Day: June 30, 2015

NOTE: Readers of the Vancouver Sun (and maybe others) saw this puzzle today, for some reason!

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
4. Kilt wearer : SCOT
The lovely Scottish garment called a kilt is pleated, but only at the rear.

13. Penny prez : ABE
The US one-cent coin has borne the profile of President Abraham Lincoln since 1909, the centennial of Lincoln’s birth. Fifty years later, a representation of the Lincoln Memorial was added to the reverse side.

15. Singer Josh whose self-titled 2001 debut album went 4x platinum : GROBAN
Josh Groban is a singer-songwriter from Los Angeles who was the number-one best selling artist in the US in 2007. Groban dated actress January Jones (Betty Draper on “Mad Men”) from 2003 to 2006, and has been dating Kat Dennings (Max Black on “2 Broke Girls”) since 2014.

16. Milky Way, for one : BAR
Having lived on both sides of the Atlantic, I find the Mars Bar to be the most perplexing of candies! The original Mars Bar is a British confection (and delicious) first manufactured in 1932. The US version of the original Mars Bar is called a Milky Way. But there is candy bar called a Milky Way that is also produced in the UK, and it is completely different to its US cousin, being more like an American “3 Musketeers”. And then there is an American confection called a Mars Bar, something different again. No wonder I gave up eating candy bars …

17. Comedian cultivates flowers? : (Chris) ROCK GARDENS
Chris Rock is a great stand-up comedian. Interestingly, Rock cites his paternal grandfather as an influence on his performing style. Grandfather Allen Rock was a preacher.

19. Schlub : LOSER
A “schlub” is a clumsy, stupid person. The term comes into English via Yiddish, possibly from the Polish “żłób“ meaning “blockhead”.

23. Poet inks a contract? : (Ezra) POUND SIGNS
Ezra Pound was an American poet who spent much of his life wandering the world, spending years in London, Paris, and Italy. In Italy, Pound’s work and sympathies for Mussolini’s regime led to his arrest at the end of the war. His major work was the epic, albeit incomplete, “The Cantos”. This epic poem is divided into 120 sections, each known as a canto.

26. Nosh : BITE
Our word “nosh” has been around since the late fifties, when it was imported from the Yiddish word “nashn” meaning “to nibble”.

28. GQ or S.I. : MAG
The Men’s magazine known today as “GQ” used to be titled “Gentlemen’s Quarterly”, and before that was called “Apparel Arts” when it was launched in 1931.

“Sports Illustrated” is read by 23 million people every week, including a whopping 19% of adult males in the US. And that’s every week, not just the swimsuit issue …

29. Conundrum : POSER
“Conundrum” is a relatively new word, even though it sounds like Latin. It was coined in the late 16th century in Oxford University, England as slang, pseudo-Latin word meaning “pedant”. Somehow, this meaning evolved into “riddle, puzzle” in the late 18th century.

31. Looney Tunes devil, for short : TAZ
The “Looney Tunes” character known as the Tasmanian Devil, or “Taz”, first appeared on screens in 1964 but gained real popularity in the 1990s.

The carnivorous marsupial known as the Tasmanian devil is aptly named, in the sense that the only place the animal is found in the wild is on the island of Tasmania. The “little devils” are about the size of a small dog, and they have the strongest bite for their size of any known mammal.

32. Assassin John ___ Booth : WILKES
By the time John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln, he was a very well-known and respected stage actor. Both was so successful that he was earning over $500,000 a year in today’s money.

33. Opera singer scrawls graffiti? : (Leontyne) PRICE TAGS
“Graffiti” is the plural of “graffito”, the Italian for “a scribbling”. The word was first used to describe ancient inscriptions on the walls in the ruins of Pompeii.

Leontyne Price is a soprano from Laurel, Mississippi. Before retiring from the opera stage, Price was a leading artist at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, one of the first African-American singers to be so honored.

39. Bagel topper : LOX
Lox is a cured salmon fillet, finely sliced. The term “lox” comes into English via Yiddish, and derives from the German word for salmon, namely “Lachs”.

40. Sondheim’s “Sweeney ___” : TODD
“Sweeney Todd” was originally a 1936 film, and later in 1973 a play, then a 1979 musical and a movie adaptation of the musical in 2007. After Sweeney Todd has killed his victims, his partner in crime Mrs. Lovett helped him dispose of the bodies by taking the flesh and baking it into meat pies that she sold in her pie shop. Ugh!

Stephen Sondheim has won more Tony Awards than any other composer, a total of eight. He has a long list of stage (and big screen) successes including “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”, “A Little Night Music”, “Sweeney Todd” and “Into the Woods”. Sondheim is big fan of crosswords and had a whole series of cryptic crosswords published in “New York” magazine in the sixties.

44. Land of Minos : CRETE
Minos was the King of Crete in Greek mythology, and the son of Zeus and Europa. Minos had an elaborate labyrinth built in Crete, designed by the architect Daedalus and his son Icarus (who famously died trying to escape from the island by “flying” away). In the labyrinth, King Minos kept the Minotaur, a dreadful creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man.

46. Prefix with comic : SERIO-
Something described as “seriocomic” has both serious and comical elements, but generally the comic side predominates.

48. Actress stumbles? : (Sally) FIELD TRIPS
Actress Sally Field first came to the public’s attention in the sixties with title roles in the TV shows “Gidget” and “The Flying Nun”. She has two Best Actress Oscars; one for “Norma Rae” (1979) and one for “Places in the Heart” (1984).

51. “___ Wiedersehen” : AUF
“Auf Wiedersehen” is German for “goodbye”, literally translating as “till we see each other again”.

52. Supporter of the arts? : EASEL
The word “easel” comes from an old Dutch word meaning “donkey” would you believe? The idea is that an easel carries its load (an oil painting, say) just as a donkey would be made to carry a load.

53. Philosopher removes his clothes? : (Francis) BACON STRIPS
The English philosopher and statesman Francis Bacon wrote a celebrated and respected collection of essays called “The Essayes”, first published in 1597. My favorite of these essays is “Of Simulation and Dissimulation”, which observes:

Dissimulation, in the negative; when a man lets fall signs and arguments, that he is not, that he is… Simulation, in the affirmative; when a man industriously and expressly feigns and pretends to be, that he is not.

60. “Tout ___” (“All mine”: Fr.) : A MOI
“À moi” (literally “to me”) is the French for “mine”.

61. Cable inits. for film buffs : TMC
The Movie Channel is owned by Showtime, which in turn is subsidiary of CBS. The channel’s name is often abbreviated to “TMC”, although this is informal usage.

62. Weighty books : TOMES
“Tome” first came into English from the Latin “tomus” which means “section of a book”. The original usage in English was for a single volume in a multi-volume work. By the late 16th century “tome” had come to mean “a large book”.

Down
2. Ornamental shell source : ABALONE
The large edible sea snails that we call abalone are called “ormer” in the British Isles. The abalone shell resembles a human ear, giving rise to the alternative names “ear shell” and “sea ear”.

5. “As cold as the Rockies” sloganeer : COORS
Adolph Coors founded the Coors brewing company in 1873, in Golden, Colorado. Coors was originally from the Rhine Province in Prussia, and worked in various brewers around what is today Germany before immigrating to the US in 1868. Despite all of his success as a brewer here in America, Coors ended up taking his own life in 1929, by jumping to his death out of a hotel window.

6. Non-Rx : OTC
Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs don’t need a prescription.

There seems to some uncertainty about the origin of the symbol “Rx” that’s used for a medical prescription. One explanation is that it comes from the astrological sign for Jupiter, a symbol put on prescriptions in days of old to invoke Jupiter’s blessing to help a patient recover.

8. Flight board column: Abbr. : ARRS
Arrival (arr.)

10. Bunker Hill Monument, for one : OBELISK
An obelisk is a rectangular column that tapers to the top and is capped by a pyramid shape.

The Battle of Bunker Hill was a victory for the British early in the Civil War, although the British losses were so large that it emboldened the inexperienced colonial militiamen who were up against regular army troops. The battle was named for nearby Bunker Hill located close to Charlestown, Massachusetts, although almost all of the combat took place on Breed’s Hill.

11. Everglades mammal : MANATEE
Manatees, also known as sea cows, are very large marine mammals that can grow to 12 feet in length. The manatee is believed to have evolved from four-legged land mammals and probably shares a common ancestor with the elephant. The manatee’s upper lip somewhat resembles the trunk of an elephant in that it is prehensile, and can be used to grip it’s food.

12. They cross in a crossword : ANSWERS
Arthur Wynne is generally credited with the invention of what we now known as a crossword puzzle. Wynne was born in Liverpool, England and emigrated to the US when he was 19-years-old. He worked as a journalist and was living in Cedar Grove, New Jersey in 1913 when he introduced a “Word-Cross Puzzle” in his page of puzzles written for the “New York World”. And the rest, as they say, is history …

23. Part of the Iams logo : PAW
Iams dog food was produced by the animal nutritionist Paul Iams. He felt that household pets were suffering somewhat by being fed a diet of table scraps, so he developed a dry dog food that he felt was more nutritious and suitable for pet dogs. He founded the Iams company, now part of Procter & Gamble, in 1946.

24. Apple variety : IMAC
The iMac is a desktop computer platform from Apple introduced in 1998. One of the main features of the iMac is an “all-in-one” design, with the computer console and monitor integrated. The iMac also came in a range of colors, that Apple marketed as “flavors”, such strawberry, blueberry and lime.

25. Graceful antelope : GAZELLE
When running at a sustained speed, gazelles can move along at 30 miles per hour. If needed, they can accelerate for bursts up to 60 miles per hour.

26. Gives support : BOLSTERS
Back in Ireland I often slept in beds that had a “bolster” as well as pillows. The bolster was usually a long, bed-wide, stuffed cushion, harder than a pillow. It served the purpose of raising the pillows, perhaps as an aid for sitting up in bed. Our modern usage of the verb “bolster”, meaning to give a metaphoric shot in the arm, derives from this “bolster” that we used to sit up against.

31. “___ the season …” : ‘TIS
The music for the Christmas song “Deck the Halls” is a traditional Welsh tune that dates back to the 16th century. The same tune was used by Mozart for a violin and piano duet. The lyrics with which we are familiar (other than the “tra-la-la”) are American in origin, and were recorded in 19th century. “‘Tis the season to be jolly …”

32. Medium for Madame Tussaud : WAX
Marie Tussaud was a wax sculptor from France. Some of her early work was very gruesome as she lived through the French Revolution. She would take the decapitated heads of executed citizens and use them to make death masks which were then paraded through the streets. She eventually moved to London, taking with her a vast collection of wax models made by her and her father. She opened a museum to display the works, and the Madame Tussaud’s wax museum is a major attraction in the city to this day.

34. New York city with an amusement park that’s a National Historic Landmark : RYE
The New York city of Rye is the youngest in the state, having received its charter in 1942. Rye is home to the historic amusement park called Playland, which in 1987 was designated a National Historic Landmark. Opened in 1928, today’s Playland is actually owned and operated by Westchester County, making it one of the only government-operated amusement parks in the whole country.

38. Early Sony recorder : BETACAM
Betacam is range of video cassette products that was released by Sony in 1982.

42. Item on many a doctor’s wall : DIPLOMA
Our word “diploma” comes from Greek via Latin, with an original meaning of “state or official document”. The Greek word “diploma” described a license or a chart, and originally meant a “paper doubled over” from “diploos” the word for “double”.

43. Spanish couple : DOS
“Dos” is Spanish for “two”.

49. The Home ___ : DEPOT
The Home Depot is the largest home improvement retail chain in the US, ahead of Lowe’s. Home Depot opened their first two stores in 1979. The average store size if just over 100,000 square feet. The largest Home Depot outlet is in Union, New Jersey, and it is 225,000 square feet in size. That’s a lot of nuts and bolts …

51. Some “giants” in “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” : ANTS
“Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” is a fun movie from 1989 starring Rick Moranis as a goofy professor who accidentally shrinks his children. The movie was written with Chevy Chase in mind for the starring role, but he was busy filming “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”. John Candy was a second choice, but he decided to pass and suggested Rick Moranis instead. I think the final choice was a good one …

55. 1990s Indian P.M. : RAO
P. V. Narasimha Rao was Prime Minister of India from 1991 to 1996. Rao is seen by most as the leader who transformed his country’s economy into the market-driven engine that it is today.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Peanut butter holder : JAR
4. Kilt wearer : SCOT
8. Coffee lure : AROMA
13. Penny prez : ABE
14. Have the ___ for : HOTS
15. Singer Josh whose self-titled 2001 debut album went 4x platinum : GROBAN
16. Milky Way, for one : BAR
17. Comedian cultivates flowers? : (Chris) ROCK GARDENS
19. Schlub : LOSER
21. Toning targets, for short : ABS
22. What a court interprets : LAW
23. Poet inks a contract? : (Ezra) POUND SIGNS
26. Nosh : BITE
27. The opposition : ANTIS
28. GQ or S.I. : MAG
29. Conundrum : POSER
30. Exhibit some grief : WEEP
31. Looney Tunes devil, for short : TAZ
32. Assassin John ___ Booth : WILKES
33. Opera singer scrawls graffiti? : (Leontyne) PRICE TAGS
36. Monasteries : ABBEYS
39. Bagel topper : LOX
40. Sondheim’s “Sweeney ___” : TODD
44. Land of Minos : CRETE
45. ___-pitch softball : SLO
46. Prefix with comic : SERIO-
47. Squealers : RATS
48. Actress stumbles? : (Sally) FIELD TRIPS
50. Egg cells : OVA
51. “___ Wiedersehen” : AUF
52. Supporter of the arts? : EASEL
53. Philosopher removes his clothes? : (Francis) BACON STRIPS
57. “___ don’t!” : NO I
59. Adjusts to one’s environment : ADAPTS
60. “Tout ___” (“All mine”: Fr.) : A MOI
61. Cable inits. for film buffs : TMC
62. Weighty books : TOMES
63. Elects : OPTS
64. Word after “you might” or “you don’t” : SAY

Down
1. Poke : JAB
2. Ornamental shell source : ABALONE
3. Send on a detour, say : REROUTE
4. Tatters : SHREDS
5. “As cold as the Rockies” sloganeer : COORS
6. Non-Rx : OTC
7. Disapproving cluck : TSK!
8. Flight board column: Abbr. : ARRS
9. Fishing shop purchase : ROD
10. Bunker Hill Monument, for one : OBELISK
11. Everglades mammal : MANATEE
12. They cross in a crossword : ANSWERS
15. Yaks : GABS
18. Crew : GANG
20. Tiny excerpts : SNIPPETS
23. Part of the Iams logo : PAW
24. Apple variety : IMAC
25. Graceful antelope : GAZELLE
26. Gives support : BOLSTERS
29. Squealer : PIG
31. “___ the season …” : ‘TIS
32. Medium for Madame Tussaud : WAX
34. New York city with an amusement park that’s a National Historic Landmark : RYE
35. Plane, for one : TOOL
36. Trapeze artist, e.g. : ACROBAT
37. Impressive show of courage : BRAVADO
38. Early Sony recorder : BETACAM
41. Gives new-employee training, e.g. : ORIENTS
42. Item on many a doctor’s wall : DIPLOMA
43. Spanish couple : DOS
45. Search (through) : SIFT
46. Equilibrium : STASIS
48. Commotion : FUSS
49. The Home ___ : DEPOT
51. Some “giants” in “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” : ANTS
54. Unlock, to a bard : OPE
55. 1990s Indian P.M. : RAO
56. Little handful : IMP
58. Like Arctic waters : ICY

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