Day: August 9, 2014

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Setting in the musical “Two By Two” NOAH’S ARK
“Two By Two” is a 1970 musical with lyrics that is based on the “The Flowering Peach”, a play by Clifford Odets. Both the musical and play tell the store of Noah and the Great Flood. The musical was only produced one time, on Broadway with Danny Kaye playing the lead.

9. Brightness measure IQ TEST
The original Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale for scoring IQ tests was developed by French psychologist Alfred Binet and his student Theodore Simon. The scale was revised in 1916 by Lewis M. Terman, a psychologist at Stanford University, resulting in the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale.

16. Colorful attire MUUMUU
A “muumuu” is a loose dress that originated in Hawaii. Many muumuus are brightly colored and made of the same material as the ubiquitous Hawaiian shirt. The word “mu’umu’u” means “cut off” in Hawaiian.

17. Darby Conley comic strip GET FUZZY
“Get Fuzzy” is a cartoon strip by Darby Conley that has been running since 1999. The strip’s main characters are an advertising executive called Rob Wilco and his pets Satchel Pooch and Bucky Katt.

19. Marlins’ div. NLE
The Miami Marlins baseball team started out life in 1993 as the Florida Marlins. The franchise changed its name to the Miami Marlins in 2011 when it relocated to the newly constructed Marlins Park.

20. Rock fan’s subj. GEOL
Geology (geol.)

26. Dark-eyed subculturists GOTHS
The goth subculture developed from the gothic rock scene in the early eighties, and is a derivative of the punk music movement. It started in England and spread to many countries around the globe. The term “goth” of course comes from the Eastern Germanic tribe called the Goths. Frankly, I don’t understand the whole goth thing …

33. Salon, e.g. EMAG
Salon.com is a popular online magazine, one of the first “ezines” ever published. “Salon” focuses on American politics and current affairs, but also has articles about books, music and films. The magazine was launched in 1995, and managed to survive many loss-making years. Most of “Salon’s” content is free, but it does make money by offering a premium service with extra content, and by selling ad space.

38. “Candle in the Wind” dedicatee LADY DI
“Candle in the Wind” is a 1973 song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin in honor of Marilyn Monroe, hence the lyric “Goodbye, Norma Jean”. Elton John rewrote some of the words in honor of Diana, Princess of Wales and performed it at the princess’s memorial service. The line most descriptive of Diana in the 1997 version is “Goodbye, English rose”.

40. Stat opposite NO RUSH
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 turnaround time”.

47. 2001 Microsoft debut XBOX
Xbox is made by Microsoft (I’m sure the kids have one around here somewhere!) and was introduced in 2001. There followed versions known as Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

49. Tired-sounding veggie BEET
“Beet” sounds like “beat”.

“Beat” is commonly used as an adjective to mean “tired”, as in “I am beat”. It’s an “informal” usage, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s bad grammar!

54. “A Touch of Class” actress Jackson GLENDA
Glenda Jackson is an outstanding retired actress from England. Jackson won two Oscars for performances in two wonderful films: “Women in Love” (1970) and “A Touch of Class” (1973). Jackson left her acting career behind in 1992 when she became a Member of Parliament, a job she has been doing ever since then. She was a junior minister for a while in Prime Minister Tony Blair’s government, and also ran an energetic but unsuccessful campaign to be elected Mayor of London.

“A Touch of Class” is a 1973 romantic comedy starring George Segal and Glenda Jackson. I haven’t seen the film in decades, but I remember really, really enjoying it. Segal was given the male lead in the movie after Cary Grant turned it down. Grant would have been a much older man that Jackson, should he have taken the role, which who have necessitated some changes to the script. Jackson won the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance.

56. Druids’ sacred hill TARA
Tradition has it the Hill of Tara was the seat of the High King of Ireland. That was back in the 11th century. More recently, Margaret Mitchell referred to the Hill of Tara as being the inspiration for the name of the Tara plantation in her novel “Gone with the Wind”.

Druids were priests in Celtic Europe during the Iron Age.

63. Composer Rorem NED
American composer Ned Rorem is famous for his musical compositions, but also for his book, “Paris Diary of Ned Rorem” that was published in 1966. Rorem talks openly about his sexuality in the book, and also about the sexuality of others including Noel Coward, Leonard Bernstein and Samuel Barber, much to some people’s chagrin.

64. Former associates ALUMNI
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.

68. Cindy Lou’s hometown, in kiddie lit WHOVILLE
Whoville is where the Whos live in Dr. Seuss’ children’s book “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!”

70. What an apostrophe may stand for NINETEEN
By using an apostrophe, one can abbreviate a date such as 1981 to ‘81.

Down
2. Verdi’s penultimate opera OTELLO
Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Otello” was first performed in 1887 at La Scala Theater in Milan. The opera is based on Shakespeare’s play “Othello” and is considered by many to be Verdi’s greatest work.

Verdi wrote 28 operas in all. “Otello” was his penultimate opera, and “Falstaff” was the last.

4. Publishing nickname HEF
Hugh Hefner (often called “Hef”) is from Chicago. His first publishing job was in the military, where he worked as a writer for a US Army newspaper from 1944-46. He went to college after his military service and then worked as a copywriter for “Esquire” magazine. He left “Esquire” to found his own publication that he called “Playboy”, which first hit the newsstands in 1953. “Playboy” has been around ever since.

6. Cutting tool ADZE
An adze (also adz) is similar to an axe, but is different in that the blade of an adze is set at right angles to the tool’s shaft. An axe’s blade is set in line with the shaft.

11. Bomb TURKEY
The use of “turkey” to mean “failure” is showbiz slang from the 1920s. The term probably arose as the turkey is, rightly or wrongly, often deemed not to be the brightest bird on the planet.

25. No. with a decimal GPA
Grade point average (GPA)

27. Actress Thompson SADA
Sada Thompson was an actress from Des Moines, Iowa. Thompson is best known for playing the mother and wife in the eighties television drama series called “Family”.

30. It’s never right ACUTE ANGLE
An acute angle is less than 90 degrees, less than a right angle. On obtuse angle is greater than the right angle.

36. “Gigi” playwright LOOS
In the lovely musical film “Gigi”, released in 1958, the title song is sung by Louis Jourdan who plays Gaston. My favorite number though, has to be “Thank Heaven for Little Girls” sung by Maurice Chevalier. Many say that “Gigi” is the last in the long line of great MGM musicals. It won a record 9 Academy Awards, a record that only lasted one year. Twelve months later “Ben Hur” won 11 Oscars. In the 1958 film, Gigi was played by the lovely Leslie Caron. A few years earlier, “Gigi” was a successful Broadway stage play by Anita Loos, adapted from a novel by Colette. Chosen for the title role on stage was the then-unknown Audrey Hepburn.

39. Test center at Edwards, Calif., e.g. AFB
Air Force Base (AFB)

Edwards Air Force Base is in a desert area in Southern California. Edwards is a flight test center for the Air Force, and it was here that Chuck Yeager famously broke the sound barrier for the first time. And of course, Edwards was used for many landings of the Space Shuttle.

44. Former Fed chairman Bernanke BEN
Ben Bernanke was Chairman of the Federal Reserve for two terms after being appointed by President George W. Bush in 2006. Bernanke and his wife have a 30-year fixed rate mortgage with a rate of just over 5% and one car, a Ford Focus. Modest enough …

45. 2012 war film remake RED DAWN
“Red Dawn” is an interesting war film released in 1984 about a group of American high school students who resist an occupying force of Soviet allies who invade part of the US. The film’s cast includes Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen and Jennifer Grey. “Red Dawn” has the distinction of being the first movie to be released with an MPAA rating of PG-13. The film was remade in 2012, and this time the invading army came from North Korea.

48. Competition that includes motocross X GAMES
The X Games are annual events, with a Summer X Games held every year as well as a Winter X Games. It’s very much a commercial venture, with all aspects controlled by the TV station ESPN. The games focus on extreme action sports, like skateboarding and freestyle motocross in the summer and various extreme snowboarding events in the winter.

50. Stress-reducing discipline TAI CHI
More properly called tai chi chuan, tai chi is a martial art mostly practiced to improve overall health and increase longevity.

55. Sarah Connor portrayer Hamilton LINDA
Linda Hamilton is an actress from Salisbury, Maryland who is best known for portraying Sarah Connor in the first two “Terminator” movies. Hamilton’s second marriage was to film director James Cameron, with whom she worked on “Terminator 2”.

58. Ceramic cooker OLLA
An olla is a traditional clay pot used for the making of stews. “Olla” was the Latin word used in Ancient Rome to describe a similar type of pot.

59. Long in old politics HUEY
Huey Long was a Democratic US Senator for Louisiana from 1932 until 1935. Long announced a run for the US presidency in 1935 against the incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt. Just one month later, Long was assassinated by a physician from Baton Rouge called Carl Weiss. Weiss shot Long in the abdomen with one bullet. Long’s bodyguards returned fire, hitting Weiss 62 times.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Setting in the musical “Two By Two” NOAH’S ARK
9. Brightness measure IQ TEST
15. Comer ATTENDEE
16. Colorful attire MUUMUU
17. Darby Conley comic strip GET FUZZY
18. It’s just one thing after another SERIES
19. Marlins’ div. NLE
20. Rock fan’s subj. GEOL
21. “Naughty!” TSK TSK!
22. Start of an addition ALSO
24. Controvert NEGATE
26. Dark-eyed subculturists GOTHS
28. Spot ESPY
29. Opening at a long lecture? YAWN
33. Salon, e.g. EMAG
35. Move easily SAIL
37. Cool __ CAT
38. “Candle in the Wind” dedicatee LADY DI
40. Stat opposite NO RUSH
42. Rear-end indicator AFT
43. Common crossword clue ending ABBR
46. Attack GO AT
47. 2001 Microsoft debut XBOX
49. Tired-sounding veggie BEET
51. They often include materials SPECS
54. “A Touch of Class” actress Jackson GLENDA
56. Druids’ sacred hill TARA
57. Bald statement? NO HAIR
60. Face with hands, maybe DIAL
63. Composer Rorem NED
64. Former associates ALUMNI
65. Liability factor, in contracts ACT OF GOD
67. Runs BLEEDS
68. Cindy Lou’s hometown, in kiddie lit WHOVILLE
69. Exhales during a physical? SAYS AH
70. What an apostrophe may stand for NINETEEN

Down
1. “Enough criticism!” NAG NAG!
2. Verdi’s penultimate opera OTELLO
3. Substantiated ATTESTED TO
4. Publishing nickname HEF
5. Unloose? SNUG
6. Cutting tool ADZE
7. Do a city planner’s job REZONE
8. __ entry KEYLESS
9. “But you need me!” I’M STAYING!
10. Pursuit QUEST
11. Bomb TURKEY
12. Broadcast EMIT
13. Tries to get money from, maybe SUES
14. Certain canine TUSK
23. “Goodness!” OH MY!
25. No. with a decimal GPA
27. Actress Thompson SADA
30. It’s never right ACUTE ANGLE
31. Used to be WAS
32. Vowelless adjective NTH
34. Mumbo jumbo GIBBERISH
36. “Gigi” playwright LOOS
38. Loose LAX
39. Test center at Edwards, Calif., e.g. AFB
41. Hardly daydreaming RAPT
44. Former Fed chairman Bernanke BEN
45. 2012 war film remake RED DAWN
48. Competition that includes motocross X GAMES
50. Stress-reducing discipline TAI CHI
52. Spicy cuisine CREOLE
53. Bring down SADDEN
55. Sarah Connor portrayer Hamilton LINDA
57. Collars NABS
58. Ceramic cooker OLLA
59. Long in old politics HUEY
61. Scores A TON
62. Word with bird or nest LOVE
66. Working out well? FIT

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