Day: March 14, 2013

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
5. Music storage medium IPOD
The iPod is Apple’s signature line of portable media players. The iPod first hit the market in 2001 with a hard drive-based device, now known as the iPod Classic. Later models all use flash memory, allowing a smaller form factor. The smallest of the flash-based models is the iPod Shuffle, which was introduced in 2005.

13. Kirin rival ASAHI
Asahi is a beer, and the name of the brewery that produces it. “Asahi” is Japanese for “morning sun”. Asahi introduced a “dry beer” in 1987, igniting a craze that rocketed the brewery to the number one spot in terms of beer production in Japan, with Sapporo close behind.

Kirin lager is the oldest brand of beer in Japan. The “Kirin” name comes from the Japanese word for a mythical Chinese creature.

15. Arp’s art DADA
Dadaism thrived during and just after WWI, and was an anti-war, anti-bourgeois and anti-art culture. The movement began in Zurich, Switzerland started by a group of artists and writers who met to discuss art and put on performances in the Cabaret Voltaire, frequently expressing disgust at the war that was raging across Europe.

Hans Arp was a French artist renowned for his work with torn and pasted paper, although that wasn’t the only medium he used. Arp was the son of a French mother and German father and spoke both languages fluently. When he was speaking German he gave his name as Hans Arp, but when speaking French he called himself Jean Arp. Both “Hans” and “Jean” translate into English as “John”. In WWI Arp moved to Switzerland to avoid being called up to fight, taking advantage of Swiss neutrality. Eventually he was told to report to the German Consulate and fill out paperwork for the draft. In order to get out of fighting, Arp messed up the paperwork by writing the date in every blank space on the forms. Then he took off all of his clothes and walked with his papers over to the officials in charge. He was sent home …

16. Scale pair SO, LA
I guess the “so” here is the “sol” in the solfa musical scale.

The solfa syllables are: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la & ti.

18. How 58-Across can be written ENDLESSLY
The mathematical constant known as pi is an irrational number, meaning that it cannot be expressed exactly as the ratio of two integer and is represented as a never-ending decimal approximation.

20. Diamond deal TRADE
Baseball players, who play on a diamond, are often traded.

26. USN clerk YEO
In the US Navy, a yeoman is tasked with administrative and clerical work. In fact the position of yeoman is the oldest rating in the navy.

29. “A Doll’s House” playwright IBSEN
Henrik Ibsen was a Norwegian playwright, considered by many to be the greatest playwright since William Shakespeare. Ibsen was famous for shocking his audiences by exploring subjects that offended the sensibilities of the day (the late 1800s).

“A Doll’s House” is probably the most famous play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The play deals with the feminist awakening of the lead character, Nora Helmer. “A Doll’s House” is sometimes referred to as the “first true feminist play”.

31. Mil. honor DSM
The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest (non-valorous) decoration awarded for services to the US military.

40. 1967 NHL rookie of the year ORR
Bobby Orr is regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time. By the time he retired in 1978 he had undergone over a dozen knee surgeries. At 31 years of age, he concluded that he just couldn’t skate anymore. Reportedly, he was even having trouble walking …

44. “Let’s Dance” singer BOWIE
In early 1969, the struggling David Bowie recorded a promotional film in an attempt to reach a wider audience. The film called “Love You Till Tuesday” featured seven of Bowie’s songs in what amounted to an extended music video, with one of the tracks being “Space Oddity”. Somebody smart put two and two together later in the year and decided that a fresh version of “Space Oddity” should be released, to coincide with the Apollo moon landings. Sure enough, the BBC snagged the track for their coverage of the landings and gave Bowie huge audiences and “launched” his career.

David Bowie’s great hit “Let’s Dance” was released in 1983, and was his only record to make it to number one on both sides of the Atlantic.

57. Gluten-rich grain WHEAT
Gluten is a protein mixture found in foods processed mainly from wheat. The sticky properties of gluten are used in making bread, giving dough its elasticity and making the final product very chewy. “Gluten” is the Latin word for “glue”.

58. Subject of an annual March 14 celebration and of this puzzle, celebrated in its circled squares in both a literal and a numerical way VALUE OF PI
27. 34-Across factor DIAMETER
34. 58-Across times 27-Across CIRCUMFERENCE
47. Mathematically, what 58-Across is CONSTANT
If you divide the circumference of any circle by its diameter, then the resulting number is always the same and is denoted by the Greek letter “pi”. Pi is approximately equal to 22/7, or 3.14159.

The first three digits of the constant pi are 3.14, so Pi Day is celebrated on March 14th (3/14) every year since 1988 when it was inaugurated at the San Francisco Exploratorium. In countries where the day is usually written before the month, Pi Day is July 22nd, reflecting the more accurate approximation of pi as 22/7. Interestingly, March 14th is also Albert Einstein’s birthday.

64. Minnesota’s state bird LOON
The bird known as a loon here in North America is called a diver in the British Isles. The name “diver” comes from the bird’s habit of swimming calmly and then suddenly diving below the surface to catch a fish. The name “loon” comes from an Old English word meaning “clumsy” and reflects the awkward gait of the bird when walking on land.

65. Leisurely stroll PASEO
A paseo is a slow stroll or walk taken outdoors. The term comes from the Spanish “pasear” meaning “to take a stroll”.

66. Caesar and others SIDS
Sid Caesar achieved fame in the fifties on TV’s “Your Show of Shows”. To be honest, I know Sid Caesar mainly from the fun film version of the musical “Grease”, in which he played Coach Calhoun.

Down
1. Actor Penn who has worked for the Obama administration KAL
Indian-American actor Kal Penn made a name for himself in the “Harold & Kumar” series of comedy films. These so called “stoner comedies” are not my cup of tea, but I dis enjoy watching Penn play his more mainstream roles on TV’s “House” and “24”. He left the world of acting when President Obama won the 2008 election and now works as an Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement (although he did leave the White House briefly to film the “Harold & Kumar” sequel).

3. Deli order PASTRAMI
In the US, pastrami was originally called “pastrama”, a dish brought to America by Jewish immigrants from Romania in the second half of the the nineteenth century. The original name may have evolved from the Turkish word “pastirma” meaning “pressed”. “Pastrama” likely morphed into “pastrami”, influenced by the name of the Italian sausage that we call salami.

4. Spring sign THE RAM
Aries the Ram is the first astrological sign in the Zodiac, and is named after the constellation. Your birth sign is Aries if you were born between March 21 and April 20, but if you are an Aries you would know that!

5. French bean product? IDEE
In French, one’s head (tête) might produce an idea (idée).

The bean, the conk, the head …

8. __ Lama DALAI
The Dalai Lama is a religious leader in the Gelug branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The current Dalai Lama is the 14th to hold the office. He has indicated that the next Dalai Lama might be found outside of Tibet for the first time, and may be female.

9. Part of LPGA: Abbr. ASSN
The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) was founded in 1950 by a group of 13 lady golfers, and today it is the oldest ongoing women’s sports professional organization in the US.

10. Isn’t in a big hurry MOSEYS
“Mosey” is American slang for “amble”, of unknown origin.

12. Ohio home of the Wright Brothers DAYTON
Wilbur was the older of the two Wright brothers, and he was born in 1867 in Millville, Indiana. By the time that Orville was born in 1871, the family was living in Dayton, Ohio. The Wrights spent a few years of their youth back in Richmond, Indiana, before settling in Dayton for the rest of their lives. The brothers both died in Dayton; Wilbur in 1912 and Orville in 1948.

19. Valuable fur ERMINE
Ermine is another name for the stoat. The stoat has dark brown fur in the summer, and white fur in the winter. Sometimes the term “ermine” is reserved for the animal during the winter when the fur is white. Ermine skins have long been prized by royalty and are often used for white trim on ceremonial robes.

24. Blu-ray buy DISC
A Blu-ray disc looks just like a standard DVD or CD, but it has a lot more capacity for data storage making it an ideal medium for high-definition movies. The name “Blu-ray” comes from the “blue laser” used to read the disc, unlike a standard DVD player that uses a “red laser”.

28. Common street name ELM
The most common street name in the US is “Second Street”. “First Street” comes in only at number three, and this is because many cities and towns forego the use of “First” and instead go with “Main” or something more historical in nature. “Elm Street” appears on the list at number fifteen.

35. Le __ Soleil: Louis XIV ROI
Louis XIV is perhaps the most famous of the kings (“rois”) of France and was known as the “Sun King” (le Roi Soleil”). Louis XIV was king from 1638 to 1715, a reign of over 72 years, which is the longest reign of any European monarch.

44. Met cheers BRAVOS
To express appreciation for a male performer at an operatic performance, traditionally one calls out “bravo!”. Appreciation for a female performer is shown by using “brava!”, and for more than one performer by using “bravi!”

45. Start of a Beatles title OB-LA-DI
“Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” was one of many songs credited to Lennon/McCartney that was actually written by just one of the pair. Paul McCartney wrote this one, a song that John Lennon really did not like at all. Apparently Lennon was quite obstructionist during the recording of the song and even walked out at one point.

52. Nonnative Hawaiian HAOLE
The Hawaiian term “haole” is used to refer to a foreigner, particular a Caucasian.

53. Dahl’s “Fantastic” title critter MR FOX
“Fantastic Mr Fox” is a children’s novel by Roald Dahl. “Fantastic Mr Fox” was adapted into a 2006 animated film directed by Wes Anderson.

Roald Dahl’s name is Norwegian. Dahl’s parents were from Norway, although Dahl himself was Welsh. Dahl became one of the most successful authors of the twentieth century. Two of his most famous titles are “James and the Giant Peach” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”.

61. DDE’s birthplace TEX
President Eisenhower was born in Denison, Texas and given the name David Dwight Eisenhower, but by the time he made it to the White House he was going by the name Dwight D. Eisenhower. Growing up, his family called him Dwight, and when “Ike” enrolled in West Point he himself reversed the order of his given names.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Retained KEPT
5. Music storage medium IPOD
9. In the thick of AMID
13. Kirin rival ASAHI
15. Arp’s art DADA
16. Scale pair SO, LA
17. Last one in LOSER
18. How 58-Across can be written ENDLESSLY
20. Diamond deal TRADE
22. Heartfelt EARNEST
23. Quote from a pitcher? AD RATE
25. Rigid PRIM
26. USN clerk YEO
27. 34-Across factor DIAMETER
29. “A Doll’s House” playwright IBSEN
31. Mil. honor DSM
32. Shout in la arena OLE
33. Forensic ID DNA
34. 58-Across times 27-Across CIRCUMFERENCE
40. 1967 NHL rookie of the year ORR
41. Long time AGE
42. One of them, maybe HIM
44. “Let’s Dance” singer BOWIE
47. Mathematically, what 58-Across is CONSTANT
50. Walkoff hit stat RBI
51. Sighed line AH ME
54. Elect CHOSEN
55. Top player ALL-STAR
57. Gluten-rich grain WHEAT
58. Subject of an annual March 14 celebration and of this puzzle, celebrated in its circled squares in both a literal and a numerical way VALUE OF PI
60. Sends out EMITS
63. Works that glorify ODES
64. Minnesota’s state bird LOON
65. Leisurely stroll PASEO
66. Caesar and others SIDS
67. Fair EXPO
68. Post office call NEXT!

Down
1. Actor Penn who has worked for the Obama administration KAL
2. That, south of the border ESO
3. Deli order PASTRAMI
4. Spring sign THE RAM
5. French bean product? IDEE
6. Blast on Broadway PAN
7. Farther out? ODDER
8. __ Lama DALAI
9. Part of LPGA: Abbr. ASSN
10. Isn’t in a big hurry MOSEYS
11. “Let me check” I’LL SEE
12. Ohio home of the Wright Brothers DAYTON
14. Hopping mad IRATE
19. Valuable fur ERMINE
21. Construction sight DETOUR
23. Throw in ADD
24. Blu-ray buy DISC
25. Its pages are often numbered i, ii, iii, etc. PREFACE
28. Common street name ELM
30. Outlaw BAN
33. Soak DRENCH
35. Le __ Soleil: Louis XIV ROI
36. Dream up CREATE
37. Common star characteristic EGO
38. Chew out CHASTISE
39. German article EINE
43. Atlas abbr. MTN
44. Met cheers BRAVOS
45. Start of a Beatles title OB-LA-DI
46. Left (to) WILLED
48. Blind followers SHEEP
49. Unanimously TO A MAN
52. Nonnative Hawaiian HAOLE
53. Dahl’s “Fantastic” title critter MR FOX
56. Dope (out) SUSS
57. Lush WINO
59. Burst open noisily POP
61. DDE’s birthplace TEX
62. Lush SOT

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