ENDS IN "ELLA"
Used as an adjectival intensifier, this 5-letter word is thought to have originated in the Bay Area in the '80s
Hella
In 1958, the smoot was born when 5'7" frat pledge Oliver Smoot was used to measure the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge; a smoot, this many inches
67
You've become a legatee of your uncle's estate, which also makes you one of these
Heir
From Latin for "to write", it's to write or draw quickly & carelessly
Scribble
The sunny south beat the frozen north when the Hurricanes defeated this Edmonton team in the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals
Oilers
From 1909 to 1958 the Lincoln penny depicted 2 sheaves of this on the reverse
Ears of Wheat
To kill this bacteria & not get sick from it, cook chicken to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees
Salmonella
An oxgang averages about 15 of these, about how much plowing one ox could handle in a single annual season
Acre
Following the French pronunciation, both the "Z" & the "S" are silent in this word for an appointed place
Rendezvous
2-word term for a legal authorization to inspect a premises
Search Warrant
Its atomic number is 99 & its name honors one of the most famous scientists ever
Einsteinium
Due to a minting error, this beast appears to have just 3 legs on some 1937 nickels
Buffalo (Bison)
Arroz Valenciana has been called a Filipino version of this dish
Paella
It can be the distance from the end of your thumb to your pinky in a spread hand & also an English measure equal to 9 inches
Span
At the start of the 2024-25 NBA season, the average for this was 78.54 inches
Height
There's a flock animal in this adjective meaning showing embarrassment
Sheepish
2-word term for the beat of Milton's "Paradise Lost"
Iambic Pentameter
This Latin phrase has appeared on U.S. coinage since 1795 & must do so by law since 1873
E pluribus unum
Great timing! The first jar of this hazelnut cocoa cream spread left the factory in Italy on Monday, April 20, 1964
Nutella
Neil deGrasse Tyson: "Classical Geek 101: a milli- is...1/1000, so a milli-helen is just enough" this "to launch a single ship"
Beauty
From the French for "red", this thickening base for soups & sauces contains flour
Roux
As a verb, it means to make an extravagant purchase, perhaps leading to accusations of squandering
Splurge
A wine connoisseur, from the Greek for wine & loving
Oenophile
In 1979 she replaced Eisenhower on the $1 coin, but just as women earn less on the dollar than men, her coin was slightly smaller
Susan B Anthony
Sesamoid bones function as pulleys & this is the largest one in the human body
Patella
George Lucas knows it may sound like a unit of time, but this is a distance measurement of about 19 trillion miles
Parsec
The NOAA says this, formed from 2 words with one meaning "wave", can have a wavelength in excess of 300 miles
Tsunami
Abrupt or disconnected, like a music performance style
Staccato
A fairy who marries a mortal is the title character of this Gilbert & Sullivan operetta
Iolanthe
A quarter released in 2023 features this Native American prima ballerina along with her Osage name, which means "two standards"
Maria Tallchief