Category: Grant Boroughs

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Constructed by: Grant Boroughs
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme (according to Bill): Finished with the Vegetables?

Themed answers each start with what sounds like a common phrase, but with the last word changed to a vegetable:

• 17A Proud proclamation at the county fair produce contest? : THAT’S MY CUCUMBER (from “That’s my cue”)
• 26A Praises a prizewinner at the county fair produce contest? : HAILS A CABBAGE (from “hails a cab”)
• 45A Cause of a frantic search at the county fair produce contest? : LOST ARTICHOKE (from “lost art”)
• 60A Squashes a rival’s entry at the county fair produce contest? : GOES TOE-TO-TOMATO (from “goes toe-to-toe”)

Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers

Bill’s time: 7m 44s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Respiratory organ : LUNG

The lungs are the two main organs in the human respiratory system. It is in the lungs that oxygen is extracted from the air and transferred into the bloodstream. At the same time, carbon dioxide is removed from the bloodstream and released into the atmosphere.

8 “The Bonfire of the Vanities” novelist Tom : WOLFE

“The Bonfire of the Vanities” is a satirical novel by American author Tom Wolfe that was published in 1987. Actually, the original version of the novel was published earlier, starting in 1984, in “Rolling Stone” magazine. The title refers to the 1497 burning of items condemned by religious authorities as items encouraging sin. Believers collected thousands of cosmetics, works of art, items of fine clothing, playing cards, mirrors and musical instruments and burned them in a huge fire in Florence. That event became known as a “bonfire of the vanities”.

16 Catherine of “Schitt’s Creek” : O’HARA

Catherine O’Hara is an actress and comedian from Toronto, Ontario. One of O’Hara’s more famous film roles is Kevin’s mother in the Christmas classic “Home Alone”. She also plays a lead character (Moira) in the excellent sitcom “Schitt’s Creek” alongside Eugen Levy.

“Schitt’s Creek” is a very entertaining Canadian sitcom created by two of the four leading actors: Dan Levy and his father Eugene Levy. The other two leads are played by Catherine O’Hara and Annie Murphy. It is about a very wealthy family who lose their money and relocate to a small town called Schitt’s Creek, which they had once purchased as a joke. Recommended …

17 Proud proclamation at the county fair produce contest? : THAT’S MY CUCUMBER (from “That’s my cue”)

Apparently, scientists have shown that the inside of a cucumber (“cuke” for short) growing in a field can be up to twenty degrees cooler than the surrounding air. That’s something that was believed by farmers as early as the 1730s, at which time the phrase “cool as a cucumber” was coined.

20 Legalese adverb : HERETO

The word “hereto” is legalese for “to here”, as in “attached hereto” meaning “attached to here”.

22 “To __ is human … ” : ERR

Alexander Pope’s 1709 poem “An Essay on Criticism” is the source of at least three well-known quotations:

• A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring.
• To err is human, to forgive divine.
• For fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

23 King topper : ACE

That would be in many card games.

25 Neither Dem. nor Rep. : IND

In the world of politics, an Independent (Ind.) is neither Republican (Rep.) nor Democrat (Dem.)

35 “Black-ish” star Tracee __ Ross : ELLIS

Actress Tracee Ellis Ross is perhaps best known for playing lead roles in the TV shows “Girlfriends” and “black-ish”. She was born Tracee Joy Silberstein, and is the daughter of singer Diana Ross and music executive Robert Ellis Silberstein.

36 Writer Bombeck : ERMA

Erma Bombeck wrote for newspapers for about 35 years. She produced more than 4,000 witty and humorous columns under the title “At Wit’s End”, with all describing her home life in suburbia.

37 Debonair : SUAVE

The Latin word “suavis” translates as “agreeable, pleasant to the senses”. “Sauvis” is the root of the English word “suave” that describes someone who is gracious and sophisticated, and perhaps somewhat superficial. “Sauvis” also gave us the English word “sweet” meaning “pleasing to the taste”.

Someone described as debonair is very courteous and gracious. The term comes into English via the French “debonaire”, which itself is derived from “de bon’ aire” meaning “of good race”, a phrase that originally applied to the breeding of hawks.

40 Actor Idris : ELBA

Idris Elba is a British actor and DJ. He was born in London to a Sierra Leonean father and a Ghanaian mother. Elba’s breakthrough role came in 2002, when he was cast as Stringer Bell in the HBO series “The Wire”.

45 Cause of a frantic search at the county fair produce contest? : LOST ARTICHOKE (from “lost art”)

As one might imagine from their appearance, artichokes are actually a type of thistle. The edible part of the artichoke is the flower bud, which is harvested before it fully blooms. If left unharvested, the flower of the artichoke plant will eventually bloom into a large, bright purple flower.

50 Slugger’s stat : RBI

Run batted in (RBI)

62 One-named “Easy on Me” singer : ADELE

“Easy on Me” is a 2021 song co-written and recorded by Adele. In the song, Adele is directly addressing her 9-year-old son, asking him to be “easy on” her following her divorce from his father.

64 Deportment : MIEN

One’s mien is one’s bearing or manner. “Mien” shares the same etymological root as our word “demeanor”.

65 Noodle option : RAMEN

Ramen is a noodle dish composed of Chinese-style wheat noodles in a meat or fish broth flavored with soy or miso sauce. Ramen is usually topped with sliced pork and dried seaweed. The term “ramen” is also used for precooked, instant noodles that come in single-serving, solid blocks.

66 Actor Beatty : NED

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”.

Down

3 Queen and regime, e.g. : NEAR RHYMES

Quite often, the terms “regime” and “regimen” seem to be used interchangeably. In contemporary usage, “regime” is applied more generally, and “regimen” more specifically. A “regimen” is a systematic approach that one might apply to something, to exercise or diet for example. The term “regime” can also be used in such contexts, but can have additional definitions, such as “government in power”. A form of government cannot be described as a “regimen”.

5 Sword of __: impending disaster : DAMOCLES

In the legend “The Sword of Damocles”, Damocles was a member of the court of Dionysius II of Syracuse. Damocles was a bit of a smarmy type and weaseled his way into sitting on the throne of his king so that he could taste the power and privilege that came with the position. The price Damocles had to pay was to sit on the throne under a sword that was suspended by a single hair of a horse’s tail. Such was the tension felt by Damocles that he begged to give up the privileges of the throne.

6 Gymnast Raisman with three Olympic gold medals : ALY

Aly Raisman is a retired gymnast. She captained the US gold-winning teams in the Olympics in 2012 (“The Fierce Five”) and in 2016 (“The Final Five”).

7 Mineral used in pearlescent paint : MICA

Mica is a silicate mineral. Thin sheets of mica are transparent and are used in place of glass in certain applications. This form of mica is called isinglass, and as it has a better thermal performance than glass it is a great choice for “peepholes” in boilers and lanterns. Mica is also used in the electronics industry, making use of its unique electrical and thermal insulating properties.

Pearlescence is the quality of having a pearl-like appearance. An item might appear pearlescent because structures below the surface reflect white light back to the viewer, giving the item a pearl-like luster.

10 Research centers : LABS

Our term “laboratory”, often shortened to “lab”, comes from the Medieval Latin word “laboratorium” meaning “place for labor, work”. This in turn comes from the Latin verb “laborare” meaning “to work”.

19 Water-to-wine village : CANA

According to the Christian Bible, Cana is the place where Jesus performed his first public miracle. Jesus was attending a wedding feast with his mother when the party ran out of wine. Jesus turned water into wine, wine subsequently deemed to be the best served at the feast.

24 Son of Isaac and Rebecca : ESAU

According to the Bible’s Book of Genesis, Esau was the elder twin brother of Jacob, and son of Isaac and Rebekah. Esau sold his birthright, which entitled him to a double portion of his father’s inheritance, for a bowl of lentil stew because he was hungry and didn’t want to wait for his brother to cook food.

28 Vintage violin : AMATI

The first of the Amati family to make violins was Andrea Amati, who lived in the 14th century. He was succeeded by his sons Antonio and Girolamo. In turn, the two brothers were succeeded by Girolamo’s son Nicolo. Nicolo had a few students who achieved fame making musical instruments as well. One was his own son, Girolamo, and another was the famed Antonio Stradivari.

34 Folk singer Guthrie : ARLO

Singer Arlo Guthrie is known for his protest songs, just like his father Woody Guthrie. The younger Guthrie only ever had one song in the top 40: a cover version of “City of New Orleans”. He has lived for years in the town of Washington, just outside Pittsfield, Massachusetts. His 1976 song “Massachusetts” has been the official folk song of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts since 1981.

38 Carpet cleaners, for short : VACS

The first practical portable vacuum cleaner was invented by James Spangler in 1907. Spangler sold the patent for the design to his cousin’s husband, William Henry Hoover. Hoover then made his fortune from manufacturing and selling vacuum cleaners. Hoover was so successful in my part of the world that back in Ireland we don’t use the verb “to vacuum” and instead say “to hoover”. Also, “hoover” is what we call a vacuum cleaner, regardless of who makes it.

42 Brand known for surfing gear : HANG TEN

Hang Ten was a clothing company founded in 1960 in California to sell surfing apparel. The company was sold ten years later, but the brand persists, applying to a whole range of casual clothing. “To hang ten” is a verb used in surfing. A surfer hangs ten when he or she is able to walk forward and hang ten toes over the nose of the board because the back of the board is covered by the waves being ridden. The original logo associated with the brand was a pair of little feet.

44 Barrel racing milieu : RODEO

Barrel racing is an event featured in rodeos. Competitors on horses race around barrels in a cloverleaf pattern, each trying to complete the course in the fastest time. The event tends to be confined to male and female youths, and to women riders.

We use the French term “milieu” (plural “milieux”) to mean “environment, surroundings”. In French, “milieu” is the word for “middle”.

46 Carson City neighbor : RENO

Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada, and was named for the Carson River. The river was named for Kit Carson, the scout who accompanied the team of European Americans who first arrived in the area in 1843. Carson City was designated state capital in 1864.

47 Coarse fabric : TWEED

Tweed is a rough woolen fabric that is very much associated with Scotland in the UK, and with County Donegal in Ireland. The cloth was originally called “tweel”, the Scots word for “twill”. Apparently a London merchant misinterpreted some handwriting in the early 1800s and assumed the fabric was called “tweed”, a reference to the Scottish River Tweed, and the name stuck …

51 Stimulant-yielding Asian leaf : BETEL

A betel nut is a type of nut that is chewed, especially in parts of Asia. “Betel nut” is a bit of a misnomer, as the nut in question is actually an areca nut from the Areca palm. For chewing, the areca nut is wrapped in betel leaves and the whole thing is called a “betel nut”.

53 Seaweed gelatin used as a thickener : AGAR

Agar (also “agar-agar”) is a jelly extracted from seaweed that has many uses. Agar is found in Japanese desserts, and can also be used as a food thickener or even as a laxative. In the world of science, it is the most common medium used for growing bacteria in Petri dishes.

57 School founded by Henry VI : ETON

Eton College near Windsor in the south of England was founded way back in 1440 by King Henry VI. Originally known as “The King’s College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor”, the school was intended to provide free education to poor boys. Free education today at Eton? Not so much …