Morrissey, You Handsome Devil!

Today's cryptoquote is by the one and only Steven Morrissey (1959-  ) (known simply as "Morrissey"):

"You have to, at least from a distance, look as if you now what you're doing, and I can manage that."


For those of you living under a rock, Morrissey is the lead singer of The Smiths, one of the greatest alternative bands of the '80s. The Smiths are one band I never had a chance to see. The subjects of Morrissey's songs aren't exactly uplifting: failed relationships, lonely nightclubs, crappy home life, burdens of the past, etc. I've always loved his voice and he is supposed to be great live. He also was quite the style icon in his day . . . I loved his haircut and clothes. Morrissey is the influence for many of today's Emo bands (e.g., Taking Back Sunday, Fall Out Boy, Weezer, My Chemical Romance).

The crossword theme for today is "First is Last" (Gail Grabowski). Here are the theme answers:

Courtesy of Travel.State.Gov

20A: Central American Nation: COSTA RICA (Spanish for "Rich Coast," Costa Rica is the most eco-friendly country on the planet. The country plans to become a carbon-neutral one by 2021. Adventure tourism is very popular here; many travel companies offer trips that include white-water rafting, bungee jumping, and SCUBA diving.

51A: Brazilian Dance: BOSSA NOVA. The Bossa Nova became popular during the early 1960s. The first, and most famous bossa nova song to achieve popularity was "The Girl from Ipanema." Check out this classic tune:

10D: Female Opera Star: PRIMA DONNA. Originally, the term was used to designate a lead female singer in an opera. Famous Prima Donnae include Maria Callas and Renate Tebaldi. The term also means someone who is demanding, temperamental, and cocky (e.g., JLo).

28D: Pottery Clay: TERRA COTTA

It's National Chocolate Ice Cream Day! The editors at Kitchen Daily (www.kitchendaily.com) did a taste test of 14 different brands of chocolate ice cream. The winner . . . Friendly's Classic Chocolate! The word "Chocolate" is of Spanish origin; supposedly it comes from the Aztecan language Nahuatl. Many modern sources say the word is derived from the term "chicolatl," which means "beaten drink."


Well, Anthony Weiner confessed that he was sending dirty pictures to his followers on Twitter. I hope he isn't forced to resign. He is good for our neighborhood, but he wasn't thinking clearly in this case. There are many Weiner jokes going around on Facebook and Twitter.


On that note, good-bye for now.


Signing off,
The Puzzlechick