Category: Matt Skoczen

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
9. Oktoberfest exclamation SALUD!
“Salud” is Spanish for “health”, and is used as a toast. Salud!

14. Swiss river AAR
The Aar (also called the “Aare” in German) is the longest river entirely in Switzerland. A famous spot along the Aar is the Reichenbach Falls in the center of the country, actually a series of waterfalls near the city of Meiringen. These falls are renowned in the world of literature as it was here that Sherlock Holmes fell to his supposed doom with his nemesis Professor Moriarty (in “The Adventure of the Final Problem”).

17. Lt.’s inferior NCO
An NCO is a non-commissioned officer in the armed forces. Usually such an officer is one who has earned his or her rank by promotion through the enlisted ranks. A good example would be a sergeant.

The word “lieutenant” come from French, with “lieu” meaning “in place” and “tenant” meaning “holding”. “Lieutenant” then means somebody holding a position in the absence of his or her superior. In America of course “lieutenant” is pronounced loo-tenant, whereas back in the British Isles we say “lef-tenant”.

20. Oktoberfest exclamation DOWN THE HATCH!
Oktoberfest is a 16-day beer festival in Munich that actually starts in September. About six million people attend every year, making it the largest fair in the world. I’ve been there twice, and it really is a great party …

28. Oktoberfest exclamation L’CHAIM
“L’Chaim” is a Hebrew toast meaning “to life”, with “chai” being the Hebrew word for “life”.

31. Metro stop: Abbr. STA
The Paris Métro is the busiest underground transportation system in western Europe, carrying about 4.5 million passengers a day, about the same as the New York City Subway. The system took its name from the company that originally operated it, namely “La Compagnie du chemin de fer métropolitain de Paris”, which was shorted to “Métro”. The term “Metro” was then adopted for similar systems in cities all over the world.

32. Vegetarian’s protein source TOFU
Tofu is another name for bean curd, and is a Japanese word meaning just that … bean that has “curdled”. Tofu is produced by coagulating soy milk, using either salt or something acidic. Once the protein has coagulated, the curds are pressed into the familiar blocks. Personally I love tofu, but my wife, she absolutely hates it …

34. Joe of “Casino” PESCI
Joe Pesci got his big break in movies with a supporting role in “Raging Bull” starring Robert De Niro, earning Pesci an Oscar nomination early in his career. There followed a string of gangster roles played alongside De Niro, namely “Once Upon a Time in America”, “Goodfellas” and “Casino”. But I like Pesci’s comedic acting best of all. He was marvelous in the “Home Alone” films, the “Lethal Weapon” series, and my personal favorite, “My Cousin Vinny”. Pesci gets a mention in the stage musical “Jersey Boys”, which isn’t too surprising as he is one of the show’s producers.

61. The “U” of E.U. UNION
The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 28 nations. Today’s union grew out of an economic alliance of six countries in the 1950s. These “Inner Six: nations are Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

64. Hedren of Hitchcock’s “The Birds” TIPPI
Tippi Hedren is an actress from New Ulm, Minnesota who is best known for her starring roles in two Alfred Hitchcock classics: “The Birds” (1963) and “Marnie” (1964). Famously, Hedren claimed that Hitchcock destroyed her movie career because she would not succumb to his sexual advances, a charge that has been denied.

“The Birds” is a 1963 film made by Alfred Hitchcock based on a short story by Daphne du Maurier. I’ve read the story and seen the film and find them both strangely disturbing (it’s probably just me though!). I can’t stand the ending of either, as nothing resolves itself!

65. ___ Aviv TEL
The full name of Israel’s second largest city is Tel Aviv-Yafo. Tel Aviv translates into “Spring Mound”, a name chosen in 1910.

66. 9-, 20-, 28-, 37-, 48- or 53-Across TOAST
The tradition of “toasting” someone probably dates back to the reign of Charles II, when the practice was to drink a glass of wine to the health of a beautiful or favored woman. In those days, spiced toast was added to beverages to add flavor, so the use of the word “toast” was an indicator that the lady’s beauty would enhance the wine. Very charming, I must say …

68. Used a tuffet, e.g. SAT
Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet eating her curds and whey, in the popular nursery rhyme. A tuffet is a low seat or a footstool, another word for a pouffe or a hassock. When milk curdles it separates into two parts, the solid curds and the liquid whey.

Down
1. Klugman’s co-star on “The Odd Couple” RANDALL
The actor Tony Randall was from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Although Randal had a long and distinguished Hollywood career, he was best known for playing Felix Unger on the TV version of “The Odd Couple” by Neil Simon. Randall was married to his first wife for fifty years, before she passed away in 1993. A few years later, the 75-year old veteran actor married his second wife, who was 50 years his junior. The happy couple had two children together.

Jack Klugman was an actor, most famous perhaps for his television roles. He played Oscar Madison in the “The Odd Couple” alongside Tony Randall, and he also played the title role in “Quincy, M.E.” On the big screen, Klugman did a marvelous job as one of the jurors in the 1957 classic “12 Angry Men”.

“The Odd Couple” is a play by the wonderfully talented Neil Simon first performed on Broadway, in 1965. This great play was adapted for the big screen in 1968, famously starring Jack Lemmon (as Felix Unger) and Walter Matthau (as Oscar Madison). The success of the play and the film gave rise to an excellent television sitcom that ran from 1970-1975, starring Tony Randall and Jack Klugman. In 1985, Neil Simon even went so far as to adapt the play for an all-female cast, renaming it “The Female Odd Couple”. I’d like to see that one …

2. Lee who led Chrysler, 1978-92 IACOCCA
Lee Iacocca was a lot more successful at Chrysler than he was earlier in his career at Ford. Iacocca is credited with the turnaround of Chrysler in the eighties, but he is also credited with the failure of the Ford Pinto. He didn’t get on well with Henry Ford II so he was fired from the Ford Motor Company.

3. Warts and such GROWTHS
A wart is a small eruption on the skin caused by a localized viral infection. The most successful treatment is topical use of salicylic acid, with a cure rate of 75%. I think it’s best to try to avoid getting them …

4. ___ denied (Supreme Court phrase) CERT
A writ of certiorari (cert.) is a writ issued by a superior court calling for a record of the proceedings of an inferior court for review. In particular, the US Supreme Court might issue such a writ in order to review a lower court’s judgment for legal error, especially when there is no right of appeal available.

5. One of Jacob’s wives LEAH
According to the Bible, Leah was one of the two wives of Jacob, the other being Leah’s sister Rachel. Jacob’s intention had been to marry Rachel, but the Leah and Rachel’s father “switched” his daughters and provided Leah as the veiled bride. Jacob married Rachel a week later, and lived with the two wives concurrently.

12. Arles article UNE
A few years ago I had the privilege of living just a short car-ride from the beautiful city of Arles in the South of France. Although Arles has a long and colorful history, the Romans had a prevailing influence over the city’s design. Arles has a spectacular Roman amphitheater, arch, circus as well as old walls that surround the center of the city. In more modern times, it was a place Vincent van Gogh often visited, and where he painted his famous “Cafe Terrace at Night”, as well as “Bedroom in Arles”.

13. German magazine ___ Spiegel DER
“Der Spiegel” is a very successful German magazine found on news-stands all over Europe. The name “Der Spiegel” translates from German into “the Mirror”.

21. Actress Vardalos NIA
Not only is the delightful Nia Vardalos the star of the 2002 hit movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, she also wrote the screenplay. The film never made it to number one at the box office, but it still pulled in more money than any other movie in history that didn’t make it to number one. That record I think reflects the fact that the film wasn’t a blockbuster but rather a so-called “sleeper hit”, a movie that people went to see based on referrals from friends. The big fat mistake came when a spin-off TV show was launched, “My Big Fat Greek Life”. It ran for only 7 episodes.

22. ___ cozy TEA
A tea cozy is an insulated cover for a teapot, something to keep the tea hot. I don’t know what I’d do without my tea cosy/cozy …

27. Many a “?” clue in a crossword PUN
Yep, a question mark at the end of a clue in a crossword means there’s a good chance that we are dealing with a pun, and that the clue should not be taken at face value.

29. Apple music player IPOD
The iPod is Apple’s signature line of portable media players. The iPod first hit the market in 2001 with a hard drive-based device, now known as the iPod Classic. Later models all use flash memory, allowing a smaller form factor. The smallest of the flash-based models is the iPod Shuffle, which was introduced in 2005.

36. Sot LUSH
“Lush” is a slang term for a heavy drinker. Back in the 1700s, “lush” was slang for “liquor”.

Our word “sot” comes from the Old English “sott”, meaning a fool. The word “sot” started to be associated with alcohol and not just foolery in the late 1500s.

38. Cul-de-___ SAC
Even though “cul-de-sac” can indeed mean “bottom of the bag” in French, the term cul-de-sac is of English origin (the use of “cul” in French is actually quite rude). The term was introduced in aristocratic circles at a time when it was considered very fashionable to speak French. Dead-end streets in France are usually signposted with just a symbol and no accompanying words, but if words are included they are “voie sans issue”, meaning “way without exit”.

39. Prada product BAG
Prada was started in 1913 as a leathergoods shop in Milan, by the two Prada brothers. One of the brothers, Mario Prada, prevented the female members of his family participating in the company as he didn’t believe women should be involved in business (!). When the sexist brother died, his son had no interest in the business so it was his daughter who took over and ran the company for about twenty years, handing it over to her own daughter. I’d say the devil loved that …

40. Old car that’s an anagram of 41-Down REO
The REO Motor Company was founded by Ransom E. Olds (hence the name REO). The company made cars, trucks and buses, and was in business from 1905 to 1975 in Lansing, Michigan. Among the company’s most famous models were the REO Royale and the REO Flying Cloud.

44. Land on the Red Sea ERITREA
Eritrea is a country located in the Horn of Africa, surrounded by Sudan, Ethiopia, Djibouti and the Red Sea. Some scientists believe that the area now known as Eritrea was the departure point for the anatomically modern humans who first left Africa to populate the rest of the world.

45. Paver’s supply ASPHALT
It turns out that the asphalt surface on roads (or basketball courts) is more properly called asphaltic concrete, because asphalt itself is just a sticky black liquid that comes from crude petroleum. Asphalt is used as a binder with aggregate to form asphaltic concrete.

47. Low isle CAY
A “key” (also “cay”) is a low island offshore, as in the Florida Keys. Our term in English comes from the Spanish “cayo” meaning “shoal, reef”.

51. Claude who painted “Water Lilies” MONET
“Water Lilies” by French Impressionist Claude Monet is actually a whole series of paintings, numbering about 250 in total. The subjects of the works were the water lilies in Monet’s flower garden at Giverny in northern France.

54. The “U” of C.P.U. UNIT
The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is the main component on the “motherboard” of a computer. The CPU is the part of the computer that carries out most of the functions required by a program. Nowadays you can get CPUs in everything from cars to telephones.

56. Bill Clinton’s Arkansas birthplace HOPE
Hope, Arkansas is the hometown of two famous former Governors of the state: President Bill Clinton and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee.

57. Sooner city ENID
Enid, Oklahoma takes its name from the old railroad station around which the city developed. Back in 1889, that train stop was called Skeleton Station. An official who didn’t like the name changed it to Enid Station, using a character from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “Idylls of the King”. Maybe if he hadn’t changed the name, the city of Enid would now be called Skeleton, Oklahoma! Enid has the nickname “Queen Wheat City” because is has a huge capacity for storing grain, the third largest grain storage capacity in the world.

The 1889 Indian Appropriations Act officially opened up the so called Unassigned Lands, land in Oklahoma on which no Native American tribes had settled. Once the Act was signed, those lands became available for settlement. Those people that settled the same lands illegally, prior the date specified, they were termed “Sooners” as their situation was defined in the “sooner clause” of the Act. “Sooner State” is now the nickname for Oklahoma.

58. Insurance worker: Abbr. AGT
Agent (agt.)

59. Fierce sort, astrologically LEO
Leo is the fifth astrological sign of the Zodiac. People born from July 13 to August 23 are Leos.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Fix, as an election RIG
4. Mountaineer’s undertaking CLIMB
9. Oktoberfest exclamation SALUD!
14. Swiss river AAR
15. Fisher with a pot EELER
16. Show one’s sorry (for) ATONE
17. Lt.’s inferior NCO
18. Hoist RAISE
19. Out-and-out UTTER
20. Oktoberfest exclamation DOWN THE HATCH!
23. Opening of a play ACT I
24. Amped KEYED UP
28. Oktoberfest exclamation L’CHAIM
31. Metro stop: Abbr. STA
32. Vegetarian’s protein source TOFU
33. ___ Vegas LAS
34. Joe of “Casino” PESCI
36. Access the Internet, say LOG ON
37. Oktoberfest exclamation BOTTOMS UP!
39. Mother hen’s charges BROOD
42. Zones AREAS
43. Size of an idiot’s brain, jokingly PEA
46. Flight-related prefix AERO-
47. TV channel often on in airports CNN
48. Oktoberfest exclamation CHEERS!
50. Loses one’s grip? GOES MAD
52. Lose one’s grip SLIP
53. Oktoberfest exclamation TO YOUR HEALTH!
58. Martian, e.g. ALIEN
61. The “U” of E.U. UNION
62. Time in history ERA
63. Sci-fi or romance GENRE
64. Hedren of Hitchcock’s “The Birds” TIPPI
65. ___ Aviv TEL
66. 9-, 20-, 28-, 37-, 48- or 53-Across TOAST
67. Knight’s ride STEED
68. Used a tuffet, e.g. SAT

Down
1. Klugman’s co-star on “The Odd Couple” RANDALL
2. Lee who led Chrysler, 1978-92 IACOCCA
3. Warts and such GROWTHS
4. ___ denied (Supreme Court phrase) CERT
5. One of Jacob’s wives LEAH
6. “Would ___ to you?” I LIE
7. See-through stocking material MESH
8. Recess BREAKTIME
9. Impertinent SAUCY
10. With nowhere to go but down AT THE TOP
11. Auction grouping LOT
12. Arles article UNE
13. German magazine ___ Spiegel DER
21. Actress Vardalos NIA
22. ___ cozy TEA
25. Follow relentlessly DOG
26. Martian’s craft, say UFO
27. Many a “?” clue in a crossword PUN
29. Apple music player IPOD
30. Encountered MET
31. Derision SCORN
35. All-stars STANDOUTS
36. Sot LUSH
37. Enthusiastic supporters BOOSTERS
38. Cul-de-___ SAC
39. Prada product BAG
40. Old car that’s an anagram of 41-Down REO
41. Refinery input ORE
43. Some rabbit food PELLETS
44. Land on the Red Sea ERITREA
45. Paver’s supply ASPHALT
47. Low isle CAY
49. That: Sp. ESA
51. Claude who painted “Water Lilies” MONET
54. The “U” of C.P.U. UNIT
55. Offensive-smelling RIPE
56. Bill Clinton’s Arkansas birthplace HOPE
57. Sooner city ENID
58. Insurance worker: Abbr. AGT
59. Fierce sort, astrologically LEO
60. ___ pickle IN A

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