SUNDAY, March 28, 2010 — Merl Reagle (calendar)

Theme: "The Nickname Game" — Puns on famous people's names

[Note: This is the puzzle that appears in the Sunday L.A. Times newspaper. If you don't get the paper, you can find the puzzle here. Scroll down to see the write-up of today's syndicated puzzle.]


Theme answers:

• 23A: ___ "___" ___ (great actor but not-so-great golfer?) (CHRIS DUFFER WALKEN).
• 33A: ___ "___" ___ (writer of a popular food column?) (WILL YUM SAFIRE).
• 46A: ___ "___" ___ (author with a really smooth writing style?) (ALEX SANDER DUMAS).
• 63A: ___ "___" ___ (actor who doesn't work cheap?) (MAX A MILLION SCHELL).
• 80A: ___ "___" ___ (film star-turned-hairstylist?) (MAL COMB MCDOWELL).
• 93A: ___ "___" ___ (first guy to say, "I don't like your type face"?) (AL FONTS CAPONE).
• 105A: ___ "___" ___ (author of the first hip-hop almanac?) (BEN JAMMIN' FRANKLIN).

Everything Else — 1A: Rattler's need (SABER); 6A: Duster's target (CROP); 10A: Fair one in fairy tales (DAMSEL); 16A: Dandy (FOP); 19A: Finding ___ (research goal) (A CURE); 20A: King with three daughters (LEAR); 21A: Mrs. of cow renown (O'LEARY); 22A: Profit add-on (-EER); 26A: Herb you may regret buying? (RUE); 27A: Some pipes (CORNCOBS); 28A: Took action against (SUED); 29A: Split (up), as proceeds (DIVVY); 31A: Card hugs (OOO); 32A: Increases (UPS); 37A: Bank add-on (FEE); 38A: Presidential ___ (AIDE); 39A: Like some victories (LOP-SIDED); 40A: Style of a room (DECOR); 43A: Concerning (IN RE); 44A: She played Shirley on TV (CINDY); 49A: Spoil (GO BAD); 54A: VIP's introduction (VERY); 55A: Law symbol (BAR); 56A: Fathers (SIRES); 57A: Fleece source (ALPACA); 58A: Space walk, to NASA (EVA); 59A: Chick on the piano (COREA); 61A: Ms. Zadora (PIA); 62A: Bomber technology (STEALTH); 67A: Potions (ELIXIRS); 69A: Where Lawrence is: abbr. (KAN.); 70A: Wee hour (TWO AM); 71A: Kramden's sound effect (POW); 74A: Geometry giant (EUCLID); 75A: Devilfish (MANTA); 77A: Abby's twin (ANN); 78A: "Wizard of Oz" farmhand (ZEKE); 79A: Some Japanese-Americans (NISEI); 83A: Country singer Fricke (JANIE); 84A: Young Taylor (OPIE); 85A: Of prisons (PENAL); 86A: Actress who wed David Duchovny (TEA LEONI); 91A: Minimal teams (DUOS); 92A: Island adornment (LEI); 96A: Slammer (PEN); 97A: Lit. monogram (GBS); 100A: Tony winner Moore (MELBA); 101A: Tony and Gina's "Trapeze" co-star (BURT); 102A: Only okay (MEDIOCRE); 104A: An ex of Mickey (AVA); 110A: "Solaris" author (LEM); 111A: 1950s crooner famously fired on live TV (LAROSA); 112A: Buster? (NARC); 113A: Artist El ___ (GRECO); 114A: Compass pt. (ENE); 115A: Rights slogan on bumper stickers, ca. 1980 (ERA YES); 116A: Spew like oil (GUSH); 117A: Less risky (SAFER); 1D: 1921 defendant (SACCO); 2D: "Bless you" preceder (ACHOO); 3D: Pack animal (BURRO); 4D: Julia's Oscar role (ERIN); 5D: Firefighters, often (RESCUERS); 6D: A suit (CLUBS); 7D: Field marshals? (REFS); 8D: Clumsy one (OAF); 9D: Panel hosts, e.g. (PRESIDERS); 10D: Wooden pin (DOWEL); 11D: Tom Jones hit, "She's ___" (A LADY); 12D: Tweety's voice (MEL); 13D: Bag, in brand names (SAK); 14D: Long introduction? (ERE); 15D: Actress Carter and an LBJ daughter (LYNDAS); 16D: Passionate (FERVID); 17D: Body of work (OEUVRE); 18D: ___ on (victimized) (PREYED); 24D: Numskull (DOPE); 25D: Decide officially (RULE); 30D: "Danged ___ know" (IF I); 33D: Undercover device (WIRE); 34D: Arm bones (ULNAS); 35D: Hip '60s types (MODS); 36D: Use binoculars, perhaps (SPY); 37D: Very alluring (FOXY); 38D: Physicist Sakharov (ANDREI); 40D: HAL's deactivator (DAVE); 41D: Ht. (ELEV.); 42D: Baked artwork (CERAMICS); 43D: Up ___ (indignant) (IN ARMS); 44D: Quaint souvenir (CURIO); 45D: "And ___ every word!" (I MEANT); 47D: On the bus (ABOARD); 48D: Take a little bit from (DIP INTO); 49D: Crest rival (GLEEM); 50D: Aussie gem (OPAL); 51D: Hammer type (BALL PEEN); 52D: Do studio work (ACT); 53D: Morse bit (DAH); 57D: Just around the corner (AT HAND); 59D: 20 per cent of DLXV (CXIII); 60D: Acid neutralizer (ALKALI); 62D: Candle holder (SCONCE); 64D: Hot-rod rod (AXLE); 65D: Knight's weapon (LANCE); 66D: Cousins of gurus (SWAMIS); 67D: Bard's nightfall (E'EN); 68D: Parisian pronoun (LUI); 72D: 69 Across neighbor (OKLA.); 73D: Feeling fine (WELL); 75D: Frenzied (MANIC); 76D: Adding up (to) (AMOUNTING); 78D: Teuton's two (ZWEI); 80D: Malraux's "___ Fate" (MANS); 81D: Elks' org. (BPOE); 82D: Premieres (OPENINGS); 83D: Write quickly (JOT); 86D: Husky treat? (TAMALE); 87D: Ace's value, sometimes (ELEVEN); 88D: Burning (AFLAME); 89D: Slow throw (LOB); 90D: Allow (ENABLE); 91D: Where to live and learn? (DORM); 92D: Castor and Pollux's mom (LEDA); 94D: Humiliate (ABASE); 95D: Mountain cats (PUMAS); 96D: Fowl pole? (PERCH); 97D: Staff symbol (G CLEF); 98D: Funny Fanny (BRICE); 99D: Man of La Mancha (SEÑOR); 102D: The 3M Co. et al. (MFRS.); 103D: Soup veggie (OKRA); 106D: Musical sensitivity (EAR); 107D: Rod squad?: abbr. (NRA); 108D: Delight (JOY); 109D: Flagstaff sch. (NAU).