Crossword Blog & Answers for April 29, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher

Constructor: Bill Conner

Editor: Anna Gundlach

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• IPA (2D: Beer like Ninkasi’s Tricerahops) Ninkasi is a brewery in Eugene, Oregon. It is named after the Mesopotamian goddess of beer and fermentation. Ninkasi’s Tricerahops is a Double IPA. Although I wasn’t familiar with Ninkasi or Tricerahops, I guessed the answer was either IPA or ale. Many IPA’s have punny names, so that enabled me to guess correctly.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• ERIC (16A: “The Time Traveler’s Wife” star Bana) The Time Traveler’s Wife is a 2009 movie based on Audrey Niffenegger’s 2003 book of the same name. ERIC Bana portrays Henry DeTamble, the time traveler of the title, who sporadically travels through time, though he is unable to control the timing or destinations of his travel. Rachel Adams portrays Clare Abshire, the titular character. I have not seen this movie, though I have read the book, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
• DIAZ (18A: “Charlie’s Angels” star Cameron) The 2000 movie Charlie’s Angels continued the story of the TV series of the same name that aired from 1976-1981. Cameron DIAZ, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu work as private detectives in Los Angeles. The three reprised their role in the 2003 movie Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. John Forsythe, who provided the voice of the unseen Charlie in the original TV series, reprised his role for the movies.
• ENID (29A: “Queen Wheat City” of Oklahoma) ENID, Oklahoma has earned the nicknames of “Queen Wheat City” and “Wheat Capital,” not for the production of wheat, but for its storage. The ENID Terminal Grain Elevators Historic District, placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009, consists of nine concrete grain elevators built between 1928 and 1954. 
• IRONMAN (51A: Difficult long-distance triathlon) An IRONMAN triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride, and a 26.22-mile run (i.e. a marathon). The time limit to complete this triathlon is generally 16 or 17 hours.
• ERIE (55A: Great Lake that flows into Niagara Falls) The Detroit River carries water from Lake Huron and Lake St. Clair into Lake ERIE. Water drains from Lake ERIE into Lake Ontario via the Niagara River and Niagara Falls. Our crossword friend ERIE is having a good month; this is its third appearance so far in April.
• OPERA (57D: Musical performance with 24-Down) and ARIA (24D: Divas’ chances to shine) An ARIA is an OPERA solo.
• SIAM (62A: Thailand’s name until 1939)  Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia. Historically the country was known as SIAM. The country’s name was officially changed to Thailand in 1939, then changed back to SIAM in 1946, and once again changed to Thailand in 1948. The capital of Thailand is Bangkok
• WAGON (64A: Red “Calvin and Hobbes” vehicle) Ah, the delightful Calvin and Hobbes, Bill Waterson’s comic strip about six-year-old Calvin and his tiger companion, Hobbes. This clue immediately brought to mind an image of Calvin and Hobbes in their red WAGON careening down a hill.
• TENS (65A: Hamilton bills) Alexander Hamilton, who was the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury is featured on U.S. TEN-dollar bills.
• STL (66A: City east of KCMO) Kansas City, Missouri (KCMO) is located on the west side of Missouri, along the Missouri-Kansas border. St. Louis, Missouri (STL) is located on the east side of Missouri, along the Missouri-Illinois border. The two cities are connected by U.S. Interstate 70. Fun fact: Columbia, Missouri – where I went to high school – is also located along Interstate 70, approximately halfway between STL and KCMO.
• ODIN (7D: Ruler of Valhalla) In Norse mythology, Valhalla is a majestic hall over which the god ODIN rules. In Norse tradition, half of those who die in combat go to Valhalla after they die, while the other half go to Fólkvangr, a field ruled over by the goddess Freyja.
• AROMA (11D: What might make a cartoon character float to the kitchen) This is such a fun clue. I was immediately able to visualize this image.
• SEVEN (36D: Number that shares a key with &) I solved this crossword at my computer, and yes, I did glance at my keyboard to discover this answer.
• KOREA (39D: Where bibimbap is from) Bibimbap is a rice dish that originated in KOREA. It consists of white rice topped with sautéed or fermented vegetables, chili pepper paste, soy sauce, and sometimes an egg and sliced meat.
• CURIE (48D: First two-time Nobel Prize winner Marie) Marie CURIE was also the first woman to win a Nobel Prize. Marie CURIE’s two Nobel Prizes are in different fields. In 1903, she shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with her husband, Pierre, and physicist Henri Becquerel, for developing the theory of radioactivity. (Fun fact: Marie CURIE coined the term radioactivity.) In 1911, Marie CURIE won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of the elements polonium and radium. Always happy to see a woman scientist in the puzzle.
• ROME (52D: Trevi Fountain’s city) The Trevi Fountain, designed by Nicola Salvi, is the largest Baroque fountain in ROME, Italy. It has been featured in several movies, including Roman Holiday (1953), Three Coins in the Fountain (1954) and The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003). 
• ROW (60D: Column crosser) It seems almost wrong to clue ROW in this way when it’s a Down answer instead of an Across answer… I’m kidding, but the thought did make me chuckle.