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Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
10. Keep the complaints coming : CARP
The word “carp” used to mean simply “talk” back in the 13th century, with its roots in the Old Norwegian “karpa” meaning “to brag”. A century later the Latin word “carpere” meaning “to slander” influenced the use of “carp” so that it came to mean “find fault with”.

14. Pavlova of the ballet : ANNA
Anna Pavlova was a Russian ballerina who performed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Pavlova became so successful that she was the first ballerina to pull together her own company and tour the world. Her most famous role was “The Dying Swan” that she danced to the beautiful “Le cygne” from Saint-Saëns’ “Carnival of the Animals”. Pavolva eventually left Russia for good, and settled in England.

15. Head stone? : CAMEO
Cameo is a method of carving, often the carving of a gemstone or a piece of jewelry. The resulting image is in relief (sits proud of the background), whereas an engraved image would be produced by the similar (but “opposite”) carving method known as intaglio. Nowadays, the term cameo is used for any piece of oval-shaped jewelry that contains the image of a head, usually in profile (maybe even a photograph).

16. Nondairy alternative : 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 he called oleomargarine, which was eventually manufactured under the trade name “margarine”. The name “oleomargarine” also gives us our generic term “oleo”.

20. First #1 hit for the Commodores : THREE TIMES A LADY
The Commodores were very big in the seventies and eighties. The group’s original members first got together as freshman while attending what is now Tuskegee University, and got their big break opening for the Jackson 5 on tour. The Commodores most famous member was Lionel Richie.

21. Counterfeit : ERSATZ
Something described as “ersatz” is a copy, and usually not a good one. “Ersatz” comes from the German verb “ersetzen” meaning “to replace”.

22. Horse shows? : OATERS
The term “oater”, used for a western movie, comes from the number of horses seen, and horses love oats!

30. About : IN RE
The term “in re” is Latin, derived from “in” (in) and “res” (thing, matter). “In re” literally means “in the matter”, and is used in place of “in regard to”, or “in the matter of”.

31. One of Franklin’s certainties : TAXES
In a letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy dated 13 Nov 1789, Benjamin Franklin wrote “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”

32. Little Tramp prop : CANE
Charlie Chaplin earned the nickname “The Tramp” from the much-loved character that he frequently played on the screen. Chaplin was much-respected as a performer. The great George Bernard Shaw referred to him as “the only genius to come out of the movie industry”.

35. Commuting option in Georgia’s capital : MARTA
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA).

37. First female chancellor of Germany : MERKEL
The formidable politician Angela Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany, the country’s head of state. Merkel is the first female German Chancellor, and when she chaired the G8 in 2007 she became only the second woman to do so, after the UK’s Margaret Thatcher. Merkel grew up in East Germany under Communist rule.

40. Former “CBS Morning News” co-anchor Bill : KURTIS
Bill Kurtis is a television journalist. Kurtis is perhaps better known in recent years as the host for several crime shows including “American Justice” and “Cold Case Files”.

46. The Donald’s second ex : MARLA
Marla Maples was the second wife of Donald Trump. Maples and Trump dated secretly for a couple of years while the Donald was still married to his first wife, Ivana. When Ivana discovered the affair, she filed for divorce, and eventually Donald and Marla married. It was Trump’s turn to file for divorce several years later after the National Enquirer outed Marla for having an affair with a Florida bodyguard.

49. Bob ___, “To Kill a Mockingbird” villain : EWELL
Bob Ewell is the main antagonist in Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”.

Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” was first published in 1960. The book is a mainstay in English classes all around the world and is a great ambassador for American literature, I’d say.

50. Santa ___ Valley (winegrowing region) : YNEZ
The Santa Ynez Valley is a winegrowing region in Santa Barbara County in California. The Santa Ynez Valley was the setting and location for the wonderful 2004 film “Sideways”.

Down
5. Warp drive repairman on the original “Star Trek” : SCOTTY
In the “Star Trek” series on television and in the movies, the colorful character of “Scotty” was played by the Canadian actor James Doohan. Doohan joined the Royal Canadian Artillery at the start of WWII, and participated in the D-Day Invasion of Normandy. After surviving the landing, that same day Doohan was shot by one of his own men in a tragic mishap. Doohan was hit six times, with a bullet to his chest stopped by a silver cigarette case he was carrying. One of Doohan’s fingers was shot off in the incident, an injury that he successfully concealed during his acting career.

6. Koran memorizer : HAFIZ
“Hafiz” is an Arabic word meaning “guardian” and “retentive”. The term is used for someone who has completely memorized the Qur’an.

7. Koran reciter : IMAM
An imam is a Muslim leader, often the one in charge of a mosque or perhaps a Muslim community.

9. Schooner features : TOPSAILS
A topsail is a sail that is set on a mast above another sail. It is possible to mount yet another topsail above the first.

11. Finnish architect Aalto : ALVAR
Alvar Aalto was a Finnish architect and designer. He did most of his work in the first half of the twentieth century, and earned himself the nickname of “Father of Modernism” in Finland and the rest of the Nordic countries.

18. “The North Pole” author, 1910 : PEARY
The famous American explorer Robert Peary, was supposedly the first man to reach the geographic North Pole, although that claim has been disputed even back in 1909 right after Peary returned from his trek across the polar ice. At issue is the accuracy of his navigation.

24. “The Battle of the ___” (D. W. Griffith film) : SEXES
“The Battle of the Sexes” is a 1914 film that was directed by D. W. Griffith. This original film is now “lost” as no known copy exists anymore. Griffith made another version of the film in 1928, releasing it as both a silent movie and a “talkie”.

26. Pick-up sticks piece : JACKSTRAW
Jackstraws are also known as pick-up sticks.

27. English physician James who gave his name to a disease : PARKINSON
English apothecary surgeon James Parkinson wrote “An Essay on the Shaking Palsy” in 1817. This work was the first to describe the disorder that was later to be called Parkinson’s disease in his honor.

28. Not ready to go, you might say : INTESTATE
Someone who dies “intestate” does so without having made a will.

32. Not drawn true to life : CARTOONY
The word “cartoon” was originally used for a “drawing on strong paper”, a durable drawing used as a model for another work. The term comes from the French word “carton” meaning “heavy paper, pasteboard”. Cartoons have been around a long time, with some of the most famous having being drawn by Leonardo da Vinci.

34. Starchy dish : PILAF
Pilaf is a Persian word, and we use it to describe rice that is browned in oil and then cooked in a seasoned broth.

36. “Tom ___, Detective” (1896 novel) : SAWYER
Tom Sawyer is of course a favorite character created by Mark Twain. He turns up in four of Twain’s books:

– “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”
– “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”
– “Tom Sawyer Abroad”
– “Tom Sawyer, Detective”

But that’s not all, as he appears in at least three works that Twain left unfinished:

– “Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer Among the Indians” (a sequel to “Huckleberry Finn”)
– “Schoolhouse Hill”
– “Tom Sawyer’s Conspiracy” (a sequel to “Tom Sawyer, Detective”)

42. Literary governess’s surname : EYRE
“Jane Eyre” is of course the novel written by Charlotte Brontë, under the pen name Currer Bell. Over the years, I’ve shared here on the blog that the “Jane Eyre” storyline is a little too dark and Gothic for my taste, but a very persuasive blog reader convinced me to look more at the romantic side of the story and give it a second chance. I watched a wonderful 4-hour television adaptation of the novel made by the BBC a while back, and I have to say that because I was focused on the relationship between Jane and Rochester, I was able to push past the Gothic influences (that depress me) so I really enjoyed the story. I thoroughly recommend this 2006 BBC adaptation to fans of the novel.

43. Courtroom cry : OYEZ
“Oyez” is an Anglo-French word traditionally called out three times, meaning “hear ye!”

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. One called upon to decide : COIN
5. Back cover? : SHIRT
10. Keep the complaints coming : CARP
14. Pavlova of the ballet : ANNA
15. Head stone? : CAMEO
16. Nondairy alternative : OLEO
17. O.K. : STAMP OF APPROVAL
20. First #1 hit for the Commodores : THREE TIMES A LADY
21. Counterfeit : ERSATZ
22. Horse shows? : OATERS
23. Hard to see through, say : SMEARY
24. Laid eyes on : SPIED
25. Hardly seaworthy : LEAKY
26. Takes shape : JELLS
27. Apple seed : PIP
30. About : IN RE
31. One of Franklin’s certainties : TAXES
32. Little Tramp prop : CANE
33. Diagnosis deliverers: Abbr. : MDS
34. Expended some nervous energy : PACED
35. Commuting option in Georgia’s capital : MARTA
36. Jockey’s uniform : SILKS
37. First female chancellor of Germany : MERKEL
38. Attributes (to), with “up” : CHALKS
40. Former “CBS Morning News” co-anchor Bill : KURTIS
41. Spotlight : DRAW ATTENTION TO
44. “Yeah, right!” : EASY FOR YOU TO SAY
45. Play money? : ANTE
46. The Donald’s second ex : MARLA
47. Small letter : NOTE
48. Some ruminants : DEER
49. Bob ___, “To Kill a Mockingbird” villain : EWELL
50. Santa ___ Valley (winegrowing region) : YNEZ

Down
1. Play group : CAST
2. Getting better : ON THE MEND
3. Not caught up : IN ARREARS
4. First son, sometimes : NAMESAKE
5. Warp drive repairman on the original “Star Trek” : SCOTTY
6. Koran memorizer : HAFIZ
7. Koran reciter : IMAM
8. Like a town that used to be a ghost town : REPEOPLED
9. Schooner features : TOPSAILS
10. Sat on a sill, maybe : COOLED
11. Finnish architect Aalto : ALVAR
12. Tries out for a part : READS
13. Part of many a tech school’s name : POLY
18. “The North Pole” author, 1910 : PEARY
19. Phone company offers : RATES
23. Hardly stocky : SLIM
24. “The Battle of the ___” (D. W. Griffith film) : SEXES
26. Pick-up sticks piece : JACKSTRAW
27. English physician James who gave his name to a disease : PARKINSON
28. Not ready to go, you might say : INTESTATE
29. Ring : PEAL
31. “I want the lowdown!” : TALK TO ME
32. Not drawn true to life : CARTOONY
34. Starchy dish : PILAF
35. Good reason for promotion : MERIT
36. “Tom ___, Detective” (1896 novel) : SAWYER
37. Held in common : MUTUAL
38. Part of a boomtown’s skyline : CRANE
39. Cause of careless mistakes : HASTE
40. Rise : KNOLL
41. Utterly exhausted : DEAD
42. Literary governess’s surname : EYRE
43. Courtroom cry : OYEZ

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