Story in the The Onion:
High School Student, Teacher Applying For Same Summer Waitressing Job
I learned stuff from the puzzle today, e.g. who Kathleen Edwards is. She’s a Canadian singer-songwriter from Ottawa. She’s 46, and, of course, redheads are always welcome here.
The puzzle today played with the edges of the grid. So all of the clues on top started with “top.” (Top dog – MUTT) The clues on the bottom started with “bottom.” (Bottom dollar – BUCK) And the clues on the sides started with “side.” (Side kick – PUNT). It gave Rex enough of an excuse to share this nice song, called “Sidecar.”
The next thing I learned is for our Math Dept. (Hi Judy!) Did you know that a trillion, which, of course, is 1,000,000,000,000, is different outside the U.S. and Canada? The clue at 20A that started this is: “Number with 12 zeros in the U.S. but 18 zeros in other parts of the world.” What? A trillion outside the U.S./Canada is 1,000,000,000,000,000,000?
One of Rex’s Anony Mice explained it in a way I can almost understand:
The numbers in the US/Canada are based on powers of 1000; every time you multiply by 1000, you get a new prefix. 1000^2 = 1 million (with 6 zeros), and you add another factor of 1000 to get 1000^3 = 10^9 = 1 billion (with 9 zeros), and another gives 1000^4 = 10^12 = 1 trillion (12 zeros), and so on. The “problem” with this system is that the prefix tri means 3, but trillion is 1000^4, and bi means 2 but billion is 1000^3, so there’s this “off by 1.”
In contrast, the “long scale” used outside the U.S. is based on powers of 1,000,000 (1 million). So 1 billion is 1,000,000^2 = 10^12, what we in the US would call a trillion. 1 trillion would be 1,000,000^3 = 10^18, and this is 1000^6 so in the US it’s a quintillion. The numbers in between get the same prefixes but with -ard instead of -on. So a US billion, 10^9 = 1000^3, in the long scale is called a milliard. 1000^4 = 1,000,000^2 is a billion, and 1000^5 is a billiard, then trillion, trilliard, etc.
A second commenter took up the baton and continued:
To continue with the USA -illion scale, the names go up to Vigintillion, which is 1 + 63 zeros. (It’s 1 + 120 zeros outside the U.S.) I will list them in progressing order: Million, Billion, Trillion, Quadrillion, Quintillion, Sextillion, Septillion, Octillion, Nonillion, Decillion, Undecillion, Duodecillion, Tredecillion, Quattuordecillion, Quindecillion, Septemdecillion, Octodecillion, Novemdecillion, Vigintillion.
And that’s from memory!
At 70A, “Repeated sounds in ‘Hey Jude,’” of course is NANANA.
Commenter kitshef picked a nit: NANANA is not repeated. NA is repeated. They come in groups of eleven, a prime number, so you could answer NA or NANANANANANANANANANANA, but not NANANA.
Okay, thanks!
Did you know Paul wrote the song to comfort John’s son Julian who was upset by John’s divorce from his (Julian’s) mom? It was to be called Hey Julian at first, but Paul thought Hey Jude sounded better.
Paul: “Hey lads, do you have any ideas about how to end Hey Jude?”
John: “Nah”
George: “Nah”
Ringo: “Nah”
Paul: “Wait a second…”
The Analogues is a Dutch band dedicated to reproducing The Beatles sound with technical accuracy — every note. They don’t care about the look or mannerisms, like run of the mill tribute bands. Engineers for The Beatles have heard them and were blown away. I couldn’t find a good version of Hey Jude. But try giving this a listen.
I couldn’t remember the name of that band, above — The Analogues. And when casting about in my brain (and online) for it, I was reminded of “The Aristocrats.” Did you see that movie back in 2005? The entire documentary revolved around a very dirty joke that is a favorite within circles of comedians. (It was reputedly Johnny Carson’s favorite joke.) It leaves to each comic telling it to draw out the dirty parts as he or she sees fit. So it calls on each comic’s unique creative skills, albeit in a disgusting context. The film showed (and discussed) comic after comic telling it. It culminated in Gilbert Gottfried’s telling it at a Hugh Hefner roast not long after 9/11. Warning: if dirty jokes put you off, let it be.
This poem by Ted Kooser is from Winter Morning Walks.
When I switched on a light in the barn loft
late last night, I frightened four flickers
hanging inside, peering out through their holes.
Confused by the light, they began to fly
wildly from one end to the other,
their yellow wings slapping the tin sheets
of the roof, striking the walls, scrabbling
and falling. I cut the light
and stumbled down and out the door and stood
in the silent dominion of starlight
till all five of our hearts settled down.
Heading up to the Yidstock Klezmer festival tomorrow at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst MA. Opening band is the Klezmatics. Staying two nights at The Ellery Hotel in Northampton. Will try to broadcast from there. Back Saturday night.
How’s your Yiddish?
The Wellington Files 