NYT Connections April 7, 2025 #666 Hints & Answers

The word 'throb' has onomatopoeic origins, meaning its sound mimics what it describes. It first appeared in English around the 14th century and is related to similar sound-mimicking words in Germanic languages. The sensation of throbbing is so fundamental to human experience that almost all languages have a specific term for this rhythmic pulsation, often with similar phonetic qualities across unrelated language families.

The word 'cape' as a geographical feature comes from the Latin 'caput' meaning 'head,' reflecting how these landforms jut out from coastlines like heads. This same Latin root gives us other words like 'capital' and 'captain.' Cape Horn, at the southern tip of South America, was named in 1616 by Dutch navigators after their hometown of Hoorn in the Netherlands, and remains one of the most challenging nautical passages in the world due to its notoriously hazardous sailing conditions.

The spirit level, the common tool used to ensure pictures hang straight, was invented in the 17th century but wasn't patented until 1661 by French scientist Melchisédech Thévenot. Modern research has shown that people can detect when a picture is as little as 1 degree off-level, explaining why crooked pictures are so immediately noticeable and bothersome to many people. Before bubble levels became common, plumb lines (weighted strings) were used for thousands of years to establish vertical alignment in construction and art hanging.

The term 'footlocker' originated in military contexts during the early 20th century. Soldiers were issued these storage chests which were traditionally kept at the foot of their bunks for easy access while still saving space in cramped quarters. Today, the retail chain Foot Locker derives its name from this item, establishing its first store in 1974 as a subsidiary of the Woolworth Corporation, deliberately choosing a name that evoked both athletic footwear and storage for personal items.