Day: June 16, 2016

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
6. *Cubit (Cub) : TYRO
A tyro (also “tiro”) is a beginner or a novice. “Tyro” comes into English from Latin, in which “tiro” means “a recruit”.

10. 1/ : JAN
The month of January can be written as “1/” in a date, as in 1/14/2016 (Jan 14, 2016) for example.

13. Black winds : OBOES
The oboe is perhaps my favorite of the reed instruments. The name “oboe” comes from the French “hautbois” which means “high wood”. When you hear an orchestra tuning before a performance you’ll note (pun intended!) that the oboe starts off the process by playing an “A”. The rest of the musicians in turn tune to that oboe’s “A”.

15. Abs and such : CORE
The abdominal muscles (“abs”) are more correctly referred to as the rectus abdominis muscles. They are all called a “six-pack” in a person who has developed the muscles and who has low body fat. In my case, more like a keg …

18. Places for naps? : RUGS
A “nap” is a soft and perhaps fuzzy surface on cloth, leather, a carpet and even a tennis ball.

20. About : CIRCA
“Circa” is a Latin word meaning “around, near, about the time of”. We use “circa” directly in English to mean “about the time of”, as well as in derivative words such as “circle” and “circus”.

22. Southwestern home : CASA
In Spanish, one’s “residencia” (residence) is usually one’s “casa” (house).

26. Tarantula-eating animal : COATI
A coati is a member of the raccoon family and is also known as the Brazilian aardvark, or the snookum bear. The coati is native to Central and South America, but can also be found in the southwest of the United States.

Tarantulas are spider-like arachnids that are usually quite hairy. The original tarantula was a type of wolf spider found in Europe, found near the southern Italian town called Taranto, hence the name.

28. God, in the Torah : ADONAI
“Adonai” is a Hebrew name for God.

31. Dark films, informally : NOIRS
The expression “film noir” has French origins, but only in that it was coined by a French critic in describing a style of Hollywood film. The term, meaning “black film” in French, was first used by Nino Frank in 1946. Film noir often applies to a movie with a melodramatic plot and a private eye or detective at its center. Good examples would be “The Big Sleep” and “D.O.A”.

33. Service jobs : LUBES
That would be a “lube job” performed as part of a car’s service, regular maintenance.

37. Alma-___, Kazakhstan : ATA
Almaty (also “Alma-Aty”) is the largest city in Kazakhstan. Almaty was the capital of the country before that honor fell to the city of Astana in 1997, a few years after Kazakhstan became independent after the fall of the Soviet Union.

38. Word of logic : ERGO
“Ergo” is the Latin word for “hence, therefore”.

39. Gin cocktail : GIMLET
A gimlet is a relatively simple cocktail, traditionally made with just gin and lime juice. The trend in more recent times is to replace the gin with vodka.

40. Some atom smashers, briefly : LINACS
A linear particle accelerator (“linac” for short) is equipment used to accelerate the speed of charged subatomic particles in straight line. A relatively simple cathode ray tube, used in old” televisions, is an example of a small linac. The linac operated by Stanford University in Menlo Park is a little bigger: two miles in length.

44. Target of a strip search? : ORE
Strip mining is a process used to mine minerals that are relatively close to the surface. A long strip of overlying soil and rock is first removed, and then the ore beneath is excavated. Once each long strip has been excavated then the overlying soil and rock is redeposited. Strip mining wouldn’t be most environmentally friendly practice …

45. 2016 Key and Peele action comedy : KEANU
The Comedy Central sketch show “Key & Peele” starred comics Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. The duo wrote an action comedy film called “Keanu” that was released in 2016. The title character is a cat belonging to the boss of a drug cartel. Haven’t seen it …

48. Jargons : ARGOTS
“Argot” is a French term, the name given in the 17th century to “the jargon of the Paris underworld”. Nowadays argot is the set of idioms used by any particular group, the “lingo” of that group.

“Jargon” can mean nonsensical and meaningless talk, or the specialized language of a particular group, trade or profession. The term is Old French, with the more usual meaning of “a chattering”. How apt …

50. “Crashing the Party” author, 2002 : NADER
Ralph Nader’s 2002 book “Crashing the Party” describes his experiences running as a third-party candidate in the 2000 US presidential election.

60. One working at home, for short : UMP
That would be in baseball.

62. Actor whose last name is a 41-Down of his first name, after a D is changed to an N : ALDA
Alan Alda has 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.

63. *Polite (Pole) star? : SANTA CLAUS
Saint Nicholas of Myra is the inspiration for Santa Claus. Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra (now in modern-day Turkey) during the 4th century AD, and was known for being generous to the poor. Centuries after he died, his remains were desecrated by Italian sailors and moved to Bari in Italy. One legend has it that the relics were moved again centuries later and reburied in the grounds of Jerpoint Abbey in Co. Kilkenny in Ireland, where you can visit the grave today. I choose to believe that Santa Claus’s relics are indeed buried in Ireland …

66. 20 quires : REAM
A ream is 500 sheets of paper. As there were 24 sheets in a quire, and 20 quires made up a ream, there used to be 480 sheets in a ream. Ever since the standard was changed to 500, a 480-sheet packet of paper has been called a “short ream”.

67. Designer for the Ziegfeld Follies : ERTE
Erté was the pseudonym of French (Russian born) artist and designer Romain de Tirtoff. Erté is the French pronunciation of his initials “R.T.” Erté’s diverse portfolio of work included costumes and sets for the “Ziegfeld Follies” of 1923, as well as productions of the Parisian cabaret show “Folies Bergère”.

Florenz “Flo” Ziegfeld, Jr. was the man behind the series of theatrical revues called the “Ziegfeld Follies”, as well as the producer of the musical “Show Boat”. The “Follies” shows were structured as imitations of the “Folies Bergère” cabaret shows of Paris.

68. Milton of comedy : BERLE
Comedian Milton Berle was known as “Uncle Miltie” and “Mr. Television”, and was arguably the first real star of American television as he was hosting “Texaco Star Theater” starting in 1948.

70. *Sitting (Sting) figures, maybe : T-MEN
A T-man is a law-enforcement agent of the US Treasury (T is for Treasury).

71. *Give a permit (perm) to, say : STYLE
“Perm” is the name given to a permanent wave, a chemical or thermal treatment of hair to produce waves or curls. I don’t worry about such things, as it’s a number-one all over for me …

Down
2. Ancient Greek coin : OBOL
An obol is also known as an obolus. The obol was a silver coin used in Greece that was worth one sixth of a drachma.

3. *Lolita’s (Lola’s) workplace, in song : COPACABANA
The Copacabana of song is the Copacabana nightclub in New York City (which is also the subject of the Frank Sinatra song “Meet Me at the Copa”). The Copa opened in 1940 and is still going today although it is struggling. The club had to move due to impending construction and is now “sharing” a location with the Columbus 72 nightclub. “Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl …”

5. What’s funded by FICA, for short : SSA
Social Security Administration (SSA)

The Federal Insurance Contributions Act tax (FICA) was introduced in the 1930s as part of President Roosevelt’s New Deal. FICA payments are made by both employees and employers in order to fund Social Security and Medicare.

6. Empath on the U.S.S. Enterprise : TROI
Deanna Troi is a character on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” who is played by the lovely Marina Sirtis. Sirtis is a naturalized American citizen and has what I would call a soft American accent on the show. However, she was born in the East End of London and has a natural accent off-stage that is more like that of a true Cockney.

8. Southwestern spreads : RANCHOS
“Rancho” is Spanish for “ranch, farm”.

10. Work measure : JOULE
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).

11. Rival of ancient Sparta : ARGOS
Argos is one of the oldest cities in Greece, and indeed in Europe, having been continuously inhabited for over 7,000 years. In ancient times, Argos was a rival city-state to the powerful Sparta.

12. *Avian digits (digs) : NESTS
“Digs” is short for “diggings” meaning “lodgings”, but where “diggings” came from, no one seems to know.

15. *Britain’s (Brain’s) location : CRANIUM
The human skull is made up of two parts: the cranium (which encloses the brain) and the mandible (or “jawbone”).

17. Record label for Miley Cyrus and Kelly Clarkson : RCA
Miley Cyrus became famous playing the Disney Channel character “Hannah Montana”. Miley is the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. When she was born, Billy Ray and his wife named their daughter “Destiny Hope”, but soon they themselves calling her “Smiley” as she was always smiling as a baby, and this got shortened to Miley over time. Cute …

Apparently singer Kelly Clarkson was the first winner of “American Idol”. That’s all I know …

23. *Source of gravity (gravy) : SINECURE
A “sinecure” is a position that requires very little work, with the term often applying to a paid position that can yield a nice profit for the holder of the office. “Sinecure” comes from the Latin “sine” (without) and “cura” (care). The term originated as a church position in the Middle Ages which did not include responsibility for the “care of souls”.

25. *Exit (Ex) payments : PALIMONY
Palimony is a portmanteau of “pal” and “alimony” and describes the division of assets and property at the termination of a relationship between two persons who are not legally married. The term was coined in 1977 in a lawsuit filed by actress Michelle Triola Marvin, who had cohabited for five years with actor Lee Marvin.

26. Snooker accessory : CHALK
Snooker is a fabulous game, played on what looks like a large pool table (12′ x 6′ if full size). Snooker is a derivative of the older game of billiards and is believed to have been developed by British Army officers who were stationed in India in the latter half of the 1800s. “Snooker” was a word used in the British military for a first-year cadet or an inexperienced soldier. Somehow that usage morphed into the name of the game.

28. Notorious bailed-out insurance co. : AIG
AIG is the American International Group, a giant insurance corporation (or I should say, “was”). After repeated bailouts by American taxpayers, the company made some serious PR blunders by spending large amounts of money on executive entertainment and middle management rewards. These included a $444,000 California retreat, an $86,000 hunting trip in England, and a $343,000 getaway to a luxury resort in Phoenix. Poor judgment, I’d say …

34. *Bar order requiring celerity (celery) : BLOODY MARY
The Bloody Mary is one of my favorite cocktails, perhaps because it seems to taste so different depending on who makes it. It has numerous ingredients above and beyond the requisite vodka and tomato juice, and has been called “the world’s most complex cocktail”.

35. Goosebumps-inducing : EERIE
The terms “goosebumps” and “goose flesh” come from the fact that skin which is cold can look like the flesh of a plucked goose.

36. Part of a long drive? : STEER
A steer is a male bovine that was castrated when young and is then raised for beef. The term comes from the Old English “steor” meaning “bullock”.

41. *Suite (Sue) for use? : ANAGRAM
The word “sue” is an anagram of the word “use”.

43. The French? : LES
The definite article in French can be “le” (with masculine nouns), “la” (with feminine nouns), and “les” (with plurals of either gender).

46. Needle holder : TONE ARM
On a record player turntable, the “tone arm” is the free-swinging bracket that holds the phonograph pickup. The pickup is the magnetic cartridge that converts vibrations of the needle as it travels in the groove of the record, into an electrical signal that can be amplified and converted into sound.

51. *Mojito (Mojo), for one : AMULET
The word “mojo”, meaning magical charm or magnetism, is probably of Creole origin.

53. Gulf vessel : OILER
An “oiler” is an oil tanker, an ocean-going vessel used to transport crude oil.

54. Weather forecasting aid : RADAR
Scientists have been using radio waves to detect the presence of objects since the late 1800s, but it was the demands of WWII that accelerated the practical application of the technology. The British called their system RDF standing for Range and Direction Finding. The system used by the US Navy was called Radio Detection And Ranging, which was shortened to the acronym RADAR.

55. Apology opener : MEA …
Many Roman Catholics are very familiar with the Latin phrase “mea culpa” meaning “my fault”, as it is used in the Latin Mass. The additional term “mea maxima culpa” translates as “my most grievous fault”.

58. Indicate that one needs a hand? : ANTE
That would be in poker, say.

59. Old 9-mm. : STEN
The STEN gun is an iconic armament that was used by the British military. The name STEN is an acronym. The S and the T comes from the name of the gun’s designers, Shepherd and Turpin. The EN comes from the Enfield brand name, which in turn comes from the Enfield location where the guns were manufactured for the Royal Small Arms Factory, an enterprise owned by the British government.

64. Stephen Colbert’s network : CBS
Stephen Colbert is a political satirist who hosted his own show on Comedy Central, “The Colbert Report”. Colbert’s first love was theater, and so he studied to become an actor. He then moved into comedy, and ended up on the “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”. He left “The Daily Show” in 2005 to set up his own spinoff, “The Colbert Report”. In his own inimitable way, Colbert likes to use a “French” pronunciation for the name of his show, so “The Colbert Report” comes out as “The Col-bear Rep-oar”. Colbert took over the “Late Show” when David Letterman retired.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. *Pitiers (Piers) : DOCKS
6. *Cubit (Cub) : TYRO
10. 1/ : JAN
13. Black winds : OBOES
14. More than giggle : ROAR
15. Abs and such : CORE
16. *Bite (Be) down, in a way : MOPE AROUND
18. Places for naps? : RUGS
19. Total revolution : LAP
20. About : CIRCA
21. Much : A LOT
22. Southwestern home : CASA
24. Cool air? : HIPNESS
26. Tarantula-eating animal : COATI
28. God, in the Torah : ADONAI
30. Nerve center : HUB
31. Dark films, informally : NOIRS
33. Service jobs : LUBES
37. Alma-___, Kazakhstan : ATA
38. Word of logic : ERGO
39. Gin cocktail : GIMLET
40. Some atom smashers, briefly : LINACS
42. Purple shade : PLUM
44. Target of a strip search? : ORE
45. 2016 Key and Peele action comedy : KEANU
46. Fasten on : TIE TO
47. Goose: Fr. : OIE
48. Jargons : ARGOTS
50. “Crashing the Party” author, 2002 : NADER
52. Eat in excess : GORGE ON
55. “Well!” : MY MY!
56. Put-down in an argument : LIAR!
57. Flirt : TEASE
60. One working at home, for short : UMP
62. Actor whose last name is a 41-Down of his first name, after a D is changed to an N : ALDA
63. *Polite (Pole) star? : SANTA CLAUS
66. 20 quires : REAM
67. Designer for the Ziegfeld Follies : ERTE
68. Milton of comedy : BERLE
69. Show imperfection : ERR
70. *Sitting (Sting) figures, maybe : T-MEN
71. *Give a permit (perm) to, say : STYLE

Down
1. Ending for martyr : -DOM
2. Ancient Greek coin : OBOL
3. *Lolita’s (Lola’s) workplace, in song : COPACABANA
4. *Stick it to : KEEP AT
5. What’s funded by FICA, for short : SSA
6. Empath on the U.S.S. Enterprise : TROI
7. What comes before honor? : YOUR …
8. Southwestern spreads : RANCHOS
9. Make a father of : ORDAIN
10. Work measure : JOULE
11. Rival of ancient Sparta : ARGOS
12. *Avian digits (digs) : NESTS
15. *Britain’s (Brain’s) location : CRANIUM
17. Record label for Miley Cyrus and Kelly Clarkson : RCA
23. *Source of gravity (gravy) : SINECURE
25. *Exit (Ex) payments : PALIMONY
26. Snooker accessory : CHALK
27. Convex navel : OUTIE
28. Notorious bailed-out insurance co. : AIG
29. “Move on!” … or how to decipher the 16 starred clues : DROP IT!
32. Words of logic : ORS
34. *Bar order requiring celerity (celery) : BLOODY MARY
35. Goosebumps-inducing : EERIE
36. Part of a long drive? : STEER
39. Instinctual : GUT
41. *Suite (Sue) for use? : ANAGRAM
43. The French? : LES
46. Needle holder : TONE ARM
49. Prepared : GOT SET
51. *Mojito (Mojo), for one : AMULET
52. *What visitors (visors) minimize : GLARE
53. Gulf vessel : OILER
54. Weather forecasting aid : RADAR
55. Apology opener : MEA …
58. Indicate that one needs a hand? : ANTE
59. Old 9-mm. : STEN
61. Influence : PULL
64. Stephen Colbert’s network : CBS
65. “Didn’t I tell you?!” : SEE?!

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