Constructed by: Katie Byl & Jeff Chen
Edited by: Will Shortz
Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
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Today’s Reveal Answer: Work Like a Dog
Themed answers each end with a task done by a WORKING DOG:
- 56A Do one’s job to the point of exhaustion … or a hint to the ends of 20-, 27-, 36- and 49-Across : WORK LIKE A DOG
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Bill’s time: 7m 28s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
9 Blog addition : POST
Many folks who visit this website regard it as just that, a website. That is true, but more specifically it is referred to as a blog, as I make regular posts (actually daily posts) that then occupy the “front page” of the site. The blog entries are in reverse chronological order, and one can just look back day-by-day, reading older and older posts. “Blog” is a contraction of the term “web log”.
13 Written legal argument : BRIEF
The term “brief”, in the context of the law, applies to a written legal document presented in court as an argument in a legal process. “Brief” comes from the Latin “brevis” meaning “short”. So, I guess those arguments were originally meant to be short, concise. And “briefs” can be carried in a “briefcase”.
16 Sephora rival : ULTA
Ulta Beauty is an American chain of beauty stores that was founded in 1990 and headquartered in Bolingbrook, Illinois. I am not part of the company’s target demographic …
17 Only U.N. member whose name starts with Q : QATAR
Qatar is a sovereign state in the Middle East occupying the Qatar Peninsula, itself located in the Arabian Peninsula. Qatar lies on the Persian Gulf and shares one land border, with Saudi Arabia to the south. The emirate has more oil and gas reserves per capita of population than any other country in the world. In 2010, Qatar had the fastest growing economy in the world, driven by the petrochemical industry.
27 Position for Steph Curry or Caitlin Clark : POINT GUARD
Basketball great Wardell Stephen “Steph” Curry II was born in Akron, Ohio, the son of former NBA player Dell Curry and former volleyball player Sonya Curry. Off the court, Curry is an avid golfer, playing off a low handicap. He regularly participates in celebrity golf tournaments, and has played alongside President Barack Obama.
Basketball great Caitlin Clark was the first selection in the 2024 WNBA draft, and signed up with the Indian Fever. Her quality of play and success on the court has helped popularize women’s basketball. That boost in popularity has been dubbed “the Caitlin Clark effect”.
33 Speaking platforms : PODIA
“Podium” (plural “podia”) is the Latin word for “raised platform”.
34 Antidrug cop, informally : NARC
“Narc” and “narco” are slang terms describing a law enforcement officer who tracks down criminals associated with illegal drugs. Both words are short for “narcotics officer”. Narcs might work for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
45 Pride parade inits. : LGBT
The first gay pride parades were held all on the same weekend in 1970, in New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
54 Composer ___-Manuel Miranda : LIN
Lin-Manuel Miranda is a composer and playwright from New York City, and the creator and star of the hit Broadway musicals “Hamilton” and “In the Heights”. Miranda also co-wrote the songs for the 2016 Disney animated feature “Moana”. He started composing early, and wrote jingles as a child. One of those jingles was later used by Eliot Spitzer in his 2006 gubernatorial campaign.
62 Novices, informally : NEWBS
“Noob” (sometimes “newb” or “n00b”) is a not-so-nice, slang term for a “newbie”, and often refers to someone who is new to an online community.
67 Utah winter resort : ALTA
Alta ski resort actually lies within the Salt Lake City Metropolitan Area. The first ski lift in the resort was opened way back in 1939. Today, Alta is one of only three ski resorts in the country that prohibits snowboarding (along with Deer Valley, Utah and Mad River Glen, Vermont). The ski resort of Snowbird, located next to Alta, has been in operation since 1971.
Down
1 Roasting event, for short : BBQ
It is believed that our word “barbecue” (BBQ) comes from the Taíno people of the Caribbean in whose language “barbacoa” means “sacred fire pit”.
2 Reflective Glass on the radio : IRA
Ira Glass is a well-respected presenter on American Public Radio who is perhaps best known for his show “This American Life”. I was interested to learn that one of my favorite composers, Philip Glass, is Ira’s first cousin.
5 Chinese general who wrote “The Art of War” : SUN TZU
“The Art of War(fare)” is an ancient military text that is attributed to a high-ranking Chinese general called Sun Tzu. We even see the principles in Sun Tzu’s book applied to modern business.
6 “Once ___ a time …” : UPON
The stock phrase “Once upon a time …” has been used in various forms as the start of a narrative at least since 1380. The stock phrase at the end of stories such as folktales is often “and they all lived happily ever after”. The earlier version of this ending was “happily until their deaths”.
8 “Let’s Make a Deal” option : DOOR
The game show “Let’s Make a Deal” first aired way back in 1963. For many years the show was hosted by Monty Hall, from 1963 until 1986, and again briefly in 1991. In more recent years, Wayne Brady took over as host in 2009.
10 Kevin of “Shark Tank,” also known as “Mr. Wonderful” : O’LEARY
Kevin O’Leary is a businessman and investor from Montreal who is one of the “sharks” on the American reality show “Shark Tank”, and one of the “dragons” on the Canadian show “Dragon’s Den”.
“Shark Tank” is a reality television show that features aspiring entrepreneurs making pitches to potential investors (the “sharks”) as they try to grow their businesses. The show is a Mark Burnett production and is based on a British series called “Dragons’ Den”.
11 Tween sister of Barbie : STACIE
Stacie and Todd Roberts are twin siblings of Barbie, the doll. Barbie’s full name is Barbie Millicent Roberts, the daughter of George and Margaret Roberts.
14 Geometric figures whose subparts mimic the full shape : FRACTALS
A fractal is a fascinating geometric shape, one that can be split into parts, each of which is a smaller version of the larger shape (almost identically). The name “fractal” comes from the Latin “fractus” meaning “broken” or “fragmented”. Fractals are found all over nature, most notably the shapes created by ice crystals. It can be hard to tell the difference between the shapes of ice as it freezes on glass, viewed with the eye or viewed under a microscope. Fractals can also be seen in clouds, snowflakes, and even in cauliflower and broccoli!
23 T-top, for one : ROOF
A T-top is a car roof that has removable panels on either side of a rigid bar that runs down the center of the vehicle above the driver.
24 Stereotypical canine name : FIDO
“Fido”, the name for many a dog, is Latin for “I trust”.
30 When doubled, gung-ho : RAH
“Kung ho” is a Chinese expression meaning “work together, cooperate”. The anglicized version “gung-ho” was adopted by Major Evans Carlson as an expression of combined spirit for his 2nd Marine Raider Battalion during WWII. From there the term spread throughout the Marine Corps and back to America where it persists to this day.
31 Hip-hop’s Dr. ___ : DRE
“Dr. Dre” is the stage name of rapper Andre Romelle Young. He is known for his own singing career as well as for producing records and starting the careers of others such as Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 Cent.
35 Hair knots with a French name : CHIGNONS
A chignon is a hairstyle in which the hair is pinned into a knot at the nape of the neck or the back of the head. The word “chignon” comes from the French “chignon du cou” meaning “nape of the neck”.
39 Large bird that lays green eggs, which are incubated by the male : EMU
Emu eggs are very large, with a thick shell that is dark-green in color. One emu egg weighs about the same as a dozen chicken eggs. It is the male emu that incubates the eggs. The incubation period lasts about 8 weeks, during which time the male neither eats nor drinks, just lapping up any morning dew that is nearby. While incubating a clutch of eggs, male emus lose about a third of their weight.
44 ___ Talks : TED
The acronym “TED” stands for “Technology, Entertainment and Design”. TED is a set of conferences held around the world by a non-profit group called the Sapling Foundation. The conference subjects are varied, and the meetings are often led by big names such as Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Bill Gates and Jane Goodall. The Sapling Foundation then makes recordings of the conferences available for free online with the intent of disseminating the ideas globally. These conferences are known as “TED Talks”. There are also TEDx events, which are locally-run talks presented under license from TED.
46 Sensation of acceleration : G-FORCE
The force of gravity (g-force) that we all feel is referred to as “one G”. As gravity is an accelerating force, acceleration is measured relative to that force of gravity. So, if we are sitting in a vehicle that accelerates at 3G, then we are experiencing a force that is three times that which we feel from the gravitational pull of the earth. Zero G is weightlessness that is experienced when in space, and outside the influence of the earth’s gravity.
50 Pack animals that can spit up to 10 feet when irritated : LLAMAS
Many female mammals lick off their newborn. That’s not an option for llamas as their tongues only reach out of their mouths about half an inch. Instead, llama dams nuzzle their young and hum to them.
51 Festival at the end of Ramadan : EID
Eid al-Fitr is a religious holiday in the Muslim tradition that is known in English as the “Festival of Breaking the Fast”. It marks the end of Ramadan, a period of dawn-to-sunset fasting.
53 Retired QB Manning : ELI
Eli Manning is a retired footballer who played quarterback for the New York Giants. Eli’s brother Peyton Manning retired from football as the quarterback for the Denver Broncos in 2015. Eli and Peyton’s father is Archie Manning, who was also a successful NFL quarterback. Eli, Peyton and Archie co-authored a book for children titled “Family Huddle” in 2009. It describes the Mannings playing football together as young boys.
59 Abbr. before a year on a cornerstone : ESTD
In practical terms, a cornerstone is the first stone set during the construction of a building with a masonry foundation. Also known as the foundation stone or setting stone, the cornerstone determines the final position of the final structure, as all other stones are laid with reference to that first stone. For some time, we’ve also used the term “cornerstone” in a ceremonial sense. A ceremonial cornerstone is set in a prominent position at the corner of a wall, and usually bears significant information such as date of construction and names of the architect and builder.
60 Eccentric expert : GEEK
Originally, a geek was a sideshow performer, perhaps one at a circus. Sometimes the term “geek” is used today for someone regarded as foolish or clumsy, and also for someone who is technically driven and expert, but often socially inept.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Unwanted piece of mail : BILL
5 Took to court : SUED
9 Blog addition : POST
13 Written legal argument : BRIEF
15 Red carpet hairstyle, often : UPDO
16 Sephora rival : ULTA
17 Only U.N. member whose name starts with Q : QATAR
18 Places that are off-limits : NO-GO AREAS
20 Path of advancement for a lawyer : PARTNER TRACK
22 High-pitched bark : ARF!
25 Since, informally : CUZ
26 Sending a chill up one’s spine : EERIE
27 Position for Steph Curry or Caitlin Clark : POINT GUARD
32 Like Easter eggs or purple hair : DYED
33 Speaking platforms : PODIA
34 Antidrug cop, informally : NARC
36 Go along with prevailing wisdom : FOLLOW THE HERD
42 Athletic gear that comes in pairs : SKIS
43 “Too rich for my blood” : I’M OUT
45 Pride parade inits. : LGBT
49 Manual for consistency in writing : STYLE GUIDE
52 Helpful : OF USE
54 Composer ___-Manuel Miranda : LIN
55 Was first to play a card : LED
56 Do one’s job to the point of exhaustion … or a hint to the ends of 20-, 27-, 36- and 49-Across : WORK LIKE A DOG
61 “Biscuit” for cookie or “chips” for fries : BRITICISM
62 Novices, informally : NEWBS
66 Frozen treats : ICES
67 Utah winter resort : ALTA
68 “Laters!” : SEE YA!
69 Host’s place, usually, on a late-night talk show : DESK
70 Expresses silent agreement : NODS
71 Not discard : KEEP
Down
1 Roasting event, for short : BBQ
2 Reflective Glass on the radio : IRA
3 Hoppin’, in slang : LIT
4 Hop : LEAP
5 Chinese general who wrote “The Art of War” : SUN TZU
6 “Once ___ a time …” : UPON
7 Rim : EDGE
8 “Let’s Make a Deal” option : DOOR
9 Made contented sounds like a cat : PURRED
10 Kevin of “Shark Tank,” also known as “Mr. Wonderful” : O’LEARY
11 Tween sister of Barbie : STACIE
12 Assigned a job : TASKED
14 Geometric figures whose subparts mimic the full shape : FRACTALS
19 Had a meal : ATE
21 Toupee, in slang : RUG
22 Roblox or TikTok : APP
23 T-top, for one : ROOF
24 Stereotypical canine name : FIDO
28 Zero : NIL
29 Impatient : ANTSY
30 When doubled, gung-ho : RAH
31 Hip-hop’s Dr. ___ : DRE
35 Hair knots with a French name : CHIGNONS
37 Gives a thumbs up : OKS
38 Clever humor : WIT
39 Large bird that lays green eggs, which are incubated by the male : EMU
40 Stir up : ROIL
41 “Bruh” : DUDE
44 ___ Talks : TED
45 Likely winner of a construction contract : LOW BID
46 Sensation of acceleration : G-FORCE
47 Represses, as a bad memory : BURIES
48 “Bad you!” : TSK! TSK!
50 Pack animals that can spit up to 10 feet when irritated : LLAMAS
51 Festival at the end of Ramadan : EID
53 Retired QB Manning : ELI
57 Volunteer’s words : I CAN
58 Unit of smuggled drugs : KILO
59 Abbr. before a year on a cornerstone : ESTD
60 Eccentric expert : GEEK
63 Itsy-bitsy : WEE
64 “Ta-ta” : BYE
65 Drain the energy from : SAP
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7:48, no errors. An odd solve, in that I seemed to make lots of little missteps along the way.
13:47, no errors. Not in sync with the setter today.
10:41, no errors. Kinda odd for a Monday. Fat fingers for the win…