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Constructed by: Emet Ozar
Edited by: Patti Varol
Today’s Reveal Answer: In the Doghouse
Themed answers each end with an item one might find IN THE DOGHOUSE:
- 37A Out of favor with one’s partner, and where to find the ends of the answers to the starred clues : IN THE DOGHOUSE
- 16A *Fancy costume party : MASKED BALL
- 24A *Colorful garden plot : FLOWERBED
- 51A *Sensitive spot on the elbow : FUNNY BONE
- 61A *Annual Florida college football game : ORANGE BOWL
Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers
Want to discuss the puzzle? Then …
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Bill’s time: 5m 29s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
1 Symbol on an Angels baseball cap : HALO
The Anaheim Angels baseball team is today more correctly called the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (LAA). The “Angels” name dates back to 1961 when the team was founded in the “City of Angels”, Los Angeles. When the franchise moved to Anaheim in 1965 they were known as the California Angels, then the Anaheim Angels, and most recently the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Angels are also known as “the Halos”.
5 “Lucy and __”: 2022 documentary about a classic sitcom couple : DESI
“Lucy and Desi” is an Emmy-winning 2022 documentary directed by comedian and actress Amy Poehler. The film explores the relationship of entertainment legends Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. It includes interviews with the couple’s two children Lucie and Desi Jr.
13 Trendy purple berry : ACAI
Açaí (pronounced “ass-aye-ee”) is a palm tree native to Central and South America. The fruit has become very popular in recent years and its juice is a very fashionable addition to juice mixes and smoothies.
14 Top __: instant noodle brand : RAMEN
Ramen is a noodle dish composed of Chinese-style wheat noodles in a meat or fish broth flavored with soy or miso sauce. Ramen is usually topped with sliced pork and dried seaweed. The term “ramen” is also used for precooked, instant noodles that come in single-serving, solid blocks.
20 Wyo. neighbor : IDA
Idaho borders six states, and one Canadian province:
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Nevada
- Utah
- Washington
- Oregon
- British Columbia
27 2016 Summer Olympics city : RIO
Even though the 2016 Olympic Games was a summer competition, it was held in Rio de Janeiro in winter. As Rio is in the southern hemisphere, the opening ceremony on 5th August 2016 fell in the local winter season. The 2016 games was also the first to be held in South America, and the first to be hosted by a Portuguese-speaking country.
29 Letters on a car dealership sticker : MSRP
Manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP)
30 Ritz-Carlton competitor : OMNI
Omni Hotels & Resorts is headquartered in Dallas, Texas and has properties in the US, Canada and Mexico.
César Ritz was a Swiss hotelier, who had a reputation for developing the most luxurious of accommodations and attracting the wealthiest clientèle. He opened the Hotel Ritz in Paris in 1898 and the second of his most famous hotels, the Ritz Hotel in London, in 1906. Ritz was lucky in his career, as before starting his own hotel chain he had been dismissed from the Savoy Hotel in London, implicated in the disappearance of a substantial amount of wine and spirits. Today’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company was founded in 1983, although the chain has its roots in the properties developed by César Ritz.
37 Out of favor with one’s partner, and where to find the ends of the answers to the starred clues : IN THE DOGHOUSE
Our word “kennel” meaning “doghouse” comes from the Vulgar Latin word “canile” meaning the same thing. A sheep (“ovus”) was kept in an “ovile”, a horse (“equus”) in an “equile”, and a dog (“canis”) in a “canile”.
41 Bygone toy company : TYCO
The Tyco brand of toys was founded in 1926 as Mantua Metal Products by John Tyler. The first products made were scale model trains using die-cast metal. The company introduced the Tyco brand in the fifties, with “Tyco” standing for “Tyler Company”.
42 Winter malady : FLU
Influenza (the “flu”) is an ailment that is caused by a virus. The virus is readily inactivated by the use of soap, so washing hands and surfaces is especially helpful in containing flu outbreaks, and other virus pandemics …
43 Future dr.’s exam : MCAT
Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
50 Blackjack card : ACE
In the card game blackjack, an ace has the point value of one or eleven. When one of the two cards dealt to a player is an ace, the hand is called “soft”. This means that the player cannot go bust by taking another card, as the ace can be revalued at “one” if necessary in order to stay under 21.
51 *Sensitive spot on the elbow : FUNNY BONE
The ulnar nerve runs alongside the ulna (one of the bones in the lower arm). It is the largest unprotected (not surrounded by muscle or bone) nerve in the human body. The nerve can be touched under the skin at the outside of the elbow. Striking the nerve at this point causes an electric-type shock known as hitting one’s “funny bone” or “crazy bone”.
57 “__ it first!”: “Dibs!” : I SAW
The phrase “to have dibs on” expresses a claim on something. Apparently, the term “dibs” is a contraction of “dibstone”, which was a knucklebone or jack used in a children’s game.
58 Bird who is the only player to win WNBA titles in three different decades : SUE
WNBA player Sue Bird is one of only two basketball players, male or female, to have won five Olympic gold medals. The other is fellow WNBA star Diana Taurasi. Bird became engaged to US soccer phenom Megan Rapinoe in 2020.
59 CNN’s “__ Burnett OutFront” : ERIN
Erin Burnett is a television journalist and the host of her own show on CNN called “Erin Burnett OutFront”. Apparently Burnett also used to show up occasionally as advisor to Donald Trump on “The Celebrity Apprentice”.
60 2021 Pixar movie set in Italy : LUCA
“Luca” is a 2021 Pixar animated film. The title character is a sea monster boy who can take the form of a human while on land.
61 *Annual Florida college football game : ORANGE BOWL
The Orange Bowl is an annual college football game played in Miami Gardens, Florida. The Rose Bowl is the oldest of the bowl games (inaugurated in 1902), but the Sun Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl come in second. The first Orange Bowl was played on New Year’s Day 1935.
65 Fish often grilled for tacos, informally : MAHI
“Mahi-mahi” (meaning “very strong”) is the Hawaiian name for the dolphinfish, which is also known as the dorado. The mahi-mahi is an ugly looking creature if ever I saw one …
67 Actress Falco : EDIE
Actress Edie Falco won three Emmy Awards for playing Carmela Soprano on HBO’s outstanding drama series called “The Sopranos”. Falco also won an Emmy in 2010 for playing the title role in “Nurse Jackie”, an excellent black comedy.
70 Govt.-issued IDs : SSNS
The main purpose of a Social Security Number (SSN) is to track individuals for the purposes of taxation, although given its ubiquitous use, it is looking more and more like an identity number to me. The social security number system was introduced in 1936. Prior to 1986, an SSN was required only for persons with substantial income, so many children under 14 had no number assigned. For some years the IRS had a concern that a lot of people were claiming children on their tax returns who did not actually exist. So starting in 1986, the IRS made it a requirement to get an SSN for any dependents over the age of 5. Sure enough, seven million dependents “disappeared” in 1987. Today, a SSN is required for a child of any age in order to receive a tax exemption.
Down
1 Meat in a croque-monsieur : HAM
The “croque monsieur” is a French dish, a baked or fried ham and cheese sandwich. Before baking, the sandwich is dipped in whipped eggs. The cheese used is traditionally Emmental or Gruyère. If the sandwich is topped with a fried egg, then it is referred to as a “croque madame”.
2 Obama-era health law, for short : ACA
The correct name for what has been dubbed “Obamacare” is the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (ACA).
3 Final funds : LAST PENNY
The official name of our smallest denomination coin is “cent”, and our use of the word “penny” is just a colloquialism derived from the British coin of the same name. In the UK, the plural of penny is “pence”, whereas we have “pennies” in our pockets.
4 Brand of Greek yogurt : OIKOS
Oikos is a brand of Greek yogurt made by Danone.
9 Sweet treat in a Christmas poem : SUGARPLUM
The poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” was published anonymously in 1823, and is better known today by its first line “‘Twas the night before Christmas”. Most scholars believe that the poem was written by Clement Clarke Moore, a theologian from New York City. Others say that it was written by Henry Livingston, Jr., a poet from Upstate New York.
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her ’kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash …
11 Foolish : INANE
Our word “inane” meaning “silly, lacking substance” comes from the Latin “inanitis” meaning “empty space”.
17 Decorative pitcher : EWER
A pitcher is a container for liquid that has a handle, mouth and spout. The term “jug” is used for the same container in other English-speaking countries. “Ewer” is an older term describing a pitcher/jug. Today, a ewer is a highly decorative pitcher, often with a base and flared spout.
25 Thus, in logic : ERGO
“Ergo” is a Latin word meaning “hence, therefore”, and one that we absorbed directly into English.
38 “__ Toledo!” : HOLY
The origin of the term “Holy Toledo!” is much debated. My favorite story is that it comes from the days of Vaudeville. Back then, the week before Easter (Holy Week) was the worst week at the box office. Old Vaudeville entertainers used to quip that any week in Toledo was Holy Week, that ticket sales were always bad there. They referred to the city as “Holy Toledo”.
39 Collage application : GLUE
A collage is a piece of artwork that is made by assembling pieces of paper and objects that are glued onto paper or canvas. The term “collage” comes from the French “coller” meaning “to glue”.
49 Tortoise’s race rival : HARE
“The Tortoise and the Hare” is perhaps the most famous fable attributed to Aesop. The cocky hare takes a nap during a race against the tortoise, and the tortoise sneaks past the finish line for the win while his speedier friend is sleeping.
52 Run-of-the-mill : USUAL
Something described as run-of-the-mill is unspectacular, quite normal. The idea is that the regular production from say a sawmill isn’t perfect, but does the job. Imperfections in the wood can be expected, but the milled wood should get the job done. Going back a few years, similar expressions were quite common, such as “run-of-the-kiln” and “run-of-the-mine”.
53 Chip with cheese : NACHO
The dish known as “nachos” was supposedly created by the maître d’ at a restaurant called the Victory Club in the city of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico. The name of the maître d’ was Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya.
59 Frittata ingredient : EGG
A frittata is an omelet recipe from Italy. The word “frittata” is Italian, and comes from “fritto” meaning “fried”.
64 “__ Misérables” : LES
Victor Hugo’s famous 1862 novel “Les Misérables” has been translated into English several times. However, the title is usually left in the original French as a successful translation of “les misérables” seems to be elusive. Some suggestions for an English title are “The Wretched”, “The Victims” and “The Dispossessed”. The novel follows the lives of several characters including an ex-convict Jean Valjean, a fanatic police inspector Javert, a beautiful prostitute Fantine, and Fantine’s illegitimate daughter Cosette.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Symbol on an Angels baseball cap : HALO
5 “Lucy and __”: 2022 documentary about a classic sitcom couple : DESI
9 Awaken : STIR
13 Trendy purple berry : ACAI
14 Top __: instant noodle brand : RAMEN
15 “Yeah, try again” : UH, NO
16 *Fancy costume party : MASKED BALL
18 Snap up : GRAB
19 Pulls, as a camper : TOWS
20 Wyo. neighbor : IDA
21 Top-notch : A-ONE
22 Run out, as a subscription : LAPSE
24 *Colorful garden plot : FLOWERBED
26 Tribute poem : ODE
27 2016 Summer Olympics city : RIO
29 Letters on a car dealership sticker : MSRP
30 Ritz-Carlton competitor : OMNI
32 Mourning dove sound : COO
34 Messy stuff : GLOP
37 Out of favor with one’s partner, and where to find the ends of the answers to the starred clues : IN THE DOGHOUSE
41 Bygone toy company : TYCO
42 Winter malady : FLU
43 Future dr.’s exam : MCAT
45 Woeful cry : ALAS!
48 “How repulsive” : UGH!
50 Blackjack card : ACE
51 *Sensitive spot on the elbow : FUNNY BONE
55 Shake hands (on) : AGREE
57 “__ it first!”: “Dibs!” : I SAW
58 Bird who is the only player to win WNBA titles in three different decades : SUE
59 CNN’s “__ Burnett OutFront” : ERIN
60 2021 Pixar movie set in Italy : LUCA
61 *Annual Florida college football game : ORANGE BOWL
65 Fish often grilled for tacos, informally : MAHI
66 Label again : RETAG
67 Actress Falco : EDIE
68 Mailbox opening : SLOT
69 Forehead : BROW
70 Govt.-issued IDs : SSNS
Down
1 Meat in a croque-monsieur : HAM
2 Obama-era health law, for short : ACA
3 Final funds : LAST PENNY
4 Brand of Greek yogurt : OIKOS
5 Tiny amount of eye cream : DAB
6 Inbox accumulation : EMAIL
7 Not frequently : SELDOM
8 Relatives acquired by marriage : IN-LAWS
9 Sweet treat in a Christmas poem : SUGARPLUM
10 Pulsate : THROB
11 Foolish : INANE
12 Dressed for choir : ROBED
14 Hwys. : RDS
17 Decorative pitcher : EWER
22 British lav : LOO
23 Confess : ADMIT
24 Grub : FOOD
25 Thus, in logic : ERGO
28 Freezer cubes : ICE
31 “No rush on this” : IT CAN WAIT
33 “That’s gotta hurt” : OOF!
35 Prestigious showbiz nominations : OSCAR NODS
36 “Later” : PEACE
38 “__ Toledo!” : HOLY
39 Collage application : GLUE
40 Squeeze : HUG
44 Summer shirt : TEE
46 Soak up : ABSORB
47 More tart : SOURER
49 Tortoise’s race rival : HARE
51 Movies : FILMS
52 Run-of-the-mill : USUAL
53 Chip with cheese : NACHO
54 “Super cool” : NEATO!
56 Taunts : GIBES
59 Frittata ingredient : EGG
62 Opposite of “yep” : NAW
63 Take first prize : WIN
64 “__ Misérables” : LES
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