Category: Mark Diehl

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Constructed by: Brynn & Mark Diehl
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: None

Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers

Bill’s time: 9m 33s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

10 Card that’s often swiped : VISA

VISA doesn’t actually issue any credit or debit cards. The company just sells the electronic systems and infrastructure to banks which then put the VISA logo on their own cards. Seeing the logo, both customer and merchant know to use the VISA system when making a transaction.

16 “Hamilton” pair : ACTS

The musical “Hamilton” is a critically acclaimed and commercially successful Broadway show created by Lin-Manuel Miranda that tells the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton. The show holds the record for the most Tony Award nominations ever received by a musical, with a total of 16 nominations in 2016. “Hamilton” went on to win 11 of those awards, including Best Musical.

17 Periodic table figure : ATOMIC MASS

The atomic mass of an atom is simply that atom’s mass. As some elements have isotopes, then the atomic mass of one isotope is different from another. For example. The atomic mass of chlorine 35 is 35 AMU (atomic mass units), and the atomic mass of chlorine 37 is 37 AMU. The related atomic weight is the average weight of an atom of a naturally occurring element. About ¾ of the world’s chlorine is chlorine 35, and ¼ is chlorine 37. On average, an atom of chlorine then weighs 35.5 AMU. The atomic weight of chlorine is 35.5 AMU, i.e. nearer to the atomic mass of the more abundant chlorine 35.

19 Mug shot subject : PERP

A mug shot is a photograph of a person’s face, one often taken for a police record.

The verb “to mug” means “to make an exaggerated facial expression”. The term comes from mugs used to drink beer (called Toby mugs) that are made in the shape of heads with grotesque expressions. “Mug” can also be a noun meaning “face”.

20 Giddily silly : SLAPHAPPY

Someone described as slaphappy is exhibiting extremely silly behavior. The term “slaphappy” first appeared in the 1930s, when it meant “punch-drunk”.

21 Alpes-Maritimes city : NICE

The French city of Nice is on the Mediterranean coast in the southeast of the country. Although Nice is only the fifth most populous city in France, it is home to the busiest airport outside of Paris. That’s because of all the tourists flocking to the French Riviera. Something described as “à la niçoise” is “of Nice”.

Alpes-Maritimes is a department in the very southeast of France that also borders Monaco and Italy. The area’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism, particularly in the city of Nice.

22 Reggae’s __-A-Mouse : EEK

Eek-A-Mouse is a Jamaican reggae artist born Ripton Hylton. Hylton took the name “Eek-A-Mouse” from a racehorse, one on which he frequently placed bets.

23 Ruckus : ADO

The word “ruckus” is used to mean “commotion”, and has been around since the late 1800s. “Ruckus” is possibly a melding of the words “ruction” and “rumpus”.

26 Late night for Old St. Nick : EVE

Saint Nicholas of Myra is the inspiration for Santa Claus. Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra (now in modern-day Turkey) during the 4th century AD, and was known for being generous to the poor. Centuries after he died, his remains were desecrated by Italian sailors and moved to Bari in Italy. One legend has it that the relics were moved again centuries later and reburied in the grounds of Jerpoint Abbey in Co. Kilkenny in Ireland, where you can visit the grave today. I choose to believe that Santa Claus’s relics are indeed buried in Ireland …

30 Bounced : GIVE THE HEAVE-HO

“Heave-ho” is a nautical term that was used as a chant when sailors were hoisting a sail, for example. The term has come to mean “dismissal”, as in “give him the old heave-ho”.

35 Acela stops, e.g. : AMTRAK STATIONS

The Acela Express is the fastest train routinely running in the US, as it gets up to 150 mph at times. The service runs between Boston and Washington D.C. via Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York. Introduced in 2000, the brand name “Acela” was created to evoke “acceleration” and “excellence”.

37 Feint : DEKE

A deke, also known as a dangle, is a technique used to get past an opponent in ice hockey. “Deke” is a colloquial shortening of the word “decoy”.

41 USWNT uniform number for Lindsey Horan : TEN

Soccer star Lindsey Horan made her debut for the senior United States women’s national soccer team (USWNT) in 2013, when she was just 18 years old. She played her 100th match for the US team eight years later, in 2021. At the club level, Horan played much of her career in Europe, joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2012 and Lyon Féminin in 2022.

42 Wanders around the airport? : TSA

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is the agency that employs the good folks who check passengers and baggage at airports.

49 Madcap : ZANY

Something described as zany is clownish and bizarre. “Zany” can also be a noun, a term used for a clown or buffoon. The original noun was “Zanni”, a Venetian dialect variant of Gianni, short for Giovanni (John). Zanni was a character who appeared in comedy plays of the day, and was someone who aped the principal actors.

52 Disney character who may have been named in 1931 for a newly discovered planet : PLUTO

Pluto is Mickey Mouse’s pet dog, as well as a star in his own right. Pluto is an unusual Disney character in that he is portrayed basically as a dog as opposed to a “humanized” version of a dog, as are the other Disney characters.

Pluto was discovered in 1930, and was welcomed as the ninth planet in our solar system. Pluto is relatively small in size, just one fifth of the mass of our own moon. In the seventies, astronomers began to discover more large objects in the solar system, including Eris, a “scattered disc object” at the outer reaches. Given that Eris is actually bigger than Pluto, and other objects really aren’t that much smaller, Pluto’s status as a planet was drawn into question. In 2006 there was a scientific definition for a “planet” agreed for the first time, resulting in Pluto being relegated to the status of “dwarf planet”, along with Eris. This relegation led to the word “pluto” being used as a noun meaning “give a less important position than before”.

53 Zither kin : LYRE

The lyre is a stringed instrument that is most closely associated with ancient Greece, and with the gods Hermes and Apollo in particular. According to myth, Hermes slaughtered a cow from a sacred herd belonging to Apollo and offered it to the gods but kept the entrails. Hermes used the entrails to make strings that he stretched across the shell of a tortoise, creating the first lyre. Apollo liked the sound from the lyre and agreed to accept it as a trade for his herd of cattle.

The zither is a stringed instrument, one in which the strings do not extend beyond the bounds of the sounding box. That means that the instrument has no neck, unlike a guitar.

55 “Groundhog Day” segment : RESET

“Groundhog Day” is a 1993 comedy film that has already become a classic. The star of the movie is Bill Murray, with Andie MacDowell putting in a great supporting performance. “Groundhog Day” is set in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania although it was actually filmed in the town of Woodstock, Illinois.

Down

2 “Star Wars” or “The Starry Night” : TITLE

The epic sci-fi film “Star Wars” was released in 1977. When the movie was re-released in 1981, the subtitle “Episode IV: A New Hope” was added.

3 “__ & Dagger”: Marvel series : CLOAK

“Cloak & Dagger” is a TV series in the Marvel Comics universe. The title characters are teenagers with superpowers, powers that work better when they are together.

4 __ seed oil : HEMP

“Hemp oil” shouldn’t be confused with “hash oil”. The former is produced by pressing hemp seeds, and contains only insignificant amounts of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). The latter is extracted from the plant using solvents, and contains relatively high concentrations of the psychoactive THC.

5 Game piece : ARCADE TOKEN

Our word “arcade” comes from the Latin “arcus” meaning “arc”. The first arcades were passages made from a series of arches. This could be an avenue of trees, and eventually any covered avenue. I remember arcades lined with shops and stores when I was growing up on the other side of the Atlantic. Arcades came to be lined with lots of amusements, resulting in amusement arcades and video game arcades.

7 Onesie closer : SNAP

A onesie is a baby’s one-piece bodysuit, and is a common gift at a baby shower.

9 Zedonk parent : ASS

There are seven living species of mammals in the genus Equus, each of which is referred to as “equine”. The seven species include all horses, asses and zebras. All equine species can crossbreed. For example, a mule is a cross between a male donkey and a female horse, a zorse is a cross between a zebra and a horse, and a zedonk is a cross between a zebra and a donkey.

10 Lacking zip : VAPID

We use the adjective “vapid” today to describe something that is dull, that lacks liveliness. Back in the 1600s, the term was used to describe drinks that were flat. “Vapid” comes from the Latin “vapidus”, which translates literally as “that has exhaled its vapor”.

11 Austria’s Eisriesenwelt, for one : ICE CAVERN

The Eisriesenwelt in Austria is the largest ice cave in the world. An ice cave is a natural cave that has a year-round temperature that is low enough to sustain the continued presence of ice across all four seasons. The Eisriesenwelt extends about 26 miles into the Tennen Mountains, and is visited by about 200,000 people annually.

13 Nile Valley hazard : ASP

The Egyptian cobra (Naja haje) is also known as the asp. That said, the term “asp” can apply to several species of snake, including the Egyptian cobra. Legend has it that Cleopatra committed suicide by enticing an asp to bite her. If that’s true, then that asp was probably an Egyptian cobra.

18 “That was the last straw” : I HAVE HAD IT

The phrase “last straw” is a metaphor that means a small additional burden or annoyance that causes someone to reach a breaking point or a limit. The expression comes from an old proverb “the last straw breaks the camel’s back” that refers to the idea that a camel can carry heavy loads, but if one more straw is added, the weight becomes too much, and the camel collapses.

25 Greek equivalent of the Hindu god Kamadeva : EROS

Kama (more fully “Kamadeva”) is the Hindu god of erotic love. He is usually represented as a young man with wings, holding a bow and arrow. The bow is made from sugarcane, and the string is made from honeybees. The arrows are decorated with fragrant flowers.

26 Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than __” : EVER

Billie Eilish describes the inspiration for her 2021 studio album “Happier Than Ever” as “self-reflection” during the COVID pandemic. She also points out that despite the album’ title, “almost none of the songs on this album are joyful”. Eilish co-wrote the album with her brother, singer-songwriter Finneas O’Connell.

27 Beau of literature : GESTE

“Beau Geste” is a 1924 novel by the British writer P. C. Wren. The hero of the piece is Michael “Beau” Geste, an upper-class Englishman who joins the French Foreign Legion and embarks on a life of adventure and intrigue.

28 Three-toed bird : RHEA

The rhea is a flightless bird that is native to South America. It takes its name from the Greek Titan Rhea. That’s an apt name for a flightless bird as “rhea” comes from the Greek word meaning “ground”.

33 Va-va follower : -VOOM

“Va-va-voom!” is an expression that turns up in a lot of places. For example, it was a frequent utterance by comic actor Art Carney, most notably while playing Ed Norton in the sitcom “The Honeymooners” from the 1950s. Carney even released a comedy song “Va Va Va Voom” in 1954.

41 Old hat : TRITE

The use of “old hat” to mean something “out of date, stale” started about 1911. Before that, the term “old hat” meant something very different, and very vulgar. “Old hat” was the name given to a very private part of the female anatomy, the idea being that it was “often felt” (as in a “felt hat”). I just don’t know what to say …

42 Stephen Sondheim octet : TONYS

Stephen Sondheim won more Tony Awards than any other composer, a total of eight. He had a long list of stage (and big screen) successes including “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”, “A Little Night Music”, “Sweeney Todd” and “Into the Woods”. Sondheim was a big fan of crosswords and had a whole series of cryptic crosswords published in “New York” magazine in the sixties.

43 Bryce Canyon formation : SPIRE

Bryce Canyon National Park is a beautiful part of America. The strange thing is that Bryce isn’t a canyon at all, but rather is a natural amphitheater created by erosion of sedimentary rocks that are part of the Paunsaugunt Plateau.

44 Sunflower kin : ASTER

Apparently, most aster species and cultivars bloom relatively late in the year, usually in the fall. The name “aster” comes into English via Latin from the Greek word “astéri” meaning “star”, a reference to the arrangement of the petals of the flower.

48 “Only Murders in the Building” platform : HULU

“Only Murders in the Building” is a comedy-mystery TV show starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez as a trio of true-crime podcasters who band together to solve murders in their apartment building. Steve Martin co-created the series. Highly recommended …

49 Cook quickly : ZAP

The first microwave oven was invented in 1946 by Percy Spencer, an engineer at Raytheon. While he was standing beside an active radar unit, which used microwaves, he noticed that the candy bar in his pocket had melted. Spencer proceeded to expose various foods to microwaves in tests that would lead to the development of the first commercial microwave oven.