Constructed by: Adrian Johnson
Edited by: Will Shortz
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Today’s Theme: None
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Bill’s time: 11m 08s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
4 “We’re done, folks!” : THAT’S A WRAP!
When shooting of a film is concluded the movie is said to wrap, and everyone heads to the wrap party. There is one story that “wrap” is actually an acronym for “wind, reel and print”, a reference to the transition of the filming process into post-production. But, this explanation is disputed.
17 God for whom Wednesday is named : ODIN
In Norse mythology, Odin was the chief of the gods. Odin’s wife Frigg was the queen of Asgard whose name gave us our English term “Friday” (via Anglo-Saxon). Odin’s son was Thor, whose name gave us the term “Thursday”. Odin himself gave us our word “Wednesday” from “Wodin”, the English form of his name.
18 Capsules that can track health info : SMART PILLS
Smart pills are ingestible sensors that can be swallowed. The pills then transmit medical data as they pass through the body.
23 “Ich bin ___ Berliner” : EIN
Ich is the German for “I”, as in “Ich bin ein Berliner” (I am a Berliner), the famous words of support uttered by President John F. Kennedy (JFK) in 1963 in a speech in West Berlin. The supposed translation of “Ich bin ein Berliner” as “I am a jelly doughnut” … that’s just an urban myth. President Kennedy’s use of German was perhaps clumsy (he should have said “Ich bin Berliner”), but I am sure he was understood.
31 Short-distance driver : VALET
A varlet was an attendant or servant, and perhaps a knight’s page. The term “varlet” comes from the Old French “vaslet” meaning “squire, young man”. “Vaslet” also gave us our contemporary word “valet”. The term “varlet” came to be pejorative, describing an unprincipled person.
35 Big acronym in purifying filters : HEPA
Air filters can be specified as “HEPA”, with the acronym standing for “high-efficiency particulate absorption”. To be given the name “HEPA”, the filter must remove 99.7% of particles with a size of 0.3 microns or larger.
36 “Yo te ___” : AMO
In Spanish, one might say “yo te amo” (I love you) “con flores” (with flowers).
37 Hinduism’s “king of fruits” : MANGO
The delicious mango is the national fruit of India, Pakistan and the Philippines. Almost half of the world’s supply of mangoes comes from India.
40 Pool and darts, often : BAR GAMES
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.
Darts is a game that’s often played in English and Irish pubs, even over here in America. The scoring in a traditional game of darts is difficult to describe in a sentence or two, but the game of darts called “Round the Clock” is simply hitting the numbers 1 through 20 on the dartboard in sequence.
42 Cruz known as the “Queen of Salsa” : CELIA
Celia Cruz was born and grew up in Cuba, but spent most of her working life in the United States, playing out her salsa singing career in New Jersey. Around the world, Cruz was known as the “Queen of Salsa”.
43 Emmy-winning actress Edebiri of “The Bear” : AYO
“The Bear” is a comedy-drama TV show that started airing in 2022. It stars Jeremy Allen White (of “Shameless” fame) as a chef from a Michelin-star restaurant who heads home to Chicago to run his family’s sandwich shop after his brother dies. I really enjoyed this one …
44 1940s Chinese revolutionaries : MAOISTS
The Maoist philosophy holds that the agrarian worker, as opposed to the more general working class, is the driving force in transforming from a capitalist society into a socialist society.
57 Wanders around a terminal, for short? : TSA
A TSA agent might use a wand to detect metal being carried by a passenger on their body.
Down
2 Air play? : RADIO DRAMA
I think it’s so sad that the wonderful tradition of making and broadcasting radio drama has been all but lost in the US. Fortunately, the UK’s BBC still produces radio plays on a regular basis. They also rebroadcast many of the terrific American radio plays from the 1940s, and so you can still hear works that feature Hollywood stars like Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Orson Welles and Basil Rathbone.
3 Public relations pro, informally : SPIN DOCTOR
We use the term “spin” to describe an attempt to influence media reporters, with the term “spin doctor” describing a public relations person who is spouting such “spin”. Apparently, the use of “spin” in this context was popularized during the Reagan administration, when White House Chief of Staff Donald Regan was known informally as the “Director of Spin Control”.
5 “The most engaging cowardice,” per Robert Frost : HUMOR
The wonderful poet Robert Frost was a native of San Francisco, but lived most of life in New England. He also spent a few years in England, just before WWI. Frost was well recognized for his work during his lifetime, and received four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry. He was also Vermont’s first Poet Laureate, a position that he held from 1961 until his death in 1963.
25 Hairstyle for Violet in “Peanuts” : BANGS
Charles M. Schulz was a cartoonist best known for his comic strip “Peanuts” that featured the much-loved characters Charlie Brown and Snoopy. “Peanuts” was so successful, running daily in over 70 countries and 21 languages, that it earned Schulz an estimated 30-40 million dollars annually.
28 Wars of words? : RAP BATTLES
Battle rapping (also “rap battling”) is a contest in which two or more rappers “fight it out” using opposing, improvised lyrics. I’d be annihilated …
29 Time for action : D-DAY
The most famous D-Day in history was June 6, 1944, the date of the Normandy landings in WWII. The term “D-Day” is used by the military to designate the day on which a combat operation is to be launched, especially when the actual date has yet to be determined. What D stands for seems to have been lost in the mists of time although the tradition is that D just stands for “Day”. In fact, the French have a similar term, “Jour J” (Day J), with a similar meaning. We also use H-Hour to denote the hour the attack is to commence.
38 Tiny shape-shifters : AMOEBAS
An ameba (also “amoeba”) is a single-celled microorganism. The name comes from the Greek “amoibe”, meaning change. The name is quite apt, as the cell changes shape readily as the ameba moves, eats and reproduces.
41 Deep red : GARNET
Garnets are silicate minerals that come in many colors. However, the color that we call “garnet” is a dark red.
44 Hermann ___, champion skier known as “The Herminator” : MAIER
Hermann Maier is a retired Austrian alpine skier. His competitive career was almost brought to an end in 2001 when he was involved in a near-fatal motorcycle accident. Maier almost lost his right leg in the crash and had to undergo massive reconstructive surgery. Three years later, Maier made one of the greatest comebacks in any sport, and earned himself the nickname “the Herminator”.
45 Princess twin of He-Man : SHE-RA
“She-Ra: Princess of Power” is an animated television show, and a spinoff of the very successful “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe”. Both shows are aimed at young people, with “He-Man” targeted at boys and “She-Ra” at girls.
47 Actor DeVine of “Pitch Perfect” : ADAM
“Pitch Perfect” is an entertaining musical comedy film released in 2012. It’s all about an all-female college a cappella group competing to win a national competition.
50 Woman’s name that becomes another woman’s name if you interchange its second and fourth letters : MYRA
MYRA becomes MARY.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Many job fair attendees: Abbr. : SRS
4 “We’re done, folks!” : THAT’S A WRAP!
14 Draws from : TAPS
16 One with sound judgment? : AUDIOPHILE
17 God for whom Wednesday is named : ODIN
18 Capsules that can track health info : SMART PILLS
19 Number of countries whose names both start and end with “A” : NINE
20 “Truth is …” : TO BE HONEST …
21 Alpine crooner : YODELER
23 “Ich bin ___ Berliner” : EIN
24 Went out for a bit : DOZED
25 Animal resting place : BARNYARD
30 Like a basketball court’s three-point line : ARCED
31 Short-distance driver : VALET
32 Scolding word : BAD
33 Tells on, with “out” : RATS …
34 Useful acquaintances : INS
35 Big acronym in purifying filters : HEPA
36 “Yo te ___” : AMO
37 Hinduism’s “king of fruits” : MANGO
39 Permit to pass : LET BY
40 Pool and darts, often : BAR GAMES
42 Cruz known as the “Queen of Salsa” : CELIA
43 Emmy-winning actress Edebiri of “The Bear” : AYO
44 1940s Chinese revolutionaries : MAOISTS
46 He’s taken! : MARRIED MAN
51 Way : PATH
52 “Seems fishy to me” : I DON’T BUY IT
53 Qualified : ABLE
54 Focus group? : CAMERA CREW
55 A buck or two : DEER
56 Listless look : EMPTY STARE
57 Wanders around a terminal, for short? : TSA
Down
1 Insensitive to human feeling : STONY
2 Air play? : RADIO DRAMA
3 Public relations pro, informally : SPIN DOCTOR
4 Tried a bit of : TASTED
5 “The most engaging cowardice,” per Robert Frost : HUMOR
6 Not much hair cream : A DAB
7 It goes bald over time : TIRE
8 “Deal with it!” : SO THERE!
9 Select : APPOINT
10 Stable call : WHINNY
11 Rankle, with “up” : RILE …
12 Tell-___ (exposing accounts) : ALLS
13 Persistent interrupter, say : PEST
15 Some causes for blessings : SNEEZES
22 Was second to none : LED
25 Hairstyle for Violet in “Peanuts” : BANGS
26 It’s followed by an extra point : ALSO
27 “You lost! Pay up!” : A BET IS A BET!
28 Wars of words? : RAP BATTLES
29 Time for action : D-DAY
30 Palestinian, e.g. : ARAB
31 Bougainvillea, for one : VINE
35 Feature of many hospital roofs : HELIPAD
37 Request following some failed attempts : MAY I TRY?
38 Tiny shape-shifters : AMOEBAS
39 Passionate, domineering sort, it’s said : LEO
41 Deep red : GARNET
42 “What’s stopping us?” : CAN’T WE?
44 Hermann ___, champion skier known as “The Herminator” : MAIER
45 Princess twin of He-Man : SHE-RA
46 Cat’s scan? : MICE
47 Actor DeVine of “Pitch Perfect” : ADAM
48 Easy win : ROMP
49 One might be full of tears : DUCT
50 Woman’s name that becomes another woman’s name if you interchange its second and fourth letters : MYRA
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16:12, no errors. An enjoyable outing after a very long and difficult day … 😳.
Not an enjoyable outing! 26 minutes even. Also PSST instead of PEST. 🤮
32:11, no errors. Cruised through most of the puzzle in about 15 minutes, then hit the SW corner.