plate : EATEN
62 Red choice, briefly : ZIN
63 Yule melodies : NOELS
64 Tell : SAY TO
65 ER graph : EKG
Down
1 Rent from a renter : SUBLET
2 Regular requests : USUALS
3 Prove wrong : REFUTE
4 Ink blot, for one : STAIN
5 Espionage figure : MOLE
6 “Letters from __ Jima”: Eastwood film : IWO
7 “To Kill a Mockingbird” author : LEE
8 Money in music : EDDIE
9 “La Vie en Rose” chanteuse : PIAF
10 “The Kite Runner” boy : AMIR
11 Home heater or engine cooler : RADIATOR
12 Forest perimeter : TREELINE
13 They’re below par : BIRDIES
18 To’s opposite : FRO
22 “I could take it or leave it” : MEH
24 Desktop image : ICON
25 Folklore sleep aid : SANDMAN
28 Coach Parseghian : ARA
30 Burden : ONUS
31 Bearded critter : GOAT
32 __ one’s time: wait : BIDE
33 Neighborhood : AREA
35 Off the hook : FREE TO GO
36 Pellet gun, for one : AIR RIFLE
37 __-chef : SOUS
38 Four times a day, in an Rx : QID
39 Fake, as some nails : PRESS-ON
42 TV recording device : DVR
44 Raunchiness : SLEAZE
45 Playwright Ibsen : HENRIK
46 Cleaning, as a driveway : HOSING
49 Lew who played Dr. Kildare : AYRES
50 It has keys for flats : PIANO
51 Chow request : ARF!
53 Cambodian cash : RIEL
54 In things : FADS
55 [Keep this clue] : [STET]
58 Remote battery size : AAA
59 Babe’s place : STY
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