Day: December 26, 2015

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Hero married to Jimena Díaz 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.

Jimena Díaz was the wife of the medieval Spanish military leader El Cid. When El Cid passed away in 1099, Doña Jimena took over as ruler of Valencia.

14. Sierra __ LEONE
The Republic of Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa, lying on the Atlantic Coast. The capital city of Freetown was originally set up as a colony to house the “Black Poor” of London, England. These people were mainly freed British slaves of Caribbean descent who were living a miserable life in the run-down parts of London. Perhaps to help the impoverished souls, perhaps to rid the streets of “a problem”, three ships were chartered in 1787 to transport a group of blacks, with some whites, to a piece of land purchased in Sierra Leone. Those who made the voyage were guaranteed British citizenship and protection. The descendants of these immigrants, and others who made the journey over the next 60 years, make up the ethnic group that’s today called the Sierra Leone Creole.

16. Gun barrel measure BORE
The gauge of a gun is the inside diameter of the weapon’s barrel, the width of the bore.

17. Condition resulting from oversharing FACEBOOK FATIGUE
The act of getting bored or annoyed with Facebook is known as “Facebook fatigue”.

20. Florida horse country city OCALA
The city of Ocala, Florida was founded near a historic village with the same name. In the local Timucua language “Ocala” means “Big Hammock”. Back in the 1890s, Ocala was famous for its oranges, with over one third of that fruit shipped from Florida coming from the city. Also, thoroughbred horse farming in Florida started in Ocala, back in 1943. Some folks today call Ocala the “Horse Capital of the World”, but I bet that’s disputed by others …

21. SEAL insignia TRIDENT
SEAL is an acronym used by the US Navy’s SEa, Air and Land teams. The SEALs were born out of the Navy’s special warfare groups from WWII, like the Underwater Demolition Teams and the Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons. The Navy SEAL unit was established soon after President Kennedy’s famous speech in which he announced the plan to put a man on the moon, as in the same speech the president allocated $100m of funding to strengthen special operations forces. The Navy used some of this money to set up guerrilla and counterguerrilla units, which soon became the SEALs.

24. Grouse or carp KVETCH
The word “kvetch” comes to us from Yiddish, with “kvetshn” meaning “to complain” or “squeeze”.

25. Dull finishes MATTES
“Matte”, meaning flat and lusterless, comes from the Old French word “mat” meaning beaten down and withered. In turn, the French “mat” comes from the Latin “maddus”, meaning “maudlin with drink”. Sometimes I wonder about these derivations …

26. Commercial prize CLIO
The Clio Awards are the Oscars of the advertising world and are named after Clio, the Greek Muse of History. Clio was also the recorder of great deeds, the proclaimer and celebrator of great accomplishments and a source of inspiration and genius. The Clio Awards were first presented in 1959.

30. Graceful GAINLY
Something described as “ungainly” is awkward or clumsy. The antonym “gainly” is probably a back-formation of “ungainly”.

32. Noodles and beans dish PASTA E FAGIOLI
The name of the Italian dish “pasta e fagioli” is sometimes pronounced as “pasta fazool” here in the US, as “fazool” sounds like the word for “beans” in the Neapolitan language. Pasta e fagioli comprises pasta and beans, cooked with olive oil, garlic, minced onion, spices and stewed tomatoes. There’s a famous line in the Dean Martin classic “That’s Amore” that goes:

40. Dinner hrs. PMS
The 12-hour clock has been around a long time, and was even used in sundial format in Ancient Egypt. Our use of AM and PM dates back to Roman times, with AM standing for Ante Meridiem (before noon) and PM standing for Post Meridiem (after noon). However, the Romans originally used the AM concept a little differently, by counting backwards from noon. So, 2AM to the Romans would be two hours before noon, or 10AM as we would call it today.

43. A&W rival DAD’S
Dad’s root beer was developed by Ely Klapman and Barney Berns in 1937, and was given the name “Dad’s” in honor of Klapman’s father who used to make root beer for his family at home.

A&W is a brand of root beer that has been around since 1920, when Roy Allen partnered with Frank Wright to create the A&W moniker from their family names.

44. 44-Down model FIESTA
(44D. 44-Across maker FORD)
The Fiesta is a car introduced by Ford in 1976, one that has legs. There have been seven generations of Fiesta made, with over 16 million cars sold.

46. May 1 Hawaiian celebration LEI DAY
What’s known as May Day around the world is also called Lei Day in Hawaii. Lei Day started in the twenties and is a celebration of native Hawaiian culture.

49. First name in ’60s beach party films ANNETTE
Annette Funicello is an actress and singer whose big break came on the original “Mickey Mouse Club”, in which Funicello was one of the most popular of the Mouseketeers. After her time with “Mickey Mouse Club”, she had a very successful few years as a pop singer. Then Funicello transitioned to the big screen and starred alongside Frankie Avalon in the “Beach Party” series of films.

51. Met approval BRAVO!
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!”

The Metropolitan Opera (aka “the Met”) of New York City is the largest classical music organization in the country, presenting about 220 performances each and every year. Founded in 1880, the Met is renowned for using technology to expand its audiences. Performances have been broadcast live on radio since 1931, and on television since 1977. And since 2006 you can go see a live performance from New York in high definition on the big screen, at a movie theater near you …

52. Little Johnny Jones, in a George M. Cohan song YANKEE DOODLE BOY
“The Yankee Doodle Boy” is a song from the musical “Little Johnny Jones” by George M. Cohan. It is a patriotic number, well known for it’s opening line “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy”. The musical tells the story of American jockey Johnny Jones who rides a horse called Yankee Doodle in the English Derby. Jimmy Cagney played Cohan in the 1942 biopic called “Yankee Doodle Dandy”, and gave a famous rendition of the song.

56. Miracle Mets star Tommie AGEE
Tommie Agee was a Major League Baseball player who played mainly with the Indians, White Sox and Mets. He was one of the “Amazin’ Mets”, and was famous for making two phenomenal catches in game three of the 1969 world series, potentially saving five runs.

57. City SSE of Sana’a ADEN
Aden is a seaport in Yemen, located on the Gulf of Aden by the eastern approach to the Red Sea. Aden has a long history of British rule, from 1838 until a very messy withdrawal in 1967. A native of Aden is known as an Adeni. Some believe that Cain and Abel are buried in the city.

Sana (also Sana’a) is the capital city of Yemen. Within the bounds of today’s metropolis is the old fortified city of Sana where people have lived for over 2,500 years. The Old City is now a World Heritage Site.

59. Koppel and Knight TEDS
The broadcast journalist Ted Koppel is most associated with his long run as anchor for the “Nightline” program on ABC. Koppel was actually born in England, to a Jewish family that had fled from Germany. He emigrated with his family to the US when he was 13 years old. Koppel is great friends with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger who was a frequent guest on his television show.

Ted Knight was the actor best known for playing the slow-witted news anchor Ted Baxter on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”. Knight’s most famous role on the big screen was Judge Elihu Smails in the 1980 comedy “Caddyshack”.

60. Org. whose logo includes a cocktail and a car key MADD
Candice Lightner lost her 13-year-old child to a drunk driver in 1980. Soon after, Lightner formed the group Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

Down
1. St. Nicholas, in the poem ELF
In the 1823 poem by Clement Clarke Moore “A Visit from St. Nicholas”, there is a description of Santa Claus:

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf.

The poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” was published anonymously in 1823, and is better known today by its first line “‘Twas the night before Christmas”. Most scholars believe that the poem was written by Clement Clarke Moore, a theologian from New York City. Others say that it was written by Henry Livingston, Jr. a poet from Upstate New York.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her ’kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash …

2. Verdant stretch LEA
Back in the late 1500s, “verdant” simply meant “green”, but we now tend to use the term to mean green and lush with vegetation. “Viridis” is the Latin for “green”.

3. Reggae singer whose name sounds like a beverage COCOA TEA
Cocoa Tea is a stage name of Jamaican reggae singer and DJ Calvin Scott.

6. “Wake of the Ferry” painter SLOAN
John French Sloan was an artist who did much of his work in New York City in the early 1900s. Sloan was a founder of the Ashcan School, a movement that focused on portrayals of daily life in New York.

7. Thumbs-up A-OK
Our term “A-OK” is supposedly an abbreviation for “A(ll systems are) OK”, and arose in the sixties during the Space Program.

8. “Wait a moment,” to Romeo SOFT!
“Soft!” is an obsolete way of saying “hush!” or “not so fast”.

There’s a famous couplet in William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” spoken by Romeo as he spots Juliet above him at a window or on a balcony:

But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

Romeo continues with:

Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,
That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she.
I reckon Romeo is smitten …

11. Webster’s cousin? ROGET’S
Peter Mark Roget was an English lexicographer. Roget was an avid maker of lists, apparently using the routine of list-making to combat depression, a condition he endured for most of his life. He published his famous thesaurus in 1852, with revisions and expansions being made years later by his son, and then in turn by his grandson.

12. Nestlé chocolate bar CRUNCH
The Nestlé Crunch candy bar was introduced way back in 1937.

13. Bristle SEETHE
“To bristle” is to become angry or excited. The term is a reference to the way that animals show anger, by raising their hackles.

18. Fútbol cheers OLES
“Fútbol” is the Spanish word for football, soccer.

19. Copenhagen’s __ Gardens TIVOLI
The Tivoli Gardens is a long-established amusement park in Copenhagen that opened for business in 1843. That makes it the second oldest amusement park on the planet. The Danes must like to be amused, as the oldest park is Dyrehavsbakken, also in Denmark.

22. Awards co-hosted by Brad Paisley: Abbr. CMA
The Country Music Association (CMA) Awards were established in 1967.

Brad Paisley is a country singer whose music has some rock influences.

23. Instrument featured in the opening of “Waltz of the Flowers” HARP
“The Waltz of the Flowers” from Tchaikovsky’s ballet “The Nutcracker” features one of the most famous harp solos in the classical repertoire.

26. Some Wi-Fi providers CAFES
“Wi-Fi” is nothing more than a trademark, a trademark registered by an association of manufacturers of equipment that use wireless LAN (Local Area Network) technology. A device labeled with “Wi-Fi” has to meet certain defined technical standards, basically meaning that the devices can talk to each other. The name “Wi-Fi” suggests “Wireless Fidelity”, although apparently the term was never intended to mean anything at all.

30. Neuter, as a horse GELD
We can use the verb “to geld” to mean “to weaken, deprive of strength”. The term comes from the act of gelding an animal, castration of the male. “Geld” comes from the Old Norse word “gelda” meaning “castrate”.

31. “Song of the Volga Boatmen” refrain YO, HEAVE-HO!
“Song of the Volga Boatmen” is a traditional song from Russia that dates back to the mid 1800s. Glenn Miller recorded a version that made is to the top of the charts in 1941.

35. “La Bamba” band LOS LOBOS
Los Lobos are an American Chicano rock band, who released their first LP in 1978 and are still going strong today. The band’s name “Los Lobos” translates from Spanish as “The Wolves”.

36. IHOP section?: Abbr. INTL
The International House of Pancakes (IHOP) was founded back in 1958. IHOP was originally intended to be called IHOE, the International House of Eggs, but that name didn’t do too well in marketing tests …

39. Michael’s wife in “The Godfather” films KAY
In the film “The Godfather”, Michael Corleone was played by Al Pacino. Michael’s wife Kay Adams-Corleone was played by Diane Keaton.

41. Household MENAGE
“Ménage” is the French word for “household”. The familiar term “ménage à trois” translates as “household of three” and is used to describe a domestic arrangement in which three people having sexual relations occupy the same household.

45. Stressed, in a way ITALIC
Italic type leans to the right. The style is known as “italic” because the stylized calligraphic form of writing originated in Italy, probably in the Vatican.

47. Hockey maneuvers DEKES
A deke, also known as a dangle, is a technique used to get past an opponent in ice hockey. “Deke” is a colloquial shortening of the word “decoy”.

48. Govt. debt instrument T-BOND
A Treasury note (T-Note) is a government debt that matures in 1-10 years. A T-Note has a coupon (interest) payment made every six months. The T-note is purchased at a discount to face value, and at the date of maturity can be redeemed at that face value. A T-Bill is a similar financial vehicle, but it matures in one year or less, and a T-Bond matures in 20-30 years.

50. Icelandic literary work EDDA
The Poetic Edda and Prose Edda are two ancient works that are the source for much of Norse mythology. Both Eddas were written in the 13th century, in Iceland.

53. Ref. section staple OED
The “Oxford English Dictionary” (OED) contains over 300,000 “main” entries and 59 million words in total. It is said it would take a single person 120 years to type it out in full. The longest entry for one word in the second edition of the OED is the verb “set”. When the third edition was published in 2007, the longest entry for a single word became the verb “put”. Perhaps not surprisingly, the most-quoted author in the OED is William Shakespeare, with his most quoted work being “Hamlet”. The most-quoted female author is George Eliot (aka Mary Ann Evans).

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Hero married to Jimena Díaz EL CID
6. Lip SASS
10. Quarter moons, e.g. ARCS
14. Sierra __ LEONE
15. Coaster section LOOP
16. Gun barrel measure BORE
17. Condition resulting from oversharing FACEBOOK FATIGUE
20. Florida horse country city OCALA
21. SEAL insignia TRIDENT
22. Discipline CHASTEN
24. Grouse or carp KVETCH
25. Dull finishes MATTES
26. Commercial prize CLIO
28. Word for a lady SHE
29. Space AREA
30. Graceful GAINLY
32. Noodles and beans dish PASTA E FAGIOLI
37. Cat, at times YOWLER
38. Road warning HONK
40. Dinner hrs. PMS
43. A&W rival DAD’S
44. 44-Down model FIESTA
46. May 1 Hawaiian celebration LEI DAY
48. Across the board TOTALLY
49. First name in ’60s beach party films ANNETTE
51. Met approval BRAVO!
52. Little Johnny Jones, in a George M. Cohan song YANKEE DOODLE BOY
56. Miracle Mets star Tommie AGEE
57. City SSE of Sana’a ADEN
58. “Fingers crossed” I HOPE
59. Koppel and Knight TEDS
60. Org. whose logo includes a cocktail and a car key MADD
61. Spanish seashore COSTA

Down
1. St. Nicholas, in the poem ELF
2. Verdant stretch LEA
3. Reggae singer whose name sounds like a beverage COCOA TEA
4. Blissful IN ECSTASY
5. It has its pros and cons DEBATE
6. “Wake of the Ferry” painter SLOAN
7. Thumbs-up A-OK
8. “Wait a moment,” to Romeo SOFT!
9. Like some live wires SPARKING
10. Put up with ABIDE
11. Webster’s cousin? ROGET’S
12. Nestlé chocolate bar CRUNCH
13. Bristle SEETHE
18. Fútbol cheers OLES
19. Copenhagen’s __ Gardens TIVOLI
22. Awards co-hosted by Brad Paisley: Abbr. CMA
23. Instrument featured in the opening of “Waltz of the Flowers” HARP
26. Some Wi-Fi providers CAFES
27. Storyteller LIAR
30. Neuter, as a horse GELD
31. “Song of the Volga Boatmen” refrain YO, HEAVE-HO!
33. Until now TO DATE
34. One getting more boos than cheers AWAY TEAM
35. “La Bamba” band LOS LOBOS
36. IHOP section?: Abbr. INTL
39. Michael’s wife in “The Godfather” films KAY
40. Not be serious about PLAY AT
41. Household MENAGE
42. Transgressed SINNED
44. 44-Across maker FORD
45. Stressed, in a way ITALIC
47. Hockey maneuvers DEKES
48. Govt. debt instrument T-BOND
50. Icelandic literary work EDDA
53. Ref. section staple OED
54. Go (for) OPT
55. Vote for YEA

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