Month: February 2015

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
14. “Born to Die” singer/songwriter Del Rey LANA
Lana Del Rey is the stage name of singer/songwriter Elizabeth Grant. Del Rey calls herself a “self-styled gangsta Nancy Sinatra”. Nice …

16. Son of Leah LEVI
In the Torah, the Israelites are traced back to Jacob, the grandson of Abraham. Jacob had twelve sons, six with each of his concurrent wives Leah and Rachel. The sons became the ancestors of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The sons were:

– Reuben
– Simeon
– Levi
– Judah
– Dan
– Naphtali
– Gad
– Asher
– Issachar
– Zebulun
– Joseph
– Benjamin

20. Flower celebrated in an annual Ottawa festival TULIP
Tulip festivals are held in a few cities around the world. The largest of these is the Canadian Tulip Festival that is held every year in the capital city of Ottawa. The tradition of growing tulips in Ottawa really started at the end of WWII. The Dutch royal family presented the city with 100,000 tulip bulbs as an act of thank for having sheltered Princess Juliana and her children while the Nazis occupied the Netherlands. The first Canadian Tulip Festival took place in 1953.

32. Peace Nobelist Sakharov ANDREI
Andrei Sakharov was a Soviet nuclear physicist, and in his later life a human rights activist. Sakharov participated in the USSR’s program to develop the country’s first atomic bomb, and was an even more crucial contributor to the development of the devastating hydrogen bomb. By the fifties, he was concerned about the consequences of his work, and in the sixties Sakharov started to become active, raising awkward questions not appreciated by the Soviet administration. He was banned from further work with the military as a consequence, and later found himself under constant police surveillance and harassment. He was then moved from Moscow and put into internal exile in Gorky. It was only under Mikhail Gorbachev’s leadership, that Sakharov was able to return home to Moscow.

35. Elijah Blue’s mom CHER
Elijah Blue Allman is a musician. Elijah’s parents are Cher and her second husband Gregg Allman.

36. __ de coeur: impassioned plea CRI
A “cri de coeur” is an impassioned outcry, literally “cry of the heart” in French.

37. “Gone With the Wind” setting 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.

40. The Pac-12’s Beavers OSU
The athletic teams of Oregon State University are known as the Beavers. The big rivals to the Beavers are the Ducks of the University of Oregon, a rivalry that has been dubbed “the Civil War”. The two schools’ football teams play a game every year for the Platypus Trophy.

43. Citrine or amethyst QUARTZ
Quartz is a form of silicon oxide, and is the second most abundant mineral found in the Earth’s crust, after feldspar. The name “quartz” comes into English via German and probably ultimately derives from a Slavic word meaning “hard”.

48. A Bobbsey twin NAN
The “Bobbsey Twins” series of children’s novels was first written by Edward Stratemeyer in 1904. Stratemeyer used the pseudonym Laura Lee Hope, as did subsequent authors who wrote 72 books in the series between 1904 and 1979. The title characters were two sets of fraternal twins, one called Bert and Nan (who were 12) and the other called Flossie and Freddie (who were 6).

53. Early New Zealand settler MAORI
The Māori are the indigenous people of New Zealand. The Māori are eastern Polynesian in origin and began arriving in New Zealand relatively recently, starting sometime in the late 13th century. The word “māori” simply means “normal”, distinguishing the mortal human being from spiritual entities.

56. “Something __, something …” OLD
The tradition of a new bride wearing something old, new, borrowed and blue comes from a traditional English rhyme that dates back to the 1800s:

Something old,
something new,
something borrowed,
something blue,
and a silver sixpence in her shoe.

63. Sci-fi staple ROBOT
Karel Čapek was a Czech writer noted for his works of science fiction. Čapek’s 1920 play “R.U.R.” is remembered in part for introducing the world to the word “robot”. The words “automaton” and “android” were already in use, but Capek gave us “robot” from the original Czech “robota” meaning “forced labor”. The acronym “R.U.R.”, in the context of the play, stands for “Rossum’s Universal Robots”.

65. Breton, e.g. CELT
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..

A Breton is a native of Brittany. Brittany is a large peninsula in the northwest of France, known in French as “Bretagne”.

Down
1. Olive Oyl pursuer BLUTO
Bluto is the villain in the Popeye cartoon strip, a character who has been around since 1932. Sometimes you will see Bluto go by the name Brutus, depending on the date of the publication. This “confusion” arose because there was an unfounded concern that the name “Bluto” was owned by someone else. Bluto, Brutus … it’s the same guy.

4. Sauce of southern Italy MARINARA
Italians use the term “marinara” not for a sauce, but in the name of a recipe that includes a tomato-based sauce. For example, “spaghetti alla marinara” would be a spaghetti dish, served “mariner’s style”. The tomato sauce that we call “marinara” is called “salsa di pomodoro” in Italy.

6. Capital ENE of Custer PIERRE
Here’s an old chestnut of a trivia question for you … what’s the only state capital in the Union in which the name of the capital and the name of its state share no common letters? You guessed it … Pierre, South Dakota …

8. Intercollegiate sport CREW
Crew is another name for competitive team rowing. The narrow boat used in the sport is called a “shell”.

9. Lawyer’s letters ESQ
The title “esquire” is of British origin and is used differently today depending on whether one is in the US or the UK. Here in America the term is usually reserved for those practicing the law (both male and female). In the UK, “esquire” is a term of gentle respect reserved for a male who has no other title that one can use. So a mere commoner like me might receive a letter from the bank say, addressed to W. E. Butler Esq.

10. Moccasin, for one SLIP-ON
The moccasin is a traditional form of footwear worn by members of many Native American tribes.

11. Man around the Haus HERR
In Germany, a “Mr.” (Herr) is married to a “Mrs.” (Frau), and they live together in a house (Haus).

12. Layer in the eye UVEA
The uvea is the middle of the three layers that make up the eyeball.

13. Considerable TIDY
A tidy sum, perhaps, a considerable amount of money.

18. Posthaste APACE
We use the adverb “posthaste” to mean “speedily”. Back as far as the mid-1500s, the phrase “post haste” was written on letters that were to be delivered without delay. The suggestion is that our modern term comes from this original usage.

24. “Here,” on Metro maps ICI
“Vous êtes ici” are important words to know when navigating your way around Paris. They mean “You are here”, and you’ll often see them on maps in the street.

The Paris Métro is the busiest underground transportation system in western Europe, carrying about 4.5 million passengers a day, about the same as the New York City Subway. The system took its name from the company that originally operated it, namely “La Compagnie du chemin de fer métropolitain de Paris”, which was shorted to “Métro”. The term “Metro” was then adopted for similar systems in cities all over the world.

25. “__ to Billie Joe” ODE
“Ode to Billie Joe” is a hit song written and recorded by Bobbie Gentry in 1967. It tells the tale of a family talking about the day that “Billie Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge.”

28. Coming up short SHY
To be “shy” is to be short, lacking. The term originated as gambling slang, meaning to owe money to the pot.

33. Apollo’s creator NASA
The Apollo program is very much associated with President Kennedy, as he gave NASA the challenge to land men on the moon by the end of the sixties. However, the Apollo program was conceived during the Eisenhower administration as a follow-up to Project Mercury that put the first Americans in space.

34. Pharmacopeia listing DRUG
A pharmacopeia is an official publication listing drugs and their specifications, and other related information.

38. Abbreviation on a lunch menu BLT
The BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato) is the second most popular sandwich in the US, after the plain old ham sandwich.

41. Gastropod for a gourmet SNAIL
Snails and slugs are referred to collectively as gastropods. There are many, many species of gastropods, found both on land and in the sea. Gastropods with shells are generally described as snails, and those species without shells are referred to as slugs.

42. Geochronological span EON
Geological time is divided into a number of units of varying lengths. These are, starting from the largest:

– supereon
– eon (also “aeon”)
– era
– period
– epoch
– age

43. “¿__ pasa?” QUE
In Spanish, “que pasa?” literally translates as “what happened?” but is used to mean “how have things been going with you?”

44. Three-time Indy winner Bobby UNSER
The Unser family seems to have racing cars in its blood. Al Unser, Sr. won the Indy 500 on four occasions. Al’s brother Jerry was the first of the Unsers to compete at Indianapolis. Al’s other brother Bobby, won the Indy three times. Al’s son, Al Junior, won the Indy twice. Al Junior’s son is also a racing driver who competes at the Indy Speedway.

46. Transported ENRAPT
To be “enrapt, transported” is to be emotionally moved.

50. “60 Minutes” regular STAHL
Lesley Stahl has worked on “60 Minutes” since 1991. She is married to author “Aaron Latham”. As a journalist, it was Latham who wrote the article that inspired the movie “Urban Cowboy”.

51. Sri Lankan language TAMIL
Tamil is the main language spoken by the Tamil people of the subcontinent of India. Tamil is described as one of the greatest and oldest classical languages in the world, with Tamil literature having been around for over 2,000 years.

The name Sri Lanka translates from Sanskrit into English as “venerable island”. Before 1970, Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon, a name given to the country during British rule.

54. Archer of “Fatal Attraction” ANNE
Anne Archer is an American actress, a native of Los Angeles and the daughter of actors Marjorie Lord (co-star in “The Danny Thomas Show”) and John Archer. Anne’s most famous role was in 1987’s “Fatal Attraction” in which she played the wronged wife. She also played the wife of Jack Ryan in “Patriot Games” and “Clear and Present Danger”.

“Fatal Attraction” is a an exceptional thriller released in 1987, starring Micheal Douglas and Glenn Close. The movie is about a married man who has a brief affair with a woman who then obsessively stalks him. There’s a famous scene where the Michael Douglas character discovers that his stalker has killed the family pet rabbit and left it stewing in a pot on his stove. In the British Isles “bunny boiler” is now a common enough term used to describe a crazed woman …

56. Redolence ODOR
Something that is redolent is aromatic, emits a fragrance. Redolent is an Old French word.

57. Jiffy __ LUBE
Jiffy Lube is an automotive service chain of businesses that specializes in quick oil changes. The Jiffy Lube slogan is “The Well-Oiled Machine”.

60. “Science Friday” radio host Flatow IRA
“Science Friday” is an excellent talk show broadcast every Friday on NPR, and hosted by Ira Flatow. Flatow is known on television as the host of “Newton’s Apple”, which ran from 1983 to 1998.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Explosive sound BLAM!
5. Outer __ SPACE
10. Not even ajar SHUT
14. “Born to Die” singer/songwriter Del Rey LANA
15. Stadium divisions TIERS
16. Son of Leah LEVI
17. “You’re living in the past,” nowadays UPGRADE REQUIRED
20. Flower celebrated in an annual Ottawa festival TULIP
21. Move the boat, in a way ROW
22. Painting option SPRAY
23. Like a typical farmer’s market OPEN-AIR
25. “Gotcha!” OHO!
26. “You can’t go there,” nowadays ACCESS DENIED
32. Peace Nobelist Sakharov ANDREI
35. Elijah Blue’s mom CHER
36. __ de coeur: impassioned plea CRI
37. “Gone With the Wind” setting TARA
38. “Whew!” BOY!
39. Sit a spell REST
40. The Pac-12’s Beavers OSU
41. Ego SELF
43. Citrine or amethyst QUARTZ
45. “Nobody can go there,” nowadays PAGE NOT FOUND
48. A Bobbsey twin NAN
49. Stops DESISTS
53. Early New Zealand settler MAORI
56. “Something __, something …” OLD
58. Bug EAT AT
59. “Never heard of you,” nowadays INVALID USERNAME
62. Cinch SNAP
63. Sci-fi staple ROBOT
64. Golf shot CHIP
65. Breton, e.g. CELT
66. Band tour stop, perhaps ARENA
67. Building additions ELLS

Down
1. Olive Oyl pursuer BLUTO
2. Eagerly consume LAP UP
3. One with degrees? ANGLE
4. Sauce of southern Italy MARINARA
5. Norm: Abbr. STD
6. Capital ENE of Custer PIERRE
7. Prefix with 5-Across AERO-
8. Intercollegiate sport CREW
9. Lawyer’s letters ESQ
10. Moccasin, for one SLIP-ON
11. Man around the Haus HERR
12. Layer in the eye UVEA
13. Considerable TIDY
18. Posthaste APACE
19. Escort USHER
24. “Here,” on Metro maps ICI
25. “__ to Billie Joe” ODE
27. Act the cynic SCOFF
28. Coming up short SHY
29. Bakery specialist ICER
30. Before, to a bard ERST
31. Scatterbrain DITZ
32. On the highest point of ATOP
33. Apollo’s creator NASA
34. Pharmacopeia listing DRUG
38. Abbreviation on a lunch menu BLT
39. Splendor RADIANCE
41. Gastropod for a gourmet SNAIL
42. Geochronological span EON
43. “¿__ pasa?” QUE
44. Three-time Indy winner Bobby UNSER
46. Transported ENRAPT
47. Favored to win ODDS-ON
50. “60 Minutes” regular STAHL
51. Sri Lankan language TAMIL
52. What a pedometer counts STEPS
53. Catchall file abbr. MISC
54. Archer of “Fatal Attraction” ANNE
55. Common face shape OVAL
56. Redolence ODOR
57. Jiffy __ LUBE
60. “Science Friday” radio host Flatow IRA
61. Greek “H” ETA

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