Category: Julian Lim

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
7. Mil. honor DSM
The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest (non-valorous) decoration awarded for services to the US military.

10. River that rises in the Vogesen Mountains SAAR
The Saar is a river that rises on the border between Alsace and Lorraine in France, flows through western Germany and finally enters the Moselle. Historically the Saar river valley was an important source for coal, iron and steel.

The Vosges Mountains are located on the border between Alsace and Lorraine in France. German speakers refer to the same range as the Vogesen Mountains.

17. Anatolian metropolis ANKARA
Ankara is the second largest city in Turkey, after Istanbul (formerly Constantinople). After WWI, the Ottoman Empire had been defeated and the Allies occupied the Ottoman capital of Istanbul. The victors planned to break up most of Turkey, leaving native Turks just part of their country for their own. In the inevitable War of Independence that followed, the Turkish Nationalists used Ankara as their base. When the Nationalists emerged victorious, they declared Ankara the new capital of Turkey.

Asia Minor is also known as Anatolia. It is the geographic part of Asia that protrudes out into the west, towards Europe, and is roughly equivalent to modern-day Turkey.

19. “The Joys of Yiddish” author Leo ROSTEN
Leo Rosten was an American humorist and writer who was actually born in what is now Poland, but who moved to the Chicago area with his family when he was a young child. Rosten is best known for his Yiddish humor and writings.

20. Lures with music TWEEDLES
“To tweedle” is to coax, allure. Originally “to tweedle” meant “to sing, whistle”, so today the term can often mean “to coax with music”.

25. “Sons of Anarchy” co-star Katey SAGAL
Katey Sagal played Peggy Bundy on “Married … with Children”. Later she took over as star of the show “8 Simple Rules” in the middle of its run, when John Ritter passed away unexpectedly in 2003. More recently, Sagal has been appearing on the FX drama “Sons of Anarchy”. In 2004, she married Kurt Sutter who created the “Sons of Anarchy” series.

28. Brand with Ultra Leakguards LUVS
Luvs are a brand of diaper.

“Diaper” is another word that I had to learn when I moved to America. What are called “diapers” over here, we call “nappies” back in Ireland. The term “diaper” is actually the original term that was used in England for the garment, where “diaper” referred to the cloth that was used. The term diaper was brought to the New World where it stuck. Back in Britain, diaper was displaced by the word “nappy”, a diminutive of “napkin”.

35. “I cast to earth __ …”: Tennyson A SEED
Here is the opening verse of “The Flower” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson:

ONCE in a golden hour
I cast to earth a seed.
Up there came a flower,
The people said, a weed.

Alfred Tennyson was the Poet Laureate during for much of the reign of Queen Victoria. There are many phrases we use today that were first penned by Tennyson, including:

– “‘Tis better to have loved and lost / Than never to have loved at all”
– “Theirs not to reason why, / Theirs but to do and die”

36. Little redhead on vintage TV OPIE
Ron Howard sure has come a long way since playing Opie Taylor on “The Andy Griffith Show”. Howard has directed some fabulous movies including favorites of mine like “Apollo 13”, “A Beautiful Mind” and “The Da Vinci Code”. And today, “Opie” is a grandfather …

37. Maven GURU
“Guru” is a Hindi word meaning “teacher” or “priest”.

I’ve always loved the word “maven”, another word for an expert. Maven comes into English from the Yiddish “meyvn”, someone who appreciates and is a connoisseur.

48. __ fever: tween “malady” BIEBER
I saw Justin Bieber on television a while back for the first time, and boy do I feel old. This heartthrob from Canada was born in 1994(!), and he is recording hit after hit. Me, I’ll stick with the Beatles …

The term “tween” is now used to describe preadolescence, the years between 10 and 12 years of age.

50. Hurly-burly BEDLAM
Bethlem Royal Hospital is a facility in London in the UK for treating mental illness. The original facility was a hospital way back in the 1300s, and had the name “Bedlam”. In the 1700s and 1800s the hospital actually made money out of its patients as it charged a penny to members of the public allowing them to visit the hospital and view the unfortunate inmates in their cells. Tens of thousands of such paid visits were made each year. Our word “bedlam” meaning uproar and confusion is derived from the hospital’s name, and it reflects the cruel and inhumane treatment endured by the inmates in days gone by.

55. “Tepper __ Going Out”: Calvin Trillin novel ISN’T
“Tepper Isn’t Going Out” is a 2001 comic novel by Calvin Trillin. It tells the story of a man who enjoys parking in New York City, just parking …

56. End of the block? -ADE
Blockade …

57. Charming people? HEXERS
“Hexen” is a German word meaning “to practice witchcraft”. The use of the word “hex” in English started with the Pennsylvania Dutch in the early 1800s.

Down
2. French cartoonist Daumier HONORE
Honore Daumier was a French caricaturist, but also a respected painter, sculptor and printmaker.

4. Penguins’ footwear SKATES
The Penguins are the professional hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They have been around since 1967, one of the first expansion teams when the NHL grew from six to twelve teams.

5. Tolstoy heroine KARENINA
I have to admit to not having read Tolstoy’s novel “Anna Karenina”, but I did see the excellent 1977 British television adaptation starring Nicola Pagett. Most regard the 1935 film starring Greta Garbo in the title role as the definitive big screen adaptation of the novel.

The Russian author Leo Tolstoy is best known for his novels “War and Peace” and “Anna Karenina”. He also wrote the celebrated novellas “Hadji Murad” and “The Death of Ivan Ilyich”.

9. Passé copier MIMEO
A mimeograph (also “mimeo”) is a cheap printing press that applies ink to paper through a stencil wrapped around a rotating drum. Mimeographs are still around, but have largely been replaced by offset printers and photocopiers.

11. Parkay, to butter ANALOGUE
Parkay is a brand of margarine.

12. Church porch ANTENAVE
The antenave of a church is a porch or other small area that leads in the nave.

In large, Christian churches, the nave is the main approach to the altar, where most of the faithful are seated.

13. Small deer ROES
Roe deer are found mainly in Europe. They would be the deer shown on television and in movies when Robin Hood was out hunting in Sherwood Forest.

24. The Bitterroot Range runs along its E. border IDA
The Bitterroot Range is part of the Rocky Mountains located along the border between Montana and Idaho. The range takes its name from the state flower of Montana: the bitterroot.

26. ’60s counterculture substance LSD
LSD (colloquially known as “acid”) is short for lysergic acid diethylamide. A Swiss chemist called Albert Hofmann first synthesized LSD in 1938 in a research project looking for medically efficacious ergot alkaloids. It wasn’t until some five years later when Hofmann ingested some of the drug accidentally that its psychedelic properties were discovered. Trippy, man …

31. 100 years or more, for a giant tortoise LIFESPAN
Tortoises often have long lives. The oldest recorded age for a tortoise is 188 years.

34. Parisian peer DUC
“Duc” is French for “duke”.

40. __ Razberi: flavored vodka STOLI
Stolichnaya is a brand of Russian vodka made from wheat and rye grain. Well, “Stoli” originated in Russia but now it’s made in Latvia, which is of course a completely different country, so you won’t see the word “Russian” on the label.

42. Yankees rival RED SOX
The Boston Red Sox is one of the most successful Major League Baseball teams and so commands a large attendance, but only when on the road. The relatively small capacity of Boston’s Fenway Park, the team’s home since 1912, has dictated that every game the Red Sox has played there has been a sell out since May of 2003.

43. Like klaxons in action ABLARE
A klaxon is a loud horn, and “klaxon” is one of those words that has taken on the name of a particular brand. The original klaxon was a car horn manufactured and sold by the Klaxon Company.

47. One-named writer of “Under Two Flags” OUIDA
Ouida was the pen name of the English novelist Maria Louise Ramé. Her novel “A Dog of Flanders” was first published in 1872. The story tells of a young Flemish boy and his dog, and as it is a book of English origin it isn’t really read much in Belgium. But the popularity of the story attracts visitors to Antwerp, and now there is a small statue of the boy and his dog in the city, and plaque in front of Antwerp Cathedral that was donated by the Japanese car company, Toyota. Apparently “A Dog in Flanders” is incredibly popular in Japan.

49. Not finalized, in law NISI
A decree nisi is a court order, one that only comes into force when certain specified conditions are met. At the point where the conditions are met, it becomes a decree absolute and is binding. “Nisi” is Latin for “unless”.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Froth makers WHISKS
7. Mil. honor DSM
10. River that rises in the Vogesen Mountains SAAR
14. Alert on the road HONK AT
15. “Well, it sure beats me” OH, I DUNNO
17. Anatolian metropolis ANKARA
18. Propose for an office NOMINATE
19. “The Joys of Yiddish” author Leo ROSTEN
20. Lures with music TWEEDLES
21. One may be imaginary FRIEND
22. Joy, for one EMOTION
23. Touchy, as a subject SENSITIVE
25. “Sons of Anarchy” co-star Katey SAGAL
27. Bump on a log NODE
28. Brand with Ultra Leakguards LUVS
29. Woman’s name derived from an Old Norse word for “holy” HELGA
33. Moreover AND
35. “I cast to earth __ …”: Tennyson A SEED
36. Little redhead on vintage TV OPIE
37. Maven GURU
39. Occasional presentations? GIFTS
41. Largely factual entertainment genre DOCUDRAMA
46. Have a go at TEST OUT
48. __ fever: tween “malady” BIEBER
49. One who can hold her own NO SLOUCH
50. Hurly-burly BEDLAM
51. Rude IMPOLITE
52. Utterly senseless INSANE
53. Coastal resident SEASIDER
54. Ball game official SCORER
55. “Tepper __ Going Out”: Calvin Trillin novel ISN’T
56. End of the block? -ADE
57. Charming people? HEXERS

Down
1. Moors at a dock WHARFS
2. French cartoonist Daumier HONORE
3. Finishes, as a cartoon INKS IN
4. Penguins’ footwear SKATES
5. Tolstoy heroine KARENINA
6. Assume battle stations STAND TO
7. “That’s a touchy subject” DONT EVEN GO THERE
8. “Where?” SHOW ME
9. Passé copier MIMEO
10. Old timers? SUNDIALS
11. Parkay, to butter ANALOGUE
12. Church porch ANTENAVE
13. Small deer ROES
16. Fare reductions? DIETS
24. The Bitterroot Range runs along its E. border IDA
26. ’60s counterculture substance LSD
29. Road animal? HOG
30. Paragons EPITOMES
31. 100 years or more, for a giant tortoise LIFESPAN
32. Makes too many wrong turns, maybe GETS LOST
34. Parisian peer DUC
35. Theater group AUDIENCE
38. Refuse RUBBISH
40. __ Razberi: flavored vodka STOLI
41. Conveyed by pipes, as heat DUCTED
42. Yankees rival RED SOX
43. Like klaxons in action ABLARE
44. Not as nice MEANER
45. Weapons suppliers ARMERS
47. One-named writer of “Under Two Flags” OUIDA
49. Not finalized, in law NISI

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