FRUITY FILLING
ARABIC ROOTS
MEET "ME" IN THE MIDDLE
THE BALKANS
21st CENTURY FICTION
200
Process of removal from office covered in Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution
Impeachment
200
Your favorite diuretic beverage traces its name to the Arabic Qahwa, passed through Turkish and then Dutch/Italian before landing in English — a linguistic journey as rich as its aroma
Coffee
200
Double r, to Euclid
Diameter
200
This nation's name reflects its long history as a province of an ancient empire
Romania
200
Salman Rushdie's 2023 novel "Victory City" is set long ago in what's now this country where the author was born
India
400
Elevated or lofty, but not a way to indicate acidity levels
Sublime
400
This language, which passed the Arabic word safar (“to travel”) into English as “safari,” complicates claims of Arabic origin due to a shift in meaning
Swahili
400
A palliative or antidote
Remedy
400
Have the wisdom to know that this 5-letter capital lies at the geographic center of the Balkans and is named after a church
Sofia
400
In her debut novel Sue Monk Kidd tells of Lily Owens, taken in by 3 sisters, who learns about "The Secret Life of" these creatures
Bees
600
A product invented by the mind; you can have one "of your imagination"
Figment
600
The Arabic word al-kuḥl originally referred to a fine powder used for this cosmetic purpose, but its meaning evolved over time to become associated with distilled spirits and later alcohol
Eyeliner
600
It can mean familiar & comfortable as well as plain & unattractive
Homely
600
Citizens of this mountainous nation of the Balkans refer to it as Shqiperia or "Land of the Eagles"
Albania
600
Alma Katsu's "The Hunger" retells the tale of this group of settlers who set out for the West in 1846
Donner party
800
To struggle with someone in hand-to-hand combat
Grapple
800
Whether it's steeped into tea or perfuming a summer garden, this flower’s name traveled westward through Arabic, though its fragrant trail begins further east from Persian roots
Jasmine
800
A middleman or liaison
Intermediary
800
Bosnia and Herzegovina has three official languages and three presidents, one for each of these ethnic groups
Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs
800
This cyberpunk master's 2020 novel "Agency" imagines a 2017 where Brexit never happened
William Gibson
1000
What ends up happening to your confidence after a terrible night of Jeopardy!
Plummets
1000
The word assassin may trace back to hashashin, a term possibly used for devotees of a secretive sect who, legend claims, used this intoxicating plant — though scholars think it was just a smear tactic
Hashish (or marijuana)
1000
Superficial, or done solely for the sake of appearance
Cosmetic
1000
You’ll find this roasted red pepper spread on nearly every Balkan table, especially in Serbia, where it's often homemade and fiercely regional.
Ajvar
1000
This repetitively titled Gabrielle Zevin book follows the lives of Sam & Sadie, whose video game Ichigo becomes a big hit
Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow