08.20 Sat

S A T U R D A Y
August 20, 2011
Doug Peterson

Theme: None — Cuz, ya know, it's Saturday

So yesterday was really not my favorite day so far. First, I dropped the PuzzleKids off at camp and went to work. Then I figured out how to get my van home from the shop even though PuzzleHusband is out of town. So far so good, right? Yeah. At the end of the day, I grab the kids and race home to meet the landlord who's coming over to fix the air conditioning. Poor PuzzleSon is kind of staggering around — he didn't sleep well because he has swimmer's ear and it hurts. I make some small talk with the landlord and finally get him out of here so I can address PuzzleDaughter's lice issue. We're a couple minutes into applying the lice shampoo aaaand … the power goes out. Did I mention that I haven't made dinner yet and it's almost 8:00? So, yeah, not the best day really. The power did eventually come back on in the middle of the night, but I had given up and gone to bed. Oh, and I"m supposed to leave this morning at 8:00 to shuttle the kids to the PuzzleParents with whom they're going to spend the next couple of weeks. (I guess that's a good news. Did I just say that out loud?) All that to say that I don't have much time this morning. And I just spent a bunch of it whining. Hey, that's how I roll. (P.S. Sorry if your head is itching now.)

Super hard puzzle this morning, right? I ended up with a DNF because I've never heard of TANGANYIKA (12D: It merged with Zanzibar in 1964). I guessed an E where that second N was supposed to go. If I had run the alphabet I might have figured out that N worked with the cross and was a better choice, but I just didn't have time.

Not too much other stuff that I just flat-out didn't know:

• 15A: Muse of sacred music (POLYHYMNIA). Although after it's in it looks kinda appropriate.
• 53A: __ Bacon: "East of Eden" character (ABRA). Who knew?
• 46D: Wedding announcement (BANNS). I have no idea what this means.

There was a lot that was fun to SUSS out (20A: Puzzle (out)):

• 17A: Does a bit of informal polling (ASKS AROUND). Awesome colloquial phrase with a great clue.
• 21A: Model born Lesley Hornby (TWIGGY). I didn't know her name, but the TW gave it away.

• 33A: Texas Rangers CEO (NOLAN RYAN). When I saw "Rangers," I immediately thought "hockey" and knew there was no way I would know this answer. With a couple crosses in place, I realized we were talking about baseball. Whew!
• 36A: Story writer/poet Grace who studied with Auden (PALEY). Story writer? That makes her seem kinda lightweight (which she's not).
• 38A: Honey Ryder and Xenia Onatopp, e.g. (BOND GIRLS). Those Bond Girls have the stupidest names.
• 26D: Dow 30 company (EXXON MOBIL). Got the two Xs in place pretty early, so this one basically wrote itself in.

Wish I could hang out longer, but we need to get this show on the road. I know there's a ton of stuff to talk about today. Have fun in the comments!



Everything — 1A: They're dirty pool (CHEAP SHOTS); 11A: WNBA positions (CTRS.); 15A: Muse of sacred music (POLYHYMNIA); 16A: Brest milk (LAIT); 17A: Does a bit of informal polling (ASKS AROUND); 18A: Paquin of "True Blood" (ANNA); 19A: Note (SEE); 20A: Puzzle (out) (SUSS); 21A: Model born Lesley Hornby (TWIGGY); 23A: Equinox mo. (SEP.); 24A: Accepted (NORMAL); 25A: "GoodFellas" Oscar winner (PESCI); 28A: Reckon, in the boonies (S'POSE); 30A: OR abbr. (NEG.); 32A: One who's done stretches? (EX-CON); 33A: Texas Rangers CEO (NOLAN RYAN); 35A: Leap on blades (AXEL); 36A: Story writer/poet Grace who studied with Auden (PALEY); 37A: Classic Leontyne Price role (AIDA); 38A: Honey Ryder and Xenia Onatopp, e.g. (BOND GIRLS); 40A: Out of line (ASKEW); 41A: Inseparable (ONE); 42A: Some rectangular bars (OLEOS); 43A: Feinting spells? (SPARS); 44A: Ore.'s highest point (MT. HOOD); 46A: Broker's advice (BUY); 47A: Any regular on "The View" (COHOST); 48A: Numbers for closers (ERAS); 50A: Cone head? (SNO-); 53A: __ Bacon: "East of Eden" character (ABRA); 54A: Got at (INSINUATED); 57A: Structure on piles (PIER); 58A: "When pigs fly!" ("NOT ON A DARE!"); 59A: More than asked (PLED); 60A: Safari sights (GRASSLANDS); 1D: They're no. experts (CPA'S); 2D: It may wind up around the house (HOSE); 3D: Paul's "The Prize" co-star (ELKE); 4D: Bard's interjections (AYS); 5D: Introduce by degrees (PHASE IN); 6D: Stack sweetener (SYRUP); 7D: GP gps. (HMO'S); 8D: Weight (ONUS); 9D: Can across the pond (TIN); 10D: "I'm afraid the news is not good ..." ("SAD TO SAY …"); 11D: One may be filed (CLAIM); 12D: It merged with Zanzibar in 1964 (TANGANYIKA); 13D: Gangbuster's target (RING LEADER); 14D: Inn time (STAY); 22D: Singer of complex songs (WREN); 23D: Baste (SCOLD); 24D: Phrase of emphasis (NO LESS); 25D: R&B singer Bryson (PEABO); 26D: Dow 30 company (EXXON MOBIL); 27D: When, in Act Two of "Macbeth," the Porter knocks at the gate (SCENE THREE); 28D: Caught (SNARED); 29D: Taquería meat (POLLO); 31D: Irritates, with "at" (GNAWS); 34D: Far from mellifluous (RASPY); 36D: At the helm of (PILOTING); 39D: Nursery sounds (GOOS); 40D: Like much business? (AS USUAL); 45D: Put away (HOARD); 46D: Wedding announcement (BANNS); 47D: Stupefyin' Jones creator (CAPP); 48D: First-year Spanish verb (ESTÁ); 49D: Mexican waterways (RIOS); 50D: Persian for "place of" (STAN); 51D: One needing social work? (NERD); 52D: Confucius's "Book of __" (ODES); 55D: Bergen's home: Abbr. (NOR.); 56D: Org. working on bridges (ADA).

07.09 Sat

S A T U R D A Y
July 9, 2011
Doug Peterson

Theme: None

Good Saturday morning, everyone! PuzzleHusband was out of town on business all week and just got back last night. I'm posting a little late today because I decided when he got home that I would pay some attention to him instead of writing the blog. I hope that doesn't hurt your feelings. Fun puzzle today, right? ….

This is a super solid themeless from the inimitable Doug Peterson (a/k/a my Fake Crossword Boyfriend, so don't expect a lot of griping today). Two corners of this grid are really outstanding. Who's not gonna love a triple stack of 10s that looks like BASS GUITAR / ACTION HERO / CHOCOHOLIC (1A: It may be picked / 15A: Sly role, as a rule / 17A: One who might steal kisses). I'm picturing a Rambo-lookin' dude with his ax in one hand and a brownie in the other. I guess he's ready to, I don't know, play a wedding reception? Hey, you never know. I can totally picture an action movie wedding reception scene with guys in tuxes mowing everyone down with machine guns. Luckily, Rambo Bassman has some grenades stashed in his amp. Or something. So, yeah, that's the first awesome corner. The other one is the double 10s in the southeast of BANGLADESH and OZYMANDIAS (26D: East Pakistan, today / 27D: Sonnet likely inspired by Ramses the Great). I've heard the word OZYMANDIAS before but had no idea what it meant. Apparently, it's another name for Ramses the Great who is featured in a sonnet by Percy Shelley that is actually kind of depressing, being about the inevitable decline of empires and all.

The parts of the grid that correspond symmetrically to those awesome corners are just okay. THE BEE GEES (52A: "You Should Be Dancing" group) is a fun entry and looks wild with all those Es, but ESTIMATING and STATEMENTS just kind of sit there (56A: Trying to get close to / 58A: Cops often take them at crime scenes). The two 11s going across the middle of the grid — RAZOR BLADES (30A: Shadow removers) and HULA DANCERS (38A: Sinuous storytellers) — are pretty sparkly, though. Just as an aside, "sinuous" is a weird word, isn't it?

Bullets:

• 23A: Certain surfer's power source (KITE). I admit it. I do not know what this means.
• 40A: One of the noble metals (PLATINUM). So when you come across some PLATINUM don't forget to curtsy.

• 42A: Champion, for one (HORSE). Hmmmm. Whose horse is Champion? I'm gonna guess Roy Rogers. To the Internet! … Oh man, Gene Autry. So close!
• 43A: Absinthe flavorings (ANISES). This is an ugly plural. Especially because it crosses with the another ugly plural: LULUS (32D: Corkers). Sorry, Doug. I calls 'em as I sees 'em.
• 5D: More likely to ooze (GOOPIER). Now this, on the other hand, is all kindsa awesome. GOOPIER was the first word that came to my mind when I read this clue.
• 6D: Like a pitch that's taken, ironically (UNHIT). Great clue. When a batter "takes a pitch," it means he purposely doesn't swing at it. It's a strategic move that's used for a couple different reasons. I think the most common one is to give an on-base runner a chance to steal.

• 8D: Tubby leader? (TELE-). So funny. I was thinking the answer would be the name of one of the TELEtubbies. And, yes, it only took me about two seconds to run through all their names and realize none of them would fit. Pretty sad.
• 10D: Pink Floyd's "The Wall," e.g. (ROCK OPERA). Quick, what other ROCK OPERAs can you name? I can think of … one. There must be more though.
• 12D: Chewed on (MULLED OVER). I am a big fan of MULLing stuff OVER. I really hate making quick decisions. And, honestly, I think I started seeing the benefit of MULLing from doing lots of crossword puzzles. You know how you get to a point where the puzzle looks impossible but when you put it down and come back to it later it practically fills itself in? I figure that has something to do with how the brain works, so I like to give my brain a chance to do that same kind of work on other kinds of problems. And this concludes the life coaching section of the blog today.
• 45D: "I'm yours to command" ("USE ME"). Doug thought I would use a BEE GEES clip in today's post, but that would be a little too obvious, wouldn't it? Let's enjoy this awesome jam instead. If you have something against the funky, for God's sake don't click the play button.

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 18A: Protected from buffeting (ALEE).
• 33A: Treasure State motto word (ORO).
• 9D: 1968 newlywed, familiarly (ARI).
• 46D: Vigeland Sculpture Park city (OSLO).
• 53D: Fair Deal initials (HST).

Everything Else — 11A: Revival figs. (EMT'S); 16A: Fly on the river, perhaps (LURE); 19A: Shorten, in a way (HEW); 20A: Smoking choice (PIPE); 21A: Big name in test preparation (KAPLAN); 24A: Stands in a field? (COPSES); 25A: Choice cut (T-BONE); 28A: Dealt with loose ends (MOPPED UP); 34A: Intaglio stone (ONYX); 35A: Not as refined (RUDER); 36A: Times to get ready (EVES); 37A: "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." producer (MGM); 44A: Chicago's __ House (HULL); 46A: Out there to the max (ODDEST); 47A: Tightly (FAST); 48A: NASCAR no. (RPM); 51A: Doce halved (SEIS); 55A: Pre-bar letters (LSAT); 57A: Extremely (OH SO); 1D: "Little Organ Book" composer (BACH); 2D: Not quite smart? (ACHE); 3D: Put away (STOW); 4D: Disclaimer in a quote (SIC); 7D: "My wish is ..." ("I HOPE …"); 11D: Slip by (ELAPSE); 13D: Balancing pros (TREASURERS); 14D: Caught, in a way (SEEN); 22D: Useful downloads (APPS); 23D: First U.S. secretary of war (for whom a fort was named) (KNOX); 24D: Put into bars, say (CODED); 25D: Defeat badly (TROMP); 28D: Chair's title, at times (MADAM); 29D: Sheriff's outfit (POSSE); 31D: Gentlemen's second choices? (BRUNETTES); 36D: Sierra Club subj. (ECOL.); 38D: Sign of an escape? (HISS); 39D: Devils, e.g. (NHL TEAM); 41D: Words with organized crime (TIES TO); 44D: Order clothes (HABIT); 47D: Crumbly topping (FETA); 48D: Arabian checker (REIN); 49D: Shut (up) (PENT); 50D: In-box queue: Abbr. (MSGS.); 54D: Former comm. giant (GTE).

06.11 Sat

S A T U R D A Y
June 11, 2011
Doug Peterson & Barry C. Silk

Theme: None — Saturdays are traditionally themeless.

This one fell together for me exactly the way I like it to on a Saturday. (Except I kinda wish it was a little harder. Sorry!) I started reading through the across clues and didn't seem to know anything, but I picked away at it here and there until it was all filled in. Surprisingly, my first break came with what I think has to be the worst clue in the whole puzzle — 26A: Non-coml. interruption (PSA). For some reason, I didn't just breeze right past it like I usually do when it doesn't come to me right away. Instead, I sat there for a few seconds trying to figure out what the heck "coml." could possibly mean. I was actually making words up in my head: "Non-comeril? Non-comestible? Non-comlition?" Oh, "non-commercial." Big ugh to that. But it did give me some traction in a tough puzzle, so I guess I can't be too hard on it.

I had the most trouble in the northeast corner. Had I only known that OPHELIA was the 16A: Daughter of Polonius, I'm sure it all would have fallen into place easily but … I didn't. I also tried GET BACK for BACK OFF (8A: "That's too close!") and AMT for APR (9D: Loan letters). Who knew KEVIN Bacon was from Philly? (Oh yeah, Barry Silk did. Duh.) I put him in, took him out, put him back in. I thought, "No it couldn't be KEVIN Bacon. There must be some Founding Father named Bacon that I'm just not remembering…." Once I got BACK OFF into place, I tried OWEN for OLEN (12D: Author Robert __ Butler), so yeah, it was just a big mess up there for quite a while.

There wasn't much that I just flat-out didn't know: Both TRU and SUE were mysteries to me (41A: "__ Calling": 2003-'05 supernatural drama / 42A: Will's "Glee" adversary), but everything else was gettable. Other missteps for me included PULLS ON for YANKS ON (61A: Jerks, as a bell rope) and … I think that was about it. Oh wait, I misspelled MAGUIRE (22D: 1996 Cruise title role) at first, giving me TCT where TAT was supposed to be (29A: Body image, briefly). Awesome clue, by the way, and I don't think people will try to argue that TAT refers to making lace in this instance, although you never really know.

Bullets:

• 1A: Chia Pet, perhaps (GAG GIFT). I don't think I've ever seen an actual Chia Pet in real life. I guess maybe that's not a bad thing.
• 21A: Handles abroad (NOMS). NOMS is French (French!) for "names." Speaking of French (French!), we don't only have Normal French (Normal French!) in today's puzzle, we also have Science French (Science French!): 6D: Tableau Périodique #26 (FER).
• 38A: "Right on!" ("NOW YOU'RE TALKING!"). I say this all the time. You: "We have time to take a nap before dinner." Me: "Now you're talking!" You: "Let add some more butter to that." Me: "Now you're talking!"
• 44A: Word in some school names (PREP). This answer reminded me to check on the fate of a kids' show I like: "Tower PREP." Turns out it's not coming back. Suck.
• 5D: Song sung by Pinocchio (I'VE GOT NO STRINGS). Fun, fresh entry.

• 8D: Dizzy music? (BOP). I knew this clue was referring to Dizzy Gillespie but it was hard for me to go from the general JAZZ to the specific BOP.
• 10D: Lab synthesis substance (CHEMICAL REAGENT). This could have been anything and I wouldn't have gotten it. Anything.
• 11D: Bacon from Philadelphia (KEVIN). He was on "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" last weekend. Pretty funny. I met Paul Newman once. And he was in "Mr. and Mrs. Bridge" with Kyra Sedgwick. And she's married to KEVIN Bacon. So there: three degrees.
• 25D: Decorator's suggestion (AREA RUG). This tripped me up a little bit. I had the second AR in place so I thought the answer was going to be something-AREA. Took me a minute to flip that back around.

• 53D: Netherworld flower (STYX). I am so embarrassed to admit this to you, but this clue totally tricked me. Argh! I've seen this so many times! Damn you Doug and Barry! (For the uninitiated, you have to pronounce "flower" as in "something that flows.")

I'm off to New York to see StepPuzzleNiece in a play. Very excited to finally see her on stage. I hear she's spectacular. Of course, I hear that from her dad, but I'm pretty sure it's still true. And so I will leave you with my favorite row in this grid:

LYING TO HANNITY

(59A: Deceiving / 60A: Conservative commentator who wrote "Let Freedom Ring").

Doug will be with you tomorrow. I'll see you back here Monday.

[Follow PuzzleGirl on Twitter.]

Everything Else — 15A: Stop flowing, in a way (ICE OVER); 17A: Drawing room? (GALLERY); 18A: Foil (PREVENT); 19A: Security item (I.D. TAG); 20A: Fancy wraps (MINKS); 24A: Key (MAIN); 30A: __ lamp (ARC); 31A: American leader? (ALL-); 34A: Copyright, e.g. (INTANGIBLE ASSET); 39A: It can help you carry a tune (TRANSISTOR RADIO); 40A: Anthem elision (O'ER); 43A: Bill holder: Abbr. (ENV.); 45A: Quaint interjection (EGAD); 47A: "Romeo Must Die" star (JET LI); 50A: Power systems (GRIDS); 54A: Shake up (UNHINGE); 57A: Curse (SWEAR AT); 62A: Wind in a combo (ALTO SAX); 1D: 1958 film with the song "The Parisians" (GIGI); 2D: Sch. (ACAD.); 3D: Yiddish dough (GELT); 4D: __ Heights: disputed Mideast territory (GOLAN); 7D: Effort (TRY); 13D: Rat (FINK); 14D: Nuts are rich in them (FATS); 23D: Provokes (STIRS UP); 24D: Brewery sugar (MALTOSE); 26D: Mottled horse (PINTO); 27D: "Boring" (SNORE); 28D: Not just squabbling (AT WAR); 31D: Out of the way (ASIDE); 32D: Red head (LENIN); 33D: Statehouse official: Abbr. (LT. GOV.); 35D: First name in objectivism (AYN); 36D: It's made by one who doesn't go out (BET); 37D: Jamaican genre (SKA); 44D: Xylophone sound (PLINK); 46D: Liquid lye brand (DRANO); 47D: Pioneer Day month, in Utah (JULY); 48D: "Watermark" musician (ENYA); 49D: Watery (THIN); 51D: Romance novelist Johansen (IRIS); 52D: Excel fodder (DATA); 55D: Song from the same era as "Little Deuce Coupe" (GTO); 56D: Quite a stretch (EON); 57D: Oldie syllable (SHA); 58D: Retail store opening? (WAL-).

05.10 Tue

T U E S D A Y
May 10, 2011
Doug Peterson & Angela Olson Halsted

Theme: The Runs — Two theme answers are clued "Good place for a run" and two theme answers are clued "Bad place for a run."

Theme answers:

• 20A: Good place for a run (WRIGLEY FIELD).
• 34A: Bad place for a run (NATIONAL BANK).
• 41A: Good place for a run (VAIL, COLORADO).
• 56A: Bad place for a run (SILK STOCKING).

Happy Diez de Mayo, everyone! Your friendly neighborhood PuzzleHunk is back, this time with a review of a crossword co-constructed by our regular hosts, Doug and PuzzleGirl. Yes, the most exciting tag team since Larry Owings and Dan Gable is back with another fun puzzle. I guess they're too modest to brag about their own creation (unlike certain crossword bloggers), so they trusted me to steer the ship for the day. Ooh, what's that block of ice floating in the horizon? Hmm, let's get closer and find out!

The contrast between "good" and "bad" places for runs provided a nice balance, and alternating the "good" and "bad" places from top to bottom was an elegant touch. Sure, I didn't have to dig deeply to discover the theme, but the fact that this wasn't the usual game of "what do these long entries have in common" made the solving experience feel more unique and, thus, enjoyable. Had the puzzle been four "good places" or four "bad places," it would have felt much more stale. Instead, this one was kicked up a notch.

The theme entries themselves are also better than what I would expect for a puzzle with this theme. A duller puzzle would have used BASEBALL PARK instead of WRIGLEY FIELD, for example. Sure, Wrigley's a good place for a run only if you're a Cubs fan (or a fan of the visiting team, when it scores), but the answer's much more interesting and fun to figure out. The same goes for VAIL, COLORADO, a much livelier entry than MOUNTAIN SIDE (or some other 12-letter entry that refers to skiing).

The overall difficulty struck me as the perfect Tuesday puzzle. Were it not for some errors early on, I might have been able to finish in a normal Monday time. A Tuesday puzzle should have a couple of write-overs, though, so no complaints here. Thanks, Doug and PuzzleGirl, for the fresh approach and an entertaining solve!

Bullets:

• 5A: Dairy Queen treat (CONE). Ever try to make an eight-letter word (like, oh, say, maybe BLIZZARD) fit into four squares? It's not as easy as it looks.
• 23A: "Doesn't bother me" (I'M COOL). And I'm a sucker for multiple-word phrases in my grids.
• 29A: Lethargic (LOGY). Yogi was logy after eating a hoagie in the pic-a-nic basket he stole from an unsuspecting camper.
• 47A: Sweet companion (SOUR). Anyone else try SOFT at first? You know, as in "soft and sweet?" Anyone? (Sigh.)
• 2D: Provides with more heat? (RE-ARMS). Terrific clue (heat = guns).
• 6D: Passe wedding vow word (OBEY). Today we use "submit."
• 21D: Love interest in the song "Copacabana" (LOLA). Here's where my adoration of Barry Manilow works against me (well, here and at pickup bars). As any "Copacabana" fan knows, this could have just as easily been TONY or arguably even RICO. In fact, TONY is the better answer because the song is about Lola and Tony is her love interest.
• 31D: Chuckleheads (YOYOS). I just like to say "chucklehead" aloud--it makes me smile every time.
• 44D: Horn & Hardart eatery (AUTOMAT). I've heard of automats but never Horn & Hardart. Fortunately this was gettable from the crossings. This seems like the type of clue and entry that turns a Monday puzzle into a Tuesday puzzle.
• 59D: Chestnut's stablemate, perhaps (BAY). I so wanted HAY for the answer to this. It didn't occur to me until just now that BAY, like chestnut, is not just a hair coat color on a horse but also a term used to describe horses of that color. In other words, it's perfectly normal for horse people to refer to horses as "chestnuts" or "bays." But I still want the answer to be HAY. If only there was a football play called a HLITZ.

Crosswordese 201 Round-up:
(a little harder than your normal 101 lesson, but you're ready for it)

• 64A: Lofty abode (AERIE).
• 66A: Oklahoma tribe (OTOE).
• 22D: Sicilian volcano (ETNA).
• 33D: River through Aragon (EBRO). Aragon is a purty state. It's the one jes' northa Califore-nye-ay.

[Follow PuzzleGirl on Twitter.]
[Then follow PuzzleHunk on "America's Most Wanted."]

Everything Else-- 1A: Colorless (DRAB); 9A: 1972 Olympics star Mark (SPITZ); 14A: Get a better int. rate, perhaps (REFI); 15A: Genesis victim (ABEL); 16A: Hidden repository (CACHE); 17A: Qualify for (EARN); 18A: "Jeopardy!" creator Griffin (MERV); 19A: Clay who was the "Idol" runner-up to Ruben Studdard (AIKEN); 24A: Logo on many a Richard Petty race car (STP); 25A: Inventor Whitney (ELI); 28A: Bug-loving org. (NSA); 32A: Schindler portrayer (NEESON); 36A: Raced (TORE); 39A: Reuben bread (RYE); 40A: Hairpieces, slangily (RUGS); 46A: "Portnoy's Complaint" writer Roth (PHILIP); 48A: Aptly named Quaker cereal (OHS); 51A: Gloomy guy (GUS); 52A: Eastern philosophy (TAO); 54A: Danshui River capital (TAIPEI); 59A: It might end in a sack (BLITZ); 62A: Molecule part (ATOM); 63A: Singer with Crosby and Stills (NASH); 65A: Discipline with poses (YOGA); 67A: Long (for) (YEARN); 68A: Hostage-rescue acronym (SWAT); 69A: Travel (WEND); 1D: Attracted (DREWIN); 3D: #1 Toto song that mentions Kilimanjaro (AFRICA); 4D: Game played in a hall (BINGO); 5D: Arthur's castle (CAMELOT); 7D: Soft ball (NERF); 8D: Lisa Marie's dad (ELVIS); 9D: "Going under the knife" knife (SCALPEL); 10D: What dues need to be (PAID); 11D: "Gross!" (ICK); 12D: Pop __ question (THE); 13D: Meditative sect (ZEN); 25D: Biblical twin (ESAU); 26D: __ Island (LONG); 27D: Signs, as a deal (INKS); 30D: "The __ With the Dragon Tattoo" (GIRL); 34D: 1994 role for Jodie (NELL); 35D: Fiddling emperor (NERO); 36D: Common sitcom rating (TVPG); 37D: Honolulu's island (OAHU); 38D: Reformer Jacob (RIIS); 42D: Inhabitant (CITIZEN); 43D: Autumn birthstone (OPAL); 45D: Neck-biting nickname (DRAC); 48D: Morphine or codeine, e.g. (OPIATE); 49D: Muppet man (HENSON); 50D: Sounded relieved (SIGHED); 53D: Signs off on (OKAYS); 55D: "You don't have to remind me" (IKNOW); 56D: Cooking instruction (STIR); 57D: Pack away (STOW); 58D: Forum attire (TOGA); 60D: Wrangler competitor (LEE); 61D: 401(k) alternative, for short (IRA).

04.03 Sun

S U N D A Y
April 3, 2011 (syndicated)
Doug Peterson

[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: "The Play's the Thing" - 8 familiar playthings immortalized together are brought together again in this puzzle.

Theme answers:

• 23A: *They're educational and stakable (ALPHABET BLOCKS).
• 38A: *Construction set invented by Frank Lloyd Wright's son (LINCOLN LOGS).
• 47A: *Street hockey gear (ROLLER SKATES).
• 91A: *Shipping container (CARDBOARD BOX).
• 98A: *Dual-knobbed drawing device (ETCH A SKETCH).
• 119A: *Kindergartner's boxful (CRAYOLA CRAYONS).
• 15D: *Board game with color-coded cards (CANDY LAND).
• 81D: *Cuddly bedmate (TEDDY BEAR).
• 68A: Rochester, N.Y., institution whose inductees include the eight answers to the starred clues (NATIONAL TOY HALL OF FAME).

Hi, everybody! Neville here, sitting in for Doug. Why? Because he wrote this puzzle - you read the byline, didn't you? You might remember me for a few puzzles that I've had in the LA Times. Or not - I'm certainly not as prolific as Doug, who's had nearly 30 puzzles in the LA Times since this blog started up! Wow! Doug is one of my favorite constructors, and I'm pleased to make my debut here as a guest blogger on a Peterson puzzle.

Do you ever get lucky when solving a puzzle? I got lucky this time - I remembered a Sporcle quiz I played a little while back also based on this subject. Go give it a shot (after you finish reading this post, of course!) - you'll have an eight-answer head start. Big ups to Doug for picking out 8 of the stars from that list and cramming them all into this grid.

Bullets:

• 77A: Picnic favorite (BEAN SALAD). I had LEAF SALAD. That didn't work! I find both pasta and potato salads to be better than both of those choices at picnics, but neither of them fit.
• 78A: Tiny bit (TITTLE). When I think tittle, I think the dot over the miniscule i. I wrote in LITTLE instead.
• 82A: Tool used in a bed (HOE). Take it away, Ken Jennings:
  
  
  
• 25D: Scott of "Happy Days" (BAIO). More recently, Scott had a minor role as a lawyer on "Arrested Development". Enjoy some wordplay:



• 52D: Period of sacrifice (LENT). For those keeping score at home, three weeks until Easter!
• 58D: 1988 A.L. MVP (CANSECO). Jose Canseco is now known for having reached that pinnacle of fame that is being a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice.
• 94D: Peninsula north of Martha's Vineyard (CAPE COD). Did you know that Martha's Vineyard is one of only five apostrophes in a US natural feature name. Crazy, huh? Learn more here!
• 83D: NBA's __ Man of the Year Award (SIXTH). Of course, all eyes are on the NCAA tournament at the moment, but I think this is a great clue - I was stumped for a good while. Who's going to take it all - Butler or UConn?
• 100D: Three Stooges family name (HOWARD). Nyuk nyuk nyuk! I don't remember the Stooges being this violent or poorly edited:



• 101D: First non-European literature Nobelist (1913) (TAGORE). Let's learn something together, shall we? Rabindranath Tagore (aka Gurudev) was a Bengali poet/playwright/musician/artist. His best known work was Gitanjali, a collection of English poems. I fell for the double that this person might be American and that I might have heard of them - but I learned something, and that's pretty cool, too.

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 5A: Gate approx. (ETD). You've gotta get this D from the crossing - that's always a pain.
• 19A: Airline with a Ben Gurion hub (EL AL)
• 32A: Santa __ winds (ANA).
• 55A: Word between surnames (NÉE).
• 57A: City SSW of Moscow (OREL).
• 67A: Itty-bitty, in Inverness (SMA). I think this is a new one for the blog - maybe PG doesn't think this is Crosswordese, but I do. It's easy to remember this Scottish word for small - just take off the last two letters!
• 97A: '80s missile shield prog. (SDI).
• 4D: Pre-coll. catchall (EL-HI). Who says this? This is my pet peeve bit of crosswordese.
• 78D: Gumshoes (TECS). We've seen the singular here before for sure.
• 89D: Classified letters (EOE). Ah, the dreaded EOE/EEO dilemma. Did you guess correctly?

[I'm not on it yet, but if you are, you should totally follow PuzzleGirl on Twitter.]

Everything else - 1A: Cause for fishing hole excitement (BITE); 8A: Fleshy-snouted mammal (TAPIR); 13A: Fearless Fosdick's creator (AL CAPP); 20A: Book flap feature (BIO); 21A: Ridiculous (INANE); 22A: Comfortable shoe (LOAFER); 26A: Unlearned (INNATE); 27A: Long-tailed songbird (PIPIT); 28A: Shade of green (PEA); 29A: It's done in some circles (SEWING); 31A: Sturdy wagon (DRAY); 33A: Actor Estevez (EMILIO); 36A: "A Taste of Honey" dramatist (DELANEY); 41A: DMV document (LIC.); 42A: Vaquero's plain (LLANO); 46A: Arles affirmatives (OUIS); 50A: Port-du-__: French cheese (SALUT); 53A: Script section (SCENE); 56A: PBS series since 1974 (NOVA); 58A: Breezy good-byes (CIAOS); 60A: QB's try (ATT.); 62A: First name among disrespected comedians? (RODNEY); 64A: Pollution-free power sources (WIND FARMS); 66A: Links highlight (ACE); 75A: Jenny, e.g. (ASS); 76A: "Reliable Sources" airer (CNN); 83A: Swedish imports (SAABS); 84A: Winged goddess (NIKE); 85A: War of 1812 shipbuilding port (ERIE); 86A: Half a dance (CHA); 88A: "Gone With the Wind" Oscar winner (LEIGH); 90A: Dramatist Chekhov (ANTON); 94A: "How __ refuse?" (CAN I); 96A: Hardly posh (SEEDY); 104A: Home of Chichén Itzá (YUCATAN); 107A: Hullabaloo (HOOPLA); 108A: "Bingo!" ("AHA!"); 109A: Crime lab item (SWAB); 112A: Not spontaneous (STAGED); 114A: Come up short (OWE); 115A: "King Lear" daughter (REGAN); 117A: Ripped to pieces (TORE UP); 122A: Mystical secrets (ARCANA); 123A: "True Grit," for one (OATER); 124A: 20th-century composer Harris (ROY); 125A: Logical connector (ERGO); 126A: 1943 Allied conference site (TEHRAN); 127A: Campout treat (S'MORE); 128A: 34th pres. (DDE); 129A: Look to be (SEEM); 1D: "Little help here, bud?" ("BE A PAL"); 2D: "Fighting" team (ILLINI); 3D: __ Zee Bridge (TAPPAN); 5D: Flow's counterpart (EBB); 6D: Ascot fasteners (TIE PINS); 7D: "I'm listening!" ("DO TELL!"); 8D: Up to, in brief (TIL); 9D: "__ Amours": 1984 César Award-winning film (ANOS); 10D: Walked worriedly (PACED); 11D: Bygone writing aid (INKWELL); 12D: Able to overcome adversity (RESILIENT); 13D: Bring into harmony (ALIGN); 14D: Contemporary of Boris (LON); 16D: Where some worship from (AFAR); 17D: Anti-leather gp. (PETA); 18D: Zebras, to lions (PREY); 24D: Did lunch, say (ATE OUT); 30D: Iridescent jewelry material (NACRE); 34D: 1,051, to Hadrian (MLI); 35D: Fiends of fantasy (OGRES); 37D: Buckskin source (ELK); 39D: "What else __ do?" (COULD I); 40D: Elroy, to George Jetson (SON); 43D: Oodles (A TON); 44D: Snow in Milano (NEVE); 45D: Anthem beginning (O SAY); 48D: Percolate (LEACH); 49D: Sunday deliveries (SERMONS); 50D: Planted (SOWN); 51D: "Turandot" highlight (ARIA); 53D: O.T. prophet (SAML.); 54D: Bulk-purchase club (COSTCO); 58D: 1988 A.L. MVP (CANSECO); 59D: Funds for later yrs. (IRA'S); 61D: Leaves home? (TEABAG); 63D: Bozos (OAFS); 65D: Newborn Arabian (FOAL); 66D: Objectivism advocate Rand (AYN); 67D: Healthy portion (SLAB); 69D: Spaghetti pkg. unit (ONE LB.); 70D: Remini of "The King of Queens" (LEAH); 71D: Author Flagg (FANNIE); 72D: Hit the ground (ALIT); 73D: Speedy shark (MAKO); 74D: Idyllic setting (EDEN); 79D: "Dies __" (IRAE); 80D: Flag (TIRE); 82D: Crunchy Mexican munchies (HARD TACOS); 87D: Tackles (HAS AT); 90D: Capital south of the Black Sea (ANKARA); 92D: Mitt Romney's alma mater: Abbr. (BYU); 93D: Family tree, e.g. (DIAGRAM); 95D: Silent communication syst. (ASL); 99D: "Groovy!" ('COOL!"); 100D: Three Stooges family name (HOWARD); 101D: First non-European literature Nobelist (1913) (TAGORE); 102D: Meter feeder's need (CHANGE); 103D: Quaint carriage (HANSOM); 105D: It covers D.C. (C-SPAN); 106D: "Groovy!" ("NEATO!"); 109D: Fan's factoid (STAT); 110D: Modeled (WORE); 111D: Raise, as an eyebrow (ARCH); 113D: Tannery worker (DYER); 116D: Checks out (EYES); 118D: Uruguayan article (UNA); 120D: Stuff in a seam (ORE); 121D: Sourdough alternative (RYE)

02.21

M O N D A Y

February 21, 2011
Angela Olson Halsted & Doug Peterson

Theme: Three Petes. (Not to be confused with "Three-peat", which is a term trademarked by Pat Riley). Each of the long answers starts with a word that is also the last name of someone named Pete. Speaking of which, this is Pete Mitchell guest-blogging for PuzzleGirl, as she didn't have the heart to dis her own puzzle. Well, okay, it's not that bad, but for the sake (Pete's sake?) of full disclosure, I don't really care much for Monday puzzles to begin with, so don't expect a rave. Also, I really, really, really dislike Pete Rose. He and Don King are the two vilest creatures in sports, in my opinion, and I have felt this way long before any gambling scandal came to light. So, please bear with me if I come across a little on the grumpy side.

Here, click on this. It'll be good background as you read the rest.

Theme answers:

• 17A: Legendary spring that creates spring chickens? (FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH). Pete Fountain is the world-reknowned jazz clarinet player that you're listening to right now if you clicked the above link.
• 38A: Grammy revoked from Milli Vanilli (BEST NEW ARTIST). Pete Best is best known as the original pre-Ringo drummer for the Beatles. The friend that got kicked out of the band before they became the biggest thing since sliced bread. Would they have been as successful with Pete instead of Ringo? Here, judge for yourself. Milli Vanilli achieved infamy when it was discovered that the front-"men" weren't actually singing on the Grammy-winning songs; they had been lip-syncing the whole time.
• 60A: Portland Trail Blazers' home (ROSE GARDEN ARENA). Pete Rose played baseball.
• 71A: Name that can precede the first word of 17-, 38- or 60-Across (PETE).

So, my first gut reaction here was "Really, those are the best Petes you could come up with?" But when I started thinking about it, most famous Peters go by Peter, not Pete. My second thought was "Why two musicians and a baseball player?" Ideally, themes tie a little tighter than that. But while there are other famous Pete musicians (Townshend, Seeger, etc.), none of them lend easily to a theme phrase. So, we'll give a pass to the theme and look at the rest of the puzzle.

Bullets:

• 30D: Girl group with the 1986 #1 hit "Venus" (BANANARAMA). Done originally, and more famously, by Shocking Blue, in 1970. But I love the band name and the 80's reference. Nice fill.
• 15A: Old Geo model (PRIZM). Cool way to get a Z into the puzzle.
• 42A: Polite "Ready to go?" ("SHALL WE?"). In-the-language phrases like this always punch things up more than straight dictionary answers. Same with 54D: "Obviously!" ("NO DUH!") and, to a lesser extent, 19D: ''I agree, however ...'' ("YES, BUT"). 21A: "I'll treat!" ("ON ME!") fell a little flat for me, as it feels like it's missing an "It's...". The only way I can make it work as written is as a continuation: "Let's go to dinner. On me."

• 4D: Hawaiian who sang "Pearly Shells" (DON HO). Can you name another singing Hawaiian? Me neither.
• 1D: DOJ division (ATF). It's now the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, but they still use the ATF acronym. DOJ is, of course, Department of Justice.
• 11D: Justice replaced by Sotomayor (SOUTER). Souter is from New Hampshire, so I gotta give him props.
• 27A: Mighty long time (EON). Occasionally spelled AEON, as well.

• 28A: Stat for Mariano Rivera (ERA). Funny that these two show their heads side by side. Many times you'll have a vague clue like "Span of time" that's three-letters beginning with E, and you don't know whether it's EON or ERA. Here, we already have EON, so ERA was clued as Earned Run Average. Sometimes it's a detergent ("Tide rival"), which throws those 'Bama fans for a loop. Oh, and here's a bit of trivia for you: In 1972, the Dodgers retired Jackie Robinson's #42. In 1997, Major League Baseball retired it across all teams, the only number for which this has ever been done. There were a dozen players currently wearing the number, and they were grand-fathered. Today, there is only one active player left wearing the #42 — Mariano Rivera.

Not much else to talk about. This is one of the problems with Monday puzzles. 78 words, but 23 of them are 3-letters long and another 22 are 4-letters long, and one of the two longest non-theme answers is AM/FM STEREO (9D: Car sound system). This means a lot of boring fill for only three theme answers. The only way to make short words sparkle is with tougher clues, but you can't do that on Monday, so you're basically hosed.

Crosswordese 101: Even if you know nothing of foreign languages, you should learn how to count to at least three (preferably ten) in the major European languages, French (un, deux, trois), Spanish (uno, dos, tres), German (eine, zwei, drei), and Italian (uno, due, TRE [22A: Three, in Turin]). These show up a ton.

Other crosswordese in the puzzle that we've already covered:

• 10A: Employee protection org. (OSHA).
• 50A: Paranormal showman Geller (URI).
• 6D: Magnate Onassis (ARI).
• 10D: El Dorado gold (ORO).
• 61D: Heart test letters (EKG).

Well, that's it for me. I've probably overstayed my welcome as it is. Thanks, PuzzleGirl, for having me. It's been a while since I've done this kind of thing and I must say, I don't really miss it that much. :)

- Pete M.

[Follow PuzzleGirl on Twitter.]

Everything Else —1A: Grew older (AGED); 5A: American __: Pacific territory (SAMOA); 14A: Chore list heading (TO DO); 16A: Carrot or turnip (ROOT); 20A: Garment border (HEM); 23A: College concentration (MAJOR); 26A: Pungent salad green (CRESS); 29A: CEO's degree (MBA); 31A: Ford classics (T-BIRDS); 33A: Carvey of "Wayne's World" (DANA); 35A: Karaoke singer, usually (AMATEUR); 43A: Linger in the tub (SOAK); 45A: Start to melt (SOFTEN); 48A: Bordeaux brush-off (NON); 51A: "Fresh Air" airer (NPR); 52A: Rear end (FANNY); 55A: Political aficionado's station (C-SPAN); 57A: Absorbed, as a cost (ATE); 58A: Circular cookie (OREO); 59A: Stable tidbit (OAT); 66A: Good fortune (LUCK); 67A: Cursor controller (MOUSE); 68A: Diabolical (EVIL); 69A: Fawn's father (STAG); 70A: Campfire remains (ASHES); 2D: Bit of baby babble (GOO); 3D: Academic URL ender (EDU); 5D: Inbox junk (SPAM); 7D: 23-Across opposite (MINOR); 8D: Atmospheric layer (OZONE); 9D: Car sound system (AM/FM STEREO); 12D: Souped-up ride (HOT ROD); 13D: Aegean capital (ATHENS); 18D: Time in office (TERM); 23D: __ school (MED); 24D: Part of U.A.E. (ARAB); 25D: Dick's storybook partner (JANE); 26D: Caravan creature (CAMEL); 32D: Spring blossom (IRIS); 34D: Admin. aide (ASST.); 36D: Pointy tool (AWL); 37D: Like a lion's coat (TAWNY); 39D: It "comes on little cat feet," in a Sandburg poem (THE FOG); 40D: Campbell's product (SOUP); 44D: Reunion group (KIN); 45D: Entangles (SNARLS); 46D: Decline to participate (OPT OUT); 47D: Grapefruit-flavored diet drink (FRESCA); 49D: Academic sports org. (NCAA); 53D: Detective Wolfe and an emperor (NEROS); 56D: Throat bacteria (STREP); 59D: Tip jar bills (ONES); 62D: Suffix with Canton (-ESE); 63D: Anticipatory time (EVE); 64D: Trivial point (NIT); 65D: Drink by a dartboard (ALE);

02.05 Sat

S A T U R D A Y February 5, 2011
Brad Wilber and Doug Peterson

Theme: None

Wow. Tough puzzle today. I'm not going to whine about it being too easy, that's for sure. I did end up finishing it on my own with no mistakes, but I sure did have a lot of missteps along the way. The hardest one to figure out was probably when I had JOINER where MOONIE was supposed to go (7D: Unificationist). For some reason my brain only saw "unify" and not "Unification." With that J in place, I figured 7-Across must be JURORS. They reflect … on the … evidence … right? what? No, it doesn't really make any sense, but it did at the time! MOONIE eventually came to me, except I misspelled it MOONEY at first so that also caused a few problems. I'm not going to beat myself up too much about that section though because … um, MUSERS? That's a pretty bad entry (7A: They reflect). I do love DON VITO CORLEONE and EDWARD G. ROBINSON stacked up like that though (13A: Role for which its actor refused an Oscar / 16A: Actor who said "Some people have youth, some have beautyóI have menace"). So maybe MUSERS was worth it? I don't know. What do you think?

The southeast was the last section to fall for me. I had THE GEICO in place and could only come up with the gecko -- I couldn't remember what that other ad campaign was all about. Oh yeah, the CAVEMEN (45A: Offended parties in a long-running series of [TV ADS]). I don't recall too much about those CAVEMEN (I mean, really! do people watch commercials any more??), but here's a caveman I kinda like:

HAVE AN AHA MOMENT (48A: Experience sudden inspiration) took a while to show itself too. I was pretty sure [33D: Seder bread] was MATZOH and I thought [31D: Mrs. Norris in the "Harry Potter" books, e.g.] might be a HOUSE-ELF instead of a HOUSE CAT, so I was looking at HAVEANAHL for quite a while. And even when the correct phrase finally became clear I have to say I don't really think of an AHA MOMENT as inspiration so much as clarification. But maybe that's just me.

Other missteps for included ERA for EON (19A: Proterozoic, for one), THX for PLS (36A: Brief memo nicety), LOBE for TIRE (4D: Spot for studs), ETA for ETD (5D: Terminal abbr.), and THO for E'EN (10D: Yet, to Yeats).

Other than the long acrosses, highlights of the grid for me included:

• 6D: Reward for rolling over (DOG TREAT). Although I kinda wanted it to be "doggie treat," right?
• 12D: Less likely to mix (SNOOTIER). This word always makes me think of the Sneetches.
• 15D: Near-decades (ENNEADS). ENNEA- is a prefix meaning nine.

Couple more things:

• 28A: Gardener's soil hauler (TIP CART). I don't believe I've ever heard of this.
• 32A: Albéniz piano work (IBERIA). Whatever you say!
• 35A: Court official's call (FAULT). Tennis court.
• 42A: Top 10 hit from U2's "Achtung Baby" album (ONE).


[Yes, I know this isn't the U2 song.]

• 21D: Messing with a script? (DEBRA). She played Grace on "Will & Grace." She was also in an early "Seinfeld" episode. I want to say she was "Mulva" but I think that was the actress on "Frasier." Messing was the one who … did something else. (It's getting late, folks.)
• 30D: Political blog feature, often (PET PEEVE). I don't understand this clue at all. Maybe it's because I like political blogs and think they're awesome. Do other (normal?) people think they're just a place for people to rant about their PET PEEVES?
• 35D: Donnybrook (FRACAS). I sometimes confuse "donnybrook" with "boondoggle." Both awesome words, by the way. As is FRACAS.

[Follow PuzzleGirl on Twitter.]

Everything Else — 1A: Bumpy, in a way (RUTTED); 17A: General at Cold Harbor (MEADE); 18A: Latish alarm setting (TEN A.M.); 20A: Family title word (OURS); 21A: Pool feature (DRAIN); 22A: Have no use for, and then some (HATE); 23A: Use a tap, perhaps (SPY).

24A: "We need to talk" ("SEE ME"); 25A: Rage (MANIA); 26A: On the defensive (AT BAY); 27A: Put on guard (WARNED); 31A: Impedes (HAMPERS); 33A: Magazine with a "Best Places to Live" feature (MONEY); 34A: Gauge (METER); 39A: Gym set (REPS); 40A: Speciously highbrow (ARTSY); 41A: Send sprawling (TRIP); 43A: Equine facial marking (BLAZE); 44A: "Take __!" (A HIKE); 49A: Investigates, with "into" (DELVES); 50A: Airfield fixtures (TOWERS); 1D: Didn't stay where it should, as a skirt (RODE UP); 2D: Not on the ball (UNWARY); 3D: Show stoppers (TV ADS); 8D: __ sprawl (URBAN); 9D: Hardly odds-on (SLIM); 11D: Sitcom about the Conners (ROSEANNE); 13D: Out-of-the-box models (DEMOS); 14D: Like Twinkies filling (CREAMY); 22D: Hideous hybrid of myth (HARPY); 24D: It may be winding (STAIR); 25D: "American Buffalo" playwright (MAMET); 26D: Range units (ACRES); 27D: Without vigor (WANLY); 28D: "Lie to Me" star (TIM ROTH); 29D: Patsy's protest (I BEEN HAD); 36D: Novice's text (PRIMER); 37D: Compares (LIKENS); 38D: Wiped out (SPENT); 40D: 1955 Dior innovation (A-LINE); 41D: __ park (THEME); 43D: Theodore, to Wally (BEAV); 44D: Swear (AVOW); 46D: Coiffure holder (GEL); 47D: Te-__: Mexican cigar brand (AMO).

01.27 Thu

T H U R S D A Y

January 27, 2011
Dan Naddor & Doug Peterson



Theme: Seething resentment! Four phrases end with nouns that double as verbs that partner with GRUDGE.

Theme answers:

• 45d. A GRUDGE is a [Feeling of resentment associated with the last words of the starred answers]. Can you honestly say there is no one or nothing you hold a grudge against? Just a little bit?
• 17a. The GRIZZLY BEAR is a [*Yellowstone Park beast]. In each of the theme phrases, the final word is a noun that doubles as a verb that is often paired with "grudge," as in "bear a grudge."
• 28a. [*Fort McHenry defended it in 1814] clues BALTIMORE HARBOR. This is not the sort of trivia I have at my command, but I don't harbor a grudge against learning American history.
• 43a. A REGISTERED NURSE is a [*Medical professional]. I would rather nurse a beer than a grudge, but I feel like an idiot when I nurse a Diet Coke. Why is that?
• 55a. [*Feature of many customer service calls] is MUSIC ON HOLD. Phrase feels a little awkward to me. Wrestling fiend PuzzleGirl could tell us all the wrestling hold names that might've worked here, but I don't know any.

I bring tidings from PuzzleGirl, whose electricity went out Wednesday night. Doug co-constructed this puzzle and Seth is out sick, so she was forced to reach to the back of the bench and call me into the game. (Do the Chicago Bears have another backup quarterback after Caleb Hanie? That's my equivalent.) Forgive me for deviating from the usual format—I'm basically copying my Diary of a Crossword Fiend post as is. I could add photos and videos and whatnot but I am lazy. Sad but true.

Highlights:

• 51a. [Seasonal pharmacy offering] is a FLU SHOT. I got a flu shot in September. I've had a cold since then, but nothing bad.
• 3d. [Forensic test site] clues CRIME LAB, which I suspect is much more "in the language" than the DNA LAB that keeps popping up in crosswords.
• 4d. I don't watch TMZ ON TV, but boy, what a fresh entry that is. It's a [Celebrity gossip show].
• 37d. [Inexpensively] clues FOR A SONG. Isn't that a terrific entry? I like it.
• 42d. [Sam Spade, e.g., slangily] is a GUMSHOE.

A few more clues:

• 40a. [Curly smacker] is MOE of the Three Stooges. That Moe was so abusive. He really needed therapy.
• 9d. HEALTH FOOD is clued as a [Nutritionist's recommendation]. Not necessarily. Depending on your medical status, you may be warned away from many of the healthiest (fine, fine, pedants: "most healthful") foods. True story!
• 25d. ["We get letters" '50s-'60s TV singer/host] clues Perry COMO. I had no idea that phrase had a Perry Como connection.
• 29d. [Group that goes through the motions?] is a MIME TROUPE. I've been leery of mimes ever since I saw The Aristocrats.

Note from Doug:

Benchwarmer? Hardly! Amy's the franchise.

When Rich offered me the chance to construct a puzzle using one of Dan's themes, I jumped at it. Then I got worried. What if it's a "seven-banger" (seven theme answers)? Fortunately, this was one I could handle. As most of you know, Dan loved to cram as many theme entries as possible into his grids. One of my favorite Naddor crosswords was a Sunday L.A. Times puzzle called "California Pros" that included 14 theme entries(!), one for each major sports team in California. Awesome.

I met Dan a couple of times, and of course, we talked puzzles. His face lit up when we started discussing themes. He seemed to have hundreds of themes, half-themes, and theme concepts buzzing around in head. And yes, I was a little jealous, because coming up with a theme is often the toughest part of the process for me. So I'm glad I got to dip into Dan's theme reservoir today. It's an honor to share a byline with him.

01.09 Sun

S U N D A Y (syndicated)

January 9, 2011
Jack McInturff

[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: "Oui" — The letters "OU" are replaced with "I" in familiar phrases, and the resulting entries are given punny clues.

Theme Answers:

• 23A: Herb homily? (SERMON ON THE MINT).
• 39A: Like a stroller out of breath? (WALKING WINDED).
• 50A: Golf pro's protection? (GRIP INSURANCE).
• 70A: Coffee at church? (HALLOWED GRIND).
• 81A: Adoptee's goal? (FINDING FATHER).
• 105A: "Last Comic Standing" winning routine? (CHAMPIONSHIP BIT).
• 35D: Knighted vintner's nickname? (SIR GRAPES).
• 46D: Dorm room Christmas tree? (FIR POSTER).

Hey, folks. Doug here with you on a Sunday. First, some sad news to report. Longtime L.A. Times Sunday puzzle constructor Sylvia Bursztyn has passed away. She and Barry Tunick began constructing a Sunday puzzle for the newspaper back in 1980, and it's become a weekly institution for many Angelenos. The Times has a nice write-up here: Sylvia Bursztyn.

Today's syndicated puzzle was a good one. Rather than simply adding or subtracting a letter, Jack McInturff pulls a little switcheroo, substituting "I" for "OU." My favorite theme entry is SIR GRAPES because it conjures up a goofy image, and goofy images are the bread and butter of my blog posts. My least favorite is FIR POSTER, because the clue (Dorm room Christmas tree?) feels a bit off. I think the idea is that a college student wouldn't have an actual Christmas tree in his or her dorm room, so the kid might tack up a poster with a Christmas tree on it. Hmmm. Maybe a clue about a "Christmas tree blog" and "blog posters" would make more sense.

Quite a few unfamiliar names in this one, but I didn't have trouble getting them from the crossing entries. Let's begin the bullets.

Bullets:

• 19A: Yellow spreads (OLEOS). You think "Big Tobacco" is too powerful? What about "Big Butter"? Oleo (margarine) is naturally white. In the early 19th century, the butter lobby supported legislation to ban the addition of yellow coloring to margarine. Some states even enacted laws to require margarine manufacturers to add pink coloring to make the product look unpalatable. By the start of the 20th century, eight out of ten Americans couldn't buy yellow margarine, and those that could had to pay a hefty tax on it. Bootleg colored margarine became common, and manufacturers began to supply food-coloring capsules so that the consumer could knead the yellow color into margarine before serving it. (Wikipedia)
• 26A: Canadian pianist Kuerti (ANTON). First "huh?" name of the day.

• 36A: Van Morrison's singing daughter (SHANA). Second "huh?" name of the day. To be fair, SHANA clues usually reference Shana Alexander, and I don't know her either. Maybe Ms. Morrison can supplant her as the go-to SHANA.
• 44A: Sound relatives (BAYS). Sounds and bays are bodies of water. Tricky.
• 78A: Former U.K. carrier (BOAC). British Overseas Airway Corporation. I once confused this with HUAC, House Un-American Activities Committee.
• 1D: Speaker of note (BOSE). Bose is a company that makes high-end audio equipment. My first guess for this one was TRIS Speaker, Hall of Fame centerfielder.
• 3D: Michael Corleone's bodyguard Al (NERI). Third "huh?" name of the day.
• 31D: "___ Promise You": *NSYNC hit (THIS I). This I promise you: I will never include an 'N SYNC video on the blog. But the Meaty Cheesy Boys are cool.

• 40D: Pianist/composer Chasins (ABRAM). Fourth "huh?" name of the day.

• 64D: Former title-winning women's wrestler Stratus (TRISH). Fifth and final "huh?" name of the day. I couldn't find a SFB (Safe For Blog) picture of Ms. Stratus, so you'll have to google your own. She's a seven-time WWE Women's Champion, and her signature moves include the Chick Kick, MaTrish Reloaded, and Stratusfaction. Maybe Iowa should hire her to help coach the wrestling team. (I'm kidding, PuzzleGirl! I just want to make sure you're reading this.)
• 81D: Bernie, Roz, and Greg, in a 2004 film (FOCKERS). I'm a little surprised to see this entry in a mainstream puzzle. I suspect it would have been disallowed if the word crossing the "O" was the least bit ambiguous. How many of these "Fockers" movies are there anyway? I've seen a lot of billboards for the latest installment.

• 84D: Spy covers (FAKE IDS). Remember "The Bourne Identity" movie? While in Zurich, the amnesiac Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) opens up a safe deposit box and finds a collection of his fake passports and IDs. And all of them have my birthday on them: month, day, and year! Cool, eh? A couple years after the movie came out, I noticed that some company was selling "Bourne Identity" props on eBay, so I emailed to ask them about the fake passports. They said they can't sell items that could be used for fraudulent purposes. Lame!
• 106D: Hugs, on cards (OOO). You don't usually see them without kisses (XXX).

Crosswordese101 Round-up:

• 19A: Yellow spreads (OLEOS).
• 74A: Hindu title (SRI).
• 96A: Pelvic bones (ILIA).
• 108A: It has banks in Switzerland (AARE).
• 24D: One-time partner of novelist Miller (NIN).
• 54D: African antelope (ELAND).
• 65D: Saree wearer (RANEE).

Everything Else — 1A: Language group that includes Swahili (BANTU); 6A: "Great" swingers (APES); 10A: Yaks (GABS); 14A: "Get out!" ("SCRAM!"); 20A: "Gloria" actress Rowlands (GENA); 21A: It will probably keep you in bed (AGUE); 22A: Raccoon kin (COATI); 27A: It's usually over a door (EXIT SIGN); 28A: Australia's __ Rock (AYERS); 29A: Current concern (EL NIÑO); 30A: Dismayed cry (OH NO); 31A: One begins "Rhapsody in Blue" (TRILL); 32A: Witness to the Transfiguration of Jesus (ST. PETER); 33A: Mag transformed by Helen Gurley Brown (COSMO); 37A: Union leavers (SECEDERS); 38A: Hawaiian tuna (AHI); 43A: Fallen orbiter (MIR); 45A: With no rocks (NEAT); 46A: Suspect story, maybe (FIB); 49A: '90s game disc (POG); 55A: Nest egg initials (IRA); 56A: Upgrade to five stars, say (RERATE); 58A: Not rented (OWNED); 59A: Capers (LARKS); 61A: "Sherlock Holmes" actress Rachel (MCADAMS); 63A: "What __ Is This?" (CHILD); 64A: Wander (TRAIPSE); 66A: Attend to loose ends (MOP UP); 67A: Look uncertainly (for) (GROPE); 68A: 1972 Oscar refuser (BRANDO); 69A: Wrath (IRE); 77A: Elected ones (INS); 79A: Slick trick (RUSE); 80A: Lincoln progeny (TAD); 86A: Director's challenge (EGO); 87A: Remove with effort (DISLODGE); 91A: Use the soapbox (ORATE); 92A: Spanish others (OTRAS); 94A: Lures (ENTICES); 95A: Moccasin, e.g. (SNAKE); 98A: Areas above hooves (SHANKS); 99A: Pursue (CHASE); 100A: Torino tongue (ITALIANO); 104A: Pasta often served alla vodka (PENNE); 107A: Drive-thru decision (ORDER); 109A: Not a happy fate (DOOM); 110A: Writer Zora __ Hurston (NEALE); 111A: Tries out (TESTS); 112A: Lulus (PIPS); 113A: Sound measure (SONE); 114A: Taunts (GIBES); 2D: Author Haley (ALEX); 4D: Hand-played drum (TOM TOM); 5D: Wartime diversion (USO SHOW); 6D: To the max, in the disco era (A-GO-GO); 7D: Ivy League member (PENN); 8D: Stud attachment? (-ENT); 9D: Dry and hot (SAHARAN); 10D: Some wardens' concern (GAME LAW); 11D: "__ Like You": Young Rascals hit (A GIRL); 12D: Keister (BUNS); 13D: Place to be quiet (SET); 14D: Like Super Bowl tickets, perhaps (SCALPED); 15D: Hustled (CONNED); 16D: Kiwi or rhea (RATITE); 17D: Sorry sort (ATONER); 18D: They may have 84-Down (MINORS); 25D: Giving the once-over (EYING); 29D: "Yada, yada, yada ..." ("ETC., ETC. …"); 32D: Family car (SEDAN); 33D: Summer getaway (CAMP); 34D: River formed at Pittsburgh (OHIO); 36D: Internet communications company (SKYPE); 37D: Golf's Slammin' Sammy (SNEAD); 41D: Café additions (LAITS); 42D: Denoting a loss (IN RED); 47D: Bugs (IRKS); 48D: It may be stolen (BASE); 50D: Plotting aid (GRAPH); 51D: Not at all (NO HOW); 52D: Steal (SWIPE); 53D: Without direction (UNLED); 57D: http://ucla.__ (EDU); 60D: It may be financial or legal (AID); 61D: Year of Super Bowl XXXVI (MMII); 62D: Muffin grain (CORN); 63D: Signs of spring (CROCI); 67D: Forest clearing (GLADE); 68D: Cruel, as force (BRUTE); 71D: Stomachs (ABIDES); 72D: Suit sizes (LONGS); 73D: Irritate (GRATE); 75D: Shankar music style (RAGA); 76D: Nuptial vows (I DOS); 82D: They aren't stars (NO NAMES); 83D: Understand (GRASP); 85D: Like white water (ROILING); 87D: Absolute ruler (DESPOT); 88D: Beckoning words (IN HERE); 89D: Score holders (STANDS); 90D: Small finch (LINNET); 93D: Capital city that hosted the 2007 Baseball World Cup (TAIPEI); 95D: #, on scores (SHARP); 96D: "Whoís there?" reply ("IT'S ME"); 97D: "Well, __-di-dah" (LAH); 99D: Indian spiced tea (CHAI); 100D: A party to (IN ON); 101D: Rhyme scheme of Kipling's "Ifó" (ABAB); 102D: Cairo's river (NILE); 103D: Plural suffix with Capri (-OTES); 105D: Salary limit (CAP).