Day: November 24, 2016

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
14. How some stocks are sold : AT PAR
Stocks, and other financial vehicles, may be sold “at par”, meaning at the original price, neither discounted nor at a premium.

19. Food that’s cured : LOX
Lox is a brine-cured salmon fillet, finely sliced. The term “lox” comes into English via Yiddish, and derives from the German word for salmon, namely “Lachs”.

20. Gripe : BEEF
A “beef” is a complaint or a grievance. It’s not quite clear how “beef” came to have this meaning, but one suggestion is that derives from the habit of soldiers at the end of the 1800s complaining about the quality or availability of beef in their rations.

21. Some investigators, informally : T-MEN
A T-man is a law-enforcement agent of the US Treasury (T is for Treasury).

22. Martini’s partner : ROSSI
The company that is today known as Martini & Rossi was started in the mid-1800s in Italy, by Alessandro Martini and Luigi Rossi (and a third partner who sold out years later). From day one it was focused on bottling the fortified wine known as vermouth. Nowadays, the company is also famous for its sparkling wines, and its sponsorship of Grand Prix racing teams. And yes, the famous cocktail is probably named for Mr. Martini.

40. Allele, e.g. : GENE
A gene is a section of a chromosome that is responsible for a particular characteristic in an organism. For example, one gene may determine eye color and another balding pattern. We have two copies of each gene, one from each of our parents, with each copy known as an allele.

41. Stylized Tesla logo : TEE
Tesla Motors is a manufacturer of electric vehicles based in Palo Alto, California. Tesla is noted for producing the first electric sports car, called the Tesla Roadster. The company followed the sports car with a luxury sedan, the Model S. The Model S was the world’s best selling plug-in electric vehicle of 2015.

42. Electrical units : OHMS
The unit of electrical resistance is the ohm (with the symbol omega) named after German physicist Georg Simon Ohm. Ohm was the guy who established experimentally that the amount of current flowing through a circuit is directly proportional to the voltage applied, (V=IR) a relationship that every schoolkid knows as Ohm’s Law.

43. All-around Canadian put-down : HOSER
The derogatory word “hoser”, meaning “foolish or uncultivated person”, is apparently attributed to Canadians. That said, I just read that the term is in fact rarely used north of the border.

49. Stephen Colbert and Conan O’Brien : TV HOSTS
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.

Before Conan O’Brien came to fame as a late night talk show host he was a writer. He wrote for both “Saturday Night Live” and “The Simpsons”.

55. Silk dress, maybe : SARI
The item of clothing called a “sari” (also “saree”) is a strip of cloth, as one might imagine, unusual perhaps in that is unstitched along the whole of its length. The strip of cloth can range from four to nine meters long (that’s a lot of material!). The sari is usually wrapped around the waist, then draped over the shoulder leaving the midriff bare. I must say, it can be a beautiful item of clothing.

57. “Sharknado” actress Reid : TARA
Tara Reid is an actress known for roles she played on television and the big screen. My guess is her most remembered performances were in the “American Pie” series of movies in which she played Vicky. Sadly, Reid succumbed to the pressure to alter her looks with plastic surgery. In interviews, she has shared that her first experience under the knife “went wrong” leading to more surgeries in attempts to rectify the resulting deformity.

“Sharknado” is a 2013 tongue-in-cheek disaster movie that was made for the Syfy television channel. The basis of the plot is a freak hurricane that hits Los Angeles, resulting in a flood that leaves man-eating sharks roaming the city. I don’t think so …

58. “Ended, ___ it begun” (Emily Dickinson poem) : ERE
Emily Dickinson wrote nearly 1800 poems in her lifetime, with less than a dozen published before she died in 1886. Emily’s younger sister discovered the enormous collection, and it was published in batches over the coming decades. Here is the first verse of one of her poems:

Ended, ere it begun —
The Title was scarcely told
When the Preface perished from Consciousness
The Story, unrevealed —

62. Starbucks units: Abbr. : OZS
The unit of mass that we know today as a “pound” is descended from the old Roman unit of weight known as a “libra”. That “libra” connection is why we abbreviate “pound” to “lb”. The name “pound” though comes from the Latin “pondo” meaning “weight”. Our term “ounce” (abbreviated to “oz.”) comes from the Latin “uncia”, which was 1/12 of a Roman “libra”.

Starbucks is a coffee company based in Seattle, Washington. It is the largest coffeehouse company in the world and has over 19,000 stores. In the 1990s, Starbucks was opening one new store every single day! Starbucks is named after the chief mate on the Pequod in Herman Melville’s book “Moby Dick”.

63. The Jetsons’ boy : ELROY
“The Jetsons” is an animated show from Hanna-Barbera that had its first run in 1962-1963, and then was recreated in 1985-1987. When it was debuted in 1963 by ABC, “The Jetsons” was the network’s first ever color broadcast. “The Jetsons” are like a space-age version of “The Flintstones”. The four Jetson family members are George and Jane, the parents, and children Judy and Elroy. Residing with the family are Rosie the household robot, and Astro the pet dog.

67. On edge : ANTSY
The word “antsy” embodies the concept of “having ants in one’s pants”, meaning being nervous and fidgety. However, “antsy” has been used in English since the 1830s, whereas “ants in the pants” originated a century later.

Down
1. Cartoon title character adapted from a Felix Salten novel : BAMBI
The 1942 Disney classic “Bambi” is based on a book written by Felix Salten called “Bambi, A Life in the Woods”. There is a documented phenomenon known as the Bambi Effect, whereby people become more interested in animal rights after having watched the scene where Bambi’s mother is shot by hunters.

2. First tribe encountered by Lewis and Clark : OTOES
The Native American people known as the Otoe and the Missouri were the first tribes encountered by the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The meeting took place in 1804 at a point on the Missouri River that is now known as Council Bluffs.

3. Sleep study diagnosis : APNEA
Sleep apnea (“apnoea” in British English) can be caused by an obstruction in the airways, possibly due to obesity or enlarged tonsils.

4. Stoolies : RATFINKS
A “fink” is an informer, someone who rats out his cohorts.

Stoolies, also called canaries, will sing to the cops given the right incentive. “Stoolie” is short for “stool pigeon”. A stool pigeon was a decoy bird tied to a stool so as to lure other pigeons. Originally a stoolie was a decoy for the police, rather than an informer, hence the name.

5. Mrs., abroad : SRA
The equivalent of “Mrs.” in French is “Mme.” (Madame), in Spanish is “Sra.” (Señora) and in Portuguese is also “Sra.” (Senhora).

7. Viking character : RUNE
A rune is a character in an alphabet that is believed to have mysterious powers. In Norse mythology, the runic alphabet was said to have a divine origin.

8. Film for which Gregory Peck had the highest-paid performance of his career, with “The” : OMEN
The original film “The Omen” was released in 1976. “Damien: Omen II” hit the screens in 1978. We were regaled with “Omen III: The Final Conflict” in 1981, and there was even a TV movie “Omen IV: The Awakening” in 1991. The original was remade in 2006 as “The Omen: 666”, and was released on 6/6/06. I haven’t seen any of them, and have no interest in doing so (despite the excellent cast) as I really don’t like the genre …

Gregory Peck was an iconic Hollywood actor, who hailed from La Jolla, California. Peck was recognized as a great actor as soon as he starting film acting in 1944. He was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for “The Keys of the Kingdom” (1944), “The Yearling” (1946), ‘Gentleman’s Agreement” (1947) and “Twelve O’Clock High” (1949). Peck finally won his Academy Award with the fifth nomination, for playing Atticus Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird” (1962).

 9. Black ___ : OPS
“Black ops” is the name given to covert operations, activities that are usually outside of standard military protocol and may even be against the law. Funding for black ops is usually provided by a secret “black budget”.

11. Happy as a clam : ALL SMILES
Our phrase “happy as a clam” dates back to the mid-1600s. Back then it was a more lengthy expression: “happy as a clam in the mud at high tide”. The idea was that a clam would be happy in its muddy home at high tide, because no one from land could get to it and eat it.

13. Cry on the street : TAXI!
We call cabs “taxis”, a word derived from “taximeter cabs” that were introduced in London in 1907. A taximeter was an automated meter designed to record distance travelled and fare to be charged. The term “taximeter” evolved from “taxameter”, with “taxa” being Latin for “tax, charge”.

18. Federal investigative grp. : NTSB
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is responsible for the investigation of major accidents involving transportation. Included in this broad definition is the transportation of fluids in pipelines. The organization is independent in that it has no ties to other government agencies or departments so that its investigations can be viewed as “impartial”. The NTSB also earns a little money for the US as it hires out its investigation teams to countries who don’t have the necessary resources available on their own soil.

25. Montréal’s Île ___ Soeurs : DES
Île des Soeurs in Montréal is better known as Nuns’ Island in English. The island was once owned by the nuns of the Congregation of Notre Dame, from whom it got its name.

26. ___-Ball : SKEE
Skee Ball is that arcade game where you roll balls up a ramp trying to “bounce” it into rings for varying numbers of points. The game was first introduced in Philadelphia, in 1909.

32. Commercial lead-in to group : CITI-
In 1998, one of the biggest company mergers in history took place, between Citicorp and Travelers Group. The result was Citigroup, a seemingly unstoppable giant, until we taxpayers bailed the company out in 2008 with $25 million.

33. Victim of murder one : ABEL
In the story of Cain and Abel in the Book of Genesis, Cain murders his brother Abel. Subsequently, God asks Cain, “Where is Abel thy brother?” Cain replies, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

39. “More than I needed to know!” : TMI
Too Much Information (TMI)!

45. Apple platform : IOS
iOS is what Apple now call their mobile operating system, previously known as iPhone OS.

50. 1978 Peace co-Nobelist : SADAT
Anwar Sadat was the third President of Egypt right up to the time of his assassination in 1981. Sadat won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978 along with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin for the role played in crafting the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty of 1978 at Camp David. It was this agreement that largely led to Sadat’s assassination three years later.

51. Baskets made from beyond the arc, informally : TREYS
That would be in basketball.

53. Rock’s Kings of ___ : LEON
Kings of Leon is an American rock band formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band members are all related to each other and chose the group’s name in honor of their common grandfather whose given name is Leon.

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

55. Historical group of 15, for short : SSRS
The former Soviet Union (USSR) was created in 1922, not long after the Russian Revolution of 1917 that overthrew the Tsar. Geographically, the new Soviet Union was roughly equivalent to the old Russian Empire, and was comprised of fifteen Soviet Socialist Republics (SSRs).

61. Johnny Reb’s org. : CSA
The Confederate States of America (CSA) set up government in 1861 just before Abraham Lincoln took office. Jefferson Davis was selected as President of the CSA at its formation and retained the post for the life of the government.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Male hedgehogs : BOARS
6. Thoroughbred farm employee : GROOM
11. Piece of legislation : ACT
14. How some stocks are sold : AT PAR
15. Like some mattresses and batter : LUMPY
16. “My Orcha’d in Linden ___” (classic poem) : LEA
17. *Place where kids aren’t found now : MONTANA NEST (“MT NEST” sounds like “empty nest”)
19. Food that’s cured : LOX
20. Gripe : BEEF
21. Some investigators, informally : T-MEN
22. Martini’s partner : ROSSI
24. Authoritarian’s reason : I SAID SO
26. Baseball feature : SEAM
27. *Whenever : NEBRASKA TIME (“NE TIME” sounds like “any time”)
32. Winery output : CASKS
35. Listing on an athletic schedule : MEET
36. Piece of legislation : LAW
37. Some classic computers : IBMS
38. With 59-Across, necessary substitutions, phonetically, for understanding the answers to the starred clues : STATE
40. Allele, e.g. : GENE
41. Stylized Tesla logo : TEE
42. Electrical units : OHMS
43. All-around Canadian put-down : HOSER
44. *Air passenger’s request, maybe : ILLINOIS SEAT (“IL SEAT” sounds like “aisle seat”)
48. Spanish dramatist ___ de Vega : LOPE
49. Stephen Colbert and Conan O’Brien : TV HOSTS
53. Tons of, informally : LOTSA
55. Silk dress, maybe : SARI
57. “Sharknado” actress Reid : TARA
58. “Ended, ___ it begun” (Emily Dickinson poem) : ERE
59. See 38-Across : POSTAL CODES
62. Starbucks units: Abbr. : OZS
63. The Jetsons’ boy : ELROY
64. Successfully brings around : SWAYS
65. “As if!” : NOT!
66. Woodworkers’ tools : RASPS
67. On edge : ANTSY

Down
1. Cartoon title character adapted from a Felix Salten novel : BAMBI
2. First tribe encountered by Lewis and Clark : OTOES
3. Sleep study diagnosis : APNEA
4. Stoolies : RATFINKS
5. Mrs., abroad : SRA
6. Red-carpet looks : GLAMOR
7. Viking character : RUNE
8. Film for which Gregory Peck had the highest-paid performance of his career, with “The” : OMEN
9. Black ___ : OPS
10. “I’ve got this” : MY TREAT
11. Happy as a clam : ALL SMILES
12. Biz bigs : CEOS
13. Cry on the street : TAXI!
18. Federal investigative grp. : NTSB
23. ___ bran : OAT
25. Montréal’s Île ___ Soeurs : DES
26. ___-Ball : SKEE
28. Collect : AMASS
29. Collection : SET
30. Some locks : MANE
31. Washstand accompanier : EWER
32. Commercial lead-in to group : CITI-
33. Victim of murder one : ABEL
34. Basic scrutiny : SMELL TEST
38. One going on foot? : SHOE
39. “More than I needed to know!” : TMI
40. Really have at it : GO TO TOWN
42. In theory : ON PAPER
43. Derisive laugh : HAH!
45. Apple platform : IOS
46. Cheats, euphemistically : STRAYS
47. What superheroes battle : EVIL
50. 1978 Peace co-Nobelist : SADAT
51. Baskets made from beyond the arc, informally : TREYS
52. Pert : SASSY
53. Rock’s Kings of ___ : LEON
54. Ricelike pasta : ORZO
55. Historical group of 15, for short : SSRS
56. On : ATOP
60. Rock-___, classic jukebox : OLA
61. Johnny Reb’s org. : CSA

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