08.17 Wed

W E D N E S D A Y

August 17, 2011

Jack McInturff

Theme: Three Times a Lady — Each theme answer is a familiar phrase that starts with a word that follows the word LADY in a familiar phrase



Theme answers:

• 17A: Gourmet treat sold in gold boxes (GODIVA CHOCOLATE).
• 25A: Backdrop for tangerine trees, in a Beatles classic (MARMALADE SKIES).
• 41A: Enduring fortune, ethnically speaking (LUCK OF THE IRISH).
• 54A: 1978 #1 hit for the Commodores (and this puzzle's title) (THREE TIMES A LADY).

Very cute theme today. I was thinking all three ladies might be songs, but then remembered that whenever I think of LADY GODIVA, the song that goes through my head is actually this one:





But that's just my own little quirk, obviously not something Jack McInturff needs to keep in mind while constructing. Although if constructors would tailor their puzzles directly to me, that sure would help me along.



There were a few things in today's grid that I just flat-out didn't know, which seems like kind of a lot for a Wednesday:

• 22A: Edd's "77 Sunset Strip" role (KOOKIE).
• 23D: Great Seal word (ORDO). Um … what?
• 29D: Tennyson's "__ Arden" (ENOCH).

But those entries were balanced out nicely by SWIT and KAREEM, which were right in my sweet spot (30D: She played Houlihan on "M*A*S*H" / 42D: Laker teammate of Magic). My sweet spot apparently lives in the late 70s/early 80s and sits in front of a TV.



Winner of today's Most Awesomest Word in the Grid Award goes to VERMIN (18D: Rats and such). It's a cartoonish word, isn't it? Unfortunately, X FACTOR (39D: Hard-to-define element) got robbed. Any other day and it would have had no trouble taking the title.



Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 21A: Bow-wielding god (EROS).
• 4D: Ex-press secretary Fleischer (ARI).
• 37D: Viking war god (ODIN).
• 43D: "Garfield" drooler (ODIE).
• 52D: Novelist Ferber (EDNA).

Everything — 1A: Crime writer Paretsky (SARA); 5A: Name on an NYU arts building (TISCH); 10A: Goes (for) (OPTS); 14A: Declare openly (AVER); 15A: Toaster, at times (EMCEE); 16A: Bucket of bolts (HEAP); 17A: Gourmet treat sold in gold boxes (GODIVA CHOCOLATE); 20A: USN rank (ENS.); 21A: Bow-wielding god (EROS); 22A: Edd's "77 Sunset Strip" role (KOOKIE); 23A: Approximation phrase (OR SO); 24A: Brand served on the floor (ALPO); 25A: Backdrop for tangerine trees, in a Beatles classic (MARMALADE SKIES); 31A: Thief (BANDIT); 32A: Cabbage roll? (WAD); 33A: L.A.-to-Bakersfield heading (NNW); 34A: Follow, as a tip (ACT ON); 35A: Bit of a pickle (JAM); 36A: Yes-man's phrase (SO DO I); 38A: Hawaiian tuna (AHI); 39A: Ballot markings (X'ES); 40A: Take off (DEDUCT); 41A: Enduring fortune, ethnically speaking (LUCK OF THE IRISH); 45A: "Law & Order" figures: Abbr. (ADA'S); 46A: Swedish explorer Hedin (SVEN); 47A: Former "Today" co-anchor (COURIC); 50A: D-delta connection (AS IN); 51A: Fashion bottom line? (HEM); 54A: 1978 #1 hit for the Commodores (and this puzzle's title) (THREE TIMES A LADY); 57A: Gentle slope (RISE); 58A: Maine campus town (ORONO); 59A: Godmother, often (AUNT); 60A: Good earth (LOAM); 61A: Harder to find (RARER); 62A: Ho-hum (BLAH); 1D: Guru (SAGE); 2D: Royal Shakespeare Theatre river (AVON); 3D: Primary colors (REDS); 4D: Ex-press secretary Fleischer (ARI); 5D: Excitedly removes, as wrapping (TEARS AT); 6D: "Works for me" ("I'M COOL"); 7D: UCLA and USC (SCHS.); 8D: Boardroom VIP (CEO); 9D: Harassed from the peanut gallery (HECKLED); 10D: "You have to see this!" ("OH LOOK!"); 11D: Heyday (PEAK); 12D: Jacques of "Mon Oncle" (TATI); 13D: WWI admiral Maximilian von ___ (SPEE); 18D: Rats and such (VERMIN); 19D: Cry over spilled milk? (OOPS); 23D: Great Seal word (ORDO); 24D: Sandler of "Spanglish" (ADAM); 25D: Peru's __ Picchu (MACHU); 26D: Playful prank (ANTIC); 27D: Up to one's neck (in) (AWASH); 28D: Pakistani river (INDUS); 29D: Tennyson's "__ Arden" (ENOCH); 30D: She played Houlihan on "M*A*S*H" (SWIT); 31D: False god (BAAL); 35D: Airbus products (JETS); 36D: Williams of tennis (SERENA); 37D: Viking war god (ODIN); 39D: Hard-to-define element (X FACTOR); 40D: b, in a ÷ b (DIVISOR); 42D: Laker teammate of Magic (KAREEM); 43D: "Garfield" drooler (ODIE); 44D: Reputed Dead Sea Scrolls writer (ESSENE); 47D: Laptop key (CTRL); 48D: Taft's birth state (OHIO); 49D: Minor start? (URSA); 50D: 21-Across, in Rome (AMOR); 51D: Do a trucker's job (HAUL); 52D: Novelist Ferber (EDNA); 53D: Urban legend, e.g. (MYTH); 55D: Rollover subj. (IRA); 56D: Scientist's milieu (LAB).

06.29 Wed

W E D N E S D A Y
June 29, 2011
Jack McInturff

Theme: GEE WHIZ! — The first word of each theme answer can follow the letter G in a familiar phrase.

Theme answers:

• 17A: *Fit perfectly (SUIT TO A TEE).
• 23A: *Sexy beachwear (STRING BIKINI).
• 50A: *Behavior made automatic from frequent repetition (FORCE OF HABIT).
• 62A: *Superhero nickname (MAN OF STEEL).
• 39A: "Gosh!" (or, based on the starts of starred answers, one who is expert at solving this puzzle's theme?) ("GEE WHIZ!").

I really flew through this one. I think it was easier for me than either Monday or Tuesday this week. I didn't catch onto the theme right away because the first two theme answers I got were FORCE OF HABIT and MAN OF STEEL. So I thought the theme was going to have to do with [something] OF [something]. But then I got to GEE WHIZ and it became clear. The theme is cute, with GEE WHIZ smack-dab in the middle and colorful theme phrases (except for SUIT TO A TEE, which is nothing to write home about). Seems like an awful lot of four-letter-starting-with-A entries today: AZOV, AMIS, ANON, ARON, ANEW, AROO, AM SO, AEON. Not sure how I feel about that. I also kind of wish that we didn't have both MR. ED and MR. HYDE in the grid, or at least to have them symmetrical so it looks like the duplication was done on purpose.

But there are some really nice entries, and the long downs are very nice. I like to look at them in symmetrical pairs (not sure what my deal is with symmetry, but for some reason it's important today): ONE FINE DAY – NOSE AROUND / NABOKOV — ENCORES … even YERBA — WORMS. Seems like there should be a type of WORM called a YERBA, doesn't it?

Bullets:

• 1A: Sea of __: Black Sea arm (AZOV). Of all the four-letter-starts-with-A entries, this is definitely the most interesting. I guess a Z will just do that.
• 19A: Veggie that may be black (BEAN). Are BEANs really veggies? Hmmm.

• 26A: White Sox star who played in five decades (1949-1980) (MIÑOSO). The funny thing is that I was pretty sure I knew the name "Minnie MIÑOSO," only I was pronouncing it without the tilde and figured I was confused with Minnie the Moocher. In any case, I had no idea MIÑOSO was a baseball player. Fun facts: MIÑOSO is one of just two players in Major League history to play in five separate decades and his full name is Saturnino Orestes Armas Miñoso Arrieta. So now you know.
• 31A: "A horse is a horse" horse (MR. ED). I swear to God with the RED in place I was all, "FRED? Is there a horse named FRED I should know?"
• 66A: Gal who gets what she wants (LOLA). Wow. Didn't know this one At All. I thought maybe this was referring to lyrics from the Kinks song, but no. "Whatever Lola Wants" is a song from the musical "Damn Yankees." Take a listen:



• 45D: Former Jewish settlements (SHTETLS). If you're not familiar with this word, you should try to file it away somewhere. It doesn't come up often, but if you do crosswords regularly, you will certainly see it again.

• 53D: Vietnam's capital (HANOI). I much prefer to clue for HANOI than the typical "Red River city," which I always think is going to be FARGO and never is.

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 5A: Parisian pals (AMIS).
• 25D: Don Juan's mother (INEZ).
• 58D: Long, long time (AEON).

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Everything Else — 9A: Light bite (NOSH); 13A: In-box note, perhaps (MEMO); 14A: Like candy near the register, maybe (MINTY); 16A: Hostile to (ANTI); 20A: Bone: Pref. (OSTEO-); 21A: Golda of Israel (MEIR); 22A: "The Wizard __": comic strip (OF ID); 29A: Shortly (ANON); 30A: Graceland middle name (ARON); 35A: Partner of each (EVERY); 38A: Seaman's "Help!" (SOS); 41A: __ volente: God willing (DEO); 42A: Prepare to be knighted (KNEEL); 44A: Composer Bartók (BELA); 45A: German coal region (SAAR); 46A: Once again (ANEW); 48A: Literary alter ego (MR. HYDE); 55A: Buck suffix (-AROO); 56A: Way to go (ROAD); 57A: Rosary units (BEADS); 61A: Unfocused photo, e.g. (BLUR); 64A: Single (LONE); 65A: Hill on Vail (SLOPE); 67A: Loose things to tie up (ENDS); 68A: Location (SITE); 69A: Barbershop sound (SNIP); 1D: Schoolyard retort (AM SO); 2D: Olympian bigwig (ZEUS); 3D: Cut out (OMIT); 4D: Decides via ballot (VOTES ON); 5D: Latin lover's word (AMO); 6D: Home of the Heat (MIAMI); 7D: One __: unlikely chance (IN TEN); 8D: "Shrek!" author William (STEIG); 9D: "Lolita" author (NABOKOV); 10D: Clooney/Pfeiffer comedy (ONE FINE DAY); 11D: Washday challenge (STAIN); 12D: Delhi language (HINDI); 15D: __ Buena, town that became San Francisco (YERBA); 18D: Little tykes (TOTS); 24D: "City of Seven Hills" (ROME); 26D: Halloween cover-up (MASK); 27D: Press (IRON); 28D: Act like a snoop (NOSE AROUND); 32D: Confederate (REB); 33D: Lady in the flock (EWE); 34D: UPS rival (DHL); 36D: Enjoy the library (READ); 37D: Time past (YORE); 39D: Elated feeling (GLEE); 40D: Foot in a poem (IAMB); 43D: Extras for a cheering crowd (ENCORES); 47D: Squirmy bait (WORMS); 49D: Barbecue fare (RIBS); 50D: Aesop work (FABLE); 51D: Sweater synthetic (ORLON); 52D: Stable newborns (FOALS); 54D: Take as one's own (ADOPT); 59D: Bagels and lox seller (DELI); 60D: Blow with a palm (SLAP); 63D: ATM charge (FEE).

06.06 Mon

M O N D A Y
June 6, 2011
Jack McInturff

Theme: Did I stutter?? — Hard to explain, just look at the answers and you'll get it.

Theme answers:

• 17A: Mechanic's excessively affected gadget box? (TOO TOO TOOL CHEST).
• 26A: Fashionable farm nestling? (CHI CHI CHICK).
• 47A: Dance contest winner? (CHA CHA CHAMP).
• 61A: High-kicking dancer at an audition? (CAN CAN CANDIDATE).

Pretty cute theme for a Monday. I kinda wish they had all either changed the pronunciation or not changed the pronunciation, but since there are two of each I can't really complain. The only thing I guess I could complain about is the crosswordese. Whoa Nelly! there's a lot of it in this grid. I mean, I know it's Monday and everything, so I'm expecting a smattering, but this sure seems like a lot. On the other hand, we get "IT'S A TRAP!" (52A: "They'll ambush you if you go in there!"), which is an awesome phrase, and BLURT (64A: Reveal impulsively), which is an awesome word, so all in all I'm going to say fine.

Bullets:

• 67A: Fibber of old radio (MCGEE). I'm not old enough to really know who Fibber MCGEE is except that he (he?) has something to do with old radio.



• 1D: Former Yugoslav leader (TITO).
• 11D: "The Cosby Show" boy (THEO). PuzzleHusband and I just started watching "30 Rock" this week. I know, I know. We're a little slow. Anyway, there was a reference to THEO Huxtable in one of the first couple of episodes. I know you're thrilled.
• 63D: Blonde's secret, maybe (DYE). Is it really a secret? My hair was very blonde until my mid 30s, and I always kind of felt like the fact that the blonde was natural was my little secret. I just assumed everyone thought it was dyed.

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 15A: Most fit to serve (ONE-A).
• 16A: Sodas for Radar O'Reilly (NEHIS).
• 21A: First Japanese golfer to win a PGA Tour event (ISAO AOKI).
• 22A: Rajah's wife (RANI).
• 31A: Gallantry-in-combat mil. award (DSC).
• 41A: Letters on a cross (INRI).
• 66A: Tar Heel State university (ELON).
• 68A: Terrier variety (SKYE).
• 10D: "The Merry Widow" composer (LEHAR).
• 13D: Italian wine city (ASTI).
• 18D: Colorful fish (OPAH).
• 29D: Cola's first consonant (HARD C).
• 49D: Mozart's "__ fan tutte" (COSÌ).
• 50D: Mother-of-pearl (NACRE).
• 59D: Thames school (ETON).

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Everything Else — 1A: "Gone With the Wind" plantation (TARA); 5A: Interactive Facebook feature (WALL); 9A: Prefix with sonic or violet (ULTRA-); 14A: Press, as pants (IRON); 20A: Ready to be drawn from a keg (ON TAP); 25A: Damaged, as mdse. (IRR.); 34A: Dryer screen target (LINT); 35A: Collaborating group (TEAM); 36A: Blacksmith, at times (SHOER); 38A: "The King __" (AND I); 39A: Take everything off (STRIP); 42A: City near Syracuse (UTICA); 44A: Blade's sharp side (EDGE); 45A: Wildebeests (GNUS); 46A: Govt. ID issuer (SSA); 50A: Revival prefix (NEO-); 51A: Easy gait (TROT); 57A: Agreed (with) (SIDED); 65A: Cafeteria carrier (TRAY); 69A: Emailed or faxed (SENT); 2D: Presley's middle name (ARON); 3D: Cheer (for) (ROOT); 4D: South Pole continent, with "the" (ANTARCTIC); 5D: Seek as a spouse (WOO); 6D: Tiny hill crawler (ANT); 7D: Sainted fifth-century pope (LEO I); 8D: Cambodia neighbor (LAOS); 9D: Opens, as wine (UNCORKS); 12D: Insurer's exposure (RISK); 19D: Of the flock (LAIC); 23D: "Picked" complaints (NITS); 24D: Summer drink (ICE TEA); 26D: Santa __ (CLAUS); 27D: Clues (HINTS); 28D: Taj Mahal home (INDIA); 30D: "Put me down as a maybe" ("I MIGHT"); 31D: Designer Karan (DONNA); 32D: Inoculated fluid (SERUM); 33D: Like well-cooked bacon (CRISP); 37D: Times when sand castles are destroyed (HIGH TIDES); 40D: Tree fruit (PEAR); 43D: Film material (ACETATE); 48D: Traffic jam honker (HORN); 52D: Long-range warhead carrier, briefly (ICBM); 53D: Soft mineral (TALC); 54D: Like a bug in a rug (SNUG); 55D: Play divisions (ACTS); 56D: Amusement __ (PARK); 58D: Carnegie or Evans (DALE); 60D: Fender damage (DENT); 62D: Rejecting vote (NAY).