Constructed by: Craig Stowe
Edited by: Will Shortz
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… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Reveal Answer: Disgusting
Themed answers include synonyms of “DISGUSTING” as hidden words:
- 57A. “Gross” title for this puzzle : DISGUSTING
- 17A. Facial feature that can be eliminated by cosmetic surgery : DOUBLE CHIN (hiding “blech!”)
- 23A. Disney World attraction : MAGIC KINGDOM (hiding “ick!”)
- 36A. Friend of Archie and Betty in the comics : JUGHEAD (hiding “ugh!”)
- 48A. Speak briefly : SAY A FEW WORDS (hiding “eww!”)
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Bill’s time: 6m 37s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Become narrower : TAPER
I used to think that the word “taper” was used for a slender candle because said candle was “tapered” in shape, but it’s exactly the opposite. It turns out that our word “tapered” comes from the candle. “Taper” and “tapur” are Old English words meaning “candle”. From these nouns arose the verb “to taper” meaning “shoot up like flame”. This meaning evolved into “become slender” from the idea that a candle’s flame has such a shape.
10. Kindergarten fundamentals : ABCS
“Kindergarten” is a German term, one translating as “children’s garden”. The term was coined by the German education authority Friedrich Fröbel in 1837, when he used it as the name for his play and activity institute that he created for young children to use before they headed off to school. His thought was that children should be nourished educationally, like plants in a garden.
15. Genesis garden : EDEN
According to the Book of Genesis, Adam and Eve lived in a garden “in” Eden, with Eden being geographically located by reference to four rivers including the Tigris and the Euphrates. Some scholars hypothesize that Eden was located in Mesopotamia, which encompasses much of modern-day Iraq.
19. Trigonometric ratio : SINE
The most familiar trigonometric functions are sine, cosine and tangent (abbreviated to “sin, cos and tan”). Each of these is a ratio: a ratio of two sides of a right-angled triangle. The “reciprocal” of these three functions are secant, cosecant and cotangent. The reciprocal functions are simply the inverted ratios, the inverted sine, cosine and tangent. These inverted ratios should not be confused with the “inverse” trigonometric functions e.g. arcsine, arccosine and arctangent. These inverse functions are the reverse of the sine, cosine and tangent.
23. Disney World attraction : MAGIC KINGDOM (hiding “ick!”)
The Magic Kingdom in Disney World, Florida receives more visitors annually than any other theme park in the whole world. The Magic Kingdom alone received about 17½ million visitors in 2012, and that’s not including the visitors to nearby Epcot, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
36. Friend of Archie and Betty in the comics : JUGHEAD (hiding “ugh!”)
Jughead Jones is a character in Archie Comics, and someone who first appeared in print in 1941.
40. Chum : PAL
A chum is a friend. The term “chum” originated in the late 1600s as an alternative spelling for “cham”. In turn, “cham” was a shortened form of “chambermate”, a roommate at university.
41. Fashion monthly founded in France : ELLE
“Elle” magazine was founded in 1945 in France and today has the highest circulation of any fashion magazine in the world. “Elle” is the French word for “she”. “Elle” is published monthly worldwide, although you can pick up a weekly edition if you live in France.
42. Congers and others : EELS
Conger eels can grow to be very, very large, perhaps up to 10 feet in length.
43. “___ ed Euridice” (Gluck opera) : ORFEO
“Orfeo ed Euridice” is an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck that was first performed in 1762. It is perhaps Gluck’s most popular work.
45. The 20 in 20 Questions : GUESSES
The parlor game called Twenty Questions originated in the US and really took off in the late forties as it became a weekly quiz show on the radio. Am I the only one who thinks that there aren’t enough quiz shows on the radio these days? I have to resort to listening to the BBC game shows over the Internet …
51. Where the belly button is : TUMMY
The navel is basically a scar left behind when the umbilical cord is removed from a newborn baby. One interesting use of the umbilicus (navel, belly button) is to differentiate between identical twins, especially when they are very young.
52. German auto import : AUDI
The Audi name has an interesting history. The Horch company was founded by August Horch in 1909. Early in the life of the new company, Horch was forced out of his own business. He set up a new enterprise and continued to use his own name as a brand. The old company sued him for using the Horch name so a meeting was held to choose something new. Horch’s young son was studying Latin in the room where the meeting was taking place. He pointed out that “horch” was German for “hear” and he suggested “Audi” as a replacement, the Latin for “listen”.
60. Hit the tarmac, e.g. : LAND
The terms “tarmac” and “macadam” are 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.
63. This, in Tijuana : ESTA
Tijuana is the largest city in the Mexican state of Baja California, and lies just across the US-Mexico border from San Diego. Tijuana is also the most westerly of all Mexican cities. A lot of Tijuana’s growth took place in the twenties as tourists flocked south of the border during the days of prohibition in the US. One of the many casinos and hotels that flourished at that time was Hotel Caesar’s in the Avenida Revolución area. Hotel Caesar’s claims to be the birthplace of the now ubiquitous Caesar Salad.
Down
2. Natural salve : ALOE
Aloe vera is a succulent plant that grows in relatively dry climates. The plants leaves are full of biologically-active compounds that have been studied extensively. Aloe vera has been used for centuries in herbal medicine, mainly for topical treatment of wounds.
6. Marmalade ingredient : PECTIN
Pectin is a starch-like material found in the cell walls of plants. Pectin can be extracted from plants (usually citrus fruit) and then used in cooking as a gelling agent.
Marmalade is my favorite fruit preserve. The essential ingredients in a marmalade are fruit juice and peel, and sugar and water. “Marmalade” comes from the Portuguese “marmelada” meaning “quince jam”.
7. For one purpose only : AD HOC
The Latin phrase “ad hoc” means “for this purpose”. An ad hoc committee, for example, is formed for a specific purpose and is disbanded after making its final report.
8. Architect I. M. ___ : PEI
I. M. Pei (full name: Ieoh Ming Pei) is an exceptional American architect who was born in China. Of Pei’s many wonderful works, my favorite is the renovation of the Louvre in Paris, and especially the Glass Pyramid in the museum’s courtyard.
9. Actress Miller or Blyth : ANN
Ann Miller was a dancer and actress who appeared in several successful Hollywood musicals in the forties and fifties. The most famous of these were “Easter Parade” (1948), “On the Town” (1949) and “Kiss Me Kate” (1953).
Actress Ann Blyth is best known for her supporting role as Veda Pierce in the 1945 film “Mildred Pierce”.
12. Weeklong vacation rental, maybe : CONDO
The terms “condominium” and “apartment” tend to describe the same type of residential property, namely a private living space with facilities shared with others residing in the same building or complex. The difference is that a condominium is usually owned, and an apartment is rented. At least that’s how it is in the US. The word “condominium” comes from the Latin “com-” (together) and “dominum” (right of ownership).
13. Prepare, as mussels : STEAM
“Mussel” is a common name for several types of clam and other bivalve molluscs, both saltwater and freshwater.
18. Therefore : ERGO
“Ergo” is a Latin word meaning “hence, therefore”, and one that we’ve absorbed directly into English.
25. Letter after theta : IOTA
Iota is the ninth letter in the Greek alphabet, and one that gave rise to our letters I and J. We use the word “iota” to portray something very small, as it is the smallest of all Greek letters.
27. Capital of Italia : ROMA
In Italian, “Roma” (Rome) is the “capitale” (capital) of “Italia” (Italy).
36. “The Family Circus” boy : JEFFY
“The Family Circus” comic strip is a written by Bil Keane. Once Bil sketches out the text and idea for the cartoon he sends it off to his son Jeff, who inks and colors it so that it is ready for publication. In the storyline itself, the main characters are based on Bil’s own family. In fact, the character “Jeffy” is based on Jeff, Bil’s son and production assistant.
37. Peter Fonda title character : ULEE
“Ulee’s Gold” is a highly respected film from 1997 in which Peter Fonda plays the title role of Ulee. Ulee’s “gold” is the honey that Ulysses “Ulee” Jackson produces. It is a favorite role for Peter Fonda and he has shared that playing Ulee brought to mind his father Henry Fonda, who himself kept a couple of hives. So if you see Peter Fonda in “Ulee’s Gold” you’re witnessing some characteristics that Peter saw in his father.
44. Marriott rival : RAMADA
The Ramada Inn hotel chain takes its name from the Spanish word for a shady resting place. A ramada is a shelter with a roof and no walls, mainly found in the American southwest. Nowadays a ramada can be temporary or permanent, but originally ramadas were makeshift shelters constructed by aboriginal Indians from branches or bushes.
46. Pakistani language : URDU
Urdu is one of the two official languages of Pakistan (the other being English), and is one of 22 scheduled languages in India. Urdu partly developed from Persian and is written from right to left.
47. Incandescent lamp inventor : EDISON
Thomas Alva Edison (TAE) was nicknamed “The Wizard of Menlo Park” by a newspaper reporter, a name that stuck. He was indeed a wizard, in the sense that he was such a prolific inventor. The Menlo Park part of the moniker recognizes the location of his first research lab, in Menlo Park, New Jersey.
Incandescent bulbs are still quite common in many homes, despite the fact that they convert less than 5% of the energy used into light. Incandescents have an electric filament that glows as current passes through it. The life of the filament is preserved as the bulb is filled an inert gas such as argon, which displaces harmful oxygen in air.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1. Become narrower : TAPER
6. “Come to ___” : PAPA
10. Kindergarten fundamentals : ABCS
14. “Well, isn’t that something!” : I’LL BE!
15. Genesis garden : EDEN
16. Opening for a coin : SLOT
17. Facial feature that can be eliminated by cosmetic surgery : DOUBLE CHIN (hiding “blech!”)
19. Trigonometric ratio : SINE
20. “For sure!” : YES!
21. “___ put it another way …” : OR TO
22. Rather, informally : KINDA
23. Disney World attraction : MAGIC KINGDOM (hiding “ick!”)
26. Walk over : TREAD ON
29. Continuously : NO END
30. Easy win : ROMP
31. ___ good example : SET A
32. Weaponize : ARM
35. Increase, with “up” : AMP
36. Friend of Archie and Betty in the comics : JUGHEAD (hiding “ugh!”)
39. “Little piggy” : TOE
40. Chum : PAL
41. Fashion monthly founded in France : ELLE
42. Congers and others : EELS
43. “___ ed Euridice” (Gluck opera) : ORFEO
45. The 20 in 20 Questions : GUESSES
48. Speak briefly : SAY A FEW WORDS (hiding “eww!”)
51. Where the belly button is : TUMMY
52. German auto import : AUDI
53. Try to win through romance : WOO
56. Metropolitan ___ : AREA
57. “Gross” title for this puzzle : DISGUSTING
60. Hit the tarmac, e.g. : LAND
61. Skin problem : ACNE
62. Titleholder : OWNER
63. This, in Tijuana : ESTA
64. Wagers : BETS
65. Hangman’s loop : NOOSE
Down
1. Having everything in its place : TIDY
2. Natural salve : ALOE
3. Asset : PLUS
4. Flow out, as the tide : EBB
5. Insert a new cartridge : RELOAD
6. Marmalade ingredient : PECTIN
7. For one purpose only : AD HOC
8. Architect I. M. ___ : PEI
9. Actress Miller or Blyth : ANN
10. Transfer (to) : ASSIGN
11. Romantic setups : BLIND DATES
12. Weeklong vacation rental, maybe : CONDO
13. Prepare, as mussels : STEAM
18. Therefore : ERGO
22. Work, as dough : KNEAD
23. It helps to know where you’re going : MAP
24. Joint between the hip and ankle : KNEE
25. Letter after theta : IOTA
26. Snare : TRAP
27. Capital of Italia : ROMA
28. Professional work : EMPLOYMENT
31. “Steady as ___ goes” : SHE
33. Part in a movie : ROLE
34. Filthy state : MESS
36. “The Family Circus” boy : JEFFY
37. Peter Fonda title character : ULEE
38. Give off light, as a firefly : GLOW
42. Suffix with lion or shepherd : -ESS
44. Marriott rival : RAMADA
45. Seriously overcharges : GOUGES
46. Pakistani language : URDU
47. Incandescent lamp inventor : EDISON
48. Old, as bread : STALE
49. Surrounding lights : AURAS
50. “There ___ a dry eye in the house” : WASN’T
53. Tippler’s favorite radio station? : WINO
54. Bills exchanged for a five : ONES
55. Menacing fairy tale figure : OGRE
57. Tiny amount to apply : DAB
58. Rink surface : ICE
59. A couple : TWO
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