Friday, February 20, 2009

Title: Oscar-winning Roles
Author: Jeremy Horwitz
Theme: Fictional roles that won "Oscars" in their fictional universe

• 1a: With 69-Across, Oscar-winning star of "Queen of the Night" in 1992's "The Bodyguard" (RACHEL / MARRON).



• 20a: Oscar-winning star of "Tropic Blunder: The True Story Behind the Making of the Most Expensive Fake True War Story Ever" in 2008's "Tropic Thunder" (TUGG SPEEDMAN).


• 38a: Oscar-winning star of "A World for Two" in 1954's "A Star Is Born" (VICKI LESTER).


• 55a: Oscar-winning star of "To Serve and Protect" in 1997's "In & Out" (CAMERON DRAKE).

Wow, what a way to round out Oscar week. I have to say that, despite the fact that only TUGG SPEEDMAN even sounded familiar, I really like this concept a lot. I found all the other names to be plausible enough, and none of the crossings were that nasty, so it was quite the nice Friday puzzle.

Sundries:

• 11a: Laurence Fishburne series (CSI). Name a series in three letters...


• 14a: One of the Andrews Sisters (MAXENE). I had the MAX and went with MAXINE, but it was soon clear from the crossing that this was not the correct spelling.


• 15a: Fictional spy Rider (ALEX). I'm not familiar with this series of spy novels by Anthony Horowitz.


• 17a: Learned scholar (SAVANT). I always thought a SAVANT was a natural talent more than a scholar, but I guess that's the idiot savant.


• 19a: Unit replaced by the siemens (MHO). 23a: 100 nanojoules (ERG). Our physics fix of the day.


• 27a: Italian composer Antonio (SALIERI). If you've seen "Amadeus", you'll remember this name.



• 33a: The Enforcer's boss (SCARFACE). Is this from the movie "Scarface", or is this some comic I am not aware of? When I see "The Enforcer", I think Dirty Harry movie.


• 36a: Tropical beach garment (SARONG).


• 40a: Coca-Cola offering (FRESCA). Does anyone drink this stuff? I think it's the worst tasting soda I've ever tried. Even worse than Tab.


• 45a: Flat fee (RENT). Very nice clue.


• 48a: "Did it start without me?" (AM I LATE).


• 54a: It gets bigger when stroked or massaged (EGO). Sexual innuendo tag.


• 66a: Balletic opposite of en l'air (A TERRE). If you're not in the air, you're on the ground.


• 7d: Misses at a rodeo (GALS). Another very nice clue.


• 9d: Site of Hercules's first labor (NEMEA). For some reason, my first instinct was NIMES.


• 13d: Decreasing? (IRONING). Very cute.


• 21d: Balenciaga parent company (GUCCI). I've never heard of Balenciaga, but somehow I knew this answer instinctively.


• 23d: Staggered start? (ESS). Cryptic letter clue.


• 25d: Idol (GRAVEN IMAGE). Nice fill.


• 29d: Get angry and defensive (BRISTLE).


• 39d: "Enigma Variations" composer (ELGAR). Elgar is probably most known for his "Pomp and Circumstance" march, played at most graduation processions.



• 40d: Geometric term coined by Benoît Mandelbrot (FRACTAL). Excellent. Get some math geekiness in here. I'm not going to explain them, go here or here for more info.


• 41d: Go back into the ring? (REMARRY). Okay, that's pushing it a bit much. There's often a fine line between clever and over-the-top. It's hard to define, but this one stepped over.


• 46d: Brand of chewing gum (MENTOS). Mentos makes gum? Who knew?Does it do the same thing that the mints do when you add them to Diet Coke?


• 49d: Moises of "Hannah Montana" (ARIAS). This is didn't know, but I didn't need to. And I prefer it over some obscure Italian opera reference.


• 50d: Where the pa'anga is spent (TONGA). Obscure clue, but with T___A, it was easy to guess.


• 52d: Cathouse cheese (MADAM). There's something unsettling about this clue. The use of the word "cheese" in the context of a cathouse sends my mind to places I'd just as soon it not go. "Whorehouse head" would be more suggestive, but at the same time would feel... I don't know... cleaner?


• 53d: Honshu seaport (AKITA). I went with OSAKA first, as I expect we were meant to.


• 62d: Full house sign (SRO). Standing Room Only. I never knew this before doing crosswords. New Hampshire doesn't have a lot of standing room only shows, I guess.

Only one more week of Sun puzzles. This is a mixed blessing for me, as I will miss the quality puzzles terribly. But I'm not sure I'm going to miss blogging them. Don't get me wrong, it's been fun, but it can also be a chore. Without the help of Joon and Norrin2, I'd have bailed long ago. It will be nice to have a break.

Thanks for listening.

- Pete M.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Title: All the Presidents' Best Actors and Actresses
Author: Ogden Porter (Peter Gordon)
Theme: Oscar winners who share last names with U.S. Presidents

• 28a: Best Actress of 1960 and 1966 (ELIZABETH TAYLOR).


• 35a: Best Actor of 1964 (REX HARRISON).


• 57a: Best Actress of 1931 (HELEN HAYES).


• 4d: Best Actress of 1970 and 1973 (GLENDA JACKSON).


• 11d: Best Actor of 2001 (DENZEL WASHINGTON).

Breakin' the rules. Breakin' the rules. Here we have a 15x16 that is non-symmetrical with non-symmetrical theme answers. Did it bother you? Did it affect your enjoyment of the puzzle? This is one of those oft-debated issues among constructors. Are the rules of symmetry there for a reason, or are they just some snobbish clinging to an obscure set of rules for no apparent reason. I won't get into that too deeply here. Personally, I like the symmetry of crosswords. It pleases my mathematical sense of order. But I can honestly say I wasn't bothered by the lack of order during this fairly-easy Monday solve.

The rest is going to be quick, as I'm tired and want to go to bed.

Sundries:

• 4a: Potential petter's discouragement (GRR). This feels weird to me, as it's the pettee that is doing the discouraging.


• 17a: Like the Empire State Building (ART DECO).



• 23a: Sound from the anteater in "B.C." (ZOT). Don't recall this one.


• 24a: Broke (TAMED).


• 42a: Mexican state on the Gulf of Tehuantepec (OAXACA).



• 46a: Star-Belly and Plain-Belly Seuss creatures (SNEETCHES). Very nice.


• 63a: Puts an end to (ERADICATES).


• 65a: Vitality (ZING).



• 3d: Woven mat of Japan (TATAMI).


• 6d: Dad's product (ROOT BEER). I've been fooled by a Dad's clue before, so I was onto it this time. As I recall, it was "Dad's rival", which was AANDW (a nasty sequence of letters).


• 9d: Be taught incorrectly (MISLEARN).


• 31d: Missouri county (OSAGE).


• 38d: Is in the lead by a little (HAS AN EDGE).


• 46d: Former president of Indonesia (SUHARTO). I remember this from "The Year of Living Dangerously".



• 47d: Rum ___ Tugger ("Cats" cat) (TUM).


• 54d: Umenyiora of the New York Giants (OSI). Never saw the clue. Which is good, since I wouldn't have known this at all.


• 56d: Tips of skis? (ESSES). Cryptic letter clue.

That's all for tonight.

Thanks for listening.

- Pete M.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Title: Transmutation
Author: Joon Pahk
Theme: Chemical symbol rebus, with PB (lead) in the across answers becoming AU (gold) in the down answers.

Pretransmutation answers:


• 
  17a: Expressions of contempt (RASPBERRIES). That's the noise, also called a Bronx cheer, not the fruit.


• 25a: Raising support? (PUSH-UP BRA). A very perky theme answer.


• 51a: Chief (TOP BANANA).


• 60a: #1 hit of February 2003 (BUMP BUMP BUMP). By B2K, with P. Diddy.
  

  I love the way you teasin me 
  But u gotta start pleasin me


The transmutation indicator:


• 36a: Theme of this puzzle (ALCHEMY).

Posttransmutation answers:


• 11d: Place to find lifeless celebs (TUSSAUDS). Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, that is.


• 18d: Difficult and unpleasant (AUGEAN). Like cleaning a horse stable that hasn't been cleaned in 30 years. Literally. This was one of Hercules's tasks.


• 40d: Someone with whom you might share a spine (CO-AUTHOR). Great clue.


• 43d: Gastineau Channel city (JUNEAU).


• 57d: Lugs (HAULS).

A very nice Friday theme from our own Joon Pahk. I struggled to get going on this one, and rightly suspected some rebus action early on. But it wasn't until I figured out PUSH-UP BRA that it all clicked.

Sunny Spots:

• 12d: Be a willing participant? (INHERIT). I really liked this clue, even though I knew what they were getting at. I wanted WITNESS at first.



• 26d: "Reply ___, try again" (Magic 8 Ball message) (HAZY). Knew this right away, but love the Magic 8 Ball clue.


• 34d: Copper quarry? (PERP). PERP was actually my first instinct, but it was a while before I could get it to work.


• 44d: Down (IN A FUNK). Great phrase.


• 46d: Sank to the bottom? (SAT). Love this clue. Had me fooled until I finally parsed it as "Sank to one's bottom".

Sundries:

• 4a: Lava, sometimes (EJECTA). Cool word.


• 10a: The clink (STIR). Jail. Prison. The farm.


• 15a: Russian retreats (DACHAS).


• 16a: Squid eater (TUNA). I guessed ORCA first, which slowed this section down a bit.


• 21a: The munchies, for example (URGE). Indirect drug reference, as the urge is typically associated with smoking marijuana.


• 30a: Restaurant in Manhattan's theater district famous for the caricatures on its walls (SARDI'S). Never been, but I know of it.


• 32a: Lambeau ___ (Packers celebration) (LEAP).


• 35a: Citrus preparations (ZESTS). Doesn't take much preparation to make zest. You just scrape it off the rind.


• 42a: Brand of corn syrup (KARO). One of the first gimmes I found.


• 47a: 2004 film with the tagline "One man saw it coming" (I ROBOT).



• 49a: Aunt of Harry Potter (PETUNIA). I couldn't remember it until I got the P, then it clicked.


• 54a: Letter (TENANT). One who lets (leases) an apartment.


• 58a: Banking option, briefly (REFI). Refinancing.


• 59a: Repeated phrase in Kurt Vonnegut's "Slapstick" (HIHO).


• 65a: Not only that but also (NAY).


• 66a: "___ Christianity" (C.S. Lewis work) (MERE).


• 68a: Carrier to Schiphol (KLM). I knew was going to be either KLM or SAS.


• 4d: Utopian (EDENIC). Of Eden. Weird word, though.


• 5d: Be out of harmony (JAR).


• 6d: Like some hosiery (ECRU). The first gimme of the puzzle.


• 23d: West Coast baseball team's scoreboard abbr. (LAA). The Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim.


• 29d: Collection of suits? (DECK). Of playing cards.


• 33d: Epiphany follower (AHA). No church season here. Great clue.



• 38d: Drupe throwaway (PIT). Drupes are fleshy fruits like peaches.


• 39d: Wearing (EROSIVE). Went ERODING to EROSION to EROSIVE.


• 41d: Kelp eater (ABALONE).


• 48d: Character in "Henry VI, Part I" (TALBOT).


• 52d: Introduction to science? (NEURO). Cryptic prefix.


• 59d: West ___ United (English soccer team) (HAM). I don't watch soccer at all, but I knew this right away. I think it must be from old Monty Python's Flying Circus skits.


• 62d: Title character in a Poe novel (PYM). Shows up often enough, I should remember it more readily that I do.

Suns of Bitches:
Lot's of stuff I didn't know, but everything was gettable from crossings. Here are the complete unknowns for me:

• 22a: Cashmere clothing brand (TSE).


• 8d: City in South Korea near Pusan (TAEGU).

Nice theme and challenge from Joon. Didn't fall terribly quickly, but it broke open steadily and didn't seem unfair at any point. Just right for a Friday.

Thanks for listening.

- Pete M.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Title: Vowel Movement
Author: Patrick Blindauer
Theme: Two-part phrases where the second part mirrors the first part except that the vowels progress (A=>E, E=>I, I=>O, O=>U).

• 3d: NASA doctor’s collection? (SPACEMAN SPECIMEN).


• 5d: Glittering lymphoid mass? (TINSEL TONSIL). Ewww.


• 8d: With 51-Down, jelly thickener for "The Conference of Champions"? (PAC-TEN/PECTIN).


• 11d: Fad collection of actor Dempsey? (PATRICK'S PET ROCKS). It would be too egocentric to self-reference here, I guess. Eh, Patrick?


• 26d: Breath fresheners for a certain prayer? (MANTIS MENTOS). That's prayer as in "one who prays" -- a praying mantis.

Well, we have give a "potty humor" tag just for the title, don't we? I've seen a theme like this before, though I don't recall the exact details. I don't believe it dealt with double phrases like this one -- I think it was just phrases that were modified by the vowel progression. The 16-letter theme entries force the 15x16 design with theme clues running down. Plenty of theme fill here, and a remarkably smooth fill -- not unexpected from recent Constructor of the Year Oryx winner Patrick Blindauer.

Sunny Spots:

• 27a: Square that might have two sides? (MEAL). I'm certain I've seen this clue before, and it still caught me. Very clever, a square meal including sides. But why two? Why not three?


• 36a: "Play with us" channel (NICK JR). I love this because the CKJR letter combination seems so unplausible during the solve.


• 6d: Sparks could be seen on it in '07 (IDOL). Jordan Sparks and "American Idol". Very nice clue.

Sundries:

• 1a: Medicinal meas. (TBSP). An abbreviation at 1a is not ideal, but we'll forgive this minor indiscretion.



• 5a: Alfred directed her in "The Birds" (TIPPI Hedren).


• 10a: Tail of a Tibetan terrier? (APSO). Cryptic half-of-dog_name: Lhasa apso.


• 19a: The whole kit and caboodle (A TO Z).


• 20a: In "Penny Lane," what the banker never wears in the pouring rain (MAC). Beatles clues are always welcome here.


• 21a: Minor key? (ISLET). Cute clue.


• 22a: Bruno of "City Slickers" (KIRBY).


• 23a: Capital near the Oahe Dam (PIERRE). South Dakota.


• 25a: One with an abode in Aden (YEMENI). Usually it's ADEN in the puzzle, not the clue.


• 28a: Lie-down, to a Yank (NAP). Why to a Yank? Southerners don't nap?


• 29a: Private sleeping arrangement? (COT). Military reference.


• 38a: Australian Open champ before Steffi's three-year winning streak (HANA Mandlikova).


• 39a: Foot massager? (ODIST). Okay, that's pushing it.


• 43a: ___-Poo (character in "The Mikado") (NANKI).


• 44a: 1974 film starring Elliott Gould and Donald Sutherland (SPYS). I was so certain this was going to be MASH. If TRYSTS weren't such a gimme I might have had a real problem here.


• 47a: Most in need of Beano, maybe (GASSIEST). This ices the potty humor tag.


• 50a: Torn up on the screen (RIP). Rip Torn. But you knew that. You've seen this clue before.


• 52a: It borders Sask. (MONT). Montana.


• 65a: Economize (STINT). I wanted SKIMP in the worst way here, but I couldn't make it fit. STINT, to me, means a length of time.


• 68a: Number of pesetas in un duro (CINCO). Pick a Spanish number that begins with C.


• 69a: Chain with chairs (IKEA).



• 70a: Chachi's cousin, with "the" (FONZ). From "Happy Days", of course.


• 1d: Disney mutt (TRAMP). "Lady and the Tramp" is one of my favorite Disney films.


• 2d: Religion seeking world peace (BAHAI). You'd think all religions would seek world peace, wouldn't you? If only.


• 7d: "Our Gang" dog (PETEY).


• 13d: Black Sabbath vocalist's first name (OZZY). Easy, but nice to get that double-Z in there.


• 22d: Military cap with a flat top (KEPI). This is a word I learned from crosswords.


• 34d: Mathematician Lovelace (ADA). Linda didn't fit. And counting to twelve doesn't make one a mathematician... ;)


• 37d: –1, for 180° (COSINE). Speaking of math...


• 46d: Mortarboard tosser (GRAD). That's those funky hats they make you wear.


• 48d: Jolt, e.g. (SODA). "All the sugar and twice the caffeine."



• 59d: Toque wearer (CHEF). Hey, "Hell's Kitchen" has started again. But they don't wear toques. This is the time of year when Fox dominates the airwaves... "House", "Idol", "24", "Hell's Kitchen", ...

Suns of Bitches:

• 16a: Webkinz company (GANZ). Never heard of it. I've heard of Gas-X (in puzzles), but that didn't fit.


• 56a: Subject of the song "Tell Me, Trudy, Who Is Going to Be the Lucky One?" (EDERLE). I'm too lazy to look this up. It's only vaguely familiar.

Another nice puzzle from PB2, as we've come to expect.

Thanks for listening.

- Pete M.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Title: On With Its Head
Author: Gary Steinmehl
Theme: Adding the letters H, E, A, and D, respectively, to the beginnings of phrases.

• 3d: System for keeping closets organized? (HANGER MANAGEMENT). I never saw this Nicholson/Sandler film. With a couple of exceptions, I don't much care for Adam Sandler films, but I tend to like Jack so I'll probably rent it eventually.



• 13d: "The Scream," e.g.? (EMOTION PICTURE).


• 14d: Amelia Earhart flight starter, for example? (ASCENT OF A WOMAN). This is the film that finally scored Al Pacino an Oscar, which is strange to me because I think he's way better in many other earlier films. I thought this particular role was a touch over-the-top. But I still enjoyed the movie.



• 9d: Apprehensive about a train trip? (DREADING RAILROAD).

Nice Tuesday theme. I liked the two film-related theme fills better than the other two, but finding four films that would fit must not have been feasible. Again, we have a 15x16 grid with themes running down, to accommodate the long 16 answers.

Sunny Spots:

• 19a: "American ___" (1980 Richard Gere film) (GIGOLO). Sure, it's a fill-in-the-blank. But it's a great word.


• 52a: Baa maid? (EWE). That's a pretty damned funny clue, if you ask me.

Sundries:

• 13a: Virus named after a Congolese river (EBOLA).



• 16a: Bond villain (DR NO).


• 17a: Canasta plays (MELDS).


• 21a: King, e.g. (FACE CARD).


• 23a: Chad of "Medical Center" (EVERETT).


• 25a: Extremely cold (GELID).


• 26a: To be, in Spanish (SER).


• 28a: Tennis partners? (ENS). Cryptic letter clue. Two 'N's in "tennis".


• 35a: Surname of ALF's family (TANNER).


• 39a: "Cool!" (NEATO).



• 49a: Ticker symbol for Harley-Davidson (HOG).


• 56a: Pica alternative (ELITE). Back before there were 50 million computerized fonts, typewriters were either Pica (10-characters per inch) or Elite (12-characters per inch).


• 58a: "Be honest" (DON'T LIE).


• 60a: Big hits (HOME RUNS). Pitchers and catchers report in 17 days. Giddy-up!


• 65a: Lasso (RIATA).


• 69a: Page of "Juno" (ELLEN).


• 72a: Delta might precede it or calculate it (ETA). A dual-clue -- very cryptic-crossword-like. Here, referencing delta and eta the Greek letters, and Delta the airline calculating ETA (estimated time of arrival). Clever.


• 4d: Game trail (SPOOR). That's game as in hunted prey, not like Monopoly or something.


• 6d: Word with ball or bag (GOLF).



• 66d: Word with ball or bag (TEA). Here, a tea ball is that metal thing you use to brew from loose tea. Not the kids' game, which is TEE ball.


• 8d: Early calculators (ABACI). Beware the plurals that don't end in 'S'.


• 10d: Christian of the cloth? (DIOR). Cute clue, but pretty easy.


• 20d: Act of faith? (LEAP). Verging on over-cuteness.


• 22d: Movie lioness (ELSA). From Born Free.


• 30d: Creator of Genesis (SEGA). Genesis, the video console.


• 34d: "___ Pueblo" (Ansel Adams book) (TAOS).


• 38d: Meshuga (LOCO).



• 54d: Three-time Gold Glove winner Minnie (MINOSO). His prime was in the 50's and 60's, but he came back (albeit briefly) twice after his retirement, once in '76 and once in '80. Pretty amazing for a guy whose rookie year was 1949!


• 60d: Blondie and Dagwood's neighbor (HERB).

Suns of Bitches:

• 12a: Former Kenyan president Daniel ___ Moi (ARAP). Not a name I recall seeing.


• 62d: 2002 Mark Kurlansky book subtitled "A World History" (SALT). Didn't know this at all.

Thanks for listening.

- Pete M.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Title: Cold Storage
Author: Doug Peterson
Theme: Add the "Br" sound to phrases.

• Heart's ease => HEARTS BREEZE (20a: Simple task for a ticker?).


• All for one => BRAWL FOR ONE (28a: Bout of self-flagellation?).



• Anne Frank => BRAN FRANK (35a: High-fiber ballpark food item?). Ewww.


• Bass ale => BASS BRAILLE (49a: Raised writing on a largemouth?). Despite the fact that it derives from a beer, and not a bad one at that, this is by far the weakest and weirdest of the theme entries. Bass braille? Sorry. Doesn't work for me.


• Oohs and ahhs => BREWS AND BRAS (56a: Subtitle for a "Girls Gone Wild" video?). This one's almost as bad.

Not too much to say today, which is just as well since it wouldn't mostly be good, so let's get to it.

Sunny Spots:

Kudos for the Boston area references:

• 43a: "Bringing Down the House" sch. (MIT).


• 44a: 2004 and 2007 World Series champs (BOSOX).


• 8d: His #4 hangs from the ceiling of TD Banknorth Garden (BOBBY ORR).

Sundries:

• 14a: Disappearing sea (ARAL). Crossword staple.



• 15a: Los Angeles cap symbol (HALO).


• 16a: Marisa of "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" (TOMEI).


• 26a: Singer's tongue (YIDDISH). Isaac Bashevis Singer was a Nobel-winning author, and leader of the Yiddish literary movement, according to Wikipedia. I never heard of him, but that didn't mean it was hard to figure out the answer.


• 31a: Role for Keanu (NEO). Of "The Matrix".


• 34a: "You don't say!" (GEE) and 52a: "Holy cow!" (OMIGOSH). Two nice in-the-language entries.


• 66a: God head? (DEMI). Cryptic prefix.


• 69a: "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" costar (CRUZ). Penelope I assume, but I'm too lazy to look it up.


• 1d: With 18-Across, bought shots on credit (RAN A TAB).


• 3d: Place where you won't find free spirits? (CASHBAR). These two are enough to warrant a booze tag, don't you think?



• 4d: Bauhaus artist Paul (KLEE).


• 5d: Che Guevara portrayer in 1969 (Omar SHARIF).


• 9d: "The Father of English History" (ST BEDE).


• 12d: River through Rochester (GENESEE).


• 13d: TV's "Science Kid" (SID).


• 38d: Hawk or Raptor, e.g. (NBAER).



• 39d: Pond swimmer (KOI).


• 41d: Snoopy often drove one (ZAMBONI).


• 49d: Spot alternative (BOWSER). Dogs' names.


• 50d: Pandemonium (BEDLAM).


• 51d: "Star Wars" good guys (REBELS).


• 53d: Garage door opener company (GENIE).


• 59d: Math game with matchsticks (NIM). I vaguely remember this from years ago.



• 62d: Ratite on a ranch (EMU). If you knew that a ratite was a flightless bird, you'd be all over this one.


• 63d: Virtuoso (WIZ).

Suns of Bitches:

• 33a: Son of Prince Valiant (ARN).


• 22d: Actress Lisa (RINNA).

Forty lashes with a wet noodle for crossing ARN and RINNA. What are you thinking?

• 2d: "Colección de ___" (2002 Shakira album) (ORO).


• 37d: Iranian city that's the birthplace of Omar Khayyám (NISHAPUR). Say what?


• 57d: "Stoned Soul Picnic" songwriter (NYRO). Never heard of him/her.

I must say I really didn't care too much for this puzzle. The theme felt lame and there too many fills I didn't like, including the ARN/RINNA cross which is just hideous. Maybe I'm just in a bad mood. You guys can decide.

Thanks for listening.

- Pete M.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Title: Bawdy Parts
Author: Stephen Kennedy
Theme: Phrases which end in a homophone of a body part

• 17a: "Spamalot" group that demands a shrubbery (KNIGHTS WHO SAY NI). love this answer! ten thumbs up.

• 22a: 1996 grammar book (WOE IS I). i got this one right away, because i've actually seen this show up as fill a couple of times. i haven't read the book (it's by patricia t. o'connor), but it's a cool title.


• 56a: Ride up the slope (SKI TOW). now this one tripped me up. i had SKI BAR for a while (before i had figured out the theme, obviously).


• 61a: Crazy (MAD AS A MARCH HARE). this answer is also excellent. not only that, but it goes nicely with 15a: Cuckoo (LOCO) and 52a: Cuckoo (NUTS).


• 9d: 1958 Dion and the Belmonts hit (NO ONE KNOWS). this took me forever to parse. i literally needed every crossing, because i thought it started with NOON something. anyway, never heard of this song, but it's from 50 years ago, so i didn't expect to know it.


• 32d: Partner of Richard Rodgers (LORENZ HART). woe is i! want to hear i's tale of woe? no? well, all right, skip down to the next bit then. (i'll wait.) okay, here's i's tale of woe: richard rodgers is the famous broadway composer who worked with lyricists oscar hammerstein and LORENZ HART. however, richard rogers (note the different spelling—a distinction which would have prevented my woe, had i known about it) is the british architect who designed the totally bad-ass centre pompidou in paris with his italian collaborator, RENZO PIANO... which also has ten letters. even after i had filled in LORENZ through crosses, i was still thinking architecture, because i thought maybe "renzo" might be short for LORENZO, which i know is an italian name. but of course, then PIANO wouldn't fit in the remaining three spaces... so then i got nervous about a rebus, even though by this time i'd already seen and filled in a bunch of *ed clues. mighty confused, i was, until everything finally came together.

so anyway—great theme, with some excellent answers, plus relatively complete body coverage in knee, eye, toe, hair, nose, heart, and nuts (wait, no, scratch that last one). there's a minor irregularity, in that the theme answers aren't the longest ones in the puzzle. usually you can only get away with that if the theme answers are all acrosses, in which case you can have some longer downs. that wasn't the case today, which necessitated the *s on the theme clues.

what took me longer to figure out is what necessitated the oversize 15x16 grid. i'm not complaining, mind—more puzzle, same price—but it's not required by an odd-length unpaired theme answer, or a 16-letter entry. perhaps it's due to the fact that the theme answers interlock: KNIGHTS WHO SAY NI crosses NO ONE KNOWS at the O, but the square below NO ONE KNOWS has to be a block. that doesn't absolutely require a taller grid, but maybe the fill just worked out better that way.

(oh, by the way, in case you hadn't already worked it out, my name is joon and i'll be your blogger today, subbing in for the thoroughly snow-jobbed pete.)

Sunny Spots:
what, after all that? well, yes, there were some nice things, but nothing as sunny as the two longest theme answers. let's just dive in.

Sundries:

• 6a: "___ Cowgirls Get the Blues" (EVEN). i knew the answer to this, but i ... don't know this. it's a song, right? (update: no, apparently it's a movie with uma thurman. thanks to pat jordan for the correction.)


• 14a: Former Homeland Security head Tom (RIDGE). i really "shouldn't" have known this. (i don't follow politics much.) but i do. tom RIDGE was governor of pennsylvania at the time of 9/11. when bush made the cabinet position, RIDGE was the first guy to fill it.


• 21a: Without end (ON AND ON). nice answer here. also, thank god it's not NO END. i hate that expression.


• 25a: Blackmail (EXTORT). blackmail, the verb.


• 28a: Amontillado holder (CASK). this clue/answer pair definitely evokes the story "the CASK of amontillado" by edgar allan poe. hey, look over here: it's the 36a: Name of one of the three mascots of the Baltimore Ravens (POE). i didn't know the mascot names (i'm guessing the others are edgar and allan?), but i know that baltimore was POE's hometown and the ravens are in fact named for his poem "the raven." here's james earl jones reading it:

• 41a: "Forgot About ___" (1999 rap song) (DRE). no, doctor, i didn't forget.


• 43a: Clothes model (WEARER). this clue seems more specific than the answer, no?


• 45a: Makes immune (EXEMPTS). immune from a rule, i guess. you can't be EXEMPTED from, say, chicken pox.


• 48a: Orsk's river (URAL). i tried NEVA, then LENA. but i think i'm supposed to know this, because i've seen it before. ORSK is a great name.


• 67a: Like a line, to a math prof (ONE-D). one-dimensional, since you can describe a point on a line with a single real-number coordinate. i suppose i can give this clue pete's "threed" tag. he doesn't like the way letter+number clues go into the grid with the number spelled out but the letter un-spelled-out. i don't have a problem with such answers, although some days i'm slower to see them than others. today, the crossing of ONE-D with SUE ANE (see below) had me scratching my head for a while.


• 70a: Word sung twice before "whatever will be, will be" (SERA). que SERA SERA. as you might guess, SERA means "will be" (in french).


• 71a: Sports car option (T-TOP). another letter by itself, but there's no spelled-out number this time.


• 4d: Cylindrical appetizers (EGG ROLLS). okay, now i'm hungry.


• 10d: Simple shelters (LEAN-TOS). i like when you can legitimately pluralize a preposition. or maybe it should be LEANS-TO, like ... i dunno, attorneys general or something?


• 12d: Cassiterite, e.g. (TIN ORE). if you say so. this seems like kind of a weak answer. even if it's legit, it's pretty dull.


• 19d: Instrument played by Bleeding Gums Murphy (SAX). simpsons reference. bleeding gums murphy is the guy who taught lisa how to play the blues, then died.


• 24d: 2008 All-Star second baseman Kinsler (IAN). i'll admit it: there was a whole lotta sports in this puzzle. this guy (who was having an MVP-caliber 2008 season until he broke his elbow) from baseball, 60a: NBA tiebreakers (OTS) from basketball, 26d: Bear Bryant's real first name (PAUL) from college football, and 57d: Sports org. responsible for selecting host cities (IOC) from the world of the olympics.


• 33d: Tag end? (GEE). cryptic letter clue.


• 35d: One-fifth of MML (CDX). 1/5 of 2050 = 410.


• 39d: Dashiell contemporary (ERLE). there are only so many ways to disguise this answer. today, ERLE stanley gardner gets clued in relation to dashiell hammett.


• 42d: Cassowary cousin (EMU). i just like the word "cassowary." supposedly, the word EMU may originally have been used by natives to denote the cassowary.


• 44d: Where many models can be seen (AUTO SHOW). you know, i'm not even sure the clue refers to car models. these shows tend to also be full of disturbingly thin women gesturing at the cars.


• 45d: Ponch portrayer (erik ESTRADA). a rare treat for him, as he's normally a first-name-only guy in crosswords.


• 47d: "You really shouldn't have!" (TSK). no, really. you shouldn't have.


• 49d: Jerks (SCHMOS). fun word. i like SCHMO and SCHWA because how many words are there with one vowel and four consonants where the vowel goes at the end? (answer: just those two, apparently.)


• 46d: Safety pair: Abbr. (PTS). oops, here's another sports clue in disguise. you get two points (PTS) for a safety in football.


• 53d: In addition (AT THAT). i like this fill. it's the kind of conversational english that you say all the time, but never think about consciously.


• 55d: Part of FWIW (IT'S). for what it's worth.

Suns of Bitches:

• 54a: "Casablanca" director Michael (CURTIZ). something is weird here. how come the director of the best movie of all time isn't famous? does that seem okay to you?


• 11d: Detergent brand since 1927 (OXYDOL). mrrr?


• 18d: ___ Lung (villainous snow leopard in "Kung Fu Panda") (TAI). never saw this clue, thankfully.


• 50d: Actress Langdon (SUE ANE). apparently she starred in two movies with elvis in the 1960s. neeeever heard of her, and this is a pretty crazy name.

well, this was a terrific puzzle. if it's a debut for stephen kennedy, then i congratulate him. either way, i anxiously await the follow-up. see you tuesday. or maybe friday.

joon

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Title: Stick Pin Swords
Author: Alan Arbesfeld
Theme: Stick 'P' in S-Words.

• 17a: Reason to stop filming "Star Trek"? (SPOCKS AWAY).


• 20a: First comment from a certain doctor? (ORIGINAL SPIN). A spin doctor.


• 39a: Insecure vet's admission? (IT'S HARD TO SPAY). Ouch.


• 57a: Bee winners, usually? (BEST SPELLERS). My instinct was that bestseller was a b-word, but I guess it's common as two words as well.


• 62a: Cash for methamphetamines? (SPEED MONEY). Drug reference tag.

This is a great example of how a fantastic title turns a ho-hum concept into a beautiful theme. Plus, all the base and modified phrases are excellent.

Sunny Spots:

• 6d: Casino game for egomaniacs?: Abbr. (ANAG). Toughest and coolest clue of the day. "Casino game" and "egomaniacs" are anagrams of each other. Very nice.

Sundries:

• 16a: "Blue Suede Shoes" songwriter Perkins (CARL).


• 19a: 1975 Hot Chocolate hit (EMMA). I don't remember this one at all. I remember "I Believe in Miracles (You Sexy Thing)", which I think was one of the songs they danced to in "The Full Monty", wasn't it?





• 22a: San ___ (department of Paraguay) (PEDRO). Oh, please. How about a "Vote For Pedro" clue?


• 25a: Springfield Elementary School teacher Krabappel (EDNA). I don't watch "The Simpsons" enough to know the peripheral names, but that's my own fault. After all, they've been on now for 45 seasons.


• 27a: Pakistani president Asif ___ Zardari (ALI).


• 28a: Rotation player's need (CUE). Rotation is a billiards game.


• 33a: Cartoon girl with a pink T-shirt and orange shorts (DORA). Never seen it, but all I needed was "Cartoon girl" and I was pretty sure where this one was going.


• 42a: "I bet" (YEAH SURE).


• 43a: Belt (SLUG). I started with SOCK, changed it to SWIG when I got the G, and then finally to SLUG.


• 45a: Tennis gold medalist at the 2008 Olympics (NADAL).



• 47a: What you must know how to do to solve a kakuro puzzle (ADD). One of the many Japanese pencil and paper games trying to ride the Sudoku wave.


• 50a: Sex starter (UNI). I went with ESS first, but it's a cryptic prefix, not a cryptic letter clue.


• 61a: "As I see it," in chat room shorthand (IMHO). In my humble opinion. Which is funny, because it's almost never a humble opinion.


• 68a: Mostest-loved thing (FAVE).


• 69a: What often does it? (EASY). Cute.


• 2d: Royal headwear? (CAP). As in a Kansas City Royal baseball player.


• 7d: "Holy smokes!" (ZOWIE).



• 9d: "Diary of the Sinai Campaign" author (Moshe DAYAN).


• 10d: Winners when led in no-trump (ACES). Bridge clue.


• 11d: Where to find designer discounts (SAMPLE SALES).


• 21d: Blue gemstone (LAPIS).


• 24d: Dinner leftovers? (DIRTY DISHES).


• 41d: Tent for nomads (YURT). I just saw this again recently.


• 45d: Sexually attractive (NUBILE). Comes from the Latin for "to marry".


• 53d: Comeback (REPLY). Went RALLY first.


• 56d: You might celebrate its independence with a BBQ (USOFA). I never noticed SOFA was part of U.S. of A. That's kind of appropriate, don't you think?


• 58d: "Copacabana" bartender (TONY).




• 59d: Blocks at a daycare center (LEGO). I'd be happier if the answer were plural.


• 65d: Jones (YEN).
This may have started as a drug reference as well.

Suns of Bitches:

None to speak of.

Nice puzzle. Not much else to 47a (ADD).

Thanks for listening.

- Pete M.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

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Friday, November 14, 2008

Title: Weekend Warrior
Author: Doug Peterson
Theme: None

It's unusual to have a Weekend Warrior back-to-back with a Themeless Thursday; usually they alternate. But I'm not complaining -- I like a good, challenging themeless.

This one got off to a slow start, as two clues that probably should have been gimmes didn't fall without some crossings. The first was right at the top: 1a: City renamed in 1961 (STALINGRAD). I immediately thought of Leningrad/St. Petersburg, but the dates were off and neither fit. Stalingrad was renamed Volgograd in 1961, and in retrospect I'm not so sure it should have been a gimme at all. But I
was on the right track. The second should-have-been-easier clue was 17a: "Appetite for Destruction" band (GUNS 'N' ROSES), but I kept thinking Def Leppard or Judas Priest or Motley Crüe. All of which, coincidentally, fit. Well, all but Judas Priest, but who's counting? The true gimme and starting point of the puzzle for me was 26a: Whopper's toppers (SESAME SEEDS), which might have been more help if not for the commonness of the letters, but still was enough to nail 27d: Tragedy divisions (ACTS), 23d: He owned a jet named Big Bunny (Hugh HEFNER, of Playboy Magazine fame), and 24d: Offshore (ASEA). That gave me a decent foothold.


The last section to fall was the New England region, where even guessing right on 20a: Go out briefly? (TAKE A NAP, which could have been TAKE FIVE, though it probably wouldn't have warranted a question mark) wasn't enough to immediately counter the wrong turns at 11a: Old shoe accessory (SPAT): TREE, HORN, ... And I stared at BREA__ for 36a: Confront (BREAST) for way too long without it clicking. What a waste of a good BREAST fill, especially with HEFNER in the puzzle.

Well, let's take a look at the rest, shall we?

Sunny Spots:

• 51a: Second word of a Brian Hyland song title (BITSY). "She wore an itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka-dot bikini...". Love it.


• 40a: 1971 Nitty Gritty Dirt Band hit (MR BOJANGLES). Excellent fill and song. I'm more familiar with the Bob Dylan version, but it was actually originally recorded by Jerry Jeff Walker. Here's the original. According to Wikipedia: "Artists as diverse as Sammy Davis Jr., The Wyvern Community Jazz Orchestra, Dave Jarvis, Queen Ifrica, Chet Atkins, Frank Sinatra, Rod McKuen, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Whitney Houston, Harry Nilsson, Bob Dylan, The Byrds, Jim Croce, Harry Belafonte, Elton John, Lulu, Arlo Guthrie, Nina Simone, Esther Phillips, John Denver, David Bromberg, Neil Diamond, Tom T. Hall, Radka Toneff, John Holt, Bermuda Triangle Band, Robbie Williams, David Campbell, Jamie Cullum, Ray Quinn, Edwyn Collins, Frankie Laine and Jamie Walker from blues band Tantrum have all covered the song." That's pretty amazing, isn't it?


• 34d: "Gimme a break!" (PUH-LEEZE). I looked at 57a: Commando arms, figured (correctly) that was probably UZIS, checked the Z-crossing and immediately knew what it was going to be. But I smiled as I entered it.



• 35d: Professional offer? (ASSASSIN). One of my favorite clues of the puzzle. I'm not crazy about fill words that just add -ER to a verb, but as a clue -- one who "offs" people for a living -- that's just brilliant! One of my favorite authors, Lawrence Block, has several collections of short stories about a mild-mannered assassin. They're not as good as the Matthew Scudder or Bernie Rhodenbarr series, but they're a fun read.

Sundries:

• 15a: Wishy-washy (IRRESOLUTE). I was expecting something more colloquial here.


• 16a: Mercyhurst College site (ERIE). This one's too obscure to apply the ERIE rule to, isn't it? I mean, there are hundreds of towns and cities that could fit: Umm... Mesa, errr... Reno, ahh... ok, I can't think of many right now but I'm sure there are many more.


• 19a: Phrase akin to viz. (ID EST).


• 22a: Big sizes: Abbr. (LGS). Went with XLS, first, which seemed a more likely letter combo in a Weekend Warrior.


• 30a: Wilderness campaign figure (LEE). I'm assuming Robert E... Yep, Lee vs Grant.


• 34a: Antiquer's addition (PATINA). I always thought PATINA was a cool word.


• 37a: Dustup (TUSSLE).


• 38a: Summit marker (CAIRN). I'm pretty sure I learned the word cairn from reading J.R.R. Tolkein. Because that's what I think of when I see it.


• 39a: "Exes & ___" (Logo TV series) (OHS). What's Logo? It that a network? It's not one in my cable line-up, that I know of. Still, the answer is pretty easily deduced.


• 45a: Responsibility (BLAME). Well, YES AND NO (49a: Ambivalent response). One has a generally positive connotation while the other is pretty strictly negative. But there are certainly sentences where they can be used interchangeably.


• 47a: Film composer Menken (ALAN). Seen it before; still needed the leading A before it clicked.


• 54a: Birthstone for many Pisces (AQUAMARINE).


• 58a: College team whose mascot is Sebastian the Ibis (HURRICANES). Had no idea, but I know ibises are southern birds and I know that the University of Miami (the one in Florida, not the one in Ohio) are the Hurricanes, so it all fit.


• 59a: Parent's contribution (GENE). Well, TUITION didn't fit.


• 60a: Despairs (LOSES HEART).


• 1d: Magical symbols (SIGILS). I'm pretty sure I've seen this in puzzles before.


• 2d: Schlep (TRUDGE).



• 3d: Longtime Blake costar (ARNESS). On "Gunsmoke", James Arness played Matt Dillon and Amanda Blake played Miss Kitty.


• 7d: ___-Write (fluorescent marker brand) (GLO). Easy guess, even if you didn't know it.


• 8d: Purloins sirloins? (RUSTLES). Sometimes rhyming clues go too far. You rustle live cattle, not specific cuts of meat.


• 9d: Standing order? (AT EASE).


• 10d: Computer support? (DESK). Groan.


• 12d: Maker of Stix (PRINGLES). I couldn't decide if Stix was a food or a toy, so that slowed me down a bit.


• 13d: Signal that starts a scramble (AIR ALERT). Tried RED ALERT first, which didn't help that nasty corner any.


• 14d: Hide quarters (TEEPEES). Get it? Houses made from animal hides? Cute.


• 21d: Folded carrier (EASTERN). As in airline that went bankrupt. Very nice and tricky clue.


• 28d: Delivery specialists (MAILMEN). I had the leading M and was stuck trying to recall MIDWIVES from the recesses of my brain. Of course, it wouldn't have fit, but I didn't know that until I dredged it up.



• 29d: Pungent-smelling fruit (DURIAN). I remember reading about this fruit, possibly in Alex Garland's "The Beach", which was a wonderfully-written novel. I never went to see the film version, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, as I had my doubts that it would translate well to film and didn't want to ruin it.


• 33d: Kraft brand (TANG). There were some guys back in college days who used to add powdered tang to vodka and call it a screwdriver. Sometimes I wonder how we all made it through (well, actually, not all of us did).


• 36d: Setting of Steinbeck's "The Pearl," familiarly (BAJA). Hey, I just remembered another four-letter place name!



• 37d: Decorative drinking vessel (TOBY JUG). This rang a very vague bell, but I couldn't have told you what it was.


• 38d: Ochre and others (COLOURS). This is the kind of clue that can trip up newcomers to crosswords. Ochre is a British variant of the color Ocher, so the answer will also be a British variant.


• 41d: "Macbeth" character (BANQUO). Took too long to get this. I need to reread some classic Shakespeare.


• 42d: Fashion magazine aimed at Hispanic women (LATINA). Or just "Hispanic women".


• 43d: "The Spirit" cartoonist Will (EISNER). I had no idea. Is he related to former Disney CEO Michael Eisner?


• 46d: Shot with a high cue (MASSÉ). In order to impart the kind of spin on a pool ball that results in the ball curving sharply, you need to strike the ball in an almost vertical direction. Hence the "high cue". Here's my all-time favorite clip on massé shots, and one of my favorite clips of all time, period. Whether you shoot pool or not, it's totally amazing!




• 50d: Eponymous botanist Anders (DAHL). Whence the name Dahlia, I would assume. Interesting twist from the standard Roald Dahl clues.


• 51d: Schickele character (BACH). That's P.D.Q. Bach, the comic creation of musician/comedian Peter Schickele.


• 55d: Is relative (ARE). Saw right through this one.


• 56d: Start to understand? (MIS). Cryptic prefix clue.

Suns of Bitches:

• 23a: Haarlem museum honoree (HALS). Haarlem, Netherlands, where Dutch painter Frans Hals apparently died. I'm not that up on my painters, and this is not a familiar name to me.


• 53a: Boxer Willard (JESS). No clue.

That's about all I have to say. Nice puzzle.

Thanks for listening.

- Pete M.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Title: Weekend Warrior
Author: Doug Peterson
Theme: None

I definitely was not as NIMBLE (9a: Quick-witted) today as I felt I should have been. There were several clues that, in retrospect, should not have perplexed me nearly to the level they did.

The Works:

• 1a: Cartoon character with his own club (BAMM-BAMM). I did not realize this name had double Ms in it. But I was pretty sure of the answer, so it was the only thing that made sense.


• 15a: Colorful broadsheet (USA TODAY). For some reason, broadsheet was not registering as a word I knew. Now it seems so obvious.


• 16a: Flipped over (ADORED). Decent misdirection here.


• 17a: Side neighbor (MAIN DISH). This is one of those that I felt I should have figured out sooner, but I was hung up on anatomy (some might say that's not a surprise). A definite "Doh!"


• 18a: Checking out? (MATING). This clue threw me. If people mated with everyone they checked out, then the world population problem would be even worse than it is. I finally realized it was chess reference (checking the player in such a way that they are out of the game), but I can't say I'm crazy about it.


• 20a: Union demands (DUES). Good clue. Makes you think it's some strike-related demand for better wages or benefits.


• 22a: Angry outburst (HISSY). Love the word HISSY. Excellent!



• 23a: Raider of note (LARA CROFT). I am truly ashamed at how long I went without realizing where this one was going. I'd say I have too much football on the brain, except it took a while for 37a: Busy time for bookmakers (SUPERBOWL SUNDAY) to click in.


• 25a: Fills a chamber, in a way (ECHOES). Cute.


• 29a: Bush beast, briefly (ROO). Nothing political here.


• 33a: "Major ___" (1995 Damon Wayans film) (PAYNE). I'm pretty sure I didn't see this one. If I did, I've blocked it from my memory.


• 34a: Attendance sheet letters (MTWTF). Hmmph. Erf. Eh.


• 41a: Draped duds (SARIS). Went for TOGAS first; changed it to SARIS when it seemed clear that 23d: Untoward expressions (LEERS) ended in S. Do sororities ever have Sari Parties?




• 42a: Wig out (GO APE). Both evocative phrases, though most of the apes I've seen live have been pretty darn mellow. Not sure whence the "wig" of "wig out" comes. Did some dude lose his toupée and freak out?


• 47a: Resounding win (LANDSLIDE). Also a classic Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac song.




• 57a: Deliver, as an indictment (HAND UP).


• 59a: Griddle creations (OATCAKES). I'm sure I'm not the only one who went with PANCAKES at first.


• 61a: Gazi University city (ANKARA). Yeah, whatever. Might as well just say "City" or "Asian City" and let us guess which one via the crossings.


• 62a: Alex Trebek, by birth (ONTARIAN). I knew CANADIAN was too easy.


• 63a: ConAgra brand (WESSON). Used to be Beatrice back when I watched more TV. Apparently, it was sold to ConAgra in 1990.




• 64a: Programmer's concern (NIELSENS). As a software engineer, I took the bait here. It's television programs, not computer programs.


• 1d: Nappies cover them (BUMS). British for diaper.


• 2d: Hustler's letters (ASAP). Was this clue meant to evoke Hustler magazine? Hmmm... I wonder.


• 3d: Mother of Hermes (MAIA). I used the ERIE rule here and guessed HERA, which slowed down this section considerably.


• 5d: Bombshell's asset (BOD). My first instinct was GAM; I wasn't far off.


• 6d: Brand affiliated with Muhammad Ali (ADIDAS).


• 7d: Mehta contemporary (MASUR). Went with OZAWA first.


• 8d: #1 song of 1998 (MY HEART WILL GO ON). I don't listen to Celine Dion and I haven't seen "Titanic", so this was all crossings and inferences. I have heard an x-rated parody, though, by John "Dr. Dirty" Valby. I will not include it here, but if you're tastes run that way, Google is your friend.


• 9d: '60s theater (NAM). Theater of war.



• 10d: The Vandals' school (IDAHO). The team name of the University of Idaho. You gotta be a real college sports fanatic, or have lived in Idaho I suppose, to know this.


• 11d: Recurrent elements (MOTIFS). Good fill word.


• 12d: Took offense with (BRISTLED AT). Also very nice.


• 21d: Lowers (SCOWLS). I totally didn't understand this clue. In fact, I thought for a minute that maybe the clue was a typo and it should have been "Glowers". But no, to lower is to frown or scowl. Learn something new every day.


• 24d: Fails to keep (ROTS). Good clue, with many possible interpretations.


• 25d: Derby holder (EPSOM). I was thinking hats, not horse races. But I've seen this enough that it made sense.



• 26d: Women's hat linings (CAULS). The primary definitions of a caul are:
  
  1. the large fatty omentum covering the intestines (as of a cow, sheep, or pig); and
  
  
  2. the inner fetal membrane of higher vertebrates especially when covering the head at birth
  
  But it is apparently also a type of type-fitting cap.


• 27d: They're often underlined (HYPERLINKS). Very nice.


• 28d: Square that's also a cube (ONE). Also sixty-four (8 squared or 4 cubed), but that didn't fit.


• 32d: "Algiers" star (Charles BOYER). This is a 1938 film that I've never seen. In fact, I don't think I've heard of Charles Boyer, though I am familiar with Hedy Lamarr.


• 34d: In a bigger way (MORESO).


• 35d: Baroque piece (FUGUE). It's Friday, good time to check out the very cool "Fugue for Friday", based on the "dum-da-dump-dump" theme from Dragnet. Definitly listen to this if you haven't heard it before.




• 38d: Foot specialist? (BARD). [Groan].


• 44d: Mei Xiang and Tai Shan, e.g. (PANDAS).


• 46d: "Swan Lake" princess (ODETTE). This has shown up before, and it will show up again. I should know it off the top by now, but I don't always.


• 48d: Surgical opening? (NEURO). Cryptic prefix clue.


• 49d: Yazd native (IRANI).


• 54d: Depression-era demonym (OKIE). A demonym is a name based on where someone is from.


• 58d: Knock (PAN).


• 60d: Columnist Thomas (CAL). Didn't know it. Don't listen to this type of thing.

Overall, I thought this was a very decent Weekend Warrior. Good long fill, challenging clues, and ultimately solvable -- even if it took longer than it probably should have. Nice job.

Thanks for listening.

- Pete M.