Day: January 3, 2012

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
5. Classic Pontiacs : GTOS
GTO stands for Gran Turismo Omologato.

14. Grant and Carter : AMYS
The name “Amy” is often an anglicized version of the French name “Aimée”, which translates to “loved”.

Amy Grant is known as “The Queen of Christian Pop” and her most famous songs are Gospel and Contemporary Christian works. “Baby Baby” is one such song, released in 1991, a number-one hit for her.

Amy Carter is the only daughter of President Jimmy Carter. She is the youngest child and has three older brothers. After growing up in the White House, Amy Carter turned to political activism and was very vocal on US policy towards South African apartheid and Central America. She was arrested at a 1986 demonstration protesting CIA recruitment on a university campus, but was later acquitted. Today she has a close relationship with her father and is on the board of counselors of the Carter Center. In 1995 she provided the illustrations for her father’s book for children, “The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer”.

15. “Dies ___” : IRAE
“Dies Irae” is Latin for “Day of Wrath”. It is the name of a famous melody in Gregorian Chant, one that is often used as part of the Roman Catholic Requiem Mass.

19. Muhammad Ali’s boxing daughter : LAILA
Laila Ali is the daughter of the great Muhammad Ali and is a very capable boxer in her own right. She’s not a bad dancer either, coming in third place in the fourth season of “Dancing with the Stars”.

20. Pal, in Paris : AMI
A male friend in France is “un ami”, and a female friend is “une amie”.

21. Coal diggers’ org. : UMW
The United Mine Workers (UMW) is a labor union that represents mine workers (and now other disciplines) in the US and Canada. The UMW was founded in Columbus, Ohio in 1890.

22. “… And God Created Woman” actress : BARDOT
Brigitte Bardot is a former model and actress, as well as a noted animal rights activist. Perhaps her best known screen performance is in the 1956 French film “And God Created Woman” that was directed by her then husband, Roger Vadim.

“And God Created Woman” is a French film (“Et Dieu … créa la femme”) released in 1956. The movie was directed by Roger Vadim and famously stars his wife at the time, the actress Brigitte Bardot. The film is a very erotic work and launched Bardot’s reputation as a 1960s’ sex symbol.

30. Part of P.S.T.: Abbr. : STD
Pacific Standard Time (PST).

Local solar time was replaced with standard time zones due to the increasing use of rail travel and telecommunications as the variations in local solar times became somewhat inconvenient. Time zones in the US vary in hourly increments, but in some parts of the world a 30-minute or even 15-minute difference can apply.

31. Former “Entertainment Tonight” co-host : TESH
John Tesh is a pianist and composer, as well as a radio and television presenter.

32. ___ artery : CAROTID
The common carotid artery is in effect two arteries that run up either side of the body. By the time the carotids reach the neck they are virtually identical, with one on either side.

35. Tenderized cut of beef : MINUTE STEAK
A minute steak is also referred to as cube steak. It is a cut of top round or top sirloin that is tenderized by pounding with a mallet.

42. Online exchanges, briefly : IMS
Instant messages (IMs).

45. Expensive coat? : GILT
Gilding is the application of gold leaf or gold powder to a solid surface, perhaps wood or another metal. The method of application can vary, from the use of a brush to electroplating.

46. ___ Chaiken, co-creator/writer of “The L Word” : ILENE
Ilene Chaiken was the executive producer for the Showtime drama series “The L Word”. The show deals with lesbian, bisexual and transgender people living in West Hollywood. The title refers to “the L word”: lesbian.

51. Beaut : PIP
“Pip” meaning “beaut” is new to me … but a kind blog reader has pointed out that PIP is an acronym meaning “pain in the posterior”.

52. Baseball brothers Joe and Frank : TORRES
As manager, Joe Torre was part of four World Series wins, all of them with the New York Yankees baseball team. Torre is an Italian American, born in Brooklyn, New York. During the run up (pun intended!) to the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Torre carried the Olympic flame part of the way through Florence, handing it over to the next runner at the famous Ponte Vecchio. I’d guess that was quite a thrill for him …

Frank Torre is a former first baseman who played for the Milwaukee Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies. Frank is the older brother of baseball player and manager Joe Torre.

53. ___ pro nobis : ORA
“Ora pro nobis” translates from Latin as “pray for us”. It is a common term used in the Roman Catholic tradition and is often shortened to “OPN”.

54. Non-revenue-generating ad, for short : PSA
Public service announcement (PSA).

55. Like Robin Williams, typically : ANTIC
Robin Williams a very unique actor and comedian who came to prominence playing one of the title roles in the TV show “Mork and Mindy”. Since then he has had many fine performance on the big screen, and won an Oscar for his work in the 1997 film “Good Will Hunting”.

56. “Ode on a Grecian Urn” poet : JOHN KEATS
John Keats is famous for writing a whole series of beautiful odes. The most renowned are the so-called “1819 Odes”, a collection from the year 1819 that includes famous poems such as “Ode on a Grecian Urn”, “Ode to a Nightingale” and “Ode to Psyche”.

59. 12-Down, for one : GIANT
(12. Hitter of 511 career home runs : MEL OTT)
The San Francisco Giants have won more games than any other team in baseball, partly because they are one of the oldest teams in the league. The Giants started out as the New York Gothams in 1883 and became the New York Giants in 1885. The team moved to California in 1958.

61. Many a wearer of plaid : SCOT
Tartan is sometimes called “plaid” over here in the US, a word not used in the same sense outside of this country. In Scotland a “plaid” is a blanket or a tartan cloth slung over the shoulder.

62. ♂ and ♀ : SEXES
The icon used to depict the male gender is known as the Mars symbol. It is supposedly comprised of the shield and spear of the war god Mars. The icon used to depict the female sex is known as the Venus symbol.

Down
2. George Harrison’s autobiography : I ME MINE
“I Me Mine” is one of the relatively few Beatles songs to have been written by George Harrison (and indeed performed by him). Harrison chose the same title for his autobiography, published in 1980 just a few weeks before John Lennon was assassinated in New York City.

4. Fair Deal pres. : HST
Harry Truman wanted to go to West Point, having served with the Missouri Army National Guard on active duty in WWI, but he couldn’t get in because of his poor eyesight. He didn’t have the money to get into college anywhere else. He did, however, study for two years towards a law degree at the Kansas City Law School in the twenties, but he never finished his schooling. So, Harry S. Truman was the only US President who did not have a college degree.

5. U.S. base in Cuba, informally : GITMO
The Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is often known by the abbreviation “GTMO” or simply “Gitmo”. The base is the oldest overseas base operated by the navy and dates back to the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903, at which time the US leased the facility as a fueling station. A perpetual lease was offered by Tomas Estrada Palma, the first President of Cuba, after the US took over control of Cuba from Spain following the Spanish-American War of 1898.

9. Ethiopia’s Haile ___ : SELASSIE
Emperor Haile Selassie I ruled Ethiopia until he was removed from power in a revolution in 1974. He died in 1975 under suspicious circumstances and it is widely believed that he was assassinated.

10. Fictional reporter Kent : CLARK
Clark Kent is the secret alter ego of Superman.

11. New Balance competitor : ADIDAS
The brand name “Adidas” dates back to when Adolf “Adi” Dassler started making his own sports shoes in his mother’s laundry room in Bavaria after returning from WWI. With his brother, Adi founded Dassler shoes. The company’s big break came in 1936 at the Berlin Olympics when Adi persuaded American sprinter Jesse Owens to use his shoes, and with the success of Jesse Owens came success for the fledgling shoe company. After WWII the brothers split, acrimoniously. Adi’s brother, Ru-dolf Da-ssler, formed “Ruda” shoes (later to become Puma), and Adi Das-sler formed “Adidas”.

New Balance is a footwear manufacturer based in Boston, Massachusetts.

12. Hitter of 511 career home runs : MEL OTT
At 5′ 9″, Mel Ott weighed just 170 lb (I don’t think he took steroids!) and yet he was the first National League player to hit over 500 home runs. Sadly, Ott died in a car accident in New Orleans in 1958 when he was only 49 years old.

22. Baseball brothers George and Ken : BRETTS
George Brett played his entire professional baseball career with the Kansas City Royals. Brett made more hits than any other third baseman in Major League history.

Ken Brett was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for a total of ten teams in a professional career that lasted 14 years. He is the older brother of the famous third baseman George Brett.

25. “Get back, ___ … Go home” (Beatles lyric) : LORETTA
The Beatles song “Get Back” was first released in 1969. It is the only Beatles song that gives credit to another artist on the label, naming the keyboard player Billy Preston. Yes, the label actually says “Get Back” by The Beatles and Billy Preston.

26. Not even, as a leaf’s edge : EROSE
An edge that is “erose” is irregularly notched or indented.

34. Author Roald : DAHL
Roald Dahl’s name is Norwegian. Dahl’s parents were from Norway although Dahl himself was Welsh. Dahl became one of the most successful authors of the twentieth century. A couple of his most famous titles are “James and the Giant Peach” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”.

40. Jennifer of “Friends” : ANISTON
Jennifer Aniston won a 2002 Emmy for playing Rachel on the great sitcom “Friends”. Jennifer’s parents are both actors, and her godfather is the actor, Telly Savalas.

43. Unification Church member : MOONIE
The Unification Church was founded in Seoul, South Korea in 1954 by Sun Myung Moon. Members of the church are sometimes called “Moonies”, probably an offensive term …

46. Writer Dinesen : ISAK
Isak Dinesen was the pen name of the Danish author Baroness Karen Blixen. Her most famous title by far is “Out of Africa”, her account of the time she spent living in Kenya.

49. Macy’s competitor : KOHL’S
Kohl’s is a department store chain with its headquarters in a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The store takes its name from the founder, Maxwell Kohl.

50. ___ & Young, big name in accounting : ERNST
Ernst & Young is one of the Big Four accountancy firms, alongside Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Ernst & Young is headquartered in London.

56. Offering on Monster.com : JOB
Monster.com is a huge (monster!) employment website. At any one time there are apparently about a million jobs posted on the website.

58. “I know what you’re thinking” skill : ESP
Extra Sensory Perception (ESP).

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Among the 1%, so to speak : RICH
5. Classic Pontiacs : GTOS
9. Playful little one : SCAMP
14. Grant and Carter : AMYS
15. “Dies ___” : IRAE
16. Often-consulted church figure : ELDER
17. It goes in the ground at a campground : TENT STAKE
19. Muhammad Ali’s boxing daughter : LAILA
20. Pal, in Paris : AMI
21. Coal diggers’ org. : UMW
22. “… And God Created Woman” actress : BARDOT
23. Idiosyncrasy : TIC
24. Four-wheeled wear : ROLLER SKATE
27. Liqueur flavoring : ANISE
29. They’re dug out of the ground : ORES
30. Part of P.S.T.: Abbr. : STD
31. Former “Entertainment Tonight” co-host : TESH
32. ___ artery : CAROTID
35. Tenderized cut of beef : MINUTE STEAK
38. Dress shop section : PETITES
39. Catch some waves? : HEAR
42. Online exchanges, briefly : IMS
45. Expensive coat? : GILT
46. ___ Chaiken, co-creator/writer of “The L Word” : ILENE
47. “Huh … what?” reactions : DOUBLE TAKES
51. Beaut : PIP
52. Baseball brothers Joe and Frank : TORRES
53. ___ pro nobis : ORA
54. Non-revenue-generating ad, for short : PSA
55. Like Robin Williams, typically : ANTIC
56. “Ode on a Grecian Urn” poet : JOHN KEATS
59. 12-Down, for one : GIANT
60. Big-eyed birds : OWLS
61. Many a wearer of plaid : SCOT
62. ♂ and ♀ : SEXES
63. A-number-one : BEST
64. Coops : PENS

Down
1. Machine gun sound : RAT-A-TAT
2. George Harrison’s autobiography : I ME MINE
3. Pessimistic disposition : CYNICISM
4. Fair Deal pres. : HST
5. U.S. base in Cuba, informally : GITMO
6. Large fishing net : TRAWL
7. State tree of Illinois, Iowa and Maryland : OAK
8. Witness : SEE
9. Ethiopia’s Haile ___ : SELASSIE
10. Fictional reporter Kent : CLARK
11. New Balance competitor : ADIDAS
12. Hitter of 511 career home runs : MEL OTT
13. Rambled on and on : PRATED
18. “Positively!” : SURE
22. Baseball brothers George and Ken : BRETTS
25. “Get back, ___ … Go home” (Beatles lyric) : LORETTA
26. Not even, as a leaf’s edge : EROSE
28. Tanker or cutter : SHIP
32. Adorable ones : CUTIES
33. Leaning : ATILT
34. Author Roald : DAHL
36. Doesn’t do : NEGLECTS
37. Not fall behind : KEEP PACE
40. Jennifer of “Friends” : ANISTON
41. Meals : REPASTS
42. Luggage attachments : ID TAGS
43. Unification Church member : MOONIE
44. Added assessment : SURTAX
46. Writer Dinesen : ISAK
48. Pickling need : BRINE
49. Macy’s competitor : KOHL’S
50. ___ & Young, big name in accounting : ERNST
56. Offering on Monster.com : JOB
57. Be in debt to : OWE
58. “I know what you’re thinking” skill : ESP

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