Constructed by: David J. Kahn
Edited by: Will Shortz
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Today’s Reveal Answer: The Lion King
Themed answers all relate to the musical film “THE LION KING”. Also, four circled letters in the center of the grid spell out “LIFE”, and represent the song from the musical “CIRCLE OF LIFE”:
- 23D Disney movie released in June 1994 : THE LION KING
- 1A Simba’s mate in 23-Down : NALA
- 16A 56-Across, roughly translated : NO WORRIES
- 19A Song that opens and closes 23-Down and whose title is literally described in this puzzle’s center : CIRCLE OF LIFE
- 56A Song from 23-Down : HAKUNA MATATA
- 61A 23-Down setting : PRIDE ROCK
- 70A 23-Down villain : SCAR
- 10D Director of 23-Down on Broadway : JULIE TAYMOR
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… a complete list of answers
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Bill’s time: 7m 26s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
1 Simba’s mate in 23-Down : NALA
In “The Lion King”, Nala is a lioness and the childhood friend of Simba. By the end of the story, Nala and Simba become wedded. “The Lion King” is inspired by William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, with Simba representing the title character, and Nala representing Hamlet’s love interest Ophelia.
9 Not fully open : AJAR
Our word “ajar” is thought to come from Scottish dialect, in which “a char” means “slightly open”.
13 First mate? : ADAM
According to the Bible, God created Adam from “the dust of the ground”. Eve was created as Adam’s companion, from Adam’s rib.
14 “Runnin'” college team : UTES
The Runnin’ Utes are the basketball team of the University of Utah. The team was given the nickname the Runnin’ Redskins back when Jack Gardner was the head coach from 1953 to 1971. The “Runnin’” part of the name was chosen because Gardner was famous for playing quick offenses. The “Redskins” name was later dropped in favor of the less controversial “Utes”.
16 56-Across, roughly translated : NO WORRIES
(56A Song from 23-Down : HAKUNA MATATA)
“Hakuna matata” is a Swahili phrase, with a literal translation of “there are no worries”, or more colloquially perhaps, “no problem”. The phrase is used as the title for a hit song from the musical “The Lion King”.
24 West Coast air hub, for short : SFO
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) served as the main base of operations for Virgin America (sold to Alaska Airlines), and is also the maintenance hub for United Airlines.
25 Bastille Day season : ETE
In French, “juillet” (July) is a month in the “été” (summer).
The Bastille is a former fortress in Paris that was used as a prison by the kings of France. On 14 July 1789, an angry mob stormed the Bastille during the French Revolution. The mob was actually after the stores of gunpowder in the fortress, but while inside the building freed seven prisoners and killed the Bastille’s governor. The storming of the Bastille became a symbol of the French Revolution and has been celebrated in France on every July 14th since 1790. That celebration is referred to as “la fête nationale” (the national day) in France, but in English-speaking countries it is usually known as “Bastille Day”.
27 “Put a tiger in your tank” gas brand : ESSO
“Put a Tiger in Your Tank” was an advertising slogan and theme used by Esso gasoline in the 1960s.
34 Actress Fanning : ELLE
The actress Elle Fanning’s most notable performance to date (probably) was playing Aurora in the 2014 movie “Maleficent”. Elle’s older sister is actress Dakota Fanning.
42 Only continent larger than Africa : ASIA
The seven continents, in order of size, are:
- Asia
- Africa
- North America
- South America
- Antarctica
- Europe
- Australia
43 Radio band options : AM/FM
Amplitude modulation/frequency modulation (AM/FM)
44 Repeated “Survivor” setting : SAMOA
The official name for the South Pacific nation formerly known as Western Samoa is the Independent State of Samoa. Samoa is the western part of the island group, with American Samoa lying to the southeast. The whole group of islands used to be known as Navigators Island, a name given by European explorers in recognition of the seafaring skills of the native Samoans.
The reality show “Survivor” is based on a Swedish television series created in 1997 called “Expedition Robinson”.
49 Slip-___ (shoes) : ONS
The loafer slip-on shoe dates back to 1939. “Loafer” was originally a brand name introduced by the Fortnum and Mason’s store in London. The derivative term “penny loafer” arose in the late fifties or early sixties, although the exact etymology seems unclear.
66 Spill the beans : TELL
To spill the beans is to divulge a secret. The expression first appeared in American English, in the early 1900s. The phrase arose as an alternative to “spoil the beans” or “upset the applecart”.
67 The “E” in HOMES : ERIE
A well-known mnemonic for remembering the names of the Great Lakes is HOMES, an acronym standing for Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior.
68 Best Picture winner based on events of 1979-80 : ARGO
“Argo” is a 2012 movie that is based on the true story of the rescue of six diplomats hiding out during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. The film was directed by and stars Ben Affleck and is produced by Grant Heslov and George Clooney, the same pair who produced the excellent “Good Night, and Good Luck”. I highly recommend “Argo”, although I found the scenes of religious fervor to be very frightening …
70 23-Down villain : SCAR
In the 1994 movie “The Lion King”, the protagonist is Simba, the lion cub born to Mufasa and Sarabi. The main antagonist is Scar, Simba’s uncle and Mufasa’s brother. Simba is voiced by Matthew Broderick, and Scar is voiced by Jeremy Irons.
Down
1 One of the Bobbseys, in children’s literature : NAN
The “Bobbsey Twins” series of children’s novels was first written by Edward Stratemeyer in 1904. Stratemeyer used the pseudonym Laura Lee Hope, as did subsequent authors who wrote 72 books in the series between 1904 and 1979. The title characters are two sets of fraternal twins, one called Bert and Nan (who are 12) and the other called Flossie and Freddie (who are 6).
3 Martial ___ : LAW
Martial law is military rule imposed usually as a temporary measure when civilian rules appears to be failing. The imposition of martial law often involves curfews, suspension of civil rights and the use of military justice.
4 1998 BP purchase : AMOCO
“Amoco” is an abbreviation for “American Oil Company”, an oil company that merged with BP in 1998. Amoco was the first oil company to introduce gasoline tanker trucks and drive-through filling stations. I wonder did they know what they were starting …?
5 Pack animals : BURROS
Our word “burro”, meaning donkey, comes from the Spanish word for the same animal, namely “burrico”.
8 Valuable Scrabble tiles : ESSES
The game of Scrabble has been around since 1938, the invention of an architect named Alfred Mosher Butts. Butts determined how many tiles of each letter, and the point value of each tile, by analyzing letter distributions in publications like “The New York Times”.
9 ___ Sea (almost dried-up body) : ARAL
The Aral Sea is a great example of how man can have a devastating effect on his environment. In the early sixties the Aral Sea covered 68,000 square miles of Central Asia. Soviet irrigation projects drained the lake to such an extent that today the total area is less than 7,000 square miles, with 90% of the lake now completely dry. Sad …
10 Director of 23-Down on Broadway : JULIE TAYMOR
Julie Taymor is a director of movies, and of opera and theater productions. Taymor’s best-known work is the stage musical “The Lion King”. She also directed William Shakespeare’s “Titus Andronicus” on the stage, and brought the play to the big screen as the 1999 feature film “Titus”.
12 Fleming at the Met : RENEE
Renée Fleming is a marvelous soprano from Indiana, Pennsylvania. Famous for her appearances in opera houses and concert halls all over the world, Fleming is also noted for her willingness to bring her craft to the masses. She was a guest on “Sesame Street”, singing “counting lyrics” to an aria from “Rigoletto”, and she has appeared a few times on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion”.
17 Bar mitzvahs and the like : RITES
A Jewish girl becomes a bat mitzvah at 12 years of age, the age at which she becomes responsible for her actions. Boys become bar mitzvahs at 13. The terms translate into English as daughter and son of the commandments.
21 Neighbor of Nepal : INDIA
The vast Asian country of India takes its name from the Indus River. The name “Indus” in turn comes from the Sanskrit “Sindhu” that can be translated as “a body of trembling water”. India is the second-most populous country in the world (after China), and the most populous democracy.
Nepal lies to the northeast of India. Today, the state is known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. In 2008, the Communist Party of Nepal won the country’s general election. Soon after, the Assembly voted to change the form of government, moving away from a monarchy and creating a secular republic.
23 Disney movie released in June 1994 : THE LION KING
The highly successful stage musical “The Lion King” started out life as a 1994 animated feature film of the same name from the Disney studio. The film is the highest earning traditionally-animated feature of all time. The animated film “Finding Nemo” has made more money, but it was created using computer animation.
29 Five Norwegian kings : OLAFS
Of the many kings of Norway named Olaf/Olav (and there have been five), Olaf II is perhaps the most celebrated, as he was canonized and made the patron saint of the country. Olaf II was king from 1015 to 1028 and was known as “Olaf the Big” (or “Olaf the Fat”) during his reign. Today he is more commonly referred to as “Olaf the Holy”. After Olaf died he was given the title of “Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae”, which is Latin for “Norway’s Eternal King”.
33 Russian Revolution target : TSAR
The year 1917 saw two revolutions in Russia, with the pair collectively called “the Russian Revolution”. As a result of the February Revolution that centered on Petrograd, the last Emperor of Russia (Tsar Nicholas II) abdicated and members of the Imperial parliament took control of the country, forming the Russian Provisional Government. The Provisional Government was itself overthrown in the October Revolution, which was led by Vladimir Lenin and the Bolshevik party.
35 Bean type : LIMA
The lima bean is also known as the butter bean. The lima bean was introduced to Europe from the area around Lima, Peru, hence the name.
37 British singer Lewis with the 2008 #1 album “Spirit” : LEONA
Leona Lewis rocketed to fame after winning the British TV show called “The X Factor” (the show that spawned the UK’s “Pop Idol” and America’s “American Idol”).
40 Dreaded one? : RASTA
Dreadlocks are matted coils of hair that are usually formed intentionally, although if one lets hair grow out without grooming then it naturally forms twisted and matted dreadlocks. The hairstyle is associated with the Rastafarian movement in which “dread” is a very positive term meaning “fear of the Lord”.
44 Need for doing toe loops : SKATE
A toe loop is a relatively simple jump in figure skating (not that I could do one!). In a toe loop, the skater uses the toe pick on the skate to lift off on a backward outside edge, landing on the same backward outside edge.
46 Forehead covering : BANGS
“Bangs” is another word that caught me out when I arrived in the US. “Bangs” back in Ireland are called “a fringe”. Apparently the US term is derived somehow from the hair on a horse’s head.
50 2015 Tony winner Kelli ___ : O’HARA
Actress and singer Kelli O’Hara was nominated six times for a Tony before winning the award for the Best Lead Actress in a Musical for the 2015 revival of “The King and I”.
55 Long-eared lagomorphs : HARES
Hares belong to the genus Lepus. Young hares under one-year-old are called leverets.
57 “Do ___ others as …” : UNTO
The Golden Rule is also known as the ethic of reciprocity, and is a basis for the concept of human rights. A version of the rule used in the Christian tradition is attributed to Jesus:
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
58 Word after Bay or gray : … AREA
The San Francisco Bay Area comprises the nine counties that impinge on the San Francisco Bay itself: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma. The region also includes the major cities of San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland.
59 Part of a cash register : TILL
What we usually call a cash register here in North America, we mostly call a “till” in Ireland and the UK. I haven’t heard the word “till” used much here in that sense.
62 Tolkien monster : ORC
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.
63 Org. behind the Bay of Pigs invasion : CIA
The Bay of Pigs is on the southern coast of Cuba. The bay was the site of the abortive military invasion of Cuba in 1961 by a paramilitary group sponsored by the CIA. Cuban forces defending against the attack were personally led by Fidel Castro, and emerged victorious after three days of fighting.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Simba’s mate in 23-Down : NALA
5 Snoozefest : BORE
9 Not fully open : AJAR
13 First mate? : ADAM
14 “Runnin'” college team : UTES
15 “Call me the greatest!” : I RULE!
16 56-Across, roughly translated : NO WORRIES
18 Where to have your hair done : SALON
19 Song that opens and closes 23-Down and whose title is literally described in this puzzle’s center : CIRCLE OF LIFE
21 Fully : IN TOTO
24 West Coast air hub, for short : SFO
25 Bastille Day season : ETE
26 “Can’t be” : NAH
27 “Put a tiger in your tank” gas brand : ESSO
30 Greek group that’s not in Greece : FRAT
32 Tries to lose some pounds : DIETS
34 Actress Fanning : ELLE
36 Seasoning that can lead to high blood pressure : SALT
39 Misfortunes : ILLS
40 Show again : REAIR
41 One who’s looking : EYER
42 Only continent larger than Africa : ASIA
43 Radio band options : AM/FM
44 Repeated “Survivor” setting : SAMOA
45 Globes : ORBS
47 QB tackle : SACK
49 Slip-___ (shoes) : ONS
50 Dominate : OWN
52 Dug in, in a way : ATE
54 Enthusiastic : RAH-RAH
56 Song from 23-Down : HAKUNA MATATA
60 Getting long in the tooth : AGING
61 23-Down setting : PRIDE ROCK
65 Gentrification raises them : RENTS
66 Spill the beans : TELL
67 The “E” in HOMES : ERIE
68 Best Picture winner based on events of 1979-80 : ARGO
69 College that awarded the first Ph.D. in the U.S. : YALE
70 23-Down villain : SCAR
Down
1 One of the Bobbseys, in children’s literature : NAN
2 Big fuss : ADO
3 Martial ___ : LAW
4 1998 BP purchase : AMOCO
5 Pack animals : BURROS
6 Suffix with hypn- : -OTIC
7 List quickly, with “off” : REEL …
8 Valuable Scrabble tiles : ESSES
9 ___ Sea (almost dried-up body) : ARAL
10 Director of 23-Down on Broadway : JULIE TAYMOR
11 Overhead : ALOFT
12 Fleming at the Met : RENEE
15 Supports : IS FOR
17 Bar mitzvahs and the like : RITES
20 Job seeker’s success : OFFER
21 Neighbor of Nepal : INDIA
22 Tough as ___ : NAILS
23 Disney movie released in June 1994 : THE LION KING
28 Appear to be : SEEM
29 Five Norwegian kings : OLAFS
31 Not at the dock, say : ASEA
33 Russian Revolution target : TSAR
35 Bean type : LIMA
37 British singer Lewis with the 2008 #1 album “Spirit” : LEONA
38 It’s worthless : TRASH
40 Dreaded one? : RASTA
44 Need for doing toe loops : SKATE
46 Forehead covering : BANGS
48 Baby rocker : CRADLE
50 2015 Tony winner Kelli ___ : O’HARA
51 Bet : WAGER
53 Evacuate : EMPTY
55 Long-eared lagomorphs : HARES
57 “Do ___ others as …” : UNTO
58 Word after Bay or gray : … AREA
59 Part of a cash register : TILL
62 Tolkien monster : ORC
63 Org. behind the Bay of Pigs invasion : CIA
64 Lead-in to plop : KER-
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