Day: August 6, 2013

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Aesop animal : ASS
Aesop used the ass in at least four of his fables:

– The Ass and his Masters
– The Ass and the Pig
– The Ass Carrying an Image
– The Ass in the Lion’s Skin

Aesop is remembered today for his famous fables. Aesop lived in Ancient Greece, probably around the sixth century BC. Supposedly he was born a slave, somehow became a free man, but then met with a sorry end. Aesop was sent to the city of Delphi on a diplomatic mission but instead insulted the Delphians. He was tried on a trumped-up charge of stealing from a temple, sentenced to death and was thrown off a cliff.

4. Frisbee, e.g. : DISC
The Frisbee concept started back in 1938 with a couple who had an upturned cake pan that they were tossing between each other on Santa Monica Beach in California. They were offered 25 cents for the pan on the spot, and as pans could be bought for 5 cents, the pair figured there was a living to be earned.

8. Notable watchmakers : SWISS
The third largest group of exported goods from Switzerland is watches (after chemicals and machines/electronics). Over half the watches made in the world are made by Swiss companies such as Omega, Swatch, Rolex and TAG Heuer.

13. Abbr. in two state names : DAK
The Dakota Territory was formed in 1861 and ceased to exist with the admission to the Union of the states of North Dakota and South Dakota. The territory was split into two states largely due to lobbying by the Republican Party, which enjoyed a lot of support in the Dakota Territory. The admission of two states added to the political power of the party in the US Senate, by adding four safe Republican seats.

14. Mattress giant : SERTA
Serta was founded in 1931 when a group of 13 mattress manufacturers came together, essentially forming a cooperative. Today, the company is owned by eight independent licensees in a similar arrangement.

15. Ship of 1492 : PINTA
As we all know, Christopher Columbus used three ships in his first voyage across the Atlantic: the Santa Maria, the Niña and the Pinta. The Pinta was the fastest of the three, and it was from the Pinta that the New World was first spotted, by a sailor called Rodrigo de Triana who was a lookout on the fateful day. Pinta was a nickname for the ship that translated as “the painted one”. The Pinta’s real name has been lost in mists of time.

27. “Great blue” wader : HERON
The Great Blue Heron is native to North and Central America, but very occasionally is spotted over in Europe. There is even a Great Blue Heron that isn’t blue at all, but is white. The white Great Blue Heron is found in the Caribbean and southern Florida.

32. Italian exile island : ELBA
I had a lovely two-week vacation in Tuscany once, including what was supposed to be a two-night stay on the island of Elba. I had envisioned Elba as a place full of history, and maybe it is, but it is also overrun with tourists who use it as a beach getaway. We left after one day and we won’t be going back again …

37. Scene of gladiatorial combat : ARENA
The term “gladiator” means “swordsman”, coming from “gladius”, the Latin word for “sword”.

39. Make off with some vehicles? : COP CARS
The noun “cop” meaning police officer is short for “copper”, someone who “cops”, someone who seizes or takes.

41. Sports V.I.P. : MVP
Most Valuable Player (MVP)

42. Luau greeting : ALOHA
The Hawaiian word “Aloha” has many meanings in English: affection, love, peace, compassion and mercy. More recently “aloha” has come to mean “hello” and “goodbye”, but only since the mid-1800s.

44. Lot in life : FATE
Nowadays the word “luau” denotes almost any kind of party on the Hawaiian Islands, but to the purist a luau is a feast that always includes a serving of “poi”, the bulbous underground stems of taro baked with coconut milk.

46. Washington city in apple-growing country : YAKIMA
The city and county of Yakima lie southeast of Mount Rainier in the state of Washington. The Yakima Valley is recognized as one of the best apple-producing regions in the world, and it also produces three quarters of all the hops grown in the US.

55. Attraction for a butterfly : IRIS
Iris is a genus of flowering plants that come in a wide variety of flower colors. The term “iris” is a Greek word meaning “rainbow”.

58. Big guns in D.C. lobbying? : NRA
The National Rifle Association (NRA) used the slogan “I’ll give you my gun when you pry it from my cold, dead hands”. These words became quite famous when they were used at an NRA convention in 2000 by Charlton Heston, who was then president of the NRA. Heston ended a speech he made with the words “From my cold, dead hands!” while holding up into the air a replica of a Sharps rifle.

64. Actress Lupino : IDA
Actress Ida Lupino was also a successful director, in the days when women weren’t very welcome behind the camera. Lupino had already directed four “women’s” short films when she stepped in to direct the 1953 drama “The Hitch-Hiker”, taking over when the original director became ill. “The Hitch-Hiker” was the first film noir movie to be directed by a woman, and represented somewhat of a breakthrough for women in the industry.

66. First lady between Bess and Jackie : MAMIE
Mamie Eisenhower has to have been one of the most charming of all the First Ladies of the United States. Ms. Eisenhower suffered from an inner ear complaint called Ménière’s disease which caused her to lose her balance quite often. Because she was unsteady on her feet there were unfounded rumors floating around Washington that Ms. Eisenhower had a drinking problem. People can be very unkind …

Harry and Bess Truman met when they were very young children, at Sunday school. They were friends right through high school and became engaged in 1918 just before Harry went off to France during WWI, marrying the next year. Bess Truman never really took to the Washington scene when she became First Lady and stayed out of the limelight as much as she could. Perhaps that contributed to her longevity. Mrs. Truman lived to the age of 97, making her the longest living First Lady in US history.

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.

68. O. Henry work : STORY
O. Henry was the pen name of writer William Sydney Porter from Greensboro, North Carolina. O. Henry is famous for his witty short stories that have a clever twist in the tail.

69. Cauldron or sword in “Macbeth,” say : PROP
There is a superstition in the theatrical world that uttering the name “Macbeth” in a theater will bring disaster of some sort. To avoid this, the euphemism “the Scottish Play” is used instead.

70. Test for an M.A. applicant : GRE
Passing the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is usually a requirement for entry into graduate school here in the US.

Down
4. Fed. overseer of the Controlled Substances Act : DEA
The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) was signed into law in 1970, an initiative of President Richard Nixon. The CSA combined existing federal drug laws, expanded the scope of federal drug law and also expanded the power of federal law enforcement agencies.

6. Container for a draft of ale : STEIN
A stein is a type of beer glass. The term is German in origin, and is short for “Steinkrug” meaning “stone jug”. “Stein” is the German for “stone”.

9. British royal name since 1917 : WINDSOR
The House of Windsor is the UK royal house, and hence the family name of Queen Elizabeth II. The name “Windsor” was introduced by King George V in 1917 during WWI as the prior name of Saxe-Coburg and didn’t sit well with many British subjects as the war against Germany was raging.

10. Llama herder of old : INCA
The Inca Empire was known as the Tawantinsuyu, which translates as “land of the four quarters”. The Inca Empire was a federal organization having a central government that sat above four “suyu” or “quarters”, four administrative regions.

20. Big retailer of home accessories : IKEA
Did you know that IKEA was founded by Ingvar Kamprad in 1943 when he was just 17-years-old??!! IKEA is an acronym that stands for Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd (don’t forget now!). Elmtaryd was the name of the farm where Ingvar Kamprad grew up, and Agunnaryd is his home parish in Sweden.

24. Dog in Oz : TOTO
Toto is Dorothy’s dog in the film “The Wizard of Oz”. Toto was played by a dog called Terry, but Terry’s name was soon changed to Toto in real life, due to the success of the film.

25. Book publisher Alfred A. ___ : KNOPF
The publishing house Alfred A. Knopf was founded in 1915 and is based in New York City. Knopf places a distinctive emblem on the title page of the books that it publishes. That emblem is a borzoi dog shown in silhouette.

26. Pitching stats : ERAS
The pitching stat earned run average (ERA) measures how many runs a pitcher tends to give up per nine innings.

30. A deadly sin : ENVY
The cardinal sins of Christian ethics are also known as the seven deadly sins. The seven deadly sins are:

– wrath
– greed
– sloth
– pride
– lust
– envy
– gluttony

32. Shopping venue with the options “Books” and “Toys & Hobbies” : EBAY
eBay was founded in 1995 as AuctionWeb as part of a computer programmer’s personal website. One of the first items purchased was a broken laser pointer, for $14.83. The buyer collected broken laser pointers …

33. She gets whatever she wants in “Damn Yankees” : LOLA
“Whatever Lola Wants” is a song from the musical “Damn Yankees”. “Damn Yankees” is actually yet another version of the classic German legend of “Faust”, set in Washington, D.C. in the fifties. The show was written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, a production that turned out to be a very successful follow-up to their prior hit, “The Pajama Game”. The future was looking really rosy for Adler and Ross but, sadly, Jerry Ross died of an obstructive lung disease only a few weeks after “Damn Yankees” opened on Broadway in 1955. He was just 29 years old.

35. Color TV pioneer : RCA
During WWI, the US government actively discouraged the loss of certain technologies to other countries, including allies. The developing wireless technologies were considered to be particularly important by the army and navy. The government prevented the General Electric Company from selling equipment to the British Marconi Company, and instead facilitated the purchase by GE of the American Marconi subsidiary. This purchase led to GE forming the Radio Corporation of America that we know today as RCA.

39. Woman’s sleeveless undergarment, informally : CAMI
A camisole (also “cami”) is a sleeveless undergarment worn by women that extends down to the waist. “Camisole” is a French word that we imported into English, which ultimately derives from the Latin “camisia” meaning “shirt, nightgown”.

40. Actress Russo : RENE
The lovely and very talented actress Rene Russo is a native of Burbank, California. Russo went to highschool (with actor/director Ron Howard), but dropped out in tenth grade. At seventeen, she was given the opportunity to train as a model and within a very short time appeared on the cover of “Vogue”. As her modelling jobs slowed down in her early thirties, Russo made a career change and studied theater and acting. I am so glad she did, as Rene Russo is one of my favorite actresses …

45. Cold war capital : BONN
After WWII, Bonn was chosen as the capital of West Germany, a choice promoted by Chancellor Konrad Adenauer who was from the area. After German reunification, the capital was moved to Berlin.

47. One of two of Henry VIII’s six : ANNE
Famously, King Henry VIII had six queens consort. There is a rhyme that is commonly used to help remember the fates of each of his wives, which goes:

King Henry the Eighth, to six wives he was wedded. One died, one survived, two divorced, two beheaded.

The use of the term “divorce” isn’t quite accurate though, as in fact Henry had two of his marriages annulled. His wives (and their fates) were:

– Catherine of Aragon (Annulled),
– Anne Boleyn (Beheaded),
– Jane Seymour (Died)
– Anne of Cleves (Annulled),
– Catherine Howard (Beheaded),
– Catherine Parr (Survived).

52. “Horrible” Viking, in the comics : HAGAR
“Hagar the Horrible” is a comic strip that was created by the late Dik Browne and is now drawn by his son, Chris Browne. “Hagar the Terrible” (not “Horrible”) was the nickname given to Dik by his sons.

53. Downy duck : EIDER
Eiders are large sea ducks. Their down feathers are used to fill pillows and quilts, giving the name to the quilt called an “eiderdown”.

62. Payer of many dr. bills : HMO
Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Aesop animal : ASS
4. Frisbee, e.g. : DISC
8. Notable watchmakers : SWISS
13. Abbr. in two state names : DAK
14. Mattress giant : SERTA
15. Ship of 1492 : PINTA
16. It makes gray go away : DYE
17. Make off with some raffle tickets? : TAKE CHANCES
19. Loosen, as a knot : UNTIE
21. “Give ___ whirl” : IT A
22. Lake creators : DAMS
23. Make off with some kitchenware? : POCKET KNIVES
27. “Great blue” wader : HERON
28. Washes away : ERODES
32. Italian exile island : ELBA
34. Shredded : TORE
37. Scene of gladiatorial combat : ARENA
38. “That stinks!” : BOO!
39. Make off with some vehicles? : COP CARS
41. Sports V.I.P. : MVP
42. Luau greeting : ALOHA
44. Lot in life : FATE
45. Word repeated in “___ will be ___” : BOYS
46. Washington city in apple-growing country : YAKIMA
48. Confederacy foe : UNION
50. Make off with some cash? : PINCH PENNIES
55. Attraction for a butterfly : IRIS
58. Big guns in D.C. lobbying? : NRA
59. Open, as a jacket : UNZIP
60. Make off with some gym equipment? : LIFT WEIGHTS
64. Actress Lupino : IDA
65. Also-ran : LOSER
66. First lady between Bess and Jackie : MAMIE
67. Circus safety precaution : NET
68. O. Henry work : STORY
69. Cauldron or sword in “Macbeth,” say : PROP
70. Test for an M.A. applicant : GRE

Down
1. Make sense : ADD UP
2. Decline : SAY NO
3. Pad of drawing paper : SKETCHBOOK
4. Fed. overseer of the Controlled Substances Act : DEA
5. Vex : IRK
6. Container for a draft of ale : STEIN
7. Desert bloomers : CACTI
8. Fitness facility : SPA
9. British royal name since 1917 : WINDSOR
10. Llama herder of old : INCA
11. Winder on a watch : STEM
12. Wise off to : SASS
14. Rodeo wrestling target : STEER
18. Possess : HAVE
20. Big retailer of home accessories : IKEA
24. Dog in Oz : TOTO
25. Book publisher Alfred A. ___ : KNOPF
26. Pitching stats : ERAS
29. Doing the job of an attack ad : DEMONIZING
30. A deadly sin : ENVY
31. Gullible ones : SAPS
32. Shopping venue with the options “Books” and “Toys & Hobbies” : EBAY
33. She gets whatever she wants in “Damn Yankees” : LOLA
35. Color TV pioneer : RCA
36. Devour eagerly : EAT UP
39. Woman’s sleeveless undergarment, informally : CAMI
40. Actress Russo : RENE
43. Type who wears tight-fitting jeans and thick-rimmed glasses, maybe : HIPSTER
45. Cold war capital : BONN
47. One of two of Henry VIII’s six : ANNE
49. Not idle : IN USE
51. Form tight curls in : CRIMP
52. “Horrible” Viking, in the comics : HAGAR
53. Downy duck : EIDER
54. Sudden outpouring : SPATE
55. Woes : ILLS
56. Mob gone wild : RIOT
57. “Assuming that’s true …” : IF SO
61. Ironically humorous : WRY
62. Payer of many dr. bills : HMO
63. Helpful hint : TIP

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