Day: August 5, 2012

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
5. ___ machine (restaurant fixture) : LATTE
The term “latte” is an abbreviation of the Italian “caffelatte” meaning “coffee (and) milk”. Note that in the correct spelling of “latte”, the Italian word for milk, there is no accent over the “e”. An accent is often added by mistake when we use the word in English, perhaps meaning to suggest that the word is French.

10. Crossroads of the West : UTAH
“Crossroads of the West” is a nickname for Salt Lake City, and for the state of Utah. The Utah state quarter bears the words “Crossroads of the West”, and an image of the Golden Spike that marked the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.

19. “Alice in Wonderland” character : DODO
The Dodo is a character who appears early in Lewis Carroll’s novel “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”. It is thought that the Dodo is a caricature of the author himself as both author and character have a stutter.

27. Certain Ivy Leaguer : ELI
Eli is the nickname for a graduate of Yale University, a term used in honor of the Yale benefactor Elihu Yale.

The term “Ivy League” originally defined an athletic conference, but now it is used to describe a group of schools of higher education that are associated with both a long tradition and academic excellence. The eight Ivy League Schools are: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale.

39. Mauna ___ : LOA
Mauna Loa on the “big island” of Hawaii is the largest volcano on the planet (in terms of volume). The name “Mauna Loa” is Hawaiian for “Long Mountain”.

48. Grunt no more : EX-GI
“Grunt” is slang for an infantryman in the US military.

The initials “G.I.” stand for “Government Issue” and not “General Infantry” as is often believed. GI was first used in the military to denote equipment made from Galvanized Iron, and during WWI, incoming German shells were nicknamed “GI cans”. Soon after, the term GI came to be associated with “Government Issue” and eventually became an adjective to describe anything associated with the Army.

57. Old gold coin : DUCAT
“Ducat” is a slang term for an item of money or for an admission ticket. The original ducat was a coin introduced by the Republic of Venice in 1284. Famously, at the climax of William Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice”, Antonio goes on trial because he cannot repay a loan to Shylock of 3,000 ducats. Faced with non-payment, Shylock demands his legal right to “a pound of flesh”.

58. Podunk’s directory? : YELLOW PAGE(S)
Podunk is an Algonquian word, meaning a boggy place (literally “where you sink in mire”). European settlers used the name Podunk for the indigenous people that lived in what is now southern New England. These “Podunks” had no name for themselves as a tribe, and they were christened “podunks” as they lived on relatively marshy lands. Podunk has come to mean “the middle of nowhere”.

63. It might be surrounded by a sash : PANE
A movable (up and down) window frame is called a sash, from the French word for a frame: “châssis”.

64. Grandfathers of III’s: Abbr. : SRS
John Doe Sr, John Doe Jr and John Doe III.

66. James of “Las Vegas” : CAAN
James Caan is an actor from the Bronx in New York City. Caan is noted for his appearances in some very big movies such as “The Godfather”, “Misery”, “A Bridge Too Far”, “Rollerball” and more recently “Elf”. Caan is quite the sportsman. He plays golf with an 8 handicap, and is a 6-Dan Black Belt Master of Gosoku Karate.

69. Some French wines : RHONES
The Rhône wine region of France is home to my favorite appellation, Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

78. Star of the most-watched TV episode ever : ALDA
The last episode of the television series “M*A*S*H” was actually written as a television movie, and had the title “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen”. That last episode was the most watched TV broadcast in US history from 1983 to 2010, before being overtaken in viewership by the 2010 Super Bowl broadcast.

79. Formic acid sources : ANTS
Most nettle species have stinging hairs that secrete formic acid. This formic acid is the same chemical that is found in the venom injected with a bee or ant sting. The Latin word for ant is “formica” and gives its name to the acid.

90. Islander, e.g. : NHLER
The New York Islanders are an NHL team, one of three such franchises in the New York City area (along with the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers). When the team was founded in 1972 it was designated as a “Long Island franchise”, and it was expected to take the name the Long Island Ducks, but New York Islanders it was to be.

96. Despot’s concession? : BILL OF RIGHT(S)
The Constitution of the United States was adopted on September 17, 1787. There have been 27 amendments to the constitution, the first ten of which are collectively called the Bill of Rights. In essence the Bill of Rights limits the power of the Federal Government and protects the rights of individuals. For example, the First Amendment states:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

101. Sulu’s superior : KIRK
Neither the Actor William Shatner nor the character Captain Kirk appeared in the original “Star Trek” pilot. For that episode, the captain of the USS Enterprise was Christopher Pike, played by Jeffrey Hunter. The pilot was rejected by NBC and a new pilot was ordered, the one which launched the series. However, footage from the first pilot was eventually aired, incorporated into a “Star Trek” episode called “The Menagerie”.

Mr. Sulu was of course played by George Takei in the original “Star Trek” series. Takei has played lots of roles over the years and is still very active in television. Did you know that he appeared in the 1963 film, “Pt-109”? Not only did Takei play the helmsman on the Starship Enterprise, he played the helmsman steering the Japanese destroyer that ran down John F. Kennedy’s motor torpedo boat.

102. It no longer sells maize or mulberry : CRAYOLA
In the year 2000 the Crayola company, very cleverly I think, held the “Crayola Color Census 2000” in which people were polled and asked for their favorite Crayola colors. President George W. Bush chose “Blue Bell” and Tiger Woods chose “Wild Strawberry”.

106. It came between Kennedy and Bouvier : NEE
Jackie Kennedy Onassis was born into a privileged family, the daughter of Wall Street stock broker John Vernou Bouvier III. Ms. Bouvier moved in the same social circles as the Kennedy clan, and first met the then-US Representative John Kennedy at a dinner party hosted by mutual friends. Years later, after she saw her husband assassinated and then her brother-in-law (Bobby Kennedy) suffer the same fate, Jackie declared that she feared for the life of her children as they bore the Kennedy name. She left the country, eventually meeting and marrying Aristotle Onassis. Reportedly she was very satisfied that the Greek shipping magnate was able to provide privacy and security for her children.

107. Composition of only four different notes : TAPS
“Taps” is played nightly by the US military to indicate “lights out”. The tune is also known as “Butterfield’s Lullaby” as it is a variation of an older bugle call named the “Scott Tattoo” that was arranged during the Civil War by the Union Army’s Brigadier General Daniel Butterfield. The name “Taps” comes from the notion of drum taps, as the tune was originally played on a drum.

109. Occasional klutz? : BUTTERFINGER(S)
“Klutz” of course comes from Yiddish. The Yiddish word for a clumsy person is “klots”.

114. Rail supports : CROSS TIES
Railroad ties are usually wooden oblong members used to support and maintain the separation between the rails. Over in Europe we call ties “sleepers”, which I think is a much more colorful term!

119. Actor Jay : MOHR
Jay Mohr is an American actor, one I most remember playing a supporting role in the wonderful HBO series “From the Earth to the Moon” (must see TV!). With regard to “Last Comic Standing”, not only did Jay Mohr host the show but he also created it and was the executive producer.

120. What’s that, in Tijuana? : ESA?
Tijuana is the largest city in the Mexican state of Baja California, and lies just across the US-Mexico border from San Diego. Tijuana is also the most westerly of all Mexican cities. A lot of Tijuana’s growth took place in the twenties, as tourists flocked south of the border during the days of prohibition in the US. One of the many casinos and hotels that flourished at that time was Hotel Caesar’s, in the Avenida Revolución area. Hotel Caesar’s claims to be the birthplace of the now ubiquitous Caesar Salad.

129. “The Grapes of Wrath” figure : OKIE
John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath” is set during the Great Depression. The novel tells the story of the Joad family from Oklahoma, farmers who had to leave their home and head for California due to economic hardship.

130. Test cheats : CRIBS
A crib is a plagiarism, most commonly the copying of an answer in an examination.

131. Pisa’s river : ARNO
The Arno is the principal river in the Tuscany region of Italy, passing through the cities of Florence and Pisa. Famously the Arno flooded in 1966, the worst flood in the region for centuries. There were numerous deaths and extensive destruction of priceless art treasures, particularly in Florence.

The city of Pisa is right on the Italian coast, sitting at the mouth of the River Arno, and is famous for its Leaning Tower. The tower is actually the campanile (bell tower) of the city’s cathedral, and it has been leaning since it was completed in 1173. Just shows you how important good foundations are …

132. Truck rental name : RYDER
The Ryder company was founded in 1933 in Miami, Florida by James Ryder. It started out as a concrete hauling company, but changed its focus a few years later to the leasing of trucks.

134. “Little” comics girl : ANNIE
“Little Orphan Annie” is a comic strip created in 1924 by Harold Gray. The strip’s title was taken from a poem written in 1885 by James Whitcomb Riley called “Little Orphant Annie” (and yes, that spelling “orphant” is correct). Strangely enough, the original name of the poem was “Little Orphant Allie” (and not “Annie”), and it changed forever at its third printing, purely because of a typesetter’s error!

Down
5. Privateer Jean : LAFITTE
Jean Lafitte was a French pirate who plied his trade in the Gulf of Mexico. Lafitte helped Andrew Jackson in the Battle of New Orleans towards the end of the War of 1812, in return for a pardon for his pirating activities.

6. Hamburg grr? : ACH
The German exclamation “ach!” is usually translated into English as “oh!”

Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany, and the third largest port in Europe.

9. Money or Murphy : EDDIE
Eddie Money is a musician from New York City, a rock guitarist, saxophonist and singer-songwriter.

Eddie Murphy is a multi-faceted performer and entertainer from the Bushwick neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. Murphy was a comedian on “Saturday Night Live” from 1980 to 1984. He has also appeared in several hit movies, the success of which make Murphy the second-highest grossing actor in the country.

10. Seat, informally : USH
“To ush” is to usher, to show to a seat.

12. Nancy ___, first female member of the British Parliament : ASTOR
Nancy Astor (nee Langhorne) was born in the US, in Virginia. When Nancy was 26 years old she moved to England with her younger sister. In England she married an American living there, Waldorf Astor, and the couple lived a very comfortable life. Nancy Astor became very active in politics, and eventually became the first woman elected to the British Parliament.

15. 1944 Nobel physicist Isidor : RABI
Isidor Isaac Rabi discovered nuclear magnetic resonance, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1944.

24. Stewpot : OLLA
An olla is a traditional clay pot used for the making of stews.

26. Jew : kosher :: Muslim : ___ : HALAL
“Halal” is a term for an action or object that is permissible under Islamic Law. In particular “halal” is used to describe food that can be consumed. Anything that is not allowed is called “haraam”.

29. ___ d’Or (Cannes award) : PALME
The “Palme d’Or” (or “Golden Palm” in English) is the highest award given at the Cannes Film Festival. The Palme d’Or goes to the director of the film selected as the best shown at the festival that year. The palm was selected as an emblem for the award as there is a palm featured on the coat of arms of the Commune of Cannes.

34. Curse : HEX
“Hexen” is a German word meaning “to practice witchcraft”. The use of the word “hex” in English started with the Pennsylvania Dutch in the early 1800s.

35. Linguist Chomsky : NOAM
Noam Chomsky is a professor of linguistics at MIT. Chomsky is known as one of the fathers of modern linguistics.

44. Silas of the Continental Congress : DEANE
Silas Deane was a member of the Continental Congress. When Deane was dispatched to Paris by the Congress, he became America’s first foreign diplomat. His amazing story is told in Joel Richard Paul’s book “Unlikely Allies”.

45. Some collectible Deco drawings : ERTES
Erté was the pseudonym of French artist (Russian born) Romain de Tirtoff. Erté is the French pronunciation of his initials “R.T.”

47. Internet hookup letters : DSL
DSL originally stood for Digital Subscriber Loop, but is now accepted to mean (Asymmetric) Digital Subscriber Line. DSL is the technology that allows Internet service be delivered down the same telephone line as voice service, by separating the two into different frequency signals.

52. California’s historic Fort ___ : ORD
Fort Ord was an army post on Monterey Bay in California named after a General Ord, established in 1917 and closed in 1994. The fort was in a spectacular location with miles of beachfront, and that lovely California weather.

56. Seasick sea serpent of cartoons : CECIL
“Beany and Cecil” is a cartoon television series originally broadcast in 1962. Beany is a young boy with a propeller beanie with which he can fly. Cecil is sea serpent with a lisp.

59. “___ people …” : WE THE
The US Constitution is composed of a preamble (famously beginning with “We the people …”), seven articles and twenty-seven amendments.

62. Mountain ridge : ARETE
An arete is ridge of rock defining the border between two parallel valleys that have been formed by glaciation. If this ridge is rounded, it is called a “col”. However if it is “sharpened”, with rock falling way due to successive freezing and thawing, then it is called an “arete”. “Arête“ is the French word for “fish bone”.

75. Fox News competitor : MSNBC
MSNBC was founded in 1996 as a partnership between Microsoft (the “MS”) and General Electric’s “NBC” broadcasting operation. Microsoft only owns a minority share in MSNBC today, but is still an equal partner in the separate company, msnbc.com.

76. Biblical land of wealth : OPHIR
Ophir was a wealthy port that’s mentioned in the Bible. Supposedly, King Solomon received shipments of precious metals, precious stones and exotic animals every three years from Ophir.

77. Reese of “Touched by an Angel” : DELLA
Della Reese is the stage name of the actress, singer and all-round entertainer Delloreese Patricia Early. Reese started out as a singer in the fifties and revived her performing career in the nineties when she played the lead character in the TV show “Touched by an Angel”.

80. Actress Annette : BENING
The actress Annette Bening is from Topeka, Kansas. Bening has been married to actor Warren Beatty since 1992.

86. Prefix with athlete : TRI-
An Ironman Triathlon is a race involving a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride and a marathon run of just over 26 miles. The idea for the race came out of a debate between some runners in the 1977 Oahu Perimeter Relay. They were questioning whether runners, swimmers or bikers were the fittest athletes. The debaters decided to combine three local events to determine the answer, inviting athletes from all three disciplines. The events that were combined to come up with the first triathlon were the Waikiki Roughwater swim (2.4 miles), the Around-Oahu Bike Race (115 miles) and the Honolulu Marathon (26.2 miles). The idea was that whoever finished first “we’ll call him the Iron Man”. The first triathlon was run in 1978, with fifteen starters and only twelve finishers. The race format is used all over the world now but the Hawaiian Ironman is the event that everyone wants to win.

88. Buckeyes’ sch. : OSU
The athletic teams of Ohio State University are called the Buckeyes, named after the state tree of Ohio. In turn the buckeye tree gets its name from the appearance of its fruit, a dark nut with a light patch thought to resemble a “buck’s eye”.

89. Shaggy animal : YAK
The English word “yak” is an Anglicized version of the Tibetan name for the male of the species. Yak milk is much prized in the Tibetan culture. It is made into cheese and butter, and the butter is used to make a tea that is consumed by the gallon by Tibetans. The butter is also used as a fuel in lamps, and during festivals the butter can be sculpted into religious icons.

93. “The Purple People Eater” singer ___ Wooley : SHEB
As well as having his huge hit in 1958 called “The Purple People Eater”, Sheb Wooley played Ben Miller in the movie “High Noon” and co-starred in the TV’s “Rawhide”, playing the role of Pete Nolan. Wooley also wrote the theme song for the long-running television show “Hee Haw”.

97. Scruggs’s bluegrass partner : FLATT
Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt are the musicians who founded the bluegrass band called the Foggy Mountain Boys in 1948.

108. Bulova competitor : SEIKO
Seiko Epson is a Japanese company, one of the largest manufacturers of printers in the world. The company has its roots in the watch business, roots that go back to 1942. Seiko was chosen as the official time keeper for the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and was asked to supply a timer that produced a printed record. This request brought Seiko into the business of printer production. The company developed the world’s first mini-printer for the 1964 Games and called it EP-101 (EP standing for Electronic Printer). In 1975 Seiko introduced the next generation of EP printers which was called EPSON, from “SON of EP”. Cute, huh?

The world’s first television commercial aired on July 1, 1941 before a baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies. It was aired on the New York station WNBT, and watch-maker Bulova paid $9 to have its products promoted.

110. Puccini’s Floria ___ : TOSCA
Unlike so many operas, “Tosca” was a big hit right from day one, when it was first performed in 1900 at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome. I’ve only seen it once myself, but it is the eighth-most performed opera in America these days.

111. Runic letter for “th” : THORN
A rune is a character in an alphabet that is believed to have mysterious powers.

112. General Rommel : ERWIN
Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was probably the most respected of WWII German officers, by the military on both sides of the conflict. Rommel was highly decorated for his service in WWI, but gained most of his notoriety in the North African campaign of WWII. It was during this campaign that he gained the nickname of “the Desert Fox”. Rommel is regarded as an honorable soldier. He is reported to have ensured that all prisoners under his control were treated humanely, and he ignored all orders to execute Jewish soldiers and civilians no matter where he was serving. Late in the war he was convicted of participating in a conspiracy against Adolf Hitler, but his reputation as a war hero prevented Hitler from having him executed. Instead, Rommel was coerced into committing suicide under the threat of persecution of his family.

114. “Good buddy” : CBER
A CBer is someone who operates a Citizens’ Band radio. In 1945, the FCC set aside certain frequencies for the personal use of citizens. The use of the Citizens’ Band increased throughout the seventies as advances in electronics brought down the size of transceivers and their cost. There aren’t many CB radios sold these days though, as they have largely been replaced by cell phones.

117. Loudness unit : SONE
In the acoustic world, the “sone” was introduced as a unit of perceived loudness in 1936.

124. Eastern sash : OBI
The sash worn as part of traditional Japanese dress is known as an obi. The obi can be tied in what is called a butterfly knot.

125. Danish coins : ORE
The coin called an ore was one hundredth of a Danish krone.

126. Carrier to Tokyo : ANA
All Nippon Airways (ANA) is a Japanese airline, second in size only to Japan Airlines (JAL).

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Cover-up : COAT
5. ___ machine (restaurant fixture) : LATTE
10. Crossroads of the West : UTAH
14. Green eyes, e.g. : TRAIT
19. “Alice in Wonderland” character : DODO
20. Like a land baron : ACRED
21. O.K. : SO-SO
22. Yields : EARNS
23. Disappointing “Who’s with me?” response? : SHOW OF HAND(S)
25. Work to maintain a C average? : HIT THE BOOK(S)
27. Certain Ivy Leaguer : ELI
28. Bit of a TV reviewer’s review : CLIP
30. Film credits list : LOCATIONS
31. Mention that you know a secret? : SPILL THE BEAN(S)
36. It’s cast and landed : ROLE
37. Digs : PAD
38. Downed subs, e.g. : ATE
39. Mauna ___ : LOA
41. Rarely photographed half of the moon : FAR SIDE
46. Thought better of : RUED
48. Grunt no more : EX-GI
51. One who’s read an encyclopedia’s first volume? : MAN OF LETTER(S)
53. Give ___ (let off) : A PASS
55. Again : ONCE MORE
57. Old gold coin : DUCAT
58. Podunk’s directory? : YELLOW PAGE(S)
61. Think about it : IDEA
63. It might be surrounded by a sash : PANE
64. Grandfathers of III’s: Abbr. : SRS
65. Pay one’s dues again, say : RE-UP
66. James of “Las Vegas” : CAAN
69. Some French wines : RHONES
71. Having finished just one month of a job? : WET BEHIND THE EAR(S)
75. Trendy : MODISH
78. Star of the most-watched TV episode ever : ALDA
79. Formic acid sources : ANTS
80. Overalls part : BIB
83. Wasted no time : SPED
84. Abbr. before a year : ESTD
87. What one with a small nest egg enjoys? : GOLDEN YEAR(S)
90. Islander, e.g. : NHLER
92. Least refined : CRASSEST
95. South American invention : TANGO
96. Despot’s concession? : BILL OF RIGHT(S)
98. Milked : USED
101. Sulu’s superior : KIRK
102. It no longer sells maize or mulberry : CRAYOLA
103. Throughout, in poetry : O’ER
104. Gun, as an engine : REV
106. It came between Kennedy and Bouvier : NEE
107. Composition of only four different notes : TAPS
109. Occasional klutz? : BUTTERFINGER(S)
114. Rail supports : CROSS TIES
119. Actor Jay : MOHR
120. What’s that, in Tijuana? : ESA?
121. Beginning magician’s arsenal? : BAG OF TRICK(S)
123. Go on a brief youthful binge? : SOW ONE’S OAT(S)
128. Low-cost prefix : ECONO-
129. “The Grapes of Wrath” figure : OKIE
130. Test cheats : CRIBS
131. Pisa’s river : ARNO
132. Truck rental name : RYDER
133. Prying : NOSY
134. “Little” comics girl : ANNIE
135. Flaw in logic : LEAP

Down
1. They’re shiny even after being burned : CDS
2. “Could be a problem” : OOH
3. Hustle or bustle : ADO
4. Beach item : TOWEL
5. Privateer Jean : LAFITTE
6. Hamburg grr? : ACH
7. Draw over : TRACE
8. Dumbbell weight abbr. : TEN LB
9. Money or Murphy : EDDIE
10. Seat, informally : USH
11. Labor : TOIL
12. Nancy ___, first female member of the British Parliament : ASTOR
13. Sign on a sidewalk food cart : HOT COFFEE
14. Went back and forth on a decision : TEETERED
15. 1944 Nobel physicist Isidor : RABI
16. Suffix with buck : -AROO
17. Informed of : IN ON
18. Sounds that may accompany head-shaking : TSKS
24. Stewpot : OLLA
26. Jew : kosher :: Muslim : ___ : HALAL
29. ___ d’Or (Cannes award) : PALME
31. Decorative flower arrangements : SPRAYS
32. Have-not : PAUPER
33. High standards : IDEALS
34. Curse : HEX
35. Linguist Chomsky : NOAM
40. Prepare for sacrifice, in a way : ANOINT
42. Daze : STUPOR
43. “Happens sometimes” : IT CAN
44. Silas of the Continental Congress : DEANE
45. Some collectible Deco drawings : ERTES
47. Internet hookup letters : DSL
49. Blow a fuse : GO APE
50. Participle suffix : -ING
52. California’s historic Fort ___ : ORD
54. Tender spots : SORES
56. Seasick sea serpent of cartoons : CECIL
59. “___ people …” : WE THE
60. Locale for tapping, toping and tipping : PUB
62. Mountain ridge : ARETE
67. “___ how!” : AND
68. “Time is money,” e.g. : ADAGE
70. Is without : HASN’T
71. All over : WIDELY
72. Tried : HAD A GO
73. Suspends : HALTS
74. Suspend : END
75. Fox News competitor : MSNBC
76. Biblical land of wealth : OPHIR
77. Reese of “Touched by an Angel” : DELLA
80. Actress Annette : BENING
81. “No argument here” : I AGREE
82. Deal maker : BROKER
85. Heavy recyclables : SCRAP IRON
86. Prefix with athlete : TRI-
88. Buckeyes’ sch. : OSU
89. Shaggy animal : YAK
91. Cheers on : ROOTS FOR
93. “The Purple People Eater” singer ___ Wooley : SHEB
94. Fiddle with a lute, say : STRUM
97. Scruggs’s bluegrass partner : FLATT
99. Muff : ERR
100. One side in court : DEFENSE
105. Jaws on a table : VISE
108. Bulova competitor : SEIKO
110. Puccini’s Floria ___ : TOSCA
111. Runic letter for “th” : THORN
112. General Rommel : ERWIN
113. Kind of cavity : NASAL
114. “Good buddy” : CBER
115. Somewhat blue : RACY
116. Hymn starter : O GOD
117. Loudness unit : SONE
118. Biol. and others : SCIS
122. Set of answers : KEY
124. Eastern sash : OBI
125. Danish coins : ORE
126. Carrier to Tokyo : ANA
127. Outdo : TOP

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