Category: Gail Grabowski

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Jay who’s on late LENO
Jay Leno was born James Leno in New Rochelle, New York. Jay’s father was the son of Italian immigrants, and his mother was from Scotland. Leno grew up in Andover, Massachusetts and actually dropped out of school on the advice of a high school guidance counsellor. However, years later he went to Emerson college and earned a Bachelor’s degree in speech therapy. Leno also started a comedy club at Emerson in 1973. Today Jay Leno is a car nut and owns about 200 vehicles of various types. You can check them out on his website: www.jaylenosgarage.com.

10. 1974 CIA vs. KGB spoof SPYS
“S*P*Y*S” is a 1974 comedy starring Elliott Gould and Donald Sutherland as two men mistaken as spies and targeted by the KGB. With all those asterisks in the film’s title, one has to assume the movie was intended to capitalize on the success of the 1970 Gould/Sutherland vehicle called “M*A*S*H”.

16. McDonald’s founder Ray KROC
The original McDonald’s restaurant was opened in 1940 by Richard and Maurice McDonald as a barbecue restaurant. The brothers then moved into fast food hamburgers, eventually selling out to one of their franchise agents, Ray Kroc. It was Ray Kroc who really led the company to its worldwide success.

19. Davenport’s state IOWA
Davenport, Iowa sits on the Mississippi River. The city was founded in 1836 by landowner and businessman Antoine LeClaire, with the assistance of a group of investors. The investors resisted the use of LeClaire’s name for the new settlement as LeClaire was of mixed race, had a French name and was a Catholic. Instead, it was named for George Davenport, one of the other investors.

21. Ancient Mexican AZTEC
The Aztec people of central Mexico dominated the region from the 14th to 16th centuries. The name “Aztec” means “people from Aztlán”. Aztlán is the mythical homeland of the Nahuas, the group of indigenous peoples of mexico and El Salvador, including those known as the Aztecs.

23. HIV-treating drug AZT
AZT is the abbreviated name for the drug azidothymidine, much used in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. AZT was originally developed in the seventies as a potential treatment for retroviruses (cancer-causing viruses), although it was never approved for use in treatment. In 1984, it was confirmed that AIDS was caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), so scientists turned to known antiviral drugs in the search for a viable treatment. Burroughs-Wellcome came up with a treatment regime using AZT, and filed a patent in 1985. The patent was challenged in court but the patent expired anyway in 2005 without any decision being made. There are now at least four generic forms of AZT approved for sale in the US.

33. Letters linking real and assumed names AKA
Also known as (aka)

35. Himalayan republic NEPAL
Nepal lies to the northeast of India. Today, the state is known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. In 2008, the Communist Party of Nepal won the country’s general election. Soon after, the Assembly voted to change the form of government, moving away from a monarchy and creating a secular republic.

46. MouthHealthy.org org. ADA
According to the American Dental Association (ADA) website MouthHealthy.org, the ADA’s first meeting was in 1859, making it the oldest dental association in the world. Back then, most people had lost all of their teeth by the time they reached the age of 40.

51. Dwarf planting BONSAI
The term “bonsai” is used more correctly to describe the Japanese art of growing carefully shaped trees in containers. Bonsai has come to be used as the name for all miniature trees in pots.

53. Mil. training center OCS
OCS Officer Candidate School(OCS)

58. Prefix meaning “culture” ETHNO-
“Ethnos” is the Greek word for “people, nation”.

63. Director’s cry, and hint to the ends of 17-, 28- and 47-Across THAT’S A WRAP!
When shooting of a film is concluded the movie is said to “wrap”, and everyone heads to the wrap party. There is one story that “wrap” is actually an acronym for “wind, reel and print”, a reference to the transition of the filming process into post-production. But, this explanation is disputed.

66. __ voce: softly SOTTO
Sotto voce literally means “under the voice” in Italian, and describes the deliberate lowering of one’s voice for emphasis.

67. Skye of “Say Anything …” IONE
Ione Skye is an American actress born in Hertfordshire in England. She is best known for portraying the character Diane Court in the 1989 high school romance movie “Say Anything …”, starring opposite John Cusack. Skye is the daughter of the Scottish folk singer Donovan.

70. Start of a classic Christmas poem ‘TWAS
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 …

Down
1. D-Day fleet LSTS
LST stands for Landing Ship, Tank. LSTs were the large vessels used mainly in WWII that had doors at either ends through which tanks and other vehicles could roll off and onto beaches. The design concept persists to this day in the huge fleet of commercial roll-on/roll-off car ferries, all inspired by the LST.

The most famous D-Day in history was June 6, 1944, the date of the Normandy landings in WWII. The term “D-Day” is used by the military to designate the day on which a combat operations are to be launched, especially when the actual date has yet to be determined. What D stands for seems to have been lost in the mists of time although the tradition is that D just stands for “Day”. In fact, the French have a similar term, “Jour J” (Day J), with a similar meaning. We also use H-Hour to denote the hour the attack is to commence.

2. Pre-college, for short ELHI
“Elhi” is an informal word used to describe anything related to schooling from grades 1 through 12, i.e. elementary through high school.

3. Must have now, in memo-speak NEED ASAP
As soon as possible (ASAP)

5. Stein filler ALE
A stein is a type of beer glass. The term is German in origin, and is short for “Steinkrug” meaning “stone jug”. “Stein” is the German for “stone”.

6. Kelly in Electrolux ads RIPA
When Kelly Ripa secured the co-host spot on morning television with Regis Philbin, she was still acting in “All My Children” in a role she had been playing for over ten years. After a year of holding down two jobs, she eventually gave up the acting job.

Electrolux is a Swedish company, the second largest manufacturer of household appliances in the world (after Whirlpool). The company was founded in 1919 mainly to make vacuum cleaners. Electrolux owns dozens of brands including Frigidaire and Westinghouse.

7. Mother of Don Juan INEZ
Lord Byron wrote the poem “Don Juan” based on the legend of Don Juan the libertine. In the poem, he created the character Donna Inez, Don Juan’s mother. Supposedly Inez was based on Byron’s own wife, Annabella Milbanke.

13. Sings like Ella SCATS
Scat singing is a vocal improvisation found in the world of jazz. There aren’t any words as such in scat singing, just random nonsense syllables made up on the spot.

Ella Fitzgerald, the “First Lady of Song”, had a hard and tough upbringing. She was raised by her mother alone in Yonkers, New York. Her mother died while Ella was still a schoolgirl, and around that time the young girl became less interested in her education. She fell in with a bad crowd, even working as a lookout for a bordello and as a Mafia numbers runner. She ended up in reform school, from which she escaped, and found herself homeless and living on the streets for a while. Somehow Fitzgerald managed to get herself a spot singing in the Apollo Theater in Harlem. From there her career took off and as they say, the rest is history.

18. German river EDER
The Eder is a river in Germany, a tributary of the Fulda River. The Eder has a dam near the small town of Waldeck which holds water in the large Edersee reservoir. This was one of the dams that was attacked by the RAF during WWII with the famous Barnes Wallis bouncing bombs. It was destroyed in the Dam Busters raid in 1943, but rebuilt the same year.

25. Runner Sebastian COE
Sebastian Coe is a retired middle distance runner from the UK who won four Olympic medals including golds in the 1500m in 1980 and 1984. After retiring from athletics, Coe went into politics and served as a Member of Parliament from 1992 to 1997. He headed up London’s successful bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

27. Sushi bar soup MISO
Miso is the name of the seasoning that makes the soup. Basic miso seasoning is made by fermenting rice, barley and soybeans with salt and a fungus (!) to produce a paste. The paste can be added to stock to make miso soup, or perhaps to flavor tofu.

28. PC linkup LAN
LAN (Local Area Network)

29. Tiny Tim’s instrument UKE
Tiny Tim was the stage name of American singer and ukulele player Herbert Khaury. Tiny Tim’s most famous recording by far was his novelty version of the 1926 song “Tip-Toe Thru’ the Tulips”.

31. “Act Naturally” singer Ringo STARR
Ringo Starr’s real name is Richard Starkey. Before he joined the Beatles (replacing drummer Pete Best), Starkey played with the Raving Texans. It was with the Raving Texans that he adopted the name “Ringo Starr”, because he wore a lot of rings and he thought it sounded “cowboyish”. Back then his drum solos were billed as “Starr Time”.

The song “Act Naturally” was originally a hit for Buck Owens and the Buckaroos, back in 1963. The Beatles released a famous cover version in 1965, which was sung by Ringo Starr. Buck Owens and Ringo Starr then produced a duet version of “Act Naturally” decades later, in 1989.

36. Picnic crashers ANTS
Our term “picnic” comes from the French word that now has the same meaning, namely “pique-nique”. The original “pique-nique” was a fashionable pot-luck affair, and not necessarily held outdoors.

41. Academic address ending EDU
The .edu domain was one of the six original generic top-level domains specified. The complete original list is:

– .com (commercial enterprise)
– .net (entity involved in network infrastructure e.g. an ISP)
– .mil (US military)
– .org (not-for-profit organization)
– .gov (US federal government entity)
– .edu (college-level educational institution)

44. Massage technique SHIATSU
“Shiatsu” is a Japanese word meaning “finger pressure”, and is the name given to a style of massage.

47. __ Raceway: Pennsylvania NASCAR track POCONO
Pocono Raceway is a superspeedway in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Pocono raceway hosts two NASCAR events each year, in June and August. The track is triangular in shape, and Pocono Raceway is often referred to as “Tricky Triangle”.

48. Latin for “where it originally was” IN SITU
“In situ” is a Latin phrase meaning “in the place”, and we use the term to mean “in the original position”.

51. Anti-crow’s-feet treatment BOTOX
Botulinum toxin is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The toxin is a protein that can cause botulism, an extremely dangerous illness in humans and animals. Botulinum toxin is sold under the trade name Botox. Botox is used therapeutically and in cosmetic applications to weaken muscles, perhaps muscles that are in uncontrollable spasm. The cosmetic application involves the paralyzing of facial muscles in order to eliminate or reduce wrinkles, at least for a few months.

55. Pres. Jefferson THOS
I am currently reading an excellent biography of Thomas Jefferson by Jon Meacham called “Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power”. So far, I highly recommend it …

57. Words to a traitor ET TU
It was Shakespeare who popularized the words “Et tu, Brute?” (And you, Brutus?), in his play “Julius Caesar”, although the phrase had been around long before he penned his drama. It’s not known what Julius Caesar actually said in real life just before he was assassinated on the steps of the Senate in Rome.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Jay who’s on late LENO
5. Crop up ARISE
10. 1974 CIA vs. KGB spoof SPYS
14. Vehicle behind dogs SLED
15. Summer skirt material LINEN
16. McDonald’s founder Ray KROC
17. It’s heedless to go off it THE DEEP END
19. Davenport’s state IOWA
20. One-__: biased SIDED
21. Ancient Mexican AZTEC
23. HIV-treating drug AZT
24. “Hold on __!” A SEC
26. Family nicknames MAMMAS
28. Car-waxing result LUSTROUS FINISH
33. Letters linking real and assumed names AKA
34. Lures ENTICES
35. Himalayan republic NEPAL
38. Invoice add-on TAX
39. Choir room hangers ROBES
43. “Over my dead body!” NO SIREE!
46. MouthHealthy.org org. ADA
47. Motion on a mound PITCHER’S WINDUP
51. Dwarf planting BONSAI
52. Polish prose EDIT
53. Mil. training center OCS
54. Wood shop tool LATHE
58. Prefix meaning “culture” ETHNO-
61. Work hard TOIL
63. Director’s cry, and hint to the ends of 17-, 28- and 47-Across THAT’S A WRAP!
65. Savvy about ONTO
66. __ voce: softly SOTTO
67. Skye of “Say Anything …” IONE
68. Mark for removal X OUT
69. Deplete USE UP
70. Start of a classic Christmas poem ‘TWAS

Down
1. D-Day fleet LSTS
2. Pre-college, for short ELHI
3. Must have now, in memo-speak NEED ASAP
4. Most peculiar ODDEST
5. Stein filler ALE
6. Kelly in Electrolux ads RIPA
7. Mother of Don Juan INEZ
8. Transmitted SENT
9. Natural to a region ENDEMIC
10. Enjoy a winter sport SKI
11. Some charity golf tournaments PRO-AMS
12. Cry of surprise YOWZAH!
13. Sings like Ella SCATS
18. German river EDER
22. Wicker worker CANER
25. Runner Sebastian COE
27. Sushi bar soup MISO
28. PC linkup LAN
29. Tiny Tim’s instrument UKE
30. Loosen, as laces UNTIE
31. “Act Naturally” singer Ringo STARR
32. Puts back together FIXES
36. Picnic crashers ANTS
37. From around here LOCAL
40. Infielder’s mistake BAD THROW
41. Academic address ending EDU
42. Breakfast syrup source SAP
44. Massage technique SHIATSU
45. Female in the flock EWE
47. __ Raceway: Pennsylvania NASCAR track POCONO
48. Latin for “where it originally was” IN SITU
49. Creative output IDEA
50. Blockhead NITWIT
51. Anti-crow’s-feet treatment BOTOX
55. Pres. Jefferson THOS
56. Despise HATE
57. Words to a traitor ET TU
59. Grandma NANA
60. Unlocks, poetically OPES
62. Subdivision unit LOT
64. Bread for dipping, say SOP

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