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CROSSWORD SETTER: Mark Feldman
THEME: Where to Hear Animals … each of today’s themed answers comprises two parts, a sound made by an animal followed by a synonym for “locale”. And, each answer sounds like a common phrase, but with the start altered to suit the clue:
17A. Where dogs chat? BARK PLACE (from “Park Place”)
24A. Where donkeys make noise? BRAY AREA (from “play area”)
37A. Where horses are treated for laryngitis? NEIGH-CARE CENTER (from “daycare center”)
45A. Where lions practice intimidation? ROAR ZONE (from “war zone”)
58A. Where birds sing? TWEET SPOT (from “sweet spot”)
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 12m 09s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. One may be under a jacket VEST
Here’s another word that often catches me out. What we call a vest in the US is a waistcoat back in Ireland. And the Irish use the word “vest” for an undershirt.
16. Storyteller of a sort YENTA
Yenta (also “Yente”) is actually a female Yiddish name. In Yiddish theater “yenta” came to mean a busybody.
19. Hosp. test ECG
An EKG measures electrical activity in the heart. Back in my homeland of Ireland, an EKG is known as an ECG (for electrocardiogram). We use the German name in the US, Elektrokardiogramm, giving us EKG. Apparently the abbreviation EKG is preferred as ECG might be confused (if poorly handwritten, I guess) with EEG, the abbreviation for an electroencephalogram.
20. Pilot’s stat. ALT
Altitude (alt.)
21. Manifest PATENT
Something described as “patent” is clearly evident, obvious. The term ultimately derives from the Latin “patentum” meaning “open, lying open”.
29. King of Naples in “The Tempest” ALONSO
In William Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest”, Alonso is the King of Naples. Alonso helps Antonio to depose his brother Prospero as Duke of Milan and set him adrift in a boat with Prospero’s young daughter Miranda.
32. Fed. property overseer GSA
The US Government’s General Services Administration (GSA), as the name suggests, provides general services to other federal agencies. So for example, the GSA manages office space for the other agencies, and transportation.
37. Where horses are treated for laryngitis? NEIGH-CARE CENTER (from “daycare center”)
The suffix “-itis” is used to denote inflammation, as in laryngitis (inflammation of the larynx) and sinusitis (inflammation of the sinuses).
40. Scrabble piece TILE
The highest score recorded in an official game of Scrabble is 830, by Michael Cresta of Massachusetts in an 830-490 win in 2006.
41. Singer DiFranco ANI
Ani DiFranco is a folk-rock singer and songwriter. DiFranco has also been labeled a “feminist icon”, and in 2006 won the “Woman of Courage Award” from National Organization of Women.
42. Alias HANDLE
Someone’s “handle” is his or her name, perhaps an alias.
44. Freudian topic EGO
Sigmund Freud created a structural model of the human psyche, breaking it into three parts: the id, the ego, and the super-ego. The id is that part of the psyche containing the basic instinctual drives. The ego seeks to please the id by causing realistic behavior that benefits the individual. The super-ego almost has a parental role, contradicting the id by introducing critical thinking and morals to behavioral choices.
56. Guernsey sound MOO
Guernsey cattle were originally bred on Guernsey in the British-owned Channel Islands. Guernsey cows are famous for the rich flavor of their milk.
57. Savage FERAL
“Feral”, meaning existing in a wild or untamed state, comes from the Latin word “fera” meaning “a wild animal”.
61. Drivel TRIPE
“Tripe” is an informal term meaning “rubbish, of little value”. Tripe is actually the rubbery lining of say a cow, that in the UK is traditionally eaten with onions.
62. Most tacky CHEESIEST
“Cheesy” can mean “of poor quality”. Its usage dates back to the late 1800s and the word is derived from the Urdu “chiz” meaning “thing”. “Chiz” was used to describe a big thing, something important, and our word “cheesy” is an ironic derivative from that sense.
63. Pace product SALSA
Pace Foods produces a line of salsas in Paris, Texas. The company was founded by David Pace in 1947, with his first product a salsa that he called “Picante” sauce. Back then, salsa was known as “Mexican sauce”, and “salsa” is simply the Spanish for “sauce”.
64. Coltrane collaborator MONK
Thelonious Monk was a jazz pianist and composer, the second-most recorded jazz composer after the great Duke Ellington. That’s a pretty impressive statistic given that Ellington wrote more than 1,000 songs, whereas Monk only wrote about 70. Monk was a pioneer in the development of the jazz style called “bebop”, which gained popularity in the 1940s.
John Coltrane was a jazz saxophonist who also went by the nickname “Trane”. John’s son Ravi Coltrane is also a noted jazz saxophonist.
Down
3. Suit material SERGE
Serge is a type of twill fabric with diagonal ridges on both sides. The name “serge” comes from the Greek word for “silken”.
6. Vet sch. course ANAT
“Vet” is an abbreviation for “veterinarian”, a professional who treat animals for disease and injury. The word “veterinary” comes from the Latin “veterinae” meaning “working animals, beasts of burden”.
7. TV monitor FCC
TV broadcasting is monitored by the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC has been around since 1934, when it replaced the Federal Radio Commission.
8. Rectangular links area, usually TEE
The oldest type of golf course is a links course. The name “links” comes from the Old English word “hlinc” meaning “rising ground”. “Hlinc” was used to describe areas with coastal sand dunes or open parkland. As a result, we use the term “links course” to mean a golf course that is located at or on the coast, often amid sand dunes. The British Open is always played on a links course.
10. Lasso REATA
“Reata” is the Spanish word for “lasso”. We tend to use the spelling “riata” in English, but sometimes can use the original Spanish word.
12. Curling slider STONE
I think curling is a cool game (pun intended!). It’s somewhat like bowls, but played on a sheet of ice. The sport was supposedly invented in medieval Scotland, and is called curling because of the action of the granite stone is it moves across the ice. A player can make the stone take a curved path (“curl”) by causing it to slowly rotate as it slides.
13. Legendary guy traditionally wearing black boots SANTA
The Santa Claus with whom we are familiar today largely comes from the description in the 1823 poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas”, and from the caricature created by the political cartoonist Thomas Nast.
15. What mayo might be SPANISH
In Spanish, the period between May (mayo) and May (mayo) is a year (año).
21. Grand style PANACHE
Someone exhibiting panache is showing dash and verve, and perhaps has a swagger. “Panache” is a French word used for a plume of feathers, especially in a hat.
23. Gamut RANGE
In medieval times, the musical scale was denoted by the notes “ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la”. The term “gamma ut”, shortened to “gamut”, was used to describe the whole scale. By the 1620s, “gamut” was being used to mean the entire range of anything, the whole gamut.
25. Wine choice ROSE
Rosé wines get their color from the skins of the grapes, although the intensity of the color is not sufficient to make them red wines. Of the varying type of rosé wines available, we are most familiar with sweet White Zinfandels. Personally I am fond of the really dry Provençal rosé wines.
30. Island garland LEI
“Lei” is the Hawaiian word for “garland, wreath”, although in more general terms a “lei” is any series of objects strung together as an adornment for the body.
35. It might be electric EEL
Electrophorus electricus is the biological name for the electric eel. Despite its name, the electric “eel” isn’t an eel at all, but rather what is called a knifefish, a fish with an elongated body that is related to the catfish. The electric eel has three pairs of organs along its abdomen, each capable of generating an electric discharge. The shock can go as high as 500 volts with 1 ampere of current (that’s 500 watts), and that could perhaps kill a human.
38. Any day now ANON
“Anon” originally meant “at once” and evolved into today’s meaning of “soon” apparently just because the word was misused over time.
39. Young raptors EAGLETS
“Raptor” is a generic term for a bird of prey, one that has talons to grip its victims.
43. Spring bloomer AZALEA
Azaleas are very toxic to horses, sheep and goats, but strangely enough cause no problem for cats or dogs. And if you go to Korea you might come across “Tug Yonju”, which is azalea wine made from the plant’s blossoms.
45. Loads RAFTS
A “raft” is a large amount, coming from the Middle English “raf” meaning the same thing.
46. Renée Fleming’s field OPERA
Renée Fleming is a marvelous soprano from Indiana, Pennsylvania. Famous for her appearances in opera houses and concert halls all over the world, Fleming is also noted for her willingness to bring her craft to the masses. She was a guest on “Sesame Street”, singing “counting lyrics” to an aria from “Rigoletto”, and she has appeared a few times on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion”.
54. Rounded tool part PEEN
The peen of a hammer is on the head, and is the side of the head that is opposite the striking surface. Often the peen is in the shape of a hemisphere (as in a ball-peen hammer), but usually it is shaped like a claw (mainly for removing nails).
58. Old films channel TCM
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is one of my favorite television channels, delivering just what its name promises: classic movies.
59. “The __ Sell Out”: 1967 rock album WHO
The English rock band called the Who was formed in 1964, bringing together famed musicians Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle and Keith Moon. According to “Rolling Stone” magazine, the Who were the third arm of the holy trinity of British rock, alongside the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. One may be under a jacket VEST
5. Drift on the breeze WAFT
9. Military group BRASS
14. Basically IN ESSENCE
16. Storyteller of a sort YENTA
17. Where dogs chat? BARK PLACE (from “Park Place”)
18. Sobriety symbol WAGON
19. Hosp. test ECG
20. Pilot’s stat. ALT
21. Manifest PATENT
22. Harsh STERN
24. Where donkeys make noise? BRAY AREA (from “play area”)
26. Fight a cold, say AIL
28. Ages and ages EONS
29. King of Naples in “The Tempest” ALONSO
32. Fed. property overseer GSA
33. Traveling, in a way ASEA
37. Where horses are treated for laryngitis? NEIGH-CARE CENTER (from “daycare center”)
40. Scrabble piece TILE
41. Singer DiFranco ANI
42. Alias HANDLE
43. Small matter? ATOM
44. Freudian topic EGO
45. Where lions practice intimidation? ROAR ZONE (from “war zone”)
49. Not upfront LYING
53. Show APPEAR
54. Historic opening? PRE-
56. Guernsey sound MOO
57. Savage FERAL
58. Where birds sing? TWEET SPOT (from “sweet spot”)
61. Drivel TRIPE
62. Most tacky CHEESIEST
63. Pace product SALSA
64. Coltrane collaborator MONK
65. Entreaty PLEA
Down
1. Feelings VIBES
2. Make official ENACT
3. Suit material SERGE
4. “Shame on you!” TSK!
5. Excellently WELL
6. Vet sch. course ANAT
7. TV monitor FCC
8. Rectangular links area, usually TEE
9. Minor roads BYWAYS
10. Lasso REATA
11. Steam ANGER
12. Curling slider STONE
13. Legendary guy traditionally wearing black boots SANTA
15. What mayo might be SPANISH
21. Grand style PANACHE
23. Gamut RANGE
24. Make dirty BEGRIME
25. Wine choice ROSE
27. Kind of map LOCATOR
29. Social worker? ANT
30. Island garland LEI
31. Cook’s supply OIL
33. Pester ANNOY
34. Norm: Abbr. STD
35. It might be electric EEL
36. “__ you happy now?” ARE
38. Any day now ANON
39. Young raptors EAGLETS
43. Spring bloomer AZALEA
45. Loads RAFTS
46. Renée Fleming’s field OPERA
47. Spring time APRIL
48. Brings in REAPS
50. Drive forward IMPEL
51. Western omen NOOSE
52. “__ go!” GOTTA
54. Rounded tool part PEEN
55. Smell REEK
58. Old films channel TCM
59. “The __ Sell Out”: 1967 rock album WHO
60. Nurse SIP