Constructed by: August Miller
Edited by: Joel Fagliano
Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Theme: None
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… a complete list of answers
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Bill’s time: 20m 30s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
1 Lab evidence, perhaps : PAW PRINTS
The Labrador (Lab) breed of dog has been around at least since 1814. The breed comes in three registered colors: black, yellow and chocolate.
14 Some tabloid fodder : UFO REPORTS
“Tabloid” is the trademarked name (owned by Burroughs Wellcome) for a “small tablet of medicine”, a name that goes back to 1884. The word “tabloid” had entered into general use to mean a compressed form of anything, and by the early 1900s was used in “tabloid journalism”, which described newspapers that had short, condensed articles and stories printed on smaller sheets of paper.
18 Source of a South American herbal tea : COCA
Coca tea is made by steeping the leaves of the coca plant, either raw or dried, in hot water. It is a mild stimulant, as the leaves do contain a small quantity of the alkaloids that are extracted to produce cocaine. Coca tea is illegal in the US, unless you can get hold of some from which the alkaloids have been removed.
19 “Anything goes” period in early Hollywood history : PRE-CODE ERA
The Motion Picture Production Code that was in place from 1930 to 1968 was named for Presbyterian elder Will H. Hays. Hays was hired by the movie studios to help clean up Hollywood’s image after several scandals had hit the industry. The actual list of standards was drawn up by Catholic layman Martin Quigley and Jesuit priest Father Daniel A. Lord in 1929, but the code still came to be known as the Hays Code.
20 View of the moon? : BUTT
The first recorded mooning incident took place in 66 AD during the First Roman-Jewish War. Roman soldiers decided to moon Jewish pilgrims as they traveled to the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.
21 Beyoncé’s 2009-10 ___ Tour : I AM…
Beyoncé Knowles established herself in the entertainment industry as the lead singer with the R&B group Destiny’s Child. She launched her solo singing career in 2002, after making her first appearance as an actor. In 2006 she played the lead in the very successful movie adaptation of the Broadway musical “Dreamgirls”. Beyoncé is married to rap star Jay-Z. She is also referred to affectionately as “Queen Bey”, a play on the phrase “the queen bee”. Her fan base goes by the name “Beyhive”.
24 Block for “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” : PBS KIDS
Children’s programming on the Public Broadcasting Service has gone by the name “PBS Kids” since 1994.
30 Greenland’s capital : NUUK
Greenland is the largest island on the planet. Geographically, it is part of the continent of North America, but culturally and politically is considered part of Europe. The island became a Danish colony in 1815, and joined the European Economic Community (EEC) with Denmark. Greenland withdrew from the EEC after a referendum in 1983. Since 2009, Greenland has been relatively autonomous, with the Danish government retaining control of foreign affairs, defense and the judicial system.
32 Title for 10-Down : THANE
[10D Speaker of the line “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow / Creeps in this petty pace from day to day” : MACBETH]
Thanes were Scottish aristocrats. The most famous thanes have to be the Shakespearean characters Macbeth (Thane of Glamis, later “Thane of Cawdor”, and still later “King of Scotland”) and MacDuff (Thane of Fife). Other thanes in “Macbeth” are Ross, Lennox and Angus, as well as Menteith and Caithness.
33 Half of LV : LAS
Las Vegas (LV)
37 Actress Day of “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” : ANDRA
Andra Day is a singer/songwriter who grew up in San Diego. Day’s singing career got a lift in 2010 when Stevie Wonder’s wife heard Day performing at a strip mall. Stevie Wonder reached out to Day, and so is at least partly credited with her discovery.
“The United States vs. Billie Holiday” is a 2021 biopic based on a 2015 book by Johann Hari called “Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs”. The film mainly deals with her performances of the song “Strange Fruit”, with its references to racial prejudice and lynching, and Holiday’s arrest and incarceration for drug possession. Soul singer and actress Andra Day plays Holiday, for which performance she won a Golden Globe.
41 Six-time U.S. Open champion, familiarly : SERENA
Serena Williams is the younger of the two Williams sisters playing professional tennis. Serena has won more prize money in her career than any other female athlete.
43 Annual media award : PEABODY
The Peabody Awards have been presented annually since 1941 to individuals and organizations for excellence in broadcasting. They are named for businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, who provided the funds to establish the awards program.
47 C.V. listing: Abbr. : TEL
A curriculum vitae (“CV” or “vita”) is a listing of someone’s work experience and qualifications, and is used mainly in making a job application. The term “curriculum vitae” can be translated from Latin as “course of life”.
48 Dialect in the Black community, in brief : AAVE
African-American Vernacular English (AAVE)
56 Plant matter? : URANIUM ORE
The isotope of uranium that is mostly found in nature in uranium-238. Natural uranium also contains a small amount (less than 1%) of uranium-235. When uranium is “enriched”, the percentage of uranium-235 is increased. Uranium containing 80% or more uranium-235 is considered “weapons grade”. Uranium was discovered in 1789, and named for the planet Uranus that had been discovered a few years earlier.
58 “Travel as a Political Act” author, 2009 : RICK STEVES
Rick Steves hosts the TV show “Rick Steves Europe” that airs on public television stations.
Down
1 Premium outlet? : PUMP
The gas pump was actually around before there were cars on the road. The first gas pump was the invention of one Sylvanus Bowser from Fort Wayne, Indiana. His first pump was designed to pump kerosene for lamps and stoves, and was introduced in 1885. As automobiles became popular, he modified the design to pump gasoline. He introduced the Self-Measuring Gasoline Storage Pump in 1905. He marketed his devices all around the world, and in some parts the name “bowser” is still used sometimes to refer to fuel pumps, and indeed some fuel tankers.
The difference between a premium and regular gasoline is its octane rating. This is a measure of the resistance of the gasoline to auto-ignition i.e. its resistance to ignition just by virtue of being compressed in the cylinder. This auto-ignition is undesirable as multiple-cylinder engines are designed so that ignition within each cylinder takes place precisely when the plug sparks, and not before. If ignition occurs before the spark is created, the resulting phenomenon is called “knocking”. We sometimes use the adjective “high-octane” to mean “intense, dynamic, high-powered”
3 “Stay ___” : WOKE
The term “woke” can be used as a slang term, an adjective meaning “aware of issues of racial and social justice”.
6 Apple debut of 2012 : IPAD MINI
The iPad mini is a line of smaller iPads that was introduced by Apple in 2012. The iPad mini has a screen size of 7.9 inches, whereas the regular iPad’s screen is 9.7 inches.
10 Speaker of the line “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow / Creeps in this petty pace from day to day” : MACBETH
In William Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth”, the title character utters some famous words on hearing that his wife has died:
She should have died hereafter.
There would have been a time for such a word.
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time.
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle.
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
11 Did a 180 : ABOUT-FACED
We use base-10, the decimal system for our numbers. Base-60, the sexagesimal system, was used by the ancient Babylonians. This ancient usage gives rise to our 60 seconds in a minute, and 360 (6 x 60) degrees in a circle.
12 Game that involves drawing lots? : PICTIONARY
The marvelous game Pictionary was introduced in 1985. It’s a word-guessing game that’s played in teams. Pictionary is a big hit in our house with family and friends. It must be said, a glass of wine does help boost the level of enthusiasm of all concerned …
15 Sides of a summer cookout : SLAWS
The term “coleslaw” is an Anglicized version of the Dutch term “koolsla”, which in itself is a shortened form of “Koolsalade” meaning “cabbage salad”.
24 Parts of many science museums : PLANETARIA
The largest planetarium in the world is Planetarium 1 in St. Petersburg in Russia, having a dome of 37 meters in diameter. The largest in the Western Hemisphere is the Jennifer Chaisty Planetarium in the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey, with a dome of diameter 27 meters. The Birla Planetarium in Kolkata, India has the largest seating capacity, for 630 patrons.
27 Vampire’s bedtime : SUNUP
Legends about vampires were particularly common in Eastern Europe and in the Balkans in particular. The superstition was that vampires could be killed using a wooden stake, with the preferred type of wood varying from place to place. Superstition also defines where the body should be pierced. Most often, the stake was driven through the heart, but Russians and northern Germans went for the mouth, and northeastern Serbs for the stomach.
35 Titular scientist in a 2016 children’s book by Andrea Beaty : ADA TWIST
“Ada Twist, Scientist’ is a children’s picture book by Andrea Beaty (illustrated by David Roberts) that was first published in 2016. An animated preschool TV series with the same name premiered in 2021.
42 Portend : AUGUR
The verb “to augur” means “to bode, serve as an omen”. The term comes from the name of religious officials in ancient Rome called augurs whose job it was to interpret signs and omens.
46 “Charms strike the sight, but ___ wins the soul”: Alexander Pope : MERIT
Alexander Pope was an English poet who was famous for his own compositions as well as for a translation of Homer’s works.
50 Dash device : TACH
The tachometer takes its name from the Greek word “tachos” meaning “speed”. A tachometer in a car measures engine revolutions per minute (rpm).
Back in the 1800s, “dashboard” was the name given to a “board” placed at the front of a carriage to stop mud from “dashing” against the passengers in the carriage, mud that was kicked up by the hooves of the horses. Quite interesting …
51 “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” singer, 1959 : ANKA
“Put Your Head on My Shoulder” is a song written and recorded by Paul Anka in 1959. It was famously covered by the Lettermen in 1968.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Lab evidence, perhaps : PAW PRINTS
10 Illustrations in many fantasy novels : MAPS
14 Some tabloid fodder : UFO REPORTS
16 Kinda : A BIT
17 Comes to terms : MAKES A DEAL
18 Source of a South American herbal tea : COCA
19 “Anything goes” period in early Hollywood history : PRE-CODE ERA
20 View of the moon? : BUTT
21 Beyoncé’s 2009-10 ___ Tour : I AM…
22 Pumpkin substitute : SWEETIE
24 Block for “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” : PBS KIDS
28 Was painted by, say : SAT FOR
29 Carpet fiber or human hair, maybe : CLUE
30 Greenland’s capital : NUUK
32 Title for 10-Down : THANE
33 Half of LV : LAS
34 Roomy Toyotas : SIENNAS
36 Put a restriction on : CAP
37 Actress Day of “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” : ANDRA
39 Made a case against? : SUED
40 Half of a matching pair : HERS
41 Six-time U.S. Open champion, familiarly : SERENA
43 Annual media award : PEABODY
45 Grip improver : STICKUM
47 C.V. listing: Abbr. : TEL
48 Dialect in the Black community, in brief : AAVE
49 Vehicle for criminal activity : GETAWAY CAR
55 Indie ___ : CRED
56 Plant matter? : URANIUM ORE
57 Rim attachment : TIRE
58 “Travel as a Political Act” author, 2009 : RICK STEVES
59 Freshness : SASS
60 “Cool trick” : THAT’S NEAT
Down
1 Premium outlet? : PUMP
2 Really out there : AFAR
3 “Stay ___” : WOKE
4 Meticulous : PRECISE
5 Hit with another water balloon : RESOAK
6 Apple debut of 2012 : IPAD MINI
7 Branching point : NODE
8 Branching point? : TREE
9 Plays a big role : STARS
10 Speaker of the line “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow / Creeps in this petty pace from day to day” : MACBETH
11 Did a 180 : ABOUT-FACED
12 Game that involves drawing lots? : PICTIONARY
13 Local legislation passers : STATE REPS
15 Sides of a summer cookout : SLAWS
23 Sustenance, slangily : EATS
24 Parts of many science museums : PLANETARIA
25 They may open doors for you : BUS DRIVERS
26 Some yearly payments : DUES
27 Vampire’s bedtime : SUNUP
29 Impressively respectful types : CLASS ACTS
31 Support for a proposal : KNEE
34 Hit bottom, maybe : SANK
35 Titular scientist in a 2016 children’s book by Andrea Beaty : ADA TWIST
38 Moves away : RECEDES
40 Priors, e.g. : HOLY MEN
42 Portend : AUGUR
44 Real wowers : BEAUTS
46 “Charms strike the sight, but ___ wins the soul”: Alexander Pope : MERIT
50 Dash device : TACH
51 “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” singer, 1959 : ANKA
52 Quiet place to lay anchor : COVE
53 See 54-Down : … AREA
54 With 53-Down, spot for picnic tables : REST …
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