6.20.2010

SUNDAY, June 20, 2010 — Merl Reagle (calendar)

Theme: Happy Father's Day! — Theme answers are phrases whose words being with the letters P.O.P., clued in relation to a generic Dad occupation.

[Note: This is the puzzle that appears in the Sunday L.A. Times newspaper. If you don't get the paper, you can find the puzzle here. Scroll down to see today's syndicated puzzle.]


Theme answers:
  • 20A: What Dad the CEO occupies? (POSITION OF POWER).
  • 24A: What Dad the investor is after? (PIECE OF PROPERTY).
  • 41A: What Dad the artist uses? (PLASTER OF PARIS).
  • 48A: Words from Dad the game show host? (PASS OR PLAY).
  • 60A: Issue for Dad the professor? (PUBLISH OR PERISH).
  • 72A: Window sign for Dad the dry cleaner? (PLANT ON PREMISES).
  • 82A: Purchase by Dad the art teacher? (POT OF PASTE).
  • 89A: Concern of Dad the cashier? (PAPER OR PLASTIC).
  • 108A: Job for Dad the doctor? (POST-OP PROCEDURE).
  • 116A: Father's Day reminder? (PICK OUT PRESENTS).
Everything Else — 1A: Don't agree (DIFFER); 7A: Rob ___ (Scotch Manhattans) (ROYS); 11A: Area meas. (SQ. CM.); 15A: Back-ordered? (RECALLED); 17A: Put on cloud 9 (ELATE); 19A: Old cry of despair (O WOE); 22A: Regan's dad (LEAR); 23A: Sell with a yell (HAWK); 26A: Simple (ONE-STEP); 29A: Part of an immigrant's educ. (ESL); 30A: Covert org. (NSA); 31A: Dusk-dawn insert (TIL); 32A: "Meet the Press" guest, perh. (SEN.); 33A: Affirmatives (AYES); 35A: Lorenzo or his actor dad (LAMAS); 39A: Tampa Bay players (RAYS); 45A: His dad is Atticus Finch (JEM); 46A: Titusville discovery (OIL); 47A: Bumper sticker, "That was Zen, this is ___' (TAO); 53A: Greek letter (TAU); 55A: Where Octavian beat Antony and Cleopatra in 31 B.C. (ACTIUM); 58A: Light or dark subject (MEAT); 59A: WWII pinup girl (LANA); 63A: Rehab of a sort (DETOX); 64A: Coin-___ (OPS); 65A: Greek letter (RHO); 66A: Fab Four's fifth? (ONO); 67A: Imitate (APE); 69A: Infamous African (IDI); 70A: Hammer parts (PEENS); 78A: Radius companion (ULNA); 79A: Seed covering (ARIL); 80A: Brando, by birth (OMAHAN); 81A: Old recorder format (VHS); 85A: LAX news (ETA); 86A: First Republican prez (ABE); 88A: Removable floor covering (MAT); 95A: Mrs. in a ghost story (MUIR); 97A: From Iran or Iraq (ASIAN); 98A: Bosun's ___ (MATE); 99A: Barbara Stanwyck film, "The Lady ___" (EVE); 100A: Aero finish (SOL); 101A: Salon stuff (GEL); 103A: In favor of, to a Clampett (FER); 106A: Royal tomb of a sort (PYRAMID); 114A: The Graf ___ (SPEE); 115A: A fan of (INTO); 119A: Knotted (TIED); 120A: Knot (SNARL); 121A: Intersecting points (VERTICES); 122A: It's nothing (ZERO); 123A: He played Tony on "NYPD Blue" (ESAI); 124A: Previously, previously (ERE NOW); 1D: They're under blotters (DESKS); 2D: Henri's here (ICI); 3D: ___ farm (FAT); 4D: Pinball hitter (FLIPPER); 5D: Time-travel race (ELOI); 6D: Actress Taylor (RENEE); 7D: Used car of a sort (REPO); 8D: Sweden's Palme (OLOF); 9D: Loud, harsh cry (YAWP); 10D: Howard and Isaac (STERNS); 11D: Lone (SOLE); 12D: ___ keyboard (QWERTY); 13D: Raccoonlike carnivores (COATIS); 14D: Sophie's portrayer (MERYL); 15D: Ivanhoe's love (ROWENA); 16D: OR people (DOCS); 18D: Love god (EROS); 20D: Discussion group (PANEL); 21D: "The Most Happy ___" (FELLA); 23D: Place to see 16 Down: abbr. (HOSP.); 25D: Kitchen tool (PARER); 27D: "Play Time" actor-director (TATI); 28D: Peeper protector (EYELASH); 34D: ___ voce (SOTTO); 36D: Artist Jean (ARP); 37D: Tony Rome's home (MIAMI); 38D: Some brayers (ASSES); 40D: Plenty of (AMPLE); 42D: Deeply felt emotion (SOUL); 43D: Evenhanded (FAIR); 44D: Grey ___ (POUPON); 45D: Write quickly (JOT); 49D: Where siroccos blow (SAHARA); 50D: Around 11 p.m., perhaps (LATISH); 51D: Oxidation sites (ANODES); 52D: Graph line (Y AXIS); 53D: Elvis's birthplace (TUPELO); 54D: Away (ABSENT); 56D: "Journey Into Healing" author (CHOPRA); 57D: Diverti or penti ending (-MENTO); 60D: 3-D, as some books (POP-UP); 61D: Return address? (IRS); 62D: Lodger (ROOMER); 63D: "Dose guys" (DEM); 68D: Infraction reaction (PENALTY); 71D: Model Campbell (NAOMI); 73D: Talks like Daffy (LISPS); 74D: Mongolia's ___ Mountains (ALTAI); 75D: Warsaw Pact counterpart (NATO); 76D: Drugstore: abbr. (PHARM.); 77D: Currier's partner (IVES); 79D: Likely (APT); 83D: Coen Brothers classic (FARGO); 84D: Watcher of the skies: abbr. (EPA); 87D: Boxer Max (BAER); 90D: Ablaze, in French (EN FEU); 91D: Tahitian port (PAPEETE); 92D: Lures (TEMPTS); 93D: College climbers (IVIES); 94D: Surrender (CEDE); 95D: Mass-wedding participant (MOONIE); 96D: Northern Irish province (ULSTER); 97D: ___ skiing (ALPINE); 100D: Dog with a saliva problem? (SPITZ); 102D: Actor Omar (EPPS); 104D: 1999 Ron Howard comedy (EDTV); 105D: Indian coin (RUPEE); 107D: Good ___ (AS NEW); 109D: Controversy (TO-DO); 110D: Some TVs (RCAS); 111D: Louisiana veggie (OKRA); 112D: E. ___ (COLI); 113D: Siren sound, in the comics (RRRR); 117D: Sloth, for one (SIN); 118D: Friendly introduction? (ECO-).

6 comments:

Tinbeni said...

Merl I will be toasting you at sunset for the
7A, Rob ROYS, Scotch Manhattans.
(I'll DETOX later ...)

Took a while to get the "POP" theme.
The POPUP hint was perfect.
Great job!

JIMMIE said...

Lots of fun in this one but it took a while to get the POP theme, then everything got easy. Didn't like LATISH or FER, had BUCS before RAYS. But nice. Thanks, Merl and PG.

lit.doc said...

@Puzzle Girl, I just noticed that this is the same puzzle as the Philadelphia Inquirer CW I link to from Ephraim's. Do you know if that's always the case? I don't get the LAT dead-tree, but always do the Sunday Inquirer online, so I'd be able to play in this sandbox too if so.

Oh yeah, the puzzle. Loved it. Just the sort of theme I really like. Once I spotted the POP device the rest of the theme answers fell into place pretty rapidly.

Little hold ups in the fill, of course, like 32A POL before SEN and SQ FT before CMs. Toughest spot was probably where 55A UNOBTAINIUM was crossed by 44D "Excuse me, do you have some cheap yellow mustard?"

Anonymous said...

@lit.doc Checked the Philly Enquirer site and it says that Merl Reagle CWs appear every Sunday in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle and many other major newspapers. Gues you're in luck!

lit.doc said...

What, read the instructions?! Thanks.

Anonymous said...

"FAT" farm - be serious! Who the h--- is "Regan"? ...and it's "OH woe..." as in "Oh woe is me!"
Here's my challenge - turn off your computers and solve these "without looking" - a tough task when you know little of pop culture and celebrities. I do it every week and dislike chintzy clues like the above.