Monday, December 22, 2008

Title: One, Two, One, Two, One, ...,
Author: Ogden Porter (Peter Gordon)
Theme: Phrases that start with five alternating letters.

• 19a: Nickname on "The Howard Stern Show" (BABA BOOEY).


• 58a: Center fielder for the Red Sox (COCO CRISP). Well, actually he was traded in November to Kansas City for reliever Ramon Ramirez. Did you know his real first name is Covelli?


• 9d: "Too Many Rings Around Rosie" musical (NO, NO, NANETTE). Another indirect Red Sox link, as this was supposedly the play that was financed by selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees.


• 16d: "Hubba hubba!" (VA VA VOOM).


• 17d: 1958 Frankie Avalon hit (DEDE DINAH). I didn't know this one.



• 28d: Sampler at a Chinese restaurant (PUPU PLATTER).


• 29d: Emphatic affirmative, in Acapulco (SI SI SENOR).


• 35d: Dancer with high boots (GO-GO GIRL).

Here's a simple Monday theme, with 8 entries packed into 15x16 puzzle. The 5-square black blobs are a touch unsightly, but understandable given the amount of theme entries.

Sunny Spots:
The thing about having so much theme is that you have very little control over the rest of your fill, so it's not surprising there are no real non-theme standouts.

Sundries:

• 1a: 1967 Triple Crown winner, familiarly (YAZ). More Red Sox, this time it's hall-of-famer Carl Yastrzemski.



• 7a: "___ Room" (2002 Jodie Foster film) (PANIC).


• 12a: Is for you? (ARE). Cute.


• 16a: Article of food (VIAND).


• 18a: Sleeping disorder (APNEA).


• 22a: Debunked thing (HOAX).


• 25a: Mrs. Robinson portrayer Bancroft (ANNE). From "The Graduate". Great film.


• 26a: Lab safety is one of its concerns: Abbr. (ASPCA). Tricky for a Monday, but not terribly.


• 29a: Partner of hide (SEEK). My first instinct was HAIR, as in "neither hide nor hair...".


• 32a: Rock guitarist Steve (VAI). He played guitar in the devil's showdown with Ralph Macchio in "Crossroads".




• 38a: Coca of "Your Show of Shows" (IMOGENE). I know this from puzzles.



• 41a: Italian ice cream (SPUMONI). Mmmm.


• 45a: Apples and pears, e.g. (POMES).


• 46a: Japanese prime minister Taro ___ (ASO). Is this a tough fill for a Monday, or should people know this?


• 50a: "Family Guy" creator MacFarlane (SETH).


• 56a: Bit of a draft? (SIP).


• 65a: Darts venue (PUB). Beer and pubs = booze tag. Throw in 51d: Mexican beer brand (TECATE) for good measure.


• 70a: Intrinsically (PER SE).


• 3d: First of three consecutive rhyming letters (ZETA). ..., zeta, eta, theta, ...



• 7d: "This is your brain on drugs" ad, e.g.: Abbr. (PSA). Public service announcement.


• 20d: Pen name (BIC).


• 21d: Washington Indians (YAKIMAS). Isn't that a rooftop carrier?


• 27d: Bathday cake? (SOAP). Almost cute.


• 33d: Having memory problems (AMNESIC).


• 42d: Astronomical phenomena (MOONSETS). There's a beautiful moonset photo by Shane Rucker here. I will respect the copyright and let you go there to see it.


• 48d: Creator of Sadie Hawkins (AL CAPP). From Li'l Abner


• 49d: Drug that can cause memory blackouts, in slang (ROOFIE). Drug reference.


• 61d: He shared two screenwriting Oscars with Coppola (PUZO). "The Godfather" author.

Suns of Bitches:

None for me.

Fine for a Monday. Good theme with lots of entries. Nothing terribly offensive or difficult. Not so easy as to be unentertaining. That's all I ask.

Thanks for listening.

- Pete M.