Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
1 Many “Futurama” characters : ALIENS
“Futurama” is an animated sci-fi show that airs on Fox. It was co-created by cartoonist Matt Groening, who also created “The Simpsons”.
11 Mandible : JAW
The human skull is made up of two parts: the cranium (which encloses the brain) and the mandible (or “jawbone”).
15 “Say Nothing” streaming service : HULU
“Say Nothing” is a historical drama miniseries about “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland. Based on Patrick Radden Keefe’s 2018 book, the show follows the lives of individuals caught in the conflict, including members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The main character is Dolours Price, a young woman deeply involved in the IRA’s fight against British rule. In real life, Price served seven years in prison for leading a car bombing attack in London in 1973. After her release from prison, Price married Irish actor Stephen Rea.
16 Many a Lagunitas brew, briefly : IPA
The Lagunitas Brewing Company was founded in 1993 and takes its name from Lagunitas, California where the brewery was originally located. Famously, the brewery has been associated with the use of marijuana. There used to be a tradition of a weekly party at which marijuana was openly smoked. The State of California went so far as to shut down operations in 2005 for twenty days while they investigated alleged cannabis dealing. No charges were filed, and the Lagunitas later brought out a beer called “Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale”.
20 Hershey toffee bar : SKOR
The candy bar named “Skor” is produced by Hershey’s. “Skor” is Swedish for “shoes”, and the candy bar’s wrapping features a crown that is identical to that found in the Swedish national emblem. What shoes have to do with candy, I don’t know …
21 Down Under hoppers : ROOS
The word “kangaroo” comes from the Australian Aborigine term for the animal. There’s an oft-quoted story that the explorer James Cook (later Captain Cook) asked a local native what was the name of this remarkable-looking animal, and the native responded with “Kangaroo”. The story is that the native was actually saying “I don’t understand you”, but as cute as that tale is, it’s just an urban myth.
26 Professional who minds their cues : BILLIARD PLAYER
The name of the game billiards comes from the French word “billiard” that originally described the wooden cue stick. The Old French “bille” translates as “stick of wood”.
32 Drop out of a conversation? : ELIDE
To elide is to pass over, omit or slur a syllable when speaking.
34 Zoo doc : VET
The world’s first zoo opened in Britain in 1820. Now known as “London Zoo”, the facility was referred to back then as the “Gardens and Menagerie of the Zoological Society of London”. The term “zoo” is a shortening of “zoological”.
36 State tree of Massachusetts : ELM
The official state tree of Massachusetts is the American elm. The elm was chosen in 1941, in a gesture commemorating George Washington taking command of the Continental Army in 1775. He did so beneath an American elm on Cambridge Common.
37 Sheepskin boot brand : UGG
Uggs are sheepskin boots that were first produced in Australia and New Zealand. The original Uggs have sheepskin fleece on the inside for comfort and insulation, with a tanned leather surface on the outside for durability. “Ugg” is a generic term Down Under, although it’s a brand name here in the US.
42 __-de-France: Paris’s region : ILE
Île-de-France (literally “Island of France”) isn’t an island at all. Instead, it is the most populous of France’s 26 administrative regions. Île-de-France is roughly equivalent to the Paris metropolitan area.
44 __ & Perrins : LEA
Sauce producer Lea & Perrins was founded way back in 1837, in the city of Worcester, England. The company’s most famous product is Worcestershire sauce, which was named for the county in which the condiment was first produced.
48 Professional who minds their p’s and q’s : ETIQUETTE COACH
There isn’t really a clear derivation of the phrase “mind your Ps and Qs”, an expression meaning “mind your manners” or “mind your language”. One story that I like is that it originated in the wonderful pubs of England. Innkeepers would watch how much their thirsty patrons consumed, recording each pint (P) and quart (Q) that was downed on a board using Ps and Qs as shorthand. The more rowdy drinkers would be asked to “mind their Ps and Qs”.
58 Some Energizers : AAAS
We are all fairly familiar with the Energizer Bunny, I am guessing. It was introduced in 1989 to promote Energizer batteries, by parodying the Duracell Bunny that made its debut in 1973.
59 Event in a convention center : EXPO
The first World’s Fair was held in 1851, known back then as the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations. The fair was the idea of Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria. It was held in a magnificent glass and cast-iron structure called the Crystal Palace that was purpose-built for the occasion. The Great Exhibition spawned a tradition of what became known as World’s Fairs, expositions that feature national pavilions created by participating countries. The term “Expo” was coined for Expo 67, a 1967 World’s Fair held in Montreal. Since then, we’ve been using “expo” to describe any large exposition or trade show.
66 Safflower __ : OIL
Safflower looks pretty much like a yellow-flowered thistle, with sharp spines on the leaves. For the past five decades the safflower has been cultivated for its seeds, which yield an oil that is similar to sunflower oil.
69 Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, e.g. : TOY
Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots is a two-player action toy that first “hit” the shelves in 1964. The game features two robots, the Red Rocker and the Blue Bomber, facing off in a boxing ring. Players control their robot’s punches by using levers on the sides of the ring, aiming to “knock their opponent’s block off”. When a robot lands a powerful enough punch, its opponent’s head pops up with a “boing!” sound.
Down
1 Off-roaders, for short : ATVS
All-terrain vehicle (ATV)
2 Scallion’s cousin : LEEK
The leek is a vegetable closely related to the onion and the garlic. It is also a national emblem of Wales (along with the daffodil), although I don’t think we know for sure how this came to be. One story is that the Welsh were ordered to wear leeks in their helmets to identify themselves in a battle against the Saxons. Apparently, the battle took place in a field of leeks.
Scallions are edible plants with a mild onion flavor. They are also called green onions or spring onions.
3 Shakespearean source of the phrase “wear my heart upon my sleeve” : IAGO
The phrase “wear one’s heart upon one’s sleeve” might apply to someone displaying their emotions quite openly. It dates back to the Middle Ages, and jousting tournaments. Knights would sometimes wear a token from their lady love, such as a scarf or favor, tied to their sleeve as a public declaration of affection and allegiance. The phrase first appeared in literature in Shakespeare’s “Othello”, as the villainous Iago says, “I will wear my heart upon my sleeve for daws to peck at”.
4 Green mineral : EMERALD
Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl that is green in color due to traces of chromium. Beryl containing traces of vanadium are also considered to be emeralds, at least here in the US. “Vanadium emeralds” aren’t recognized as emeralds in Europe.
5 Cashew or pecan : NUT
Our everyday usage of “nut” is often at odds with the botanical definition of the term. Examples of “true nuts” are acorns, chestnuts and hazelnuts. On the other hand, even though we usually refer to almonds, pecans and walnuts as “nuts”, botanically they are classified as “drupes”. Both drupes and true nuts are fruits, the vehicles that flowering plants use to disseminate seeds. True nuts are examples of a “dry fruit”, a fruit that has no fleshy outer layer. Drupes are examples of a “fleshy fruit”, a fruit with a fleshy outer layer that often makes it desirable for an animal to eat. Familiar examples of drupes are cherries, peaches and plums. We eat the fleshy part of these drupes, and discard the pit inside that contains the seed. Other examples of drupes are walnuts, almonds and pecans. The relatively inedible flashy part of these drupes is usually removed for us before they hit our grocery stores shelves. We crack open the pit inside and eat the seed of these drupes. No wonder we use the term “nuts” to mean “crazy”!
6 Peloponnesian War victor : SPARTA
The Peloponnesian War was fought from 431 to 404 BC between the Athenian Empire and the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta. Prior to the war, Athens was the strongest city-state in Greece. After the victory by the Peloponnesian League, Sparta emerged as the leading power.
9 Sitcom character whose real name is Gordon Shumway : ALF
“ALF” is a sitcom that first aired in the late eighties. The title character is a hand-puppet, and supposedly an alien named Gordon Shumway from the planet Melmac. The alien crash-landed into the house of amateur radio enthusiast Willie Tanner. Tanner renamed the intruder “ALF”, standing for “alien life form”.
10 Capital of Angola : LUANDA
Luanda is the capital city of Angola. It is a large seaport that was founded by the Portuguese in 1576. For centuries, Luanda served as the main center of the slave trade from Africa to the Portuguese colony of Brazil.
11 Rock icon Hendrix : JIMI
Many of his contemporaries regarded Jimi Hendrix as the greatest electric guitarist in the history of rock music. Hendrix was from Seattle and didn’t really have a really stellar start to his working life. He failed to finish high school and fell foul of the law by getting caught in stolen cars, twice. The courts gave him the option of the army or two years in prison. Hendrix chose the former and soon found himself in the famous 101st Airborne. In the army, his less-than-disciplined ways helped him (as he would have seen it) because his superiors successfully petitioned to get him discharged after serving only one year of his two-year requirement, just to get him out of their hair.
12 Big galoots : APES
“Galoot” is an insulting word describing an awkward or boorish man, an ape. The term comes from the nautical world, where it was originally what a sailor might call a soldier or marine.
24 In __ of : LIEU
As one might imagine perhaps, “in lieu” came into English from the Old French word “lieu” meaning “place”, which in turn is derived from the Latin “locum” that also means “place”. So, “in lieu” translates as “in place of”.
28 Calculus calculation : LIMIT
Remember doing calculus at school, and all those derivatives and integrals? Well, you probably also remember that an integral calculates the area under a curve (for example), and a derivative calculates the slope of a tangent at a particular point on a curve.
29 Part of rpm : PER
Revolutions per minute (rpm)
30 “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” musical : EVITA
“Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” is a hit song that came out of the 1976 concept album “Evita” by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Recorded by English singer Julie Covington, it is sung by the character Eva Perón on the album and in the subsequent stage musical. Covington opted out from appearing in the musical, and so the role of Eva went to Elaine Paige.
31 Reminder of the past : RELIC
A relic is something that has survived from the past, reminding us of that past. In the world of religion, a relic is an object revered due to its association with a saint or martyr.
35 Virginia __ : TECH
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) has its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It was founded in 1872 as an agricultural and mechanical land-grant college. The school will forever be associated with the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre in which 32 people were shot dead on the campus, which at the time was the deadliest shooting incident by a lone gunman in US history. Sadly, That “record” has been outstripped in recent years.
49 Inventor Sikorsky : IGOR
Igor Sikorsky was a Russian pioneer in the world of aviation. He designed, and indeed piloted, the world’s first multi-engine, fixed-wing aircraft in 1913. He moved to the US in 1919 and set up his own aircraft manufacturing business. In the thirties he made the magnificent flying boats that were used by Pan Am in their Clipper era. Sikorsky also developed the world’s first mass-produced helicopter, in 1942.
50 Brunch order : QUICHE
The classic dish called quiche is made with eggs (“oeufs” in French). Even though the quiche is inextricably linked to French cuisine, the name “quiche” comes from “Kuchen”, the German word for “cake”. The variant called “quiche lorraine” includes bits of smoked bacon as an ingredient.
Our word “brunch” is a portmanteau of “breakfast” and “lunch”. The term was coined as student slang in Oxford, England in the late 1890s. However, “brunch” described a combined meal closer to the breakfast hour, and the term “blunch” was used for a meal closer to lunchtime.
51 Ginseng and oolong : TEAS
The word “ginseng” comes from a Chinese term meaning “man root”. The term is used as the root of ginseng is forked and is said to resemble the legs of a man.
The name for the Chinese tea called “oolong” translates into English as “black dragon” or “dark dragon”.
52 Holiday featured in the animated film “Hop” : EASTER
“Hop” is a 2011 live-action/animated comedy film about E.B. (voiced by Russell Brand), a young rabbit on Easter Island who dreams of becoming a drummer rather than following in his father’s footsteps and becoming the Easter Bunny. English comedian Russel Brand voices E.B., and the list of supporting voice actors is quite impressive, including Hank Azaria, Hugh Laurie, Hugh Hefner. The live-action cast is equally impressive, including Kaley Cuoco, Elizabeth Perkins, David Hasselhoff and Chelsea Handler.
55 Andy Murray, e.g. : SCOT
Andy Murray is a tennis player from Scotland who became British number-one in 2006, rising to world number-one in 2016. Much to the delight of the locals, Murray won the Wimbledon Championship in 2013, making him the first British male player to win in 77 years. Murray also won Olympic gold in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, and again in the Rio Games in 2016. Sir Andy Murray was knighted in 2017.
64 Curse : HEX
“Hexen” is a German word meaning “to practice witchcraft”. The use of the word “hex” in English started with the Pennsylvania Dutch in the early 1800s.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Many “Futurama” characters : ALIENS
7 Like some exams : ORAL
11 Mandible : JAW
14 Get together : TEAM UP
15 “Say Nothing” streaming service : HULU
16 Many a Lagunitas brew, briefly : IPA
17 Professional who minds their peas : VEGETABLE FARMER
20 Hershey toffee bar : SKOR
21 Down Under hoppers : ROOS
22 Clamorous : NOISY
23 Vow locale : ALTAR
25 Promos : ADS
26 Professional who minds their cues : BILLIARD PLAYER
32 Drop out of a conversation? : ELIDE
33 “Totally!” : YES!
34 Zoo doc : VET
36 State tree of Massachusetts : ELM
37 Sheepskin boot brand : UGG
40 Turn brown, maybe : ROT
42 __-de-France: Paris’s region : ILE
43 Sac fly result : RBI
44 __ & Perrins : LEA
46 Goofy act : ANTIC
48 Professional who minds their p’s and q’s : ETIQUETTE COACH
53 __ feeling : GUT
54 Astonishing deeds : FEATS
55 “Same here” : SO DO I
58 Some Energizers : AAAS
59 Event in a convention center : EXPO
63 Professional who minds their keys and pews : CHURCH CUSTODIAN
66 Safflower __ : OIL
67 Get better : HEAL
68 Demonstrate clearly : EVINCE
69 Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, e.g. : TOY
70 Play directive : EXIT
71 Highs and lows : RANGES
Down
1 Off-roaders, for short : ATVS
2 Scallion’s cousin : LEEK
3 Shakespearean source of the phrase “wear my heart upon my sleeve” : IAGO
4 Green mineral : EMERALD
5 Cashew or pecan : NUT
6 Peloponnesian War victor : SPARTA
7 “Heavens to Betsy!” : OH LORDY!
8 Regrets : RUES
9 Sitcom character whose real name is Gordon Shumway : ALF
10 Capital of Angola : LUANDA
11 Rock icon Hendrix : JIMI
12 Big galoots : APES
13 Apprehensive : WARY
18 Wild hog : BOAR
19 Pink-cheeked : ROSY
24 In __ of : LIEU
25 In addition : ALSO
26 16-Across, e.g. : BEER
27 “Isn’t that something” : I’LL BE
28 Calculus calculation : LIMIT
29 Part of rpm : PER
30 “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” musical : EVITA
31 Reminder of the past : RELIC
35 Virginia __ : TECH
38 Surplus : GLUT
39 “Isn’t that something” : GEE
41 Social finesse : TACT
45 To blame : AT FAULT
47 Was a buttinsky : NOSED IN
49 Inventor Sikorsky : IGOR
50 Brunch order : QUICHE
51 Ginseng and oolong : TEAS
52 Holiday featured in the animated film “Hop” : EASTER
55 Andy Murray, e.g. : SCOT
56 West Virginia neighbor : OHIO
57 As expected : DULY
58 Berry from the Amazon : ACAI
60 Short word on a yellow road sign : XING
61 Stat for a marathon : PACE
62 Individuals : ONES
64 Curse : HEX
65 Egg cells : OVA
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