16-LETTER WORDS
Some news you can use about screws: turn 'em right to get 'em tight & in this direction to loosen things up
counterclockwise
Duke of Sussex is one of his official titles
Prince Harry
Meaning unvarying in pitch, it can also refer to something boringly repetitious
monotone
After plundering along the Carolinas & in the Caribbean, this "colorful" pirate got the heads up (& off) on Nov. 22, 1718
Blackbeard
This rodent's name is from the French for "spiny pig", if you get my point
Porcupine
Happy 400th birthday, aka this, Gian Domenico Cassini! You don't look a day over 395
quadricentennial
29, when she was sworn in in 2019, she became the youngest woman to serve in Congress
AOC
This synonym for "wearisome" keeps the "some" & begins with a word meaning "to weary"
tiresome
Reports about this Shoshone woman vary greatly; some say she blazed a new path in 1812 but others have her gone in her 90s in 1884
Sacagawea
Like its cousin the echidna, the young of this unusual Aussie monotreme hatch from eggs but nurse from the mother
Platypus
If you're an Olympic sprinter, it's the unfortunate consequence of a false start, aka jumping the gun
disqualification
Turning 41 in 2025, he's the highest ranking millennial on the list of the world's richest people
Zuckerberg
Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere is told, "People are either charming or" this 7-letter word for boring (she's the former)
tedious
& had some help! In 43 B.C. the head & hands of this orator were placed on the speakers' platform at the Forum
Cicero
Structures called osteoderms throughout this mammal's body protect it from predators
Armadillo
At a Sierra Club meeting, avoid "tree hugger" & use this less disparaging synonym for someone concerned about conservation
environmentalist
This international soccer great was named in part for the man who was U.S. president at the time of his birth
Ronaldo
A word meaning boring gave us this name for a boring burg that we can't find in our atlas
Dullsville
She went beyond the help of the American Red Cross on April 12, 1912, a few days before the Titanic went down
Barton
From Greek for "first animal", these organisms are among the most ancient life forms on Earth
Protozoa
Unable to be broken down by microorganisms--like Styrofoam, which takes about 500 years to decompose
nonbiodegradable
A Spingarn Medal, honorary doctorates & a Trailblazer Icon Award are among the many honors of this prima ballerina
Misty Copeland
In the world of -ery suffixes, tomfoolery & finery are more fun than this word for boring work, but slavery's worse
drudgery
The "survived" in a memorable rhyme, she only survived her hazardous husband by just under 2 years
Parr
This largest living lizard has its own national park in Indonesia, which is a good thing, as it can measure more than 10 feet long
Komodo dragon