06.05 Sun

S U N D A Y
June 5, 2011
John Lampkin

[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: "Low and Behold" — Bovine puns that are a cud above the rest.

Theme Entries:

• 27A: Farm vet's reference? (GRAZE ANATOMY).
• 51A: Milkmaid? (THE UDDER WOMAN).
• 89A: Calf's folks (MA AND PA CATTLE).
• 112A: Where orphans go while their adoptive moms give milk? (DOGIE DAY CARE).
• 14D: Santa's backup bovines? (SLEIGH BULLS).
• 16D: Expensive cuts? (HIGH STEAKS).
• 67D: Bovine hitmen? (COWS OF DEATH).
• 73D: Easy listening in the pasture? (MOOED MUSIC).

Hey, crossword fans. Doug here. Fun puzzle today from John Lampkin. I enjoy a good punny theme on a Sunday. A couple to make you laugh, a couple to make you groan. Good stuff. THE UDDER WOMAN & COWS OF DEATH were my favorites. Plenty of cool entries in the rest of the grid too. I especially liked the pair of 8-letter entries in the middle: YOU DA MAN & THWACKED. Let's see what else is in there.

Bullets:

• 1A: Bovine milieu (RANCH). Hey, 1-Across fits the theme. Cool.
• 6A: Pasture units (ACRES). Wow, the next answer also goes with the theme.
• 11A: Terrible twos types (TOTS). Reminds me of tater tots, and potatoes grow on farms. And cows live on farms, right? OK, maybe this one has nothing to do with the theme.

• 20A: The Pemaquid Point Light is on its state quarter (MAINE). John provided a photograph to accompany this entry. He took the picture last Labor Day weekend. He was either in Maine or he has an excellent telescopic lens. That photo would make a great jigsaw puzzle.
• 25A: Tribe affiliated with the Missouria (OTOE). Here's an informative Crosswordese 101 write-up by PuzzleGirl on the OTOE (sometimes spelled OTO). Bonus: if you go to that post & scroll down a little, you'll see a sexy picture of Leif Garrett.
• 30A: Wings choice (SPICY HOT). Love this entry.
• 54A: Fish alternative? (CUT BAIT). Fish or cut bait. Something you say to someone when you want them to make up their freaking mind.
• 84A: "The Way We ___" (WERE) / 85A: The way we word (SYNTAX). Now that's a cute pair of clues.
• 94A: Avis output (OVA). Avis is Latin for bird. Ova is Latin for eggs.
• 104A: "___ House": 1970 CSNY hit (OUR). I don't know this CSNY song. The only "Our House" I know is in the middle of our street.

• 1D: "Lethal Weapon" cop (RIGGS). I can't remember if that was the Mel Gibson character or the Danny Glover character. That movie series hasn't aged well, has it?

• 47D: Curly poker (MOE). I've seen this clue before, but it's worth seeing again.
• 49D: Godot's god (DIEU). Never actually seen or read this play. But I've watched Moe poke Curly hundreds of times.
• 93D: Browning gadget (TOASTER). When there are a lot of tricky clues in a puzzle, sometimes I start to overthink. For example, on this one I wondered what kind of gadget poet Robert Browning would use. A Rhymemaster 2000?

• 103D: Job that doesn't pay? (CRIME). Crossword constructor wouldn't fit.
• 111D: :, in analogies (IS TO). They dropped the analogies section from the SAT a few years ago. That's too bad. It was my favorite part. Here's one that PuzzleGirl will enjoy. Dan Gable : Wrestling :: Michael Jordan : Basketball. See how the colon stands for "is to"?

OK, it's a beautiful day, so I'm outta here. See you all next week.

Everything Else — 15A: Crack in a lip (CHAP); 19A: Fine Japanese porcelain (IMARI); 21A: Throw (HURL); 22A: 1953 Original Music Score Oscar-winning film (LILI); 23A: Alluded to (GOTAT); 24A: Skirt (EVADE); 26A: Long look at a looker (OGLE); 32A: Elite (SELECT); 33A: Perp chaser, with "the" (LAW); 34A: New York city or county (OSWEGO); 36A: Where the bucket slops? (STY); 37A: Pueblo people (HOPIS); 39A: __ Brasi, "The Godfather" hatchet man (LUCA); 40A: Offend (HURT); 42A: Type (SORT); 46A: Casino roller (DIE); 47A: Berlin's "Call Me __" (MADAM); 48A: Procreates (BREEDS); 55A: Fine fiddles (AMATIS); 56A: Sheet purchase (REAM); 57A: Email letters (AOL); 58A: Arcade game starter (SKEE); 59A: Guitar string choice (NYLON); 60A: Uni- + uni- + uni- (TRI); 62A: Log processor (SAWMILL); 65A: Logical conclusion? (SUM); 66A: Loser's demand (RECOUNT); 69A: Ratings name (NIELSEN); 71A: Father of the bride's offering (ARM); 74A: Exactly correct (SO RIGHT); 76A: Pharm. receipts (RXS); 77A: Crier of Greek myth (NIOBE); 81A: B&B offering (ROOM); 83A: Colorless (WAN); 86A: The way we word (SYNTAX); 87A: Imprudent (FOOLISH); 92A: Nautical patron (ST. ELMO); 93A: Nautical maneuvers (TACKS); 95A: Nautical storage (HOLD); 96A: Like heedless ears (DEAF); 97A: Stately trees (OAKS); 98A: Pang of conscience (QUALM); 100A: Improvise with the band (JAM); 102A: Jewel box (CD CASE); 105A: Like feet of no concern to a podiatrist? (IAMBIC); 110A: Squad cars (CRUISERS); 115A: Revolutionary sewer (ROSS); 116A: River islets (AITS); 118A: Assertion of faith (CREDO); 119A: Filmmaker Welles (ORSON); 120A: Exude (EMIT); 121A: Tax evasion investigators (T-MEN); 122A: Jackson Hole's county (TETON); 123A: Wet season events (RAINS); 124A: City on the Brazos (WACO); 125A: Rescuer, e.g. (HERO); 126A: AARP and NAACP (ASSNS.); 127A: Meaning (SENSE); 2D: Sardinian passion (AMORE); 3D: Birth-related (NATAL); 4D: Fad (CRAZE); 5D: Like "CSI" procedures (HITECH); 6D: Call from the flock (AMEN); 7D: Supercilious (CAVALIER); 8D: Vaqueros' ropes (RIATAS); 9D: Provide with funding (ENDOW); 10D: Appear (SEEM); 11D: Small but (THO); 12D: Beat in an individual medley (OUTSWAM); 13D: Figure of speech (TROPE); 15D: Overdo the sweetness (CLOY); 17D: Distribute (ALLOT); 18D: Religious devotion (PIETY); 28D: Disagreeing like bookies? (ATODDS); 29D: "Way to go, bro!" ("YOU DA MAN!"); 31D: Place to press a suit? (COURT); 35D: Scrutinize (SCAN); 38D: Graphic symbol (PIE); 39D: Asian teachers (LAMAS); 41D: CSA soldiers (REBS); 42D: Baseball's Musial (STAN); 43D: "Heavens to Betsy!" ("OH MY!"); 44D: Down-to-earth (REAL); 45D: Aid for a struggling student (TUTOR); 50D: Watch projection (STEM); 52D: Sups (DINES); 53D: Twist and squeeze (WRING); 54D: Helices (COILS); 57D: Green-card maker (AMEX); 60D: Numbers is part of it (TORAH); 61D: Trash (RUIN); 63D: Sent a message to, old-style (WIRED); 64D: "The Threepenny Opera" star (LENYA); 68D: Rapped with something flat (THWACKED); 70D: Climactic inning, often (NINTH); 71D: Barking sounds (ARFS); 72D: Tree anchor (ROOT); 75D: Hardwood trees (TEAKS); 78D: German aviation pioneer Lilienthal (OTTO); 79D: Black eight, e.g. (BALL); 80D: Struck (out) (EXED); 82D: Fr. miss (MLLE.); 85D: Some OR staffers (RN'S); 86D: Longest-serving current Supreme Court justice (SCALIA); 88D: Desktop models (IMACS); 89D: Serpico's biographer (MAAS); 90D: Covered with liberally, as a liquid (POURED ON); 91D: "The Barefoot Contessa" star Gardner (AVA); 98D: Calms (QUIETS); 99D: City chiefs (MAYORS); 100D: Polo competitor (J CREW); 101D: Scent (AROMA); 104D: Shrek and Fiona (OGRES); 106D: Bluesy Carmen (MCRAE); 107D: "__ Street Blues": Dixieland classic (BASIN); 108D: Fairway choices (IRONS); 109D: Burn sandalwood, say (CENSE); 113D: Tetra- + tetra- (OCTA-); 114D: Family heads (DONS); 117D: Cone head? (SNO).