Category: Mary Lou Guizzo

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
10. Warrant, e.g.: Abbr. : CERT
A warrant might be a certificate (cert.)

14. Gift on el día de los enamorados : ROSA
In Spanish, Saint Valentine’s Day is a usually translated as “el Día de San Valentín”. Another possibility is “el Día de los Enamorados”, which translates literally as “the day of those who have fallen in love”.

15. Eyelike designs : OCULI
Oculus (plural “oculi”) is the Latin word for “eye”, and is used in architecture for a circular window.

16. Tennis’s Nastase : ILIE
I think that Ilie Nastase was the most entertaining tennis player of the 1970s, the days of Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe. No matter how much pressure there was in a match, Nastase always had time to give the crowd a laugh. After retiring from the sport, he had a few novels published (in French) during the eighties. Then Nastase went into politics, making an unsuccessful run for the mayorship of Bucharest in 1996. He made a successful run for the Hungarian Senate though, and has been a senator since May 2014.

22. Lover of Jane Porter : TARZAN
Jane Porter is the love interest in the “Tarzan” series of novels penned by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Famously, Jane was played by Maureen O’Sullivan on the big screen, opposite Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan. In the movies, Jane’s family name was changed from Porter to Parker. Also, Porter is an American in the books, and Parker is an Englishwoman in the films.

23. Man who went into self-imposed exile in 2013 : SNOWDEN
Edward Snowden is a former NSA contractor who leaked several top secret NSA documents to the media beginning in June 2013. After disclosing his name as the source of the leaks, Snowden tried to seek asylum in Ecuador. While travelling to Ecuador he had a layover in Moscow. While in Moscow, the US government revoked his passport, which effectively left him stranded in the transit area of Moscow Airport. The Russian government eventually granted his an annually renewable temporary asylum.

25. Opera ___ : SERIA
The Italian term “opera seria” translates as “serious” opera, as opposed to “opera buffa”, which we call “comic” opera.

26. Mother of Kourtney, Kim and Khloé : KRIS
Kris Kardashian is the matriarch of the Kardashian clan. She was married to the lawyer Robert Kardashian who was one of O. J. Simpson’s lawyers in his 1995 murder trial. The couple divorced in 1990 and Kris then married the celebrated decathlete from the 1976 Olympic Games, Bruce Jenner. That marriage ended in divorce as well, in 2015.

27. Houston player, for short : ‘STRO
The Houston baseball team changed its name to the Astros from the Colt .45s in 1965 when they started playing in the Astrodome. The Astrodome was so called in recognition of the city’s long association with the US space program.

34. Ashcroft’s predecessor in the cabinet : RENO
Janet Reno was Attorney General of the US from 1993 to 2001. Reno was the person to hold the office second longest, and was our first female Attorney General. In 2002, Reno ran for Governor of Florida but failed to win the Democratic nomination. Thereafter she retired from public life.

John Ashcroft served as US Attorney General in the administration of President George W. Bush. Ashcroft is quite the musician and has composed some religious tunes in particular. When he was a member of the US Senate (representing the state of Missouri) he formed a barbershop quartet along with three of his colleagues that was called the Singing Senators.

35. Basket : HOOP
The game of basketball was created in 1891 by a James Naismith at the YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts. His goal was to create something active and interesting for his students in the gym. The first “hoops” were actually peach baskets, with the bottoms of the baskets intact. When a player got the ball into the “net”, someone had to clamber up and get the ball back out again in order to continue the game!

37. World Heritage Site since 2013 : ETNA
Mt. Etna is the largest of three active volcanoes in Italy. Mt Etna is about 2 1/2 times the height of its equally famous sister, Mt. Vesuvius. Mt. Etna was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2013.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is better known by the acronym “UNESCO”. UNESCO’s mission is help build peace in the world using programs focused on education, the sciences, culture, communication and information. The organization’s work is aimed in particular at Africa, and gender equalization. UNESCO also administers a World Heritage Site program that designates and helps conserve sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to humanity across the world.

41. “u can’t b serious!” : OMG
OMG is text-speak for Oh My Gosh! Oh My Goodness! or any other G words you might think of …

43. Side with a dog : SLAW
The term “coleslaw” is an Anglicized version of the Dutch name “koolsla”, which in itself is a shortened form of “Koolsalade” meaning “cabbage salad”.

A hot dog is a sausage served in a split roll. The term “hot dog” dates back to the 19th-century and is thought to reflect a commonly-held opinion that the sausages contained dog meat.

49. Title Inuit of film : NANOOK
Nanook is a character from Inuit mythology, the master of the bears. The name “Nanook” came into the general consciousness of the public with the release of the silent documentary film “Nanook of the North” in 1922.

52. Univ. aides : RAS
RAs are resident assistants or resident advisers, the peer leaders found in residence halls, particularly on a college campus.

56. Ladies’ man : STUD
The word “stud”, meaning “a male horse kept for breeding”, is derived from the Old English word “stod”, which described a whole herd of horses.

57. Zac of “The Lorax” : EFRON
Zac Efron is an actor from San Luis Obispo, California. Apparently Efron is a heartthrob to “tweenyboppers”. His big break was in the Disney hit movie “High School Musical”.

“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.

58. Repeatedly reposted item : MEME
A “meme” (short for “mineme”) is a cultural practice or idea that is passed on verbally or by repetition from one person to another. The term lends itself very well to the online world where links, emails, files etc. are so easily propagated.

59. Brand operated by Imperial : ESSO
Imperial Oil is a Canadian company with a majority ownership by Exxon Mobil. Imperial produces a lot of crude oil and natural gas, and also operates service stations with brand name ESSO.

60. With 51-Across, early adopter of the A.D. dating method : SAINT
(51A. See 60-Across : BEDE)
The Venerable Bede was a monk in the north of England in the first century AD. Saint Bede is mainly known as an author and scholar, publisher of “The Ecclesiastical History of the English People”. In his writings, Bede struggled with the two common ways of referring to dates at that time. Bede turned to anno domini dating method that had been devised by Dionysius Exiguus in 525. Bede’s writings of circa 730 were extremely influential and helped popularize the the “anno domini” method.

61. Black ring material : ONYX
Onyx is a form of quartz that comes in many different shades, but most often it’s the black version that’s used for jewelry. The name “onyx” comes from the Greek word for “fingernail”, as onyx in the flesh color is said to resemble a fingernail.

Down
1. Box-office figure : GROSS
The term “box office” may date back to Shakespearean times. In those days long past, patrons would deposit fees for seeing theater performances in boxes. The full boxes would be collected and placed in an office called, imaginatively enough, the “box office”.

5. Longtime food product with a mascot in a cowboy hat : HOSTESS TWINKIES
The snack cakes called Twinkies have been around since 1930. They were created by a baker called James Dewar, who chose the name from a billboard advertising “Twinkle Toe Shoes”. The original filling in the cake was a banana cream, but this was swapped out as a result of rationing during WWII. The vanilla cream became so popular that the banana recipe was dropped completely.

6. New York’s ___ Stadium (track-and-field venue) : ICAHN
Icahn Stadium is a track and field facility on Randalls Island in New York City. The stadium opened in 2005, helped along the way by a $10 million donation from businessman Carl Icahn. For that, he got his name over the front door.

New York businessman Carl Icahn has many business interests, and is probably best known in recent years for his dealings with Yahoo!

7. Fall bloomers : MUMS
Chrysanthemums are perennial flowering plants that are often called “mums”.

10. Atmospheric features of Mars : CIRRI
The Martian atmosphere contains large cirrus clouds made up of water-ice. These high, wispy clouds were photographed by the Opportunity rover in 2004.

11. Senator who wrote “A Fighting Chance,” 2014 : ELIZABETH WARREN
Elizabeth Warren is the senior US Senator from Massachusetts, and the first female to hold that office for her state. Warren is a prominent Democratic and is a favorite of the progressive wing of the party. Her name is often mentioned as a candidate for the 2016 presidential election, but Warren repeatedly denies any intention to run.

12. Last name in morning TV : RIPA
When Kelly Ripa secured the co-host spot on morning television with Regis Philbin, she was still acting in “All My Children” in a role she had been playing for over ten years. After a year of holding down two jobs, she eventually gave up the acting job.

19. Its edible root is called an eddo : 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.

29. Russian ruler after Peter II : ANNA
Peter II was the son of Peter I and Emperor of Russia. Peter II took over as Emperor on the death of Catherine I, wife of Peter I.

Anna of Russia, full name Anna Ivanovna Romanova, ruled from 1730 until 1740. Anna came to throne on the death of Peter II. The nobles who put her in office intended for Anna to be largely a figurehead, but she actually became a very autocratic ruler. Her reign is often referred to as “the dark era”.

30. Zodiac symbol : GOAT
The 12-year cycle in the Chinese Calendar uses the following animals in order:

– Rat
– Ox
– Tiger
– Rabbit
– Dragon
– Snake
– Horse
– Goat
– Monkey
– Rooster
– Dog
– Pig

31. Shoe designer Jimmy : CHOO
Jimmy Choo is a designer of handmade women’s shoes who was born in Malaysia but grew up and was educated in London. Choo sold the 50% stake that he had in his shoe manufacturing company in 2001, for 10 million pounds.

32. Composition of some bricks : LOAM
Loam is soil made up of sand, silt and clay in the ratio of about 40-40-20. Relative to other soil types, loam is is usually rich in nutrients and moisture, drains well and is easy to till. Loam can also be used in constructing houses as it is quite strong when mixed with straw and dried.

40. Unwelcome forecast : SLEET
Apparently “sleet” is a term used to describe two weather conditions. One is a shower of ice pellets, smaller than hail, and the second is a mixture of rain and snow, with the snow melting as it falls. It’s the second definition that I have always used …

45. House alternative : CONDO
The words “condominium” and “apartment” tend to describe the one type of residential property, a private living space with facilities shared with others residing in the same building or complex. The difference is that a condominium is usually owned, and an apartment is rented. At least that’s how it is in the US. The word “condominium” comes from the Latin “com” (together) and “dominum” (right of ownership).

46. Sitting Bull, e.g. : TETON
The Lakota people (also called Teton) are Native Americans from the Great Plains, occupying lands mainly in North and South Dakota. The list of famous persons from the Lakota people includes Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, who were instrumental in the Lakota victory at the Battle of Little Bighorn.

47. Scarlett O’Hara’s housemaid : MAMMY
Hattie McDaniel was the first African American actor to win an Academy Award. She won her Oscar for playing the O’Hara housemaid called Mammy in the 1939 classic “Gone With the Wind”.

48. Super Six maker of the 1920s : ESSEX
The Essex Motor Company manufactured small and affordable cars in Detroit starting in 1918. Essex was actually a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Hudson Motor Company. Essex was dissolved in 1922, after which Hudson made the cars directly, continuing the Essex name until 1932.

49. Torpedo part : NOSE
The naval weapon called a torpedo is named for the group of electric rays of the genus “Torpedo”. The name of the fish comes from the verb “torpere”, Latin for “to be stiffened, paralyzed”, which is what happens to someone who steps on an electric ray.

50. Threat in “The Naked Jungle,” 1954 : ANTS
“The Naked Jungle” is a 1954 film about army ants attacking people on a South American cocoa plantation. The plantation owner is played by Charlton Heston.

51. Port of Italy : BARI
Bari is a major port city on the Adriatic coast of Italy. Bari has the unfortunate distinction of being the only city in Europe to experience chemical warfare during WWII. Allied stores of mustard gas were released during a German bombing raid on Bari in 1943. Fatalities caused by the chemical agent were reported as 69, although other reports list the number as maybe a thousand military personnel and a thousand civilians.

54. Design deg. : MFA
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Plague, with “at” : GNAW
5. Handmade sign at a stadium : HI MOM!
10. Warrant, e.g.: Abbr. : CERT
14. Gift on el día de los enamorados : ROSA
15. Eyelike designs : OCULI
16. Tennis’s Nastase : ILIE
17. Similar : OF THE SAME STRIPE
20. Charge leader? : SUR-
21. Unspecified degrees : NTHS
22. Lover of Jane Porter : TARZAN
23. Man who went into self-imposed exile in 2013 : SNOWDEN
25. Opera ___ : SERIA
26. Mother of Kourtney, Kim and Khloé : KRIS
27. Houston player, for short : ‘STRO
28. Snare : BAG
31. Rout : CLEAN SWEEP
34. Ashcroft’s predecessor in the cabinet : RENO
35. Basket : HOOP
36. One making you do your duty? : TAXER
37. World Heritage Site since 2013 : ETNA
38. Boobs : OAFS
39. Direction seeker’s query : WHERE’S THAT?
41. “u can’t b serious!” : OMG
42. Stories of a lifetime? : BIOS
43. Side with a dog : SLAW
44. Budget, in adspeak : ECONO
46. Draw : TIE GAME
49. Title Inuit of film : NANOOK
51. See 60-Across : BEDE
52. Univ. aides : RAS
53. Very close : ON INTIMATE TERMS
56. Ladies’ man : STUD
57. Zac of “The Lorax” : EFRON
58. Repeatedly reposted item : MEME
59. Brand operated by Imperial : ESSO
60. With 51-Across, early adopter of the A.D. dating method : SAINT
61. Black ring material : ONYX

Down
1. Box-office figure : GROSS
2. Like a buzzkill : NO FUN
3. Something that’s brilliant : A STROKE OF GENIUS
4. Sound heard a lot by new parents : WAH!
5. Longtime food product with a mascot in a cowboy hat : HOSTESS TWINKIES
6. New York’s ___ Stadium (track-and-field venue) : ICAHN
7. Fall bloomers : MUMS
8. Stadium cry : OLE!
9. Cry at a White House press conference : MISTER PRESIDENT!
10. Atmospheric features of Mars : CIRRI
11. Senator who wrote “A Fighting Chance,” 2014 : ELIZABETH WARREN
12. Last name in morning TV : RIPA
13. Follower of four or six, but not five : -TEEN
18. Finish with : END IN
19. Its edible root is called an eddo : TARO
24. Finishes : WRAPS
25. Rounded-up figure? : STEER
27. Embellishes, with “up” : SEXES
29. Russian ruler after Peter II : ANNA
30. Zodiac symbol : GOAT
31. Shoe designer Jimmy : CHOO
32. Composition of some bricks : LOAM
33. “Yay, we did it!” : WAHOO!
34. Change in a clothing store, in a way : RETAG
40. Unwelcome forecast : SLEET
42. Eject : BOOT
45. House alternative : CONDO
46. Sitting Bull, e.g. : TETON
47. Scarlett O’Hara’s housemaid : MAMMY
48. Super Six maker of the 1920s : ESSEX
49. Torpedo part : NOSE
50. Threat in “The Naked Jungle,” 1954 : ANTS
51. Port of Italy : BARI
54. Design deg. : MFA
55. Like some hairstyles with long bangs : EMO

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