CROSSWORD SETTER: Nancy Kavanaugh
THEME: DRESS REHEARSALS … each of the theme answers is made up of two words, the first of which is a type of dress:
17A. Four-to-midnight production overseer, say SHIFT (SUPERVISOR)
26A. Dead battery hookup JUMPER (CABLE)
43A. Encased dagger SHEATH (KNIFE)56A. Dry runs, and a hint to the starts of 17-, 26- and 43-Across DRESS REHEARSALS
COMPLETION TIME: 6m 43s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
5. Home with a domed roof IGLOO
The Inuit word for “house” is “iglu”, which we usually write as “igloo”. The Greenlandic (yes, that’s a language) word for “house” is very similar, “igdlo”.
10. Stylish CHIC
“Chic” is a French word meaning “stylish”.
14. Earth Day sci. ECOL
Earth Day was founded in the US, an event introduced by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin. Earth Day was designed to increase awareness and appreciation of our planet’s natural environment. The original Earth Day was on April 22nd, 1970. Decades later, the day is observed in over 175 countries.
16. Avatar of Vishnu RAMA
In the Hindu tradition, the god known as Vishnu has seven different avatars i.e. incarnations or manifestations. Rama is the seventh of these avatars.
17. Four-to-midnight production overseer, say SHIFT (SUPERVISOR)
A shift is a dress that is cut above-the-knee and has no clearly-defined waist. This style of dress originated in the 1920s when it was worn by the “flappers”, young women who defyed social norms at the time. The shift was comfortable to wear and allowed easy movement, particularly on the dance floor.
20. Bill of Rights amendment count TEN
The Constitution of the United States was adopted on September 17, 1787. There have been 27 amendments to the constitution, the first ten of which are collectively called the Bill of Rights. In essence the Bill of Rights limits the power of the Federal Government and protects the rights of individuals. For example, the First Amendment states:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
21. “Les Misérables” author Victor HUGO
Victor Hugo was a French poet and playwright, known in his native country mainly for his poetry. However, outside of France he is perhaps more closely associated with his novels, such as “Les Misérables” and “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame”.
26. Dead battery hookup JUMPER (CABLE)
“Jumper” is one of those terms that caused me no end of grief when I moved to the US. I think my wife-to-be was close to dumping me on one of our first dates when she heard me talking about jumpers that I wore all the time. You see, where I come from a jumper is a sweater, and can be worn by males and females alike. The dress known as a jumper in the US, back in Ireland we’d call a pinafore or pinafore dress.
38. Colorado ski city ASPEN
Aspen, Colorado used to be known as Ute City, with the name change taking place in 1880. Like many communities in the area, Aspen was a mining town, and in 1891 and 1892 it was at the center of the highest production of silver in the US. Nowadays of course, it’s all about skiing and movie stars.
43. Encased dagger SHEATH (KNIFE)
A sheath dress is designed to fit close to the body, with a length that falls just above or below the knee. A shorter version of the sheath dress is known as a cocktail dress.
53. Time Warner “Superstation” TBS
Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) adopted the slogan “Very Funny” in 2004. The slogan is meant to contrast TBS with its sister channel TNT, which focuses on drama shows. The TNT slogan is “Drama, Period”.
61. Mail for King Arthur ARMOR
King Arthur probably never really existed, but his legend is very persistent. Arthur was supposedly a leader of the Romano-British as they tried to resist the invasion of the Anglo-Saxons in the late 5th and early 6th centuries.
63. MDs for otitis sufferers ENTS
An Ear, Nose and Throat specialist is an ENT.
Otitis is inflammation of the ear.
Down
3. Nickel or dime COIN
The 5-cent American coin known as a nickel is actually made up of 75% copper and 25% nickel. The first nickel was introduced in 1866, and was named the “Shield nickel” due to the shield design on the front of the coin. The current design is the Jefferson nickel, which was introduced in 1938.
7. Fat-reducing procedure, briefly LIPO
Liposuction dates back to the 1920s when it was developed by a surgeon in France. However, the procedure quickly lost favor when a French model developed gangrene after surgery. As a result it wasn’t until the mid-seventies that modern liposuction took off, after being popularized by two Italian-American surgeons in Rome.
9. “__ the ramparts …” O’ER
The words “o’er the ramparts” come from “The Star-Spangled Banner” written by Francis Scott Key.
The lyrics of “The Star-Spangled Banner” were written first as a poem by Francis Scott Key, inspired by the bombarding by the British of the American forces at Fort McHenry that he witnessed during the Battle of Baltimore in September 1814. The words were then set to the tune of a popular British drinking song penned by John Stafford Smith called “The Anacreontic Song”, with the Anacreontic Society being a men’s club in London.
10. Punishment’s partner CRIME
“Crime and Punishment” is one of the two most famous novels by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky, the other being “The Brothers Karamazov”.
23. Winesap, e.g. APPLE
A winesap is a small and tart apple, often used for making cider.
27. Oscar-nominated Peter Fonda role 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 Ulee 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.
28. “__ Flanders”: Defoe novel MOLL
“Moll Flanders” is a novel written by Daniel Defoe in 1722, three years after he achieved fame with “Robinson Crusoe”. The book’s full title gives a lot of insight into the storyline:
“The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, Etc. Who Was Born In Newgate, and During a Life of Continu’d Variety For Threescore Years, Besides Her Childhood, Was Twelve Year a Whore, Five Times a Wife [Whereof Once To Her Own Brother], Twelve Year a Thief, Eight Year a Transported Felon In Virginia, At Last Grew Rich, Liv’d Honest, and Died a Penitent. Written from her own Memorandums”.
29. Social divisions CASTES
Many creatures organize themselves into a social structure, a phenomenon known as “eusociality”. Examples of such creatures would be ants, bees and wasps, where there are queens, workers and soldiers. The groups within such a hierarchical structure are known as castes. The word “caste” was borrowed from the class divisions in Indian society (although the word “caste” and hierarchical concept was actually introduced by the Portuguese).
33. Muscat resident OMANI
Oman lies on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula and is neighbored by the OAE, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The capital city of Muscat has a strategic location on the Gulf of Oman and has a history of invasion and unrest. Centuries of occupation by the Persians ended in 1507 when the Portuguese took the city in a bloody attack. The Portuguese held Muscat for much of the next one hundred years until finally being ousted by local Omani forces in 1648. A Yemeni tribe invaded the area in 1741 and set up a monarchy that has been in place in Oman ever since.
35. Hairdo COIF
A coif is a hairdo. The term “coif” comes from an old French term “coife” used for a skull-cap that was worn under a helmet back in the late 13th century.
36. Seaside swooper ERNE
The ern (also erne) is also called the white-tailed eagle, and the sea-eagle.
41. Exams for sophs or jrs. PSATS
I think the acronym PSAT stands for Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test.
44. Swank of “Amelia” HILARY
The actress Hilary Swank had her first major role in “The Next Karate Kid” released in 1994, in which she played the first female student of the sensei Mr. Myagi.
The 2009 movie “Amelia” tells the life story of Amelia Earhart, with Hilary Swank in the title role. “Amelia” didn’t do well with the critics, although I must say that I enjoyed it. Maybe that’s because I love the whole Earhart story …
46. Scandalous newsmaker of 2001-’02 ENRON
After all the trials following the exposure of fraud at Enron, several of the key players ended up in jail. Andrew Fastow was the Chief Financial Officer. He plea-bargained and received ten years without parole, and became the key witness in the trials of others. Even Fastow’s wife was involved and she was sentenced to one year for helping her husband hide money. Jeffrey Skilling (ex-CEO) was sentenced to 24 years and 4 months. Kenneth Lay (CEO) died in 2006 after he had been found guilty but before he could be sentenced. The accounting firm Arthur Andersen was found guilty of obstruction of justice for shredding thousands of pertinent documents and deleting emails and files (a decision that the Supreme Court later overturned on a technicality). But still, Arthur Andersen collapsed under the weight of the scandal and 85,000 people lost their jobs (despite only a handful being directly involved with Enron).
47. Alaskan native ALEUT
The Aleuts live on the Aleutian Islands of the North Pacific, and on the Commander Islands at the western end of the same island chain. The Aleutian Islands are part of the United States, and the Commander Islands are in Russia.
53. O’Hara homestead TARA
Rhett Butler hung out with Scarlett O’Hara at the Tara plantation in Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone with the Wind”. In the book, Tara was founded by Scarlett’s father, Irish immigrant Gerald O’Hara. He named his new abode after the Hill of Tara back in his home country, the ancient seat of the High King of Ireland.
55. IRS form entries SSNS
The main purpose of a Social Security Number (SSN) is to track individuals for the purposes of taxation, although given its ubiquitous use, it is looking more and more like an “identity number” to me. The social security number system was introduced in 1936. Prior to 1986, an SSN was required only for persons with substantial income and so many children under the age of 14 had no number assigned. For quite some time, the IRS had a concern that a lot of people were claiming on their tax returns children who did not actually exist. So, from 1986 onward it is a requirement to get an SSN for any dependents over the age of 5. Sure enough, in 1987 seven million dependents “disappeared”.
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Trot or gallop PACE
5. Home with a domed roof IGLOO
10. Stylish CHIC
14. Earth Day sci. ECOL
15. Playground chute SLIDE
16. Avatar of Vishnu RAMA
17. Four-to-midnight production overseer, say SHIFT SUPERVISOR
20. Bill of Rights amendment count TEN
21. “Les Misérables” author Victor HUGO
22. Parisian love AMOUR
23. “What __ the odds?” ARE
24. In liberal amounts APLENTY
26. Dead battery hookup JUMPER CABLE
31. Get hitched in a hurry ELOPE
32. Without warning ALL AT ONCE
37. Unload for cash SELL
38. Colorado ski city ASPEN
39. Secure in the harbor MOOR
40. Mind readers TELEPATHS
42. Luxurious bedding material SATIN
43. Encased dagger SHEATH KNIFE
45. Popular restaurant fish SEA BASS
49. 18-Down, on a sundial III
50. Shoreline feature INLET
51. Stare at impolitely OGLE
53. Time Warner “Superstation” TBS
56. Dry runs, and a hint to the starts of 17-, 26- and 43-Across DRESS REHEARSALS
60. Clumsy one LOUT
61. Mail for King Arthur ARMOR
62. Wrinkle remover IRON
63. MDs for otitis sufferers ENTS
64. With tongue in cheek WRYLY
65. Maddens with reminders NAGS
Down
1. Bothersome insect PEST
2. Exercise woe ACHE
3. Nickel or dime COIN
4. Tiny toymaker ELF
5. Periodical publisher ISSUER
6. Sound from a water cooler GLUG
7. Fat-reducing procedure, briefly LIPO
8. Poem of praise ODE
9. “__ the ramparts …” O’ER
10. Punishment’s partner CRIME
11. Is wearing HAS ON
12. Poker concession I’M OUT
13. Have in stock CARRY
18. Midafternoon hour THREE
19. __ parking VALET
23. Winesap, e.g. APPLE
24. Most capable ABLEST
25. Draw up a schedule for PLAN
26. Kid around JEST
27. Oscar-nominated Peter Fonda role ULEE
28. “__ Flanders”: Defoe novel MOLL
29. Social divisions CASTES
30. Wolf pack leader ALPHA
33. Muscat resident OMANI
34. “Surely you don’t mean me” NOT I
35. Hairdo COIF
36. Seaside swooper ERNE
38. Contented sounds AAHS
41. Exams for sophs or jrs. PSATS
42. Winter Olympics entrant SKIER
44. Swank of “Amelia” HILARY
45. Move furtively SIDLE
46. Scandalous newsmaker of 2001-’02 ENRON
47. Alaskan native ALEUT
48. Outplays BESTS
51. “Goodness gracious!” OH MY!
52. Earth sci. GEOL
53. O’Hara homestead TARA
54. Opinion website BLOG
55. IRS form entries SSNS
57. Inexperienced, as recruits RAW
58. Go wrong ERR
59. Moral wrong SIN