Constructed by: Evan Kalish
Edited by: Joel Fagliano
Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Reveal Answer: California Rolls
Happy Election Day, everyone! Crosswords make excellent companions while standing in line at polling stations!
Today’s grid includes four ROLLS that spell out cities in CALIFORNIA. Clever …
- 36A Popular sushi options depicted four times in this puzzle : CALIFORNIA ROLLS
The California “rolls” are:
San Diego
The name of the California city of San Diego dates back to 1602, when Spanish explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno named the area after the Catholic Saint Didacus. Saint Didacus was more commonly referred to as San Diego de Alcalá.
Cupertino
The California city of Cupertino lies west of San Jose in the San Francisco Bay Area. The city’s top employer is Apple, as Cupertino is home to the company’s headquarters in Apple Park.
Long Beach
The California city of Long Beach is home to the second-busiest container port in the nation. Anyone visiting the waterfront can tour the famous transatlantic liner RMS Queen Mary, which has been docked there since 1967.
Pasadena
Pasadena, California is famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game, as well as the related Tournament of Roses Parade. The name “Pasadena” was chosen somewhat arbitrarily. A missionary in Michigan supplied a list of translations of the names “Crown of the Valley”, “Key of the Valley” etc, in the Chippewa language when the locals were choosing a name. All of the translations ended in “pasadena” meaning “of the valley”. The word was liked, so it was picked.
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Bill’s time: 6m 24s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
5 Rae of “Barbie” : ISSA
In the 2023 hit movie “Barbie”, actress Issa Rae plays President Barbie, the ruler of Barbieland.
19 Pulitzer-winning author James : AGEE
James Agee was a noted American film critic and screenwriter. Agee wrote an autobiographical novel “A Death in the Family” that won him his Pulitzer in 1958, albeit posthumously. He was also one of the screenwriters for the 1951 classic movie “The African Queen”.
22 Hindu aphorisms : SUTRAS
The word “sutra” is used in Hinduism for a learned text, one usually meant to be studied by students.
An aphorism is a short and pithy statement that embodies a general truth or insightful observation. Some great examples are:
- Life is a journey, not a destination (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
- The average person thinks he isn’t (Larry Lorenzoni)
- To err is human, to forgive divine (Alexander Pope)
- Reality is an illusion, albeit a very persistent one (Albert Einstein)
- Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely (Lord Acton)
26 Franklin of Motown : ARETHA
Aretha Franklin was a legendary American singer, songwriter, and pianist known as the “Queen of Soul”. She had a long string of hit songs including “Respect,” “Chain of Fools,” “Think,” and “I Say a Little Prayer”. In 1987, Aretha Franklin became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
29 Creative spark, for short : INSPO
The informal term “inspo” is used to describe something inspirational or motivational.
33 Cotton gin inventor Whitney : ELI
The term “cotton gin” is a contraction of “cotton eng-ine”. The gin is a machine that mechanically separates cotton fibers from the cotton seed. The modern version of the cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney in 1793.
34 What was founded as the Collegiate School in Killingworth, Connecticut : YALE
Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut was founded in 1701, making it the third-oldest university in the US. Originally called the Collegiate School, it was renamed to Yale University in honor of retired merchant Elihu Yale, who made generous contributions to the institution. Yale University’s nickname is “Old Eli”, in a nod to the benefactor.
36 Popular sushi options depicted four times in this puzzle : CALIFORNIA ROLLS
A California roll is a kind of sushi roll that is made inside-out, with the seaweed inside and the rice on the outside. A California roll often includes rice, seaweed, cucumber and avocado. The dish originated in Los Angeles where a chef at the Tokyo Kaikan restaurant substituted avocado for fatty tuna (“toro”) in a traditional sushi recipe. The chef also put the seaweed on the inside, as his American customers preferred not to look directly at seaweed while they were eating it!
40 Genre for BTS : K-POP
BTS is a boy band from South Korea with seven members. The initialism “BTS” stands for the phrase “Bangtan Sonyeondan”, which translates literally as “Bulletproof Boy Scouts”. It is the best-selling musical act in the history of South Korea.
41 Like Triple Word Score squares in Scrabble : RED
The game of Scrabble has been around since 1938, the invention of an architect named Alfred Mosher Butts. Butts determined how many tiles of each letter, and the point value of each tile, by analyzing letter distributions in publications like “The New York Times”.
43 Milky Way shape : SPIRAL
According to Greek mythology, The Milky Way is the breast milk of the goddess Hera, wife of Zeus. The term “Milky Way” is a translation of the Latin “via lactea”, used by the Romans. The Romans used the Latin name because the older Greek term for the same phenomenon was “galaxias kyklos” meaning “milky circle”.
45 Nail polish brand : OPI
Opi (originally “Odontorium Products Inc.”) is a manufacturer of nail polish based in North Hollywood, California. One of Opi’s marketing coups was the introduction of a line of Legally Blonde 2 polishes, which featured in the film.
47 ___ contendere : NOLO
“Nolo contendere” (sometimes shortened to “nolo”) is a legal term that translates from Latin as “I do not wish to contend”. It’s the plea of no contest, and is an alternative to guilty and not guilty, meaning that one doesn’t admit guilt but nor does one dispute the charge.
48 Prez #41 : BUSH, SR
President George H. W. Bush served in the US Navy during WWII. Future President Bush postponed his entry into college after the attack on Pearl Harbor and enlisted in the navy instead. When he earned his wings, he was the youngest aviator in the US Navy at that time.
54 Fallopian tube traveler : EGG
The Fallopian tubes stretch from the ovaries of female mammals to the uterus. They are named for the 16th-century Italian anatomist Gabriello Fallopio, who was the first to describe them.
55 Orangutans, e.g. : APES
Orangutans (also “orangs”) are arboreal creatures, the largest arboreal animals known to man. They are native to Indonesia and Malaysia, and live in rainforests. Like most species in rainforests these days, orangutans are endangered, with only two species surviving. The word “orangutan” is Malay, meaning “man of the forest”.
57 Oscar nominee for “Network” : NED BEATTY
Actor Ned Beatty is possibly best remembered for the rather disturbing “squeal like a pig” scene in the movie “Deliverance”. Beatty also earned an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the 1976 movie “Network”.
59 Pose performed on a mat : ASANA
“Asana” is a Sanskrit word that translates literally as “sitting down”. The asanas are the poses that a practitioner of yoga assumes. The most famous is the lotus position, the cross-legged pose called “padmasana”.
61 Singer Chappell ___ : ROAN
“Chappell Roan” is the stage name of singer/songwriter Kayleigh Amstutz. Roan got her start in the music industry after she uploaded an original song titled “Die Young” to YouTube, when she was just 17 years old. She signed on with Atlantic Records soon after.
Down
1 Makes out, to a Brit : SNOGS
“Snogging” is British slang of unknown origin that dates back to the end of WWII. The term is used for “kissing and cuddling”, what we call “making out” over here in the US.
2 “Farewell!” : ADIEU!
“Adieu” is French for “goodbye, farewell”, from “à Dieu” meaning “to God” The plural of “adieu” is “adieux”.
7 City with the Mississippi River-spanning Eads Bridge: Abbr. : STL
James Eads was an American Civil Engineer and inventor. He designed and built the first road and rail bridge to cross the Mississippi River in St. Louis, a bridge which went into service in 1874 and is still used to this day. Aptly enough, it is known as the Eads Bridge.
8 Rosary prayer : AVE MARIA
“Ave Maria” (“Hail Mary” in English) is the prayer at the core of the Roman Catholic Rosary, which itself is a set of prayers asking for the assistance of the Virgin Mary. Much of the text of the “”Hail Mary”” comes from the Gospel of Luke. The words in Latin are:
AVE MARIA, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
The prayer has been adapted as a hymn. The two most famous musical versions of “Ave Maria” are by Charles Gounod (based on a piece by Bach) and by Franz Schubert.”
The rosary is a set of prayer beads used in the Roman Catholic tradition. The name “rosary” comes from the Latin “rosarium”, the word for a “rose garden” or a “garland of roses”. The term is used figuratively, in the sense of a “garden of prayers”.
10 Number of carolers? : NOEL
“Noël” is the French word for the Christmas season, and ultimately comes from the Latin word for “birth” (natalis). “Noel” has come to be used as an alternative for “Christmas carol”.
11 Four in a quart : CUPS
Two pints make up a “quart”, which is a “quarter” of a gallon, hence the name.
23 Part of the mouth known as the palate : ROOF
The roof of the mouth is known as the palate. The anterior part of the palate is very bony, and is called the hard palate. The posterior part is very fleshy and is called the soft palate. The soft palate is muscular and moves to close off the nasal passages while swallowing. We often use the term “palate” figuratively, to describe the sense of taste.
24 Neighbor of Niger and Senegal : MALI
The Republic of Mali is a landlocked country in western Africa located south of Algeria. Formerly known as French Sudan, the nation’s most famous city is Timbuktu. Mali is the third-largest producer of gold on the continent, after South Africa and Ghana.
The Republic of Niger is a landlocked country in Western Africa that gets its name from the Niger River. 80% of the country lies within the bounds of the Sahara Desert.
The Republic of Senegal is a country on the far western coast of Africa. For many years Senegal was a French colony, gaining independence in 1960. The capital of Senegal is Dakar. Dakar is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean, thus making it the westernmost capital on the African mainland.
35 Part of a dollar sign : ESS
The dollar sign ($) was first used for the Spanish-American peso, in the late 18th century. The peso was also called the “Spanish dollar” (and “piece of eight”). The Spanish dollar was to become a model for the US dollar that was adopted in 1785, along with the dollar sign.
44 Ludwig Mies van der ___ (noted midcentury architect) : ROHE
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was a German architect who was routinely referred to simply as “Mies”. I am a philistine, I know, but Mies’ buildings look very plain to me. However, he did come up with two far-from-plain sayings, namely “less is more” and “God is in the details”.
46 Wrinkle-faced pooch : PUG
The pug is a dog breed of Chinese origin. Our last family pet was a boxer/pug cross, and was a good-looking mutt!
50 Fashion designer Kate : SPADE
Kate Spade fashion design house was founded as a supplier of handbags in 1993. The brand is named for founder Kate Brosnahan Spade. The equivalent male brand is called Jack Spade.
58 Croc’s tip : TOE
Crocs are foam clogs that were originally designed as shoes to be worn at health spas. I bought a pair of crocs, and then my kids said they would stop talking to me …
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Quoth : SAID
5 Rae of “Barbie” : ISSA
9 Precipitation unit : INCH
13 “Therefore …” : AND SO …
14 Parental punishment that might be circumvented with an iPad : NO TV
15 What a host might offer a first-time visitor : TOUR
16 Tarnishes : SOILS
17 Professional pitchers? : SALES REPS
19 Pulitzer-winning author James : AGEE
20 Nada : ZIP
21 Claws badly : MAULS
22 Hindu aphorisms : SUTRAS
24 They have issues, in brief : MAGS
25 Unsubscribe, with “out” : OPT …
26 Franklin of Motown : ARETHA
29 Creative spark, for short : INSPO
33 Cotton gin inventor Whitney : ELI
34 What was founded as the Collegiate School in Killingworth, Connecticut : YALE
36 Popular sushi options depicted four times in this puzzle : CALIFORNIA ROLLS
40 Genre for BTS : K-POP
41 Like Triple Word Score squares in Scrabble : RED
42 Marina markers : BUOYS
43 Milky Way shape : SPIRAL
45 Nail polish brand : OPI
47 ___ contendere : NOLO
48 Prez #41 : BUSH, SR
52 Impressive note for a soprano : HIGH C
54 Fallopian tube traveler : EGG
55 Orangutans, e.g. : APES
57 Oscar nominee for “Network” : NED BEATTY
59 Pose performed on a mat : ASANA
60 (base x height)/2, for a triangle : AREA
61 Singer Chappell ___ : ROAN
62 Crossed a kiddie pool, perhaps : WADED
63 Forgo humility : BRAG
64 Nocturnal reef hunters : EELS
65 Ruminate in frustration : STEW
Down
1 Makes out, to a Brit : SNOGS
2 “Farewell!” : ADIEU!
3 Speck in the sea : ISLET
4 Opposites of no-nos : DOS
5 Demand : INSIST
6 Hand sanitizer alternative : SOAP
7 City with the Mississippi River-spanning Eads Bridge: Abbr. : STL
8 Rosary prayer : AVE MARIA
9 “That sounds fine, go ahead” : I TRUST YOU
10 Number of carolers? : NOEL
11 Four in a quart : CUPS
12 Billing increments: Abbr. : HRS
13 Pretty ___ picture : AS A
18 Herb used in stuffing : SAGE
20 What a shock! : ZAP!
23 Part of the mouth known as the palate : ROOF
24 Neighbor of Niger and Senegal : MALI
27 Ring light? : HALO
28 One sharing a common cause : ALLY
29 “Gross!” : ICK!
30 Lies down for a bit : NAPS
31 Pig food : SLOP
32 It puts the icing on the cake : PIPING BAG
33 Terminus : END
35 Part of a dollar sign : ESS
37 Brushing, flossing, etc. : ORAL CARE
38 Move, informally : RELO
39 Trio collected by a bases-clearing hit, for short : RBIS
44 Ludwig Mies van der ___ (noted midcentury architect) : ROHE
45 Pregnancy docs : OB/GYNS
46 Wrinkle-faced pooch : PUG
49 Lays into : HAS AT
50 Fashion designer Kate : SPADE
51 Extend, as a membership : RENEW
52 German Mr. : HERR
53 “Here’s a better ___ …” : IDEA
54 Citation shortener : ET AL
56 Downcast : SAD
57 Apprehend : NAB
58 Croc’s tip : TOE
59 “How adorable!” reactions : AWS
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