Day: November 20, 2014

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Century, for one : FONT
Century is a whole family of fonts that are derived from Century Roman, which dates back to 1894. Century is prized for its exceptional legibility, so much so that the US Supreme Court requests that all briefs submitted be printed in Century type.

5. Skip over water, as stones : DAP
“To dap” is to skip or bounce across the surface of the water. Dapping is also the name given to the fishing technique of letting a baited hook fall gently onto the water’s surface.

14. One of the 12 in the Pac-12 : UTAH
Pac-12 is an abbreviation for the Pacific-12 Conference, a college athletic conference in the western US. The Pac-12 has won more NCAA National Team Championships than any other conference. The Pac-12 was founded in 1915 as the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC). Over time as it grew, the conference went by the names Big Five, Big Six, Pacific-8, Pacific-10 and became the Pacific-12 in 2011.

18. Pince-___ : NEZ
Pince-nez are eyeglasses clipped to the bridge of the nose. “Pince-nez” is French, translating as “pinch the nose”.

19. Bold : BRAZEN
Someone described as “brazen” might also be described as “shameless”. The term “brazen” comes from the Middle English “brasen” meaning “made of brass”. The suggestion is that a shameless person has a hardened, brass-like face.

20. What Set committed when he slew Osiris : DEICIDE
“Deicide” is the act of killing a god, from Latin “deus” meaning “god” and “-cida” meaning “killer”.

Osiris was the Egyptian god of the underworld. Osiris was the son of Geb the Earth god, and Nut the sky goddess. His wife Isis was also his sister. Osiris was killed and mutilated by Set, his own brother. Isis reassembled Osiris and revived him, just long enough that they could conceive their son Horus.

22. “M.Y.O.B.” : BUTT OUT
Mind your own business (MYOB)

23. Sea urchin, at a sushi bar : UNI
Sea urchins are globular, spiny creatures found just about everywhere in the ocean. The “roe” of a sea urchin is eaten as a delicacy in several cuisines around the world. In a sushi restaurant, the sea urchin roe is called “uni”. The term “roe” normally means “fish eggs”, but in the case of the sea urchin it refers to the gonads of both the male and female.

24. Woodstock artist who performed while six months pregnant : BAEZ
Joan Baez is an American folk singer and a prominent activist in the fields of nonviolence, civil rights, human rights and environmental protection. Baez has dated some high-profile figures in her life including Bob Dylan, Steve Jobs (of Apple) and Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead.

25. They’re hooked up to breathing tubes : SNORKELERS
Our word “snorkel” comes from German navy slang “Schnorchel” meaning “nose, snout”. The German slang was applied to an airshaft used for submarines, due to its resemblance to a nose, in that air passed through it and it made a “snoring” sound. “Schnorchel” comes from “Schnarchen”, the German for “snore”.

29. Initial offer? : CAIN
According to the Bible, Cain was the first person to “off” (kill) someone, murdering his brother Abel.

35. Littoral eagle : ERNE
The ern (also erne) is also called the white-tailed eagle or sea-eagle.

The adjective “littoral” means “pertaining to the shore”. The littoral zone of a seashore is the region between the limits of high and low tides.

36. Displayed conspicuously : OOZED
One might ooze a characteristic, display it conspicuously.

38. Weapon in Clue : PIPE
Clue is another board game that we knew under a different name growing up in Ireland. Outside of North America, Clue is marketed as “Cluedo”. Cluedo was the original name of the game, introduced in 1949 by the famous British board game manufacturer Waddingtons. There are cute differences between the US and UK versions. For example, the man who is murdered is called Dr. Black (Mr. Boddy in the US), one of the suspects is the Reverend Green (Mr. Green in the US), and the suspect weapons include a dagger (a knife in the US), a lead pipe (lead piping in the US) and a spanner (a wrench in the US). I think it’s a fabulous game, a must during the holidays …

39. Bygone Chevy subcompact : AVEO
The Chevrolet Aveo is a subcompact automobile that has been around since 2002. The Aveo is manufactured by GM Daewoo, the GM subsidiary in South Korea. Although the Aveo name is still used in some markets, here in North America the Aveo has been sold as the Chevrolet Sonic since 2012. By the way, GM Daewoo is the third largest manufacturer of automobiles in South Korea, after Hyundai and Kia.

40. Like Baha’i houses of worship : NINE-SIDED
The Baha’i Faith is relatively new in the scheme of things, and was founded in Persia in the 1800s. One of the tenets of the religion is that messengers have come from God over time, including Abraham, the Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, and most recently Bahá’u’lláh who founded the Baha’i Faith. Baha’i scripture specifies some particular architectural requirement for houses of worship, including that the building have nine-sided, circular shape. It is also specified that there be no pictures, statues or images displayed within a temple.

42. Slit made with a saw : KERF
A “kerf” is a groove made by a saw or an axe. The term comes from the Old English “cyrf” meaning “cutting off” or “cutting instrument”.

43. How zombies act : MINDLESSLY
A zombie is a corpse that has been brought back to life by some mystical means. Our modern use of the term largely stems from the undead creatures featured in the 1968 horror movie called “Night of the Living Dead”. Now that film, I haven’t seen and probably never will …

44. Author Grey : ZANE
Zane Grey certainly did hit on the right niche. He wrote romanticized western novels and stories that really lent themselves to the big screen in the days when westerns were very popular movies. Incredibly, 110 films were made based on his work.

45. “Life doesn’t imitate ___, it imitates bad television”: Woody Allen : ART
According to Oscar Wilde, “Life imitates art far more than art imitates Life.” According to Woody Allen, “Life doesn’t imitate art, it imitates bad television.”

46. Member of the buttercup family : ANEMONE
The name “anemone” means “daughter of the wind” in Greek, and at one time it was believed that the wind was what actually caused the flower to bloom. The sea anemone is named for the terrestrial plant even though it isn’t a plant at all. The sea anemone is a predatory animal found on the ocean floor.

50. “The spur of industry,” per David Hume : AVARICE
Our word “avarice”, meaning a desire for wealth, ultimately derives from the Latin word for crave, “avere”.

David Hume was a philosopher and historian from Scotland.

54. Skink, e.g. : LIZARD
Skinks are lizards with relatively small legs and without a pronounced neck. Most skink species have long tails that they can shed if it is grabbed by a predator. The tail can then be regenerated.

55. New York’s Tappan ___ Bridge : ZEE
The Tappan Zee Bridge is more correctly called the Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge which crosses the Hudson River in New York. The bridge opened in 1955 and is showing its age. There are plans to replace it with a new bridge due to open in 2017.

The Tappan Zee is a 10-mile stretch of the Hudson River in New York, a place where there is a widening of the waterway. The name comes from the Tappan Native American people and the Dutch word “zee” meaning “sea” or “wide expanse of water”.

56. Sea of ___, outlet of the Don River : AZOV
The Sea of Azov lies east of the Crimean Peninsula and is linked to the larger Black Sea via the narrow Strait of Kerch. The Sea of Azov is the shallowest sea in the world, with the depth never going above forty-six feet.

The Don is a major river in Russia that runs over 1200 miles through the country, emptying into the Sea of Azov.

58. 100,000 picojoules : ERG
An erg is a unit of energy or mechanical work. “Erg” comes from the Greek word “ergon” meaning “work”. A dyne is a unit of force. The name “dyne” comes from the Greek “dynamis” meaning “power, force”. Ergs and dynes are related to each other in that one erg is the amount of energy needed to move a force of one dyne over a distance of one centimeter.

James Joule was an English physicist who spent much of his life working in the family brewing business. Joule used his work in the brewery to study the relationship between heat and mechanical work. In honor of his achievements, his name is used for the unit of energy in the International System of Units (i.e. the joule).

In the metric system, the prefix “pico-” denotes “one trillionth”.

60. Some statuary : TORSOS
“Torso” (plural “torsi” or “torsos”) is an Italian word meaning the “trunk of a statue”, a word that we imported into English.

62. Certain panegyrics : ODES
A “panegyric” was originally a formal speech made in public, the intent of which was to praise some person of some entity. Later, the term came to mean a laudatory verse, such as an ode. “Panegyris” is the Greek for “speech fit for a general assembly”.

Down
1. Fictional rabbit hunter : FUDD
Elmer Fudd is one of the most famous of all the Looney Tunes cartoon characters, the hapless nemesis of Bugs Bunny. If you have never seen it, check out Elmer and Bugs in the marvelous “Rabbit of Seville”, a short cartoon that parodies Rossini’s “Barber of Seville”. Wonderful stuff …

2. Historical buffalo hunter : OTOE
The Otoe (also Oto) Native American tribe originated in the Great Lakes region as part of the Winnebago or Siouan tribes. The group that would become the Otoe broke away from the Winnebago and migrated southwestwards ending up in the Great Plains. In the plains the Otoe adopted a semi-nomadic lifestyle dependent on the horse, with the American bison becoming central to their diet.

3. “Judgment at Nuremberg” defendant : NAZI
The term “Nazi” comes from “Nationalsozialismus”, the German for “National Socialism”. The full name of Adolf Hitler’s political party was “Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei” meaning “National Socialist German Workers’ Party”.

“Judgment at Nuremberg” is a drama released in 1961 that deals with the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust. The powerful film has a powerful cast, including Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland and Montgomery Clift.

4. With 29-Down, first story to feature 44-Down (1919) : THE CURSE OF
(29D. See 4-Down : CAPISTRANO)
5. With 37-Down, real name of 44-Down : DON DIEGO
(37D. See 5-Down : DE LA VEGA)
The character Zorro was created by Johnston McCulley in 1919 for a series of stories and pulp fiction, the first title being “The Curse of Capistrano”. The name “Zorro” is the secret identity of a Spanish colonial nobleman called Don Diego de la Vega.

6. Way to turn while tacking : ALEE
“Alee” is the direction away from the wind. If a sailor points into the wind, he or she is pointing “aweather”.

“To tack” is a sailing term, meaning to veer into and through the wind in order change course, resulting in the wind coming over the opposite side of the vessel after the tack is completed.

7. Kind of dispenser : PEZ
PEZ is an Austrian brand name for a particular candy sold in a mechanical dispenser. The name PEZ comes from the first, middle and last letters of “Pfefferminz”, the German word for “peppermint”.

9. Ricardo landlord, in 1950s TV : MERTZ
In the hit television show “I Love Lucy”, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz played Lucy and Ricky Ricardo. The Ricardos’ best friends were also their landlords, Fred and Ethel Mertz. The Mertz couple were played by William Frawley and Vivian Vance.

10. Suffix with theo- : -CRAT
In a theocratic country, God is recognized as the head of state (“theocracy” means “rule of God”). Theocracies are typically run with strong clerical influence, and with divine guidance. Iran’s political system has elements of a modern Islamic theocracy melded with democratic principles.

11. Little pasta : ORZO
Orzo is pasta that has been formed into granular shapes, much like barley. And indeed, “orzo” is the Italian word for “barley”.

12. Place : LIEU
As one might imagine, “in lieu” comes into English from the Old French word “lieu” meaning “place”, which in turn is derived from the Latin “locum”, also meaning “place”. So, “in lieu” means “in place of”.

21. “___ Dinka Doo” (Durante tune) : INKA
“Inka Dinka Doo” was Jimmy Durante’s theme song, a novelty piece composed by Durante in 1934. Such was his association with the song that when Durante’s charity paid for a heated therapy swimming pool in Port Arthur, Texas in 1968, it was named the “Inka Dinka Doo Pool”.

24. Petroleum ether : BENZINE
Petroleum ether is also known as benzine. The alternate names for the chemical are really quite confusing, as petroleum ether is not actually an ether, and “benzine” is not the same as “benzene”. Petroleum ether is actually a mixture of hydrocarbons produced by petroleum refineries.

28. Having a sense of pride? : LEONINE
Something described as “leonine” has the characteristics of a lion, is strong and regal. “Leo” is Latin for “lion”.

41. Antivenins, e.g. : SERA
“Antivenin” is an alternative name for for “antivenom”. The process for producing antivenom starts with the milking of venom from the subject snake or spider. The venom is then diluted before injecting it into an animal such as a horse or sheep, causing the animal to produce antibodies against the venom. The antibodies are harvested from the animal’s blood, creating the antivenom.

43. Little green ones come from Mars : M AND MS
Forrest Mars, Sr. was the founder of the Mars Company. Forrest invented the Mars Bar while living over in England and then developed M&M’s when he returned to the US. Mars came up with the idea for M&M’s when he saw soldiers in the Spanish Civil War eating chocolate pellets. Those pellets had a hard shell of tempered chocolate on the outside to prevent them from melting. Mars got some of the funding to develop the M&M from William Murrie, the son of the president of Hershey’s Chocolate. It is the “M” and “M” from “Mars” and “Murrie” that give the name to the candy.

44. Subject of this puzzle : ZORRO
“Zorro” is Spanish for “fox”.

47. Young muchacho : NINO
In Spanish a boy is a niño or a muchacho. One can call also an adult male a muchacho, “one of the boys”, but not a niño, as that would be an insult.

48. Israel’s Weizman : EZER
Ezer Weizman was the seventh President of Israel. Earlier in his career, Weizman was a combat pilot in the UK’s Royal Air Force and later rose to Commander of the Israeli Air Force. He also served as Israel’s Minister of Defense before becoming President.

51. Lacoste competitor : IZOD
Jack Izod was a tailor of some repute over in England, producing shirts for King George V as well as other members of the Royal Family. As Izod was about to retire, he was approached for the use of his name by an American clothing manufacturer based in New York. The brand Izod of London was introduced to America in 1938.

René Lacoste was a French tennis player who went into the clothing business, and came up with a more comfortable shirt that players could use. This became known as a “tennis shirt”. When it was adopted for use in the sport of polo, the shirts also became known as “polo shirts”. And then the “golf shirt” is basically the same thing.

55. “The Waltons” grandpa : ZEB
Actor Will Geer died in 1978, just after filming the sixth season of “The Waltons” in which he played Grandpa Zeb Walton. Geer was a noted social activist and was blacklisted in the fifties for refusing to appear before the all-powerful House Committee on Un-American Activities.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Century, for one : FONT
5. Skip over water, as stones : DAP
8. “Brr-r-r!” : I’M COLD!
14. One of the 12 in the Pac-12 : UTAH
15. “Huzzah!” : OLE!
16. Descriptor for olde England : MERRIE
17. Show inattention, say : DOZE
18. Pince-___ : NEZ
19. Bold : BRAZEN
20. What Set committed when he slew Osiris : DEICIDE
22. “M.Y.O.B.” : BUTT OUT
23. Sea urchin, at a sushi bar : UNI
24. Woodstock artist who performed while six months pregnant : BAEZ
25. They’re hooked up to breathing tubes : SNORKELERS
29. Initial offer? : CAIN
33. British paper vendor : NEWSAGENT
34. Ultimate : ACME
35. Littoral eagle : ERNE
36. Displayed conspicuously : OOZED
38. Weapon in Clue : PIPE
39. Bygone Chevy subcompact : AVEO
40. Like Baha’i houses of worship : NINE-SIDED
42. Slit made with a saw : KERF
43. How zombies act : MINDLESSLY
44. Author Grey : ZANE
45. “Life doesn’t imitate ___, it imitates bad television”: Woody Allen : ART
46. Member of the buttercup family : ANEMONE
50. “The spur of industry,” per David Hume : AVARICE
54. Skink, e.g. : LIZARD
55. New York’s Tappan ___ Bridge : ZEE
56. Sea of ___, outlet of the Don River : AZOV
57. Difficult kind of push-up : ONE-ARM
58. 100,000 picojoules : ERG
59. Colloquial denial : NOPE
60. Some statuary : TORSOS
61. Diva’s accessory : BOA
62. Certain panegyrics : ODES

Down
1. Fictional rabbit hunter : FUDD
2. Historical buffalo hunter : OTOE
3. “Judgment at Nuremberg” defendant : NAZI
4. With 29-Down, first story to feature 44-Down (1919) : THE CURSE OF
5. With 37-Down, real name of 44-Down : DON DIEGO
6. Way to turn while tacking : ALEE
7. Kind of dispenser : PEZ
8. Steeps : IMBUES
9. Ricardo landlord, in 1950s TV : MERTZ
10. Suffix with theo- : -CRAT
11. Little pasta : ORZO
12. Place : LIEU
13. It might be hammered out : DENT
21. “___ Dinka Doo” (Durante tune) : INKA
22. Lift others’ spirits? : BARTEND
24. Petroleum ether : BENZINE
25. One not to be trusted : SNEAK
26. Pluck : NERVE
27. Manual reader, maybe : OWNER
28. Having a sense of pride? : LEONINE
29. See 4-Down : CAPISTRANO
30. Etching supplies : ACIDS
31. Get going : IMPEL
32. Clinging, say : NEEDY
37. See 5-Down : DE LA VEGA
41. Antivenins, e.g. : SERA
43. Little green ones come from Mars : M AND MS
44. Subject of this puzzle : ZORRO
46. Often : A LOT
47. Young muchacho : NINO
48. Israel’s Weizman : EZER
49. Goat sounds : MAAS
50. Designed to minimize drag : AERO
51. Lacoste competitor : IZOD
52. Hack it : COPE
53. Brinks : EVES
55. “The Waltons” grandpa : ZEB

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