09.26 Mon

M O N D A Y
September 26, 2011
Robert Fisher

Theme: Runnin' On Fumes — The first word of each theme answer is a commonly used measure of fuel in a vehicle's gas tank.

Theme answers:

• 18A: Ceremonial uniform (FULL DRESS).
• 23A: Necktie knot (HALF WINDSOR).
• 38A: NCAA Elite Eight team (QUARTER FINALIST).
• 50A: Parent whose kids have moved out (EMPTY NESTER).
• 59A: Dashboard device, and a hint to the starts of 18-, 23-, 38- and 50-Across (FUEL GAUGE).
• 66A: What to add when the 59-Across gets low (GAS).

First things first: Please don't talk about today's New York Times puzzle in the comments. I will say (as unspoilerishly as I can) that the two puzzles don't have the same theme, but the similarities are remarkable enough that I'm pretty sure people will want to remark on them. By all means, go solve the NYT, but please — no spoilers!

Cute theme today. Pretty sure I've seen it before. In fact, I'm pretty sure I blogged it, but I'm too lazy to go look it up. The theme answers are all interesting and non-awkward. Just solid all the way around. Two grammatically tricky clues worth noting:

• 34A: Way up (STAIR). I read this as in "Man oh man, that hot-air balloon is WAY UP there." But, in this clue, "way" is a noun.

• 68A: Back at the track (BET ON). In this one, my brain came up with "I heard Angel Cordero had to go take care of some personal business, but now he's BACK AT THE TRACK." But here, "back" is a verb.

Other than that, it's pretty much Monday, which means a couple sparkles (EAST-WEST, CATTY) and the rest straightforward and solid.

Bullets:

• 6A: Inst. that turns out lieutenants (OC'S). Officers' … something?
• 15A: Rock music's __ Fighters (FOO). I believe David Letterman is a big fan of Foo Fighters, which for some reason I find hilarious.

• 48A: 41-Down sound in the comic "B.C." (ZOT); 41D: Threat to tiny workers (ANTEATER).
• 9D: Rookie's mentor (OLD PRO). For some reason I entered OLD PAL first, which would be a terrible answer to this clue.
• 12D: Bucks and rams (HES). Bucks are male deer. Rams are male sheep. Each individually animal might be referred to as "he." Collectively, they are HES. (I know, right?)

• 47D: Song spelled with arm motions (YMCA). I don't really have anything to say about this. I just wanted to include a picture of the Village People.
• 53D: Rosetta __ (STONE). It's a little strange that the word STONE appears in the clue for COULD (7D: "This __ be the last time": Stones lyric).

Everything — 1A: Minister's home (MANSE); 6A: Inst. that turns out lieutenants (OC'S); 9A: Poker game similar to Texas Hold 'em (OMAHA); 14A: Polynesian greeting (ALOHA); 15A: Rock music's __ Fighters (FOO); 16A: Tied, as shoes (LACED); 17A: Crest dispensers (TUBES); 18A: Ceremonial uniform (FULL DRESS); 20A: Turf grabbers (CLEATS); 22A: Yo-yo string feature (LOOP); 23A: Necktie knot (HALF WINDSOR); 25A: Tidal return (EBB); 28A: Ample shoe width (EEE); 29A: Temple with a minaret (MOSQUE); 31A: PC key for getting out of trouble (ESC); 34A: Way up (STAIR); 37A: Emanation detected by psychics, so they say (AURA); 38A: NCAA Elite Eight team (QUARTER FINALIST); 42A: __ no good (UP TO); 43A: Kept secret (SAT ON); 44A: Faux __: blunder (PAS); 45A: Main thoroughfare (ARTERY); 48A: 41-Down sound in the comic "B.C." (ZOT); 49A: __ of the land (LAY); 50A: Parent whose kids have moved out (EMPTY NESTER); 57A: Civil rights org. (ACLU); 58A: Work that ridicules folly (SATIRE); 59A: Dashboard device, and a hint to the starts of 18-, 23-, 38- and 50-Across (FUEL GAUGE); 64A: Carryalls (TOTES); 65A: Out of port (AT SEA); 66A: What to add when the 59-Across gets low (GAS); 67A: Create, as a statute (ENACT); 68A: Back at the track (BET ON); 69A: The USA's 50 (STS.); 70A: Takes in tenants (RENTS); 1D: Fire lighter (MATCH); 2D: Gene Vincent's "Be-Bop-__" (ALULA); 3D: __ Prize (NOBEL); 4D: Grain bundle (SHEAF); 5D: How latitude lines run (EAST-WEST); 6D: On vacation (OFF); 7D: "This __ be the last time": Stones lyric (COULD); 8D: Goes it alone (SOLOS); 9D: Rookie's mentor (OLD PRO); 10D: Make a dent in (MAR); 11D: Poker "bullet" (ACE); 12D: Bucks and rams (HES); 13D: Commercials (ADS); 19D: Weaver's machine (LOOM); 21D: Seven, in Sinaloa (SIETE); 24D: Approaches (NEARS); 25D: Supply with gear (EQUIP); 26D: Sac between a bone and tendon (BURSA); 27D: Cop's rounds (BEATS); 30D: Gal of song (SAL); 31D: The same (EQUAL); 32D: Old sporty Toyota (SUPRA); 33D: Spiteful, as gossip (CATTY); 35D: "__ tree falls ..." (IF A); 36D: Swanky (RITZY); 39D: Fish eggs (ROE); 40D: High hours? (NOONS); 41D: Threat to tiny workers (ANTEATER); 46D: '80s Cold War leader (REAGAN); 47D: Song spelled with arm motions (YMCA); 51D: Spark providers (PLUGS); 52D: Pull on (TUG AT); 53D: Rosetta __ (STONE); 54D: Giant (TITAN); 55D: Standing upright (ERECT); 56D: Concludes one's court case (RESTS); 59D: Detergent brand (FAB); 60D: Jeep or Land Rover, briefly (UTE); 61D: Superlative suffix (-EST); 62D: Lion sign (LEO); 63D: Dollar sign shape (ESS).

07.18 Mon

M O N D A Y
July 18, 2011
Robert Fisher

Theme: Photo Finish — The first word of each theme answer can follow the word "photo" to create a familiar word (i.e., it "finishes" the word "photo").

Theme answers:

• 17A: Penning ads and such (COPY WRITING).
• 26A: Mall habitué's motto (SHOP TIL YOU DROP).
• 42A: Instrument Bob Dylan was once booed for playing (ELECTRIC GUITAR).
• 56A: Race decided by a camera, or what the start of 17-, 26- or 42-Across literally is (PHOTO FINISH).

I decided not to try to race through this puzzle and I pretty much couldn't help it. Very very smooth fill. In fact, I threw two of the theme answers in without even reading their clues — I had enough crosses in place that they were just obvious. I only had one write-over in the whole grid: I first tried ONE SEC instead of IN A SEC (48A: "Comin' right up").

Cute theme idea. I like it when a word-before theme has a purpose. You know, it's not just random words being thrown together — they're being thrown together for a reason. In this case the phrase PHOTO FINISH is what holds it all together and gives it purpose. I really appreciate that. I don't, however, appreciate PHOTOELECTRIC. No doubt joon will be along any minute to explain why this word should be on the tip of everyone's tongue, but I'm pretty sure I've never heard it. So that kind of took away from the theme for me.

Nothing particularly exciting about the long downs, but some of the shorter entries tickled my fancy. Like:

• 6D: Showy to a fault (CHI-CHI).
• 41D: Scary beach current (RIP TIDE).
• 44D: In great numbers (GALORE).
• 48D: Far from certain (IFFY).

Those are very nice words, particularly on a Monday. A little Scrabbliness here and there also adds some sparkle

• 11A: Use a stun gun on (ZAP).
• 33A: Puppy's protest (YELP). I'm a little surprised YELP is still only clued as a puppy noise and not as the popular website yelp.com.
• 64A: Old Montreal team (EXPOS). Sorry, Crosscan. I know this is a sensitive subject for you.

Hmmm, what else? I didn't know [36D: HERSCHEL Bernardi, who played Tevye on Broadway], but got it easily through the crosses. I would probably have spelled HORSY with an E (36A: Equine, to a 19-Across). And the [62A: "Is it soup __?"] actually sounds better to me without the YET at the end. And with that, I'll leave you with this. (22A: Browsing the Web, say (ONLINE)).


Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 25A: Church alcove (APSE).
• 53D: Norway's capital (OSLO).

Everything Else — 1A: Gold medalist's place (FIRST); 6A: Buddies (CHUMS); 14A: Boise's state (IDAHO); 15A: Saigon's Vietnam War counterpart (HANOI); 16A: "__ had it!" (I'VE); 19A: Wee one (TOT); 20A: PC key next to the space bar (ALT); 21A: Buttery and creamy, as pastry (RICH); 24A: When doubled, make light of (POOH); 32A: Ending for micro- or oscillo- (SCOPE); 34A: Big Band __ (ERA); 35A: Tackle box item (LURE); 38A: Odds partner (ENDS); 39A: Like most codgers (OLD); 40A: Long-haul rig (SEMI); 41A: Postal postings (RATES); 46A: Gold medalist, vis-à-vis competitors (BEST); 47A: Egyptian snakes (ASPS); 51A: Part of a blind (SLAT); 52A: "Unbelievable!" ("WOW!"); 55A: Whopper junior? (FIB); 59A: Seasonal malady (FLU); 60A: Crowbar, essentially (LEVER); 61A: How objects are seen through a mist (DIMLY); 63A: Skip the announcement, invitations, etc. (ELOPE); 1D: Payroll tax acronym (FICA); 2D: Teen favorite (IDOL); 3D: Totally absorbed (RAPT); 4D: Hardly outgoing (SHY); 5D: Line on a tugboat (TOW ROPE); 7D: "What __ God wrought?" (HATH); 8D: Prefix with verse (UNI-); 9D: Game with tiny hotels (MONOPOLY); 10D: Volunteers (for) (SIGNS UP); 11D: Penne relative (ZITI); 12D: Skin So Soft maker (AVON); 13D: Townshend of The Who (PETE); 18D: Mob disorder (RIOT); 23D: Was in front (LED); 24D: Benedict I, e.g. (POPE); 25D: Affirmative votes (AYES); 26D: Oar (SCULL); 27D: Large crowd (HORDE); 28D: Emotionally expressive, as poetry (LYRIC); 29D: Avis __ Car (RENT A); 30D: Tell the waiter what you want (ORDER); 31D: Avoid flunking (PASS); 32D: Gin fizz flavoring (SLOE); 37D: Fail to mention (OMIT); 38D: Diner sign (EATS); 40D: Church topper (STEEPLE); 43D: TV network with an eye logo (CBS); 45D: "Wild Blue Yonder" mil. group (USAF); 49D: River through Egypt (NILE); 50D: Be contiguous with (ABUT); 51D: Aerobics accessory (STEP); 52D: Spineless one (WIMP); 54D: __ and wherefores (WHYS); 57D: Lacto-__ vegetarian (OVO); 58D: Put the kibosh on (NIX).