Day: October 21, 2012

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
6. “… __ a puddy tat!” I TAW
“I tawt I taw a puddy tat!” is a famous line uttered by Tweety Bird, the yellow canary in the “Looney Tunes” and “Merrie Melodies” cartoons who is constantly stalked by various cats.

10. Collectible game system ATARI
At one point Atari was the fastest growing company in US history, but it never really recovered from the video game industry crash of 1983.

19. MasterCard offering CREDIT LINE
Mastercard is a financial services company, headquartered in Harrison, New York. The company was originally called Master Charge and was set up by a group of California banks to compete with BankAmericard (which later became Visa).

23. Catherine of Aragon’s successor, marriagewise ANNE BOLEYN (AB)
Anne Boleyn was the second wife of Henry VIII of England. Anne was found guilty of high treason after about a thousand days of marriage to Henry, accused of adultery and incest (probably trumped up charges). She was executed, but perhaps her legacy lived on in her only child, as her daughter reigned for 45 very prosperous years as Queen Elizabeth I.

29. “Stay” singer Lisa LOEB
The singer Lisa Loeb was discovered by actor Ethan Hawke, who lived just across the street from her in New York City. Hawke took a demo of her song “Stay (I Missed You)” and gave it to director Ben Stiller, who in turn used it over the ending credits of his 1994 movie “Reality Bites”. The movie was a hit, the song went to number one, and Loeb became the first artist ever to hit that number one spot without having signed up with a record label. Good for her!

31. PBS benefactor NEA
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an agency funded by the federal government that offers support and financing for artistic projects. The NEA was created by an Act of Congress in 1965. Between 1965 and 2008, the NEA awarded over $4 billion to the arts, with Congress authorizing around $170 million annually through the eighties and much of the nineties. That funding was cut to less than $100 million in the late nineties due to pressure from conservatives concerned about the use of funds, but it is now back over the $150 million mark. I wonder how long that will last though …

The Public Broadcasting System (PBS) was founded in 1970, and is my favorite of the broadcast networks. I love PBS’s drama and science shows in particular, and always watch the election results coming in with the NewsHour team. PBS’s Big Bird seems to be making the news in the current election cycle …

34. “Cimarron” novelist EDNA FERBER (EF)
“Cimarron” is a 1929 novel by Edna Ferber, adapted into a film of the same name two years later. The novel is all about the Oklahoma Land Rush. Unsettled land back then was known as Cimarron Territory, a familiar name used by settlers, giving Ferber the title for her novel.

38. Physician’s gp. AMA
The American Medical Association (AMA) was founded in 1847 at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. The first female member was allowed to join in 1868, but the first African American members weren’t admitted until one hundred years later, in 1968.

41. Best Picture of 1932 GRAND HOTEL (GH)
“Grand Hotel” is a marvelous film released in 1932 based on a book of the same name by William A. Drake. Drake himself had based his book on a novel by Vicki Baum titled “Menschen im Hotel”. The 1932 movie has a stellar cast including Greta Garbo and John Barrymore. It was remade in 1945 as ‘Week-End at the Waldorf”, a film I saw quite recently starring Ginger Rogers and Walter Pidgeon.

48. Fronton balls PELOTAS
Basque pelota is a sport played in parts of Spain. Pelota is a racket sport in which a ball is hit against a specially-built wall called a frontón.

52. Lenin’s successor STALIN
Joseph Stalin was the Soviet Premier from 1941 to 1953. Stalin’s real name was Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili, but not long after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1903 he adopted the name “Stalin”, the Russian word for “steel”.

59. Rival of Cassio IAGO
Iago is the schemer in Shakespeare’s “Othello”. Iago is a soldier who fought alongside Othello and feels hard done by, missing out on promotion. He hatches a plot designed to discredit his rival Cassio by insinuating that Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona, Othello’s wife. By the end of the play it’s Iago himself who is discredited and Othello (before committing suicide) apologizes to Cassio for having believed Iago’s lies. Heavy stuff …

69. __ fatty acid TRANS
Trans fat is an ingredient in some of our food that is known to greatly increase the risk of coronary heart disease. Trans fats are very difficult to find in nature and instead are the product of the hydrogenation process that many oils undergo in making some of our less healthy foodstuffs.

70. Russian wheels LADA
Lada is a brand of car made in Russia and exported mainly into Eastern Europe.

72. Tach measures: Abbr. RPMS
The tachometer takes its name from the Greek word “tachos” meaning “speed”. A tachometer measures engine revolutions per minute (rpm).

74. Crankcase components OIL PANS (OP)
In most internal combustion engines, the pistons that move up and down are arranged in a line and connected to a crankshaft that runs along the bottom of the engine. The up and down motion of the pistons turns the crankshaft, which turning motion is “transmitted” (via the transmission) to the wheels. The case surrounding the crankshaft is called the crankcase. The crankcase contains a lot of oil that is squirted onto the crankshaft to lubricate it. Excess oil falls to the bottom of the crankcase and into a reservoir called the oil pan.

82. Belgian lager, familiarly STELLA
The Belgian beer Stella Artois is named for the brewer Sebastianus Artois. Artois was the master brewer at the Den Horen Brewery in Leuven, Belgium in the early 1700s. The Den Horen Brewery has been around at least since 1366 … yes, 1366!

83. Browning’s “How Do I Love Thee?” e.g. SONNET

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Elizabeth Barrett was a very popular poet in England in the mid-1800s. The successful poet and playwright Robert Browning was an admirer of her work, and wrote to her saying so. The two met, and began a famous courtship that led to a secret marriage that they had to hide from Elizabeth’s father.

88. It fell after about 15 years MIR
The Russian Mir Space Station was a remarkably successful project, with the station still holding the record for the longest continuous manned presence in space, at just under ten years. Towards the end of the space station’s life however, the years began to take their toll. There was a dangerous fire, multiple system failures, and a collision with a resupply ship. The Russian commitment to the International Space Station drained funds for repairs, so Mir was allowed to reenter the Earth’s atmosphere and burn up in 2001.

90. Pet food brand IAMS
Iams dog food was first produced by the animal nutritionist Paul Iams. Iams felt that household pets were suffering somewhat by being fed a diet of table scraps, so he developed a dry dog food that he thought was more nutritious and suitable for pet dogs. He founded the Iams company, now part of Procter & Gamble, in 1946.

91. Landlocked Afr. land ETH
Ethiopia holds an important position within the nations of Africa, with the capital of Addis Ababa being home to many international organizations that are focused on the continent.

92. Burkina Faso, once UPPER VOLTA (UV)
Burkina Faso is an inland country in western Africa. The country used to be called the Republic of Upper Volta and was renamed in 1984 to Burkina Faso meaning “the land of upright people”.

102. Batman after Michael VAL
Val Kilmer’s first big leading role in a movie was playing Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s 1991 biopic “The Doors”. A few years later Morrison was chosen for the lead in another big production, “Batman Forever”. Things haven’t really gone as well for Kilmer since then, I’d say. Off the screen, he flirted with the idea of running for Governor of New Mexico in 2010. A Hollywood actor as a Governor? Would never happen …

Michael Keaton is an actor from Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. Keaton is perhaps best remembered for roles he played in Tim Burton films. Keaton had the title role in “Beetlejuice” in 1988, and the title role in “Batman” in 1989 and “Batman Returns” in 1992.

103. Sweetheart BEAU
“Beau” is the French word for “beautiful”, in the male sense.

104. Gold compound AURATE
Salts of gold hydroxide (aka auric acid) are known as aurates.

105. Civil War battle site SHILOH
The Battle of Shiloh was a major engagement in the Civil War, fought in 1862 at Pittsburg Landing in southwestern Tennessee. The battle started with a surprise attack by Confederate forces led by Generals Albert Sidney Johnston and P. G. T. Beauregard. The attackers gained the upper hand on the first day, over the Union forces led by Major General Ulysses S. Grant. Union reinforcements arrived during the night and the tide of the battle turned the next day and the Confederates were forced to withdraw. Almost 3,000 men died in the course of the Battle of Shiloh, making it the bloodiest battle in US history up to that point in time.

119. Swedish actress Persson ESSY
Essy Persson is Swedish actress. Probably, the film best known in this country in which she appeared is the Swedish romance from 1971 called “Want So Much to Believe”.

121. Brown and Patrick DANS
Dan Brown is a somewhat controversial author, best known for his 2003 novel “The Da Vinci Code”. I’ve read all of Brown’s books and must say that his early ones were awful. Having said that I loved “Angels and Demons”, and found “The Da Vinci Code” to be a great read.

Dan Patrick is a sportscaster and radio personality. He is host of “The Dan Patrick Show” on the radio and is co-host of “Football Night in America” on NBC television.

Down
1. Hurdle for a would-be doc MCAT
The acronym MCAT stands for the Medical College Admission Test.

4. “Et tu, Brute?” day IDES
There were three important days in each month of the old Roman calendar. These days originally depended on the cycles of the moon but were eventually “fixed” by law. “Kalendae” were the first days of each month, originally the days of the new moon. “Nonae” were originally the days of the half moon. And “idus” (the ides) was originally the day of the full moon, eventually fixed at the 15th day of a month. Well, actually the ides were the 15th day of March, May, July and October. For all other months, the ides fell on the 13th. Go figure …

It was Shakespeare who popularized the words “Et tu, Brute?” (And you, Brutus?), in his play “Julius Caesar”, although the phrase had been around long before he penned his drama. It’s not known what Julius Caesar actually said in real life just before he was assassinated on the steps of the Senate in Rome.

5. Bone below the femur FIBULA
The fibula is the calf bone. The fibula lies beside the tibia, with both bones sitting under the femur.

8. “Dragonwyck” author Seton ANYA
Anya Seton was the pen name of Ann Seton, an author of historical romances from New York City.

10. Metal giant ALCOA
The Aluminum Corporation of America (ALCOA) is the largest producer of aluminum in the United States. The company was founded in 1888 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where its headquarters are to this day.

11. Picador’s target TORO
In Spanish bullfighting, picadors are horsemen that take on the bull in pairs, using lances to jab the poor creature. The picadors have a specific job, to lacerate the muscle on the back of the bull’s neck and to fatigue him before the toreros (bullfighters) are let loose.

22. “Project Runway” mentor Tim GUNN
Tim Gunn is a fashion consultant, and these days a television personality as well. He makes regular appearances on the reality TV show “Project Runway”, and is so popular a character that he now has his own show called “Tim Gunn’s Guide in Style”.

27. __ Tamid: synagogue lamp NER
“Ner tamid” is the Hebrew term for a sanctuary lamp, although it is often referred to in English as “eternal flame”.

35. Catalan surrealist DALI
The famous surrealist painter Salvador Dalí was born in Figueres, Spain. I had the privilege of visiting the Dalí Museum in Figueres some years ago, just north of Barcelona. If you ever get the chance, it’s a “must see” as it really is a quite magnificent building with a fascinating collection.

37. First lady before Mamie BESS
Harry and Bess Truman met when they were very young children, at Sunday school. They were friends right through high school and became engaged in 1918 just before Harry went off to France during WWI, marrying the next year. Bess Truman never really took to the Washington scene when she became First Lady and stayed out of the limelight as much as she could. Perhaps that contributed to her longevity. Mrs. Truman lived to the age of 97, making her the longest living First Lady in US history.

Mamie Eisenhower has to have been one of the most charming of all the First Ladies of the United States. Ms. Eisenhower suffered from an inner ear complaint called Ménière’s disease which caused her to lose her balance quite often. Because she was unsteady on her feet there were unfounded rumors floating around Washington that Ms. Eisenhower had a drinking problem. People can be very unkind …

38. Melodic segments ARIOSI
An arioso (plural “ariosi”) is part of an opera with its style lying somewhere between that of a full blown aria and speech-like recitative.

41. Headly of “Dick Tracy” GLENNE
Glenne Headly is an actress from New London, Connecticut. One of Headly’s most famous roles was playing Tess Trueheart in the film “Dick Tracy” opposite Warren Beatty. Off the stage, Headly was married for a few years to fellow actor John Malkovich.

42. Stowe novel DRED
Harriet Beecher Stowe’s first novel ended up being her most famous, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”. Stowe followed it up with an 1856 novel called “Dred: A Tale of the Great Dismal Swamp”.

45. Subarctic forest TAIGA
The word “taiga” comes from Mongolian and is the name of an ecosystem or biome that exists in northern regions around the world, largely covered in coniferous forests. “Taiga” is sometimes used interchangeably with “Boreal Forest”.

46. Jazz trumpeter Ziggy ELMAN
Ziggy Elman was the stage name of Harry Finkelman, a jazz trumpeter who played a lot with the Benny Goodman orchestra.

47. British city whose natives are called Loiners LEEDS
Inhabitants of the city of Leeds in the north of England are called “Loiners”, although no one seems to know where the term comes from.

I went to school not far from Leeds in West Yorkshire in the north of England. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, Leeds was a major center for the production and trading of wool, and then with the onset mechanization it became a natural hub for manufacture of textiles.

50. Multi-platinum Steely Dan album AJA
Steely Dan’s heyday was in the seventies when they toured for a couple of years, although the group mainly focused on studio work. The band was formed in 1972 and broke up in 1981. The core of the band reunited in 1993 and they are still going strong today.

51. Odysseus trio, to Homer SIGMAS
Sigma is the eighteenth letter of the Greek alphabet, and is the one used for an “ess” sound, equivalent to our letter S. There are three letters S in the name “Odysseus”, or three sigmas as Homer would say.

53. “The Good Girl” star ANISTON
Jennifer Aniston won a 2002 Emmy for playing Rachel on the great sitcom “Friends”. Jennifer’s parents are both actors, and her godfather is the actor Telly Savalas.

61. Beige shade ECRU
The shade called ecru is a grayish, yellowish brown. The word “ecru” comes from French and means “raw, unbleached”. “Ecru” has the same roots as our word “crude”.

64. “Nick of Time” singer RAITT
Bonnie Raitt is a blues singer, originally from Burbank, California. Raitt has won nine Grammys for her work, but she is perhaps as well known for her political activism as she is for her music. She was no fan of President George W. Bush, and she sure did show it.

65. Freud contemporary ADLER
Alfred Adler was one of the group of medical professionals that founded the psychoanalytic movement. Today Adler is less famous than his colleague, Sigmund Freud.

68. Put the __ on: squelch KIBOSH
“Kibosh” is something that constrains or checks. “Kibosh” looks like a Yiddish word but it isn’t, and is more likely English slang from the early 1800s.

71. Genetic chains RNAS
Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) is an essential catalyst in the manufacture of proteins in the body. The genetic code in DNA determines the sequence of amino acids that make up each protein. Amino acids are delivered in the correct sequence by what is called transfer RNA and then formed into proteins by ribosomal RNA.

75. Racing’s Unsers ALS
The Unser family seems to have racing cars in its blood. Al Unser, Sr. won the Indy 500 on four occasions. Al’s brother Jerry was the first of the Unsers to compete at Indianapolis. Al’s other brother Bobby, won the Indy three times. Al’s son, Al Junior, won the Indy twice. Al Junior’s son is also a racing driver who competes at the Indy Speedway.

77. Canal-cleaning device Q-TIP
Cotton swabs were originally marketed under the name “Baby Gays”, but this was changed in 1926 to “Q-Tip”, with the Q standing for “quality”.

79. Israeli port city ELAT
Eilat (sometimes “Elat”) the most southerly city in Israel, sitting right at the northern tip of the Red Sea, on the Gulf of Aqaba.

80. __ mater ALMA
The literal translation for the Latin term “alma mater” is “nourishing mother”. “Alma mater” was used in Ancient Rome to refer to mother goddesses, and in Medieval Christianity the term was used to refer to the Virgin Mary. Nowadays, one’s alma mater is the school one attended, either high school or college, usually one’s last place of education.

92. Initials at O’Hare UAL
United Airlines (UAL).

O’Hare International is the fourth busiest airport in the world. The original airport was constructed on the site between 1942 and 1943, and was used by the Douglas Aircraft Company for the manufacture of planes during WWII. Before the factory and airport were built, there was a community in the area called Orchard Place, so the airport was called Orchard Place Airport/Douglas Field. This name is the derivation of the airport’s current location identifier: ORD (OR-chard D-ouglas). Orchard Place Airport was renamed to O’Hare International in 1949 in honor  of Lieutenant Commander Edward O’Hare who grew up in Chicago. O’Hare was the US Navy’s first flying ace and Medal of Honor recipient in WWII. As an aside, O’Hare’s father was a lawyer for Al Capone who helped get the famous gangster convicted on tax evasion.

93. Old Spanish coins REALES
The coin called a “peso” is used in many Spanish-speaking countries around the world. The coin originated in Spain where the word “peso” means “weight”. The original peso was what we know in English as a “piece of eight”, a silver coin of a specific weight that had a nominal value of eight “reales”.

96. Anchor cable opening HAWSE
The hawse is that part of the bow of a ship containing the hawse holes, holes through which hawsers can be passed. Hawsers are thick cables or ropes used in mooring or towing.

97. Mongolian tents YURTS
A yurt is a wood-framed dwelling that is used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. Although a yurt is a substantial structure, it is of course extremely portable.

106. __ Park: FDR home site HYDE
Hyde Park, New York was the hometown of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. President Roosevelt’s estate is called Springwood and is now managed by the National Park Service. It’s a great place to visit, and if you do so, don’t forget to see the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site just a couple of miles away, where you can tour the cottage in which the president’s wife spent much of her time.

109. Israeli statesman Weizman EZER
Ezer Weizman was the seventh President of Israel.

110. Package word with a cable car in its “o” -RONI
Rice-a-Roni was introduced in 1958 by the Golden Grain Macaroni Company of San Francisco. The company was run by an Italian immigrant and his four sons. The wife of one of the sons served a pilaf dish at a family diner that was a big hit, so her brother-in-law created a commercial version by blending dry chicken soup mix with rice and macaroni. Sounds like “a San Francisco treat” to me …

114. Pretoria’s land: Abbr. RSA
The Republic of South Africa (RSA).

Pretoria is the executive capital of South Africa, one of three capital cities in the country. Cape Town is the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital.

116. Hosp. staffer LPN
A Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Dominant theme MOTIF
6. “… __ a puddy tat!” I TAW
10. Collectible game system ATARI
15. Confident words I CAN
19. MasterCard offering CREDIT LINE
21. Beset by delays LOSING TIME
23. Catherine of Aragon’s successor, marriagewise ANNE BOLEYN (AB)
24. High-volume pesticide deliverer CROP DUSTER (CD)
25. They could go either way TOSS-UPS
26. When many lunch AT NOON
28. Plan INTEND
29. “Stay” singer Lisa LOEB
31. PBS benefactor NEA
32. Ratio for 25-Across EVEN ODDS
34. “Cimarron” novelist EDNA FERBER (EF)
38. Physician’s gp. AMA
39. Brush fire op EVAC
40. Latin king REX
41. Best Picture of 1932 GRAND HOTEL (GH)
48. Fronton balls PELOTAS
52. Lenin’s successor STALIN
54. Entertain with extravagance REGALE
55. Lively folk dances IRISH JIGS (IJ)
57. Classical lead-in NEO-
58. Citrusy pie flavor KEY LIME (KL)
59. Rival of Cassio IAGO
60. Oil used in paint LINSEED
62. “Lordy!” EGAD
63. Units in nutrition GRAMS
67. Attempts to smooth ruffled feathers MAKES NICE (MN)
69. __ fatty acid TRANS
70. Russian wheels LADA
71. Emit RADIATE
72. Tach measures: Abbr. RPMS
74. Crankcase components OIL PANS (OP)
76. “Dude!” BRO
77. Page-turner QUICK READ (QR)
82. Belgian lager, familiarly STELLA
83. Browning’s “How Do I Love Thee?” e.g. SONNET
85. In a stuffed-up way NASALLY
86. Cardiologist’s exam STRESS TEST (ST)
88. It fell after about 15 years MIR
90. Pet food brand IAMS
91. Landlocked Afr. land ETH
92. Burkina Faso, once UPPER VOLTA (UV)
96. Adds moisture to HYDRATES
102. Batman after Michael VAL
103. Sweetheart BEAU
104. Gold compound AURATE
105. Civil War battle site SHILOH
108. Took in, say ALTERED
113. Procedures for detecting carpal fractures WRIST X-RAYS (WX)
115. Restricted parking area, in some cases YELLOW ZONE (YZ)
117. Avoids a confrontation STEPS ASIDE
118. Go through EXPERIENCE
119. Swedish actress Persson ESSY
120. Marketing data SALES
121. Brown and Patrick DANS
122. Took a shot TRIED

Down
1. Hurdle for a would-be doc MCAT
2. “Just answer yes __!” OR NO!
3. Place in math class? TENS
4. “Et tu, Brute?” day IDES
5. Bone below the femur FIBULA
6. “Let me get back to you” I’LL SEE
7. Reason for sudden death TIE
8. “Dragonwyck” author Seton ANYA
9. Followed WENT NEXT
10. Metal giant ALCOA
11. Picador’s target TORO
12. Without dissent AS ONE MAN
13. Mending target RIP
14. Non-studio pic INDIE
15. “__ die for!” IT’S TO
16. Credited in a note CITED
17. Improve AMEND
18. Unhip types NERDS
20. Riding, with “on” TOP OF
22. “Project Runway” mentor Tim GUNN
27. __ Tamid: synagogue lamp NER
30. “Crank up the heat!” BRR!
33. Carpooling convenience VAN
34. At all EVER
35. Catalan surrealist DALI
36. Sgts., e.g. NCOS
37. First lady before Mamie BESS
38. Melodic segments ARIOSI
39. Dermal opening EPI-
41. Headly of “Dick Tracy” GLENNE
42. Stowe novel DRED
43. “Ahem” relative HEY
44. Lustful looker OGLER
45. Subarctic forest TAIGA
46. Jazz trumpeter Ziggy ELMAN
47. British city whose natives are called Loiners LEEDS
49. “I’m holding it!” THIS!
50. Multi-platinum Steely Dan album AJA
51. Odysseus trio, to Homer SIGMAS
53. “The Good Girl” star ANISTON
56. Use spurs on GOAD
58. Not cut KEEP IN
60. Picked up LEARNT
61. Beige shade ECRU
63. Lip protection GLOSS
64. “Nick of Time” singer RAITT
65. Freud contemporary ADLER
66. Colorful autumn tree MAPLE
68. Put the __ on: squelch KIBOSH
69. Impatient sounds TSKS
71. Genetic chains RNAS
73. ’70s Lynyrd Skynyrd label MCA
75. Racing’s Unsers ALS
77. Canal-cleaning device Q-TIP
78. Way to travel RAIL
79. Israeli port city ELAT
80. __ mater ALMA
81. Peptic opening? DYS-
83. Leaves the harbor SETS SAIL
84. Working EMPLOYED
87. Shirt prohibited at most golf courses, ironically TEE
89. Yank’s foe REB
92. Initials at O’Hare UAL
93. Old Spanish coins REALES
94. Knight’s quality VALOR
95. Stay one step ahead of OUTWIT
96. Anchor cable opening HAWSE
97. Mongolian tents YURTS
98. Hangs on a line DRIES
99. Rough, in a way RASPY
100. Court figs. ATTS
101. State with a panhandle TEXAS
102. Shop class holders VISES
106. __ Park: FDR home site HYDE
107. Twice tri- HEXA-
109. Israeli statesman Weizman EZER
110. Package word with a cable car in its “o” -RONI
111. Suffix with defer -ENCE
112. Monopoly card DEED
114. Pretoria’s land: Abbr. RSA
116. Hosp. staffer LPN

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