Tag: “That’s on me” crossword clue

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Constructed by: Zachary David Levy
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Doggone!

Happy 4th of July, everyone! Themed answers make sense when a DOG is GONE from the corresponding clues:

• 64A Goldarn, or a hint to making the starred clues match their answers : DOGGONE or “DOG” GONE

• 53A *Labatt offerings : WIRELESS ROUTERS (“Lab” gone gives the clue “ATT offerings”)
• 3D *Jet setter : PITCH BLACK (“setter” gone gives the clue “Jet”)
• 7D *Puget sound : PHONE HOME (“Pug” gone gives the clue “ET sound”)
• 11D *Boxer brief : SHORT-LIVED (“Boxer” gone gives the clue “Brief”)

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

Bill’s time: 9m 17s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5A Ready for bed, briefly : IN PJS

“PJs” is the shortened form of “pajamas” (or “pyjamas” in British English). The word “pajama” itself comes to English from Hindi, derived from the Persian “pāē-jāma”, meaning “leg garment”.

10A Invitation abbreviation : RSVP

RSVP is an initialism derived from the French phrase “Répondez s’il vous plaît”, meaning “Please respond”. It’s a polite way to ask your invited guests to let you know if they will be attending your event.

14A Ballet move : PLIE

The French word for “bent” is “plié”. In the ballet move known as a plié, the knees are bent. A “demi-plié” is a similar move, but with less bending of the knees. A fondu is similar to a plié, except that only one leg remains on the ground.

15A Like seven Nolan Ryan games : NO-HIT

Nolan Ryan is famous for having more career strikeouts than any other baseball pitcher. However, he also holds the record for the most career walks and wild pitches. Another record that Ryan holds is the most no-hitters, a total of seven over his career.

16A River that ends in Cairo : OHIO

The Illinois city of Cairo is the most southerly city in the state. It sits at the confluence of two mighty rivers, where the Mississippi joins the Ohio. Cairo is surrounded by a region known as Little Egypt. It is thought that “Little Egypt” is a reference to the fertile soil in the area, which resembled the fertile soil of the Nile region after the flooding of the river. The city name “Cairo” is also said to reflect that same etymology.

17A Some FD members : EMTS

An emergency medical technician (EMT) often works for a fire department (FD).

24A Average joe : SCHMO

“Schmo” (or “shmo”) is a Yiddish term describing a foolish, boring, or ordinary person – a bit like an “average Joe”. The term can sometimes carry a slightly derogatory connotation, implying naivety.

28A “Billions” network, for short : SHO

“Billions” is a Showtime drama series starring Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis. It’s about a federal prosecutor going after a hedge fund manager in New York. Excellent show …

30A Ga. capital : ATL

The city of Atlanta, Georgia (A-Town) had its beginnings in the late 1830s when the location was chosen as the terminus for a new railroad to be built connecting Georgia with the Midwestern United States. The city’s name was chosen by the Chief Engineer of the Georgia Railroad, apparently after the middle name of the daughter of Governor Wilson Lumpkin: “Atalanta”.

38A Spot for rumination : LEA

Ruminants are animals that “chew the cud”. They eat vegetable matter but cannot extract any nutritional value from cellulose without the help of microbes in the gut. Ruminants collect roughage in the first part of the alimentary canal, allowing microbes to work on it. The partially digested material (the cud) is regurgitated into the mouth so that the ruminant can chew the food more completely, exposing more surface area for microbes to do their work. We also use the verb “to ruminate” in a figurative sense, to mean “to muse, ponder, chew over”.

39A Salon step : SHAMPOO

Back in the 1760s, the verb “to shampoo” was an Anglo-Indian word meaning “to massage”. A century later we started “to shampoo” our hair.

40A Vehicle on the move? : VAN

The vehicle we call a “van” takes its name from “caravan”, and so “van” is a shortened version of the older term. Back in the 1600s, a caravan was a covered cart. We still use the word “caravan” in Ireland to describe what we call a “mobile home” or “recreational vehicle” here in the US.

41A Creatures that make Frodo’s sword glow blue : ORCS

In Tolkien’s Middle-earth, Frodo Baggins’s Elvish sword (named “Sting”) had the magical property of glowing blue when orcs or goblins were nearby. A handy (pun!) early warning system!

44A Low-carb diet : KETO

A ketogenic (also “keto”) diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet. When a body consumes insufficient carbohydrates to meet the need for energy, then the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies in order to make up the energy deficit. An elevated level of ketone bodies in the bloodstream is known as “ketosis”, a term that gives rise to the name “ketogenic diet”. Medical professionals sometimes prescribe a ketogenic diet in order to control epilepsy in children. A condition of ketosis can reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures.

45A Some Polynesian carvings : TIKIS

A tiki is a large carving of wood or stone resembling a human form that is found in Polynesian cultures. The carvings often mark out boundaries surrounding sites that are sacred to the locals.

47A __ finger : INDEX

The word “index”is Latin, meaning “one who points out, indicator, sign”, coming from the verb ‘indicare” meaning “to point out, show”. So, the index finger is simply the finger we primarily use for pointing at or indicating things. The finger that does the “indicating” is the “indicator” finger.

51A Word on a cornerstone : ANNO

In practical terms, a cornerstone is the first stone set during the construction of a building with a masonry foundation. Also known as the foundation stone or setting stone, the cornerstone determines the final position of the final structure, as all other stones are laid with reference to that first stone. For some time, we’ve also used the term “cornerstone” in a ceremonial sense. A ceremonial cornerstone is set in a prominent position at the corner of a wall, and usually bears significant information such as date of construction and names of the architect and builder.

53A *Labatt offerings : WIRELESS ROUTERS (“Lab” gone gives the clue “ATT offerings”)

The American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T, Ma Bell) was a subsidiary of the original Bell Telephone Company that was founded by Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone. AT&T was forced to divest several subsidiaries in 1982 when the company lost an antitrust lawsuit. Those subsidiaries were known as Regional Bell Operating Systems, or “Baby Bells”.

In the world of computing, a router is a device that helps direct traffic, as it were. A router in a house is often found in combination with a modem, and directs traffic between the Internet and the computers in the home.

The Labatt Brewing Company is the largest brewery in Canada. The company was founded by John K. Labatt in London, Ontario in 1847.

63A Serene : ZEN

Zen is a Buddhist school that developed its own tradition in China back in the 7th century AD. “Zen” is a Japanese spelling of the Chinese word “chan”, which in turn derives from the Sanskrit word “dhyana” meaning “meditation”.

67A Gregory Peck’s co-star in “The Paradine Case” : ANN TODD

Ann Todd was an English actress known for roles in films like Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Paradine Case” and her then-husband David Lean’s “Madeleine” and “The Sound Barrier”. She had a notable personal life marked by three marriages, each with fascinating connections. Her first husband was Victor Malcolm, who was a grandchild of the celebrated British socialite and actress Lillie Langtry. After her marriage to Malcolm ended, Ann Todd went on to marry Nigel Tangye, a writer and an accomplished aviator. Her third husband was the iconic film director David Lean, for whom she starred in several successful films. Her second and third husbands, Tangye and Lean, were actually first cousins!

Alfred Hitchcock’s 1947 film “The Paradine Case” is a lavish courtroom drama produced by the legendary David O. Selznick, known for his no-expense-spared approach to filmmaking. Selznick poured a significant amount of money into this production, which featured stars like Gregory Peck, Ann Todd, Charles Laughton, and Alida Valli. The production costs for “The Paradine Case” ballooned to over $4.2 million, a very substantial sum for a film in the late 1940s. Unfortunately for Selznick and all involved, “The Paradine Case” struggled at the box office and ultimately became a notable financial disappointment, reportedly losing Selznick a considerable amount of money.

68A Atty.’s title : ESQ

The title “esquire” is of British origin and is used differently today depending on whether one is in the US or the UK. Here in America the term is usually reserved for those practicing the law (both male and female). In the UK, “esquire” is a term of gentle respect reserved for a male who has no other title that one can use. So, a mere commoner like me might receive a letter from the bank, say, addressed to W. E. Butler Esq.

Down

1D News stands? : OP-EDS

“Op-ed” is an abbreviation for “opposite the editorial page”. Op-eds started in “The New York Evening World” in 1921 when the page opposite the editorials was used for articles written by a named guest writer, someone independent of the editorial board.

2D Native of Tabasco : OLMEC

The Olmec civilization flourished in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica from about 1400 BCE to 400 BCE. Their heartland was in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico, an area that includes parts of the modern-day Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco. The Olmec are famous for carving colossal stone heads.

3D *Jet setter : PITCH BLACK (“setter” gone gives the clue “Jet”)

The color jet black takes its name from the minor gemstone jet. The gemstone and the material it is made of takes its English name from the French name “jaiet”.

4D Word in a magical phrase : SESAME

In the folk tale “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves”, the title character is a poor woodcutter who discovers the magic phrase “Open sesame!” that opens the thieves’ den.

5D QB mishap : INT

In football, if a quarterback’s (QB’s) pass ends up in the hands of a cornerback (CB), then that’s an interception (INT).

6D Guiding principle, metaphorically : NORTH STAR

Because the orientation of the Earth’s axis shifts, albeit very slowly, the position of north relative to the stars changes over time. The bright star that is closest to true north is Polaris, and so we call Polaris the “North Star” or “Pole Star”. Because of the relatively stable position of Polaris in the Northern Sky, it is a useful navigational tool. 14,000 years ago, the nearest bright star to true north was Vega, and it will be so again in about 12,000 year’s time.

7D *Puget sound : PHONE HOME (“Pug” gone gives the clue “ET sound”)

1982’s classic science fiction movie “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” was directed by Steven Spielberg. The idea behind the film came from Spielberg himself, and the character E.T. was based on an imaginary friend that he conjured up as a child after his parents divorced in 1960.

The pug is a dog breed of Chinese origin. Our last family pet was a boxer/pug cross, and was a good-looking mutt!

George Vancouver was a British explorer, and an officer in the Royal Navy. As well as exploring the coast of Australia, he is best known for his travels along the northwest coast of North America. The city of Vancouver was named in his honor. Traveling with him on his American voyage was a lieutenant Peter Puget, and in his honor, Vancouver named the waters south of the Tacoma Narrows “Puget’s Sound”. Nowadays, the name “Puget Sound” describes an area much greater than Vancouver had envisioned.

8D First Native American to win Olympic gold : JIM THORPE

Sports star Jim Thorpe was quite the all-rounder. He played professional football, baseball, and basketball, and also won Olympic golds in two other all-rounder events, the pentathlon and decathlon (in 1912). However, he lost his medals when it was revealed that he had been paid for playing baseball before the Games, and back then, amateur status was important to the Olympic governing body.

10D Itinerant people whose flag depicts a wagon wheel : ROMANI

The Romani people are an ethnic group mainly found across Europe. Outsiders often refer to the Romani as “gypsies”. The Romani arrived in Europe in the 15th century from the Middle East. The English term “gypsy” comes from a Middle English corruption of the word for an “Egyptian”.

13D Hopscotch, in New York slang : POTSY

I remember the children’s game called “hopscotch” being a favorite of mine as a young kid. Also known as “potsy” (mainly in New York City), it involves tossing a stone into a pattern of rectangles drawn in chalk on the ground. After tossing the stone into the correct square, the player hops through the rectangular pattern, pausing to retrieve the stone.

31D Actress Polo : TERI

Teri Polo’s most prominent role on the big screen was Pam Focker in “Meet the Fockers” and its sequels. Pam is the wife of the character played by Ben Stiller. Polo also played the wife of Presidential candidate Matt Santos in “The West Wing”.

33D Old TV dial letters : UHF

The radio spectrum is divided into bands based on frequency. “High band” is composed of relatively high frequency values, and “low band” is composed of frequencies that are relatively low. FM radio falls into the band called Very High Frequency (VHF). Television signals use frequencies even higher than VHF, frequencies in the Ultra High Frequency band (UHF). AM radio uses lower frequencies that fall into the relatively low bands of Low, Medium and High Frequency (LF, MF, and HF).

37D Fort south of Indianapolis : KNOX

Fort Knox is a US Army base that lends its name to the adjacent facility that is more correctly called the United States Bullion Depository. Most of the US gold reserves are in “Fort Knox”, although it isn’t the biggest gold repository in the US. That honor goes to the vault under the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in Manhattan. Most of the gold stored in the New York vault belongs to foreign nations and banks.

46D Canadian tea brand : SALADA

Salada Tea was founded in 1892 to provide tea packaged in foil to the consumer, as opposed to smaller wooden tea chests. This kept the tea fresher and more consistent in flavor.

51D Nickname in “Star Wars” : ARTOO

Artoo’s proper name is R2-D2 (also “Artoo-Detoo”). R2-D2 is the smaller of the two famous droids from the “Star Wars” movies. British actor Kenny Baker, who stood just 3 feet 8 inches tall, was the man inside the R2-D2 droid for the first six of the “Star Wars” movies.

53D Google Maps alternative : WAZE

Waze is a navigation app that is similar to Google Maps and Apple Maps. Waze was developed in Israel, and was acquired by Google in 2013.

54D Inkling : IDEA

An inkling is a slight indication or vague notion. The term “inkling” apparently comes from the Middle English word “inclen” meaning “to hint”.

56D NCO rank : SSGT

A staff sergeant (SSgt.) is a non-commissioned officer (NCO).

58D Uses a gavel : RAPS

The small hammer that one raps on a table or desk to call a meeting to order, or perhaps to signify a sale at an auction, is called a gavel. The term “gavel” is actually American English, and is a word that emerged in the early 19th century.

59D Former NBAer known as “The Big Cactus” : SHAQ

Shaquille O’Neal picked up the nickname “The Big Cactus” (among many others) during his stint playing for the Phoenix Suns in the NBA. Phoenix is in the Sonoran Desert, known for its cacti.