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Constructed by: David Poole
Edited by: Rich Norris
Today’s Reveal Answer: Kitten on the Keys
We have a KITTEN walking ON THE grid today as if it’s a piano. The piano “KEYS” A, B, C, D, E, F, G are circled, where the KITTEN has stepped:
- 60A Novelty piano piece of 1921 … and a hint to this puzzle’s theme : KITTEN ON THE KEYS
Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers
Want to discuss the puzzle? Then …
… leave a comment
Bill’s time: 8m 05s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
6 Update cartographically : REMAP
Cartography is the art of producing maps.
11 Adorns with Charmin, for short : TP’S
TP’ing (toilet papering) is a prank involving the covering of some object or location with rolls and rolls of toilet paper. If you live in Texas or Minnesota, that little “prank” is legal, but if you live here in California it is classed as mischief or vandalism.
Charmin is a brand of toilet paper made by Procter & Gamble.
14 Basketball Hall of Famer __ Thomas : ISIAH
Isiah Thomas played his whole professional career with the Detroit Pistons. He retired from playing the game in 1994, and took up coaching in 2000, initially with the Indiana Pacers. When you’re out shopping for popcorn, keep an eye out for the Dale & Thomas brand, as it’s co-owned by Isiah Thomas.
15 Sherlock Holmes’ younger sister as depicted in a recent Nancy Springer book series : ENOLA
“The Enola Holmes Mysteries” is a series of detective novels for young adults by American author Nancy Springer. The title character is the 14-year-old sister of 34-year-old Sherlock Holmes, the detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Springer’s novels were adapted into a 2020 film “Enola Holmes” that Netflix picked up at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gotta see that one …
17 Using any available means : CATCH AS CATCH CAN
The phrase “catch as catch can” describes the use of whatever means are available to get a job done. It’s a term that came from the world of wrestling. Catch and catch can wrestling was a style that allowed competitors to use moves not usually allowed in the sport, such as tripping or holding below the waist.
20 He broke Babe’s record in 1974 : HANK
Hank Aaron hit his 715th career home run on 8th April 1974, breaking the record of 714 career home runs held by Babe Ruth. Aaron went on to hit 755 home runs prior to his retirement from the game in 1976.
21 Tulip-to-be : BULB
We usually associate the cultivation of tulips with the Netherlands, but they were first grown commercially in the Ottoman Empire. The name “tulip” ultimately derives from the Ottoman Turkish word “tulbend” that means “muslin, gauze”.
24 “Miss Saigon” setting : ‘NAM
“Miss Saigon” is a musical that premiered in London in 1989, and one that is based on Puccini’s opera “Madame Butterfly”. “Miss Saigon” was written by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, the duo responsible for “Les Misérables”. We saw both shows in London during their heyday, and I much preferred “Miss Saigon”. Back then the big thing was to have a big “special effect” in a stage musical, and for “Miss Saigon” this is the landing of a life-size helicopter on the stage. At the performance we attended there was an announcement that “the helicopter was broken”, so we had a fun time watching actors running around pretending there was a helicopter in that climactic scene …
28 City on the Ruhr : ESSEN
Essen is a large industrial city located on the River Ruhr in western Germany. The city experienced major population growth in the mid-1800s that was driven by the iron works established by the Krupp family.
32 Ella’s forte : SCAT
Scat singing is a vocal improvisation found in the world of jazz. There aren’t any words as such in scat singing, just random nonsense syllables made up on the spot.
Ella Fitzgerald, the “First Lady of Song”, had a hard and tough upbringing. She was raised by her mother alone in Yonkers, New York. Her mother died while Ella was still a schoolgirl, and around that time the young girl became less interested in her education. She fell in with a bad crowd, even working as a lookout for a bordello and as a Mafia numbers runner. She ended up in reform school, from which she escaped, and found herself homeless and living on the streets for a while. Somehow Fitzgerald managed to get herself a spot singing in the Apollo Theater in Harlem. From there her career took off and as they say, the rest is history.
35 Swiss Army knife’s assortment : USES
Swiss Army knives are multi-tools made by the Swiss company Victorinox. The device was first produced in 1891 when Victorinox’s predecessor company was awarded the contract to supply the knife to the Swiss Army. The name “Swiss Army knife” was actually an American invention as it was the term used by American GIs during and after WWII as an alternative to pronouncing the more difficult German “Schweizer Offiziersmesser” (Swiss Officer Knife).
36 Dashboard gauges : ODOMETERS
An odometer measures distance traveled. “Odometer comes from the Greek “hodos” meaning “path” and “metron” meaning “measure”.
Back in the 1800s, “dashboard” was the name given to a board placed at the front of a carriage to stop mud from “dashing” against the passengers in the carriage, mud that was kicked up by the hooves of the horses. Quite interesting …
42 Generation __ : GAP
The phrase “generation gap” was first used in the sixties to describe the gap between the values and customs of the baby boomers and those of the prior generations.
45 Ike’s WWII command : ETO
General Dwight D. Eisenhower (“Ike”) was in command of the European Theater of Operations (ETO) during WWII. If you’re a WWII buff like me, then I recommend you take a look at a great, made-for-TV movie starring Tom Selleck as Eisenhower called “Ike: Countdown to D-Day” that came out in 2004.
46 Heathcliff’s love : CATHY
“Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë is essentially the story of a love triangle between the main characters: Catherine Earnshaw, Heathcliff and Edgar Linton.
48 Future docs’ exams : MCATS
Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
51 Cassiterite, e.g. : TIN ORE
Cassiterite is an ore containing tin oxide, and is the most important source of metallic tin. The ore’s name comes from the Greek “kassiteros” meaning “tin”.
55 Govt. mortgage agcy. : FHA
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) was set up in 1934 to insure loans made by lenders for the building and purchasing of homes. The FHA was created in response to the bank failures of the Great Depression, with the intent of creating a more favorable environment for lending.
56 Golf goof : SLICE
A slice in golf doesn’t head straight down the fairway, but instead turns off to the right (if you’re a right-handed golfer).
57 Slangy sweeties : BAES
“Bae” is a contemporary term of endearment. It is a pet name that is an abbreviation of “babe, baby”, although I’ve also read that it is an acronym standing for “before anyone else”.
59 Stern’s opposite : STEM
The phrase “from stem to stern” means “entirely, from beginning to end”. It is nautical in origin. The stern is the back end of a sailing vessel, and the stem is an upright beam at the bow.
60 Novelty piano piece of 1921 … and a hint to this puzzle’s theme : KITTEN ON THE KEYS
“Kitten on the Keys” is a 1921 novelty piano solo written by American pianist and composer Zez Confrey. Confrey was inspired to write the song after hearing his grandmother’s cat walk over the keyboard of her piano. If only he’d have posted that on YouTube …
63 Skater Midori : ITO
Midori Ito is a Japanese figure skater. Ito was the first woman to land a triple/triple jump and a triple axel in competition. In fact, she landed her first triple jump in training when she was only 8 years old. Ito won Olympic silver in 1992, and was chosen as the person to light the Olympic cauldron at the commencement of the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan.
64 Old Venetian coin : DUCAT
The ducat was a coin introduced by the Republic of Venice in 1284.
65 Havana’s __ Castle : MORRO
Morro Castle (“Castillo de los Tres Reyes Magos del Morro” in Spanish) is a fortress guarding the entrance to Havana Bay in Cuba. The castle was built by the Spanish in 1859. The name “Morro” means “rock visible from the sea”.
66 Leb. neighbor : SYR
The modern state that we know as Syria was established after WWI as a French mandate. Syria was granted independence from France in 1946.
Lebanon lies at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. The nation has a rich cultural history, and was home to the ancient civilization of Phoenicia. The name “Lebanon” derives from the Semitic word “lbn” meaning “white”, and is probably a reference to the snow that caps the mountain range known as Mount Lebanon, which parallels the Mediterranean coast.
67 Soliloquy site : STAGE
A soliloquy is an act of talking to oneself, with “soliloquy” coming from the Latin “solus” meaning “alone” and “loqui” meaning “to speak”. We mostly hear the term in the context of theater, where it is a monologue from a character that gives voice to otherwise unspoken thoughts.
68 Elizabeth of “WandaVision” : OLSEN
Elizabeth Olsen is an actress and singer, and the younger sister of the famed Olsen twins Mary-Kate and Ashley.
Down
1 Singer Lionel : RICHIE
Singer-songwriter Lionel Richie got his big break as a singer and saxophonist with the Commodores starting in 1968. Richie launched a very successful solo career in 1982. Richie is the father of socialite Nicole Richie, childhood friend of Paris Hilton and co-star on the Fox show “The Simple Life”.
2 Jason of “Harry Potter” films : ISAACS
Jason Isaacs is an English actor from Liverpool that is probably best known these days for portraying Lucius Malfoy in the “Harry Potter” series of films. TV viewers might also know him for playing the “bad guy” Michael on the Showtime series “Brotherhood”.
4 Thumb-pressed nail : TACK
What we know as a thumb tack here in North America is called a drawing pin in British English. Thumbtacks made from brass might be referred to as “brass tacks”, giving us the expression “getting down to brass tacks” meaning “getting down to the finer details”.
7 Ltr. insert : ENCL
A letter (ltr.) might include an enclosure (encl.).
8 Utah city with a Biblical name : MOAB
Moab is a city in eastern Utah that attracts a lot of visitors each year, mainly those heading for Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, which are nearby.
In the Bible, Moab was the first son of Lot, and the founder of the Kingdom of Moab. Moab was located on a plateau above the Dead Sea.
9 __-rock: music genre : ALT
“Alt-” is a prefix used to denote “alternative”, and is used to define a number of music genres e.g. alt-rock, alt-country.
10 Game with ghosts and a maze : PAC-MAN
The Pac-Man arcade game was first released in Japan in 1980, and is as popular today as it ever was. The game features characters that are maneuvered around the screen to eat up dots and earn points, while being pursued by ghosts named Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde. The name of the game comes from the Japanese folk hero “Paku”, who is known for his voracious appetite. The spin-off game called Ms. Pac-Man was released in 1981.
11 Tiny breath mints : TIC TACS
Tic Tacs aren’t American candies (as I always mistakenly believed). Tic Tacs are made by the Italian company Ferrero, and were introduced in 1969.
12 Talk nonsense : PRATTLE
Prattle is idle talk. The term comes via the verb “to prate” from the Swedish “prata” meaning “to talk, chatter”.
13 Martial arts instructors : SENSEIS
“Sensei” is a Japanese form of address used for figures of authority, from lawyers to martial arts instructors.
Martial arts are various fighting traditions and systems used in combat or simply to promote physical well-being. The term “martial” ultimately derives from Latin and means “Arts of Mars”, a reference to Mars, the Roman god of war.
18 Attorney’s gp. : ABA
American Bar Association (ABA)
19 Juice box brand : HI-C
Hi-C orange drink was created in 1946 and introduced to the market in 1948, initially in the south of the country. The name “Hi-C” was chosen to emphasize the high vitamin C content in the drink, as it contained added ascorbic acid (vitamin C).
24 Long-distance swimmer Diana : NYAD
Diana Nyad is a long-distance swimmer. She holds the distance record for a non-stop swim without a wetsuit, a record that she set in 1979 by swimming from Bimini to Florida. In 1975, Nyad became the fastest person to circle Manhattan in a swim that lasted 7 hours 57 minutes. More recently, in 2013, she became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the protection of a shark cage. She was 64 years old when she made that swim!
27 “Rent-__”: 1988 film : A-COP
“Rent-a-Cop” is a 1988 movie starring Burt Reynolds and Liza Minnelli. Minnelli plays a prostitute who falls in love with a security guard and one-time police officer, who is played by Reynolds. Interestingly, even though the storyline is set in Chicago, most of the filming was done in Italy. “Rent-a-Cop” wasn’t received well by the critics and both lead actors ended up as the season’s nominees for a Golden Raspberry Award.
29 Curry of the NBA’s Warriors : STEPH
Stephen “Steph” Curry is a professional basketball player who was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the 2009 draft. Steph’s father is former NBA player Dell Curry, and his younger brother is current player Seth Curry. Steph Curry is noted for accuracy in shooting. Curry set the record for three-pointers made in a regular season in 2013, broke that record in 2015, and broke it yet again in 2016. The, in 2021, he broke the record for career three-pointers.
33 Senate cover-ups? : TOGAE
In ancient Rome, the classical attire known as a toga (plural “togae” or “togas”) was usually worn over a tunic. The tunic was made from linen, and the toga itself was a piece of cloth about twenty feet long made from wool. The toga could only be worn by men, and only if those men were Roman citizens. The female equivalent of the toga was called a “stola”.
Our word “senate” comes from the Latin name for such a body, namely “senatus”. In turn, “senatus” is derived from “senex” meaning “old man”, reflecting the original Roman Senate’s makeup as a council of “elders”.
35 Dream Team org. : USOC
The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has a federal charter but it doesn’t receive any funds from the US government. As such, it has to engage in fundraising just like any other charitable organization. The USOC was founded in 1894, and is headquartered in Colorado Springs.
In 1989, the International Basketball Federation changed its rule requiring amateur status for participants in the Olympic Games (although prior to the ruling, European and South American professionals could play). So the US was able to field the “Dream Team” at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. Since the rules changed, the US won gold in four out of the five Olympic tournaments.
37 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.
39 Kawasaki watercraft : JET SKIS
“Jet Ski” is actually a brand name owned by Kawasaki Heavy Industries of Japan. The generic term, not often used, is “personal watercraft”. Most people use the term “Jet Ski” generically, although “WaveRunner” is also popular. But that’s another brand name, one owned by Yamaha.
The Kawasaki company of Japan was founded in 1896 by Shozo Kawasaki. We tend to think of it as a manufacturer of motorcycles and perhaps all-terrain vehicles, but it started out as a shipbuilder, and indeed still makes ships today.
40 The U in “SUV” : UTILITY
“SUV” is an initialism standing for “sports utility vehicle”, and is a term that was introduced by our marketing friends. Using the phrase “sports utility vehicle” was a very clever way to get us to pay a lot of money for what was essentially a station wagon on a truck chassis, or at least it was back then.
44 Roof supports : RAFTERS
Rafters are the beams that slope from the ridge of a roof down to the tops of the supporting walls.
46 Belief systems : CREEDS
A creed or credo is a profession of faith, or a system of belief or principles. “Credo” is Latin for “I believe”.
47 “The Big Fib” host __ Nicole Brown : YVETTE
Actress and comedian Yvette Nicole Brown is perhaps best known for playing Shirley Bennett on the sitcom “Community”. Brown decided to leave the show after five seasons in order to care for her father.
“The Big Fib” is a game show hosted by actress and comedian Yvette Nicole Brown. The game involves two people claiming to be experts in a particular field. The contestants are children, and they ask questions of the experts to determine which one is “fibbing”. Sounds like fun …
50 Biblical strongman : SAMSON
In the story of Samson in the Bible, Samson is tied up with ropes and taken to Lehi where he breaks free of his bonds and uses the jawbones of an ass to slay one thousand Philistines. The full name for Lehi is Ramath Lehi which translates as “jawbone hill”.
52 Fall mo. : OCT
October is the tenth month in our calendar but was the eighth month in the old Roman calendar, hence the prefix “octo-”. Back then there were only ten months in the year. “Ianuarius” (January) and “Februarius” were then added as the eleventh and twelfth months of the year. Soon after, the year was reset and January and February became the first and second months.
57 Fla. resort : BOCA
The name of the city of Boca Raton in Florida translates from Spanish as “Mouse Mouth”. There doesn’t seem to be a definitive etymology of the name but one plausible explanation is a nautical one. “Boca”, as well as meaning “mouth” can mean “inlet”. “Ratón”, as well as meaning “mouse” was also used to describe rocks that chewed away at a ship’s anchor cable. So possibly Boca Raton was named for a rocky inlet.
58 Toilets for T.S. Eliot?: Abbr. : ANAG
Here are some of my favorite anagrams:
- “Dormitory” and “dirty room”
- “Elvis” and “lives”
- “The eyes” and “they see”
- “Eleven plus two” and “twelve plus one”
59 Vodka brand that sounds like a toast : SKOL
Skol is a brand of vodka that is made in the United States, in Kentucky.
“Skoal” is a Scandinavian toast that has roots in the old Norse word “skaal” meaning “cup”.
61 Trail mix morsel : NUT
A morsel is a small bite, a mouthful of food. The term “morsel” comes from the Latin “morsus” meaning “bite”.
62 Fall Out Boy genre : EMO
Fall Out Boy is a rock band from Chicago that formed in 2001.
Read on, or …
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Breaks in relations : RIFTS
6 Update cartographically : REMAP
11 Adorns with Charmin, for short : TP’S
14 Basketball Hall of Famer __ Thomas : ISIAH
15 Sherlock Holmes’ younger sister as depicted in a recent Nancy Springer book series : ENOLA
16 Hot temper : IRE
17 Using any available means : CATCH AS CATCH CAN
20 He broke Babe’s record in 1974 : HANK
21 Tulip-to-be : BULB
22 Kitchen protection : MITTS
23 Rocks in a bar : ICE
24 “Miss Saigon” setting : ‘NAM
25 Clear out : VACATE
26 A college applicant may have to write one : ESSAY
28 City on the Ruhr : ESSEN
31 Roman 151 : CLI
32 Ella’s forte : SCAT
34 Strain : TAX
35 Swiss Army knife’s assortment : USES
36 Dashboard gauges : ODOMETERS
39 Go for a rebound : JUMP
42 Generation __ : GAP
43 Opportunity metaphor : DOOR
45 Ike’s WWII command : ETO
46 Heathcliff’s love : CATHY
48 Future docs’ exams : MCATS
51 Cassiterite, e.g. : TIN ORE
53 A-lister : VIP
55 Govt. mortgage agcy. : FHA
56 Golf goof : SLICE
57 Slangy sweeties : BAES
59 Stern’s opposite : STEM
60 Novelty piano piece of 1921 … and a hint to this puzzle’s theme : KITTEN ON THE KEYS
63 Skater Midori : ITO
64 Old Venetian coin : DUCAT
65 Havana’s __ Castle : MORRO
66 Leb. neighbor : SYR
67 Soliloquy site : STAGE
68 Elizabeth of “WandaVision” : OLSEN
Down
1 Singer Lionel : RICHIE
2 Jason of “Harry Potter” films : ISAACS
3 Exercise goal : FITNESS
4 Thumb-pressed nail : TACK
5 Theater rebuke : SHH!
6 Continue : RESUME
7 Ltr. insert : ENCL
8 Utah city with a Biblical name : MOAB
9 __-rock: music genre : ALT
10 Game with ghosts and a maze : PAC-MAN
11 Tiny breath mints : TIC TACS
12 Talk nonsense : PRATTLE
13 Martial arts instructors : SENSEIS
18 Attorney’s gp. : ABA
19 Juice box brand : HI-C
24 Long-distance swimmer Diana : NYAD
25 Perturbed : VEXED
27 “Rent-__”: 1988 film : A-COP
29 Curry of the NBA’s Warriors : STEPH
30 Warmed the bench : SAT
33 Senate cover-ups? : TOGAE
35 Dream Team org. : USOC
37 Yoga surface : MAT
38 Frolic : ROMP
39 Kawasaki watercraft : JET SKIS
40 The U in “SUV” : UTILITY
41 Hall pass checker : MONITOR
44 Roof supports : RAFTERS
46 Belief systems : CREEDS
47 “The Big Fib” host __ Nicole Brown : YVETTE
49 “And __ off!” : THEY’RE
50 Biblical strongman : SAMSON
52 Fall mo. : OCT
54 Suffix like -like : -ISH
57 Fla. resort : BOCA
58 Toilets for T.S. Eliot?: Abbr. : ANAG
59 Vodka brand that sounds like a toast : SKOL
61 Trail mix morsel : NUT
62 Fall Out Boy genre : EMO
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