Technological advancements of the past 30 years have brought hundreds of new words and abbreviations to the English language. Seven appear in today's crossword by Adam Vincent:
ISP option: DSL
Etsy's biz, e.g.: ETAIL
Amazon assistant: ALEXA
Mario Kart console, initially: SNES
Microsoft Surface competitor: IPAD
Modern in-flight amenity: WIFI
Bothersome browser apps: ADWARE
Here are the theme answers:
Hostel audience?: BACKPACKERS
Lucrative business: MONEYMAKER
Comedian's suppliers: GAGWRITERS
Medieval entertainer: COURTJESTER
"Doing as told, in the military"" is FOLLOWINGORDERS. The first part of each theme answer can be followed by ORDERS: Back orders, money orders, court orders, gag orders. Money orders were first sold in 1792 in Great Britain. In the United States, American Express began issuing money orders in 1882. Unlike checks, money orders do not include bank account numbers and are therefore safer to use, although, unlike checks, a fee is added. The pros and cons are discussed at
https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/knowledge/deals/money-order/"Mai ___: cocktail" is TAI. Maitai is the Tahitian word for "good." A mai tai is made with rum, curaçao (a sour orange liqueur}, orgeat (an almond-flavored syrup) and fruit juices. A simple recipe is at
https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/mai-tai"Roll of bills" is WAD. "Wad" comes from the 15th-century Middle European
wadde and may be related to the Dutch
watten ("wool cotton"). A wad is "a small, soft mass, as of gum or cotton." The word has come to be used to describe a roll of paper money but such usage is inaccurate. Does anyone wad up his money into a tiny ball? I think not! I do not speak from experience, though. I have never had enough money to make a wad. There is an old saying, "Money talks" – but all
my money ever says is "Goodbye."
And with that, I say goodbye for now.
