Tag: Heritage celebrated in May for short crossword clue

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Constructed by: Amanda Cook

Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Leaderboard

Themed answers all LEAD off with a king of BOARD:

• 63A List of top-scoring players, and what the start of 17-, 23-, 39-, or 51-Across could be called? : LEADERBOARD

• 17A Avant-garde : CUTTING EDGE (giving “cutting board”)
• 23A Assets and liabilities statement : BALANCE SHEET (giving “balance board”)
• 39A Stylistic faux pas that puts an editor between a rock and a black sheep? : MIXING METAPHORS (giving “mixing board”)
• 51A Illumination that sets a tone : MOOD LIGHTING (giving “mood board”)

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

Bill’s time: 5m 07s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

11A Cave mammal : BAT

Bats are the only mammals that are capable of sustained flight. There are many, many different kinds of bats, and indeed they make up about 20% of all mammalian species.

14A Zilch : NONE

We use the term “zilch” to mean “nothing”. Our current usage evolved in the sixties, before which the term was used to describe “meaningless speech”. There was a comic character called Mr. Zilch in the 1930s in “Ballyhoo” magazine. Mr. Zilch’s name probably came from the American college slang “Joe Zilch” that was used in the early 1900s for “an insignificant person”.

15A __ Creed: Mass recitation : NICENE

What is known today in the Christian tradition as the Nicene Creed, was originally adopted by the first ecumenical council when it met in 325 AD. The meeting took place in the city of Nicaea, which gave its name to this particular profession of faith. Nicaea is the Greek name of the city that is now called Iznik, and it lies in the northwest of Turkey.

16A Flamenco cry : OLE!

Flamenco is a style of Spanish music and dance. The origin of the word “flamenco” isn’t clearly understood, but the explanation that seems most credible to me is that it comes from Flanders in Northern Europe. Given that “flamenco” is the Spanish word for “Flemish” and Flanders is home to the Flemish people it makes perfect sense, doesn’t it?

17A Avant-garde : CUTTING EDGE (giving “cutting board”)

Someone or something described as avant-garde is especially innovative. “Avant-garde” is French for “advance guard”.

22A Cabin timber : PINE

There are many species of pine tree (well over 100). The smallest is probably the Siberian dwarf pine, which usually grows to less than 10-feet tall. The tallest is the ponderosa pine, which regularly grows to over 200-feet tall.

23A Assets and liabilities statement : BALANCE SHEET (giving “balance board”)

The balance sheet of a company is a snapshot (single-point-in-time) view of a company’s financial position. The balance sheet lists all the company’s liabilities, all of its assets, and all of its ownership equity. The assets of a company, less its liabilities equals the ownership equity. The term “balance” is used because assets always balance out with the sum of liabilities and shareholder equity.

A balance board is a device, often a lever like a see-saw, on which a user stands to maintain balance. Stanley Washburn Jr. patented the balance board in 1953, initially for recreation. It quickly caught on with skiers and surfers looking to practice their skills during the off-season or when natural conditions were poor. Today, you can get an electronic version: the Wii Balance Board.

27A King Arthur’s realm : CAMELOT

Camelot is featured in Arthurian legend. It was King Arthur’s castle and his court.

King Arthur (and his Round Table) probably never really existed, but his legend is very persistent. Arthur was supposedly a leader of the Romano-British as they tried to resist the invasion of the Anglo-Saxons in the late 5th and early 6th centuries.

30A Compete in a slalom : SKI

“Slalom” is an anglicized version of the Norwegian word “slalam” that translates as “skiing race”. There is a longer version of the traditional slalom that is called giant slalom

31A Alias letters : AKA

Also known as (aka)

35A Archipelago unit : ISLET

“Archipelago” is our spelling of the Italian “arcipelago”, a word that has Greek roots. The Aegean Sea was once known as the Archipelago. The usage of “Archipelago” migrated over time, eventually applying only to the Aegean Islands. As a result, we use the term “archipelago” today not for a sea, but for a group or chain of islands.

39A Stylistic faux pas that puts an editor between a rock and a black sheep? : MIXING METAPHORS (giving “mixing board”)

A mixing board, also known as an audio mixer or soundboard, is an electronic device used to combine and modify audio signals. They are used in recording and broadcast studios, public address systems and nightclubs.

43A Take potshots (at) : SNIPE

When firing a gun, a “potshot” is a “shot” taken purely to get the prey into the “pot” for cooking. The term “potshot” was coined in the 1830s, hence distinguishing between a shot taken for sport or marksmanship and a shot taken while hunting for game.

To snipe is to attack with snide criticism, especially from a safe distance. This usage of the term is an extension of the older meaning, to take a shot from a hidden position (as in “sniper”). Such a shot was originally taken when hunting the game birds called “snipes”.

44A Repeated word in a Doris Day classic : SERA

The 1956 song “Que Será, Será (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)” was first performed by Doris Day in the Hitchcock film “The Man Who Knew Too Much”. Day later used the same tune as the theme song for the sitcom “The Doris Day Show” that aired in the late sixties and early seventies.

51A Illumination that sets a tone : MOOD LIGHTING (giving “mood board”)

A mood board is a collage of objects and images assembled on a surface for the purpose of inspiring perhaps a design or a goal.

56A Storylines : ARCS

A story arc is a continuing storyline in say a television show that runs through a number of episodes. Story arcs are also found in comics, books, video games, and other forms of media.

58A Pirouetting, say : ON TOE

We took our word “pirouette” directly from French, in which language it has the same meaning, i.e. a rotation in dancing. “Pirouette” is also the French word for “spinning top”.

62A Tabby : CAT

Tabbies aren’t a breed of cat, but rather are cats with particular markings regardless of breed. They have coats with stripes, dots and swirling patterns, and usually an “M” mark on the forehead.

68A Arancini ingredient : RICE

Arancini are Italian rice balls that are stuffed, breaded, and deep-fried. While rice is their main component, the most common fillings include ragù (meat sauce), mozzarella or caciocavallo cheese, and often peas. They are a staple of Sicilian cuisine and are said to have originated in the 10th-century, a period when the island was under Arab rule. The name “arancini” translates from Sicilian as “little oranges”, and is a reference to their shape and color after cooking.

Down

1D __ upon a time : ONCE

The stock phrase “Once upon a time …” has been used in various forms as the start of a narrative at least since 1380. The stock phrase at the end of stories such as folktales is often “and they all lived happily ever after”. The earlier version of this ending was “happily until their deaths”.

2D Gumbo thickener : ROUX

A roux is a mixture of wheat flour and clarified butter (or other fat) cooked together until it can be used as a thickening agent.

Gumbo is a type of stew or soup that originated in Louisiana. The primary ingredient can be meat or fish, but to be true gumbo it must include the “holy trinity” of vegetables, namely celery, bell peppers and onion. Okra used to be a requirement but this is no longer the case. Okra gave the dish its name as the vernacular word for the African vegetable is “okingumbo”, from the Bantu language spoken by many of the slaves brought to America.

5D Rashida’s “Parks and Recreation” role : ANN

Actress Rashida Jones is famous for playing lead characters on “The Office” and “Parks and Recreations”. She also made an award-winning 2018 documentary titled “Quincy”, which is about the life of Rashida’s father, record producer and singer Quincy Jones.

7D Atlantic, for one : OCEAN

The earliest known mention of the name “Atlantic”, for the world’s second-largest ocean, was in ancient Greece. The Greeks called said ocean “the Sea of Atlas” or “Atlantis thalassa”.

11D “Starman” singer David : BOWIE

“David Bowie” was the stage name of English singer David Jones. He adopted the alter ego Ziggy Stardust during his glam rock phase in the 1970s. Sadly, Bowie passed away from liver cancer in early 2016.

“Starman” is a fabulous song released by David Bowie in 1972 on the famous album “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars”.

13D Core belief : TENET

A tenet is an article of faith, something that is “held” to be true. “Tenet” is Latin for “he/she/it holds”.

18D Lang. of Rome : ITAL

According to tradition, Rome was founded by the twin brothers Romulus and Remus. The pair had a heated argument about who should be allowed to name the city and Romulus hit Remus with a shovel, killing him. And so, “Rome” was born, perhaps instead of “Reme”!

22D Run an email scam : PHISH

Phishing is the online practice of stealing usernames, passwords and credit card details by creating a site that deceptively looks reliable and trustworthy. Phishers often send out safe-looking emails or instant messages that direct someone to an equally safe-looking website where the person might inadvertently enter sensitive information. “Phishing” is a play on the word “fishing”, as in “fishing for passwords, PINs, etc.”

27D Zoom devices, familiarly : CAMS

Zoom is a videoconferencing app that became remarkably popular in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The market deemed Zoom to be the easiest to use of the free videoconferencing apps. I’ve used it, but really prefer Google’s Meet offering …

33D Hollywood ending? : DEE

The ending letter in the word “Hollywood” is a letter D (dee).

The iconic HOLLYWOOD sign located in the hills overlooking the Los Angeles district of Hollywood was erected in 1923. The sign originally read “HOLLYWOODLAND” and was placed as an advertisement for a new housing development with that name. The plan was for the sign to stay in place for 18 months, but as it became associated with the growing film industry, it was left in place. The sign was refurbished in 1949 by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, with the stipulation that the “LAND” be dropped. A new version of the sign using more permanent materials was unveiled in 1978.

36D “Bridgerton” title : LORD

“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.

37D Cleveland’s lake : ERIE

Cleveland, Ohio was named for the man who led the team that surveyed the area prior to the founding of the city. General Moses Cleaveland did his work in 1796 and then left Ohio, never to return again.

41D Singer Diamond : NEIL

I saw Neil Diamond in concert back in the mid-nineties, and I must say he put on a great show. His voice has cracked a bit, but that didn’t seem to spoil anyone’s enjoyment. I’ve also seen Diamond interviewed a few times on television, and I wouldn’t say he has the most scintillating of personalities.

42D Heritage celebrated in May, for short : AAPI

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI)

49D Hoity-toity type : SNOB

Back in the 1780s, a snob was a shoemaker or a shoemaker’s apprentice. By the end of the 18th century the word “snob” was being used by students at Cambridge University in England to refer to all local merchants and people of the town. The term evolved to mean one who copies those who are his or her social superior (and not in a good way). From there it wasn’t a big leap for “snob” to include anyone who emphasized their superior social standing and not just those who aspired to rank. Nowadays a snob is anyone who looks down on those considered to be of inferior standing.

Believe it or not, the term “hoity-toity” has been in the English language since the 1660s, but back then it meant “riotous behavior”. It began to mean “haughty” in the late 1800s, simply because the “haughty” sounds similar to “hoity”.

51D Colorful parrot : MACAW

Macaws are beautifully-colored birds native to Central and South America that are actually a type of parrot. Most species of macaws are now endangered, with several having become extinct in recent decades. The main threats are deforestation and illegal trapping and trafficking of exotic birds.

53D Chamber music configuration : OCTET

Chamber music is a style of classical musical that is written for a small group of instruments, as opposed to a full orchestra. That number of players should be able to stage a performance in a “chamber”, traditionally a large room in a palace or other grand residence.

60D Marine apex predator : ORCA

An apex predator is at the top of a food chain, and has no other natural predators. Examples are the orca (“killer whale”) in the oceans, the lion in Africa, and the Tyrannosaurus in the days of the dinosaurs.

63D __ Vegas Aces : LAS

The Las Vegas Aces women’s basketball team was formed in Salt Lake City in 1997 as the Utah Starzz. The team became the San Antonio (Silver) Stars in 2002, before moving to Las Vegas as the Aces in 2018.

65D “Shiny Happy People” band : REM

R.E.M.’s 1991 song “Shiny Happy People” featuring guest vocals by Kate Pierson of the B-52’s, was a surprising pop hit for the band, reaching the top 10 in both the US and UK. It might have become a lot more familiar to global audiences after it was used as the theme song for the pilot of the hit sitcom “Friends”. When the show aired, “Shiny Happy People” was replaced with “I’ll Be There for You” by the Rembrandts.