Day: June 12, 2014

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. *Place to cuddle SOFA
“Sofa” is a Turkish word meaning “bench”.

13. *Minnesota player TWIN
The Minnesota Twins baseball team started out life as the Kansas City Blues in 1894, before becoming the Washington Senators in 1901. The team arrived in Minneapolis in 1961.

14. Dominoes unit TILE
White masks with black spots were commonly seen in the old Venetian Carnival. The masks were known as “domini”. The domini lent their name to the game of dominoes, due to the similarity in appearance between the mask and a domino tile.

15. False god BAAL
The name “Baal” was used for several gods and sometimes human officials by ancient Semitic peoples. In the Hebrew Bible, Baal is notably cited as a false god. As a result, we sometimes use the term “baal” today to mean a false god or an idol.

16. Occult symbols PENTAGRAMS
A pentagram is a star-shape with five points that has been drawn using five straight lines. The name “pentagram” comes from the Greek for “five line”. The shape is sometimes also called a “pentacle”, “pentalpha” or “pentangle”. The pentagram is used as a prominent symbol in several religions and movements, notably in modern occultism.

19. Porter’s “__ Girls” LES
“Les Girls” is a 1957 MGM musical that was scored by Cole Porter. Stars of the film are Gene Kelly and Mitzi Gaynor.

Cole Porter was a little unusual amongst his peers in that he was one of the few successful songwriters who wrote both lyrics and musics for his compositions. Porter was seriously injured in a riding accident when in his forties and was left disabled and in pain. Despite this, he continued to work and produced his most successful work after the accident.

20. Scooby-Doo, e.g. TOON
“Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!” is a series of cartoons produced for Hanna-Barbera Productions, first broadcast in 1969.

23. Reunion attendee ALUM
An “alumnus” (plural … alumni) is a graduate or former student of a school or college. The female form is “alumna” (plural … alumnae). The term comes into English from Latin, in which alumnus means foster-son or pupil. “Alum” is an informal term used for either an alumna or an alumnus.

25. “Memoirs of a Geisha” sash OBI
“Memoirs of a Geisha” is a novel by American writer Arthur Golden that recounts the life of a geisha working in Kyoto, Japan before, during and after WWII. Golden was helped in his research by a retired geisha called Mineko Iwasaki who claimed that she provided assistance on condition of anonymity. When her name was published in the book, Iwasaki sued and ended up with an undisclosed settlement. There was a 2005 movie adaption of the novel, which also led to some criticism in Japan. The concern was that Chinese actresses were used for the main female roles instead of Japanese actresses.

27. Versatile blood donor TYPE O
The most important grouping of blood types is the ABO system. Blood is classified as either A, B, AB or O, depending on the type of antigens on the surface of the red blood cells. A secondary designation of blood is the Rh factor, in which other antigens are labelled as either positive or negative. When a patient receives a blood transfusion, ideally the donor blood should be the same type as that of the recipient, as incompatible blood cells can be rejected. However, blood type O-neg can be accepted by recipients with all blood types, A, B, AB or O, and positive or negative. Hence someone with O-neg blood type is called a “universal donor”.

29. Impede legally ESTOP
The term “estop” means to block or stop by using some legal device. The word “estop” comes from Old French, in which “estopper” means “to stop up” or “to impede”.

33. __ Arbor ANN
Ann Arbor, Michigan was founded in 1824 by John Allen and Elisha Rumsey. Supposedly, Allen and Rumsey originally used the name “Annsarbour” in recognition of stands of bur oak that were on the land they had purchased and in recognition of their wives, both of whom were called “Ann” (i.e. Anns’ Arbor)

35. One may be rolled up TARP
Originally, tarpaulins were made from canvas covered in tar that rendered the material waterproof. The word “tarpaulin” comes from “tar” and “palling”, with “pall” meaning “heavy cloth covering”.

36. Tuber cultivated in the Andes OCA
The plant called an oca is also known as the New Zealand Yam. The tubers of the oca are used as a root vegetable.

The Andes is the longest continuous chain of mountains in the world, running right down the length of the west coast of South America for about 4,300 miles. The highest peak in the range is Mt. Aconcagua, at an elevation of 22,841 feet. Interestingly, the peak of Mt. Chimborazo in Ecuador is the furthest point on the Earth’s surface from the center of the planet. That’s because of the equatorial “bulge” around the Earth’s “waist”.

41. Police record BLOTTER
A police blotter is (or used to be) a daily record of arrests made.

54. *Actor Phoenix RIVER
River Phoenix was a young actor at the height of his career when he passed away at only 23 years old. Phoenix’s first big success was as a child actor in the 1986 hit film “Stand by Me”. Later in his short life he garnered favorable attention for his performances in “Running on Empty” and “My Own Private Idaho”. Phoenix collapsed and died from drug-induced heart failure on the sidewalk outside a nightclub.

59. *Consolation for one who doesn’t strike SPARE
In bowling, the downing of all ten pins in two balls in the same frame is a “spare”, scoring ten points. The player gets a bonus, equal to the number of pins downed with the next ball, which could be up to ten. Hence, a spare can be worth up to 20 points.

60. Barnacle site, perhaps KEEL
The barnacle is a marine arthropod related to the crab and the lobster. Barnacles are classified as “encrusters”, meaning that they attach themselves permanently to some solid substrate. It is thought that the name “barnacle” was applied to the marine create from the name of the barnacle goose. According to folklore, the barnacle goose “hatched” underwater, emerging from what we know today as “barnacles”.

62. “Arabian Nights” name ALI
There is some controversy about the story “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” in that it has been suggested it was not part of the original collection of Arabic tales called “One Thousand and One Nights” (also “Arabian Nights”). The suggestion is that it was added by one of its European translators.

63. Just slightly A TAD
Back in the 1800s “tad” was used to describe a young child, and this morphed into our usage of “small amount” in the early 1900s. The original use of “tad” for a child is very likely a shortened version of “tadpole”.

68. German wheels OPEL
Adam Opel founded his company in 1863, first making sewing machines in a cowshed. Commercial success brought new premises and a new product line in 1886, namely penny-farthing bicycles. Adam Opel died in 1895, leaving his two sons with a company that made more penny-farthings and sewing machines than any other company in the world. In 1899 the two sons partnered with a locksmith and started to make cars, but not very successfully. Two years later, the locksmith was dropped in favor of a licensing arrangement with a French car company. By 1914, Opel was the largest manufacturer of automobiles in Germany. My Dad had an Opel in the seventies, a station wagon (we’d say “estate car” in Ireland) called an Opel Kadett.

69. *London rental FLAT
“Flat” is a word more commonly used in the British Isles than here. A flat is basically an apartment or condominium. The word “flat” is Scottish in origin, in which language it meant a “floor in a house”.

71. “Anger, fear, aggression; the dark side of the Force are they” speaker YODA
Yoda is one of the most beloved characters in the “Star Wars” series of films. Yoda’s voice was provided by the great modern-day puppeteer Frank Oz of “Muppets” fame.

Down
5. Disco device STROBE
Discotheques first appeared during WWII in Occupied France. American-style music (like jazz and jitterbug dances) was banned by the Nazis, so French natives met in underground clubs that they called discotheques where records were often played on just a single turntable. After the war, these clubs came out into the open. One famous Paris discotheque was called “Whiskey a Gogo”. In that Paris disco, non-stop music was played using two turntables next to a dance-floor, and this concept spread around the world.

6. Benched player? PIANIST
What was remarkable about the piano when it was invented, compared to other keyboard instruments, was that notes could be played with varying degrees of loudness. This is accomplished by pressing the keys lightly or firmly. Because of this quality, the new instrument was called a “pianoforte”, with “piano” and “forte” meaning “soft” and “loud” in Italian. We tend to shorten the name these days to just “piano”.

8. 1973 thriller featuring Yul Brynner as an android gunman WESTWORLD
“Westworld” is a highly entertaining sci-fi thriller that was released in 1973. The film was written and directed by the great Michael Crichton and stars Yul Brynner. Brynner plays a rogue android in a Western-themed, futuristic theme park. Great stuff …

Yul Brynner was a Russian-born actor. Brynner was well known for his great performances, but also for his shaved head and his deep rich voice. He first adopted the “hairstyle” while playing the King of Siam in the stage version of “The King and I”, and he stuck with it.

10. Knight of note LANCELOT
Sir Lancelot was one of the knights in the legend of King Arthur and the Round Table. Lancelot was the most trusted of Arthur’s knights when it came to battle, but off the field he had a poorer reputation. Famously, Lancelot had an affair with Guinevere, Arthur’s wife.

16. Land map PLAT
A “plat” is a map showing actual and planned features, so a town might have a plat showing existing and intended buildings.

30. Picked-up item TAB
When we “run a tab” at a bar say, we are “running a tabulation”, a listing of what we owe. Such a use of “tab” is American slang that originated in the 1880s.

32. Mars’ realm WAR
Mars was the god of war in Ancient Rome. He was viewed as the father of the Roman people, and the father of Romulus and Remus, the twin brothers who founded Rome according to Roman mythology..

34. Title wanderer in a 1948 Nat King Cole hit NATURE BOY
“Nature Boy” is a 1947 song that was a hit for Nat King Cole in 1948. The song’s title is a reference to group of proto-hippies called “Nature Boys” that were around in 1940s Los Angeles. The song was written for and used as the main theme for a 1948 comedy movie called “The Boy with the Green Hair”.

Nat King Cole’s real name was Nathaniel Adams Coles. Cole made television history in 1956 when his own show debuted on NBC, a first for an African-American. Cole couldn’t pick up a national sponsor, so in order to save money and possibly save the show, many guest artists worked for no fee at all – the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Harry Belafonte and Peggy Lee. The show survived for a year, but eventually Nat King Cole had to pull the plug on it himself.

37. Bunny’s mom DOE
An adult male rabbit is called a “buck”, and an adult female is a “doe”. A young rabbit is a “kitten” or “kit”.

39. User-edited reference entry WIKI PAGE
A wiki is a website in which users are allowed to create and edit content themselves. The term “wiki” comes from the name of the first such site, introduced in 1994 and called WikiWikiWeb. “Wiki” is a Hawaiian word for “quick”, and is used because comprehensive content is created very quickly a there are so many collaborators contributing to the site.

40. Tyke TOT
“Tyke” has been used playfully to describe a young child since at least 1902, but for centuries before that a tyke was a cur or mongrel, or perhaps a lazy or lower-class man.

49. Mexican state or its capital PUEBLA
Puebla is one of the 31 states in Mexico. It is located in the east-central part of the country and is named for the city of Puebla, the state capital.

51. “Man is not free unless government is limited” speaker REAGAN
President Ronald Reagan made his farewell speech from the White House in 1988. Included in the text were the following lines:

I hope we have once again reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There’s a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts.

52. First National Leaguer to hit 500 homers MEL OTT
At 5′ 9″, Mel Ott weighed just 170 lb (I don’t think he took steroids!) and yet he was the first National League player to hit over 500 home runs. Sadly, Ott died in a car accident in New Orleans in 1958 when he was only 49 years old.

55. “Star Wars” villain VADER
Darth Vader is the main character in the “Star Wars” movies. The villainous adult Vader was portrayed physically by several strapping male actors, the first being English bodybuilder David Prowse. Vader’s wonderful voice was supplies by actor James Earl Jones. However, Jones went uncredited in the first two films released, at his own request. He thought that his contribution to the role was too small to warrant a mention.

57. __-esprit: wit BEL
“Bel esprit” is French for “high mind”, and we use it to mean someone who is cultivated and highly intelligent, or perhaps someone who is witty. The plural of “bel esprit” is “beaux esprits”.

61. Stop, as an embargo LIFT
“Embargo” and “blockade” are two similar yet different terms. An embargo is a legal prohibition of trade with a particular country, whilst a blockade is an act of war, a militarily enforced prevention of the movement of goods and services. The term “embargo” came into English from Spanish, in the late 16th century.

65. Mil. address APO
Army post office(APO)

66. Phillies’ div. NLE
Philadelphia’s baseball team was founded in 1883 as the Quakers, with the name changing to the Philadelphias and Phillies not long into the team’s history. The Phillies have been based in the same city using the same team name longer than any other team in US professional sports.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. *Place to cuddle SOFA
5. Gush SPEW
9. As well ALSO
13. *Minnesota player TWIN
14. Dominoes unit TILE
15. False god BAAL
16. Occult symbols PENTAGRAMS
18. Like some audiobooks ON CD
19. Porter’s “__ Girls” LES
20. Scooby-Doo, e.g. TOON
21. *__ stop TRUCK
23. Reunion attendee ALUM
25. “Memoirs of a Geisha” sash OBI
26. *Tend to the garden WATER
27. Versatile blood donor TYPE O
29. Impede legally ESTOP
31. Area with briefs and cases LAW
33. __ Arbor ANN
35. One may be rolled up TARP
36. Tuber cultivated in the Andes OCA
37. Memorized, perhaps DOWN PAT
41. Police record BLOTTER
43. Egg: Pref. OVI-
44. Simple step A TO B
46. Word on a deodorant label DRI
47. Surprised cry EEK!
48. Accommodate PUT UP
50. Contract details TERMS
54. *Actor Phoenix RIVER
56. Gist NUB
58. Philosophical DEEP
59. *Consolation for one who doesn’t strike SPARE
60. Barnacle site, perhaps KEEL
62. “Arabian Nights” name ALI
63. Just slightly A TAD
64. Full of nonsense talk BABBLING ON
67. Undertake WAGE
68. German wheels OPEL
69. *London rental FLAT
70. Rubberneck EYER
71. “Anger, fear, aggression; the dark side of the Force are they” speaker YODA
72. *Lawn party rental TENT

Down
1. Like a cold stare STEELY
2. Comes clean OWNS UP
3. Clothier’s concern FIT
4. Med sch. class ANAT
5. Disco device STROBE
6. Benched player? PIANIST
7. Suburban tree ELM
8. 1973 thriller featuring Yul Brynner as an android gunman WESTWORLD
9. Roughly ABOUT
10. Knight of note LANCELOT
11. Picnic competition SACK RACE
12. Tiresome OLD
16. Land map PLAT
17. Gunk GOO
22. Sympathetic connection RAPPORT
24. Malicious MEAN
28. Theoretically ON PAPER
30. Picked-up item TAB
32. Mars’ realm WAR
34. Title wanderer in a 1948 Nat King Cole hit NATURE BOY
37. Bunny’s mom DOE
38. Abuse, as one’s welcome OVERSTAY
39. User-edited reference entry WIKI PAGE
40. Tyke TOT
42. Leaderless? TIED
45. Summer camp sight, and a hint to what each contiguous pair of answers to starred clues graphically represents BUNKBED
49. Mexican state or its capital PUEBLA
51. “Man is not free unless government is limited” speaker REAGAN
52. First National Leaguer to hit 500 homers MEL OTT
53. Game show turn SPIN
55. “Star Wars” villain VADER
57. __-esprit: wit BEL
61. Stop, as an embargo LIFT
63. Bedazzle AWE
65. Mil. address APO
66. Phillies’ div. NLE

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