Category: Pam Amick Klawitter

Bill’s time: 22m 01s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Roadie’s burden : AMP

A “roadie” is someone who loads, unloads and sets up equipment for musicians on tour, on the “road”.

4 It isn’t meant to be taken seriously : FARCE

A farce is a comedy play that features an exaggerated and improbable storyline, with lots of physical humor. I love a good farce …

9 Fateful day for Caesar : IDES

In Act I of William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” a soothsayer warns the doomed emperor to “beware the ides of March”. Caesar ignores the prophecy and is subsequently killed on the steps of the Capitol by a group of conspirators on that fateful day.

17 Like Richard of Almanack fame : POOR

“Poor Richard’s Almanack” was an annual publication authored by none other than Benjamin Franklin. The first edition hit the shelves in 1732, and was very, very successful, selling about 10,000 copies a year. Apparently Napoleon Bonaparte was a big fan.

21 “Carmen on Ice” Emmy sharer Brian : ORSER

Brian Orser is a retired Canadian figure skater. Orser was one of the “combatants” in the Battle of the Brians, the name given to the rivalry between Brian Orser and US skater Brian Boitano. Orser moved onto coaching after retiring from competition. He coached two Olympic champions: Kim Yuna (2010) and yuzuru Hanyu (2014).

24 With 98-Down, Broadway’s first Evita : PATTI
(98D See 24-Across : LUPONE)

Singer Patti LuPone won Tonys for playing Eva Peron in “Evita ” and Rose in “Gypsy”.

26 Amber and silver : ALERTS

The acronym in the AMBER alert system stands for “America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response”. Despite the abbreviation, the system was named in memory of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman who was abducted and murdered in Arlington, Texas in 1996.

A Silver Alert broadcasts information about a missing senior, especially someone suffering with some form of dementia. The system was introduced in 2005 in Oklahoma, and has spread across the nation since then. When inaugurated, it was described as an “AMBER Alert for seniors”.

27 Emmy winner for 1997’s “George Wallace” : SINISE

Actor Gary Sinise was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for playing Lieutenant Dan Taylor in the 1994 film “Forrest Gump”. Sinise then played the lead in television’s “CSI: NY” starting in 2004. Sinise was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Bush for his work helping Iraqi school children as well as his work with the USO.

“George Wallace” is a TV biopic about the former Governor of Alabama, with Gary Senise in the title role. Senise won an Emmy for his performance in the film, and Angelina Jolie won a Golden Globe for playing Cornelia Wallace, the governor’s wife.

28 Brutus’ 551 : DLI

The most famous man with the name “Brutus” in ancient Rome was Marcus Junius Brutus the Younger. It was this Brutus that Julius Caesar turned to when he was assassinated on the steps of the Senate. William Shakespeare immortalized Brutus by featuring him in his play, “Julius Caesar”, and giving his victim the line “Et tu, Brute?”

31 Medical screening tool : TB TEST

The Mantoux test is a skin test used to screen for tuberculosis (TB). The test is named for French physician Charles Mantoux who developed it in 1907. The procedure involves the injection of a small amount of tuberculin into the skin to check for an immune response. Tuberculin is a protein that is extracted from the outer membrane of the bacterium that causes TB.

35 Overseas seas : MERS

In French, a “mer” (sea) is a large body of “eau” (water).

37 Source of sticker shock? : THORN

Believe it or not, roses don’t have any thorns. Thorns are derived from shoots, spines are derived from leaves, and prickles are derived from the epidermis. The rose’s defensive barbs are in fact prickles.

43 Google __ : CHROME

Google’s Chrome is now the most popular web browser used in the US, with Mozilla Firefox in second place and Internet Explorer in third. I find Chrome to be much, much more user-friendly than Internet Explorer, and more featured than Firefox. Chrome also works more seamlessly with other Google products and with Android phones.

45 Program blocker : V-CHIP

All television sets produced for the US market since the year 2000 are required by law to include a component called a V-chip. A V-chip allows a TV to be configured so that programming of specific “ratings” can be blocked from viewing. The “V” in V-chip stands for “viewer control”. It sounds like a great idea, but a lot of kids these days quickly do a search online and work out how to reset the password.

50 Rock memoir : I, TINA

“I, Tina” is a 1986 autobiography by Tina Turner. The book was so successful it was adapted into a movie called “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” The film version was released in 1993 and starring Angela Bassett as Tina Turner.

51 “Oh, and another thing,” on a ltr. : PPS

One adds a PS (post scriptum, or simply “postscript”) at the end of a letter (ltr.). A second postscript is a post post scriptum, a PPS.

55 Idaho exports : RUSSETS

The full name of the potato that we commonly refer to as a “russet” is a “russet Burbank”. The russet is probably a mutation of the Burbank potato. One Luther Burbank developed the Burbank potato as a disease-resistant Irish potato, and gave the strain its name. The russet Burbank is a relatively large potato. As such, it is the favored potato for restaurant chains like McDonald’s as it can produce long French fries.

57 Its “C” once stood for “cash” : NCR

NCR is an American company that has been in business since 1884 and was originally called the National Cash Register Company. The company has done well in a market where new technologies seem to be constantly disrupting the status quo. NCR is a leading supplier of automated teller machines (ATMs) and barcode scanners.

64 Corn Belt sight : SILO

“Silo” is a Spanish word that we absorbed into English. The term ultimately derives from the Greek “siros”, which described a pit in which one kept corn.

The Corn Belt (sometimes “Grain Belt”) is a region in the Midwest where, since the mid-1800s, corn has been the major crop. Geographically, the Corn Belt covers Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and parts of Michigan, Ohio, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota and Missouri. About 40% of the world’s corn production comes from the region, and most of that production is used for the feeding of livestock.

70 Spanish painter who influenced Pollock : MIRO

Joan Miró was a Spanish artist. Miro immersed himself in Surrealism, so much so that Andre Breton, the founder of the movement, said that Miro was “the most Surrealist of us all”.

Jackson Pollock was an abstract expressionist painter who famously used a “drip painting” style. Pollock was married to Lee Krasner, herself an influential abstract expressionist.

75 Red Sea nation : YEMEN

Yemen is located on the Arabian Peninsula, and lies just south of Saudi Arabia and west of Oman. Yemen is the only state on the peninsula that is a republic (its official name is the Republic of Yemen). Everyone over the age of 18 gets to vote, but only Muslims can hold elected office. Yemen has seen many rebellions over the centuries, and has been suffering through a Shia uprising since February 2015.

The Red Sea (sometimes called the Arabian Gulf) is a stretch of water lying between Africa and Asia. The Gulf of Suez (and the Suez Canal) lies to the north, and the Gulf of Aden to the south. According to the Book of Exodus in the Bible, God parted the Red Sea to allow Moses lead the Israelites from Egypt.

77 Dangerfield’s “There goes the neighborhood,” e.g. : EPITAPH

Rodney Dangerfield was a stand-up comedian and actor who was known for telling one-liners, and for his catchphrase “I don’t get no respect!”. Famously, Dangerfield played the obnoxious, nouveau-riche golf club member Al Czervik in the 1980 movie “Caddyshack”.

83 RNs’ workplaces : ERS

One might find a registered nurse (RN) or a medical doctor (MD) in an emergency room (ER).

89 Rusty with a bat : STAUB

Rusty Staub had a relatively long career in baseball, having played his first game at the age of 19 and his last at age 41. Staub was one of only three players who hit home runs in the majors before the age of 20 as well as after the age of 40. The others are Gary Sheffield (never heard of him!) and Ty Cobb (heard of him!).

90 Retro photos : SEPIAS

Sepia is that rich, brown-grey color so common in old photographs. “Sepia” is the Latinized version of the Greek word for cuttlefish, as sepia pigment is derived from the ink sac of the cuttlefish. Sepia ink was commonly used for writing and drawing as far back as ancient Rome and ancient Greece. The “sepia tone” of old photographs is not the result of deterioration over time. Rather, it is the result of a deliberate preservation process which converts the metallic silver in the photographic image to a more stable silver sulfide. Prints that have been sepia-toned can last in excess of 150 years.

99 Exams for future 88-Downs : LSATS
(88D See 99-Across : DAS)

Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

101 Winter driving aids : CHAINS

Snow chains for automobile tires were invented in 1904. Prior to the invention, drivers would use ropes and even vines to wrap around their tires to get traction on muddy and snowy roads. And, there were a lot of muddy and snowy roads back then.

114 Drum major’s move : TWIRL

A drum major is a leader of a marching band, and is a position that originated in the British Army Corp of Drums in 1650. The drum major’s job is to lead the group and ensure that the whole ensemble keeps time. To help him do so, a drum major often uses a large baton. Over time, it became customary for the baton to be twirled and tossed in an elaborate display. The drum major tradition was embraced by high school marching bands in America. Drum-majorettes became popular in the 1930s, with groups of females taking up baton-twirling and marching with bands. According to an article in “Life” magazine published on October 10th, 1938, “the perfect majorette is a pert, shapely, smiling extrovert, who loves big, noisy crowds and knows how to make those crowds love her.” It was a different time …

115 Buttery Boston bread : PARKER HOUSE ROLL

Parker House rolls are so called because they were invented at the Parker House Hotel in Boston in the 1870s. A peculiarity of the roll is its shape. The ball of dough is flattened into an oval shape with a rolling pin, and then the oval is folded in half.

118 Sci-fi figure : DROID

“Droid” is short for “android” and is used to describe a robot that resembles a human. The Latin word “androides” was used in English in the 18th century to mean “like a man”. Science fiction writers introduced us to “android” in the early 1950s.

119 “Agnes Grey” novelist : ANNE BRONTE

Anne was the youngest of the three sisters in the literary Brontë family. Her older sisters wrote novels that are more recognized, but Anne’s two novels do have a following. “Agnes Grey” is based on her own experiences working as a governess. Her other novel, “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall” is written as a long letter from a young man describing the events leading up to his first meeting with his wife-to-be. Anne Brontë’s writing career was cut short in 1849, when she died of pulmonary tuberculosis, at only 29 years of age.

120 Galleria filler : ARTE

In Italy, one can see “arte” (art) in a “galleria” (gallery).

Down

1 Ladybug snacks : APHIDS

Aphids are called “greenfly” back in Britain and Ireland where I come from. The most effective way to control aphids, in my experience, is to make sure there are plenty of ladybugs in the garden (called “ladybirds” in Ireland!).

The insect we know as a ladybug has seven spots on its wing covers. These seven spots gave rise to the common name “ladybug”, as in the Middle Ages the insect was called the “beetle of Our Lady”. The spots were said to symbolize the Seven Joys and Seven Sorrows, events in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary called out in the Roman Catholic tradition.

3 Sticky-edged squares : POST-ITS

The Post-it note was invented at 3M following the accidental discovery of a low-tack, reusable adhesive. The actual intent of the development program was the discovery of a super-strong adhesive.

5 Gator follower? : -ADE

Gatorade was developed at the University of Florida by a team of researchers at the request of the school’s football team. And so, Gatorade is named after the Gators football team.

8 Paul’s “The Prize” co-star : ELKE

Elke Sommer is a German-born actress who was at the height of her success on the silver screen in the sixties. Sommer won a Golden Globe as Most Promising Newcomer Actress for her role opposite Paul Newman in 1964’s “The Prize”. She also sings and has released several albums. Now Sommer focuses on painting, producing artwork that is strongly influenced by the work of Marc Chagall.

“The Prize” is an excellent spy movie released in 1963 and starring Paul Newman, Elke Sommer and Edward G. Robinson. Based on a 1962 novel of the same name, the “prize” in question is a Nobel Prize, and so the action takes place in Stockholm.

12 Armenia, once: Abbr. : SSR

Armenia is a landlocked country found east of Turkey, and is a former Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR). Back in the year 301 CE, the ancient Kingdom of Armenia became the first nation in the world to adopt Christianity as its national religion.

15 Team with a skyline in its logo : METS

The New York Mets baseball team was founded in 1962 as a replacement for two teams that the city had lost, namely the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants. For several years the Mets played very poorly, finishing no better than second-to-last in their division. Then along came the “Miracle Mets” (aka “Amazin’ Mets”) who beat the Baltimore Orioles in 1969 to claim the World Series in a huge upset.

16 Buffalo’s county : ERIE

Buffalo is the second-most populous city in the state of New York. The city takes its name from Buffalo Creek that runs through the metropolis (although the waterway is called Buffalo River within the city). The source of the name Buffalo Creek is the subject of much speculation, but one thing is clear, there were never any bison in the area.

18 GPS suggestion : RTE

A global positioning system (GPS) might point out a route (rte.).

20 Anthem contraction : O’ER

The words “o’er the ramparts we watched” come from “The Star Spangled Banner” written by Francis Scott Key.

21 TV kid in Miss Crump’s class : OPIE

On “The Andy Griffith Show”, Helen Crump makes her first appearance on the show as one of Opie Taylor’s school teachers. Over time, Miss Crump and Andy Griffith develop a liking for each other, and they become romantically involved. The couple get married in the first episode of “Mayberry R.F.D.”, the spinoff show. Helen Crump Taylor was played by actress Aneta Corsaut.

27 RR map dot : STN

A station (“stn.” or “sta.”) is a railroad (RR) or bus stop.

30 Theater opening? : AMPHI-

An amphitheater is a large oval or round arena. The term “amphitheater” comes from Greek, with “amphi-” meaning “on both sides” and “theatron” meaning “theater”. The original Greek amphitheaters included two semi-circular seating areas so that audience members sat “on both sides” of the stage.

31 Maier with a swimwear label : TOMAS

Tomas Maier is a German-born fashion designer who is probably most associated with his eponymous line of swimwear.

32 Maker of CarbSmart ice cream bars : BREYERS

Breyers ice cream was introduced by William A. Breyer in 1866, in Philadelphia. Always known for using all-natural ingredients, Breyers products made in recent years contain more and more food additives in an attempt to cut costs in a competitive market. In fact, most Breyers products can’t even be labeled “ice cream” anymore as they don’t contain enough milk and cream and so are labeled “frozen dairy dessert” instead.

34 Part of NCAA: Abbr. : ATH

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

38 __ d’oeuvres : HORS

An hors d’oeuvre is a first course in a meal. “Hors d’oeuvre” translates from French as “apart from the work”, which really means “not the main course”.

42 Org. for shrinks : APA

American Psychiatric Association (APA)

The use of the term “shrink” to describe a psychiatrist is first attested in 1966. “Shrink” is diminutive of “head-shrinker”.

44 Prefix with scope : HORO-

A natal horoscope or natal chart is an astrological map that is built around the exact time and location of an individual’s birth. The chart shows the position of the astrologically relevant celestial bodies at that time. The term “horoscope” ultimately comes from Greek, with “hora” meaning “hour, season” and “skopos” meaning “watcher, what is watched”.

45 Tom Cullen’s title on “Downton Abbey”: Abbr. : VISC

In the British peerage system, a viscount ranks below an earl and above a baron. The term “viscount” basically means “deputy of a count”, i.e. a “vice-count”.

Tom Cullen is a Welsh actor who is perhaps best known for playing Russell, Viscount Gillingham on the TV period drama “Downton Abbey”. Cullen has been in a relationship since 2011 with Canadian actress Tatiana Maslany, who plays so many roles on the TV show “Orphan Black”.

48 Wrath, in a hymn : IRAE

“Dies Irae” is Latin for “Day of Wrath”. It is the name of a famous melody in Gregorian Chant, one that is often used as part of the Roman Catholic Requiem Mass.

56 Parisian possessive : TES

“Tes” is the French word for “your” when referring to a group of items and when talking to someone with whom you are familiar.

59 “Mamma Mia!” song : SOS

The ABBA song “SOS” was originally titled “Turn Me On”. In the movie “Mamma Mia!”, “SOS” is performed by Meryl Streep (brilliantly) and by Pierce Brosnan (terribly).

The hit musical “Mamma Mia!” was written to showcase the songs of ABBA. I’m a big fan of ABBA’s music, so I’ve seen this show a couple of times and just love it. “Mamma Mia!” is such a big hit on the stage that on any given day there are at least seven performances going on somewhere in the world. There is a really interesting film version of the show that was released in 2008. I think the female lead Meryl Streep is wonderful in the movie, but the male leads … not so much! By the way, one can tell the difference between “Mamma Mia” the ABBA song and “Mamma Mia!” the musical, by noting the difference in the punctuation in the titles.

63 “__ Mine”: George Harrison book : I, ME,

“I Me Mine” is one of the relatively few Beatles songs to have been written by George Harrison (and indeed performed by him). Harrison chose a very similar title (different punctuation!) for his autobiography “I, Me, Mine”, which was published in 1980, just a few weeks before John Lennon was assassinated in New York City.

65 Red letters? : GOP

The Republican Party has had the nickname Grand Old Party (GOP) since 1875. That said, the phrase was coined in the “Congressional Record” as “this gallant old party”. The moniker was changed to “grand old party” in 1876 in an article in the “Cincinnati Commercial”. The Republican Party’s elephant mascot dates back to an 1874 cartoon drawn by Thomas Nast for “Harper’s Weekly”. The Democrat’s donkey was already an established symbol. Nast drew a donkey clothed in a lion’s skin scaring away the other animals. One of the scared animals was an elephant, which Nast labeled “The Republican Vote”.

On political maps, red states are usually Republican and blue states usually Democrat. The designation of red and blue states is a very recent concept, only introduced in the 2000 presidential election by TV journalist, the late Tim Russert. In retrospect, the choice of colors is surprising, as in other democracies around the world red is usually used to describe left-leaning socialist parties (the reds under the bed!), and blue is used for conservative right-wing parties. In election cycles, swing/battleground states are often depicted in purple.

69 Deep-water beauty : OPAH

“Opah” is the more correct name for the fish also known as the sunfish, moonfish or Jerusalem haddock. I’ve seen one in the Monterey Aquarium. It is one huge fish …

74 Novelty “pet” : CHIA

Chia is a flowering plant in the mint family. Chia seeds are an excellent food source and are often added to breakfast cereals and energy bars. There is also the famous Chia Pet, an invention of a San Francisco company. Chia Pets are terracotta figurines to which are applied moistened chia seeds. The seeds sprout and the seedlings become the “fur” of the Chia Pet.

81 Bakers get a rise out of it : YEAST

Yeasts are unicellular microorganisms in the kingdom Fungi. The species of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been used for centuries in the making of wine and beer, and in breadmaking. Saccharomyces cerevisiae converts carbohydrates into carbon dioxide and alcohol in the process of fermentation. When making beer and wine, the carbon dioxide and alcohol may be captured by the liquid. When making bread, the carbon dioxide and alcohol is driven off by heat.

82 “Manifest” airer : NBC

“Manifest” if a TV show with an intriguing storyline. Passengers and crew of a commercial flight land in New York City after experiencing severe turbulence. When they land, everyone finds out that they were actually in the air for five and a half years, and everyone on the ground assumes that they are dead. Spooky …

87 CIA relative : NSA

National Security Agency (NSA)

92 Largest city on the island of Hokkaido : SAPPORO

Sapporo is the fourth largest city in Japan, and lies on the island of Hokkaido. The city and surrounding area was home in 1972 to the first Winter Olympic Games to be held in Asia. For the beer drinkers out there, Sapporo is also home to Sapporo Brewery, Japan’s oldest beer producer.

97 Pop artist from Pittsburgh : WARHOL

American artist Andy Warhol was a leader in the pop art movement that emerged in the mid-1950s. Many of his works became the most expensive paintings ever sold. A 1963 Warhol canvas titled “Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster)” fetched over 100 million dollars in 2013.

102 “__ Lang Syne” : AULD

The song “Auld Lang Syne” is a staple at New Year’s Eve (well, actually in the opening minutes of New Year’s Day). The words were written by Scottish poet Robbie Burns. The literal translation of “Auld Lang Syne” is “old long since”, but is better translated as “old times”. The sentiment of the song is “for old time’s sake”.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne!

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

106 LAX postings : ETDS

Estimated time of departure (ETD)

108 Shore bird : ERNE

The ern (sometimes “erne”) is also known as the white-tailed eagle or the sea eagle.

110 Right-to-left lang. : HEB

Hebrew (Heb.)

117 Sporty ride, for short : UTE

A utility vehicle is often called a “ute” for short. Nowadays one mainly hears about sport-utes and crossover-utes.