Day: June 14, 2016

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
6. Duchess of Cambridge, to friends : KATE
Kate Middleton is the wife of Prince William of the UK. Middleton is what one might call a commoner, although since her marriage she is known as the Duchess of Cambridge. She was born to parents who had worked together as flight attendants before becoming quite wealthy running their own mail-order business. As is so often the case in Britain, Kate’s ancestry can be traced back far enough to show that she and William do have common ancestors, dating back to the 1500s on her mother’s side and to the 1400s on her father’s side.

10. Like a cashmere sweater : SOFT
Cashmere wool comes from not only the Cashmere goat, but also from other types of goat. Technically, cashmere isn’t really a wool, but rather a hair. Unlike hair, wool is elastic and grows in clusters.

15. The People’s King of Norway : OLAV
Olav V was King of Norway from 1903 until 1991. Tremendously popular and down-to-earth, Olav V was known as “the People’s King” (“Folkekongen” in Norwegian). He was also a grandchild of Edward VII, the British king.

16. Athletic footwear brand since 1979 : AVIA
The Avia brand name for athletic shoes was chosen as “avia” is the Latin word for “to fly”, and suggests the concept of aviation. Avia was founded in Oregon in 1979.

17. Dangerous virus strain named for its original outbreak location : EBOLA ZAIRE
The Ebola virus causes a very nasty form of hemorrhagic fever. The name of the virus comes from the site of the first known outbreak, in a mission hospital in the Ebola River Valley in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Ebola was originally known as Zaire ebolavirus, a reference to the former name of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The disease is transmitted from human to human by exposure to bodily fluids. In nature, the main carrier of Ebola is the fruit bat.

19. Galoot : LUNK
“Galoot” is an insulting term meaning an awkward or boorish man, an ape. “Galoot” comes from the nautical world, where it was originally what a sailor might call a soldier or marine.

20. Token opening : SLOT
I think the idea that a token coin might go into a slot in a machine.

21. Barcelonan bravo : OLE!
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain, after the capital Madrid. Barcelona is the largest European city that sits on the Mediterranean coast. It is also the capital city of the autonomous community of Catalonia.

22. N.J. city at the west end of the George Washington Bridge : FT LEE
Fort Lee, New Jersey is located at the western side of the George Washington Bridge that spans the Hudson River. Fort Lee is known as the birthplace of the motion picture industry. The world’s first movie studio was built there by Thomas Edison, a facility known as the Black Maria.

23. Mexican revolutionary : EMILIANO ZAPATA
Emiliano Zapata was a leader in the Mexican Revolution that took place from 1910 to 1920. Zapata was the leader of the Liberation Army of the South, a force more commonly referred to as the Zapatistas.

27. Comfy shoe : MOC
“Moc” is short for “moccasin” shoe.

33. Fey or Turner : TINA
Tina Fey’s 2011 humorous autobiography “Bossypants” topped the New York Times Best Seller list for five weeks.

“I, Tina” is the 1986 autobiography of Tina Turner. The book was so successful it was adapted into a movie called “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” The film version was released in 1993 and starring Angela Bassett as Tina Turner.

34. Santa ___, Calif. : ANA
Santa Ana is the county seat of Orange County, California and takes its name from the Santa Ana River that runs through the city.

35. “Legends of the Fall” director, informally : ED ZWICK
Ed Zwick is an Oscar-winning film director from Chicago. The best known of the films that he has directed are probably “Legends of the Fall” (1994), “The Siege” (1998) and “The Last Samurai” (2003).

40. Indian flatbreads : NANS
Naan (also “nan”) bread is very popular in Indian restaurants, as well as in other West, Central and South Asian cuisines. Indian Naan is traditionally baked in a clay oven known as a tandoor.

42. Jeff Bezos, for Amazon : CEO
Jeff Bezos is the founder and CEO of Amazon.com, a company that he set up in his garage in 1994. Bezos used some of the fortune that he made with Amazon to purchase “The Washington Post” in 2013.

43. Young partner? : ERNST
Ernst & Young is one of the Big Four accountancy firms, alongside Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Ernst & Young is headquartered in London.

45. Caesar salad ingredient : CROUTON
The Caesar Salad was created by restaurateur Caesar Cardini at the Hotel Caesar’s in Tijuana, Mexico. The original recipe called for whole lettuce leaves that were to be lifted up by the stem and eaten with the fingers.

53. Grasslike perennial : SEDGE
Sedges are a family of plants that resemble grasses and rushes. Sedges are more properly called Cyperaceae.

54. Nanki-___ of “The Mikado” : POO
“The Mikado” is a wonderful comic opera by Gilbert and Sullivan, set in the exotic location of Japan. “Mikado” is a former term for the “Emperor of Japan”. In the story, Nanki-Poo is the Mikado’s son, who falls in love with Yum-Yum.

61. You are, in Yucatán : ERES
The Yucatán Peninsula is located in southeastern Mexico, where it separates the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest from the Caribbean Sea to the southeast.

62. Old home of the Mets and the Jets : SHEA
Shea Stadium in Flushing Meadows, New York was named after William A. Shea, the man credited with bringing National League baseball back to the city in the form of the New York Mets. Shea Stadium was dismantled in 2008-2009, and the site now provides additional parking for the new stadium nearby called Citi Field.

63. Liquid-Plumr competitor : DRANO
To clean out drains we might buy Crystal Drano which is sodium hydroxide (lye) mixed with sodium nitrate, sodium chloride (table salt) and aluminum. The contents of Drano work in concert to clear the clog. The lye reacts with any fats creating soap which may be enough to break up the clog. Also, the finely-divided aluminum reacts with water creating tremendous heat so that that mixture boils and churns, then any hair or fibers are cut by the sharp edges of the nitrate and chloride crystals. Having said all that, I find that boiling water poured down the drain almost always does the job …

65. Super Bowl XLIX champs, to their fans : PATS
The New England Patriots football team was founded in 1959 as the Boston Patriots. The “Patriots” name was selected from suggestions made by football fans in Boston. The team played at several different stadiums in the Boston area for just over ten years, before moving to their current home base in Foxborough, Massachusetts. At the time of the move, the “Boston” name was dropped and changed to “New England”.

The Super Bowl is used for high-profile advertising because of the high viewership numbers. For example, the 2014 season’s Super Bowl XLIX had a viewing audience of 114.4 million viewers, making it the most-watched American TV program in history.

66. Krupp ironworks city : ESSEN
The Krupp manufacturing interest originated with Friedrich Krupp who inherited an iron forge that the family owned in the German city of Essen. Friedrich made some not-so-clever investments designed to get the family into the cast steel business. Friedrich died quite young, and his son, Alfred, had to take over the struggling steelworks at only 14 years of age. When he took the helm, the company had five workers. At the time of his death there were about 20,000 employees, and Krupp’s was the world’s largest industrial company.

Down
2. Periodic ___ : TABLE
Dmitri Mendeleev was a Russian chemist. When Mendeleev classified elements according to their chemical properties, he noticed patterns and was able to group elements into his famous 1869 Periodic Table. So powerful was his table that he actually predicted the properties of some elements that had not even been discovered in 1869. Element number 101 is mendelevium and was named after Mendeleev.

3. Boutonniere part : BLOOM
A boutonnière is a flower worn by men in the lapel of a jacket, in the buttonhole. In fact, sometimes a boutonnière is referred to as a “buttonhole”, which is the translation from French.

5. Org. with a 3-1-1 rule for carry-on liquids : TSA
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was created in 2001, soon after the 9/11 attacks. TSA personnel carry out the baggage and body searches at US airports. The TSA has a Trusted Traveler program that allows certain passengers to move more quickly through security screening. These passengers pay the TSA a one-time fee that covers a background check after which successful applicants are issued a Known Traveler Number (KTN).

6. Eucalyptus-eating marsupial : KOALA
The koala bear really does look like a little bear, but it’s not even closely related. The koala is an arboreal marsupial and a herbivore, native to the east and south coasts of Australia. Koalas aren’t primates, and are one of the few mammals other than primates who have fingerprints. In fact, it can be very difficult to tell human fingerprints from koala fingerprints, even under an electron microscope. Male koalas are called “bucks”, females are “does”, and young koalas are “joeys”. I’m a little jealous of the koala, as it sleeps up to 20 hours a day …

7. Many a “Guardians of the Galaxy” character : ALIEN
“Guardians of the Galaxy” is a 2014 film based on a team of superheroes from the Marvel Comics universe. The movie’s cast is very impressive, including Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Glenn Close and Benicio del Toro. I don’t normally “do” superhero films, but I hear that this one is very entertaining.

8. Sticky cigarette stuff : TAR
The partially combusted particulate matter that is produced as a cigarette burns forms a resinous material called “tar”. Cigarette tar is different than the tar used on roads, but is very toxic. Marijuana smoke produces a very similar tar to cigarette smoke, and is just as dangerous.

9. Garden of Eden dweller : EVE
According to the Bible, Eve was created as Adam’s companion by God, creating her from Adam’s rib.

18. Geological period suffix : -ZOIC
The suffix “-zoic” is used in the names of geological eras. The term comes from teh Greek “zoikos” meaning “life”.

24. Mineral vein : LODE
A lode is a metal ore deposit that’s found between two layers of rock or in a fissure. The “mother lode” is the principal deposit in a mine, usually of gold or silver. “Mother lode” is probably a translation of “veta madre”, an expression used in mining in Mexico.

31. Makes out : CANOODLES
“To canoodle” is to indulge in caresses and kisses.

32. ___ Jima : IWO
Iwo Jima is a volcanic island located south of Tokyo that today is uninhabited. The name is Japanese for “Sulfur Island”, referring to the sulfur mining on which Iwo Jima’s economy once depended. There were about a thousand Japanese civilians living on the island prior to WWII. In 1944, there was a massive influx of Japanese military personnel in anticipation of the inevitable US invasion. As the Japanese military moved in, the civilians were forced out and no one has lived there since.

36. Big name in rodent control : D-CON
“d-Con” is a line of rodent control products that has been around for over 50 years.

37. Greek philosopher of paradox fame : ZENO
Zeno of Elea was a Greek philosopher who lived in Elea, a Greek colony in Southern Italy. Zeno is famous for his “paradoxes”, a set of problems that really make you think! In the problem known as “Achilles and the Tortoise”, Zeno tells us that Achilles races a tortoise, giving the tortoise a head start (of say 100 meters). By the time Achilles reaches the starting point of the tortoise, the tortoise will have moved on, albeit only a small distance. Achilles then sets his sights on the tortoise’s new position and runs to it. Again the tortoise has moved ahead a little. Achilles keeps on moving to the tortoise’s new position but can never actually catch his slower rival. Or can he …?

38. Casino game : KENO
The name “Keno” has French or Latin roots, with the French “quine” being a term for five winning numbers, and the Latin “quini” meaning “five each”. The game originated in China and was introduced into the West by Chinese immigrants who were working on the first Transcontinental Railroad in the 1800s.

44. Madison Square Garden team : RANGERS
Madison Square Garden is an arena in New York City used for a variety of events. In the world of sports it is home to the New York Rangers of the NHL, as well as the New York Knicks of the NBA. “The Garden” is also the third busiest music venue in the world in terms of ticket sales. The current arena is the fourth structure to bear the name, a name taken from the Madison Square location in Manhattan. In turn, the square was named for James Madison, the fourth President of the US.

46. Capital of Texas? : TEE
The word “Texas” starts with a capital letter T (tee).

47. Preppy clothing line : 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.

51. Many “Frozen”-inspired Halloween costumes : ELSAS
“Frozen” is a 2013 animated feature from Walt Disney Studios that is based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale “The Snow Queen”.

52. What the Left Bank is a bank of : SEINE
The famous “Left Bank” (“La Rive Gauche”) of the River Seine in Paris is the river’s southern bank. The area south of the river was traditionally quite bohemian and was home to artists, students and intellectuals.

56. Harrow and Radley rival : ETON
The world-famous Eton College is just a brisk walk from Windsor Castle, which itself is just outside London. Eton is noted for producing many British leaders including David Cameron who took power in the last UK general election. The list of Old Etonians also includes Princes William and Harry, the Duke of Wellington, George Orwell, and the creator of James Bond, Ian Fleming (as well as 007 himself as described in the Fleming novels).

Harrow School in north-west London is a boys boarding school, one of only four boys-only, boarding-only independent schools in England. The other three schools in the category are the famous Eton College, Radley College and Winchester College. The list of Harrow alumni includes British Prime Ministers Robert Peel, Alec Baldwin and Winston Churchill, and Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Radley College in Oxfordshire is boys boarding school, one of only four boys-only, boarding-only independent schools in England. The other three schools in the category are the famous Eton College, Harrow School and Winchester College. Radley was founded in 1847. Students at Radley are from ages 13 to 18.

58. Clairvoyant letters : ESP
We’ve been using the term “clairvoyant” to describe a psychic since the nineteenth century. Prior to that, a clairvoyant was a clear-sighted person. The term comes from French, with “clair” meaning “clear” and “voyant” meaning “seeing”.

59. Epiphany word : AHA!
An “epiphany” is an appearance or manifestation, especially of a supreme being. By extension, “epiphany” can also apply to a sudden insight or intuitive perception. The term derives from the Greek “epiphainein” meaning “to manifest, display”.

Return to top of page

For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Baseball slugger’s datum : AT-BAT
6. Duchess of Cambridge, to friends : KATE
10. Like a cashmere sweater : SOFT
14. Much of a maze : WALLS
15. The People’s King of Norway : OLAV
16. Athletic footwear brand since 1979 : AVIA
17. Dangerous virus strain named for its original outbreak location : EBOLA ZAIRE
19. Galoot : LUNK
20. Token opening : SLOT
21. Barcelonan bravo : OLE!
22. N.J. city at the west end of the George Washington Bridge : FT LEE
23. Mexican revolutionary : EMILIANO ZAPATA
27. Comfy shoe : MOC
28. Engage in a brawl : MIX IT UP
29. Cut up into small cubes : DICED
32. Traveler’s stopover : INN
33. Fey or Turner : TINA
34. Santa ___, Calif. : ANA
35. “Legends of the Fall” director, informally : ED ZWICK
39. ‘Neath’s opposite : O’ER
40. Indian flatbreads : NANS
42. Jeff Bezos, for Amazon : CEO
43. Young partner? : ERNST
45. Caesar salad ingredient : CROUTON
47. Big fish ___ small pond : IN A
48. Sensual areas : EROGENOUS ZONES
53. Grasslike perennial : SEDGE
54. Nanki-___ of “The Mikado” : POO
55. Feeling upon winning the lottery : GLEE
57. Fish story : TALE
58. “Not too hard now” … or a homophonic hint to 17-, 23-, 35- and 48-Across : EASY DOES IT
61. You are, in Yucatán : ERES
62. Old home of the Mets and the Jets : SHEA
63. Liquid-Plumr competitor : DRANO
64. Sound before passing a note in class : PSST!
65. Super Bowl XLIX champs, to their fans : PATS
66. Krupp ironworks city : ESSEN

Down
1. Amazes : AWES
2. Periodic ___ : TABLE
3. Boutonniere part : BLOOM
4. Never-surpassed : ALL-TIME
5. Org. with a 3-1-1 rule for carry-on liquids : TSA
6. Eucalyptus-eating marsupial : KOALA
7. Many a “Guardians of the Galaxy” character : ALIEN
8. Sticky cigarette stuff : TAR
9. Garden of Eden dweller : EVE
10. Seawater evaporation site : SALT PIT
11. Part of the menstrual cycle : OVULATION
12. Makes small adjustments to : FINE-TUNES
13. Dismantle : TAKE APART
18. Geological period suffix : -ZOIC
22. Obsolescent means of sending a document : FAX
24. Mineral vein : LODE
25. Marriott competitor : OMNI
26. Mineral contained in oysters : ZINC
29. Move taught by a choreographer : DANCE STEP
30. Overdue, as rent : IN ARREARS
31. Makes out : CANOODLES
32. ___ Jima : IWO
36. Big name in rodent control : D-CON
37. Greek philosopher of paradox fame : ZENO
38. Casino game : KENO
41. Propose : SUGGEST
44. Madison Square Garden team : RANGERS
46. Capital of Texas? : TEE
47. Preppy clothing line : IZOD
49. Surprising victory : UPSET
50. Forage beans : SOYAS
51. Many “Frozen”-inspired Halloween costumes : ELSAS
52. What the Left Bank is a bank of : SEINE
56. Harrow and Radley rival : ETON
58. Clairvoyant letters : ESP
59. Epiphany word : AHA!
60. Ceremonious verse : ODE

Return to top of page