Constructed by: Neil Padrick Wilson
Edited by: Joel Fagliano
Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Reveal Answer: Elmer’s Glue
Themed answers are items that a kid might place in a collage using ELMER’S GLUE:
- 58A What a kid might use to hold 17-, 24-, 35- and 47-Across together : ELMER’S GLUE
- 17A Disposable BBQ dish : PAPER PLATE
- 24A Doctor’s office jarful : COTTON BALLS
- 35A Elbows in a grocery store : MACARONI NOODLES
- 47A Makeshift twist-tie : PIPE CLEANER
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Bill’s time: 5m 20s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
6 Carvey who portrays Biden on “S.N.L.” : DANA
Dana Carvey, along with the likes of Phil Hartman and Kevin Nealon, was part of the new breed of “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) comedians credited with resurrecting the show in the late eighties. One of Carvey’s most popular characters was the Church Lady (“Well, isn’t that special?”), and he became so associated with her that among fellow cast members Carvey was often referred to simply as “the Lady”. Another favorite Carvey character was Garth Algar who went to feature in the “Wayne’s World” movies. Carvey had open-heart surgery in 1997 to clear a blocked artery, but the surgical team operated on the wrong blood vessel. To recover, he had to have five more procedures. He ended up suing for medical malpractice and donated his $7.5 million compensation payment to charity.
10 A multitasker might keep several open on a browser : TABS
A web browser is a piece of software used to access the World Wide Web. The first web browser was called “WorldWideWeb” and was invented in 1990 by Tim Berners-Lee, the man who created the World Wide Web. The browser known as Mosaic came out in 1993, and it was this browser that drove so much interest in the World Wide Web, and indeed in the Internet in general. Marc Andreessen led the team that created Mosaic, and he then set up his own company called Netscape. Netscape created the Netscape Navigator browser that further popularized the use of the Web starting in 1994. Microsoft responded by introducing Internet Explorer in 1995, which sparked the so-called “browser war”, a war that Microsoft clearly won. As Netscape floundered, the company launched the open-source Mozilla project which eventually led to the Firefox browser. Apple then came out with its own Safari browser in 2003. Google’s Chrome browser, introduced in 2008, is by far the most popular way to view the Web today.
15 Apple product discontinued in 2022 : IPOD
The iPod is Apple’s discontinued signature line of portable media players. The iPod first hit the market in 2001 with a hard drive-based device, now known as the iPod Classic. Later models all used flash memory, allowing a smaller form factor. The smallest of the flash-based models is the iPod Shuffle, which was introduced in 2005.
17 Disposable BBQ dish : PAPER PLATE
It is believed that our word “barbecue” (BBQ) comes from the Taíno people of the Caribbean in whose language “barbacoa” means “sacred fire pit”.
26 Russian currency : RUBLE
The ruble (also “rouble”) is the unit of currency in Russia, as well as in several other countries in the former Soviet Union. One ruble is divided into one hundred kopecks (also “kopeks”).
35 Elbows in a grocery store : MACARONI NOODLES
In many cases, the name given to a type of pasta comes from its shape. However, the name macaroni comes from the type of dough used to make the noodles. Here in the US, macaroni is usually elbow-shaped, but it doesn’t have to be.
40 “No clue,” in text shorthand : IDK
I don’t know (IDK)
41 Mushy food for babies : PAP
One use of the term “pap” is to describe soft or semi-liquid food for babies and small children. “Pap” comes into English, via French, from the Latin word used by children for “food”. In the 1500s, “pap” also came to mean “an oversimplified” idea. This gives us a usage that’s common today, describing literature or perhaps TV programming that lacks real value or substance. Hands up those who think there’s a lot of pap out there, especially on television …
42 String quartet instrument : VIOLA
The viola looks like and is played like a violin, but is slightly larger. It is referred to as the middle voice in the violin family, lying between the violin and the cello.
A standard string quartet is made up of two violins, a viola and a cello. A string quintet consists of a standard string quartet with the addition of a fifth instrument, usually a second viola or cello.
51 Green eggs go-with : HAM
Dr. Seuss’s famous children’s book “Green Eggs and Ham” was first published in 1960. “Green Eggs and Ham” now ranks twelfth in the list of top selling children’s books. By the way, “Harry Potter” books hold the top four slots in that list. The text of “Green Eggs and Ham” has a lot of “I am” going on. It starts with:
I am Sam
I am Sam
Sam I am
and ends with:
I do so like
green eggs and ham!
Thank you!
Thank you,
Sam-I-am
55 Performer prone to theatrics : DIVA
The term “diva” comes to us from Latin via Italian. It is the feminine form of “divus” meaning “divine one”. The word is used in Italy to mean “goddess” or “fine lady”, and especially is applied to the prima donna in an opera. We often use the term to describe a singer with a big ego.
56 Move like sap from a tree : OOZE
The sap of a plant can be broadly divided into phloem sap and xylem sap. The phloem is the tissue that transports sugars made by photosynthesis from the leaves to the parts of the plant needing those sugars. The sugary solution flowing through the phloem is the phloem sap. The xylem is the tissue that transports water and other nutrients from the roots to the rest of the plant. The watery solution flowing through the xylem is the xylem sap.
58 What a kid might use to hold 17-, 24-, 35- and 47-Across together : ELMER’S GLUE
Elsie the Cow is the mascot of the Borden Company. Elsie first appeared at the New York World’s Fair in 1939, introduced to symbolize the perfect dairy product. She is so famous and respected that she has been awarded the degrees of Doctor of Bovinity, Doctor of Human Kindness and Doctor of Ecownomics. Elsie was also given a husband named Elmer the Bull. Elmer eventually moved over to the chemical division of Borden where he gave his name to Elmer’s Glue.
60 “Citizen” played by Orson Welles : KANE
In the 1941 film “Citizen Kane”, the newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane builds himself an immense and opulent estate on the Florida coast called Xanadu. Xanadu boasts a Venetian-style canal, complete with gondolas, and a well-stocked zoo. There is also a championship golf course. The estate was inspired by the real-life Hearst Castle, a California mansion owned by William Randolph Hearst.
Orson Welles is perhaps best-remembered in the world of film for his role in 1941’s “Citizen Kane”. In the world of radio, Welles is known for directing and narrating 1938’s famous broadcast of “The War of the Worlds”, a broadcast that convinced many listeners that the Earth was indeed being invaded by aliens.
63 Kiss, in Cambridge : SNOG
“Snogging” is British slang of unknown origin that dates back to the end of WWII. The term is used for “kissing and cuddling”, what we call “making out” over here in the US.
Down
1 Oblong yellowish fruit : PAPAW
The papaya (also “papaw”) tropical fruit is native to Mexico and South America. When cultivating papaya trees, only female plants are used. Female plants produce just one, high-quality fruit per tree. Male plants produce several fruit per tree, but they are very poor quality.
2 “A rolling stone gathers no moss,” e.g. : ADAGE
Publilius Syrus was a writer of adages and proverbs in Ancient Roman times. He was a slave, originally a Syrian, who was freed by his master in Italy. Publilius wrote the adage “People who are always moving, with no roots in one place, avoid responsibilities and cares”. We are more familiar with the contemporary version “A rolling stone gathers no moss”.
3 Cowboy’s feat with a lasso : ROPE TRICK
Our English word “lasso” comes from the Spanish “lazo”, and ultimately from the Latin “laqueum” meaning “noose, snare”.
6 Widen, as pupils : DILATE
The pupil of the eye is the hole located in the center of the iris through which light enters the retina. The term “pupil” came into English via French from the latin “pupilla”, which is the diminutive form of “pupa” meaning “girl, doll”. The term came about due to the tiny doll-like image that one can see of oneself when looking into the center of another’s eyes.
11 “The Little Mermaid” mermaid : ARIEL
In the 1989 Disney animated film “The Little Mermaid”, the title character is given the name “Ariel”. In the original fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen that dates back to 1836, the Little Mermaid is given no name at all. There is a famous statue of the unnamed Little Mermaid sitting in Copenhagen Harbor, in Andersen’s homeland of Denmark.
18 Game with solid and striped balls : POOL
The more correct name for the game of pool is “pocket billiards”. The designation “pool” arose after pocket billiards became a common feature in “pool halls”, places where gamblers “pooled” their money to bet on horse races.
24 Truck radio user : CB’ER
A CB’er is someone who operates a Citizens Band (CB) radio. In 1945, the FCC set aside certain radio frequencies for the personal use of citizens. The use of the Citizens Band increased throughout the seventies as advances in electronics brought down the size of transceivers and their cost. There aren’t many CB radios sold these days though, as they have largely been replaced by cell phones.
25 Captain in Jules Verne novels : NEMO
In the 1954 movie “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”, Captain Nemo goes down with his ship. In the novel by Jules Verne (1869-1870), the fate of Nemo and his crew isn’t quite so cut and dry, although the inference is perhaps that they did indeed head for Davy Jones’ Locker.
33 European ___ (Anguilla anguilla) : EEL
The genus of fishes known as Anguilla is made up of freshwater eels. These eels spend their lives in rivers, lakes or estuaries but return to the ocean to spawn. The genus gives its name to the island of Anguilla, a British overseas territory in the Caribbean Sea. The island was so named because it is said to be shaped like an eel.
34 Org. that might have you remove your shoes : TSA
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is the agency that employs the good folks who check passengers and baggage at airports.
36 Iridescent gem : OPAL
An iridescent surface appears to change color gradually with a change in the angle of view, or a change in the angle that the light is hitting that surface.
49 p, on sheet music : PIANO
In musical notation, the Italian word “piano” (p) instructs musicians to play softly, and “forte” (f) to play loudly. The additional notation “pianissimo” (pp) means “very soft”, and fortissimo (ff) means “very loud”.
50 Pop singer Mann : AIMEE
Aimee Mann is a rock singer and guitarist from Virginia. Mann is married to Michael Penn, the brother of actor Sean Penn.
52 Sky blue : AZURE
The term “azure” came into English from Persian via Old French. The French word “l’azur” was taken from the Persian name for a place in northeastern Afghanistan called “Lazhward” which was the main source of the semi-precious stone lapis lazuli. The stone has a vivid blue color, and “azure” has been describing this color since the 14th century.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Make extremely thirsty : PARCH
6 Carvey who portrays Biden on “S.N.L.” : DANA
10 A multitasker might keep several open on a browser : TABS
14 Love to pieces : ADORE
15 Apple product discontinued in 2022 : IPOD
16 Mouth-related : ORAL
17 Disposable BBQ dish : PAPER PLATE
19 Log cabin wood, often : PINE
20 Like many fine wines : AGED
21 Rowboat movers : OARS
22 In the future : AHEAD
23 Drenched : WET
24 Doctor’s office jarful : COTTON BALLS
26 Russian currency : RUBLE
28 Ending with slug or snooze : -FEST
29 Direction to a newly knighted knight : ARISE
31 “Sooo tasty!” : YUM!
32 Family member who usually goes by one name : PET
35 Elbows in a grocery store : MACARONI NOODLES
40 “No clue,” in text shorthand : IDK
41 Mushy food for babies : PAP
42 String quartet instrument : VIOLA
43 Hit maximum popularity : PEAK
45 Bumbling : INEPT
47 Makeshift twist-tie : PIPE CLEANER
51 Green eggs go-with : HAM
54 Spanish friend : AMIGO
55 Performer prone to theatrics : DIVA
56 Move like sap from a tree : OOZE
57 Legit : REAL
58 What a kid might use to hold 17-, 24-, 35- and 47-Across together : ELMER’S GLUE
60 “Citizen” played by Orson Welles : KANE
61 “Très ___!” (French for “Very well!”) : BIEN
62 Breaking news notification : ALERT
63 Kiss, in Cambridge : SNOG
64 Root vegetable often paired with goat cheese : BEET
65 Affirmatives : YESES
Down
1 Oblong yellowish fruit : PAPAW
2 “A rolling stone gathers no moss,” e.g. : ADAGE
3 Cowboy’s feat with a lasso : ROPE TRICK
4 Street ___ (respect) : CRED
5 That lady : HER
6 Widen, as pupils : DILATE
7 In separate places : APART
8 Unenjoyable, to put it mildly : NOT SO FUN
9 Lemon drink suffix : -ADE
10 Prop for a magician’s costume : TOP HAT
11 “The Little Mermaid” mermaid : ARIEL
12 Tired and predictable : BANAL
13 Toys used on snow days : SLEDS
18 Game with solid and striped balls : POOL
22 “Crunched” muscles, informally : ABS
24 Truck radio user : CB’ER
25 Captain in Jules Verne novels : NEMO
27 Leading medal winner at the 2024 Olympics : USA
29 “___ the only one seeing this?” : AM I
30 Totally wicked : RAD
31 Pup’s bark : YIP
32 Narrative details that don’t withstand scrutiny : PLOT HOLES
33 European ___ (Anguilla anguilla) : EEL
34 Org. that might have you remove your shoes : TSA
36 Iridescent gem : OPAL
37 Obvious untruth : NAKED LIE
38 On top of : OVER
39 Cautionary sign indicating a low point in the road : DIP
43 Prop for a pirate’s costume : PEG LEG
44 “Green” prefix : ECO-
45 Dream up : INVENT
46 In the neighborhood : NEAR
47 Manages to find a spot, say : PARKS
48 “Let me clarify …” : I MEAN …
49 p, on sheet music : PIANO
50 Pop singer Mann : AIMEE
52 Sky blue : AZURE
53 Makes, as a deadline : MEETS
56 Undress with one’s eyes : OGLE
58 Flow back : EBB
59 Remark : SAY
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9:06, no errors.
9:39, no errors.
9:17, came down with a bad head cold, so did a crossword marathon yesterday completing Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday over the course of the day yesterday, interspersed with watching random football games.
Piece of _ _ _ _
6:20, no errors.