Category: John Lampkin

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
5. Skewered servings KABOBS
The name “kebab” (also “kabob”) covers a wide variety of meat dishes that originated in Persia. In the West, we usually use “kebab” when talking about shish kebab, which is meat (often lamb) served on a skewer.

11. “Aida” segments ACTS
“Aida” is the famous opera by Giuseppe Verde, actually based on a scenario written by a French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette, who also designed the costumes and stages for the opening performance. The opera was first performed in 1871 in an opera house in Cairo. In the storyline Aida is an Ethiopian princess brought into Egypt as a slave. Radames is an Egyptian commander who falls in love with her, and then of course, complications arise!

21. Draped garment SARI
The item of clothing called a “sari” (also “saree”) is a strip of cloth, as one might imagine, unusual perhaps in that is unstitched along the whole of its length. The strip of cloth can range from four to nine meters long (that’s a lot of material!). The sari is usually wrapped around the waist, then draped over the shoulder leaving the midriff bare. I must say, it can be a beautiful item of clothing.

25. Small hawk that delivers papers? PRESS KITE (press kit + e)
Kites are birds of prey that feed mainly on carrion.

30. Fuzzy fruit KIWI
What we call kiwifruit today used to be called a Chinese gooseberry. Marketing folks in the fifties decided to call it a “melonette”, and then New Zealand producers adopted the name “kiwifruit”.

31. __ facto IPSO
Ipso facto is Latin, meaning “by the fact itself”. Ipso facto describes something that is a direct consequence of particular act, as opposed to something that is a result of some subsequent event. For example, my father was born in Dublin and was an Irish citizen ipso facto. My son was born in California and is an Irish citizen by virtue of being the son of an Irish citizen.

45. Sweater wool ANGORA
Angora wool comes from the Angora rabbit. On the other hand, the Angora goat produces the wool known as mohair.

52. Earthen embankment BERM
A berm is narrow ledge, usually at the top or bottom of a slope. The name “berm” is also used as the shoulder of a road in some parts of the United States.

59. Balt. Sea country LITH
The nation of Lithuania is a former Soviet Socialist Republic sitting on the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe.

62. “Winnie __ Pu”: Latin version of a Milne work ILLE
A. A. Milne’s “Winnie-the-Pooh” has been translated into many languages, and is one of the few modern titles for which there is a Latin version. Alexander Lenard had “Winnie ille Pu” published in 1958, and two years later the title made it onto the New York Times Bestseller List, the only book in the Latin language ever to get that honor.

63. Año beginner ENERO
In Spanish, a year (año) starts in January (Enero) and ends in December (Diciembre).

64. Sheriff who killed Billy the Kid GARRETT
Pat Garrett was the sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico when he was charged with the capture of Billy the Kid, someone that many say used to be a friend of Garrett. Garrett arrested the Kid, but he escaped from the Lincoln County jail soon after being convicted, killing two guards in the process. A few months later, Garrett tracked down the Kid again and this time killed him. The Kid’s death is still considered controversial, with some believing that Garrett shot the Kid when he was unarmed and perhaps even asleep in bed. After he finished his term as sheriff, Garrett wrote a book called “The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid”, a publication that helped bolster the image of the outlaw posthumously.

I’m guessing that Billy the Kid was of Irish stock as his family name was McCarty. Another indication of an Irish connection is that he also used the aliases, William Antrim, Henry Antrim, and Kid Antrim. “Antrim” is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland.

70. Shucker’s unit EAR
“To shuck” is to remove the husk from (say an ear of corn) or to remove the shell from (say an oyster).

74. Big-billed bird PELICAN
The pelican is an example of a “piscivore”. A piscivorous animal is actually a carnivore, but one that lives on fish.

79. Mideast’s Gulf of __ ADEN
The Gulf of Aden is the body of water that lies south of the Red Sea, and just north of the Horn of Africa.

82. Improvise vocally SCAT
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.

85. Ranch rope RIATA
“Riata” is another name for a lariat or a lasso. “Riata” comes from “reata”, the Spanish word for lasso.

87. Irving Berlin’s “__ a Piano” I LOVE
“I Love a Piano” was an early work by Irving Berlin, a romantic song with quite erotic lyrics.

Irving Berlin’s real name was Israel Baline, a Russian immigrant who came to New York with his family in 1893. In the words of composer Jerome Kern, “Irving Berlin has no place in American Music – he is American music”. That would seem to ring true looking at a selection of his hits: “Alexander’s Ragtime Band”, “White Christmas”, “There’s No Business Like Show Business” and of course, “God Bless America”. Berlin was married twice. His first marriage was in 1912, to Dorothy Goetz. Sadly, Dorothy died just a few months later from typhoid fever that she contracted on their honeymoon in Havana. His second marriage was to a young heiress, Ellin Mackay. That marriage lasted a lot longer, until 1988 when Ellin passed away at the age of 85. Irving himself passed away in 1989, at the ripe old age of 101 years.

89. Fred and Wilma’s pet DINO
In the Hanna-Barbera cartoon “The Flintstones”, Dino the pet dinosaur was voiced by the famous Mel Blanc, until Blanc passed away in 1989.

90. __-Aztecan languages UTO
The Uto-Aztecan language family consists of about 30 languages spoken in the Western United States and Mexico. Included in the list of Uto-Aztecan languages is Ute, Comanche and Hopi.

91. Canadian hockey player’s tantrum? MAPLE LEAF RAGE (“Maple Leaf Rag” + e)
Scott Joplin was a great American composer and pianist, the “King of Ragtime”. Joplin was born poor, into a laboring family in Texas. He learned his music from local teachers and started out his career as an itinerant musician, traveling around the American South. He found fame with the release of his 1899 composition “Maple Leaf Rag”, regarded as the foundation stone on which ragtime music was built. Joplin’s music, and ragtime in general, was rediscovered by the populous in the early seventies when it was used in the very successful movie “The Sting”.

The Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team was founded way back in 1917. As members of the National Hockey League, the Maple leafs have won the Stanley Cup championships thirteen times, the second best record in the league. Having said that, the last championship the team won was in 1967, and the resulting “drought” is the longest in NHL today.

97. Turow book set at Harvard ONE L
While “One L” is a name used in general for first year law students, “One L” is also the title of an autobiographical narrative by author Scott Turow, telling of his experiences as a first year student at Harvard Law School.

98. Pod vegetables SNAP PEAS
Sugar peas are also known as snap peas. These peas are eaten before the seeds mature, and the whole pod is consumed.

100. They’re in the air at yuletide NOELS
“Noël” is the French word for the Christmas season, ultimately coming from the Latin word for “birth”, “natalis”. Noel has come to be used as an alternative name for a Christmas carol.

104. Rick’s flame ILSA
I love the words of one critic describing the chemistry between Bogart and Bergman in the movie “Casablanca” … “she paints his face with her eyes”. Wow!

113. Tree for Scotland Yard? BOBBY PINE (bobby pin + e)
London’s Metropolitan Police Service was originally headquartered at 4 Whitehall Place, and the rear entrance to the building was in a street called Great Scotland Yard. As the public entrance to the headquarters became that rear entrance, the headquarters and indeed the police force itself became known as “Scotland Yard”. The force’s current headquarters is nowhere near that first building, and hasn’t been so since 1890, and the new facility is called New Scotland Yard.

118. Midlife issue for a big cat? THE THIN MANE (“The Thin Man” + e)
“The Thin Man” was the last novel published by Dashiell Hammett. The book of course was the basis of an absolutely fabulous series of “The Thin Man” Hollywood movies starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles.

123. Parmenides’ home ELEA
Parmenides was a philosopher in Ancient Greece. Parmenides was born in the Greek city of Elea located on the Italian coast and so the school of philosophy that he founded is called the Eleatic School.

124. Loaf or loafer part HEEL
The type of slip-on shoe called a “loafer” dates back to 1939. “Loafer” was originally a brand name introduced by the Fortnum and Mason’s store in London.

Down
1. “The Square Egg” author SAKI
Hector Hugh Munro was a British writer, actually born in Burma. He was famous for his short stories, which he published using the pen name “Saki”. His most well-known story is “The Open Window”, which ends with the great line “Romance at short notice was her specialty”.

2. Emerald Isle ERIN
“Éire”, is the Irish word for “Ireland”. Erin is an anglicized version of “Éire”, actually corresponding to “Éirinn”, the dative case of “Éire”.

5. Alberta speed meas. KPH
Kilometers per hour (kph).

Alberta is one of Canada’s largest provinces, and is about the size of Texas. Alberta is named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, the fourth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Princess Louise also donated her name to Lake Louise, the large glacial lake in the province that lies within the bounds of today’s Banff National Park.

7. Osso __ BUCO
Osso is the Italian word for bone as in the name of the dish “Osso Buco”, braised veal shanks.

8. Reach rival ORAL-B
The Oral-B toothbrush was introduced to the world in 1950, designed by a California periodontist. The first “model” was the Oral-B 60, a name given to reflect the 60 tufts in the brush. And in 1969, the Oral-B was the first toothbrush to get to the moon, as that was the toothbrush of choice for the crew of the Apollo 11 spacecraft.

11. “Raiders of the Lost Ark” killer ASP
“Raiders of the Lost Ark” is, in my humble opinion, the best of the Indiana Jones franchise of movies. This first Indiana Jones film was released in 1981, produced by George Lucas and directed by Steven Spielberg. Harrison Ford was Spielberg’s first choice to play the lead, but Lucas resisted as he was concerned that he would be too closely associated with the actor (as Ford played Han Solo in “Star Wars”, and also appeared in Lucas’s “American Graffiti”). Tom Selleck was offered the role but couldn’t get out of his commitments to “Magnum, P.I.” Eventually Spielberg got his way, and that was a good thing I’d say …

12. Volt, for one CAR
Despite being late entering the eco-friendly car market, Chevrolet today produces the most fuel-efficient compact car with a gasoline engine that is sold in the US. The Chevrolet Volt went on sale at the end of 2010, a plug-in hybrid car that runs on batteries. The Volt has a gasoline engine that can be used run an electric generator if needed. The Volt also uses a regenerative braking system similar to that on my Honda Civic Hybrid, a car that I really love.

15. “The Thrill Is Gone” singer BB KING
B.B. King is the stage name of Riley B. King, the celebrated blues guitarist and singer-songwriter. He truly is a dedicated performer, as he has been doing gigs for 52 years, and has made over 15,000 appearances on stage.

16. Model/actress Landry ALI
The model and actress Ali Landry is from Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. Landry might be best known as the “Doritos Girl” in a famous 1998 Super Bowl commercial. Landry was also married to TV personality Mario Lopez, for all of two weeks …

24. Easygoing TYPE B
The Type A and Type B personality theory originated in the fifties. Back then, individuals were labelled as Type A in order to emphasize a perceived increased risk of heart disease. Type A personality types are so called “stress junkies”, whereas Type B types are relaxed and laid back. But there doesn’t seem to be much scientific evidence to support the linkage between the Type A personality and heart problems.

38. Delphic seer ORACLE
In Ancient Greece and Rome, an oracle was someone believed inspired by the gods to give wise counsel. The word “oracle” derives from the Latin “orare” meaning “to speak”, which is the same root for our word “orator”. One of the most important oracles of Ancient Greece was the priestess to Apollo at Delphi.

40. Fancy fur SABLE
Sables are small mammals about two feet long, found right across northern Europe and northern Asia. The sable’s pelt is highly prized in the fur trade. It is unique among furs in that it feels smooth no matter which direction it is stroked.

41. Classical theater ODEON
In Ancient Greece an odeon was like a small theater, with “odeon” literally meaning “building for musical competition”. Odea were used in both Greece and Rome for entertainments such as musical shows and poetry readings.

42. Terse Dear John? FORGET ME NOTE (forget-me-not + e)
The plants known as forget-me-nots were given their distinctive name first in French: “ne m’oubliez pas”. “Forget-me-not” is simply a translation into English.

45. Short program APPLET
“Applet” is the name given to a small application that runs within another, larger computer program.

48. “The Maltese Falcon” film genre NOIR
The expression “film noir” has French origins, but only in that it was “created” by a French critic in describing a style of Hollywood film. The term, meaning “black film” in French, was first used by Nino Frank in 1946. Film noir often applies to a movie with a melodramatic plot and a private eye or detective at its center. Good examples would be “The Big Sleep” and “D.O.A”.

The classic detective novel “The Maltese Falcon” was written by Dashiell Hammett and first published in 1930. The main character if of course Sam Spade, famously played by Humphrey Bogart in the third movie adaptation of the book, released in 1941.

49. Jambalaya, e.g. ENTREE
Jambalaya is a Creole dish from Louisiana. The recipe has its origins in the Caribbean, and the recipe we know today also has Spanish and French influences.

53. Glacial deposit MORAINE
Moraines are fields of debris that formed due to the presence or action of glaciers. Long Island in New York State, for example, was formed largely from two glacial moraines during the Ice Age.

65. Nixon’s older daughter TRICIA
President Richard Nixon had two children, both daughters. The oldest is Tricia, who married Edward Finch Cox. The youngest is Julie, who married David Eisenhower, a grandson of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

67. Beriyo smoothie maker TCBY
TCBY is a chain of stores selling frozen yogurt, founded in 1981 in Little Rock, Arkansas. The acronym TCBY originally stood for “This Can’t Be Yogurt”, but this had to be changed due to a lawsuit being pressed by a competitor called “I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt”. These days TCBY stands for “The Country’s Best Yogurt”.

74. Communion plates PATENS
The paten and chalice hold a special place in many Christian services. The paten is the plate that holds the bread, and the chalice the wine, used to represent the body and blood of Christ.

77. Sleep clinic concern APNEA
Sleep apnea can be caused by an obstruction in the airways, possibly due to obesity or enlarged tonsils.

78. Interpol headquarters LYONS
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.

83. “Just Shoot Me” co-star SEGAL
The actor George Segal was one of my favorite Hollywood stars growing up. I most remember him from the dramatic role he played in 1966’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” alongside Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, and the comedic role he played in 1973’s “A Touch of Class” opposite Glenda Jackson.

86. Prince Arn’s mom ALETA
Aleta is the the wife of Prince Valiant in the long-running comic strip. Edward, Duke of Windsor, called the “Prince Valiant” comic strip the “greatest contribution to English Literature in the past one hundred years”. I’m not so sure …

91. Like some perfume MUSKY
Musk has such an elegant connotation these days because of it’s use in the world of perfumery. However, its origin is not quite so glamorous. The original substance called musk, used in perfumes, was extracted from a gland in the rectal area of the male musk deer. The name “musk” is a Sanskrit word for “testicle”.

92. Euripides heroine ELECTRA
Electra was a princess in Greek mythology, the daughter of Agamemnon. Electra had to mourn the death of her father who was murdered, and then the death of her mother, Clytemnestra, who was also murdered.

Euripides was a great playwright of Ancient Greece, renowned for his tragedies. Euripides was one of the three great writers of tragedy of classical Athens, alongside Aeschylus and Sophocles.

93. Maker of Stylus Pro printers EPSON
Seiko Epson is a Japanese company, one of the largest manufacturers of printers in the world. The company has its roots in the watch business, roots that go back to 1942. Seiko was chosen as the official time keeper for the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and was asked to supply a timer that produced a printed record. This request brought Seiko into the business of printer production. The company developed the world’s first mini-printer for the 1964 Games and called it EP-101 (EP standing for Electronic Printer). In 1975 Seiko introduced the next generation of EP printers which was called EPSON, from “SON of EP”. Cute, huh?

106. “The Mod Squad” actor EPPS
Omar Epps is the actor who played Eric Foreman on the excellent television series “House”. Prior to playing Dr. Foreman, Epps had a recurring role playing Dr. Dennis Grant on “ER”. And, in another link to the world of medicine, Epps was born in Savannah, Georgia to single mom, Dr. Bonnie Epps.

The 1999 movie “The Mod Squad” is an adaptation of the television show of the same name.

110. Painter of limp watches DALI
“The Persistence of Memory” is probably Salvador Dalí’s most famous work, featuring the celebrated “melting clocks”. And you can see it in the MoMA in New York City.

117. Not much work? ERG
An erg is a unit of energy or mechanical work. “Erg” comes from the Greek word “ergon” meaning “work”. A dyne is a unit of force. The name “dyne” comes from the Greek “dynamis” meaning “power, force”. Ergs and dynes are related to each other in that one erg is the amount of energy needed to move a force of one dyne over a distance of one centimeter.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Portrait subject, maybe SELF
5. Skewered servings KABOBS
11. “Aida” segments ACTS
15. Cell signal strength indicators BARS
19. “Aida” segment ARIA
20. Men or women, e.g. PLURAL
21. Draped garment SARI
22. Hardly happy BLUE
23. Quit sugar cold turkey? KICK THE CANE (kick the can + e)
25. Small hawk that delivers papers? PRESS KITE (press kit + e)
27. Best way to sing IN KEY
28. “Stop right there!” HOLD IT!
30. Fuzzy fruit KIWI
31. __ facto IPSO
33. Past things BYGONES
36. Gold brick INGOT
40. Ply with praise, possibly SOFTEN UP
44. Salon sweepings HAIR
45. Sweater wool ANGORA
46. Hoopla ADO
47. Water cooler gossip? BUSINESS TRIPE (business trip + e)
51. Flew the coop RAN
52. Earthen embankment BERM
54. One with convictions FELON
55. Dweeb TWERP
56. Rural, as a town HICK
57. Stop a banking session, say LOG OFF
59. Balt. Sea country LITH
61. Giant star IDOL
62. “Winnie __ Pu”: Latin version of a Milne work ILLE
63. Año beginner ENERO
64. Sheriff who killed Billy the Kid GARRETT
66. Irritated NETTLED
68. Man of the cloth? TAILOR
70. Shucker’s unit EAR
71. “You fell for it!” GOTCHA
72. Some 101-Downs SIMILES
74. Big-billed bird PELICAN
76. Fundamental BASAL
79. Mideast’s Gulf of __ ADEN
80. Spanish 101 word ESTA
82. Improvise vocally SCAT
83. Cloyingly sweet SYRUPY
84. __-deaf TONE
85. Ranch rope RIATA
87. Irving Berlin’s “__ a Piano” I LOVE
89. Fred and Wilma’s pet DINO
90. __-Aztecan languages UTO
91. Canadian hockey player’s tantrum? MAPLE LEAF RAGE (“Maple Leaf Rag” + e)
94. Half a score TEN
95. Bad moonshine ROTGUT
97. Turow book set at Harvard ONE L
98. Pod vegetables SNAP PEAS
100. They’re in the air at yuletide NOELS
101. As a substitute INSTEAD
104. Rick’s flame ILSA
105. Signed off on OKED
107. You might get it with a key card ACCESS
109. Like days of yore OLDEN
113. Tree for Scotland Yard? BOBBY PINE (bobby pin + e)
118. Midlife issue for a big cat? THE THIN MANE (“The Thin Man” + e)
120. Lot measure AREA
121. Like some excuses POOR
122. Changed to yet another shade REDYED
123. Parmenides’ home ELEA
124. Loaf or loafer part HEEL
125. Cocksure SMUG
126. Do taxing work? ASSESS
127. Topsoil DIRT

Down
1. “The Square Egg” author SAKI
2. Emerald Isle ERIN
3. Canine kiss LICK
4. Put on an act FAKE IT
5. Alberta speed meas. KPH
6. Drafty establishment? ALEHOUSE
7. Osso __ BUCO
8. Reach rival ORAL-B
9. Toss about, as ideas BANDY
10. Rides on runners SLEIGHS
11. “Raiders of the Lost Ark” killer ASP
12. Volt, for one CAR
13. Safaris, e.g. TREKS
14. Pedro’s “Positively!” SI SI!
15. “The Thrill Is Gone” singer BB KING
16. Model/actress Landry ALI
17. Boring routine RUT
18. Date SEE
24. Easygoing TYPE B
26. Mud wallowers SWINE
29. “Here’s mud in your eye!” is one TOAST
32. Tobacco in a pinch SNUFF
34. Dim bulb, so to speak NITWIT
35. Bobbled the ball ERRED
37. Luxury lodgings at the zoo? GORILLA SUITE (gorilla suit + e)
38. Delphic seer ORACLE
39. Went belly up TANKED
40. Fancy fur SABLE
41. Classical theater ODEON
42. Terse Dear John? FORGET ME NOTE (forget-me-not + e)
43. Building support PILLAR
45. Short program APPLET
48. “The Maltese Falcon” film genre NOIR
49. Jambalaya, e.g. ENTREE
50. Heat-sensitive patch IRON-ON
53. Glacial deposit MORAINE
56. Really have an impact HIT HARD
58. Fencing weapon FOIL
60. Recovers HEALS
64. Contents of some columns GOSSIP
65. Nixon’s older daughter TRICIA
67. Beriyo smoothie maker TCBY
69. Eye lasciviously LEER AT
71. Everglades denizens GATORS
72. Second-largest planet SATURN
73. “Same here” I DO TOO
74. Communion plates PATENS
75. Baby hippo CALF
77. Sleep clinic concern APNEA
78. Interpol headquarters LYONS
81. Prey grabber TALON
83. “Just Shoot Me” co-star SEGAL
86. Prince Arn’s mom ALETA
88. Disappears VANISHES
91. Like some perfume MUSKY
92. Euripides heroine ELECTRA
93. Maker of Stylus Pro printers EPSON
96. Word with economy or warming GLOBAL
99. Concealed, in a way PALMED
101. Language learner’s challenge IDIOM
102. Postgame assortment, maybe ACHES
103. Owners’ documents DEEDS
106. “The Mod Squad” actor EPPS
108. Lid irritation STYE
110. Painter of limp watches DALI
111. Power dept. ENER
112. Peachy-keen NEAT
113. “Pshaw!” BAH
114. Get a lode of this ORE
115. Buzzer BEE
116. __-turn NO U
117. Not much work? ERG
119. Some card nos. IDS

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