CROSSWORD SETTER: Billie Truitt
THEME: Sow There! … each of today’s themed answers ends with somewhere one might perhaps sow seed:
17A. Home country NATIVE SOIL
23A. Out of touch with reality IN LA-LA LAND
37A. Get one’s head out of the clouds COME DOWN TO EARTH
47A. Strike it rich HIT PAY DIRT
58A. Position of moral superiority HIGH GROUND
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 5m 26s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
6. Taj Mahal city AGRA
The Indian city of Agra is home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites:
– The Taj Mahal: the famous mausoleum built in memory of Mumtaz Mahal.
– Agra Fort: the site where the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond was seized.
– Fatehpur Sikri: a historic city that’s home to well-preserved Mughal architecture.
The most famous mausoleum in the world has to be the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. The Taj Mahal was built after the death of the third wife of Shah Jahan, Mumtaz Mahal (hence the name of the mausoleum). The poor woman died in childbirth delivering the couple’s 14th child.
10. __ of Arc JOAN
Joan of Arc (also Jeanne d’Arc, her birth name) led the French Army successfully into battle a number of times during the Hundred Years War with England. When she was eventually captured, Joan was tried in Rouen, the seat of the occupying English government in France at that time. There she was burned at the stake having been found guilty of heresy. Joan of Arc was canonized some 600 years later, in 1920, and is now one of the patron saints of France.
14. Tokyo automaker with a liar named Joe in its old ads ISUZU
Isuzu is a Japanese auto manufacturer, very successful in the medium and heavy truck market in particular. You’ll be seeing fewer and fewer Isuzu passenger cars on American roads though, as the company exited the US passenger car market in 2008.
16. Neutral shade ECRU
The shade called ecru is a grayish, yellowish brown. The word “ecru” comes from French and means “raw, unbleached”. “Ecru” has the same roots as our word “crude”.
22. Free-for-all MELEE
Our word “melee” comes from the French “mêlée”, and in both languages the word means a “confused fight”.
23. Out of touch with reality IN LA-LA LAND
La-la land is a euphemism for a state of unconsciousness.
26. Musical with nightclub scenes CABARET
The musical “Cabaret” is based on “I Am a Camera”, a 1951 play written by John Van Druten, which itself was adapted from a novel “Goodbye to Berlin” written by Christopher Isherwood. “Cabaret” is a great musical, although the 1972 film of the musical isn’t one of my favorites.
33. Disco brothers’ name GIBB
The Brothers Gibb (hence, the name “The Bee Gees”) were born in England but grew up and started their musical careers in Australia. They moved back to Manchester in the north of England as youths, and there hit the big time.
41. Tooth tender’s org. ADA
The American Dental Association (ADA) is the largest and oldest national dental association in the world. Today the ADA is based in Chicago, but the association was founded in Niagara Falls, New York in 1859. The ADA started out as a group of 26 dentists and now has more than 152,000 members.
43. Any one of New England’s six STATE
The geographic region of New England is the only such region of the US that is also a former political entity. The name “New England” was given to the area by the English explorer Captain John Smith in 1614. The term was first used officially in 1620, with the granting of a royal charter to Plymouth Council for New England that was established to colonize the region.
47. Strike it rich HIT PAY DIRT
“To hit pay dirt” is to succeed, make a profit. The expression comes from the mining industry, when hitting pay dirt was finding the mother lode, as it were.
52. March Madness org. NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) dates back to the Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. When his son broke his nose playing football at Harvard, President Roosevelt turned his attention to the number of serious injuries and even deaths occurring in college sports. He instigated meetings between the major educational institutions leading to the formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS) in 1906, which was given the remit of regulating college sports. The IAAUS became the NCAA in 1910.
March Madness is the name given to (among others) the NCAA Men’s Division 1 Basketball Championship, held in spring each year.
61. Bear in the sky URSA
The constellation called Ursa Major (Latin for “Larger Bear”) is often just called the Big Dipper because of its resemblance to a ladle or dipper. Ursa Major also resembles a plow, and that’s what we usually call the same constellation back in Ireland: the “plough”.
Ursa Minor sits right beside the constellation Draco (Latin for “dragon”). Ursa Minor used to be considered the wing of Draco, and so was once called “Dragon’s Wing”.
62. Clarinet cousin OBOE
The oboe is perhaps my favorite of the reed instruments. The name “oboe” comes from the French “hautbois” which means “high wood”. When you hear an orchestra tuning before a performance you’ll note (pun intended!) that the oboe starts off the process by playing an “A”. The rest of the musicians in turn tune to that oboe’s “A”. Oh, and if you want to read a fun book (almost an “exposé”) about life playing the oboe, you might try “Mozart in the Jungle” by oboist Blair Tindall. I heard recently that the folks at HBO are working towards a pilot based on the book, and I can’t wait to see it!
63. “Rubber Duckie” Muppet ERNIE
“Rubber Duckie” is a song performed by the Muppet character Ernie.
I’ve always believed that the “Sesame Street” characters Bert and Ernie were named after two roles played in the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life”. In the movie, the policeman’s name is Bert and his taxi-driving buddy is named Ernie. However, the “Sesame Street” folks have stated that the use of the same names is just a coincidence.
65. 911 responders: Abbr. EMTS
Emergency medical technician (EMT)
The first use of an emergency phone number nationally was in the UK in 1937, where the number 999 was introduced to call emergency services. If you need emergency services in the UK or Ireland to this day, you have to dial 999. It’s not really clear why 911 became the emergency number in the US. The most credible suggestion (to me) is that when it was introduced by the FCC in 1967, it was a number that “fit” with the numbers already used by AT&T for free services (211-long distance; 411-information; 611-repair service).
66. Helps, as a perp ABETS
The word “abet” came into English from the Old French “abeter” meaning “to bait” or “to harass with dogs” (“abeter” literally means “to make bite”). This sense of encouraging something bad to happen morphed into our modern usage of “abet” meaning to aid or encourage someone in a crime.
Down
2. Anthem start O SAY
“O say can you see by the dawn’s early light” us the opening line of “The Star Spangled Banner” by Francis Scott Key.
The lyrics of “The Star-Spangled Banner” were written first as a poem by Francis Scott Key, inspired by the bombarding by the British of the American forces at Fort McHenry that he witnessed during the Battle of Baltimore in September 1814. The words were then set to the tune of a popular British drinking song penned by John Stafford Smith called “The Anacreontic Song”, with the Anacreontic Society being a men’s club in London.
4. Israeli weapon UZI
The first Uzi submachine gun was designed in the late 1940s by Major Uziel Gal of the Israel Defense Forces who gave his name to the gun.
5. Honda Pilot and Ford Explorer, briefly SUVS
The term SUV, an acronym for Sports Utility Vehicle, was introduced by our marketing friends. Using the term Sports Utility Vehicle was a very clever way to get us to pay a lot of money for what was essentially a station wagon on a truck chassis, or at least it was back then.
8. “Vive le __!” ROI
“Vive le roi!” is French for “Long live the king!”
11. Central Florida city OCALA
The city of Ocala, Florida was founded near a historic village with the same name. In the local Timucua language “Ocala” means “Big Hammock”. Thoroughbred horse farming in Florida started in Ocala, back in 1943. Some folks today call Ocala the “Horse Capital of the World”, but I bet that’s disputed by others …
12. Specter formerly of the Senate ARLEN
Arlen Specter was the US Senator for Pennsylvania, famous for switching from the Republican to the Democratic Party in 2009. In 2010 he lost the Democratic primary and his seat went to Pat Toomey, a Republican. Spector developed a reputation for himself of being hard to work with over the years, earning the nickname “Snarlin’ Arlen”.
18. “Night” author Wiesel ELIE
Elie Wiesel is a holocaust survivor, best known for his book “Night” that tells of his experiences in Auschwitz and Buchenwald. Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986.
25. Gray wolf LOBO
The timber wolf is also known as the gray wolf, tundra wolf or lobo.
26. __-Cola COCA
The first cola drink to become a commercial success was Coca-Cola, soon after it was invented by a druggist in 1886. That first Coca-Cola was flavored mainly with kola nuts and vanilla. The formulation was based on an alcoholic drink called Coca Wine that had been on sale for over twenty years. The original alcoholic version actually contained a small concentration of cocaine.
27. Longtime infield partner of Jeter, familiarly A-ROD
Poor old Alex Rodriguez earned more nicknames than just A-Rod. He has been called “the Cooler” by some players as there is a perception that teams go cold when he joins them and hot when he leaves. He has also been called “A-Fraud” by teammates because of another perception, that he is over-demanding. Rodriguez is now seems to be in a world of hurt for using illegal performance-enhancing drugs.
Derek Jeter has played his entire professional baseball career with the New York Yankees, and is the team’s captain. Jeter is the all-time career leader for the Yankees in hits, games played, stolen bases and at bats. He is also the all-time leader in hits by a shortstop in the whole of professional baseball.
28. Ole Miss rival BAMA
The athletic teams of the University of Alabama (“Bama”) are nicknamed the Crimson Tide, a reference to the team colors: crimson and white.
Ole Miss is the nickname for the University of Mississippi. The name “Ole Miss” dates back to 1897, the first year a student yearbook was published. The graduating class held a competition to name the yearbook and “Ole Miss” emerged as the winner. The name stuck to the yearbook, and also as a nickname for the school itself.
30. Minuteman enemy RED COAT
Nowadays in the British Army the red tunic is reserved only for ceremonial purposes, as the vivid color has proved to be a detriment since the invention of the rifle.
Back in the colony of Massachusetts Bay, the local militia was made up of all the able-bodied males in the colony who were aged between 16 and 60. These men were called to service only when necessary. Some of the men in towns around the colony were trained for rapid deployment, and were known as “minutemen”.
33. Econ. yardstick GNP
A country’s Gross National Product (GNP) is the value of all services and products produced by its residents in a particular year. GNP includes all production wherever it is in the world, as long as the business is owned by residents of the country concerned. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is different, and is the value of all services and goods produced within the borders of the country for that year.
35. Suffix with sermon -ETTE
A sermonette is a short sermon.
38. Air France destination ORLY
Orly is on the outskirts of Paris, to the south of the city. It is home of course to the Paris-Orly Airport, the second busiest international airport for the city after the more recently built Charles de Gaulle Airport. That said, Orly is home to more domestic flights than Charles de Gaulle.
Air France is my favorite airline (okay … after Aer Lingus, the Irish airline). I used to fly Air France a lot (I lived in France for a while), but haven’t done so since the company merged with KLM in 2004. Air France-KLM is the world’s largest airline in terms of revenue.
40. DOJ division ATF
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is today part of the Department of Justice. The ATF has its roots in the Department of Treasury dating back to 1886 when it was known as the Bureau of Prohibition. “Explosives” was added to the ATF’s name when the bureau was moved under the Department of Justice as part of the reorganization called for in the Homeland Security Act of 2002.
44. Butter or mayo SPREAD
Mayonnaise originated in the town of Mahon in Menorca, a Mediterranean island belonging to Spain. The Spanish called the sauce “salsa mahonesa” after the town, and this morphed into the French word “mayonnaise” that we use in English today.
45. McDonald’s golden symbol ARCHES
The original McDonald’s restaurant was opened in 1940 by Richard and Maurice McDonald as a barbecue restaurant. The brothers then moved into fast food hamburgers, eventually selling out to one of their franchise agents, Ray Kroc. It was Ray Kroc who really led the company to its worldwide success.
47. World Court site, with “The” HAGUE
Den Haag is the Dutch name for the city in the Netherlands that we know in English as The Hague. Even though The Hague is the seat of the Dutch parliament and is where Queen Beatrix resides, it is not the country’s capital city. That honor goes to Amsterdam.
International Court of Justice (ICJ) is commonly referred to as the World Court, and is based in the the Hague in the Netherlands. The ICJ is the main judicial branch of the United Nations, and one of its functions is to settle disputes between UN member states. The US no longer accepts the jurisdiction of the ICJ, after the court’s 1986 decision that the US’s covert war against Nicaragua was in violation of international law. The UN Security Council is charged with enforcing ICJ rulings, and so the US used its veto power in the Nicaragua v. United States case.
48. Old white-key material IVORY
The traditional materials used for manufacture of piano keys was ebony and ivory.
56. Keats works ODES
The poet John Keats is famous for writing a whole series of beautiful odes. The most renowned are the so-called “1819 Odes”, a collection from the year 1819 that includes famous poems such as “Ode on a Grecian Urn”, “Ode to a Nightingale” and “Ode to Psyche”.
59. “Big Blue” IBM
The origin of the IBM nickname “Big Blue” seems to have been lost in the mists of time. That said, maybe it has something to do with the fact that the IBM logo is blue, and almost every mainframe they produced was painted blue. I remember visiting IBM on business a few times in my career, and back then we were encouraged to wear whites shirts and blue suits to “fit in” with our client’s culture.
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. “Pay attention!” FOCUS!
6. Taj Mahal city AGRA
10. __ of Arc JOAN
14. Tokyo automaker with a liar named Joe in its old ads ISUZU
15. Forehead BROW
16. Neutral shade ECRU
17. Home country NATIVE SOIL
19. Amble WALK
20. Add blonde highlights to, say DYE
21. Whole bunch SLEW
22. Free-for-all MELEE
23. Out of touch with reality IN LA-LA LAND
26. Musical with nightclub scenes CABARET
31. Men of the future? BOYS
32. Take to the soapbox ORATE
33. Disco brothers’ name GIBB
34. Church seat PEW
37. Get one’s head out of the clouds COME DOWN TO EARTH
41. Tooth tender’s org. ADA
42. Trim, as a photo CROP
43. Any one of New England’s six STATE
44. Fly alone SOLO
45. So far AS OF YET
47. Strike it rich HIT PAY DIRT
51. Stave off AVERT
52. March Madness org. NCAA
54. Performing pair DUO
57. Missing GONE
58. Position of moral superiority HIGH GROUND
61. Bear in the sky URSA
62. Clarinet cousin OBOE
63. “Rubber Duckie” Muppet ERNIE
64. Checked out EYED
65. 911 responders: Abbr. EMTS
66. Helps, as a perp ABETS
Down
1. Discover FIND
2. Anthem start O SAY
3. Just darling CUTE
4. Israeli weapon UZI
5. Honda Pilot and Ford Explorer, briefly SUVS
6. Not there ABSENT
7. Watchdog’s warning GROWL
8. “Vive le __!” ROI
9. Piercing tool AWL
10. Tiara sparklers JEWELS
11. Central Florida city OCALA
12. Specter formerly of the Senate ARLEN
13. Microwaved NUKED
18. “Night” author Wiesel ELIE
22. “It’s possible” MAYBE SO
24. Slightly A BIT
25. Gray wolf LOBO
26. __-Cola COCA
27. Longtime infield partner of Jeter, familiarly A-ROD
28. Ole Miss rival BAMA
29. Downed ATE
30. Minuteman enemy RED COAT
33. Econ. yardstick GNP
34. Seek guidance in a 34-Across PRAY
35. Suffix with sermon -ETTE
36. Sharpen WHET
38. Air France destination ORLY
39. Lumber WOOD
40. DOJ division ATF
44. Butter or mayo SPREAD
45. McDonald’s golden symbol ARCHES
46. Without a date STAG
47. World Court site, with “The” HAGUE
48. Old white-key material IVORY
49. Anxious TENSE
50. Gold bar INGOT
53. Geometry calculation AREA
54. Sandy slope DUNE
55. Military squad UNIT
56. Keats works ODES
58. Whack weeds the old-fashioned way HOE
59. “Big Blue” IBM
60. Sphere ORB
Bill, wonderful blog. Learnt a lot – especially about the 'leader', Derek Jeter …. Read all about him in wiki, … Despite, the fact that I generally have a low opinion of about the goings on, of most sports personalities, I am impressed with his dedication …. Must remember his name.
Fathepur Sikri was designed to be a capital city, but was famously abandoned because of shortage of water. Apparently, urban planning, was a relatively unknown field ….So it is relatively pristine – since it didn't get 'much use '.
Thank you for your recommendation of the oboist's book – I will read it soon.
So, The Hague, is not the capital city…. I have to correct my mental notes. I always thought it was. Amsterdam is so much more famous, and easer to remember.
Is it true that the Titanic, was carrying a big load of Helmann's mayonnaise, bound for Mexico, — to be delivered , after its docking in NY harbor ? When the Titanic sank, the Mexicans were sorely disappointed, and hence the festival, to commemorate the tragedy, , 'Sinko de Mayo'?
In my opinion Air France, is one of the worst airlines, I have flown in. They refuse to speak English, – although they jolly well know the language, ( they always reply in French – ), and in my opinion, their behavior leaves a lot to be desired. I have found them very rude. IMHO. I feel so strongly about this, that I felt I had to leave a comment.
I had an easy time with the puzzle, despite the fact that the LAT cross. Kept giving me the Sunday online puzzle, until 0930 hrs EST !!!
Have a good week.
Bill, I was reading about your blog on yesterday's XWORD, which I didn't try to solve ….
Regarding the ban on carrying Copra, or it's powder .on a plane, and the ban enforced, because its proneness to spontaneous combustion …. I have carried copra powder and shavings as Indian dry chutney , many many times on the planes … As 'carry on', baggage – Which is subject to a greater degree of scrutiny – and have never had any problems. A lot of materials, with a high concentration of edible, and relatively volatile, oils, like nuts, especially peanuts, in shell or otherwise , especially stored, in bulk, in a warehouse, during hot days, are prone to spontaneous combustion —- but they are not banned in the airlines.
I must read up in Google about this ….
Without beating this subject to death …. I just read some articles on Google … Copra IS subject to control during transport …. Like a schedule 4.2 category , especially for spontaneous. Combustion…..
But the limits for transport, is over 1001 pounds, and where the humidity is over 9 -23%, and for industrial wholesale imports/exports.
BTW, Pistachio Nuts are the worst item in this category. But you find them on every supermarket shelf, and I am sure most of them were transported by air.
TMI. .
Hi there, Vidwan.
I'll be honest and say that having solved so many puzzles in my life, Monday crosswords aren't much of a challenge anymore. As a result, I get a bigger kick on a Monday looking up things that interest me, things that have been mentioned in a clue or answer.
Two good examples today are "Minuteman" and "World Court". I knew what the minutemen were, but didn't really know where the name came from. Similarly, I knew a fair bit about the World Court, but didn't know that how the US came to not recognize its jurisdiction in all cases.
Blair Tindall's "Mozart in the Jungle" was interesting to me as I am a classical music fan. Her story exposes the darker side of the "industry", and kept me interested the whole way through. Another little bit of trivia about Ms. Tindall is that she was married (for a few weeks only) to Bill Nye the Science Guy.
I just read over 29 reviews of the above,mentioned book, book, by Blair Tindall. A lot of people seem to be very upset by it – which in my mind makes it a more interesting read.
Among the long umber of reviews, I I also read THE REVIEw by Bill Nye, the science guy…. And a very nasty comment to THAT review. By someone who knows of the marriage, and the divorce. my, my, my, …
I guess most people seem to agree with her that …… a. Classical musicians will be very much job- challenged – no jobs.
B. they are not paid enough for a decent lifestyle..
. C. The future is very bleak, for such occupations.
Also, many people are mad because ….
a. She gave some sexual favors / or thought she had to. B. she lays out some ground rules on how to get ahead ..
.and C. She has denigrated the entire profession.
And I haven't even read the book yet .!!!!
may I mention a book? City of Gold by Gillian Tindall. .?
(These Tindalsl really get around ….)
An excellent book, on the biography of Bombay … By an urbanologist, who is also an engaging writer.
(Mumbai) …. Wonderful book, 1982/1992. Copyrights. Written in delightful prose, and I found it so delightful —– I have 5 copies of the book !!! 210 pages, penguin books.
Hi Bill!
This is Cathy in Las Vegas.
Just wanted to say how much I enjoy
reading your commentaries (blog)?
Still have a problem with that. I am 50
years old and I guess kind of stubborn.
Twitter, hash tags, etc.
Anyhoo, also wanted to say, anytime I
hear Bert and Ernie, I think of "It's a
wonderful life".
Thanks again. Cathy
Hi there, Cathy.
I always make the same association between Bert & Ernie on the Muppets, and Bert & Ernie in "It's a Wonderful Life". Apparently the Muppet version of Bert & Ernie are NOT a homage to the movie duo, as I'd always thought.
Great film …