Day: April 14, 2014

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
15. Like a guru WISE
“Guru” is a Hindi word meaning “teacher” or “priest”.

17. Hand Vac maker DIRT DEVIL
The company that is now called Dirt Devil was established in 1905 in Cleveland, Ohio as Royal Manufacturing. The Dirt Devil line of vacuum cleaners was introduced in the 1980s.

26. Bermuda hrs. AST
Atlantic Standard Time (AST) is four hours behind Greenwich Mean Time and one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time. The list of locations that use AST includes Puerto Rico and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory that is located off the east coast of the US. It is named for the Spaniard Juan de Bermúdez who in 1503 become the first European to discover the archipelago. Bermuda is the oldest remaining British Overseas Territory (since Newfoundland became part of Canada in 1949). It is also the most populous British Overseas Territory (since Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997).
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29. Special “Jeopardy!” square DAILY DOUBLE
The word is that Alex Trebek will step down as host of the game show “Jeopardy” in 2016, when his current contract expires. The list of names mentioned to replace Trebek includes Brian Williams, Dan Patrick, Matt Lauer and Anderson Cooper. I vote for Cooper, but I can’t see him taking the job …

36. Stir-fried hodgepodge CHOP SUEY
Many believe that the Chinese dish known as chop suey was invented in America, by Chinese immigrants. In fact, by the time it showed up in the US it already existed in the Taishan district of Guangdong in southeast China, the origin of many of those immigrants. “Chop suey” translates as “assorted pieces”, and is made up of some meat and eggs quickly cooked with vegetables in a thickened sauce.

38. Ad-lib comedy style IMPROV
“Ad libitum” is a Latin phrase meaning “at one’s pleasure”. In common usage the phrase is usually shortened to “ad lib”. On the stage the concept of an “ad lib” is very familiar. For example, an actor may substitute his or her own words for forgotten lines using an ad lib, or a director may instruct an actor to use his or her own words at a particular point in a performance to promote a sense of spontaneity.

40. Cavity filler’s letters, or, said another way, a hint to 17-, 29-, 49- and 65-Across DDS
Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)

42. Comedian Cook DANE
Dane Cook is a stand-up comedian who has had a number of roles in movies as well. He had a setback handling the income he was earning from his work though back in 2008. His half-brother had been his business manager up to that point and it was discovered that he had embezzled millions of dollars from Dane. The half-brother, and his wife, are now in prison for the crime.

43. “The Real Slim Shady” rapper EMINEM
Rap star Eminem’s real name is Marshall Mathers, a native of Saint Joseph, Missouri. Mathers grew up poor, raised by a single-mom as the family was abandoned by his father when he was 18 months old. Marshall and his mother moved around the country before settling in a suburb of Detroit. He didn’t do well at school, and dropped out at the age of 17. But in the end he made it pretty big …

46. Big name in gloves ISOTONER
Totes Isotoner is based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The company is the world’s largest supplier of umbrellas and other rainwear items. Isotoner is also famous for its lines of gloves and slippers.

49. A&E reality series featuring the Robertson family DUCK DYNASTY
“Duck Dynasty” is a reality television show on the A&E cable channel. The show is centered on the Robertson family from Monroe, Louisiana who made a lot of money selling products to duck hunters. Phil Robertson has been in the news not so long ago for views he expressed on homeosexuality and other subjects in an interview with “GQ” magazine.

53. EMT technique CPR
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has for decades involved the simultaneous compression of the chest to pump blood using the heart, and artificial respiration by blowing air into the lungs. Nowadays emergency services are placing more emphasis on heart compressions, and less on artificial respiration.

Emergency medical technician (EMT)

60. Continental bank notes EUROS
The European Union (EU) today stands at a membership of 27 states. The Euro is the official currency of only 16 of the 27. The list of states in the EU that don’t use the Euro includes the UK, Denmark and Sweden.

64. Hauled to the hoosegow RAN IN
“Hoosegow” is a slang term for “jail”. “Hoosegow” is a mispronunciation of the Mexican-Spanish word “juzgao” meaning “court, tribunal”.

71. Tolkien tree creatures ENTS
Ents are those tree-like creatures that live in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth in his series of books “The Lord of the Rings”. “Ent” is an Old English word for “giant”.

72. Ash Wednesday-to-Easter time LENT
In Latin, the Christian season that is now called Lent was termed “quadragesima” (meaning “fortieth”), a reference to the forty days that Jesus spent in the desert before beginning his public ministry. When the church began its move in the Middle Ages towards using the vernacular, the term “Lent” was introduced. “Lent” comes from “lenz”, the German word for “spring”.

Down
1. Zeus and Apollo GODS
In Greek mythology, Zeus was the ruler of the gods of Mount Olympus. He was also the god of the sky and thunder. The Roman equivalent of Zeus was Jupiter.

In Greek and Roman mythology, Apollo was the son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin brother of the goddess Artemis.

2. Idi of Uganda AMIN
Idi Amin received most of his military training in the British armed forces, eventually achieving the highest rank possible for a Black African in the British Colonial Army in 1959, that of Warrant Officer. On his return to Uganda Amin joined his country’s military and quickly rose to the rank of Deputy Commander of the Army. During that time he was quite the athlete. He was a noted rugby player and swimmer, and for nine years held the Ugandan national light-heavyweight boxing title. By the early seventies, Amin was commander of all the armed forces of Uganda and in 1971 seized power in a military coup, displacing the country’s president Milton Obote. There followed seven years of brutal rule by Amin during which it is estimated that between 100,000 and 500,000 people were murdered. Amin was ousted from power in 1979 after a war with Tanzania, and fled to Libya where he stayed for a year. He then moved to Saudi Arabia, where he was financially supported by the Saudi Royal Family for the remainder of his life. Amin died in 2003.

5. Nor. neighbor SWE
Sweden is the third largest country in the European Union by area. However, it has a low population density with only 24 inhabitants per square mile, which is very low for Europe and compares with a US population density of 84 inhabitants per square mile (lucky old Canada has 9 inhabitants per square mile!).

6. DVR pioneer TIVO
TiVo was introduced in 1999 and was the world’s first commercially successful DVR (Digital Video Recorder).

9. “The __ of the Opera” PHANTOM
Gaston Leroux was a French author and journalist best known for writing “The Phantom of the Opera”, first published in 1910. As a journalist, Leroux was involved in an investigation into the Paris Opera. The basement of the opera house contained a cell that was used to hold prisoners in 1871, something that Leroux featured in his famous novel.

11. Jason’s ship ARGO
Jason is a hero from Greek mythology, most noted for leading the quest for the Golden Fleece. The Golden Fleece is the fleece of the gold-haired winged ram. For his quest, Jason assembles a group of heroes who were given the name Argonauts, as they journeyed on the ship called the “Argo”. The vessel was called the “Argo” in honor of the ship’s builder, a man named Argus.

13. Immigrant’s subj. ESL
English as a Second Language (ESL) is sometimes referred to as English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL).

22. German automaker AUDI
The Audi name has an interesting history. The Horch company was founded by August Horch in 1909. Early in the life of the new company, Horch was forced out of his own business. He set up a new enterprise and continued to use his own name as a brand. The old company sued him for using the Horch name so a meeting was held to choose something new. Horch’s young son was studying Latin in the room where the meeting was taking place. He pointed out that “Horch” was German for “hear” and he suggested “Audi” as a replacement, the Latin for “listen”.

24. Cross-shaped Greek letter TAU
Tau is the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet, the letter which gave rise to our Roman “T”. Both the letters tau (T) and chi (X) have long been symbolically associated with the cross.

27. SeaWorld orca SHAMU
Shamu was the name of the third orca, or killer whale, ever to be featured in a public exhibition. Shamu starred in a popular SeaWorld show in San Diego in the sixties. After she died in 1971, her name lived on as the name “Shamu” is still used by SeaWorld for its killer whale shows. That original Shamu was retired after she grabbed and refused to let go of the leg of one of her trainers.

30. Mil. roadside hazard IED
Sadly, having spent much of my life in the border areas between southern and Northern Ireland, I am all too familiar with the devastating effects of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). One has to admire the bravery of soldiers who spend their careers defusing (or attempting to defuse) such devices in order to save the lives and property of others. Of course these days, IEDs are very much in the news in Iraq and Afghanistan.

31. Winona’s “Beetlejuice” role LYDIA
“Beetlejuice” is a 1988 comedy-horror film directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton in the title role. Beetlejuice is an underworld character who tries to scare away the new inhabitants of a house that is haunted by the ghosts of a deceased couple (played by Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis).

The Hollywood actress Winona Ryder’s real name is Winona Horowitz. Ryder was born near the town of Winona in Minnesota, from which she got her name. Her success on the screen has garnered as much media attention as her life off the screen. The papers had a field day when she was arrested in 2001 on a shoplifting charge followed by a very public court appearance. Her engagement with Johnny Depp in the early nineties was another media frenzy. Depp had “Winona Forever” tattooed on his arm, which he had changed after the breakup to “Wino Forever”. A man with a sense of humor …

32. Prom hairstyle UPDO
A prom is a formal dance held upon graduation from high school (we call them “formals” over in Ireland). The term “prom” is short for “promenade”, the name given to a type of dance or ball.

35. “__ Breath You Take”: Police hit EVERY
The Police was a trio formed in London in 1977, with Sting being the most famous member and lead singer.

44. 1970s Mary Tyler Moore co-star ED ASNER
Ed Asner is most famous for playing the irascible but lovable Lou Grant on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and on the spin-off drama “Lou Grant”. Off-screen, Asner is noted for his political activism. He served two terms as president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and was very involved in the 1980 SAG strike. When “Lou Grant” was cancelled in 1982, despite decent ratings, there was a lot of talk that the cancellation was a move by the network against Asner personally. In fact one of Asner’s activist colleagues, Howard Hesseman (who played Johnny Fever), found that his show “WKRP in Cincinnati” was also cancelled … on the very same day …

47. Non-prescription: Abbr. OTC
Over-the-counter (OTC)

50. Tattoo tool NEEDLE
The word “tattoo” (often shortened to “tat”) was first used in English in the writings of the famous English explorer Captain Cook. In his descriptions of the indelible marks adorning the skin of Polynesian natives, Cook anglicized the Tahitian word “tatau” into our “tattoo”.

55. California wine valley NAPA
The first commercial winery in Napa Valley, California was established way back in 1858. However, premium wine production only dates back to the 1960s, with the region really hitting the big time after its success at the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976. The story of that famous blind wine tasting is told in the entertaining 2008 film “Bottle Shock”.

59. Test for a future atty. LSAT
The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) has been around since 1948.

63. Modern message between trysters, perhaps SEXT
“Sexting” (a portmanteau of “sex” and “texting”) is the sending of explicit dialog and images between cell phones. The term “sexting” was first coined by the UK’s “Sunday Telegraph Magazine” in a 2005 article. Apparently the practice is “rampant” among teens and young adults. Whatever happened to dinner and a movie …?

In its most general sense, a tryst is a meeting at an agreed time and place. More usually we consider a tryst to be a prearranged meeting between lovers. The term comes from the Old French “triste”, a waiting place designated when hunting.

66. Metric distances: Abbr. KMS
Kilometer (km)

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Steady look GAZE
5. Uneducated guess STAB
9. Knife and fork separator, in a place setting PLATE
14. Black cat, to some OMEN
15. Like a guru WISE
16. Long-eared hoppers HARES
17. Hand Vac maker DIRT DEVIL
19. Haloed messenger ANGEL
20. Nocturnal annoyance SNORE
21. Once in a while OFF AND ON
23. Until now YET
25. Road groove RUT
26. Bermuda hrs. AST
29. Special “Jeopardy!” square DAILY DOUBLE
36. Stir-fried hodgepodge CHOP SUEY
38. Ad-lib comedy style IMPROV
39. Hailed vehicle TAXI
40. Cavity filler’s letters, or, said another way, a hint to 17-, 29-, 49- and 65-Across DDS
42. Comedian Cook DANE
43. “The Real Slim Shady” rapper EMINEM
46. Big name in gloves ISOTONER
49. A&E reality series featuring the Robertson family DUCK DYNASTY
51. Arid DRY
52. Past-tense verb that sounds like a number ATE
53. EMT technique CPR
55. Squirrel’s discard NUTSHELL
60. Continental bank notes EUROS
64. Hauled to the hoosegow RAN IN
65. Computer component DISK DRIVE
67. Speak one’s mind OPINE
68. Good earth LOAM
69. Peak APEX
70. Moisten, as a lawn WATER
71. Tolkien tree creatures ENTS
72. Ash Wednesday-to-Easter time LENT

Down
1. Zeus and Apollo GODS
2. Idi of Uganda AMIN
3. None ZERO
4. Way in ENTRY
5. Nor. neighbor SWE
6. DVR pioneer TIVO
7. “Not a chance!” AS IF!
8. Steeple section with a ringer BELFRY
9. “The __ of the Opera” PHANTOM
10. Touch down LAND
11. Jason’s ship ARGO
12. New driver, often TEEN
13. Immigrant’s subj. ESL
18. Closing documents DEEDS
22. German automaker AUDI
24. Cross-shaped Greek letter TAU
26. Played a part (in) ACTED
27. SeaWorld orca SHAMU
28. Poisonous, as waste TOXIC
30. Mil. roadside hazard IED
31. Winona’s “Beetlejuice” role LYDIA
32. Prom hairstyle UPDO
33. Mark with an iron BRAND
34. Introvert LONER
35. “__ Breath You Take”: Police hit EVERY
37. Internal color of a medium steak PINK
41. Puncture sound SSS
44. 1970s Mary Tyler Moore co-star ED ASNER
45. Folk story MYTH
47. Non-prescription: Abbr. OTC
48. Used a keyboard TYPED
50. Tattoo tool NEEDLE
54. Not urban RURAL
55. California wine valley NAPA
56. Textbook chapter UNIT
57. Fork prong TINE
58. Big cat LION
59. Test for a future atty. LSAT
61. Like a red tomato RIPE
62. Cookie cooker OVEN
63. Modern message between trysters, perhaps SEXT
64. Spreadsheet feature ROW
66. Metric distances: Abbr. KMS

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