6.05.2011

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).

12 comments:

Gareth Bain said...

After 4 weeks working in the production animal medicine clinic this vet student was also going to delight in this puzzle! Fun puns. Not even ending with roggs xing omari can stop me from giving this a 2 thumbs up!

Vega said...

The write-up was as fun as the puzzle today! I think Doug covered most everything I enjoyed about this one. And no, "Lethal Weapon" did not age well.

Anonymous said...

Funnest puzzle ever. Will relax this Sunday listening to "mooed music."

Rube said...

Great puzzle, great puns, great clues. Had Oneida before OSWEGO among other mistakes, but DNG. Which is rare for me as I usually get restless and want to get the puzzle over with. Next to last letter was the "U" of DIEU. Last letter was, like @Gareth, changing RaGGS to RIGGS. Should have guessed better... (think Diana Rigg as an Avenger).

Anonymous said...

The editors of this puzzle sure messed up on 91Down. The answer to "Barefoot Contessa star" is certainly not (AVA) Gardner. Her name is Ina Garten, people! Ava Gardner was a movie actress. Sheesh!
Sue

Anonymous said...

Well, I have to eat my words and retract that last post. Apparently there are two "barefoot contessa"s. The old movie with Ava Gardner, and the current TV show on the Food Network with chef Ina Garten. For me it was a trick question, and it got me! LOL
Sue

John Lampkin said...

Hey Doug-- ! A CUD ABOVE THE REST is dynamite. Next time I'll call you first!

Thanks all for the kind words.

Don said...

I have never commented but read them daily. Had to write today to say I throughly enjoyed this puzzle and Dougs writeup. Thank you John and Doug.

Dave in Bend, OR said...

Gareth thanks for YOUR entry yesterday! Nice work. Did you see the write ups? I did not return to see if you commented.

Tuttle said...

64D is an oddity. In the original 1928 production of The Threepenny Opera the actress who portrayed Low-Dive Jenny billed herself as Lotte Lenja, but when she reprised the role and won a Tony in 1956 she went by Lotte LENYA.

Would have been a lot easier if it'd been clued "Rosa Klebbs portrayer" ;)

Alicia said...

But 91d is still wrong! If the answer is Ava, the last name has to be Gardner, not GARTEN! That Barefoot Contessa is Ina. Worked all week on that area before discovering the authors mistake! Bummer.

PuzzleGirl said...

91D: "The Barefoot Contessa" star Gardner = AVA. AVA Gardner starred in the movie "The Barefoot Contessa." Really not sure what the issue is here.