Month: April 2016

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
6. Floorboard hardware item BRAD
A “brad” is a lender wire nail with a relatively small head that is typically used to “tack” pieces of wood together, to fasten either temporarily or with minimal damage to the wood. Nowadays, brads are commonly applied using a nail gun.

16. Western city with an annual balloon race RENO
The Great Reno Balloon Race has been held annually in Reno, Nevada since 1982. The three-day event features several launches including the spectacular Dawn Patrol, in which the balloons appear even more colorful and vivid in the predawn darkness.

17. She slugged a sheriff in “Selma” OPRAH
Oprah Winfrey is one of the producers of the 2014 film “Selma”, and is also one of the cast. She plays Annie Lee Cooper, a woman who tried to register vote and was denied by Dallas County sheriff Jim Clark. Clark poked Cooper in the neck with a cattle prod of nightstick, and she turned and punched him in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.

20. With 13-Down, “Unfaithful” Oscar nominee DIANE
(13D. See 20-Across LANE)
Diane Lane is a beautiful American film actress, born and raised in New York City. Not so long ago I saw Lane with Richard Gere in “Nights in Rodanthe” (a movie that I recommend). But my absolute favorite movie of hers is “Under the Tuscan Sun” based on the memoir of the same name by Frances Mayes (a writer from San Francisco). It’s a lovely romantic story, not without humor, set in the gorgeous Tuscan landscape.

“Unfaithful” is a 2002 drama film with leads played by Richard Gere and Diane Lane. The Hollywood movie is a remake of a French film called “La Femme infidèle” (The Unfaithful Wife).

25. Proof letters QED
QED is used at the end of a mathematical proof or a philosophical argument. The QED abbreviation stands for the Latin “quod erat demonstrandum” meaning “that which was to be demonstrated”.

26. Not much power ONE WATT
James Watt was a Scottish inventor, a man who figured prominently in the Industrial Revolution in Britain largely due to the improvements he made to the fledgling steam engine. The SI unit of power is called the watt, named in his honor.

27. “Never Cry Wolf” author Farley __ MOWAT
Farley Mowat was an author and environmentalist from Ontario. One of Mowat’s best known works is 1963’s “Never Cry Wolf”, which was made into a film of the same name in 1983.

29. “__ tree falls … ” IF A
If a tree falls in a forest and nobody’s around to hear it, does it make a sound? Answers on a postcard please …

34. Capital near Las Vegas SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO
Santa Fe is New Mexico’s capital, and the fourth most-populous city in the state (after Albuquerque, Las Cruces and Rio Rancho). Sitting at 7,199 feet above sea level, Santa Fe is the highest state capital in the US. The city’s name translates from Spanish as “Holy Faith”. The full name of the city when it was founded in 1607 was “La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asís”, meaning “the Royal Town of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi”. It became the capital of the province Santa Fe de Nuevo México in 1610, making Santa Fe the oldest state capital in the US.

The New Mexico city of Las Vegas (as opposed to the Nevada metropolis) used to be a stop on the Santa Fe Trail. Las Vegas, New Mexico also became a railroad stop starting in 1879, a development that attracted many dubious characters along with the new resident and businesses. The list of Old West celebrities that lived for a while in Las Vegas included Doc Holliday, Jesse James, Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp and one Handsome Harry the Dancehall Rustler.

41. Popular software for gamers ADOBE FLASH PLAYER
Adobe Flash is a software platform for creating graphics and animation, as well as application and games. Formerly known as Macromedia Flash and Shockwave Flash, the use of the once ubiquitous “Flash” software has declined over the past decade or so. That said, the derivative product called Adobe AIR is very successful in mobile applications.

42. Variety show on which “The Honeymooners” began as a skit CAVALCADE OF STARS
Cavalcade of Stars was a variety show that first aired in 1949. The show really took off with the arrival of Jackie Gleason in 1950, resulting in the “Cavalcade” being renamed to “The Jackie Gleason Show” in 1952.

The classic sitcom called “The Honeymooners” only aired for 39 episodes, with the last being broadcast in September of 1956. The sitcom was based on a recurring sketch that appeared on “Cavalcade of Stars” and then “The Jackie Gleason Show” from 1951-1955.

44. Former court gp. ABA
The American Basketball Association (ABA) merged with the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1976. The ABA used a ball with the colors red, white and blue. The NBA uses a more traditional orange ball.

45. Big name in outdoor gear REI
REI is a sporting goods store, the initialism standing for Recreational Equipment Inc. REI was founded in Seattle by Lloyd and Mary Anderson in 1938 as a cooperative that supplies quality climbing gear to outdoor enthusiasts. The first full-time employee hired by the Andersons was Jim Whittaker, who was the American to climb Mount Everest.

46. Pope John Paul II’s given name KAROL
Pope John Paul II led the Catholic Church from 1978 until 2005, a period of over 26 years. That made him the second longest serving Pope in history, after Pius IX who reigned for over 31 years in the mid 1800s. Paradoxically, John Paul II’s predecessor was John Paul I who only ruled for 33 days. John Paul II was a native of Poland, and was the first non-Italian Pope to lead the church since 1523. His birth name was Karol Wojtyla.

52. Toon that debuted in the 1954 cartoon “Devil May Hare” TAZ
The “Looney Tunes” character known as the Tasmanian Devil, or “Taz”, first appeared in a cartoon short with Bugs Bunny called “Devil May Care” in 1954.

55. “Hyde Park on Hudson” subj. FDR
“Hyde Park on Hudson” is a marvelous 2012 comedy-drama film starring Bill Murray as President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It deals with the romantic relationship between the president and his cousin Daisy Suckley (played by Laura Linney). A second major element of the screenplay is the 1939 visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to FDR’s country estate in Hyde Park, New York. Highly recommended …

59. Comet competitor AJAX
Ajax cleanser has been around since 1947, and it’s “stronger than dirt!” That was the most famous slogan over here in the US. On my side of the pond, the celebrated slogan was “it cleans like a white tornado”. Bon Ami cleanser has been around much longer. The cleanser was introduced just a few years after Bon Ami soap went to market in 1886.

The Comet brand of household cleanser produced a famous series of ads in the sixties through the eighties that featured a character known as “Josephine the Plumber”. Played by actress Jane Withers, she was noted for uttering the line “Nothing can hold a can to Comet!”

61. Secretary of war under Teddy ELIHU
Elihu Root was an American statesman, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1912 for his diplomatic work that brought “nations together through arbitration and cooperation”. Root served as Secretary of State under President Theodore Roosevelt. Prior to serving as Secretary of State, Root was Secretary of War in both the McKinley and Roosevelt administrations.

62. Language that gives us “mako” MAORI
The shortfin mako shark can appear on restaurant menus, and as a result the species is dying out in some parts of the world. The mako gets its own back sometimes though, and attacks on humans are not unknown. And the shark in Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea”, that’s a mako. “Mako” is the Maori word for “shark” or “shark tooth”.

64. Tears down, in 65-Across RASES
To “raze” (“rase”, in UK English) is to level to the ground. How odd is it that “raise”, a homophone of “raze”, means to build up?

65. North Sea county ESSEX
Essex is a county in England, referred to as one of the “home counties”. The home counties are those that surround the city of London, outside of London itself. “Home county” is not an official designation but has been in popular use since the 1800s.

The North Sea is an offshoot of the Atlantic Ocean that is located between Britain and Scandinavia.

Down
1. Gandolfini’s TV wife FALCO
The actress Edie Falco won three Emmy Awards for playing Carmela Soprano on HBO’s outstanding drama series called “The Sopranos”. Falco also won an Emmy in 2010 for playing the title role in “Nurse Jackie”, another worthy TV show.

The actor James Gandolfini is perhaps best known for playing Mafia boss Tony Soprano in the HBO show “The Sopranos”. For my money, one of Gandolfini’s best performances was in the 2013 romantic comedy “Enough Said”, opposite Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Sadly, Gandolfini passed away before that film was released.

2. “Yond Cassius has __ and hungry look” A LEAN
Here are some lines spoken by the title character in the play “Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare:

Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look.
He thinks too much. Such men are dangerous.

Caesar is referring to Cassius, one of the leading figures in the plot to assassinate him.

5. Marin County seat SAN RAFAEL
San Rafael isn’t far from here, and is the county seat of Marin County in the North San Francisco Bay. Like many cities in California, San Rafael owes its name to a Spanish mission, Mission San Rafael Arcángel.

6. Football’s Favre BRETT
Brett Favre is best known as the former starting-quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. Favre retired in 2010 after playing with the Minnesota Vikings for a short time. Among the many NFL records held by Favre, he has made the most consecutive starts.

8. Singer DiFranco ANI
Ani DiFranco is a folk-rock singer and songwriter. DiFranco has also been labeled a “feminist icon”, and in 2006 won the “Woman of Courage Award” from National Organization of Women.

9. BBC hero since 1963 DOCTOR WHO
The iconic science-fiction television show “Doctor Who” was first aired in 1963, and relaunched in 2005 by the BBC. The relaunched series is produced in-house by the BBC in Cardiff in Wales, the location that is the setting of the successful “Doctor Who” spin-off called “Torchwood”. The new show is about the Cardiff branch of the Torchwood Institute which investigates incidents involving extraterrestrials.

10. Screwdriver part VODKA
The cocktail called a screwdriver is a mix of fresh orange juice with vodka. Apparently the drink originated with a group of engineers in the late forties who used to spike small cans of orange juice with vodka, and then stir it in with their screwdrivers.

11. Commercial prefix with Pen EPI-
EpiPen is a brand name of epinephrine auto-injector. An EpiPen delivers a measured dose of epinephrine, usually for the treatment of an allergic reaction.

12. Big oil exporter IRAQ
By some estimates, Iraq is the fifth largest oil exporter in the world. The top five exporters are:

– Saudi Arabia
– Russia
– Kuwait
– Iran
– Iraq

27. 1980s attorney general MEESE
Ed Meese was born in Oakland, California just down the road here and spent 24 years in the office of the Treasurer of Alameda County, the county in which I live. After military service, Meese earned himself a law degree at UC Berkeley. Later, as Chief of Staff for President Reagan, he was instrumental in a famous decision to crack down on student protesters at Berkeley which resulted in one protester dying and a two-week occupation of the city by the California National Guard.

33. Big name in PCs ACER
I owned several Acer laptops, which were for my money the most reliable machine at the best price. Acer is a Taiwanese company that I used to visit a lot when I was in the electronics business. I was very impressed back then with the company’s dedication to quality, but have heard that things have gone so well in recent years …

34. Ink __ SAC
Octopuses and squid have the ability to release a dark pigment into the water as a means of escape. The dark pigment is called cephalopod ink (the squid and octopus belong to the class cephalopod) and is stored in an ink sac. The dark color is created by melanin, the same substance that acts as a pigment in human skin.

35. Actor Driver of “Girls” ADAM
Adam Driver is an actor best known for playing Adam Sackler on the TV show “Girls” that airs on HBO. Driver’s career got a huge boost in 2015 when he played villain Kylo Ren in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”.

36. Salmon choice NOVA
Nova lox is salmon that has been cured with a mild brine and then cold-smoked. The term originally applied to salmon from Nova Scotia.

38. Athlete known as “The King of Clay” NADAL
Rafael “Rafa” Nadal is a Spanish tennis player who is noted for his expertise on clay courts, earning him the nickname “The King of Clay”.

48. Rejected NIXED
The use of “nix” as a verb, meaning “to shoot down”, dates back to the early 1900s. Before that “nix” was just a noun meaning “nothing”. “Nix” comes from the German “nichts”, which also means “nothing”.

51. City across the Rhine from Düsseldorf NEUSS
Neuss is a German city located on the west bank of the Rhine, opposite Düsseldorf. Founded by the Romans in 16 BC, Neuss jointly holds the title of “Germany’s oldest city”, along with Trier.

56. Cod relative HAKE
Hake is a commonly eaten fish in Europe, with half of all the hake consumed in Spain.

58. Mt. Hood setting ORE
Mount Hood is a volcanic peak in northern Oregon. Mount Hood is the highest peak in the state, and is located about 50 miles southeast of Portland. There are six ski areas on the mountain, including a resort called Timberline that has North America’s only lift operating year-round for skiing.

60. Colorful flier JAY
The bird known as a “jay” is sometimes called a “magpie”, although the terms are not completely interchangeable.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Protests by not taking any courses? FASTS
6. Floorboard hardware item BRAD
10. Cloaks VEILS
15. Top dog ALPHA
16. Western city with an annual balloon race RENO
17. She slugged a sheriff in “Selma” OPRAH
18. Pick up LEARN
19. Big story EPIC
20. With 13-Down, “Unfaithful” Oscar nominee DIANE
21. Waits on hand and foot CATERS TO
23. “Pity” TSK
25. Proof letters QED
26. Not much power ONE WATT
27. “Never Cry Wolf” author Farley __ MOWAT
29. “__ tree falls … ” IF A
30. Significant period ERA
31. __ moment AHA
34. Capital near Las Vegas SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO
41. Popular software for gamers ADOBE FLASH PLAYER
42. Variety show on which “The Honeymooners” began as a skit CAVALCADE OF STARS
43. Buddy MAC
44. Former court gp. ABA
45. Big name in outdoor gear REI
46. Pope John Paul II’s given name KAROL
48. “Ready for business” sign NOW OPEN
52. Toon that debuted in the 1954 cartoon “Devil May Hare” TAZ
55. “Hyde Park on Hudson” subj. FDR
56. Peak HIGH NOTE
57. Hardly warm ALOOF
59. Comet competitor AJAX
61. Secretary of war under Teddy ELIHU
62. Language that gives us “mako” MAORI
63. Accept TAKE
64. Tears down, in 65-Across RASES
65. North Sea county ESSEX
66. Inspected EYED
67. Decorative pitchers EWERS

Down
1. Gandolfini’s TV wife FALCO
2. “Yond Cassius has __ and hungry look” A LEAN
3. Sudden rush SPATE
4. Obeyed a fishing regulation THREW IT BACK
5. Marin County seat SAN RAFAEL
6. Football’s Favre BRETT
7. Tow job, for short REPO
8. Singer DiFranco ANI
9. BBC hero since 1963 DOCTOR WHO
10. Screwdriver part VODKA
11. Commercial prefix with Pen EPI-
12. Big oil exporter IRAQ
13. See 20-Across LANE
14. Lose SHED
22. It may be swiped at work STAFF CARD
24. Lowland amphibian SWAMP FROG
27. 1980s attorney general MEESE
28. Attorney’s specialty TAXATION LAW
32. Simple greeting HIYA
33. Big name in PCs ACER
34. Ink __ SAC
35. Actor Driver of “Girls” ADAM
36. Salmon choice NOVA
37. Involved ELABORATE
38. Athlete known as “The King of Clay” NADAL
39. Absent ELSEWHERE
40. Logical operators ORS
47. Pin, say AFFIX
48. Rejected NIXED
49. Self-confidence POISE
50. Wild blue yonder ETHER
51. City across the Rhine from Düsseldorf NEUSS
52. Hardly boundary-pushing TAME
53. “Poor me!” ALAS!
54. Places with exhibits ZOOS
56. Cod relative HAKE
58. Mt. Hood setting ORE
60. Colorful flier JAY

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