THEME: "The WHOLE ENCHILADA" (51A: With "the," what the ends of 20-, 34- and 42-Across suggest) — ends of the theme answers form the phrase LOCK, STOCK, and BARRELWhat's up, kids? Welcome to another week of LAT puzzles. This one I liked. The theme is great — I love how the phrase LOCK, STOCK, AND BARREL, a metaphor, is described by another, completely different metaphor, The WHOLE ENCHILADA. Those metaphors are from completely different universes, but work together here to create a wonderful, Odd Couple kind of pairing. My main problem (and it's really just mine) is that PENNY STOCK is a phrase entirely unknown to me. I Googled it. It's a very real term for a stock that trades OTC (over the counter) for less than 2 cents / share. My business/finance lexicon is impoverished, and most of it comes from crosswords (e.g. LBO, IPO, etc.). I would have made this puzzle with BEEF STOCK and and OIL BARREL.
Crosswordese 101: OPELS (33D: Autobahn autos) — this German-made car, in production since 1899 (or so I'm told...), is a crossword staple that shares DNA with pitcher OREL Hershiser. What I mean is that both words, OREL and OPEL, sound like very common English words that you would spell with an "A" in the third position. Only these have "E"s. And that is the story of how OPEL and OREL are related (in my mind). The End.
Theme answers:
- 20A: Auto door safety feature (CHILD-PROOF LOCK)
- 34A: Cheap per-share buy (PENNY STOCK)
- 42A: Brewery container (BEER BARREL)
What else?
- 28A: Places to sleep: Abbr. (BRS.) — Didn't like this. It's legit, I guess, but BDRM is more common, I think, in want ads and what not.
- 41A: Hogwarts messengers (OWLS) — I only just now noticed that Hogwarts is HOG WARTS. That's nasty. Why would you call your school that?
60A: R&B singer India._____ (ARIE) — Yes. If you're going to put ARIE in your puzzle, that is the clue to go with.- 57D: Tricky hockey maneuver (DEKE) — Hockey equivalent of football's JUKE.
- 4D: Up and about (ASTIR) — Olde-timey. I think put AWAKE in here at first.
- 5D: Andean vultures (CONDORS) — Such an exotic-sounding clue, and yet a familiar answer. I think I know CONDORS best in their CALIFORNIA variety.
- 31D: Fictional Maine town in many Stephen King stories (DERRY) — No way. Needed all the crosses. DERRY is a Northern Irish city to me.
- 18A: Skipper who landed on Ararat (NOAH) — "... and starring Alan Hale as ... NOAH"
See you on Friday
~RP
Everything Else — 1A: Alpha follower (BETA); 5A: Advanced math subj. (CALC); 9A: Metal fastener (RIVET); 14A: Lumberjacks' tools (AXES); 15A: Birth state of seven presidents (OHIO); 16A: Amtrak speedster (ACELA); 17A: Geom. shape (RECT.); 18A: Skipper who landed on Ararat (NOAH); 19A: Big parties (FETES); 20A: Auto door safety feature (CHILD-PROOF LOCK); 23A: River, to Ricardo (RIO); 24A: Korean carmaker (KIA); 25A: Bird on some Australian coins (EMU); 28A: Places to sleep: Abbr. (BRS); 30A: Son-of-a-gun (SO-AND-SO); 34A: Cheap per-share buy (PENNY STOCK); 37A: Actor Johnny (DEPP); 38A: Hershey's offering (COCOA); 39A: __ Jima (IWO); 40A: Spooky (EERIE); 41A: Hogwarts messengers (OWLS); 42A: Brewery container (BEER BARREL); 44A: Scary African flies (TSE-TSES); 46A: Greek letters after mus (NUS); 47A: NFL gains (YDS.); 48A: Lawyer: Abbr. (ATT.); 49A: Part of a college yr. (SEM.); 51A: With "the," what the ends of 20-, 34- and 42-Across suggest (WHOLE ENCHILADA); 59A: Playful poke (NUDGE); 60A: R&B singer India.__ (ARIE); 61A: Tax (LEVY); 63A: Oven setting (BROIL); 64A: Paw bottoms (PADS); 65A: Big name in do-it-yourself furniture (IKEA); 66A: Gillette Trac II successors (ATRAS); 67A: Help with a heist (ABET); 68A: Prefix with sol or space (AERO); 1D: Watering hole, so to speak (BAR); 2D: Corp. officer (EXEC.); 3D: PC troubleshooter (TECH); 4D: Up and about (ASTIR); 5D: Andean vultures (CONDORS); 6D: Just __, skip and jump away (A HOP); 7D: Teller of fibs (LIAR); 8D: Great Lakes salmon (COHO); 9D: Basket fiber (RAFFIA); 10D: Reykjavik native (ICELANDER); 11D: White House rejection (VETO); 12D: Kind of engr. (ELEC.); 13D: Chore (TASK); 21D: Tripoli's country (LIBYA); 22D: "I'll do it, I'll do it!" (OK OK); 25D: Disney World's __ Center (EPCOT); 26D: Cat calls (MEOWS); 27D: "I give up!" (UNCLE); 29D: Pigpens (STIES); 30D: Disdain (SCORN); 31D: Fictional Maine town in many Stephen King stories (DERRY); 32D: Worked undercover (SPIED); 33D: Autobahn autos (OPELS); 35D: Sentimental yearning for the past (NOSTALGIA); 36D: Run a tab (OWE); 40D: Sales meeting prop (EASEL); 42D: Beast, in Bordeaux (BETE); 43D: Like the most active bee? (BUSIEST); 45D: Braces (oneself) (STEELS); 50D: Sasha Obama's big sister (MALIA); 51D: Org. with the N.Y. Liberty and L.A. Sparks (WNBA); 52D: Injured (HURT); 53D: It stinks (ODOR); 54D: California wine county (NAPA); 55D: Scuttling crustacean (CRAB); 56D: Stay out of sight (HIDE); 57D: Tricky hockey maneuver (DEKE); 58D: Affirm confidently (AVER); 62D: NBA center __ Ming (YAO).
19 comments:
I liked this theme but agree that BRS is strange. I got it with the crosses and still doubted it. I haven't read Stephen King, except for THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, which I loved so I was content to let the the town be DERRT so that "NFL gains" could be TDS. Favorite clue was "I'll do it, I'll do it!" for OKOK.
I'm new to these puzzles, so someone please tell me how to go to the site where FAQ are located. I won't annoy anyone by asking what the highlighted answers mean - I will look it up for myself if I only knew where...
@gjelizabeth: "NFL scores" would be TDS, but "NFL gains" has to be YDS. I think.
Rex;
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron boil and bake
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing,—
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
If it's OK for Shakespeare to use all those other animal parts, then it doesn't seem all that odd to name a witchcraft school Hog Warts.
ACELA/RAFFIA crossing on a Monday, hmmm. Loved to see NOSTALGIA and CONDORS flying around.
@Sweetpea - There doesn't seem to be a FAQ yet, so ask away.
If you're asking about the highlighted answer in the solved grid, that is simply the last entry completed by your host, it has no significance whatsoever. If you're asking about the, in this case, highlighted green words LOCK, STOCK, BARREL these constitute the theme. If you're asking about the eight clues / answers Rex chose to write about, they're simply the ones that caught his eye, for better or worse.
There is a button up at the very top left, CW101 which lists the "Crosswordese word of the day" compiled to date.
Again, this is a pretty friendly crowd, so as away.
Nice puzzle. Rex pretty much said it all. I'm pretty sure KIA makes a vehicle called a RIO. Loved SO-AND-SO. And the Gilligan's Island reference made me LOL.
Sweet Pea, there is a FAQ at Rex's site that might answer some of your questions. I promise a FAQ for this site is coming soon!
I'm I'm agreement w Rex and @gjelizabeth--very clever, nice theme, esp for a Monday. But for a few weirdos--eg BRS, which I was certain was BBS--good diverse fill
Anybody who does today's NYT puzzle will, curiously enough, see two identical word answers. Not common words either. What gives?
Otherwise lots of very interesting stuff. Always wondered where TSETSES and CONDORS were from;describing NOAH as a skipper is nice; three Presidential words, OHIO, MALIA, VETO. Maybe constructor thinking the Obamas would veto any car that didn't have childcare lock for Malia and Sasha!
Quite pleasant, thanks
@Charles: If its ARIE you're referring to, I think most 4-letter words that start with A get a lot of airplay.
I think there should be a subset of CW 101 called 'words that you've never heard spoken out loud but you see every day in puzzles'. I can aver that I've never used or heard AVER, has anyone else? OK, I'll move the ETUI now before I sit down to watch an OATER.
Had to remove my previous comment lest I spoil the fun of anybody not having done the NYT puzzle. I'm very sorry.
I aver this was a very decent Monday puzzle.
Yes, good Monday puzzle. Took me a good 2-3 minutes longer than a normal Monday effort.
Mmmmmmm, beer.
I missed you guys this weekend as I was very busy with activities with the kids-that time of year!
Loved the theme!
@Gary Lowe: I think that is a very smart idea. Because there are soooo many damn words that appear only in crossword-land. What do you think Rex, Orange and Puzzle Girl?
I could see the subdivision sowing dissension. What every word on the Crosswordese 101 list has in common is that it accounts for a higher percentage of crossword language than regular daily language. But is there anything that never appears outside of crosswords? Hardly ever. They can be rare, yes, but somebody somewhere will claim that ABEAM and TRET are useful even outside of crosswords.
TRET? WTF?
TREF, I know. I learned it the scary way (i.e. thru a complete guess on a tournament puzzle — I guessed right).
My "Pantheon" on my own site was inspired by the very idea of which Gary speaks, but Orange is right ... subdividing isn't necessarily of much use (though it is fun).
ABAFT,
RP
I'm going to adopt nautical crosswordese from here on out. I'll tell my kid to hop in the stern or aft of the car. I'll adjust the stereo speakers to be louder abaft. I'll tell him to reach his arm abeam to open the window on the other side. He likes to sit on the starboard side, but I'll demand that he move to port since the 9-letter starboard hardly ever gets crossword love.
@garylowe-a very good idea!
Actutally, the 60A word you fingered as an overlap w today's nyt puzzle was one I overlooked. For fear of @puzzlegirl or @Rex rightfuly erasing me, I'll refrain from giving them out, but they "drive" me (one hint) to fears of constructor conspiracies!
Rex - loved the Liberace video. My hubby and I saw his shows in casino theaters 3 times. I used the plural of show on purpose as they were always different. Costuming, sets, guest performers, what a showman!
Thanks to all who answered. The link to Rex's FAQ was a big help.
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