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I Read the News Today, Oh Boy: Quartz Crystal

Last week's hints: (1) "[T]he staff dachshunds heartily approved of this theme" and (2) "If you are still wrestling with the headline theme, some sauerkraut and pilsner might help."

And here is the solution, courtesy of reader S.C. in Mountain View, CA:

The theme is English words derived from German words, or from words used in Germany:

Trumponomics: A Trade War, Based on Pretzel Logic—From dialectal German pretzel, a variant of standard brezel

L'Etat C'est Trump: Maybe Antifa Was on to Something—Borrowed from German Antifa, originally an abbreviation for Antifaschistische Aktion, a wing of the Communist Party of Germany founded in 1932.

I Read the News Today, Oh Boy: A Burger or a Wiener?—Clipping of wienerwurst, from German Wiener ("of Vienna, Viennese") + Wurst ("sausage"), because sausages were originally made in Vienna, Austria.

This Week in Schadenfreude: Gabbard Getting Flak from All Sides—Borrowed from German FlaK, short for Fliegerabwehrkanone ("anti-airplane cannon").

This Week in Freudenfreude: Another Glass Ceiling Goes Kaput—From German kaputt ("broken, out of order").

Dachshunds are a German breed, of course (though in Germany, they're actually known as dackels). Sauerkraut (sauer/sour + kraut/cabbage) and pilsner ("from Pilsen") are also German loan words, as is quartz (from the German word quarz).

Here are the first 50 readers to get it right:

M.B. in Albany, NY
M.W. in Frederick, MD
A.F.R. in La Mesa, CA
L.H. in Manchester, UK
A.D. in Gaithersburg, MD
D.B. in Pittsboro, NC
D.D. in Portland, OR
M.H. in Ottawa, ON, Canada
D.M. in Oakland, CA
J.N. in Zionsville, IN
P.A. in Redwood City, CA
G.K. in Blue Island, IL
M.W. in Altea, Spain
M.T. in Wheat Ridge, CO
M.M. in Wylie, TX
S.K. in Ardmore, PA
D.E. in High Springs, FL
T.J.R. in Metuchen, NJ
M.Z. in Sharon, MA
M.K. in Long Branch, NJ
K.S. in San Diego, CA
R.D.K. in Ebensee am Traunsee, Austria
P.K. in Marseille, France
E.R. in Chattanooga, TN
H.B. in State College, PA

C.W. in Atlantic Beach, FL
J.M. in Eagle Mills, NY
D.C. in Portland, OR
M.J. in Oakdale, MN
T.T. in Conway, AR
M.T. in Simpsonville, SC
T.K. in Half Moon Bay, St. Kitts
K.R. in Austin, TX
J.L. in Walnut Creek, CA
K.H. in Albuquerque, NM
W.M. in Livonia, MI
D.W. in State College, PA
D.B. in Glendale, CA
E.W. in Skaneateles, NY
G.W. in Avon, CT
S.B. in Los Altos Hills, CA
D.H. in Portland OR
S.W. in Corvallis, OR
B.N. in San Rafael, CA
R.P.E.H. in London, England, UK
S.L. in Glendora, CA
R.N. in Cleveland, OH
E.B. in Denver, CO
A.A. in Branchport, NY
D.P. in Mt. Rainier, MD

M.H. in Ottawa observes that dachshunds are "one of surprisingly many dog breeds originating from the German (and Germany!)" We noticed that, too. Also, types of beer. This probably says something about national priorities.

The 50th correct response was received at 9:50 a.m. PT on Friday.

For this week's theme, it relies on one word per headline, it's in the category Science & Technology and the "Never Forget" headline is not part of it. For a hint, we'll say then when you solve it, you might very well declare: "It's about time!"

If you have a guess, send it to comments@electoral-vote.com with subject line August 15 Headlines. (Z)

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