Constructed by: David Steinberg
Edited by: Rich Norris
Quicklink to a complete list of today’s clues and answers
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Theme: None
Bill’s time: 18m 46s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
8. Scary high : BAD TRIP
That would be a bad trip resulting from taking drugs.
15. Facebook co-founder Saverin : EDUARDO
Eduardo Saverin was one of the founders of Facebook, and someone who worked alongside Mark Zuckerberg while the pair were studying at Harvard. As was emphasized in the 2010 film “The Social Network”, Zuckerberg treated Saverin pretty badly, diluting his partner’s holding in the company. Facebook settled a resulting lawsuit with Saverin, so he still did okay financially, but lost out on the really big bucks. Savarin is from São Paulo, Brazil and became a US citizen in 1998. After his controversial exit from Facebook, Savarin moved to Singapore. He renounced his US citizenship in 2011, in a move viewed by many as a tactic designed to avoid payment of an estimated $700 million in capital gains taxes.
17. Soccer blunder : OWN GOAL
Soccer (also known as “association football”) is the most popular sport in the world. The term “association football” was introduced in 1863 in England, with the name chosen to distinguish the sport from rugby football. The term “soccer” started to appear about 20 years later in Oxford, as an abbreviation for “association”.
18. Arabian matchmaker : BREEDER
The Arab (also “Arabian”) breed of horse takes its name from its original home, the Arabian Peninsula. Like any animal that humans have over-bred, the horse falls prey to genetic diseases, some of which are fatal and some of which require the horse to be euthanized.
19. Site of many ’60s tours : NAM
By some definitions, the official involvement of Americans in the Vietnam War started in 1955. At that time, President Eisenhower deployed a Military Assistance Advisory Group to assist in the training of the South Vietnamese Army. American involvement in the conflict officially ended in 1973 with the signing of an agreement that came out of the Paris Peace Accords.
22. MPG-estimating org. : EPA
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) routinely estimates the expected miles per gallon (mpg) for vehicles.
23. Kiddie lit count : OLAF
Count Olaf is the main antagonist in “A Series of Unfortunate Events”, the collection of children’s novels penned by Lemony Snicket (the pen name of Diane Handler).
26. Eponymous 18th-century wine trader Claude : MOET
Moët & Chandon is a French winery, one of the world’s largest producers of champagne. The company was founded by wine trader Claude Moët in 1743. The name was changed to Moët & Chandon in the 1830s when Pierre-Gabriel Chandon, an in-law to the Moët family, was given co-ownership. Moët & Chandon owns the famous Dom Pérignon brand name, honoring the Benedictine monk who did so much to improve the quality of champagne.
27. Story featuring Paris : ILIAD
“The Iliad” is an epic poem by the Greek poet Homer, which tells the story of the ten-year siege of Ilium (also known as Troy) during the Trojan war. “The Odyssey”, also attributed to Homer, is sometimes described as a sequel to “The Iliad”.
In Greek mythology, Paris was a son of Priam and Hecuba, the king and queen of Troy. Paris is famous for eloping with Helen, Queen of Sparta, and hence precipitating the Trojan War. Paris also killed the Greek hero Achilles by shooting him in the heel with an arrow.
29. Govt. agency with domestic field divisions in 15 states : DEA
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
30. Pacific island overrun by wild chickens : KAUAI
Because the Hawaiian island of Kauai is one of the wettest places on earth, all the rainfall has helped to carve out magnificent canyons and left superb waterfalls. The island is often used as a backdrop for movies. The facilities at the island’s Lihue Airport reflect the pleasant climate enjoyed by the Hawaiian Islands. Check-in takes place completely outdoors!
31. Original “SNL” cast member : RADNER
Gilda Radner was a comedian and actress, and one of the original cast members of the hit television show “Saturday Night Live”. Radner left her first husband to marry comedic actor Gene Wilder, whom she met while they were both filming the Sidney Poitier movie “Hanky Panky”.
33. Godfather cocktail ingredient : AMARETTO
The cocktail known as the Godfather is mixture of equal parts Scotch whiskey and amaretto, usually served over ice. Variants of the Godfather are the Godmother (using vodka instead of whiskey) and the French Connection (using cognac instead of whiskey).
37. Wally who played himself in the “Taxi” episode “Latka’s Cookies” : AMOS
Wally Amos was a talent agent, one who was in the habit of taking home-baked cookies with him as an enticement to get celebrities to see him. He was urged by friends to open a cookie store (the cookies were that delicious, I guess) and this he did in Los Angeles in 1975 using the name “Famous Amos”. The store was a smash hit and he was able build on the success by introducing his cookies into supermarkets. The brand was eventually bought up making Wally a rich man, and Famous Amos cookies are still flying off the shelf. Wally Amos also became an energetic literacy advocate. He hosted 30 TV programs in 1987 entitled “Learn to Read” that provided reading instruction targeted at adults.
Latka Gravas is one of the most popular characters in the TV sitcom “Taxi” that aired in the late seventies and early eighties. Latka was played by the controversial comic actor Andy Kaufman. The producers of “Taxi” had the character written around a persona that Kaufman was using in his stand-up routines called “Foreign Man”.
38. Wine drink : SPRITZER
A “spritz” is a squirt, a brief spray of liquid. The term ultimately comes from German, possibly via Yiddish, in which language “spritzen” means “to squirt, spout”. A “spritzer” is a glass of wine with a “spritz” of carbonated water, and is a drink we’ve been enjoying since the early sixties.
47. Wite-Out maker : BIC
Wite-Out is a brand of correction fluid made by BIC.
Société Bic is a French company, based in Clichy in France. The first product the company produced, more than fifty years ago, was the Bic Cristal ballpoint pen that is still produced today. Bic also makes other disposable products such as lighters and razors.
51. Inexpensive vodka : POPOV
Popov vodka is is produced in America by the British company Diageo. Popov fills a niche in the low end of the vodka market. This American alcoholic drink is sometimes given the tongue-in-cheek nickname “Russia’s Finest”.
54. Draft letters : NFL
The National Football League (NFL) was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Association, with the current name being adopted into 1923. The NFL merged with the American Football League (AFL) in 1970.
55. Acid test supply : PH PAPER
Litmus is a mixture of naturally-occurring dyes that responds to acidity by changing color. Litmus was probably first used around 1300 by the Spanish alchemist Arnaldus de Villa Nova, who extracted the blue dye from lichens. One suggestion is that the term “litmus” comes from the Old Norse “litmose” meaning “lichen for dyeing”. Litmus is often absorbed onto filter paper, creating “litmus paper” or “pH paper”.
60. First name in dognapping : CRUELLA
Cruella de Vil is the villain in the 1956 novel “The Hundred and One Dalmatians” written by Dodie Smith. Most famously perhaps, Cruella was played so ably by Glenn Close in the Disney movie adaption “101 Dalmatians”, released in 1996.
64. Old Roman adviser : SENATOR
Our word “senate” comes from the Latin for such a body: “senatus”. In turn, “senatus” is derived from “senex” meaning “old man”, reflecting the original Roman Senate’s makeup as a “council of elders”.
65. Early arrivals : RED-EYES
A red-eye flight is one departing late at night and arriving early the next morning. The term is a reference to tired passengers disembarking with red eyes.
Down
1. “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” genre : NEO-NOIR
A neo-noir film is a contemporary film that incorporates elements of the film noir style of the forties and fifties.
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” is a 2011 film based on the hit novel of the same name by Stieg Larsson. Rooney Mara plays the title character, a computer hacker named Lisbeth Salander. Daniel Craig also stars, playing journalist Mikael Blomkvist. The 2011 movie wasn’t the first big screen adaptation of the novel. A Swedish film with the same name was released in 2009.
2. “100% juice smoothie” brand : ODWALLA
Odwalla is a company in Half Moon Bay (just south of San Francisco) that sells fruit juices, smoothies and energy bars.
3. Raisin brand : SUN-MAID
The Sun-Maid brand of raisins belongs to a cooperative of raisin growers in California. The cooperative was founded in 1912, and the famous Sun-Maid girl shown on each container of raisins was actually a seeder and packer called Lorraine Collett who worked for one of the members of the cooperative.
5. Lover of Psyche : EROS
In the myth of Cupid (aka Eros) and Psyche, the two title characters must overcome many obstacles to fulfill their love for each other. Overcome them they do, and the pair marry and enjoy immortal love.
8. 2008 Poehler/Fey comedy : BABY MAMA
“Baby Mama” is a 2008 film starring Tina Fey as successful single businesswoman who hires a surrogate mother (played by Amy Poehler). “Baby mama” is a term used these days as an alternative to “single mother”.
10. Removed for a rules violation, briefly : DQED
Disqualified (DQed)
11. Day of the wk. : TUE
The name “Tuesday” comes from an Old English word that translates as “Tiw’s Day”. In turn, “Tiw” was the Old English name for the Norse god “Týr”. Týr was the Norse god of single combat, victory and heroic glory.
14. Investor’s concern, familiarly : P/E RATIO
The P/E (price-to-earnings) ratio of a stock is the stock’s price compared to the earnings of the company per share (EPS). The idea behind the P/E ratio is that a stock with a relatively low P/E is usually a good buy, an indicator that the stock price should rise on the strength of solid earnings.
24. Obsessive young devotee : FANGIRL
Fanboys (and fangirls) are fans, but fans of a very specific subject in a particular field. So, someone might be a fan of home computing, but an Intel fanboy would have an enthusiasm for CPUs made by Intel. A fanzine (also “zine”) is a fan publication with a very limited circulation, dealing with a very specific subject matter. Fanzines are usually desktop published and distributed electronically or as photocopies.
26. Baton holder : MAESTRO
“Maestro” is often used to address a musical conductor. “Maestro” (plural “maestri”) is the Italian word for “master, teacher”. The plural in English is usually “maestros”.
28. Benching targets, briefly : DELTS
The deltoid “muscle” is actually a group of muscles, the ones that cover the shoulder and create the roundness under the skin. The deltoids are triangular in shape resembling the Greek letter delta, hence the name.
30. Greenland currency : KRONE
“Krone” translates into English as “crown”, and was the name given to coins that bore the image of the monarch in several countries. Today, the krone is the name given to the currency of Norway and of Denmark. Some of the Norwegian and Danish kroner have holes in the middle, giving them a “doughnut” or “torus” shape.
Greenland is the largest island on the planet. Geographically, Greenland is part of the continent of North America, but culturally and politically is considered part of Europe. The island became a Danish colony in 1815, and joined the European Economic Community (EEC) with Denmark. Greenland withdrew from the EEC after a referendum in 1983. Since 2009, Greenland has been relatively autonomous, with the Danish government retaining control of foreign affairs, defence and the judicial system.
32. Waitress in the comic strip “Shoe” : ROZ
“Shoe” is a comic strip drawn by Jeff MacNelly from 1977 until he passed away in 2000. The strip features a group of birds, all of whom work as newspapermen.
34. Doctors’ org. : AMA
American Medical Association (AMA)
36. Certain jazzman : BEBOPPER
The jazz term “bebop” probably came from “Arriba! Arriba!”, words of encouragement from Latin American bandleaders to their musicians.
40. Quiche shunner, in an ’80s best-seller : REAL MAN
Bruce Feirstein wrote the bestseller “Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche”, published in 1982. The book’s main theme is the situation in which middle-class men found themselves in the eighties, after feminist attacks on traditional male roles in the seventies.
41. Longtime morning host : 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 gig. Ripa has acted as spokeswoman for several brands over the years, most recently for Electrolux and Rykä.
43. CIA nickname : LANGLEY
The CIA headquarters is located in Langley, Virginia in a complex called the George Bush Center for Intelligence, named for former Director of the CIA and US President George H. W. Bush.
44. One-named “American Boy” singer : ESTELLE
Estelle is a singer-songwriter from London who hit the top of the charts with her song “American Boy” that featured Kanye West.
55. Start to fall? : PRAT-
“Prat” is a relatively new word for me, a slang term for the buttocks apparently. A “prat-fall” is when someone falls and lands on the buttocks.
61. Rebus animal : EWE
A rebus is a puzzle that uses pictures to represent letters and groups of letters. For example, a picture of a “ewe” might represent the letter “U” or the pronoun “you”.
Complete List of Clues and Answers
Across
1. “Easy!” : NO SWEAT!
8. Scary high : BAD TRIP
15. Facebook co-founder Saverin : EDUARDO
16. Come by : ACQUIRE
17. Soccer blunder : OWN GOAL
18. Arabian matchmaker : BREEDER
19. Site of many ’60s tours : NAM
20. Spread out : SPLAYED
22. MPG-estimating org. : EPA
23. Kiddie lit count : OLAF
25. Provisions : TERMS
26. Eponymous 18th-century wine trader Claude : MOET
27. Story featuring Paris : ILIAD
29. Govt. agency with domestic field divisions in 15 states : DEA
30. Pacific island overrun by wild chickens : KAUAI
31. Original “SNL” cast member : RADNER
33. Godfather cocktail ingredient : AMARETTO
35. Lump : GLOB
37. Wally who played himself in the “Taxi” episode “Latka’s Cookies” : AMOS
38. Wine drink : SPRITZER
42. Forest weapon : ANTLER
46. Social group : PEERS
47. Wite-Out maker : BIC
49. Do away with : ERASE
50. __ health : ORAL
51. Inexpensive vodka : POPOV
53. Currently playing : ON TV
54. Draft letters : NFL
55. Acid test supply : PH PAPER
57. “Wow!” : GEE!
58. Colorful holiday candy : GUMDROP
60. First name in dognapping : CRUELLA
62. Stem (from) : EMANATE
63. Get gray gracefully : AGE WELL
64. Old Roman adviser : SENATOR
65. Early arrivals : RED-EYES
Down
1. “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” genre : NEO-NOIR
2. “100% juice smoothie” brand : ODWALLA
3. Raisin brand : SUN-MAID
4. Reaction to a treat, maybe : WAG
5. Lover of Psyche : EROS
6. One way to cope : ADAPT
7. Sounded : TOLLED
8. 2008 Poehler/Fey comedy : BABY MAMA
9. Real estate measures : ACRES
10. Removed for a rules violation, briefly : DQED
11. Day of the wk. : TUE
12. Weather : RIDE OUT
13. Emphatic words : I REPEAT …
14. Investor’s concern, familiarly : P/E RATIO
21. Real estate measure : AREA
24. Obsessive young devotee : FANGIRL
26. Baton holder : MAESTRO
28. Benching targets, briefly : DELTS
30. Greenland currency : KRONE
32. Waitress in the comic strip “Shoe” : ROZ
34. Doctors’ org. : AMA
36. Certain jazzman : BEBOPPER
38. They hold water : SPONGES
39. Club attention-getter : PERFUME
40. Quiche shunner, in an ’80s best-seller : REAL MAN
41. Longtime morning host : RIPA
43. CIA nickname : LANGLEY
44. One-named “American Boy” singer : ESTELLE
45. Lets out : REVEALS
48. Wheels of justice? : COP CAR
51. A filter may be used to produce it : PHOTO
52. Edge : VERGE
55. Start to fall? : PRAT-
56. Regretted : RUED
59. Some trial evidence : DNA
61. Rebus animal : EWE