Category: Parker Lewis

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. One of the Coen brothers : JOEL
I think it’s great to see two brothers working together and being so successful. Joel and Ethan Coen are two movie producers and directors who both live in New York City. The Coen brothers do love the movie-making business and they even married industry “insiders”. Ethan’s wife is film editor Tricia Cooke, and Joel is married to one of my favorite actresses, the lovely Frances McDormand.

5. Actor ___ Elba : IDRIS
The English actor Idris Elba is probably best known in North America for playing the drug lord Stringer Bell in the marvelous HBO drama series “The Wire”, and the title character in the 2013 film “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”. Off the screen, Elba works as a disk jockey using the name DJ Big Driis.

10. Corp. recruiters’ targets : MBAS
The world’s first Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree was offered by Harvard’s Graduate School of Business Administration, in 1908.

15. Rights org. co-founded by Mary White Ovington : NAACP
The full name of the NAACP, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, is remarkable in that it actually still uses the offensive term “colored people”. The NAACP was founded in 1909, by a group that included suffragette and journalist Mary White Ovington, wealthy socialist William English Walling, and civil rights activist Henry Moscowitz. Another member of the founding group was W. E. B. Du Bois, the first African-American to earn a doctorate at Harvard University. The date chosen for the founding of the NAACP was February 12th, 1909, the 100th anniversary of the birth of President Abraham Lincoln, the man most visibly associated with the emancipation of African-American slaves.

16. Fitzgerald of old “Is it live, or is it Memorex?” ads : ELLA
Memorex is now a brand of data storage products owned by Imation. Memorex started out in 1961 in Silicon Valley as a company making computer tapes, eventually adding storage disks and other media to its portfolio of products. A famous advertising campaign featured singer Ella Fitzgerald singing a note that shattered a glass. A recording of that note was then played, which also shattered the glass. The tag line to the ad became very famous: Is it live, or is it Memorex?”

20. Smokes once touted by Willie the penguin : KOOLS
Kools cigarettes were introduced in 1933, and are still around today. The brand is marketed as being “smooth”, as the ingredient menthol numbs the mouth and dulls the taste of the tobacco.

22. Like the cinnamon in babka : SWIRLY
Babka is a sweet yeast cake that can also be called Bobka or baba. Babka originated in Eastern Europe and is served traditionally in Easter Sunday.

25. Ingredient in Christmas pudding : SUET
Fat, when extracted from the carcass of an animal, is called “suet”. Untreated suet decomposes at room temperature quite easily so it has to be “rendered” or purified to make it stable. Rendered fat from pigs is what we call “lard”. Rendered beef or mutton fat is known as “tallow”.

Christmas pudding is a traditional holiday dish, served mainly in Britain and Ireland. It is also referred to as plum pudding, even though aren’t any plums included in the list of ingredients. “Plums” was a term that used to mean “raisins”, which are included. One of the appetizing ingredients is suet, animal fat. There’s also a lot of alcohol, which allows the pudding to be aged for months if desired. I must admit, I love Christmas pudding, soaked in brandy that’s set alight. And a little brandy butter on the side …

26. Universe of Energy locale : EPCOT
EPCOT Center (now just called Epcot) is the theme park beside Walt Disney World in Florida. EPCOT is an acronym standing for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, and is a representation of the future as envisioned by Walt Disney. Walt Disney actually wanted to build a living community for 20,000 residents at EPCOT, but he passed away before that vision could be realized.

31. Pianist Rubinstein : ARTUR
The great Arthur (sometimes “Artur”) Rubinstein was a classical pianist from Poland who became a naturalized American citizen in 1946. Rubenstein was particularly respected as a performer of Chopin’s repertoire.

33. Hawaiian veranda : LANAI
A lanai is a type of veranda, a design that originated in Hawaii. A kind blog reader tells me that the etymology of “lanai” seems unclear, but that the island name of “Lana’i” is not related.

36. Noodle count in one of Arizona’s largest cities? : TEMPE RAMEN TALLY (temperamentally)
Tempe is a city in the metropolitan area of Phoenix. The city is named for the Vale of Tempe in Greece.

Ramen is a noodle dish composed of Chinese-style wheat noodles in a meat or fish broth flavored with soy or miso sauce. Ramen is usually topped with sliced pork and dried seaweed.

39. Mount in Greek myth : IDA
There are two peaks called Mount Ida that are sacred according to Greek mythology. Mount Ida in Crete is the island’s highest point, and is where one can find the cave in which Zeus was reared. Mount Ida in Asia Minor (located in modern-day Turkey) is where Ganymede was swept up by Zeus in the form of an eagle that took him to Olympus where he served as cupbearer to the gods.

40. Pounds, for example : MONEY
The official name of the currency of the UK is the pound sterling (plural “pounds sterling”). The most plausible suggestion for the etymology of the term “sterling” is that it derives from the Old English “steorra” meaning “star”, with the diminutive “-ling”. The resulting “little star” or “sterling” referred to a silver penny used by the English Normans.

44. March locale of note : SELMA
The Bloody Sunday march took place between Selma and Montgomery, Alabama on 7 March 1965. The 600 marchers involved were protesting the intimidation of African-Americans registering to vote. When the marchers reached Dallas County, Alabama they encountered a line of state troopers reinforced by white males who had been deputized that morning to help keep the peace. Violence broke out with 17 marchers ending up in hospital, one nearly dying. Because the disturbance was widely covered by television cameras, the civil rights movement picked up a lot of support that day.

46. Popular game with the sequel Riven : MYST
In the days when I played the occasional video game, the best of the bunch was undoubtedly “Myst”. It is a game full of puzzles with the player wandering through a beautifully-designed (for its day) interactive world.

51. Noted trans-Atlantic voyager : PINTA
Famously, Christopher Columbus used three ships in his first voyage across the Atlantic: the Santa Maria, the Niña and the Pinta. The Pinta was the fastest of the three, and it was from the Pinta that the New World was first spotted, by a sailor called Rodrigo de Triana who was a lookout on the fateful day. Pinta was a nickname for the ship that translated as “the painted one”. The Pinta’s real name has been lost in mists of time.

52. “___ You” (1975 #1 Minnie Riperton hit) : LOVIN’
Minnie Riperton was a singer best known for the fabulous 1975 hit “Lovin’ You”. Minnie’s daughter is comic actress Maya Rudolph.

53. Sarge’s “Sell my city bonds!” telegram? : NONCOM MUNI CABLE (noncommunicable)
A municipal bond (muni) is one that is issued by a city or local government, or some similar agency. Munis have an advantage over other investments in that any interest earned on the bond is usually exempt from state and federal income taxes.

58. “The Grapes of Wrath” itinerant : OKIE
“Okies” was a derogatory term used during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s for farming families who migrated from Oklahoma (hence the name), Arkansas, Kansas and Texas in search of agricultural jobs in California. The road used by many of these migrant families was Route 66, which is also called “Mother Road”.

John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath” is set during the Great Depression. The novel tells the story of the Joad family from Oklahoma, farmers who had to leave their home and head for California due to economic hardship.

59. Zero, in sports slang : BAGEL
“Bagel” is a slang term for “zero”, because a bagel has the shape of the number 0.

61. Word after hot or before kit : MESS
“Mess” first came into English about 1300 and described the list of food needed for a meal, from the Old French word “mes” meaning a portion of food or a course at a meal. This usage in English evolved into “mess” meaning a jumbled mass of anything from the concept of “mixed food”. At the same time, the original usage in the sense of a food for a meal surfaced again in the military in the 1500s when a “mess” was a communal eating place.

62. New York Times pieces since 1970 : OP-EDS
Op-Ed is an abbreviation for “opposite the editorial page”. Op-Eds started in “The New York Evening World” in 1921 when the page opposite the editorials was used for articles written by a named guest writer, someone independent of the editorial board.

Down
4. “There’s this thing called Google …” : LOOK IT UP
The search engine “Google” was originally called “BackRub” would you believe? The name was eventually changed to Google, an intentional misspelling of the word “googol”. A googol is a pretty big number, 10 to the power of 100. That would be the digit 1 followed by 100 zeros.

5. Odor-Eaters product : INSOLE
Odor-Eaters insoles were first introduced in the early seventies, and are manufactured by Combe. Combe sponsors a national contest held every year in Montpelier, Vermont, called “The Odor-Eaters Rotten Sneaker Contest”. Very pleasant …

6. Newspaper with the headline “Mystery Hero Saves Falling Space Plane” : DAILY PLANET
The “Daily Planet” is the fictional newspaper for which Clark Kent and Lois Lane work in the “Superman” universe.

7. Dosimeter reading : RADS
Dosimeters measure exposure to something in the environment, with radiation exposure the most recognized. Exposure to ionizing radiation is cumulative, so people who risk exposure wear dosimeters and records are kept for each individual to track exposure over a lifetime. The rad is a unit used to measure radiation levels, but is largely obsolete now. It has been superseded by the rem.

10. Forte : METIER
“Métier” is the French for “trade, profession”.

A person’s “forte” is his or her strength, coming into English via French from the Latin “fortis” meaning strong.

12. Lotion ingredient : ALOE
Aloe vera has a number of alternate names that are descriptive of its efficacy as a medicine. These include the First Aid plant, Wand of Heaven, Silent Healer and Miracle Plant.

13. ___ Gabriel : SAN
San Gabriel is a city in Los Angeles County. It takes its name from the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, the fourth to be built of the twenty-one missions in California.

19. One of the Dolomites : ALP
The Dolomites are a range of mountains in northeast Italy, in the Eastern Alps. Previously called the Pale Mountains, the name was changed to the Dolomites after the rock type known as “dolomite” that is found in plenty in the area.

23. Drinks with plenty of vermouth : WET MARTINIS
The term “martini” probably takes it name from the “Martini & Rossi” brand of dry vermouth, although no one seems to be completely sure. What is clear is that despite the Martini name originating in Italy, the martini drink originated in the US. The original martini was made with gin and sweet vermouth, but someone specifying a “dry” martini was given gin and dry vermouth. Nowadays we use dry vermouth for all martinis and the term “dry” has become a reference to how little vermouth is included in the drink. Famously, Noel Coward liked his drink very dry and said that a perfect martini is made by “filling a glass with gin then waving it in the general direction of Italy”. The German-American journalist and satirist H. L. Mencken referred to the martini as “the only American invention as perfect as a sonnet”.

24. Did a tour after joining up? : HONEYMOONED
The concept of a honeymoon vacation only started in the early 1800s. In Britain, wealthy couples would take a “bridal tour” together after wedding, visiting those friends and relatives who could not attend the ceremony. The etymology of “honeymoon” isn’t very clear, and may even have a negative derivation as it might suggest that the sweetness (honey) of love is doomed to wane like a passing phase of the moon. The equivalent terms in some other languages are “moon of honey” (French), “honey month” (Welsh) and “tinsel week” (German).

25. Upholsterer’s stock : SATIN
The material known as “satin” takes its name from “Zayton”, the medieval Arabic name for the Chinese port city of Quanzhou. Quanzhou was used for the export of large amounts of silk to Europe.

29. Gay who wrote “Frank Sinatra Has a Cold” : TALESE
Gay Talese is an American author, famous as a journalist in the sixties at “The New York Times”. His 1981 book “Thy Neighbor’s Wife” is a study of sexuality in America in the early fifties. Apparently, as research for the book, Talese had sexual relations with his own neighbor’s wife for several months at a sexuality resort in Southern California called Sandstone Retreat.

30. Delegation at the Oslo Accords : EGYPT
The Oslo Accords grew out of secret negotiations between the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel in a residence in Oslo in the early nineties. The delegates shared the same house while they conducted 14 meetings. While eating all their meals together at the same table, the negotiators came to respect one another and apparently friendships developed.

32. Dream time, for short : REM
REM is an acronym standing for Rapid Eye Movement sleep. REM sleep takes up 20-25% of the sleeping hours and is the period associated with one’s most vivid dreams.

37. Rock-paper-scissors, by another name : ROSHAMBO
Rock-paper-scissors is a hand game played by two people, at least here in North America. Back in Ireland we called the game “scissors-paper-stone”, and another name encountered around the English-speaking world is “roshambo”. The game is often used as a way to choose between two options or two people.

45. Ear parts : ANVILS
The middle ear is the portion of the ear immediately behind the eardrum. The middle ear contains three small bones called the ossicles, the three smallest bones in the human body. The ossicles’ job is to transmit sound from the outer ear to the inner ear. The shape of the bones gives rise to their names: the hammer (malleus), anvil (incus) and stirrup (stapes).

48. Car modified into the Monkeemobile : GTO
The Monkeemobile was designed in 1966 for the TV show “The Monkees”. Two of the vehicles were constructed, both modified Pontiac GTOs.

50. Pen name : BIC
Société Bic is a French company, based in Clichy in France. The first product the company produced, more than fifty years ago, was the Bic Cristal ballpoint pen that is still produced today. Bic also makes other disposable products such as lighters and razors.

52. Olympic racing event : LUGE
A luge is a small sled used by one or two people, on which one lies face up and feet first. The luge can be compared to the skeleton, a sled for only one person and on which the rider lies face down and goes down the hill head-first. Yikes!

53. Listing in un annuaire : NOM
In French, one might look up a “nom” (name) in “un annuaire” (a directory).

57. This, appropriately : END
This, appropriately enough, is the last clue, the end of the puzzle.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. One of the Coen brothers : JOEL
5. Actor ___ Elba : IDRIS
10. Corp. recruiters’ targets : MBAS
14. Kind of flute : ALTO
15. Rights org. co-founded by Mary White Ovington : NAACP
16. Fitzgerald of old “Is it live, or is it Memorex?” ads : ELLA
17. Not the main food allotment for one on an intel mission? : RECON SIDE RATION (reconsideration)
20. Smokes once touted by Willie the penguin : KOOLS
21. Flared dress : A-LINE
22. Like the cinnamon in babka : SWIRLY
24. Beat the drum for : HYPED
25. Ingredient in Christmas pudding : SUET
26. Universe of Energy locale : EPCOT
28. Word after prime or cut : RATE
31. Pianist Rubinstein : ARTUR
33. Hawaiian veranda : LANAI
35. Hang back : LAG
36. Noodle count in one of Arizona’s largest cities? : TEMPE RAMEN TALLY (temperamentally)
39. Mount in Greek myth : IDA
40. Pounds, for example : MONEY
41. Energy-saving mode : SLEEP
42. It’s so typical : NORM
44. March locale of note : SELMA
46. Popular game with the sequel Riven : MYST
47. Like best buds : TIGHT
49. In scoring position, say : ON BASE
51. Noted trans-Atlantic voyager : PINTA
52. “___ You” (1975 #1 Minnie Riperton hit) : LOVIN’
53. Sarge’s “Sell my city bonds!” telegram? : NONCOM MUNI CABLE (noncommunicable)
58. “The Grapes of Wrath” itinerant : OKIE
59. Zero, in sports slang : BAGEL
60. Invent : COIN
61. Word after hot or before kit : MESS
62. New York Times pieces since 1970 : OP-EDS
63. Tore : SPED

Down
1. Bump : JAR
2. Two-syllable cheer : OLE!
3. Abbr. that usually follows a comma : ETC
4. “There’s this thing called Google …” : LOOK IT UP
5. Odor-Eaters product : INSOLE
6. Newspaper with the headline “Mystery Hero Saves Falling Space Plane” : DAILY PLANET
7. Dosimeter reading : RADS
8. Hail, e.g. : ICE
9. Faux bronze : SPRAY TAN
10. Forte : METIER
11. Many investigators’ leads : BLIND ALLEYS
12. Lotion ingredient : ALOE
13. ___ Gabriel : SAN
18. Here/there connector : NOR
19. One of the Dolomites : ALP
22. “You betcha!” : SURE DO!
23. Drinks with plenty of vermouth : WET MARTINIS
24. Did a tour after joining up? : HONEYMOONED
25. Upholsterer’s stock : SATIN
27. Biblical mount : CAMEL
29. Gay who wrote “Frank Sinatra Has a Cold” : TALESE
30. Delegation at the Oslo Accords : EGYPT
32. Dream time, for short : REM
34. “___ on me” : IT’S
37. Rock-paper-scissors, by another name : ROSHAMBO
38. Yearbooks? : ALMANACS
43. Chops up : MINCES
45. Ear parts : ANVILS
48. Car modified into the Monkeemobile : GTO
50. Pen name : BIC
51. Gentle reminder : POKE
52. Olympic racing event : LUGE
53. Listing in un annuaire : NOM
54. Subway station feature : MAP
55. Bonk : BOP
56. Be on the level? : LIE
57. This, appropriately : END

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