July 3, 2011 (calendar)
Merl Reagle
Theme: "General Search" — (HOW TO PLAY: The last names of 14 famous Civil War generals are hidden in the Across answers, seven in the North part of the grid and seven in the South. The catch is that nine of them straddle a black square, like so: coB / RAGGed. the hardest one is at 84 Across. Can you find all 14? Explanation next week.)
Everything Else — 1A: Idle wanderer (VAGRANT); 8A: Dog markings (SPOTS); 13A: Double-reed woodwind (BASSOON); 20A: "The Lion in Winter" queen (ELEANOR); 21A: Mary Beth, the cop (LACEY); 22A: Sitcom family's name (RICARDO); 23A: Total bliss (NIRVANA); 24A: Theater seater (USHER); 25A: "___ from the moment I could stand" (Anna Pavlova) (I DANCED); 26A: "Don't look ___!" (AT ME); 27A: Game of forks and pins (CHESS); 29A: Mantel piece (URN); 31A: Fast approaching (NEAR); 32A: Tart quencher (LIMEADE); 35A: Flow controllers (SPIGOTS); 37A: ___ glance (AT A); 40A: ___ a one (zero) (NARY); 41A: Olympic event (DISCUS); 42A: Life insurance option (TERM); 46A: Actors Charles and James (COBURNS); 48A: Possible solution (IDEA); 50A: Pointless weapon (ÉPÉE); 52A: SE Asian language (LAO); 53A: Watergate figure Chuck (COLSON); 54A: Departs angrily (with "out") (STORMS); 56A: Mission ___, Calif. (VIEJO); 58A: School since 1440 (ETON); 59A: Commotion (STIR); 60A: Waiter for a bite (FISHERMAN); 64A: Trembled (SHOOK); 66A: Cookie Monster colleague (ERNIE); 68A: Modern way to shop (ONLINE); 69A: Phony introduction? (SYM-); 70A: Periodic table fig. (AT. NO.); 72A: Market-watching org.that missed Madoff (SEC); 74A: Awww-inspiring (CUTE); 75A: Hard/rock center (AS A); 78A: Keitel in "Pulp Fiction" (MR. WOLF); 80A: ___ broke (GO FOR); 82A: Score symbols (RESTS); 84A: Suffer (PAY DEARLY); 87A: Throws in (ADDS); 88A: Book after Joel (AMOS); 89A: Tickle (AMUSE); 90A: How some games end (IN A TIE); 93A: Triangle ratio (COSINE); 95A: Auto loan letters (APR); 96A: Cinderella's horses, before (MICE); 100A: Grand-scale tale (EPIC); 101A: They whistle while they work (KETTLES); 102A: VW precursors (R-S-T-U); 104A: Oil producer? (ARTIST); 106A: No longer straight (BENT); 107A: Correction crew: abbr. (EDS.); 108A: Fits in (BELONGS); 110A: Christmas star site (TREETOP); 113A: Air show stunt (LOOP); 115A: Juan's intro (SAN); 116A: Nest noise (CHEEP); 117A: 30 minutes, in the NFL (HALF); 121A: Takes by force (HIJACKS); 123A: Simmering, perhaps (ON LOW); 125A: Training session (SEMINAR); 128A: Uranium 238, e.g. (ISOTOPE); 129A: Shake awake (ROUSE); 130A: Put to work (UTILIZE); 131A: The sun, e.g. (DAYSTAR); 132A: Subsided (EBBED); 133A: One reentering society (PAROLEE); 1D: ___ cava (VENA); 2D: Landed on a leaf, e.g. (ALIT); 3D: It's sickening (GERM); 4D: "Bolero" composer (RAVEL); 5D: Carrier to Tokyo (ANA); 6D: Stop start? (NON-); 7D: Lost-person seekers (TRACERS); 8D: Turned on an axis (SLUED); 9D: Like 8-track tapes (PASSÉ); 10D: Folk singer Phil (OCHS); 11D: Ball elevator (TEE); 12D: IHOP assortment (SYRUPS); 13D: Mention (BRING UP); 14D: Backing (AID); 15D: Barely adequate (SCANT); 16D: Least loony (SANEST); 17D: Pacific predator (ORCA); 18D: Frankfurt's river (ODER); 19D: Sign of approval (NOD); 28D: Stable diet (HAY); 30D: Bridal shower? (RICE); 33D: Japanese cosmetics box (anagram of NOIR) (INRO); 34D: Herbie or Horace (MANN); 35D: Renamed country (SIAM); 36D: Sweet conclusion? (-OSE); 37D: Passwords provide it (ACCESS); 38D: Like some grins (TOOTHY); 39D: In full flower (ABLOOM); 41D: Austrian article (DER); 43D: Kind of sch. (ELEM.); 44D: Indian prince (RAJA); 45D: Orb in werewolf films (MOON); 47D: "You leave ___ alternative" (US NO); 48D: Take ___ stride (IT IN); 49D: Day at the movies (DORIS); 51D: More balanced (EVENER); 54D: Leisurely walk (STROLL); 55D: Airport near SJC and OAK (SFO); 57D: Anger (IRE); 59D: Hombre's address (SEÑOR); 61D: Like secret messages (IN CODE); 62D: Sheet music arcs (SLURS); 63D: Single or double (HIT); 65D: Magic teammate, once (KAREEM); 67D: Brain scan, briefly (EEG); 71D: Defunct carrier (TWA); 73D: Raccoon cousin (COATI); 75D: "Service with ___" (A SMILE); 78D: High (STONED); 77D: Evaluate (ASSESS); 78D: Rx writers (MD'S); 79D: Memo opener (FYI); 81D: Bank acct. protector (FDIC); 83D: It's right on the map, usually (EAST); 84D: Early late-night host (PAAR); 85D: Fender products (AMPS); 86D: Mongolian tent (YURT); 91D: Capone's nemesis (NESS); 92D: Fitting (APT); 93D: Bit of money (CENT); 94D: Director Preminger (OTTO); 97D: Different ending? (-IAL); 98D: Down word, perhaps (CROSSER); 99D: Sicilian smoker (ETNA); 101D: Maintains (KEEPS UP); 103D: Wolf pack units (U-BOATS); 105D: Don't listen to (IGNORE); 106D: Busy buzzer (BEE); 109D: Magic Kingdom neighbor (EPCOT); 110D: Yonder ones (THOSE); 111D: Marry again (REWED); 112D: Fictional gumshoe Vance (PHILO); 113D: Brainy cartoon sister (LISA); 114D: Hymn exclamation (O JOY); 116D: Dues-paying group (CLUB); 118D: Indigo dye source (ANIL); 119D: Lounge (about) (LAZE); 120D: Unattached (FREE); 121D: Went underground (HID); 122D: Kim Jong-il's military force: abbr. (KPA); 124D: Fat cat, in London (NOB); 126D: 55 Down posting (ETA); 127D: Fallen space station (MIR).
7 comments:
I can't tell whether I like this theme or not. It caused me not to care what the theme was while I was filling out the grid, so from that p.o.v., did not like. But it was a semi-engaging post-puzzle thing to try to figure out. Without Google, I only missed two of the generals: EARLY and HOOKER. I had guessed KERN or PEEL in the North and somehow missed that I hadn't identified a full seven in the South.
PG, Thank you so much for posting this! I was missing a couple and knew I'd never remember to check the answers in next week's paper. Like @Rojo, I guessed PEEL (and COLSON), not cluing in that I already had seven in the North, and then missed FORREST and LONGSTREET both in the South. Luckily, I remembered some [possibly apocryphal] story about Early being late, which got me that one. Happy Independence Day to you!
The more I do MR's puzzles, the more I like them, look forward to them. Thank you for taking over on Sundays after SB's passing. Answers always bring a smile to my face. I really didn't pay too much attention to the theme while solving it, just went back to seee how many generals I could recognize. Still very clever. Only was a bit stuck round MR. WOLF
Pure genius. Yankees in the north and Rebs in the south; good-looking grid, clever clues and answers. Outstanding.
Sherman's my favorite. When I lived five years in Atlanta during the sixties I often thought that WTS did a lot for the urban renewal of the city, much like Nero did for Rome.
Speaking of Gen. Hooker, I just remembered a (possibly apocryphal) story that the word hooker for prostitute has it's origins in Hooker's shifting the D.C. red light district of the time for some reason and the consequent dubbing of the prostitutes of the resultant area as "Hooker's girls."
I credit my southern upbringing with helping me get all seven Confederate generals fairly easily. I even grew up in a neighborhood in Northern VA where all the streets were named for Confederate heroes or battles (lived on Shiloh Street). Got stuck on Sheridan, though. It helped that my dad was a Civil War fanatic, or, as he used to call it "The War of Northern Aggression." Great puzzle.
Yankee that I am, I got all the Northern generals and most of the South except for Early and Stuart. I had Arly though which was close. I also had Amos who I thought was a famous Southern General who invented the cookie.
Post a Comment