Day: November 20, 2014

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. 122-square-mile republic MALTA
The island state of Malta is relatively small, but its large number of inhabitants makes it one of the most densely populated countries in Europe. Malta’s strategic location has made it a prized possession for the conquering empires of the world. Most recently it was part of the British Empire and was an important fleet headquarters. Malta played a crucial role for the Allies during WWII as it was located very close to the Axis shipping lanes in the Mediterranean. The Siege of Malta lasted from 1940 to 1942, a prolonged attack by the Italians and Germans on the RAF and Royal Navy, and the people of Malta. When the siege was lifted, King George VI awarded the George Cross to the people of Malta collectively in recognition of their heroism and devotion to the Allied cause. The George Cross can still be seen on the Maltese flag, even though Britain granted Malta independence in 1964.

15. Racing sled LUGE
A luge is a small sled used by one or two people, on which one lies face up and feet first. The luge can be compared to the skeleton, a sled for only one person and on which the rider lies face down and goes down the hill head-first.

16. Mozart’s “__ fan tutte” COSI
Mozart’s comic opera “Così fan tutte” is also known in English as “The School for Lovers”. The literal translation of the opera’s title is “Thus do all (women)”, or “Women are like that”.

19. Industrialist who’s had his ups and downs? OTIS
Elevators (simple hoists) have been around for a long time. What Elisha Otis did was come up with the “safety elevator”, a design that he showcased at the 1853 World’s Fair in New York. At the Fair, Otis would stand on an elevated platform in front of onlookers and order his assistant to cut the single rope holding up the platform. His safety system kicked in when the platform had only fallen a few inches, amazing the crowd. After this demonstration, the orders came rolling in.

21. Syncopated work RAG
Ragtime music was at the height of it popularity in the early 1900s. It takes its name from its characteristic “ragged” rhythms. The most famous ragtime composer was Scott Joplin, who had a big hit with his “Maple Leaf Rag” when it was published in 1899. He followed that up with a string of hits, including the “Pine Apple Rag” (sic). Ragtime fell out of favor about 1917 when the public turned to jazz. It had a resurgence in the forties when jazz musicians started to include ragtime tunes in their repertoires. But it was the 1973 movie “The Sting” that brought the true revival, as the hit soundtrack included numerous ragtime tunes by Scott Joplin, including the celebrated “The Entertainer” originally published in 1902.

In the world of music, syncopation is the expected emphasis away from the normally accented beat, producing an “unexpected” rhythm, an “off-beat” rhythm. Syncopation is a characteristic of many genres of music, notably ragtime and jazz.

22. Fla. neighbor ALA
Alabama is known as the Yellowhammer State, in honor of the state bird. Alabama is also called the “Heart of Dixie”.

Florida is known as the Sunshine State, although it is also the lightning capital of the US, experiencing more lightning strikes than the rest of the country. Florida is also the fourth-rainiest state, after Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

23. Posh Riviera residence SEASIDE VILLA (hiding “DEVIL”)
The original “villas” were country houses owned by the elite in Ancient Rome. A member of the Roman elite would live in a “domus” in the city, whereas the rest of the population would live in “insulae”, apartment buildings.

“Riviera” is an Italian word meaning “coastline”. The term is often applied to a coastline that is sunny and popular with tourists. The term “the Riviera” is usually reserved for the French Riviera (the Mediterranean coastline in southeastern France), and the Italian Riviera (the Meditarranean coastline centered on Genoa).

31. “Bravo!” relative OLE!
“Ole Ole Ole!” is chanted at soccer games by many Spanish-speaking (or -shouting) fans. I am very proud to claim that the fans of the Irish national team have adopted the chant as their own, and it can be heard practically non-stop when Ireland is playing (with some inventive melody behind it!).

To express appreciation for a male performer at an operatic performance, traditionally one calls out “bravo!”. Appreciation for a female performer is shown by using “brava!”, and for more than one performer by using “bravi!”

33. Riga native LETT
Latvia is one of the former Soviet Socialist Republics. People from Latvia are called Letts.

Riga is the capital city of Latvia. The historical center of Riga is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, declared as such because of the city’s magnificent examples of Art Nouveau architecture.

34. Bamboozle FOOL
It’s thought that the lovely word “bamboozle” came into English from the Scottish “bombaze” meaning “perplex”. We’ve been using “bamboozle” since the very early 1700s.

41. Troubadour’s offerings AIRS
A troubadour was a composer and musician of the Middle Ages whose works dealt mainly with chivalry and courtly love. Troubadours were usually men, and a female troubadour would have been called a trobairitz, a lovely word …

42. Sinus docs ENTS
Ear, Nose and Throat specialist (ENT)

In anatomical terms a sinus is a cavity in tissue. Sinuses are found all over the body, in the kidney and heart for example, but we most commonly think of the paranasal sinuses that surround the nose.

43. Western treaty gp. OAS
The Organization of American States (OAS) has its headquarters in Washington, D.C. All the independent states in the Americas are members of the group except Honduras, which had its membership suspended after the country’s 2009 coup.

45. Art print, briefly LITHO
Lithography is a printing technique that was invented in 1796 as a cheap way to publish theatrical works. In the litho process the image is drawn on a metal plate, although originally it was drawn on a stone (hence the prefix “litho-“). The image is drawn in such a way that some regions of the plate repel ink, and then when paper is applied to the plate, those areas are ink-free. A “lithograph” is a print that is made using the technique, and is often a reproduction of a work of art.

51. Huffington Post parent co. AOL
“The Huffington Post” is a news website founded in 2005 by Arianna Huffington. It is a very active site, with 3,000 people contributing blog posts (including many celebrities and politicians), and readers leaving over one million comments every month. “The Huffington Post” was sold to AOL in 2011 for $315 million, with Arianna Huffington staying on as editor-in-chief.

52. Whiskey choices RYES
For whiskey to be labelled as “rye” in the US, it has to be distilled from at least 51% rye grain. In Canada however, a drink called rye whiskey sometimes contains no rye at all.

56. “Sea Change” musician BECK
“Sea Change” is a studio album by Beck. Beck is the stage name, used by alternative rock musician Bek David Campbell.

64. Milquetoast WUSS
Someone described a “milquetoast” is particularly weak and timid. The term comes from a character called Caspar Milquetoast in the comic strip “The Timid Soul” drawn by H. T. Webster. Webster came up with Caspar’s name by deliberately misspelling “milk toast”, which is a bland food that is suitable for someone with a weak stomach.

Down
1. Subject of clothed and nude Goya portraits MAJA
María Cayetana de Silva was the 13th duchess of Alba. She was a favorite subject of the Spanish painter Francisco Goya. The duchess is the subject in the famous portraits known as “La maja desnuda” (The Nude Maja) and “La maja vestida” (The Clothed Maja). “Maja” translates from Spanish as “beautiful lady”.

3. Gray wolf LOBO
The timber wolf is also known as the gray wolf, tundra wolf or lobo.

5. Org. promoting water fluoridization ADA
American Dental Association (ADA)

Fluoridation is the addition of a fluoride salt to the public drinking water system, a measure taken to reduce tooth decay. What I find interesting is that bottled water usually has no added fluoride, and most domestic water filters remove the fluoride from the water coming out of the faucet. Maybe that explains why my dental hygienist has started applying a fluoride varnish to my teeth …

7. Spore producers FUNGI
Spores are produced by many bacteria, fungi and non-flowering plants. A spore is a reproductive body encased in a protective shell that is highly resistant to damage, and resistant to heat in particular.

9. Broncos wide receiver Welker WES
Wes Welker is a wide receiver who made his NFL debut with the San Diego Chargers in 2004. Welker has built a successful career in football for himself, despite joining the NFL as an undrafted free agent. Notably, he owns a reasonably successful racehorse called “Undrafted”.

10. USDA inspector’s concern E COLI
Escherichia coli (E. coli) are usually harmless bacteria found in the human gut, working away quite happily. However, there are some strains that can produce lethal toxins. These strains can make their way into the food chain from animal fecal matter that comes into contact with food designated for human consumption.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) actually dates back to 1862 when it was established by then-president Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln referred to the USDA as the “people’s department” as our economy had such a vast agrarian base back then.

12. CBS series set in a lab CSI
The “CSI” franchise of TV shows has been tremendously successful, but seems to be winding down. “CSI: Miami” (the “worst” of the franchise, I think) was cancelled in 2012 after ten seasons. “CSI: NY” (the “best” of the franchise) was cancelled in 2013 after nine seasons. The original “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”, set in Las Vegas, is still going strong and has been doing so since 2000.

13. Presley’s “(Marie’s the Name) __ Latest Flame” HIS
“(Marie’s the Name”) His Latest Flame” is a hit song for Elvis Presley, recorded in 1961. The song had been released earlier in the same year by Del Shannon, but Presley’s was the version that had real success in the charts.

24. Words to a traitor ET TU
It was Shakespeare who popularized the words “Et tu, Brute?” (And you, Brutus?), in his play “Julius Caesar”, although the phrase had been around long before he penned his drama. It’s not known what Julius Caesar actually said in real life just before he was assassinated on the steps of the Senate in Rome.

26. First name in jazz ELLA
Ella Fitzgerald, the “First Lady of Song”, had a hard and tough upbringing. She was raised by her mother alone in Yonkers, New York. Her mother died while Ella was still a schoolgirl, and around that time the young girl became less interested in her education. She fell in with a bad crowd, even working as a lookout for a bordello and as a Mafia numbers runner. She ended up in reform school, from which she escaped, and found herself homeless and living on the streets for a while. Somehow Fitzgerald managed to get herself a spot singing in the Apollo Theater in Harlem. From there her career took off and as they say, the rest is history.

28. Home security letters ADT
ADT is a home and small-business security company based in Boca Raton, Florida. The company was founded in 1874 by Edward Calahan. Calahan had invented the stock ticker several years earlier, and ran the Gold and Stock Telegraph Company. Calahan was awoken one morning by the sound of a burglar in his house, and so he decided to develop a telegraph-based security alarm system. The success of the system led to the founding of American District Telegraph, later known as ADT.

29. Orioles, e.g., briefly AL TEAM
The Baltimore Orioles was one of the eight charter teams of MLB’s American League, so the franchise dates back to 1901. Prior to 1901, the team has roots in the Minor League Milwaukee Brewers, and indeed entered the American League as the Brewers. In 1902 the Brewers moved to St. Louis and became the Browns. The team didn’t fare well in St. Louis, so when it finally relocated to Baltimore in the early fifties the team changed its name completely, to the Baltimore Orioles. The owners so badly wanted a fresh start that they traded 17 old Browns players with the New York Yankees. The trade didn’t help the team’s performance on the field in those early days, but it did help distance the new team from its past.

34. City northwest of Detroit FLINT
Flint, Michigan is perhaps best known as the original home to General Motors (now headquartered in Detroit). The city of Flint takes its name from the Flint River on which it lies. The local Native Americans called the river, “River of Flint”, hence the name in English.

35. “A hot temper leaps __ a cold decree”: Shakespeare O’ER
“The brain may devise laws for the blood, but a hot temper leaps o’er a cold decree.” is a line spoken by Portia in William Shakespeare’s play “The Merchant of Venice”.

In William Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice”, Portia is the formidable heroine who takes on the guise of a male lawyer and calls herself “Balthasar”. Portia does this to save the life of Antonio, the play’s title character. Portia makes a famous speech that gives us an oft-quoted phrase, “the quality of mercy”:

The quality of mercy is not strain’d,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes…

39. Actor Dullea KEIR
Keir Dullea is an actor best known for portraying David Bowman, the astronaut who is the protagonist in the 1968 film “2001: A Space Odyssey”.

40. Showy carp KOI
Koi are also called Japanese carp. Koi have been bred for decorative purposes and there are now some very brightly colored examples found in Japanese water gardens.

45. Ripsnorter LULU
We call a remarkable thing or a person a “lulu”. The term is used in honor of Lulu Hurst, a stage magician active in the 1880s who was also known as the Georgia Wonder.

“Ripsnorter” is a slang term for a person or thing noted for strength or excellence, a “lulu”.

49. ’90s White House cat SOCKS
Socks was the pet cat belonging to the Clinton family while they lived in the White House. When President Clinton left office, Socks was adopted by Bettie Currie, the President’s secretary. Apparently Socks wasn’t getting on well with Buddy, the Clintons’ pet dog.

54. Muslim dignitary EMIR
An emir is a prince or chieftain, most notably in the Middle East. In English, “emir” can also be written as “amir” and “ameer” (watch out for those spellings in crosswords!).

56. Incidentally, in textspeak BTW
By the way (btw)

57. __ de parfum EAU
In the world of perfumery, Eau de Parfum (EdP) is generally more concentrated than Eau de Toilette (EdT), which in turn is generally more concentrated than Eau de Cologne (EdC).

58. Kin of org COM
The .com domain was one of the six original generic top-level domains specified. The complete original list is:

– .com (commercial enterprise)
– .net (entity involved in network infrastructure e.g. an ISP)
– .mil (US military)
– .org (not-for-profit organization)
– .gov (US federal government entity)
– .edu (college-level educational institution)

59. Trio on Big Ben III
Big Ben is the name commonly used for the large bell in the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster (aka the Houses of Parliament). Big Ben’s official name is the Great Bell, and there is some debate about the origins of the nickname. It may be named after Sir Benjamin Hall who oversaw the bell’s installation, or perhaps the English heavyweight champion of the day Benjamin Caunt.

60. Sweden-based carrier SAS
SAS was formerly known as Scandinavian Airlines System and is the flag carrier of three countries: Denmark, Norway and Sweden. SAS is based at Stockholm Arlanda Airport located just north of the Swedish capital.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. 122-square-mile republic MALTA
6. Three or four, say A FEW
10. Incise with acid ETCH
14. Voiced ALOUD
15. Racing sled LUGE
16. Mozart’s “__ fan tutte” COSI
17. Office evaluations JOB RATINGS (hiding “BRAT”)
19. Industrialist who’s had his ups and downs? OTIS
20. Plenty A TON
21. Syncopated work RAG
22. Fla. neighbor ALA
23. Posh Riviera residence SEASIDE VILLA (hiding “DEVIL”)
29. Peaceful harmony AMITY
31. “Bravo!” relative OLE!
32. Tied (to) WED
33. Riga native LETT
34. Bamboozle FOOL
36. Damage, so to speak COST
37. Mischievous ones hiding in plain sight in 17-, 23-, 46- and 58-Across TROUBLEMAKERS
40. Acute KEEN
41. Troubadour’s offerings AIRS
42. Sinus docs ENTS
43. Western treaty gp. OAS
44. One in a sports page column WIN
45. Art print, briefly LITHO
46. “That’s my general impression” I’M PRETTY SURE (hiding “IMP”)
50. Wear (through) EAT
51. Huffington Post parent co. AOL
52. Whiskey choices RYES
56. “Sea Change” musician BECK
58. Summer venue where kids can clown around? CIRCUS CAMP (hiding “SCAMP”)
61. Seize TAKE
62. Pen sound OINK
63. Part of a TV signal AUDIO
64. Milquetoast WUSS
65. Pine for MISS
66. False __ START

Down
1. Subject of clothed and nude Goya portraits MAJA
2. Frequently A LOT
3. Gray wolf LOBO
4. Becomes even more charming, say TURNS IT ON
5. Org. promoting water fluoridization ADA
6. Police profile datum ALIAS
7. Spore producers FUNGI
8. Custard component EGG
9. Broncos wide receiver Welker WES
10. USDA inspector’s concern E COLI
11. Gross figure TOTAL WORTH
12. CBS series set in a lab CSI
13. Presley’s “(Marie’s the Name) __ Latest Flame” HIS
18. Serving aid TRAY
22. Street sign abbr. AVE
24. Words to a traitor ET TU
25. Seals the fate of DOOMS
26. First name in jazz ELLA
27. On a smaller scale LESS SO
28. Home security letters ADT
29. Orioles, e.g., briefly AL TEAM
30. Buildings from a plane, metaphorically MERE SPECKS
34. City northwest of Detroit FLINT
35. “A hot temper leaps __ a cold decree”: Shakespeare O’ER
36. Butcher’s offering CENTER CUT
38. Worms, perhaps BAIT
39. Actor Dullea KEIR
40. Showy carp KOI
44. Moisten WET
45. Ripsnorter LULU
47. Does some gardening RAKES
48. Incredible stories YARNS
49. ’90s White House cat SOCKS
53. When tripled, a story shortener YADA
54. Muslim dignitary EMIR
55. Pal of Rover SPOT
56. Incidentally, in textspeak BTW
57. __ de parfum EAU
58. Kin of org COM
59. Trio on Big Ben III
60. Sweden-based carrier SAS

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