What is a gadfly?

Search: gadfly; cleg

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #59 across: "Gadfly"

CLEG

Wtf.

Answer: It's just a fly! Like a horsefly. It has to "bite or annoy livestock." A "cleg" (from Old Norse kleggi) is the same thing. Those are words you can use now. You're welcome!

The word comes from goad. Goadfly. Goad.

Other types of gadfly include the botfly and the warble fly. Don't look them up.

Source: Merriam Webster, The Free Dictionary

The More You Know: When not talking about clegs, botflies, or warble flies, "gadfly" refers to people who upset the status quo by challenging common assumptions or otherwise being annoying. In Plato's Apology, Socrates said he bit Athens out of complacency:

I am a sort of gadfly, given to the state by the God; and the state is like a great and noble steed who is tardy in his motions owing to his very size, and requires to be stirred into life. I am that gadfly which God has given the state and all day long and in all places am always fastening upon you, arousing and persuading and reproaching you.

What does an adz look like?

Search: adz

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #71 down: "Cutting tool"

ADZ

Answer: Like this:

Source: Google Images

The More You Know: Also called an adze, it's used for woodworking! You stand astride the log and chip it like this!

Brawny!

I want to see a ewer

Search: ewer

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #122 down: "Water pitcher"

EWER

Answer: Ooh, fancy:

Source: Google Images

The More You Know: A ewer has a base, oval body, and flaring spout. A famous one is the America's Cup trophy. The word comes from from Anglo-French ewer, ewier, from Latin aquarium "water source," from aqua "water."

Who is the Dow Jones named after?

Search: dow jones

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #94 Down: "___ Jones"

DOW

Answer: Wall Street Journal founder Charles Dow (1851-1902) and statistician Edward Jones (1856-1920)! The Dow Jones Industrial Average, icydk, is an index that shows how certain large, publicly-owned companies have traded during a standard trading session in the stock market.

Source: Wikipedia

The More You Know: I always thought DOW was an acronym, like for Dollars of the World or Dirty and Weird. Oops!

What is a pelota?

Search: pelota

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #33 across: "Jai alai or bocce"

PELOTA

Answer: (Spanish: "little ball")

Any of several games in which players take turns, using a glove or implement, hitting a rubber ball either directly at one another or off a wall. The latter version is related to handball and jai alai, which are played by two or four players on one-, two-, or three-walled courts using gloves, rackets, or bats. In Spain and elsewhere, pelota is a professional sport on which spectators wager.

Source: Britannica Concise Encyclopedia

The More You Know: But wtf is jai alai? It was in the crossword last week, also, which leads me to believe that tptb at In Touch just found out about it.

What's a word for "provincial speech"?

Search: provincial speech

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #113 across: "Provincial speech"

_ _ TOIS

Answer: PATOIS! A dialect other than the standard or literary dialect - especially illiterate or provincial speech

Source: Wordsmith.org

The More You Know: It was the Word of the Day May 21, 1994! And you know what it was the next day? Agglutinate!

What's a word that means "dye with wax"?

Search: dye with wax bati

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #40 Down: "Dye with wax"

BATI_

Answer: BATIK! A method of dyeing a fabric by which the parts of the fabric not intended to be dyed are covered with removable wax.

Source: Textile Techniques

The More You Know: From Malay batek, of Javanese origin, from Proto-Austronesian beCík, "tattoo" (from the fact that the original process of piercing the waxed cloth prior to soaking was similar to tattooing).

What is a word for a small Mediterranean boat?

Search: crossword helper

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #43 across: "Small Mediterranean boat"

_EBEC

Answer: ZEBEC! n. A small three-masted Mediterranean vessel with both square and lateen sails.

[from French chebec, probably from Catalan xabec, from Arabic šabbāk, from šabaka, "to entwine, fasten"]

That is - if Madonna's boyfriend is Jesus Luz, which it is!

Source: OneAcross, Answers.com

The More You Know: I don't think this is a very popular word. Here are some imgs:

This one says Shebecke:


This one says xebec:


Timberland also makes a shoe called the Zebec. Idk.

What's another word for "tears apart"?

Search: crossword helper

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #72 down: Tears apart

_ _ NDS

Answer: RENDS! 1. tear or be torn violently

Source: One Across

The More You Know: The past tense of rend is rent!

Who directed "Terminator: Salvation"?

Search: terminator salvation

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #46 down: Terminator Salvation director

MCG

Answer: McG! That is is professional name. His full name is Joseph McGinty Nichol.

Source: IMDb

The More You Know: He also directed Charlie's Angels and We are Marshall, and he produced "The O.C.," "Supernatural," and "Chuck."

What does a dray look like?

Search: dray

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #148 across: "Cart for hauling heavy things"

DRAY

Answer: Like this!


Source: Google Images

The More You Know: The word comes from the Middle English draie, "sledge, cart," from Old English dragan, "to draw."

What's a 6-letter word for "acid"?

Search: crossword helper

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #6 down: "Acid

PH_NO_

Answer: PHENOL! 1. any of a class of weakly acidic organic compounds; molecule contains one or more hydroxyl groups 2. a toxic white soluble crystalline acidic derivative of benzene; used in manufacturing and as a disinfectant and antiseptic; poisonous if taken internally

Source: One Across

The More You Know: According to Wikipedia: Phenol, also known as carbolic acid, is a toxic, white crystalline solid with a sweet tarry odor, commonly referred to as a "hospital smell." Maybe you know someone who has referred to phenol this way.

What does an alb look like?

Search: alb

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #33 across: "Loose gown worn at Mass"

ALB

Answer: Ctm...


Source: Google Images

The More You Know: Comes from albus, the Latin word for "white" and the name of your favorite headmaster. There is also a legume called the Lupinus albus, which is basically Dumbledore + Remus Lupin mixed together (in the form of a bean).

What's a 7-letter word for "prickly herbs"?

Search: crossword helper

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #22 across: "Prickly herbs"

TEA _ _ LS

Answer: TEASELS!

1. any of several herbs of the genus Dipsacus native to the Old World having flower heads surrounded by spiny bracts

Source: One Across

The More You Know: Maybe you want to see some! One is getting sniffed by a bee!

What's the capital of Niger?

Search: niger

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #80 across: National capital of Niger, in Africa

_IAMEY

Answer: NIAMEY!

Source: Wikipedia

The More You Know: Over 80% of Niger is covered by the Sahara. While French is the official language, almost half the people speak Hausa as their first language.

What's a word for "detestation"?

Search: crossword helper

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #2 down: Detestation

_D_UM

Answer: ODIUM! n. 1. state of disgrace resulting from detestable behavior 2. hate coupled with disgust

Source: OneAcross

The More You Know: From Latin, hatred, from odisse to hate; akin to Old English atol terrible, Greek odyssasthai to be angry

What's an archaic word that means "concerning"?

Search: crossword helper

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #61 across: Concerning (archaic)

_NENT

Answer: ANENT! Regarding; concerning: “This question remains a vital consideration anent the debate over the possibility of limiting nuclear war to military objectives” (New York Times)

Source: OneAcross

The More You Know: From Old English onefn, near : on, on + efn, even.

What is a word for ribbed fabric?

Search: ribbed fabric

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #36 down: Ribbed fabric

FAILL_

Answer: FAILLE! [fyle] A ribbed fabric with a low luster. Heavier yarns are used in the filling or weft. Example of faille is grosgrain.

Source: Fabrics.net

The More You Know: Might look like this:

What's a word for a South African prairie?

Search: crossword helper

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #60 across: South African prairie

VEL_T

Answer: VELDT! n. elevated open grassland in southern Africa. Also veld.

Source: OneAcross

The More You Know: Ray Bradbury published a story called "The Veldt" in 1951. He hated technology: "Bradbury believes machinery is something that will turn the world upside down, ruin relationships, and destroy the minds of children. This free time will leave people bored with thoughts consumed with fear, anger, and vengeance." He is 88.

What is an umbo?

Search: umbo

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #84 across: "Convex shape"

UMBO

Answer: 1. The boss or knob at the center of a shield.

2. Biology A knoblike protuberance arising from a surface, as the prominence near the hinge of a bivalve shell or the projection at the scale tip of a seed-bearing cone.

Anatomy A small projection at the center of the outer surface of the eardrum.

Source: TheFreeDictionary

The More You Know: The entry is accompanied by this helpful picture: