Constructed by: Kathy Lowden
Edited by: Joel Fagliano
Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Theme (according to Bill): Lots of Rhymes
Themed answers in the format X OF Y, where X is a synonym of “lots”, and where X rhymes with Y:
- 17A Whole bunch at a family reunion? : DOZENS OF COUSINS
- 25A Large array for a desk? : SCORES OF DRAWERS
- 46A Big group in a dog show? : OODLES OF POODLES
- 61A Massive collection for an alchemist? : OCEANS OF POTIONS
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Bill’s time: 7m 18s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
14 Eleven, in Évian : ONZE
Évian-les-Bains (or simply “Évian”) is in the very east of France, on the shores of Lake Geneva directly across the lake from Lausanne, Switzerland. As one might imagine, Évian is the home of Évian mineral water, the most successful business in town. Personally, I can’t stand the distinctive taste of Évian water …
15 Stan’s partner in old comedy : OLLIE
Oliver Hardy was born Norvell Hardy in 1892 in Harlem, Georgia. Hardy used the stage name “Oliver” as a tribute to his father Oliver Hardy. His early performances were credited as “Oliver Norvell Hardy”, and off camera his nickname was “Babe Hardy”. Hardy appeared in several films that also featured the young British actor Stan Laurel, but it wasn’t until 1927 that they teamed up to make perhaps the most famous double act in the history of movies. The Laurel and Hardy act came to an end in 1955. That year, Laurel suffered a stroke, and then later the same year Hardy had a heart attack and stroke from which he never really recovered.
Stan Laurel was an English comic actor (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson), who made a great career for himself in Hollywood. Laurel ended up at the Hal Roach studio directing films, intent on pursuing a career in writing and directing. However, he was a sometime actor and was asked to step in when another comic actor, Oliver Hardy, was injured and couldn’t perform. Laurel and Hardy started to share a stage together during that time and when it was clear they worked so well together, their partnership was born. Oh, and the oft-quoted story that Clint Eastwood is the son of Stan Laurel … that’s just an urban myth.
16 ___ cava (blood line to the heart) : VENA
The superior vena cava is a large vein carrying deoxygenated blood from the upper part of the body to the right atrium of the heart. The inferior vena cava does the same thing for the lower part of the body.
21 Titular film character who lives in a swamp : SHREK
In the 2001 animated feature “Shrek”, the title character is voiced by Mike Myers. Eddie Murphy voices Shrek’s sidekick Donkey, and Princess Fiona is voiced by Cameron Diaz.
22 Parent company of Instagram : META
Facebook, Inc. changed its name to Meta Platforms, Inc. in 2021 as part of a rebranding exercise.
24 Kerfuffle : ADO
“Kerfuffle” comes from the Scottish “curfuffle”, with both words meaning “disruption”.
25 Large array for a desk? : SCORES OF DRAWERS
Our verb “to score” meaning “to tally”, comes from the Old Norse “skor”, which is a “mark, notch”. It is likely that items such as livestock were counted by placing a notch in a stick for each set of twenty, hence our use of the noun “score” to mean “twenty”.
33 Author Horatio : ALGER
Horatio Alger was an American writer of the late nineteenth century. He was a prolific writer of novels for young people and created tales of poor children making it in the world, achieving the American dream.
34 “___ the season!” : ‘TIS
The music for the Christmas song “Deck the Halls” is a traditional Welsh tune that dates back to the 16th century. The same tune was used by Mozart for a violin and piano duet. The lyrics with which we are familiar (other than the “fa-la-la”) are American in origin, and were recorded in the 19th century.
“’Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la la la la la!”
35 Customizable Nintendo avatar : MII
Nintendo introduced customizable avatars for the company’s video game consoles starting in 1997. The first customizable avatars for the Wii system were introduced in 2006, and were given the inventive name “Miis”.
36 Kind of salad with celery, apples, walnuts and grapes : WALDORF
As one might expect, the Waldorf salad was created at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City (now the Waldorf=Astoria), back in the 1890s. The classic version of the Waldorf salad is made from apples, celery and walnuts dressed in mayonnaise and served on a bed of lettuce. Anyone who is a fan of the BBC sitcom “Fawlty Towers” will remember how much trouble Basil Fawlty had coming up with a Waldorf salad for an American guest, as the kitchen was “out of Waldorfs” …
46 Big group in a dog show? : OODLES OF POODLES
The standard poodle breed of dog is considered by many to be the second-most intelligent breed, after the border collie. The name “poodle” comes from a Low German word meaning “to splash about”, reflecting the original use of the breed as a water retriever.
53 Lead-in to soprano : MEZZO-
A mezzo-soprano is a female singing voice below a soprano but above a contralto. “Mezzo” is Italian for “half”.
61 Massive collection for an alchemist? : OCEANS OF POTIONS
One of the main goals of the ancient practice of alchemy was to change base metals into gold, a process known as transmutation.
69 Tube-shaped pasta : PENNE
The pasta known as penne comes in two main types, i.e. penne lisce (which is smooth) and penne rigate (which is furrowed).
70 Achievement for Elton John and John Legend, in brief : EGOT
Emmy, Grammy, Oscar & Tony Awards (EGOT)
“Elton John” is the stage name of English singer and pianist Reginald Dwight. John is an avid football (soccer) supporter, and is especially enthusiastic about Watford Football Club, which was his local team growing up. After he achieved financial success, John was able to purchase Watford FC, and owned the club from 1976 to 1987, and again from 1997 until 2002.
“John Legend” is the stage name of singer-songwriter John Stephens. He has received many awards, and made many memorable performances. Notably, he played Jesus Christ in a live concert version of the rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar” produced for NBC in 2018. In 2019, Legend started appearing as a coach in the TV show “The Voice”. He married model Chrissy Teigen in 2013.
Down
4 Oracle : SEER
In ancient Greece and Rome, an oracle was someone believed to be inspired by the gods to give wise counsel. The word “oracle” derives from the Latin “orare” meaning “to speak”, which is the same root for our word “orator”. One of the most important oracles of ancient Greece was Pythia, the high priestess to Apollo at Delphi.
6 Drunk as a skunk : BLOTTO
The term “blotto” meaning “drunk” dates back to the early 1900s. It supposedly is derived from the word “blot”, in the sense that being drunk one must have soaked up a whole load of booze.
7 Sitcom extraterrestrial : ALF
“ALF” is a sitcom that first aired in the late eighties. The title character is a hand-puppet, and supposedly an alien named Gordon Shumway from the planet Melmac. The alien crash-landed into the house of amateur radio enthusiast Willie Tanner. Tanner renamed the intruder “ALF”, standing for “alien life form”.
8 D.M.V. document: Abbr. : LIC
It took me years to stop using the term “driving license” after I moved to the US. We call a driver’s license a “driving license” back in Ireland.
12 Name shared by two of King Henry VIII’s wives : ANNE
Anne Boleyn was the second wife of Henry VIII of England. She was found guilty of high treason after about a thousand days of marriage to Henry, accused of adultery and incest (probably trumped-up charges). Boleyn was executed, but perhaps her legacy lived on in her only child, as her daughter reigned for 45 very prosperous years as Queen Elizabeth I.
Anne of Cleves was the fourth wife of King Henry VIII. It seems that Anne’s arranged marriage to Henry was doomed from the day the two met soon after she arrived in England. Henry just wasn’t attracted to her, but the couple went ahead with the wedding. The marriage was annulled six months later on the grounds that it had not been consummated. Anne lived the rest of her life in England, and in fact outlived Henry’s five other wives.
19 Org. that grades meat : USDA
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) classifies meat into eight different grades:
- Prime
- Choice
- Select
- Standard
- Commercial
- Utility
- Cutter
- Canner
24 Rear end, in London’s West End : ARSE
Well, the word “arse” would never make it into a crossword on the other side of the pond, as it would be considered too rude. I have a similar reaction to the word “shag” as in “The Spy Who Shagged Me”. The film would never have been released with that title in the UK (where it was released as “Austin Powers 2”).
The West End of London is part of the central area of the city that contains many tourist attractions and in particular a large number of theaters. The West End of London is also home to the most expensive office space in the world.
29 Guacamole or hummus : DIP
Guacamole is one of my favorite dishes. It is prepared by mashing avocados and perhaps adding the likes of tomato, onion and lime juice. The guacamole recipe dates back as early as the 16th century, to the time of the Aztecs. “Guacamole” translates as “avocado sauce”.
The lovely dip/spread called hummus usually contains mashed chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. The name “hummus” is an Arabic word for “chickpeas”.
30 It might be spam : EMAIL
The term “spam”, used for unwanted email, is taken from a “Monty Python” sketch. In the sketch (which I’ve seen) the dialog is taken over by the word Spam, a play on the glut of canned meat in the markets of Britain after WWII. So “spam” is used for the glut of emails that takes over online communication. I can just imagine nerdy Internet types (like me) adopting something from a “Monty Python” sketch to describe an online phenomenon …
44 Very good pal, informally : BFF
Best friend forever (BFF)
49 Broadway musical about the son of Charlemagne : PIPPIN
“Pippin” is a stage musical by Stephen Schwartz that was first produced in 1972, on Broadway. The original Broadway production was directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse, for which work Fosse won two Tony Awards in 1973. The title character’s father in “Pippin” is named Charlemagne. The father-son characters are inspired by the Holy Roman Emperors Charlemagne and Pepin.
50 Baltimore ballplayer : ORIOLE
The Baltimore Orioles (also the O’s, the Birds) are one of the eight charter teams of MLB’s American League, so the franchise dates back to 1901. Prior to 1901, the team had roots in the Minor League Milwaukee Brewers, and indeed entered the American League as the Brewers. In 1902 the Brewers moved to St. Louis and became the Browns. The team didn’t fare well in St. Louis, so when it finally relocated to Baltimore in the early fifties the team changed its name completely, to the Baltimore Orioles. The owners so badly wanted a fresh start that they traded 17 old Browns players with the New York Yankees. The trade didn’t help the team’s performance on the field in those early days, but it did help distance the new team from its past.
53 Slipperlike shoes, for short : MOCS
“Moc” is short for “moccasin”, a type of shoe. The moccasin is a traditional form of footwear worn by members of many Native American tribes.
57 Ireland, to the Irish : EIRE
“Éire” is the Irish name for Ireland, coming from “Ériu”. Ériu was the matron goddess of Ireland in Irish mythology.
59 “For ___ us a child is born” : UNTO
According to the Bible’s Book of Isaiah:
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
62 Pit stop brand : STP
STP is a brand name of automotive lubricants and additives. The name “STP” is an initialism standing for “Scientifically Treated Petroleum”.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Alternatives to Ubers : CABS
5 Game also called “hoops” : B-BALL
10 “I’ll drink to ___!” : THAT
14 Eleven, in Évian : ONZE
15 Stan’s partner in old comedy : OLLIE
16 ___ cava (blood line to the heart) : VENA
17 Whole bunch at a family reunion? : DOZENS OF COUSINS
20 Give for safekeeping : ENTRUST
21 Titular film character who lives in a swamp : SHREK
22 Parent company of Instagram : META
24 Kerfuffle : ADO
25 Large array for a desk? : SCORES OF DRAWERS
33 Author Horatio : ALGER
34 “___ the season!” : ‘TIS
35 Customizable Nintendo avatar : MII
36 Kind of salad with celery, apples, walnuts and grapes : WALDORF
39 Performing group at a homecoming game : PEP BAND
42 Uno + due : TRE
43 The sun or the moon : ORB
45 You might ask for one at an annual review : RAISE
46 Big group in a dog show? : OODLES OF POODLES
51 Word before cream or crystals : ICE …
52 Mattress specification : FIRM
53 Lead-in to soprano : MEZZO-
56 Suddenly started speaking : PIPED UP
61 Massive collection for an alchemist? : OCEANS OF POTIONS
65 Blacken on the grill : CHAR
66 Be behind : TRAIL
67 Boring routines : RUTS
68 Word after “Going once, going twice!” : SOLD!
69 Tube-shaped pasta : PENNE
70 Achievement for Elton John and John Legend, in brief : EGOT
Down
1 With 28-Down, emergency status : CODE …
2 Unknown writer, for short : ANON
3 [Wrong answer!] : [BZZT!]
4 Oracle : SEER
5 Office heads : BOSSES
6 Drunk as a skunk : BLOTTO
7 Sitcom extraterrestrial : ALF
8 D.M.V. document: Abbr. : LIC
9 Virgo preceder : LEO
10 “Nashville” or “Atlanta,” e.g. : TV SHOW
11 ___ apparent : HEIR
12 Name shared by two of King Henry VIII’s wives : ANNE
13 Job : TASK
18 Uno or due : NUMERO
19 Org. that grades meat : USDA
23 Fore’s counterpart : AFT
24 Rear end, in London’s West End : ARSE
25 Took care of : SAW TO
26 “Of course!,” in Spanish : CLARO!
27 Looked at rudely : OGLED
28 See 1-Down : … RED
29 Guacamole or hummus : DIP
30 It might be spam : EMAIL
31 Lather, ___, repeat : RINSE
32 Diner add-ons : SIDES
37 Warm pink hue : ROSE
38 To and ___ : FRO
40 Not tardy : PROMPT
41 Misbehaving : BAD
44 Very good pal, informally : BFF
47 ___ brain (source of our primal instincts, it’s said) : LIZARD
48 Supply-and-demand subj. : ECON
49 Broadway musical about the son of Charlemagne : PIPPIN
50 Baltimore ballplayer : ORIOLE
53 Slipperlike shoes, for short : MOCS
54 Repeat word for word : ECHO
55 Ardent enthusiasm : ZEAL
57 Ireland, to the Irish : EIRE
58 ___ Emhoff, husband of Kamala Harris : DOUG
59 “For ___ us a child is born” : UNTO
60 Vowelless attention-getter : PSST!
62 Pit stop brand : STP
63 Something crushed during a gold rush : ORE
64 Devotee : FAN
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7:08, no errors.
8:35, no errors. For some reason, my first entry at 46A was NOODLES before POODLES. Had to scroll through the grid to find the mistake.