Saturday, February 12, 2011 - Let's Get Philosophical

Introduction

Today's puzzle from Cox and Rathvon is themed around the "Father of Modern Philosophy" and what is undoubtedly his most well-known pronouncement.











Solution to Today's Puzzle

Legend:	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted

Across

1a   RATIONAL* - anagram (different) of ON TRIAL A

5a   R(EVER)B - EVER (always) contained in (in) {R + (&) B} (rhythm & blues)

9a   POP(U)LAR - POPLAR (tree) containing (planted outside) U (university)

10a   _VER|AND|A_ - hidden in (covered) cloVER AND Azaleas

11a   {RENE DESCARTES}* - anagram (redeveloped) of EASTERN CREEDS

René Descartes (1596 – 1650) - philosopher and writer who has been dubbed the "Father of Modern Philosophy"

13a   POW|WOWING - POW (captured soldier [Prisoner of War]) + WOWING (amazing)

15a   TOMB|A - TOMB (resting place) + (next to) A

Alberto Tomba - Italian retired alpine ski racer, the dominant technical skier (slalom and giant slalom) in the late 1980s and 1990s, who was popularly called Tomba la Bomba ("Tomba the Bomb")

17a   L|ARGO - L (large) + ARGO (old Greek ship)

In Greek mythology, the Argo was the ship on which Jason and the Argonauts sailed from Iolcos to retrieve the Golden Fleece.

19a   P(ASTERN)AK - ASTERN (back) contained in (in) PAK (Pakistan)

Boris Pasternak (1890 – 1960) - Nobel Prize-winning Russian and Soviet poet and novelist of Jewish descent. In Russia, Pasternak is most celebrated as a poet while in the West he is best known for his epic novel Doctor Zhivago, a tragedy whose events span the last period of the Russian Empire and the early days of the Soviet Union.

PAK - International Vehicle Registration code for Pakistan

21a   COGITO ERGO SUM - anagram (dancing) of TOM CRUISE GO GO

Cogito ergo sum (French: Je pense donc je suis; English: I think, therefore I am), often stated as Dubito ergo cogito ergo sum (English: "I doubt, therefore I think, therefore I am"), is a philosophical Latin statement used by René Descartes, which became a fundamental element of Western philosophy. The simple meaning of the phrase is that if someone wonders whether or not he exists, that is, in and of itself, proof that he does exist (because, at the very least, there is an "I" who does the thinking). It forms the bedrock for all knowledge, because, while all things can be questioned as to whether they are from the realm of reality or from some figment of imagination (a dream, influence of a demon, etc.), the very act of doubting one's own existence serves as proof of the reality of one's own existence.

25a   IMP|ACTS - IMP (little rascal) + ACTS (is part of the cast)

Here ACTS is not an anagram of "cast", as was my first inclination. Rather, 'to act' (in a play) is to 'to be part of the cast'.

26a   ELEANOR* - anagram (wild) of ONE REAL

Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122 – 1204) was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. As well as being Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, she was queen consort of France 1137–1152 and queen consort of England 1154–1189. She was wife of King Henry II of England and the mother of two English kings - Richard the Lionheart and King John.

27a   PEDALS~ - sounds like (over the radio) PEDDLES (sells)

28a   PAN|THE|ON - PAN (harshly criticize) + THE (article) + ON

A pantheon is a set of all the gods of a particular polytheistic religion or mythology.

Down

1d   RAPS< - reversal (backing) of SPAR (fight)

O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper, actor, screenwriter, film director, and producer.

2d   {TOP DRAWER}< - reversal (in retrospect) of {REWARD (prize) + POT (stake in poker)}

3d   OR(LAND)O - LAND (ground) contained in (covered with) ORO (Spanish [word meaning] 'gold')

Orlando is a major city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. Originally the centre of a major citrus growing region, the Orlando area is now a major tourist destination and is the home of Universal Orlando Resort,  SeaWorld Orlando, and Walt Disney World (located in nearby. Lake Buena Vista). These attractions form the backbone of Orlando's tourism industry, making the city the first most visited American city in 2009. Orlando is also home to the University of Central Florida, the largest university campus by student enrollment in the state of Florida and the 2nd largest in the United States.

4d   A(IRE)D - AD (commercial) containing (about) IRE (anger)

6d   EARHART* - anagram (strange) of RATHER A

Amelia Earhart (born July 24, 1897; missing July 2, 1937; declared legally dead January 5, 1939) was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. During an attempt to make a circumnavigational flight of the globe in 1937, Earhart disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean near Howland Island.

7d   ERNST* - anagram (awfully) of STERN

Max Ernst (1891 – 1976) was a German painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and poet. A prolific artist, Ernst is considered to be one of the primary pioneers of the Dada movement and Surrealism.

8d   BRAS|S TACKS - BRAS (underwear) + STACKS (piles)

10d   VI|SAGES - VI ([Roman numeral for] six) + SAGES (wise guys)

12d   {APPLE CRISP}* - anagram (ground up) of PAPER CLIPS

14d   I(M|PRES)S - IS containing (engulfing) {M (male) + PRES (president)}

16d   ME|NOMINEE - ME (myself) + NOMINEE (the one named to run [e.g., for political office])

The Menominee are a nation of Native Americans - one of only two tribes indigenous to what is now Wisconsin. The name "Menominee" comes from the Ojibwe name manoominii, meaning "wild rice people", as wild rice is one of their most important traditional staples.

18d   OP(TIC)AL - OPAL (gemstone) containing (catches) TIC (odd movement)

20d   _E|A|SIEST_ - hidden in (in) JunE A SIESTa

22d   G|APED - G (General) + APED (imitated)

23d   GRETA* - anagram (new) of GREAT

Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson) (1905 – 1990) was a Swedish actress primarily remembered for her work in the United States during Hollywood's silent film period and part of its subsequent Golden Age; in total she appeared in 27 movies.

24d   I|RAN - I + RAN (controlled)

Signing off for today - Falcon