12.27.2010

M O N D A Y   December 27, 2010
Gail Grabowski

Theme: It's all in how you look at it — Theme answers with a word that can describe what you see.


Theme answers:
  • 17A: "Awesome!" ("OUTTA SIGHT!").
  • 23A: 2006-'07 Microsoft release (WINDOWS VISTA).
  • 37A: Financial projections (ECONOMIC OUTLOOK).
  • 45A: Act embarrassingly in public (CREATE A SCENE).
  • 58A: Cable TV offering (PAY-PER-VIEW).
I don't have a lot to say about this puzzle today. It's very smooth with some colorful fill and straightforward cluing, which is exactly what I expect from Gail Grabowski on a Monday. I've actually had a bad cold for a couple days so it's hard for me to really concentrate enough to give you the sparkling commentary you've become accustomed to around here. How about if you all have at it in the comments and I'll try to be back here tomorrow with something a little more interesting.

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:
  • 15A: Son of Seth (ENOS).
  • 29A: Mideast honcho (EMIR).
  • 60A: Hairy Himalayan, reportedly (YETI).
  • 61A: Job site standards org. (OSHA).
  • 51D: Hot time in Toulon (ÉTÉ).
[Follow PuzzleGirl on Twitter.]

Everything Else — 1A: Workshop holder (CLAMP); 6A: Fairy godmother's magic tool (WAND); 10A: Chopped-up fare (HASH); 14A: From around here (LOCAL); 16A: Indy racer (AUTO); 19A: Singer's syllables (TRAS); 20A: Rehab woes, briefly (DT'S); 21A: Monte __: gambling resort (CARLO); 22A: In pieces (APART); 25A: "Oops, sorry" ("MY BAD"); 28A: Cooped clucker (HEN); 30A: Member of the crew (SAILOR); 34A: Sleuths, for short (PI'S); 40A: Coll. helpers (TA'S); 41A: 1910s-'20s Ford assembly-line classic (MODEL T); 42A: Prefix with septic (ANTI-); 43A: Cone dropper (FIR); 44A: Expanse with waves (OCEAN); 52A: Jaunty tunes (LILTS); 53A: Fritter away (WASTE); 54A: Monopoly quartet: Abbr. (RRS.); 57A: Roller rink shape (OVAL); 62A: Where D.C. is, familiarly (U.S. OF A.); 63A: Part of a process (STEP); 64A: Pizza crust order (THIN); 65A: Out sick, say (NOT IN); 1D: Wad of dirt (CLOD); 2D: Boorish sort (LOUT); 3D: Stops stalling (ACTS); 4D: Place to wipe your shoes (MAT); 5D: Lake __, 1980 Winter Olympics town (PLACID); 6D: Very odd (WEIRD); 7D: English-speaking (ANGLO); 8D: "Not gonna happen" ("NO HOW"); 9D: Annual cause of losing an hr.'s sleep, perhaps (DST); 10D: Millinery accessory (HAT PIN); 11D: Subtle qualities (AURAS); 12D: Get going (START); 13D: Shade-tolerant plant (HOSTA); 18D: Start of many California city names (SAN); 22D: Keep from happening (AVERT); 23D: Say "Be careful" to (WARN); 24D: "Fore!" or "Olé!" (SHOUT); 25D: Encounter (MEET); 26D: Org. known by its first letter (YMCA); 27D: Revealing books, briefly (BIOS); 30D: Campground treat (S'MORE); 31D: Partner of abet (AID); 32D: Cooler cubes (ICE); 33D: Online cackle (LOL); 34D: Fried corn bread (PONE); 35D: Greek "i" (IOTA); 36D: Potato part served as an appetizer (SKIN); 38D: Forgets to mention (OMITS); 39D: Shoe securer (LACE); 43D: Scuffle souvenir (FAT LIP); 44D: What a solo homer produces (ONE RUN); 45D: Overdoes the sweetness (CLOYS); 46D: Girder fastener (RIVET); 47D: Send to cloud nine (ELATE); 48D: Flooded (AWASH); 49D: Greet someone casually (SAY HI); 50D: "Washington Journal" channel (C-SPAN); 54D: Unruly outbreak (RIOT); 55D: New mtge., e.g. (REFI); 56D: Graceful bird (SWAN); 58D: Word with belly or boiler (POT); 59D: Brandy bottle letters (VSO).

14 comments:

Tinbeni said...

PuzzleGirl: You know what I would recommend to get over that "cold."
(Then again, I do NOT have puzzlekids at
Villa Incognito).

Gail, Nice FUN Monday. Thank you.

Liked the themes thought they were all OUTTA-SIGHT!

That ICE will stay in the cooler.

A 'toast' to all at my 5:43pm Sunset!

Cheers !!!

Mokus said...

I thought it was an enjoyable Monday puzzle. The clue, revealing books, was amusing. My first thought wasn't exactly BIOS.

PG, you'll relate to my captcha: achoom! Bless you! Get well.

KJGooster said...

I got theme answers 23A and 37A (VISTA/OUTLOOK) first and thought, "A Microsoft theme? Really?" before catching on. Smooth sailing after that.

Feel better, PG.

Sfingi said...

@Tinbeni - what would you recommend?

Rewrites: AVERT over AboRT,
HAT PIN over ribboN.

Harry Himalayan would be a great name for a cartoon YETI.

Is that US OF A? It didn't "read" for me. If someone asked me where D.C. was, that's not what I would say.

@PuzzleGirl - Get well soon!

xxpossum@html.c said...

G.W.S!!!!

JOHNSNEVERHOME said...

When I can finish a puzzle correctly before my first cup of coffee, THAT'S a good Monday-level puzzle. Little by little I'm becoming a real fan of Gail G. She uses a lot of familiar crosswordese, but clues them in an elegant manner... eg. ETE, SAN, EMIR, YMCA, and SHOUT. Then she spices it up with some fun street-talk... NO HOW, OUTTA SIGHT, U.S. OF A., LOL, SAY HI, and MY BAD.

The (landscape) theme was pretty good too.

Gotta get going! Have lots of gift cards to spend today.

And hey, Puzzlegirl, get over those sniffles! We miss your "sparkle".

Have a nice non-blue Monday, y'all!

C said...

Never heard of HOSTA so I learned something today which is good for a Monday.

I hope you feel better ASAP @PG.

RealDucky said...

Got lost in the NE corner, was certain that "ribbon" was correct, suffered a brain fart until I tried "hatpin", then..VOILA!, the rest fell into place.

Get well wishes, PG, from the duck

mac said...

Wonderful puzzle, especially liked the contemporary feel of it. And she had a baseball clue!

Hat tiepin before hatpin.

Get better, PG!

Tinbeni said...

@sfingi
My recommendation would be PINCH.

It cure's all my ills.

Vega said...

SO smooth. I loved the theme answers and plan to bring back OUTTASIGHT. And "far out." I agree that USOFA doesn't work for "where DC is."

Sorry you're under the weather, PuzzleGirl. Feel better soon.

Rex Parker said...

No wonder you don't return my emails! :) This seemed fine. Harder than the NYT, but not hard. OUTLOOK seems like the place from which you see a VISTA, a SCENE, a VIEW, etc... so I don't like it. Or maybe I'm thinking of LOOKOUT. Nonetheless, OUTLOOK really doesn't go with the rest.

OUTRE for WEIRD. Else, no real trouble.

rp

Anonymous said...

hosta? That's one worth a small comment from the Queen of the Cross, but she's sick. I hope not seriously. Get well soon.

JOHNSNEVERHOME said...

@C
@ANON12:30

HOSTA

We have a huge collection of beautiful HOSTAs here at the Morton Arboretum.