Day: April 28, 2014

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Nile dam ASWAN
From ancient times right up to 1970, the annual flooding of the Nile was a significant event in Egypt. The flooding allowed the deposition of fertile silt far beyond the banks of the river, helping the region’s agriculture. However, the flooding was unpredictable. So the Aswan Dam was built in the sixties and from 1970 the flooding was brought under control.

10. Stone Age dwelling CAVE
Ancient societies can be classified by the “three-age system”, which depends on the prevalence of materials used to make tools. The three ages are:

– The Stone Age
– The Bronze Age
– The Iron Age

The actual dates defined by each age depend on the society, as the timing of the transition from the use of one material to another varied around the globe.

14. “The final frontier,” on “Star Trek” SPACE
When Gene Roddenberry first proposed the science fiction series that became “Star Trek”, he marketed it as “Wagon Train to the Stars”, a pioneer-style Western in outer space. In fact his idea was to produce something more like “Gulliver’s Travels”, as he intended to write episodes that were adventure stories on one level, but morality tales on another. Personally I think that he best achieved this model with the spin-off series “Star Trek: The Next Generation”. If you watch individual episodes you will see thinly disguised treatments of moral issues such as racism, homosexuality, genocide etc. For my money, “The Next Generation” is the best of the whole franchise …

16. Curved molding OGEE
An ogee is like an s-curve. Specifically it is a figure consisting of two arcs that curve in opposite directions (like an S) but both ends of the curve end up parallel to each other (which is not necessarily true for an S).

23. R-V link STU
… R-S-T-U-V …

29. Fill completely SATE
“Sate” is a variant of the earlier word “satiate”. Both terms can mean either to satisfy an appetite fully, or to eat to excess.

31. Ex-NBA star Ming YAO
Yao Ming is a retired professional basketball player from Shanghai who played for the Houston Rockets. At 7’6″, Yao was the tallest man playing in the NBA.

33. Federal property agcy. GSA
The US Government’s General Services Administration (GSA), as the name suggests, provides general services to other federal agencies. So for example, the GSA manages office space for the other agencies, and transportation.

36. Strikeout king Nolan RYAN
Nolan Ryan is famous for having more career strikeouts that any other baseball pitcher. However, he also holds the record for the most career walks and wild pitches. Another record that Ryan holds is the most no-hitters, a total of seven over his career.

38. Airport screening org. TSA
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was created in 2001, soon after the 9/11 attacks.

43. __-dried tomatoes SUN
Tomatoes are placed in the sun for 4-10 days in order to dry out, losing about 90% of their weight to become “sun-dried” tomatoes.

44. Potpourri OLIO
Olio is a term meaning a hodgepodge or a mixture, coming from the mixed stew of the same name. The stew in turn takes its name from the Spanish “olla”, the clay pot used for cooking.

The French term “pot pourri” literally translates to “rotten pot”, but in France it used to mean “stew”. Over time the term “potpourri” evolved in English usage to mean a “medley”, and eventually a mixture of dried flowers and spices.

46. Nebraska’s most populous city OMAHA
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska. When Nebraska was still a territory Omaha was its capital, but when Nebraska achieved statehood the capital was moved to the city of Lincoln.

48. Genetic letters RNA
Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) is an essential catalyst in the manufacture of proteins in the body. The genetic code in DNA determines the sequence of amino acids that make up each protein. That sequence is read in DNA by messenger RNA, and amino acids are delivered for protein manufacture in the correct sequence by what is called transfer RNA. The amino acids are then formed into proteins by ribosomal RNA.

54. Oath-ending words SO HELP ME GOD
The phrase “so help me God” is often included in an oath in order add a note of seriousness and obligation. In the case of the oath of office for the President of the United States, there is no requirement to use the phrase. However, all presidents since Franklin D. Roosevelt have chosen to include the words.

58. Dictator Amin IDI
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.

59. __ Minor: Little Dipper URSA
Ursa Minor (Latin for “Smaller Bear”) sits right beside the constellation Draco (Latin for “dragon”). Ursa Minor used to be considered the wing of Draco, and so was once called “Dragon’s Wing”. The tail of the “Smaller Bear” might also be considered as the handle of a ladle, and so the constellation is often referred to as the Little Dipper.

60. Continent-spanning landmass EURASIA
Eurasia covers 36% of the land mass on the planet, and is home to 71% of its population.

62. Spanish artist Joan MIRO
Joan Miro was a Spanish artist. Miro immersed himself in Surrealism, so much so that Andre Breton, the founder of the movement, said that Miro was “the most Surrealist of us all”. Miro painted “The Tilled Field” in 1923-24, a work that is regarded as Miro’s first Surrealist masterpiece.

64. “Alphabet series” mystery writer (she’s up to “X”) SUE GRAFTON
Sue Grafton writes detective novels, and her “alphabet series” features the private investigator Kinsey Millhone. She started off with “A Is for Alibi” in 1982 and is working her way through the alphabet, most recently publishing “’W’ is for Wasted” in 2009. Apparently Ms. Grafton is working on her “X is for …” novel, and has already decided that “Z is for Zero” will be the final title in the series. What a clever naming system!

68. “Gone With the Wind” plantation TARA
Rhett Butler hung out with Scarlett O’Hara at the Tara plantation in Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone with the Wind”. Tara was founded not far from the Georgia city of Jonesboro by Scarlett’s father, Irish immigrant Gerald O’Hara. Gerald named his new abode after the Hill of Tara back in his home country, the ancient seat of the High King of Ireland.

69. Spanish painter El __ GRECO
“El Greco” (“the Greek”, in Spanish) was the nickname of the artist whose real name was Domenikos Theotokopoulos. El Greco was born in Crete in 1541, and moved to Venice to study art when he was in his early twenties. A few years later he moved to the city of Toledo in central Spain, where he lived and worked for the rest of his life.

72. PlayStation and Discman SONYS
Sony introduced the PlayStation line of video game consoles in 1994.

The Discman was Sony’s first portable CD player and was introduced in 1984. The Discman was a follow-up to the incredibly successful Walkman portable audio cassette players. Eventually, the Discman name was dropped and today’s Sony portable CD players are called Walkmans.

Down
2. Ancient Greek city-state SPARTA
Sparta was a city-state in ancient Greece, famous for her military might. Spartan children had a tough upbringing, and newborn babies were bathed in wine to see if the child was strong enough to survive. Every child was presented to a council of elders that decided if the baby was suitable for rearing. Those children deemed too puny were executed by tossing them into a chasm. We’ve been using the term “spartan” to describe something self-disciplined or austere since the 1600s.

5. Classic grape sodas NEHIS
“Nehi Corporation” was the nickname for the Chero-Cola/Union Bottle Works that introduced the Nehi drink in 1924. Years later the company developed a new brand, Royal Crown Cola (also known as RC Cola). By 1955, RC Cola was the company’s flagship product, so the “Nehi Corporation” became the “Royal Crown Company”. In 1954, RC Cola became the first company to sell soft drinks in cans.

6. “Iron Man” actor Robert __ Jr. DOWNEY
Robert Downey, Jr. is the son of the actor and director Robert Downey, Sr. Young Robert’s first on-screen role was in a movie his father directed called “Pound”, released in 1970 when he was just 5-years-old.

The “Iron Man” series of films is based on the Marvel Comics superhero. Actor Robert Downey, Jr. stars in the title role. The first movie in the franchise came out in 2008, and I confess to have seeing none of them. However, I have heard that the 2013 release “Iron Man 3” is quite good, with co-star Gwyneth Paltrow playing a more meaty role.

8. LAX incoming flight datum ARR
Los Angeles International Airport is the sixth busiest airport in the world in terms of passenger traffic, and the busiest here on the West Coast of the US. The airport was opened in 1930 as Mines Field and was renamed to Los Angeles Airport in 1941. On the airport property is the iconic white structure that resembles a flying saucer. This is called the Theme Building and I believe it is mainly used as a restaurant and observation deck for the public. The airport used to be identified by the letters “LA”, but when the aviation industry went to a three-letter standard for airport identification, this was changed to “LAX”. Apparently the “X” has no significant meaning.

10. Word before boll or Bowl COTTON
A boll is a seed-bearing capsule of some plants, particularly of flax and cotton.

The Cotton Bowl college football game was played from its inception in 1937 until 2009 in Dallas, originally at the Texas State Fair Grounds. The game was moved to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas in 2010.

12. Geese formation VEE
Apparently geese fly in a V-formation for a couple of reasons. One is that it makes for efficient flight and conserves energy. The leading bird gets no advantage, but every following bird gets to “slipstream” a little. It has been noted that the lead bird drops to the back of the formation when it gets fatigued. It’s also thought that the flock can stick together more easily when in formation, so it is more difficult to lose someone along the way.

18. Fair-hiring abbr. EOE
Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE)

25. Hammer or anvil, anatomically EAR BONE
The middle ear is the portion of the ear immediately behind the eardrum. The middle ear contains three small bones called the ossicles, the three smallest bones in the human body. The ossicles’ job is to transmit sound from the outer ear to the inner ear. The shape of the bones gives rise to their common names: the hammer, anvil and stirrup.

26. Toy on a string YO-YO
Would you believe that the first yo-yos date back to 500 BC? There is even an ancient Greek vase painting that shows a young man playing with a yo-yo. Centuries later Filipinos were using yo-yos as hunting tools in the 1500s. “Yo-yo” is a Tagalog (Filipino) word meaning “come-come” or simply “return”.

28. Greek “H” ETA
Eta is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, and is a forerunner of our Latin character “H”. Originally denoting a consonant, eta was used as a long vowel in Ancient Greek.

35. Yahoo! alternative AOL
The iconic phrase “You’ve got mail” was first used by AOL in 1989. The greeting was recorded by voice actor Elwood Edwards. Edwards has parlayed his gig with AOL into some other work. He appears in an episode of “The Simpsons” as a doctor who says the line “You’ve got leprosy”. Edwards also worked as a weatherman for a while and got to use the line “You’ve got hail” …

Jerry Yang and David Filo called their company “Yahoo!” for two reasons. Firstly, a Yahoo is a rude unsophisticated brute from Jonathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels”. Secondly, Yahoo stands for “Yet another Hierarchical Officious Oracle”.

37. Tycoon Onassis ARI
Aristotle Onassis was born to a successful Greek shipping entrepreneur in Smyrna in modern-day Turkey. However, his family lost its fortune during WWI and so Aristotle worked with his father to build up a new business empire centered on the importation of tobacco. In 1957, Aristotle founded the Greek national airline, what is today called Olympic Air, and he also got into the business of shipping oil around the world. He married Athina Livanos in 1946, the daughter of a wealthy shipping magnate. They had two children, including the famous Christina Onassis. Livanos divorced Onassis on discovering him in bed with the opera singer Maria Callas. Onassis ended his affair with Callas in order to marry Jackie Kennedy in 1968.

39. Japanese heavyweight sport SUMO
Sumo is a sport that is practiced professionally only in Japan, the country of its origin. There is an international federation of sumo wrestling now, and one of the organization’s aims is to have the sport accepted as an Olympic event.

41. Law partnership, e.g. FIRM
A business is sometimes called a “firm”. “Firm” comes into English from Latin via the Italian “firma” meaning signature. The concept is that business transactions are confirmed, made firm, by applying a signature.

42. Rock’s __ Leppard DEF
Def Leppard is a hard rock band from Sheffield in England. Drummer Rick Allen lost his arm in a car crash, severed by an incorrectly-worn seat belt. With the encouragement of the band, he returned to the lineup by using a specially designed electronic drum set. Amazing indeed …

43. Scouring pad brand SOS
S.O.S is a brand name of scouring pads made from steel wool impregnated with soap. The product was invented as a giveaway by an aluminum pot salesman in San Francisco called Ed Cox. His wife gave it the name “S.O.S” as an acronym for “Save Our Saucepans”. Note the punctuation! There is no period after the last S, and that is deliberate. When Cox went to register the trademark, he found that “S.O.S.” could not be a trademark because it was used as an international distress signal. So he dropped the period after the last S, and I hope made a lot of money for himself and his wife.

47. Great blue waders HERONS
The Great Blue Heron is native to North and Central America, but very occasionally is spotted over in Europe. There is even a Great Blue Heron that isn’t blue at all, but is white. The white Great Blue Heron is found in the Caribbean and southern Florida.

53. Steinways, e.g. PIANOS
Steinway & Sons is supplier of handmade pianos based in New York City and in Hamburg, Germany. The company was founded in Manhattan in 1853 by German immigrant Henry E. Steinway. One element of Steinway’s business model is to offer a “piano bank” service. Performing artists can “borrow” a particular piano from the bank for a particular concert or tour. About 400 pianos are in the bank, and are located over the world. The value of the bank’s collection of pianos is estimated at over $25 million.

56. “… __ daily bread” OUR
“Our daily bread” is a phrase taken from the Lord’s Prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer is a central prayer in Christian religions, and is found in two places in the New Testament. In the version in the Gospel of Matthew the last line of the prayer is “deliver from evil”. In the Gospel of Luke the last line is “lead us not into temptation”. The last words of the prayer as it most often said today are:

For thine is the kingdom,
The power, and the glory,
For ever and ever,
Amen

57. Fast, short auto races DRAGS
Back in the 18th century “drag” was slang for a wagon or buggy, as it was “dragged” along by a horse or horses. In the 1930s, the underworld adopted drag as slang for an automobile. This sense of the word was imported into automobile racing in the forties, giving the name to “drag racing”. A drag race is basically a competition between two cars to determine which can accelerate faster from a standstill.

65. Persian Gulf fed. UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven emirates (states) in the Middle East. Included in the seven are Abu Dhabi and Dubai, with the city of Abu Dhabi being the UAE capital and cultural center.

The Persian Gulf is very nearly an inland sea although it technically is an offshoot of the Indian Ocean. The outlet from the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean is one of the most famous maritime “choke points” in the world: the Strait of Hormuz. About 20% of the world’s supply of petroleum passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Nile dam ASWAN
6. Start a card game DEAL
10. Stone Age dwelling CAVE
14. “The final frontier,” on “Star Trek” SPACE
15. Fairy tale meanie OGRE
16. Curved molding OGEE
17. “Waiting for your signal” SAY THE WORD
19. Forest growth TREE
20. Coastline concern EROSION
21. Garden entrance GATE
23. R-V link STU
24. Be in complete accord SEE EYE TO EYE
29. Fill completely SATE
31. Ex-NBA star Ming YAO
32. Beginning ONSET
33. Federal property agcy. GSA
36. Strikeout king Nolan RYAN
38. Airport screening org. TSA
39. Sound that may be “heaved” in a classroom SIGH OF BOREDOM
43. __-dried tomatoes SUN
44. Potpourri OLIO
45. Wrath IRE
46. Nebraska’s most populous city OMAHA
48. Genetic letters RNA
50. Turn, as a burger FLIP
54. Oath-ending words SO HELP ME GOD
58. Dictator Amin IDI
59. __ Minor: Little Dipper URSA
60. Continent-spanning landmass EURASIA
62. Spanish artist Joan MIRO
64. “Alphabet series” mystery writer (she’s up to “X”) SUE GRAFTON
67. Needing mending TORN
68. “Gone With the Wind” plantation TARA
69. Spanish painter El __ GRECO
70. Fellows GUYS
71. Ooze SEEP
72. PlayStation and Discman SONYS

Down
1. Evaluate ASSESS
2. Ancient Greek city-state SPARTA
3. Exit door WAY OUT
4. Behaves ACTS
5. Classic grape sodas NEHIS
6. “Iron Man” actor Robert __ Jr. DOWNEY
7. A star may have a big one EGO
8. LAX incoming flight datum ARR
9. Pigeon’s perch LEDGE
10. Word before boll or Bowl COTTON
11. Goes along with AGREES TO
12. Geese formation VEE
13. Wide shoe spec EEE
18. Fair-hiring abbr. EOE
22. One making amends ATONER
25. Hammer or anvil, anatomically EAR BONE
26. Toy on a string YO-YO
27. Polite rural reply YES’M
28. Greek “H” ETA
30. It came before the chicken–or maybe after? EGG
34. Shallow sea hazards SHOALS
35. Yahoo! alternative AOL
37. Tycoon Onassis ARI
39. Japanese heavyweight sport SUMO
40. Pressed for time IN A HURRY
41. Law partnership, e.g. FIRM
42. Rock’s __ Leppard DEF
43. Scouring pad brand SOS
47. Great blue waders HERONS
49. May-December wedding issue AGE GAP
51. Pay attention LISTEN
52. Foolishness IDIOCY
53. Steinways, e.g. PIANOS
55. Personal histories PASTS
56. “… __ daily bread” OUR
57. Fast, short auto races DRAGS
61. Puffy hairdo AFRO
62. Item on a business sched. MTG
63. Letters from one who is short? IOU
65. Persian Gulf fed. UAE
66. Before, to a bard ERE

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