Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Title: There Goes the Picnic
Author: Lee Glickstein
Theme: Inserting ANT and RAIN into phrases

Cow pies => COW PANTIES (
• 17a: Underwear for Elsie?).



• Ted Knight => TRAINED KNIGHT (23a: Well-schooled jouster?).


• Bah Humbug => BAHRAIN HUMBUG (53a: Nonsense from Manama?).


• Con game => CANTON GAME (63a: Mah-jongg, e.g.?). Canton, China. Not a subdivision of Switzerland.

Sorry I'm late on this one, but was just exhausted last night and didn't even have the energy to look at the puzzle, never mind blog it. But I'm here now, so here we go.

The theme is strange in that ANT and RAIN are each used twice. I would have expected either the same insert four times or else four different reasons for spoiling a picnic. But let's face it -- cow pies to cow panties makes up for it in one gorgeous entry.

Sunny Spots:

• 3d: Erma Bombeck column (AT WIT'S END).


• 7d: Affirmative response (QUITE SO). Jolly good.


• 34d: Unwanted lawn growth (CRAB GRASS).

Sundries:

• 16a: Paul in the Songwriters Hall of Fame (ANKA). I'm guessing there are others: McCartney and Simon both come to mind. If I remember my trivia, Paul Anka wrote the "Tonight Show" theme song.


• 19a: Slangy snag (PROB). No prob here.


• 22a: Present announcement? (IT IS I). Cute clue for a common entry.


• 29a: Space explorers' wear (G-SUITS).


• 33a: 564% of CCL (MCDX). Complain if you want, but I much prefer Roman numeral math to obscure year-of-the-pope clues. And this is another that's not hard to do in your head. 564% of 250 = 250% of 564 = 25% of 5640 = 1410.


• 37a: Dog star's first name? (RIN). Rin Tin Tin. Easy.


• 47a: Where the Rapidz play baseball (OTTAWA).



• 49a: Sacred beetle (SCARAB).


• 52a: Roy Rogers rival (ARBY'S).


• 58a: First woman to land a triple axel in competition (Midori ITO).


• 67a: "Milo's Hat Trick" author Jon (AGEE).


• 68a: Frankincense, e.g. (RESIN).


• 2d: Space ape of 1961 (ENOS).


• 5d: No. for Maine (ERA). I'm guessing Maine is a baseball pitcher.


• 12d: Teensy bit (SKOSH).


• 18d: Abbr. for someone with only two names (NMI). No middle initial.



• 28d: It has a five-sided flag (OHIO).


• 46d: Lei women (WAHINES).


• 54d: Blessing precursor (ACHOO).


• 55d: Fence (HEM IN).


• 56d: Lea low (MOO). Very good.


• 65d: Piece-keeping gp. (NRA). Excellent clue.

Suns of Bitches:

• 69a: Singer Childs (TONI). I've probably seen this name before in puzzles, but it never rings a bell. here's a sample.

All in all, this felt a touch easier than yesterday. As for enjoyment, you had me at cow panties.

Thanks for listening.

- Pete M.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Title: Totally Slick, It
Author: Ogden Porter (Peter Gordon)
Theme: Rhymes with "icket"

• 20a: Character in "Pinocchio" (JIMINY CRICKET).


• 37a: Unlikely source of wealth (LOTTERY TICKET).


• 52a: Pseudonymous author of "A Series of Unfortunate Events" (LEMONY SNICKET).

A straightforward rhyming scheme today, which is standard Monday fare. Only three theme entries here, but they're all pretty snazzy.

Sunny Spots:

• 10d: 1975 #1 hit for the Bee Gees (JIVE TALKIN'). A great reminder of how terrible music was during the mid-70s.


• 3d: "Bein' Green" singer (KERMIT). Arguably the best Muppet song ever. So simple; so powerful. Love it.




• 29d: Commuting a sentence, e.g. (ACT OF MERCY). Nice fill.

Sundries:

• 1a: Sommer of "Deadlier Than the Male" (ELKE). Isn't it funny how things tie together sometimes. Here's Elke with the above-mentioned Kermit the Frog.


• 5a: ___ and Gomorrah (SODOM).


• 10a: Photo file format (JPEG).



• 14a: Tavern on "The Simpsons" (MOES).


• 18a: Tiger Beat's target audience (TEENS).


• 19a: Spot checkers? (VETS). Spot as in the dog's name. Very cute.


• 25a: Alamogordo event of July 1945 (A-TEST). It's always a guess whether this is going to be A-TEST, H-TEST, or N-TEST.


• 30a: "The Pirates of ___" (PENZANCE). Classic Gilbert and Sullivan.




• 33a: Challenger astronaut McAuliffe (CHRISTA). I watched this tragedy live on TV. It still ranks among the more horrific experiences in my life.


• 40a: One who might hail a cab? (WINO). Does this mean cab as in cabernet? If so, I'm not sure I get the "hail" part. And either way, all I can really say about this is "Ugh!".



• 41a: Brand of rum (BACARDI).


• 42a: Very quickly (IN A FLASH).


• 59a: Interjection of annoyance (BEANS). I've never actually heard anyone use this in this way, that I can recall.


• 63a: Remarkable thing (LULU). Awww... give me a "To Sir With Love" reference anyday!


• 66a: ___ turn (skiing maneuver) (STEP).


• 1d: Key of Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 7 (E-MAJOR).


• 6d: Dyson rival (ORECK). Both brands of vacuum cleaner.


• 7d: One who commits a crime, in police slang (DOER).


• 8d: Atlanta arena that hosted the 1988 Democratic National Convention, with "the" (OMNI).



• 30d: Shrink (PSYCH). I'm not 100% sure whether this is a noun or a verb here.


• 37d: Bellybutton buildup (LINT). Ewwww.


• 40d: Xbox alternative (WII).


• 43d: Moon vehicle, for short (LEM).


• 45d: Invite to dinner, say (ASK OUT).


• 46d: Tachometer part (NEEDLE).


• 47d: Really enjoys (EATS UP).


• 49d: "First Look" cable channel (MSNBC).



• 54d: 1994 film directed by Michael Apted (NELL). Not terrifically hard to figure, but it still doesn't feel like a Monday clue to me.


• 58d: Murphy Brown's TV show (FYI).

Suns of Bitches:

• 23a: Giants defensive end Umenyiora (OSI). This seems like a stretch for a Monday, but again, this is a New York-centric newspaper.


• 49a: 1978-2002 Kenyan president Daniel arap ___ (MOI). Am I in a time warp here? I could have sworn it was Monday. Excusez-MOI!


• 22d: Second baseman Matsui (KAZ). Okay, no New York excuse here; this guy plays for the Houston Astros.

Well, the theme was certainly Monday-ish, but many of the clues and fill seemed much more mid-to-late-week to me. Not that the puzzle was that hard overall; it really wasn't. It's just that a few of them kind of surprised me. Still, I liked the puzzle just fine.

Thanks for listening.

- Pete M.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Title: How Offensive!
Author: Mark Feldman
Theme: Positions on a football offense.

• 17a: Container with hooks (TACKLE BOX).


• 25a: Shepherds, sometimes (GUARD DOGS).


• 52a: Game-starting face-off's spot (CENTER ICE).


• 63a: Gymnast's maneuvers (BACK FLIPS). The backs, of course, tend to be specialized. You have fullbacks, halfbacks/tailbacks, and quarterbacks, so named because of their relative distances behind the line of scrimmage at the start of a play. If the halfback lines up behind the fullback, he is called a tailback, but it's the same responsibility (runs, short catches, occasional blocking).


• 3d: Public officer in charge of the treasury (RECEIVER GENERAL).


• 11d: Highway sign (END CONSTRUCTION).

This theme is well-timed to the start of the NFL season, and highlights the all-important-but-often-unsung offensive line -- center, guards, tackles, and ends. Six theme entries, with two 15s each crossing two of the other theme entries, is a nice touch.

Sunny Spots:

In lieu of the traditional "Sunny Spots" today, I bring you "An American Love Story":

• 43a: 2002 Mel Gibson movie (SIGNS).


• 35a: Moves ahead slowly (NOSES).


• 61a: Strike a chord, perhaps (STRUM).


• 25d: Vittles (GRUB).


• 65d: Hydrotherapy locale (SPA).


• 8d: "___ Healing" (1982 Marvin Gaye hit) (SEXUAL).


• 56d: Swell (BULGE).


• 37d: Lobby piece (SOFA).


• 4d: Unvarnished (NAKED).


• 46d: Close to the hour (TEN OF).


• 49d: Call of the wild? (TIMBER).


• 5a: A follower, sometimes (PLUS).


• 27d: Leaves speechless (AWES).


• 60d: Nimble (SPRY).


• 47a: "Weird Al" Yankovic's first hit (EAT IT).


• 63a: Gymnast's maneuvers (BACKFLIPS).


• 5d: Request (PLEA).


• 24a: Altar utterance (I DO).


• 2d: Time passages (ERAS).


• 53d: Add-on (EXTRA).


• 1d: Excess (FAT).


• 26d: Flag (DROOP).


• 20a: "Ta-ta!" (SEE YA).

Sundries:

• 1a: Everglades plant (FERN). Don't ferns pretty much grow anywhere? Don't other things grow in the Everglades besides ferns?


• 9a: Ego maniac? (FREUD). Trying a little too hard to be cute here.


• 23a: "House Call" network (CNN).


• 27a: Tom Swifty wd. (ADV). "This coffee is cold!", Tom said icily.


• 32a: Gets rid of (WEEDS OUT). Good one.


• 38a: River through La Rioja (EBRO). Crossword staple.


• 39a: Novel whose four parts are titled "The Plaintiff," "The Defendants," "Brief to Counsel," and "The Trial" (QB VII). By Leon Uris.



• 42a: Driver of Bart and Lisa's school bus (OTTO).


• 45a: U. faculty member's title (ASST. PROF.). This is kind of ugly for an eight-letter fill, don't you think?


• 47a: "Weird Al" Yankovic's first hit (EAT IT). A parody, of course, of Michael Jackson's "Beat It". See the video here.


• 58a: Staff note (MEMO). Trying to sound musical in the clue, but I wasn't biting.


• 59a: Racetrack figures (TOUTS). This one was only vaguely familiar to me. Apparently, it's someone who dishes out advice on bets.


• 61a: Strike a chord, perhaps (STRUM). This one actually was musical.


• 68a: Hiker's snack (GORP). I guess people found "trail mix" too hard to say. Cool word, though.


• 69a: It often gets dressed in the kitchen (SALAD). Cute.


• 70a: Symbols of density (RHOS).


• 71a: "Anywhere Is" singer (ENYA). Got to go to the list of four-letter singers... CHER? No. SADE? No. DIDO? No. ENYA? Bingo!



• 6d: Smash preceder, maybe (LOB). Tennis.


• 12d: Not clean (USING). Ah yes, the requisite drug reference.


• 22d: III, to a modern Roman (TRE).


• 25d: Vittles (GRUB). Both of these words are just very cool.


• 30d: Poule's counterpart (COQ). What? You don't know your French farm animals? Poule is hen.


• 40d: "The Lake ___ of Innisfree" (Yeats poem) (ISLE).


• 41d: Suffix with sulphur (ISE). This is just icky.


• 44d: Dammed up (STEMMED).


• 49d: Call of the wild? (TIMBER). "Oh, I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay..."




• 54d: "Skip" (COACH). Short for "Skipper", what you might call your coach.


• 64d: "The ___ Show" (VH1 reality show) (CHO). I know this from crosswords only.

Suns of Bitches:

• 19a: Ashley's sister in "Gone With the Wind" (INDIA). This is guessable to a point (I guessed correctly), but crossing it with 9d: "Life So Far" memoirist (FRIEDAN) and 10d: Sen fraction (RIN) is just mean.


• 7d: Samoan island where Robert Louis Stevenson died (UPOLU).


• 28d: Mazar of "GoodFellas" (DEBI).


• 33d: Costar of "The 39 Steps" (DONAT).

Not too much else to say here. A good friday puzzle (as opposed to a Good Friday puzzle, which would be a whole different thing), with a nice theme. Today's my 21st anniversary, and I'd just like to say that the "love story" above was completely inspired by the puzzle itself and is not intended to be autobiographical in any significant way.

Thanks for listening.

- Pete M.