MONDAY, July 19, 2010 - Gareth Bain

Hello everybody. This is Jeffrey, filling in for PuzzleGirl, who is off, I'm guessing, on some secret spy mission. You do know daily crossword blogger is just a cover for spy, right?

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Theme: Happy Birthday, David Segui!


Theme answers:
18A. [Sure thing] - CAKE WALK
23A. [Official political philosophy] - PARTY LINE
36A. [Now, with "the"] - PRESENT MOMENT
52A. [Deck marker, maybe] - CARD SHARP
58A. [Event for the first parts of 18-, 23-, 36- and 52-Across] - BIRTHDAY

David Segui, born July 19, 1966, is a former Major League Baseball player who played for eight teams, including the Montreal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays. He was on the Hall of Fame ballot this year and just missed being elected, falling only 404 votes shy of the 405 required. (Note - Gareth may deny that he has ever heard of David Segui. It's just part of the whole hush-hush secret spy stuff.)

Other stuff:
11A. [Taylor Swift received its 2009 Entertainer of the Yr. award] - CMA

15A. [Emmy winner Falco] - EDIE. Crosswordese. Also Adams, Brickell, Gorme and Amin.
45A. [Use Listerine, e.g.] - GARGLE. I like the word gargle. Please use it in conversation today.
1D. [Its yolk is used in mayonnaise] - EGG. You had me at yolk.
6D. [Third-Sunday-in-June honoree] - DAD/34D. [Busy co. on Mother's Day] - FTD. So who is busy on Father's Day?
12D. ["I approve," Tarzan-style] - ME LIKE. Me don't like.
26A. [Donald Duck, e.g.] - DRAKE. There are those who would claim that Donald Duck is merely a cartoon character. They are wrong. I know. I've met Donald Duck in person.


46D. [Composer __ Lloyd Webber] - ANDREW



56D. [Dame who's a man] - EDNA


(I used to live by the Cavendish Mall)

This puzzle has a lot of A's:

41A. [Energizer size] - AAA
60A. [Peace, in Arabic] - SALAAM
37D. [Galsworthy's "The Forsyte __"] - SAGA

A worthy Monday effort. I'll be back tomorrow.

Everything else:

1A. [Corrected, as text] - EDITED
7A. [Hunger symptom] - PANG
14A. [Swiss convention city] - GENEVA
16A. [Stimpy's pal] - REN
17A. [Won a game without knocking] - GINNED
20A. [Slim fish] - EEL
21A. [Salary] - WAGE
22A. [Devil's work] - EVIL
27A. [Blackjack need] - ACE
28A. [Mute assent] - NOD
29A. [Jeanne d'Arc, par exemple] - SAINTE
31A. [__-purpose: serving two functions] - DUAL
33A. [Penalty caller] - REF
35A. ["__, humbug!"] - BAH
42A. [1988 film noir remake] - DOA
43A. [Civil rights icon Parks] - ROSA
48A. [Nest egg initials] - IRA
50A. [Highland hat] - TAM
51A. [Skater Henie] - SONJA
55A. [Ye __ Shoppe] - OLDE
56A. [Site of Napoleon's exile] - ELBA
57A. [Give in to gravity] - SAG
63A. [Night before] - EVE
64A. [Les Etats-__] - UNIS
65A. [Lubricating] - OILING
66A. [Tape deck button letters] - REW
67A. [Red planet] - MARS
68A. [Mixes smoothly] - BLENDS
2D. [Agnus __] - DEI
3D. [Cochlea location] - INNER EAR
4D. [Church doctrine] - TENET
5D. [Author Waugh] - EVELYN
7D. [Pie nut] - PECAN
8D. [Old saws] - ADAGES
9D. [Reebok rival] - NIKE
10D. ["__ whiz!"] - GEE
11D. [Necktie] - CRAVAT
13D. [Often twisted body part] - ANKLE
19D. [Rocket scientist Von Braun] - WERNHER
21D. [Add lanes to] - WIDEN
23D. [Note taker's need] - PAD
24D. ["We'll tak __ o' kindness yet": Burns] - A CUP
25D. [French cosmetics giant] - L'OREAL
26D. [Circle meas.] - DIAM
30D. [On deck] - ABOARD
32D. [VIP's aircraft] - LEAR JET
38D. [Ballerina Shearer] - MOIRA
39D. ["Why does this keep happening to me?!"] - NOT AGAIN
40D. [Winter Palace ruler] - TSAR
44D. [Load for a roadie] - AMP
45D. [Start using a successfully tested system] - GO LIVE
47D. [Cream-filled treat] - ECLAIR
49D. [Lay into] - ASSAIL
51D. [Like a teetotaler] - SOBER
53D. [Deep chasm] - ABYSS
54D. [Oscar winner Berry] - HALLE
59D. [Sing with one's mouth shut] - HUM
60D. [Cry out loud] - SOB
61D. ["Then what?"] - AND
62D. [Classic Brit. sports cars] - MGS