Day: December 25, 2016

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
10. Ice carving? : FJORD
A drowned valley might be called a ria or a fjord, both formed as sea level rises. A ria is a drowned valley created by river erosion, and a fjord is a drowned valley created by glaciation.

18. Romance writer Roberts : NORA
Nora Roberts is a very successful author who has written over 165 romance novels. Roberts writes under a number of pen names: J.D. Robb, Jill March and Sarah Hardesty.

20. Coin portraying Queen Victoria, once : RUPEE
The rupee is a unit of currency, used in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Pakistan. The term “rupee” comes from the Sanskrit word “rupya”, which once meant “stamped, impressed” and then “coin”.

The period of colonial rule by the British in South Asia from 1858 to 1947 is referred to as the British Raj. Prior to 1858, the area was ruled by a private enterprise, the British East India Company. “Raj” is the Hindi word for “reign”.

25. Monastery title : FRA
The title “Fra” (brother) is used by Italian monks.

29. Roman emblem of power adopted by Mussolini : FASCES
The “fasces” is an image that is usually symbolic of power. The original Roman fasces consisted of a bundle of birch rods tied together into a cylindrical form with a bronze axe incorporated. Back in Ancient Rome the fasces were carried by “lictors” who accompanied magistrates. The fasces were used much as we use flags today, with the rods and axe being symbolic of the power held by the magistrates.

31. Big name in grills : WEBER
In 1952 George Stephen was working for the Weber Brothers Metal works in Chicago. One of the company’s products was a line of half-spheres that were welded together to make buoys used in Lake Michigan. Stephens took two of these metal hemispheres and converted them into the original kettle grill. The Weber company set up a barbecue division that Stephens ran, and Stephen became so successful that he bought out the Weber Brothers factory and converted all production to the manufacture of grills.

36. Means of death for Judas Iscariot : NOOSE
Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve original apostles who studied with Jesus. Notably, it was Judas who betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, a transaction that led to the Crucifixion and Resurrection.

37. A plus average? : SYMBOL FOR AMPERE (plus) REGULAR
The unit of electric current is the ampere, abbreviated correctly to “A” rather than “amp”. It is named after French physicist André-Marie Ampère, one of the main scientists responsible for the discovery of electromagnetism.

41. Tight-lipped : MUM
The phrase “mum’s the word” has been around since the early 1700s. “Mum” has been used to mean “silent” for centuries, the idea being that “mum” is the sound made when the lips are tightly sealed.

43. 2007 Peace Prize recipient : GORE
Former Vice President Al Gore was a joint recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 in recognition for his work in climate change activism. He also won a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album for his book on climate change called “An Inconvenient Truth”. The documentary of the same name that was spawned by the book won an Academy Award. In addition, Gore won an Emmy as co-owner of Current TV, an independent news network.

50. Gum that comes in Fire and Ice varieties : DENTYNE
Dentyne chewing gum was formulated back in 1899 by a druggist in New York called Franklin Canning. He came up with the name of his new gum by combining the words “dental” and “hygiene”.

54. Letterhead? : ELL
The “head” letter, the first letter, in the word “letterhead” is the letter L (ell).

55. “Star Trek: T.N.G.” counselor : 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.

57. Leeway : ROOM
Our word “leeway” meaning “spare margin” is nautical in origin. A vessel’s leeway is the amount of drift motion away from her intended course that is caused by the action of the wind.

58. Life force in Eastern medicine : CHI
In Chinese culture “qi” or “chi” is the life force in any living thing.

73. Drink Gatorade after a workout, say : HYDRATE
Gatorade was developed at the University of Florida by a team of researchers at the request of the school’s football team. And so, Gatorade is named after the Gators football team.

75. Calm before the storm? : SERENITY (before the) TYPHOON
The term “typhoon” may come from the Cantonese “tai fung”, which translates as “a great wind”.

A severe tropical storms is called a “hurricane” when it occurs in the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific, a “typhoon” in the Northwest Pacific, and a “cyclone” in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean. Tropical storms form over warm water, picking up energy from the evaporation from the ocean surface.

79. Red-haired biblical twin : ESAU
Esau was the twin brother of Jacob, the founder of the Israelites. When their mother Rebekah gave birth to the twins “the first emerged red and hairy all over (Esau), with his heel grasped by the hand of the second to come out (Jacob)”. As Esau was the first born, he was entitled to inherit his father’s wealth (it was his “birthright”). Instead, Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for the price of a “mess of pottage” (a meal of lentils).


80. Marco Polo crossed it : GOBI
The large desert in Asia called the Gobi lies in northern China and southern Mongolia. The Gobi desert is growing at an alarming rate, particularly towards the south. This “desertification” is caused by increased human activity. The Chinese government is trying to halt the desert’s progress by planting great swaths of new forest, the so called “Green Wall of China”. The name “Gobi” is Mongolian for “waterless place, semidesert”.

Marco Polo was a merchant from Venice and a famous traveler throughout Asia. Polo journeyed with his father and uncle on an epic tour of Central Asia and China that lasted 24 years. Marco tends to be the member of the party we remember today though, because it was he who documented their travels in a book called “Il Milione”.

92. “Pronto!” : ASAP!
The Spanish, Italian (and now English) word “pronto” is derived from the Latin “promptus” meaning “ready, quick”.

95. Disney Channel’s “___ and Maddie” : LIV
“Liv and Maddie” is a Disney Channel sitcom starring Dove Cameron as a pair of identical twins with very different personalities.

96. Grab and go? : CLUTCH (and) CHINESE BOARD GAME
Go is a strategy board game that was invented in China over 5,500 years ago. Go’s name in Chinese translates as “encircling game”, which reflects the objective of surrounding the largest area on the board.

104. Land bordering Nepal : TIBET
Tibet is a plateau region that is part of China, and is located northeast of the Himalayas. Tibet declared its independence from China in 1913, but fell back under Chinese control after the Invasion of Tibet in 1951. The Tibetan leader, the 14th Dalai Lama, fled the country during the 1959 Tibetan Rebellion. Since then, he has led the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamsala, India.

111. Ginger ___ : ALE
The brand most closely associated with ginger ale is Canada Dry. “Canada Dry Pale Ginger Ale” was first formulated in 1904 by a Canadian chemist called John McLoughlin from Ontario. Prohibition in the United States helped sales of the drink as it was particularly effective in masking the taste of illegally-produced homemade liquor.

114. Middle X or O : TAC
When I was growing up in Ireland we played “noughts and crosses” … our name for the game tic-tac-toe.

115. Milne young ‘un : ROO
Like most of the characters in A. A. Milne’s “Winnie the Pooh”, the kangaroo named Roo was inspired by on a stuffed toy belonging to Milne’s son Christopher Robin.

121. ___ Hawkins dance : SADIE
Sadie Hawkins is a character in Al Capp’s comic strip “Li’l Abner”. Sadie was still a spinster at the age of 35 so declared a “Sadie Hawkins Day” in which she chased the local men in a foot race, with marriage as the prize when one was caught. Starting in 1938, Sadie Hawkins Dances were introduced in schools across the US, to which the woman invites the man of her choosing.

122. Glossy fabric : SATEEN
Sateen is a cotton fabric, with a weave that is “four over, one under” meaning that most of the threads come to the surface giving it a softer feel.

123. Baja’s opposite : ALTA
In Spanish, “baja” is “low” and “alta” is “high”.

124. Setting for much of “Lord Jim” : SEA
“Lord Jim” is a novel by Joseph Conrad that was twice adapted for the big screen. The 1925 silent film version starred Percy Marmont in the title role, and the 1965 version featured Peter O’Toole as the lead.

125. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse ___ : TYSON
Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist who is noted for his ability to communicate science to the masses. Tyson is well known for his appearances on the great PBS show “Nova”.

Down
2. Dara who swam at five Olympics : TORRES
Dara Torres is a US swimmer who has won twelve Olympic medals. Torres is also the only American swimmer to have competed in five Olympic Games, and is the oldest swimmer to have made it onto the Olympic team, at 41.

3. Curmudgeonly : CRABBY
“Curmudgeon” is a favorite term used by my wife to describe me. A curmudgeon is a bad-tempered person full of resentment and stubborn notions. I am sure she means it very affectionately …

5. Former Saudi king : FAISAL
Faisal of Saudi Arabia was the third King of Saudi Arabia. Faisal is noted for having stabilized his country’s bureaucracy and establishing a modern infrastructure that helped Saudi Arabia exploit her oil resources. The King was assassinated in 1975, gunned down by his own nephew. His assassin was beheaded for the crime, in a public square before a crowd of thousands of Saudi citizens.

8. San ___ Obispo, Calif. : LUIS
The city of San Luis Obispo is one of the oldest communities in California. The name “San Luis Obispo” translates as “Saint Louis, the Bishop of Toulouse”. In 1990, San Luis Obispo was the first municipality in the world to ban smoking in all indoor public areas.

9. Thérèse, e.g.: Abbr. : STE
Saint Thérèse de Lisieux is also known as Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. Back in Ireland we call her “The Little Flower of Jesus”.

11. Bars for swingers? : JUNGLE GYM
The “Junglegym” was invented in Chicago in 1920, although today we use the generic term “jungle gym”. Somehow, the phrase “monkey bars” started to be used in the mid-fifties for the same apparatus.

23. Boeing competitor : AIRBUS
Airbus is an aircraft manufacturer based in Blagnac, France just outside Toulouse. Airbus produces about half of the world’s jetliners. The company built the first fly-by-wire aircraft (the A320) and also builds the world’s largest airliner (the A380).

24. Dollar, in slang : CLAM
“Buck” and “clam” are both slang terms for “a dollar”. The term “buck” has been around at least since 1856, and is thought to derive from the tradition of using buckskin as a unit of trade with Native Americans during the frontier days. It has been suggested that “clam” has a similar derivation, a throwback to the supposed use of clams as units of currency in ancient cultures.

30. Pittance : SOU
A sou is an old French coin. We use the term “sou” to mean “an almost worthless amount”.

32. One of nine for Tina Fey : EMMY
Comic actress Tina Fey has a scar on her face a few inches long on her left cheek, which I was shocked to learn was caused by a childhood “slashing” incident. When she was just five years old and playing in the front yard of her house, someone just came up to her and slashed her with a knife. How despicable!

35. Suffix with beta or cyclo- : -TRON
A betatron is machine that’s used to produce electrons. The name betatron comes from “beta particles”, electrons emitted by some radioactive nuclei.

A cyclotron accelerates charged particles (ions) using a magnetic field, usually directing the particles round and round a huge underground circular structure.

49. 1998 N.L. M.V.P. : SOSA
Sammy Sosa was firmly in the public eye in 1998 when he and Mark McGwire were vying to be the first to surpass the home run record held by Roger Maris. McGwire fell out of public favor due to stories of steroid abuse (stories which he later admitted were true) while Sosa fell out of favor when he was found to be using a corked bat in a 2003 game.

52. ___ the line (obeying) : TOEING
The idiomatic expression “to toe the line” means “to obey”. The etymology of the phrase is disputed, although it is likely to come from the Royal Navy. Barefooted sailors were required to stand to attention for inspection lined up along the seams for the wooden deck, hence “”toeing the line”.

53. Canoe builder’s bark source : BIRCH
The bark of birch trees (known as “birchbark”) is a useful material that has been used since prehistoric times as a building, crafting and writing material. Birchbark is readily cut, bent and sewn and resembles cardboard, although unlike cardboard, it is also water-resistant. Birchbark was a popular material with Native Americans, used for making canoes, wigwams, scrolls and maps.

65. “A Visit From St. Nicholas” writer : MOORE
The poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” was published anonymously in 1823, and is better known today by its first line “‘Twas the night before Christmas”. Most scholars believe that the poem was written by Clement Clarke Moore, a theologian from New York City. Others say that it was written by Henry Livingston, Jr. a poet from Upstate New York.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her ’kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash …

76. Russian moolah : RUBLES
The ruble (also “rouble”) is the unit of currency in Russia, as well as several other countries of the former Soviet Union. One ruble is divided into one hundred kopecks (also “kopeks”).

84. Provider of the fizz in a gin fizz : CLUB SODA
We call carbonated water “club soda”, because Club Soda used to be a brand name. The Club brand of drinks is actually Irish, owned by a company now known as C&C. As kids, we grew up on Club Orange and Club Lemon. Club Soda, not so much …

By definition, a cocktail known as a Fizz includes lemon or lime juice and carbonated water. The most popular of the genre is the Gin Fizz, made from 3 parts gin, 2 parts lemon juice, 1 part sugar syrup and 5 parts soda water. There is also a variant known as a sloe gin fizz.

90. “Well, Did You ___?” (Cole Porter tune) : EVAH
“Well, Did You Evah!” is a song from the 1939 Cole Porter musical “DuBarry Was a Lady”. A more famous rendition of the song was by Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra in the 1956 movie “High Society”.

98. Fisher of fashion : EILEEN
The Eileen Fisher brand fashion brand is known for using regular folks to model its clothes in print advertising.

101. “John Wick” star : REEVES
Keanu Reeves is a Canadian actor whose most celebrated roles were a metalhead in “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” (1989), a cop in “Speed” (1994) and the protagonist Neo in “The Matrix” series of films. Although Reeves is a Canadian national, he was born in Beirut, Lebanon. Reeves has some Hawaiian descent, and the name “Keanu” is Hawaiian for “the coldness”.

“John Wick” is a 2014 action movie starring Keanu Reeves in the title role. Reeves plays a retired hitman who goes on a killing spree to avenge the murder of his dog.

108. Onetime alternative to Facebook Messenger : GCHAT
“Gchat” is a common name for the Google Talk instant messaging service. Google Talk offers both text and voice communication as well as a plugin that allows video chat. All of this works seamlessly with Gmail, my personal favorite email client. That said, much of this functionality seems to have been replaced with the Google Hangouts service.

110. Website with a Watch list : EBAY
There have been some notable things sold on eBay over the years. For example:

• Ad space on a guy’s forehead, in the form of a temporary tattoo – $37,375
• William Shatner’s kidney stone – $25,000
• A cornflake shaped like Illinois – $1,350
• A single corn flake – $1.63
• A box of 10 Twinkies – $59.99
• The original Hollywood sign – $450,400
• The meaning of life – $3.26

118. It’s a “gift” : ESP
Extrasensory perception (ESP)

119. Name whose Italian equivalent is Giovanni : IAN
The name “John” translates into Scottish as “Ian”, into Russian as “Ivan”, into Italian as “Giovanni”, and into Irish as “Seán”.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Leave a permanent mark on : ETCH
5. Stows, as a banner : FURLS
10. Ice carving? : FJORD
15. Frequently : OFT
18. Romance writer Roberts : NORA
19. Ultimately succeed : PAN OUT
20. Coin portraying Queen Victoria, once : RUPEE
21. Quaint cry of disapproval : FIE
22. Play by heart? : DRAMATIC PIECE (by) CENTER
25. Monastery title : FRA
26. Sphere : ORB
27. Personal problems : ISSUES
28. Relay segment : LEG
29. Roman emblem of power adopted by Mussolini : FASCES
31. Big name in grills : WEBER
33. Toward the back : AFT
34. Gymnastics event : VAULT
36. Means of death for Judas Iscariot : NOOSE
37. A plus average? : SYMBOL FOR AMPERE (plus) REGULAR
41. Tight-lipped : MUM
42. Took first : WON
43. 2007 Peace Prize recipient : GORE
44. Rio greeting : OLA
45. Makes minor observations? : BABYSITS
50. Gum that comes in Fire and Ice varieties : DENTYNE
53. Begot : BRED
54. Letterhead? : ELL
55. “Star Trek: T.N.G.” counselor : TROI
57. Leeway : ROOM
58. Life force in Eastern medicine : CHI
60. Handle with care? : ALIAS (with) ASSISTANCE
64. Chart of the heavens : STAR MAP
68. River more than 2,700 miles long that crosses the Equator twice : CONGO
69. Two turtledoves, e.g. : PAIR
70. Cry at a surprise party just before the honoree arrives : HIDE
72. Get a groove on? : SCORE
73. Drink Gatorade after a workout, say : HYDRATE
75. Calm before the storm? : SERENITY (before the) TYPHOON
78. Blow it : ERR
79. Red-haired biblical twin : ESAU
80. Marco Polo crossed it : GOBI
81. “Gnarly!” : RAD!
82. What a lead runner sets : PACE
85. Learns : ABSORBS
88. Some Bavarian brews : RYE BEERS
91. Under the weather : ILL
92. “Pronto!” : ASAP!
93. Part of a film studio tour : LOT
95. Disney Channel’s “___ and Maddie” : LIV
96. Grab and go? : CLUTCH (and) CHINESE BOARD GAME
104. Land bordering Nepal : TIBET
105. Errands, e.g. : TRIPS
106. A.T.M. expense : FEE
107. Provider of limited coverage? : THONG
109. Subject to a recall, maybe : UNSAFE
111. Ginger ___ : ALE
112. “You betcha!” : SURE DO!
114. Middle X or O : TAC
115. Milne young ‘un : ROO
116. Stay ahead of the curve? : ABIDE (ahead of the) DECEPTIVE PITCH
120. December 31, e.g. : END
121. ___ Hawkins dance : SADIE
122. Glossy fabric : SATEEN
123. Baja’s opposite : ALTA
124. Setting for much of “Lord Jim” : SEA
125. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse ___ : TYSON
126. Stuck-up sort : PRISS
127. Spot for brooding : NEST

Down
1. Support, as a foundation : ENDOW
2. Dara who swam at five Olympics : TORRES
3. Curmudgeonly : CRABBY
4. Common Christmas entree : HAM
5. Former Saudi king : FAISAL
6. Release from shackles : UNCUFF
7. Way up a bunny slope : ROPE TOW
8. San ___ Obispo, Calif. : LUIS
9. Thérèse, e.g.: Abbr. : STE
10. Make available : FREE UP
11. Bars for swingers? : JUNGLE GYM
12. Go (for) : OPT
13. Coral bleaching locale : REEF
14. Drive mad : DERANGE
15. Salty or spicy : OFF-COLOR
16. Event with steeply discounted prices : FIRE SALE
17. Interest piquer : TEASER AD
19. Sports team tally: Abbr. : PTS
23. Boeing competitor : AIRBUS
24. Dollar, in slang : CLAM
30. Pittance : SOU
32. One of nine for Tina Fey : EMMY
34. Swedish lake that’s the largest in the European Union : VANERN
35. Suffix with beta or cyclo- : -TRON
38. Drops : OMITS
39. Metaphor for punishment : ROD
40. Standing : ERECT
45. Luau locale : BEACH
46. Cupronickel, e.g. : ALLOY
47. Like some uncertain dates : BLIND
48. Poppycock : TRIPE
49. 1998 N.L. M.V.P. : SOSA
51. Night at the museo? : NOCHE
52. ___ the line (obeying) : TOEING
53. Canoe builder’s bark source : BIRCH
56. “Quite true” : IT IS SO
59. Padlock’s place : HASP
61. Find common ground : AGREE
62. What spirits can do : SOAR
63. Toward the back : AREAR
64. Kept for later : SET BY
65. “A Visit From St. Nicholas” writer : MOORE
66. Very loud : AROAR
67. Isn’t over yet : PENDS
71. Maker of the fragrance Sauvage : DIOR
74. Wreck, informally : TRASH
76. Russian moolah : RUBLES
77. Triangular road sign : YIELD
79. Big purveyor of sports talk : ESPN RADIO
82. Imagines : PICTURES
83. Like a machine that prints, scans and faxes : ALL-IN ONE
84. Provider of the fizz in a gin fizz : CLUB SODA
86. Worm or fly : BAIT
87. Blubber : SOB
89. Setting for some aerial maneuvers : BIG TOP
90. “Well, Did You ___?” (Cole Porter tune) : EVAH
92. “Hurry!” : ACT FAST!
94. Soy-based frozen dessert brand : TOFUTTI
97. Flight attendant’s offering : TEA
98. Fisher of fashion : EILEEN
99. Design feature : SPEC
100. Hawks’ hangouts : AERIES
101. “John Wick” star : REEVES
102. Mark with spots : MOTTLE
103. Passes : ENACTS
108. Onetime alternative to Facebook Messenger : GCHAT
110. Website with a Watch list : EBAY
112. Vigorously debate (with) : SPAR
113. Man cave, maybe : DEN
117. Employee badges, e.g. : IDS
118. It’s a “gift” : ESP
119. Name whose Italian equivalent is Giovanni : IAN

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