Day: June 5, 2024

Bill’s time: 8m 49s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Ponied up : PAID

“To pony up” means “to pay”. Apparently, the term originated as a slang use of the Latin “legem pone” that was once used for “money”. “Legem Pone” was the title of the Psalm that was read out on March 25 each year, and March 25 was the first payday of the year in days gone by.

5 Grain husks : CHAFF

The chaff is the dry husk that surrounds grains in cereal grasses, and it’s what’s left after threshing. We use the term “chaff” in a figurative sense as well, to mean “trivial or worthless matter”.

10 Elev. : HGT

Height (hgt.)

13 Where to find one’s U.C.L., as suggested by its first letter : ULNA

Tommy John surgery (TGS) is a procedure that reconstructs the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), a thick band of tissue in the elbow, by replacing it with a tendon from elsewhere in the body. The operation is commonly required for athletes, particularly baseball players. The first baseball player to undergo the procedure, in 1974, was Major League pitcher Tommy John, hence the name.

14 Feeling that can be caused by the final three letters of this answer : NAUSEA

Nausea is a sick feeling in the stomach. The term “nausea” derives from the Greek “naus” meaning “ship”. Originally, nausea was associated only with seasickness.

16 One who might object to the phrase “around the globe” : FLAT-EARTHER

The Flat Earth Society is a modern incarnation of a much older group that believed that the earth was in fact flat and not an oblate spheroid. The new version was established by Samuel Shenton in 1956 in Dover in the UK. When man ventured to the moon, the Flat Earth Society took the position that the Apollo program was an elaborate hoax. The contemporary Flat Earth Society is run out of Lancaster, California.

18 Judo rank : DAN

The dan ranking system is used in several Japanese and Korean martial arts. The ranking indicates a level of proficiency, and often only applies to practitioners who have already earned a black belt.

19 “Obsequy” and “exequy” are fancy terms for these rites : FUNERALS

An obsequy is a funeral rite or ceremony. The term “obsequy” has been around since the 14th century and comes from the Latin “obsequium” meaning “compliance, dutiful service”.

23 It starts with janeiro : ANO

In Portuguese, the “ano” (year) starts with the month of “janeiro” (January).

24 Suffix with centi- or milli- : -PEDE

Centipedes and millipedes are multi-legged arthropods. Centipedes can have varying numbers of legs, from about 30 to about 350 depending on species. Millipedes have segmented bodies with two pairs of legs in each segment. Millipedes have about 80 to 750 legs, again depending on species.

25 Maker of squishy balls : NERF

Nerf is a soft material used in a whole series of toys designed for “safe” play indoors. The Nerf product is used to make darts, balls and ammunition for toy guns. “NERF” is an acronym, standing for Non-Expanding Recreational Foam.

32 ___ Cruces, N.M. : LAS

Las Cruces (Spanish for “the crosses”) is the second largest city in the state of New Mexico, and is the home of New Mexico State University.

35 Call on the high seas : AHOY!

“Ahoy!” is a nautical term used to signal a vessel. When the telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell, he suggested that “ahoy” be used as a standard greeting when answering a call. However, Thomas Edison came up with “hello”, and we’ve been using that ever since.

40 Org. that specifically prohibits bowling pins and pool cues : TSA

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is the agency that employs the good folks who check passengers and baggage at airports.

42 Word with shot or shine : MOON-

The illegal distilled spirits known as moonshine can also be referred to as white lightning, mountain dew and hooch.

44 Collection of fine threads : SPIDERWEB

The silk that makes up a web is a protein fiber that is “spun” by a spider. Spider silk is about one sixth of the density of steel, yet has a comparable tensile strength.

52 ___ Lingus : AER

Aer Lingus is my favorite airline! Well, the service isn’t that great, but when I get on board an Aer Lingus plane I feel like I am back in Ireland. Aer Lingus is the national airline of Ireland, with “Aer Lingus” being a phonetic spelling of the Irish “aer-loingeas” meaning “air fleet”. These days Aer Lingus can only lay claim to the title of Ireland’s oldest airline as it is no longer the biggest. That honor goes to the controversial budget airline Ryanair.

55 One of 17 in Monopoly: Abbr. : AVE

The street names in the original US version of the board game Monopoly are locations in or around Atlantic City, New Jersey.

56 Oxymoronic-sounding pain relief brand : ICYHOT

Heat rubs are products designed to produce a feeling of warmth in sore or tired muscles. The active ingredients are usually menthol (mint oil) and methyl salicylate (oil of wintergreen, an analgesic). A common brand name in this country is IcyHot, and we have Deep Heat in Ireland, and there’s Tiger Balm in Asia and Canada.

59 Their drawers might contain drawers : ARMOIRES

“Armoire” is the French word for “wardrobe”, and is used in English for a standing closet that stores clothes.

62 Unlikely sailors : LANDLUBBERS

A lubber is a clumsy person and “landlubber” is a contemptuous term used by sailors describing a man of the land. Sailors might also call an inexperienced seaman a landlubber or perhaps just a lubber.

66 Lake Superior’s ___ Royale : ISLE

Isle Royale in Michigan is the largest island in Lake Superior. The main island, along with over 400 smaller surrounding islands, is now part of Isle Royale National Park.

67 Mine is ⬛️⬛️⬛️-⬛️⬛️-⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️: Abbr. : 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. Starting in 1973, the Area Number reflected the ZIP code from which the application was made. The GG in the SSN was the Group Number, and the SSSS number the Serial Number. This is all moot today. Since 2011, SSNs have been assigned randomly. Some random numbers, however, have been excluded from use, i.e. Area Numbers 000, 666 (!) and 900-999.

69 River where Achilles took a dip : STYX

The River Styx of Greek mythology was the river that formed the boundary between the Earth and the Underworld (or “Hades”). The souls of the newly dead had to cross the River Styx in a ferry boat piloted by Charon. Traditionally, a coin would be placed in the mouths of the dead “to pay the ferryman”.

Achilles is the protagonist in Homer’s “Iliad”. When Achilles was born, his mother attempted to make him immortal by dipping him into the River Styx. As he was held by the heel while under the water, this became the only vulnerable point on his body (his Achilles’ heel”). Years later he was killed when a poisoned arrow struck him in the heel. That arrow was shot by Paris.

Down

1 Bird also called a “sea parrot” : PUFFIN

Puffins are seabirds found in the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. They feed primarily by diving into the water to catch fish, and are known for their ability to swim underwater using a “flying” technique.

17 Laundry detergent brand : ERA

Era was the first liquid laundry detergent produced by Procter & Gamble.

21 Brew that might be “double dry-hopped,” for short : IPA

India pale ale (IPA) is a style of beer that originated in England. The beer was originally intended for transportation from England to India, hence the name.

26 Seasonal vaccine target : FLU

Influenza (the “flu”) is an ailment that is caused by a virus. The virus is readily inactivated by the use of soap, so washing hands and surfaces is especially helpful in containing flu outbreaks, and other virus pandemics …

28 State that’s nearly 90% forested : MAINE

Maine is the least-densely populated state east of the Mississippi, with almost 90% of its land covered with forests. Perhaps that’s why the state’s nickname is “The Pine Tree State” …

29 Philip of “Kung Fu” : AHN

Actor Philip Ahn is perhaps best known for playing Master Kahn, one of Caine’s teachers on the television show “Kung Fu”. Ahn was the first Asian-American actor to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“Kung Fu” is a Western TV series that originally aired in the mid-seventies. David Carradine plays a Buddhist monk and martial arts expert traveling through the Old West. Caradine’s character is named Kwai Chang Caine, and he is on a quest to find his half-brother Danny Caine.

31 Harp-shaped constellation : LYRA

Lyra (Latin for “lyre, harp, lute”) is a constellation that includes the star Vega, one of the brightest stars in the night sky. The constellation Lyra is surrounded by the neighboring constellations of Draco, Hercules, Vulpecula and Cygnus.

33 Company at the center of the murder in “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” : ACME

“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” is a clever 1988 film featuring cartoon characters that interact directly with human beings. The most memorable cartoon characters have to be goofy Roger Rabbit, and vampish Jessica Rabbit. The film is based on a novel written by Gary K. Wolf called “Who Censored Roger Rabbit?” There is a prequel floating around that has never been produced, which is titled “Who Discovered Roger Rabbit”.

34 Candy bar with a toffee center : SKOR

The candy bar named “Skor” is produced by Hershey’s. “Skor” is Swedish for “shoes”, and the candy bar’s wrapping features a crown that is identical to that found in the Swedish national emblem. What shoes have to do with candy, I don’t know …

45 Play-___ : DOH

Back in the 1930s, a manufacturer in Cincinnati produced a doughy compound that was used to clean wallpaper. Twenty years later, school-kids started using the cleaning material as a modeling compound, so the manufacturer reworked the formula, and sold it to local schools. It was given the name “Play-Doh”.

50 Bygone kingdom of ancient Britain : WESSEX

Thomas Hardy set most of his novels and short stories in the south and southwest of England, in an area that he called “Wessex”. Even though the name “Wessex” was not used officially during Hardy’s lifetime, Wessex was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom that existed in that part of the island during the Middle Ages. A favorite spot within Hardy’s Wessex is Egdon Heath, a sparsely inhabited moorland that features in the author’s “The Return of the Native”, “The Mayor of Casterbridge” and “The Withered Arm”.

Alfred the Great was the King of Wessex in the latter part of the ninth century, and the dominant ruler in the whole of England. Wessex was the familiar name of the Kingdom of the West Saxons in the southwest of Britain.

57 Flamenco cries : OLES

Flamenco is a style of Spanish music and dance. The origin of the word “flamenco” isn’t clearly understood, but the explanation that seems most credible to me is that it comes from Flanders in Northern Europe. Given that “flamenco” is the Spanish word for “Flemish” and Flanders is home to the Flemish people it makes perfect sense, doesn’t it?

58 Figure skater Lipinski : TARA

When American skater Tara Lipinski won the figure skating gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics, she was only 15 years old. To this day, Lipinski is the youngest person to win an individual gold at the Winter Games.

60 Head of the Egyptian god Thoth : IBIS

The ibis is a wading bird that was revered in ancient Egypt. “Ibis” is an interesting word grammatically speaking. You can have one “ibis” or two “ibises”, and then again one has a flock of “ibis”. And if you want to go with the classical plural, instead of two “ibises” you would have two “ibides”!

Thoth was an ancient Egyptian god who was depicted as a man with the head of either a baboon or an ibis. He was the god of many things, including wisdom, writing, magic and the dead.