Day: October 14, 2011

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Bologna is in it : ITALIA
The deli meat known as “boloney” is an American invention. It was given the name “boloney” because it resembles Italian mortadella sausage, which originated in the city of Bologna in northern Italy.

7. Look out for, say : ABET
The word “abet” comes into English from the Old French “abeter” meaning “to bait” or “to harass with dogs” (it literally means “to make bite”). This sense of encouraging something bad to happen morphed into our modern usage of “abet” to mean aid or encourage someone in a crime.

11. Pilot’s point? : NIB
Pilot is a Japanese pen company, the largest manufacturer of pens in Japan, and the third largest manufacturer in the US. The “Pilot” name was adopted in 1938, a change from the original Namiki Manufacturing Company.

14. Player of Duke Santos in “Ocean’s Eleven,” 1960 : CESAR ROMERO
“Ocean’s 11” is a great film from 1960, starring Frank Sinatra as Danny Ocean. The original storyline is updated for the excellent 2001 remake, with George Clooney playing the lead.

Cesar Romero was an American actor of Cuban descent from New York. He played a wide variety of roles on the big screen, but is remembered by many for playing the Joker on the “Batman” television show from the sixties.

16. What may come between two friends? : OF A
Friend “of a” friend.

17. Co-writer and star of “Bridesmaids” : KRISTEN WIIG
Kristen Wiig is a comic actress who appears on “Saturday Night Live”. She also made an appearance on the first season of Spike TV’s quirky “The Joe Schmo Show”, playing “Dr. Pat”. More recently she co-wrote and starred in the film “Bridesmaids”.

18. Part of the former U.A.R.: Abbr. : SYR
Gamal Abdel Nasser was the second president of Egypt, from 1956 until he died in 1970. He stood with Muhammad Naguib, Egypt’s first president, during the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 which overthrew the ruling monarchy of Egypt and Sudan. Nasser was an advocate of Pan-Arabism, an ideology promoting unification of Arab peoples and countries. President Nasser went so far as forming the United Arab Republic (UAR), a union between Egypt and Syria that started in 1958, but fell apart in 1961 when Syria withdrew.

20. One concerned with blocking : STAGE ACTOR
“Blocking” is a term used to describe the positioning of actors on the stage during a play or perhaps a film. Blocking is a very deliberate process, with careful planning needed to best help the story progress.

24. Caucus call : AYE
A “caucus” is a meeting of supporters of a particular political group. It is believed that the term was first used in the original North American colonies.

25. Sports org. : AAU
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is the largest non-profit sports organization in the country. The AAU was founded in 1888 to to manage standards in amateur sports, and from early on helped athletes prepare for the Olympic Games.

26. Coal-rich valley : SAAR
The Saar is a river that rises on the border between Alsace and Lorraine in France, flows through western Germany and there enters the Moselle. Historically the Saar river valley was an important source for coal, iron and steel.

38. Where to see the writing on the wall? : FACEBOOK PROFILE
Everything I know about Facebook I learned from the very entertaining movie “The Social Network”, from 2010.

41. A. J. who wrote “The Citadel” : CRONIN
A. J. Cronin is one of my favorite authors, although I tend to associate him with life as a young man in Ireland. Cronin was a Scottish doctor, famous for the novels “The Stars Look Down”, “The Citadel”, “The Keys of the Kingdom” and “The Green Years”, all of which were turned into great films. He also created a television series that is truly iconic in the UK, called “Dr. Finlay’s Casebook”.

42. Will of “Jeremiah Johnson” : GEER
Will Geer died in 1978, just after filming the sixth season of “The Waltons”, in which he played Grandpa Zeb Walton. He was a noted social activist, and was blacklisted in the fifties for refusing to appear before the all-powerful House Committee on Un-American Activities.

43. Lou Gehrig’s disease, for short : ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a motor neuron disease. In North America we tend to call it “Lou Gehrig’s disease”, after the famous Yankees baseball player that suffered and died from the condition in 1939.

46. Little middle? : TEES
There are two tees in the middle of the word “little”.

48. Terre Haute sch. : ISU
Indiana State University (ISU) was established in Terre Haute in 1865, as the Indiana State Normal School.

49. Cousin of the cassowary : EMU
The cassowary is a large, flightless bird found mainly in New Guinea. One species of cassowary is the third tallest bird on the planet, second only to the ostrich and the emu.

The emu has had a tough time in Australia since man settled there. There was even an “Emu War” in Western Australia in 1932 when migrating emus competed with livestock for water and food. Soldiers were sent in and used machine guns in an unsuccessful attempt to drive off the “invading force”. The emus were clever, breaking their usual formation and adopting guerrilla tactics, operating as smaller units. After 50 days of “war”, the military withdrew. Subsequent requests for military help for the farmers were ignored. The emus had emerged victorious …

51. Messing around on TV? : DEBRA
Debra Messing’s most famous role is Grace, in the television series “Will & Grace”.

I always thought the real stars of “Will & Grace” were Jack (played by Sean Hayes) and Karen (played by Megan Mullally).

59. Composer Khachaturian : ARAM
Aram Khachaturian was a Soviet-Armenian composer, who created many works that were influenced by Armenian culture. His most famous piece of music is the frenetic “Saber Dance” from the ballet “Gayane”. My favorite composition though is the “Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia”. It was used as the theme for a BBC drama called “The Onedin Line” and will always evoke for me images of tall ships and vast oceans.

60. Peabody Museum patron, perhaps : ELI
Eli is the nickname for a graduate of Yale University, a term used in honor of the Yale benefactor Elihu Yale.

The Peabody Museum of Natural History is located at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The museum was founded in 1866 with a $150,000 endowment from the philanthropist George Peabody.

61. Wind instrument? : AEOLIAN HARP
Aeolus was the ruler of the winds in Greek mythology, and he gave his name to the adjective “aeolian” meaning “windblown”, something produced or carried by the wind. For example, an aeolian harp is a fascinating instrument, a box with a sounding board and strings that is “played” by the wind as it blows.

63. Abbr. after several examples : ETC
Et alii (et al.) is the equivalent of et cetera (etc.), with et cetera being used in place of a list of objects, and et alii used for a list of names.

64. Playwright who became a president : VACLAV HAVEL
Václav Havel is a Czech playwright. Starting in the sixties, Havel became very active in the politics of his country. He eventually rose to the position of President, and was the last person to hold the office of President of Czechoslovakia, and the first to hold the office of President of the Czech Republic.

66. Artist whose moniker is the pronunciation of his initials : ERTE
Erte was the pseudonym of French artist (Russian born) Romain de Tirtoff. Erte is the French pronunciation of his initials “R.T.”

67. Vice president from Tennessee : AL GORE
Al Gore was born in Washington DC, the son of course of Al Gore, Sr., then a US Representative for the state of Tennessee. After deferring his military service in order to attend Harvard, Gore became eligible for the draft on graduation. Many of his classmates found ways of avoiding the draft, but he decided to serve, and even took the “tougher” option of joining the army as an enlisted man. Actor Tommy Lee Jones shared a house with Gore in college, and says that his buddy told him that even if he could find a way around the draft someone with less options than him would have to go in his place, and that was just wrong.

Down
1. Official in the Clinton White House : ICKES
Harold M. Ickes was the White House Deputy Chief of Staff in the Clinton administration. Harold M. was the son of Harold L. Ickes, a former Secretary of the Interior in the FDR administration.

2. ___ nullius (no man’s land) : TERRA
“Terra nullius” is Latin for “land belonging to no one”, or more commonly, “no man’s land”.

5. N.Y.C. subway inits. : IRT
The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) was the original private operator of the New York Subway when it opened in 1904. The city took over ownership of the system in 1940, but the lines originally operated by the IRT are still known by the IRT moniker.

6. Father of Harmonia, in myth : ARES
Harmonia was the Greek goddess of harmony and concord. According to some Greek lore, she was the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite. She is noted for the story of “the Necklace of Harmonia”. She received the necklace as a gift at her wedding, and it brought bad luck to her and all who wore it.

The Greek god Ares is often referred to as the Olympian god of warfare, but originally he was regarded as the god of blood-lust and slaughter.

7. Distributor of Nutrilite vitamins : AMWAY
Amway is still going strong. It is one of the largest privately-held companies in the United States, with sales of around $8 billion and about 13,000 employees.

9. City on Presque Isle Bay : ERIE
Presque Isle State Park is off the coast of Erie, Pennsylvania, sitting on a peninsula that juts out into Lake Erie. The name “Presque Isle” translates from French as “peninsula”, or more literally as “almost an island”.

10. ___ party : TOGA
In Ancient Rome the classical attire known as a toga (plural “togae”) was usually worn over a tunic. The tunic was made from linen, and the toga itself was a piece of cloth about twenty feet long made from wool. The toga could only be worn by men (the female equivalent was called a “stola”) and only if those men were Roman citizens.

11. It “isn’t what it used to be,” said Simone Signoret : NOSTALGIA
Simone Signoret was a very sultry and beautiful French actress. She was the first French person to win an Oscar, an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the 1959 film “Room at the Top”. Signoret’s second marriage was to the famous French actor, Yves Montand.

13. William ___, 1990s attorney general : BARR
William Barr was the US Attorney General for two years in the administration of President George H. W. Bush. When not working, Barr is a very enthusiastic player of the Scottish bagpipes!

15. One side of the Detroit River : ONTARIO
The Canadian province of Ontario takes its name from the Great Lake. In turn, Lake Ontario’s name is thought to be derived from “Ontari:io”, a Huron word meaning “great lake”. Ontario is home to the nation’s capital, Ottawa, as well as Toronto, Canada’s most populous city (and capital of the province).

21. Part of U.S.C.: Abbr. : CALIF
The University of Southern California’s marching band is known as “The Spirit of Troy”. The band doesn’t lack confidence as it bills itself as the “The Greatest Marching Band in the History of the Universe”. They do indeed make a lot of appearances in movies and on television, and Herb Alpert is one of the band’s alumni.

31. “Vous ___ ici” : ETES
“Vous êtes ici” are important words to know when navigating your way around Paris. They mean, “You are here”, and you’ll often see them on maps in the street.

32. Ozone destroyers, for short : CFCS
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are the propellants that were once used in aerosols. They make their way up into the ozone layer and trigger a chain reaction that converts ozone (O3) into regular oxygen (O2). Regular O2 is good stuff, but we need O3 to absorb harmful UV radiation raining down on us. CFC … not good stuff …

39. Lassitude : ENNUI
Ennui is the French word for boredom that we now readily use in English. It’s one of the few French words we’ve imported that we haven’t anglicized and actually pronounce “correctly”.

40. 1968 Julie Christie movie set in San Francisco : PETULIA
“Petulia” is a drama movie released in 1968. The story is set in San Francisco, although the movie is a British production.

Julie Christie is a very talented British actress, actually born in British India. One of her most famous roles was Lara in the the epic 1965 film “Doctor Zhivago”.

45. Extract the essence of by boiling : DECOCT
Decoction is the process of extracting dissolved chemicals by boiling. When one makes something like a vegetable stock in the kitchen, the boiling process used is “decoction”.

47. Cartoon villain who sails the Black Barnacle : SEA HAG
The Sea Hag is a character in the “Popeye” universe, one of the hero’s persistent enemies. She is the last witch on the planet, and sails the oceans on her boat called “The Black Barnacle”. Popeye would never hit a woman though, so when he gets close to her, it’s always Olive Oyl that pops her one.

50. Filmmaker Louis : MALLE
Louis Malle was a French film director, famous for the 1987 movie “Au revoir les enfants”.

“Au revoir, les enfants” (“Goodbye, Children”) is a French film released in 1987. The film is based on real events from the childhood of director Louis Malle who witnessed a Gestapo raid on his school. During the raid, three Jewish students and a Jewish teacher were taken and transported to Auschwitz, where they were gassed upon arrival.

56. Mass gathering place : NAVE
In large, Christian churches, the nave is the main approach to the altar, where most of the faithful are seated.

57. Tour de France setting? : GEAR
Back in the late 1800s, long-distance cycle races were used as promotional events, traditionally to help boost sales of newspapers. These races usually took place around tracks, but in 1902 the backers of the struggling sports publication “L’Auto” decided to stage a race that would take the racers all around France. That first Tour de France took place in 1903, starting in Paris, and passing through Lyon, Marseilles, Bordeaux, Nantes and then back to Paris.

58. Source of venanzite : LAVA
Venanzite is a volcanic rock, named for the place where it is mainly found, near San Venanzo in Umbria, Italy.

62. The Stars may play the Blues in it, briefly : NHL
The Dallas Stars hockey team was founded in 1967, based in Bloomington, Minnesota, and was back then called the Minnesota North Stars. The team moved to Dallas in 1993.

The St. Louis Blues hockey team takes its name from the song “St. Louis Blues”, a jazz and indeed popular music classic.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Bologna is in it : ITALIA
7. Look out for, say : ABET
11. Pilot’s point? : NIB
14. Player of Duke Santos in “Ocean’s Eleven,” 1960 : CESAR ROMERO
16. What may come between two friends? : OF A
17. Co-writer and star of “Bridesmaids” : KRISTEN WIIG
18. Part of the former U.A.R.: Abbr. : SYR
19. Blocks of history : ERAS
20. One concerned with blocking : STAGE ACTOR
22. More reasonable : SANER
24. Caucus call : AYE
25. Sports org. : AAU
26. Coal-rich valley : SAAR
28. “Are you up for it?” : SHALL WE?
32. One helping with filing, for short : CPA
35. Momentary disruption : BLIP
37. “Gotcha” : I DIG IT
38. Where to see the writing on the wall? : FACEBOOK PROFILE
41. A. J. who wrote “The Citadel” : CRONIN
42. Will of “Jeremiah Johnson” : GEER
43. Lou Gehrig’s disease, for short : ALS
44. Abnormally small : STUNTED
46. Little middle? : TEES
48. Terre Haute sch. : ISU
49. Cousin of the cassowary : EMU
51. Messing around on TV? : DEBRA
55. Melodious birdsong, maybe : MATING CALL
59. Composer Khachaturian : ARAM
60. Peabody Museum patron, perhaps : ELI
61. Wind instrument? : AEOLIAN HARP
63. Abbr. after several examples : ETC
64. Playwright who became a president : VACLAV HAVEL
65. Big hits, for short : KOS
66. Artist whose moniker is the pronunciation of his initials : ERTE
67. Vice president from Tennessee : AL GORE

Down
1. Official in the Clinton White House : ICKES
2. ___ nullius (no man’s land) : TERRA
3. Like about 25% of legal U.S. immigrants : ASIAN
4. Gals across the pond : LASSES
5. N.Y.C. subway inits. : IRT
6. Father of Harmonia, in myth : ARES
7. Distributor of Nutrilite vitamins : AMWAY
8. Sandy shades : BEIGES
9. City on Presque Isle Bay : ERIE
10. ___ party : TOGA
11. It “isn’t what it used to be,” said Simone Signoret : NOSTALGIA
12. So to speak : IF YOU WILL
13. William ___, 1990s attorney general : BARR
15. One side of the Detroit River : ONTARIO
21. Part of U.S.C.: Abbr. : CALIF
23. Hopper : RABBIT
27. Exclusively : ALONE
29. New worker : HIREE
30. Dear : ADORED
31. “Vous ___ ici” : ETES
32. Ozone destroyers, for short : CFCS
33. Liking : PARTIAL TO
34. Sound system? : ACOUSTICS
36. Env. alternative : PKG
39. Lassitude : ENNUI
40. 1968 Julie Christie movie set in San Francisco : PETULIA
45. Extract the essence of by boiling : DECOCT
47. Cartoon villain who sails the Black Barnacle : SEA HAG
50. Filmmaker Louis : MALLE
52. Applause accompanier : BRAVO
53. More bloody, so to speak : RARER
54. Big : AMPLE
55. Easily imposed upon : MEEK
56. Mass gathering place : NAVE
57. Tour de France setting? : GEAR
58. Source of venanzite : LAVA
62. The Stars may play the Blues in it, briefly : NHL
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