Friday, February 27, 2009

Title: Think Twice
Author: Mark Diehl
Theme: Double edged -- all squares around the perimeter contain two letters each.

• 17a: Fuzz busters? (RaZORBLADES). A nice clue here, evoking the slang for a radar detector.



• 40a: Excalibur and Glamdring (BROADSWORDS). Glamdring was the name of the sword found in the troll lair in "The Hobbit" and wielded by Gandalf throughout the rest of that book and through the "Lord of the Rings". That single reference warrants a geek tag like no other reference I've ever seen. Awesome!


• 64a: Like 17- and 40-Across (and this puzzle) (DOUBLE-EDGEd).


I love this theme. I really do. I knew there was something funky going on (not in the 39d: Funk (ODOR) sense of the word) when so few words were fitting where I thought they should go. The one that confirmed there was something up was HALTER, which I knew had to be right. Then I got the theme clue and it all fell into place beautifully. Not to say it wasn't still a challenge, because it was. Perfect for a Friday.

Here are the rest of the edge clues:



• 1a: Arctic game (CaRiBoUs). This one threw me a bit, even after I knew the theme, because I've always thought the plural of caribou was caribou (like moose and deer). I've never heard it pluralized in this fashion, though the dictionary backs it as an option. Caribou is also the name of an alcoholic concoction commonly drank in unseemly quantities at Quebec Winter Carnival. If you've been to Quebec in the winter, you'll understand the appeal.


• 5a: 2001 Robert De Niro film (ThE sCoRe). Great film, also starring Edward Norton and featuring Marlon Brando.


• 9a: Oscar-winning song from "Captain Carey, U.S.A." (MoNa LiSa). This classic, sung by Nat King Cole, was the first "Best Song" Oscar from a non-musical drama. Here, I hope, is a link to it. (My company has blocked my access to youtube, so I can't verify it. If it's wrong, I apologize.)


• 13a: Derby distance (MeTRE). Derby is a city in England, hence the spelling. Not the distance of a particular race or of a hat of any kind. I confidently put MILE here before I knew what was going on.


• 16a: "Little House on the Prairie" tribe (OSAGe).


• 19a: Miranda Cosgrove TV character surnamed Shay (CARLy). Didn't know this at all. You might remember her as Summer, the cocky girl who becomes the band manager in "School of Rock".



• 23a: Garner (JeNN). Just kidding. It's ReAP.


• 27a: Slush fund purchase? (SNOWTIRe). Ouch.


• 31a: Traverse (CoURSE).


• 35a: Ballpark figures (ERAs).


• 36a: "A Journal of the Plague Year" author (DeFOE). I couldn't have named a single thing he wrote other than Robinson Crusoe. I suspect I'm not alone here.


• 38a: Affixes, in a way (IRONS On).


• 43a: To such an extent (as) (InSOFAR).



• 46a: Word with space or rock (OPERa). I assume that's opera space, not space opera? Maybe I'm wrong. Has "Star Wars" been made into a musical yet?


• 49a: Nana (GrAN).


• 52a: Injustices (WRONGs).


• 53a: "Count me in!" (I'd LOVE TO). Great fill.


• 57a: Drawn figure (TOOn).


• 61a: Draw back (CoWER).


• 69a: Certain furbearer (StOAT). Furbearer is a weird word. Are we skinbearers? Are fish scalebearers?


• 71a: Con game (BUNKo).



• 72a: Party mix ingredient (CoRn ChEx). Mmmmm. Party mix.


• 73a: Cause (EnGeNdEr).


• 74a: Military unit insignia (ArM pAtCh).


• 1d: Shooter's device (CaMeRa).


• 2d: It's scalloped (RiTZ). I couldn't figure out where this clue was going to save my life. Then I got it from crossings and went "Doh!".


• 3d: Jersey municipality (BoRO).


• 4d: They're not clean (UsERS). Drug reference.


• 5d: Calliope kin (ThALIA). Muses. Usually, it's Erato.


• 6d: Conveyance in an emergency (EsCAPE POD). Love it.


• 7d: Mixed (CoED). Sensitively clued as the adjective, not the more-politically-incorrect noun.


• 8d: Make available (ReLEASE). As DVDs, CDs, games, etc.


• 9d: Kid's farm sighting (MoO-COW). As opposed to all those baa-cows and neigh-cows out there. This felt like a bit of a stretch, but I can accept it. I guess.


• 10d: Columbia org. (NaSA). The space shuttle Columbia, not the city or the school.


• 11d: Trust buster? (LiAR).


• 12d: With prudence (SaGeLy).


• 23d: Change, as a computer program (ReCoDe). Well, sort of. Recode typically implies that you're starting from scratch, not modifying an existing program. So, if you start from scratch to create something that does basically the same thing, is it the same computer program anymore? Maybe it depends on whether you name it the same thing.



• 30d: Think in a logical manner (ReAsOn). "Logic is little tweeting bird chirping in meadow."


• 42d: Citizen part (WATCHBANd).


• 43d: Anastasia portrayer (InGrId). Bergman, of course.


• 48d: Teases (RaGs On).


• 51d: Ran a successful pass pattern (GOT OPEn). I like this fill a lot.


• 54d: Top (VERTEx).


• 56d: Kind of top (HALTEr).


• 60d: Keep out (DEBAr).


• 61d: Place to buy Kirkland Signature products (CoStCo). Never shopped there; never heard of Kirkland Signature products.


• 62d: Spent (WORn).


• 63d: Not together (EACh).


• 65d: Lean on (URGe).


• 66d: Sell off rapidly (DUMp).


• 67d: Black fly (GNAt).


• 68d: Successor to Joseph Wapner (Ed KoCh).

Sundries:

• 58a: Polish phrases, say (EDIT). Very cute clue.


• 70a: Presumably thin guy of rhyme (SPRAT). Jack Sprat could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean.


• 18d: Animated TV dog (BLUE). I don't know what this references.


• 22d: Start of a saying about forgiveness (TO ERR).



• 28d: Hamilton (TENSPOT). I've never called a 10-dollar bill a "Hamilton", but then again I've never called it a tenspot either. I do know that Alexander Hamilton is on the ten, though, so it's not a reach.


• 37d: Pulsating pair (CAROTIDS).


• 47d: Spoon drummer Jim (ENO). Is he related to Brian?


• 52d: Osso buco ingredient (WINE). First guess VEAL; second guess BONE; finally figured it out.

This was a really beautiful puzzle, and a great send-off (hopefully not forever) for the Sun puzzle series.

I've had a great time blogging and want to thank everyone who came to read and/or post along the way, and to all those who have supported me, openly and behind the scenes. You know who you are.


Special thanks to Peter Gordon who, if you ask me, shouldn't have to pay for a single drink this whole weekend. If you see this guy, show your love.

Well, in the words of one Bilbo Baggins...

I regret to announce, this is the end.
I'm going now - I bid you all a very fond farewell.

Good-bye 

Thanks for listening.

- Pete M.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Title: Puzzle of the Week
Author: Ogden Porter (Peter Gordon)
Theme: Real and fictional people named for days of the week

• 17a: Author of "My Secret Garden" (NANCY FRIDAY).


• 23a: Identical twin character in "There Will Be Blood" (PAUL SUNDAY).


• 30a: Protagonist of several Jasper Fforde novels (THURSDAY NEXT).


• 39a: Christina Ricci film role (WEDNESDAY ADDAMS).


• 47a: All-Pro center for the Indianapolis Colts (JEFF SATURDAY).


• 55a: Cubs player who prevented two protesters from igniting an American flag on the outfield grass during a 1976 game at Dodger Stadium (RICK MONDAY).


• 67a: "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" actress (TUESDAY WELD).

where to begin? first of all, this was a cool theme, very simple but well-done. seven long theme answers is a lot for a 15x15 puzzle... which is why peter had to super-size the puzzle to 17x15 to fit them in. (yes, most people in puzzles would call it 15x17, but i've decided i've got to be my own man, so i'm going to call it rows x columns, which is what everybody else in the world does anyway.) i can honestly say i've never done a 17x15 puzzle, so it was a new experience, but not an unpleasant one. the theme would have been even cooler if the entries had been in logical order, but the lengths didn't match up well enough for that despite the convenience of wednesday as the only 15.

second: i have never heard of most of these people. the two pro athletes, yes, although they are bordering on non-famous. saturday is an all-pro, but he's also an offensive lineman, and most offensive linemen are totally anonymous to all but the most hard-core NFL fans. monday is a player whose name i know, but he's definitely from before my time, and while he was a good player, he wasn't a great one. and i know who wednesday is, even though i've never watched the addams family TV show or movie(s?).

but the other four... yikes. i'd never heard of tuesday until WELD showed up in the december 24 NYT puzzle with the clue [Tuesday in Hollywood]. friday—no idea who that is, although i have heard of dragnet's sgt friday. and sunday... well, didn't see that movie. and thursday? that's a totally improbable name for a person. i didn't even know who jasper fforde was until KMT made him the marquee entry in a NYT themeless in november.

Sunny Spots:

• 43d: Harvard Yard building (DORM). right down the street. the building in the picture is thayer, where i lived as a freshman.

Sundries:

• 7a: Scratch the surface of, maybe (ETCH). nice clue, with the literal sense not being the first to come to mind.


• 14a: Nonprincipled (AMORAL). immoral = evil, as an act; AMORAL = lacking morals, as a person; nonmoral = not related to morality, as an issue. however, i don't know the difference between unprincipled (the word i would have used for this clue) and nonprincipled, which my dictionary doesn't recognize.


• 19a: With 35-Across, musical inability (TIN/EAR). i've seen this in crosswords surprisingly often, but the most memorable was in a jonesin' theme with COPPERHEAD, NICKELBACK, LEAD FOOT, IRON LUNG, GOLD TEETH, and BRASS BALLS.


• 25a: ___ Alex (2005 Preakness and Belmont winner) (AFLEET). why do i remember this? i have zero interest in racing. i guess it's just such an unusual name.


• 46a: Seth of "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" (ROGEN). he's an okay actor, but i like the movies he's written. the clue also goes nicely with 64d: Pornographic (BLUE).


• 51a: Evil demon (GHOUL). as opposed to all those good demons.


• 60a: Hard-to-make point in craps (FOUR). i'll take your word for it, i guess.


• 74a: Sweats might be worn during it (PHYS ED). this clue struck me as odd. usually, when a clue refers to the answer with a pronoun, it's a tricky clue involving some sort of attempt to conceal the category of the answer. this clue, however, is pretty straightforward. why not [Class in which you might wear sweats?]


• 11d: Like "Wall-E" (RATED G). they say that the oscars were yesterday (two days ago, by the time anyone reads this). it turns out that wall-e was one of two movies i saw in 2008. (the other one, indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull, was not nominated for any oscars.) it was pretty good, and definitely better than crystal skull, so i'll give it the joon for best picture of 2008.


• 12d: Alec's "Star Wars" role (OBI WAN). genuine class.


• 13d: Restaurant with Moons Over My Hammy (DENNY'S). i used to eat there pretty often when i lived in palo alto and there was nothing else open after 11 pm. it was sad. i don't actually like their food, but anything is better than nothing.


• 36d: Sister of Zsa Zsa (MAGDA). definitely the third-best gabor sister in crossworld.


• 47d: ___ joint (place to eat, drink, and dance) (JUKE). is tihs 1950s slang, or does it just feel that old?


• 62d: "When the cat's ___ ..." (AWAY). when i took french 1 back in 8th grade, i made a point of memorizing lots of french proverbs, just for fun. one of them was, "quand le chat est parti, les souris dansent." there was another one about cats, too: "nous avons beaucoup de chats à fouetter" (we have a lot of cats to whip). what is the deal with cats and gruesome adages? i guess after we whip our cats we can think of more than one way to skin them.


• 65d: Did too many lines of blow, say (ODED). drug reference.

Suns of Bitches:

• 54a: Photographer William who's known for his pictures of Weimaraners (WEGMAN). until i googled this, i assumed he took pictures of people from weimar, like goethe and schiller. apparently, weimaraners are dogs.


• 18d: "Giant" ranch (REATA). what does this even mean? i know what a REATA is. it's not a ranch of any size.


• 25d: Iraqi politician Chalabi (AHMED). never heard of this guy, but it's a common arabic name.


• 38d: "Teach Your Children" group, for short (CSNY). this must be some new york thing that i'm not in on. i know "CSI: NY," but not CSNY.


• 57d: Extremely (NO END). this wasn't hard, of course, but i just wanted to put it here because i'm feeling ornery. NO END has no right to be an adverb, does it?

i guess that's all for me. i'll miss the sun puzzles dearly. here's hoping the sun will rise again some day. in the meantime, thanks to peter for his tireless efforts over the last 7-8 years, even though i've only been around to enjoy the fruits of those efforts for the last 12 months.

joon

Monday, January 26, 2009

Title: Roman Wrestling
Author: Tony Orbach
Theme: Names that are anagrams of "ROMAN".

• 3d: Joanie Cunningham portrayer on "Happy Days" (ERIN MORAN). This one's a gimme for me. I watched a lot of "Happy Days" in my day, even after they jumped the shark.


• 7d: 1997 A.L. Rookie of the Year (NOMAR GARCIAPARRA). I should have known this right off, but my brain doesn't catalog things by year. Once I had the NOM-- it was all over. Btw, he married soccer star Mia Hamm, so keep that in mind for future puzzles.


• 9d: Actress in "The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg" (NORMA SHEARER). Know the name, that's about it.



• 24d: Actor in "The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg" (RAMON NOVARRO). Didn't know the name at all. Apparently, this Mexican actor played a latin lover in silent films. A bit before my time.


• 38d: Financial guru who wrote "Women & Money" (SUZE ORMAN). Seen her plenty on cable TV.

This is a really cool theme, nicely placed in a 15x16 grid to accommodate the former Red Sox shortstop. Since he was with the Red Sox when he won the ROTY, we'll give a Red Sox tag.

Sunny Spots:

• 25a: Class that ends before labor day? (LAMAZE). Very cute.


• 52a: Drool makeup (SALIVA). Nothing like a good spit clue.


• 1d: Creep around (SKULK). I had SNEAK to start, which slowed me down. But I like SKULK better, it's a great word.

Sundries:

• 9a: Phrase on a menu that includes egg rolls and wonton soup (NO MSG). This messed me up, because I thought the phrase included egg rolls and wonton soup, not just the menu. I get it now.


• 14a: Lagerfeld of fashion (KARL).


• 17a: Arms of the Mediterranean? (UZIS).


• 23a: Royal Dutch Airlines letters (KLM).



• 24a: Sound at the start of an MGM movie (ROAR). From the lion, whose name is "Leo".


• 30a: A head (PER). I had a mental block on this one, even with _ER. And the crossing was no help at all.


• 31a: Walker of whisky fame (HIRAM). Booze tag.


• 33a: Mason of "Chapter Two" (MARSHA). I remember her from "The Goodbye Girl".


• 42a: David Sarnoff's co. (RCA). Really? This seems like a tough clue for a Monday. Luckily I never saw it.


• 43a: Like a 45° angle (ACUTE). Less than 90° is acute, more than 90° is obtuse.



• 51a: First name of a Warner Bros. skunk (PEPE). Le Pew.


• 59a: Girl, in Guadalajara (CHICA).


• 64a: Marvel superhero group (XMEN).


• 67a: Make like a hot dog? (PANT). Cute.


• 68a: Authoritative expression of permission (SAY SO).


• 5d: Record label founded by Sean Combs (BAD BOY).


• 10d: Den drug (OPIUM). Drug reference.


• 29d: Buy a round, say (TREAT). More booze tag fodder.


• 34d: Music royalty gp. (ASCAP).


• 39d: Ike's command in WWII (ETO). European Theater of Operations.


• 40d: One with a pre-K kid, maybe (X-ER).



• 48d: Showy flower (DAHLIA).


• 49d: Got along with minimal effort (SLID BY).


• 51d: Car radio button (PRESET).


• 53d: Slush Puppie lookalikes (ICEES).


• 55d: Tonalpohualli calendar user (AZTEC). Let me guess. Peter Gordon's clue?


• 58d: The Lone Ranger's sidekick (TONTO).




• 61d: Player of the national pastime who became a National (EXPO). Formerly of Montreal, before the team was moved to D.C. and renamed.

Suns of Bitches:

• 11d: Singer Ronnie (MILSAP). I had no clue on this one, even with MILSA_.

Overall, an enjoyable Monday.

Thanks for listening.

- Pete M.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Title: Georgia On My Mind
Author: Randall J. Hartman
Theme: Phrases with GA added

• 17a: Trip to Libreville? (GABON VOYAGE). Libreville is the capital and largest city, which makes it fair game.


• 27a: Din when enjoying a cigarette? (SMOKING GUNGA). This clue doesn't work for me at all. "Gunga Din" is the name of a poem. You can't just break it in half and treat each half as a synonym of the other. Well... you can, but I don't have to like it.


• 48a: LSD that's out of this world? (GALACTIC ACID). Drug reference tag.



• 64a: Boost actress Sonia? (PUSH-UP BRAGA). Unsurprisingly, my favorite clue of the bunch. At first I couldn't decide whether to grab a picture of Sonia or of a push-up bra. Turns out I didn't have to choose at all.

I like the theme idea, and most of the theme entries are fine. This is the type of theme that helps a little, in that you know a couple of letters that are going to appear. And sometimes you can suss out an answer if your brain is on the same wavelength. But it doesn't give too much away, which is good.

Sunny Spots:

• 15a: Like some professors' wardrobes (TWEEDY). As easy as this was - my only other thought was STODGY - I really like this word.



• 22d: Blue screen character (SMURF). Very nice clue!

Sundries:

• 1a: Harridans (HAGS). I'm pretty sure I've seen harridan in puzzles before, but I didn't know what it was right away.


• 22a: "Lady" group (STYX). I didn't even see this clue.




• 23a: Clown employers (RODEOS). Nice clue. Rodeo clowns are those crazy dudes who distract the bull so the rider can get the hell out of there without being trampled on. I know; I have cable.


• 32a: Show featuring hair and fiber expert Nick Stokes (CSI). The name was useless to me, but what other show would feature a hair and fiber expert?


• 35a: Crustacean eater (IBIS). Interesting clue for this one. Not at all my first instinct, but perfectly accurate.


• 36a: Object of an extended quest (GRAIL).




• 37a: "Oy gevalt!" (OH NO). Yeah, you don't hear "oy gevalt" much up in this neck of the woods.


• 57a: Comic strip written by Jerry Scott and illustrated by Jim Borgman (ZITS). I had no idea who wrote or illustrated this strip. But I've seen it, so once the Z was in place it was a gimme.


• 62a: First name in swashbuckling (ERROL). Flynn, of course.


• 63a: "I'm impressed!" (OOH). 66a: Come up short (OWE). I'm vaguely amused by this duo being side by side.


• 70a: Codger (GEEZER). Both excellent words.


• 71a: Thankful closing? (NESS). I misread this clue and went with LESS (as in THANKLESS), which made 51d DARREL instead of DARREN, but it looked okay to me. Those are the tough errors to find.


• 1d: "The Red Rocker" Sammy (HAGAR). I was pretty sure it wasn't Sammy Davis (Jr.)




• 2d: Poplar tree (ALAMO). Went with ASPEN at first, as I expect we were supposed to. Did I know that alamo was a kind of tree? Maybe somewhere in the dark recesses, but it didn't leap out.


• 4d: Calculi (STONES). As a math major, I remember that calculus means stone - I think it may harken back to the abacus, but I could be wrong and I'm too lazy to double-check - so this wasn't too hard. I would have preferred a more brash clue like chutzpah or cajones, though.


• 5d: "Buzzin'" network (MTV). I can't remember the last time I watched anything on MTV. Remember when they actually ran music videos?


• 6d: "The ___ Adventure" (1984 TV movie) (EWOK). Never saw it. The Ewoks were, in my opinion, the lowlight of the entire first trilogy. Luckily for them, the prequel trilogy came out to provide plenty of lowlight competition. Next to Jar Jar Binks, the Ewoks look mighty fine.


• 10d: Change your locks? (DYE). I wasn't fooled on this one for even a second.


• 11d: Cocktail with scotch and Drambuie (RUSTY NAIL). Booze tag! I've heard of this coctail, but never had one. Scotch should be single malt and unadulterated except for a splash of pure water.


• 18d: Rich girl in "90210" (NAOMI). Never watched it, but I had the _AOM_ before I saw the clue, so it was a pretty easy guess.




• 24d: Jerks (SOBS). I'm assuming this is S.O.B.s, as in sons of bitches, as I can't think of a context in which sobbing and jerking are the same.


• 29d: Oldest brother in Hanson (ISAAC). No clue, but again the double-A made it pretty clear.


• 30d: Arizona county that borders Maricopa (GILA). My first instincts were MESA and TAOS, but GILA was a close third.


• 31d: Film composer North who was nominated for 15 Oscars (ALEX). Didn't know it, but never saw the clue until it was all filled in.


• 32d: Where whips can be seen: Abbr. (CONG). In congress, the majority and minority whips are the disciplinarians of their party.


• 33d: Dan Uggla hit the last home run there (SHEA). Never forget that this is a New York-based puzzle.


• 34d: Flustered (IN A LATHER).


• 41d: Place "it's fun to stay at," according to song (YMCA). This is a Monday clue for a Wednesday puzzle.


• 44d: Paleon., e.g. (SCI). Ick. SCI always feels like it's going to be a decent fill when you're making a grid, but its clues tend to be really ugly, like this one.


• 46d: Record marking (SIDE B). Never saw this clue either.


• 50d: Real (IN ESSE). Latin that shows up enough to remember.


• 51d: Running back McFadden (DARREN). Had DARREL, due to my above-mentioned misread of 71a.



• 55d: "Animal House" party wear (TOGAS). My first-ever R-rated film. It still holds a special place in my memories.


• 58d: Big Ten wrestling powerhouse (IOWA). If you say so. Still, I got it right away.


• 60d: Cheez ___ (WHIZ). Almost worthy of a potty humor tag, but not quite.


• 61d: Pull some strings? (TUNE). Cute.



• 64d: Breed sometimes crossed with a beagle (PUG). What breed isn't sometimes crossed with a beagle? Granted, some combinations are harder to envision that others, but love works in strange ways.

Suns of Bitches:

• 21a: Boutros's successor at the U.N. (KOFI) crossing 7d: Singer with the Grammy-winning R&B album "Because of You" (NEYO) is just mean. Even if you know one or both, crossing KOFI and NEYO at a vowel should give you pause. Throw in 5a: Knit (MENDED), which could just as easily have been MELDED and you've got yourself a pretty nasty section for a Wednesday puzzle.

Except for the KOFI/NEYO/ME(L|N)DED sector and the GUNGA DIN theme entry, no major complaints.

Thanks for listening.

- Pete M.

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Title: Rear Ends
Author: Patrick Blindauer
Theme: Phrases whose first two and last two letters combine to make a synonym for "rear" (ass).

• 17a: Belmont Park statue subject (SECRETARIAT) => SEAT.


• 24a: Farm laborer (HIRED HAND) => HIND


• 29a: Melt ingredient (TUNA FISH) => TUSH.



• 44a: Takes out for use after a period of inactivity (DUSTS OFF) => DUFF.


• 50a: "Pardon My Sarong" costar (BUD ABBOTT) => BUTT.


• 62a: Endorse without question (RUBBER STAMP) => RUMP.

Thematically, this puzzle was a mixed bag for me. On the plus side, there were six theme entries (assuming I didn't miss any today) and the theme involved asses, which plays to my admittedly juvenile sense of humor. Also, it's cool not only that there are six 4-letter synonyms for REAR, but that they all can be formed as above using common names and phrases. On the minus side, the theme didn't help me at all; in fact, I had to go back afterwards to figure out what it was. And I wouldn't have noticed it at all without the title to make me look at it right. On the neutral side, the theme entries themselves were neither stellar nor duds, but were decent enough.

The Rest of the Puzzle

• 1a: See 41-Across (SALE). I'm not crazy about references to other clues at the 1a spot, especially when it's the second half.


• 15a: Like listing letters (ITALIC). Listing to the side, as in slanted.



• 16a: Words said when standing in front of a train? (I DO). A bridal train.


• 20a: Shout targets (STAINS). Shout, the detergent.


• 21a: 60 minutes: Abbr. (DEG). Degrees are made up of minutes and seconds, just like hours are.


• 23a: W.'s alma mater (YALE U). Ick. Yale is enough. Nobody says Yale U.



• 26a: Early Jacko do (FRO). Jacko = Michael Jackson.


• 34a: "The Merry Widow" composer Franz (LEHAR).


• 41a: With 1-Across, money-saving event (FIRE / SALE). See 1a.


• 42a: "Lost in Translation" setting (TOKYO). This movie got really great critical reviews, but I thought it was really slow and dull.


• 46a: It may hang from a toy (ID TAG). A toy poodle, perhaps.



• 53a: Yawl pair (MASTS). Yawls and ketches are two-masted sailboats. The yawl has the mizzen mast "yawl the way back" behind the steering.


• 58a: Jim's "Man on the Moon" role (ANDY). Jim Carrey. Andy Kaufman.


• 59a: Beyond help, in a way (DOA). Dead on Arrival. Ouch.


• 64a: Lowest honor (TEN). Bridge tag. Honors are ace, king, queen, jack, and ten.


• 2d: Queen of the Misty Isles, in the comics (ALETA). Didn't know it, but didn't see the clue either.


• 3d: Neighborhood pub, to a Brit (LOCAL). I just this morning was listening to "Slap and Tickle" by Squeeze, which includes the line "He drove off to his local; where he felt anti-social." How strange that it shows up in a puzzle that same day.




• 5d: Quarter halves (BITS). A quarter is "two bits".


• 11d: Cashew cousin (PISTACHIO). Two of my favorite nuts.


• 13d: Part of WWJD (WOULD). What would Jesus do?


• 18d: "Tuff ___" (1986 hit for the Fabulous Thunderbirds) (ENUFF). Easy enough to figure, even if you didn't know it.


• 24d: Hookah hookup (HOSE). Drug reference.


• 25d: GI bill? (DOL). Why GI, exactly? This one felt a little over-clever.


• 29d: Parlor piece, for short (TAT). Tattoo parlor.


• 30d: Spanish cardinal (UNO). Cardinal number.


• 31d: "Well, duh!" (NO KIDDING).


• 35d: Sandy bark? (ARF). Oof.


• 39d: Air force? (GUST). Went GALE first.


• 40d: Medium ability (ESP).


• 43d: Place to play the race card?: Abbr. (OTB). Okay, that's clever. In a non-PC sort of way. OTB is off-track betting.


• 48d: Peanut, in the South (GOOBER).


• 51d: Football wager (UNDER). One of the many bets one can lay is the over/under, where you bet whether the two teams' combined scores will be over or under the specified number.



• 52d: Raga drum (TABLA).


• 54d: Site of the rite stuff? (ALTAR).


• 57d: Green party VIP? (ST PAT).


• 63d: Tolkien's Legolas, e.g. (ELF). Love the Tolkein clues.

Suns of Bitches:

• 5a: Natty of literature (BUMPPO) crossing 9d: Swiss watch brand (PIAGET) was a total guess-the-letter crossing for me. And P was about my eighth choice.

The only major problem I have with this puzzle is the BUMPPO/PIAGET crossing. A minor nit is that it's a tad heavy-handed with the punny clues. Now don't get me wrong, I love a good punny clue. But after a few too many, you just start to groan.

Happy New Year, all, and thanks for listening.

- Pete M.

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.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Title: Out of Order
Author: Kelsey Blakley
Theme: Wordplay theme consisting of two-word phrases which get their first two letters switched

• 16a: Bewitching fun? (POTION PLAY). the option play is a staple of college football offenses, and this year, NFL offenses too.


• 19a: Forearm bone occultation? (ULNAR ECLIPSE). i liked this one.


• 36a: Fleet quarters? (ARMADA INN).


• 56a: Ambiguous influence? (UNCLEAR POWER). it's pronounced "un-kyoo-lar."


• 61a: Sufficient cough medicine? (AMPLE SYRUP). this one made me smile, too.

this was a very nice theme--five rock-solid entries, several of which had some chuckle value. and definitely easy enough for a tuesday.

Sunny Spots:

• 24a: "Desire Under the Elms" dramatist (eugene O'NEILL). usually we see O'NEAL (tatum, or shaquille), and occasionally buck O'NEIL, but rarely do we get treated to america's greatest playwright. this isn't my favorite of his plays, but long day's journey into night and especially the iceman cometh are excellent.

Sundries:

• 1a: Knights' titles (SIRS) and 5a: Tale of adventure (GEST). a nice 1-2 punch to start off.


• 26a: "Some Like It Hot" actress (marilyn MONROE). i'm pretty sure i've never seen any of her movies, including this one. does that make me a bad person? or just a young person?


• 28a: Pass path (ARC). unless it's a bounce pass, i guess.


• 29a: "Telephone Line" rock band (ELO). ERIE rule is definitely in effect for these guys.


• 34a: Onetime rubber capital (AKRON). funny headline on the onion today: "u.s. senate drops lieberman, reid to make room for lebron james in 2010." why do i mention this? lebron is from AKRON, that's why. and somebody has to pay tribute to what this man is doing on the basketball court this year.


• 39a: Capital of Ghana (ACCRA). i won't plug the sporcle geography quizzes here, but ... let's just say this was at the front of my brain.


• 43a: "Around the Horn" cable channel (ESPN). ugh, i can't stand "around the horn." but i do like when ESPN shows, you know, sports.


• 47a: Gp. that won the 1969 Nobel Peace Prize (ILO). the international labor organization. er, make that labour. (apparently it's too international to spell it the american way.)


• 48a: Abbr. in some city names (HTS). cleveland heights, brooklyn heights, ...


• 50a: 2006 Australian Open and Wimbledon winner Mauresmo (AMÉLIE). since 2006, she's won only one minor tournament. she's a bit of an enigma to me.


• 60a: Jon Arbuckle's pooch (ODIE). did you know that "garfield" is still an active comic strip? as in, jim davis is still writing it, and a new one comes out every day? it was my favorite comic when i was maybe 7. even by the time i was 10, though, it seemed impossibly dated.


• 65a: Round whose losers compete in a consolation game (SEMIS). in some tournaments, sure.


• 67a: Dodge City gunslinger (wyatt EARP).


• 68a: Furtive summons (PSST). hey, it's the return of PSST. it seems like we haven't seen it in a little while. i like this clue, too. it's subtle, just like PSST itself.


• 69a: Cut down, perhaps (EDIT). i wish they would stop EDITing so many trees out of the rainforest.


• 5d: Become a paid athlete (GO PRO). when i was a college senior, i got annoyed of people asking me, "so what are you going to do after graduation?" i eventually started telling people i was planning to declare for the NBA draft. (for context, i'm about 5'9", 140, i have no stamina, and i'm hopeless going to my left.)


• 7d: Musically detached: Abbr. (STAC). staccato. not sure why, but this is the first thing that comes to mind when i think staccato:

• 8d: Mayberry sheriff (andy TAYLOR). i only dimly knew this. OPIE is usually the one who shows up in the grid.


• 10d: Indiana native (HOOSIER). where does this word come from? i don't know, and apparently, neither does anybody else.


• 11d: Trademarked version of reversi (OTHELLO). i played this game a lot when i was a kid, but ... give me a shakespeare clue any day.


• 14d: Disneyland's setting (ANAHEIM). wait, you mean los angeles of anaheim, right?


• 17d: Not taken in by (ONTO). apparently, it is so hard to clue a straight-up preposition that this word is never, ever clued as a straight-up preposition. of course, i can't think of a good clue for this, either, all though there are non-sucky FITB possibilities.


• 32d: Broodmares, e.g. (DAMS). this one had me temporarily befuddled until i realized what kind of DAMS we were talking about. (the kind that bear foals.)


• 35d: Cap locale (KNEE). i hope this is referring to the patella, and not some gruesome mafia-style violence.


• 40d: Lady Bird Johnson's real first name (CLAUDIA). i'm not sure i would have remembered this without crossings.


• 45d: X tenth? (PIN). er, okay. X is the symbol for a strike, which involves knocking down ten PINs. but what's with the clue? is it supposed to remind us of "extent"?


• 49d: "Little Orphan Annie" henchman (THE ASP). this used to get me, but now this is like the fifth time i've seen it in a puzzle, and i am no longer gotten.


• 57d: "Tonight Show" tomahawk tosser Ed (AMES). same goes for this guy.

• 59d: Literary governess (jane EYRE). somehow i made it through high school and college without having read any austen, or anything by a brontë sister (this one's by charlotte). i'm still not quite sure how.


• 63d: Spliff stuff (POT). drug reference!

Suns of Bitches:

• 28d: King of comedy (ALAN). jewish comedian, 1927-2004, according to wikipedia. he seems like kind of an ur-seinfeld.


• 51d: Street with converted stables, to a Brit (MEWS). huh? what?

i liked the theme a lot, but the fill and clues were a little short on pizzazz. overall, it was a workmanlike tuesday. see you next week. or maybe tomorrow.

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.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Title: Terminus
Author: Gary Steinmehl
Theme: Wordplay theme in which TER is removed from the end of two-word phrases

• 18a: Catapult barrage? (ROCK LOBS). i bet "rock lobster" means something by itself (a kind of lobster, i guess), but to me, it calls to mind only the following so-campy-it's-brilliant song:

• 20a: Short skirts from overseas? (FOREIGN MINIS). this was the first theme entry to fall for me, but i still didn't figure out what the theme was. (also, the first thing that comes to mind when i think of FOREIGN MINIS is smart cars.)


• 39a: Vehicle to Invesco Field? (BRONCO BUS). being a football fan definitely helped here, although i still don't like the name invesco field. bring back mile high!


• 60a: Poser's backache? (PORTRAIT PAIN).


• 65a: Jam ingredient of the South? (DIXIE CAR). i'm sure i'm supposed to know who or what dixie carter is or was. somebody will clue me in, right?

a very nice wordplay theme, cleanly executed and with a very clever cryptic title (TER/minus). by the way, what's with the puzzle titles being in all caps this week? it wasn't like that before, was it? bring back lowercase!

Sunny Spots:

• 44d: Duplicates (XEROXES). gotta love anything beginning with an X (my favorite letter) and especially anything containing multiple Xs. especially this verb, which despite the protestations of xerox corp of america, is a common uncapitalized english word. i'm of the opinion that there's no such thing as a proper verb: if it can be used as a verb, then it can't be proprietary. (not that i'm a rigid adherent to capitalization rules ...)


• 5d: Grass alternative (ASTROTURF). ASTROTURF is almost extinct by now at the professional level (replaced by fieldturf), but it still looks great in the grid. this also goes nicely with 42d: Groundskeeper's purchase (SOD).

Sundries:

• 1a: "Goodness!" (OH DEAR). a perfect clue, equaling the answer in quaintness.


• 10a: Gilda Radner character Baba (WAWA). this was only about 20% familiar to me.


• 17a: One side in a casual football game (SHIRTS). the other side is skins--but not the redskins, my hometown team, who competed hard but didn't have quite enough to beat the cowboys on sunday night.


• 22a: Grass (POT). there's our obligatory drug reference. we actually hadn't had one in a while, at least not on a tuesday. this is not related to ASTROTURF or SOD.


• 25a: Quattros, e.g. (AUDIS). i wanted SCHICKS, but it wouldn't fit. i guess my first instinct should be AUDI when possible.


• 24a: Giants manager of the 1940s (mel OTT). this guy definitely should be your first instinct any time "giants" are mentioned. or really, any time it's sports and the answer is three letters, although hockey's bobby ORR and golf's ernie ELS will also figure in.


• 36a: Cerveza ingredient (AGUA). i think cerveza is spanish for beer, no? so... beer tag?


• 38a: Drops on crops (DEW). i'm not a fan of cutesy rhyming for the sake of cutesy rhyming, but this is a great clue.


• 42a: Boxcars half (SIX). this clue, along with 50a: Snake eyes pair (ONES), is a good use of craps slang ("boxcars" = double sixes = a roll of 12 on a pair of dice, and "snake eyes" = double ones = a roll of 2). together, they combine with 55a: Game with a board whose center is 5'8" off the floor (DARTS) for a very gaming-centric california region of the grid.


• 45a: Stocking stuffer (FOOT). nice misdirection there.


• 54a: They're green (TYROS). metaphorically green. and not eco-, either, just inexperienced.


• 59a: Get behind (OWE). i guess this works if you think of the clue intransitively. but you couldn't use it to replace most uses of OWE, which are transitive: you OWE money or you OWE creditors.


• 69a: Current sci. (ELEC.). is ELECtricity really a science? ELECtritude? ELECtricology?


• 70a: Handy thing? (ARM). okay, not bad.


• 72a: Branch headquarters? (NEST). that's good. are we on a roll?


• 73a: Losers' hangout? (SPA). no, i guess not. this one fell flat.


• 74a: President of Egypt before Sadat (NASSER). this guy has an incredibly crosswordy name when you consider it's six letters, contains only two vowels, and neither of those comes at the beginning or the end. i feel like i see him in the grid all the time, and it just shouldn't be that common.


• 1d: Saturn's wife (OPS). i couldn't decide if this one belonged in sunny spots (mythology) or suns of bitches (uh, mythology i don't really know), so i split the difference. OPS was in last friday's chronicle of higher education puzzle with the clue [Roman goddess of plenty], and i had never heard of her at the time. (i know, i know. i'm better on greek than roman.) she's the roman equivalent of rhea. by the way, is the world ready for a baseball stat geek clue for OPS? i say yes.


• 3d: Vagabond (DRIFTER). for once, it's neither HOBO nor NOMAD.


• 4d: Italian bread (EURO). just to be sure we're not on a roll, here's my vote for the stalest clue in crossworld. well, i won't hold it against them.


• 7d: Helgenberger of "CSI" (MARG). i think she pronounces it "marge," but this weird spelling means she'll be in crosswords forever.


• 8d: Wheat pasta in Japanese cuisine (UDON). yum...


• 9d: DLXXX x V (MMCM). 580 x 5 = 2900. because this one crossed two theme answers, i actually stopped to work it out. usually i don't bother, even though i'm pretty fast at mental arithmetic, because it's quicker to get it from crosses.


• 11d: Kept from happening (AVOIDED). i lucked out here: i had _V___ED and plugged in AVOIDED even though AVERTED is a better answer. probably saved me 15-30 seconds, not that anyone cares. what's less interesting to others, talking about your crossword solving times or talking about your fantasy sports teams?


• 12d: Requirement for e-tailing (WEBSITE). somehow i was expecting a more specific answer.


• 13d: Ding-a-ling (ASS). what, again? do we need a ding-a-ling tag?


• 19d: Car company headquartered in Seoul (KIA). the korean economy is notable for having a small number of megaconglomerations (samsung, LG) which manufacture pretty much everything from electronics to kitchenware. but KIA and hyundai still seem to make only cars.


• 23d: ___ Brite (laundry product) (OXO). this is also a valid scrabble word meaning "oxygen-containing."


• 26d: Be in a bee (SEW). SPELL and QUILT wouldn't fit.


• 28d: Morrow of "Numb3rs" (ROB). i've heard of this guy, but i guessed ELI here with no crosses. i think the odds were on my side--not only are there a zillion other ROBs, but ROB is also a common verb, whereas ELI has to be clued as a proper name. (okay, the odds aren't so much on my side if you take into account the fact that his name's ROB, not ELI.)


• 30d: Prickly pears, for example (CACTI).


• 31d: "... ___ in a galaxy far, far away ..." (AGO). if you think about it, one of the weirdest things about the star wars series is that it is supposedly set in the distant past (and i don't mean the late '70s). how come they went to all that trouble to make it look futuristic?


• 37d: Indonesia is part of it in the game Risk (AUSTRALIA). risk sighting! woot! now we need to get YAKUTSK and/or KAMCHATKA into the grid.


• 40d: Partner of then or again (NOW). this one came to mind instantly. i'm not sure why i wasn't distracted by thinking about the phrase "then again," which is what usually happens.


• 51d: Like a schoolmarm (STRICT). since i learned the word "schoolmarm" from crosswords, i'll have to take their word for it.


• 58d: 1997 John Leguizamo film (SPAWN). based on the todd mcfarlane comic. i was aware of this movie, but forgot that john leguizamo was in it, actually.

Suns of Bitches:

• 63d: "My Friend ___" (1949 Marie Wilson film) (IRMA). the parenthetical "1949 marie wilson film" part of the clue didn't make it any easier for me, but it made me feel better for having absolutely no idea about the answer. i've never even heard of marie wilson, but apparently the team of dean martin and jerry lewis debuted in this film, and i have heard of them.

a fine tuesday puzzle. very good theme, nice fill, no major complaints. see you next time.

joon