03.15 Tue

T U E S D A Y
March 15, 2011
Gary Steinmehl

Theme: Hitting the Gym — The last word of each theme answer is (arguably) something you would do REPS of while exercising.

Theme answers:

• 20A: Last leg of a race (HOME STRETCH).
• 27A: Chocolate bar with crisped rice (NESTLÉ CRUNCH).
• 49A: Overseas news-gatherers (FOREIGN PRESS).
• 59A: Very little, in slang (DIDDLY SQUAT).
• 57D: PR specialists, and a word associated with the ends of 20-, 27-, 49- and 59-Across (REPS).

I have mixed feelings about this theme. The theme answers themselves are all colorful and the theme hangs together very well until … you get to the reveal. REPS? Do you really do REPS of STRETCHes? Um, no. No, you don't. You just STRETCH. And then (if you're motivated and you're at, say, a gym) you do the rest of the things mentioned. So, to me, THE GYM would have been a much better reveal. If I had seen that, I would have been all "Oh, right! These are all things you do at a gym!" With STRETCH as the first entry, I might have even thought they were in some kind of logical order. It all would have been very pleasant and right now I would be talking some more about how sparkly the theme entries are. Instead, though, right now I'm going: REPS? Really?!

If you're not a fan of foreign words in your puzzle, you were probably troubled by all the French in this grid:

• 16A: Author Zola (ÉMILE). Which reminds me, if you haven't seen "Wordplay," you really should.
• 23A: Nice season? (ÉTÉ). We've covered this in Crosswordese 101 — both the answer and the way it's clued.
• 46A: Paris's __ la Paix (RUE DE). This one is not only French, it's also an ugly partial. Twofer!
• 10D: Porthos, to Athos (AMI). French for "friend" (and previously covered in CW101).
• 13D: Place for a beret (TÊTE). French for "head."
• 35D: D-Day target city (ST.-LÔ). Another CW 101 alum.

You also might be able to include BEAU (15A: Steady fellow) in this list without getting into too much trouble. Speaking of CW 101, here are the other grid entries that we've already covered. Each answer word below is a link to the post where you'll find more details.

• 18A: Elongated fish (EELS).
• 39A: Sheltered Greek walkway (STOA).
• 43A: IRS agent (T-MAN).
• 66A: Cleveland's lake (ERIE).

So, what else? Well there are some nice Scrabbly entries in ZAGAT, ZEPHYRS, and SEQUIN (9A: Big name in restaurant guides / 9D: Gentle winds / 51D: Fashion sparkler). SEQUIN was actually hard for me to come up with because I had RHINESTONE in my head and couldn't shake it.

Bullets:

• 19A: Turning point (PIVOT).



• 52A: Run or ruin (DASH). Great clue. Think "50-yard DASH" or having your hopes DASHed.
• 67A: DDE's alma mater (USMA). Dwight D. Eisenhower's alma mater is the U.S. Military Academy.

• 69A: Ole Miss rival (BAMA). When I was a kid, I thought Duke and Marquette were the coolest college names. I still think they're awesome, but I love BAMA too (even though it's obviously not the school's official name). I always hoped I'd graduate from a college with a cool name. But instead I ended up at … Maryland.
• 11D: Abraham, to Lincoln (GIVEN NAME). I tried FIRST NAME first.
• 26D: Bee or Em (AUNT). I think of Em as AUNTIE, but I see that's what she's called in the film but not in the books. AUNT Bee is from "The Andy Griffith Show" and, yes, that is how her name is spelled.
• 28D: Fa follower (SOL). Do re mi fa SOL la ti do.
• 34D: DoD fliers (USAF). The U.S. Air Force flies for the Department of Defense.
• 50D: Letters under a 4 (G-H-I). Today's random letter string is clued in relation to the telephone keypad.

• 55D: Cass and Michelle, famously (MAMAS). Cass Elliot and Michelle Phillips were the MAMAS of the 1960s group, "The MAMAS and the Papas."
• 62D: Bean town? (LIMA). Get it? 'Cuz the name of the town is also a type of bean. (Ugh.)

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Everything Else — 1A: Cote bleats (BAAS); 5A: Further (ALSO); 14A: Flattop opposite (AFRO); 17A: Plane or sander (TOOL); 24A: Snail mail need (STAMP); 25A: Color in the four-color process (CYAN); 34A: Plug-and-play PC port (USB); 37A: Borat creator Sacha Baron __ (COHEN); 38A: Trapper's gear (SNARE); 41A: Number-guessing fund-raiser (LOTTO); 44A: False __ (ALARM); 48A: Ambulance initials (EMS); 53A: Times spent in prison or in office (TERMS); 57A: Dusting aid (RAG); 64A: Remove from the videotape (ERASE); 68A: Argentine grassland (PAMPA); 70A: Modern Roman, e.g.: Abbr. (ITAL.); 71A: Take badly? (STEAL); 72A: Disappearing slope apparatus (T-BAR); 73A: Big Board letters (NYSE); 1D: They're drawn in tubs (BATHS); 2D: In progress (AFOOT); 3D: Bakery quality (AROMA); 4D: Serious (SOLEMN); 5D: Aid's partner (ABET); 6D: Look that may be accompanied by a smirk (LEER); 7D: Shopping news (SALE); 8D: Bounce, as from a bar (OUST); 12D: Oodles (A LOT); 21D: Risky business, briefly (SPEC); 22D: Brutus' 300 (CCC); 29D: Rose feature (THORN); 30D: Rain more gently (LET UP); 31D: Rectangular computer key (ENTER); 32D: Stuff (into) (CRAM); 33D: Lady birds (HENS); 36D: Monopoly, for one (BOARD GAME); 40D: House painter's calculation (AREA); 42D: Dedicated verse (ODE); 45D: Card player's goof (MISDEAL); 47D: Ballpark figs. (ESTS.); 54D: Out of practice (RUSTY); 56D: Old hat (STALE); 58D: "I smell __!" (A RAT); 60D: Unpaid loan, e.g. (DEBT); 61D: Not bright at all (DRAB); 63D: Wine taster's guesstimate (YEAR); 65D: Healthful resort (SPA).

01.07 Fri

F R I D A Y

January 7, 2011
Gary Steinmehl


Theme: And sometimes Y (but not this time) — Familiar phrases have a vowel tacked onto the front. The vowels progress from top to bottom — A, E, I, O, U.

Theme answers:

• 20A: Proof of quartz sales? (AGATE RECEIPTS).
• 30A: Brewery's best? (ELITE BEER).
• 38A: "Mad Max" and "Twelve Angry Men"? (IRATE MOVIES).
• 46A: One of many at a Syracuse University football game? (ORANGE TOP).
• 58A: Making a mess at the warehouse? (UPENDING CASES).

I'm not going to lie and tell you I understood the theme while I was solving. I definitely didn't. I tried. Lord knows, I tried! But it didn't make any sense to me until I saw it all laid out. I'm not exactly crazy about the "I" entry. I guess the base phrase is "rate movies," and that's weak. But the rest of them are pretty good. ORANGE TOP actually made me chuckle. I found the rest of the puzzle just crunchy enough to be interesting, but not really hard enough for a Friday. (I know, I know, it's like I'm beating that dead horse that was sliding into home plate in that Mr. Ed video the other day.)

I did have a couple trouble spots. The first was that whole 13D: Before and 22D: Before, before? thing. I popped ERE in where PRE- was supposed to go, but realized I had been tricked pretty quickly. Also SCENA was rough (5A: One usually includes an aria and a recitative). My first thought was "opera" but that seemed a little too simple so I waited for some crosses. Eventually, it looked like the answer was supposed to be "scene," so I threw that on in. But "Esti" really didn't look right to me and I know ASTI from past puzzles (see CW101 below), so it was an easy enough fix.

Bullets:

• 1A: Lip (BRIM). Oh, I really wanted this to be "sass."

• 10A: Rhode Island's motto (HOPE). Short and to the point. I like it.
• 16A: Clue in a hunt (ODOR). Okay, this is funny. When I entered this answer I thought, "Wouldn't 'scent' be more appropriate? I mean, ODOR has such a negative connotation …." Like, what do I think the smell actually is out there in the woods? Cinnamon and rose petals?
• 34A: Is after you? (ARE). Conjugation trickiness. (And isn't that the best kind of trickiness?)
• 36A: Oscar-winning role for Forest (IDI). If you're gonna have an evil oppressive leader in the puzzle, this is the way to clue him. (And not with a little joke like "Mean Amin?" Haha! Get it? He was a tyrant that had hundreds of thousands of people killed! So he was mean! And that rhymes with his name! Haha!)
• 45A: Sweet ending (-OSE). -OSE is a suffix used with different types of sugars (fructose, glucose, etc.).

• 65A: Law partner (ORDER). DUN dun! (Wasn't sure how to spell that, but you get my drift.)
• 8D: Roger Maris wore it (NINE). Home town boy does good.
• 11D: Adventures (ODYSSEYS).



• 29D: Stirrup site (EAR). Who decided to name all those parts of the EAR all wacky?

• 42D: Anteater's sound effect in the comic "B.C." (ZOT). This answer came to me immediately. I guess I used to pay attention to "B.C."
• 49D: Some judges sit on them (PANELS). Because "butts" wouldn't fit.

Crosswordese 101: It's hard to believe we haven't covered ASTI yet. ASTI is an "Italian wine province" — in fact, you're likely to see exactly that clue in early-week puzzles. Today's clue is similar — 9D: Wine town near Turin. Other words that will tip you off to ASTI are Piedmont, spumante, vineyard, and Martini & Rossi. Later in the week, the clue might not mention wine at all, so tuck it away in your head as simply an Italian province too, and that will come in handy.

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

• 13D: Before (ERE).
• 27D: Scrap (ORT).
• 41D: Head lines? (EEG).

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Everything Else — 14A: Jim-dandy (A-ONE); 15A: Kachina carvers (HOPIS); 17A: Amounting to nothing (NULL); 18A: "Give me __" (A HINT); 19A: Texters do it (TYPE); 23A: __ moon (NEW); 24A: Ballot marker (X'ER); 25A: "One Good Cop" actress (RUSSO); 28A: Money in the bank, e.g. (ASSET); 37A: However (YET); 42A: Self-realization sect (ZEN); 44A: Bill (TAB); 50A: Lit up (AGLOW); 54A: Resort area near Reno (TAHOE); 55A: Org. offering jumps (AAA); 57A: First mate? (EVE); 63A: Pure and simple (MERE); 66A: Some are noble (FIRS); 67A: Head line (PART); 68A: City where de Gaulle was born (LILLE); 69A: Cameo, maybe (ROLE); 70A: Fellows (GUYS); 71A: Like Falstaff (OBESE); 72A: Cameo material (ONYX); 1D: Yogurt flavor (BANANA); 2D: They make you red in the face (ROUGES); 3D: Wedding creations (INLAWS); 4D: Get all mushy (MELT); 5D: Slice (SHARE); 6D: Hold together (COHERE); 7D: Work with a wide scope (EPIC); 10D: Place to chill (HOT TUB); 12D: Top 40 genre (POP); 21D: Hollywood "spear carrier" (EXTRA); 26D: Take in (SEE); 31D: People bend over backwards for it (LIMBO); 32D: Promising words (I DO); 33D: Save for later viewing (TIVO); 35D: Feminizing ending (-ETTE); 38D: Rushed (IN A HURRY); 39D: Put away (EAT); 40D: Composer Albéniz (ISAAC); 43D: Chunk of time (ERA); 47D: Apartment caveat (NO PETS); 48D: "My stars!" ("GEE!"); 51D: Skin wound (LESION); 52D: Too (OVERLY); 53D: Setting for many Thomas Hardy novels (WESSEX); 56D: Go along (AGREE); 59D: __ contendere (NOLO); 60D: Small quantity (DRIB); 61D: Like doodling (IDLE); 62D: Full coif (AFRO); 63D: Automaker's concern, briefly (MPG); 64D: Water under le pont (EAU).

WEDNESDAY, April 14, 2010—Gary Steinmehl

THEME: "Wash Your Bits"—Four phrases and a word end with brands of soap

The first theme entries I ran into in this puzzle began with GOLD and EBONY, so I started out thinking the theme had something to do with, I dunno, expensive things. 68-Across straightened me out pretty quickly, though.

Theme entries:

• 16A: [Ingredient in some glazed chicken wings] ORANGE ZEST. Who doesn't like a reference to ORANGE?
  
• 30A: [Dashboard tuner] (RADIO DIAL). This one is pretty flat. Most dials are round, but the typical radio's doodad is linear. Also, not sure "radio dial" quite meets the standards for crossword-worthy phrases.
  
• 37A: [1982 McCartney/Wonder hit] (EBONY AND IVORY). Video time!
  
  
  
  
• 44A: [It became Ghana in 1957] (GOLD COAST). The country called Ivory Coast uses its French name, Cote d'Ivoire. Also, Chicago's got a Gold Coast. No gold mines, but plenty of wealth all the same.
  
• 62A: One of two in a Christmas song (TURTLEDOVE). Nice use of a humorous quote to enhance the theme-revealing answer.
  
• 68A.:This puzzle's theme (SOAP). Zest, Dial, Ivory, Coast, and Dove are all brands of soap or, if you believe marketers, moisturizing bars.
  

The theme is nothing new—I've seen at least two previous soap themes. There might've also been a laundry detergent theme. But these are readily accessible to most solvers thanks to the über-familiarity of such brand names, so editors don't mind when constructors draw from that well again.

Listen, people of the internet: I hate to do this to you, but I had a weird case of the itchies so I took a Benadryl—just one! not even a full dose of two tablets!—and it is making me so sleepy. As I write this, the sun hasn't even set yet, but I'm useless here. See you in the comments lounge.

Everything Else — 1A: Talk back to (SASS); 5A: Super Bowl XXXIV winners (RAMS); 9A: Dance move (STEP); 13A: Super stars? (NOVAE); 14A: Singer Brickell (EDIE); 15A: Land of the Incas (PERU); 16A: Ingredient in some glazed chicken wings (ORANGE ZEST); 18A: Bring in (REAP); 19A: Land a plane (SET DOWN); 20A: Charlie of "Two and a Half Men" (SHEEN); 22A: Morales of "Jericho" (ESAI); 23A: Classified letters (EOE); 25A: Ming things (VASES); 28A: Throat problem (STREP); 30A: Dashboard tuner (RADIO DIAL); 33A: Hood's "piece" (GAT); 35A: Drum effect (ROLL); 36A: That, in Toledo (ESO); 37A: 1982 McCartney/Wonder hit (EBONY AND IVORY); 41A: Carte lead-in (ALA); 42A: Sanctuary section (APSE); 43A: Elongated swimmer (EEL); 44A: It became Ghana in 1957 (GOLD COAST); 47A: American revolutionary who recruited Lafayette (DEANE); 51A: Conductor Previn (ANDRE); 52A: Rice or Curry (TIM); 54A: War deity (ARES); 55A: Chicago Eight defendant Bobby (SEALE); 58A: Gold diggers? (PANNERS); 60A: "NFL Live" airer (ESPN); 62A: One of two in a Christmas song (TURTLE DOVE); 64A: Political group (BLOC); 65A: Bond's first movie foe (DR. NO); 66A: Fax predecessor (TELEX); 67A: Bad thing to take in Vegas? (BATH); 68A: This puzzle's theme (SOAP); 69A: Ladies in Mex. (SRAS.); 1D: Hurting the most (SOREST); 2D: 2009 film set in 2154 (AVATAR); 3D: City known for its zoo (SAN DIEGO); 4D: Bell-shaped lily (SEGO); 5D: Nine Inch Nails founder Trent __ (REZNOR); 6D: Punch cousin (ADE); 7D: Overlook (MISS); 8D: Father of Enos (SETH); 9D: Large ranch, say (SPREAD); 10D: More minuscule (TEENSIER); 11D: Significant time (ERA); 12D: Litter yipper (PUP); 13D: They're rubbed in Eskimo kissing (NOSES); 17D: Lea lady (EWE); 21D: Slowly developed (EVOLVED); 24D: Heartfelt (EARNEST); 26D: "Piece of cake!" ("EASY!"); 27D: __-mo replay (SLO); 29D: It'll cure anything (PANACEA); 31D: Pentagon tenant, briefly (DOD); 32D: "Would __?" (I LIE); 34D: Secretary's slip (TYPO); 37D: Tar Heel State university (ELON); 38D: Comb-over target (BALD SPOT); 39D: Big-house link (AS A); 40D: Poisonous ornamental (OLEANDER); 41D: Ottoman VIP (AGA); 45D: Soak (DRENCH); 46D: Of the highest quality (TIPTOP); 48D: Ring of color (AREOLA); 49D: Reason for shaking hands? (NERVES); 50D: Devereux's earldom (ESSEX); 53D: Prefix with content (MAL-); 56D: 1960s-'80s Fords (LTDS); 57D: Continental money (EURO); 59D: Circus safety features (NETS); 60D: Go out (EBB); 61D: Gp. that kidnapped Patty Hearst (SLA); 63D: Genetic initials (RNA).

FRIDAY, Mar. 26, 2010 — Gary Steinmehl

THEME: THE POWER OF TEN (51A: Exponential measurement, and in way, what's demonstrated in how answers were formed in 20-, 34- and 41-Across?) — "IO" (which looks like Arabic number "10") is added to the ends of familiar phrases, creating wacky phrases, which are clued wackily



Really liked this. If you're going to add a letter (or letters) to create wackiness, at least give the addition (or subtraction, or whatever) a sense of purpose, a reason for being. Puzzle needs a hook. Raison d'être! THE POWER OF TEN is a great and unexpected exclamation point for a puzzle that seemed to be merely an ADDIO puzzle. As I was solving I was imagining a line of dolls or action figures featuring IO — priestess-turned-cow of classical mythology — in various unlikely scenarios, e.g. playing cards, running a lab maze, etc.



Theme answers:

20A: Barbecue area without chairs? (STANDING PATIO)
34A: Relative value used in a scientific workplace? (LABORATORY RATIO)
41A: Small apartment for a comical septet? (SEVEN CARD STUDIO)

Best parts of the grid for me were ROMANNOSE (4D: Prominent facial feature) — because I don't think I've seen that in a grid before and it looks funny — and FINIS (32D: "Done!") — because I hear people say it but have never thought how to spell it (wanted "FINIT!" at first). FINIS looks like you wanted to put in FINISH but didn't have enough room left to, you know, FINISH. I had to deal with a couple of names I didn't know, namely (!) MOIRA (29D: Kelly of "One Tree Hill") — that show is still on the air!? How is that possible? — and EDEN (54D: 1950s British prime minister. It's 1950s day in puzzleworld today (see esp. the NYT). I did not get the memo.

Crosswordese 101: MT. IDA (31D: Highest peak on Crete: Abbr.) — can't believe we haven't even done IDA yet, let alone MTIDA. IDA and OSSA (in their MT-ed and unMT-ed versions) are crossword staples, ancient peaks that get a lot of grid play. IDA can also be a state abbrev., a Lupino, or a Morgenstern. Both peaks were sacred to gods. IDA is on Crete, whereas OSSA is well up the Peloponnesian peninusla in Thessaly.

What else?

• 1A: Sugar substitute? (DEAR) — very nice. Knew exactly what the clue was going for, trick-wise, but uncovering the pet name was still a pleasure.

• 15A: Rival rival (ALPO) — knew this was ALPO before I ever saw the clue, which is good, because ... I do not recognize "Rival" as a dog food at all.
• 17A: Hobart resident (TASMANIAN) — Tasmania also has a MT. OSSA.
• 46A: "O, gie me the ___ that has acres o' charms": Burns (LASS) — that doesn't rhyme. Saw it was Burns and wrote in LASS (had a cross or two in place). Really expected that when I looked at the clue carefully, I'd see an "ASS" rhyme.
• 66A: Chuck ___, only coach to win four Super Bowls (NOLL) — coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who used to play (under NOLL) in Three Rivers Stadium. One of the rivers that gave the stadium its name: the OHIO (63A: One of Pittsburgh's Three Rivers).

See you Monday,
~RP

Everything Else — 1A: Sugar substitute? (DEAR); 5A: Flirtation (PASS); 9A: Travel needs, perhaps (VISAS); 14A: End of an estimate (OR SO); 15A: Rival rival (ALPO); 16A: __ coffee (IRISH); 17A: Hobart resident (TASMANIAN); 19A: Lip-smacking (TASTY); 20A: Barbecue area without chairs? (STANDING PATIO); 22A: Certain mil. member (NCO); 23A: Gray head? (LEE); 24A: Cereal ingredient (BRAN); 27A: Stallone role (RAMBO); 31A: Plant activity: Abbr. (MFG.); 34A: Relative value used in a scientific workplace? (LABORATORY RATIO); 38A: Lost a lap? (AROSE); 39A: Padre's hermana (TIA); 40A: Snacking (on) to excess (OD'ING); 41A: Small apartment for a comical septet? (SEVEN-CARD STUDIO); 44A: Before, in verse (ERE); 45A: Backspace, often (ERASE); 46A: "O, gie me the __ that has acres o' charms": Burns (LASS); 47A: Word-word link (FOR); 49A: Pres. between JAG and GC (CAA); 51A: Exponential measurement, and in a way, what's demonstrated in how answers were formed in 20-, 34- and 41-Across? (THE POWER OF TEN); 58A: Bread (MOOLA); 59A: Like clones (IDENTICAL); 61A: What an X may indicate (ERROR); 62A: Supply, as paper to a copier (FEED); 63A: One of Pittsburgh's Three Rivers (OHIO); 64A: California baseballer (GIANT); 65A: Signs (INKS); 66A: Chuck __, only coach to win four Super Bowls (NOLL); 1D: Pointillism unit (DOT); 2D: Periods of interest (ERAS); 3D: __ mgr. (ASST.); 4D: Prominent facial feature (ROMAN NOSE); 5D: Ill-fated opener of myth (PANDORA); 6D: Et __: and others (ALII); 7D: Bridge (SPAN); 8D: Berlin number (SONG); 9D: Curriculum __ (VITAE); 10D: Fit to be tied (IRATE); 11D: Spanish ayes (SÍ SÍ); 12D: Reference words (AS TO); 13D: Unassuming (SHY); 18D: Mandela's gp. (ANC); 21D: Gamer's maneuver (PLOY); 24D: Apathetic (BLASE); 25D: Harder to dig up (RARER); 26D: Upstairs (ABOVE); 28D: Fragrant oil (ATTAR); 29D: Kelly of "One Tree Hill" (MOIRA); 30D: Wire fasteners (BRADS); 31D: Highest peak on Crete: Abbr. (MT. IDA); 32D: "Done!" ("FINIS!"); 33D: "We Got the Beat" singers (GO-GOS); 35D: TV Chihuahua (REN); 36D: Baloney (ROT); 37D: Excessive flattery (ADULATION); 42D: Uno minus uno (CERO); 43D: They can ruin diets (SECONDS); 47D: Pen resident (FELON); 48D: Illusionary genre (OP ART); 50D: Back on the water (AFT); 51D: Famous Amos (TORI); 52D: Joyful group dance (HORA); 53D: Coffeehouse connection (WIFI); 54D: 1950s British prime minister (EDEN); 55D: Offend the olfactories (REEK); 56D: Empty hall effect (ECHO); 57D: Pointed fastener (NAIL); 58D: Unit of RAM (MEG); 60D: Texter's tehee (LOL).

WEDNESDAY, March 10, 2010—Gary Steinmehl

THEME: "Tie Me Up, Ty Me Down"—There are five familiar ways to spell the "tie" sound (plus the less common tye, meaning a ship's rope but used only in desperation on crosswords). Five phrases beginning with these words/names appear at the start of the theme entries.

Theme entries:

• 17A: [National sport of South Korea] (TAE KWON DO). My husband's nephews and niece have all been into tae kwon do, which is perhaps the hardest-to-spell martial art. I'll bet jujitsu/jiujitsu would be more popular if it were easier to spell.
  
• 29A: [Longtime skating partner of Randy Gardner] (TAI BABILONIA). They were big in the late '70s.
  
• 38A: [Places to order tom yum goong] (THAI RESTAURANTS). The plural is undesirable but you can't center a 14-letter answer in a 15-square space.
  
• 47A: [Host of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"] (TY PENNINGTON). If I'm ever in the mood to have a good cry on a Sunday evening, Ty is there to help. The show is emotionally manipulative to be sure...but sometimes you just want to see a heartbreaking true story with a happy ending.
  
• 65A: [Overtime causes] (TIE SCORES). I feel like tied score and tie game are slightly more "in the language," but don't look to me for expertise in sports lingo.
  

I like the theme, but oy! The rest of this puzzle...the fill was vexing me. Not because it was hard (it wasn't) but because it had lots of uninspired fill. Now, SKEPTICAL was great (3D: [Having one's doubts]) and I like the COMRADE/JUDAISM pair, but overall I was underwhelmed by the fill. Here's why:

• French! The first (1A: PAS [__ de deux]) and last (73A: [Rimsky-Korsakov's "Le Coq __"] D'OR) Across answers are 3-letter French fill-in-the-blanks. Then there's ST. LO, the 37D: [Normandy battle site] in France, which crosses another 3-letter French FITB, JUS (35A: [Au __: menu phrase]).
  
• Crosswordese musicians! Either ENO (5D: [Ambient music composer Brian]) or ELO (44A: ["Xanadu" band, for short]) is enough. We don't need two of 'em. On the bright side, Yoko ONO took the day off.
  
  
  
  
• Classic crosswordese! 68A: NACRE/[Mother-of-pearl] has been in puzzles more than in daily life for decades. The ULNA is bad enough in its basic form, and its two accepted plurals (ULNAS, ULNAE) can vex, but 53D: ULNAR/[Of an arm bone] is creaky. There's not really any interesting way to clue a word like ULNAR. No gathering of classic crosswordese is complete without a 4-letter European river, is it? Here's the YSER (62D: [River of Flanders]). You've gotta have some sort of Eastern potentate too, be it an EMIR/AMIR/EMEER or a RAJA/RAJAH or a RANI/RANEE. This time, it's RAJA (28D: [Big Indian]).
  
• Inexplicable abbreviation! 67D is CPS, an [Early computer printer speed]. Something per second, but what? Googling...characters per second, I think. Ah, yes, the shabby old dot matrix printer days, when printing wasn't measured by the page.
  

Favorite clues:

• 15A. [Where the ecstatic walk], metaphorically, is ON AIR. Good example of how a lively clue can rescue dull fill.
  
• 23A. [Jon Stewart's "moment of __"] ZEN appears at the end of each Daily Show episode.
  
• 55A. [Caesar's unlucky number?] is 13 in Roman numerals: XIII. See what I mean about lively clueing?
  
• 22D. [Bricks unit] clues a TON, as in the phrase "it hit me like a ton of bricks."
  
• 61D. Holy cow! AERO is clued as [Musical prefix with smith?], referencing Aerosmith. Love this clue!
  

This is the Right in Rex's Wheelhouse puzzle when it comes to pictures and video, I must say. There's also his beloved Teri GARR (25D: ["Mr. Mom" actress]).

Crosswordese 101:—See XW101 links above.

Everything Else — 4A: Therapy center, for short (REHAB); 9A: Parts of fast food orders (SODAS); 14A: Four-legged bugler (ELK); 16A: Salt's "Halt!" ("AVAST!"); 19A: Having a beanpole physique (LANKY); 20A: "Baseball Tonight" station (ESPN); 21A: Year-end mall temp (SANTA); 24A: Like drive-thru orders (TO-GO); 27A: Bosom buddy (COMRADE); 33A: The Trojans of the Pac-10 (USC); 34A: Go hither and yon (ROVE); 45A: __ time: pronto (IN NO); 46A: Like some grins (SLY); 52A: 12 Tribes religion (JUDAISM); 56A: Schooner filler (ALE); 57A: One of the Yokums (PAPPY); 60A: Pre-dye shade, perhaps (GRAY); 63A: Open, in a way (UNCAP); 69A: In first place (ON TOP); 70A: Prior to, in verse (ERE); 71A: Tiny amount (TRACE); 72A: Tack room gear (REINS); 1D: "Our Gang" dog (PETE); 2D: Word of pity (ALAS); 4D: Heed the coxswain (ROW); 6D: Brinker of kiddie lit (HANS); 7D: Operatic slave girl (AIDA); 8D: Old Ford SUV (BRONCO); 9D: Sub meat (SALAMI); 10D: In vitro cells (OVA); 11D: Tony of "Who's the Boss?" (DANZA); 12D: Part of FAQ (ASKED); 13D: "Gypsy" composer Jule (STYNE); 18D: Door feature (KNOB); 26D: Instrument to which an orchestra tunes (OBOE); 29D: Word of rebuke (TUT); 30D: Big Apple tennis stadium (ASHE); 31D: Drips in an ICU (IVS); 32D: Open the door to (LET IN); 36D: Like 007's martinis (UNSTIRRED); 39D: Wee bit (IOTA); 40D: Gothic novelist Radcliffe (ANN); 41D: Operating system developed at Bell Labs (UNIX); 42D: Rice-A-__ (RONI); 43D: Roget entry: Abbr. (SYN.); 48D: "Hooray!" ("YIPPEE!"); 49D: Non-commercial TV spot (PSA); 50D: Caveat __ (EMPTOR); 51D: Computer acronym about faulty data (GIGO); 52D: Quick trip (JAUNT); 54D: Bing Crosby's primary label (DECCA); 58D: Bench material (PINE); 59D: Hairy mountain sighting (YETI); 64D: Slo-pitch path (ARC); 66D: Zak, to Ringo (SON).

THURSDAY, February 25, 2010 — Gary Steinmehl

Theme: Head to Head (to Head) — Theme answers are three-word phrases where each of the three words can precede the word head in a familiar phrase.

Theme answers:

• 17A: Detectives assigned to unsolved mysteries? (COLD-CASE HUNTERS).
• 38A: Intermission queues? (RESTROOM LINES).
• 61A: Shower gifts for brie lovers? (CHEESEBOARD SETS).
• 65A: Word that can precede each word in 17-, 38- and 61-Across (HEAD).

Super-quick write-up today. Ever since I started working again, I've been totally behind on everything. Add in a four-day escape from all my responsibilities and, yeah, I may never catch up. Speaking of the ACPT, I got a note from Andrea yesterday suggesting that I not tell you the rest of the cell-phone story. She said it's perfect just the way it is. I will divulge that the story also involves Tyler Hinman and Tony Orbach's daughter, but I think that's all I'm going to say on that one.

Liked this puzzle very much. I'm pretty sure we just had a puzzle recently where the theme worked like this one except that the theme answers were two-word phrases. I remember it because I didn't get it that the theme involved both words. *head slap* So, yeah, good theme. Theme phrases aren't sparkly at all, but I still thought it was fun to try to put them together. And the rest of the fill was very good. One or two clunkers — "Just a coupla SECS"?!? — but overall, good stuff.

Bullets:

• 16A: Court cry (OYEZ). Love this word. It always makes me think of "Night Court," which I never watched regularly and I don't even know if the bailiff (what was his name again?) ever used this particular cry.
• 26A: Quarterback Roethlisberger (BEN). Crosswords really do help you know stuff without really knowing it, right? No idea what team this guy plays for or anything, but his name popped right into my head.

• 33A: Siesta shawl (SERAPE). Let's start a new fashion trend.
• 44A: Ring setting (CIRCUS). Was listening to the PuzzleFamiliy watching "Jeopardy!" in the other room last night and heard an answer that was about a Vegas casino that was "so nice they named it twice." I blurted out "Circus Circus!" Um, no.
• 2D: Kay Thompson's impish six-year-old (ELOISE). Again with the knowing and not knowing. PuzzleHusband asked me the other day if I knew anything about this series of books. I said she lives in the Plaza Hotel. He's all, "What do you mean, lives there? Do people live there?" I don't know! I just do crossword puzzles!

• 3D: Mobile maker (CALDER).
• 29D: House call? (YEA). As in "yeas and nays." This is the only possible interpretation for this particular spelling. Yea ≠ Yeah ≠ Ya. Seriously.
• 48D: Actress Dahl (ARLENE). I don't know who this is. I'm sure someone will enlighten me in the comments.

Everything Else — 1A: Quick kiss (PECK); 5A: Bond player, seven times (MOORE); 10A: Confiscated auto (REPO); 14A: End of a fronton game? (ALAI); 15A: Back list (INDEX); 20A: Buddy boy (KIDDO); 21A: Calls, in a way (RADIOS); 22A: Waste not (USE); 23A: Navig. guide (GPS); 27A: Stable diet? (HAY); 30A: Soak through (PERMEATE); 35A: Local groups (UNIONS); 37A: Start of a theory (IDEA); 42A: Hawaii's "Valley Isle" (MAUI); 43A: Midwestern landscape (PLAINS); 47A: Carrying capacities (ARMLOADS); 51A: Pavement warning (SLO); 52A: Word processor setting (TAB); 54A: Mad Hatter's drink (TEA); 55A: Fjord relative (RIA); 56A: Like some bio majors (PRE-MED); 59A: Daphne eloped with him on "Frasier" (NILES); 66A: Crucial artery (AORTA); 67A: Regarding, to counsel (IN RE); 68A: Fesses (up) (OWNS); 69A: Watch secretly (SPY ON); 70A: "Just a coupla __" (SECS); 1D: Get ready to go (PACK UP); 4D: William the pirate (KIDD); 5D: Hamm of soccer (MIA); 6D: Switch positions (ONS); 7D: River forming part of Germany's eastern border (ODER); 8D: Betty Ford Center program (REHAB); 9D: Oozes out (EXUDES); 10D: Prefix with tiller (ROTO-); 11D: Sleeping aid (EYESHADE); 12D: A pop (PER); 13D: Jigger's 1-1/2: Abbr. (OZS); 18D: Clear and convincing (COGENT); 19D: High Court count (NINE); 24D: Poker holding (PAIR); 25D: Condescend (STOOP); 28D: Big louts (APES); 31D: Partner of words (MUSIC); 32D: Gay leader? (ENOLA); 34D: Unilever laundry soap brand (RINSO); 36D: Like a whip? (SMART); 38D: Train guide (RAIL); 39D: Continental (EUROPEAN); 40D: Gin and tonic garnish (LIME); 41D: Away from the coast (INLAND); 42D: Roast hosts, for short (MCS); 45D: Sport __: family vehicles (UTES); 46D: Equal to, with "the" (SAME AS); 49D: No-calorie cola (DIET RC); 50D: Gets fresh with (SASSES); 53D: Dizzy's jazz (BEBOP); 57D: Wine list heading (REDS); 58D: Fishing craft (DORY); 60D: Cow-horned goddess (ISIS); 61D: Comic Margaret (CHO); 62D: Cut off (HEW); 63D: From __ B: basic step (A TO); 64D: Fled or bled (RAN).

SUNDAY, August 23, 2009 (syndicated puzzle)—Gary Steinmehl

THEME: "Changing Sides"—In familiar "blank of the blank" phrases, the first and last words are flipped, changing the meaning

Theme answers:

• 23A: Miners' detritus? (LITTER OF THE PICK). Picture an old-time gold miner with a pick and shovel. Miners did or do use picks to dig the good stuff out of rock.
  
• 38A: High ground at Graceland? (HILL OF THE KING). Elvis!
  
• 61A: Like an estate seller? (FREE OF THE LAND). As in a big country estate rather than the possessions left behind to someone's heirs (see below).
  
• 85A: "Nova" episode about our sun? (SHOW OF THE STAR).
  
• 103A: Heirs? (PEOPLE OF THE WILL). Maybe they'll split the proceeds when that estate is sold.
  
• 15D: Manor owner's jewelry? (RINGS OF THE LORD). I bet he had a big estate. Wait, is this entire theme about Elvis? Did he enjoy mining and astronomy?
  
• 48D: Moments when an omen appears? (TIMES OF THE SIGN).

I did this puzzle last night when I was drowsing off, so it took me a long time. I don't know if the puzzle's uncommonly hard or if my brain was just dialed down to 2. The theme doesn't do much for me—it's more fun when the mangled phrases present funny images, and miners' detritus and a manor owner's jewelry just don't give me the giggles.

For 15D, I had the ___ OF THE LORD part and couldn't for the life of me figure out the first word. MANOR OF THE LORD was a no-go because "manor" was in the clue and manor ≠ jewelry. Then I thought of FLIES OF THE LORD, and that had comedy potential but didn't fit the crossings. What other phrases could lend themselves to this sort of theme? MATTER OF THE HEART could have been clued as a love affair. CLASS OF THE HEAD? That's totally about potty training. I don't know what to do with FATHER OF THE SINS. Ooh! BRIDE OF THE MOTHER, when Heather has two mommies in a state where same-sex marriage is legal.

Crosswordese 101: 21A: She played Roz on "Frasier" is a clue for PERI Gilpin. Her agent really needs to get her into something else big, because one of these years, she's going to be little more than a Theda Bara or Nita Naldi—an obscure actress who's crosswordese. She's better than the PERI clue alternatives, though. We've got the prefix with scope or meter approach and we've got the Persian sprite option.

And now, a few of my favorite clues and answers:

• 2D: Pearl of "St. Louis Woman" (BAILEY). I took a peek at the YouTube offerings for Pearl Bailey and this 1964 Tonight Show clip caught my eye. Usually the videos I embed here have had hundreds of thousands of views—this one, only a few hundred. But it's a good one!
  
  
  
  
• 62D: Ali's pair of socks? (ONE-TWO). Socks are boxing punches too, not just hosiery. This is the best clue I've ever seen for ONE-TWO.
  
• 8D: Friend of Anthony (CATT). I thought this was about Marc Antony and randomly squeezed CATO in there, which conflicted with the crossing. It took me a night of sleeping on it to realize that wer're talking about suffragists here—Susan B. Anthony's friend was Carrie CATT.
  
• 54D: Turkey tender (LIRAS). I wanted BASTER to fit into five squares, but it refused. But that's not what this clue is about at all. It's Turkey, the nation, and legal tender, the currency. You spend LIRAS in Ankara.

Everything Else — 1A: Knotted sash (OBI); 4A: Easy __ (AS ABC); 9A: Magnitogorsk's river (URAL); 13A: "Green __" (ACRES); 18A: Cool, in a way (FAN); 19A: Attacked (CAME AT); 22A: Toast indicator (CLINK); 23A: Miners' detritus? (LITTER OF THE PICK); 26A: Like Mr. Fix-it (HANDY); 27A: One way to think (ALOUD); 28A: Prepare for a job transfer, perhaps (RETRAIN); 29A: Fictional oil family name (EWING); 31A: Jamboree sight (TENT); 32A: Amigo (PAL); 33A: Mag. stand item (ISS.); 34A: Tries to hit (SWINGS AT); 37A: Check out (EYE); 38A: High ground at Graceland? (HILL OF THE KING); 41A: Plastic __ Band (ONO); 42A: "Wonder Dog" of comics (REX); 43A: "Free" gym gear: Abbr. (WTS.); 44A: Operate with a beam (LASE); 45A: __ concern (OF NO); 46A: Fragrant extract (ATTAR); 49A: Beyond slender (BONY); 51A: Spread choice (PATÉ); 52A: Subbed (SAT IN); 53A: Cheats (CHISELERS); 55A: Passé; demo item (TAPE); 56A: Tries to sell (PUSHES); 57A: Hit the trail, in a way (CAMPAIGN); 58A: Thames islets (AITS); 59A: "Purgatorio" writer (DANTE); 60A: 2002 baseball All-Star Game result (TIE); 61A: Like an estate seller? (FREE OF THE LAND); 64A: Word in southwestern place names (LOS); 67A: Go after (SETAT); 69A: Lofgren of the E Street Band (NILS); 70A: Democracy, e.g. (IDEOLOGY); 72A: Does an Act of Contrition (ATONES); 74A: People magazine's 1999 Sexiest Man Alive (GERE); 75A: Idealist's bane (REAL WORLD); 76A: Support (BE FOR); 77A: "Symphony in Black" artist (ERTÉ); 78A: Fishing gear (RODS); 79A: Where lines meet (NODES); 80A: Two-timers (RATS); 81A: Tug's burden (SCOW); 82A: Alter, perhaps (SEW); 83A: Comics cry (EEK); 84A: Pompeii burier (ASH); 85A: "Nova" episode about our sun? (SHOW OF THE STAR); 89A: Outsourced item, perhaps (JOB); 92A: Timon and Uncle Max, in "The Lion King" (MEERKATS); 94A: Fragrant gift (LEI); 95A: Where It.'s at (EUR.); 96A: Guitar __: video game (HERO); 97A: Like a fleabag (SEEDY); 98A: Inn crowd member (BOARDER); 100A: "Foolish Games" singer (JEWEL); 101A: Not exactly vertical (ATILT); 103A: Heirs? (PEOPLE OF THE WILL); 106A: It makes sense (LOGIC); 107A: Tombstone lawman (EARP); 108A: Looked happy (SMILED); 109A: Fed. income supplement program (SSI); 110A: "Dune" director David (LYNCH); 111A: Chop __ (SUEY); 112A: '90s "SNL" regular Cheri (OTERI); 113A: Spell (HEX); 1D: Recently (OF LATE); 3D: Sing, as a Gregorian chant (INTONE); 4D: Sailed through (ACED); 5D: Fraternal org. since 1889 (SAR); 6D: Without principles (AMORAL); 7D: Happened to (BEFELL); 9D: Snooty (UPPISH); 10D: Halter attachment (REIN); 11D: It's measured in degrees (ARC); 12D: "Me, too" ("LIKEWISE"); 13D: Sore (ACHING); 14D: Sound from a forge (CLANG); 15D: Manor owner's jewelry? (RINGS OF THE LORD); 16D: Nip in the bud (END); 17D: Word with jack or box (SKY); 20D: Using coupons, say (THRIFTY); 24D: Mild rebuke (TUT); 25D: Bridge positions (EASTS); 30D: Choice from a list (WINE); 32D: Fan mag graphics (PIX); 34D: Inline item (SKATE); 35D: Poker whiz __ Duke (ANNIE); 36D: Popeye et al. (TOONS); 38D: Next life (HEREAFTER); 39D: Dominates, in sports lingo (OWNS); 40D: Slip by (ELAPSE); 42D: Sing like Satchmo (RASP); 45D: Hops drier (OAST); 46D: S&L holding (ACCT.); 47D: Cuisine using jasmine rice (THAI); 48D: Moments when an omen appears? (TIMES OF THE SIGN); 49D: Father, biblically (BEGET); 50D: D-day invasion river (ORNE); 51D: Maze options (PATHS); 52D: Evening cocktail, to a Brit (SUNDOWNER); 55D: Mr. or Mrs. (TITLE); 56D: Comics frame (PANEL); 58D: Smoking, probably (AFIRE); 59D: Tots' pops (DADAS); 63D: Spread canards (LIED); 65D: Eye up and down (OGLE); 66D: Pink Floyd's Barrett et al. (SYDS); 68D: Space chimp (ENOS); 71D: Life rival, once (LOOK); 72D: Norm of "This Old House" (ABRAM); 73D: Get on (TEASE); 74D: Becomes (GROWS); 75D: "Lady Jane Grey" playwright (ROWE); 77D: Adaptable subspecies (ECOTYPES); 78D: Brings back on board (REHIRES); 81D: Atlantic catch (SHAD); 82D: Diamond theft? (STEAL); 83D: Musical gift (EAR); 85D: Police artist's work (SKETCH); 86D: Obsolescent data holder (FLOPPY); 87D: Deem appropriate (SEE FIT); 88D: One with a shell (TURTLE); 89D: Like some delis (JEWISH); 90D: Ominous words (OR ELSE); 91D: Mess (up) (BOLLIX); 93D: Trace of the past (RELIC); 96D: Chop down (HEW); 98D: Put to sleep, so to speak (BORE); 99D: Major-__ (DOMO); 100D: Sci-fi knight (JEDI); 101D: The whole shebang (ALL); 102D: Happy Meal throw-in (TOY); 104D: __ minérale (EAU); 105D: Self starter? (HER-).

WEDNESDAY, August 5, 2009 — Gary Steinmehl

Theme: More fun than a barrel of monkeys — The last word of each theme answer comes after the word monkey in a familiar phrase.

Theme answers:

• 20A: Stage, screen, etc. (SHOW BUSINESS).
  
• 25A: They have latte charges (COFFEE BARS).
  
• 38A: Action in court (LAWSUIT).
  
• 47A: Oxford brighteners (SHOESHINES).
  
• 53A: Spend time idly (and a hint to what can precede the last word of 20-, 25-, 38- or 47-Across) (MONKEY AROUND).
  

Crosswordese 101: There are three famous women named NIA that you need to know. 63D: Peeples of "Fame," who appears in today's puzzle, is known for both acting and singing. Actress NIA Long is typically clued with a reference to "Third Watch" or "Boyz N the Hood." Finally, NIA Vardalos rocketed into the fourth dimension of Eternal Crossword Fame when she starred in the 2002 sleeper hit "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."

I know you were expecting Orange today but she's off gallivanting around our nation's capital with her family for a few days, so you're stuck with me. I'm also covering her other blog if you're interested in my delightful musings on the day's other puzzles.

Got through this one pretty quickly. Funky looking grid! Only real hang-up was right in the middle and I'm going to guess a lot of you were hung up too. Of course I'm talking about the cross of CAVA (44A: Vena __) and ANSCO (29D: Inexpensive former camera brand). My gut reaction is that this crossing is unfair, possibly even a Natick. I'd like to hear what you all think before I call it for sure.

Quickly now:

• 16A: Shire of "Rocky" (TALIA). Adriaaaaaaan!
  
• 22A: __ Miguel: Azores island (SAO). Popped in San without thinking about it. That one gets me just about every time.
  
• 30A: It follows that (ERGO). 10-year-old PuzzleSon used this word the other day. Pretty sure he doesn't have any idea what it means.
  
• 37A: Tony winner Hagen (UTA). I talked a little about Uta back in this blog's infancy. Good times.
  

• 66A: New parent's lack? (SLEEP). Not sure what the question mark is about here. I'm totally sure that the answer is right though. Advice to women pregnant for the first time: After your baby is born you will be extremely sleep deprived. This will cause you to feel as if you're going completely insane. That's because sleep deprivation causes insanity. Which is why it's used as torture.
  
• 67A: "The Company" (CIA). This is how dumb I am. I'm going, "IBM?"
  

• 1D: Skipper, to Barbie (SIS). I was not allowed to have Barbie dolls when I was a kid. *cue violin*
  
• 54D: Lionel layout, maybe (OVAL). Lionel Corporation, previously, and Lionel LLC, currently, produce toy trains and model railroads.
  
• 55D: 15th century caravel (NINA). I do not know what this means. Oh wait, is a caravel a boat? Okay, I get it now.
  

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Everything Else — 1A: Wire wearer (SPY); 4A: Low men (BASSI); 9A: Highly capable (ADEPT); 14A: Witness stand oath (I DO); 15A: __ Park, Colorado (ESTES); 17A: Occupants of abandoned buildings, e.g. (SQUATTERS); 19A: Measuring aid (RULER); 24A: Q.E.D. part (ERAT); 34A: Sock-in-the-gut grunt (OOF); 35A: Scientology's __ Hubbard (L. RON); 36A: Big name in Arizona political history (UDALL); 41A: Kilmer of "The Saint" (VAL); 42A: Snacker's bagful (CHIPS); 45A: Nest egg initials (IRA); 46A: War honoree (HERO); 50A: Bake sale item (CAKE); 52A: Homer Simpson's neighbor (NED); 60A: Prestigious university octet (IVIES); 61A: Using a DVR, say (REPLAYING); 65A: __ Domingo (SANTO); 68A: Purse closer (CLASP); 69A: Color qualities (TONES); 70A: Big fat mouth (YAP); 2D: Brief "At once!" (PDQ); 3D: Uncle Sam poster word (YOU); 4D: LPGA Hall of Famer Daniel (BETH); 5D: Regarding (AS TO); 6D: Ladled dish (STEW); 7D: Balkan native (SERB); 8D: Bank named on a credit card (ISSUER); 9D: Skylit areas (ATRIA); 10D: Discouraged (DAUNTED); 11D: Model Macpherson (ELLE); 12D: Slapstick ammo (PIES); 13D: Blackens, in a way (TARS); 18D: Beginning on (AS OF); 21D: Yearbook sect. (SRS); 22D: Bring relief to (SOOTHE); 23D: Catered event (AFFAIR); 25D: Potato's place? (COUCH); 26D: Plumbing joints (ELLS); 27D: Procter & Gamble detergent (ERA); 28D: Respond to an ovation (BOW); 31D: Formation from stream erosion (RAVINE); 32D: Stared angrily (GLARED); 33D: Southwestern crocks (OLLAS); 36D: Six-sided state (UTAH); 39D: Dubaiís federation: Abbr. (UAE); 40D: ICU drips (IVS); 43D: Cargo pants features (POCKETS); 47D: Limit, in a saying (SKY); 48D: Publisher who was the inspiration for "Citizen Kane" (HEARST); 49D: Race since 1911, informally (INDY); 51D: "The Lion and the Mouse" fabulist (AESOP); 53D: Junk drawer label (MISC); 56D: Move, in Realtor-speak (RELO); 57D: Receptive (OPEN); 58D: Beekeeper in a 1997 movie (ULEE); 59D: Is off guard (NAPS); 62D: Hardly friendly (ICY); 64D: Dental problem (GAP).

MONDAY, June 1, 2009 — Gary Steinmehl

THEME: All "Hands" on deck ... — theme clues are commands that contain the word "HANDS": "Hands up!" / "Hands down!" / "Hands off!"

Not a lot of fun here. Puzzle has a very, very loose theme, but the up / down / off progression has a certain charm, I guess. REACH FOR THE SKY (20A: "Hands up!") and LEAVE THAT ALONE (55A: "Hands off!") are good (though I had trouble getting "THAT" quickly - wanted "IT"), but (and this is a big but) NO MORE QUESTIONS ... who says "Hands down!" to mean that (39A)? Do you really say "Hands down!" to mean "NO MORE QUESTIONS?" In class? At a press conference? What's most irking (to me) about this answer is that, if the clue were not supposed to be a command, the clear best possible answer (in 15 letters) is WITHOUT QUESTION. As in "He is, hands down, WITHOUT QUESTION, the best hitter in Major League Baseball." PENCILS DOWN! is a command I can hear someone saying. Who barks at people to put their hands down when they want to ask questions?



Crosswordese 101: FAQS (28D: Web pages with basic site info) — internet terminology gives constructors another handy way to use "Q" without having to use a "U." For those who don't know, FAQ stands for "Frequently Asked Questions." It is my experience that FAQS frequently go unnoticed and unread. At least once a week someone sends me an email asking me the #1 question on my website's FAQ ("Why is there always one highlighted answer / one blue square in your posted grid?"). I have learned that lots of people who find their way to my website (now sites, plural) are not used to dwelling in the virtual world. Fundamentally paper and pencil/pen people, and so you (I) have to have a ton of patience for people who want to participate and enjoy your site but are just learning to figure out how to navigate websites effectively. Half my mail involves some technical question, and sometimes those questions lead me to redesign the site to make something more intuitive / easier to understand. Anyhoo — FAQ. If you ever consider writing a site owner with a question, check to see if s/he has a FAQ first.

Long Downs in this one are good, and provide an entertainment value that the theme itself really doesn't have (except REACH FOR THE SKY, which I really like). I like that all the long Downs remind me of being in junior high and high school, when I would play VIDEO GAMEs incessantly (3D: Purchase for your Xbox), when I still ate (from time to time) in a CAFETERIA (10D: Food fight site), and when I could eat DOUGHNUTS (36D: Dunked snacks) with impunity because the matter of my own LONGEVITY (32D: Years on the job) was really not a pressing concern.

Oh boy, my internet connection seems to have left the planet. Better wrap this up and hope that things are back in order quickly.

What else?

• 14A: _____ Litella: Gilda Radner's "Never mind!" character (Emily) — One of many SNL characters I knew about as a kid without ever having watched the show. See also Mr. Bill. Apparently my peers had late-night TV access that I didn't.
• 61A: Old-time drummer Gene (Krupa) — A great name for crosswords.

[Gary Cooper takes notes on hepcat slang ... awesome]

• 4D: Gonzalez in 2000 news (Elian) — Oh man, that was some drama. The kind of stuff that kept 24 hr. news networks busy before 9/11.
• 34D: 1990s-2000s host of "The Tonight Show" (Leno) — Timely, as he just ended his stint as host on Friday. Conan starts tonight.
• 57D: Corrida critter (toro) — I'm on a one-man campaign (as yet, largely unsuccessful) to get anything that comes up higher than your knee and / or is not wild declassified as a "critter." Won't you please join my cause?

See you later in the week,

~Rex

Everything Else — 1A: Covers with asphalt (PAVES); 6A: Deer little one (FAWN); 10A: Little cow (CALF); 15A: "That's clear now" (I SEE); 16A: One illegally off base (AWOL); 17A: "The Thinker" sculptor (RODIN); 18A: Expected landing hrs. (ETAS); 19A: Payroll tax that funds Soc. Sec. (FICA); 23A: Fit for the military (ONE-A); 24A: Do a slow burn (SEETHE); 25A: Use a shovel (DIG); 27A: Backside (DUFF); 30A: Pub pint (ALE); 31A: Like a childhood stage, to Freud (ORAL); 33A: Like fantastic tales (TALL); 35A: Do-__: desperate (OR-DIE); 42A: Public disturbance (SCENE); 43A: Right triangle ratio (SINE); 44A: Razor-billed birds (AUKS); 45A: Diamond or ruby (GEM); 47A: Doofus (DOLT); 49A: Fed. auditing agency (GAO); 50A: "Pet" sources of irritation (PEEVES); 53A: Speed-of-sound word (MACH); 59A: Not in favor of (ANTI); 60A: Two-thirds of Santa's laugh (HO HO); 63A: Refreshing rapper/actor? (ICE-T); 64A: Lead-in for sees or seas (OVER); 65A: Pentium maker (INTEL); 66A: Say it isn't so (DENY); 67A: Floor model (DEMO); 68A: Letters before tees (ESSES); 1D: Part of mph (PER); 2D: Señorita's love (AMOR); 5D: Matched, as dubbed dialogue to mouth movements (SYNCED); 6D: Feudal estate (FIEF); 7D: Regarding (AS TO); 8D: Has on (WEARS); 9D: Summer refresher with a three-leaf logo (NESTEA); 11D: Make-__ Foundation (A-WISH); 12D: English philosopher John (LOCKE); 13D: Chef Bobby (FLAY); 21D: Terre __, Indiana (HAUTE); 22D: Serf of ancient Sparta (HELOT); 25D: Puts on (DONS); 26D: Camaro __-Z: muscle car (IROC); 29D: Lighter __: Zippo filler (FLUID); 37D: Durante's "__ Dinka Doo" (INKA); 38D: "Happy motoring" gas (ESSO); 40D: Christopher who played Superman (REEVE); 41D: Alabama march city (SELMA); 46D: Way of doing things (METHOD); 48D: Nonsilent film (TALKIE); 50D: London change (PENCE); 51D: Gone from one's plate (EATEN); 52D: Push hard (SHOVE); 54D: Preserves, as beef (CORNS); 55D: Let go, with "off" (LAID); 56D: Attention getter (AHEM); 58D: Fencing sword (EPEE); 62D: Capp and Gore (ALS).

THURSDAY, May 14, 2009 — Gary Steinmehl

Theme: "Lincoln Center" — Four theme answers are phrases that contain President Lincoln's first name, ABE.

Theme answers:

• 17A: *Era in which Shakespeare wrote most of his plays (ELIZABETHAN).
  
• 60A: *Put in order, as files (ALPHABETIZE). Also books, CDs, and canned goods.
  
• 11D: *With no tags (UNLABELED).
  
• 33D: *Veggies of Andean origin (LIMA BEANS). I think we're all pronouncing it wrong.
  
• 37A: Performing arts site where ground was broken 5/14/1959, and a hint to the shared feature of the answers to starred clues (LINCOLN CENTER).

Crosswordese 101: Today's word is French! NÉE (16A: Originally called). Literally, it means born. It's used to indicate a married woman's family name (sometimes called a "maiden" name, but seriously, it's 2009, let's be done with the "maiden" stuff already). I don't know if this is true, but as far as puzzles are concerned the primary place you'll see this word is in "society pages." It might also be clued as a word found in a "bio," particularly a "bridal bio," or as a way of identifying an "alum." Other clues you'll see are: "formerly," "formerly known as," "originally," "once called," or "once named." And that's what you need to know about NÉE.

Hey, everyone. Just got done watching "American Idol," and after all that excitement, I must say I'm a little BLASÉ (22A: Indifferent) about this puzzle. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing really sparkled for me either. Also, it was kind of a long day and I have another one ahead of me tomorrow, so I'm sorry if this doesn't meet the high entertainment standard that we try to set around here. At least I'll get you started, then you can talk it up all you want in the comments.

Misc.:

• 11A: Official in black (UMP). And white. Black and white. Right? Or is that just refs? The home-plate umpire doesn't just wear black though, does he? This one confuses me.
  
• 15A: Communion bread holder (PATEN). I can never remember this word. Anyone have any ideas about how to make it stick this time?
  

• 29A: "Rocky III" actor (MR T.). Had a hard time parsing this for some reason. So obvious, once it's in there.
  
• 31A: Quick-drying paint (TEMPERA). I was thinking tempura for some reason. What is that? Paint?
  
• 36A: Article in Elle France (LES). Elle France is a magazine. But we don't want a word for a magazines article. Instead we're looking for a part of speech. The word LES is French for the, which is grammatically an article.
  
• 45A: A followers (BCD). Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Never like seeing these letter strings. I suppose there are times when it can't be helped.
  
• 59A: "Ghost" psychic __ Mae Brown (ODA). Not to be confused with Ola Rae, the female lead in Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video.
  
• 66A: Cobb and others (TYS). Others like who? Come on. Let's name some more Tys. Who wants to go first?
  
• 68A: Breezy bye-byes (TATAS). BEQ would clue this differently. Also BOOB [45D: Nincompoop]. Heh heh. You said boob.
  
• 2D: El Niño feature? (TILDE). The tilde is that little squiggly mark over the n.
  

• 4D: Tasseled topper (FEZ). I can't see this word without picturing Akbar and Jeff.
  
• 8D: Only team besides the Yankees to win three consecutive World Series (ATHLETICS). You just HAD to bring that up, didn't you?
  
• 37D: Symbolic end of summer (LABOR DAY). And don't even think about wearing white shoes after that.
  

Everything Else — 1A: Sign in a reserved parking area (STAFF); 6A: Time's Person of the Year 2008 (OBAMA); 14A: Screen dot (PIXEL); 19A: __ Palmas (LAS); 20A: Hullabaloo (ADO); 21A: Danger (PERIL); 24A: __ Sabe (KEMO); 26A: Unadorned (NAKED); 28A: Border (ABUT); 33A: Grazing ground (LEA); 34A: Jumps (out) (BAILS); 40A: Photo taker (CAM); 41A: Gives out (EMITS); 42A: Auction action (BID); 43A: Leave in the lurch (ABANDON); 46A: Choir garb (ROBE); 47A: Keats's "__ Psyche" (ODE TO); 50A: Kennel chatter (YAPS); 54A: Victimizes, with "on" (PREYS); 56A: Work on the cutting edge? (STROP); 58A: English __ (LIT); 63A: Wasn't colorfast (RAN); 64A: Foolish (GOONY); 65A: "Hungarian Rhapsodies" composer (LISZT); 67A: Idlers in a jam (AUTOS); 1D: Command to Fido (SPEAK); 3D: Geometry truth (AXIOM); 5D: Wing movement (FLAP); 6D: "Fidelio," for one (OPERA); 7D: Dyeing art (BATIK); 9D: __ culpa (MEA); 10D: "The Brady Bunch" actress Davis (ANN B.); 12D: Calibrated tool (MEASURER); 13D: Old dinero (PESETAS); 18D: Crooked (BENT); 23D: Computer site, sometimes (LAP); 25D: Portent (OMEN); 27D: Editing mark (DELE); 30D: Hurried (RACED); 32D: "Hardball" airer (MSNBC); 34D: The right side-view mirror compensates for it (BLIND SPOT); 35D: Farm crawler (ANT); 38D: Melville novel (OMOO); 39D: Neat (TIDY); 40D: Garage alternative (CARPORT); 44D: Marshal at Waterloo (NEY); 48D: Culture: Pref. (ETHNO); 49D: Fast-food carriers (TRAYS); 51D: Elite group (A LIST); 52D: Lunch slice (PIZZA); 53D: Leaves in (STETS); 55D: It's a long story (SAGA); 57D: Hide (PELT); 61D: Manager Piniella (LOU); 62D: __ Maria: liqueur (TIA).