Tag: Sappiness crossword clue

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Constructed by: Katie Hale
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: None

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

Bill’s time: 19m 48s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

10 Like cotton candy : SPUN

What we call “cotton candy” here in the US has some interesting names in the rest of the world. Back in Ireland it is candyfloss, in France it is “barbe à papa” (Dad’s beard), and in Australia it is called fairy floss. “Fairy floss” is actually the original name for cotton candy, a name first used when the confection was introduced at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904.

14 Steinbeck twin : ARON

John Steinbeck considered his 1952 novel “East of Eden” to be his magnum opus. Most of the storyline takes place near Salinas, just south of the San Francisco Bay Area. Two of the characters in the story are brothers Cal and Aron Trask, representative of the biblical Cain and Abel.

15 Herd stray : DOGIE

“Dogie” (sometimes “dogy”) is cowboy slang for a motherless calf in a herd.

16 Transparent block in Minecraft : PANE

Minecraft is a video game that was released in 2011. It is the most popular video game of all time, with well over 200 million units sold.

17 Event responsible for the northern lights : SOLAR STORM

A solar flare is a sudden energy release from the surface of the Sun that can be perceived as a flash of brightness and an eruption of magnetic energy. That magnetic energy reaches the Earth about two days after the event, and can disrupt long-range radio communications on our planet. The location of solar flares has been strongly linked to sunspot groups, groups of dark spots on the Sun’s surface.

19 Nobel city : OSLO

The Nobel Peace Center in Oslo opened in 2005 and is located in a former railroad station. The center is inspired by the Nobel Peace Prize and features exhibits that tell the story of Alfred Nobel, as well as the stories of many recipients of the prize.

20 Pro across town from a Cap : 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.

The Washington Capitals hockey team is based in Arlington, Virginia. The team was founded in 1974.

22 Himalayan kingdom : BHUTAN

Bhutan is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is located high up in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and India to the south, east and west. Bhutan has been a constitutional monarchy since 2008, and has been ranked by “Businessweek” as the “happiest” country in Asia.

29 Listserv setting : BCC

A list server (also “listserv”) is an automated email list management system that allows for easy distribution of messages to a group of subscribers. It’s like a virtual mailing list where members can send messages to the entire group simultaneously, rather than individually emailing each person.

31 Asa’s “Sex Education” role : OTIS

“Sex Education” is a marvelous Netflic comedy-drama show made for Netflix that stars Gillian Anderson as a single-mother and sex therapist, and Asa Butterfield as her insecure teenage son. Highly recommended …

Asa Butterfield is an actor from London whose breakthrough came with the title role in the 2008 Holocaust movie “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas”. More recently, he starred in the excellent Netflix comedy-drama series “Sex Education”, alongside Gillian Anderson.

33 God who favored the Trojans : ARES

The Greek god Ares is often referred to as the Olympian god of warfare, but originally he was regarded as the god of bloodlust and slaughter. He united with Aphrodite to create several gods, including Phobos (Fear), Deimos (Terror) and Eros (Desire). Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera, and the Roman equivalent to Ares was Mars.

34 Steak meat : AHI

Ahi tuna is also known as yellowfin tuna and is a popular fish for sushi and sashimi. However, due to overfishing, ahi tuna populations are at risk.

41 Sea __ : BASS

“Sea bass” isn’t a single species, but rather a broad term encompassing various fish with similar characteristics. Prized for their firm, white flesh, sea bass are popular in culinary dishes around the globe.

43 Delicacy often prepared à la Bourguignonne : ESCARGOT

“Escargot” is the French word for “snail”. In order to eat snails, apparently they have to be “purged” before killing them. That means starving them or feeding them on something “wholesome” for several days before cooking them up. Ugh …

Preparing a dish “à la Bourguignonne” (in the style of Burgundy) typically involves slow-cooking in red wine, usually Burgundy wine, along with aromatic vegetables like onions, carrots, and mushrooms.

46 Sappy types : MAPLES

The sugar maple is the state tree of New York, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin. It is also the primary source of maple syrup.

54 Opus __ : DEI

Opus Dei is a Roman Catholic institution that was founded in Spain in 1928, and officially approved by the church in 1950. In 2010, Opus Dei had over 90,000 members, mostly lay people. The institution’s mission is to promote certain aspects of Roman Catholic doctrine. Opus Dei was portrayed as a sinister organization by Dan Brown in his novel “The Da Vinci Code”.

59 Chandon partner : MOET

Moët & Chandon is a French winery, and one of the world’s largest producers of champagne. The company was founded by wine trader Claude Moët in 1743. The name was changed to Moët & Chandon in the 1830s when Pierre-Gabriel Chandon, an in-law to the Moët family, was given co-ownership. Moët & Chandon owns the famous Dom Pérignon brand name, honoring the Benedictine monk who did so much to improve the quality of champagne.

60 “In the Bedroom” Oscar nominee : TOMEI

Marisa Tomei’s first screen role was in the daytime soap “As the World Turns”, but her break came with a recurring role in “The Cosby Show” spin-off “A Different World”. Tomei won an Oscar for her delightful performance in “My Cousin Vinny” in 1992.

“In the Bedroom” is a thought-provoking film released in 2001, set in a small community on the coast of Maine. The “bedroom” in the title refers to the inner compartment of a lobster trap (in Ireland we call them lobster pots). The outer chamber of the trap is baited and the lobster lured in. When the lobster enters the small “bedroom” at the rear of the trap, it cannot escape.

63 Awards for very good plays : ESPYS

The ESPY Awards, also known as the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards, were first presented in a ceremony in 1993. The ESPYs were created by ESPN as a response to the lack of sports coverage during the summer months. ESPN decided to create an awards show to help fill that gap.

64 __ Coe: Highlands hiking spot : GLEN

Glen Coe is a popular spot in the Scottish Highlands for mountaineers and hikers. The glen is named for the River Coe that runs through it, and the only real settlement in the area is the village of Glencoe.

Down

3 “The Prince of Tides” star : NOLTE

Actor Nick Nolte got his big break in movies playing opposite Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Shaw in “The Deep”, a film released in 1976. Around the same time, he landed a leading role in the hit TV miniseries “Rich Man, Poor Man”. Off the screen, Nolte has always had a “bad-boy” reputation. He is indeed a convicted felon, for selling counterfeit draft cards in the early 1960s. He had to pay a $75,000 fine, and was given a suspended prison sentence.

The 1991 movie “The Prince of Tides” was adapted from a 1986 novel of the same name written by Pat Conroy. Stars of the film are Barbra Streisand and Nick Nolte.

4 Genomics focus : DNA

A genome is all the genetic information of an organism. The term “genome” was coined by German botanist Hans Winkler in 1920, and is a portmanteau of “gene” and “chromosome”. The study of the genome is known as genomics.

5 Super Bowl goal : AD SALE

The Super Bowl is used for high-profile advertising because of the high viewership numbers. For example, Super Bowl XLIX (2015) had an average audience of 114 million viewers, making it the most-watched American TV program in history.

9 Spiritual that lists body parts : DEM BONES

“Dem Bones” is a spiritual song with lyrics inspired by verse in the Bible’s Book of Ezekiel that describe the prophet’s visit to the Valley of Dry Bones.

10 Declaim : SPOUT

To declaim is to speak forcefully and passionately, often in a formal setting.

11 Shell stations? : PASTA BARS

Pasta shells are more correctly known as “conchiglie”, coming from the Italian word for “seashell”.

13 “__ Bible”: Arcade Fire album recorded in a renovated church : NEON

“Neon Bible” is a 2007 album released by Arcade Fire, an indie rock band from Canada. Most of the tracks were recorded in a church in the Quebec city of Farnham, a church that the band bought and renovated.

18 Signal to start playing : RECESS BELL

To recess is to go back, to retreat. The use of the noun “recess” to mean “period of stopping from usual work” dates back to the early 1600s. This usage might stem from the action of parliamentarians “recessing” into, returning to private chambers.

28 Luau backdrop, perhaps : MAUNA

“Mauna” is a Hawaiian word meaning “mountain”, as in “Mauna Loa” and “Mauna Kea”.

30 Op. __ : CIT

“Op. cit.” is short for “opus citatum”, Latin for “the work cited”. Op. cit. is used in footnotes to refer the reader to an earlier citation. It is similar to ibid, except that ibid refers the reader to the last citation, the one immediately above.

36 “Free Solo” setting : YOSEMITE

“Free Solo” is an excellent, albeit frightening (to me) 2018 documentary about Alex Honnold’s record-setting free-solo ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. The film won that season’s Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, as well it should …

37 Fantasy monsters : ORCS

According to Tolkien, Orcs are small humanoids that live in his fantasy world of Middle-earth (also called “Mordor”). They are very ugly and dirty, and are fond of eating human flesh.

38 Nineteenth Amendment campaigner : CATT

Carrie Chapman Catt founded the League of Women Voters and the International Alliance of Women. Catt was also very close to Susan B. Anthony, and succeeded Anthony as head of the National American Woman Suffrage Association.

Women’s suffrage finally came about in the US with the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the constitution in 1920. Some women were allowed to vote prior to 1920 depending on location. For example, women could vote in New Jersey from 1790, until 1807 when the right was taken away.

44 “Wagatha Christie” subject Coleen : ROONEY

Coleen Rooney is the wife of English soccer star Wayne Rooney. She found herself at the center of the “Wagatha Christie” scandal in 2019 when she accused fellow “WAG” (wives and girlfriends of footballers) Rebekah Vardy, of leaking private stories about her to the press. Rooney conducted a “sting operation” on social media to expose the leak, earning her the nickname “Wagatha Christie.”

45 Complimentary : GRATIS

Something provided gratis is supplied free of charge. “Gratis” is a Latin term, a contraction of “gratiis” meaning “for thanks”.

49 “Another Love” singer Tom : ODELL

Tom Odell is an English singer-songwriter known for his piano ballads and powerful vocals. He gained widespread recognition with his debut single “Another Love” in 2012. “Another Love” hit the charts again in 2022 as it was used as an anthem of hope for refugees from the fighting in Ukraine. Odell went to Romania and performed the song at Bucharest North railway station, through which many of the refugees traveled.

50 First name on “The Morning Show” : REESE

“Reese” is not actually actress Witherspoon’s given name. She started out life as Laura Jeanne Witherspoon. “Reese” is her mother’s maiden name.

“The Morning Show” is a powerful drama TV series that is based on the 2013 book “Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV” by CNN’s Brian Stelter. The show stars Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon as two anchors for “The Morning Show”, one very experienced, and one new to the job. Steve Carell plays a former anchor who is ousted due to a sexual misconduct scandal.

52 Protagonist in many a Diwali story : RAMA

Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is one of the most important holidays in Hinduism. Central to Diwali celebrations are the stories of Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu. According to the epic Ramayana, Diwali commemorates Rama’s return to his kingdom of Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, during which he defeated the demon king Ravana and rescued his wife Sita. The people of Ayodhya lit rows of oil lamps to guide the prince home, leading to the contemporary tradition of illuminating homes and streets with lights during Diwali festivities.

58 Twitch hitch : LAG

In Internet terms, lag is a delay in response caused by network latency. We might notice lag when streaming a video, for example.

Twitch is a live-streaming platform used primarily by gamers. Folks playing games can broadcast their game play live to an audience.