Day: August 9, 2013

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Beachgoer’s download E-BOOK
I finally bought myself a Kindle Fire HD a couple of weeks ago. I’ve started reading e-books for the first time in my life. I’ve always been behind the times …

6. “Saving Private Ryan” setting D-DAY
The most famous D-Day in history was June 6, 1944, the date of the Normandy landings in WWII. The term “D-Day” is used by the military to designate the day on which a combat operations are to be launched, especially when the actual date has yet to be determined. What D stands for seems to have been lost in the mists of time although the tradition is that D just stands for “Day”. In fact, the French have a similar term, “Jour J” (Day J), with a similar meaning. We also use H-Hour to denote the hour the attack is to commence.

“Saving Private Ryan” is an epic 1998 movie directed by Steven Spielberg, a real “must see”. The D-Day invasion scenes were shot over a two-month period on the southeast coast of Ireland.

10. Oz. sextet TSPS
There are six teaspoons (tsps.) in and ounce (oz.).

14. Does a Photoshop task CROPS
Photoshop is a wonderful piece of software used for editing graphics. When I first bought a copy of Photoshop, it was really expensive (about $300, ten years ago), but now there are cost-effective, stripped-down versions available.

21. “The Book of __”: Denzel Washington film ELI
2010’s “The Book of Eli” is one of those “end of the world” type movies, with Denzel Washington playing a tough guy traveling across what is left of the United States after some apocryphal event.

Denzel Washington is an actor from Mount Vernon, just outside New York City. Washington’s big break came with a TV role, playing Dr. Phillip Chandler on “St. Elsewhere” from 1982 to 1988.

29. Modern joke response LOL
LOL is an abbreviation used in Instant Messages and phone texting, an abbreviation for “Laughing Out Loud”.

41. Some code tones DAHS
A “dah” or “dash” is Morse code for the letter “T”.

43. Gift __ OF GAB
Blarney is a town in County Cork in the south of Ireland. Blarney is home to Blarney Castle, and inside the castle is the legendary Blarney Stone. “Kissing the Blarney Stone” is a ritual engaged in by oh so many tourists (indeed, I’ve done it myself!), but it’s not a simple process. The stone is embedded in the wall of the castle, and in order to kiss it you have to sit on the edge of the parapet and lean way backwards so that your head is some two feet below your body. There is a staff member there to help you and make sure you don’t fall. The Blarney Stone has been labelled as the world’s most unhygienic tourist attraction! But once you’ve kissed it, supposedly you are endowed with the “gift of the gab”, the ability to talk eloquently and perhaps deceptively without offending. Sure, I wouldn’t know …

53. Reagan’s second attorney general MEESE
Ed Meese was born in Oakland, California just down the road here and spent 24 years in the office of the Treasurer of Alameda County, the county in which I live. After military service, Meese earned himself a law degree at UC Berkeley. Later, as Chief of Staff for President Reagan, he was instrumental in a famous decision to crack down on student protesters at Berkeley which resulted in one protester dying and a two-week occupation of the city by the California National Guard.

54. __ gratia DEI
“Dei Gratia” is Latin for “By the Grace of God”. The term is used in the name of a monarch who is said to be ruling by divine right. For example, the full title of the UK’s Queen is “Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith”.

55. Road service org. AAA
The American Automobile Association (AAA) is a not-for-profit organization focused on lobbying, provision of automobile servicing, and selling of automobile insurance. The AAA was founded in 1902 in Chicago and published the first of its celebrated hotel guides back in 1917.

62. Acronymic French artist ERTE
Erté was the pseudonym of French artist (Russian born) Romain de Tirtoff. Erté is the French pronunciation of his initials “R.T.”

63. Caboose REAR
The word “caboose” originally came from Middle Dutch and was the word for a ship’s galley. When the last car in a train in North America was given a stove for the comfort of the crew, it took on the name “caboose”.

64. One never seen in “Peanuts” ADULT
Charles M. Schulz was a cartoonist best known for his comic strip “Peanuts” that featured the much-loved characters Charlie Brown and Snoopy. “Peanuts” was so successful, running daily in over 70 countries and 21 languages, that it earned Schulz an estimated 30-40 million dollars annually.

65. French __ DOOR
“French doors” are “double doors”.

66. Its Old World Style label has a gondola on it RAGU
The Ragu brand of pasta sauce is owned by Unilever. The name ” Ragù” is the Italian word for a sauce used to dress pasta, however the spelling is off a little. In Italian the word is “Ragù” with a grave accent over the “u”, but if you look at a jar of the Unilever sauce, it is spelled “Ragú” on the label, with an acute accent. Sometimes I think we just don’t try …

67. Art of verse POESY
“Poesy” is an alternative name for poetry, and is often used to mean the “art of poetry”.

Down
1. “To every thing there is a season” Bible bk. ECCL
Ecclesiastes is a book in the Hebrew Bible and in the Old Testament. The term “ecclesiastes” is usually translated as “teacher” or “preacher”, although a more literal translation is “gatherer”.

3. Rhythmic song from “Oliver!” OOM-PAH-PAH
“Oliver!” is stage musical by Lionel Bart, of course based on the Charles Dickens novel “Oliver Twist”. “Oliver!” was adapted successfully for the big screen in 1968.

4. Something for nothing?: Abbr. OPP
The word “something” is the opposite (opp.) of the word “nothing”.

5. Sch. near Topeka KSU
Kansas State University (KSU) was founded as the Kansas State Agricultural College in 1863 during the Civil War. The main KSU campus is located in Manhattan, Kansas.

7. Greek column style DORIC
The Doric was one of the three classical orders of architecture, the others being the Ionic and the Corinthian.

10. She was Adrian in “Rocky” TALIA
You might remember Rocky Balboa saying, “Yo, Adrian!” in the original Rocky movie. Adrian was Rocky’s wife played by the lovely Talia Shire, sister of director Francis Ford Coppola.

13. Cordwood measure STERE
“Stere” is a metric measure, although it is not part of the modern metric system. Nowadays the stere is used as a measure for firewood, and is equal to one cubic meter.

26. Chan portrayer OLAND
Warner Oland was a Swedish actor, best remembered for his portrayal of Charlie Chan in a series of 16 highly successful Hollywood movies. Before playing Charlie Chan, Oland made a name for himself playing another Asian role on screen, that of Dr. Fu Manchu.

27. Like most Michener novels LONG
The author James A. Michener won his Pulitzer in 1948 for his collection of short stories set during WWII called “Tales of the South Pacific”. The stories are based on Michener’s own experiences and on tales that he learned while stationed there during the war. The book was published in 1946, and three years later the musical “South Pacific” opened with a storyline drawn from Michener’s book.

30. ’60s hallucinogen LSD
LSD (colloquially known as “acid”) is short for lysergic acid diethylamide. A Swiss chemist called Albert Hofmann first synthesized LSD in 1938 in a research project looking for medically efficacious ergot alkaloids. It wasn’t until some five years later when Hofmann ingested some of the drug accidentally that its psychedelic properties were discovered. Trippy, man …

33. __ Tin Tin RIN
The original Rin Tin Tin was an actual dog, a puppy discovered by a GI in a bombed-out kennel in France during WWI. The soldier named the pup Rin Tin Tin, the same name as a puppet given to American soldiers for luck. On returning to the US, “Rinty” was trained by his owner and was spotted doing tricks by a film producer. Rinty featured in some films, eventually getting his first starring role in 1923 in the silent movie “Where the North Begins”. Legend has it that this first Rin Tin Tin died in the arms of actress Jean Harlow. Not a bad way to go …

36. Mad-hatter connection AS A
In Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, the Mad Hatter makes his first appearance in a chapter called “A Mad Tea-Party”. This event is usually described as “The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party”, even though the Mad Hatter was just a guest. The host was the March Hare.

37. Hardly a Yankee fan? REB
The term “Yankee” originated back in the 1600s when Dutch settlers used to called English colonists “Jankes”, a disparaging term meaning “Little Johns”.

39. Old Testament twin ESAU
Esau, was the grandson of Abraham and the twin brother of Jacob, the founder of the Israelites. When Esau was born, the event was described, “Now the first came forth, red all over like a hairy garment”. Esau is portrayed later in life as being very different from his brother, as a hunter and someone who loves the outdoor life.

44. Bk. intro PREF
A “preface” is a book’s introduction that is written by the author himself or herself. A “foreword” is an introduction written by a different person, and precedes the author’s preface.

45. Songwriter Sands EVIE
Evie Sands is a singer from Brooklyn, New York. Sands is also a noted songwriter, having penned songs that have been recorded by the likes of Barbra Streisand, Gladys Knight, Karen Carpenter, Linda Ronstadt and Dusty Springfield.

49. Glacial ridge ESKER
An esker is a long and winding ridge formed by glaciation, made of sand and gravel. The term “esker” comes from the Irish word “eiscir” that describes the same feature.

51. Indian independence leader NEHRU
Jawaharlal Nehru was the very first prime minister of India, serving from 1947-64. Nehru was basically the heir to his mentor, Mahatma Gandhi. Nehru’s only daughter, Indira, also became prime minister (known as Indira Gandhi, though she was no relation to Mahatma).

52. Writer Roald and others DAHLS
Roald Dahl’s name is Norwegian. Dahl’s parents were from Norway, although Dahl himself was Welsh. Dahl became one of the most successful authors of the twentieth century. Two of his most famous works are “James and the Giant Peach” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”.

58. “Catch-22” pilot ORR
The bomber pilot in Joseph Heller’s “Catch 22” is called Orr, and he has no other name, just “Orr”.

59. Belfast-born actor Stephen REA
Stephen Rea is an Irish actor from Belfast, whose most famous role was that of the “retired” IRA man in the brilliant 1992 film “The Crying Game”. He also starred in the chilling movie “Stuck”, a 2007 film that is based on a true story about a woman who commits a hit and run on a homeless man. The woman leaves the scene of the crime with the victim still “stuck” in her windshield. The woman leaves the man to die in her garage. Chilling, eh? But as I said, a true story …

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Beachgoer’s download E-BOOK
6. “Saving Private Ryan” setting D-DAY
10. Oz. sextet TSPS
14. Does a Photoshop task CROPS
15. Became frayed WORE
16. Heaps A LOT
17. Crash COMPUTER FAILURE
20. Cut off LOP
21. “The Book of __”: Denzel Washington film ELI
22. Cook’s aid TIMER
23. Crash MARKET COLLAPSE
28. Garden tools HOES
29. Modern joke response LOL
30. Eagerly accept, as praise LAP UP
32. __ flakes BRAN
34. Angle iron L-BAR
38. Crash SHATTERING NOISE
41. Some code tones DAHS
42. A line may be drawn in it SAND
43. Gift __ OF GAB
44. Handle clumsily PAW
45. Bibliog. term ET AL
46. Crash ENTER UNINVITED
53. Reagan’s second attorney general MEESE
54. __ gratia DEI
55. Road service org. AAA
57. Crash BUNK FOR THE NIGHT
62. Acronymic French artist ERTE
63. Caboose REAR
64. One never seen in “Peanuts” ADULT
65. French __ DOOR
66. Its Old World Style label has a gondola on it RAGU
67. Art of verse POESY

Down
1. “To every thing there is a season” Bible bk. ECCL
2. Cleaning tool BROOM
3. Rhythmic song from “Oliver!” OOM-PAH-PAH
4. Something for nothing?: Abbr. OPP
5. Sch. near Topeka KSU
6. Resided DWELT
7. Greek column style DORIC
8. Sound from a shelter ARF!
9. Pro vote YEA
10. She was Adrian in “Rocky” TALIA
11. Batter’s rough patch SLUMP
12. Skin features PORES
13. Cordwood measure STERE
18. Casual shirts TEES
19. “__ take a miracle!” IT’LL
24. Big wins ROUTS
25. Continued, with “up” KEPT
26. Chan portrayer OLAND
27. Like most Michener novels LONG
30. ’60s hallucinogen LSD
31. “Caught ya!” AHA!
32. Strength BRAWN
33. __ Tin Tin RIN
34. Lite LO-FAT
35. Foremost BIG-LEAGUE
36. Mad-hatter connection AS A
37. Hardly a Yankee fan? REB
39. Old Testament twin ESAU
40. “You’ve got the wrong person” NOT I
44. Bk. intro PREF
45. Songwriter Sands EVIE
46. Add to a website, as a video clip EMBED
47. Prefix with ophthalmology NEURO-
48. A bit before the hour TEN TO
49. Glacial ridge ESKER
50. Conference attendee’s wear ID TAG
51. Indian independence leader NEHRU
52. Writer Roald and others DAHLS
56. Court fig. ATTY
58. “Catch-22” pilot ORR
59. Belfast-born actor Stephen REA
60. Day break? NAP
61. Words often said in front of a priest I DO

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