Constructed by: Billy Bratton
Edited by: Joel Fagliano
Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Theme: None
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Bill’s time: 16m 04s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
11 Celebratory dance : JIG
The jig is a dance most associated with Ireland and Scotland. In traditional Irish dancing, the jig is second in popularity only to the reel. The most famous Irish jig is probably “The Irish Washerwoman”. I may not dance a jig, but I sure do know the tune of “The Irish Washerwoman” …
16 Builders of pyramids, perhaps : CON ARTISTS
A pyramid scheme is a type of business that depends on the energetic recruitment of others into the scheme. New members typically make a payment of some sort to join, and are pressured to recruit their own circle of new paying recruits. Shares of the recruitment payment proceed up the chain so that those in the higher echelons can make a lot of money. The scheme breaks down as more and more members find themselves competing for fewer and fewer potential recruits.
19 Island home of a goat known as the kri-kri : CRETE
Crete is the largest of the Greek Islands, and figures heavily in Greek mythology. Zeus was born in a cave at Mount Ida, the highest peak on the island. Crete was also home to the Labyrinth where the Minotaur was slain by Theseus. Icarus and Daedalus, after having crafted the Labyrinth, escaped from the island using wings that they crafted.
21 Dish topped with lime, basil and hoisin sauce : PHO
Pho (pronounced “fuh”) is a noodle soup from Vietnam that is a popular street food. It is often ordered with a side of hanh dam, pickled white onions.
Hoisin sauce is named after the Chinese word for “seafood”. However, hoisin sauce contains no seafood, and nor is it served with seafood!
26 Female dog portrayed by nine different male dogs : LASSIE
The canine character Lassie is the creation of Eric Knight, an author who wrote a short story that he expanded into a novel called “Lassie Come Home” published in 1940. “Lassie Come Home” was turned into a movie three years later, the first of a very successful franchise. The original Lassie (a female) was played by a long-haired collie called Pal (a male). In fact, all of the dogs that played Lassie over the years were males, because they looked better on camera, retaining a thick coat even during the summer months.
31 German beer historically consumed by monks : BOCK
A bock is a strong lager from Germany that was first brewed in the town of Einbeck. The famous brewers of Munich adopted the style of beer, calling it Einbeck after the town of its origin. However, with the Bavarian accent “Einbeck” came out as “ein Bock”, the German for “a billy goat”. The name “bock” stuck, and so you’ll often see a billy goat on the labels of bock beers.
32 “The ___ of the System” (David Foster Wallace’s first novel) : BROOM
American author David Foster Wallace’s most famous work is his 1996 novel “Infinite Jest”. Wallace’s books are known for extensive use of explanatory footnotes and endnotes, which can take up as many pages as the novel’s text. Wallace struggled with depression for about twenty years. Sadly, he ended up committing suicide in 2008 by hanging himself, when he was only 46 years old. Wallace left an unfinished novel called “The Pale King” that, even though published incomplete, became a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
34 Taylor Swift’s “___ Song” : OUR
“Our Song” is a number recorded by Taylor Swift in 2006. Swift wrote the song during her freshman year, for a high school talent show.
35 Shells out for dinner, say : PASTA
Pasta shells are more correctly known as “conchiglie”, coming from the Italian word for “seashell”.
47 Sound from a pointer : ARF!
The breed of dog known as a pointer is also known as an English pointer. There are other pointing breeds though, dogs that instinctively “point” by stopping and aiming their muzzles at game when hunting. The list of other pointing breeds includes the English setter and the Irish setter.
Down
6 Drag participant? : HOT ROD
A hot rod is an American car that has been modified for speed by installing a larger than normal engine. A street rod is generally a more comfortable type of hot rod, with the emphasis less on the engine and more on custom paint jobs and interiors. By definition, a street rod must be based on an automobile design that originated prior to 1949.
Back in the 18th century, “drag” was slang for a wagon or buggy, as it was “dragged” along by a horse or horses. In the 1930s, the underworld adopted “drag” as slang for an automobile. This sense of the word was imported into automobile racing in the 1940s, giving the name to “drag racing”. A drag race is basically a competition between two cars to determine which can accelerate faster from a standstill.
7 Human rights activist Wiesel : ELIE
Elie Wiesel was a holocaust survivor, and is best known for his book “Night” that tells of his experiences in Auschwitz and Buchenwald. Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. He was also the first recipient of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum Award, which was later renamed the Elie Wiesel Award in his honor.
9 Called out on Instagram, informally : ATTED
The “at symbol” (@) originated in the commercial world, as shorthand for “each at, per” and similar phrases. I suppose we see the symbol most commonly these days as part of email addresses.
11 They’re set for a night of drinking : JELL-O SHOTS
The earliest published recipe for Jell-O shots (or equivalent) appeared in an 1862 book called “How to Mix Drinks” by Jerry Thomas. That recipe called for gelatin, cognac, rum and lemon juice.
If you like Jell-O, then you might want to stop by LeRoy, New York where you can visit the only Jell-O museum in the world. While at the museum, you can walk along the Jell-O Brick Road …
13 Prepares for a bomb : GOES DEEP
A bomb is a long pass in American football, for which a receiver would have to “go deep”.
23 Lugubrious : GLUM
“Lugubrious” is such a lovely word, a favorite of mine. It means “mournful, gloomy” and comes from “lugere”, the Latin word for “to mourn”.
24 What might have sandwiches under wraps? : SECRET MENU
Apparently, some fast-food restaurants maintain a “secret” menu of unadvertised selections that customers hear about on the grapevine.
31 Fans that are hardly keeping cool : BOOBIRDS
A boobird is a sports fan who does a lot of booing.
36 Southern hip-hop duo with the #1 hit “Ms. Jackson” : OUTKAST
OutKast is a hip hop duo consisting of rappers André 3000 and Big Boi.
40 Penalty box, in hockey slang : SIN BIN
The penalty box (less formally “sin bin”) is an area used in several sports for a player to serve out a given time penalty. Sin bins are used perhaps most notably in ice hockey, rugby and roller derby.
42 Competitor of Kirin : ASAHI
Asahi is a Japanese beer, and the name of the brewery that produces it. “Asahi” is Japanese for “morning sun”. Asahi introduced a “dry beer” in 1987, igniting a craze that rocketed the brewery to the number one spot in terms of beer production in Japan, with Sapporo close behind.
Kirin lager is the oldest brand of beer in Japan. The “Kirin” name comes from the Japanese word for a mythical Chinese creature.
46 Alternative to blinds : ANTE
In some variants of poker, a forced bet is made by one or two players sitting to the left of the dealer. These bets are known as “blinds”, and are used instead of antes to ensure that there is some money in the pot. The player to the immediate left of the dealer posts the “small blind” (usually half the minimum bet), and the next player to the left posts the “big blind” (usually the minimum bet).
47 Janis’s cartoon partner : ARLO
The comic strip “Arlo and Janis” is written by Jimmy Johnson. Introduced in 1985, Arlo and Janis are a baby booming couple with an easy approach to life, and who are very much in love.
48 Super Bowl-winning coach Andy : REID
Andy Reid was head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles football team for 13 years before taking up the head coaching position with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013.
51 Some football linemen: Abbr. : RTS
In American football, linemen specialize in playing in the line of scrimmage. RT stands for Right Tackle. That’s about all I know, and even that I am unsure about …
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Make something possible, so to speak : PAVE THE WAY
11 Celebratory dance : JIG
14 Question from someone bursting through the door : AM I TOO LATE?
15 Musician’s pitch? : DEMO
16 Builders of pyramids, perhaps : CON ARTISTS
17 If not : ELSE
18 Venture (to) : TRY
19 Island home of a goat known as the kri-kri : CRETE
20 Bits of fiction : TALES
21 Dish topped with lime, basil and hoisin sauce : PHO
22 Online provocateur, in slang : EDGELORD
24 Like some watermelons and tennis players : SEEDED
26 Female dog portrayed by nine different male dogs : LASSIE
27 Pro side : YEAS
28 High 90s, say : A-PLUS
30 Weeding tool : HOE
31 German beer historically consumed by monks : BOCK
32 “The ___ of the System” (David Foster Wallace’s first novel) : BROOM
33 21-Across, e.g. : SOUP
34 Taylor Swift’s “___ Song” : OUR
35 Shells out for dinner, say : PASTA
36 Makes a pick : OPTS
37 Low tie : ONE-ALL
39 What hilarity often does, it’s said : ENSUES
41 Superhero alter ego for Kathy Kane : BATWOMAN
43 “___ be my pleasure!” : IT’D
44 😡 😡 😡 : I’M MAD!
45 Was downright awful : STANK
47 Sound from a pointer : ARF!
50 Smell something fierce : REEK
51 Catcher of drops : RAIN BARREL
53 Feast : DINE
54 “False!” : THAT IS A LIE!
55 Run after R : -S-T-U
56 Setting indicated by a bell with a slash : SILENT MODE
Down
1 Diplomatic success : PACT
2 ___ patriae (Latin for “patriotism”) : AMOR
3 Ivy descriptor : VINY
4 Concourse info, in brief : ETA
5 Items wielded by angry mobs : TORCHES
6 Drag participant? : HOT ROD
7 Human rights activist Wiesel : ELIE
8 Underachiever’s issue : WASTED POTENTIAL
9 Called out on Instagram, informally : ATTED
10 Consent cue : YES
11 They’re set for a night of drinking : JELL-O SHOTS
12 “No, really!” : I’M SERIOUS!
13 Prepares for a bomb : GOES DEEP
15 Hands out : DEALS
20 Array on a trolley : TEAS
21 Max : PEAK
23 Lugubrious : GLUM
24 What might have sandwiches under wraps? : SECRET MENU
25 All ___ : EARS
27 “I’ll do whatever” : YOU NAME IT
29 Floated sum : LOAN
31 Fans that are hardly keeping cool : BOOBIRDS
32 Skin soother : BALM
33 Went in the high 90s, say : SPED
35 Drag one’s feet : PLOD
36 Southern hip-hop duo with the #1 hit “Ms. Jackson” : OUTKAST
38 Not out : AWAKE
40 Penalty box, in hockey slang : SIN BIN
42 Competitor of Kirin : ASAHI
46 Alternative to blinds : ANTE
47 Janis’s cartoon partner : ARLO
48 Super Bowl-winning coach Andy : REID
49 Become a fugitive : FLEE
51 Some football linemen: Abbr. : RTS
52 Force (through) : RAM
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