Day: September 9, 2014

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Rhubarb desserts PIES
We can eat the leaf stalks of the rhubarb plant, but not the leaves themselves. The leaves contain oxalic acid and are highly toxic.

5. Blue cartoon critter SMURF
The Smurfs are little blue men created by a Belgian cartoonist in 1958. The Smurfs became famous in the US when Hanna-Barbera used them in a children’s cartoon series. The characters are largely a group of males. The original lineup included just one “Smurfette”, who is wooed by almost all of the boy Smurfs. Later, another female was introduced into the mix called Sassette, and still later along came Granny Smurf.

14. Mount of Greek myth OSSA
Mount Ossa in Greece is located between Mt. Pelion in the south, and the famed Mt. Olympus in the north. Mount Ossa is also known as Kissavos.

15. Old Testament prophet HOSEA
Hosea was one of the Twelve Prophets of the Hebrew Bible, also called the Minor Prophets of the Old Testament in the Christian Bible.

17. St. Bernard’s bark WOOF
The St. Bernard dog originated in the Italian and Swiss alps, and was indeed specially bred for rescue. The breed dates back at least to the early 1700s when the dogs worked from the traveler’s hospice at the St. Bernard Pass in the Alps between Italy and Switzerland. The breed took its name from this famously treacherous route through the mountains.

18. German WWII threat U-BOAT
U-boat stands for the German “Unterseeboot” (undersea boat). U-boats were primarily used in WWII to enforce a blockade against enemy commercial shipping, with a main objective being to cut off the supplies being transported to Britain from the British colonies and the US. The epic fight for control of the supply routes became known as the Battle of the Atlantic.

23. ’70s-’80s Olympic skier Phil MAHRE
Phil Mahre is one of the great alpine ski racers, a native of Yakima, Washington. Phil’s twin brother Steve was also a skier on the World Cup circuit.

33. Right triangle ratio SINE
The most familiar trigonometric functions are sine, cosine and tangent. Each of these is a ratio, a ratio of two sides of a right-angled triangle. The “reciprocal” of these three functions are secant, cosecant and cotangent. The reciprocal functions are simply the inverted ratios, the inverted sine, cosine and tangent. These inverted ratios should not be confused with the “inverse” trigonometric functions e.g. arcsine, arccosine and arctangent. These inverse functions are the reverse of the sine, cosine and tangent. For example, the arctangent can be read as “What angle is equivalent to the following ration of opposite over adjacent?”

40. “May the __ be with you” FORCE
The Force is a metaphysical power much cited in all of the “Star Wars” movies, and still today we may hear someone in real life say “May the Force be with you”.

43. Fizzy drink COLA
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.

46. Pop’s Lady __ GAGA
Lady Gaga is the stage name of Stefani Germanotta. Germanotta is a big fan of the band Queen, and she took her stage name from the marvelous Queen song “Radio Ga Ga”.

53. Immigrant’s subj. ESL
English as a Second Language (ESL) is sometimes referred to as English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL).

56. Miss Teen __ USA
Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant for girls between the ages of 14 and 19. The competition was first held in 1983, and since 2008 has been held in a resort located in Nassau in the Bahamas.

57. “John Brown’s Body” poet BENET
Stephen Vincent Benét was an author best known for his lengthy narrative poem “John Brown’s Body” which was first published in 1928 and for which he won a Pulitzer Prize. Benét also wrote the story “The Sobbin’ Women” which was later adapted into the musical “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”.

58. Early arcade game with pixelated aliens, and, in a way, what 20-, 27- and 49-Across all are SPACE INVADERS
Space Invaders is one of my favorite video games, a classic from the good old days. When Space Invaders was first released in video arcades in Japan in 1978, it was so popular that it caused a shortage of 100-yen coins.

63. 1974 Peace Nobelist from Japan SATO
Prime Minister Eisaku Sato of Japan won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1974 (sharing it with Irishman Sean MacBride). He won for “his renunciation of the nuclear option for Japan and his efforts to further regional reconciliation”. Sato defined Japan’s nuclear policy in the sixties by laying out “Three Non-Nuclear Principles”. The principles are that Japan will not possess, nor manufacture nuclear weapons, not permit introduction of nuclear weapons into Japanese territory.

64. Hersey’s bell town ADANO
“A Bell for Adano” is a novel written by John Hersey. Hersey’s story is about an Italian-American US Army officer, Major Joppolo, who found a replacement for a town’s bell stolen by fascists. “A Bell for Adano” was made into a film in 1945, the same year the novel won a Pulitzer.

65. Athletic equipment giant that sponsors golfer Rory McIlroy NIKE
Nike was the Greek goddess of victory, often referred to as the Winged Goddess of Victory. The athletic shoe company Nike uses the “Nike swoosh” as its logo, which is based on the goddess’s wing.

Rory McIlroy is an incredibly successful golfer from Northern Ireland. McIlroy is a relatively young man and the current world number one on the circuit, so folks can’t help but compare him to Tiger Woods.

68. This, in Tijuana ESTO
Tijuana is the largest city in the Mexican state of Baja California, and lies just across the US-Mexico border from San Diego. Tijuana is also the most westerly of all Mexican cities. A lot of Tijuana’s growth took place in the twenties as tourists flocked south of the border during the days of prohibition in the US. One of the many casinos and hotels that flourished at that time was Hotel Caesar’s in the Avenida Revolución area. Hotel Caesar’s claims to be the birthplace of the now ubiquitous Caesar Salad.

71. Marvel Comics mutants X-MEN
X-Men is a team of superheroes created by Stan Lee for Marvel Comics. Nowadays the X-Men are perhaps best known as the subject of a series of movies, with Hugh Jackman playing Wolverine, and Patrick Stewart playing Professor Xavier (or simply “Professor X”). Some very respected actors have also played the villains that X-Men have to battle. For example, the enemy called Magneto is portrayed by veteran Shakespearean actor Sir Ian McKellan.

72. Succumbed to the sandman SLEPT
The sandman is a mythical character from folklore who is said to induce sleep and bring good dreams by sprinkling sand on the eyes of children.

73. Jacob’s twin ESAU
Esau, was the grandson of Abraham and the twin brother of Jacob, the founder of the Israelites. When Esau was born to Isaac and Rebekah, the event was described, “Now the first came forth, red all over like a hairy garment”. Esau is portrayed later in life as being very different from his brother, as a hunter and someone who loves the outdoor life.

Down
2. Prefix with metric ISO-
The word “isometric” comes from Greek, and means “having equal measurement”. Isometric exercise is a resistance exercise in which the muscle does not change in length (and the joint angle stays the same). The alternative would be dynamic exercises, ones using the joint’s full range of motion.

3. Gullet ESOPHAGUS
The esophagus is the gullet, the “pipe” that carries food from the mouth down into the stomach. The term comes from the Greek “oisophagos” that can be translated as “to carry to eat”.

4. Jungle journey SAFARI
“Safari” is a Swahili word, meaning “journey” or “expedition”.

6. “__-Dick” MOBY
The full title of Herman Melville’s novel is “Moby-Dick; or, The Whale”. Note that the convention is to hyphenate “Moby-Dick” in the title, as that was how the book was first published, in 1851. However, there is no hyphen in the name of the whale “Moby Dick” as reproduced throughout the text.

7. Biennial games org. USOC
The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has a federal charter but it doesn’t receive any funds from the US government. As such, it has to engage in fundraising just like any other charitable organization.

The first Winter Olympic Games was held in 1924, in Chamonix, France. The Winter and Summer Games were held in the same year until 1992, after which they were staggered so that we have an Olympic Games every two years.

9. Femme __ FATALE
A “femme fatale” is a dangerously seductive woman. “Femme fatale” is French for “deadly woman”.

10. “Fiddlesticks!” BOSH!
Our word “bosh” meaning nonsense came into English via a well-defined route. It was first used in the novel “Ayesha, the Maid of Kars” written by J. J. Morier in 1905, and is a Turkish word that literally translates as “empty”.

We’ve been using “fiddlesticks” to mean “nonsense” since the early 17th century. Prior to that time, “fiddlestick” referred to the bow of a fiddle.

11. What rookies are shown, with “the” ROPES
As one might expect perhaps, the phrase “learning the ropes” is nautical in origin. A new recruit on a sailing vessel would have to learn how to tie the appropriate knots and learn which rope controlled which sail or spar.

The term “rookie”, used for a raw recruit, first appeared in Rudyard Kipling’s collection of songs and poems called the “Barrack-Room Ballads” originally published in 1892.

12. Sky shade AZURE
The word “azure” came into English from Persian via Old French. The French word “l’azur” was taken from the Persian name for a place in northeastern Afghanistan called “Lazhward” which was the main source of the semi-precious stone lapis lazuli. The stone has a vivid blue color, and “azure” has been describing this color since the 14th century.

21. Radiation measures REMS
The contemporary standard radiation dosage unit is the “roentgen equivalent in man”, abbreviated to “rem”.

22. Rockefeller Center muralist José María SERT
Catalan artist Josep Maria Sert was commissioned to paint a large mural for the west wall of the Grand Lobby of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. The work is titled “American Progress”, and features likenesses of Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi and Ralph Waldo Emerson.

23. Low-paying employment, slangily MCJOB
“McJob” is a slang term for a low-paying position that offers little chance for advancement. The term comes from front-line jobs at a McDonald’s fast-food restaurant.

“Grunt” is slang for an infantryman in the US military.

28. Peter Pan rival JIF
Jif is the leading brand of peanut butter in the US, and has been since 1981. Introduced in 1958, it is now produced by Smuckers.

The Peter Pan brand of peanut butter is named after the character in the J. M. Barrie play. What we know today as Peter Pan peanut butter was introduced in 1920 as E. K. Pond peanut butter, and renamed in 1928.

29. Numero __ UNO
In Spanish, one might count down to number one (número uno).

31. Attack command word SIC
“Sic ’em” is an attack order given to a dog, instructing the animal to growl, bark or even bite. The term dates back to the 1830s, with “sic” being a variation of “seek”.

35. “CSI” science FORENSICS
The “CSI” franchise of TV shows has been tremendously successful, but seems to be winding down. “CSI: Miami” (the “worst” of the franchise, I think) was cancelled in 2012 after ten seasons. “CSI: NY” (the “best” of the franchise) was cancelled in 2013 after nine seasons. The original “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”, set in Las Vegas, is still going strong and has been doing so since 2000.

39. Ryan of “When Harry Met Sally…” MEG
Meg Ryan is the stage name of the actress Margaret Mary Hyra. Ryan’s big break came with the excellent 1989 movie “When Harry Met Sally…” from which she went on to star in some of the greatest romantic comedies ever made.

Perhaps the most memorable scene in the wonderful film “When Harry Met Sally…” is set in a Manhattan deli. Sally (Meg Ryan) claims that men cannot recognize when a woman is faking an orgasm. Harry (Billy Crystal) disagrees, so Sally proves her point over her sandwich, screaming out a lot of “yeses!” Director Rob Reiner tells a story about a test screening of the movie that he attended. He recalls that all the women in the audience were rolling around the aisles, while the men weren’t even cracking a smile. And by the way, the actress who then utters the line in the film “I’ll have what’s she’s having”, that is Estelle Roberts, the mother of director Rob Reiner.

41. Bronco or Mustang CAR
The Bronco is an SUV that was made by Ford from 1966 to 1996. O. J. Simpson was driving a white Ford Bronco in that famous low-speed chase by the LAPD that resulted in Simpson’s arrest.

The Ford Mustang car was introduced in 1964. Back then the Mustang wasn’t a brand new design, but was based on the Ford Falcon. The Mustang was the first of the “pony cars”, American models that are compact and affordable, as well as sporty in image and performance.

47. French cleric ABBE
“Abbé” is the French word for “abbot”.

51. Property destroyer VANDAL
A “vandal” is someone who destroys some beautiful or valuable. The term comes from the Germanic tribe called the Vandals who sacked Rome in the year 455. Our contemporary term “vandalism” was coined by Henri Grégoire in 1794, when he was describing the destruction of artwork during the French Revolution.

52. Elton John collaborator Taupin BERNIE
Bernie Taupin is the famed lyricist who wrote the words to so many of the songs written and published by Elton John. The pair were brought together by the music paper “New Musical Express” in England. Elton John submitted some of his work to the paper in 1967, and Taupin answered an ad for songwriters. The paper brought the two together, and they’ve worked together ever since.

53. County near London ESSEX
Essex is a county in England, referred to as one of the “home counties”.

The home counties are the counties that surround the city of London, outside of London itself. “Home county” is not an official designation but has been in popular use since the 1800s.

55. Drink with steamed milk LATTE
The term “latte” is an abbreviation of the Italian “caffelatte” meaning “coffee (and) milk”. Note that in the correct spelling of “latte”, the Italian word for milk, there is no accent over the “e”. An accent is often added by mistake when we use the word in English, perhaps meaning to suggest that the word is French.

59. Maine __ cat COON
The Maine Coon breed of domestic cat is also called the American Longhair. The Maine Coon is native to the state of Maine, and is the official state cat.

60. Flower holder VASE
“Vase” is one of those words that is pronounced differently in British English and American English, but it is the American English that preserves the original pronunciation. In the US we pronounces “vase” so that it rhymes with “face, place, grace”. Somehow the British usage morphed from this original into rhyming with “bras”.

66. Hawaii’s Mauna __ KEA
Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii, the peak of which is the highest point in the whole state. Mauna Kea is in effect the tip of a gigantic volcano rising up from the seabed.

67. College URL ending EDU
The .edu domain was one of the six original generic top-level domains specified. The complete original list is:

– .com (commercial enterprise)
– .net (entity involved in network infrastructure e.g. an ISP)
– .mil (US military)
– .org (not-for-profit organization)
– .gov (US federal government entity)
– .edu (college-level educational institution)

Internet addresses (like NYTCrossword.com and LAXCrossword.com) are more correctly called Uniform Resource Locators (URLs).

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Rhubarb desserts PIES
5. Blue cartoon critter SMURF
10. Spoiled one BRAT
14. Mount of Greek myth OSSA
15. Old Testament prophet HOSEA
16. Move like slime OOZE
17. St. Bernard’s bark WOOF
18. German WWII threat U-BOAT
19. Cowboy boot attachment SPUR
20. Uninvited guests PARTY-CRASHERS
23. ’70s-’80s Olympic skier Phil MAHRE
25. Suffix with glob -ULE
26. “Just as I predicted!” SEE!
27. Gold rush bad guys CLAIM-JUMPERS
32. Irish dance JIG
33. Right triangle ratio SINE
34. Minor quarrels TIFFS
38. Egg cell OVUM
40. “May the __ be with you” FORCE
43. Fizzy drink COLA
44. Hemmed in BESET
46. Pop’s Lady __ GAGA
48. Flashlight output RAY
49. Thieves in the tombs of the pharaohs, say GRAVEROBBERS
53. Immigrant’s subj. ESL
56. Miss Teen __ USA
57. “John Brown’s Body” poet BENET
58. Early arcade game with pixelated aliens, and, in a way, what 20-, 27- and 49-Across all are SPACE INVADERS
63. 1974 Peace Nobelist from Japan SATO
64. Hersey’s bell town ADANO
65. Athletic equipment giant that sponsors golfer Rory McIlroy NIKE
68. This, in Tijuana ESTO
69. Twangy NASAL
70. Like summer tea ICED
71. Marvel Comics mutants X-MEN
72. Succumbed to the sandman SLEPT
73. Jacob’s twin ESAU

Down
1. “Wham!” POW!
2. Prefix with metric ISO-
3. Gullet ESOPHAGUS
4. Jungle journey SAFARI
5. Boarded up SHUT
6. “__-Dick” MOBY
7. Biennial games org. USOC
8. Rise on hind legs, as a horse REAR UP
9. Femme __ FATALE
10. “Fiddlesticks!” BOSH!
11. What rookies are shown, with “the” ROPES
12. Sky shade AZURE
13. To the point TERSE
21. Radiation measures REMS
22. Rockefeller Center muralist José María SERT
23. Low-paying employment, slangily MCJOB
24. Partner of kicking ALIVE
28. Peter Pan rival JIF
29. Numero __ UNO
30. Road sign with a double-tailed arrow MERGE
31. Attack command word SIC
35. “CSI” science FORENSICS
36. Distress signal FLARE
37. Speak, biblical-style SAYST
39. Ryan of “When Harry Met Sally…” MEG
41. Bronco or Mustang CAR
42. Self-regard EGO
45. Factual TRUE
47. French cleric ABBE
50. Chinese and Thai, e.g. ASIANS
51. Property destroyer VANDAL
52. Elton John collaborator Taupin BERNIE
53. County near London ESSEX
54. Twitch SPASM
55. Drink with steamed milk LATTE
59. Maine __ cat COON
60. Flower holder VASE
61. Take __: doze A NAP
62. Simpleton DOLT
66. Hawaii’s Mauna __ KEA
67. College URL ending EDU

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