Tag: Over-the-counter option after an accident? crossword clue

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Constructed by: Rafael Musa
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: None

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

Bill’s time: 9m 25s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

4 Kevin’s “Bull Durham” role : CRASH

Kevin Costner attributes some of his motivation to pursue an acting career to the great Welsh actor, Richard Burton. Back when Costner was taking acting classes, and was undecided about whether to continue chasing his dream, he ran into Burton on a flight from Puerto Vallarta. Burton agreed to chat with him for a little while, and so Costner was able to ask him if acting meant tolerating the kind of personal drama that had plagued Burton’s own life. Burton told him, “You have green eyes. I have green eyes. I think you’ll be fine”.

The Durham Bulls are the Triple-A minor league baseball team based in Durham, North Carolina. The team was established in 1902 as the Durham Tobacconists, and are now the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. It was the Durham Bulls who featured in the 1988 movie “Bull Durham” starring Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon.

15 Prefix with -centric : HELIO-

Heliocentrism is the astronomical model that has the Earth and other planets revolving around the Sun at the center of the Solar System. The geocentric model holds that the Earth is the center of the Universe.

17 Device used in some medical and military training, informally : VR HEADSET

Virtual reality (VR)

19 Sooty passages : FLUES

The flue in a chimney is a duct that conveys exhaust gases from a fire to the outdoors. An important feature of a flue is that its opening is adjustable. When starting a fire, the flue should be wide open, maximizing airflow to get help ignition.

21 Mid day? : IDES

There were three important days in each month of the old Roman calendar. These days originally depended on the cycles of the moon but were eventually “fixed” by law. “Kalendae” were the first days of each month, originally the days of the new moon. “Nonae” were originally the days of the half moon. And “idus” (the ides) was originally the day of the full moon, eventually fixed at the 15th day of a month. Actually, the ides were the 15th day of March, May, July and October. For all other months, the ides fell on the 13th. Go figure …

22 Reptile that dominates Taylor Swift’s “Reputation” era imagery : SNAKE

In 2016, Taylor Swift found herself in a very public feud with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. That year, West released the song “Famous”, in which he claimed to have made Swift “famous”. As the dispute developed, Swift was labeled a “snake” by online trolls. Instead of shying away, she embraced the symbol, featuring it heavily in her 2017 album “Reputation”, and in her 2018 Reputation Stadium Tour.

25 Camper’s protection : TARP

Originally, tarpaulins were made from canvas covered in tar that rendered the material waterproof. The word “tarpaulin” comes from “tar” and “palling”, with “pall” meaning “heavy cloth covering”.

27 Important figures of preindustrial Japan : SAMURAI

Samurai were noble military officers in medieval and early-modern Japan who served particular clans and lords. Originally known as “bushi” in Japanese, the term “samurai” was introduced in the early part of the 18th century.

29 Oktoberfest order : BIER

Oktoberfest is a 16-day beer festival in Munich that actually starts in September. About six million people attend every year, making it the largest fair in the world. I’ve attended twice, and it really is a remarkable party …

33 Highly intelligent songbirds : TITS

The birds known as chickadees or titmice in North America, are usually called simply “tits” in the rest of the English-speaking world.

34 All of the Barenaked Ladies, actually : MEN

Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The somewhat quirky name chosen by the band tends to reflect the group’s concert style. The band is noted for kidding around on stage with lots of banter between songs. They’re also noted for composing and performing the catchy theme song for the hit sitcom “The Big Bang Theory”.

35 Crème de la crème : TOP TIER

The crème de la crème are the elite, the best of the best. The term “crème de la crème” is French, and translates as “cream of the cream”.

44 Baby, in Irish slang : SNAPPER

“Snapper” is a slang word used in Ireland for a baby. There is a celebrated novel titled “The Snapper” penned by Roddy Doyle, about a young woman in Dublin who is pregnant and refuses to name the father. The 1990 book was adapted into an excellent 1993 film of the same name starring Colm Meaney, Brendan Gleason and Tina Kellegher. That’s a great movie, but I’d recommend using subtitles if you’re not familiar with a thick Dublin accent …

48 People with no class? : TRUANTS

“Truant” is such a lovely word. We have been using it to describe someone who wanders from an appointed place since the mid-1400s. Prior to that, a truant was a beggar or a vagabond.

50 Apple Watch stat : STEPS

When Apple introduced the “Apple Watch” in 2015, it was perhaps a little surprising that the device wasn’t named “iWatch”. The brand name “iWatch” was already trademarked in the US and EU, by two different companies.

58 Follows a boat, in a way : WATER-SKIS

The sport of water-skiing dates back to 1922, when it was invented by one Ralph Samuelson on Lake Pepin, located on the Mississippi River near Saint Paul in Minnesota.

59 Bert’s bestie : ERNIE

For many years, I believed that the “Sesame Street” characters Bert and Ernie were named after two roles played in the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life”. In the movie, the policeman’s name is Bert and his taxi-driving buddy is named Ernie. However, the “Sesame Street” folks have stated that the use of the same names is just a coincidence. Aww, I don’t wanna believe that’s a coincidence …

63 Some jabs : LEFTS

That might be boxing.

Down

2 Nematodes, e.g. : WORMS

Nematodes are microscopic worms that live in a huge variety of environments, from soil and water to the bodies of plants and animals. The term “nematode” comes from the Greek words “nema”, meaning “thread,” and “eidos”, meaning “form, species.” This is quite fitting, as many nematodes resemble miniature threads.

3 Hunt in action movies : ETHAN

It was Tom Cruise’s idea to adapt the “Mission: Impossible” television series for the big screen, and it became the first project for Cruise’s own production company. Cruise took on the starring role of Ethan Hunt, the point man for the Impossible Missions Force (IMF).

6 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”.

7 Tuscan city that hosts the Palio horse races twice a year : SIENA

Siena is a beautiful city in the Tuscany region of Italy. In the center of Siena is the magnificent medieval square called Piazza del Campo, a paved sloping open area made up of nine triangular sections. The square has to be seen to be believed. Twice a year, the famous bareback horse-race called the Palio di Siena is held in the Piazza.

11 “Serial” genre : TRUE CRIME

“Serial” is an investigative journalism podcast hosted by Sarah Koenig. The first season premiered in 2014, and re-examines the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee, a Baltimore high school student. The show’s success led to further seasons focusing on different true crime stories. Seasons 1 and 2 hold the world record for podcast downloads, and “Serial” is credited with popularizing the podcast format.

24 Sugar magnate who established a network of British art galleries : TATE

Sir Henry Tate was a 19th-century English sugar magnate who revolutionized the sugar industry by introducing sugar cubes to the masses. A generous philanthropist, Tate is best known for his founding of the Tate Gallery in London in 1897. The Tate Gallery, now known as Tate Britain, has since expanded to become a network of four major art museums.

30 Many tourist sites in Peru : INCA RUINS

The Inca Empire was known as the Tawantinsuyu, which translates as “land of the four quarters”. It was a federal organization with a central government that sat above four “suyu” or “quarters”, four administrative regions.

32 Group formed in Seoul in 2010 : BTS

Online fans of the K-pop boy band BTS refer to themselves as ARMY, an acronym standing for Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth. The idea is that BTS fans represent young people.

34 __ Puff: SpongeBob’s driving teacher : MRS

Mrs. Puff is SpongeBob’s driving teacher in the animated series “SpongeBob SquarePants”. Voiced by veteran actress Mary Jo Catlett, the character is a paranoid pufferfish with a tendency to inflate when stressed (usually due to SpongeBob’s terrible driving).

36 Oast, for one : OVEN

An oast is a kiln used for drying hops as part of the brewing process. Such a structure might also be called an “oast house” or “hop kiln”. The term “oast” can also apply to a kiln used to dry tobacco.

40 First artificial satellite : SPUTNIK

The Soviet Union launched the Sputnik satellite towards the end of 1957. The first in a series of space missions, the satellite was just a 23-inch diameter “ball” trailing four antennas. Sputnik 2 was launched just a month later, and carried the first living passenger into orbit, namely a dog named Laika. The word “sputnik” means “co-traveller” in Russian.

51 Some toys, for short : PEKES

The pekingese (“peke”) breed originated in China, as one might suspect from the name. Breeding practices have resulted in the dog having many health problems, including breathing issues related to the “desirable” flat face. Standards have been changed in recent years, demanding an “evident muzzle” in an attempt to breed healthier “pekes”.

55 Australian actress Dawson : STEF

Stef Dawson is an Australian actress from Canberra, Australia. She gained international recognition for her role as Annie Cresta in “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay”.

56 Bianco of “The Magicians” : ESME

English Actress Esmé Bianco is perhaps best known for playing a prostitute named Ros on three seasons of “Game of Thrones”. Bianco had a tumultuous relationship with American rock singer Marilyn Manson in 2011 that resulted in Bianco accusing Manson of sexual abuse.