Theme: Sausage Fest — Theme answers begin with types of wurst.
Theme answers:
17A: Lennon had one (LIVERPOOL ACCENT).
25A: Go from pillar to post (KNOCK ABOUT).
50A: Josephine Tey title orphan (BRAT FARRAR).
66A: Based on the starts of 17-, 25- and 50-Across, what this crossword might be? (WURST PUZZLE EVER).
Cute theme. Somewhat diminished for me because I can't say I've ever heard of BRAT FARRAR. (Also, is the orphan pronounced like "brought"? The other theme answers keep the pronunciation of the "wurst" word. I just don't know about this one.) Also, I don't think of a LIVERPOOL ACCENT as a stand-alone phrase. Oh, and the clue for KNOCK ABOUT feels a little old-timey to me. So, yeah. Cute theme idea but I'm not a big fan of the execution. Obviously, your mileage may vary.
I got both ANITRA (19D: "Peer Gynt Suite" dancer) and EMMA (37D: "Bone Dance" sci-fi author Bull) totally through crosses and only had trouble when I tried "diced" for RICED (9D: Reduced to bits) and "bout" for SUMO (57D: Heavyweights' ring contest).
I had to laugh when I got to EVAS (63D: NASA "walks"). You may recall that I just covered EVA in yesterday's Crosswordese 101. In fact, I'm sure you do remember because a lot of you wanted either to add an EVA to the list or give me a hard time about "dissing" one of the EVAs already on the list. Forgive me if I take a moment to respond to those comments. First, yes there are other EVAs. But my goal in CW101 is to introduce you to the EVAs most likely to appear in puzzles. I didn't mention EVA Green because as far as I can tell she's only appeared in one major crossword puzzle and it was a late-week New York Times. EVA Braun? Has appeared five times in various puzzles. She is sometimes paired with EVA Perón, which puts her in an historical context which is perfectly legit. I honestly don't think you're going to see much of her in puzzles, not because of any queasiness about who she was, but because there are many (more interesting?) choices. Second, I'm well aware that there's a lot to know about the talented EVA Marie Saint. But in crossword puzzles you only need to know her name and that she's an actress. Please don't shoot the messenger.
This all brings me to the point I want to make today, though. (Finally!) EVA can stand for Extra-Vehicular Activity, a term used in astronautics. In the major puzzles, this version of the clue has been used only a handful of times so I didn't include it in my write-up yesterday. Yes, I feel horrible about it.
Bullets:
1A: Baron Cohen's Kazakh journalist (BORAT). From what I've been able to determine, you either love him or you hate him.
36A: Nasty boss (OGRE). Funny, I always called my nasty boss something totally different.
45A: Chuck (HURL).
47A: "All in the Family" spinoff (MAUDE). Weren't we just talking about her?
71A: Gave a shot, say (DOSED). Tried "tried" first.
7D: New pedometer reading (OOO). Not a fan of the letter O being used as a zero.
10D: Like bill payments? (IN CASH). I thought "Who pays their bills in cash?!" Then realized the question mark means that the payment itself is in "bills," i.e., cash.
13D: Adam's third (SETH). I saw a Twitter conversation going on the other day in which one person repeatedly referred to Adam and Eve as having only two sons (Cain and Abel, duh) and using that fact to "wonder" aloud how the earth was subsequently populated. Not being a religious person, I don't believe in the whole Adam and Eve thing, so I actually agree with the guy who was arguing against it. And yet my first thought was simply, "Um … Seth?"
29D: "How'm I Doing?" mayor/author (KOCH). He was mayor when I lived in New York so this was a gimme for me.
32D: Pianist Rubinstein (ARTUR).
40D: One may be thrown at a pothole (HUBCAP). I do not know what this means.
64D: Euro fraction (CENT). Very tricky! I honestly didn't know. But now I do — yay!
Crosswordese 101:We talked about ERN last year. I mentioned how sometimes it's spelled ERNE but totally forgot about TERN! ERN(E) and TERN clues are often indistinguishable: "Shorebird," "Coastal flier," "Beach bird." With those kinds of clues, you just have to wait for crosses. There are a couple words that don't cross over though, so look for these:
ERN = raptor, eagle
TERN = fork-tailed, gull, swallow
Other crosswordese in the puzzle that we've already covered:
[Follow PuzzleGirl on Twitter.] Everything Else — 9A: National Guard challenges (RIOTS); 14A: Publicist's concern (IMAGE); 15A: Bettor's note (IOU); 16A: Art film, often (INDIE); 20A: Undying (ETERNAL); 21A: Bring to light (UNEARTH); 22A: Handle clumsily (PAW); 24A: Wallet items, briefly (ID'S); 31A: Rodgers's partner (HART); 35A: Part of a TV feed (AUDIO); 39A: Eggy bun (BRIOCHE); 42A: Vibraphone virtuoso Lionel (HAMPTON); 44A: CIA forerunner (OSS); 48A: One of Alcott's women (BETH); 53A: Old Gremlin maker (AMC); 55A: Fannie follower? (MAE); 56A: Not surprisingly (AS USUAL); 60A: Esteem (RESPECT); 68A: "South Pacific" hero (EMILE); 69A: Museum-funding org. (NEA); 70A: Origami bird (CRANE); 72A: "How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must)" author Coulter (ANN); 73A: Ready to snap (TESTY); 1D: Ill temper (BILE); 2D: Jump over (OMIT); 3D: All-night bash (RAVE); 4D: Stress, so they say (AGER); 5D: Bird that migrates from the Arctic to Antarctica (TERN); 6D: H.S. experiment site (BIO LAB); 8D: Pilot's alphabet ender (ZULU); 12D: Sunroof feature (TINT); 18D: Bearded Smurf (PAPA); 23D: Romance (WOO); 25D: Barbecue fare (KABOB); 26D: Sip (NURSE); 27D: Praiseful poet (ODIST); 28D: Gp. in a 1955 labor merger (CIO); 30D: "This is awful!" ("UGH!"); 33D: Ida Morgenstern's daughter (RHODA); 34D: Office machine supply (TONER); 41D: Drop a brick, so to speak (ERR); 43D: It's often two, in mini golf (PAR); 46D: Hotfoot it (LAM); 49D: Give grief to (HASSLE); 51D: Burroughs swinger (TARZAN); 52D: Have a hunch (FEEL); 54D: Softened, in a way (MUTED); 56D: Blown away (AWED); 59D: Moon goddess (LUNA); 61D: Shiites, e.g. (SECT); 62D: French pop (PÈRE); 65D: Long basket, in basketball lingo (TREY); 67D: Path to enlightenment (ZEN).
Hi, it’s Jeffrey, back for one more day while PuzzleGirl is off on her super-double-top-secret mission. Theme: Musical Numbers or Incredibly Old Songs.
Theme answers: 17A. [Temptations number] – CLOUD NINE (1968)
64A. [Doris Day number] – TEA FOR TWO (1950)
9D. [Josh White number] – ONE MEATBALL (1944). Never heard of this one.
24D. [Tennessee Ernie Ford number] – SIXTEEN TONS (1955)
Quite the odd collection there. Average age = 56 years (or more, “TEA FOR TWO” is from 1925’s “No, No, Nanette”.) 1-2-9-16. Why? It is not a Fabonacci sequence (1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21...). Not squares (1-4-9-16). Not powers of two (1-2-4-8-16). Any theories? Are they all 16A. [Source of some urban pollution] – NOISE?
Other old stuff: 4A. [Student of Socrates] - PLATO 21A. [Ward, to Beaver] - DAD 34A. [Pre-fax communication] - TELEX 29A. [4-Across, to Aristotle] - TEACHER 48A. [First name in scat] - ELLA 52A. [21-Across, slangily] – OLD MAN 64D. [Fenway Park's Williams] – TED Some new stuff: 19A. [First name in TV talk] - ELLEN 20A. [CIA boss Panetta] – LEON 6D. [Andrea Bocelli delivery] – ARIA 57D. ["__ Only Just Begun": Carpenters hit] – WE’VE (1970 – new for this puzzle)
PuzzleGirl is scheduled to be back from her mission in time to take back her crown tomorrow. Thanks for bearing with me these two days.
All the rest of the stuff: 1A. [Letters on the Ronald Reagan] - USS 9A. [Travel like Eris or Ceres] - ORBIT 14A. [Zippo] - NIL 15A. [Put to work] - HIRED 22A. [Brunch fare] - OMELET 23A. [Tell-all news story] - EXPOSE 25A. [Market special] – SALE 27A. [Guinness serving] - PINT 37A. [Mob hit victim, often] - RAT 39A. [Worthless talk] - TRIPE 40A. [__-garde] - AVANT 41A. ["Thrilla in Manila" boxer] - ALI 42A. [School rides] - BUSES 43A. [Soprano Fleming] - RENEE 44A. [Spray graffiti on, say] - MAR 45A. [Stocks or bonds] - ASSET 46A. [Swap the old for the new] – TRADE UP 50A. [Legendary loch] - NESS 56A. [Having just exercised] - SWEATY 60A. [Returns pro] - CPA 62A. [Move carefully] - EASE 63A. [Convention nametag word] - HELLO 66A. [Poland Spring competitor] - EVIAN 67A. [Carriage return, these days] - ENTER 68A. [Catch some rays] - TAN 69A. [Campus VIPs] - DEANS 70A. [Tractor maker John] - DEERE 71A. [USNA grad] - ENS 1D. ["I give!"] - UNCLE 2D. [Proctor __ appliances] - SILEX 3D. [Single-masted ship] - SLOOP 4D. [Deg. for many 69-Across] - PHD 5D. [Tree also known as basswood] - LINDEN 7D. [Works the bar] - TENDS 8D. ["To a ..." poem] - ODE 10D. [Thespian's résumé listing] - ROLE 11D. [Fin or sawbuck] - BILL 12D. ["Now it's clear!"] - ISEE 13D. [Backpacker's shelter] - TENT 18D. [Still in the crate] - UNOPENED 22D. [Soccer shout] - OLE 26D. [Things to wear] - ATTIRE 28D. [Homeless itinerants] - TRAMPS 30D. [One with a cause] - CRUSADER 31D. [Greet the villain] - HISS 32D. [Blunted blade] - EPEE 33D. [Remainder] - REST 34D. [Like sourballs] - TART 35D. ["Rarely, if __ ..."] - EVER 36D. [Lang of Smallville] - LANA 38D. [In the style of] - ALA 47D. [Slangy reversal of direction] - UEY 49D. [Work shirker] - LOAFER 51D. [Movie segment] - SCENE 53D. [Dull finish] - MATTE 54D. [Egypt's __ High Dam] - ASWAN 55D. [Vegas signs] - NEONS 56D. [Storage building] - SHED 58D. [Director Kazan] - ELIA 59D. [Actor Arkin] - ALAN 61D. [Chopped spread] - PATE 65D. [It usually ends in "ite"] - ORE
{Note - if you don't see the "Post a Comment" or "comments" buttons, click on the title "TUESDAY, July 20, 2010 - Fred Piscop" above and you should get a window with today's post along with comments}
Theme: "Unknown Endings"— Theme answers are familiar phrases with an X added to the end, resulting in new wacky phrases clued "?"-style.
Theme answers:
23A: Rodriguez upset with negative publicity? (BITTER ALEX). He's got no one to blame but himself.
25A: Film timepiece seen briefly? (CAMEO ROLEX).
43A: Instability of stereotypical BMW drivers? (YUPPIE FLUX). "Yuppie flu" is a derogatory name for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
64A: World's most perplexing problem? (GRAND CRUX). Grand cru has something to do with wine.
87A: Buckingham Palace add-on? (QUEEN ANNEX).
107A: Rubber bedsheets? (SLEEP LATEX). I was a little surprised to see this with 38D: Compensate for oversleeping (RUSH) already in the puzzle.
109A: Cat on steroids? (MUSCLE MANX).
36D: Encrypted Scriptures? (SECRET CODEX).
39D: Highest point in North Africa? (BARBARY APEX).
Crosswordese 101: I thought we might talk about Stephen REA today (53A: "V for Vendetta" actor), but Orange covered him last month. So today we'll talk about ETON, which is sometimes clued as a type of collar, but most of the time clued with regard to the British college. Here's what you need to know about ETON: it was founded by Henry VI in 1440, it's on the Thames, it competes with Harrow, and it's associated with Aldous Huxley, George Orwell, Ian Fleming, James Bond, Percy Shelley, Lord Peter Wimsey, and (as we see in today's clue, 21A: Prep school for some princes), Prince William and Prince Harry. (I went looking for a picture of the princes at Eton, and found the guy at left. He looks like an Eton chap, doesn't he?)
Man, I'm glad I didn't have to blog Friday's puzzle. PuzzleDaughter had a friend sleep over and PuzzleSon had two friends sleep over. It was madness. My husband's all, "What's going on?" I'm all, "It's summer!" He's all, "It's Thursday!" The kids had a blast though. What I'm angling for, of course, is that both of them will get invited to sleepovers at friends' houses on the same night. Could I get so lucky? I'll let you know. What? There's a puzzle to talk about?
Cute theme. And it sure helped to know the last letter of each theme answer would be an X. I solved this one pretty steadily, but for some reason got tripped up several times by not getting exactly what the clue was going for. I thought 28A: Oil source wanted a place, so I had Sudan instead of the correct SHALE. I thought 34A: Perp subduer wanted a person, so it took me a while to figure out TASER. I thought 76A: Crease maker, at times wanted the actual thing that does the creasing, i.e., the iron, so I was surprised to see instead the person doing the creasing, i.e., the IRONER. I thought 94A: ____ out: peaked wanted ashen and not MAXED. And, again, on 9D: Crew's control, I wanted a piece of equipment and not the COXSWAIN. I have no idea if Fred Piscop was going for misdirection in those clues or if I'm just flaky today. Probably the latter.
There's gotta be more, right?
10A: Carpenter's groove (DADO). What? You don't have a woodworking hobby? Well, just try to remember this one then.
20A: Tropical tuber (TARO). It's a starchy plant that is often clued as Hawaiian. Another one you should remember.
27A: Team with the most Super Bowl victories (STEELERS). My favorite football player is Walter Payton. That's how long it's been since I've paid attention to football.
47A: The kinkajou has a prehensile one (TAIL). The kinka-what? It's a rainforest animal sometimes called a "honey bear." Just in case you were wondering, "The kinkajou is distinguished from the olingo by its prehensile tail, its foreshortened muzzle, its extrudable tongue, and its lack of anal scent glands."
59A: Radium discoverer born in Warsaw, Pol. (MME. CURIE). I was sort of obsessed with Marie Curie in 6th grade. I was a weird kid.
67A: Isl. south of Corsica (SAR.). Sardinia.
78A: Unfair treatment, with "the" (SHAFT).
80A: He "does not throw dice": Einstein (GOD). Ooh, I like this one.
85A: "Mockingbird" singer Foxx (INEZ). I grew up with the James Taylor/Carly Simon version.
100A: Fill with horror (APPAL). I had repel at first.
5D: Baseball Hall of Famer Willie (KEELER). I hadn't heard of him before but his record is pretty impressive. He retired in 1910 with a .341 career batting average and eight 200-hit seasons. He was a good hitter is what I'm saying.
13D: Number on a driver (ONE). Golf!
18D: Latin king (REX). All hail the king!
45D: Nancy's home (FRANCE). Nancy is a city in France. Tricky.
61D: Awaiting service (IN LINE). Do they still say "on line" in New York? I'm thinking maybe that changed once "online" started having a totally different meaning.
77D: Atlantic food fish (SCUP). If you say so!
88D: Site of North Amer.'s geographical midpoint (N. DAK.). Specifically, Rugby, North Dakota. I knew that one.
92D: Room in a big house? (CELL). "Big house" being a euphemism for "prison."
Everything Else — 1A: Hand-dyeing method (BATIK); 6A: Job particular, briefly (SPEC); 14A: Philanthropist Brooke (ASTOR); 19A: Do penance (ATONE); 22A: Say "Tsk!" to (CHIDE); 30A: Genealogist's discovery (ROOTS); 31A: Seventh day activity (REST); 32A: Reside (DWELL); 33A: Ramadan practice (FAST); 37A: Char (SEAR); 38A: Not permanent, as dye (RINSABLE); 42A: Some soccer stadium chants (OLÉS); 48A: Mediator's forte (TACT); 49A: Bagel flavor (ONION); 50A: Do some lawn repair (RESEED); 54A: Goof (ERR); 55A: Well done, and then some (BURNT); 56A: __ 1: speed of sound (MACH); 57A: Contest award (RIBBON); 61A: Hebrides isle (IONA); 62A: Chunnel terminus (ENGLAND); 63A: Short or long measure (TON); 68A: Certain bigots (RACISTS); 71A: Gen. Robt. __ (E. LEE); 72A: 1989 undersea thriller (THE ABYSS); 77A: Indian honorifics (SRIS); 79A: __ snail's pace (AT A); 81A: Vitamin in liver (NIACIN); 83A: __-Mattress (DIAL-A); 84A: Laundry concern (SPOT); 89A: Prompter start? (TELE-); 90A: Bathroom dispenser item (DIXIE CUP); 93A: Wordsmith's ref. (DICT.); 95A: Answer to a judge (PLEA); 96A: Intimidating look (STARE); 98A: Bug-eyed (AGOG); 102A: In coils (SNAKY); 103A: Ivory tower milieu (ACADEMIA); 111A: Chat room chatters (USERS); 112A: Give a hoot (CARE); 113A: Mideast leader (EMIR); 114A: Greene of "Bonanza" (LORNE); 115A: Man with a code (MORSE); 116A: Calls off (ENDS); 117A: Moon buggy org. (NASA); 118A: Stock up on (AMASS); 1D: Streisand, in fanzines (BABS); 2D: Plugging away (AT IT); 3D: Pledge drive giveaway (TOTE); 4D: Bond payment (INTEREST); 6D: Square one (START); 7D: Ones to hang with (PALS); 8D: Bard's preposition (ERE); 10D: Modeling accessory (DECAL); 11D: Ever (AT ALL); 12D: Kremlin feature (DOME); 14D: Puzzle direction (ACROSS); 15D: Try to hit (SHOOT AT); 16D: Pinball no-no (TILT); 17D: Works of Sappho (ODES); 24D: Latin thing (RES); 26D: African port (ORAN); 29D: "Take one" (HERE); 32D: Redcap's place (DEPOT); 33D: Prix __ (FIXE); 34D: Clan emblem (TOTEM); 35D: Chili rating unit (ALARM); 37D: Brent who played Data on "Star Trek: T.N.G." (SPINER); 40D: Rest atop (LIE ON); 41D: Dik-dik cousin (ELAND); 43D: Part of MYOB (YOUR); 44D: Removes gear from (UNRIGS); 46D: Old compact from 45-Down (LE CAR); 51D: Directional suffix (-ERN); 52D: Roots around in (DIGS AT); 55D: Eponymous burner designer (BUNSEN); 56D: Statistical figures (MODES); 58D: Ruin the surprise (BLAB); 60D: Hard cash? (COIN); 62D: Show relief, in a way (EXHALE); 65D: Lofty home (AERIE); 66D: '60s United Nations leader (U THANT); 68D: Unbending (RIGID); 69D: Product suffix suggesting noodles (-ARONI); 70D: Athlete lead-in (TRI-); 73D: www transmission (E-FAX); 74D: Lifted, so to speak (STOLE); 75D: Stuffed (SATED); 78D: "__ you asked ..." (SINCE); 82D: Marine hue (AQUA); 83D: Many Wisconsin farmers (DAIRYMEN); 84D: Show biz parent (STAGE MOM); 86D: Closers of a kind (ZIPPERS); 91D: Slip by (ELAPSE); 94D: Ford classic (MODEL A); 96D: Dummy Mortimer (SNERD); 97D: Campaign issue (TAXES); 98D: Ghana's capital (ACCRA); 99D: Milk qty. (GAL.); 100D: To boot (ALSO); 101D: Look closely (PEER); 102D: Jazzman Getz (STAN); 103D: Sale phrase (AS IS); 104D: N.Y. Giants' founder and longtime owner Tim (MARA); 105D: Roadside stops (INNS); 106D: Things to grind (AXES); 107D: Bottom line (SUM); 108D: Top pitcher (ACE); 110D: Actress Thurman (UMA).
Cute theme. Somewhat diminished for me because I can't say I've ever heard of BRAT FARRAR. (Also, is the orphan pronounced like "brought"? The other theme answers keep the pronunciation of the "wurst" word. I just don't know about this one.) Also, I don't think of a LIVERPOOL ACCENT as a stand-alone phrase. Oh, and the clue for KNOCK ABOUT feels a little old-timey to me. So, yeah. Cute theme idea but I'm not a big fan of the execution. Obviously, your mileage may vary.
