TUESDAY, July 28, 2009 — Scott Atkinson

Theme: "Why Wait?" — Theme answers are common phrases that might be preceded by the word wait (49D: Bide one's time, and a word that may precede the answers to starred clues (WAIT)).


Theme answers:

• 17A: *"We aren't finished here" ("IT ISN'T OVER").
  
• 53A: *"Give me another sec!" ("I'M NOT READY!").
  
• 11D: *"It's on the tip of my tongue" ("DON'T TELL ME").
  
• 28D: *"I haven't told you everything yet!" ("THERE'S MORE!").
  

Crosswordese 101: Some of the time you'll see EMO clued as a subgenre of punk rock, but other times, like today, you'll be forced to think about 55D: Comedian Philips. Clues might also refer to Philips as funny, which I personally think is quite an exaggeration. Sure he said some funny stuff, but the look? the voice? — let's just say I'm not a fan.

I'm still in Costa Rica and it's been a long day of hanging at the beach, reading in the hammock, eating excellent food, and swimming in the pool. As you can tell, the schedule we keep down here is super exhausting. Yesterday was actually really cool because we surprised PuzzleSon by inviting the family of one of his best friends from Virginia down here to join us. They recently moved to Mexico City, so PuzzleSon hasn't seen him since March. In fact, I've only met the kid's dad a couple of times briefly and only know his mom through Facebook. Which is pretty weird. When we met each other we were like, "Wait, what? We haven't met? But I know you!" Gotta love Facebook.

What? The puzzle? Oh, okay, we'll talk about the puzzle. I liked this one. Kinda blew right through it without really catching onto the theme until I was just about done. Nothing super sparkly, but nothing really bad either. Pretty much exactly what you want on a Tuesday.

Misc:

• 26A: Acela Express operator (AMTRAK). This is the express train that runs from Washington, D.C. to Boston. You may have heard of it.
  

• 29A: Mottled T-shirt (TIE-DYE). I just now realized I don't know what mottled means. Let's see ... "having colored spots or blotches." Well okay then.
  
• 30A: Broadway's George M. (COHAN). The Father of American Comedy.
  
• 49A: The LPGA's Michelle (WIE). She gave up her amateur status one week before her 16th B-DAY (10A: Kids' party occasion, briefly) and anything you read about her life as a golfer will include the word youngest many, many times.
  
• 58A: Author Zola (ÉMILE). Something written in Émile Zola's style might be referred to as Zolaesque. (If you don't understand that reference, you'll need to watch "Wordplay" again.)
  
• 10D: Sounding like marching bands (BRASSY). Hmmmm. I guess I think of brassy as more of a personality trait and not a ... sound. Not arguing with its legitimacy here, just making an observation.
  
• 29D: Silky-voiced Mel (TORMÉ). The Velvet Fog.
  
• 33D: Woodstock singer Joan (BAEZ). I threw several acrosses in here and when I saw the down answer was –AEZ, I thought, "I hope this is Joan Baez."

Kayaking tomorrow!

Pura Vida, PuzzleGirl

[Follow PuzzleGirl on Twitter.]

Everything Else — 1A: Potato holders (SACKS); 6A: Wide-eyed (AGOG); (B-DAY); 14A: Andean beast (LLAMA); 15A: Actress Gershon (GINA); 16A: Tug-of-war gear (ROPE); 19A: Tolstoy's Karenina (ANNA); 20A: Sun. follower (MON.); 21A: Solstice month (JUNE); 22A: Encourage (FOSTER); 24A: In use, as a phone line (BUSY); 25A: Cinco de Mayo celebrations (FIESTAS); 31A: Barbie and Ken (DOLLS); 32A: Wall St. takeover (LBO); 35A: __ & Chandon champagne (MOET); 36A: Fully exposed (BARED); 37A: National symbol (FLAG); 38A: Goof (ERR); 39A: Wavy dos (PERMS); 40A: Bugs's pursuer (ELMER); 41A: Noble's home (ESTATE); 43A: Hay fever symptom (SNEEZE); 44A: Deteriorate, slangily (GO SOUTH); 46A: Chopped liver spread (PATÉ); 47A: Group together (LUMP IN); 48A: Dover fish dish (SOLE); 52A: At the apex of (ATOP); 56A: Filly's father (SIRE); 57A: Menthol cigarette (KOOL); 59A: Garden planting (SEED); 60A: Cries out loud (SOBS); 61A: Indulged, with "on" (DOTED); 1D: __ to none: poor odds (SLIM); 2D: Choir voice (ALTO); 3D: Eve's oldest (CAIN); 4D: Canada hwy. distances (KMS.); 5D: Puerto Rico's capital (SAN JUAN); 6D: Extreme pain (AGONY); 7D: Telethon catchword (GIVE); 8D: Washington's bill (ONE); 9D: President after Hayes (GARFIELD); 12D: Nighttime breathing disorder (APNEA); 13D: Many months (YEARS); 18D: Walrus's weapon (TUSK); 23D: Multivolume Brit. references (OEDS); 24D: Spoiled kid (BRAT); 25D: "The X-__" (FILES); 26D: Very top (ACME); 27D: Drop anchor (MOOR); 31D: Vader in "Star Wars" (DARTH); 34D: Fairy tale meany (OGRE); 36D: Bongo-playing '50s-'60s stereotypes (BEATNIKS); 37D: Get out of Dodge (FLEE); 39D: Spitter's sound (PTUI); 40D: Stepped inside (ENTERED); 42D: __ up (absorbed, as gravy) (SOPPED); 43D: Pretzel topper (SALT); 44D: Cinderella's slipper material (GLASS); 45D: Protruding navel (OUTIE); 46D: They often have deep ends (POOLS); 48D: Nose-in-the-air sort (SNOB); 50D: Just sitting around (IDLE); 51D: Watched warily (EYED); 54D: Bovine bellow (MOO).