08.30 Tue

T U E S D A Y

August 30, 2011

Nancy Salomon

Theme: Go-Getters — Each theme answer is a familiar two-word phrase where the word "go" can precede each word to form two other familiar phrases.



Theme answers:

• 17A: *Sydney's locale, familiarly (DOWN UNDER).
• 21A: *Man, according to a longtime Desmond Morris best-seller (NAKED APE).
• 33A: *Bluntly (STRAIGHT OUT).
• 42A: *Skip-over-ads button (FAST FORWARD).

• 55A: *Hosting squad (HOME TEAM).
• 61A: Overachievers, and a hint to a word that can precede both words of the starred answers (GO-GETTERS).

I'm always impressed by this type of theme, where both halves of the theme answer can be used to form new phrases. It doesn't really enhance my enjoyment while I'm solving, but that's likely because I don't take the time to think about each theme answer as I enter it, and that's not the puzzle's fault. But I go through them post-solve and usually have a chuckle or two, so it's all good. Some of the resulting "go" phrases seem kind of random (I'm looking at you, GO FAST and GO UNDER), but HOME TEAM makes two "go" phrases that really shine, so maybe it all evens out in the end.



Bullets:

• 1A: Beat to a pulp (MASH). This amused me. To me, the phrase "beat to a pulp" is 100% figurative. I mean, that's how you talk about the victim of a bar brawl, right? But taken literally, it's about cooking! Ha!

• 9A: Very cold (GELID). Can't remember if it was the LAT, but I do recall seeing this word in a puzzle sometime in the last year or so. I still don't like it.
• 20A: Ain't right? (AREN'T). The word "ain't" is, of course, not a "proper" word. If you fix it up right, it becomes "aren't."
• 29A: Doggone (DADGUM). Best word in the grid. Made me LOL.
• 66A: Case for notions (ÉTUI). I'm sure we all have our favorite crosswordese (and by favorite, of course, I mean most dreaded). This is mine. I don't know why it bothers me so much, but I can tell you right now I'm never putting it in a puzzle. (Doug: We haven't put ÉTUI in a puzzle, have we?)

• 12D: "No need to wake me" ("I'M UP"). Great colloquial phrase.
• 22D: Twisty-horned antelope (KUDU). I like the way this looks in the grid. I would like it more if it was something I'd ever heard of.
• 40D: Popular Dixie drink (SWEET TEA). I was in North Carolina last year for a girls' weekend and at lunch one day one of the girls ordered unsweetened tea. Our horrified host immediately apologized to the waitress and, even though they were trying to keep the ensuing conversation to themselves, I'm pretty sure I heard the word "yankee" a couple times.

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 15A: Guinness who played Obi-Wan (ALEC).
• 66A: Case for notions (ÉTUI).

Everything — 1A: Beat to a pulp (MASH); 5A: Dapper Dans (FOPS); 9A: Very cold (GELID); 14A: Mental block buster (IDEA); 15A: Guinness who played Obi-Wan (ALEC); 16A: Memorable mission (ALAMO); 17A: *Sydney's locale, familiarly (DOWN UNDER); 19A: Bantu-speaking South Africans (ZULUS); 20A: Ain't right? (AREN'T); 21A: *Man, according to a longtime Desmond Morris best-seller (NAKED APE); 23A: WWII bond designation (SERIES E); 26A: Mental block buster (MUSE); 27A: Spoiled-rotten kids (BRATS); 29A: Doggone (DADGUM); 33A: *Bluntly (STRAIGHT OUT); 37A: Sun Devils' sch. (ASU); 38A: Work like a dog (TOIL); 39A: Clumsy dummy (OAF); 40A: Iditarod racer (SLED); 41A: "I'm with ya" ("YUP"); 42A: *Skip-over-ads button (FAST FORWARD); 46A: Like porn (X-RATED); 48A: Very strange (EERIE); 49A: Skyline-blurring phenomenon (HAZE); 51A: One begins parallel parking in it (REVERSE); 55A: *Hosting squad (HOME TEAM); 59A: Lucy's landlady (ETHEL); 60A: "It was you," in a Verdi aria (ERI TU); 61A: Overachievers, and a hint to a word that can precede both words of the starred answers (GO-GETTERS); 64A: Odom of the Lakers (LAMAR); 65A: Pianist Gilels (EMIL); 66A: Case for notions (ÉTUI); 67A: Annapolis frosh (PLEBE); 68A: Smelling awful (RANK); 69A: "Look __, I'm Sandra Dee": "Grease" song (AT ME); 1D: Big name in muffler replacement (MIDAS); 2D: Love to bits (ADORE); 3D: Runoff collector (SEWER); 4D: Memorable Alps crosser (HANNIBAL); 5D: Bleacher creature (FAN); 6D: Stale (OLD); 7D: Rounded hammer part (PEEN); 8D: "Get outta here!" ("SCRAM!"); 9D: Feasts one's eyes on (GAZES AT); 10D: Gave the slip (ELUDED); 11D: Tra-__ (LA-LA); 12D: "No need to wake me" ("I'M UP"); 13D: Two caplets, say (DOSE); 18D: Wombs (UTERI); 22D: Twisty-horned antelope (KUDU); 24D: Droop (SAG); 25D: Cultural credo (ETHOS); 28D: Hillary's department (STATE); 30D: Big shindig (GALA); 31D: Web browser (USER); 32D: Emmy-winning newsman Roger (MUDD); 33D: River of Hades (STYX); 34D: Take to the road, as a rock band (TOUR); 35D: Philbin co-host (RIPA); 36D: "I'm gonna make him an __ he can't refuse" (OFFER); 40D: Popular Dixie drink (SWEET TEA); 42D: Main movie (FEATURE); 43D: Wood-shaping tool (ADZE); 44D: Rock in a seam (ORE); 45D: Transfix (RIVET); 47D: What a treater picks up (THE TAB); 50D: Gung-ho (EAGER); 52D: Suave Butler (RHETT); 53D: Red Cross supply (SERUM); 54D: Borden's spokescow (ELSIE); 55D: "SOS!" ("HELP!"); 56D: Like some vaccines (ORAL); 57D: Play charades (MIME); 58D: NYC gallery (MOMA); 62D: Bathtub booze (GIN); 63D: "Benevolent" fellow (ELK).

06.28 Tue

T U E S D A Y
June 28, 2011
Victor Fleming & Nancy Salomon

Theme: French! — That's right, French!

Theme answers:

• 17A: Delight in living (JOIE DE VIVRE).
• 24A: Paris site of objets d'art (MUSÉE DU LOUVRE).
• 48A: Peppercorn-coated beef entrée (STEAK AU POIVRE).
• 56A: Shrimp cocktail, e.g. (HORS D'OEUVRE).

Well, we're off to a great start this week, aren't we? I really enjoyed this puzzle. Obviously, I got a kick out of the ... French! But that's not the only reason. Look at some of those other entries: HAIL MARY, MAKE HAY, HAS-BEEN, AIRBALL — even MOPSY kind of tickled me today (3D: Desperation gridiron pass / 40D: What some do while the sun shines? / 30A: Fading star / 43A: Hoops shot that misses everything / 32A: Peter Rabbit sibling). The biggest problem — and I'm sure I'm not alone in this — was figuring out how to spell some of the theme answers. Thank God for crosses!

The only real clunkers I found were SSS and ISLS. (11A: Leaky tire sound / 20A: Aruba et al.: Abbr.). You really hate to see SSS in the grid. I wonder if there are any good options for that corner, but don't have to time right now to really focus on it. Other than that, though, really solid and really smooth. Like I said, we're off to a great start.

Bullets:

• 36A: Word with cozy or bag (TEA). Is anyone good with this type of clue? I'm horrible — horrible — with them! I actually love coming up with them when I'm constructing a puzzle, but as a solver I can ne-Ever get them.
• 46A: Hatch, as a scheme (THINK UP). I tried DREAM UP first.
• 52A: Pre-splat cry (OOPS). HAha: "pre-splat."
• 7D: Ford in a Beach Boys hit (T-BIRD). Now here's a Beach Boys song I've heard of.



• 10D: Springsteen, to fans (THE BOSS). And if THE BOSS is more your style, take a gander at this.

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 21A: Wine-and-cassis apéritif (KIR).
• 9D: Former Egypt-Syr. alliance (UAR).
• 18D: __ out: barely gets (EKES).

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Everything Else — 1A: Sounds of laughter (HAHAS); 6A: Show off, as one's stuff (STRUT); 14A: Change with the times (ADAPT); 15A: West Indian sorcery (OBEAH); 16A: Back muscle, for short (LAT); 19A: Stretch to remember (ERA); 22A: With 50-Across, quarterback who started a record 297 consecutive games (BRETT); 28A: Not for (AGAINST); 31A: __-Novo: Benin's capital (PORTO); 33A: Play (with) (TOY); 34A: Slate-backing strips (LATHS); 39A: Apple models (IMACS); 41A: They may be blown in games (LEADS); 50A: See 22-Across (FAVRE); 51A: The whole shebang (ALL); 55A: Saloon order (ALE); 60A: Knight's title (SIR); 61A: Justice Samuel (ALITO); 62A: Speedy base runner's strategy (STEAL); 63A: Thing to run at a bar (TAB); 64A: Red Sea republic (YEMEN); 65A: Prefix with frost (PERMA-); 1D: Pilgrim to Mecca (HAJI); 2D: Bustles (ADOS); 4D: Jungle film costume (APE SUIT); 5D: CST part: Abbr. (STD.); 6D: Like old Russian states (SOVIET); 8D: Give gas to (REV); 11D: Place for an ace? (SLEEVE); 12D: "No Exit" dramatist (SARTRE); 13D: __ Island Ferry (STATEN); 23D: Red gemstone (RUBY); 25D: __-Cat: winter vehicle (SNO); 26D: "This could be a problem" ("UH-OH"); 27D: Swimmer's reps (LAPS); 28D: On target (APT); 29D: Bit of baby babble (GOO); 32D: The Rockies, e.g.: Abbr. (MTS.); 34D: In __ land: loopy (LA-LA); 35D: First Amdt. defender (ACLU); 36D: Corporate acquisition (TAKEOVER); 37D: School URL ending (EDU); 38D: Fanged serpent (ASP); 39D: Building beam (I-BAR); 41D: Ullmann of "Autumn Sonata" (LIV); 42D: On the way (EN ROUTE); 43D: Equally speedy (AS FAST); 44D: Roma's land (ITALIA); 45D: Echoic effect (REVERB); 46D: Snitched about (TOLD ON); 47D: Port of Hawaii (HILO); 49D: Second of a word-processing pair (PASTE); 53D: English carriage (PRAM); 54D: Ward of "CSI: NY" (SELA); 57D: Cheer for a toreador (OLÉ); 58D: Perimeter (RIM); 59D: Clairvoyance, briefly (ESP).