0:03:27
A thick theme today of six "blank-R-something" answers that rely heavily on television shows, some very old. I never watched, but have have heard of HRPUFNSTUF, and I watched and remember JREWING, but I needed several crosses for "Many characters on 'The Pitt'" (ERDOCTORS). So it goes.
The C/AP "The 'R' in R.I." (RHODE) got me wondering about the etymology of that name. From the RI.gov website I can tell you that RHODE Island "was named by Dutch explorer Adrian Block. He named it 'Roodt Eylandt' meaning 'red island' in reference to the red clay that lined the shore. The name was later anglicized when the region came under British rule." Interesting! At least for those readers not native to the Ocean State. :)
In other clue-related trivia, Paddington, who comes from deepest PERU, was inspired by the only bear native to South America, the Andean, or spectacled bear. Strangely, Paddington doesn't retain the spectacled look, but has a more general teddy bear coloring.
And why are PEP rallies called that? It's short for "pepper," which has been used since at least 1847 to mean "spirit" or "energy." The first attested use of "PEP rally" is from the "Daily Review" out of Decatur, Illinois in 1915, according to the crossworder's favorite reference, the OED.
And so ends our daily review.
- Horace
No comments:
Post a Comment