MONDAY, May 17, 2010 — Jack McInturff

THEME: Cowboys and their horses ... three theme answers are "Cowboys who rode the end of X-Across" and the other three are phrases that end with the name of the appropriate horse


Sorry, but no time to write this up fully today. Also, no energy, no focus. Still quite jet-lagged and pajama-clad. I don't have much nice to say about this one, so it's probably for the best that I'm saying virtually nothing. Never heard of a SAM CHAMPION (when the hell was this guy a weatherman? When Silver and Trigger were alive? ... whoa, he's the current weatherman! Born 1961. Does anyone watch GMA anymore? I just don't see this guy as crossworthy. No offense.) or FREE SILVER, and didn't know AUTRY rode CHAMPION. These cowboys are all ancient. OTERO EERO OTTOI ugh. I pray Friday will bring more joy.

THEME ANSWERS:

• 17A: Cowboy who rode the end of 25-Across (ROY ROGERS)
• 25A: Sensitive gun-firing mechanism (HAIR TRIGGER)
• 31A: Cowboy who rode the end of 41-Across (LONE RANGER)
• 41A: Anti-gold standard policy that climaxed in the Bryan-McKinley campaign (FREE SILVER) — as if the historical epicenter of this puzzle weren't early enough already with the cowboys. Yeesh.
• 46A: "Good Morning America" weatherman (SAM CHAMPION)
• 58A: Cowboy who rode the end of 46-Across (GENE AUTRY)

Crosswordese 101: OTERO (52D: Alamogordo is its county seat) — not to be confused with another perennial crossword denizen, Cheri OTERI. OTERO is a county in New Mexico. It's also a county in Colorado. I don't know anything else about it, except it has that VCVCV structure that is crossword Gold, and so you're gonna see it, like it or (more likely) not.

See you Friday,

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter]

Everything Else — 1A: Diagnostic procedure (SCAN); 5A: Potatoes' partner (MEAT); 9A: Robert Burns and Sean Connery, e.g. (SCOTS); 14A: Inner Hebrides isle (IONA); 15A: Et __: and others (ALII); 16A: Seer's card (TAROT); 17A: Cowboy who rode the end of 25-Across (ROY ROGERS); 19A: Santa __ racetrack (ANITA); 20A: Hustlers (CONMEN); 21A: Underage one (MINOR); 22A: Place to wipe your shoes (MAT); 25A: Sensitive gun-firing mechanism (HAIR TRIGGER); 27A: Three, in Tours (TROIS); 29A: Enero begins it (AÑO); 30A: Early bird's victim (WORM); 31A: Cowboy who rode the end of 41-Across (LONE RANGER); 38A: Pat down, as dirt (TAMP); 39A: Came to (AWOKE); 40A: Flying shore scavenger (ERNE); 41A: Anti-gold standard policy that climaxed in the Bryan-McKinley campaign (FREE SILVER); 43A: Gen-__: post-baby boomers (X'ERS); 44A: One quarter of M (CCL); 45A: 10th-century emperor known as "the Great" (OTTO I); 46A: "Good Morning America" weatherman (SAM CHAMPION); 53A: __ Arbor, Michigan (ANN); 54A: Golf tournament kickoff, often (PRO-AM); 55A: Basketball big man (CENTER); 57A: Acrobat software creator (ADOBE); 58A: Cowboy who rode the end of 46-Across (GENE AUTRY); 62A: Croatian-born physicist Nikola (TESLA); 63A: Always (EVER); 64A: Olin of "Chocolat" (LENA); 65A: Legree-like look (SNEER); 66A: Designer Saarinen (EERO); 67A: Test (EXAM); 1D: Knight's title (SIR); 2D: Whisper sweet nothings (COO); 3D: "__ questions?" (ANY); 4D: Drug cop (NARC); 5D: __ Carta (MAGNA); 6D: Fragrant resin (ELEMI); 7D: Broadcaster (AIRER); 8D: Old-fashioned denial ('TISN'T); 9D: Endurance (STAMINA); 10D: "My turn?" ("CA NI GO NEXT?"); 11D: Round sealing gasket (O-RING); 12D: From head __ (TO TOE); 13D: Ringo of the Beatles (STARR); 18D: Fireworks cries (OOHS); 22D: Workweek sequence: Abbr. (MTWTF); 23D: Like a cheering crowd (AROAR); 24D: Velvet-voiced Mel (TORMÉ); 26D: Harder to find (RARER); 28D: Flawless (IMPECCABLE); 31D: Boxer Ali (LAILA); 32D: "Wise" bird (OWL); 33D: Turkey mo. (NOV.); 34D: __ out a living (EKE); 35D: Reclusive actress Garbo (GRETA); 36D: Bankrupt energy giant (ENRON); 37D: Varnish ingredient (RESIN); 42D: Lay on thick, as cream cheese on a bagel (SCHMEAR); 45D: Fit to serve (ONE-A); 46D: Tiffs (SPATS); 47D: Shakespearean forest (ARDEN); 48D: Maine's state animal (MOOSE); 49D: Fibber or Molly of old radio (MCGEE); 50D: "Pet" irritation (PEEVE); 51D: Kind of tube or ear (INNER); 52D: Alamogordo is its county seat (OTERO); 56D: Occupy the throne (RULE); 59D: Stereotypical cowboy nickname (TEX); 60D: Genetic transmitter: Abbr. (RNA); 61D: Candied veggie (YAM).