Day: September 23, 2014

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Drink with a lizard logo SOBE
The brand name SoBe can be found on teas, juices and bottled waters. SoBe is an abbreviation for South Beach, the neighborhood in Miami Beach, Florida.

10. W.W. I’s Battle of the ___ YSER
The Yser originates in northern France and flows through Belgium into the North Sea. The Yser is often associated with WWI as it figured in a major battle early in the conflict. In the first three months of the war, the German Army pushed almost completely through Belgium, inflicting heavy losses on the Belgian Army as the defenders were forced to fight a fast-moving rearguard action. The Germans were intent on pushing right through Belgium and across France in a “race to the sea”. But the Belgians, with the help of their Allies, decided to make a final stand at the Yser Canal in an effort to prevent the Germans reaching the French ports of Calais and Dunkirk. The 22-mile long defensive line was chosen at the Yser because the river and canal system could be flooded to create a barrier that might be defended. The plan was successful and the front was “stabilized”. As we now know, millions of lives were lost over the coming years with very little movement of that battle line.

15. Lagoon surrounder ATOLL
An atoll is a coral island that is shaped in a ring and enclosing a lagoon. There is still some debate as to how an atoll forms, but a theory proposed by Charles Darwin while on his famous voyage aboard HMS Beagle still holds sway. Basically an atoll was once a volcanic island that had subsided and fallen into the sea. The coastline of the island is home to coral growth which persists even as the island continues to subside internal to the circling coral reef.

A lagoon is a shallow body of water, usually separated from the sea by sandbar or reef. The term comes from the Italian “laguna”, the word for a pond or lake. The original “laguna” is the “Laguna Veneta”, the enclosed bay in the Adriatic Sea on which Venice is located. In 1769, Captain Cook was the first to apply the word “lagoon” to the body of water inside a South Seas atoll.

16. Brand of shoes or handbags ALDO
ALDO is a company based in Montreal that sell shoes worldwide. The company was founded in 1972 by Aldo Bensadoun. Aldo’s father had sold shoes in Morocco and France, and his grandfather had been a cobbler in Algeria.

18. One of the Gabor sisters MAGDA
Magda Gabor was the elder sister of Zsa Zsa and Eva Gabor. Like her sisters, Magda was an actress and socialite. Magda married six times in all. Her most famous husband was probably the fifth, the English actor George Sanders, although that only lasted for 32 days. Sanders had been married to Magda’s younger sister Zsa Zsa.

19. Exercise on a mat YOGA
In the West we tend to think of yoga as a physical discipline, a means of exercise that uses specific poses to stretch and strengthen muscles. While it is true that the ancient Indian practice of yoga does involve such physical discipline, the corporeal aspect of the practice plays a relatively small part in the whole philosophy. Other major components are meditation, ethical behavior, breathing and contemplation.

20. Reds and Braves, for short NLERS
The Red Scare (i.e. anti-communist sentiment) following WWII had such an effect on the populace that it even caused the Cincinnati baseball team to change its name from the Reds. The team was called the Cincinnati Redlegs from 1953-1958, as the management was fearful of losing money due to public distrust of any association with “Reds”.

The Atlanta Braves are the only team to have won baseball’s World Series in three different home cities. They won as the Boston Braves in 1914, the Milwaukee Braves in 1957 and the Atlanta Braves in 1995.

22. Rodeo rope RIATA
“Reata” is the Spanish word for “lasso”. We tend to use the spelling “riata” in English, but sometimes can use the original Spanish word.

24. Swiss river AAR
The Aar (also called the “Aare” in German) is the longest river entirely in Switzerland. A famous spot along the Aar is the Reichenbach Falls in the center of the country, actually a series of waterfalls near the city of Meiringen. These falls are renowned in the world of literature as it was here that Sherlock Holmes fell to his supposed doom with his nemesis Professor Moriarty (in “The Adventure of the Final Problem”).

25. Like some home improvement projects, briefly DIY
Back in Ireland we don’t have “hardware stores” as such, but rather DIY Centres (and that’s the spelling). DIY is an acronym standing for “Do It Yourself”.

26. Actor Claude of “B. J. and the Bear” AKINS
Claude Akins was an actor from Nelson, Georgia. Although Akins acted in many Hollywood films, he is best remembered for playing Sheriff Lobo in the seventies TV show “B. J. and the Bear”.

28. Jazz great named after an Egyptian god SUN RA
Sun Ra was the stage name of jazz composer and performer Herman Blount. Sun Ra was a bit “out there”, and claimed that he wasn’t from Earth, but rather was of the Angel Race from the planet Saturn.

33. Home of the University of Nevada RENO
The State University of Nevada was established in 1874, and was located in the city of Elko. Seven years later, the school was renamed to Nevada State University, and in 1885 moved from Elko to Reno. The name “University of Nevada” was given in 1906.

42. Snowman in Disney’s “Frozen” OLAF
“Frozen” is a 2013 animated feature from Walt Disney Studios that is based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale “The Snow Queen”.

48. Like the snow in a shaken snow globe ASWIRL
It is believed that the first snow globes were introduced in France in the early 1800s. They were a development of glass paperweights that were already common, and were initially used to do the same job. Do you know who owns the biggest collection of snow globes in the world, over 8,000 of them? That would be the actor Corbin Bernsen of “LA Law” and “Psych” fame.

51. Makes a harsh sound BLATS
“To blat” is a make a raucous sound or to speak in a raucous way.

54. Mahmoud Abbas’s grp. PLO
Mahmoud Abbas took over as Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization in 2004 after the death of Yasser Arafat. Abbas is also the President of the Palestinian National Authority, equivalent to “head of state”.

55. “Ugh, German sausage is the wurst,” e.g. PUN
“Wurst” is a German word for “sausage”.

62. Poet Nash OGDEN
The poet Ogden Nash is well known for his light and humorous verse. Try this one for size:

The ostrich roams the great Sahara.
Its mouth is wide, its neck is narra.
It has such long and lofty legs,
I’m glad it sits to lay its eggs.

64. Advanced law degs. LLDS
The honorary degree of Legum Doctor (LL.D.) translates from the Latin as Doctor of Laws, a plural. This practice of using the plural originated in Cambridge University in England, as one was awarded an LL.D. after having been taught both Canon Law and Civil Law.

65. Stravinsky ballet AGON
“Agon” is a 1957 ballet by Igor Stravinsky, with choreography by George Balanchine. The ballet has no story as such, but rather is a collection of dance movements.

The composer Igor Stravinsky’s most famous works were completed relatively early in his career, when he was quite young. His three ballets “The Firebird”, “Petrushka” and “The Rite of Spring” were published in 1910-1913, when Stravinsky was in his early thirties.

66. Cheddarlike cheese COLBY
Colby is a cheese that is similar to cheddar, but was developed in 1874 in a cheese factory near the Wisconsin village of Colby, hence the name.

Cheddar cheese takes its name from the English village of Cheddar in Somerset. Over 50% of the cheese sold in the UK is cheddar. Here in the US cheddar is the second most popular cheese sold, behind Mozzarella.

67. Pricey seating option LOGE
In most theaters today, “loge” is the name given to the front rows of a mezzanine level. It can also be the name given to box seating.

Down
3. Barely missing par BOGEYING
The term “Bogey” originated at the Great Yarmouth Golf Club in England in 1890, and was used to indicate a total round that was one-over-par (and not one-over-par on a particular hole, as it is today). The name Bogey came from a music hall song of the time “Here Comes the Bogey Man”. In the following years it became popular for players trying to stay at par to be “playing against Colonel Bogey”. Then, during WWI, the marching tune “Colonel Bogey” was written and named after the golfing term. If you don’t recognize the name of the tune, it’s the one that’s whistled by the soldiers marching in the great movie “The Bridge on the River Kwai”.

5. Group of whales GAM
Nope, not a “pod”, but rather a “gam” of whales.

6. Maker of Asteroids and Missile Command ATARI
I remember being really addicted to the Atari video arcade game called “Asteroids” back in the early eighties. Apparently I wasn’t the only one, as “Asteroids” turned out to be Atari’s best selling game of all time.

“Missile Command” is a fun arcade game that was introduced by Atari in 1980. Playing the game involves protecting six cities that are being attacked by ballistic missiles. The original game’s design featured six cities in California, namely Eureka, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and San Diego.

8. Actors Alan and Robert ALDAS
Actor Robert Alda was the father of Alan Alda. Robert Alda’s most famous role was probably George Gershwin in the 1945 movie “Rhapsody in Blue”. Robert appeared twice in “M*A*S*H”, alongside his son.

Alan Alda had a great television career, especially of course on “M*A*S*H”. Alda won his first Emmy in 1972, for playing Hawkeye Pierce on “M*A*S*H”. He won his most recent Emmy in 2006 for his portrayal of Presidential candidate Arnold Vinick in “The West Wing”. When it comes to the big screen, my favorite of Alda’s movies is the 1978 romantic comedy “Same Time, Next Year” in which he starred opposite Ellen Burstyn.

11. Everett ___, player of Mr. Bernstein in “Citizen Kane” SLOANE
Everett Sloane was an actor from New York City. On the big screen, Sloane is remembered for playing Bernstein in “Citizen Kane”. He also voiced the title character in 130 episodes of “The Dick Tracy Show” cartoon show in the 1960s. Sadly, Sloane committed suicide in 1965, fearing that he was going blind.

12. Mystery prizes EDGARS
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards (the Edgars) are presented annually by the Mystery Writers of America.

21. Spade of “The Maltese Falcon” SAM
The classic detective novel “The Maltese Falcon” was written by Dashiell Hammett and first published in 1930. The main character is the private detective Sam Spade, famously played by Humphrey Bogart in the third movie adaptation of the book, released in 1941.

27. Lawrence who co-wrote two of the “Star Wars” films KASDAN
Lawrence Kasdan is a film producer, director and screenwriter. Kasdan wrote the script of the movie “The Bodyguard” and worked on the screenplays for “Return of the Jedi” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. He also directed and wrote the screenplay for “The Big Chill”.

31. Stimulates, informally GOOSES
“To goose” is to prod into action, albeit a little rudely. A “goose” is a prod or a pinch in the rear end.

32. Billy HE-GOAT
Males goats are called “bucks” or “billies”, although castrated males are known as “wethers”. Female goats are called “does” or “nannies”, and young goats are referred to as “kids”.

35. Red Roof ___ INN
The Red Roof Inn chain of hotels was founded in Columbus, Ohio in 1972, with the intent of providing affordable accommodation. The chain’s original slogan was “Sleep Cheap”.

37. Old British sports cars MGS
My neighbor used to keep his MG Midget roadster in my garage (away from his kids!) back in Ireland many moons ago. The Midget was produced by MG division of the British Motor Corporation from 1961 to 1979, with the MG acronym standing for “Morris Garages”.

43. Roone who created “Nightline” and “20/20” ARLEDGE
Roone Arledge was an executive at ABC. Arledge made a name for himself in sports broadcasting and then took over ABC News in 1977, a position he held until his death in 2002.

45. Brown-toned photos SEPIAS
Sepia is that lovely rich, brown-grey color so common in old photographs. “Sepia” is the Latinized version of the Greek word for cuttlefish, as sepia pigment is derived from the ink sac of the cuttlefish.The “sepia tone” of old photographs is not the result of deterioration over time. Rather, it is the result of a deliberate preservation process which converts the metallic silver in the photographic image to a more stable silver sulfide. Prints that have been sepia-toned can last in excess of 150 years.

53. Itsy-bitsy creature AMEBA
An ameba (or “amoeba” as we spell it back in Ireland) is a single-celled microorganism. The name comes from the Greek “amoibe”, meaning change. The name is quite apt, as the cell changes shape readily as the ameba moves, eats and reproduces.

57. Fabulous birds ROCS
The mythical roc is a huge bird of prey, reputedly able to carry off and eat elephants.

61. U.S.N.A. grad: Abbr. ENS
Ensign is (usually) the most junior rank of commissioned officer in the armed forces. The name comes from the tradition that the junior officer would be given the task of carrying the ensign flag.

The United States Naval Academy (USNA) is located in Annapolis, Maryland. The USNA was founded in 1845 and educates officers for both the US Navy and the US Marine Corps. The motto of the USNA is “Ex Scientia Tridens”, which translates as “From Knowledge, Sea Power”.

63. Citi Field team, on scoreboards NYM
The New York Mets baseball team was founded in 1962, a replacement for two teams that the city had lost, namely the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants. For several years the Mets played very poorly, finishing no better than second-to-last in their division. Then of course along came the “Miracle Mets” who beat the Baltimore Orioles in 1969 to claim the World Series in a huge upset.

Citi Field is the relatively new baseball stadium used by the New York Mets, and sits right next door to Shea stadium, where the Mets had played for decades. And the ballpark’s name of course comes from sponsor Citigroup.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Drink with a lizard logo SOBE
5. Big balls GALAS
10. W.W. I’s Battle of the ___ YSER
14. Winter truck attachment PLOW
15. Lagoon surrounder ATOLL
16. Brand of shoes or handbags ALDO
17. Advantage EDGE
18. One of the Gabor sisters MAGDA
19. Exercise on a mat YOGA
20. Reds and Braves, for short NLERS
22. Rodeo rope RIATA
24. Swiss river AAR
25. Like some home improvement projects, briefly DIY
26. Actor Claude of “B. J. and the Bear” AKINS
28. Jazz great named after an Egyptian god SUN RA
30. Riddle ENIGMA
32. “Trust me!” HONEST!
33. Home of the University of Nevada RENO
34. Cooks gently SIMMERS
38. Valuable finds suggested by the circled letters GOLD NUGGETS
41. Rascal SO AND SO
42. Snowman in Disney’s “Frozen” OLAF
45. Scattered STREWN
48. Like the snow in a shaken snow globe ASWIRL
50. Rub out ERASE
51. Makes a harsh sound BLATS
54. Mahmoud Abbas’s grp. PLO
55. “Ugh, German sausage is the wurst,” e.g. PUN
56. Think optimistically DREAM
58. Settles (into) EASES
60. Nothing doing? IDLE
62. Poet Nash OGDEN
64. Advanced law degs. LLDS
65. Stravinsky ballet AGON
66. Cheddarlike cheese COLBY
67. Pricey seating option LOGE
68. Darns, e.g. SEWS
69. What comes out of an angry person’s ears in cartoons STEAM
70. Sprinted SPED

Down
1. Big ___ (person who takes a date to a fast-food restaurant, jocularly) SPENDER
2. Well-established OLD-LINE
3. Barely missing par BOGEYING
4. Pitcher EWER
5. Group of whales GAM
6. Maker of Asteroids and Missile Command ATARI
7. Access a private account LOG IN
8. Actors Alan and Robert ALDAS
9. Blind part SLAT
10. “We did it!” YAY!
11. Everett ___, player of Mr. Bernstein in “Citizen Kane” SLOANE
12. Mystery prizes EDGARS
13. Greet with loud laughter ROAR AT
21. Spade of “The Maltese Falcon” SAM
23. Hit ___ spot A SORE
27. Lawrence who co-wrote two of the “Star Wars” films KASDAN
29. Take out of an overhead bin, say UNSTOW
31. Stimulates, informally GOOSES
32. Billy HE-GOAT
35. Red Roof ___ INN
36. Nasty political accusations MUD
37. Old British sports cars MGS
39. Gave a cattle call? LOWED
40. Twaddle SLIPSLOP
43. Roone who created “Nightline” and “20/20” ARLEDGE
44. Obeyed a dentist’s directive FLOSSED
45. Brown-toned photos SEPIAS
46. Plod TRUDGE
47. Almost had no stock left RAN LOW
49. NNW’s opposite SSE
51. Sired BEGOT
52. Soup server LADLE
53. Itsy-bitsy creature AMEBA
57. Fabulous birds ROCS
59. “___ well” ALL’S
61. U.S.N.A. grad: Abbr. ENS
63. Citi Field team, on scoreboards NYM

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