Day: September 10, 2014

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. City with a Viking Ship Museum OSLO
The most famous exhibit in Oslo’s Viking Ship Museum is the completely intact Oseberg ship. Named for the farm where it was discovered, the Oseberg ship was excavated from a large burial mound that dates back to 834 AD. The interment is an example of a “ship burial”, in which a ship was used as a container for a dead body and associated grave goods. The Oseberg ship included the bodies of two elderly females, one of which may have been included as a human sacrifice.

5. Booking agents? COPS
“To cop” was northern British dialect for “to seize, catch”. This verb evolved in the noun “copper”, describing a policeman, someone who catches criminals. “Copper” is often shortened to “cop”.

16. “Thus with a kiss I die” speaker ROMEO
In Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”, the last words uttered by Romeo are:

O true apothecary!
They drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.

Juliet’s last words are:

Yea, noise? then I’ll be brief. O happy dagger! This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die.

17. Par, for stock FACE VALUE (from “funny face”)
Stocks, and other financial vehicles, may be sold “at par”, meaning at the original price, neither discounted nor at a premium.

21. Spam holders TINS
Spam is a precooked meat product that is sold in cans. It was introduced by Hormel Foods in 1937. The main meat ingredients are pork shoulder meat and ham. The name “Spam” was chosen as the result of a competition at Hormel, with the winner earning himself a hundred dollars. According to the company, the derivation of the name “Spam” is a secret known by only a few former executives, but the speculation is that it stands for “spiced ham” or “shoulders of pork and ham”.

25. Delicate tableware BONE CHINA (from “funny bone”)
The ulnar nerve runs alongside the ulna (one of the bones in the lower arm). The ulnar nerve is the largest unprotected (not surrounded by muscle or bone) nerve in the human body. The nerve can be touched under the skin at the outside of the elbow. Striking the nerve at this point causes and an electric-type shock, known as hitting one’s “funny bone” or “crazy bone”.

Bone china is so called because one of the main components is bone ash derived from animal bones.

30. Rival of Peyton TOM
Tom Brady plays quarterback for the New England Patriots. Brady is from San Mateo, California, which isn’t very far from here. Brady dated actress Bridget Moynahan for a couple of years, and the pair have a child together.

Peyton Manning is quarterback for the Denver Broncos. Peyton’s brother Eli Manning plays as quarterback for the New York Giants. Eli and Peyton’s father is Archie Manning, who was also a successful NFL quarterback.

31. A, in Assisi UNA
The Italian town of Assisi is in Umbria. Assisi is famous as the birthplace of St. Francis and as the home to the Franciscan religious order. It was also the home to Saint Clare and her order of the Poor Sisters (later known as the Poor Clares).

35. Workplace protection agcy. OSHA
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created in 1970 during the Nixon administration. OSHA regulates workplaces in the private sector and regulates just one government agency, namely the US Postal Service.

43. Craigslist caveat AS IS
Craigslist is an online network of communities that features classified advertisements organized geographically. Craigslist was started by Craig Newmark in 1995, originally as an email distribution list for his friends who lived and worked in the San Francisco Bay Area.

A caveat is a warning or a qualification. “Caveat” is the Latin for “let him beware”.

44. University of Alabama head coach Nick SABAN
Nick Saban is a former NFL coach, with the Miami Dolphins, and is now head football coach at the University of Alabama.

46. Some commuter lines ELS
Elevated railroad (el.)

51. Special effects scene in a summer blockbuster, say MONEY SHOT (from “funny money”)
The “money shot” in a movie is the scene or visual element that is thought to be the essential one in the film, the one that will bring in the money at the box office. The original use of the term was to describe the scene that cost the most money to produce.

56. Silent __: Coolidge nickname CAL
President Calvin Coolidge, the only US President to have been born on July 4th, was known as a man of few words. It was while he was serving as Vice-President in the administration of Warren G. Harding, that Coolidge earned the nickname “Silent Cal”. There is a famous story told about Coolidge’s reticence that I would love to think is true, attributed to the poet Dorothy Parker. Sitting beside him at dinner, she remarked to him, “Mr. Coolidge, I’ve made a bet against a fellow who said it was impossible to get more than two words out of you.” His famous reply: “You lose …”

59. Many a marathon winner since the ’90s KENYAN
The marathon is run over 26 miles and 385 yards, and commemorates the legendary messenger-run by Pheidippides from the site of the Battle of Marathon back to Athens. The actual distance run today was decided in 1921, and matches the length of the modern-day Marathon-Athens highway.

62. Talmud scholar RABBI
The Talmud is a collection of writings of thousands of rabbis and is a central text in Rabbinic Judaism, second only to the Torah.

64. Slogan for TV channel TBS, and a hint to the first word of 17-, 25-, 39- and 51-Across VERY FUNNY
Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) adopted the slogan “Very Funny” in 2004. The slogan is meant to contrast TBS with its sister channel TNT, which focuses on drama shows. The TNT slogan is “Drama, Period”.

68. Beethoven’s birth city BONN
After WWII, Bonn was chosen as the capital of West Germany, a choice promoted by Chancellor Konrad Adenauer who was from the area. After German reunification, the capital was moved to Berlin.

Ludwig van Beethoven is one of my favorite composers from the Classical period. There are two excellent films that showcase his music and give fictionalized yet entertaining accounts of different aspects of his life: “Immortal Beloved” (1994) that speculates on the identity of one of Beethoven’s lovers, and “Copying Beethoven” (2006) that explores the events leading up to the triumphant premiere of his 9th Symphony.

71. Online crafts store ETSY
Etsy.com is an e-commerce website where you can buy and sell the kind of items that you might find at a craft fair.

Down
1. Does in OFFS
“To off” is to do in, to kill.

2. Blind piece SLAT
A blind in a window is often composed of slats.

3. “The Godfather” hatchet man LUCA BRASI
Luca Brasi is one of Don Corleone’s most loyal “enforcers” in Mario Puzo’s novel “The Godfather”. In the big screen adaptation, Luca Brasi is played by ex-wrestler and professional bodyguard Lenny Montana. The role launched a very successful television character-acting career for Montana.

5. Tartan-wearing group CLAN
Tartan is sometimes called “plaid” over here in the US, a word not used in the same sense outside of this country. In Scotland a “plaid” is a blanket or a tartan cloth slung over the shoulder.

6. Canola __ OIL
Canola is a type of rapeseed, and Canola oil is made from the seeds. The particular cultivar used in oil production was developed in Canada, and the name Canola in fact comes from “CANadian Oil, Low Acid”.

7. Demoted planet PLUTO
Pluto was discovered in 1930, and was welcomed as the ninth planet in our solar system. Pluto is relatively small in size, just one fifth of the mass of our own moon. In the seventies, astronomers began to discover more large objects in the solar system, including Eris, a “scattered disc object” at the outer reaches. Given that Eris is actually bigger than Pluto, and other objects really aren’t that much smaller, Pluto’s status as a planet was drawn into question. In 2006 there was a scientific definition for a “planet” agreed for the first time, resulting in Pluto being relegated to the status of “dwarf planet”, along with Eris.

8. Stout holder STEIN
A stein is a type of beer glass. The term is German in origin, and is short for “Steinkrug” meaning “stone jug”. “Stein” is the German for “stone”.

The term “stout” was first used for a type of beer in the 1600s when was used to describe a “strong, stout” brew, and not necessarily a dark beer as it is today.

9. Shortening brand since 1911 CRISCO
The Crisco brand of shortening was the first shortening to be made entirely from vegetable oil. Although that sounds like a good thing, it’s actually made by hydrogenating vegetable oil so that it has physical properties similar to the animal shortening it was designed to replace. This hydrogenation turns good fats into bad fats, so medical professionals suggest limited intake.

11. Vintage violin AMATI
The first of the Amati family to make violins was Andrea Amati, who lived in the 14th century. He was succeeded by his sons, Antonio and Girolamo. In turn, they were succeeded by Girolamo’s son, Nicolo. Nicolo had a few students who achieved fame making musical instruments as well. One was his own son, Girolamo, and another was the famed Antonio Stradivari.

13. Puccini classic TOSCA
Unlike so many operas, Puccini’s “Tosca” was a big hit right from day one, when it was first performed in 1900 at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome. “Tosca” is currently the eighth-most performed opera in America, although I’ve only seen it once myself.

22. Monarch catcher NET
The monarch butterfly has very recognizable orange and black wings, and is often seen across North America. The monarch is the state insect of several US states and was even nominated as the national insect in 1990, but the legislation was not enacted.

26. Med. plan choices HMOS
Health Maintenance Organization(HMO)

27. Largest Caribbean island CUBA
Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean. The exact etymology of the name “Cuba” seems a little unclear. Most believe “Cuba” to be derived from the Taíno terms for “where fertile land is abundant” (cubao) or “great place” (coabana).

29. “Wheel of Fortune” request AN E
Contestants have been spinning the “Wheel of Fortune” since it first aired in 1975.

33. Solheim Cup team USA
The Solheim Cup is a golf tournament held every second year in which teams from Europe and the US compete. It is the female equivalent to the Ryder Cup and is held on alternating years with the male tournament. The tournament is named for Karsten Solheim, a Norwegian-born golf club manufacturer who led the effort to establish the competition. Solheim equipment is sold under the brand name of PING.

34. Brew brand with a ribbon logo PABST
Pabst Blue Ribbon is the most recognizable brand of beer from the Pabst Brewing Company. There appears to be some dispute over whether or not Pabst beer ever won a “blue ribbon” prize, but the company claims that it did so at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. The beer was originally called Pabst Best Select, and then just Pabst Select. With the renaming to Blue Ribbon, the beer was sold with an actual blue ribbon tied around the neck of the bottle until it was dropped in 1916 and incorporated into the label.

37. Kojak’s lack HAIR
“Kojak” is a fun police drama that had an original run on TV from 1973 to 1978. The title character was NYPD Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak, played by Telly Savalas. Famously, Kojak sucks away on lollipops as he tries to quit cigarettes. Kojak is assisted in his cases by Sergeant “Fatso” Stavros, a character played by George Savalas, Telly’s younger brother.

I think we all remember Telly Savalas playing the title role in the detective drama “Kojak”, but do we recall his performance in the 1962 “Birdman of Alcatraz”? Savalas played a supporting role opposite Burt Lancaster in that movie, earning himself an Oscar nomination. Another of his more significant roles was Pontius Pilate in the 1965 epic “The Greatest Story Ever Told”. Savalas had to shave his head to play Pilate, and he liked the look so much he remained bald for the rest of his life.

38. Lake Geneva backdrop ALPS
Lake Geneva has a lot of “official” names!

– English: Lake Geneva
– French: Lac Léman or Lac de Genève
– German: Genfersee or Genfer See
– Italian: Lago Lemano or Lago di Ginevra

42. Intl. relief agency since 1946 UNICEF
The United Nations Children’s Fund is known by the acronym UNICEF because the organization’s original name when it was founded in 1946 was the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund.

47. Karaoke machine display LYRICS
“Karate”, means “open hand”, and the related word “karaoke” means “open orchestra”.

48. Spokane-to-Boise dir. SSE
Back in 1974, Spokane in Washington was the smallest city ever to host a World’s Fair. The theme of the fare was “the environment”, which I suppose was ahead of its time. Notably, Expo ’74 was the first American-hosted World’s Fair attended by the Soviet Union after WWII.

Boise, Idaho is the largest metropolitan area in the state by far. There are a number of stories pertaining to the etymology of the name “Boise”. One is that French trappers named the tree-lined river that ran through the area “la rivière boisée”, meaning “the wooded river”.

50. Vienna’s river DANUBE
The Danube is the second largest river in Europe (after the Volga), and actually flows through four European capitals (Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade and Bratislava).

Vienna is the capital of Austria. Vienna has a long musical tradition and was home to Franz Schubert, Johann Strauss (I and II), Josef Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Liszt, Johannes Brahms and Gustav Mahler. As such, Vienna is sometimes called the “City of Music”. It is also called the “City of Dreams” as it was home to the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud.

51. “A League of Their Own” infielder __ Hooch MARLA
Marla Hooch is the character who plays second base in the marvelous 1992 film “A League of Their Own”. Marla is played by Megan Cavanagh.

“A League of Their Own” is a comedy drama film released in 1992 that tells a tale about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League active during WWII. The lead actors were Tom Hanks and Geena Davis. The film spawned one of the most famous quotes in movie history: “There’s no crying in baseball!”

54. Utter chaos HAVOC
“Havoc” is a great damage or destruction. The term comes from the Anglo-French phrase “crier havok”, which was an order given in the late 1500s to soldier instructing them to sieze plunder.

55. Puccini work OPERA
Giacomo Puccini was an Italian composer, famous for his operas that are so often performed all over the world. Included in the list of his works are “La bohème”, “Tosca”, “Madama Butterfly” and “Turandot”. Puccini died in Brussels, Belgium in 1924 having suffered from throat cancer. An audience attending a performance of “La bohème” in Rome heard of the composer’s death in the middle of the performance. At the news, the opera was stopped, and the orchestra instead played Chopin’s “Funeral March”.

59. Stan’s pal on “South Park” KYLE
“South Park” is an adult-oriented cartoon series on Comedy Central. I don’t do “South Park” …

60. Landers and Richards ANNS
“Ask Ann Landers” was an advice column written by Eppie Lederer from 1995 to 2002. Eppie was the twin sister to Pauline Phillips, the person behind “Dear Abby”. Eppie took over the “Ask Ann Landers” column from Ruth Crowley who started it in 1943.

Ann Richards was the second woman to serve as Governor of Texas, and held the office from 1991 to 1995. Richards was a Democrat, and she was defeated in the 1994 election by George W. Bush.

61. Part of a SoHo address NY, NY
The Manhattan neighborhood known today as SoHo was very fashionable in the early 1900s, but as the well-heeled started to move uptown the area became very run down and poorly maintained. Noted for the number of fires that erupted in derelict buildings, SoHo earned the nickname “Hell’s Hundred Acres”. The area was then zoned for manufacturing and became home to many sweatshops. In the mid-1900s artists started to move into open loft spaces and renovating old buildings as the lofts were ideal locations in which an artist could both live and work. In 1968, artists and others organized themselves so that they could legalize their residential use of an area zoned for manufacturing. The group they formed took its name from the name given to the area by the city’s Planning Commission i.e “South of Houston”. This was shortened from So-uth of Ho-uston to SoHo as in the SoHo Artists Association, and the name stuck.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. City with a Viking Ship Museum OSLO
5. Booking agents? COPS
9. Boardroom graphic CHART
14. Goof up FLUB
15. Cheerful tune LILT
16. “Thus with a kiss I die” speaker ROMEO
17. Par, for stock FACE VALUE (from “funny face”)
19. “No thanks” I PASS
20. Spend an evening at home STAY IN
21. Spam holders TINS
23. Minor facial spasm, say TIC
24. Wanna-__: poseurs BES
25. Delicate tableware BONE CHINA (from “funny bone”)
27. Friendly CORDIAL
30. Rival of Peyton TOM
31. A, in Assisi UNA
32. Best ONE-UP
35. Workplace protection agcy. OSHA
39. Same old same old BUSINESS AS USUAL (from “funny business”)
43. Craigslist caveat AS IS
44. University of Alabama head coach Nick SABAN
45. Tear RIP
46. Some commuter lines ELS
49. Web designers SPIDERS
51. Special effects scene in a summer blockbuster, say MONEY SHOT (from “funny money”)
56. Silent __: Coolidge nickname CAL
57. Year in Mexico ANO
58. Bring in REAP
59. Many a marathon winner since the ’90s KENYAN
62. Talmud scholar RABBI
64. Slogan for TV channel TBS, and a hint to the first word of 17-, 25-, 39- and 51-Across VERY FUNNY
66. Pastel shade LILAC
67. Word-of-mouth ORAL
68. Beethoven’s birth city BONN
69. Spheres AREAS
70. Pound enclosure CAGE
71. Online crafts store ETSY

Down
1. Does in OFFS
2. Blind piece SLAT
3. “The Godfather” hatchet man LUCA BRASI
4. Did as directed OBEYED
5. Tartan-wearing group CLAN
6. Canola __ OIL
7. Demoted planet PLUTO
8. Stout holder STEIN
9. Shortening brand since 1911 CRISCO
10. Short flight HOP
11. Vintage violin AMATI
12. Pine secretion RESIN
13. Puccini classic TOSCA
18. Asset of successful entrepreneurs VISION
22. Monarch catcher NET
25. Hallow BLESS
26. Med. plan choices HMOS
27. Largest Caribbean island CUBA
28. Burden ONUS
29. “Wheel of Fortune” request AN E
33. Solheim Cup team USA
34. Brew brand with a ribbon logo PABST
36. Formal “Uh-uh!” SURELY NOT!
37. Kojak’s lack HAIR
38. Lake Geneva backdrop ALPS
40. ”Got it” I SEE
41. Gullible one SAP
42. Intl. relief agency since 1946 UNICEF
47. Karaoke machine display LYRICS
48. Spokane-to-Boise dir. SSE
50. Vienna’s river DANUBE
51. “A League of Their Own” infielder __ Hooch MARLA
52. Studio alert ON AIR
53. Duke or earl NOBLE
54. Utter chaos HAVOC
55. Puccini work OPERA
59. Stan’s pal on “South Park” KYLE
60. Landers and Richards ANNS
61. Part of a SoHo address NY, NY
63. Petting zoo cry BAA!
65. Dust collector RAG

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