Day: February 24, 2017

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
5. Bird food holder : CRAW
“Craw” is another name for the “crop”, a portion of the alimentary tract of some animals, including birds. The crop is used for the storage of food prior to digestion. The crop allows the animal to eat large amounts and then digest that food with efficiency over an extended period. The expression “to stick in one’s craw” is used one when one cannot accept something, cannot “swallow” it.

14. Big dog : GREAT DANE
The Great Dane dog of isn’t actually from Denmark, and rather is a German breed.

16. “It Is Never Too Late to Mend” novelist, 1856 : READE
Charles Reade was an English author who came to public attention with a two-act comedy play called “Masks and Faces”. Reade turned the play into a prose story in 1852 that he called “Peg Woffington”. Reade also wrote a historical novel called “The Cloister and the Hearth” about a married man who becomes a Dominican friar on hearing that his wife has died. Years later he discovers that his wife is in fact still living and a struggle develops between the man’s obligation to family and his obligation to the Roman Catholic Church.

17. The Fab Four kicked it off : BRITISH INVASION
The Beatles arrived in the US for their first tour in February 1964, arriving at John F. Kennedy Airport to a very, very warm reception. The group’s arrival was the first “action” in what came to be known as “the British Invasion”.

20. What often follows grace : DIG IN
A “grace” is a short prayer recited before or after a meal.

21. Their tops can produce “power output” : QWERTY KEYBOARDS
The phrase “power output” can be typed using only the top row of a qwerty keyboard.

There is an alternative to the annoying QWERTY keyboard layout. Dr. August Dvorak came up with a much simpler and more efficient layout in 1936. The Dvorak layout is supposed to allow faster typing rates and to reduce repetitive strain injuries.

29. Michelangelo and others : OLD MASTERS
The celebrated Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo was born Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni in a village near Arezzo in the present-day province of Tuscany. Michelangelo achieved renown during his own lifetime. He was the first Western artist to see his biography published during his own lifetime.

35. Title mankini wearer in a 2006 film : BORAT
The full name of the 2006 “mockumentary” is “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan”. Borat is played by a British comedian, Sacha Baron Cohen. Not my cup of tea …

36. Woman often depicted 34-Across by 29-Across : EVE
(34A. With nothing on : NUDE
29A. Michelangelo and others : OLD MASTERS)
According to the Bible, Eve was created as Adam’s companion by God, creating her from Adam’s rib.

38. Astronomical discovery initially called Xena : ERIS
Eris is the largest known dwarf planet in our solar system. It is also the ninth largest body orbiting the sun, a fact that helped relegate Pluto (the tenth largest body) from its status of planet in 2006. Eris was discovered in 2005.

39. Ingredient in some mulled wine : ORANGE ZEST
Yum!

43. Locale of Franklin County … or of Aretha Franklin’s birth: Abbr. : TENN
I think Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, had a tough life. Franklin had her first son when she was just 13-years-old, and her second at 15. In 2008, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked Franklin as number one in their list of the greatest singers of all time.

50. Music direction to stop playing : TACET
“Tacet” is a musical direction meaning “be silent”. It is typically written on a score to instruct a particular voice or instrument to remain silent for a whole movement. “Tacet” is Latin for “it is silent”.

51. Celebrity astrologer Sydney ___ : OMARR
Sydney Omarr was an astrology consultant to the rich and famous, and author of a horoscope column that appeared in the Los Angeles Times. While Omarr (real name Sidney Kimmelman) was in the US Army he even wrote a horoscope column for “Stars and Stripes”. He claimed that he got the job of writing for “Stars and Stripes” after having giving a consultation to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

58. Bavaria, per part of its official name : FREE STATE
Bavaria in southeast Germany is the largest state in the country. The capital and largest city in Bavaria is Munich.

59. Seahawks stadium name before 2011 : QWEST
Qwest was a telecom company, acquired by CenturyLink in April 2011. CenturyLink is now the third-largest telecom company in the US, after AT&T and Verizon.

The Seattle Seahawks joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1976, along with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Seahawks have enthusiastic fans, often referred to as the “12th man”, a reference to how well their support can buoy the team. The Seahawks fans have twice broken the Guinness World Record for the loudest crowd noise at a sporting event.

60. Twitter feature : FEED
The familiar blue Twitter logo is known as “Larry the Bird”, and was named for former Boston Celtics player Larry Bird.

Down
1. Orientation letters? : LGBTQ
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQ)

3. River that Henry Miller likened to “a great artery running through the human body” : SEINE
The Seine is the river that flows through Paris. The Seine empties into the English Channel to the north, at the port city of Le Havre.

4. Golden Horde member : TATAR
Tatars are an ethnic group of people, mainly residing in Russia (a population of about 5 1/2 million). One of the more famous people with a Tatar heritage was Hollywood actor Charles Bronson. Bronson’s real name was Charles Buchinsky.

The Golden Horde was a group of Mongols who ruled over what is now Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Moldova and the Caucasus, from the 1240s until 1502. It has been suggested that the name of the group derives from the yellow tents used by the rulers of the Golden Horde. And, the Golden Horde’s influence and rule led to the term “horde” entering the English language, via many languages spoken in Slavic Eastern Europe.

7. Darth Vader’s childhood nickname : ANI
Anakin “Ani” Skywalker is the principal character in the first six of the “Star Wars” movies. His progress chronologically through the series of films is:

• Episode I: Anakin is a 9-year-old slave boy who earns the promise of Jedi training by young Obi-Wan Kenobi.
• Episode II: Anakin is 18-years-old and goes on a murdering rampage to avenge the killing of his mother.
• Episode III: Anakin is 21-years-old and a Jedi knight, but he turns to the Dark Side and becomes Darth Vader. His wife Padme gives birth to twins, Luke and Leia Skywalker.
• Episode IV: Darth Vader, comes into conflict with his children, Luke Skywalker and the Princess Leia.
• Episode V: Darth Vader attempts to coax his son Luke over to the dark side, and reveals to Luke that he is his father.
• Episode VI: Luke learns that Leia is his sister, and takes on the task of bringing Darth Vader back from the Dark Side in order to save the Galaxy. Vader saves his son from the Emperor’s evil grip, dying in the process, but his spirit ends up alongside the spirits of Yoda and Obi-Wan. They all live happily ever after …

8. Darling of literature : WENDY
In J.M. Barrie’s play and novel about Peter Pan, Peter takes Wendy Darling and her two brothers on adventures on the island of Neverland. Back in the real world, the Darling children are taken care of by a nanny, a Newfoundland dog called Nana. It is Nana who takes Peter Pan’s shadow away from him as he tries to escape from the Darling house one night.

9. It’s between Navarre and Catalonia : ARAGON
Modern-day Aragón is an autonomous community in the northeast of Spain. The region is named for the medieval Kingdom of Aragón.

10. Co-star of a #1 TV show for four seasons in the 1950s : DESI ARNAZ
Desi Arnaz was famous for his turbulent marriage to Lucille Ball. Arnaz was a native of Cuba, and was from a privileged family. His father was Mayor of Santiago and served in the Cuban House of Representatives. However, the family had to flee to Miami after the 1933 revolt led by Batista.

13. X : TEN
“X” is the Roman numeral for “ten”.

15. Attacks medieval-style : TILTS AT
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”.

22. High-five go-withs, maybe : YOS
The celebratory gesture that we call a “high five” is said to have been invented by former baseball players Dusty Baker and Glenn Burke when they were both playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the later 1970s.

23. Certain white-collar criminal : KITER
Check kiting is illegal. The idea behind kiting is to write a check, even though there are insufficient funds to cover the amount. The con artist then writes another check, also with insufficient funds, from another bank’s account to cover the original check. I am not sure it would work nowadays, but then I am as honest as the day is long! Oh, and I think the term “kiting” comes from the older phrase “go fly a kite”, the idea being that the bad check is floated on air (non-existent funds).

26. Angioplasty device : STENT
In the world of medicine and surgery, a stent is an artificial tube inserted inside a vessel in the body, say an artery, so that it reduces the effects of a local restriction in the body’s conduit.

Angioplasty is a mechanical widening of a narrowed artery. In the surgical procedure, a balloon catheter is inflated at the point of the obstruction to open up the artery. A stent may then be inserted to make sure the vessel remains open.

30. Once-ler’s opponent, in children’s literature : LORAX
“The Lorax” is a children’s book written by Dr. Seuss. It is an allegorical work questioning the problems created by industrialization, and in particular its impact on the environment. At one point in the story, the Lorax “speaks for the trees, for the trees have no tongues”. “The Lorax” was adapted into an animated film that was released in 2012, with Danny DeVito voicing the title character.

32. Their grilles have trident ornaments : MASERATIS
Maserati is a manufacturer of luxury cars in Italy. The company was founded in Bologna in 1914 by five brothers: Alfieri, Bindo, Carlo, Ettore and Ernesto Maserati. The company uses a trident logo that is based on the trident depicted in the Fountain of Neptune in the Piazza Maggiore in Bologna.

33. Actor Auberjonois and others : RENES
René Auberjonois is an American actor. Auberjonois’ most famous role on the big screen was Father Mulcahy in the movie “M*A*S*H”.

39. Wickerwork material : OSIER
Most willows (trees and shrubs of the genus Salix) are called just that, willows. Some of the broad-leaved shrub varieties are called sallow, and the narrow-leaved shrubs are called osier. The variety known as osier is commonly used in basketry, as osier twigs are very flexible. The strong and flexible willow stems are sometimes referred to as withies.

40. Co. with the longtime slogan “Live well” : GNC
General Nutrition Centers (GNC) is a retailer of health and nutrition supplements based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1935 as a small health food store in downtown Pittsburgh. There are now about 5,000 stores in the US. The GNC slogan is “Live Well”.

52. Lawyer’s title: Abbr. : ESQ
The title “esquire” is of British origin and is used differently today depending on whether one is in the US or the UK. Here in America the term is usually reserved for those practicing the law (both male and female). In the UK, “esquire” is a term of gentle respect reserved for a male who has no other title that one can use. So a mere commoner like me might receive a letter from the bank say, addressed to W. E. Butler Esq.

55. Spike in direction : LEE
Film director Spike Lee was born in Atlanta, Georgia but has very much made New York City his home and place of work. Most of Lee’s films are set in New York City, including his first feature film, “She’s Gotta Have It”. That film was shot over two weeks, with a budget of $175,000. “She’s Gotta Have It” grossed over $7 million at the US box office.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Take a while to wear off : LAST
5. Bird food holder : CRAW
9. Allow through : ADMIT
14. Big dog : GREAT DANE
16. “It Is Never Too Late to Mend” novelist, 1856 : READE
17. The Fab Four kicked it off : BRITISH INVASION
19. Like many sub-Saharan languages : TONAL
20. What often follows grace : DIG IN
21. Their tops can produce “power output” : QWERTY KEYBOARDS
27. Nitrogen source for plants : SOIL
28. Put in firmly : ENROOT
29. Michelangelo and others : OLD MASTERS
34. With nothing on : NUDE
35. Title mankini wearer in a 2006 film : BORAT
36. Woman often depicted 34-Across by 29-Across : EVE
37. Didn’t release : SAT ON
38. Astronomical discovery initially called Xena : ERIS
39. Ingredient in some mulled wine : ORANGE ZEST
41. File menu option : SAVE AS
43. Locale of Franklin County … or of Aretha Franklin’s birth: Abbr. : TENN
44. Workout area? : EXERCISE SCIENCE
50. Music direction to stop playing : TACET
51. Celebrity astrologer Sydney ___ : OMARR
52. Usually anonymous newspaper worker : EDITORIAL WRITER
57. They’re more important than quarters : SEMIS
58. Bavaria, per part of its official name : FREE STATE
59. Seahawks stadium name before 2011 : QWEST
60. Twitter feature : FEED
61. Something pulled uphill : SLED

Down
1. Orientation letters? : LGBTQ
2. Orientation aid : ARROW
3. River that Henry Miller likened to “a great artery running through the human body” : SEINE
4. Golden Horde member : TATAR
5. They may be stored in towers : CDS
6. Match noise : RAH!
7. Darth Vader’s childhood nickname : ANI
8. Darling of literature : WENDY
9. It’s between Navarre and Catalonia : ARAGON
10. Co-star of a #1 TV show for four seasons in the 1950s : DESI ARNAZ
11. Artery : MAIN ROUTE
12. “Yes, agreed” : I DO
13. X : TEN
15. Attacks medieval-style : TILTS AT
18. Things picked up by the perceptive : VIBES
22. High-five go-withs, maybe : YOS
23. Certain white-collar criminal : KITER
24. Hoist : ELEVATE
25. Pinheads : DODOS
26. Angioplasty device : STENT
29. Like cartoondom’s Peter Griffin or Chief Wiggum : OBESE
30. Once-ler’s opponent, in children’s literature : LORAX
31. Rush hour, on the airwaves : DRIVE TIME
32. Their grilles have trident ornaments : MASERATIS
33. Actor Auberjonois and others : RENES
37. Upper class : SENIORS
39. Wickerwork material : OSIER
40. Co. with the longtime slogan “Live well” : GNC
42. Waylay : ACCOST
45. Joe Blow : STIFF
46. Broadcasts : EMITS
47. From one’s earliest days : NATAL
48. Where the Linear A script was unearthed : CRETE
49. Was immoral : ERRED
52. Lawyer’s title: Abbr. : ESQ
53. Beads on petals : DEW
54. Were present? : ARE
55. Spike in direction : LEE
56. Say 12-Down : WED

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