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Constructed by: Lynn Lempel
Edited by: Patti Varol
Today’s Reveal Answer: Makes the Bed
Themed answers each end with something used in MAKING THE BED:
- 62A Does a daily chore using the elements at the ends of the answers to the starred clues : MAKES THE BED
- 17A *Important figure in sports betting : POINT SPREAD
- 24A *Party pooper : WET BLANKET
- 37A *Record submitted to payroll : TIME SHEET
- 53A *Paper for doodling : SCRATCHPAD
Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers
Want to discuss the puzzle? Then …
… leave a comment
Bill’s time: 5m 18s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
14 Three-time WNBA All-Star Quigley : ALLIE
Allie Quigley is an American-born professional basketball player who spent several years playing in Europe, in Hungary in particular. In 2010, Quigley took out Hungarian citizenship and played for the Hungarian national team.
17 *Important figure in sports betting : POINT SPREAD
The point spread is the number of points offered to equalize the chances in a wager on a sports event. The team that is perceived as more likely to lose is given “free” points before the game starts, and the person backing the winning team wins only when his/her team scores more than the losing team, including the point spread.
20 Loafer adornment : TASSEL
The loafer slip-on shoe dates back to 1939. “Loafer” was originally a brand name introduced by Fortnum and Mason’s store in London. The derivative term “penny loafer” arose in the late fifties or early sixties, although the exact etymology seems unclear.
23 Cherry bomb’s “stem” : FUSE
A cherry bomb is a firework that is so called because it resembles a cherry in size and shape. The main body is spherical, and the ignition fuse extends out from the body like a cherry’s stem. Cherry bombs have been banned in the US since 1966.
27 Twistable cookies : OREOS
There is an “official” competition involving Oreo cookies, in case anyone is interested in participating. A competitor has to take several steps to finish an OREO Lick Race:
- Twist open the cookie.
- Lick each half clean of creme.
- Show the clean cookie halves to the fellow competitors.
- Dunk the cookie halves in a glass of milk.
- Eat the cookie halves.
- Drink the milk.
- Ready, set, go …
30 “Chicago” actor Richard : GERE
Richard Gere has played such great roles on the screen, and I find him to be a very interesting character off the screen. Gere has been studying Buddhism since 1978 and is a very visible supporter of the Dalai Lama and the people of Tibet. Gere has been married twice; to supermodel Cindy Crawford from 1991 to 1995, and to model/actress Carey Lowell from 2002 until 2016. Gere’s breakthrough role was as the male lead in the 1980 film “American Gigolo”.
The wonderful 1975 musical “Chicago” is based on a 1926 play of the same name written by a news reporter called Maurine Dallas Watkins. Watkins had been assigned to cover the murder trials of Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner for the “Chicago Tribune”, and used the story that unfolded as the basis for her play. Annan became the character Roxie Hart, and Gaertner became Velma Kelly. I’ve only ever seen the movie version of “Chicago” and never a live performance …
33 Adapter letters : AC/DC
Anyone with a laptop with an external power supply has an AC/DC converter, that big “block” in the power cord. It converts the AC current from a wall socket into the DC current that is used by the laptop.
36 Journalist Koppel : TED
Broadcast journalist Ted Koppel is most associated with his long run as anchor for the “Nightline” program on ABC. Koppel was actually born in England, to a Jewish family that had fled from Germany. He emigrated with his family to the US when he was 13 years old. Koppel is great friends with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger who was a frequent guest on his television show.
40 Yoga surface : MAT
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.
48 Guinness who was the first to play Obi-Wan Kenobi : ALEC
Sir Alec Guinness played many great roles over a long and distinguished career, but nowadays is best remembered (sadly, I think) for playing the original Obi-Wan Kenobi in “Star Wars”.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the more beloved of the “Star Wars” characters. Kenobi was portrayed by two fabulous actors in the series of films. As a young man he is played by Scottish actor Ewan McGregor, and as an older man he is played by Alec Guinness.
50 “Chicago P.D.” extra : COP
The police drama “Chicago P.D.” premiered in 2014 as a spin-off from the show “Chicago Fire”.
52 Region of ancient Mesopotamia : SUMER
Iraq is often called the “Cradle of Civilization” as it was home to Sumer, which was the earliest known civilization on the planet. By 5000 BC the Sumerian people were practicing year-round agriculture and had a specialized labor force. For the first time, a whole race was able to settle in one place by storing food, instead of having to migrate in a pattern dictated by crops and grazing land.
Mesopotamia was the land that lay between two rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates, that flow through modern-day Iraq. The name “Mesopotamia” means “between the rivers”.
57 Pixar film featuring a guitar-playing boy : COCO
“Coco” is a 2017 Pixar movie about a 12-year-old boy named Miguel who ends up in the land of the dead by accident. There, he seeks out the help of the great-great-grandfather to get back to his family in the land of the living.
61 Sushi-grade tuna : AHI
Yellowfin and bigeye tuna are usually marketed as “ahi”, the Hawaiian name. They are both big fish, with yellowfish tuna often weighing over 300 pounds, and bigeye tuna getting up to 400 pounds.
69 Sudsy quaff : ALE
“Quaff” is both a verb and a noun. One “quaffs” (takes a hearty drink) of a “quaff” (a hearty drink).
71 Donkeys : ASSES
A female donkey/ass is known as a jenny and a male is known as a jack, or sometimes “jackass”. We started using the term “jackass” to mean “fool” in the 1820s.
Down
1 Sticky tree stuff : SAP
There are two types of sap in a plant. Xylem sap is a watery solution that moves from the roots to the leaves. Phloem sap is a sugary solution that moves from the leaves (where sugars are produced) to the parts of the plant where sugars are used.
2 Debate-ending procedure in the Senate : CLOTURE
“Cloture” is a parliamentary process used to bring a debate to an early close. The procedure was first used in the French National Assembly, and “clôture” is a French word meaning “ending, conclusion”. The cloture process was introduced into the US Senate in 1917. There is no equivalent maneuver existing in the US House.
10 “On the __”: NPR show about trends in journalism : MEDIA
“On the Media” is a weekly radio program produced by WNYC in New York that covers journalism, technology and first amendment issues. The show is distributed to NPR stations nationwide.
11 Cut of meat used for corned beef : BRISKET
Brisket is a cut of beef from the lower chest of the animal. The brisket muscles contain a large amount of connective tissue, so brisket can be a tough cut and needs to be carefully cooked. It is often braised and cooked as a pot roast, especially as a holiday dish in Jewish cuisine.
Corned beef is beef that has been cured with salt. “Corn” is an alternative term describing a grain of salt, giving the dish its name. Corned beef is also known as “salt beef”, and “bully beef” if stored in cans (from the French “bouilli” meaning “boiled”).
26 Composer J.S. __ : BACH
Johann Sebastian Bach died when he was 65-years-old, in 1750. He was buried in Old St. John’s Cemetery in Leipzig, and his grave went unmarked until 1894. At that time his coffin was located, removed and buried in a vault within the church. The church was destroyed in an Allied bombing raid during WWII, and so after the war the remains had to be recovered and taken to the Church of St. Thomas in Leipzig.
28 Lingerie item : SLIP
“Lingerie” is a French term. As used in France, it describes any underwear, worn by either males or females. In English we use “lingerie” to describe alluring underclothing worn by women. The term “lingerie” comes into English via the French word “linge” meaning “washables”, and ultimately from the Latin “linum”, meaning “linen”. We tend not to pronounce the word correctly in English, either here in the US or across the other side of the Atlantic. The French pronunciation is more like “lan-zher-ee”, as opposed to “lon-zher-ay” (American) and “lon-zher-ee” (British).
32 “OMG! Stop talking!” : TMI
Too much information (TMI)
34 FDR or JFK, partywise : DEM
The modern-day Democratic Party was founded in 1828, when supporters of Andrew Jackson broke away from the former Democratic-Republican Party during the presidency of John Quincy Adams. That date makes the Democratic Party the oldest voter-based political party in the world. Andrew Jackson became the first Democratic US president, in 1829.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was the only child of Sara Delano and James Roosevelt Sr. The Delano family history in America goes back to the pilgrim Philippe de Lannoy, an immigrant of Flemish descent who arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. The family name “de Lannoy” was anglicized here in the US, to “Delano”. Franklin was to marry Eleanor Roosevelt, and apparently the relationship between Sara and her daughter-in-law was very “strained”.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) was the son of Joe Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald, hence the president’s double-barreled name.
35 Corporate VIPs : CEOS
Chief executive officer (CEO)
40 Lash lengthener : MASCARA
Variants of mascara have been around a long time, and certainly there was a similar substance in use in ancient Egypt. “Mascara” is a Spanish word meaning “stain, mask”.
41 Hand sanitizer ingredient : ALCOHOL
Ethyl alcohol is more usually known as ethanol. Ethanol is the alcohol found in intoxicating beverages, and nowadays is also used as a fuel for cars. It is also found in medical wipes and hand sanitizer, in which it acts as an antiseptic.
42 Wood-eating insect : TERMITE
Termites are insects that are somewhat unique in that they can digest cellulose (as can ruminants such as cattle). Because of this diet, they cause a lot of trouble for human populations by feeding on wood in man-made structures.
45 Single-celled creatures : AMOEBAS
An ameba (also “amoeba”) is a single-celled microorganism. The name comes from the Greek “amoibe”, meaning change. The name is quite apt, as the cell changes shape readily as the ameba moves, eats and reproduces.
47 “No seats” sign : SRO
Standing room only (SRO)
51 Analyzes grammatically : PARSES
The verb “to parse” means “to state the parts of speech in a sentence”. “Parse” comes from the Latin word “pars” meaning “part”.
54 Phoenix suburb : TEMPE
Tempe is a city in the metropolitan area of Phoenix. The city is named for the Vale of Tempe in Greece.
55 American Red Cross founder Barton : CLARA
Clara Barton was deeply disturbed by her experiences caring for the wounded during the Civil War. She dedicated herself after the war towards American recognition of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The American Red Cross was inevitably formed, in 1881, and Barton was installed as its first president.
60 Seed in some healthy smoothies : CHIA
Chia is a flowering plant in the mint family. Chia seeds are an excellent food source and are often added to breakfast cereals and energy bars. There is also the famous Chia Pet, an invention of a San Francisco company. Chia Pets are terra-cotta figurines to which moistened chia seeds are applied. The seeds sprout and the seedlings become the “fur” of the Chia Pet.
63 Bout enders, briefly : KOS
Knockout (KO)
65 __ Moines, Iowa : DES
The city of Des Moines is the capital of Iowa, and takes its name from the Des Moines River. The river in turn takes its name from the French “Riviere des Moines” meaning “River of the Monks”. It looks like there isn’t any “monkish” connection to the city’s name per se. “Des Moines” was just the name given by French traders who corrupted “Moingona”, the name of a group of Illinois Native Americans who lived by the river. However, others contend that French Trappist monks, who lived a full 200 miles from the river, somehow influenced the name.
Read on, or …
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Reminders of past surgeries : SCARS
6 Starting squad : A-TEAM
11 Lousy : BAD
14 Three-time WNBA All-Star Quigley : ALLIE
15 Scrapbook adhesive : PASTE
16 Deeply regret : RUE
17 *Important figure in sports betting : POINT SPREAD
19 Ideological suffix : -ISM
20 Loafer adornment : TASSEL
21 Isn’t honest with : LIES TO
23 Cherry bomb’s “stem” : FUSE
24 *Party pooper : WET BLANKET
27 Twistable cookies : OREOS
29 Sailor’s realm : SEA
30 “Chicago” actor Richard : GERE
31 Consequence : RESULT
33 Adapter letters : AC/DC
36 Journalist Koppel : TED
37 *Record submitted to payroll : TIME SHEET
40 Yoga surface : MAT
43 White part of a citrus rind : PITH
44 Marshy ground : MORASS
48 Guinness who was the first to play Obi-Wan Kenobi : ALEC
50 “Chicago P.D.” extra : COP
52 Region of ancient Mesopotamia : SUMER
53 *Paper for doodling : SCRATCHPAD
57 Pixar film featuring a guitar-playing boy : COCO
58 Force into action : COMPEL
59 Chair for a new parent : ROCKER
61 Sushi-grade tuna : AHI
62 Does a daily chore using the elements at the ends of the answers to the starred clues : MAKES THE BED
66 Turn bad : ROT
67 Show to be true : PROVE
68 Mighty mad : IRATE
69 Sudsy quaff : ALE
70 Softens : EASES
71 Donkeys : ASSES
Down
1 Sticky tree stuff : SAP
2 Debate-ending procedure in the Senate : CLOTURE
3 False names : ALIASES
4 Wash lightly : RINSE OUT
5 Adjusts, as a clock : SETS
6 Fruit for cider : APPLES
7 Sticky roofing stuff : TAR
8 Language suffix : -ESE
9 In any way : AT ALL
10 “On the __”: NPR show about trends in journalism : MEDIA
11 Cut of meat used for corned beef : BRISKET
12 Stark : AUSTERE
13 Reduced in rank : DEMOTED
18 Use needle and thread : SEW
22 U.K. language : ENG
23 Word on a gift tag : FOR
25 Spot for steeped beverages : TEA SHOP
26 Composer J.S. __ : BACH
28 Lingerie item : SLIP
32 “OMG! Stop talking!” : TMI
34 FDR or JFK, partywise : DEM
35 Corporate VIPs : CEOS
38 Engrave : ETCH
39 Folks who are in it for the long haul? : TRUCKERS
40 Lash lengthener : MASCARA
41 Hand sanitizer ingredient : ALCOHOL
42 Wood-eating insect : TERMITE
45 Single-celled creatures : AMOEBAS
46 Stash away : SECRETE
47 “No seats” sign : SRO
49 Lens cover : CAP
51 Analyzes grammatically : PARSES
54 Phoenix suburb : TEMPE
55 American Red Cross founder Barton : CLARA
56 Small speck : DOT
60 Seed in some healthy smoothies : CHIA
63 Bout enders, briefly : KOS
64 Night before : EVE
65 __ Moines, Iowa : DES
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