Day: July 13, 2016

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
9. King Julien in “Madagascar,” for one : LEMUR
Lemurs are the most unusual-looking creatures, native to the island of Madagascar off the east coast of Africa. With their white fur and dark eyes that are very reflective at night, they have a “ghostly” appearance. Indeed, the animals takes their name from Roman mythology in which “lemures” were spirits of the restless dead.

“Madagascar” is an animated film released in 2005. It’s a story about zoo animals, used to “the easy life” in captivity, getting shipwrecked on the island of Madagascar off the African coast.

19. Order for a “D, E, A, N, S” list? : SEDAN
“Sedan” is an anagram of “deans”.

23. Bird with large green eggs : EMU
Emu eggs are very large, with a thick shell that is dark-green in color. One emu egg weighs about the same as a dozen chicken eggs.

31. Politico who said “Buck up or stay in the truck” : PALIN
When John McCain selected Sarah Palin as candidate for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she became the first Alaskan to go on the national ticket for a major party. She also became the first woman nominated for Vice President by the Republican Party.

32. Gardner who played the Barefoot Contessa : AVA
Ava Gardner is noted for her association with some big movies, but also for her association with some big names when it came to the men in her life. In the world of film, she appeared in the likes of “Mogambo” (1953), “On the Beach” (1959), “The Night of the Iguana” (1964) and “Earthquake” (1974). The men in her life included husbands Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw and Frank Sinatra. After her marriages had failed (and perhaps before!) she had long-term relationships with Howard Hughes and bullfighter Luis Miguel Dominguin whom she met through her friend Ernest Hemingway.

“The Barefoot Contessa” is an excellent film released in 1954, with Ava Gardner in the title and also starring Humphrey Bogart and Edmond O’Brien. The movie tells the story of Maria Vargas, a nightclub dancer who eventually weds a count, and who likes to go around in bare feet. Hence, the title …

37. Another order for a “D, E, A, N, S” list? : ANDES
“Andes” is an anagram of “deans”.

The Andes range is the longest continuous chain of mountains in the world, running right down the length of the west coast of South America for about 4,300 miles. The highest peak in the Andes is Mt. Aconcagua, at an elevation of 22,841 feet. Interestingly, the peak of Mt. Chimborazo in Ecuador is the furthest point on the Earth’s surface from the center of the planet. That’s because of the equatorial “bulge” around the Earth’s “waist”.

40. Exam that’s losing popularity in high schools? : DISAPPEARING ACT (American College Testing)
ACT is an abbreviation for American College Testing. The ACT is an entrance exam used by many universities. It has four sections, English, Reading, Math and Science, and an optional 30-minute essay.

47. Rendezvoused near : MET AT
A rendezvous is a meeting, from the French “rendez vous” meaning “present yourselves”.

52. Example of bad parenting? : MAMMA MIA (missing in action)
The hit musical “Mamma Mia!” was written to showcase the songs of ABBA. I’m a big fan of ABBA’s music, so I’ve seen this show a couple of times and just love it. “Mamma Mia!” is such a big hit on the stage that on any given day there are at least seven performances going on somewhere in the world. There is a really interesting film version of the show that was released in 2008. I think the female lead Meryl Streep is wonderful in the movie, but the male leads … not so much! By the way, one can tell the difference between “Mamma Mia” the ABBA song and “Mamma Mia!” the musical, by noting the difference in the punctuation in the titles.

66. Cry from an eager applicant for a delivery job? : PICK ME, UPS! (United Parcel Service)
United Parcel Service (UPS) is based in Sandy Springs, Georgia and has its own airline that operates out of Louisville, Kentucky.

71. “Bye Bye Bye” boy band : NSYNC
NSYNC was a boy band from Orlando, Florida that was formed in 1995. The name of the group came from a comment by the mother of band member Justin Timberlake, who said the boys voices sounded “in sync”. But, it’s also true that the letters of the name NSYNC are the last letters of the given names of the five band members:

Justin Timberlake
Chris Kirkpatrick
Joey Fatone
Lance “Lansten” Bass
JC Chasez

72. Crafts website : ETSY
Etsy.com is an e-commerce website where you can buy and sell the kind of items that you might find at a craft fair.

73. PlayStation maker : SONY
Sony introduced the PlayStation line of video game consoles in 1994.

Down
4. “Sleepless in Seattle,” for one : ROM-COM
“Sleepless in Seattle” is a lovely romantic comedy directed and co-written by Nora Ephron, released in 1993. The film’s storyline is based on the excellent 1957 movie “An Affair to Remember”, and there are numerous direct references to the Cary Grant/Deborah Kerr classic throughout the “remake”. The lead roles in “Sleepless …” are played by Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

5. Nine-digit ID : SSN
A Social Security number (SSN) is divided into three parts i.e AAA-GG-SSSS, Originally, the Area Number (AAA) was the code for the office that issued the card. Since 1973, the Area Number reflects the ZIP code from which the application was made. The GG in the SSN is the Group Number, and the SSSS in the number is the Serial Number. However, this is all moot, as since 2011 SSN’s are assigned randomly.

6. Rhyme for “Israel,” in a carol : NOEL

The First Noel the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
In fields as they lay, keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

9. ___ Palmas (province of Spain) : LAS
The Spanish province of Las Palmas comprises about half of the islands of Gran Canaria, and several other small islands, located off the northwest coast of Africa. Gran Canaria is perhaps better known as the “Canary Islands” in English.

The Canary Islands are located off the northwest coast of Africa. The islands aren’t named for the canary bird and in fact the bird is named for the islands. The name of the Canary Islands comes from the Latin “Canariae Insulae” which translates as “Island of the Dogs”, the original name for the biggest island now called Gran Canaria. In the days of Ancient Rome the island was noted as a home to a large number of very large dogs.

12. Savory sensation : UMAMI
Umami is one of the five basic tastes, along with sweet, sour, bitter and salty. “Umami” is a Japanese word used to describe “a pleasant savory taste”. Umami was proposed as a basic taste in 1908, but it wasn’t until 1985 that the scientific community finally accepted it as such.

18. Vegetable that’s a good source of protein : OKRA
The plant known as okra is mainly grown for it edible green pods. The pods are said to resemble “ladies’ fingers”, which is an alternative name for the plant. Okra is known as “ngombo” in Bantu, a name that might give us the word “gumbo”, the name for the name of the southern Louisiana stew that includes okra as a key ingredient.

27. Flair : ELAN
Our word “élan” was imported from French, in which language the word has a similar meaning to ours, i.e “style” or “flair”.

38. Author Umberto : ECO
Umberto Eco is an Italian writer, probably best known for his novel “The Name of the Rose” published in 1980. In 1986, “The Name of the Rose” was adapted into a movie with the same title starring Sean Connery.

39. Good name for a guy who’s seething? : STU
… because “Stu” sounds like “stew”.

43. Couple : ITEM
An unmarried couple known to be involved with each other might appear in the gossip columns. This appearance as “an item” in the papers, led to the use of “item” to refer to such a couple, but only since the very early seventies.

52. 1998 movie with the song “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” : MULAN
“Mulan” is a 1998 animated feature film made by Walt Disney studios. The film is based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, a woman who takes the place of her father in the army and serves with distinction for twelve years without reward. Disney’s lead character was given the name Fa Mulan. Donny Osmond provided the singing voice for one of the lead characters, after which his sons remarked that he had finally made it in show business as he was in a Disney film.

53. Shoe brand that sounds like a letter and a number : ASICS
“ASICS” sounds like “A-6”

ASICS is a Japanese company that produces athletic gear, including running shoes. The name comes from the Latin phrase “”anima sana in corpore sano” which translates to “a healthy soul in a healthy body”.

54. With lance in hand : ATILT
Tilting is the most recognized form of jousting. Jousting can involve the use of a number of different weapons, but when lances are used the competition is called “tilting”. Jousting took place in a roped-off enclosure that was called the lists, or list field. In later medieval times, some castles and palaces had purpose-built “tiltyards” that were used for jousting. Do you remember where the Beach Volleyball events were held in the 2012 London Olympics? Well that was Horse Guards Parade, the former tiltyard for the Palace of Whitehall that was used in the time of King Henry VIII.

58. Op-ed, e.g. : ESSAY
Op-Ed is an abbreviation for “opposite the editorial page”. Op-Eds started in “The New York Evening World” in 1921 when the page opposite the editorials was used for articles written by a named guest writer, someone independent of the editorial board.

61. Geol. and phys. : SCIS
Geology (geol.) and physics (phys.) are sciences (scis.).

65. With 67-Down, tool for getting out of a window, in brief : ESC
67. See 65-Down : KEY
The escape key (esc) was originally used to control computer peripherals. It was a key that allowed the computer operator to stop what the peripheral was doing (cancel a print job, for example). Nowadays the escape key is used for all sorts of things, especially in gaming programs.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. What might be used with a “Giddy-up!” : SPUR
5. Unexpected problem : SNAG
9. King Julien in “Madagascar,” for one : LEMUR
14. Words of dawning realization : OH NO!
15. Go bad, as milk : SOUR
16. Bakery output : AROMA
17. Stat shared by many pitchers? : COMMON ERA (earned run average)
19. Order for a “D, E, A, N, S” list? : SEDAN
20. Bent : KNACK
21. Wash : LAVE
23. Bird with large green eggs : EMU
24. Lady of La Mancha : SENORA
26. “Leave that lady’s tomb alone!”? : LET ‘ER RIP (rest in peace)
29. “Welcome” sights : MATS
31. Politico who said “Buck up or stay in the truck” : PALIN
32. Gardner who played the Barefoot Contessa : AVA
35. Boo-boo : OWIE
37. Another order for a “D, E, A, N, S” list? : ANDES
40. Exam that’s losing popularity in high schools? : DISAPPEARING ACT (American College Testing)
44. Be a greeter : SAY HI
45. Release, as gas : EMIT
46. “That’s so ___!” (compliment, sort of) : YOU
47. Rendezvoused near : MET AT
49. Not so much : LESS
52. Example of bad parenting? : MAMMA MIA (missing in action)
55. Grouchypants : MEANIE
59. “It’s no ___” : USE
60. Favored ones : PETS
62. Partner of odds : EVENS
63. Limber : LITHE
66. Cry from an eager applicant for a delivery job? : PICK ME, UPS! (United Parcel Service)
68. Units of 70-Across : ACRES
69. “Would ___?” : I LIE
70. Geometric calculation : AREA
71. “Bye Bye Bye” boy band : NSYNC
72. Crafts website : ETSY
73. PlayStation maker : SONY

Down
1. Some puppets : SOCKS
2. Give a buzz : PHONE
3. Deprive of courage : UNMAN
4. “Sleepless in Seattle,” for one : ROM-COM
5. Nine-digit ID : SSN
6. Rhyme for “Israel,” in a carol : NOEL
7. Hearing-related : AURAL
8. Serious danger : GRAVE PERIL
9. ___ Palmas (province of Spain) : LAS
10. Before, to a poet : ERE
11. Characteristic of the present : MODERN DAY
12. Savory sensation : UMAMI
13. Accumulated, as debt : RAN UP
18. Vegetable that’s a good source of protein : OKRA
22. GPS calculation : ETA
25. On : ATOP
27. Flair : ELAN
28. Band at a wedding : RING
30. Honeybunch : SWEETIE PIE
32. Spots before your eyes? : ADS
33. Through : VIA
34. Difference between two sides : ASYMMETRY
36. Affirmative response : I AM
38. Author Umberto : ECO
39. Good name for a guy who’s seething? : STU
41. “I’d like to make a point …” : AHEM …
42. Bread with a pocket : PITA
43. Couple : ITEM
48. Turn (up), as intensity : AMP
50. Look : SEEM
51. File menu option : SAVE AS
52. 1998 movie with the song “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” : MULAN
53. Shoe brand that sounds like a letter and a number : ASICS
54. With lance in hand : ATILT
56. Prefix with transmitter : NEURO-
57. How the confident may solve : IN PEN
58. Op-ed, e.g. : ESSAY
61. Geol. and phys. : SCIS
64. Nest builder : HEN
65. With 67-Down, tool for getting out of a window, in brief : ESC
67. See 65-Down : KEY

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