SUNDAY, December 27, 2009 — Barry C. Silk and Doug Peterson (syndicated)

Theme: "And Another Thing ..." — Each theme answer is a mash-up of a familiar two-word phrase and a three-word phrase that follows the pattern "[first word of the two-word phrase] and [X]."

[Note: This is the syndicated L.A. Times puzzle. It does not appear in the actual newspaper, but is available for free at cruciverb.com.]

Theme answers:

• 23A: Result of a battle of bighorns? (BLACK AND BLUE SHEEP).
• 38A: Fire alarm during kindergarten? (SHOW AND TELL STOPPER).
• 56A: Attracting outdoorsy readers, say? (FIELD AND STREAM GOAL).
• 77A: Crustacean with an electric guitar? (ROCK AND ROLL LOBSTER).
• 94A: Web site security expert? (POINT AND CLICK GUARD).
• 115A: Kids' puppet show script? (PUNCH AND JUDY LINES).

Wow. Did I wake up in an parallel universe where the L.A. Times crossword puzzle is awesome again? What a great Christmas present! Love this theme. I found it tricky enough to make me think, but basic enough that once I got it, I could use it to help me with the remaining theme answers. I also really appreciate that although the fill isn't what I would describe as overly sparkly, a lot of the clues are excellent and do a nice job of ratcheting up the difficulty level a bit.

Bullets:

• 16A: Capital of Slovakia? (ESS). The word Slovakia starts with the letter ESS (*groan*).
• 21A: Symphony originally dedicated to Napoleon (EROICA). I did not know that.
• 26A: One of Rose's 4,256 (HIT). PuzzleSon had a school project recently where he had to come up with various ways of describing a random number. He was assigned the number 4,256, which turned out to be pretty cool!

• 54A: Madagascar tree climber (LEMUR). Who doesn't love a good LEMUR reference? ...
• 63A: "Baseball is 90% mental; the other half is physical" speaker (BERRA). ... or a good Yogi BERRA quote?
• 69A: Ballroom that made the Lindy Hop famous (SAVOY). One of my favorite album names of all time is Rufus's "Stompin' at the Savoy."

• 75A: Many a joke involves one (PUN). I tried bar.
• 101A: Alien's course: Abbr. (ESL). Not, like, an extra-terrestrial but a person who moves here from another country.
• 106A: Unfinished framework (CARCASS). Inspired cluing. I'm glad they didn't go the dead animal route. But I'm sure you appreciate me bringing it up.

• 112A: "The Disrobing of Christ" painter (EL GRECO). Okay, someone tell me if it's just me, but with the disrobing, the groping, and the unclasping (44A: Search uncertainly / 4D: Open, as a large envelope), does this puzzle have a RATED X (33D: For adults only) vibe to it?
• 120A: Gerald Ford, by birth (OMAHAN). So many interesting people from Omaha: Warren Buffett, Nick Nolte, Marlon Brando, Fred Astaire. Learned about them all from crosswords.
• 123A: Places for organ repairs, briefly (ORS). Internal organs, that is.
• 1D: "Aquí se __ español" (HABLA). Spanish!
• 5D: Reggae star __-Mouse (EEK-A). Okay, that's the awesomest stage name I've ever seen.

• 6D: Teller's spot (WINDOW). Me: "Next to Penn?"
• 10D: Tryster's request (MEET ME). Can't decide if I like tryster. I think I don't. But it might just be because I kept mispronouncing it and couldn't figure out what the heck this clue was about.
• 17D: Its 5/14/1998 final episode was seen by 76 million viewers (SEINFELD). I was one of them, were you?
• 40D: D.C. ball team (NATS). When I moved away from the DC area, there was no baseball team here. When I came back I saw so many people walking around with W's on their hats I wondered why there were so many Wisconsin fans out here. Yes, that's how dumb I am.
• 42D: Cozy (SNUG). PuzzleHusband wanted to buy the kids Snuggies for Christmas, but couldn't bear walking around the mall with them.
• 66D: Minute Maid Park team (ASTROS). As you might know, I do not like the corporate named sports stadiums. But at least you can make some of them seem kind of touch, right? Not this one. Poor Astros.

• 78D: Pet with green fur? (CHIA). The other day I said that I wanted to plant an herb garden and PuzzleDaughter got all excited because she had seen on TV this little pet thing that you poor water on and plants grow out of it! She said you can even get one that looks like President Obama!
• 83D: "Ocean's Thirteen" actor (AL PACINO). Love this movie. Just for fun, I tried to see if I could come up with all thirteen actor's names, but by the time I got, I think, five of them, I realized that this clue was going for someone else.
• 104D: Northeast express train (ACELA). PuzzleMom just told me about a bus that runs between Washington and New York and only costs $20. Have any of you tried it? I might have just found my transportation for the ACPT.
• 118D: TNT alternative (USA). Television networks.

Crosswordese 101: I was going to do my usual CW round-up here, but I could only find one instance of crosswordese that we've already covered! (47A: Cross shapes (TAUS)). So today, I'll quickly explain that ABA stands for the American Bar Association which is, indeed, an 59D: Org. concerned with suits (lawsuits, that is). Every once in a while ABA will be clued as the American Basketball Association in which case the clue will reference Dr. J or one of the teams that participated in that league. But the vast majority of the time you'll see words that have something to do with the legal profession in the clue: attorneys, litigators, lawyers, defense, or cases.

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Everything Else — 1A: Escher Museum site, with "The" (HAGUE); 6A: Rolls (WADS); 10A: Like Mr. Magoo (MYOPIC); 19A: When many return from lunch (AT ONE); 20A: Vision (IDEA); 22A: Ball support (TEE); 27A: Province in northern Finland (LAPLAND); 28A: It's pitched (TENT); 29A: Holds on to (RETAINS); 31A: Fishing, maybe (ASEA); 32A: Negative link (NOR); 34A: Apple's G4, e.g. (IMAC); 37A: "See ya!" ("I'M OFF!"); 48A: Talked nonstop (RAN ON); 49A: Martinique, e.g. (ILE); 50A: Lever with a blade (OAR); 51A: Selling points (ASSETS); 55A: Commanded (BADE); 60A: Elided greeting ('ELLO); 61A: Car wash option (WAX); 62A: Roddick of tennis (ANDY); 67A: Hoarse (RASPING); 71A: Brimless caps (BEANIES); 73A: "The Avengers" guy (STEED); 74A: Stubborn beast (MULE); 76A: "__ go there!" (DON'T); 83A: Budget rival (AVIS); 86A: Hopper of gossip (HEDDA); 87A: Colorado county or its seat (PUEBLO); 88A: Psyche component (EGO); 89A: Top (LID); 90A: Yes or no follower (SIREE); 91A: Proceed (WEND); 92A: Surveyor's units (ACRES); 99A: Alleged Soviet spy Hiss (ALGER); 100A: Approved (OK'ED); 102A: Lackluster (DRAB); 109A: Office note (MEMO); 114A: Follower's suffix (-ITE); 119A: Rejections (NOS); 121A: Players (CAST); 122A: Racing paths (OVALS); 124A: Apartment restriction (NO PETS); 125A: "Ta ta!" ("CIAO!"); 126A: Secure, as a nautical rope (BELAY); 2D: Travel guide (ATLAS); 3D: Have a cow, so to speak (GO APE); 7D: Say "Furthermore ...," say (ADD); 8D: Collector's item? (DEBT); 9D: Discount event (SALE); 11D: Mos. and mos. (YRS.); 12D: "I'm impressed!" ("OOH!"); 13D: Disembarking site (PIER); 14D: Slush Puppie maker (ICEE); 15D: Something that may help you get the picture? (CAPTION); 16D: Kenya neighbor (ETHIOPIA); 18D: Liberates (SETS FREE); 24D: Monument word (ANNO); 25D: Army divisions (UNITS); 30D: Band piece (AMP); 35D: "So soon?" ("ALREADY?"); 36D: Cold and moist (CLAMMY); 39D: Spot for a band (HEAD); 41D: Bookshelf buildup (DUST); 43D: Company that acquired Lawn-Boy in 1989 (TORO); 44D: Errand runners (GOFERS); 45D: Bawl out (RAIL AT); 46D: Implicit warning (OR ELSE); 52D: Cut (SAWN); 53D: Glitch (SNAG); 54D: "Leading With My Chin" author (LENO); 55D: Mixes thoroughly (BLENDS); 57D: Horses running leisurely (LOPERS); 58D: Actress Kim of "24" (RAVER); 64D: Tear gas target (RIOTER); 65D: Weasel out (RENEGE); 68D: Part of a mating ritual (I DO); 69D: Basking locale (SUNDECK); 71D: Cluster of cloves (BULB); 72D: Organic compound (ENOL); 74D: Got by (MADE DO); 75D: 68-Down, for one (PLEDGE); 79D: "Ol' Man River" composer (KERN); 80D: Gp. that includes Iran and Ecuador (OPEC); 81D: Muttonhead (LUNK); 82D: Tusked animal (BOAR); 84D: Lawbreaker, e.g. (VIOLATOR); 85D: Acknowledgement of a deviation, usually after "but" (I DIGRESS); 91D: Dilate (WIDEN); 93D: PC component (CD DRIVE); 95D: Tokyo-based computer giant (NEC); 96D: 24 Hours of __: annual auto race (LEMANS); 97D: Comfortable with (USED TO); 98D: Confederate (ALLY); 103D: Of the kidneys (RENAL); 105D: Everycow (BOSSY); 107D: Sport for big grapplers (SUMO); 108D: Piece of cake (SNAP); 110D: L x XXXIV (MDCC); 111D: City near Santa Barbara (OJAI); 113D: Squishy lump (GLOB); 116D: Argentinian Marxist (CHE); 117D: It may be passed or tipped (HAT).