Category: Kelly Clark

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Porcine paramour : PETUNIA PIG
Petunia Pig is a cartoon character in the “Looney Tunes” and “Merrie Melodies” universes. Petunia is the girlfriend of Porky Pig and has been around since 1937.

11. Yesterday, so to speak : ASAP
As soon as possible (ASAP)

15. Product with a Crispy Buffalo variety : SHAKE ‘N BAKE
Shake ‘n Bake is a flavored, breadcrumb-like coating made for meats. Introduced in 1965, the idea is to shake the coating with pieces of meat in a bag and then bake in the oven.

16. Underwater breather : GILL
A fish’s gills are the organs equivalent to the lungs of many land animals. The gills can extract oxygen dissolved in water and excrete carbon dioxide.

18. Beginning to morph? : ECTO-
The psychologist William Herbert Sheldon proposed a now-discredited theory that a person’s intelligence, future achievement and temperament could be associated with particular body types. Sheldon proposed three “somatotypes”, a classification that is still used today:

Ectomorphic: thin body build
Mesomorphic: muscular and sturdy body build
Endomorphic: heavy body build

19. Brady bunch, briefly : TDS
Touchdowns (TDs)

Tom Brady plays quarterback for the New England Patriots. Brady is from San Mateo, California, which isn’t very far from here. He dated actress Bridget Moynahan for a couple of years, and the pair have a child together. Brady has been married to Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen since 2009.

20. Some zoo employees : VETS
“Vet” is an abbreviation for “veterinarian”, a professional who treat animals for disease and injury. The word “veterinary” comes from the Latin “veterinae” meaning “working animals, beasts of burden”.

23. Some red giants : S STARS
Stars are usually classified based on the color of the light that they emit. These classifications are, from hottest to coolest, O, B, A, F, G, K and M. One way to remember the order of these letters is to use the mnemonic “Oh, be a fine girl, kiss me”. The colors of these stars range from blue (class O) to red (class M). Our sun is class G, a yellow star, but I think we all know that …

Red giants are very large stars with a relatively low mass. The atmosphere of a red giant is also very inflated and extends a long way into space so the surface of that atmosphere that we see is relatively cool, which gives it a red color.

30. Foe of Big Boy and Little Face : DICK TRACY
The “Dick Tracy” comic strip was created way back in 1931 by Chester Gould. Dick Tracy was always up to date with the latest crime fighting techniques and gadgets, and even had a few that weren’t in use in real life. Tracy’s most famous gadget was his two-way wrist radio, something he started using in 1946. The radio got an upgrade in 1964 when it became a two-way wrist TV!

36. Good news for business : NET PROFIT
In a statement of accounts, gross profit is the difference between revenue from sales and the cost of making goods or providing a service. So-called fixed costs, of overhead, payroll, taxes and interest payments are not included in gross profits. When these fixed costs have been deducted, what is left is called the net profit, also known as “the bottom line”.

40. Shot measure : JIGGER
A jigger is a 1.5 ounce shot glass.The term “jigger” was originally used for an illicit distillery in the 1800s.

44. Geezers : COOTS
Geezer and coot are two not-so-nice terms for an old man (like me …)

49. Symbol del cristianismo : CRUZ
In Spanish, the “cruz” (cross) is a “symbol del cristianismo” (symbol of Christianity).

53. Artist Magritte : RENE
Belgian artist René Magritte was a surrealist. His most recognized work maybe is “The Son of Man”, a painting he created as a self-portrait. It is the work that shows a man in a bowler hat with his face covered by an apple. The image features prominently in the great movie, the 1999 remake of “The Thomas Crown Affair”.

56. Reminder that sticks? : POST-IT NOTE
The Post-it note was invented at 3M following the accidental discovery of a low-tack, reusable adhesive. The actual intent of the development program was the discovery of a super-strong adhesive.

Down
2. Israel’s Olmert : EHUD
Ehud Olmert took over as Acting Prime Minister when Ariel Sharon suffered a severe stroke early in 2006. Olmert then led his party to victory in a general election held later that same year. He held Israel’s highest office in his own right until 2009, when he had to step down facing allegations of corruption.

3. Staple of Memorial Day services : TAPS
Taps is played nightly by the US military, indicating “lights out”. It’s also known as “Butterfield’s Lullaby” as it is a variation of an older bugle call named the “Scott Tattoo”, arranged during the Civil War by the Union Army’s Brigadier General Daniel Butterfield. The tune is called “taps”, from the notion of drum taps, as it was originally played on a drum, and only later on a bugle. The whole tune comprises just 24 notes, with there only being four different notes within the 24, i.e. “low G”, C, E and “high G”. Minimalism at its best …

The US’s Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for the men and women who fell serving their country in the armed forces. The holiday is held on the last Monday in May. It was originally known as Decorations Day and was established after the Civil War to commemorate both the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in that conflict. Memorial Day is also the traditional start of the summer season, with the end of the season being Labor Day.

4. Instrument that’s cradled, for short : UKE
The ukulele (“uke”) originated in the 1800s and mimicked a small guitar brought to the Hawaiian Islands by Portuguese immigrants.

8. Mushy foods : PAPS
One meaning of “pap” is soft or semi-liquid food for babies and small children. “Pap” comes into English via French, from the Latin word used by children for “food”. In the 1500s, “pap” also came to mean “an oversimplified” idea. This gives us a usage that’s common today, describing literature or perhaps TV programming that lacks real value or substance. Hands up those who think there’s a lot of pap out there, especially on television …

9. ’50s campaign nickname : IKE
When the future president was growing up, the Eisenhower family used the nickname “Ike” for all seven boys in the family, as “Ike” was seen as an abbreviation for the family name. “Big Ike” was Edgar, the second oldest boy. “Little/Young Ike” was Dwight, who was the third son born. Dwight had no sisters.

10. 2014 World Cup winner: Abbr. : GER
The 2014 FIFA World Cup tournament was held in Brazil, with Germany emerging victorious after defeating Argentina in the final. The most memorable game of the competition was Germany’s unexpectedly big win over the host nation in the semi-final round, a 7-1 victory.

11. Weapon used in the Vietnam War : AGENT ORANGE
Agent Orange is a defoliant used by the US Military as a chemical weapon, particularly during the Vietnam War. Agent Orange is a mixture of two herbicides, and one of these herbicides was shown to be contaminated with an extremely toxic dioxin compound that has been linked to various forms of cancer and birth defects. The name “Agent Orange” arose as the chemical was shipped into the field in 55-gallon barrels with an identifying orange stripe.

13. Fix as 20-Across might do : ALTER
(20A. Some zoo employees : VETS)
The verb “to alter” can mean to spay, castrate.

22. Hot, salty snack : SOFT PRETZEL
Pretzels originated in Europe and are especially popular in Southern Germany where a pretzel is known as “Brezel”. Pretzels were introduced into the US in the 1800s by immigrants from Germany and Switzerland who came to be known over here as the Pennsylvania Dutch.

23. Lord & Taylor rival, informally : SAKS
Saks Fifth Avenue is a high-end specialty store that competes with the likes of Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus. The original Saks & Company business was founded by Andrew Saks in 1867. The first Saks Fifth Avenue store was opened on Fifth Avenue in New York City in 1924. There are now Saks Fifth Avenue stores in many major cities in the US, as well in several locations worldwide.

Lord & Taylor is a chain of luxury department stores founded by Samuel Lord and George Washington Taylor. With the original store opening in Manhattan in 1826, Lord & Taylor is the oldest chain of luxury department stores in the country.

25. John Paul II, e.g. : POLE
Pope John Paul II led the Catholic Church from 1978 until 2005, a period of over 26 years. That made him the second longest serving Pope in history, after Pius IX who reigned for over 31 years in the mid 1800s. Paradoxically, John Paul II’s predecessor was John Paul I who only ruled for 33 days. John Paul II was a native of Poland, and was the first non-Italian Pope to lead the church since 1523. His birth name was Karol Wojtyla.

28. Founder of Rhyme $yndicate Records : ICE-T
Rapper Ice-T must be sick of having his name come up as an answer in crossword puzzles (I know I am!). Ice-T has been interested in acting for decades and made his film debut in the 1984 movie about breakdancing called “Breakin’”. He has also played Detective Fin Tutuola in the TV show “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” since the year 2000.

30. Webster wrote many of them: Abbr. : DEFS
Not only is Noah Webster’s name inextricably linked with his series of dictionaries, but he is also renowned as an advocate for English spelling reform. He argued that “traditional” English is hard to learn, and that it should be simplified and standardized (instead of “standardised”). He published spelling books that were used in schools, and from edition to edition he changed the spelling of words in order to simplify the language. Examples are the use of “s” over “c” in words like “defense” (in Ireland we have defence and defense depending on usage), “-re” became “-er” as in center instead of centre (reversing the influence of French), and he dropped one of the Ls in words like traveler (I learned “traveller”). Mind you, he also spelled “tongue” as “tung”, but he didn’t get very far with that one.

32. Nieuwpoort’s river : YSER
The Yser originates in northern France and flows through Belgium into the North Sea. The Yser is often associated with WWI as it figured in a major battle early in the conflict. In the first three months of the war, the German Army pushed almost completely through Belgium, inflicting heavy losses on the Belgian Army as the defenders were forced to fight a fast-moving rearguard action. The Germans were intent on pushing right through Belgium and across France in a “race to the sea”. But the Belgians, with the help of their Allies, decided to make a final stand at the Yser Canal in an effort to prevent the Germans reaching the French ports of Calais and Dunkirk. The 22-mile long defensive line was chosen at the Yser because the river and canal system could be flooded to create a barrier that might be defended. The plan was successful and the front was “stabilized”. As we now know, millions of lives were lost over the coming years with very little movement of that battle line.

The Yser river flows into the North Sea at Nieuwpoort in the Flemish province of West Flanders in Belgium.

34. Counterpart of moi : VOUS
In French, the pronoun “moi” (me) is a counterpart of “vous” (you).

37. Some antlered animals : ROES
Roe deer are found mainly in Europe. They would be the deer shown on television and in movies when Robin Hood was out hunting in Sherwood Forest.

40. He succeeded two queens : JAMES I
King James I of England was preceded on the throne by Queen Elizabeth I, who in turn was preceded by Mary I.

41. Capital up the coast from Cape Coast : ACCRA
Accra sits on Ghana’s coast and is a major seaport as well as the country’s capital city. The name “Accra” comes from a local word “Nkran” meaning “ants”, a name chosen because of the large number of anthills found in the area when the city was founded.

43. Hoist on a ship : DAVIT
A davit is a crane-like structure used to raise and lower things on and off a ship, perhaps a lifeboat. The crane was originally known as a “david”, and was so called as it was customary to apply given names to useful devices. Other examples would be: jack, jenny and jimmy.

46. Pacific dietary staple : TARO
The corm of some taro plants is used to make poi, the traditional Hawaiian dish (that I think tastes horrible). When a taro plant is grown as an ornamental, it is often called Elephant Ears due to the shape of its large leaves.

50. “Leaves and Navels” artist : ARP
Jean Arp was a French artist renowned for his work with torn and pasted paper, although that wasn’t the only medium he used. Arp was the son of a French mother and German father and spoke both languages fluently. When he was speaking German he gave his name as Hans Arp, but when speaking French he called himself Jean Arp. Both “Hans” and “Jean” translate into English as “John”. In WWI Arp moved to Switzerland to avoid being called up to fight, taking advantage of Swiss neutrality. Eventually he was told to report to the German Consulate and fill out paperwork for the draft. In order to get out of fighting, Arp messed up the paperwork by writing the date in every blank space on the forms. Then he took off all of his clothes and walked with his papers over to the officials in charge. Arp was sent home …

52. Eli Manning, on the field : TEN
Eli Manning plays as quarterback for the New York Giants. Eli’s brother Peyton Manning retired from football as the quarterback for the Denver Broncos. Eli and Peyton’s father is Archie Manning, who was also a successful NFL quarterback.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Porcine paramour : PETUNIA PIG
11. Yesterday, so to speak : ASAP
15. Product with a Crispy Buffalo variety : SHAKE ‘N BAKE
16. Underwater breather : GILL
17. Tremendous : SUPER-DUPER
18. Beginning to morph? : ECTO-
19. Brady bunch, briefly : TDS
20. Some zoo employees : VETS
21. Harmonious : IN KEY
22. Blubbers : SOBS
23. Some red giants : S STARS
24. Little ‘un : SPROUT
27. They had rolls to play, once : PIANOS
29. Disappearing exclamations : POOFS
30. Foe of Big Boy and Little Face : DICK TRACY
33. Tremendously : A LOT
34. Bothers : VEXES
35. Bothers : ADOS
36. Good news for business : NET PROFIT
38. Combined : IN ONE
39. Turn on : AROUSE
40. Shot measure : JIGGER
41. Meshes : AGREES
43. One for whom “hello” is “hej” : DANE
44. Geezers : COOTS
45. Tough spots : JAMS
46. What “it” is found in : TAG
49. Symbol del cristianismo : CRUZ
50. Haughty : ABOVE IT ALL
53. Artist Magritte : RENE
54. It takes turns making dinner : ROTISSERIE
55. Extra, in ads : ADDL
56. Reminder that sticks? : POST-IT NOTE

Down
1. Sound from a cheater : PSST!
2. Israel’s Olmert : EHUD
3. Staple of Memorial Day services : TAPS
4. Instrument that’s cradled, for short : UKE
5. Full of butterflies : NERVOUS
6. Under water : IN DEBT
7. Touches : ABUTS
8. Mushy foods : PAPS
9. ’50s campaign nickname : IKE
10. 2014 World Cup winner: Abbr. : GER
11. Weapon used in the Vietnam War : AGENT ORANGE
12. Seriously under the weather : SICK AS A DOG
13. Fix as 20-Across might do : ALTER
14. Schemes : PLOYS
21. “And who ___?” : ISN’T
22. Hot, salty snack : SOFT PRETZEL
23. Lord & Taylor rival, informally : SAKS
24. Go over : SPAN
25. John Paul II, e.g. : POLE
26. Do some ferreting : ROOT AROUND
27. Magical duster : PIXIE
28. Founder of Rhyme $yndicate Records : ICE-T
30. Webster wrote many of them: Abbr. : DEFS
31. Traffic director : CONE
32. Nieuwpoort’s river : YSER
34. Counterpart of moi : VOUS
37. Some antlered animals : ROES
38. “No, no, really …” : I INSIST …
40. He succeeded two queens : JAMES I
41. Capital up the coast from Cape Coast : ACCRA
42. Hurt with a horn : GORED
43. Hoist on a ship : DAVIT
45. Dashes off : JOTS
46. Pacific dietary staple : TARO
47. Settled : ALIT
48. Jubilation : GLEE
50. “Leaves and Navels” artist : ARP
51. Comic’s nightmare? : BOO
52. Eli Manning, on the field : TEN

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