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Constructed by: Jay Silverman
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Bye Bye Birdie

Themed answers are common phrases. Each matches the corresponding clue when we remove (say “BYE-BYE” to) the BIRDIE hidden within:

• 66A Musical with the song “Put On a Happy Face,” and a hint to making four answers match their starred clues : BYE BYE BIRDIE

• 18A *Promo for long-range basket shooters? : THREE’S A CROWD (THREES AD … bye bye CROW)
• 27A *Easy-to-revisit search engine results? : BOWLING PINS (BING PINS … bye bye OWL)
• 42A *Frilly fabric from the Middle East? : LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (LACE OF ARABIA … bye bye WREN)
• 51A *Award coveted by directors Anderson and Craven? : BEST WESTERN (BEST WES … bye bye TERN)

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

Bill’s time: 9m 53s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

7 Cab opening : PEDI-

A pedicab is also known as a cycle rickshaw.

16 Treasury Dept. concern : ECON

The Department of the Treasury was established in 1789 with the mission of managing government revenue. Famously, the first Secretary of the Treasury was Alexander Hamilton.

17 Oft-torn knee pt. : ACL

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of four major ligaments that support the knee. It is located in the center of the knee and connects the femur (thigh bone) to the tibia (shin bone).

18 *Promo for long-range basket shooters? : THREE’S A CROWD (THREES AD … bye bye CROW)

Ravens and crows are very similar species, and it can be difficult to tell them apart. Ravens are a little larger and often travel in pairs, whereas crows are a little smaller and are usually seen in larger groups. Crows make a cawing sound, while the raven’s call is more like a croak.

25 Actor Omar : EPPS

Omar Epps is the actor who played Eric Foreman on the excellent television series “House”. Prior to playing Dr. Foreman, Epps had a recurring role playing Dr. Dennis Gant on “ER”. He is good friends with actor and comedian Marlon Wayans. Epps and Wayns were classmates at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School in the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

27 *Easy-to-revisit search engine results? : BOWLING PINS (BING PINS … bye bye OWL)

Bing is the search engine from Microsoft. “Bing” is the latest name for an engine that Microsoft used to call Live Search, Windows Live Search and MSN Search.

Owls can rotate their heads 270 degrees, allowing them to look completely around without moving their bodies.

29 Title Pixar fish : DORY

Pixar’s 2016 animated feature “Finding Dory” is a sequel to the megahit film “Finding Nemo”. “Finding Dory” seems to have built on the success of its predecessor and had the highest-grossing opening weekend ever in North America for an animated movie.

38 Wild garlic : RAMP

“Ramp” is a common name for species of wild onion or garlic found in the eastern part of North America.

42 *Frilly fabric from the Middle East? : LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (LACE OF ARABIA … bye bye WREN)

The wren is a small songbird belonging to the family troglodytidae and the genus troglodytes. Wrens are known for making dome-shaped nests. Despite their small size, they are known for their loud and complex songs. Male wrens often sing to attract mates and to establish territory, They have been known to attack much larger birds that get too close to their nests.

British Army officer T. E. Lawrence acted as a liaison during the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Turks during WWI. Lawrence’s own writings of his adventures, as well reports in the news media, led to him gaining a reputation as a dashing figure and earned him the moniker “Lawrence of Arabia”.

45 Actress Redgrave : LYNN

Actress Lynn Redgrave was a member of the Redgrave acting family, daughter of Michael Redgrave and sister of Vanessa Redgrave. Lynn has the distinction of being the only person to have been nominated for all of the EGOT awards (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony), without winning any of them.

50 Gp. that includes the UAE and Gabon : OPEC

The nation of Gabon lies on the west coast of Central Africa. Since it became independent from France in 1960, Gabon has become one of the most prosperous countries on the continent, by making use of the abundant natural resources and willing foreign investment.

51 *Award coveted by directors Anderson and Craven? : BEST WESTERN (BEST WES … bye bye TERN)

Film director Wes Anderson’s most famous movie is probably “The Royal Tenenbaums” that was released in 2001, and is not my favorite film by any stretch. However, Anderson’s 2007 release “The Darjeeling Limited”; that I enjoyed.

Wes Craven was a very successful film director and writer specializing in movies of the horror genre, which means that I don’t watch them! He was responsible for “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and the “Scream” films. Craven passed away in August 2015.

Terns are a family of seabirds. They are similar to gulls, but are more slender and more lightly built. Many species of tern are known for their long-distance migrations, with the Arctic tern migrating so far that it is believed to see more daylight in a year than any other animal.

Best Western is a very large hotel chain, with over 4,000 locations. The chain is a little unusual in that all of its properties are independently-owned franchises, with none being company-owned. Best Western was founded in 1946 and grew out of a small network of independent hotel operators who informally agreed to make referrals to each other’s properties.

61 Star part : CAMEO

Even in my day, a cameo role was more than just a short appearance in a movie (or other artistic piece). For the appearance to be a cameo, the actor had to play himself or herself, and was instantly recognizable. With this meaning it’s easy to see the etymology of the term, as a cameo brooch is one with the recognizable carving of the silhouette of a person. Nowadays, a cameo is any minor role played by a celebrity or famous actor, regardless of the character played.

65 AI exec, perhaps : CTO

Chief technology officer (CTO)

66 Musical with the song “Put On a Happy Face,” and a hint to making four answers match their starred clues : BYE BYE BIRDIE

“Bye Bye Birdie” is a stage musical set in 1958, and first performed in 1960 on Broadway. It was inspired by the real-life events surrounding Elvis Presley getting drafted into the Army in 1957. The “Elvis” character in the musical is called Conrad Birdie, a play on the name of the singer Conway Twitty. One of the songs from the show is “Put on a Happy Face”.

70 Actress Skye : IONE

Ione Skye is an American actress born in London, England. She is best known for portraying the character Diane Court in the 1989 high school romance movie “Say Anything…”, starring opposite John Cusack. Skye is the daughter of the Scottish folk singer Donovan.

71 Follows shampoo bottle instructions : LATHERS

Back in the 1760s, the verb “to shampoo” was an Anglo-Indian word meaning “to massage”. A century later we started “to shampoo” our hair.

74 Dusty or Cody of pro wrestling fame : RHODES

Dusty Rhodes was a professional wrestler who used the nickname “The American Dream”. Dusty had two children who followed into a career in professional wrestling: Dustin Rhodes and Cody Rhodes.

Down

1 Reading length : METRE

On the other side of the Atlantic we use the French spelling for measurements that originated in French, so “metre” for “meter” and “litre” for “liter”.

Reading is the county town of Berkshire in England. It is a major railroad junction, and the site of a renowned monastery and a prison. Reading Prison was where American actor Stacy Keach spent 6 months in 1984, convicted of smuggling cocaine into the UK. Irish author Oscar Wilde was also an inmate, after which he wrote the poem “The Ballad of Reading Gaol”.

4 Billy Joe Armstrong bandmate __ Cool : TRE

“Tré Cool” is the stage name of Frank Wright, the drummer for the punk rock band Green Day.

Friday, May 3rd
4D Billie Joe Armstrong bandmate __ Cool : TRE
Billie Joe Armstrong is a co-founder of the American rock band Green Day, as well as the lead vocalist and main songwriter. He was born in Oakland, California, and in 2015 launched the Oakland Coffee Works with fellow band member Mike Dirnt.

8 Reason to boil water : E COLI

Escherichia coli (E. coli) are usually harmless bacteria found in the human gut, working away quite happily. However, there are some strains that can produce lethal toxins. These strains can make their way into the food chain from animal fecal matter that comes into contact with food designated for human consumption.

9 Stock market name : DOW

Dow Jones & Company was founded as a publishing house in 1882 by three newspaper reporters, Charles Dow, Edward Jones and Charles Bergstresser. Today, the company’s most famous publication has to be “The Wall Street Journal”. In 1884, Charles Dow started reporting the average dollar value of the stock of eleven companies, an index which spawned a whole host of metrics that carry the Dow Jones name to this day. The most famous of these metrics is the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), also known as “the Dow 30” or simply “the Dow”.

10 Part of Roy G. Biv : INDIGO

The name of the color “indigo” ultimately comes from the Greek “indikon” meaning “blue dye from India”.

“Roy G. Biv” can be used as a mnemonic for the colors in a rainbow:

• Red
• Orange
• Yellow
• Green
• Blue
• Indigo
• Violet

11 Arizona roadside sights : CACTI

The cactus (plural “cacti”) is a member of a family of plants that are particularly well-adapted to extremely dry environments. Almost all cacti are native to the Americas, although some succulent plants from the old world are similar in appearance and are often mislabeled as “cacti”.

12 Antarctic, for one : OCEAN

The Southern Ocean is sometimes referred to as the Antarctic Ocean. It is the body of water that surrounds the landmass of Antarctica.

15 Fajita-like fare : TACO

“Fajita” is a Tex-Mex term that refers to grilled meat served on a tortilla. The original Mexican-Spanish term “fajita” is used to describe a small strip of chicken or beef. Nowadays, fajitas are often served on a sizzling platter with the tortillas and condiments on the side.

28 Drag org. : NHRA

The sport of drag racing is administered by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA).

33 Baffin, for one : BAY

Baffin Bay is that part of the North Atlantic Ocean located between Baffin Island in Canada and the island of Greenland. Both the bay and island are named for English navigator William Baffin. Baffin Bay is largely covered with ice and icebergs for most of the year and so is usually unnavigable.

36 Mark Kurlansky book subtitled “A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World” : COD

Mark Kurlansky is a journalist and prolific author of fiction and nonfiction, as well as children’s books. He seems to be fond of using lengthy and descriptive subtitles for his nonfiction works, for example:

• Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World (1997)
• The Last Fish Tale: The Fate of the Atlantic and Survival in Gloucester, America’s Oldest Fishing Port and Most Original Town (2008)
• What?: Are These the 20 Most Important Questions in Human History—Or Is This a Game of 20 Questions? (2011)

37 Vehicle for E.T. : UFO

1982’s classic science fiction movie “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” was directed by Steven Spielberg. The idea behind the film came from Spielberg himself, and the character E.T. was based on an imaginary friend that he conjured up as a child after his parents divorced in 1960.

40 Mine, in Milan : MIO

Milan (“Milano” in Italian) is Italy’s second-largest city, second only to Rome. It is a European fashion capital, the headquarters for the big Italian fashion houses of Valentino, Gucci, Versace, Armani, Prada and others. Mario Prada was even born in Milan, and helped establish the city’s reputation in the world of fashion.

41 Hook’s nemesis : PAN

Captain Hook is the bad guy in “Peter Pan”, the famous play by J. M. Barrie. Hook is Peter Pan’s sworn enemy, as Pan had cut off Hook’s hand causing it to be replaced by a “hook”. It is implied in the play that Hook attended Eton College, just outside London. Hook’s last words are “Floreat Etona”, which is Eton College’s motto. Barrie openly acknowledged that the Hook character is based on Herman Melville’s Captain Ahab from the novel “Moby Dick”.

49 Cheap : TWO-BIT

The American quarter is a little unusual in the world of decimal currency, if you think about it. Most currencies have a “20-cent” coin, which is easier to work with mathematically. The US went for the quarter in deference to the practice of dividing Spanish Milled Dollars into eight wedge-shaped “bits”. That’s also why the quarter is sometimes referred to as “two bits”. We’ve been using the adjective “two-bit” to mean “cheap, tawdry” at least since 1929. State quarters were introduced in 1999.

52 Foodie website : EATER

“Eater” is a food website founded in 2005. Back then, “Eater” focused on New York City, and the city’s dining and nightlife. The site expanded its coverage to more cities in the US, and then Canada and England.

53 __ quartz : SMOKY

Apparently there is no such gemstone as “smoky topaz”. Instead, some less than reputable dealers sell the attractive but inexpensive “smoky quartz” using the topaz name to get a premium price.

54 Memo taker : STENO

Stenography is the process of writing in shorthand. The term comes from the Greek “steno” (narrow) and “graphe” (writing).

55 Lhasa locale : TIBET

Lhasa is the capital city of Tibet, with the name “Lhasa” translating as “place of the gods”. However, Lhasa used to be called Rasa, a name that translates into the less auspicious “goat’s place”. Lhasa was also once called the “Forbidden City” due to its inaccessible location high in the Himalayas and a traditional hostility exhibited by residents to outsiders. The “forbidden” nature of the city has been reinforced since the Chinese took over Tibet in the early 1950s as it has been difficult for foreigners to get permission to visit Lhasa.

57 Cambodian currency : RIEL

The Cambodian riel was introduced in 1953, and was taken out of circulation by the Khmer Rouge in 1975 when they completely abolished money on taking control of the country. After the Vietnamese invasion of 1978, money was reintroduced and the Cambodian people are still using the “second” riel. The original riel was divided into 100 centimes, but this was changed to 100 “sen” in 1959.

59 Valley with many vineyards : LOIRE

The Loire is the longest river in France. It is so long that it drains one-fifth of the nation’s land mass. The Loire rises in the southeast, in the Cevennes mountain range, then heads north then due west, emptying into the Bay of Biscay at the city of Nantes. The Loire Valley is home to some of France’s most famous wine production, and includes the wine regions of Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé and Muscadet. It is also home to some of the nation’s most spectacular châteaux. There are over 300 castles along the river, built by French kings and their courtiers.

63 “Star Wars” bad guys : SITH

The Sith are characters in the “Star Wars” universe who use the “dark side” of “the Force”, and as such are the antithesis of the Jedi Knights. Members of the Sith use the title “Darth” before their name, as in Darth Vader. The last made of the six “Star Wars” movies is called “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith”.

67 Teo __ of “Past Lives” : YOO

“Teo Yoo” is the stage name of German-born South Korean actor Kim Chi-hun. His big break in international film came with a lead role in the 2023 romantic drama film “Past Lives”. Given his background, Teo Yoo is fluent in Korean, English and German.