WEDNESDAY, December 9, 2009—Robert E. Lee Morris

THEME: "Mr. Cruel"—Three names end with synonyms for "cruel"

Theme answers:

• 17A: Bassist for the Sex Pistols (SID VICIOUS). Not the name his parents gave him, so we have one stage name.
  
  
  
• 36A: Muttley's evil master in Hanna-Barbera cartoons (DICK DASTARDLY). One cartoon character, fictional. I can totally laugh just like Muttley.
  
  
  
• 59A: "The Wonder Years" star (FRED SAVAGE). And one real name. Child actor–turned–director. Rock out to the opening sequence:
  

The theme entries, two 10s and a 13, occupy the minimum number of squares you'd generally expect to see in a themed 15x15 puzzle. It's got 78 words, the maximum. The combination of low theme square count and high word count should make for a puzzle with smooth fill and no tortured abbreviations or plurals. Perhaps the worst entry here is 14A: As vertical as possible, as an embedded anchor (APEAK); as nautical words go, this one's pretty unfamiliar to non-sailors. But nothing else jumped out at me, so yay. OK, maybe 66A: Fish basket (CREEL), that's a little crosswordese-inflected.

What else? Here are my favorite answers and clues:

• 1A: Hurts with a horn (GORES). My sister's husband and kids all play horns, so I needed all the crossings here. Couldn't get tuba-related damage out of my head.
  
• 16A: Charm (MOJO). Great word!
  
• 21A: Uncommonly big (OUTSIZED) Nice to have a Z or two in the fill.
  
• 57A: Fast fliers (JETS). Raise your hand if you went on crosswordese autopilot and filled in SSTS here. I know I did.
  
• 3D: St. John's athletes until 1994 (REDMEN). The team is now called the Red Storm, and I commend them for changing their name. Wasn't the Red Storm one of the plagues of Egypt?
  
• 11D: Nonsense (FOLDEROL). TOMMYROT would also fit here, but not HOOEY, POPPYCOCK, or BALDERDASH.
  

Crosswordese 101: Most crosswordese answers are 3 or 4 letters long, but the occasional 6 makes a strong showing. Consider the APOGEE, which hides a shorter crosswordese word (OGEE) in its midst. This astronomy term means 47D: Orbital high point. The word's origin combines apo- ("away") and geo ("earth"), so it's the point at which the moon is furthest from the earth. It's opposite is PERIGEE, which luckily does not have the same letter count so it's hard to mix 'em up. APOGEE clues usually have the word "orbit" or "orbital" in them, but sometimes you'll see high(est) point, peak, or apex.

Everything Else — 6A: Trudge (PLOD); 10A: Where E.T. came from? (AFAR); 15A: Anchor attachment (ROPE); 19A: Run off at the mouth (BLAB); 20A: Made the trip (CAME); 23A: Had a bite (ATE); 24A: Distress letters (SOS); 25A: Most irritated (SOREST); 28A: Friend you probably never met (PENPAL); 30A: Spread with cocktails (PATE); 32A: Fish eggs (ROE); 33A: Leopardlike critter (OCELOT); 35A: Skye of film (IONE); 40A: Like many a 45-Across (DANK); 41A: Hitchcock classic (PSYCHO); 42A: Swing voter: Abbr. (IND.); 43A: Singer Feliciano (JOSÉ); 45A: Underground room (CELLAR); 49A: '50s Kenyan revolutionary (MAUMAU); 51A: PBS funder (NEA); 52A: Mimic (APE); 53A: Canc˙n coins (CENTAVOS); 56A: Hebrew prophet (AMOS); 61A: War god (ARES); 62A: "Law & Order: SVU" actor (ICE-T); 63A: Sloping edge of a chisel (BEZEL); 64A: Author Zane (GREY); 65A: Big name in lawn equipment (TORO); 1D: It's replaced after a fill-up (GAS CAP); 2D: Sedative (OPIATE); 4D: Gutter site (EAVE); 5D: Go downhill fast? (SKI); 6D: Toyota hybrid (PRIUS); 7D: Pirate's haul (LOOT); 8D: Music with a number (OPUS); 9D: Stop (DESIST); 10D: The color of honey (AMBER); 12D: Steely Dan album pronounced like a continent (AJA); 13D: Stick up (ROB); 18D: Air-conditioned (COOLED); 22D: Ballet-dancing Muppet (ZOE); 24D: Pass rusher's success (SACK); 26D: VAIO computer maker (SONY); 27D: Golfer's gismo (TEE); 29D: Childhood disease mark (POCK); 30D: Rapper's entourage (POSSE); 31D: Mem. of the bar (ATTY.); 34D: Indy 500's 200 (LAPS); 35D: Golden calf, e.g. (IDOL); 36D: Agent Scully of "The X-Files" (DANA); 37D: Hall of Fame guest of honor (INDUCTEE); 38D: Permission to use (ACCESS); 39D: Perlman of "Cheers" (RHEA); 40D: Faint (DIM); 43D: Pres. inauguration month (JAN.); 44D: Uniform (OUTFIT); 46D: Childbirth education pioneer (LAMAZE); 48D: Transfer for a price, as a used car (RESELL); 50D: Not well-kept (MESSY); 51D: Acknowledge with a head movement (NOD TO); 54D: Sacramento's __ Arena (ARCO); 55D: Change direction (VEER); 56D: Say assuredly (AVER); 57D: Binge (JAG); 58D: Make a mistake (ERR); 60D: "Desperate Housewives" network (ABC).