Category: C.C. Burnikel

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Like Narcissus VAIN
Narcissus was a proud and vain hunter in Greek mythology. He earned himself a fatal punishment, being made fall in love with his own reflection in a pool. So, take was he by his own image, that he could not leave it and wasted away and died by the pool.

18. Two-time Italian prime minister Moro ALDO
Aldo Moro was Prime Minister of Italy from 1963 to 1968 and again from 1974 to 1976. After leaving office, Moro was famously kidnapped in 1978 by militant communists known as the Red Brigades. The kidnappers were demanding the release of several prisoners in exchange for Noro’s safe return. The Italian government was resolved not to bend to blackmail by terrorists and after 55 days of captivity, Moro was shot ten times and killed in the trunk of a car.

24. Imaginary kids’ author MOTHER GOOSE
“Mother Goose” is an imaginary author of nursery rhymes and fairy tales. Even though collections of “Mother Goose” tales have been published over the years, there is no specific writer who has been identified as her creator. “Mother Goose” is a very common pantomime that is staged in the British Isles in the Christmas season.

26. Missouri River city OMAHA
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska. It is located on the Missouri River, about 10 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River When Nebraska was still a territory Omaha was its capital, but when Nebraska achieved statehood the capital was moved to the city of Lincoln.

31. NFL commissioner since 2006 ROGER GOODELL
Roger Goodell has been the Commissioner of the NFL since 2006. Goodell is married to Jane Skinner, a former daytime news anchor with Fox News.

38. “The Newsroom” channel HBO
“The Newsroom” is a wonderfully written drama series on HBO from the pen of the great screenwriter Aaron Sorkin. The show stars Jeff Daniels as the news anchor in a cable news channel. I’ve seen the first season of “The Newsroom” and noted a distinct bias towards left of center politics in the storylines. I read recently that Sorkin hired conservative media consultants at the end of season one, presumably to help attract more viewers whose politics might be right of center.

46. Cold cube in Cologne EIS
“Eis” is the German word for “ice”.

Cologne is the fourth largest city in Germany, and is called “Koln” in German.

49. Zeus or Thor THUNDER GOD
In Greek mythology, Zeus was the ruler of the gods of Mount Olympus. He was also the god of the sky and thunder. The Roman equivalent of Zeus was Jupiter.

In Norse mythology, Thor was the son of Odin. Thor wielded a mighty hammer and was the god of thunder, lightning and storms. Our contemporary word “Thursday” comes from “Thor’s Day”.

54. Bausch & Lomb brand RENU
ReNu is a brand name of contact lens products sold by Bausch & Lomb.

Bausch & Lomb is an American company headquartered in Rochester, New York. It is a major supplier of contact lenses and associated eye-care products. As one might guess, the company was founded (in 1853) by two German immigrants, John Jacob Bausch and Henry Lomb. Bausch was an optician, and Lomb the “money man”. The company was set up originally to manufacture monocles.

56. End of time? SILENT E
There is a silent letter E at the end of the word “time”.

69. “Toy Story” composer Newman RANDY
Randy Newman is a singer/songwriter, most famous for his movie scores in the past three decades. Film scores included on his resume include “The Natural”, “Meet the Parents” and all the “Toy Story” movies from Pixar. Also on his resume are songs that he wrote, but were made hits by others. Included in this list are “You Can Leave Your Hat On” (Joe Cocker & Tom Jones) and “Mama Told Me Not to Come” (Three Dog Night).

1995’s “Toy Story” was the world’s first feature-length computer-animated movie. “Toy Story” was also the studio Pixar’s first production. The main roles in the film are Woody and Buzz, voiced by Tom Hanks and Tim Allen respectively. Hanks was the first choice to voice Woody, Allen was asked to voice Buzz after Billy Crystal turned down the role.

73. Us, in Cannes NOUS
Cannes is a city on the French Riviera, noted as host of the Cannes Film Festival. The idea of the annual film festival was adopted by the city just before WWII. However, the festival had to wait for the end of the war for its launch in 1946.

75. Relevant, to lawyers AD REM
The Latin term “ad rem” translates literally as “to the matter”.

80. 1996 Olympic torch lighter ALI
Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. was born in 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky. Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali when he converted to Islam in 1964. Who can forget Muhammad Ali lighting the Olympic flame for the 1996 games in Atlanta? Ali was presented with a gold medal during those ’96 Games, a replacement for the medal he won at the 1960 Olympics. He had thrown the original into the Ohio River as a gesture of disgust after being refused service at a “whites only” restaurant.

81. Short-range weapons MORTARS
I’ve always loved the sound of the words “mortar” and “pestle”, ever since I was first introduced to them in the chemistry lab. The Romans called a receptacle for pounding or grinding things a “mortarium”, giving us “mortar”. Mortarium was also the word for the product of pounding and grinding, which gives us our “mortar” that’s used with bricks to build a wall. And further, short stubby cannons used in the 16th century resembled a grinding bowl and so were called “mortars”, which evolved into our contemporary weapon of the same name. As far as the pestle is concerned, it is also derived from its Latin name “pistillum”, which comes from the word for “crush”.

87. Sport with orange balls, perhaps WINTER GOLF
I guess some a golfer might use orange-colored balls during the winter, when there is snow or frost on the course.

89. Lynne Cheney’s predecessor TIPPER GORE
Tipper Gore is the wife of former Vice President Al Gore, although the couple have been separated since 2010. Ms. Gore was born Mary Elizabeth Aitcheson. The “Tipper” nickname comes from one of her favorite nursery rhymes, called “Tippy, Tippy, Tin”.

Lynne Cheney is the wife of former Vice President Dick Cheney. Ms. Cheney was actually mentioned as a possible running mate on the George W. Bush ticket in 2000. Dick Cheney headed up the nominating committee for the VP nominee, and ended up getting the slot.

92. U.K. record label EMI
EMI is a British music company, with the acronym originally standing for Electric and Musical Industries.

93. Paper Mate rival BIC
Société Bic is a French company, based in Clichy in France. The first product the company produced, more than fifty years ago, was the Bic Cristal ballpoint pen that is still produced today. Bic also makes other disposable products such as lighters and razors.

94. “Eww, spare me the details!” TMI!
Too Much Information(TMI)!

95. Panda Express cooker WOK
“Wok” is a Cantonese word, the name of the frying pan now used in many Asian cuisines.

96. California’s Marina __ Rey DEL
Marina del Rey is a coastal community in California located within the borders of the City of Los Angeles. Marina del Rey is home to the world’s largest harbor for small craft, with a capacity for 5,300 boats.

97. Toaster treat POP-TART
Pop-Tart is the most successful brand for the Kellogg company, as millions of the sugary treats are sold every year. The US Military bought quite a few in 2001, and dropped 2.4 million Pop-Tarts into Afghanistan during the invasion after 9/11.

101. Interpol home, locally LYON
The city of Lyon in France, is also known as “Lyons” in English.

The International Criminal Police Organization is better known as Interpol. The group was formed in 1923 to facilitate international police cooperation. Today the police forces of 190 countries around the world are members of Interpol. The first headquarters of Interpol were in Vienna, and were moved to Berlin during WWII by the Nazi regime. After the war the headquarters were moved again, to just outside Paris, and finally to Lyon in 1989.

111. “Carmen” aria HABANERA
When Georges Bizet wrote his famous opera “Carmen”, he used the melody of what he thought was an old folk song as a theme in the lovely aria “the Habanera”. Not long after he finished “Carmen” he discovered that the folk song was in fact a piece that had been written by another composer, who had died just ten years before “Carmen” was published. Fittingly, Bizet added a note to the score, declaring the original source.

113. Kama __ SUTRA
The Kama Sutra is renowned for its descriptions of positions that can be used for sexual intercourse, but the sutra includes many other texts that deal with various matters of a sexual nature including how to woo a woman, the conduct of a “chief wife”, the conduct of “other” wives, how to make money as a courtesan and much, much more, as if that isn’t enough …

114. Vision-distorting condition caused by a few too many cold ones, slangily BEER GOGGLES
“Beer goggles” is a slang term given to the supposed lowering of sexual inhibitions due to consumption of alcohol. The idea is that after a few drinks, potential partners seem more attractive.

119. Small part CAMEO
Even in my day, a cameo role was more than just a short appearance in a movie (or other artistic piece). For the appearance to be a cameo, the actor had to playing himself or herself, and was instantly recognizable. With this meaning, it’s easy to see the etymology of the term, as a cameo brooch is one with the recognizable carving of the silhouette of a person. Nowadays, a cameo is any minor role played by a celebrity or famous actor, regardless of the character played.

122. Logical connection hidden in eight puzzle answers ERGO
“Ergo” is the Latin word for “hence, therefore”.

123. Wild plum SLOE
The sloe is the fruit of the blackthorn bush.

126. Slugger who hit his first home run off Clemens SOSA
Sammy Sosa was right in the public eye in 1998 when he and Mark McGwire were vying to be the first to surpass the home run record held by Roger Maris. McGwire fell out of public favor due to stories of steroid abuse (stories which he later admitted were true) while Sosa fell out of favor when he was found to be using a corked bat in a 2003 game.

Roger Clemens is a retired baseball pitcher who racked up the third-highest number of career strikeouts (after Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson). Clemens earned the nickname “The Rocket” due to a hard-throwing, intimidating pitching style.

Down
2. Texas landmark ALAMO
The famous Alamo in San Antonio, Texas was originally known as Mission San Antonio de Valero. The mission was founded in 1718 and was the first mission established in the city. The Battle of the Alamo took place in 1836, a thirteen-day siege by the Mexican Army led by President General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Only two people defending the Alamo Mission survived the onslaught. One month later, the Texian army got its revenge by attacking and defeating the Mexican Army in the Battle of San Jacinto. During the surprise attack on Santa Anna’s camp, many of the Texian soldiers were heard to cry “Remember the Alamo!”.

5. Every other hurricane SHE
Hurricanes are given names primarily to help the public keep track dangerous systems. The names are decided ahead of the hurricane season, with the first system given a name beginning with A, the second, B etc. The names are alternated between male and female names throughout the season. Also, if the first storm of the season is male, then the following year a female name is chosen. For hurricanes in the North Atlantic, names are assigned for every letter, except Q, U, X, Y and Z.

6. Mishmash POTPOURRI
The French term “pot pourri” literally translates to “rotten pot”, but in France it used to mean “stew”. Over time the term “potpourri” evolved in English usage to mean a “medley”, and eventually a mixture of dried flowers and spices.

7. Name on a spine AUTHOR
In the US, the convention is to write the title on the spine of a book from top-to-bottom. In most of Europe, the convention is to write the title from bottom-to-top. We have a lot of books in the “library” in our house from both sides of the Atlantic, and so there is a lot of moving of the head from left to right as we glance along our bookshelves.

9. They may be hot TAMALES
Hot Tamales are a cinnamon candy made by Just Born. They look like red versions of the other Just Born candy called Mike and Ike. That’s no coincidence as Hot Tamales were developed as a way to make use of rejected Mike and Ike candy. The dark red color and intense cinnamon flavor was added to the Mike and Ike rejects, masking the original flavor and color.

10. “Lawrence of Arabia” star O’TOOLE
Irish actor Peter O’Toole got his big break in movies when he played the title role in the 1962 epic film “Lawrence of Arabia”. But my favorite of O’Toole’s movies is much lighter fare: “How to Steal a Million” in which he stars opposite Audrey Hepburn.

“Lawrence of Arabia” is a 1962 movie that recounts the real life story of T. E. Lawrence, a British army officer famous for his role in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of World War I. The title role in the film is played by Irish actor Peter O’Toole. The role of Sherif Ali ibn el Kharish is played by Omar Sharif.

11. John Wesley’s relig. METH
The Methodist movement started within the Church of England in the 1700s, inspired mainly by the teachings of John Wesley and his younger brother Charles.

13. Holy mlle. STE
In French, a holy young lady (mlle.) might be made a saint (ste.).

17. Spud’s buds EYES
The word “spud” is used as a slang term for a potato and was first recorded in the mid-1800s, in New Zealand would you believe?

21. Bhopal Shatabdi Express stop AGRA
The Bhopal Shatabdi Express is the fastest train in India, and runs between New Delhi and Bhopal City. The journey takes about 8 hours, and runs once in each direction every day. One of the major stops along the route is the city of Agra, home to the Taj Mahal.

The Indian city of Agra is home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

– The Taj Mahal: the famous mausoleum built in memory of Mumtaz Mahal.
– Agra Fort: the site where the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond was seized.
– Fatehpur Sikri: a historic city that’s home to well-preserved Mughal architecture.

25. Flat rate? RENT
“Flat” is a word more commonly used in the British Isles than here. A flat is basically an apartment or condominium. The word “flat” is Scottish in origin, in which language it meant a “floor in a house”.

32. Bridge immortal GOREN
Charles Goren was a world champion bridge player from Philadelphia. Goren published many books on the subject, and introduced several techniques and systems that eventually became part of the modern Standard American bidding system that is used by many bridge players today (including me!).

33. Assent showing respeto SI, SENOR
In Spanish, the phrase “yes, sir” (si, señor) shows respect (respeto).

40. Yodo River city OSAKA
The Japanese city of Osaka used to be called Naniwa, with the name changing to Osaka some time before 1500. “Osaka” can be translated either as “large hill” or “large slope”.

41. Razor handle ATRA
Fortunately for crossword setters, the Atra razor was introduced by Gillette in 1977. The Atra was sold as the Contour in some markets and its derivative products are still around today.

42. “Big Brother” host Julie CHEN
As well as co-anchoring “The Early Show”, Julie Chen has been host of the American version of “Big Brother” since it graced our screens in the year 2000.

The “Big Brother” television franchise started out in 1999 in the Netherlands. The term “Big Brother” of course comes from George Orwell’s novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four”.

43. Gambian-born “Roots” character KUNTA KINTE
Not only did Alex Haley author the magnificent novel “Roots”, but he was also the collaborator with Malcolm X on “The Autobiography of Malcolm X”. His 1976 novel “Roots” is based on Haley’s own family history, and he claimed to be a direct descendant of the real life Kunta Kinte, the slave who was kidnapped in the The Gambia in 1767. If you remember the fabulous television adaptation of “Roots”, you might recall that Kunta Kinte was played by LeVar Burton, who later went on to play another famous role, Geordi La Forge on “Star Trek: the Next Generation”.

48. Model/actress Pataky ELSA
Elsa Pataky is a model and actress from Madrid, Spain, Pataky used to date actor Adrien Brody (who bought her a 19th-century castle in New York state), but is now married to actor Chris Hemsworth.

50. Nantes night NUIT
Nantes is a beautiful city located on the delta of the Loire, Erdre and Sèvre rivers. Nantes has the well deserved nickname of “The Venice of the West”. I had the privilege of visiting Nantes a couple of times on business, and I can attest that it really is a charming city …

51. Rte. finder GPS
Global Positioning System (GPS)

53. Jazz legend James ETTA
Etta James was best known for her beautiful rendition of the song “At Last”. Sadly, as she disclosed in her autobiography, James lived a life that was ravaged by drug addiction leading to numerous legal and health problems. Ms. James passed away in January 2012 having suffered from leukemia.

70. Big name in rap DOGG
The rap star Snoop Dogg’s real name is Cordozar Calvin Broadus. He is the most famous protege of the notorious rapper Dr. Dre. Sadly, Snoop Dogg has had numerous run-ins with police all round the world, even after he started to live the good life that came with his fame. Snoop Dogg has also been known as “Snoop Doggy Dogg”, and more recently as “Snoop Lion”.

72. Trojan War epic ILIAD
The “Iliad” is an epic poem by the Greek poet Homer, which tells the story of the siege of Ilium (also known as Troy) during the Trojan war.

78. Gateway Arch designer Saarinen EERO
The Gateway Arch in St. Louis is the tallest monument in the United States. It was designed by Eero Saarinenen, with the help of structural engineer Hannskarl Bandel. They did their design work back in 1947, but construction wasn’t started until 1963. In 1980, a daredevil took it upon himself to parachute onto the top of the arch intending to further jump from the apex of the arch and parachute to the ground. He hit the arch alright, and slid all the way down one of the arches to his death. No comment …

89. Powerful deity TITAN
The Titans were a group of twelve older deities in Greek mythology. In the celebrated Battle of the Titans, they were overthrown by the Olympians, who were twelve younger gods.

90. Mid-’40s World No. 1 tennis pro Bobby RIGGS
Bobby Riggs was a World No. 1 tennis player in the thirties and forties, both as an amatuer and a professional. However, Riggs is best remembered for playing “The Battle of the Sexes” match against Billie Jean King in 1973. Riggs was defeated by King in three straight sets.

97. Sport with horses POLO
The game of polo originated in Iran, possibly before the 5th century BC. Polo was used back them primarily as a training exercise for cavalry units.

98. Nobelist Camus ALBERT
Albert Camus was a French author, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957. Sadly, Camus died in a car accident just two years after he received the prize, at only 46 years of age.

100. Barflies SOUSES
The word “souse” dates back to the 14th century and means “to pickle, steep in vinegar”. In the early 1600s the usage was applied to someone “pickled” in booze, a drunkard.

102. ’80s-’90s Serbian auto import YUGO
The Yugo was a really unreliable subcompact car built by the Zastava corporation of Yugoslavia.

104. Quarterback known for kneeling TEBOW
Tim Tebow is a quarterback playing for the Denver Broncos. Tebow was the first college sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy.

105. Alamogordo’s county OTERO
Alamogordo is a city in New Mexico, famous for its proximity to White Sands National Monument. The city gained a little unwelcome notoriety in 2001 when a local church held a public book-burning, mainly of the Harry Potter series of children’s stories.

107. Island group near Fiji SAMOA
The official name for the South Pacific country formerly known as Western Samoa is the Independent State of Samoa. “Samoa” is the western part of the island group, with American Samoa lying to the southeast. The whole group of islands used to be known as Navigators Island, a name given by European explorers in recognition of the seafaring skills of the native Samoans.

The island nation of Fiji is an archipelago in the South Pacific made up of over 330 islands, 110 of which are inhabited. Fiji was occupied by the British for over a century and finally gained its independence in 1970.

109. Bona fide REAL
“Bona fide(s)” translates from the Latin as “in good faith”, and is used to indicate honest intentions. It can also mean that something is authentic, like a piece of art that is represented in good faith as being genuine.

115. Govt. property agency GSA
The US Government’s General Services Administration (GSA), as the name suggests, provides general services to other federal agencies. So for example, the GSA manages office space for the other agencies, and transportation.

117. Redbox rental DVD
Redbox is known for renting DVDs from automated retail kiosks placed in locations such grocery stores and fast food restaurants. Perhaps in an obvious move, Redbox now offers a video streaming service called “Redbox Instant”, a joint-venture with Verizon.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Like Narcissus VAIN
5. Tiny tiff SPAT
9. The pyramids, for 28-Across TOMBS
14. Yawn GAPE
18. Two-time Italian prime minister Moro ALDO
19. Zero __ HOUR
20. Troubled greatly ATE AT
21. Affected ARTSY
22. Rewards for Fido PATS
23. Kitchen add-on? -ETTE
24. Imaginary kids’ author MOTHER GOOSE
26. Missouri River city OMAHA
28. Pyramid figures PHARAOHS
30. Flies into a rage ERUPTS
31. NFL commissioner since 2006 ROGER GOODELL
33. [Like that!] SNAP!
34. Scrub SCOUR
35. Deems proper SEES FIT
38. “The Newsroom” channel HBO
41. “Oh no!” ACK!
44. Miss the mark ERR
45. Bob and bun DOS
46. Cold cube in Cologne EIS
47. Sign of life PULSE
49. Zeus or Thor THUNDER GOD
52. Job interview subject CAREER GOAL
54. Bausch & Lomb brand RENU
55. Bitty bites NIPS
56. End of time? SILENT E
57. Calendar rows: Abbr. WKS
58. Prank ANTIC
60. Gave a darn? SEWED
62. Indulge, with “on” DOTE
63. Lamb’s lament BAA
64. Bitty bits ATOMS
67. Utter SHEER
69. “Toy Story” composer Newman RANDY
71. Water__: dental gadget PIK
73. Us, in Cannes NOUS
75. Relevant, to lawyers AD REM
77. Unlit? SOBER
80. 1996 Olympic torch lighter ALI
81. Short-range weapons MORTARS
83. Too colorful LOUD
86. Pure delight GLEE
87. Sport with orange balls, perhaps WINTER GOLF
89. Lynne Cheney’s predecessor TIPPER GORE
91. Kept under wraps SAT ON
92. U.K. record label EMI
93. Paper Mate rival BIC
94. “Eww, spare me the details!” TMI!
95. Panda Express cooker WOK
96. California’s Marina __ Rey DEL
97. Toaster treat POP-TART
99. Henchmen THUGS
101. Interpol home, locally LYON
103. Hand-crafted belts, e.g. LEATHER GOODS
108. Grocery load ARMFUL
111. “Carmen” aria HABANERA
113. Kama __ SUTRA
114. Vision-distorting condition caused by a few too many cold ones, slangily BEER GOGGLES
116. Close link BOND
118. Baseball feature SEAM
119. Small part CAMEO
120. Square one START
121. Being aired ON TV
122. Logical connection hidden in eight puzzle answers ERGO
123. Wild plum SLOE
124. Support staff: Abbr. ASSTS
125. Unwanted sprout WEED
126. Slugger who hit his first home run off Clemens SOSA

Down
1. Steam, e.g. VAPOR
2. Texas landmark ALAMO
3. Luggage clip-on ID TAG
4. Bites NOSHES
5. Every other hurricane SHE
6. Mishmash POTPOURRI
7. Name on a spine AUTHOR
8. Tire pattern TREAD
9. They may be hot TAMALES
10. “Lawrence of Arabia” star O’TOOLE
11. John Wesley’s relig. METH
12. Words of disgust BAHS
13. Holy mlle. STE
14. Occasionally awkward show of affection GROUP HUG
15. Perching on ATOP
16. Hushed “Hey!” PSST!
17. Spud’s buds EYES
21. Bhopal Shatabdi Express stop AGRA
25. Flat rate? RENT
27. Like most golf shots ARCED
29. Patch, as a lawn RE-SOD
32. Bridge immortal GOREN
33. Assent showing respeto SI, SENOR
36. Close tight SEAL
37. Let go FIRED
39. Detailed BLOW-BY-BLOW
40. Yodo River city OSAKA
41. Razor handle ATRA
42. “Big Brother” host Julie CHEN
43. Gambian-born “Roots” character KUNTA KINTE
45. Teaspoons, maybe DOSES
47. Fusses in front of a mirror, say PREENS
48. Model/actress Pataky ELSA
50. Nantes night NUIT
51. Rte. finder GPS
52. Apple product CIDER
53. Jazz legend James ETTA
56. Sprouts-to-be SEEDS
59. Scam artists CON MEN
61. Berth place WHARF
65. Keep from drifting away MOOR
66. Operation VIP SURGEON
68. Dig find RELIC
70. Big name in rap DOGG
71. Bear hands PAWS
72. Trojan War epic ILIAD
74. Jazz dance STOMP
76. Swabbing need MOP
78. Gateway Arch designer Saarinen EERO
79. Smell bad REEK
82. Made a touchdown ALIT
84. Play for higher stakes UP THE ANTE
85. Beg to differ DEMUR
88. Like most customer support numbers TOLL-FREE
89. Powerful deity TITAN
90. Mid-’40s World No. 1 tennis pro Bobby RIGGS
93. Chicken servings BREASTS
97. Sport with horses POLO
98. Nobelist Camus ALBERT
99. High chair THRONE
100. Barflies SOUSES
102. ’80s-’90s Serbian auto import YUGO
104. Quarterback known for kneeling TEBOW
105. Alamogordo’s county OTERO
106. Party poopers DRAGS
107. Island group near Fiji SAMOA
108. Early lessons ABCS
109. Bona fide REAL
110. Staff note MEMO
111. 5’4″ and 6’2″: Abbr. HGTS
112. “Poor me!” ALAS!
115. Govt. property agency GSA
117. Redbox rental DVD

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