8.25.2011

08.25 Thu

T H U R S D A Y
August 25, 2011
David Poole


Theme: Wall Street Puns — Familiar finance-industry phrases are clued as if they're not related to the finance industry.

Theme answers:

  • 20A: Chicken, beef, or fish? (STOCK OPTION).
  • 58A: Expensive bottle of wine? (LIQUID ASSET).
  • 11D: Shop specializing in Winnie the Pooh merchandise? (BEAR MARKET).
  • 29D: Money set aside for garden mazes? (HEDGE FUNDS).
Quick write-up today. I was up way too late last night (I was awake for the aftershocks! Crazy!) and have a lot to get to today. I guess I better batten down the hatches around here. I don't really know what that means, but it sounds like what you should do to prepare for a hurricane, right?

Another serviceable puzzle today. Nothing to write home about. I have to wonder if today's climate is a good one for being nonchalant about the stock market. I'm thinking not so much. Plus how fresh and colorful are these theme answers? Answer: Not fresh and/or colorful at all. The sparkle in this puzzle comes from a couple of the non-theme answers: SKELETON, VERONICA, and CORNROW (51A: Word with crew or key / 5D: Archie's heartthrob / 9D: Tight braid).

Bullets:
  • 5A: Globetrotter's need (VISA). Me: "Basketball?"
  • 48A: Gin maker Whitney (ELI). ELI Whitney. Not that kind of gin!
  • 53A: Gridiron call (OFFSIDE). If I ever start feeling cocky, like I know what's going on in one of the PuzzleKids' soccer game, I just have to wait for the next OFFSIDE call because I don't understand that At All.
  • 7D: Diamonds, but not emeralds (SUIT). Cute clue.
  • 42D: "__ With Morrie": Albom best-seller (TUESDAYS). I read a Mitch Albom book once for a book club. The best thing I can say about it is that it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
  • 52D: German sub? (ERSATZ). It's a German word and it means "sub" (substitute).
Crosswordese 101 Round-up:
  • 16A: Curved moldings (OGEES).
  • 48A: Gin maker Whitney (ELI).
  • 13D: German steel town (ESSEN).
  • 38D: Joyce's homeland (ERIN).
  • 47D: Hip bones (ILIA).
Follow PuzzleGirl65 on Twitter

Everything 1A: Beatles film (HELP); 5A: Globetrotter's need (VISA); 9A: TV choice (CABLE); 14A: x, y and z, in math (AXES); 15A: Israel's Barak (EHUD); 16A: Curved moldings (OGEES); 17A: Hard to spot (TINY); 18A: Muddy up (ROIL); 19A: Chestnut-hued horses (ROANS); 20A: Chicken, beef, or fish? (STOCK OPTION); 23A: Bar order (RYE); 24A: Sweetie (HON); 25A: Three-time Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film (BERGMAN); 27A: Saw (APHORISM); 32A: Membership list (ROTA); 33A: Slangy morning cup (JOE); 34A: Tabloid exclusive (SCOOP); 36A: Inferior (WORSE); 39A: Director of the last episode of "M*A*S*H" (ALDA); 41A: Concerning (ABOUT); 43A: Hershey's toffee bar (SKOR); 44A: First name in daytime TV (REGIS); 46A: World-weariness (ENNUI); 48A: Gin maker Whitney (ELI); 49A: Jazz and swing periods (ERAS); 51A: Word with crew or key (SKELETON); 53A: Gridiron call (OFFSIDE); 56A: Respectful title (SIR); 57A: French vineyard (CRU); 58A: Expensive bottle of wine? (LIQUID ASSET); 64A: River including Livingstone Falls (CONGO); 66A: Major in astronomy? (URSA); 67A: Balm ingredient (ALOE); 68A: Milk dispenser (UDDER); 69A: Hardly handsome (UGLY); 70A: Loads (TONS); 71A: Run for the __: Kentucky Derby (ROSES); 72A: Understands (SEES); 73A: Gusto (ZEST); 1D: Boaters and bowlers (HATS); 2D: Auditorium sign (EXIT); 3D: "Leading With My Chin" author (LENO); 4D: Film with a creepy motel owner (PSYCHO); 5D: Archie's heartthrob (VERONICA); 6D: Denny's competitor (IHOP); 7D: Diamonds, but not emeralds (SUIT); 8D: Robin Williams forte (AD LIB); 9D: Tight braid (CORNROW); 10D: Gone by (AGO); 11D: Shop specializing in Winnie the Pooh merchandise? (BEAR MARKET); 12D: Lotte who played Rosa Klebb in "From Russia With Love" (LENYA); 13D: German steel town (ESSEN); 21D: Fashion designer Michael (KORS); 22D: Anthem contraction (O'ER); 26D: Pontiac muscle cars (GTO'S); 27D: Slightly cracked (AJAR); 28D: Angler's need (POLE); 29D: Money set aside for garden mazes? (HEDGE FUNDS); 30D: Drink brand with a lizard logo (SOBE); 31D: Mars pair (MOONS); 35D: __ rock (PUNK); 37D: Alone (SOLO); 38D: Joyce's homeland (ERIN); 40D: Ostentatious behavior (AIRS); 42D: "__ With Morrie": Albom best-seller (TUESDAYS); 45D: Salts on the ocean (SAILORS); 47D: Hip bones (ILIA); 50D: Star Wars prog. (SDI); 52D: German sub? (ERSATZ); 53D: Present itself, as a thought (OCCUR); 54D: Tolkien ringbearer (FRODO); 55D: 1975 Tony-winning play about a stableboy (EQUUS); 59D: The munchies, e.g. (URGE); 60D: Cruise stop (ISLE); 61D: Dark purple fruit (SLOE); 62D: Eternities, seemingly (EONS); 63D: Midterm or final (TEST); 65D: "Golly!" ("GEE!").

21 comments:

Sfingi said...

Clever double meanings.

Several writeovers, otherwise, fine for a Thurs. No Googling.

Had gEtS before SEES, wOrm before POLE, exam before TEST.

Minimal sports. Didn't know Mr. KORS.

Matthew said...

Kind of a meh puzzle today, I thought. Liked "veronica", and really liked "aphorism". "Equus" was fairly unique as well. Sad, but the only reason I knew that was because of the recent revivial starring Harry Potter. Had never heard of the play prior to that. Did not like having both "eras" and "eons" in the same puzzle, especially since both were plurals. Yuck.

Anonymous said...

Easy Thursday.

Anonymous said...

Wanted to ask how "saw" is an aphorism?

Dr. Roget said...

Anon 7:54: Let me Google that for you!

*David* said...

I was meh at the beginning but I finally came over to the other side since I did like the theme and it felt fresh for the LAT. Those puzzlemakers must be so happy to be able to use fill like EQUUS, those two Us are diamonds.

Tuttle said...

Only real annoyance was that "sub" is an abbrev. while ERSATZ is not. Put in 'plum' instead of SLOE at first... a SLOE is a kind of plum so it was correct, just didn't work.

Here's a joke by Ingmar BERGMAN: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmA7MkAjOiA

MPPuzzler said...

Pretty easy for a Thursday, I thought. You gotta have a sense of humor about the stock market, otherwise it'll eat you alive.

@Tuttle - thanks for the Ingmar Bergman joke. Took a while, but well worth the wait.

Golfballman said...

Hain't buying axes in place of axis for a math definition. Why have a puzzle editor if he can't catch those mistakes? Yeah I know or suppose if you go deep enough in some dictionary youi'll find alt. spelling. I've been doing X-words for 50 years and never seen anybody try to slip axes for axis before.










x-words

Mr. Webster said...

The plural of axis is AXES as the clue connotates which is used in crossword puzzles many a time. You need to get out more!

CP said...

FRODO again, how about dat. Pretty staright forward puzzle for a Thursday. Fair amount of crosswordese.
Like the financial theme. Hum...why not a theme on the financial misdeeds of the past decade?

BTW, who was Jughead's girlfriend?

Ron Worden said...

Are we grinding some axes today? Pretty easy for a thursday. Did not like the 53A answer normaly it is referenced in the plural even by the gridiron officials as offsides,but I guess I am being nitpicky. For P.G. offsides in soccer is when the forwards in the attacking zone are between the defense and the goal when the ball is passed to them.

Anonymous said...

Not too bad for a Thursday. I likes how we had KORS(21D) and SKOR (43A) and the shout out to REGIS(44A) who turned 80 today!

JIMMIE said...

@anon7:54, think "old saw" as an aphorism.

Didn't know KORS, SKOR, SOBE, or LENYA, but didn't need to. Noticed GEE and OGEES, ERAS and EONS, KORS and SKOR. No googles needed, which means it was an easy thursday.

John Wolfenden said...

I thought "Diamonds, but not emeralds" for SUIT was pretty sparkly.

I believe the ALDA-directed final episode of MASH still holds the all-time record for viewership. I remember thinking what an odd choice it was to drop the laugh track.

I took an officiating course for Youth League Soccer a few weeks ago, so I understand offsides much better than I did. The tricky part is that a player can be in offsides position as long as he or she isn't involved in the play.

hebow44 said...

A fun puzzle for me usually only get 2/3 of Thursdays. I had a DNF because I didn't run through all the vowels for s_it (diamond not emerald) ... just a,e,i & oh I guess I was too immature after that. Just like yesterday and Black ball ... I had e_ _ ht but took forever to get the pool reference. Is there a difference between billiards and pool?

Reggie said...

CP,
If you asked Archie, he would say no one, but if you asked Jughead himself, he might say it was Betty (or at least he wishes it was).
However, if you asked Big Ethel, she would say it was her.
I personally think he has a thing for Hot Dog, but who knows with that guy. He can sure pack it away, though (food, I mean).

rc said...

@PG,forget about the hatches just get out!!Be safe,please,oh and did I miss the writeup about the lollapuzzle? I know you're busy so no pressure, I just love reading everything you write! If anyone can tell me where there is one, I'd be ever grateful. Thanks

Sfingi said...

@Anon754 - an "old saw" is an old saying.

@Not to be too obnoxious - though some say I am, but modifying the word "unique" is a pet peeve of mine. It's not allowed - not that any national speakers pay any attention to me.

CP said...

@Reggie (Mantle).
Beautiful. Considering you're one of Juggie's best friends, you would know best. Guess he turns to food for comfort, not to the ladies. Poor hot dog.

CFXK said...

The soccer offside is not hard to understand -- but it always gets over-explained. Once you get someone to explain it to you in its beautiful simplicity, you'll have no trouble seeing it again.