Day: July 12, 2024

Bill’s time: 10m 02s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Tea accompaniment : SHORTBREAD

Shortening is a fat used in baking. It is the term “shortening” that gives us the words “shortbread” and “shortcake”.

18 Tennis star Mandlikova : HANA

Hana Mandlíková is a former professional tennis star from Czechoslovakia. She won four Grand Slam titles and then retired in 1990, at the ripe old age of 28.

20 Peruvian currency : SOL

The Nuevo Sol has been the currency of Peru since the 1980s.

31 Actress Dennings : KAT

Kat Dennings is the stage name of actress Katherine Litwack, who is noted today for her co-starring role on CBS’s sitcom “2 Broke Girls”. On the big screen, she plays the somewhat humorous character Dr. Darcy Lewis in the “Thor” series of films. Dennings is an avid blogger, and you can check out her video blog on YouTube.

39 “A vodka and Red Bull for the discerning,” per Difford’s cocktail guide : ESPRESSO MARTINI

An espresso martini is a cocktail that is often served with a couple of coffee beans as a garnish. Most recipes call for a mixture of vodka, espresso coffee, Kahlua and sugar syrup.

44 Grp. with a key on its seal : NSA

The National Security Agency (NSA) seal was introduced in 1965 and features an eagle perched upon a key. The eagle represents the agency’s national mission, and the key represents security.

47 Predator on a continental shelf : EEL

The shallow waters surrounding most of a continent lie above a continental shelf. The similar underwater land mass surrounding an island is an insular shelf.

60 Product of composting : SOIL

Composting is the process of decomposing organic matter to make the soil conditioner known as “compost”. The term “compost” ultimately comes from the Latin “com” (together) and “ponere” (to place). Compost is best made by “putting together” green waste that is rich in nitrogen, with brown waste that is rich in carbon, all in the presence of water and air.

65 Drip alternatives : AMERICANOS

A caffè Americano is espresso to which hot water is added, bringing the coffee to a similar strength as drip coffee. Caffè Italiano is a similar drink, but a little stronger, with a 1:1 ratio of espresso to hot water.

67 Animated character who serves as an official Japanese tourism ambassador : HELLO KITTY

Hello Kitty is a female bobtail cat, and a character/brand name launched in 1974 by the Japanese company Sanrio. Folks can overpay for stationary, school supplies and fashion accessories with the Hello Kitty character emblazoned thereon.

Down

1 Org. helping to find “forever homes” : SPCA

Unlike most developed countries, the US has no umbrella organization with the goal of preventing cruelty to animals. Instead there are independent organizations set up all over the nation using the name SPCA. Having said that, there is an organization called the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) that was originally intended to operate across the country, but really it now focuses its efforts in New York City.

2 Dwell (on) : HARP

To harp on something is to talk about it too much. The original expression with the same meaning was “to harp on the same string”, which is a reference to the musical instrument.

3 “Because of Winn-Dixie” narrator : OPAL

The Winn-Dixie supermarket chain started out as a family concern, growing from a general store in Burley, Idaho in 1914. When the family business was big enough, it took a controlling interest in a chain of stores called Winn-Lovett in 1939. Using the name Winn-Lovett, the company continued to grow and in 1955 bought the Dixie Home chain of stores. At that point the name changed to Winn-Dixie. The original family name? That was Davis …

4 Close again, as a piece of luggage : REZIP

What we know today as a “zipper” was invented by mechanical engineer Whitcomb Judson in 1890, when it was called a “clasp locker”. The device was introduced at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, but was not successful. Several people made improvements to the basic design over the coming decades. By the 1920s, the B. F. Goodrich Company was using the device on a line of rubber boots. It was Goodrich who introduced us to the name “zipper”.

6 Abbr. in an apartment listing : BRS

An apartment (apt) might have one bedroom (br).

8 Notes you might take on a semester abroad? : EUROS

The euro is the official currency of most of the states in the European Union, but not all. The list of EU states not using the euro includes Denmark and Sweden.

“Semester” is a German word from the Latin “semestris”, an adjective meaning “of six months”. We use the term in a system that divides an academic year into two roughly equal parts. A trimester-system has three parts, and a quarter-system has four.

23 First in a line of Egyptian pharaohs : RAMSES I

Ramesses (also “Ramses”) was the name taken by eleven of the Egyptian pharaohs. “Ramesses” translates as “Born of the sun-god Ra”.

25 Frequent Ja Rule collaborator : ASHANTI

Ashanti Douglas is an American R&B singer who uses just “Ashanti” as her stage name.

Ja Rule is the stage name of rapper Jeffrey Atkins. Apparently Ja Rule is noted not only for his music, but for his “feuds” with the likes of 50 Cent and Eminem.

28 Elvis’s “___ Not You” : SHE’S

Elvis Presley was drafted into the US Army in 1958, as a private. Although he was only a couple of years into his recording career, he already had a fervent following. While in basic training, he was quite certain that his success would be short-lived, and maybe could not recover after his stint with the Army. He used his leave to record new tracks, keeping his name out there. Presley did basic training at Fort Hood, Texas and was then assigned to the 3rd Armored Division stationed in Friedberg, Germany. It was in Friedberg that he met 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu, whom he would marry after courting her for 7 1/2 years. After two years in the Army, he came back home, to a career that was still soaring.

29 Rapper featured on Taylor Swift’s 2024 hit “Fortnight” : POST MALONE

“Post Malone” is the stage name of rap artist and singer Austin Post from Syracuse, New York. His stage name is simply his family name followed by the word “Malone” that he unearthed using a “rap name generator”.

30 Leonardo da Vinci, from the ages of 14 to 24 : APPRENTICE

Leonardo da Vinci was perhaps the most diversely talented person who ever contributed to society. He was a gifted painter, sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer and writer. Da Vinci’s mural “The Last Supper” is the most reproduced work of art in the world.

50 Jewish noodle dish : KUGEL

Kugel is a traditional Jewish dish, a baked casserole made from potato or egg noodles. It is particularly associated with Shabbat (Sabbath).

52 ___ Lama : DALAI

The Dalai Lama is a religious leader in the Gelug branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The current Dalai Lama is the 14th to hold the office. He has indicated that the next Dalai Lama might be found outside of Tibet for the first time, and may even be female.