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Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Zin alternative : CAB

The cabernet sauvignon (often just “cab”) grape has been around since the 17th century, and is the result of a chance crossing in southwestern France of the cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc grapes.

4 In which 🤟 means “I love you,” for short : ASL

American Sign Language (ASL)

12 The “toe” of Italy’s “boot” : CALABRIA

Calabria is a region in southern Italy that forms the geographic “toe” of the boot-shaped Italian Peninsula. It was home to the Itali tribe. The Greeks gave the name “Italia” to the region, a name that extended over time to the whole peninsula.

14 Animal that shares its name with a Spanish 101 word : LLAMA

The llama is a camelid mammal very much associated with the Andean cultures. Despite the association with South America, it is thought that the ancestors of the modern llama migrated south from the Great Plains of North America about 40 million years ago.

“Llama” is Spanish for “calls”.

15 Regal figure on a tarot card : EMPRESS

Tarot cards have been around since the mid-1400s, and for centuries were simply used for entertainment as a game. It has only been since the late 1800s that the cards have been used by fortune tellers to predict the future. The list of tarot cards includes the Wheel of Fortune, the Hanged Man and the Lovers.

16 Bit of urban art : MURAL

A mural is a painting that is applied directly to a wall or a ceiling. The term “mural” comes from the Latin “murus” meaning “wall”.

17 What has a big part in “The Ten Commandments”? : RED SEA

The Red Sea (sometimes “Arabian Gulf”) is a stretch of water lying between Africa and Asia. The Gulf of Suez (and the Suez Canal) lies to the north, and the Gulf of Aden to the south. According to the Book of Exodus in the Bible, God parted the Red Sea to allow Moses lead the Israelites from Egypt.

“The Ten Commandments” is an epic movie directed by Cecil B. DeMille, and released in 1956. The cast is as epic as the film, with Charlton Heston playing the lead role of Moses. Also appearing are Yul Brynner as Rameses, Edward G. Robinson as Dathan, Vincent Price as Baka and Anne Baxter as Nefretiri.

18 Self-titled debut album released four years before “Jagged Little Pill” : ALANIS

Alanis Morissette is a Canadian singer-songwriter. After releasing two pop albums in Canada, in 1995 she recorded her first album to be distributed internationally. Called “Jagged Little Pill”, it is a collection of songs with more of a rock influence. The album was a huge success, the highest-selling album of the 1990s, and the highest-selling debut album by any artist at any time (selling over 30 million units).

20 Dot in la mer : ILE

In French, an “île” (island) is “terre dans la mer” (land in the sea).

21 Protected from the wind : ALEE

Alee is the direction away from the wind. If a sailor points into the wind, he or she is pointing aweather. The sheltered side of an island, for example, might be referred to as the “lee” side.

22 ___ monster : GILA

A Gila monster is a venomous lizard found in the southwestern US and northern Mexico, and is the only venomous lizard native to America. Gila monsters move along at a snail’s pace so aren’t normally a danger to humans. The name “Gila” is a reference to the Gila River Basin in the American Southwest, where the Gila monster was prevalent.

27 Early Netflix offering : DVD

Netflix was founded in Los Gatos, California in 1997 as a DVD rental company that sent out titles by mail. The company delivered its billionth DVD in 2007. I presume the renter wasn’t charged for that movie …

29 Metroid console, for short : NES

The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was sold in North America from 1985 to 1995. It was the biggest selling gaming console of the era. Nintendo replaced the NES with Wii, which is also the biggest-selling game console in the world.

30 Grunts : PEONS

A peon is a lowly worker who has no real control over his/her working conditions. The word “peon” comes into English from Spanish, in which language it has the same meaning.

The slang term “grunts”, meaning “low-level personnel”, first applied to US infantrymen during the Vietnam War. The equivalent term for British infantrymen is “squaddies”.

39 Language in which “sabaidee” means “hello” : LAO

Lao, the language of Laos, does not use spaces between words (or periods!), although this is apparently changing. Spaces are used between sentences and clauses.

41 Like roughly a quarter of the world’s population : ISLAMIC

Over 50% of the world’s population consider themselves to be adherents of the “big three” Abrahamic religions: Christianity (2-2.2 billion), Islam (1.6-1.7 billion) and Judaism (14-18 million).

45 Lincoln and others : ABES

Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth President of the US. There are several stories told about how he earned the nickname “Honest Abe”. One story dates back to early in his career as a lawyer. Lincoln accidentally overcharged a client and then walked miles in order to right the wrong as soon as possible.

47 “One” on a one : UNUM

From 1776, “E pluribus unum” was the unofficial motto of the United States. The phrase translates from Latin as “Out of many, one”. It was pushed aside in 1956 when an Act of Congress designated “In God We Trust” as the country’s official motto. “In God We Trust” had appeared on US coins since 1864, but was only introduced on paper currency in 1957.

55 Wirelessly operated toy vehicle, informally : RC CAR

Radio-controlled (RC)

56 Divination aids … or a phonetic hint to the shaded squares in this puzzle : TEA LEAVES

Tasseography is the reading of fortunes by interpreting the patterns of tea leaves, coffee grounds and wine sediments that are left in the bottom of a cup or glass.

58 Eyelike openings : OCULI

“Oculus” (plural “oculi”) is the Latin word for “eye”, and gives us our term “ocular” meaning “eye-related”.

59 Uses DoorDash, say : ORDERS IN

DoorDash is the largest food delivery company in the country. Customers can order food from many different restaurants using the DoorDash app, and a DoorDash driver delivers it to a home or office. DoorDash also operates ghost kitchens, facilities that prepare meals for delivery customers of a group of restaurants.

60 Mullet resting places : NAPES

A mullet haircut is one that is short at the front and sides, and is long in the back.

61 Hush-hush org. : NSA

The National Security Agency (NSA) was set up in 1952 by President Truman, a replacement for the Armed Forces Security Agency that had existed in the Department of Defense (DoD) since 1949. The NSA has always been clouded in secrecy and even the 1952 letter from President Truman that established the agency was kept under wraps from the public for over a generation. I really like the organization’s nickname … “No Such Agency”.

Down

1 One end of Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Bridge : CAMDEN

Camden, New Jersey is a suburb of Philadelphia that is located on the opposite side of the Delaware river from the center of Philly.

2 Range for many ibex : ALPS

“Ibex” is a common name for various species of mountain goat. “Ibex” is a Latin name that was used for wild goats found in the Alps and Apennines in Europe.

5 Rope fiber : SISAL

The sisal plant is an agave, the flesh of which is not generally used in making tequila. Sisal is grown instead for the fibers that run the length of its leaves. The fiber is used extensively for twine, rope, carpeting, wall coverings etc. My favorite application though, is in the construction of dartboards. Sisal takes its name from the port of Sisal in Yucatan, Mexico that was a major shipping point for sisal plants.

7 ___ mater : ALMA

The term “alma mater” is used to describe a school from which one has graduated. It can also describe a school’s song or hymn.

11 Chipotle choices : SALSAS

Chipotle Mexican Grill is a chain of casual dining restaurants that was founded and is now headquartered in Denver, Colorado. For several years, the major investor in Chipotle was McDonald’s. The chain is named for the smoke-dried jalapeño called a “chipotle”.

12 Singer Green : CEELO

“CeeLo Green” is the stage name of rapper Thomas DeCarlo Callaway. Green was one of the coaches for the contestants on the singing TV show “The Voice” for four seasons.

26 Presidential also-ran of 1988, 2008 and 2012 : RON PAUL

Ron Paul is a former Republican Congressman from Texas. Paul is a libertarian, and ran for president in 1988 as a Libertarian Party candidate. He ran for the Republican nomination for president in 2008 and 2012 as a member of the Liberty Caucus of the party. Paul retired from Congress in 2013, and did not enter the 2016 presidential race. Even though he didn’t run in 2016, Paul actually picked an electoral college vote from a Texas faithless elector. That made Ron Paul the oldest person ever (at 81) to receive an electoral college vote.

33 Actress Fisher : ISLA

Isla Fisher is an Oman-born, Australian actress who really launched her career with a recurring role on the Australian soap “Home and Away”. She started a career in Hollywood portraying Mary Jane in the 2002 film “Scooby-Doo”. Fisher married English actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen in 2010.

34 Championship trophy for the P.G.A. Tour : FEDEX CUP

The FedEx Cup is a championship trophy that has been awarded since 2007 to golfers on the PGA Tour. Players win points throughout the season, with those earning the most points entering into playoff tournaments at the end of the season.

36 Hitchcock film that won Best Picture : REBECCA

“Rebecca” is a fabulous film from 1940, the first Hollywood movie for director Alfred Hitchcock , and winner of a Best Picture Oscar. The story is adapted from Daphne du Maurier’s novel of the same name, and stars Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. I don’t normally like movies or books with Gothic themes, but I highly recommend this one.

38 Stand-up comedian Marc : MARON

Stand-up comedian Marc Maron has been hosting the podcast “WTF with Marc Maron” since 2009. The online show features interviews with comedians and celebrities. The list of interviewees is pretty impressive, and includes Conan O’Brien, Robin Williams and even President Barack Obama.

40 Pickup capacity, perhaps : ONE TON

Pickup trucks are probably so called because they can be used to “pick up” bulky items from say a store, and then deliver them elsewhere. Here in North America, we call a pickup with four rear wheels (instead of two) a “dually”, a colloquial term. A dually can carry more weight on the rear axle than a regular pickup.

42 Martian who wears a green helmet and skirt : MARVIN

Marvin the Martian is a character from the Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies universe who first appeared in a Bugs Bunny cartoon in 1948. He wears a green helmet and skirt that resembles armor worn in ancient depictions of the Roman god Mars. For decades, Marvin was one of the characters voiced by the celebrated Mel Blanc.

43 Playwright Henrik : IBSEN

Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen is the second-most frequently performed dramatist in the world, with only the works of William Shakespeare staged more often. As he was a pioneer in the genre, he is often referred to as “the father of realism”.

52 One might be pale : ALE

What’s known as “bitter ale” in the UK corresponds to “pale ale” in the US. I’m a fan …

57 ___ Limón, first Latina U.S. poet laureate : ADA

Ada Limón was named US Poet Laureate in 2022. Here is her poem “Field Bling”, which comes from her 2015 collection “Bright Dead Things”:

Nights when it’s warm
and no one is watching,
I walk to the edge
of the road and stare
at all the fireflies.
I squint and pretend
they’re hallucinations,
bright made-up waves
of the brain.
I call them,
field bling.
I call them,
fancy creepies.
It’s been a long time
since I’ve wanted to die,
it makes me feel
like taking off
my skin suit
and seeing how
my light flies all
on its own, neon
and bouncy like a
wannabe star.