Day: April 22, 2016

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. “For __ had eyes, and chose me”: Othello SHE
In the line “For she had eyes, and chose me”, Othello is referring to his wife Desdemona.

Shakespeare’s “Othello” was first performed in 1604. The main characters in the play are:

– Othello, a general in the army of Venice
– Desdemona, Othello’s wife
– Cassio, Othello’s trusted ensign
– Iago, the villain of the piece

14. Gobbler TOM
A male turkey is called a “tom”, taking its name from a “tomcat”. The inference is that like a tomcat, the male turkey is relatively wild and undomesticated, sexually promiscuous and frequently getting into fights.

15. Blue-skinned deity RAMA
In the Hindu tradition, the god known as Vishnu has seven different avatars i.e. incarnations or manifestations. Rama is the seventh of these avatars.

16. Ferrous sulfate target ANEMIA
The term “anemia” (or “anaemia” as we write it back in Ireland) comes from a Greek word meaning “lack of blood”. Anemia is a lack of iron in the blood, or a low red blood cell count. Tiredness is a symptom of the condition.

17. Fed. financial agency OMB
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the successor to the Bureau of the Budget, formed in 1970 during the Nixon administration. The main task of the OMB is to prepare the budget for the federal government, and the Director of the OMB is a member of the Cabinet.

18. “Metamorphoses” poet OVID
The Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso is today known simply as Ovid. Ovid is usually listed alongside the two other great Roman poets: Horace and Virgil.

“The Metamorphoses” is a narrative poem by the Roman poet Ovid that deals with a lofty subject. It describes the history of the world from creation until the “present day”, that is Ovid’s “present day”, the era of Julius Caesar. A lot of the storyline makes use of Greek mythology (rather than Roman).

20. Model T contemporary REO
The REO Motor Company was founded by Ransom Eli Olds (hence the name REO). The company made cars, trucks and buses, and was in business from 1905 to 1975 in Lansing, Michigan. Among the company’s most famous models were the REO Royale and the REO Flying Cloud.

The Ford Model T was the first really affordable car that was offered for sale, and it was produced from 1908 to 1927. It was the Model T that ushered in the era of assembly line production, which greatly cut down the cost of manufacture. The Model T’s engine was designed to run on petrol, kerosene or ethanol. Ford stated in 1909 that “Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black”. In actual fact, from 1908 through 1913, the Model T wasn’t available in black, and only grey, green, blue and red. The “black only” strategy applied from 1914.

21. “The Iliad” subject WAR
“The Iliad” is an epic poem by the Greek poet Homer, which tells the story of the ten-year siege of Ilium (also known as Troy) during the Trojan war. “The Odyssey”, also attributed to Homer, is sometimes described as a sequel to “The Iliad”.

27. Bellicose deity ARES
The Greek god Ares is often referred to as the Olympian god of warfare, but originally he was regarded as the god of bloodlust and slaughter. Ares united with Aphrodite to create several gods, including Phobos, Deimos and Eros. The Roman equivalent to Ares was Mars. Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera.

28. Pitcher of milk? ELSIE
Borden used to be the country’s biggest producer of dairy and pasta products. The company ran up major losses in the nineties from which it really couldn’t recover and so is no longer operating. Famously, Borden introduced Elsie the cow as a “spokes-animal” and mascot. Elsie is now used by companies other than the defunct Borden.

29. It may include a model, briefly APB
An All Points Bulletin (APB) is a broadcast from one US law enforcement agency to another.

34. French possessive pronoun SES
“Ses” is the French word for “his”, “her” or “its”, when referring to a group of items.

37. Priceline options INNS
Priceline.com is travel website providing discount prices for airline tickets and hotel stays. Priceline’s most famous spokespeople in advertisements are William Shatner and Kaley Cuoco.

39. __ work: menial labor SCUT
“Scutwork” is monotonous work, tasks that need to be done in order to complete a larger project. “Scut” is an informal term that describes a contemptible person.

40. Batt. terminal NEG
A battery is a device that converts chemical energy into electric energy. A simple battery is made up of three parts: a cathode, an anode and a liquid electrolyte. Ions from the electrolyte react chemically with the material in the anode producing a compound and releasing electrons. At the same time, the electrolyte reacts with the material in the cathode, absorbing electrons and producing a different chemical compound. In this way, there is a buildup of electrons at the anode and a deficit of electrons at the cathode. When a connection (wire, say) is made between the cathode and anode, electrons flow through the resulting circuit from the anode to cathode in an attempt to rectify the electron imbalance.

41. Plastered STINKO
“Plastered” and “stinko” are terms meaning “drunk”.

42. Amos with eight Grammy nominations TORI
Tori Amos is an American pianist and singer. Amos started playing the piano at two years old, and was composing piano pieces by age five. She was playing in piano bars (chaperoned by her father) when she was 14. I’m going to have to find some of her music (I lead such a sheltered life …)!

43. “Castle” producer ABC
“Castle” is a crime-drama series starring Nathan Fillion as the title character, mystery novelist Richard Castle. Castle works alongside NYPD homicide detective Kate Beckett, played by Stana Katic. There’s romance in the air between those two lead characters.

45. Yuma : Yours :: Toulouse : à ___ TOI
The city and county of Yuma, Arizona take their name from the Quechan (aka “Yuma”) Native American tribe that inhabited the area.

Toulouse is the fourth largest city in France, and is located in the southwest of the country. These days, Toulouse is noted as home to the Airbus headquarters and is known as the center of the European aerospace industry.

46. Ruination 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 seize plunder.

47. __-dieu PRIE
Prie-dieu literally means “pray (to) God” in French. A prie-dieu is basically a padded kneeler, with an armrest in front and a shelf on which one placed books of prayer.

49. Hair care brand since 1930 BRECK
Breck shampoo is noted for its “Breck Girls” series of ads that ran from the mid-thirties right up to the mid-seventies.

52. Motor Trend’s 1968 Car of the Year GTO
The Pontiac GTO was produced by GM from 1964 to 1974, and again by a GM subsidiary in Australia from 2004 to 2006. The original GTO’s design is credited to Pontiac chief engineer at the time John DeLorean, who later was found the DeLorean Motor Company.

“Motor Trend” is an auto magazine that has been published since 1949. The magazine has been giving its famous Car of the Year award since those early days, with the first award going to the 1949 Cadillac.

54. Eggs on toast, perhaps ROE
Fish eggs (roe) on toast. Ugh …

56. Dutch export EDAM
Edam cheese takes its name from the Dutch town of Edam in North Holland. The cheese is famous for its coating of red paraffin wax, a layer of protection that helps Edam travel well and prevents spoiling. You might occasionally come across an Edam cheese that is coated in black wax. The black color indicates that the underlying cheese has been aged for a minimum of 17 weeks.

58. Swiss city, to most locals GENEVE
Genève (Geneva in English) is the biggest city in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. I’ve been to Geneva only once and sadly, what I remember most is how expensive it is. It is in fact the fourth or fifth most expensive city in the world.

59. The Taj Mahal, e.g. TOMB
The most famous mausoleum in the world has to be the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. The Taj Mahal was built after the death of the third wife of Shah Jahan, Mumtaz Mahal (hence the name of the mausoleum). The poor woman died in childbirth delivering the couple’s 14th child.

60. African bovine GNU
A gnu is also known as a wildebeest, and is an antelope native to Africa. “Wildebeest” is actually the Dutch word for “wild beast”.

Something “bovine” is related to a cow, ox or buffalo, any ruminant in the genus Bos. “Bos” is the Latin for “cow”, and “bovinus” a Late Latin derivative term.

63. Dubious communication method ESP
Extrasensory perception (ESP)

Down
2. Huge holiday film HOME ALONE
“Home Alone” is a 1990 film starring Macaulay Culkin that has become a Christmas classic. Culkin was nominated for a Best Actor Golden Globe for his performance, the youngest actor ever to be so honored.

5. Kilauea sight LAVA
Kilauea, the world’s most active volcano, is on the Big Island of Hawai’i. The name Kilauea translates from Hawaiian into “spewing” or “much spreading”, very apt considering that lava is usually pouring, non-explosively, out of the Pu’u ‘O’o vent on the eastern side of the volcano.

6. Mideast leader’s personal CPA? EMIR’S AUDITOR (EM + “IRS auditor”)
Certified public accountant (CPA)

8. June honorees DADS
Father’s Day was added as an official holiday in 1972, although bills to create the holiday had been with Congress since 1913. By rights, the holiday should be called “Fathers’ Day” (note the punctuation), but the Bill that was introduced in 1913 used the “Father’s Day” spelling, and that’s the one that has stuck.

9. Visiting the vet, maybe IN A CAGE
“Vet” is an abbreviation for “veterinarian”, a professional who treat animals for disease and injury. The word “veterinary” comes from the Latin “veterinae” meaning “working animals, beasts of burden”.

10. Suckerfish REMORA
Remoras are also called suckerfish, which name is descriptive of one of the fish’s basic behaviors. One of the remoras dorsal fins is in the shape of a “sucker”, allowing it to take a firm hold on a larger marine animal, hitching a ride.

22. Snoopy starting a trip? EMBARKING DOG (EM + “barking dog”)
In getting on and off a seagoing vessel, one embarks and debarks. The terms come from the name of the small ship known as a barque.

A barque (also “bark”) is a sailboat with three or more masts, all square-rigged except the aftermast which has triangular sails

33. Bygone small car GEO
Geos were small vehicles manufactured by General Motors mainly in the nineties. Geos were designed to compete head-to-head with the small imports that were gaining market share at the time in the US. Some Geo models that you might remember are the Metro, the Prizm and the Storm. The cars were actually built as joint-ventures with Japanese manufacturers. The Prizm was a GM/Toyota project, the Metro was GM/Suzuki, and the Storm was GM/Isuzu.

35. Change overseas, maybe EURO COINS
Euro coins are issued by all the participating European states. The reverse side is a common design used by all countries, whereas the obverse is a design specific to each nation. For example, the one euro coin issued by Malta features the Maltese Cross. That Maltese euro is legal tender right across the eurozone. Of course the Irish euro features a harp.

39. George Clooney, for one STAR
The actor George Clooney’s breakthrough role was playing Dr. Doug Ross on TV’s “ER”, although before that he had a fairly regular role on the sitcom “Roseanne”. George’s aunt was the singer and actress Rosemary Clooney.

41. When in Act I Duncan arrives at Macbeth’s castle SCENE VI
In William Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth”, King Duncan is the good king of Scotland whom Macbeth murders in the pursuit of power.

46. Cold War threats H-BOMBS
The first successful detonation of a hydrogen bomb (H-bomb) was in a test codenamed Ivy Mike. The test was conducted by the US on an atoll in the Pacific Ocean named Enewetak.

The term “Cold War” was first used by the novelist George Orwell in a 1945 essay about the atomic bomb. Orwell described a world under threat of nuclear war as having a “peace that is no peace”, in a permanent state of “cold war”. The specific use of “cold war” to describe the tension between the Eastern bloc and the Western allies is attributed to a 1947 speech by Bernard Baruch.

47. Spin docs PR MEN
Public relations (PR)

50. “Eleni” author Nicholas GAGE
Nicholas Gage is a Greek-American author and investigative journalist. Gage wrote two memoirs, “Eleni” and “A Place for Us”. “Eleni” tells of his life in Greece during WWII and the Greek Civil War. The title is a tribute to his mother Eleni who was executed by Communists who occupied her village, simply because she helped her children escape from the ravages of a war of occupation. “Eleni” was adapted into a movie in 1985, with John Malkovich playing Gage.

56. H-like letter ETA
Eta is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, and is a forerunner of our Latin character “H”. Originally denoting a consonant, eta was used as a long vowel in Ancient Greek.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. “For __ had eyes, and chose me”: Othello SHE
4. Utterly failed at BLEW
8. With great urgency DIRELY
14. Gobbler TOM
15. Blue-skinned deity RAMA
16. Ferrous sulfate target ANEMIA
17. Fed. financial agency OMB
18. “Metamorphoses” poet OVID
19. How pooches’ smooches are delivered DAMPLY
20. Model T contemporary REO
21. “The Iliad” subject WAR
22. Goes with ESCORTS
23. Ancient theater props MASKS
25. Added result SUM
27. Bellicose deity ARES
28. Pitcher of milk? ELSIE
29. It may include a model, briefly APB
30. Pumped item GAS
31. “Now!” DO IT!
32. Storm consequence OUTAGE
34. French possessive pronoun SES
37. Priceline options INNS
38. Have a special place for ADORE
39. __ work: menial labor SCUT
40. Batt. terminal NEG
41. Plastered STINKO
42. Amos with eight Grammy nominations TORI
43. “Castle” producer ABC
45. Yuma : Yours :: Toulouse : à ___ TOI
46. Ruination HAVOC
47. __-dieu PRIE
48. Take responsibility for OWN
49. Hair care brand since 1930 BRECK
50. Pun, sometimes GROANER
52. Motor Trend’s 1968 Car of the Year GTO
54. Eggs on toast, perhaps ROE
55. Diverted AMUSED
56. Dutch export EDAM
57. Desired result AIM
58. Swiss city, to most locals GENEVE
59. The Taj Mahal, e.g. TOMB
60. African bovine GNU
61. Turns out to be ENDS IN
62. Elements in vital statistics AGES
63. Dubious communication method ESP

Down
1. Entered angrily STORMED IN
2. Huge holiday film HOME ALONE
3. Lining with raised decorations? EMBOSSING AROUND (EM + “bossing around”)
4. Window-shop BROWSE
5. Kilauea sight LAVA
6. Mideast leader’s personal CPA? EMIR’S AUDITOR (EM + “IRS auditor”)
7. Singles group, e.g.? WAD
8. June honorees DADS
9. Visiting the vet, maybe IN A CAGE
10. Suckerfish REMORA
11. Insurance for royalty? EMPRESS COVERAGE (EM + “press coverage”)
12. Light melodies LILTS
13. Appreciative shouts YAYS
22. Snoopy starting a trip? EMBARKING DOG (EM + “barking dog”)
24. They encourage modeling KITS
26. As yet UP TO NOW
32. Word with meal or cake OAT
33. Bygone small car GEO
35. Change overseas, maybe EURO COINS
36. Robber’s demand … or what to do to solve four long puzzle answers? STICK ‘EM UP
39. George Clooney, for one STAR
41. When in Act I Duncan arrives at Macbeth’s castle SCENE VI
44. Slants BIASES
46. Cold War threats H-BOMBS
47. Spin docs PR MEN
50. “Eleni” author Nicholas GAGE
51. Perfect place EDEN
53. Not that exciting TAME
56. H-like letter ETA

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