Day: June 6, 2012

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
5. Actress Knightley : KEIRA
The English actress Keira Knightley had her big break in movies when she co-starred in 2002’s “Bend It Like Beckham”. Knightley played one of my favorite movie roles, Elizabeth Bennett in 2005’s “Pride and Prejudice”. Knightley won a Golden Globe for that performance, although that2005 film isn’t the best adaptation of the Austen’s novel in my opinion.

10. “___, vidi, vici” : VENI
The oft-quoted “Veni, vidi, vici” (“I came, I saw, I conquered”) is believed by many to have been written by Julius Caesar. The words date back to 47 BC and refer to the short war between Rome and Pharnaces II of Pontus.

14. Prefix with sphere : IONO-
The ionosphere is that layer of the atmosphere that is ionized by solar radiation.

16. Big name in paperback publishing : AVON
Avon was a noted publisher of comic books and paperbacks. The company was founded in 1941, and focused on pretty low-brow literature designed for popular appeal.

17. Puerto Rico, affectionately, with “the” : ENCHANT(ED IS)LAND
Puerto Rico is located in the northeastern Caribbean (in the Atlantic Ocean), east of the Dominican Republic. The name “Puerto Rico” is Spanish for “rich port”. The locals often call their island Borinquen, the Spanish form of “Boriken”, the original name used by the natives.

20. Last Whig president : FILLMORE
Vice President Millard Fillmore took over the US Presidency when Zachary Taylor died after only 16 months in office. Fillmore was born in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, but grew up around Buffalo. He was one of the founders of the University of Buffalo and served as chancellor there after he left office in 1853.

The Whig Party (in the US) was active from 1833 to 1856, as the opposition party to the Democrats. One of the tenets of the Whig Party was the supremacy of Congress over the Executive branch. Prominent members of the party included Presidents Zachary Taylor and John Tyler. Abraham Lincoln was also a Whig while he served a two-year term as US Representative for the state of Illinois. By the time he became President, Lincoln was a member of the Republican Party.

21. Mixologist’s unit : OUNCE
A mixologist is someone who is well versed in the mixing of cocktails, said he reaching for the shaker …

22. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Hank : IBA
Hank Iba was a basketball and baseball coach, spending most of his career at Oklahoma State University, coaching both sports teams. Iba also coached two winning Olympic basketball teams, helping the USA to win the gold in 1964 and 1968.

23. What the Mars symbol symbolizes : MALE SEX
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.

25. Malady named after a Connecticut town : LYM(E DIS)EASE
Lyme disease is an infectious disease that is becoming more and more common. The condition takes its name from the town of Lyme, Connecticut where several cases were diagnosed in 1975. Humans catch the disease when bitten by infected ticks. If caught early enough, the disease is usually successfully treated with antibiotics.

31. Rapa ___ (locale of many monoliths) : NUI
Rapa Nui is the Polynesian name for what we are more likely to call Easter Island. The European name was given to the island by the Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen, who came across it on Easter Sunday in the year 1722. Easter Island is inhabited, and is a location that is remarkably distant from neighboring civilization. The nearest inhabited island is Pitcairn Island, almost 1300 miles away.

32. Stereo parts : AMPS
An electric guitar, for example, needs an amplifier to take the weak signal created by the vibration of the strings and turn it into a signal powerful enough for a loudspeaker.

36. London’s West End, e.g. : THEATR(E DIS)TRICT
The West End of London is part of the central area of the city that contains many tourist attractions and in particular a large number of theaters. The West End of London is also home to the most expensive office space in the world.

41. What makes Shrek shriek? : AN I
Drop an I into the middle of the word “Shrek”, and make him “shr-i-ek” …

42. ___-Loompa (chocolate factory dwarf) : OOMPA
The Oompa-Loompas are characters in the Roald Dahl book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, and indeed in the sequel story “Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator”. Willy Wonka came across the Oompa-Loompas on an isolated island in the Atlantic and invited them to work in his factory in order to escape those hunting them on the island. Right before Dahl’s book was first published, he called these same characters the “Whipple-Scrumpets”.

43. Record collector’s curio : PICTUR(E DIS)C
Picture discs are phonograph records that have images on the playing surface (not just on the central label). There have been some famous records released in picture disk format including “Tubular Bells” by Mike Oldfield, “The Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” by The Beatles.

46. City with a U.F.O. museum : ROSWELL
The Roswell UFO Incident took place in 1947. Some people believe that an extra-terrestrial spacecraft crashed, with aliens aboard. After the initial reports the public accepted the US Military’s explanation of the crash, that the debris recovered belonged to an experimental high-altitude surveillance balloon. The whole incident was dug up again over 30 years later when a claim was made that there was a cover-up in 1947, and that the armed forces had recovered an alien craft and brought it to Roswell Army Air Field. “The National Enquirer” ran the story, and it has been running ever since.

52. State with just three counties : DELAWARE
The state of Delaware takes its name from Virginia’s first colonial governor, Englishman Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr. Delaware is known as the First State as it was the first to ratify the US Constitution, in 1787.

Delaware is the second smallest state in the country in terms of area. It has just three counties: New Castle, Kent and Sussex.

57. Lucasfilm aircraft : J(EDI S)TARFIGHTER
Jedi starfighters are combat craft that appear in just two of the six “Star Wars” movies, in “… Episode II: Attack of the Clones” and “… Episode III: Revenge of the Sith”.

61. Big name in coffeemakers : BRAUN
Braun is a manufacturer of consumer goods based in Kronberg, Germany.

62. Righty Hershiser : OREL
Orel Hershiser is big into poker now that he has retired from Major League Baseball. He lives in Las Vegas, and when he isn’t working for ESPN, apparently he is at the poker tables at least five times a week.

64. Sumptuous fur : SABLE
Sables are small mammals about two feet long, found right across northern Europe and northern Asia. The sable’s pelt is highly prized in the fur trade. It is unique among furs in that it feels smooth no matter which direction it is stroked.

Down
1. Feudal estate : FIEF
In the days of feudalism, a “fief” was basically a “fee” (the words “fee” and “fief” have the same origins) paid by a lord in exchange for some benefit to him, perhaps loyalty or military service. The fief itself was often land granted by the Lord.

2. Actress Anderson : LONI
Loni Anderson’s most famous role was that of Jennifer Marlowe on the sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati”. Anderson has been married four times, most famously to actor Burt Reynolds from 1988 to 1993.

4. Science fiction writer Frederik : POHL
Frederik Pohl is an American science-fiction writer, a winner of three Hugo awards. He started off his career as a literary agent, and was the only agent ever hired by Isaac Asimov.

5. Obi-Wan ___ : KENOBI
Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the more beloved of the “Star Wars” characters. Kenobi was portrayed by two fabulous actors in the series of films. As a young man he is played by Scottish actor Ewan McGregor, and as an older man he is played by Alec Guinness.

6. Over 300,000 of these appear in “Gandhi” : EXTRAS
“Gandhi” is a fabulous film released in 1982 that chronicles the life and times of Mahatma Gandhi. The film stars Ben Kingsley in the title role, and was directed by Sir Richard Attenborough. “Gandhi” won eight Oscars, including the award for Best Picture.

7. Frozen beverage brand : ICEE
Icee is the brand name of one of those slushy drinks. Ugh …

8. Like a matador’s cape : RED
Bulls, like all cattle, are color blind, so the cape that’s used in bull fighting aren’t red to attract the unfortunate beast. Rather, it’s the movement of the cape that cause the bull to charge. The red is chosen just because it is a dramatic color.

9. Successor of Muhammad, to Shiites : ALI
Ali was the cousin of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, as well as his son-in-law. After Muhammad received his divine revelation, Ali was the first man to convert to Islam.

11. Maiden name of Harry Potter’s mother : EVANS
In the world of “Harry Potter”, Harry’s mother was Lily Potter nee Evans. Lily Evans was born a Muggle. a person who has no magical ability. Lily married someone who did have that magical ability, James Potter, Harry’s father.

12. Present occasion : NONCE
The quaint phrase “for the nonce” means “for the present”, “for now”.

23. Wailuku is its county seat : MAUI
Maui is the second largest of the Hawaiian islands. Maui is sometimes called the “Valley Isle” as it is composed of two volcanoes to the northwest and southeast of the island, each with numerous beautiful valleys carved into them.

Wailuku was the main tourist destination on Maui in the early 20th century. It lies on the north coast of the island. Most people stay at resort towns now though and there are very few hotels in Wailuku.

25. W.W. II naval vessels: Abbr. : LSTS
LST stands for Landing Ship, Tank. LSTs were the large vessels used mainly in WWII that had doors at either ends through which tanks and other vehicles could roll off and onto beaches. The design concept persists to this day in the huge fleet of commercial roll-on/roll-off car ferries, all inspired by the LST.

26. Disney tune subtitled “A Pirate’s Life for Me” : YO HO
“Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me)” is a song that was inspired by the sea-shanty featured in “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson called “Dead Man’s Chest”. The song is used as the theme song for the “Pirates of the Caribbean” rides in Disney theme parks.

27. TV star who homered off Koufax in a 1963 episode : MR ED
“Mister Ed” first aired in 1961 and ran for almost five years. It was a very successful show (and even made it to Ireland!). Mister Ed, the talking horse, was a palomino that had the real name of Bamboo Harvester. Mister Ed’s “voice” was that of actor Allan “Rocky” Lane, a star of a lot of B-movie westerns from the forties and fifties. In the show, Mister Ed would only talk to the lead (human) character, Wilbur, played by Alan Young, leading to some hilarious situations. Mister Ed had a stunt double and stand-in for the show, another horse called Pumpkin. Pumpkin later played the horse that made frequent appearances on the show “Green Acres”.

32. Yankees’ #13, to fans : A-ROD
Poor old Alex Rodriguez earned more nicknames than just A-Rod. He has been called “the Cooler” by some players as there is a perception that teams go cold when he joins them and hot when he leaves. He has also been called “A-Fraud” by teammates because of another perception, that he is over-demanding.

33. “La Bohème” role : MIMI
“La bohème” is the second most frequently performed opera in the US (after Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly”).

In Puccini’s “La bohème”, the lead female role is Mimì, a seamstress.

34. Psychedelic drugs, for short : PCPS
Phencyclidine is a recreational drug usually referred to on the street as PCP or “angel dust”.

35. Quick and detached, in mus. : STAC
Staccato is a musical direction signifying that notes should be played in a disconnected form. The opposite of staccato would be legato, long and continuous notes played very smoothly.

47. Printing daggers : OBELI
A dagger (also called an obelisk, plural obeli) is a typographical symbol. The dagger is usually used to indicate a footnote.

48. Cokes and such : SODAS
The first cola drink to become a commercial success was Coca-Cola, soon after it was invented by a druggist in 1886. It was flavored mainly with kola nuts and vanilla. The formulation was based on an alcoholic drink called Coca Wine that had been on sale for over twenty years. That original alcoholic version actually contained a small concentration of cocaine.

54. Longfellow bell town : ATRI
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote “The Sicilian’s Tale; The Bell of Atri”, a narrative poem set in the small town of Atri in the Abruzzo region of Italy.

55. Clarinetist’s need : REED
The clarinet is a lovely-sounding instrument, isn’t it? The name comes from the Italian word “clarino” meaning “trumpet” with the “-et” suffix indicating “small”.

56. Writer ___ Stanley Gardner : ERLE
I must have read all of the Perry Mason books when I was in college. I think they kept me sane when I was facing the pressure of exams. Author Erle Stanley Gardner was himself a lawyer, although he didn’t get into the profession the easy way. He went to law school, but got himself suspended after a month. So, he became a self-taught attorney and opened his own law office in Merced, California. Understandably, he gave up the law once his novels became successful.

58. Conan O’Brien’s network : TBS
Before Conan O’Brien came to fame as a late night talk show host he was a writer. He wrote for both “Saturday Night Live” and “The Simpsons”.

59. Celestial altar : ARA
The constellation of Ara takes its name from the Latin word for “altar”.

Return to top of page

For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. With 65-Across, part of a record … or what each of this puzzle’s five long Across answers has? : FLIP
5. Actress Knightley : KEIRA
10. “___, vidi, vici” : VENI
14. Prefix with sphere : IONO-
15. Get all A’s : EXCEL
16. Big name in paperback publishing : AVON
17. Puerto Rico, affectionately, with “the” : ENCHANT(ED IS)LAND
20. Last Whig president : FILLMORE
21. Mixologist’s unit : OUNCE
22. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Hank : IBA
23. What the Mars symbol symbolizes : MALE SEX
25. Malady named after a Connecticut town : LYM(E DIS)EASE
30. Does a pre-laundry chore : SORTS
31. Rapa ___ (locale of many monoliths) : NUI
32. Stereo parts : AMPS
36. London’s West End, e.g. : THEATR(E DIS)TRICT
40. Repairs, as a golf green : SODS
41. What makes Shrek shriek? : AN I
42. ___-Loompa (chocolate factory dwarf) : OOMPA
43. Record collector’s curio : PICTUR(E DIS)C
46. City with a U.F.O. museum : ROSWELL
50. Jet ___ : SET
51. Stop, as a launch : ABORT
52. State with just three counties : DELAWARE
57. Lucasfilm aircraft : J(EDI S)TARFIGHTER
60. “Ah, ’twas not to be” : ALAS
61. Big name in coffeemakers : BRAUN
62. Righty Hershiser : OREL
63. Arts and Sciences dept. : HIST
64. Sumptuous fur : SABLE
65. See 1-Across : SIDE

Down
1. Feudal estate : FIEF
2. Actress Anderson : LONI
3. With: Abbr. : INCL
4. Science fiction writer Frederik : POHL
5. Obi-Wan ___ : KENOBI
6. Over 300,000 of these appear in “Gandhi” : EXTRAS
7. Frozen beverage brand : ICEE
8. Like a matador’s cape : RED
9. Successor of Muhammad, to Shiites : ALI
10. Appraiser’s figure : VALUE
11. Maiden name of Harry Potter’s mother : EVANS
12. Present occasion : NONCE
13. Rear of many a book : INDEX
18. In the heart of : AMIDST
19. Only : SOLE
23. Wailuku is its county seat : MAUI
24. Sale tag condition : AS IS
25. W.W. II naval vessels: Abbr. : LSTS
26. Disney tune subtitled “A Pirate’s Life for Me” : YO HO
27. TV star who homered off Koufax in a 1963 episode : MR ED
28. Airport postings, for short : ETAS
29. Bring a relationship to a close : END IT
32. Yankees’ #13, to fans : A-ROD
33. “La Bohème” role : MIMI
34. Psychedelic drugs, for short : PCPS
35. Quick and detached, in mus. : STAC
37. Train travel : RAIL
38. Abbr. on the bottom of a business letter : ENCL
39. Morgue ID : TOE TAG
43. Animals with collars, often : PETS
44. Of service : USEFUL
45. Winterize, as a coat : RELINE
46. Indian ruler : RAJAH
47. Printing daggers : OBELI
48. Cokes and such : SODAS
49. Pulse-taking spot : WRIST
52. Dull : DRAB
53. “___ calling?” : WHO’S
54. Longfellow bell town : ATRI
55. Clarinetist’s need : REED
56. Writer ___ Stanley Gardner : ERLE
58. Conan O’Brien’s network : TBS
59. Celestial altar : ARA

Return to top of page