Day: August 14, 2014

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
8. Sprint Cup org. NASCAR
In the world of NASCAR, what was called the Nextel Cup in 2004-2007, is now known as the Sprint Cup (as Sprint took over Nextel). Prior to 2004, the prize was called the Winston Cup.

14. Toothpaste letters ADA
American Dental Association (ADA)

15. Arabian ruler EMIR
An emir is a prince or chieftain, most notably in the Middle East. In English, “emir” can also be written as “amir” and “ameer” (watch out for those spellings in crosswords!).

16. Pump figure OCTANE
The difference between a premium and regular gasoline is its octane rating. The octane rating is measure of the resistance of the gasoline to auto-ignition i.e. it’s resistance to ignition just by virtue of being compressed in the cylinder. This auto-ignition is undesirable as multiple-cylinder engines are designed so that ignition within each cylinder takes place precisely when the plug sparks, and not before. If ignition occurs before the spark is created, the resulting phenomenon is called “knocking”.

17. Netflix rental, for short VID
Netflix was founded in Los Gatos, California in 1997. Although now focused on video streaming, the company delivered it’s billionth DVD in 2007. I presume the renter wasn’t charged for that movie …

20. Latin catchall ET ALII
Et alii (et al.) is the equivalent of et cetera (etc.), with et cetera being used in place of a list of objects, and et alii used for a list of names. In fact “et al.” can stand for et alii (for a group of males, or males and females), aliae (for a group of women) and et alia (for a group of neuter nouns, or for a group of people where the intent is to retain gender-neutrality).

26. LAX postings ETAS
Estimated time of arrival (ETA)

Los Angeles International Airport is the sixth busiest airport in the world in terms of passenger traffic, and the busiest here on the West Coast of the US. The airport was opened in 1930 as Mines Field and was renamed to Los Angeles Airport in 1941. On the airport property is the iconic white structure that resembles a flying saucer. This is called the Theme Building and I believe it is mainly used as a restaurant and observation deck for the public. The airport used to be identified by the letters “LA”, but when the aviation industry went to a three-letter standard for airport identification, this was changed to “LAX”. Apparently the “X” has no significant meaning.

29. One “who intimately lives with rain,” in a poem TREE
The American journalist and poet Joyce Kilmer is primarily known for his 1913 poem titled “Trees”. The original text of the poem is:

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

Kilmer died a few years after writing “Trees”. He was a casualty of the Second Battle of the Marne in 1918 at the age of 31.

40. Ab __: from the beginning OVO
“Ab ovo” translates literally from Latin as “from the egg”, and is used in English to mean “from the beginning”.

41. Historic beginning? PRE-
We define “prehistory” as that span of time before man started written records or had writing systems.

42. Strands in a cell? DNA
RNA and DNA are very similar molecules. One big difference is that RNA is a single strand structure, whereas DNA is famously a double-helix. Another difference is that RNA contains ribose as a structural unit, and DNA contains deoxyribose i.e. ribose with one less oxygen atom. And that ribose/deoxyribose difference is reflected in the full name of the two molecules: ribonucleic acid (RNA) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).

54. Base among boxes HOME PLATE
In baseball, there are two batter boxes drawn in chalk on either side of home plate.

57. Sonneteer’s Muse ERATO
In Greek mythology, Erato was the Muse of Lyric Poetry.

A sonnet is a short poem with varying rhyming schemes but always with 14 lines. The sonnet form has been around at least since the 13th century. The Shakespearean sonnet is composed of three quatrains (4 lines) and a final couplet (2 lines).

60. Nativity tableau CRECHE
Crèche is a French word meaning “crib”. The term can be used to describe a nativity scene, a display of objects depicting the birth of Jesus.

61. Character who, in an 8/15/1939 Hollywood premiere, speaks the first words of this puzzle’s five other longest answers DOROTHY GALE
At the end of the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz”, Dorothy discovers that in order to get home, all she has to do is click the heels of her ruby slippers together and say the words “There’s no place like home”.

66. Keys with Grammys ALICIA
Alicia Keys is the stage name of Alicia Cook, an R&B and soul singer from Hell’s Kitchen in New York City.

67. First word of “Greensleeves” ALAS
The rather delightful English ballad known as “Greensleeves” starts with:

Alas, my love, you do me wrong,
To cast me off discourteously.
For I have loved you well and long,
Delighting in your company.

There is a persistent urban legend that “Greensleeves” was written by King Henry VIII for Anne Boleyn when he was courting her. In fact the song was more likely written after the king’s death, in the Elizabethan era.

Down
3. European title MADAME
The equivalent of “Mrs.” in French is “Mme.” (Madame) and in Spanish is “Sra.” (Señora).

4. Hard-to-photograph Himalayans? YETIS
A yeti is a beast of legend, also called an abominable snowman. “Yeti” is a Tibetan term, and the beast is fabled to live in the Himalayan regions of Nepal and Tibet. Our equivalent legend in North America is that of Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch. The study of animals whose existence have not yet been substantiated is called cryptozoology.

The magnificent Himalaya range of mountains in Asia takes its name from the Sanskrit for “abode of snow”. Geographically, the Himalayas separate the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau to the north.

5. Paintball cry I’M HIT!
The “paint” in paintball isn’t actually paint, but rather a mix of gelatin and food coloring.

6. Trivial Pursuit symbol PIE
Trivial Pursuit was invented in 1979 by two Canadians from Montreal. The pair decided to come up with their own game after they discovered that there were pieces missing from the game of Scrabble that they wanted to play. There was a full blown launch of a commercial version of the game in 1982. In 2008, Hasbro bought the complete rights to Trivial Pursuit, for US$80 million! On a personal note, I met my lovely wife over a game of Trivial Pursuit …

9. It can’t be topped ACME
The “acme” is the highest point, coming from the Greek word “akme” which has the same meaning.

10. Compound used in plastic manufacturing STYRENE
Styrene is a sweet-smelling, colorless liquid that is used to make the plastic called polystyrene.

12. Enero to enero ANO
In Spanish, a year (año) starts in January (enero) and ends in December (diciembre).

13. “Summertime Sadness” singer Lana Del __ REY
Lana Del Rey is the stage name of singer/songwriter Elizabeth Grant. Del Rey calls herself a “self-styled gangsta Nancy Sinatra”. Nice …

19. Zeno’s home ELEA
The Ancient Greek city of Ele became known as Elea, before getting the Latin name of Velia. Velia was known as home to the celebrated philosophers Parmenides and Zeno of Elea, who belonged to the Eleatic school.

24. Lhasa __ APSO
The Lhasa apso breed of dog originated in Tibet and is named after “Lhasa” (the capital city) and “apso” (a Tibetan word meaning “bearded”). The Lhasa apso has been around since 800 BC and is one of the oldest breeds in the world, one very closely related to the ancestral wolf.

25. Air France-__: European flier KLM
The acronym KLM stands for “Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij”, which translates from Dutch as “Royal Aviation Company”. KLM is the flag carrier for the Netherlands, and is the oldest airline in the world still operating with its original name. It was founded in 1919. KLM merged with Air France in 2004.

27. Revival cry AMEN!
The word “amen” is translated as “so be it”. “Amen” is said to be of Hebrew origin, but it is likely to be also influenced by Aramaic and Arabic.

A “revival meeting” is a service in the Christian tradition that is held to provide inspiration to church members, or to gain converts.

28. They’re measured in shots SERA
Blood serum is the clear, yellowish part of blood i.e. that part which is neither a blood cell or a clotting factor. Included in blood serum are antibodies, the proteins that are central to our immune system. Blood serum from animals that have immunity to some disease can be transferred to another individual, hence providing that second individual with some level of immunity. Blood serum used to pass on immunity can be called “antiserum”.

32. Foil kin EPEE
The sword known as an épée has a three-sided blade. The épée is similar to a foil and sabre, both of which are also thrusting weapons. However, the foil and saber have rectangular cross-sections.

35. Preposition for Poirot AVEC
The English word “with” translates into “avec” in French, and into “mit” in German.

Hercule Poirot is Agatha Christie’s renowned detective, a wonderful Belgian who plies his trade from his base in London. Poirot’s most famous case is the “Murder on the Orient Express”.

38. “South Park” boy Cartman ERIC
“South Park” is an adult-oriented cartoon series on Comedy Central. I don’t do “South Park” …

39. Site of a critical 1813 battle LAKE ERIE
The Battle of Lake Erie was fought during the War of 1812 just off the Ohio coast. The outcome of the action was a defeat for the British and American control of Lake Erie for the remainder of the war.

41. Slam offering POEM
A poetry slam is a competition in which poets read their own work (usually), with winners being chosen by members of audience. Apparently the first poetry slam took place in Chicago in 1984. Now there is a Nation Poetry Slam that takes place each year, with representatives from the US, Canada and France.

46. Earnhardt of 8-Across DALE
Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was known for his aggressive driving style earning him the nickname “the Intimidator”. Earnhardt was stubborn too, and also had the nickname “Iron Head”. Earnhardt died in a crash in the 2001 Daytona 500. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is also a NASCAR driver, and is doing quite well for himself. Dale Jr. is said to be worth about $300 million.

51. Greek goddess of wisdom ATHENA
The Greek goddess Athena is often associated with wisdom (among other attributes). In many representations. Athena is depicted with an owl sitting on her head. It is this linkage of the owl with the goddess of wisdom that led to today’s perception of the owl as being “wise”.

55. Showy display ECLAT
“Éclat” can mean a brilliant show of success, or the applause or accolade that one receives. The word derives from the French “éclater” meaning “to splinter, burst out”.

59. Yonder, on the Pequod THAR
“Thar she blows!”

The Pequod is the ship that figures in Herman Melville’s classic novel “Moby Dick”. The ship is owned by a consortium of the citizens of Nantucket Island, including Captains Ahab, Bildad and Peleg.

62. Bit of World Cup encouragement OLE!
The next two FIFA World Cup tournaments (soccer) will be hosted by Russia (2018) and Qatar (2022).

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Clothing line HEM
4. “Egad!” YIPE!
8. Sprint Cup org. NASCAR
14. Toothpaste letters ADA
15. Arabian ruler EMIR
16. Pump figure OCTANE
17. Netflix rental, for short VID
18. “Good lad!” THERE’S MY BOY!
20. Latin catchall ET ALII
22. Looks like a wolf LEERS
23. “I’m positive” NO MISTAKE
26. LAX postings ETAS
29. One “who intimately lives with rain,” in a poem TREE
30. Atlas index listing PLACE NAME
33. Muscular problem SPASM
36. Start of a series OPENER
37. Salon item GEL
40. Ab __: from the beginning OVO
41. Historic beginning? PRE-
42. Strands in a cell? DNA
43. Good to grow ARABLE
45. Like cutlets BONED
47. “Whatever floats your boat” LIKE I CARE
49. Memo demand ASAP
53. More than passed ACED
54. Base among boxes HOME PLATE
57. Sonneteer’s Muse ERATO
60. Nativity tableau CRECHE
61. Character who, in an 8/15/1939 Hollywood premiere, speaks the first words of this puzzle’s five other longest answers DOROTHY GALE
65. Gun in the driveway, maybe REV
66. Keys with Grammys ALICIA
67. First word of “Greensleeves” ALAS
68. Billings-to-Bismarck dir. ENE
69. Less bold MEEKER
70. Risks BETS
71. Pop DAD

Down
1. “__ the foggiest!” HAVENT’
2. Text __ EDITOR
3. European title MADAME
4. Hard-to-photograph Himalayans? YETIS
5. Paintball cry I’M HIT!
6. Trivial Pursuit symbol PIE
7. Make a left instead of a right, say ERR
8. It smells NOSE
9. It can’t be topped ACME
10. Compound used in plastic manufacturing STYRENE
11. Where business is picking up? CABSTAND
12. Enero to enero ANO
13. “Summertime Sadness” singer Lana Del __ REY
19. Zeno’s home ELEA
21. Is situated LIES
24. Lhasa __ APSO
25. Air France-__: European flier KLM
27. Revival cry AMEN!
28. They’re measured in shots SERA
31. It may be popped CORN
32. Foil kin EPEE
34. __-sci POLI
35. Preposition for Poirot AVEC
37. Blowout, so to speak GALA
38. “South Park” boy Cartman ERIC
39. Site of a critical 1813 battle LAKE ERIE
41. Slam offering POEM
44. Firm foundation BEDROCK
45. Guy friend BRO
46. Earnhardt of 8-Across DALE
48. Hailing cry AHOY!
50. Like some cows SACRED
51. Greek goddess of wisdom ATHENA
52. In a snit PEEVED
55. Showy display ECLAT
56. Button word PRESS
58. End in __ A TIE
59. Yonder, on the Pequod THAR
61. Block up DAM
62. Bit of World Cup encouragement OLE!
63. Go on and on GAB
64. Draft order ALE

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