ST×NLB Cross-References: Generation preceding Merdeka
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The generation before Merdeka helped build Singapore when it was a new nation and paved the way for subsequent generations to live a better life.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
SINGAPORE – This week’s ST×NLB Crossword was constructed by NLB staff member Alex Foo, who is part of a team of 40 volunteers from both organisations. Here’s his message to solvers:
My first puzzle brings together a few of my abiding interests in pop culture, historic architecture, and cooking. I’m very grateful to the editors for their judicious pruning and careful tending of the clues. Left to my own devices, I would have clued PIONEER as “Settle tomorrow, 4pm, at _______ Mall”. Several playtesters soon disabused me of the notion that this reference was quite as universal as I had imagined, so it ended up in the hints instead. I hope you have fun!
Alex’s original clue for PIONEER alluded to a segment from a 2013 episode of Crimewatch, Singapore’s longest-running TV show that features re-enactments of police cases. A clip portraying a dispute between two girls that escalates into a gang fight resurfaced and went viral in 2022.
While we enjoyed the reference, we ultimately decided to err on the side of accessibility for the clue. The original wording remains intact in a hint, for solvers who might have trouble remembering what the [Generation preceding Merdeka] is called.
The Yishun 10 building was designed by Australian architect Geoff Malone and noted for its postmodern style, with motifs drawn from science fiction.
ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
15A. The [Silver-screen operator with its own distinct lustre?] is GOLDEN VILLAGE, a pioneer in its own right. The cinema operator opened Asia’s (and Singapore’s) first multi-hall cinema complex at Yishun 10 in 1992. Single-screen cinemas, which were the norm at the time, quickly disappeared as other operators followed suit and opened multiplexes. The storied building with a design inspired by science fiction will soon be demolished to make way for residential and commercial buildings.
26A. What comes to mind when you think of a [Japanese sneaker?] Perhaps a shoe brand like Asics or Mizuno? Bet you didn’t expect a NINJA instead. Sneaky, eh?
34A. The [Beloved local swimmer?] in this puzzle is not a national athlete but rather the adorable OTTER, whose antics never fail to amuse Singaporeans. ST headlines have documented otter behaviour (and misbehaviour) ranging from snacking on expensive koi fish to biting passers-by and even facing off against a crocodile in a territory dispute. Honestly, an otter edition of Crimewatch would be a real hit.
18D. E.W. Barker and S. Jayakumar were both LAW ministers. Before Barker, K.M. Byrne first held the portfolio when the Law Ministry was established in 1959 under the first Lee Kuan Yew Cabinet. After Jayakumar, K. Shanmugam took over in 2008 and held the post until 2025. The current Law Minister is Edwin Tong, who is the first Law Minister with a name that doesn’t feature initials. (Another pioneer!)
A hawker presenting a pineapple to presidential candidate Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his wife, Jane Ittogi, at Tiong Bahru market on August 26, 2023.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
22D. “Ong LAI!” is the fortune-beckoning cheer associated with Tharman’s presidential bid. His campaign symbol in 2023 was the pineapple, a fruit Singaporeans associate with good fortune. Naturally, “ong lai”, which means pineapple in Hokkien and is a homophone for “prosperity comes”, became a common cheer among President Tharman’s supporters during the nine-day campaign.
27D. Snoopy, the beagle from the popular comic strip Peanuts, has a prominent NOSE. Idiomatically, people said to have big noses, or those who stick their noses into things, are excessively interested in other people’s affairs.
Book recommendations
Let the week’s clues inspire your next read, courtesy of NLB. Follow the links to borrow.
33A. “That’s what fiction is about, isn’t it, the selective transforming of reality? The twisting of it to bring out its ESSENCE?” — Life Of Pi by Yann Martel
34A. “Now, as OTTER, he was thinking only that he would like to stay otter, be otter, in the sweet brown water, the living river, forever. There is no death for an otter, only life to the end.” — Tales From Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
4D. “True IMPROV is about surprising yourself—but most people won’t improvise truthfully. They’re afraid. What they do is pull from their bag of tricks. They take what they already know how to do and apply it to the present situation. But that’s cheating! And cheating’s bad for an artist. It’s bad in life—but it’s really bad in art.” — How Should A Person Be? by Sheila Heti
Across
8. Colloquial “can”, from Malay (5): BOLEH
9. Media mogul Rupert, or novelist Iris (7): MURDOCH
10. Generation preceding Merdeka (7): PIONEER
13. Indonesian city one might spot from Singapore (5): BATAM
15. Silver-screen operator with its own distinct lustre? (6,7): GOLDEN VILLAGE
21. _____________ bungalow (colonial-era mansion) (5,3,5): BLACK AND WHITE
26. Japanese sneaker? (5): NINJA
29. Cold plunge (3,4): ICE BATH
33. _______ of chicken (health tonic) (7): ESSENCE
34. Beloved local swimmer? (5): OTTER
Down
1. 1/16 of a cup, in brief (4): TBSP
2. Furry red monster of children’s television (4): ELMO
3. Common cooking fat in Indian cuisine (4): GHEE
4. “Yes, and…” form of comedy (6): IMPROV
5. App to nab a cab (4): GRAB
6. ____ Siloso (4): FORT
7. Throat clearing sound (4): AHEM
11. Wedding-day utterance (1,2): I DO
12. Signal of agreement (3): NOD
14. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon director Lee (3): ANG
15. Gift of the ___ (3): GAB
16. Miss Saigon star Salonga, or Bond girl Seydoux (3): LEA
17. Spider spotter’s cry, perhaps (3): EEK
18. Ministerial portfolio held by E.W. Barker and S. Jayakumar (3): LAW
19. Boxer who floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee (3): ALI
20. Needle feature (3): EYE
22. “Ong ___!” (fortune-beckoning cheer associated with Tharman’s presidential bid) (3): LAI
23. Affixed with a hammer, say (6): NAILED
24. Our Tampines ___ (3): HUB
25. Little one (3): TOT
26. Not just a want (4): NEED
27. Prominent feature of Snoopy – and snoopy types? (4): NOSE
28. Teen’s affliction, often (4): ACNE
30. Moneyed Musk (4): ELON
31. Crumb-collecting crawlers (4): ANTS
32. Injured (4): HURT
If you have any feedback, feel free to write to us at stgames@sph.com.sg. See you next week!