Today's Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Over
1 Atomic number of oxygen: EIGHT
The element oxygen has an atomic number of 8 and has eight electrons in each atom. The name "oxygen" was coined by Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier ("oxygène" in French) and derives from the Greek "oxys" for "acid" and the French "-gène" for "producer". Originally, it was believed that oxygen was needed to make all acids.
14 Philosopher Kierkegaard: SOREN
Soren Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher and theologian and I never really understood anything he wrote!
15 Church niche : APSE
An apse of a church or cathedral is a semi-circular recess in an exterior wall, usually with a semi-dome for the roof and often where an altar is located. Originally, apses were used as burial places for the clergy and also for storing important relics.
16 beauty salon chain : ULTA
Ulta Beauty is an American chain of beauty stores founded in 1990 and headquartered in Bolingbrook, Illinois. I'm not in the company's target group...
17 Bee with squares of fabric: QUILTING SESSION
48 Bee in a Classroom: SPELLING COMPETITION
In 18th-century America, when neighbors gathered to work for the benefit of a member of their group, such a gathering was called a bee. The name "bee" was a nod to the insect's social nature. In modern usage, another element of amusement and amusement has been introduced, such as in a step bee or even a spelling bee.
20 car care brand: STP
STP is a brand name for automotive lubricants and additives. The name "STP" is an initialism that stands for "Scientifically Treated Petroleum".
21 Let air in, like a door: AJAR
Our word 'ajar' probably comes from the Scottish dialect where 'a char' means 'slightly open'.
22 Secure URL Launcher: HTTPS
"http" are the first letters of many internet links. “http” stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol. Safer and "more secure" websites (like this one!) use links that start with "https" which stands for "http secure").
23 Grovers Kumpel: ELMO
In 2002, The Muppet Elmo had to testify before a subcommittee of the US House of Representatives. Elmo's goal was to get an increase in funding for music education. In the transcript of the hearing, his statements "Elmo Monster" and "Mr. Monster".
Grover is a character on the TV show Sesame Street. Grover, a blue monster, is a Muppet originally performed by Frank Oz.
26 Bee on TV: ACTRESS SAMANTHA
Samantha Bee is a Toronto comedian who rose to fame as a correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in 2003. Bee left The Daily Show in 2015 to pursue her own late-night talk show Full Frontal with Samantha Bee on TBS.
35 Number of colors of the Italian flag: THREE
In Italian, the "numero di colori" (number of colors) on the Italian flag is "tre" (three).
36 Nanny __ : GOAT
Male goats are bucks or billies, although castrated males are known as wethers. Female goats are called wenches or nannies, and young goats are referred to as kids.
37 Kakophonie: DIN
"Cacophony" is such a beautiful word, a word used to describe a harsh or shrill sound. The term comes from the Greek "kakos" (bad) and "phone" (voice).
42 Fib: LIE
Fibbing means lying. The verb "to fib" probably comes from "fibble-fable" meaning "nonsense", where "fibble-fable" comes from "fable".
43 “Insecure” Star Rae: ISSA
Issa Rae is a Stanford University graduate who created a YouTube web series called The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl. Rae also plays the title role in the series, a young lady named "J". Awkward Black Girl was adapted into an HBO comedy-drama called Insecure, which stars Issa Rae.
45 Longtime Dodgers spokeswoman Scully: VIN
Vin Scully is a sportscaster who has been calling Dodgers games since 1950 when the team was still based in Brooklyn. When Scully broadcast the World Series between the Yankees and the Dodgers in 1953, he became the youngest player ever to call a World Series game at just 25 years old. When the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958, Scully went with them.
53 Landmarks of St. Louis: ARCH
Located on the banks of the Mississippi River, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis is the tallest monument in the United States. It was designed by Eero Saarinen with the help of structural engineer Hannskarl Bandel. They carried out their design work as early as 1947, but construction did not begin until 1963. In 1980, a daredevil took it upon himself to parachute to the top of the arch to further jump from the top of the arch and parachute to the ground. He hit the bow well and slid all the way down one of the bows to his death. No comment …
54 Like Andean pyramids: INCAN
Inca pyramids were typically located at the center of a community. They were a symbol of power and often had an altar used for rituals.
57 Fitzgerald des Jazz: SHE
Ella Fitzgerald, the "First Lady of Song," had a rough and tough upbringing. She grew up alone with her mother in Yonkers, New York. Her mother died when Ella was still a schoolgirl, and around this time the young girl became less interested in her education. She got into a bad crowd, even worked as a lookout for a brothel and as a mafia number runner. She ended up in reform school from which she escaped, became homeless and lived on the streets for a time. Somehow Fitzgerald managed to get a place as a singer at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Her career took off from there and as the saying goes, the rest is history.
59 Actor McKellen: IAN
Sir Ian McKellen is a wonderful English actor who feels comfortable playing everything from Macbeth on stage to Magneto in an X-Men movie. On the big screen, McKellen is most famous for playing Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings. In the UK, Sir Ian is known for being at the forefront of campaigning for gay rights, a role he has embraced since the 1980s.
62 Bee near flowers: pollen collector
The fine powder known as pollen is basically the sperm of a flower. Pollen carries the male reproductive cells of a seed plant.
66 Norwegian Saint: OLAF
Of the many Norwegian kings named Olaf/Olav (and there were five), Olaf II is perhaps the most famous as he was canonized and made the country's patron saint. Olaf II was king from 1015 to 1028 and was known as "Olaf the Great" (or "Olaf the Fat") during his reign. Today he is more commonly referred to as "Olaf the Holy". After his death, Olaf received the title "Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae", which is Latin for "Norway's Eternal King".
67 British pram: PRAM
Another word used in the UK and Ireland that is seldom used here is 'pram', which in my day was the most common term for what is called a pram in the US. "Pram" is short for "pram".
68 letter after beta: GAMMA
The Greek alphabet begins with the letters alpha, beta, gamma...
69 Journalist Bash, Co-Moderator von CNNs „State of the Union“: DANA
Journalist Dana Bash became a co-host of CNN's Sunday morning show State of the Union alongside Jake Tapper in 2021. Born Dana Schwartz, she was married to Jeremy Bash, a senior adviser in the Obama administration. She was also married to fellow CNN journalist John King.
71 Elizabeth from WandaVision: OLSEN
Elizabeth Olsen is an actress and singer and the younger sister of the famous Olsen twins Mary-Kate and Ashley.
WandaVision is a television miniseries featuring characters from Marvel Comics. The title characters are Wanda Maximoff (aka Scarlet Witch), played by Elizabeth Olsen, and Vision, played by Paul Bettany. I'm definitely not a fan of comic book character adaptations, but I might check out WandaVision. Wanda and Vision live in the suburbs and try to hide their superhero identities. Each episode continues the storyline through several decades using situations encountered in sitcoms of the day. Episodes use the format of shows like:
- Die Dick-Van-Dyke-Show
- i love lucy
- Enchanted
- i dream of jeannie
- The Brady Bund
- Good times
- Die Mary-Tyler-Moore-Show
- Full house
- Malcolm in the middle
- Modern Family
- Heavenly
- Die Twilight-Zone
Sounds very exciting...
down
1 Attorney Letters : ESQ
The title "esquire" is of British origin and is now used differently depending on whether you are in the US or the UK. Here in America, the term is usually reserved for those who practice the law (both male and female). In the UK, 'esquire' is a term of gentle respect reserved for a man who has no other title to use. So a commoner like me might get a letter from the bank, say,addressed to W. E. Butler Esq.
4 “Search for the __”: Advice from Mr. Rogers : HELPERS
Fred Rogers starred in the TV show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. It was the second longest-running series on PBS television, after the other legendary children's show, Sesame Street.
5 Dynamitbuchstaben: TNT
"TNT" is an abbreviation for "Trinitrotoluene". Trinitrotoluene was first made in 1863 by German chemist Joseph Wilbrand, who developed it for use as a yellow dye. TNT is relatively difficult to detonate, so it was marketed as a dye for a number of years before its more explosive properties were discovered.
6 bluegrass strings: BANJOS
The instrument we know today as the banjo is a derivative of instruments used in Africa.
Bluegrass is a subgenre of country music and has its roots in traditional music brought over from Britain and Ireland. The style of music developed only recently, just before the Second World War. Musician Bill Monroe is credited as its "founding father," and in fact, bluegrass takes its name from Monroe's band, the Blue Grass Boys.
7 Lexi Thompsons org. : LPGA
Lexi Thompson has been a professional golfer since she was 15 and won her first LPGA tournament aged just 16, which is a record. Thompson had also qualified for the US Women's Open at the age of 12, becoming the youngest golfer to compete in that tournament.
8 world power in many spy novels: USSR
The former Soviet Union (officially “Union of Soviet Socialist Republics” or “USSR”) was formed in 1922, not long after the 1917 Russian Revolution that overthrew the tsar. Geographically, the new Soviet Union roughly corresponded to the old Russian Empire and comprised fifteen Soviet Socialist Republics (SSR).
9 Drummond of the Food Network: REE
Ree Drummond is a food writer and blogger. Drummond's blog, The Pioneer Woman, recounts her daily life on her family's working ranch outside of Pawhuska, Oklahoma.
10 Ford is the namesake of the "pony car" car class: MUSTANG
The Ford Mustang car was introduced in 1964. Back then the Mustang wasn't a brand new design but was based on the Ford Falcon. The Mustang was the first of the "pony cars," American models that are compact and affordable, as well as sporty in looks and performance.
18 Veterinary Formula Brand: IAMS
Iams dog food was introduced by pet nutritionist Paul Iams. He felt that pets suffered a little from being fed leftover food, so he developed dry dog food that he felt was more nutritious and suitable for domestic dogs. In 1946 he founded the company Iams, which today belongs to Procter & Gamble.
19 __ Butter : SHEA
Shea butter is a common moisturizer and lotion used as a cosmetic. It is a fat extracted from the nut of the African shea tree. There is evidence that shea butter was used as early as Cleopatra's Egypt.
25 „Peter Pan“-Pirate: SMEE
In J.M. Barrie's play and novel about Peter Pan, Smee is one of Captain Hook's pirates and Hook's boatswain and right-hand man. Smee is described by Barrie as "Irish" and "a man who stabbed without offense". Nice guy! Captain Hook and Smee are sailing on a pirate ship called the Jolly Roger.
26 __ In short: ADDIS
Addis Ababa is the capital of Ethiopia. The city is relatively young as it was founded in 1886 by Emperor Menelik II. Addis Ababa occupies an important position within the nations of Africa as it is home to many international organizations focused on the continent.
27 Like fresh lettuce: CRISP
Lettuce is a leafy vegetable from the daisy family.
29 Wounded by a bee: STUNG
A queen bee has a stinger, just like worker bees. When a worker bee stings, it leaves its stinger in its victim. The worker bee dies after losing its stinger, as the loss rips out part of its insides. However, a queen bee can sting with impunity because the anatomy of her stinger is different.
30 Museum Collection : ART
The term 'museum' comes from the ancient Greek word 'mouseion', which meant a temple dedicated to the 'muses'. The muses were the patrons of the arts in Greek mythology.
31 “The Power of Now” author Eckhart: TOLLE
Eckhart Tolle Self-help author and spiritual teacher. His two most popular books are 1997's The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment and 2005's A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose. Both titles received a sales boost when they were selected for Oprah's Book Club.
40 His Dark Materials Actors __-Manuel Miranda : LIN
Lin-Manuel Miranda is a New York City-based composer and playwright and the creator and star of the hit Broadway musicals Hamilton and In the Heights. Miranda also co-wrote the songs for the 2016 Disney animated film Moiana. He began composing at an early age, writing jingles as a child. One of these jingles was later used by Eliot Spitzer in his 2006 gubernatorial campaign.
His Dark Materials is a fantasy television series based on Philip Pullman's epic novel trilogy of the same name. Not for me …
44 sprout source : ALFALFAS
The forage crop known as alfalfa may have got its name from the Arabic "al-fisfisa" meaning "fresh fodder".
49 Assignment of Bowler: LANE
Bowling has been around for a very long time. The oldest known reference to the game comes from Egypt, where skittles and balls were found in a tomb over 5,000 years old. The first form of the game to come to America was bowling, which had been very popular in Europe for centuries. In 1841, nine-pin bowling was outlawed in Connecticut because it was associated with gambling. An extra pin was reportedly added to circumvent the ban and ten-pin bowling was born.
50 Blondie Hit mit dem Text „Anytime, Anyplace, Anyway, Any Way“: CALL ME
"Call Me" is a 1980 song recorded by Blondie and written as the theme song for the excellent 1980 film American Gigolo. The melody was composed by Giorgio Moroder, and the lyrics were written by Blondie's lead singer Debbie Harry.
54 Apple device: IPOD
The iPod is Apple's discontinued signature line of portable media players. The iPod first came out in 2001 with a hard drive-based device now known as the iPod Classic. Later models all used flash memory, allowing for a smaller form factor. The smallest of the Flash-based models is the iPod Shuffle, which was introduced in 2005.
55 Carnival town, known : NOLA
The city of New Orleans, Louisiana is nicknamed "The Big Easy". This name may have come from the early 1900s when musicians found it relatively "easy" to find work there. The city is also known by the acronym NOLA, which stands for New Orleans (NO), Louisiana (LA).
Translated from French, “Mardi Gras” means “Fat Tuesday” and takes its name from the practice of consuming copious foods on the eve of Lent, known as Lent. Lent begins the next day, Ash Wednesday.
57 Off-white shade: ECRU
The color ecru is a greyish, yellowish brown. The word "ecru" comes from French and means "raw, unbleached". "Ecru" has the same roots as our word "raw".
61 Coastal town in Alaska: NOME
In 1899, the city of Nome, Alaska was briefly referred to by locals as Anvil City to avoid confusion with the nearby city of Cape Nome. However, the US Post Office refused to approve the change, so the name was immediately changed back to Nome.
63 “Morning Edition” Network : NPR
NPR's flagship newscast is "Morning Edition," a two-hour show that airs Monday through Friday. The sister show "Weekend Edition" is broadcast on Saturday and Sunday.
65 Skedaddled: RAN
"Skedaddle" is a slang term meaning "to run away" and dates back to the Civil War.
Read more or...
… Back to top
Complete list of hints/answers
Over
1 Atomic number of oxygen: EIGHT
6 “It all happened so quickly” Reminder: BLUR
10 Sailboat mast: MAST
14 Philosopher Kierkegaard: SOREN
15 Church niche : APSE
16 beauty salon chain : ULTA
17 Bee with squares of fabric: QUILTING SESSION
20 car care brand: STP
21 Let air in, like a door: AJAR
22 Secure URL Launcher: HTTPS
23 Grovers Kumpel: ELMO
25 Watery expanse: SEA
26 Bee on TV: ACTRESS SAMANTHA
34 Dress: DRESS
35 Number of colors of the Italian flag: THREE
36 Nanny __ : GOAT
37 Kakophonie: DIN
38 Shows respect in a way: SALUTES
42 Fib: LIE
43 “Insecure” Star Rae: ISSA
45 Longtime Dodgers spokeswoman Scully: VIN
46 Hollers: YELLS
48 Bee in a Classroom: SPELLING COMPETITION
52 Temporary madness: FAD
53 Landmarks of St. Louis: ARCH
54 Like Andean pyramids: INCAN
57 Fitzgerald des Jazz: SHE
59 Actor McKellen: IAN
62 Bee near flowers: pollen collector
66 Norwegian Saint: OLAF
67 British pram: PRAM
68 letter after beta: GAMMA
69 Journalist Bash, Co-Moderator von CNNs „State of the Union“: DANA
70 Not caring about his manners: RUDE
71 Elizabeth from WandaVision: OLSEN
down
1 Attorney Letters : ESQ
2 Informal promises of repayment: IOUS
3 Stubborn Resolve : GRIT
4 “Search for the __”: Advice from Mr. Rogers : HELPERS
5 Dynamitbuchstaben: TNT
6 bluegrass strings: BANJOS
7 Lexi Thompsons org. : LPGA
8 world power in many spy novels: USSR
9 Drummond of the Food Network: REE
10 Ford is the namesake of the "pony car" car class: MUSTANG
11 Landed: ALIT
12 Interrupt : STOP
13 shades on the beach : TAN
18 Veterinary Formula Brand: IAMS
19 __ Butter : SHEA
24 Less expensive : LESS
25 „Peter Pan“-Pirate: SMEE
26 __ In short: ADDIS
27 Like fresh lettuce: CRISP
28 Anything but relaxed : TENSIONED
29 Wounded by a bee: STUNG
30 Museum Collection : ART
31 “The Power of Now” author Eckhart: TOLLE
32 Comes (from): HELLO
33 “This is just __” : A TEST
39 Like loyal fans: AVID
40 His Dark Materials Actors __-Manuel Miranda : LIN
41 match, as sound and video: SYNC
44 sprout source : ALFALFAS
47 Guided by Good: ETHICAL
49 Assignment of Bowler: LANE
50 Blondie Hit mit dem Text „Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere, sowieso“: CALL ME
51 __ Hygiene: ORAL
54 Apple device: IPOD
55 Carnival town, known : NOLA
56 Family unit: CLAN
57 Off-white shade: ECRU
58 Dryer Capacity : LOAD
60 ATMs: ATMs
61 Coastal town in Alaska: NOME
63 “Morning Edition” Network : NPR
64 Self-awareness: EGO
65 Skedaddled: RAN
Leave a comment (below), or...
… Back to top