CROSSWORD SETTER: C.C. Burnikel
THEME: Backdrop … the back (second half) of each of today’s themed answers is often seen preceding the word DROP:
17A. Stuffy room need FRESH AIR (giving “airdrop”)
21A. Smith, to Abigail Adams MAIDEN NAME (giving “name-drop”)
33A. Mello Yello rival MOUNTAIN DEW (giving “dewdrop”)
42A. Door-controlling sensor ELECTRIC EYE (giving “eyedrop”)
54A. 1984 Prince hit PURPLE RAIN (giving “raindrop”)62A. Painted setting behind stage actors, or what the ends of 17-, 21-, 33-, 42- and 54-Across can literally have BACKDROP
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 5m 35s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
8. Works for People, perhaps EDITS
There used to be a “People” page in each issue of “Time” magazine. This page was spun-off in 1974 as a publication of its own, which we now call “People” magazine.
13. ’50s political slogan name IKE
“I Like Ike” was a political slogan that originated with the grassroots movement to get Dwight D. Eisenhower to run for president in the 1952 presidential election.
14. “Because Freedom Can’t Protect Itself” gp. ACLU
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has its roots in the First World War when it was founded to provide legal advice and support to conscientious objectors.
15. Dead Sea discovery SCROLL
The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered over a period of years, between 1947 and 1956, in eleven caves on the shores of the Dead Sea. The scrolls are believed to have been written by an ancient Jewish sect called the Essenes, although this has been called into question recently. Many of the texts are copies of writings from the Hebrew Bible.
17. Stuffy room need FRESH AIR (giving “airdrop”)
An airdrop or airlift is a delivery of supplies (or troops) by parachute from aircraft.
20. Cab ride cost FARE
We call cabs “taxis”, a word derived from “taximeter cabs” that were introduced in London in 1907. A taximeter was an automated meter designed to record distance travelled and fare to be charged. The term “taximeter” evolved from “taxameter”, with “taxa” being Latin for “tax, charge”.
21. Smith, to Abigail Adams MAIDEN NAME (giving “name-drop”)
Abigail Adams (born Abigail Smith) had a unique distinction being married to John Adams. Abigail was the first Second Lady of the US, and then became the second First Lady! That said, the titles of “Second Lady” and “First lady” were not used in her day.
27. In and of itself PER SE
“Per se” is a Latin phrase, and it translates as “by itself”. We use “per se” pretty literally, meaning “in itself, intrinsically”.
31. Me, to Matisse MOI
Henri Matisse was a French artist renowned for his contribution to modern art. In his early career, Matisse was classed as a “fauve”, one of the group of artists known as the “wild beasts” who emphasized strong color over realism in their works. He was a lifelong friend of Pablo Picasso, and the two were considered to be good-natured rivals so their works are often compared. One major difference between their individual portfolios is that Picasso tended to paint from his imagination, whereas Matisse tended to use nature as his inspiration.
32. Language of Southeast Asia LAO
Lao, the language of Laos, does not use spaces between words (or periods!), although this is apparently changing. Spaces are used between sentences and clauses.
33. Mello Yello rival MOUNTAIN DEW (giving “dewdrop”)
If you check the can, you’ll see that “Mountain Dew” is now known as “Mtn Dew”.
Like so many beverages introduced by the Coca-Cola Company, Mello Yello was launched to compete against a successful drink already on the market. Mello Yello first hit the shelves in 1979, and was designed to take market share from Pepsico’s “Mountain Dew”.
38. Recipient of much Apr. mail IRS
April 15th wasn’t always Tax Day in the US. The deadline for returns was March 1st from 1913-18, when it was moved to March 15th. Tax Day has been April 15th since 1955.
46. Acidity nos. PHS
As we all recall from chemistry class, a pH of 7 is considered neutral. Anything less than 7 is an acid, and anything above 7 is a base.
47. Road crew goo TAR
“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.
50. Resort near Ventura OJAI
The city of Ojai, California is located just northwest of Los Angeles. One of the city’s claims to fame is that according to the TV shows “The Bionic Woman” and “The Six Million Dollar Man”, Jaime Sommers and Steve Austin grew up in Ojai and were childhood sweethearts!
The Californian city of Ventura’s official name is “the City of San Buenaventura”. The first European settlement was Mission San Buenaventura that was founded in 1782 by Spanish friar Father Junípero Serra. The mission was named for Saint Bonaventure, a medieval theologian and philosopher from Italy.
52. Spanish month MES
“Mes” is the Spanish word for “month”.
53. El Al home: Abbr. ISR
El Al Israel Airlines is the flag carrier of Israel. The term “el al” translates from Hebrew as “to the skies”.
54. 1984 Prince hit PURPLE RAIN (giving “raindrop”)
“Ventura Highway” is a 1972 song by the band America. The lyrics “Ventura Highway” contain the phrase “purple rain”, a phrase which was to become famous as the title of a song, album and film by Prince. It has been suggested that Prince “lifted” the title for his hit from the America song.
The singer Prince was born in Minneapolis, and he lives there to this day. He took his name from his father, a jazz musician who used the stage name Prince Rogers.
57. Purina rival IAMS
Iams dog food was produced by the animal nutritionist Paul Iams. He felt that household pets were suffering somewhat by being fed a diet of table scraps, so he developed a dry dog food that he felt was more nutritious and suitable for pet dogs. He founded the Iams company, now part of Procter & Gamble, in 1946.
Purina began operations in 1894, as an operation for producing feed for farm animals. A few years later, in 1902, the Ralston name was introduced when Webster Edgerly joined the business, Edgerly was the founder of a controversial social movement called Ralstonism. Central to the movement was personal health, with RALSTON standing for Regime, Activity, Light, Strength, Temperation, Oxygen and Nature.
65. Lago filler AGUA
In Spanish, a lake (lago) contains water (agua).
67. Uses Avis, say RENTS
Avis has been around since 1946, and is the second largest car rental agency after Hertz. Avis has the distinction of being the first car rental company to locate a branch at an airport.
69. Kentucky Derby action BET
The first Kentucky Derby was run in 1875, and is a race modelled on the Epsom Derby in England and the Grand Prix de Paris (now called the “Prix de l‘Arc de Triomphe”). As such, The Kentucky Derby was run over 1½ miles, although in 1896 this was shortened to 1¼ miles. The winning horse is presented with a very elaborate blanket made of red roses.
Down
1. Repeated musical accompaniment RIFF
A “riff” is a short rhythmic phrase in music, especially one improvised on a guitar.
5. Takes for a ride SCAMS
The slang term “scam” meaning a swindle may come from the British slang “scamp”.
6. Et __: and others ALIA
Et alii (et al.) is the equivalent of et cetera (etc.), with et cetera being used in place of a list of objects, and et alii used for a list of names. In fact “et al.” can stand for et alii (for a group of males, or males and females), aliae (for a group of women) and et alia (for a group of neuter nouns, or for a group of people where the intent is to retain gender-neutrality).
7. 17th-century New England settler PURITAN
“Puritan” was originally a pejorative term used in the 1560s to describe a Protestant extremist who was not satisfied with the extent of the reformation of the Church of England. The Puritans advocated further reforms, believing that the Church of England still harbored a lot of corruption. Facing staunch resistance to their ideals in Britain, many of the Puritans emigrated, the first wave to the Netherlands, with later emigrants moving to New England.
8. First name in makeup ESTEE
Estée Lauder was quite the successful businesswoman, with a reputation as a great salesperson. Lauder introduced her own line of fragrances in 1953, a bath oil called “Youth Dew”. “Youth Dew” was marketed as a perfume, but it was added to bathwater. All of a sudden women were pouring whole bottles of Ms. Lauder’s “perfume” into their baths while using only a drop or two of French perfumes behind their ears. That’s quite a difference in sales volume …
9. Anti-rodent brand D-CON
“d-Con” is a line of rodent control products that has been around for over 50 years.
16. Pop singer Lisa LOEB
The singer Lisa Loeb was discovered by actor Ethan Hawke, who lived just across the street from her in New York City. Hawke took a demo of her song “Stay (I Missed You)” and gave it to director Ben Stiller, who in turn used it over the ending credits of his 1994 movie “Reality Bites”. The movie was a hit, the song went to number one, and Loeb became the first artist ever to hit that number one spot without having signed up with a record label. Good for her!
27. Ballet bend PLIE
The French word for “bent” is “plié”. In the ballet move known as a plié, the knees are bent.
28. Viscount’s superior EARL
In the ranking of nobles, an earl comes above a viscount and below a marquess. The rank of earl is used in the British peerage system and is equivalent to the rank of count in other countries. Other British ranks have female forms (e.g. marquess and marchioness, viscount and viscountess), but there isn’t a female word for the rank of earl. A female given the same rank as an earl is known simply as a countess.
29. Traditional New Year’s Day procession ROSE PARADE
The first Rose Parade was staged in 1890, on New Years Day in Pasadena, California. The initial parades were organized by the Pasadena Valley Hunt Club, whose members wanted to highlight the mild winter weather in the area. The initial parades did not feature flowers, but these were added to underscore the favorable climate. It was the inclusion of the flowers that gave rise to the name “Tournament of Roses”. The first Rose Bowl football game was played in 1902.
30. Planet with the most moons JUPITER
So far, Jupiter is known to have 67 moons, more than any other planet in the Solar System. The four largest moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto) were discovered by Galileo in 1610, making theme the first objects founds that did not orbit either the Earth or the Sun.
36. Author Gardner ERLE
I must have read all of the Perry Mason books when I was in college. I think they kept me sane when I was facing the pressure of exams. Author Erle Stanley Gardner was himself a lawyer, although he didn’t get into the profession the easy way. Gardner went to law school, but got himself suspended after a month. So, he became a self-taught attorney and opened his own law office in Merced, California. Understandably, he gave up the law once his novels became successful.
44. Melons with wrinkly rinds CASABAS
A casaba is type of honeydew melon. The casaba takes its name from the Turkish city of Kasaba, from where the fruit was imported into America in the late 1800s.
52. Former Ford autos, briefly MERCS
The Mercury brand of car was made by Ford from 1938 until 2011.
56. Shakespearean villain IAGO
Iago is the schemer in Shakespeare’s “Othello”. Iago is a soldier who fought alongside Othello and feels hard done by, missing out on promotion. He hatches a plot designed to discredit his rival Cassio by insinuating that Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona, Othello’s wife. By the end of the play it’s Iago himself who is discredited and Othello (before committing suicide) apologizes to Cassio for having believed Iago’s lies. Heavy stuff …
63. “Krazy” comics feline KAT
“Krazy Kat” is a successful comic strip that ran from 1913-1944 and was drawn by George Herriman.
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Curtain hanger ROD
4. Exec’s “Now!” ASAP!
8. Works for People, perhaps EDITS
13. ’50s political slogan name IKE
14. “Because Freedom Can’t Protect Itself” gp. ACLU
15. Dead Sea discovery SCROLL
17. Stuffy room need FRESH AIR (giving “airdrop”)
19. Overly affected TOO, TOO
20. Cab ride cost FARE
21. Smith, to Abigail Adams MAIDEN NAME (giving “name-drop”)
23. UFO navigators, so they say ETS
25. One-one, for one TIE
26. Messy type SLOB
27. In and of itself PER SE
30. Tip holder JAR
31. Me, to Matisse MOI
32. Language of Southeast Asia LAO
33. Mello Yello rival MOUNTAIN DEW (giving “dewdrop”)
38. Recipient of much Apr. mail IRS
39. Baby seal PUP
40. Overnight stopping place INN
41. Anger IRE
42. Door-controlling sensor ELECTRIC EYE (giving “eyedrop”)
45. Like very familiar jokes OLD
46. Acidity nos. PHS
47. Road crew goo TAR
48. 40-Across postings RATES
50. Resort near Ventura OJAI
52. Spanish month MES
53. El Al home: Abbr. ISR
54. 1984 Prince hit PURPLE RAIN (giving “raindrop”)
57. Purina rival IAMS
61. Error-removal aid ERASER
62. Painted setting behind stage actors, or what the ends of 17-, 21-, 33-, 42- and 54-Across can literally have BACKDROP
64. DVD player error message NO DISC
65. Lago filler AGUA
66. Bustle ADO
67. Uses Avis, say RENTS
68. Put in order SORT
69. Kentucky Derby action BET
Down
1. Repeated musical accompaniment RIFF
2. Pod vegetable OKRA
3. XING sign critter DEER
4. “That’s the spot” AAH!
5. Takes for a ride SCAMS
6. Et __: and others ALIA
7. 17th-century New England settler PURITAN
8. First name in makeup ESTEE
9. Anti-rodent brand D-CON
10. Attaches, as patches IRONS ON
11. Complete dolt TOTAL IDIOT
12. Like many NFL replays SLO-MO
16. Pop singer Lisa LOEB
18. Dates SEES
22. More in need of cleaning DIRTIER
24. Entices TEMPTS
27. Ballet bend PLIE
28. Viscount’s superior EARL
29. Traditional New Year’s Day procession ROSE PARADE
30. Planet with the most moons JUPITER
31. Gold rush figures MINERS
34. Your and my OUR
35. Unspecified number ANY
36. Author Gardner ERLE
37. Gets married WEDS
43. Contributes for a joint gift CHIPS IN
44. Melons with wrinkly rinds CASABAS
49. Very dry ARID
50. Start serving customers OPEN
51. Courtroom panelist JUROR
52. Former Ford autos, briefly MERCS
53. Acquire, as debts INCUR
55. For fear that LEST
56. Shakespearean villain IAGO
58. Many a Syrian ARAB
59. Airplane __: cellphone setting MODE
60. Parking space SPOT
63. “Krazy” comics feline KAT
Hello Bill, and friends,
Finished the puzzle. Quite interesting. Some uncommon words.
I thought 'Purple Rain' had to do with Pink Floyd – although it's entirely possible I have my rock and roll idols all mixed up. As you would say – not my genre …..
Thanks for the etymology of 'Taximeter' – having to do with the 'tax' rather than a taxi, as is commonly presumed. I suppose the concept and the derision towards all nature of 'tax' enters all sorts of circumstances.
With regards to taximeter, I really should mention a curious phenomena that exists in Mumbai. The taxi meters are produced by a private company, which is a monopoly, and are calibrated, and sealed, presumably under supervision of the Inspectors of the Central (federal) government. This is supposedly a very complicated process involving much bureaucracy – what else. So recalibrating a taxi meter involves more bureaucracy, and was last done in 1969 (!)
But since inflation runs at about 18% per year, excise taxes on fuel increase at 15% per year, and petrol prices up at 21% per year etc. et alia, the fare has to keep increasing. So, every 3 months, or so, the Govt. announces a fare increase. Since the meters cannot be recalibrated, there exists a 'multiplier' on the shown, putative, fare. This is published, once, in a small column in the daily newspapers, and generally promptly forgotten….
So, the cabbie, at the end of the journey, is supposed to carry, and show, on request, the multiplier factor in form of a small xeroxed card, generally tattered and torn from constant folding and unfolding, and in any case, illegible. The last multiplier I saw was 17.39, which means if the 'shown' fare is $ 10, the actual fare is $ 173.90. The small cards are privately printed, and only the cabbie, the anonymous printer and God are the witnesses to its accuracy ….
But while travelling in a Mumbai taxi, if you arrive at your destination, in one piece, with life, limb and mind intact, – the cost of the fare is the least of your concerns …..
Have a nice day, all.
Morning all!
I see the theme as ___drop, but what is an airdrop? Something related to radio?
Overly affected = TOOTOO??? That clue is tootoo silly.
I always thought an electric eye did not allow entrance through a door, just a way to see who is there.
Anyone interested in early American history might check out the HBO miniseries "John Adams" with Paul Giamatti and Lara Linney; based on the biography by David McCullough.
Vidwan, I wonder if you're thinkog of the Pink Floyd's "Time?" I recall it deals with waiting out a long, rainy day. One of my favorites, BTW.
Bye for now from Moonsoon-y, rainy Arizona.
Hello Bill and everyone –
This wasn't a bad puzzle, but I made it hard on myself by putting pilgram up instead of puritan. That cost me a few hairs I pulled out of my head.
Vidwan – Great story on cabs in Mumbai. Wow.
Willie – I think the airdrop they're referring to are things such as when we deliver aid to refugees (Such as the Christians in Iraq now) via airdrops – i.e. supplies delivered via air.
And I did see the HBO special on John Adams. Great series. It always impressed me the language they used in that era. Why can't we speak like that anymore??
Lastly, I was going to say I really don't like Mountain Dew at all, but I saw the answer below it in the blog was IRS…so I guess it's all relative how much we dislike things…:)
Best –
@Vidwan
I've onny been to India once (mainly business, sadly). One of the things that I most remember is the style of taxi. Almost all were what we used call Morris Oxfords. I think the local manufacturer used some other name. Great looking cars, I think, and a style that would be a big seller if given a makeover (like the mini and VW).
@Willie
Here's the explanation I gave for AIRDROP:
17A. Stuffy room need FRESH AIR (giving “airdrop”)
An airdrop or airlift is a delivery of supplies (or troops) by parachute from aircraft.
I've always seen "John Adams", and indeed own the series on DVD. Fabulous miniseries, I agree.
@Jeff
Using your money to buy Mountain Dew, or using it to pay the tax man. Six of one, half a dozen of the other 🙂
Bill & Vidwan, thanks for the analysis. I guess "airlift" is more common to me, as you explained.
I lived in Southern California for a while and we always joked about the Rose Parade, saying – tongue in cheek – that every time it aired on national TV ten thousand more people moved to California. A friend of mine always hoped that January 1st would be a very smoggy day in order to discourage any more migration. I guess that didn't work since the population of the state is about 38 million now.
This puzzle rang 2 bells for me – both ancestral.
I also had Pilgrim before PURITAN; but neither are correct. It should be Separatist. My Mayflower ancestor is John Howland, though I must say he was a Stranger, not a Saint. In other words, he was hired on to do carpentry, but joined their church and became the most prolific of all of them.
Then there is The Adams Family. My ancestor, Royall Tyler wanted to marry the daughter, but John Adams didn't like him, and the daughter married her own cousin, another Smith. It didn't turn out well for Smith or the daughter, but Tyler succeeded famously.
@Piano man – my son presently lives in W. Hollywood, and says it's quite a trek to the Rose Parade, despite how it looks (birdwise) on a map. Maybe that would discourage some. He does admit L.A. is cheaper to live in than Boston.
@Piano Man
So, your population growth comments had me go look up the latest numbers. According to the US Census Bureau, North Dakota is the fastest growing state in terms of population. California comes in at number 18. Bottom of the list is Rhode Island, which actually has a shrinking population.
@Sfingi
Heartiest congratulations at being able to trace your ancestry back to the Mayflower. As an amateur genealogist, I am particularly impressed (and somewhat envious!). And then to have ancestors who bumped up against John Adams. My hat is off to you …