Tag: Grinding club crossword clue

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Constructed by: MaryEllen Uthlaut
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: Activewear

Themed answers are common ARTICLES OF CLOTHING, with their function reinterpreted “punnily” in the corresponding clues:

• 21A Article of clothing that provides warmth and comfort? : NURSING JACKET
• 35A Article of clothing that calls for compliments? : FISHING PANTS
• 37A Article of clothing that shouldn’t be dry-cleaned? : BATHING SUIT
• 59A Article of clothing that tends to run? : JOGGING SHORTS
• 82A Article of clothing that binds in certain places? : WEDDING GOWN
• 84A Article of clothing that may be striking? : BOWLING SHIRT
• 102A Article of clothing that gives a pop of color? : PAINTING SMOCK

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

Bill’s time: 13m 12s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

6 Selfie taker : CAMERA

A selfie is a self-portrait, one usually taken with a digital camera or cell phone. A “group selfie” is sometimes referred to as a “groufie” or “wefie”. A “couple selfie” is known as an “usie” or “ussie”, although those terms are sometimes also used for a group picture.

12 Grinding club : PESTLE

I’ve loved the sound of the words “mortar” and “pestle”, ever since I was first introduced to them in the chemistry lab. The Romans called a receptacle for pounding or grinding things a “mortarium”, giving us “mortar”. Mortarium was also the word for the product of pounding and grinding, which gives us our “mortar” that’s used with bricks to build a wall. And further, short stubby cannons used in the 16th century resembled a grinding bowl and so were called “mortars”, which evolved into our contemporary weapon of the same name. As far as the pestle is concerned, it is also derived from its Latin name “pistillum”, which comes from the word for “crush”.

18 Peak in the Cascades : SHASTA

Mount Shasta is in northern California. The origin of the name “Shasta” seems to be unclear. It may have come from the Russian “tchastal” meaning “white, clean, pure”, a name given to the volcanic peak by early Russian immigrants.

20 Seychelles currency : RUPEES

The island nation of Seychelles in the Indian Ocean was uninhabited until Europeans arrived in the 1700s. The UK took it over as a British colony in 1814, and ruled until Seychelles was granted independence in 1976. It is the smallest country in Africa and the least populated sovereign African nation, with a population of only 100,000.

23 Like a venerated object : TOTEMIC

“Totem” is a word used to describe any entity that watches over a group of people. As such, totems are usually the subjects of worship. Totem poles are really misnamed, as they are not intended to represent figures to be worshiped, but rather are heraldic in nature, and often celebrating the legends or notable events in the history of a tribe.

24 Animal with the thickest fur of any mammal : OTTER

The fur of the sea otter is exceptionally thick. It is the densest fur in the whole animal kingdom.

28 Key __, Florida : WEST

Key West in the Florida Keys is the southernmost city in the contiguous US, and is the southern terminus of US Route 1. The southernmost point in the continental US is Whitehead Spit, which is located within the bounds of Naval Air Station Key West.

29 Cacophonies : DINS

“Cacophony” is such a lovely word, a word used to describe a harsh or jarring sound. The term arises from the Greek “kakos” (bad) and “phone” (voice).

31 “How __ doth breed a habit … “: Shakespeare : USE

“How use doth breed a habit in a man!” is a line from Shakespeare’s play “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”. Essentially, it means that repeated actions over time can create a habit in a person.

43 Church structures : STEEPLES

In general terms, a steeple is a tall tower on a building, often a church. More specifically, a steeple can be made up of several distinct parts:

1. Tower: the base of the steeple, which can often house a clock.
2. Belfry: the part that holds bells, often part of church steeples
3. Lantern: a decorative, windowed structure that admits light into the steeple
4. Spire: the tall, slender top

44 Tree-dwelling lizard : IGUANA

An iguana is a lizard, and as such is cold-blooded. There are times when pet iguanas need heat from an IR lamp to maintain body temperature. They can also be very large lizards, sometimes growing to a length of six feet.

45 Obsolete PC component : CRT

Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) … there aren’t many of them available in stores these days!

46 Say the kiddush, for example : BLESS

Kiddush is a Jewish blessing recited over wine or grape juice to sanctify the Sabbath and holidays. Usually recited on Friday evenings before the Sabbath meal and Saturday mornings, Kiddush is traditionally recited by the head of the household and is often shared with family and guests as a symbolic start to the sacred time.

49 Document filed annually : TAX RETURN

Form 1040, issued by the IRS, is the “US Individual Income Tax Return”. It was originally created just for tax returns from 1913, 1914 and 1915, but it’s a form that just keeps on giving, or should I say “taking” …?

51 Beatle McCartney : PAUL

The ex-Beatles bass player’s full name is Sir James Paul McCartney. “Paul” was knighted for his services to music in 1997.

54 Glass of public radio : IRA

Ira Glass is a well-respected presenter on American Public Radio who is perhaps best known for his show “This American Life”. I was interested to learn that one of my favorite composers, Philip Glass, is Ira’s first cousin.

62 “Queen __”: pop nickname : BEY

Beyoncé Knowles established herself in the entertainment industry as the lead singer with the R&B group Destiny’s Child. She launched her solo singing career in 2002, after making her first appearance as an actor. In 2006 she played the lead in the very successful movie adaptation of the Broadway musical “Dreamgirls”. Beyoncé is married to rap star Jay-Z. She is also referred to affectionately as “Queen Bey”, a play on the phrase “the queen bee”. Her fan base goes by the name “Beyhive”.

66 Building block of Denmark : LEGO

Lego is manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company headquartered in Billund, Denmark. The company was founded by a carpenter called Ole Kirk Christiansen in 1934 and the now-famous plastic interlocking blocks were introduced in 1949. The blocks were originally sold under the name “Automatic Binding Bricks” but I think “Lego” is easier to remember! The name “Lego” comes from the Danish term “leg godt” meaning “play well”.

67 Washington MLBer : NAT

The Washington Nationals (“Nats”) started out life as the Montreal Expos in 1969, and were the first Major League Baseball team in Canada. The Expos moved to Washington in 2005 becoming the Nats.

68 Source of 34-Across : BANE
[34A Great sorrow : WOE]

Today, we tend to use the word “bane” to mean “anathema, a source of persistent annoyance”. A few centuries ago, a bane was a cause of harm or death, perhaps a deadly poison.

72 Overly suave : OILY

The Latin word “suavis” translates as “agreeable, pleasant to the senses”. “Sauvis” is the root of the English word “suave” that describes someone who is gracious and sophisticated, and perhaps somewhat superficial. “Sauvis” also gave us the English word “sweet” meaning “pleasing to the taste”.

73 Office circulations : MEMORANDA

“Memorandum” means “thing to be remembered” in Latin, from the verb “memorare” meaning “to call to mind”.

76 Purple Heart, e.g. : MEDAL

The Purple Heart is a military decoration awarded by the President to members of the US military forces who have been wounded or killed while serving. Today’s Purple Heart was originally called the Badge of Military Merit, an award that was established by George Washington 1782 while he was commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. The Purple Heart is a heart-shaped medal with a gold border bearing a profile of President Washington, and a purple ribbon.

80 Malted milk mix : OVALTINE

Ovaltine is a milk-flavoring product that was developed in Berne, Switzerland in the early 1900s. It is still called by its original name in its native Switzerland, namely “Ovomaltine”. The “ovo-maltine” name reflects the main ingredients back then: eggs and malt.

88 Nonpartisan trio? : ENS

There is a trio of letters N (ens) in the word “nonpartisan”.

89 Containing dried grapes : RAISINY

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

90 Like some camisoles : LACY

A camisole (also “cami”) is a sleeveless undershirt worn by women that extends down to the waist. “Camisole” is a French word that we imported into English that ultimately derives from the Latin “camisia” meaning “shirt, nightgown”.

92 Frontier figure Crockett : DAVY

Davy Crockett is often referred to as “King of the Wild Frontier”. He was from East Tennessee, and after serving in the local militia he entered politics and represented his state in the US House of Representatives from 1827 to 1831. Crockett disapproved of many of the policies of President Andrew Jackson, which led to his defeat in the 1834 election for the House. The defeat prompted Crockett to leave Tennessee for Texas. Famously, he died there in 1836 at the Battle of the Alamo.

97 “Flashdance … What a Feeling” singer Irene : CARA

Irene Cara co-wrote and sang the Oscar-winning song “Flashdance…What a Feeling” from the 1983 movie “Flashdance”. Cara also sang the title song for the 1980 movie “Fame”, and indeed played the lead role of student Coco Hernandez.

102 Article of clothing that gives a pop of color? : PAINTING SMOCK

A smock is an outer garment that is often worn as protection for one’s clothing. Today, the term often applies to the protective garment worn by a painter.

105 Deep red : GARNET

Garnets are silicate minerals that come in many colors. However, the color that we call “garnet” is a dark red.

109 Midsize sofa : SETTEE

“Settee” is another word for “couch”. The term comes from the Old English “setl”, which was a long bench with a high back and arms.

Down

1 Skydiving pack filler : CHUTE

The term “parachute” was coined by Frenchman François Blanchard, from “para-” meaning “defense against” and “chute” meaning “a fall”.

2 Hinds’ counterparts : HARTS

Nowadays, a hart is a male red deer over five years old. A hind is a female red deer.

6 Louisianan of French Canadian descent : CAJUN

The great explorer Verrazzano gave the name “Arcadia” to the coastal land that stretched from north of present day Virginia right up the North American continent to Nova Scotia. The name Arcadia was chosen as it was also the name for a part of Greece that had been viewed as idyllic from the days of classical antiquity. The “Arcadia” name quickly evolved into the word “Acadia” that was used locally here in North America. Much of Acadia was settled by the French in the 1600s, and then in 1710 Acadia was conquered by the British. There followed the French and Indian War after which there was a mass migration of French Acadians, often via the French colony of Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti) to the French colony of Louisiana. The local dialectic pronunciation of the word “Acadian” was “Cajun”, giving the name to the ethnic group for which Louisiana has been home for about 300 years.

9 Moose, in Europe : ELK

The moose is the largest species in the deer family, and can stand almost at 7 feet at the shoulder. Moose are a little unusual in that they are solitary animals, unlike other deers who tend to move in herds. We use the term “moose” here in North America, but confusingly, the same animal is referred to as “elk” in British English.

10 “John Wick” actor Keanu : REEVES

“John Wick” is a 2014 action movie starring Keanu Reeves in the title role. Reeves plays a retired hitman who goes on a killing spree to avenge the murder of his dog. There’s quite the body count …

12 Mentored students : PROTEGES

We use the term “protégé” for someone whose career is helped along and guided by a more experienced person, a mentor. “Protégé” is French for “protected”.

A mentor is a trusted teacher or counselor. The term “mentor” comes from Homer’s “Odyssey” in which there is a character named Mentor. He is a friend of Odysseus, although he is a relatively ineffective old man. The goddess Athena takes on Mentor’s appearance in order to guide Odysseus’s young son Telemachus through difficult times.

13 Muse of music : EUTERPE

Euterpe was the Muse presiding over music in Greek mythology. In later times, she was honored as the Muse of lyric poetry.

15 President pro __ : TEM

“Pro tempore” can be abbreviated to “pro tem” or “p.t.” “Pro tempore” is a Latin phrase that best translates as “for the time being”. It is used to describe a person who is acting for another, usually a superior. The President pro tempore of the US Senate is the person who presides over the Senate in the absence of the Vice President of the US. It has been tradition since 1890 that the president pro tem is the most senior senator in the majority party. The president pro tem ranks highly in the line of succession to the presidency, falling third in line after the Vice President and the Speaker of the House.

22 “Peer Gynt” composer : GRIEG

Edvard Grieg is Norway’s best-known composer, and one who was active in the Romantic Era. Grieg’s most famous works are the gorgeous “Piano Concerto in A minor”, and his incidental music for the play “Peer Gynt” by Henrik Ibsen.

Henrik Ibsen’s play “Peer Gynt” is based on a Scandinavian fairy tale “Per Gynt”. The incidental music to the play, written by Edvard Grieg, is some of the most approachable classical music ever written, at least in my humble opinion …

31 Like neon signs in the daytime : UNLIT

The basic design of neon lighting was first demonstrated at the Paris Motor Show in 1910. Such lighting is made up of glass tubes containing a vacuum into which has been introduced a small amount of neon gas. When a voltage is applied between two electrodes inside the tube, the neon gas “glows” and gives off the familiar light.

32 Entrepreneur Wozniak : STEVE

Steve “Woz” Wozniak was one of the founders of Apple Computer, along with Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne. Wozniak was the driving force behind the creation of the Apple I and Apple II computers that revolutionized the computer market in the seventies.

34 Beaujolais, e.g. : WINE

Beaujolais is a red wine made from the gamay grape that is produced in the Beaujolais historical province that is part of the Burgundy wine-making region.

36 Plant-sucking insect : APHID

Aphids are called “greenfly” back in Britain and Ireland where I come from. The most effective way to control aphids, in my experience, is to make sure there are plenty of ladybugs in the garden (called “ladybirds” in Ireland!).

39 Prom rentals : TUXES

Apparently, the style of men’s evening dress called a “tuxedo” was first worn to a country club event in 1886 in New York. The use of a dark dinner jacket without tails became fashionable at the club with the members, and the tradition spread from there. The country club was located in Tuxedo Park, New York, giving the style of dress its name.

40 __ Krishna : HARE

The Hare Krishna mantra dates back to the 15th century. It is a 16-word mantra that can be written as:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

46 Word before continuo or profundo : BASSO …

In Baroque music, basso continuo is music with a defined bass line, and with improvised chords played above that line.

The basso profondo (also “contrabass, basso profundo”) is the voice with the lowest vocal range. “Basso profondo” is Italian for “deep bass”.

51 __ bank : PIGGY

The word “pig” can be used for earthenware, or an earthenware shard. From this usage there evolved the term “pig jar” that described an earthenware pot that could be filled with water for use as a bed-warmer. Crockery pots were also used to collect coins and these were also termed “pig jars”. By the 1700s, these pig jars had evolved into the first “piggy banks”.

55 Ring somberly : KNELL

The word “knell” is used for a solemn ring from a bell, often associated with death or a funeral. “Knell” comes from the Old English “cnell” and is probably imitative in origin, sounding like a peal from a large bell.

56 Brit’s baby carriage : PRAM

Another word used in Britain and Ireland that’s rarely used over here is “pram”, which in my day was the most common term for what is called a baby carriage in the US. “Pram” is short for “perambulator”.

59 Diner mugful : JOE

It seems that no one really knows why we refer to coffee as “joe”, but we’ve been doing so since early in WWII.

60 Pelvic bones : ILIA

The ilium (plural “ilia”) is the upper portion of the hipbone.

62 Baccarat term : BANCO

Baccarat, in all of its three variants, is a relatively simple casino card game. It is the favored game of chance for James Bond 007, and it looks so cool when he plays it! Banco!

65 Dern’s “Jurassic Park” co-star : NEILL

Sam Neill is a very talented actor from New Zealand, although he spent the first few years of his life in Northern Ireland. I really enjoyed Neill in a 1983 television miniseries called “Reilly, Ace of Spies”, about a British spy operation during WWI. He is perhaps better-known for his roles in the movies “Omen III”, “Dead Calm”, “Jurassic Park” and “The Hunt for Red October”.

“Jurassic Park” is a 1993 Steven Spielberg movie that is based on Michael Crichton’s novel of the same name. According to Spielberg, the terrifying Tyrannosaurus Rex is “the star of the movie”. That may be true, but what’s not true is that the creature existed during the Jurassic period. The T. rex roamed the Earth much later, in the late Cretaceous period.

70 Red cattle breed : DEVON

The ancient breed of cattle known as the Devon (after the county of Devon in the English southwest) is often referred to as the “North Devon”. The Devon is a tawny red color. There is a more recent breed known as South Devon cattle, which are yellowish brown, hence the use of the “North Devon” moniker.

72 Permian Basin city : ODESSA

The city of Odessa, Texas has as its symbol the jack rabbit. This is because from the thirties through the seventies the city hosted a rodeo for roping rabbits. The Humane Society applied pressure and the city did away with the tradition in 1977.

The Permian Basin, located in western Texas and southeastern New Mexico, is one of the most important oil-producing regions in the world. Named after the Permian geologic period, it is the most productive oil field in the country.

73 Satirical magazine since 1952 : MAD

“Mad” magazine has been around since 1952, although back then it was more of a comic book than a magazine. The original founder and editor was Harvey Kurtzman and in order to convince him to stay, the publisher changed the format to a magazine in 1955. That’s when the publication really took off in terms of popularity.

76 Mosque structures : MINARETS

A minaret is an architectural feature of Islamic mosques, a tall tower with an onion-shaped crown that is used for the call to prayer. The world’s oldest minaret is part of the Great Mosque of Kairouan in Tunisia, having been completed in 836 CE. The term “minaret” comes from the Arabic for “lighthouse”.

77 Make shiny, in a way : ENGILD

Gilding is the application of gold leaf or gold powder to a solid surface, perhaps wood or another metal. The method of application can vary, from the use of a brush to electroplating.

78 __ blanket: killjoy : WET

A wet blanket might be used to extinguish a fire. We use the phrase “wet blanket” figuratively to describe someone who tends to dampen enthusiasm or enjoyment.

81 Scolding speeches : TIRADES

The term “tirade” describes a long and vehement speech, and is a word that came into English from French. “Tirade” can have the same meaning in French, but is also the word for “volley”. So, a tirade is a “volley” of words.

83 Quechua speaker : INCAN

Quechua was the Native-American language adopted by the Incan Empire and favored over other dialects. Today, Quechua is one of the official languages in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, alongside Spanish.

85 Animals also known as river horses : HIPPOS

The name “hippopotamus” comes from the Greek for “river horse”. Hippos are the third-largest land mammals, after elephants and rhinos. The closest living relatives to hippos don’t even live on land. They are the whales and porpoises of the oceans.

95 Harness for oxen : YOKE

A yoke is a wooden beam used between a pair of animals so that they are forced to work together.

Oxen are herbivorous animals that have been domesticated for thousands of years, often used for pulling carts, plowing fields, and carrying heavy loads. They are usually castrated male cattle, castrated so that they are more docile and easier to train.

96 Coastal raptor : ERNE

The ern (sometimes “erne”) is also known as the white-tailed eagle or the sea eagle.

97 Gadget news website : CNET

CNET is an excellent technology website. It started out in 1994 as a television network specializing in technology news. The host of “American Idol”, Ryan Seacrest, started off his career as host of a CNET show.

98 Location of the world’s highest and lowest points on land : ASIA

Mount Everest was named by the Royal Geographical Society in 1865 for Welsh surveyor George Everest, who had served as Surveyor General of India from 1830 through 1843. Everest actually objected initially to the use of his name, given that he had nothing to do with the peak’s discovery, and given that he believed “Everest” was difficult to write and to pronounce in Hindi.

The Middle East’s Dead Sea lies more than 1,400 feet below sea level, making it the lowest point on the Earth’s landmass. It is also one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world, with a salt content that is almost ten times that of most oceans.

100 Wane’s partner : WAX

The verbs “to wax” and “to wane” come from Old English. To wax is to increase gradually in size, strength, intensity or number. To wane is to decrease gradually.

101 __ de Triomphe : ARC

L’Arc de Triomphe de l’Etoile in Paris was built to honor those who fought for France, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. It is the second largest triumphal arch in the world, after the Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang, North Korea. If you are visiting Paris, don’t just take a picture of the arch, be sure to go inside and see the marvelous chambers and carvings, and wander around on top of the arch so that you can enjoy the magnificent view.