MONDAY, July 12, 2010 — John Lampkin

Theme: Happy Happy Joy Joy — Theme answers are familiar phrases that begin with a word that evokes happiness.


Theme answers:

• 17A: "Have a nice day" emoticon (SMILEY FACE).
• 60A: Blackbeard's flag (JOLLY ROGER).
• 11D: Shakespeare's women of Windsor (MERRY WIVES).
• 28D: Bar discount times (HAPPY HOURS).

I tell you what. It's a good thing this puzzle is put together so well because I'm in a terrible mood and the theme just irritates me. Please understand, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. It's just when you're feeling bad, there's nothing worse than a bunch of happy stuff popping up to ruin it, right? I was trying to think of songs I could link to and they all made me gag. "Don't Worry, Be Happy," "Walking on Sunshine" — ugh! Fortunately, I'm pretty sure that even if you're not in a crappy mood like I am, you'd find those songs a little on the saccharin side. But enough about me, let's talk about what I think of the puzzle.

Bullets:

• 5A: Game for little sluggers (T-BALL). There aren't too many things more fun than watching little tiny kids learn stuff that you and I completely take for granted. Like, which way to run around the bases. And to stop when you get to home plate.

• 10A: Gathering clouds, to some (OMEN). What's that supposed to be an omen of? I'm thinking storm, but that seems a little too obvious.
• 15A: Elephant gone amok (ROGUE). [Insert your own Sarah Palin joke here.]
• 19A: Ear-to-ear expression (GRIN). Oh good. More happy stuff.
• 21A: Archaic "For shame!" ("FIE!"). I would like to start a campaign to bring this word back. I'm going to start using it today.
• 31A: Needing a diaper change (WET). I heard on "Wait Wait… Don't Tell Me!" the other day that there's a new product on the market: Bridal Diapers. For realz.
• 44A: Hamster or gerbil (RODENT). See? This is why I don't want one in my house. The PuzzleKids would love to have a hamster but all I can think is It's. A. Rodent.
• 50A: Like Satchmo's voice (RASPY). Okay. I'll give you one little happy thing today.



• 8D: Time co-founder Henry (LUCE). Oh man. This probably should have been CW101 today. Sorry about that. I'll get it next time.

Crosswordese 101: BOFFO doesn't show up in the grid all that often, but it seems like every time it does, people have trouble with it. Today it's clued as 6D: Huge, at the box office, and it's pretty much always clued similarly (e.g., "Super, in showbiz," "Highly successful, in showbiz lingo," "Like a fab performance"). The word apparently was first used in Variety, the entertainment trade magazine. In fact, you can find Variety's blog at boffo.com.

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

• 2D: Witty Bombeck (ERMA).
• 12D: Geraint's lady (ENID).

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Everything Else — 1A: Salty drop (TEAR); 14A: "In this range" ("OR SO"); 16A: Nevada gambling haven (RENO); 20A: Not as risky (SAFER); 22A: Avant-__ (GARDE); 23A: Perry with a phenomenal success rate (MASON); 25A: Like Tim Cratchit (TINY); 26A: Kelly, to Regis (CO-HOST); 29A: Feature of a bad air day (SMOG); 34A: Dump truck filler (LOADER); 35A: Pull, as a water-skier (TOW); 36A: Home with hexagonal cells (HIVE); 37A: Andersen character with "new clothes" (EMPEROR); 39A: Lifelong residents (NATIVES); 41A: Washer or dryer: Abbr. (APPL.); 42A: Frat party buy (KEG); 45A: Commandment word (THY); 46A: Promo recording (DEMO); 47A: Like a top hat and tails (DRESSY); 48A: Sibilant boo (HISS); 52A: Leading edge of a weather system (FRONT); 54A: Tupperware topper (LID); 55A: "Gone With the Wind" family name (O'HARA); 59A: Gomez Addams portrayer __ Julia (RAUL); 62A: Fairy tale villain (OGRE); 63A: Kukla's puppet pal (OLLIE); 64A: Period before Easter (LENT); 65A: Wind increase (GUST); 66A: Spills the beans (BLABS); 67A: Swirling current (EDDY); 1D: Pregame coin flip (TOSS); 3D: "__ I care!" (AS IF); 4D: One to look up to (ROLE MODEL); 5D: Take a stab at (TRY); 7D: Opposed to (AGAINST); 9D: Spike or Ang (LEE); 10D: Broadway Phantom's instrument (ORGAN); 13D: Poor dog's portion, in rhyme (NONE); 18D: Solver's "undo" implement (ERASER); 22D: Date for a jazz cat (GIG); 24D: The 4 in "par 4" (STROKES); 25D: Facing (TOWARDS); 26D: Golf shoe gripper (CLEAT); 27D: Get-up-and-go (OOMPH); 30D: "__ Dieu!" (MON); 32D: Levels off (EVENS); 33D: Easily irritated (TESTY); 36D: Secret place (HIDEY HOLE); 38D: Dream letters (REM); 40D: Extreme sluggishness (TORPOR); 43D: Greatest of the great apes (GORILLA); 46D: "Spring ahead" abbr. (DST); 49D: Shoreline nook (INLET); 51D: Wing it on stage (AD LIB); 52D: Croaking critter (FROG); 53D: Pasta sauce brand (RAGU); 54D: Act like a couch potato (LOLL); 56D: Matured, as cheese (AGED); 57D: Rip apart (REND); 58D: Superficially cultured (ARTY); 60D: To-do list item (JOB); 61D: "I'd be delighted!" ("YES!").