Tag: Word on a coeur de bonbon crossword clue

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Constructed by: Ed Sessa
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: None

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

Bill’s time: 11m 52s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

6 HQs for F-16s: AFBS

Air Force Base (AFB)

The F-16 is a supersonic fighter aircraft that has been in service since 1978. Officially known as the Fighting Falcon, pilots and crew routinely refer to the F-16 as the Viper. As of 2015, there have been more F-16s in military service around the world than any other fixed-wing fighter aircraft.

18 Former attorney general Holder: ERIC

Eric Holder was the Attorney General of the United States from 2009 to 2015, the first African American to hold the position. Holder was close to President Obama during the presidential campaign. Holder was the campaign’s legal advisor and was also one of the three members on the Obama vice-presidential selection committee that recommended future Vice President Joe Biden.

19 Chi-town pub: TRIB

“The Chicago Tribune” was first published in 1847. The most famous edition of “The Trib” was probably in 1948 when the headline was “DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN”, on the occasion of that year’s presidential election. When it turned out that Truman had actually won, the victor picked up the paper with the erroneous headline and posed for photographs with it … a famous, famous photo, that must have stuck in the craw of the editor at the time.

25 Cruet filler: OIL

A cruet is a small glass bottle that holds a condiment or perhaps a dressing. The word “cruet” comes from an Old French word meaning “earthen pot”.

27 Word on a coeur de bonbon: AIME

In French, one might find the word “aime” (love) on a “coeur de bonbon” (candy heart).

29 Punic tunics: TOGAS

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”.

We use the adjective “Punic” to mean “pertaining to Carthage”. A Carthaginian used to be known as a Phoenician, as the city was a Phoenician colony. The ancient kingdom of Phoenicia lay on the Mediterranean in the region making up much of modern-day Syria, Lebanon and Israel. The Latin for “Phoenicia” is “Poenus”, giving us the term “Punic”.

31 “Young Frankenstein” role: INGA

Actress Teri Garr had a whole host of minor roles in her youth, including appearances in nine Elvis movies. Garr’s big break came with the role of Inga in “Young Frankenstein”, and her supporting role in “Tootsie” earned Garr an Academy Award nomination. Sadly, Teri Garr suffered from multiple sclerosis, and was a National Ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

I am not really a big fan of movies by Mel Brooks, but “Young Frankenstein” is the exception. I think the cast has a lot to do with me liking the film, as it includes Gene Wilder (Dr. Frankenstein), Teri Garr (Inga), Marty Feldman (Igor) and Gene Hackman (Harold, the blind man).

33 Vassal: SERF

A serf was a member of the lowest feudal class, someone attached to land owned by a lord. “Serf” comes from the Latin “servus”, meaning “slave”.

Feudalism was a legal and military system that flourished in medieval Europe. Central to the system were the concepts of lords, vassals and fiefs. Lords would grant fiefs (land or rights) to vassals in exchange for allegiance and service.

35 Yoko from Tokyo: ONO

Yoko Ono was born in 1933 in Tokyo into a prosperous Japanese family, and is actually a descendant of one of the emperors of Japan. Yoko’s father moved around the world for work, and she lived the first few years of her life in San Francisco. The family returned to Japan, before moving on to New York, Hanoi and back to Japan just before WWII, in time to live through the great firebombing of Tokyo in 1945. Immediately after the war the family was far from prosperous. While Yoko’s father was being held in a prison camp in Vietnam, her mother had to resort to begging and bartering to feed her children. When her father was repatriated, life started to return to normal and Yoko was able to attend university. She was the first woman to be accepted into the philosophy program of Gakushuin University.

41 Chess, for one: PIE

Chess pie is a classic dessert from the US South that has a filling made from eggs, butter, sugar, vanilla and some cornmeal. The original chess pie likely came from England (without the cornmeal, I’d guess). The pie’s name may be from “pie chest”, a piece of furniture used to store pies.

42 Pahlavi dynasty title: SHAH

The last Shah of Iran was Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, who was overthrown in the revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979. The post-revolution government sought the extradition of the Shah back to Iran while he was in the United States seeking medical care (he had cancer). His prolonged stay in the United States, recovering from surgery, caused some unrest back in Iran and resentment towards the United States. Some say that this resentment precipitated the storming of the US Embassy in Tehran and the resulting hostage crisis.

44 Ranchero rope: RIATA

A riata is a lariat or a lasso. “Riata” comes from “reata”, the Spanish word for “lasso”.

A ranchero is someone who owns, operates or is employed on a ranch. The term “ranchero” has Spanish roots.

46 Designer Schiaparelli: ELSA

Elsa Schiaparelli was an Italian fashion designer, and a great rival of the perhaps more famous Coco Chanel. Schiaparelli was most successful between the two World Wars, but her business closed in 1954 as she failed to adapt to changing tastes after WWII.

48 Road houses?: RVS

Recreational vehicle (RV)

49 Anthology series that begins with “Murder House,” familiarly: AHS

“American Horror Story” (AHS) is a horror television show … I don’t do horror.

50 Option in Hawaiian-style fried rice: SPAM

Spam is a precooked meat product that is sold in cans. It was introduced by Hormel Foods in 1937. The main meat ingredients are pork shoulder meat and ham. The name “Spam” was chosen as the result of a competition at Hormel, with the winner earning himself a hundred dollars. According to the company, the derivation of the name “Spam” is a secret known by only a few former executives, but the speculation is that it stands for “spiced ham” or “shoulders of pork and ham”. Spam is particularly popular in Hawaii, so popular that it is sometimes referred to as “the Hawaiian steak”.

53 London road of pop fame: ABBEY

Abbey Road in London was named for Kilburn Priory and the Abbey Farm in the priory’s grounds. The road is famous for the Abbey Road recording studios used most famously by the Beatles. The band’s last studio album is called “Abbey Road”, and the famous cover photo depicts John, Paul, George and Ringo walking across the zebra crossing located just outside the studio.

55 Workplace perk for pet owners: PAWTERNITY LEAVE

These days, an employer might offer “pawternity” leave as a benefit. This might allow an employee time off to grieve after a pet dies, or perhaps to help a new pet settle into its new surroundings.

60 Danish shoe brand: ECCO

I have to say, after owning several pairs, that ECCO shoes are the most comfortable in the world. The company is headquartered in Denmark.

61 Stand in front of an audience: EASEL

The term “easel” comes from an old Dutch word meaning “donkey”, would you believe? The idea is that an easel carries its load (an oil painting, say) just as a donkey would be made to carry a load.

63 Herring kin: SHAD

The shad is also known as the river herring. The eggs (roe) of the shad are prized as a delicacy, especially in the Eastern US.

Down

2 “Breaking Bad” epilogue: EL CAMINO

“El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie” is a 2019 American neo-Western crime film that serves as a sequel to the television series “Breaking Bad.” It continues the story of Walter White’s partner Jesse Pinkman, played by Aaron Paul, following the events of the series finale. The film follows Jesse as he escapes captivity and attempts to evade the law and build a new life for himself. The movie’s title is a reference to the Chevrolet El Camino that Jesse uses to escape in the last episode of the TV show.

4 Pentathlon gear: EPEES

The original pentathlon of the ancient Olympic games consisted of a foot race, wrestling, long jump, javelin and discus. When a new pentathlon was created as a sport for the modern Olympic Games, it was given the name the “modern pentathlon”. First introduced in 1912, the modern pentathlon consists of:

1. pistol shooting
2. épée fencing
3. 200m freestyle swimming
4. show jumping
5. 3km cross-country running

5 Waters in the Great Rift Valley: RED SEA

The Great Rift Valley is an imprecise geographical term that describes a trench that runs from northern Syria to central Mozambique in Africa. It stretches southward from southern Turkey to Mozambique, running through the Red Sea, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika.

7 Pervasive environmental hazard: FOREVER CHEMICAL

The term “forever chemicals” has been used to describe PFAs: per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These are man-made chemicals used widely in consumer goods, and which are extremely toxic at very low concentrations. The chemical structure of PFAs makes them difficult to break down, both in our bodies and in the environment, hence the moniker “forever chemicals”.

8 Smoked salmon accompaniers: BLINI

A blintz (also “blintze” and “blin”, plural “blini”) is a thin pancake similar to a crêpe, although unlike a crêpe, a blintz may contain yeast.

9 Schism units: SECTS

A schism is a split or division, especially in a religion.

10 “Black Clover” action hero: ASTA

“Black Clover” is a Japanese manga series that follows the story of Asta, a young boy born without any magical abilities in a world where magic is everything. Despite this, Asta dreams of becoming the next Wizard King, the strongest mage in the Clover Kingdom.

12 Vikander of “Irma Vep”: ALICIA

Alicia Vikander is an actress from Sweden. She gained recognition with American audiences when she played the humanoid robot in the fascinating 2015 film “Ex Machina”. In 2018, she played the title character in the film “Tomb Raider”. Vikander is married to Irish actor Michael Fassbender.

Irma Vep is an HBO satirical drama that explores the challenges faced by women in the film industry. The title is a reference to a character played by French actress Musidora in a silent film serial from the early 20th century. Alicia Vikander plays Mira, a young Swedish actress who is hired to star in a remake of the French silent film “Les Vampires”.

13 Enemies of the Galactic Empire: REBELS

In the “Star Wars” universe, the Rebel Alliance is at war with the Galactic Empire.

28 MASH potatoes, etc.: MESS

“Mess” first came into English about 1300, when it described the list of food needed for a meal. The term comes from the Old French word “mes” meaning a portion of food or a course at a meal. This usage in English evolved into “mess” meaning a jumbled mass of anything, from the concept of “mixed food”. The original usage, in the sense of a food for a meal, surfaced again in the military in the 1500s when a “mess” was a communal eating place.

The first Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) was deployed in August 1945. MASH units really came into the public consciousness after publication of the 1969 Richard Hooker novel “MASH”, which spawned the hit film and TV series that were both titled “M*A*S*H”.

39 O’Hare and JFK, e.g.: NAVY VETS

Lieutenant Commander Edward “Butch” O’Hare was the US Navy’s first flying ace and a Medal of Honor recipient in WWII. He received that medal for intercepting single-handedly nine heavy bombers that were approaching his aircraft carrier. He had limited ammunition at the time, but used what was left to shoot down five bombers and damage a sixth. The following year, in 1943, his aircraft was shot down while he led the first ever nighttime fighter attack from a carrier. His body was never found. The USS O’Hare destroyer was named in his honor, as was Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.

Future US president John F. Kennedy served with the US Navy during WWII. Famously, Lieutenant Kennedy was assigned to a Motor Torpedo Squadron. Kennedy’s most noted command was Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109. PT-109 was sunk in an engagement with a Japanese destroyer in the Solomon Islands. The story of the crew’s evasion of the Japanese and subsequent rescue is told in the 1963 film “PT 109”.

40 Pair in gin rummy?: EMS

There is a pair of letters M (ems) in the phrase “gin rummy”.

Gin rummy is a faster variant of standard rummy. It was introduced in 1909 by one Elwood Baker and his son.

44 Slender sword: RAPIER

A rapier is a very thin sword with a sharp point that is used to kill and maim by thrusting the point into the body, rather than by slashing.

52 Dried poblano: ANCHO

An ancho is a dried poblano pepper used in Mexican cuisine. The poblano is a mild chili.

54 Memphis street of blues fame: BEALE

Beale Street in downtown Memphis, Tennessee is a major tourist attraction. In 1977, by act of Congress, the street was officially declared the “Home of the Blues” due to its long association with the musical genre. Apparently “Beale” is the name of some forgotten military hero.

57 Maiden name of an 1860s first lady: TODD

Mary Todd moved in the best of the social circles in Springfield, Illinois and there met the successful lawyer, Abraham Lincoln. The path to their marriage wasn’t exactly smooth, as the engagement was broken once but reinstated, with the couple eventually marrying in 1842.