NYT Connections April 30, 2025 #689 Hints & Answers

The word 'sole' comes from Latin 'solea,' meaning 'sandal' or 'bottom of the foot.' Modern athletic shoe soles contain multiple specialized layers, including the outsole (for traction), midsole (for cushioning), and insole (for comfort). The development of rubber soles in the late 19th century revolutionized footwear, leading to the creation of sneakers and modern athletic shoes.

The concept of 'capacity planning' dates back to ancient amphitheaters like the Roman Colosseum, which could seat between 50,000-80,000 spectators with precisely engineered entrances and exits called 'vomitoria' that could evacuate the entire venue in just 15 minutes. Modern fire codes that regulate venue capacity were largely developed after tragic events like the 1942 Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire in Boston, which killed 492 people and led to major reforms in safety regulations.

The concept of 'face' as a metaphor for reputation originated in Chinese culture with 'miànzi' (social status) and 'liǎn' (moral character), dating back to the 4th century BC. It was introduced to English speakers through translations of Chinese literature and diplomatic interactions in the 19th century. The expression 'to lose face' entered English directly from Chinese 'diūliǎn,' representing one of the earliest Chinese expressions to be adopted into Western languages.

Expressions of disgust like 'yuck,' 'ew,' 'ick,' and 'gross' are known as 'phonesthemes' in linguistics—word fragments that carry similar meanings across different words without being true morphemes. These disgust sounds often feature guttural or back-of-throat phonemes that may have evolutionary origins. Studies suggest that the facial expressions we make when disgusted—wrinkling the nose and pulling back the upper lip—naturally produce these sounds, making them cross-cultural responses to repulsive stimuli.