Thursday, December 11, 2008

Title: Themeless Thursday
Author: Patrick Berry
Theme: N/A

Another themeless Thursday, that makes two in a row. This one was a little tougher than last week's. At least it was for me. I do my puzzles the old-fashioned way -- in ink, and there are quite a few scratch-outs and carets in my grid today.

Let's start of by looking at what I missed and why.

52a: Reconsidered (TOOKASECONDLOOK). I was on the right track, but I had TOOK ANOTHER LOOK, so that messed me up at -- among others -- 53d: Bill's partner (COO). I thought this three letter word started with a T, so I put in TED as the answer here, as in "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure," probably my favorite dumb movie of all time.





I immediately knew that was wasn't right because I was sure that Jeremy IRONS was the answer to 55a: Scar voicer in "The Lion King" (You'd be sure too if your kids made you watch "The Lion King" as many times as mine did.) and I was equally sure Jeremy didn't spell his last name IRENS.


What else did I miss?

18d: Girlfriend whose name Jerry thinks is Mulva, in a "Seinfeld" episode (DOLORES). I knew the answer -- this is the one where Jerry can't remember the girl's name, only that it rhymes with a part of the female anatomy, but I misspelled it DELORES.

And I missed 28a: Weapon in the game Clue (BAT) It's been a long time since I played Clue. I had GUN. (Which brings me to something that's always bothered me about this game. How hard is it to figure out the murder weapon. Can't you tell whether a guy's been hung with a rope or bludgeoned with a candlestick?) And no wonder I didn't get this one -- they didn't have a bat when I played they had a lead pipe. According to NPR the game's been updated. And I was misremembering Classic Clue anyway -- there was no GUN per se, there was a REVOLVER.

The only other thing I missed was 24d: They're full of hot air (STEAMROOMS). I had STEAM IRONS (probably still thinking about Scar and Jeremy.)

The rest of the puzzle:

1a: TV show with the character Zelmo Zale (MASH). He was the 4077th's supply sergeant. I couldn't find any video of him. Youtube keeps wanting to show me Zale's Jewelers commercials.

"M*A*S*H: For Want of a Boot (#2.17)" (1974)

Zale: Look, we made a deal. He didn't come through.

Hawkeye: Do you know what I did? How I degraded myself? How I groveled, how I humbled, how I cheapened myself? All for a pair of miserable, lousy, army boots? I swear to you, as dedicated as I am to the sanctity and preservation of human life, if I had a gun at this moment, I would send my head across the tent!

Zale: A gun takes six weeks. There's a terrific waiting list.

5a: He has a small staff (SANTA). Sounds like the requisite sexual reference, but it's actually a bit of seasonal humor.

10a: Hogshead (CASK).

14a: Member of the dynasty founded by Manco Cápac (INCA).

15a: "The roof of the World" (TIBET).

16a: Tony's counterpart (OBIE).

17a: Observe all the formalities (STANDONCEREMONY).

20a: Say for all to hear (SINGOUT).

21a: Reasons (MOTIVES).

22a: High, on a score (ALT).

23a: Work off restless energy, in a way (PACE).

24a: ___-Blo (brand of fuse) (SLO).

25a: Cut glass (ETCH).

31a: Book learning? (LITERARYHISTORY).

36a: Albert Alligator's home (OKEFENOKEESWAMP). This might be why I had such a relatively easy time with this puzzle. This 15-letter center entry I knew right away. Albert Alligator lived in the swamp with Pogo Possum and Howland Owl and Porky Pine and many others in Waly Kelly's masterpiece of a comic strip. My three favorite comic strips are "Krazy Kat" "Pogo" and "Calvin and Hobbes" although the exact order varies day-to-day. Today my favorite is definitely Pogo.

37a: Argues an issue that's already settled (BEATSADEADHORSE).

38a: Scott's "Quantum Leap" role (SAM). Man, I miss that show. If you're wondering what to get your favorite part-time crossword blogger for Christmas, season one of "Quantum Leap" on DVD would be an excellent choice.

39a: "___ I should be old-fashioned, I'll put a trinket on": Emily Dickinson (LEST).

40a: Attach (ADD).

41a: Last word of the first verse of "America" (RING). Oh, I forgot -- I messed this one up initially too. (Maybe I didn't have that easy a time with this puzzle.) I had the right song, wrong verse. I had SING as in "Of thee, I. . . " which is the last word of the second verse.

44a: SFC's USN counterpart (CPO).

45a: Trees whose wood doesn't float (EBONIES).

48a: Winding path's opposite (BEELINE).

54a: Volume (TOME)

56a: Portrayer of Jane in "Becoming Jane" (ANNE).

57a: Boycotter of the L.A. Games (USSR).

58a: Place to hang one's hat (ABODE).

59a: Bagpipes, e.g. (REED).

1d: Air ball, e.g. (MISS).

2d: Prefix with body (ANTI).

3d: Work as a checkout clerk (SCAN).

4d: Direction to change from north to west? (HANGALEFT).

5d: Malty drink (STOUT). What I miss most about my fitness regimen? Guinness.

By the way, when I was searching for that picture I found this -- the cake for my next birthday.

6d: ___ It Cool News (film website) (AINT).

7d: "Must See TV" network (NBC).

8d: Overbrim (TEEM).

9d: Affected by underuse (ATROPHIED).

10d: Funny (COMIC).

11d: In open sight (ABOVEBOARD).

12d: Opposite over hypotenuse, for a right triangle (SINE).

13d: Drop-box inserts, often (KEYS).

19d: Flight deck guess (ETA)

25d: Become more rounded, maybe (ERODE).

26d: Playground players (TYKES).

27d: Look around for some answers? (CHEAT).Made me laugh. Thanks, Patrick.

29d: "___ and the Man" (Shaw play) (ARMS).

30d: Variety (TYPE).

31d: High returns (LOBS).

32d: It acquired Stør in 1992 (IKEA).

33d: Inability to feel pain (ANALGESIA).

34d: Curvy, in a way (SSHAPED).

35d: Like many racetrack bets (TWODOLLAR). I have never been to the racetrack. Do they still let you make two dollar bets? Seems like a throwback to the 30's.

42d: Graphic novelist, at times (INKER).

43d: Fifth principle of Kwanzaa (NIA).

44d: Perfume, in a way (CENSE).

45d: Senate censure (ETTU). A very specific censure. Julius Caesar to Brutus after he was stabbed by his BFF.

46d: Raspberry relatives (BOOS).

47d: Vojvodina native (SERB).

48d: Become good friends, say (BOND).

49d: Donovan's daughter (IONE). Ione Skye, who played Diane Court in the classic John Cusack movie "Say Anything."

50d: "___ but the Brave" (1965 Frank Sinatra film) (NONE).

51d: Barely made, with "out" (EKED).

See you next Thursday.

Norrin