11.29.2009

SUNDAY, November 29, 2009
Merl Reagle (calendar)


Theme: "The Furry Thought of You" — Cat puns!

[Note: This is the puzzle that appears in the Sunday L.A. Times newspaper. If you don't get the paper, you can find the puzzle here. Scroll down to see the write-up of today's syndicated puzzle.]



Theme answers:
  • 23A: Cat's new "I've chased my last rodent" attitude? (NO MORE MR. MICE GUY).
  • 31A: Washed oneself thoroughly? (LICKED HIGH AND LOW).
  • 53A: All-natural cat drink from Celestial Seasonings? (HAIRBALL TEA).
  • 62A/72A: Where cats dream of living? (DOWN BY THE OLD MILK STREAM).
  • 83A/92A: Cat's singalong instruction? (FOLLOW THE / POUNCING PAW).
  • 110A: Cat's favorite Ingmar Bergman film? (CRIES AND WHISKERS).
  • 125A: Cat's favorite play? (ROMEOW AND JULIET).
I'm running pretty late today, so I'll just point out a few things and get this post up for you.
  • 20A: Texas Panhandle city (AMARILLO). Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. George Strait:

  • 21A: Kahlo's husband (RIVERA). Artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.
  • 28A: Cert. accessways (RDS.). I'm not entirely sure what "cert." means here. Certified?
  • 38A: CAT, for one (SCAN). Bonus non-theme theme answer. See also 116D: Part of CAT (AXIAL).
  • 43A: Rotating the other way: abbr. (CCW). Counter-clockwise. Ouch!
  • 51A: Victimized clay guy on "SNL" reruns (MR. BILL). Oh noooooooo!
  • 56A: It made the Metro (GEO). The Geo Metro is a car.
  • 60A: Singer about Alice (ARLO). With any luck, the final Thanksgiving reference of the weekend.
  • 119A: D and C, in D.C., for ex. (STS.). In Washington, D.C., many of the streets are named with letters. So "D" and "C" are both STreets in D.C.
  • 131A: Nabisco's ___ biscuits (1898) (UNEEDA). Huh?
  • 24D: January's Jr. (MLK). Martin Luther King, Jr. is honored in January.
  • 87D: Walk this way?: abbr. (NNE). Random.


Everything Else — 1A: Corrected (REMEDIED); 9A: Stuff (THINGS); 15A: Astonish (AMAZE); 22A: Typesetting machs. (LINOS); 25A: "Goldfinger" prop (INGOT); 26A: Play the market (TRADE); 27A: Stripe (ILK); 29A: Start to whiz (GEE); 30A: "Auld Lang ___" (SYNE); 40A: Revealing Julie Andrews film (S.O.B.); 41A: Where Waterford is (EIRE); 42A: Where Naples is: abbr. (FLA.); 46A: Plasty preceder (ANGIO-); 49A: He influenced Baudelaire (POE); 59A: "Who ___?" (IS IT); 61A: Mtn. info (ELEV.); 65A: Help PBS, e.g. (PLEDGE); 68A: Tiller intro (ROTO-); 70A: Brown shades (ECRUS); 71A: Vegan's staple (SOY); 76A: NBA great Unseld (WES); 79A: Gem engraving (CAMEO); 80A: To see, in Toulouse (VOIR); 81A: Gaudy (GARISH); 86A: Lady of Spain (DOÑA); 89A: Cream classic, "___ Glad" (I'M SO); 90A: Actor who played a TV surgeon (ALDA); 91A: "Of all people" preceder (YOU); 95A: Food (VIANDS); 98A: Actress Joanne (DRU); 100A: Aquarium fish (TETRA); 101A: Roget wd. (SYN.); 102A: Sea predator (EEL); 103A: Taft's birthplace (OHIO); 106A: Mode intro (À LA); 108A: Stable food (OATS); 115A: Confiscate (TAKE); 120A: Commotion (ADO); 121A: Cash extension? (-IER); 122A: Battle participants? (SEXES); 123A: Indian of Sonora, Mex. (YAQUI); 130A: Give the slip to (ELUDE); 132A: Water wings? (SEAPLANE); 133A: County fair critter (STEER); 134A: Video categories (GENRES); 135A: Post-Christmas events (TOY SALES); 1D: Tirades (RANTS); 2D: Atlanta university (EMORY); 3D: Paris parent (MAMAN); 4D: Wears away (ERODES); 5D: Urgent (DIRE); 6D: Project finish? (-ILE); 7D: Shade tree (ELM); 8D: Column type (DORIC); 9D: Kids' wheels (TRIKES); 10D: Juice-drink brand (HI-C); 11D: "___ got it!" (I'VE); 12D: Actress Pola (NEGRI); 13D: It can be nursed (GRUDGE); 14D: Greets (SAYS HI); 15D: Orthodontist, at times (ALIGNER); 16D: Went for the gold? (MINED); 17D: Heavenly swimmer? (ANGELFISH); 18D: Place with a keeper (ZOO); 19D: Rough fig. (EST.); 31D: Actress Turner (LANA); 32D: Brit's fireplace (INGLE); 33D: L-___ (DOPA); 34D: Home of "Real Sports" (HBO); 35D: Chair part (ARM); 36D: Stan's partner (OLLIE); 37D: Mickey's creator (WALT); 39D: Trucker's compartment (CAB); 43D: Blokes (CHAPS); 44D: Sophia married him (CARLO); 45D: Aviator Post (WILEY); 47D: In need of ipecac (ILL); 48D: Funny Cheri (OTERI); 50D: Trip requirement? (EGO); 52D: Smithereens (BITS); 54D: Piece of pier gear (ROD); 55D: Change with time (EVOLVE); 57D: Water pitcher (EWER); 58D: A single time (ONCE); 62D: Square dance maneuver (DO-SI-DO); 63D: Crow (BRAG); 64D: Arizona city (YUMA); 66D: Type of score (GOAL); 67D: Sailors' saint (ELMO); 69D: Ring decision, briefly (TKO); 73D: Wet (DEWY); 74D: Marquand sleuth (MOTO); 75D: Vonnegut's Kilgore (TROUT); 76D: Scaredy-cats (WIMPS); 77D: Opinion piece (ESSAY); 78D: Demonstrated (SHOWN); 79D: TV's Clampetts, e.g. (CLAN); 82D: Fix (RIG); 83D: Handbill (FLIER); 84D: Harem girl (ODALISQUE); 85D: Newman classic (HUD); 88D: Power, for one (ACTOR); 90D: With, in Vichy (AVEC); 92D: Hungarian sheepdog (PULI); 93D: Saver's options (IRAS); 94D: Jazzman Adderley (NAT); 96D: Spy-film file (DOSSIER); 97D: ___ Na Na (SHA); 99D: Cheery word? (RAH); 104D: Snug bug's place (IN A RUG); 105D: Queer bird (ODD ONE); 107D: "___ saying ..." (AS I WAS); 109D: Stanley's shout (STELLA); 111D: Piano piece (ETUDE); 112D: Word on a door (WOMEN); 113D: Inactive volcano, Mauna ___ (KEA); 114D: 007 foe's first name (ERNST); 117D: Peachy N.H. city? (KEENE); 118D: Sen. Kefauver (ESTES); 122D: Dines (SUPS); 123D: "You rang?" ("YES?"); 124D: Other rte. (ALT.); 126D: Profit add-on? (-EER); 127D: Celebrating work (ODE); 128D: "In excelsis ___" (DEO); 129D: First Chief Justice John (JAY).

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I guess by the number of comments no one liked this puzzle. It was OK, kind of corny but sort of meh. Not sure it would have passed Rex's breakfast test. Golfballman

JIMMIE said...

Some strange stuff here, like UNEEDA, NNE. I wanted DAMA for DONA. The theme stuff was cute in places.

Thanks, PG, for the write up and music.

*David* said...

I got stuck in a couple of places after I moved nicely through most of this puzzle. The SW really messed me up with CRIES, VIANDS, and STS. I put SHEEP on the bottom which made it more difficult.

I also got stuck by MOTO next to DEWY where I had put DAUB (why I don't know). Oh well one of those days, a couple of Googles and it cleared up. What does it say about me when I see Newman classic, I think of Randy?

Anonymous said...

Maybe I've led a sheltered life, but how does "ego" fit with "trip requirement"? And how inane: "walk this way"=NNE

Djinn said...

Very entertaining! Especially 125A Romeow and Juliet. Thanks Merle and PG.

@anonymous--on an ego trip

Is anyone else bothered by 38A Thumb through? (SCAN) I use “scan” to mean a thorough search for specific information or a close reading and “skim” for a quick reading or a thumbing through.

INGLE for a Brit. fireplace at 32D? Who knew?

Anonymous said...

Theme answers OK, but c'mon: NNE for "Walk this way?" What is the reference here?!?

Anonymous said...

cert. accessways = "Certain" accessways.....kind of a stretch, don't you think???