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Constructed by: Samuel A. Donaldson
Edited by: Rich Norris
Today’s Theme: None
Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers
Want to discuss the puzzle? Then …
… leave a comment
Bill’s time: 14m 36s
Bill’s errors: 0
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Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Lower one’s credit rating? : LOSE FACE
That would be street cred(it).
9. Complain. All. The. Time. : YAMMER
Our verb “to yammer”, meaning “to complain”, probably comes from the Middle Duth “jammeren”, which has the same meaning.
15. Accessory seen in a loge : OPERA HAT
In most theaters and stadia today, “loge” is the name given to the front rows of a mezzanine level. Loge can also be used for box seating.
17. Soft drinks with lime juice : VIRGIN DAIQUIRIS
Daiquirí is a small village on the coast near Santiago, Cuba and a key location in the American invasion of Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Supposedly, the cocktail called a “Daiquiri” was invented by American mining engineers in a bar in nearby Santiago.
20. Investment option : PUT
“Put option” is the name given to a contract in which the buyer of the put has the option to sell something at a future date should it’s market price fall to a predetermined level. The seller of the put is obliged to purchase the security at that price.
21. Short way? : RTE
Route (rte.)
26. “The Da Vinci Code” priory : SION
In the preface of Dan Brown’s novel “The Da Vinci Code”, the Priory of Sion is presented as a secret society that does in fact exist. However, there is a lot of evidence that the priory was an invention, and created in forged documents in the sixties. Regardless, Dan Brown’s book is a really enjoyable read, in my humble opinion …
27. Miracle-__ : GRO
Scotts Miracle-Gro Company was founded in 1868 by one Orlando Scott, and initially dols seed to the agricultural industry. In the early 1900s, Scotts started to sell to homeowners, and mainly supplied lawn seed. The company merged with the gardening company Miracle-Gro in 1955.
31. Great guy? : SCOTT
No one seems to know for sure who the Scott is in the exclamation “great Scott!”. One theory is that the reference is to the commander-in-chief of the US Army during the Civil War, General Winfield Scott. Scott weighed in at 300 pounds later in his life, and was so obese that he could not ride a horse.
34. Prairie home : TEPEE
A tepee (also written as “tipi” and “teepee”) is a cone-shaped tent traditionally made from animal hides that is used by the Great Plains Native Americans. A wigwam is a completely different structure and is often a misnomer for a tepee. A wigwam is a domed structure built by Native Americans in the West and Southwest, intended to be a more permanent dwelling. The wigwam can also be covered with hides but more often was covered with grass, reeds, brush or cloth.
35. Internet annoyance : TROLL
In Internet terms, a troll is someone who attempts to disrupt online group activities. The fishing term “troll” is used to describe such a person, as he or she throws out off-topic remarks in an attempt to “lure” others into some emotional response. Sad, sad people …
37. Longest river in France : LOIRE
The Loire is the longest river in France. It is so long that it drains one-fifth of the nation’s land mass. The Loire rises in the southeast, in the Cevennes mountain range, then heads north then due west, emptying into the Bay of Biscay at the city of Nantes. The Loire Valley is home to some of France’s most famous wine production, and includes the wine regions of Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé and Muscadet.
38. What’s worn when you’re out? : PJS
Our word “pajamas” (sometimes “PJs” or “jammies”) comes to us from the Indian subcontinent, where “pai jamahs” were loose fitting pants tied at the waist and worn at night by locals and ultimately by the Europeans living there. And “pajamas” is another of those words that I had to learn to spell differently when I came to America. On the other side of the Atlantic, the spelling is “pyjamas”.
42. Exorcist’s concern : POSSESSION
An exorcist is a religious figure who is believed to be able to cast out demons that have possessed a person or perhaps a building.
44. “WWE Raw” airer : USA
“WWE Raw” is a professional wrestling TV show. Not my cup of java …
45. __ Four : FAB
The Beatles were described on the sleeve notes of their 1963 album “With the Beatles” as the “fabulous foursome”. The press picked up on the phrase and morphed it into “the Fab Four”.
46. Solemn song : DIRGE
A dirge is a slow and mournful piece of music, like perhaps a funeral hymn.
47. Many UFO videos : DOCTORED FOOTAGE
Unidentified flying object (UFO)
Down
1. Member of TLC : LOVING
Tender loving care (TLC)
2. Contributor of two cents : OPINER
“To put in one’s two cents” is to add one’s opinion. The American expression derives from the older English version, which is “to put in one’s two pennies’ worth”.
3. Artist Aragonés of Mad : SERGIO
Sergio Aragonés is a Spanish-Mexican cartoonist who is best known for his contributions to “Mad” magazine. One of Aragonés’ creations is the regular section in the magazine titled “A Mad Look At …”
4. Grain bane : ERGOT
Ergots are fungi that cause disease in rye and related plants. If human eat ergot-contaminated grain, a condition called ergotism can result. Ergotism is the result of consumption of alkaloids produced by the fungi, alkaloids that can cause seizures and manic behavior. It has even been suggested that the hysteria exhibited by the Salem “witches” was perhaps caused by the ingestion of ergot-contaminated rye.
5. Like some private school curricula : FAITH-BASED
A curriculum (plural “curricula”) is a set of courses offered by a teaching establishment. “Curriculum” is Latin for “running, course”, and comes from “currere” meaning “to run”.
6. Philip __, first Asian-American film actor with a Hollywood Walk of Fame star : AHN
The actor Philip Ahn is perhaps best known for playing Master Kahn, one of Caine’s teachers on the television show “Kung Fu”. Ahn was the first Asian-American actor to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
7. Two-timer : CAD
Our word “cad”, meaning “person lacking in finer feelings”, is a shortening of the word “cadet”. “Cad” was first used for a servant, and then students at British universities used “cad” as a term for a boy from the local town. “Cad” took on its current meaning in the 1830s.
8. American posting, for short : ETA
American Airlines was founded in 1930 through the acquisition of 82 existing small airlines, and initially operated as American Airways. The company name was changed to “American Air Lines” in 1934. Back then, airlines made their profits by carrying the US mail, and American became the first airline to turn a profit on a route that could solely carry passengers. It did so by working with Donald Douglas to develop the DC-3 passenger plane. At that time, American started calling its aircraft “Flagships” and introduced its more wealthy passengers to the first Admirals Club.
9. Arizona people : YAQUI
The Yaqui are an ethnic group who live mainly in the Southwestern US and the Mexican state of Sonora. The Spanish first encountered the Yaqui in 1533. There followed an almost continual struggle by the Yaqui to defend their lands and culture for four centuries.
11. ER test : MRI
An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) machine uses powerful magnetic fields to generate its images so there is no exposure to ionizing radiation (such as X-rays). We used MRI equipment in our chemistry labs at school, way back in the days when the technology was still called Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (NMRI). Apparently the marketing folks didn’t like the term “nuclear” because of its association with atomic bombs, so now it’s just called MRI.
12. Omni alternative : MARRIOTT
Marriott Hotels developed their initial properties in the fifties. The first to open was the Quality Inn near Washington DC, which was the first purpose-built airport hotel in the country.
23. Type type : ELITE
Both “pica” and “elite” are types. Pica is a 12-point type, having about 10 characters per inch. Elite is 10-point type, with about 12 characters per inch.
25. FireDome and Fireflite : DESOTOS
The DeSoto brand of car was built by Chrysler from 1928 to 1961. The line was named after the Spanish explorer and conquistador, Hernando de Soto, widely reported as the first European to have crossed the Mississippi River (although Cabeza de Vaca had at least discovered one of the mouths of the Mississippi twenty years earlier).
30. Cocoon occupants : PUPAE
A pupa is a stage in the life of some insects. All four stages are embryo, larva, pupa and imago. Pupae can look like little dolls, hence the name. “Pupa” is the Latin for “doll”.
32. Astronaut transports : JET PACKS
The jet pack was originally restricted to the world of science fiction, the concept having been introduced in the 1920s. In the 1960s the jet pack became a reality, with people flying through the air, particularly in movies. And, there followed soon after jet packs used by astronauts in space.
33. Leon on many spines : URIS
Leon Uris is an American writer. Uris’s most famous books are “Exodus” and “Trinity”, two excellent stories, in my humble opinion …
38. PNC Park player : PIRATE
PNC Park is the home to the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team. The park is sponsored by PNC Financial Services, the sixth largest bank in the US, and one founded and based in Pittsburgh.
45. “Look out!” : FORE!
No one seems to know for sure where the golfing term “fore!” comes from. It has been used at least as far back as 1881, and since then has been called out to warn other golfers that a wayward ball might be heading their way. My favorite possibility for its origin is that it is a contraction of the Gaelic warning cry “Faugh a Ballagh!” (clear the way!) which is still called out in the sport of road bowling. Road bowling is an Irish game where players bowl balls along roads between villages, trying to reach the end of the course in as few bowls as possible, just like in golf!
48. Fraternity character : TAU
Tau is the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet, and the letter which gave rise to our Roman “T”. Both the letters tau (T) and chi (X) have long been symbolically associated with the cross.
49. Courtroom VIPs : DAS
District Attorney (DA)
50. OTC drug overseer : FDA
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has its roots in the Division of Chemistry (later “Bureau of Chemistry”) that was part of the US Department of Agriculture. President Theodore Roosevelt gave responsibility for examination of food and drugs to the Bureau of Chemistry with the signing of the Pure Food and Drug Act. The Bureau’s name was changed to the Food, Drug and Insecticide Organization in 1927, and to the Food and Drug Administration in 1930.
Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs don’t need a prescription (Rx).
51. Norfolk sch. : ODU
Old Dominion University (ODU) is a public school in Norfolk, Virginia. ODU was established in 1930 as a two-year branch division of the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg. The school was granted independence in 1962 as Old Dominion College, and became Old Dominion University in 1969. “The Old Dominion” was a nickname given to Virginia by King Charles II in recognition of the loyalty shown by the colony during the English Civil War.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1. Lower one’s credit rating? : LOSE FACE
9. Complain. All. The. Time. : YAMMER
15. Accessory seen in a loge : OPERA HAT
16. Scour, say : ABRADE
17. Soft drinks with lime juice : VIRGIN DAIQUIRIS
19. Cash bar? : INGOT
20. Investment option : PUT
21. Short way? : RTE
22. “Likewise no” : NEITHER DO I
26. “The Da Vinci Code” priory : SION
27. Miracle-__ : GRO
28. Feel pity : BLEED
29. Water conduit : SPOUT
30. Water holders : PAILS
31. Great guy? : SCOTT
32. “I’ll have the last laugh!” : JUST YOU WAIT!
34. Prairie home : TEPEE
35. Internet annoyance : TROLL
36. Just passed : GOT A D
37. Longest river in France : LOIRE
38. What’s worn when you’re out? : PJS
41. One often thrown from a horse : ROPE
42. Exorcist’s concern : POSSESSION
44. “WWE Raw” airer : USA
45. __ Four : FAB
46. Solemn song : DIRGE
47. Many UFO videos : DOCTORED FOOTAGE
52. Small racer : GO-KART
53. What “instant” may mean : ADD WATER
54. Happens next : ENSUES
55. Cocky walks, maybe : SAUNTERS
Down
1. Member of TLC : LOVING
2. Contributor of two cents : OPINER
3. “Mad” artist Aragonés : SERGIO
4. Grain bane : ERGOT
5. Like some private school curricula : FAITH-BASED
6. Philip __, first Asian-American film actor with a Hollywood Walk of Fame star : AHN
7. Two-timer : CAD
8. American posting, for short : ETA
9. Arizona people : YAQUI
10. Touch : ABUT
11. ER test : MRI
12. Omni alternative : MARRIOTT
13. Bleep : EDIT OUT
14. Feel offended by : RESENT
18. Player for a 39-Down : IPOD
23. Type type : ELITE
24. Fall back (on) : RELY
25. FireDome and Fireflite : DESOTOS
26. Give away, in a way : SPOIL
29. Pares proportionately : SCALES DOWN
30. Cocoon occupants : PUPAE
31. Cursed : SWORE
32. Astronaut transports : JETPACKS
33. Leon on many spines : URIS
34. “Am I early?” : TOO SOON?
36. Unhealthy thing to hold : GRUDGE
37. Stud site : LOBE
38. PNC Park player : PIRATE
39. One on the run : JOGGER
40. Scornful looks : SNEERS
42. Dealer’s supply : PARTS
43. Occupy, as a bar : SIT AT
45. “Look out!” : FORE!
48. Fraternity character : TAU
49. Courtroom VIPs : DAS
50. OTC drug overseer : FDA
51. Norfolk sch. : ODU
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