Tag: Extended play crossword clue

Bill’s time: 24m 33s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

20A Less than satisfactory, slangily : NO BUENO

In Spanish, something might be “bueno” (good) or “malo” (bad).

21A Like some cyborg parts : BIONIC

Bionic limbs are in fact a reality, although a relatively small number of amputees have been fitted with them. Bionic limbs depend on the fact that the brain continues to send out messages to nerves that have been truncated through amputation. The nerve stub is redirected to a set of chest muscles, so when the person thinks “open the hand”, say, that causes a chest muscle to contract. Electrodes placed on the surface of the chest muscle detect its movement, and that signal is sent to the prosthetic limb, causing it to move. Science can be so wonderful …

“Cyborg” is an abbreviation for “cybernetic organism”, a being that is made up of both organic and synthetic parts.

22A Extended play? : ENCORE

“Encore” is French for “again, one more time”, and is a shout that an audience member will make here in North America to request perhaps another song. But, the term is not used this way in France. Rather, the audience will shout “Bis!”, which is the Latin for “twice!”

25A Journalist Michele with two Peabody Awards : NORRIS

Journalist Michele Norris is perhaps best known as co-host of the NPR evening news program “All Things Considered”, a post that she held from 2002 until 2011. Norris stepped away from the show when her husband Broderick D. Johnson was appointed to Barack Obama’s 2012 presidential reelection campaign.

31A Bob ___, alter ego of Mr. Incredible : PARR

“The Incredibles” is a 2004 animated feature from Pixar, and not a great movie if you ask me. But asking me probably isn’t a good idea, as the film won two Oscars …

35A Mythical figure whose name means “murmuring rock” : LORELEI

Lorelei is the name of a legendary mermaid or nymph who lured fishermen by singing a beautiful song. Lorelei’s aim was to have the fishermen steer their boats onto rocks lurking beneath the water’s surface.

38A Justice ___ Coney Barrett : AMY

Amy Coney Barrett was nominated to the US Supreme Court by President Donald Trump in 2020. She replaced Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who had passed away just five weeks before Barrett took her seat on the bench. Barrett clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia in the late 1990s.

41A N.F.L. accolade : ALL-PRO

The term “All-Pro” is used in the NFL as a designation for the best player across the whole league in a particular position for a given season.

49A “All–can-eat buffet” : I MISSED YOU

Our word “buffet” comes from the French “bufet” meaning “bench, sideboard”. So, a buffet is a meal served from a “bufet”.

53A Exam for future docs : MCAT

Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)

54A Fenway squad : RED SOX

The Fens is a picturesque parkland in Boston. Once a saltwater marshland, urban development since the late 1800s has turned the area into what is essentially a freshwater lagoon. The Fens (sometimes “Back Bay Fens”) gave its name to the Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood, and ultimately to the famous Fenway Park baseball stadium.

70A Large volume : TOME

“Tome” first came into English from the Latin “tomus” which means “section of a book”. The original usage in English was for a single volume in a multi-volume work. By the late 16th century, “tome” had come to mean “large book”.

71A They can make a pronounced difference : UMLAUTS

An umlaut (also “diaeresis”) is a diacritical mark consisting of two horizontal dots placed over a letter, usually a vowel. Here in the West, we are perhaps most familiar with umlauts in German, as in “Schön”.

73A Historic figure targeted in Stephen King’s time-travel novel “11/22/63” : OSWALD

Lee Harvey Oswald was the assassin who killed President John F. Kennedy in Dallas on November 22, 1963. Oswald served with the US Marines from 1956 until 1959. One month after leaving the military, Oswald traveled to the Soviet Union via a circuitous route across the Atlantic and Europe. He entered the Soviet Union on a visa that was only valid for one week, but once in the country he made it clear that he wanted to stay. Oswald settled in Minsk for a few years, working there as a lathe operator and living in government-subsidized housing. In 1961, Oswald married a 19-year-old Russian student and the couple had a baby girl a year later. Oswald grew tired of life in Russia though, so he and his new family moved to the US in 1962, settling in the Dallas area. Oswald’s widow still lives in Texas.

78A Tree that can be a source of water for thirsty elephants : BAOBAB

“Baobab” is the common name for an Adansonia tree, most species of which are native to Madagascar. The name Adansonia was given in honor of the French naturalist and explorer Michel Adanson.

93A Off work, for short : OOO

Out of the office (OOO)

105A One of the Three Musketeers : ATHOS

Alexandre Dumas’ “Three Musketeers” are Athos, Porthos and Aramis, although the hero of the novel is the trio’s young protégé D’Artagnan. A musketeer was an infantry soldier who was equipped with a musket. Funnily enough, the three “musketeers” really don’t use their muskets, and are better known for prowess with their swords.

106A “S.N.L.” alum Gardner : HEIDI

Comedian and actress Heidi Gardner joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live” in 2017.

108A Artist who kept a pet ocelot : DALI

The ocelot is a wild cat found mainly in South and Central America, although there have been sightings as far north as Arkansas. An ocelot doesn’t look too different from a domestic cat, and some have been kept as pets. Perhaps most famously, Salvador Dali had one that he carried around everywhere with him.

117A It’s cold in Italy : GELATO

Gelato (plural “gelati”) is the Italian version of American ice cream, differing in that it has a lower butterfat content than its US counterpart.

118A Shifts gears, say : SEGUES

A segue is a transition from one topic to the next. “Segue” is an Italian word that literally means “now follows”. It was first used in musical scores directing the performer to play into the next movement without a break. The oft-used term “segway” is given the same meaning, although the word “segway” doesn’t really exist. It is a misspelling of “segue” that has been popularized by its use as the name of the personal transporter known as a Segway.

119A Nation bordering the Black Sea : UKRAINE

Ukraine is a large country in Eastern Europe that was a Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) before the dissolution of the USSR. In English, we often call the country “the Ukraine”, but I am told that we should just say “Ukraine”.

The Black Sea is in southeastern Europe just south of Ukraine. In the north of the Black Sea is the Crimean Peninsula.

Down

5D ___ Allen, host of “Chopped” : TED

Ted Allen is a TV personality who found fame as the food and wine expert on the Bravo show “Queer Eye”. He started as host of the cooking competition show “Chopped” in 2009.

8D Connive with, maybe : ABET

To connive is to conspire with, to cooperate in secret. The term comes from the Latin verb “connivere” meaning “to wink”, the idea being that connivers might give each other a sly wink.

9D Second-generation Japanese American : NISEI

There are some very specific terms used to describe the children born to Japanese immigrants in their new country. The immigrants themselves are known as “Issei”. “Nisei” are second generation Japanese, “Sansei” the third generation (grandchildren of the immigrant), and “Yonsei” are fourth generation.

10D Alley ___ : OOP

“Alley Oop” is a comic strip that ran for four decades starting in 1932. “Alley Oop” was drawn by V. T. Hamlin. The title character lived in the prehistoric kingdom of Moo, although for much of the strip’s life, Alley Oop had access to a time machine. Alley Oop also had a girlfriend called Ooola. I had assumed that Ooola’s name was a play on “hula hoop”, but that little toy wasn’t invented until the 1950s (a kind blog reader informs me) …

13D Immune system agent : T CELL

T cells are a group of white blood cells that are essential components of the body’s immune system. T cells are so called because they mature in the thymus, a specialized organ found in the chest.

17D Logo of the W.N.B.A.’s New York Liberty : TORCH

The New York Liberty was founded in 1997 and was one of the original eight teams to play in the WNBA. The franchise is based in Brooklyn, and plays at the Barclays Center.

24D Sex symbol of the 1950s-’60s, familiarly : MARILYN

Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe had three husbands in all:

1. James Dougherty (1942-1946), a police officer whom she married when her name was still Norma Jeane Baker.
2. Joe DiMaggio (1954-1955), baseball legend with whom she eloped and married in San Francisco City Hall
3. Arthur Miller (1956-1961), Pulitzer-winning playwright with whom she eventually obtained a “Mexican divorce”.

29D Hypercompetitive and driven, say : TYPE A

The Type-A and Type-B personality theory originated in the fifties. Back then, individuals were labeled as Type A in order to emphasize a perceived increased risk of heart disease. Type-A personality types are so-called “stress junkies”, whereas Type Bs are relaxed and laid back. But there doesn’t seem to be much scientific evidence to support the linkage between the Type-A personality and heart problems.

33D Street application : TAR

The term “tarmac” is short for “tarmacadam”. In the 1800s, Scotsman John Loudon McAdam developed a style of road known as “macadam”. Macadam had a top-layer of crushed stone and gravel laid over larger stones. The macadam also had a convex cross-section so that water tended to drain to the sides. In 1901, a significant improvement was made by English engineer Edgar Purnell Hooley who introduced tar into the macadam, improving the resistance to water damage and practically eliminating dust. The “tar-penetration macadam” is the basis of what we now call “tarmac”.

36D “Ibis” poet : OVID

The Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso is known today simply as Ovid. Ovid is usually listed alongside the two other great Roman poets: Horace and Virgil. Although he was immensely popular during his own lifetime, Ovid spent the last ten years of his life in exile. He fell foul of Emperor Augustus and so was banished to Tomis, a city on the Black Sea. What led to this disfavor seems to have been lost in the mists of time.

37D Bob who painted “Cabin at Sunset,” which sold for over $1 million to benefit public media : ROSS

Bob Ross was an artist and art instructor. Ross created and appeared in the long-running PBS show “The Joy of Painting”, a show which provided instructions for budding artists. He was known for some colorful phrases that he tended to repeat on screen, one of the most famous being “let’s add some happy little trees”.

40D Fragrant holiday purchase : FIR

Firs are evergreen coniferous trees, with several species being popular as Christmas trees. The most commonly used species during the holidays are the Nordmann fir, noble fir, Fraser fir and balsam fir. We also see a lot of Douglas fir trees at Christmas, but they’re not actually true firs.

43D Goody-goody sort : PURITAN

“Puritan” was a pejorative term used in the 1560s to describe a Protestant extremist who was not satisfied with the extent of the reformation of the Church of England. The Puritans advocated further reforms, believing that the Church of England still harbored a lot of corruption. Facing staunch resistance to their ideals in Britain, many of the Puritans emigrated, the first wave to the Netherlands, with later emigrants moving to New England.

45D Young salmon : SMOLT

When young salmon (born in freshwater) are at the smolt stage, they become adapted to saltwater and head for the sea. They return to freshwater to reproduce, often traveling long distances upstream.

47D Like Amazon forests, typically : RAINY

Amazonia, also known as the Amazon rainforest, is a vast region in South America covering most of the Amazon river basin. It is so vast that it represents more than half of the planet’s remaining rainforest, and is home to one in ten known species on Earth. Its geographic footprint is nearly twice the size of India.

52D [So-o-o funny!] : ROFL!

Rolling on floor laughing (ROFL)

60D “Geaux Tigers!” sch. : LSU

The Tigers are the sports teams of Louisiana State University (LSU). They are officially known as the Fightin’ Tigers, and the school mascot is “Mike the Tiger”. The name comes from the days of the Civil War, when two Louisiana brigades earned the nickname the “Louisiana Tigers”. Given the French/Cajun history of Louisiana, the LSU fans use the cheer “Geaux Tigers” instead of “Go Tigers”.

62D John M. ___, director of 2024’s “Wicked” : CHU

A typo in the clue, I think: “Jon” instead of “John”?

Jon M. Chu is a movie and television director who is perhaps known for directing 2018’s highly-acclaimed film “Crazy Rich Asians”. Chu’s firstborn child is named “Willow”, after the 1988 film “Willow”. His second-born child is named “Jonathan Heights”, after the 2021 movie “In the Heights”.

66D Use a divining rod : DOWSE

Dowsing is the practice of divining, not just for water but also for buried metals and gemstones. Often a dowser will use a Y-shaped or L-shaped rod as a tool, which can also be called a dowser. Here in the US, the tool used might be referred to as a “witching rod”, as it is usually made from witch-hazel.

67D Midwest birthplace of Marlon Brando : OMAHA

Actor Marlon Brando really hit the big time with his Oscar-nominated performance in the 1951 movie “A Streetcar Named Desire”. Brando went on to win another Best Actor Oscar for his performance in 1972’s “The Godfather”, which gave him the platform to establish himself as a political activist. He turned down the award and didn’t attend the ceremony. Instead he sent a Native American rights activist called Sacheen Littlefeather who made a speech protesting the depiction of Native Americans in Hollywood movies. Brando wasn’t the first person to refuse an Oscar. George C. Scott did the same thing when he won for playing the title role in 1970’s “Patton”. Scott just didn’t like the whole idea of “competing” with other actors.

77D Like London’s Kew Gardens : BOTANIC

Kew Gardens is a beautiful location in southwest London that has the world’s largest collection of different living plants.

80D Word with black or coffee : BEAN

What we usually refer to as a “black bean” in North America, is more correctly called a “black turtle bean”, to distinguish it from other varieties of bean that are black. The black turtle bean is a variety of common bean, and was given the “turtle” moniker due to its hard, outer “shell”.

81D Covenant keepers : ARKS

According to the Book of Exodus, the stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments are inscribed were placed in a chest called the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark was built according to instructions given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai.

82D Something in which you might stand for a spell : BEE

Back in 18th-century America, when neighbors would gather to work for the benefit of one of their group, such a meeting was called a bee. The name “bee” was an allusion to the social nature of the insect. In modern parlance, a further element of entertainment and pleasure has been introduced, for example in a quilting bee, or even a spelling bee.

90D Boutonniere counterpart : CORSAGE

“Corsage” is a word that we imported from French in the late 15th century. Back then it meant, believe it or not, “body size”. By the early 1800s, a corsage was a bodice, or the body of a woman’s dress. At the beginning of the 20th century, the French term “bouquet de corsage” was being used for a “bouquet worn on the bodice”, and this has been shortened simply to “corsage”.

A boutonnière is a flower worn by men in the lapel of a jacket, in the buttonhole. In fact, sometimes a boutonnière is referred to as a “buttonhole”, which is the translation of the French term.

94D Many a modern-day septuagenarian : BOOMER

A baby boomer is someone who was born in the post-WWII baby boom. The rate of births had been falling fairly steadily in the US at least since 1900, but this trend was sharply reversed in 1946 after WWII. The higher birth rate continued until 1964, when it returned to pre-war levels. Since then the birth rate has continued to decline, although at a slower pace. The period between 1946 and 1964 is often defined as the “baby boom”.

96D Pricing game on “The Price Is Right” : PLINKO

“The Price is Right” game show started airing in its current format in 1972, with Bob Barker hosting. Drew Carey took over as host in 2007. There was an earlier version of the show that had a somewhat different format, and it aired from 1956 to 1965. Apparently, “The Price is Right” is the longest running TV game show in the world.

97D Avatar, e.g. : IMAGE

The Sanskrit word “avatar” describes the concept of a deity descending into earthly life and taking on a persona. It’s easy to see how in the world of online presences one might use the word avatar to describe one’s online identity.

99D Teresa of ___ : AVILA

St. Teresa of Ávila (also known as St. Teresa of Jesus) was a Carmelite nun living in Spain in the 1500s. She is particularly noted for her writings on Christian meditation and mental prayer.

100D Sacred Sanskrit texts : VEDAS

The Vedas are a body of ancient Indian texts, the oldest Hindu scriptures. The word “véda” is Sanskrit, and means “knowledge, wisdom”.

101D Card game played in Dickens’s “The Pickwick Papers” : WHIST

Whist is an English card game that involves the taking of tricks. Whist is a derivative of the earlier game of Trump or Ruff that was played in the 16th century. Back in Ireland, where I come from, whist tournaments are extremely popular and are known as “whist drives”.

“The Pickwick Papers” is an 1837 novel by Charles Dickens that was first published as a serial from 1836 to 1837. Dickens was originally commissioned to provide text linking a series of planned illustrations depicting the misadventures of the members of a hunting and fishing club as they ventured out into the countryside. In the end, Dickens’ story took precedence, and the picture artists found themselves illustrating what Dickens wrote, rather than vice-versa.

107D Website with a “Star Seller” program : ETSY

Etsy.com was founded in 2005 as a way for artists and craftspeople to sell their handmade goods online, and has since grown to include vintage items and crafting supplies as well.

109D Setting for most of the TV series “Pachinko” : ASIA

“Pachinko” is an historic fiction novel by Korean American author Min Jin Lee that was published in 2017. It traces the lives of a Korean family who immigrated to Japan during the Japanese occupation of Korea. The story spans multiple generations and explores themes of identity, discrimination, and resilience faced by ethnic Koreans in Japan. “Pachinko” was adapted into a TV series of the same name that debuted in 2022.

110D Time for a social media break, maybe : LENT

In Latin, the Christian season that is now called “Lent” was termed “quadragesima” (meaning “fortieth”), a reference to the forty days that Jesus spent in the desert before beginning his public ministry. When the church began its move in the Middle Ages towards using the vernacular, the term “Lent” was introduced. “Lent” comes from “lencten”, an Old English word meaning springtime, or the month of March.

111D ___ fixe : IDEE

An “idée fixe” (a French term) is basically a fixed idea, an obsession.

113D Office address abbr. : STE

Suite (ste.)