Category: Bruce Venzke

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
10. Civil rights icon Parks ROSA
Rosa Parks was one of a few brave women in days gone by who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white woman. It was the stand taken by Rosa Parks on December 1, 1955 that sparked the Montgomery, Alabama Bus Boycott. President Clinton presented Ms. Parks with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1996. When she died in 2005, Rosa Parks became the first ever woman to have her body lie in honor in the US Capitol Rotunda.

14. Shepard who walked on the moon ALAN
Alan Shepard was the first American in space. Shepard’s flight was originally scheduled for October 1960 but a series of delays pushed it out till May 5, 1961. Yuri Gagarin made his celebrated flight on April 12, 1961, just one one month earlier, winning that part of the Space Race for the Soviets.

16. North Carolina university ELON
Elon is a city in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, close to the city of Burlington. Elon University is a private liberal arts school founded in 1889.

18. 1995 Reform Party founder PEROT
Henry Ross Perot graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1953, as president of his class. Ross Perot served his 4-year commitment but then resigned his commission, apparently having become somewhat disillusioned with the navy. He was ranked number 101 on the Forbes 400 List of Richest Americans in 2012, and at that time was worth about $3.5 billion.

The Reform Party of the USA was founded in 1995 by Ross Perot with the intent of creating an alternative to the Republican and Democratic Parties. The Reform Party’s biggest success was the election of Jesse Ventura as Governor of Minnesota.

20. Conflicting goals CROSS-PURPOSES (giving “Southern Cross”)
The Southern Cross is the familiar name for the constellation Crux. “Crux” is the Latin word for “cross”.

23. Odin, for one DEITY
According to Norse mythology, the god Odin had a pair of ravens that flew all over the world each day to get him information. The ravens were named Huginn and Muninn.

25. Plains native OTOE
The Native American people known as the Otoe were the first tribe encountered by the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The meeting took place at a point on the Missouri River that is now known as Council Bluff.

26. __-tip: beef cut TRI
Tri-tip is a cut of beef from the rear of the animal. It is a triangular muscle, hence the name.

28. Disney’s “__ & Stitch” LILO
“Lilo & Stitch” was released by Disney in 2002. Compared to other Disney feature-length cartoons, “Lilo & Stitch” was relatively cheaply produced, using the voices of lesser-known actors. One interesting change had to take place in the storyline during production, when Lilo was meant to fly a Jumbo Jet through downtown Honolulu in one sequence. This was replaced with a sequence using a spaceship instead, as the producers were sensitive to public sentiment after the September 11 attacks.

31. Blender option PUREE
A “purée” is a food that has been made smooth by straining or blending. “Purée” is a French term, which I believe is now used to mean “pea soup” (more completely written as “purée de pois”. The French verb “purer” means “to strain, clean”, from the Latin “purare” meaning “to purify, clean”.

35. “Bandit Queen” of the Wild West BELLE STARR (giving “southern belle”)
Belle Starr was an outlaw in the Wild West, a descendent of the famous feuding Hatfields. Born Myra Maybelle Shirley, she married a Cherokee man named Sam Starr in 1880. After a life of crime that included a nine-month stint in jail, Belle was ambushed and shot twice in 1889, in an unsolved crime. Belle Starr wasn’t at all notorious during her life, but her story was told quite colorfully in the Richard K. Fox novel “Bella Starr, the Bandit Queen, or the Female Jesse James”. The novel was published the year she died, and decades later Starr was portrayed in several movies, including 1941’s “Belle Starr” with Gene Tierney in the title role.

38. Latin 101 verb AMAS
“Amo, amas, amat” … “I love, you love, he/she/it loves”, in Latin.

40. Diva’s number ARIA
“Diva” comes to us from Latin via Italian. “Diva” is the feminine form of “divus” meaning “divine one”. The word is used in Italy to mean “goddess” or “fine lady”, and especially is applied to the prima donna in an opera. We often use the term to describe a singer with a big ego.

41. Best Western rival COMFORT INN (giving “Southern Comfort”)
The Comfort Inn chain is part of Choice Hotels International. I stay in Comfort Suites every so often. Not bad for the price …

Best Western is the largest hotel chain in the world, with over 4,000 locations. The chain is a little unusual in that all of its properties are independently-owned franchises, with none being company-owned. Best Western was founded in 1946 and grew out of a small network of independent hotel operators who informally agreed to make referrals to each other’s properties.

45. “Love It or List It” cable channel HGTV
HGTV first went on air in 1994, as the “Home, Lawn and Garden Channel”. The name was shortened (the lawn was dropped) soon after, but nowadays it’s just known as HGTV.

52. Once-sacred snake ASP
The venomous snake called an asp was a symbol of royalty in Ancient Egypt.

57. Tamale wrappers HUSKS
A tamale is a traditional dish from Central America composed of a starchy dough that is steamed or boiled in a wrapper made of leaves. The dough is called masa, and can include many different ingredients including meat, cheese fruit and vegetables.

59. Like dishes with collard greens, and a hint to the starts of 20-, 35- and 41-Across SOUTHERN STYLE
Collard greens are vegetables related to cabbages and broccoli. The name “collard” is a corruption of “colewort”, a name used for wild cabbage.

63. __ dixit: unfounded assertion IPSE
“Ipse dixit” is Latin, meaning “he himself said it”. The term is used in contemporary English to describe an unsupported assertion, usually by someone in authority.

65. Hairdo COIF
A “coif” is a hairdo. The term comes from an old French term “coife”, a skull-cap that was worn under a helmet back in the late 13th century.

68. Prehistoric predator, for short T REX
The Tyrannosaurus rex (usually written T. rex) was a spectacular looking dinosaur. “Tyrannosaurus” comes from the Greek words “tyrannos” (tyrant) and “sauros” (lizard), and the “rex” is of course Latin for “king”. They were big boys, measuring 42 feet long and 13 feet tall at the hips, and weighing 7.5 tons.

70. New coin of 2002 EURO
The European Union (EU) today stands at a membership of 27 states. The Euro is the official currency of only 16 of the 27. The list of states in the EU that don’t use the Euro includes the UK, Denmark and Sweden.

71. Part of CNS: Abbr. SYST
Central nervous system (CNS)

73. Initials on invitations RSVP
RSVP stands for “répondez s’il vous plaît”, which is French for “please, answer”.

Down
2. Manning of the Giants ELI
Eli Manning plays as quarterback for the New York Giants. Eli’s brother Peyton Manning is quarterback for the Denver Broncos. Eli and Peyton’s father is Archie Manning, who was also a successful NFL quarterback.

3. Martha Graham forte DANCING
Martha Graham was a much-respected modern dancer and choreographer from Pittsburgh. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1976 by President Gerald Ford. In fact, First Lady Betty Ford had studied dance with Martha Graham in New York City in the 1930s.

4. Helmet-sporting comics hound SNERT
Snert is the clever dog that belongs to Hägar the Horrible in the classic comic strip.

8. Score after deuce AD OUT
In tennis, if the score reaches “deuce” (i.e. when both players have scored three points), then the first player to win two points in a row wins the game. The player who wins the point immediately after deuce is said to have the “advantage”. If the player with the advantage wins the next point then that’s two in a row and that player wins the game. If the person with the advantage loses the next point, then advantage is lost and the players return to deuce and try again. If the one of the players is calling out the score then if he/she has the advantage then that player announces “ad in” or more formally “advantage in”. If the score announcer’s opponent has the advantage, then the announcement is “ad out” or “advantage out”. Follow all of that …?

11. Fake fat OLESTRA
Olestra is a fat substitute. Naturally-occurring fats are made of of a glycerol molecule holding together three fatty acids. Olestra is made of a sucrose molecule, holding together several fatty acids. Olestra has a similar taste and consistency as natural fat, but has zero caloric impact because it is too large a molecule to cross the intestinal wall and passes right through the body. Personally, I steer clear of it. It is banned in Britain and Canada due to concerns about side effects, but I guess someone knows the right palms to grease (pun intended!) here in America, so it’s in some of our “low fat” food.

21. Spindly Olive OYL
“Thimble Theater” was the precursor comic strip to the famous “Popeye” drawn by E. C. Segar. Before Popeye came into the story, the brother and sister characters Castor Oyl and Olive Oyl were the main protagonists. And then along comes a sailor …

22. Cola choice PEPSI
The Pepsi-Cola formulation was developed by one Caleb Bradham who made the drink at home and sold it as “Brad’s Drink”. Bradham’s aim was to provide a drink that was pleasant to taste, that would aid digestion and boost energy. Included in the formula were pepsin (a digestive enzyme) and kola nuts. These two ingredients inspired the brand name we use today: Pepsi-Cola.

23. Name DUB
Kneel, and the Queen might “dub thee a knight” if you’re lucky. “Dub” is a specific term derived from Old English that was used to mean “make a knight”. As the knight was also given a knightly name at the same time, “dub” has come to mean “give someone a name”.

30. “__ we forget” LEST
“Lest we forget” is an oft-quoted phrase, one that comes from a poem by Rudyard Kipling called “Recessional”. Kipling wrote the piece on the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897 and used it to express sadness at the waning of the British Empire. The phrase “lest we forget” is used in this context, a warning that the empire will decline. Ever since WWI we’ve been using the words on memorials as a plea not forget the sacrifices made by others in the past.

32. Zion National Park state UTAH
To me, the most spectacular feature of Zion National Park, in southwestern Utah, is the magnificent Zion Canyon. The canyon cuts through red Navajo sandstone and is a truly beautiful sight.

37. Coastal divers ERNS
The ern (also erne) is also called the white-tailed eagle, and the sea-eagle.

39. One of a dozen MONTH
Our word “dozen” is used for a group of twelve. We imported it into English from Old French. The modern French word for twelve is “douze”, and a dozen is “douzaine”.

42. Grand Tennessee entertainment OLE OPRY
“The Grand Ole Opry” started out as a radio show in 1925 originally called the WSM “Barn Dance”. In 1927, the “Barn Dance” radio show was broadcast in a slot after an NBC production called “Musical Appreciation Hour”, a collection of classical works including Grand Opera. In a December show, the host of “Barn Dance” announced, “For the past hour, we have been listening to music taken largely from Grand Opera. From now on we will present the ‘Grand Ole Opry'”. That name was used for the radio show from then on.

48. Nixon and Ford, once: Abbr. VPS
President Richard Milhous Nixon (RMN) used “Milhous” in his name in honor of his mother Hannah Milhous. Richard was born in a house in Yorba Linda, California. You can visit that house today as it is on the grounds of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library. It’s a really interesting way to spend a few hours if you ever get to Yorba Linda …

President Gerald Ford was well known for his athletic prowess. He was the star football player both in his high school and later at the University of Michigan. After graduation, President Ford received two offers to play in the NFL, from the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers. He turned down both teams opting instead to take a coaching position at Yale giving him the opportunity to apply to Yale Law School. But young Mr. Ford’s plan backfired as Yale Law School turned him down because of his full-time commitment to sports: coaching football, boxing and teaching JV cheer-leading. It took three years for President Ford to make it into Yale Law School, but he finally got there, in 1938.

55. Odin’s race AESIR
Aesir is sometimes used as the collective noun for the Norse gods.

In Norse mythology, Odin was the chief of the gods. Odin’s wife Frigg was the queen of Asgard whose name gave us our English term “Friday” (via Anglo-Saxon). Odin’s son was Thor, and his name gave us the term “Thursday”.

56. “I’ll see you in my dreams” girl of song IRENE
“Goodnight, Irene”, also known as “Irene, Goodnight”, is a lovely American folk song that was first recorded commercially back in 1932 by blues singer Lead Belly. The song made it to number one in the charts for the Weavers in 1950 and for Frank Sinatra in the same year.

58. Stomach woe ULCER
Until relatively recently, a peptic ulcer was believed to be caused by undue amounts of stress in one’s life. It is now known that 70-90% of all peptic ulcers are in fact associated with a particular bacterium.

61. Editor’s “leave it in” STET
“Stet” is a Latin word meaning “let it stand”. In editorial work, the typesetter is instructed to disregard any change previously marked by writing the word “stet” and then underscoring that change with a line of dots or dashes.

66. Sportscaster Cross IRV
Irv Cross is a former professional footballer and a sportscaster. Cross was hired by CBS Sports in 1971 and became the first African American to work full-time as a sports analyst on network television.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Barracks array BEDS
5. Highlights segment RECAP
10. Civil rights icon Parks ROSA
14. Shepard who walked on the moon ALAN
15. Get away from EVADE
16. North Carolina university ELON
17. Pitchfork point TINE
18. 1995 Reform Party founder PEROT
19. Charging result DEBT
20. Conflicting goals CROSS-PURPOSES (giving “Southern Cross”)
23. Odin, for one DEITY
25. Plains native OTOE
26. __-tip: beef cut TRI
27. Dessert table vessel URN
28. Disney’s “__ & Stitch” LILO
31. Blender option PUREE
33. Sacks BAGS
35. “Bandit Queen” of the Wild West BELLE STARR (giving “southern belle”)
38. Latin 101 verb AMAS
40. Diva’s number ARIA
41. Best Western rival COMFORT INN (giving “Southern Comfort”)
45. “Love It or List It” cable channel HGTV
49. Martian, e.g. ALIEN
50. Not as LESS
52. Once-sacred snake ASP
53. Countdown starter TEN
54. Follow, or the one doing the following TAIL
57. Tamale wrappers HUSKS
59. Like dishes with collard greens, and a hint to the starts of 20-, 35- and 41-Across SOUTHERN STYLE
63. __ dixit: unfounded assertion IPSE
64. Look after SEE TO
65. Hairdo COIF
68. Prehistoric predator, for short T REX
69. Map in a map INSET
70. New coin of 2002 EURO
71. Part of CNS: Abbr. SYST
72. Kicks back RESTS
73. Initials on invitations RSVP

Down
1. Cavern critter BAT
2. Manning of the Giants ELI
3. Martha Graham forte DANCING
4. Helmet-sporting comics hound SNERT
5. Weightlifter’s count REPS
6. Pre-holiday times EVES
7. Arrangement among commuters CARPOOL
8. Score after deuce AD OUT
9. Prefix with chemical PETRO-
10. Update, as the bathroom REDO
11. Fake fat OLESTRA
12. Less tipsy SOBERER
13. More prone to fidgeting ANTSIER
21. Spindly Olive OYL
22. Cola choice PEPSI
23. Name DUB
24. Period sometimes named for a statesman ERA
29. Support beam I-BAR
30. “__ we forget” LEST
32. Zion National Park state UTAH
34. Out of danger SAFE
36. Roped-off pool part LANE
37. Coastal divers ERNS
39. One of a dozen MONTH
41. Watches a pet CAT SITS
42. Grand Tennessee entertainment OLE OPRY
43. Negative aspects MINUSES
44. Malady ILLNESS
46. Like neon or nitrogen GASEOUS
47. “That’s a no-no” TSK
48. Nixon and Ford, once: Abbr. VPS
51. Timid SHY
55. Odin’s race AESIR
56. “I’ll see you in my dreams” girl of song IRENE
58. Stomach woe ULCER
60. Book bag book TEXT
61. Editor’s “leave it in” STET
62. Preschoolers TOTS
66. Sportscaster Cross IRV
67. One dressing to be noticed FOP

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