Day: December 18, 2015

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
5. “The Girls Next Door” co-creator, for short HEF
Hugh Hefner (often called “Hef”) is from Chicago. His first publishing job was in the military, where he worked as a writer for a US Army newspaper from 1944-46. He went to college after his military service and then worked as a copywriter for “Esquire” magazine. He left “Esquire” to found his own publication that he called “Playboy”, which first hit the newsstands in 1953. “Playboy” has been around ever since.

“The Girls Next Door” is a reality TV show that aired from 2005 to 2010. It follows Hugh Hefner’s girlfriends who live with him at the Playboy Mansion.

14. Lift one’s spirits? TOPE
“To tope” is to drink alcohol excessively and habitually.

17. Big name in chocolate OVERSTAY (“OVER-ST-AY” translates into “STOVER”)
Russell Stover and a partner started in business in 1921. Their company’s initial product was the world’s first chocolate-dipped ice cream bar that they called an Eskimo Pie. When competition for the ice cream product became too intense, Russell and his wife formed a new company to make boxed chocolates. That enterprise was formed in 1923, and the chocolates were originally known as Mrs. Stover’s Bungalow Candies. They were renamed to Russell Stover Candies in 1943.

20. Crème de __ MENTHE
A “cream liqueur” is one that includes dairy cream. The most famous example is probably Baileys Irish Cream, that is made made from cream and Irish whiskey. A crème liqueur, on the other hand, is one that includes a lot of added sugar, but no dairy cream. Examples are crème de cacao (chocolate-flavored), crème de menthe (mint-flavored) and crème de cassis (blackcurrant-flavored).

22. NATO member since 2009 ALB
The Republic of Albania is a country in the Balkans in southeastern Europe. Albania was made a communist state after WWII but became independent again with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990. Albania has been a member of NATO since 2009, and was accepted as an official candidate to join the European Union in 2014.

29. Beats Electronics co-founder DRE
Beats Electronics is a company that was co-founded by rapper Dr. Dre. Apple bought Beats for $3 billion in 2014, which is the largest acquisition by far in Apple’s history.

30. Danube tributary ILLER
The Iller is a river in Germany, a tributary of the Danube. The Iller rises in the Alps and enters the Danube in the city of Ulm.

32. Early 20th-century poet __ Crane HART
American poet Hart Crane’s most famous work is the epic poem “The Broken Tower”, which was published just a few months before committing suicide. Crane was travelling by steamship from Mexico to New York, and threw himself overboard into the Gulf of Mexico, exclaiming, “Goodbye, everybody!”.

34. The Beatles, e.g. IDOLS
The Beatles went through quite an evolution of names and band members. The evolution of band names is the Blackjacks, the Quarrymen, Johnny & the Moondogs, Beatals, the Silver Beetles, the Silver Beatles and finally the Beatles.

38. IQ test name BINET
The first usable intelligence test was invented by a French psychologist named Alfred Binet. Binet collaborated with Théodore Simon and together they produced the Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale that is still in use today for IQ tests.

40. Abu Dhabi is its cap. UAE
Abu Dhabi is one of the seven Emirates that make up the federation known as the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The two largest members of the UAE (geographically) are Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the only two of the seven members that have veto power over UAE policy. Before 1971, the UAE was a British Protectorate, a collection of sheikdoms. The sheikdoms entered into a maritime truce with Britain in 1835, after which they became known as the Trucial States, derived from the word “truce”.

41. Sounds from toys ARFS
The toy group of dogs is made up of the smallest breeds. The smallest breeds are sometimes called “teacup” breeds.

46. AC/DC song with the words “I’m dynamite” TNT
The Heavy Metal band known as AC/DC was formed by two brothers in Australia. The group is usually called “Acca Dacca” down under.

48. Pharm. drop-offs RXS
There seems to some uncertainty about the origin of the symbol “Rx” that’s used for a medical prescription. One explanation is that it comes from the astrological sign for Jupiter, a symbol put on prescriptions in days of old to invoke Jupiter’s blessing to help a patient recover.

49. “WarGames” computer JOSHUA
“WarGames” is a really fun 1983 movie starring Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy. There was a sequel that was released in 2008 called “WarGames: The Dead Code”. I haven’t seen it, and I fear I might be disappointed …

51. Muscle mag subject PEC
“Pecs” is the familiar term for the chest muscle, more correctly known as the pectoralis major muscle. “Pectus” is a the Latin word for “breast, chest”.

55. Biblical escape obstacle RED SEA
The Red Sea (sometimes called the Arabian Gulf) is a stretch of water lying between Africa and Asia. The Gulf of Suez (and the Suez Canal) lies to north, and the Gulf of Aden to the south. According to the Book of Exodus in the Bible, God parted the Red Sea to allow Moses lead the Israelites from Egypt.

58. What four puzzle answers need to be written in PIG LATIN
Pig Latin is in effect a game. One takes the first consonant or consonant cluster of an English word and moves it to the end of the word, and then adds the letters “ay”. So the Pig Latin for the word “nix” is “ix-n-ay” … ixnay, and for “scram” is “am-scr-ay”

61. Big heart ACE
The ace would be a big heart, a high-ranking card.

64. El __ CID
Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar was known as El Cid Campeador, which translates as “The Champion” or perhaps “The Lord, Master of Military Arts”. El Cid was a soldier who fought under the rule of King Alfonso VI of Spain (among others). However, he was sent into exile by the King in 1080, after acting beyond his authorization in battle. El Cid then offered his services to his former foes, the Moorish kings, After a number of years building a reputation with the Moors, he was recalled from exile by Alfonso. By this time El Cid was very much his own man. Nominally under the orders of Alfonso, he led a combined army of Spanish and Moorish troops and took the city of Valencia on the Mediterranean coast, making it is headquarters and home. He died there, quite peacefully in 1099.

65. Energy units ERGS
An erg is a unit of mechanical work or energy. It is a small unit, as there are 10 million ergs in one joule. it has been suggested that an erg is about the amount of energy required for a mosquito to take off.

Down
1. Acid producer STOMACH
Gastric acid is produced by cells lining the stomach, and is composed of hydrochloric acid (HCl), potassium chloride (KCl) and sodium chloride (NaCl). Other cells lining the stomach produce bicarbonate to ensure the contents of the stomach do not become too acidic. Those same cell also produce mucus that lines the stomach wall to protect it from the acid.

2. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” for one NOVELLA
“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” is a 1958 novella written by Truman Capote. Truman’s colorful protagonist in the story is Holiday “Holly” Golightly, who was played so very, very ably by Audrey Hepburn in the marvelous 1961 movie adaptation. It must be said that the film is a rather loose interpretation of Capote’s novella.

4. Friend of Mary Poppins BERT
The “Mary Poppins” series of children’s novels was written by Australian-born English writer and actress P. L. Travers. Mary Poppins is a magical children’s nanny with a best friend called Bert. In the famous musical film adaptation of the Mary Poppins stories, Poppins is played by Julie Andrews and Bert is played Dick Van Dyke.

7. Early 2000s “SNL” standout FEY
Comic actress Tina Fey has a scar on her face a few inches long on her left cheek, which I was shocked to learn was caused by a childhood “slashing” incident. When she was just five years old and playing in the front yard of her house, someone just came up to her and slashed her with a knife. How despicable!

8. “Blackfish” creatures ORCAS
“Blackfish” is a 2013 documentary film that examines the dangers of keeping orca in captivity.”Star” of the movie is a killer whale (orca) named Tilikum who was responsible in whole or in part for the deaths of three people. Tilikum was captured in 1983 and has been a “guest” of SeaWorld since 1992. Most recently, Tilikum killed a 40-year old trainer named Dawn Brancheau in 2010.

9. Model T contemporaries REOS
The REO Motor Company was founded by Ransom Eli Olds (hence the name REO). The company made cars, trucks and buses, and was in business from 1905 to 1975 in Lansing, Michigan. Among the company’s most famous models were the REO Royale and the REO Flying Cloud.

The Ford Model T was the first really affordable car that was offered for sale, and it was produced from 1908 to 1927. It was the Model T that ushered in the era of assembly line production, which greatly cut down the cost of manufacture. The Model T’s engine was designed to run on petrol, kerosene or ethanol.

10. “__ that special?!” ISN’T
The idiomatic phrase “Isn’t that special?” is perhaps most associated with the Church Lady, a character played by Dana Carvey on “Saturday Night Live”.

11. Court surprise NET BALL
In tennis, a “net ball” is any ball that hits the net.

13. Buffy, for one SLAYER
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is a TV series that originally aired from 1997 to 2003. “Buffy …” was incredibly successful, especially given that it wasn’t aired on the one of the big four networks. The show was created by Joss Whedon and starred Sarah Michelle Gellar in the title role.

18. Tom Jones’ “__ a Lady” SHE’S
“She’s a Lady” is a 1971 song composed by Paul Anka and released by Tom Jones.

Tom Jones, now he has a real voice and is a great showman. I saw him in Las Vegas many, many moons ago, one of the best Vegas shows I’ve ever attended. Although Tom Jones is a carefully selected stage name (he was born Thomas Woodward) the name isn’t too far from reality as Jones is his mother’s maiden name. The stage name was chosen by his manager to capitalize on the appeal of “Tom Jones”, a filmed version of the Henry Fielding novel that was having a successful run at the time. The name also emphasized Tom’s Welsh roots, as Jones is a very common name in Wales.

30. Wash. neighbor IDA
The states of Washington (Wash.) and Idaho (Ida.) are neighbors.

33. Wash. hours PDT
Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)

34. Key for Debussy? ILE
The French would find “une ile” (an island) in “la mer” (the sea).

Claude Debussy is one of my favorite composers, one who epitomises the Romantic Era and Impressionist Movement in music. One of my favorite CDs is a collection of some “lighter” Debussy pieces called “Debussy for Daydreaming”, and what an evocative collection it is. Included are “Syrinx”, “Maid with the Flaxen Hair”, “Rêverie” and everyone’s favorite, “Clair de Lune”.

36. Teachers’ org. NEA
The National Education Association (NEA) is the largest labor union in the country, and mainly represents public school teachers.

37. Buddha’s Noble Eightfold __ PATH
The Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism comprises eight factors:

1. Right view
2. Right intention
3. Right speech
4. Right action
5. Right livelihood
6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right concentration

42. Drake or Nelly RAP STAR
Drake is the stage name of rapper Aubrey Graham from Toronto.

Nelly is the stage name of rap artist Cornell Haynes, Jr. from Austin, Texas.

44. Cosine reciprocals SECANTS
The most familiar trigonometric functions are sine, cosine and tangent (abbreviated to “sin, cos and tan”). Each of these is a ratio, a ratio of two sides of a right-angled triangle. The “reciprocal” of these three functions are secant, cosecant and cotangent. The reciprocal functions are simply the inverted ratios, the inverted sine, cosine and tangent. These inverted ratios should not be confused with the “inverse” trigonometric functions e.g. arcsine, arccosine and arctangent. These inverse functions are the reverse of the sine, cosine and tangent. For example, the arctangent can be read as “What angle is equivalent to the following ratio of opposite over adjacent?”

47. Certain Celt GAEL
A Gael is anyone who speaks or spoke one of the Erse tongues. There are actually three Erse languages. Irish, Manx (spoken on the Isle of Man) and Scots Gaelic. In their own tongues, these would be Gaeilge (in Ireland), Gaelg (on the Isle of Man) and Gaidhlig (in Scotland).

The Celts were a very broad group of people across Europe, linked by common languages. The Celts were largely absorbed by other cultures, although a relatively modern revival of the “Celtic identity” is alive and well in the British Isles. Such Celtic peoples today are mainly found in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany in France..

49. Will Smith’s second son JADEN
Child actor Jaden Smith is the son of actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. I think I’ve only seen Jaden play one role on the screen, as the title character in the 2010 remake of “The Karate Kid”. I must say, that is a very entertaining film and young Jaden did a great job.

58. __-Man PAC
The Pac-Man arcade game was first released in Japan in 1980, and is as popular today as it ever was. The game features characters that are maneuvered around the screen to eat up dots and earn points. The name comes from the Japanese folk hero “Paku”, known for his voracious appetite. The spin-off game called Ms. Pac-Man was released in 1981.

59. In this emplacement ICI
In French, this “emplacement” (location) is “ici” (here).

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. __ appeal SNOB
5. “The Girls Next Door” co-creator, for short HEF
8. Torus-shaped gaskets O-RINGS
14. Lift one’s spirits? TOPE
15. Pay dirt ORE
16. Secure again RESEAL
17. Big name in chocolate OVERSTAY (“OVER-ST-AY” translates into “STOVER”)
19. Against CONTRA
20. Crème de __ MENTHE
21. Savage EAST BAY (“EAST-B-AY” translates into “BEAST”)
22. NATO member since 2009 ALB
23. Says “y’all,” say ELIDES
26. Time of one’s life AGE
27. Reunion group CLASS
29. Beats Electronics co-founder DRE
30. Danube tributary ILLER
32. Early 20th-century poet __ Crane HART
33. Layer PLY
34. The Beatles, e.g. IDOLS
35. Loot UNDERPLAY (“UNDER-PL-AY” translates into “PLUNDER”)
38. IQ test name BINET
40. Abu Dhabi is its cap. UAE
41. Sounds from toys ARFS
45. “__ run!” GOTTA
46. AC/DC song with the words “I’m dynamite” TNT
47. Road challenge GLARE
48. Pharm. drop-offs RXS
49. “WarGames” computer JOSHUA
51. Muscle mag subject PEC
52. Lay waste to ASHTRAY (“ASH-TR-AY” translates into “TRASH”)
55. Biblical escape obstacle RED SEA
57. Get hot under the collar SEE RED
58. What four puzzle answers need to be written in PIG LATIN
60. March PARADE
61. Big heart ACE
62. Bluster RANT
63. Treat badly STEP ON
64. El __ CID
65. Energy units ERGS

Down
1. Acid producer STOMACH
2. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” for one NOVELLA
3. Spot for free spirits OPEN BAR
4. Friend of Mary Poppins BERT
5. Monopoly buy HOTEL
6. Big time ERA
7. Early 2000s “SNL” standout FEY
8. “Blackfish” creatures ORCAS
9. Model T contemporaries REOS
10. “__ that special?!” ISN’T
11. Court surprise NET BALL
12. Parking places GARAGES
13. Buffy, for one SLAYER
18. Tom Jones’ “__ a Lady” SHE’S
21. Shoebox letters EEE
24. Between jobs IDLE
25. Rehearsals DRY RUNS
28. Double’s job STUNT
30. Wash. neighbor IDA
31. Steadfast LOYAL
33. Wash. hours PDT
34. Key for Debussy? ILE
36. Teachers’ org. NEA
37. Buddha’s Noble Eightfold __ PATH
38. Choice ballpark location BOX SEAT
39. “I found what you’re looking for!” IT’S HERE!
42. Drake or Nelly RAP STAR
43. Letting go FREEING
44. Cosine reciprocals SECANTS
45. Comprehends GRASPS
46. Stocking stuffer TOY
47. Certain Celt GAEL
49. Will Smith’s second son JADEN
50. Goaded URGED
53. Sting, perhaps TRAP
54. Modernize REDO
56. Have the gumption DARE
58. __-Man PAC
59. In this emplacement ICI

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