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Constructed by: Sid Sivakumar
Edited by: Rich Norris
Today’s Theme: None
Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers
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Bill’s time: 12m 03s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
8 Result of melted crust : MAGMA
Magma is the molten material below the Earth’s surface. When magma cools, it forms igneous rock. “Magma” is a Greek term used for a thick ointment.
13 Kind of cable : COAXIAL
Coaxial cable is designed to carry high frequency electrical signals, and is used in applications like cable television and broadband Internet networking. The use of coaxial cables dates way back, to the 1850s. The name “coaxial” refers to the two conductive parts of the cable, which share the same geometric axis. The inner conductive core is surrounded by an insulator, which in turn is surrounded by a relatively thin conducting shield. The whole assembly is covered with an external protective sheath.
14 Little one on a slide : AMOEBA
An ameba (also “amoeba”) is a single-celled microorganism. The name comes from the Greek “amoibe”, meaning change. The name is quite apt, as the cell changes shape readily as the ameba moves, eats and reproduces.
Microscope slides are thin pieces of glass on which are mounted samples for examination. Often a “cover slip”, a smaller and thinner sheet of glass, is placed on top of the sample. Originally called “sliders”, such specimens would “slide” into the gap between the stage and the objective lens on a microscope.
17 Nephrology focus : KIDNEYS
Nephrology is the medical field specializing in the treatment of kidney problems. “Nephros” is the Greek word for “kidney”.
21 “Immediately!” : STAT!
The exact etymology of “stat”, a term meaning “immediately” in the medical profession, seems to have been lost in the mists of time. It probably comes from the Latin “statim” meaning “to a standstill, immediately”. A blog reader has helpfully suggested that the term may also come from the world of laboratory analysis, where the acronym STAT stands for “short turn-around time”.
22 Poppycock : PAP
One use of the term “pap” is to describe soft or semi-liquid food for babies and small children. “Pap” comes into English, via French, from the Latin word used by children for “food”. In the 1500s, “pap” also came to mean “an oversimplified” idea. This gives us a usage that’s common today, describing literature or perhaps TV programming that lacks real value or substance. Hands up those who think there’s a lot of pap out there, especially on television …
It is thought that the relatively gentle term “poppycock”, meaning “nonsense”, comes from a Dutch word for “dung” combined with a Latin word for “excrete”. Not so gentle after all …
26 First woman to land a triple axel in competition : ITO
Midori Ito is a Japanese figure skater. Ito was the first woman to land a triple/triple jump and a triple axel in competition. In fact, she landed her first triple jump in training when she was only 8 years old. Ito won Olympic silver in 1992, and was chosen as the person to light the Olympic cauldron at the commencement of the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan.
An axel is a forward take-off jump in figure skating. The maneuver was first performed by Norwegian Axel Paulsen at the 1882 World Figure Skating championships.
27 Super Mario __ : BROS
“Super Mario” is a series of video games created by Nintendo that features the character Mario, and his adventures in the Mushroom Kingdom.
32 Heckled : JEERED
Originally, the verb “to heckle” meant “to question severely”, and for many years was associated with the public questioning of parliamentary candidates in Scotland. In more recent times, the meaning has evolved into questioning that is less polite and that is directed at stand-up comics.
33 The Zugspitze, e.g. : ALP
The Zugspitze is an Alpine peak, and the highest mountain in Germany.
34 Changed plans at the last second : CALLED AN AUDIBLE
To call an audible is to make a change at the last minute based on the latest information. The phrase “call an audible” comes from American football. A quarterback can call an audible in response to the formation of the defense, even after his team-mates are already lined up. He calls out the last-minute instructions, effectively negating the previously agreed play.
37 Ryder Cup team : USA
The Ryder Cup trophy was donated to the sport of golf by Samuel Ryder, an English entrepreneur. Ryder made his money selling garden seeds in small packets. He only took up golf when he was in his fifties but became quite the enthusiast and eventually donated the trophy in 1927, when it was valued at 100 guineas. The Ryder Cup is a biennial tournament played between teams from the US and Europe.
38 Iberia hub : MADRID
Madrid is the largest city in Spain, and is the nation’s capital. Madrid is located very close to the geographical center of the country. It is the third-largest city in the European Union (after London and Paris). People from Madrid called themselves Madrileños.
The airline called Iberia is the flag carrier for Spain and is based in the country’s capital city at Madrid-Barajas Airport.
39 Renaissance faire quaff : MEAD
Mead is a lovely drink that’s made from fermented honey and water.
“Quaff” is both a verb and a noun. One “quaffs” (takes a hearty drink) of a “quaff” (a hearty drink).
40 “Gentleman” singer : PSY
“PSY” is the stage name of South Korean rapper Park Jae-sang. PSY became an international star when his 2012 music video “Gangnam Style” went viral on YouTube. That video had over 1 billion views on YouTube in about six months, making it the most viewed YouTube video clip of all time.
“Gentleman” is a 2013 song recorded by K-pop star Psy. It was a follow-up to his incredibly successful 2012 hit “Gangnam Style”. And yes, “Gentleman” has its own dance moves, just like “Gangnam Style”.
43 Brita competitor : PUR
Pur is a brand of water filters and related products that was sold to Procter & Gamble in 1999, and sold on again to Helen of Troy Limited.
Brita is a German company that specializes in water filtration products. Brita products do a great job of filtering tap water, but they don’t “purify” it, they don’t remove microbes. That job is usually done by a municipality before the water gets to the faucet.
44 Defaulter’s risk : REPO
Repossession (repo)
45 A, in the key of D : SOL
The sol-fa syllables are: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la & ti.
46 Kind of will : ORAL
Most wills are written and witnessed documents. In some jurisdictions, it is legal to make an oral will, under certain circumstances. Such a will can be made during a person’s last sickness and in the presence of at least three witnesses. Also, the witnesses must put the will in writing within a short amount of time.
48 Subject in the film “Ghost” : AFTERLIFE
The fabulous film “Ghost” was the highest-grossing movie at the box office in 1990, bringing in over $500 million, despite only costing $21 million to make. Stars of the film are Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg. You might want to check out the stage musical adaptation “Ghost The Musical”, which debuted in 2011 and is touring the UK and US.
53 Sound measure : DECIBEL
In the world of acoustics, one bel is equal to ten decibels (dBs). The bel is named in honor of the inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell.
56 Sun-on-skin concern : AGE SPOT
Liver spots (also “age spots”) are skin blemishes associated with aging. They are found in the areas of the skin exposed to the sun’s UV radiation, and are red, brown or black in color. The name “age spots” is more accurate, as the name “liver spots” comes from a debunked theory that they are associated with liver problems.
58 Zips again, as a Ziploc bag : RESEALS
Ziploc resealable storage bags came on the market in 1968.
60 Foe of Stalin : TROTSKY
Leon Trotsky was a Soviet politician and revolutionary, the founder and first leader of the Red Army as well as one of the first members of the Politburo. Trotsky was ousted and deported in 1929 when he opposed the policies of Joseph Stalin. Trotsky continued to be vocal in opposition to Stalin in Mexico, his place of exile. Stalin had him assassinated there in 1940.
Joseph Stalin was General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party from 1922 to 1952, and Soviet Premier from 1941 to 1953. Stalin’s real name was Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili. Not long after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1903 he adopted the name “Stalin”, which is the Russian word for “steel”.
Down
1 __ rock : ACID
The musical genre known as acid rock is a subset of psychedelic rock. The term comes from the influence of the drug LSD (acid) on some compositions in the early days.
2 Perry with five Emmys : COMO
Perry Como was my mother’s favorite singer. Como was born about 20 miles from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Famously, his first career was barbering. He learned the trade from a local hairdresser and soon had his own shop in a Greek coffee house, at the age of 14!
5 Deadly agents : NINJAS
The ninjas were around in Japan at the time of the samurai, but were a very different type of warrior. The ninjas were covert operatives, specializing in the use of stealth to accomplish their missions. As they were a secretive cadre they took on a mystical reputation with the public, who believed they had the ability to become invisible or perhaps walk on water. We now use the term “ninja” figuratively, to describe anyone highly-skilled in a specific field.
6 Prepare to go after a fly : TAG UP
That would be baseball.
8 Repeated phrase in the coda of James Taylor’s “Shower the People” : MAKE IT RAIN
“Shower the People” is a 1976 song written and recorded by James Taylor. One of the more interesting things about the recording is that Carly Simon, Taylor’s wife at the time, provided backing vocals.
10 Krishna, e.g. : GOD
In the Hindu tradition, Krishna is recognized as the eighth avatar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu. Krishna is usually depicted as a boy or young man playing a flute.
15 Islamic leader : AYATOLLAH
An ayatollah is a high-ranking cleric in the Muslim faith. The position is roughly equivalent to a bishop or a cardinal in the Roman Catholic tradition, or to a chief rabbi in Judaism.
24 Neurologist who redefined “libido” to fit his theories : FREUD
“Libido” is a term popularized by Sigmund Freud. Freud’s usage was more general than is understood today, as he used “libido” to describe all instinctive energy that arose in the subconscious. He believed that we humans are driven by two desires, the desire for life (the libido, or Eros) and the desire for death (Thanatos).
25 Broadway barber : TODD
“Sweeney Todd” was originally a 1936 film, and later in 1973 a play, then a 1979 musical and a movie adaptation of the musical in 2007. After Sweeney Todd has killed his victims, his partner in crime Mrs. Lovett helped him dispose of the bodies by taking the flesh and baking it into meat pies that she sold in her pie shop. Ugh!
29 What a chiromancer does : READ PALMS
The practice of telling fortunes by studying palms is known as palmistry, palm reading, chiromancy or chirology. The term “chiromancy” comes from the Greek “kheir” (hand) and “mateia” (divination).
31 Single-serve coffee container : K-CUP POD
A K-Cup is a single-portion cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate in which the beverage is prepared in situ. K-Cup packs are used with brewing machines made by Keurig, a manufacturer of coffee brewers based in Reading, Massachusetts. Personally, I use a Nespresso machine …
32 Singles network logo with a partly outlined Star of David : JDATE
Spark Networks is a company that owns several special-interest dating sites online. The most famous is probably ChristianMingle.com, but there is also BlackSingles.com, LDSSingles.com, JDate.com and CatholicMingle.com.
35 Islamic leader : EMIR
An emir is a prince or chieftain, one most notably from the Middle East in Islamic countries. In English, “emir” can also be written variously as “emeer, amir, ameer” (watch out for those spellings in crosswords!).
45 “Like a Rock” rocker : SEGER
Bob Seger struggled as a performing artist right through the sixties and early seventies before becoming a commercial success in 1976 with the release of his album “Night Moves”. Since then, Seger has recorded songs that have become classics like “We’ve Got Tonight”, “Like a Rock” and “Old Time Rock & Roll”.
“Like a Rock” is a 1986 song written and recorded by Bob Seger. Although a hit in its own right, the song received massive exposure from 1991 to 2004 when it featured in Chevrolet’s “Like a Rock” ad campaign for trucks.
50 Pub orders : IPAS
India pale ale (IPA) is a style of beer that originated in England. The beer was originally intended for transportation from England to India, hence the name.
52 E-tailer with a “Vintage” category : ETSY
Etsy.com is an e-commerce website where you can buy and sell the kind of items that you might find at a craft fair.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Stress marks : ACCENTS
8 Result of melted crust : MAGMA
13 Kind of cable : COAXIAL
14 Little one on a slide : AMOEBA
16 Make an impression (on) : IMPINGE
17 Nephrology focus : KIDNEYS
19 “Mind your own business” : DON’T JUDGE
21 “Immediately!” : STAT!
22 Poppycock : PAP
23 Split between personalities : RIFT
26 First woman to land a triple axel in competition : ITO
27 Super Mario __ : BROS
29 Back in : RETRO
30 Sponge (up) : SOP
31 Shipbuilder’s starting point : KEEL
32 Heckled : JEERED
33 The Zugspitze, e.g. : ALP
34 Changed plans at the last second : CALLED AN AUDIBLE
37 Ryder Cup team : USA
38 Iberia hub : MADRID
39 Renaissance faire quaff : MEAD
40 “Gentleman” singer : PSY
41 “Challenge accepted!” : IT’S ON!
42 Proving field? : MATH
43 Brita competitor : PUR
44 Defaulter’s risk : REPO
45 A, in the key of D : SOL
46 Kind of will : ORAL
48 Subject in the film “Ghost” : AFTERLIFE
53 Sound measure : DECIBEL
56 Sun-on-skin concern : AGE SPOT
57 Warp, e.g. : DEFORM
58 Zips again, as a Ziploc bag : RESEALS
59 Night lights : STARS
60 Foe of Stalin : TROTSKY
Down
1 __ rock : ACID
2 Perry with five Emmys : COMO
3 Commander in brief? : CAP’N
4 It’s taken on the way out : EXIT POLL
5 Deadly agents : NINJAS
6 Prepare to go after a fly : TAG UP
7 Downhill traveler : SLED
8 Repeated phrase in the coda of James Taylor’s “Shower the People” : MAKE IT RAIN
9 “What __ missing?” : AM I
10 Krishna, e.g. : GOD
11 __ room : MEN’S
12 “We did wager, didn’t we?” : A BET IS A BET
15 Islamic leader : AYATOLLAH
18 Prevented : STOPPED
20 Eco-friendly housetop : GREEN ROOF
24 Neurologist who redefined “libido” to fit his theories : FREUD
25 Broadway barber : TODD
27 “I promise you … ” : BE ASSURED …
28 Contests with four legs : RELAY RACES
29 What a chiromancer does : READ PALMS
31 Single-serve coffee container : K-CUP POD
32 Singles network logo with a partly outlined Star of David : JDATE
35 Islamic leader : EMIR
36 “Ready!” : I’M ALL SET!
42 Beyond that : MORE SO
45 “Like a Rock” rocker : SEGER
47 Raise : LIFT
49 Sharp-tasting : TART
50 Pub orders : IPAS
51 __ rock : FOLK
52 E-tailer with a “Vintage” category : ETSY
54 Feathers on a runway : BOA
55 Goof : ERR
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