Constructed by: Adam Aaronson
Edited by: Will Shortz
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: 16m 29s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
1 Texter’s preamble : IMHO
In my humble opinion (IMHO)
5 Branch of the U.S. military launched in 2019 : SPACE FORCE
The United States Space Force (USSF) was established in 1982 as the Air Force Space Command. The USSF became an independent service branch in 2019, although it still falls under the Department of the Air Force.
15 Soft-soap : COAX
To coax is to cajole, to influence using gentle persuasion. Back in the 16th century, “coax” was a noun meaning “fool”, and was used in the sense of “make a coax of, make a fool of”.
16 Soap in Mexico : TELENOVELA
A telenovela is a “television novel”, a form of programming that is very popular in Latin America. A telenovela is somewhat like a soap opera that has an end in sight, and that runs for less than a year. I like this quote from an executive at Telemundo:
A telenovela is all about a couple who wants to kiss and a scriptwriter who stands in their way for 150 episodes.
18 Best Actor nominee for 2019’s “Marriage Story” : ADAM DRIVER
Adam Driver is an actor perhaps best known to TV audiences for playing Adam Sackler on the show “Girls” that airs on HBO. Driver’s movie career got a huge boost in 2015 when he played villain Kylo Ren in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”.
“Marriage Story” is a 2019 movie starring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver as a couple going through a messy divorce. The critics loved this one. Me, not so much …
19 “A Dream Within a Dream” writer : POE
Celebrated American writer Edgar Allan Poe (EAP) was born “Edgar Poe” in 1809 in Boston. Poe’s father abandoned Edgar and his two siblings after the death of their mother. As a result, Edgar was taken into the home of the Allan family in Richmond, Virginia. His foster parents gave the future author the name “Edgar Allan Poe”.
22 King in “The Return of the King” : ARAGORN
Viggo Mortensen is a Danish-American actor who is famous for playing Aragorn in “The Lord of the Rings” movies. Mortensen was born in New York City and lived for periods in the US and periods in Denmark when he was younger. He is fluent in English, Danish and also Spanish.
24 Rapper with the 1999 #1 album “I Am …” : NAS
Rapper Nas used to go by an earlier stage name “Nasty Nas”, and before that by his real name “Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones”. Nas released his first album “Illmatic” in 1994, and inventively titled his fifth studio album “Stillmatic”, released in 2001.
28 Surname of a star-crossed lover : CAPULET
William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” is all about the love between the two title characters, which is forbidden as the pair come from two families who are sworn enemies. Early in the play, Romeo (a Montague) sneaks into a masquerade ball being held by the Capulets in the hope of meeting a Capulet girl named Rosaline. Instead, he meets and falls for Juliet, also a Capulet. Tragedy ensues …
Two lovers who are “star-crossed” are ill-fated, thwarted by the stars. The term was coined by William Shakespeare in the prologue to his play “Romeo and Juliet”
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes,
A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life
33 Apple selection? : IMAC
The iMac is a desktop computer platform that Apple introduced in 1998. One of the main features of the iMac is an “all-in-one” design, with the computer console and monitor integrated. The iMac also came in a range of colors that Apple marketed as “flavors”, such as strawberry, blueberry and lime.
40 Singer/actress Carter : NELL
Nell Carter was a singer and actress from Birmingham, Alabama. Carter won a Tony for her performance on Broadway in “Ain’t Misbehavin’”. She also starred in the TV sitcom “Gimme a Break!” in the 1980s.
45 Lectern locale : DAIS
A dais is a raised platform for a speaker. The term “dais” comes from the Latin “discus” meaning a “disk-shaped object”. I guess that the original daises had such a shape.
51 Supermodel Alek : WEK
Alek Wek is a supermodel originally from Southern Sudan. In her native language, Wek’s name translates as “Black Spotted Cow”, which is a symbol of good luck for the Dinka, her native people.
55 What comes before a bet : ALEPH
Aleph is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and beth is the second.
61 Abandon ship : BAIL
The phrase “to bail out” (sometimes just “to bail”) means to leave suddenly. We’ve been using the term since the early thirties, when it originated with airline pilots. To bail out is to make a parachute jump.
Down
2 Line at Disney World : MONORAIL
In 2012, President Barack Obama visited Walt Disney World in Florida. He was there on official government business, and included a reference to Mickey Mouse in his speech:
And I confess, I am excited to see Mickey. It’s always nice to meet a world leader who has bigger ears than me.
Good one, Mr. President …
4 Competitor of Stridex : OXY
The OXY Skin Care products were developed by GlaxoSmithKline, but the brand name has been owned by Mentholatum since 2005.
Stridex is a line of acne treatments owned by Blistex that comes as medicated pads. The active ingredient in most Stridex products is salicylic acid, but others include benzoyl peroxide.
6 Like the grammar police : PEDANTIC
A pedant is a person “who trumpets minor points of learning”, a person who tends to nit-pick. “Pedant” comes via Middle French from the Italian word “pedante” meaning “teacher”.
7 “Succession” co-star Ruck : ALAN
“Succession” is a very popular dark comedy-drama series that premiered in 2018. It’s about a family-owned, global media company. The “succession” in question is who will get to run the empire after the passing of the ailing family patriarch. The marvelous Scottish actor Brian Cox plays the head of the company Logan Roy.
8 Place for a handprint, maybe : CEMENT
The terms “cement”, “mortar” and ”concrete” are related, and tend to get confused at times. Cement is a binder that hardens over time and binds other materials together. Cement mixed with a fine aggregate forms mortar, a workable paste used to bind building blocks together. Cement mixed with sand and gravel forms concrete, a pourable slurry that hardens into an extremely robust building material.
11 Pioneer of elegies : 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, an island in the Black Sea. What led to this disfavor seems to have been lost in the mists of time.
20 In Germany it’s “Krautsalat” : COLESLAW
The term “coleslaw” is an Anglicized version of the Dutch term “koolsla”, which in itself is a shortened form of “Koolsalade” meaning “cabbage salad”.
25 Source of protein in a poke bowl : AHI
Back in the early 1800s, a “poke” was a device attached to domestic animals such as pigs or sheep to keep them from escaping their enclosures. The poke was like a yoke with a pole, and slowed the animal down, hence the term “slowpoke”.
26 Pop singer who came out as nonbinary in 2019 : SAM SMITH
Sam Smith is a singer from London. I think that the only recording I’ve heard of there’s is “Writing’s on the Wall”, which is the theme song from the 2015 James Bond movie “Spectre”.
34 Playthings with “belly badges” : CARE BEARS
The Care Bears franchise includes a line of toys as well as TV shows and movies. The original Care Bears were characters created for greeting cards marketed by American Greetings starting in 1981.
37 Place where shells are put away? : TAQUERIA
In Spanish, one might order “pollo” (chicken) at “una taquería” (a restaurant specializing in tacos).
39 Chains of churches : ROSARIES
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”.
43 Rowlf the Dog and Robin the Frog, for two : MUPPETS
Jim Henson’s ensemble of puppets known as the Muppets made their debut on the TV show “Sam and Friends” in the 1950s. Some Muppets started appearing in 1969 on “Sesame Street”, and then the troupe were given “The Muppet Show” in 1976. And today, there’s no sign of their popularity waning.
48 Certain curtain : SCRIM
“Scrim” is the name given to that transparent fabric that hangs down onto a theater’s stage. It is often used with special lighting for various effects.
50 Cause of an uprising? : YEAST
Yeasts are unicellular microorganisms in the kingdom Fungi. The species of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been used for centuries in the making of wine and beer, and in breadmaking. Saccharomyces cerevisiae converts carbohydrates into carbon dioxide and alcohol in the process of fermentation. When making beer and wine, the carbon dioxide and alcohol may be captured by the liquid. When making bread, the carbon dioxide and alcohol is driven off by heat.
54 Violeta o rosa : FLOR
In Spanish, a “flor” (flower) might be a “violeta o rosa” (violet or rose).
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Texter’s preamble : IMHO
5 Branch of the U.S. military launched in 2019 : SPACE FORCE
15 Soft-soap : COAX
16 Soap in Mexico : TELENOVELA
17 Coveted object : ENVY
18 Best Actor nominee for 2019’s “Marriage Story” : ADAM DRIVER
19 “A Dream Within a Dream” writer : POE
20 Provider of a lift : CRANE
21 ___-purpose : DUAL
22 King in “The Return of the King” : ARAGORN
24 Rapper with the 1999 #1 album “I Am …” : NAS
27 What investigators might do : PRY
28 Surname of a star-crossed lover : CAPULET
29 “What they said” : THAT
31 Slayed : KILLED IT
33 Apple selection? : IMAC
35 Stretches for a swimmer : LAPS
36 Camp sight : COT
38 Squabble : SPAR
40 Singer/actress Carter : NELL
42 Talk, talk, talk : YAMMER ON
45 Lectern locale : DAIS
47 “Why, yes indeed!” : QUITE SO!
48 Where snorting isn’t rude : STY
51 Supermodel Alek : WEK
52 Standing at home, say : UP TO BAT
53 Course pro? : CHEF
55 What comes before a bet : ALEPH
57 Classic Vans sneaker model : ERA
58 “Oh, grow up” : REAL MATURE
61 Abandon ship : BAIL
62 Comment from one who’s moved on : I’M SO OVER IT
63 Brand name on Cakesters snack cakes : OREO
64 They include satellite cities : METRO AREAS
65 Poke alternative, maybe : PSST!
Down
1 Cold case? : ICE PACK
2 Line at Disney World : MONORAIL
3 Go in prepared : HAVE A PLAN
4 Competitor of Stridex : OXY
5 Like some book reviews : STARRED
6 Like the grammar police : PEDANTIC
7 “Succession” co-star Ruck : ALAN
8 Place for a handprint, maybe : CEMENT
9 Heel, e.g. : END
10 Kind of loop in programming : FOR
11 Pioneer of elegies : OVID
12 Gun : REV UP
13 Unblocked : CLEAR
14 ___ voting : EARLY
20 In Germany it’s “Krautsalat” : COLESLAW
23 Chugged, with “down” : GULPED …
25 Source of protein in a poke bowl : AHI
26 Pop singer who came out as nonbinary in 2019 : SAM SMITH
30 Stick on, in a way : TAPE TO
32 Mess around (with) : TOY
34 Playthings with “belly badges” : CARE BEARS
37 Place where shells are put away? : TAQUERIA
39 Chains of churches : ROSARIES
41 Bit of mendacity : LIE
43 Rowlf the Dog and Robin the Frog, for two : MUPPETS
44 Few : NOT A LOT
46 Performer in both the Winter and Summer Olympics, in different sports : SKATER
48 Certain curtain : SCRIM
49 Party consideration : THEME
50 Cause of an uprising? : YEAST
54 Violeta o rosa : FLOR
56 Draw : LURE
59 Low call : MOO
60 2020 thriller in which Jessica Chastain plays the title role : AVA
61 Catchy song, in modern slang : BOP
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