Category: Patrick McIntyre

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
16. North Carolina athlete : TAR HEEL
Tar Heel is a nickname for anyone living in, or from, the state of North Carolina. As such, it is the nickname also of the athletic teams of the University of North Carolina. No one seems to know for sure where the term “Tar Heel” originated, but it is thought to be related to the historical importance of the tar, pitch and turpentine industries that thrived in the state due to the presence of vast forests of pine trees.

19. Old World blackbird : MERL
A merl (or merle) is often called a blackbird over in Europe. The male merl is completely black, with a yellow beak.

20. Names with “®” symbols: Abbr. : TMS
Trademarks (TMs)

22. Bird of myth : ROC
The mythical roc is a huge bird of prey, reputedly able to carry off and eat elephants.

23. “Le ___ Prince” : PETIT
“Le Petit Prince” is a celebrated French novella written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and first published in 1943. “Le Petit Prince” (The LIttle Prince) is the most read book in France, and the book most translated from French. The philosophical tale recounts the story of a stranded pilot meeting a young prince who falls to Earth from an asteroid. Saint-Exupéry was himself a pioneering aviator. He wrote “Le Petit France” while living in exile in the US due to the German occupation of France during WWII.

25. Units of electrical resistance : OHMS
The unit of electrical resistance is the ohm (with the symbol omega) named after German physicist Georg Simon Ohm. Ohm was the guy who established experimentally that the amount of current flowing through a circuit is directly proportional to the voltage applied, (V=IR) a relationship that every school kid knows as Ohm’s Law.

32. “Days of Our Lives,” for one : SOAP
As almost everyone knows, the original soap operas were radio dramas back in the fifties. Given the structure of society back then, the daytime broadcasts were aimed at housewives working in the home. For some reason the sponsors of those radio shows, and the television shows that followed, were soap manufacturers like Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive and Lever Brothers. And that’s how the “soap” opera got its name …

NBC’s “Days of Our Lives” is the second-longest running soap opera on US television, second only to “General Hospital”. “Days …” has been aired since November 1965.

34. Brit. fliers : RAF
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the oldest independent air force in the world (i.e. the first air force to become independent of army or navy forces). The RAF was formed during WWI on 1 April 1918, a composite of two earlier forces, the Royal Flying Corps (part of the Army) and the Royal Naval Air Service. The RAF’s “finest hour” has to be the Battle of Britain when the vastly outnumbered British fighters fought off the might of the Luftwaffe causing Hitler to delay his plan to cross the English Channel. This outcome prompted Winston Churchill to utter these memorable words:

36. The second “W” of W.W. II : WAR
World War II (WWII) lasted from 1939 to 1945 and is considered to have been the deadliest conflict in history. It is estimated that between 50 to 85 million people lost their lives, which included the mass deaths of civilians, particularly in the Holocaust. WWII is also the only conflict in which nuclear weapons were used.

37. Pizzeria fixture : OVEN
Pizza was invented in Naples where it has a long tradition that goes back to Ancient Rome. During an 1889 visit to Naples, Queen Margherita of Savoy was served a special pizza that was created with toppings designed to mimic the colors of the Italian flag. The ingredients of tomato (red), mozzarella (white) and basil (green) can still be found together on menus today on a pie usually named Pizza Margherita after the queen. I do love basil on my pizza …

44. Perfectly fine, informally : A-OK
All systems OK (A-OK)

53. Scoundrel : KNAVE
We’ve been using “knave” to mean a cad since about 1200, and as an alternative name for the jack in a deck of cards since the mid-1500s. “Knave” comes from the Old English word “cnafa”, a “boy, male servant”.

58. ___ Swann, Super Bowl X M.V.P. : LYNN
After his professional football career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Lynn Swann became a sportscaster and has been very active in Republican politics in recent years. Swann ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Pennsylvania in 2006. He also publicly declared his interest in running for the House of Representatives in 2008, but bowed out of the race early.

62. Party to the left of Dem. : SOC
The Socialist Party is to the left of the Democratic Party.

The concept of left-right politics started in France during the French Revolution. When members of France’s National Assembly convened in 1789, supporters of the King sat to the President’s right, and supporters of the revolution to the President’s left. The political term’s “left” and “right” were then coined in the local media and have been used ever since.

65. Sound systems : STEREOS
Monophonic sound (“mono”) is sound reproduced using just one audio channel, which is usually played out of just one speaker. Stereophonic sound is reproduced using two audio channels, with the sound from each channel played out of two different speakers. The pair of stereo speakers are usually positioned apart from each other so that sound appears to come from between the two. Quadraphonic sound (4.0 surround sound) uses four audio channels with the sound played back through four speakers often positioned at the corners of the room in which one is listening.

73. Group for kids of problem drinkers : ALATEEN
Al-Anon and Alateen are fellowships of relatives and friends of alcoholics. Alateen specifically supports teens who are affected by another’s drinking, whereas Al-Anon focuses on people of all ages.

74. Lecherous goat-men : SATYRS
The satyrs of Greek mythology came with a very high sex drive. They are the “rude” male subjects drawn on the side of old Greek vases. The nubile maidens known as nymphs were often an object of attention for the satyrs.

Down
1. ___ l’oeil (optical illusion) : TROMPE
Trompe-l’oeil is a technique in art that creates the optical illusion that a drawn object exists in three dimensions. “Trompe-l’oeil” is French for “deceive the eye”.

2. Actress Zellweger and others : RENEES
Renée Zellweger’s big break came in the 1996 movie “Jerry Maguire”. A few years later she followed that up with a string of successes in “Bridget Jones Diary” (2001), “Chicago” (2002) and “Cold Mountain” (2003). My wife and I love watching her play Bridget Jones, and as someone coming from the British Isles I have to say she does a remarkable job with the accent. She worked hard to perfect that accent, and of course she had a voice coach. She also went “undercover” and worked as a temp in an office for three weeks fine-tuning her skills.

3. All-points bulletins, e.g. : ALERTS
An All Points Bulletin (APB) is a broadcast from one US law enforcement agency to another.

6. *Torn : RENT (“RENT” by Jonathan Larson)
The musical “Rent” is based on the Puccini opera “La bohème”. “Rent” tells the story of struggling artists and musicians living in the Lower East Side of New York, and is set against the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic. We saw “Rent” on Broadway quite a few years ago and we were very disappointed …

8. *Salon supply : HAIRSPRAY (“Hairspray” by Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman)
The stage musical “Hairspray” is based on the original 1988 film by John Waters. The stage musical was in turn adapted for the big screen, in a film of the same name released in 2007 and starring John Travolta.

9. Oscar-winning Ben Affleck picture : ARGO
“Argo” is a 2012 movie that is based on the true story of the rescue of six diplomats hiding out during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. The film was directed by and stars Ben Affleck and is produced by Grant Heslov and George Clooney, the same pair who produced the excellent “Good Night, and Good Luck”. I saw “Argo” when it first came out in theaters and recommend it highly, although I found the scenes of religious fervor to be pretty frightening …

10. *The Windy City : CHICAGO (”Chicago” by John Kander & Fred Ebb)
The wonderful 1975 musical “Chicago” is based on a 1926 play of the same name written by a news reporter called Maurine Dallas Watkins. Watkins had been assigned to cover the murder trials of Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner for the “Chicago Tribune”, and used the story that unfolded as the basis for her play. Annan became the character Roxie Hart, and Gaertner became Velma Kelly. I’ve only ever seen the movie version of “Chicago” and never a live performance …

It seems that the derivation of Chicago’s nickname as the “Windy City” isn’t as obvious as I would have thought. There are two viable theories. First that the weather can be breezy, with wind blowing in off Lake Michigan. The effect of the wind is exaggerated by the grid-layout adopted by city planners after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The second theory is that “windy” means “being full of bluster”. Sportswriters from the rival city of Cincinnati were fond of calling Chicago supporters “windy” in the 1860s and 1870s, meaning that they were full of hot air in their claims that the Chicago White Stockings were superior to the Cincinnati Red Stockings.

11. Barbie’s beau : KEN
Barbie’s male counterpart doll is Ken, and Ken’s family name is Carson. Barbie’s full name is Barbie Millicent Roberts. When Ken was introduced in 1959, it was as Barbie’s boyfriend. In 2004 it was announced that Ken and Barbie were splitting up, and needed to spend quality time apart. Soon after the split, Barbie “met” Blaine, a boogie boarder from Australia.

The famous Barbie doll was created by businesswoman Ruth Handler and first appeared on store shelves in 1959. Barbie was based on a German fashion doll called Bild Lilli that was introduced in 1955. Lilli had been a German cartoon character before taking on a three-dimensional form. Prior to the introduction of Bild Lilli and Barbie, children’s dolls were primarily representations of infants.

13. “Evil Woman” band, for short : ELO
ELO of course stands for the Electric Light Orchestra, a symphonic rock group from the north of England. ELO’s manager was Don Arden, father of Sharon Osbourne (wife of Ozzy).

24. Old Russian autocrat : TSAR
The term czar (also tsar) is a Slavic word that was first used as a title by Simeon I of Bulgaria in 913 AD. “Czar” is derived from the word “Caesar”, which was synonymous with “emperor” at that time.

29. Butter substitute : OLEO
Emperor Louis Napoleon III of France announced a competition to develop a substitute for butter, a substitute that would be more accessible to the lower classes and more practical for the armed forces. In 1869, a French chemist called Hippolyte Mege-Mouries came up with something that he called oleomargarine, which was eventually manufactured under the trade name “margarine”. The name “oleomargarine” also gives us our generic term “oleo”.

35. *Partner of fancy-free : FOOTLOOSE (“Footloose” by Tom Snow & Dean Pitchford)
The 1998 stage musical “Footloose” is based on the very entertaining 1984 film of the same name. I don’t think that the stage adaptation has been as well received as the original movie.

The 1984 musical drama “Footloose” tells the story of a Chicago teen (played by Kevin Bacon) who moves to a small town in which dancing and rock music has been banned. The storyline is loosely based on real events in the Oklahoma City of Elmore. Dancing was banned in Elmore for almost 100 years, with the ban eventually being lifted in 1980.

46. *Nightclub : CABARET (“Cabaret”by John Kander & Fred Ebb)
The musical “Cabaret” is based on “I Am a Camera”, a 1951 play written by John Van Druten, which itself was adapted from a novel “Goodbye to Berlin” written by Christopher Isherwood. “Cabaret” is a great musical, although the 1972 film of the musical isn’t one of my favorites.

52. Ones with their noses in the air : SNOBS
Back in the 1780s, a “snob” was a shoemaker or a shoemaker’s apprentice. By the end of the 18th century the word was being used by students at Cambridge University in England to refer to all local merchants and people of the town. The term evolved to mean one who copies those who are his or her social superior (and not in a good way). From there it wasn’t a big leap for “snob” to include anyone who emphasized their superior social standing and not just those who aspired to rank. Nowadays a snob is anyone who looks down on those considered to be of inferior standing.

56. Whodunit awards : EDGARS
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards (the Edgars) are presented annually by the Mystery Writers of America.

61. Richard of “Pretty Woman” : GERE
Richard Gere has played such great roles on the screen, and I find him to be a very interesting character off the screen. Gere has been studying Buddhism since 1978 and is a very visible supporter of the Dalai Lama and the people of Tibet.

“Pretty Woman” is a great movie, a 1990 romantic comedy starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. The film was originally written as a very dark story, with the female lead not only a prostitute, but also a drug addict, The Disney studio who took up the project demanded that it be rewritten as a modern-day fairy tale, and what a good decision that was.

63. *Jazz devotees, informally : CATS (“Cats” by Andrew Lloyd Webber)
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s source material for his hit musical “Cats” was T. S. Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats”. Eliot’s collection of whimsical poems was published in 1939, and was a personal favorite of Webber as he was growing up. “Cats” is the second longest running show in Broadway history (“Phantom of the Opera” is the longest and is still running; deservedly so in my humble opinion). my wife and I have seen “Cats” a couple of times and really enjoyed it …

65. Spanish Mrs. : SRA
Señora (Sra.)

66. ___ 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.

67. TV’s Longoria : EVA
Eva Longoria is a fashion model and an actress with a regular role on “Desperate Housewives”, playing Gabrielle Solis.

68. One of a D.C. 100 : SEN
There are 100 senators in the US Senate.

70. Narc’s org. : DEA
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was set up in 1973 while President Nixon was in office.

“Narc” is a slang term for a law enforcement officer who tracks down criminals associated illegal drugs.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Stock exchange worker : TRADER
7. Prisoner’s leg restraint : SHACKLE
14. In the same family : RELATED
16. North Carolina athlete : TAR HEEL
17. Very narrow, as a road : ONE-LANE
18. Tackle, as a difficult subject : DIG INTO
19. Old World blackbird : MERL
20. Names with “®” symbols: Abbr. : TMS
22. Bird of myth : ROC
23. “Le ___ Prince” : PETIT
25. Units of electrical resistance : OHMS
27. Very much : A LOT
31. Twisty highway curves : ESSES
32. “Days of Our Lives,” for one : SOAP
33. Fancy party : GALA
34. Brit. fliers : RAF
36. The second “W” of W.W. II : WAR
37. Pizzeria fixture : OVEN
38. Six-pack units : ABS
41. Folded item in a glove compartment : ROAD MAP
44. Perfectly fine, informally : A-OK
45. Gator’s cousin : CROC
47. “Well, looky here!” : OHO!
48. “___-hoo!” : YOO
50. “I did it!” : TA-DA!
51. Rescues for broken-down cars : TOWS
53. Scoundrel : KNAVE
57. Knife wound : STAB
58. ___ Swann, Super Bowl X M.V.P. : LYNN
59. Having a roof overhang : EAVED
60. In the past : AGO
62. Party to the left of Dem. : SOC
64. Little dent : DING
65. Sound systems : STEREOS
69. “Don’t even think about it” : BAD IDEA
71. Car gear for backing up : REVERSE
72. 58-Across, for his entire N.F.L. career : STEELER
73. Group for kids of problem drinkers : ALATEEN
74. Lecherous goat-men : SATYRS

Down
1. ___ l’oeil (optical illusion) : TROMPE
2. Actress Zellweger and others : RENEES
3. All-points bulletins, e.g. : ALERTS
4. One wasting time : DALLIER
5. Announcement over a plane’s P.A. : ETA
6. *Torn : RENT
7. Benchmark: Abbr. : STD
8. *Salon supply : HAIRSPRAY
9. Oscar-winning Ben Affleck picture : ARGO
10. *The Windy City : CHICAGO
11. Barbie’s beau : KEN
12. Allow : LET
13. “Evil Woman” band, for short : ELO
15. Test cars at car dealerships : DEMOS
21. Decisive confrontations … or what the answers to the six starred clues are? : SHOWDOWNS
24. Old Russian autocrat : TSAR
26. Sir’s counterpart : MA’AM
28. Volcanic flow : LAVA
29. Butter substitute : OLEO
30. Vehicle with a gun mount : TANK
35. *Partner of fancy-free : FOOTLOOSE
38. Parts of musicals : ACTS
39. Baby sitter’s headache : BRAT
40. Fizzy drink : SODA
42. “Hey there, matey!” : AHOY!
43. Prod : POKE
46. *Nightclub : CABARET
49. Counting calories : ON A DIET
52. Ones with their noses in the air : SNOBS
54. With gusto : AVIDLY
55. Furniture finish : VENEER
56. Whodunit awards : EDGARS
61. Richard of “Pretty Woman” : GERE
63. *Jazz devotees, informally : CATS
65. Spanish Mrs. : SRA
66. ___ Aviv : TEL
67. TV’s Longoria : EVA
68. One of a D.C. 100 : SEN
70. Narc’s org. : DEA

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