06.08 Wed

W E D N E S D A Y
June 8, 2011
C. W. Stewart & J. K. Hummel

Theme: Six Pairs — Each theme answer is a made-up two-word phrase where both words can be members of the same category, but they're clued as a verb phrase ending with a person's name. Got it?

Theme answers:

• 17A: *Persistently pester journalist Blitzer? (BADGER WOLF).
• 23A: *Evade actor Harrison? (DODGE FORD).
• 51A: *"Look out, Ichabod!"? (DUCK CRANE).
• 11D: *Spotted rapper MC? (SAW HAMMER).
• 32D: *"Step on it, Mrs. Cleaver!"? ("MARCH, JUNE!").
• 62A: Biblical cargo, or what makes up the answers to starred clues (TWO OF A KIND).

What a fun puzzle to help us over hump day! It's really late right now so forgive me if I start dozing in the middle of this. Not the puzzle's fault! I have a friend who's going through a thing right now that's very distracting, so I've just spent a bunch of time on it and am trying to shift gears so I can talk about this puzzle before I go to bed. Okay, let's do it!

Super cute theme. I'm very happy to report that the phrases here all follow the pattern [verb] + [person's name]. If it hadn't been this consistent, it could really have been a mess I think. But it is consistent so … whew! Not much else to say about the theme except that there sure is a lot of it! Six theme answers seems to be more and more common these days, but it's still a lot. The fill suffers here and there because of the constraints created by the theme density (I'm looking at you FER), but I feel like there are pay-offs throughout the grid, so it all evens out. All in all, a very nice puzzle by two lovely and talented ladies.

Bullets:

• 20A: Business opening? (I MEAN). In my mind, this clue is always looking for the prefix AGRI-. But not today.
• 43A: Large departure (EXODUS).



• 45A: Pirate's potent potable (RUM). Is "potent potable" really a phrase anywhere outside of "Jeopardy"? Serious question.

• 48A: Take in (NAB). This was my trouble spot. I tried EAT and NET before finally coming around to NAB.
• 66A: Zeno of __ (ELEA). If I had time to do a CW101 lesson today, I would probably bump it up to CW201 and talk about both this answer and SETT (69A: Paving stone). Both are words I learned from puzzles.
• 3D: Like some wartime messages (CODED). Did you see that a bunch of spy stuff recently declassified included instructions on how to use artichoke juice as invisible ink? Some other crazy stuff too. If I had time, I'd find you a link. I heard about it on Rachel Maddow's show.

• 7D: "Every wall is __": Emerson (A DOOR). I absolutely would not have gotten this one if it hadn't been for a recent New York Times puzzle that featured this quote prominently.
• 53D: "Another Saturday Night" singer Sam (COOKE). The song that immediately came into my head is Cat Stevens. Let's see if I know this one too. Hold on …. Whoa! It's the same song! I didn't know the Cat Stevens version was a cover. I guess we really do learn something new every damn day.

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 14A: University with a law school in Greensboro (ELON).
• 37A: Fictional pirate (SMEE).
• 42A: Taj Mahal site (AGRA).
• 13D: Showy lily (SEGO).

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Everything Else — 1A: Relay, say (RACE); 5A: Parasol purpose (SHADE); 10A: Nile biters (ASPS); 15A: Swiss Alps refrain (YODEL); 16A: Like a blue moon (RARE); 19A: Branch branch (TWIG); 21A: Ballerina's pivot point (TOE); 22A: Dodo (SCHMO); 25A: Carte start (ALA); 26A: Goof up (ERR); 27A: Office assortment (STAMPS); 30A: NCR product (ATM); 33A: Moronic (OAFISH); 38A: Crumbly soil (LOAM); 40A: Word with mouth or pool (MOTOR); 41A: Flu fighters (SERA); 46A: Like some cows (SACRED); 50A: "Let me think ..." ("HMM …"); 57A: Green-skinned pear (ANJOU); 59A: Blood system letters (ABO); 60A: Tease (RAG ON); 61A: Chef lead-in (SOUS); 64A: "Green Gables" girl (ANNE); 65A: Plumber's tool (SNAKE); 67A: Amanda of "Gulliver's Travels" (2010) (PEET); 68A: Fall flower (ASTER); 1D: Auction action (REBID); 2D: Avis rival (ALAMO); 4D: Captivate (ENGAGE); 5D: Turk. neighbor (SYR.); 6D: Instruction book (HOW TO); 8D: Edited out (DELED); 9D: North Pole resident, presumably (ELF); 10D: Place for a nude (ART CLASS); 12D: Proper partner? (PRIM); 18D: Cool time in Madrid (ENERO); 22D: Made a lap (SAT); 24D: Set up (FRAMED); 27D: Diminished (SHRUNK); 28D: Lima or llama land (PERU); 29D: Mine line (SEAM); 30D: "Woe is me!" ("ALAS!"); 31D: Frat party wrap (TOGA); 34D: Deceive (FOX); 35D: "What was __ do?" (I TO); 36D: Instant lawn (SOD); 39D: Small monkey (MARMOSET); 44D: Pelvic bones (SACRA); 47D: Down Under runner (EMU); 49D: Traffic stoppers? (BRAKES); 51D: Suddenly occurs to, with "on" (DAWNS); 52D: WWII German sub (U-BOAT); 54D: Nimble (AGILE); 55D: The Muses, e.g. (NONET).

56D: Conclude by (END AT); 57D: PDQ relative (ASAP); 58D: Not a lick (NONE); 62D: Frisk-y govt. group? (TSA); 63D: Not agin (FER).

T U E S D A Y August 10, 2010 C. W. Stewart

Theme: Let's Wrap It Up — Theme answers are familiar phrases that begin with a word that can also be a word for an outer garment/accessory known as a wrap.


Theme answers:

• 17A: Southernmost tip of South America (CAPE HORN).
• 21A: Smacked someone when they least expected it? (STOLE A KISS).
• 40A: Deadly squeezers (BOA CONSTRICTORS).
• 57A: Family crest (COAT OF ARMS).
• 66A: Director's shout, and hint to the starts of 17-, 21-, 40- and 57-Across (IT'S A WRAP).

I've always been a fan of C. W. Stewart's puzzles (even before I met her last year at the ACPT and discovered she's a lovely, lovely woman!) and this is a great example of what a Tuesday puzzle should be. A coherent theme with a great reveal clue, some crosswordese to help the solver along, and smooth fill. Love it. And it's a good thing because I was pretty miserable while I was solving it. We're on vacation in Colorado and oh my God, the hike we went on yesterday! It wasn't even two miles but we gained 1,000+ vertical feet and for this middle-aged, out-of-shape woman it was painful. Breathtakingly beautiful, super super fun but, in the end, well let's just say we stopped and bought a full bottle of ibuprofen on our way back to the house.

Back to the puzzle!

• 26A: Sew with loose stitches (BASTE). I seem to recall some discussion about this last time it popped up, although I don't remember if it was here or at Rex's blog. In any event, this is a totally legitimate clue even if it's something you've never heard of. Trust me on this.
• 31A: It's plighted in marriage (TROTH). "Plighted" sounds bad. Too much like "blighted" I guess.
• 35A: Mid-size Nissan (ALTIMA). PuzzleHusband had one of these for a while. Man I hated that car. It was loud and uncomfortable and couldn't handle snow At All.
• 68A: Ghostly gathering (SEANCE). On Sunday night, the PuzzleFamily went over to the Stanley Hotel (the big, creepy hotel where they filmed "The Shining") to hear ghost stories. And yesterday on our hike, I'm pretty sure we saw the ghosts of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley! Our hike took us up to Gem Lake where we stopped and ate lunch and the PuzzleKids waded around a little bit. There was an older couple there when we got there. When we heard thunder in the distance, we high-tailed it down the trail. The couple was still at the lake finishing up their lunch when we left. After we'd been hiking down 10–15 minutes or so, guess who we see just standing there calmly on the side of the trail. That same couple! The only explanation I can come up with is … ghosts! [Okay, this is even creepier. I was going to include a picture where you can see these two people in the background. I showed it to my husband last night. And now I can't find it! It's disappeared!]



• 3D: Goof for good, e.g.? (TYPO). I always like this kind of clue for TYPO.
• 6D: Respectful bow (CURTSY). I always thought a CURTSY and a bow were two different things, but I can see where a CURTSY is simply a type of bow.
• 8D: Biblical tower site (BABEL). I saw the movie "Babel" a few years ago when it first came out. If you're in the mood for an emotionally horrifying, completely depressing movie with Brad Pitt in it … this is the one for you.
• 11D: Singer __ Dee (KIKI). But enough about depressing things ….



• 22D: King Julien XIII in "Madagascar" (LEMUR). I've never seen the movie, but I guess it found its way into my consciousness enough that I knew this answer right off the bat.
• 41D: Lively Cuban dance (SALSA). Also a delicious tomato-based accompaniment to tortilla chips.

Crosswordese 101: OCAS (also known as "okas" or "New Zealand yams") are the tuber of an annual plant called Oxalis tuberosa. According to Wikipedia, "The plant was brought into cultivation in the central and southern Andes for its tubers, which are used as a root vegetable." Clues you might see for OCA include "Andean stew vegetable," "South American tuber," or 53A: Edible Andean tubers. Every once in a while, usually in a late-week puzzle, OCA is clued as "wood sorrel."

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

• 44A: Young newt (EFT).
• 70A: Gold, south of the border (ORO).
• 5D: Jagged, as a leaf's edge (EROSE).
• 32D: Bassoon relatives (OBOES).
• 59D: Lab gel (AGAR).

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Everything Else — 1A: Box-office smash (HIT); 4A: Hug and smooch (NECK); 8A: Robbins's partner (BASKIN); 14A: Wrigley Field feature (IVY); 15A: "No lie!" ("TRUE!"); 16A: It can be formal or informal (ATTIRE); 19A: Jolly-good mates (BLOKES); 20A: Fort with billions in bullion (KNOX); 23A: Gender-neutral possessive (ONE'S); 25A: Besides (ELSE); 29A: Thanksgiving veggie (YAM); 37A: Have dinner (SUP); 39A: Arthur of "The Golden Girls" (BEA); 45A: La Brea goo (TAR); 46A: Like many CIA ops (COVERT); 47A: Dance components (STEPS); 50A: Building site (LOT); 52A: Actor Davis (OSSIE); 55A: Reason to swear (OATH); 61A: Track figures (ODDS); 65A: Pressing (URGENT); 69A: Like some dorms (CO-ED); 71A: Luggage lugger (PORTER); 72A: CPR experts (EMT'S); 73A: Stroke lovingly, or the object of a loving stroke (PET); 1D: Hayseed (HICK); 2D: "Terrible" 16th-century leader (IVAN); 4D: Utmost degree (NTH); 7D: Numbers game (KENO); 9D: Finally (AT LAST); 10D: Furnace room worker (STOKER); 12D: Tees off (IRES); 13D: Suffix with kind or fond (-NESS); 18D: Like some dancers (EXOTIC); 24D: Verne captain (NEMO); 26D: Innocents (BABES); 27D: Floating on high (ALOFT); 28D: Country division (STATE); 30D: N.L. Central player (ASTRO); 33D: Country singer Gibbs (TERRI); 34D: Impulsiveness (HASTE); 36D: Critter on a hill (ANT); 38D: Snapshot, briefly (PIC); 42D: Old geezer (COOT); 43D: NBC offering (TV SHOW); 48D: Strong (POTENT); 49D: Decorative wall light fixture (SCONCE); 51D: Source of oater drumming (TOMTOM); 54D: Later than (AFTER); 56D: Liability offset (ASSET); 57D: Zodiacal border (CUSP); 58D: One may be dipped in milk (OREO); 60D: Paddy product (RICE); 62D: Lead-in for cloth or kick (DROP); 63D: Challenge (DARE); 64D: Brit's bit of tea (SPOT); 67D: Super Bowl highlights? (ADS).