Friday, October 24, 2008

Title: Swiss Cheese
Author: Justin Smith
Theme: HOLE rebus

• 20a: Song that includes woofs in its chorus (Who leT THE DOGS OUT). I got this right away, but as I listen to the song again, I can't tell if they're saying "woof woof woof" or "who who who". You decide.



• 37a: What you might use to finish this puzzle (THREE hole PUNCH).


• 57a: Unified entities (INTEGRATED WholeS).

And the crossings:

• 18d: Irascibility (CholeR).


• 28d: Reflecting no sound (ECholeSS).


• 56d: Tevye's creator (SholeM).

I've got to be honest -- I was underwhelmed by this theme. Too many little things about it just rubbed me wrong. Let's take them in order of annoyance.

Firstly, the title was both too easy and too inapt. Swiss Cheese just screams HOLES, doesn't it? I mean, what else would one expect? But Swiss Cheese does not imply three equal-sized, regularly-spaced holes. The real theme of this puzzle is the three-hole punch, which is a fine concept. Unfortunately, it only allows for three rebus squares, which makes for kind of a ho-hum solve. But at least give it a title that fits, and save the Swiss Cheese title for another, more appropriate theme.

Secondly, I wasn't crazy about about the long fills. WHO LET THE DOGS OUT is great; no complaints there. The middle one defines the theme, so okay, though it's too bad HOLE has to sit there as a standalone word. But that's life. But INTEGRATED WHOLES is just kind of blah. I don't find it interesting, and I don't like that "wholes" sounds just like "holes" -- it would have been nicer to find a fill that hid the rebus more like the first one.

Thirdly, I wasn't crazy about the short fills. SHOLEM, CHOLER, and ECHOLESS? Not so much.

Fourthly, two 12-letter themes and an 11-letter theme make for a bit of an ugly grid. Late-week puzzles should be more open and elegant. Those 5-square blobs of black on the east and west coasts of the puzzle are unfortunate.

Finally, and yes we're getting really nitpicky here, it would be pretty difficult to actually use a three-hole punch to "complete" the puzzle (even if the size was correct), since the holes run diagonally. You can usually only get about an inch or so of the paper's margin into the machine. :)

The Rest:

• 4a: Professor played by Christopher Lloyd (PLUM). Never saw this 1985 film of "Clue", but didn't need to. My first thought was "Back to the Future", and I couldn't remember his name there so I skipped past it. It's Dr. Emmett Brown, if you were wondering.


• 14a: Main man? (TAR). The main is the ocean.


• 15a: "The ___ Report" (1976 book) (HITE). A book on female sexuality that came out when I was 14; of course I read it.


• 16a: Prominent Shaker (ANN LEE).


• 17a: 2000 Best Picture nominee (CHOCOLAT).


• 19a: 1995 A.L. MVP (Mo VAUGHN). He was with the Red Sox at the time. Here's one of my favorite Mo Vaughn moments. Aaron Sele throws tight on George Bell, who charges the mound. Sele steps aside and Mo Vaughn comes charging in from the first base side and flattens Bell. Good stuff. Check it out here.


• 22a: Secretly (SUBROSA). According to the American Heritage Dictionary: "from the practice of hanging a rose over a meeting as a symbol of confidentiality". I much prefer the cone of silence, myself.




• 24a: Reuss River's canton (URI). I'm sure I've seen this in puzzles before. I knew it was going to be vowel-consonant-vowel, but I needed crossings to nail it.


• 25a: It contains uracil (RNA). If you say so.


• 26a: Carbon-date, e.g. (AGE). Nice clue.


• 27a: Unlike absolute values: Abbr. (NEG). Absolute values are positive by definition.


• 29a: Bass parts (PEGS). I guess tuning pegs. Are there other pegs on a bass? Not on mine.


• 44a: Subject of a museum in Austin, Minnesota (SPAM). Somehow I knew the answer here was SPAM. I couldn't have told you where the Spam Museum was, but my subconscious must have remembered.


• 49a: Start to go? (GEE). Cryptic letter clue. Potty humor.


• 51a: "This Is the Life" singer Macdonald (AMY). This is not music I tend to listen to. Here it is:




• 53a: Broadway success (HIT SHOW).


• 60a: Very ardent (RAH RAH).


• 61a: Premature (UNTIMELY).



• 64a: Eponymous pants wearer Bloomer (AMELIA).


• 3d: Cow (BROWBEAT). Excellent.


• 6d: Jazz fan, perhaps (UTAHAN). The problem with sports teams moving from city to city is that their names no longer make sense. The New Orleans Jazz was a very logical team name. So were the Minneapolis Lakers, for that matter. What's next, the Buffalo Heat?


• 8d: Degust (SAVOR). Degust sounds a lot less pleasant that savor, doesn't it?



• 9d: Caterpillar roll component (UNAGI). Crossword constructors must have given great praise when sushi went mainstream.


• 12d: Like many a moved picture (REHUNG). Also, the title of an email reply regarding "American Idol" season three?


• 13d: Good dishers (YENTAS). Not really tricky at all. Is there another meaning of disher besides one who spreads gossip?


• 31d: Runner-up to Secretariat in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness (SHAM). Nobody remembers the losers.


• 33d: Part of WYSIWYG (SEE). What you see is what you get.


• 36d: Roadhouse (INN).




• 38d: Good class for a lazybones (EASY A).


• 39d: International waters (HIGH SEAS). Also, the main.


• 42d: Defunct GM brand (GEO).


• 45d: Where balboas are spent (PANAMA). For some reason, I knew this. I think there was a currency puzzle a while back with ROCKY BALBOA in it, wasn't there? Ah yes, here it is... August 6th.


• 46d: Upstanding music? (ANTHEM). Cute.



• 52d: "South Park" puppet (MR HAT). Very nice.


• 58d: Oil company founder Halliburton (ERLE). Seen this before. Still didn't remember.


• 59d: Narwhal's protrusion (TUSK).

Despite the underwhelming theme, this wasn't a bad puzzle. Just not one of my favorites.

Thanks for listening.

- Pete M.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Title: How Does That Feel?
Author: Justin Smith
Theme: Tactile adjectives used in a non-tactile way.

• 17a: Artificial intelligence topic (FUZZY LOGIC).


• 27a: Unpaved edge of a road (SOFT SHOULDER).


• 45a: Awkward situation (STICKY WICKET).


• 60a: Relaxing music genre (SMOOTH JAZZ).

This theme didn't do much for me while I was solving, as it seemed like kind of an arbitrary set of adjectives. But in retrospect, I guess it's okay. The fact that the adjectives are being used in a different, non-tactile way adds that little extra that makes it hold together reasonably well for a Monday.

Sunny Spots:

• 4d: Tornadic toon from Warner Bros. (TAZ). One of my favorite cartoon characters.


• 5d: In ads, it's spelled R-O-L-A-I-D-S (RELIEF). Solid pop culture reference.


• 11d: Hershey's offering in a yellow wrapper (MR GOODBAR). Mmmm... chocolate.



• 47d: TV character who got notes signed "Epstein's Mother" (KOTTER). I used to love this show. I'm not sure what that says about me.

Sundries:

• 10a: Interfraternity council prez, e.g. (BMOC). Big Man On Campus.


• 14a: Shade by the beach? (AQUA). Almost too easy.


• 15a: Castaway (EXILE).


• 16a: Humor writer Bombeck (ERMA).


• 20a: 5% of LX (III). This is the easiest Roman numeral math we've seen in a while.


• 22a: Instructions starter (STEP ONE).


• 24a: "You may relax, soldier" (AT EASE).


• 37a: Icy coatings (HOARS).



• 39a: Former NFL quarterbacks Stabler and O'Brien (KENS). You know I'm not good with first names, but this one was a no-brainer for me.


• 43a: Like many replays (SLO-MO).


• 48a: "The Truth About ___ Geller" (James Randi book) (URI). Name a Geller. And no, Sarah Michelle is spelled GELLAR.


• 49a: Lubricant reservoir in a crankcase (OIL PAN).


• 53a: Chiquita products (BANANAS).



• 59a: '70s teen idol Garrett (LEIF). I'm pretty sure my sister had a poster of Leif along with Andy Gibb.


• 64a: Pet problem? (PEEVE).


• 2d: Declaration to one's boss (I QUIT).


• 3d: ___ Kabloozie (character voiced by Ruth Buzzi in "Sesame Street" shorts) (SUZIE). I'm not sure if I knew this or whether it just made sense.


• 6d: Nerve cell impulse transmitter (AXON).


• 8d: Nutmeg State Ivy Leaguers (ELIS). Even if you don't remember that Connecticut is the Nutmeg State and that Yale is in Connecticut, you've seen this answer enough that "Ivy Leaguers" should have done it for you.


• 10d: "C'mon, buddy, help me out" (BE A PAL).


• 25d: Yard sale caveat (AS IS).


• 29d: "Ditto" (SO AM I). Reminds me of the first minute and a half of this clip...



• 30d: Ruinous damage (HAVOC). Havoc is a really cool word.


• 36d: Opposed to organized labor (ANTI-UNION).


• 41d: NEA part (NATL). I went with ARTS here at first, until I was 46d and realized it shouldn't be (you rarely see an answer word in another clue in a well-edited puzzle).


• 43d: It's got you covered (SKIN). Cute.


• 46d: Partner of arts (CRAFTS).


• 50d: Instrument with 88 keys (PIANO). A total gimme, but I do love the piano.


• 51d: Lumbermill tools (ADZES).


• 54d: Like a sports car, briefly (AERO). Ummm. Okay. I guess. Kinda.


• 55d: They're unarmed, but dangerous (ASPS). Bit of a stretch for a clue, but okay.


• 56d: "Peter Pan" character (SMEE). A crossword staple.


• 61d: "Reading the ___" (2008 book subtitled "One Man, One Year, 21,730 Pages") (OED). I need to get this book; it sounds fascinating. And no, I'm not being facetious; I really want to read it.



• 62d: Triangular sail (JIB). Love sailing clues. Even easy ones.

Suns of Bitches:

• 65a: Little ___ ("Hairspray" role) (INEZ). I'm sure I've seen this name before, but I needed the crossings to get it.


• 40d: Journalist Nellie (BLY). Ditto.


• 52d: Mozart's "Le ___ di Figaro" (NOZZE). Tough for a Monday, but a nice fill word.

This was a fairly Scrabbly puzzle for a Monday - in fact it's a pangram, using every letter at least once - and is a typical example of how Monday Sun puzzles differ from Monday Times puzzles. The Sun is almost never as easy as a NYT Monday, which is why it's a favorite among puzzle connoisseurs, and why it would be a crying shame for this puzzle to go the way of the dinosaur if the Sun should go under at the end of this month as it's threatening to do. Any wealthy puzzlers out there want to step in and invest in the Sun?

Thanks for listening.

- Pete M.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Title: Rid Iron
Author: Justin Smith
Theme: Remove the first letter from NFL football team names.

• 17a: Woes of an animal on the range? (BUFFALO ILLS).


• 36a: Things that hear "All That Jazz" and "Cell Block Tango"? (CHICAGO EARS).


• 58a: Charged items of a "Guys and Dolls" guy? (DETROIT IONS).

The title is a cute play on "grid iron", which plays to the football theme, but I was annoyed that the first two theme answers dropped a 'B' and the third one dropped an 'L'. It offends my sense of balance and consistency. When I read the title, I assumed we'd be dropping "FE"; then I got the first two and couldn't figure out what 'B' had to do with iron. Then I got the last one and was just hugely disappointed by the whole thing.

Sunny Spots:

• 2d: "I Wanna ___" (Karen Kaufman Orloff children's book) (IGUANA).



• 11d: Snellen charts can be used in them (EYE EXAMS).


• 29d: In need of a shower? (SAHARAN). Good clue.


• 38d: Orange Monopoly property (ST JAMES). Monopoly clues are fine by me. Classic game, that I haven't played in years.


• 59d: Phrase that could end a single life (I DO). Cute.

Sundries:

• 1a: Quinceañera celebration, e.g. (FIESTA).


• 14a: Snow half-globes? (IGLOOS).


• 15a: Dome light? (HALO).



• 19a: Fashion model Herzigova (EVA).


• 21a: Sweat spot (PORE). My first instinct was BROW.


• 22a: Bridle strap (REIN). That's bridle, not bridal. Don't get any ideas!


• 26a: Neutered (UNSEXED). This is horrible. DESEXED, sure. But UNSEXED??!!? Please!


• 28a: Dashes in a code (DAHS). Morse Code - dits and dahs.


• 30a: Pair of deuces? (PIPS). As in a pair that is found on deuces.


• 33a: Jung's inner self (ANIMA).


• 38a: Rawboned people (SCRAGS). New one on me.


• 42a: C. in C. (PRES). Commander in Chief. I couldn't parse this until after I had the answer.



• 43a: Tim Duncan, for one (SPUR). The no-longer-world-champion NBA San Antonio Spurs.


• 47a: 1994 role for Winona Ryder (JO MARCH). From "Little Women".


• 49a: T man? (REF). This is pushing it a bit. A technical foul in basketball is called a "T", which refs can give out. Ugh.


• 52a: 1954 Heisman Trophy winner Ameche (ALAN). You've got enough sports references already; pick another ALAN.


• 55a: Put down stakes (ANTED).


• 61a: Bohr model depiction (ATOM).


• 1d: Told a taradiddle (FIBBED).


• 3d: Spritelike (ELFISH).


• 5d: One who's doomed, in slang (TOAST).


• 6d: It might be used by a manualist: Abbr. (ASL). A manualist is one who used sign language.



• 8d: Large pinniped (WALRUS). Come on, there's GOT to be a more interesting way to clue WALRUS than this. This feels like a Eugene T. Maleska clue.


• 10d: Song sung by Sam and Donna in "Mamma Mia!" (SOS). Name an Abba song in three letters.


• 12d: Casino on the Vegas Strip (RIVIERA).


• 13d: Cyclist's wear (SPANDEX).


• 18d: Kia model (OPTIMA).


• 27d: Bar food (SALAD). I.e., from a salad bar.


• 31d: Motorola product (PAGER).


• 34d: Neighbor of Benin (NIGER).


• 36d: Ready for inurnment (CREMATED).


• 39d: Polk's fatal affliction (CHOLERA).


• 42d: Light quantum (PHOTON).


• 44d: Cant (PATOIS).


• 46d: Dahlak Archipelago surrounder (RED SEA).


• 48d: Iráklion is its capital (CRETE).


• 50d: Karmic (FATED).

[yawn]

Suns of Bitches:

• 9d: Pompeo of "Grey's Anatomy" (ELLEN). Never saw the show.

You know, some puzzles just hit you right and some don't. This one didn't. My disappointment in the theme was exacerbated by clues that seemed to fall into two categories: overly cutesy or drudgingly dry. Sure, there were a few bright spots sprinkled in, but overall there's not too much to say. I'd just as soon forget about this one and move on to tomorrow. As a matter of fact, I think I will.

Thanks for listening.

- Pete M.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Title: Words on Play
Author: Justin Smith
Theme: Phrases with items found on a playground.

• 17a: Ignore a problem (LET IT SLIDE).


• 35a: Airport conveyor (LUGGAGE CAROUSEL). I started with BAGGAGE CAROUSEL, which slowed me down slightly in the SW corner.


• 56a: Symptom of bipolar disorder (MOOD SWINGS).

Simple Monday theme. Unusual for the Sun of late to only have three theme entries, but that didn't affect the enjoyment of the puzzle any.

Sunny Spots:

• 30d: Hitchhike (THUMB A RIDE). Easy, but good phrase.


• 35d: Like some bad situations (LOSE LOSE). Another nice one.

Sundries:

• 10a: Big containers of beer (KEGS). Beer clues are always welcome here.


• 15a: Scale whose third note is C (A-FLAT). I have to quibble a little about this one. A-flat is a note, not a scale. There are many A-flat scales: A-flat major, A-flat minor, A-flat diminished, etc. I suppose you can argue that in the absence of a specified scale one assumes the major, but I'm still not crazy about it.



• 16a: Model Macpherson (ELLE). I didn't write the puzzle; I just blog what's there.


• 26a: Letters on tires (PSI). Pounds per square inch, the standard measure of tire pressure.


• 27a: Fiancée's first word (YES). Cute, if easy.


• 31a: Some document transmissions (EFAXES).


• 44a: Yankee Stadium public address announcer Sheppard (BOB). We have to keep reminding ourselves that this puzzle is targeted for a New York City audience. There are a lot more famous Bobs out there that I would have preferred to see in a Monday puzzle: Hope, Crane, Denver, Newhart, ...


• 52a: Airplane restraint (LAP BELT).



• 55a: Orchestra tuner (OBOE). Everyone tunes to the lead oboe. We're not sure why, though I suspect it might have something to do with the fact that the oboe is harder to tune. I could be wrong.


• 4d: "Love Story" author (ERICH SEGAL). I don't know why I know this. I never read the book and I never saw the movie, and yet this name is taking up space in my brain that could be used for much more important things.


• 7d: BBC's Sports Personality of the Century (ALI).


• 8d: Military chaplain (PADRE).


• 10d: Nautical spine (KEEL).


• 11d: It indicates an omission from a quote (ELLIPSIS).


• 12d: Water-resistant paper (GLASSINE). My only problem here was I wasn't sure of the spelling. Specifically, whether it was SS or SC, and whether it ended INE or ENE.


• 22d: Last Oldsmobiles ever made (ALEROS). I wonder if someone at Oldsmobile was a crossword nut and named this model knowing that it would then live on forever in puzzles. That would be a cool story.


• 25d: Like a concrete slab that's made off-site (PRECAST).


• 32d: Feast alternative (FAMINE). Not much of an alterative. I'll opt for feast.


• 37d: Natural selection affects it (GENE POOL). I thought at first this might be another theme entry, but there doesn't seem to be a matching entry, and it's not one of the two longest down fills. Besides, most playgrounds don't have a pool.


• 38d: Los del ___ ("Macarena" duo) (RIO). I didn't even read the whole clue. The del was enough to guess.




• 42d: Collection of Jewish laws (TALMUD).



• 45d: Subtitle to the 1978 film "Damien" (OMEN II).


• 46d: Frank alternative (BURGER). A lesbian says to her partner, "Can I be frank with you?", to which the other replies, "No, I wanna be Frank this time!"


• 51d: Rapper's entourage (POSSE). Is this never clued to reference old westerns anymore?


• 53d: Puts one's two cents in? (BETS). Low stakes game, I'd say.

Suns of Bitches:

None.

Pretty straightforward Monday. Nothing much else to add.

Thanks for listening.

- Pete M.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Title: Double Creatures
Author: Justin Smith
Theme: Phrases with two animals in them.

• 4d: Elaborate presentations (DOG AND PONY SHOWS).


• 7d: Implausible tale (COCK AND BULL STORY).


• 15d: You might toy with your opponent during it (CAT AND MOUSE GAME).

A pretty straight-forward Monday theme here. No funky wordplay or blank stares trying to figure out what the theme entries have in common. Just a smooth, easy theme with three colorful dual-animal phrases.

Sunny Spots:

• 23a: Cast supporters (SLINGS). Very good clue.


• 47a: Meet, as expectations (LIVE UP TO). Great phrase, which brings to mind a scene from one of my favorite movies, "The Sting", where the guy portraying FBI Agent Polk says to Lt. Snyder, "Sit down and shut up, will ya? Try not to live up to all my expectations." What a great film.



• 67a: Judy Jetson's little brother (ELROY). Gotta love "Jetsons" clues.


• 70a: Poker Hall of Famer Brunson (DOYLE). Kudos for the poker reference, too. His son, Todd, is also a formidable player.

Sundries:

• 17a: Ticket, in slang (DUCAT).


• 22a: Chance to hit (AT BAT). This seems to be showing up a lot lately.


• 25a: Bomber missions (AIR RAIDS).


• 29a: Robotically compliant (STEPFORD). As in "Stepford Wives".



• 37a: Bee Gees surname (GIBB). My sister had that Andy Gibb poster on her wall growing up. I had the Farrah Fawcett one. Wonder which one I should post?


• 42a: Landing place for ships (QUAY).


• 51a: Snobs (HIGH HATS).


• 54a: Results of some botched hit-and-run plays (STEALS). More often than not, though, it results in a guy getting thrown out at second.


• 65a: Football team with a gold helmet (ARMY).


• 3d: Maker of the arcade classic Tempest (ATARI). You don't have to have played this game (though I have) to guess that the answer's going to be ATARI. If you don't remember the game, here's a clip (not the original, but you'll get the idea).




• 24d: L.A. flaw? (SMOG). A weak "L.A. Law" pun.


• 28d: La Salle of "ER" (ERIQ). Let's see, Eriq La Salle hasn't been on "ER" since 2002. Has he done nothing of consequence since then?



• 29d: Villain in "The Lion King" (SCAR).


• 33d: Cavil (CARP).


• 35d: Broadway role for Christopher Plummer (IAGO). From "Othello", not to be confused with 50d: Opera based on a Shakespeare play (OTELLO). That's a tough too much Othello in one puzzle for me.


• 41d: They often wear dark eyeliner (GOTHS). One of the best ever "South Park" episodes is called "Raisins", and features Stan joining the Goths after Wendy dumps him for Token. It's really phenomenal all the way through. Here's a clip near the end of the episode.




• 48d: Art Deco designer (ERTÉ). We've been seeing a lot of him lately, too.



• 56d: King Julien in "Madagascar," e.g. (LEMUR).

Suns of Bitches:

None.

Other than the 15x16 construction, to accommodate the long central theme entry, there's nothing particularly unusual about this puzzle. It's a nice, easy Monday to get your week started.

Thanks for listening.

- Pete M.