Constructed by: Matthew Stock & Christina Iverson
Edited by: Joel Fagliano
Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
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Today’s Theme: None
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Bill’s time: 10m 20s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
11 Alternatives to booths, perhaps : MAIL-IN BALLOTS
Today, a ballot is a piece of paper or equivalent used to cast a vote. Back in the 1500s, a “ballot” was a small “ball” used in the process of voting.
26 Some long-tailed turtles : SNAPPERS
Snapping turtles are quite aggressive and have the ability to “snap” with their relatively powerful jaws. They exhibit this behavior especially when out of the water.
31 They hang around in kitchens : APRONS
In Old French, a “naperon” was a “small table-cloth”. The term was absorbed into English as “napron”, describing a cloth used to cover the front of a person at work. Over time, “a napron” was heard as “an apron”, giving us our contemporary noun “apron”.
42 ___ the Lucky, nickname of a noted explorer : LEIF
Leif Erikson (sometimes “Ericson”) was a Norse explorer and the first European to land in North America, some 500 years before Christopher Columbus’s landing in 1492. The Norsemen named the area they discovered “Vinland”, which might translate as “Wine Land” or “Pasture Land”. Erikson built a small settlement called Leifsbudir, which archaeologists believe they have found in modern day Newfoundland, at L’Anse aux Meadows. The settlement discovered in Newfoundland is definitely Norse, but there is some dispute over whether it is actually Erikson’s Leifsbudir.
43 Porto-Novo’s country : BENIN
Porto-Novo is the capital city of Benin in West Africa. Porto-Novo may be the nation’s capital but it isn’t the biggest city, and nor is it the most economically important. That honor goes to the city of Cotonou.
45 Big Apple fund-raiser with a kind of apple in its name : MET GALA
The Costume Institute Gala is an annual fundraising event that benefits the Anna Wintour Costume Center in New York City’s Museum of Modern Art. The fundraiser is commonly referred to as the “Met Gala” or “Met Ball”, and was established in 1948.
47 They’re OK : DOS
And, don’ts are not OK.
51 Many superheroes have them : ORIGIN STORIES
In the world of superheroes, an origin story outlines how that character gained his or her superpowers.
Down
2 Singer Ocasek : RIC
Ric Ocasek was an American musician of Czech heritage. He was the lead vocalist of the Cars rock band.
5 Lisbeth Salander in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” for one : ANTIHERO
An “antihero” is a character perhaps in a movie or novel. He or she is the “hero” of the piece, but is also someone who doesn’t exhibit the qualities associated traditionally with a hero, such as bravery or moral fortitude.
8 Range crossing eight countries : ALPS
There are eight Alpine countries:
- Austria
- Slovenia
- France
- Switzerland
- Liechtenstein
- Germany
- Monaco
- Italy
9 [Facepalm emoji] : D’OH!
A facepalm is the gesture made by lowering one’s face into the palm of one’s hand or hands. A facepalm can be an expression of surprise perhaps, frustration or embarrassment. A related gesture with a similar meaning is the headdesk, the gentle striking of the forehead against a desk or a wall perhaps.
11 One-millionth of a meter : MICRON
The measurement of length called a micron (plural “micra”) is more correctly referred to as a micrometer (or “micrometre”). One micron is equivalent to one millionth of a meter.
20 Big enchiladas : TOP DOGS
“Enchilada” is the past participle of the Spanish word “enchilar” meaning “to add chili pepper to”. An enchilada is basically a corn tortilla rolled around some filling and then covered in chili pepper sauce. The term “big enchilada” is used in the same way as we would use “big cheese” i.e. to refer to the top dog. The phrase was popularized in the sixties when John Ehrlichman refers to Attorney General John Mitchell as “the big enchilada” on one of the Watergate Tapes. Similarly, the term “whole enchilada” emerged in the early sixties, used alongside such phrases as “whole nine yards”, “whole shebang” and “whole ball of wax”.
27 Some chess tactics : PINS
In the game of chess, a piece is said to be pinned if it cannot move without exposing a more valuable piece to capture.
33 Cruise control features? : RUDDERS
A rudder is usually a flat sheet of wood or metal located at the stern of a boat, and under the waterline. The rudder is attached to a rudder post, which rotates to change the orientation of the rudder hence steering the boat. That rotation of the rudder post can be achieved by pulling or pushing a lever called a tiller, which is located at the top of the post.
35 Dipping dishes : FONDUES
Fondue is a traditional Swiss dish comprising melted cheese served in a pot over a tabletop stove, into which diners dip bread. The term “fondue”, which is French for “melted”, is now applied more widely to similar dishes served in a communal pot into which a food is dipped. Traditional fondue is delicious, so very delicious …
37 Perfect, e.g. : TENSE
Although we often say “perfect tense” in English, we are usually referring to the “present perfect tense”. The present perfect takes its place alongside the past perfect and future perfect. Verbs in the perfect form use the auxiliary verb “to have” alongside a past participle. For example:
- I had solved the puzzle (past perfect)
- I have solved the puzzle (present perfect)
- I will have solved the puzzle (future perfect)
39 Where Jackson Hole ski resort is found : TETONS
The Teton Range is located just to the south of Yellowstone National Park, and is part of the Rocky Mountains. The origins of the name “Teton” is not very clear, although one story is that it was named by French trappers, as the word “tetons” in French is a slang term meaning “breasts”.
Jackson Hole is the name of a beautiful valley in Wyoming formed between the Teton and Gros Ventre Ranges. The name “Jackson Hole” is also used locally for the town of Jackson that is located in the valley.
43 Iraqi port city : BASRA
Basra is Iraq’s main port, and is located in the southeast of the country, just 34 miles from the Persian Gulf. Access to the gulf is via the Shatt al-Arab waterway, a river that discharges into the gulf in the port city of Umm Qasr.
50 Bird that can be “fire-capped” or “yellow-browed” : TIT
The birds known as chickadees or titmice in North America, are usually called simply “tits” in the rest of the English-speaking world.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Mexican condiment : CREMA
6 A whole lot : SCADS
11 Alternatives to booths, perhaps : MAIL-IN BALLOTS
14 Device for an on-line conversation? : TIN-CAN TELEPHONE
16 National Bullying Prevention mo. : OCT
17 Finds a line of best fit, say : TAILORS
18 Storage unit : POD
19 Set down : WRITE
21 Bunch of hair : HANK
22 Eagerly excited : AGOG
23 Something best avoided : NO-NO
24 Informal greetings : HEYS
25 Trail marking : BLAZE
26 Some long-tailed turtles : SNAPPERS
28 Second hand : HELPER
29 Bird’s ancestor, for short : DINO
30 Step in a pastry recipe : FOLD
31 They hang around in kitchens : APRONS
34 Talking nonsense : FULL OF IT
38 Gauge earrings : PLUGS
39 Mind : TEND
40 Network connection : NODE
41 Purges : RIDS
42 ___ the Lucky, nickname of a noted explorer : LEIF
43 Porto-Novo’s country : BENIN
44 Close : END
45 Big Apple fund-raiser with a kind of apple in its name : MET GALA
47 They’re OK : DOS
48 Bare-bones outfit : SKELETON COSTUME
51 Many superheroes have them : ORIGIN STORIES
52 Crosses : SPANS
53 Signs of friction : SPATS
Down
1 Bar : CANTINA
2 Singer Ocasek : RIC
3 Uplift : ELATE
4 Sports analyst Kimes : MINA
5 Lisbeth Salander in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” for one : ANTIHERO
6 Intellectual gatherings : SALONS
7 One for the record books? : CLERK
8 Range crossing eight countries : ALPS
9 [Facepalm emoji] : D’OH!
10 Temporary solution : STOPGAP
11 One-millionth of a meter : MICRON
12 Secures, as a rope : BELAYS
13 Time-buying button : SNOOZE
14 Dots on a map : TOWNS
15 Gardening tool : EDGER
20 Big enchiladas : TOP DOGS
22 “Still working on that?” : ALL DONE?
24 Ones laying around in the country? : HENS
25 Welcome sound for a bored student : BELL
27 Some chess tactics : PINS
28 Contend : HOLD
30 Cool bits of trivia : FUN FACTS
31 “___ vous” (polite French phrase) : APRES
32 “The Price Is Right” game : PLINKO
33 Cruise control features? : RUDDERS
34 Plays at : FEIGNS
35 Dipping dishes : FONDUES
36 Contents of some dictionaries : IDIOMS
37 Perfect, e.g. : TENSE
39 Where Jackson Hole ski resort is found : TETONS
42 Admit : LET IN
43 Iraqi port city : BASRA
45 Big-time : MEGA
46 Keep informed, with “in” : LOOP …
49 Part of a bottle : LIP
50 Bird that can be “fire-capped” or “yellow-browed” : TIT
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