Day: June 10, 2011

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
9. Cloud maker : A-BOMB
There are two classes of nuclear weapons, both of which get the energy for the explosion from nuclear reactions. The first nuclear bombs developed, called atomic bombs (A-bombs), use fission reactions. Uranium nuclei are split into smaller nuclei with the release of an awful lot of energy in the process. The second class of nuclear weapons are fusion bombs. These devices are called thermonuclear weapons or hydrogen bombs (H-bombs). In a fusion reaction, the nuclei of hydrogen isotopes are fused together to form bigger nuclei, with the release of even greater amounts of energy.

16. ___ 8 : SUPER
Supposedly, Super 8 is the biggest budget hotel chain in the world. The chain got the name as the original room rate (back in 1972) was $8.88.

17. Political entity of 1854-1900 : ORANGE FREE STATE
The Orange Free State was formed by the Boers in southern Africa in middle of the 19th century. The republic took its name from the Orange River.

19. Tree-defoliating insect : TENT CATERPILLAR
Tent caterpillars are so called because they build large silk tents in tree branches.

21. One with big hips, maybe : ROSE
The fruit of the rose plant is known as the rose hip or rose haw. I remember drinking rose hip syrup when I was a kid.

29. What keeps a camera rolling? : DOLLY
Apparently a dolly, a small platform on rollers especially on a movie set, is called a dolly because it’s supposed to look like a doll. No, it doesn’t. I don’t believe it …

30. Old English recorder : PEPYS
Samuel Pepys was a British Member of Parliament and naval administrator, more famous these days for his diary than for his contribution to political history. Pepys started to keep a diary on New Year’s Day in 1660 and recorded his daily life for almost ten years. His writings include details of his personal life as well as firsthand accounts of the important events of the 1660s such as the Great Plague of 1665 and the Great Fire of London in 1666.

33. “Poor Richard’s Almanack” tidbit : MAXIM
“Poor Richard’s Almanack” was an annual publication authored by none other than Benjamin Franklin. The first edition hit the shelves in 1732, and was very, very successful, selling about 10,000 copies a year. Apparently Napoleon Bonaparte was a big fan.

36. Like the ancient Greeks : PAGAN
A pagan is someone who holds religious beliefs that are different from the main religions of the world. In classical Latin “paganus” was a villager, a rustic.

37. “Beyond the Sea” singer : DARIN
The pop classic “Beyond the Sea”, most famously recorded by Bobby Darin, was originally a French composition called “La Mer” (The Sea), with completely different lyrics.

41. Membership list : ROTA
“Rota”, meaning a roster of names, isn’t a word I hear much in the US, to be honest, but we used it all the time in Ireland.

42. Jazz trumpeter Baker : CHET
The famous jazz trumpeter Chet Baker was noted for his heroin addiction, a problem that nearly put an end to his performing career. He managed a comeback in the late seventies, mainly appearing and recording in Europe. But he never kicked the drug habit, and was found dead one day after falling from his hotel room window in Amsterdam.

43. Largest land animal : AFRICAN ELEPHANT
There are only three species of elephant living today, with all others being extinct. These are the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant (or “Indian elephant”). As is well known, the African elephant is distinguished from the Asian/Indian elephant by the much larger ears.

50. Popular June program? : LEAVE IT TO BEAVER
We used to see a lot of American television programming growing up in Ireland, but “Leave It to Beaver” was one show that didn’t make it across the Atlantic. I’ve seen a couple of episodes, and I am not sure it would travel well. The show went on the air for the first time the day that Sputnik was launched by the Russians, and aired its last show just a few months before President Kennedy was assassinated. An iconic series, by all accounts.

51. Mid 19th-century president : DAVIS
The Confederate States of America set up government in 1861 just before Abraham Lincoln took office. Jefferson Davis was selected as President of the CSA at its formation and retained the post for the life of the government.

52. Site of Goodfellow Air Force Base : SAN ANGELO
Goodfellow Air Force Base is located in San Angelo, Texas. Flying isn’t central to the base’s mission as it is charged with training the main branches of the military in cryptology and intelligence operations.

54. 1950s million-selling song that begins “The evening breeze caressed the trees …” : TENDERLY
“Tenderly” is a popular classic published in 1946. The best-known version was recorded by Rosemary Clooney in 1952.

Down
3. Tolstoy character ___ Ilyich : IVAN
“The Death of Ivan Ilyich” is a novella by Leo Tolstoy.

11. Flame Queen ___ (famous gemstone) : OPAL
The Flame Queen Opal is the world’s most famous opal gemstone. It was mined in New South Wales in 1914, discovered by three partners who sold it for just 93 pounds.

13. Southern contraction : BR’ER
Br’er Rabbit and Br’er Fox are characters in the Uncle Remus stories, written by Joel Chandler Harris. His stories are adaptations of African American folk tales that he collected across the South. The “Br’er” of course stands for “brother”.

15. Swampland swimmer : TERRAPIN
The terrapin is a species of turtle found in swamps in the east and south of the United States.

18. Rob Roy or Shirley Temple : EPONYM
An eponym is a name derived from the name of a person.

Rob Roy’s full name was Robert Roy McGregor, itself an Anglicization of the Scottish Raibeart Ruadh. He gave his name to the famous cocktail, a relative of the Manhattan, made with Scotch instead of bourbon.

The original drink called a Shirley Temple was made with two parts ginger ale, one part orange juice and a dash of grenadine. The contemporary drink is much simpler, a mix of 7up (or equivalent) with grenadine. A variant of the non-alcoholic original that includes some form of booze is often called a “Dirty Shirley”.

23. Animated girl-group leader : JOSIE
“Josie and the Pussycats” is a comic book aimed at teens, published from 1963 to 1982.

24. Actress Corby who played Grandma Walton : ELLEN
Ellen Corby’s most famous acting role came later in her life, playing Grandma Ester Walton on the TV drama “The Waltons”.

25. Short-lived republic founded in 1836 : TEXAS
The single star on the state flag of Texas is a reminder of the “lone star” on the 1836 National Standard of Texas. The single gold star on a blue background symbolized Texas as an independent republic, and symbolized the struggle for independence from Mexico.

27. Madame Tussaud’s first name : MARIE
Marie Tussaud was a wax sculptor from France. Some of her early work was very gruesome as she lived through the French Revolution. She would take the decapitated heads of executed citizens and use them to make death masks which were then paraded through the streets. She eventually moved to London, taking with her a vast collection of wax models made by her and her father. She opened a museum to display the works, and the Madame Tussaud’s wax museum is a major attraction in the city to this day.

33. Cocktail often made with pineapple juice : MAI TAI
The Mai Tai cocktail is strongly associated with the Polynesian islands, but it was supposedly invented in 1944 in Trader Vic’s restaurant in Oakland, California. One recipe is 6 parts white rum, 3 parts orange curaçao, 3 parts Orgeat syrup, 1 part rock candy syrup, 2 parts fresh lime juice, all mixed with ice, and then a float of 6 parts dark rum.

34. Queen Dido’s home : CARTHAGE
Dido was the founder of Cathage, and it’s first queen.

39. Game show fodder : TRIVIA
Trivia are things of little consequence. “Trivia” is the plural of the Latin word “trivium” which means “a place where three roads meet”. Now that’s what I call a trivial fact …

40. Oedipus, for one : THEBAN
Oedipus was a mythical king of the city-state of Thebes. Before he was born, his father was warned by a seer that if he sired a son, the boy would kill him and marry his wife, the boy’s own mother. When Oedipus was born, he fulfilled that prophecy. Sigmund Freud used the name Oedipus (in the Oedipus complex) to describe what he termed a male child’s unconscious desire for exclusive attention from his mother.

43. Alan who won an Emmy for his role on “The West Wing” : ALDA
Alan Alda had a great television career, but when it comes to the big screen my favorite of his movies is the 1978 romantic comedy “Same Time, Next Year” in which he starred opposite Ellen Burstyn.

44. “That little darkroom where negatives are developed,” per Michael Pritchard : FEAR
Michael Pritchard is a noted motivational speaker, who started out his career as a stand-up comic. He is known in particular for his work with children.

46. Conseil d’___ (French government body) : ETAT
The Conseil d’État (Council of State) is a body within the French national government. It provides legal advice to the Prime Minister and is also the administrative court of last resort.

48. “Little” Dickens character : NELL
“The Old Curiosity Shop” by Charles Dickens tells the story of little 14-year-old Nell Trent and her grandfather who live in the Old Curiosity Shop in London. If you visit London, there actually is an “Old Curiosity Shop”, in Westminster. It is an establishment selling odds and ends, old curiosities, and is believed to have been the inspiration for the shop in the Dickens story. The building has been around since the 1500s, but the name “The Old Curiosity Shop” was added after the book was published.

49. Where Patroclus met his end : TROY
In Greek mythology, Patroclus was a dear friend of Achilles, and his comrade-in-arms. When Achilles and Patroclus died, their bones were mingled together so that the two could be as one in death as they had been in life.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:

Across
1. It uses liquid from a pitcher : SPITBALL
9. Cloud maker : A-BOMB
14. Resolve a longstanding disagreement : HAVE IT OUT
16. ___ 8 : SUPER
17. Political entity of 1854-1900 : ORANGE FREE STATE
19. Tree-defoliating insect : TENT CATERPILLAR
20. Tries to ensure a hit : AIMS
21. One with big hips, maybe : ROSE
22. Bounces : EJECTS
25. They’re thrown in anger : TANTRUMS
29. What keeps a camera rolling? : DOLLY
30. Old English recorder : PEPYS
31. Day break : NAP
32. Pirate’s hiding place, possibly : ISLE
33. “Poor Richard’s Almanack” tidbit : MAXIM
34. Maintenance : CARE
35. Roadbed inset : TIE
36. Like the ancient Greeks : PAGAN
37. “Beyond the Sea” singer : DARIN
38. Ones offering pass protection? : SENTRIES
40. Designated : TERMED
41. Membership list : ROTA
42. Jazz trumpeter Baker : CHET
43. Largest land animal : AFRICAN ELEPHANT
50. Popular June program? : LEAVE IT TO BEAVER
51. Mid 19th-century president : DAVIS
52. Site of Goodfellow Air Force Base : SAN ANGELO
53. Spheres : AREAS
54. 1950s million-selling song that begins “The evening breeze caressed the trees …” : TENDERLY

Down
1. Chance to win : SHOT
2. Shave : PARE
3. Tolstoy character ___ Ilyich : IVAN
4. Arm of the sea? : TENTACLE
5. Typical of urban life : BIG CITY
6. Special Forces units : A-TEAMS
7. Artists’ stories, maybe : LOFTS
8. It’s at the end of the line : LURE
9. Hockey stat : ASSISTS
10. Role in a drawing-room mystery : BUTLER
11. Flame Queen ___ (famous gemstone) : OPAL
12. Having multiple layers of self-reference : META
13. Southern contraction : BR’ER
15. Swampland swimmer : TERRAPIN
18. Rob Roy or Shirley Temple : EPONYM
22. Cuts a line, say : EDITS
23. Animated girl-group leader : JOSIE
24. Actress Corby who played Grandma Walton : ELLEN
25. Short-lived republic founded in 1836 : TEXAS
26. Take a piece from : UNARM
27. Madame Tussaud’s first name : MARIE
28. Devote : SPEND
30. Elaborate spectacles : PAGEANTS
33. Cocktail often made with pineapple juice : MAI TAI
34. Queen Dido’s home : CARTHAGE
36. Handle, as paperwork : PROCESS
37. Where one may take the plunge? : DEEP END
39. Game show fodder : TRIVIA
40. Oedipus, for one : THEBAN
42. Copy : CLONE
43. Alan who won an Emmy for his role on “The West Wing” : ALDA
44. “That little darkroom where negatives are developed,” per Michael Pritchard : FEAR
45. Major party : RAVE
46. Conseil d’___ (French government body) : ETAT
47. Make known : AVER
48. “Little” Dickens character : NELL
49. Where Patroclus met his end : TROY
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