SUNDAY, January 31, 2010 — Matt Skoczen (syndicated)

Theme: "Running on Empty" — Theme answers are familiar two-word phrases with the first letters M.T.

[Note: This is the syndicated L.A. Times puzzle. It does not appear in the actual newspaper, but is available for free at cruciverb.com.]

Theme answers:

• 23A: Crisp named for an opera singer (MELBA TOAST).
• 25A: Illusion (MAGIC TRICK).
• 36A: Popular date destination (MOVIE THEATER).
• 51A: 1936 Chaplin classic (MODERN TIMES).
• 72A: Frankie Laine chart-topper (MULE TRAIN).
• 89A: Painter's aid (MASKING TAPE).
• 105A: 1979 Nobel Peace Prize recipient (MOTHER TERESA).
• 120A: Singer's voice, e.g. (MEAL TICKET).
• 123A: Money-making knack (MIDAS TOUCH).

This was a very strange solve for me. Nothing super tricky in the puzzle, but the theme had me confused for way longer than it should have. Why? Because I read that first theme clue as "Crisp name" instead of "Crisp named" and thought MELBA TOAST was supposed to be funny but I couldn't figure out the joke. Then the rest of the theme entries had straight clues and I just really didn't figure it out for a long time. On top of that, I guess I just want to say that it's hard to get excited about a puzzle that has MASKING TAPE as a theme answer. MOVIE THEATER isn't much better. Well sure there's MAGIC TRICK, but zzzzzzzzzz .... Sorry. Must have dozed off there for a minute. I think you get my point.

More:

• 6A: Annapolis inst. (USNA). United States Naval Academy.
• 16A: Apr. advisor (CPA). This really adds to the puzzle's excitement factor, doesn't it? (No offense, Crosscan.)
• 22A: Leia's love (HAN). Not Hans. HAN.

• 61A: State that's home to Nike H.Q. (ORE.). This was a gimme for me because I was following the demise of the University of Oregon's wrestling team a couple years ago after a questionable hiring decision brought Phil Knight's close friend, Pat Kilkenny, on board as the school's Athletic Director. Watch him answer questions in this video and I'm pretty sure you'll come away with the distinct feeling that he is a slimy you-know-what.
• 70A: New Orleans player (SAINT). I'm a Vikings fan as a result of geography, but I was nonetheless happy to see the Saints win. I heard the Saints are "America's team." So there ya go.
• 100A: Hiring term initiated under LBJ (EEO). I spent way too much time trying to find the "Seinfeld" clip where Kramer tells a couple of new parents that their baby looks like Lyndon Johnson. Couldn't find it.

• 6D: Area 51 sighting, briefly (UFO). Have you been to Roswell? The museum there is pretty cool.
• 10D: Strategic math game (NIM). Know this one only from crosswords.
• 53D: Ringo and George each wore one (MOUSTACHE). I thought for a minute this was supposed to be a theme answer.
• 63D: Teeny bit (SMIDGEN). Best word in the whole grid.

• 99D: Armchair partner (OTTOMAN). The first time I ever used the word ottoman when talking to my kids, they looked at me like I was crazy. I guess they think it sounds a little, I don't know ... high-falutin'. So now whenever we use the word, we put air quotes around it.
• 119D: __-Pei: strong dog (SHAR).

Crosswordese 101: I was going to skip CW101 today and just give you a round-up of the puzzle's crosswordese that we've already covered, but I couldn't pass up the chance to add NENE to our list (131A: Endangered island flier). The NENE, Hawaii's state bird, is the world's rarest goose. If the clue indicates that the answer is a bird and has something to do with Hawaii, chances are you're looking for the NENE.

Here are some other CW101 words from today's puzzle. If you had trouble with any of these, you might want to go back and take a look at our previous write-ups.

• 129A: Notre Dame's Parseghian (ARA).
• 13D: Hibernia (ERIN).
• 15D: Its last flight was Nov. 26, 2003 (SST).
• 46D: Drink stand buy (ADE).
• 54D: Lake-effect snow city (ERIE).
• 74D: Mars counterpart (ARES).
• 92D: Pear or apple (POME).
• 93D: Broad collars (ETONS).

Everything Else — 1A: Amy Winehouse Grammy-winning song (REHAB); 10A: At least as (NO LESS); 19A: Charlie Chaplin, from 1952 to 1972 (EXILE); 20A: Trepidation (FEAR); 21A: Hardens (INURES); 27A: Pump measure (OCTANE); 28A: The one in my hand (THIS); 30A: H+ and Cl- (IONS); 31A: Ex-Dodger Hershiser (OREL); 32A: Squelch (NIX); 33A: Narcs, e.g. (BUSTERS); 35A: Disconcerting look (STARE); 40A: They're slanted (ITALICS); 43A: Starting point, perhaps (IDEA); 45A: It can span centuries (SAGA); 47A: Infamous Idi (AMIN); 48A: Harry Palmer creator Deighton (LEN); 49A: Union (NORTH); 56A: Bankrupt Korean automaker (DAEWOO); 58A: Make out (SEE); 60A: International show (EXPO); 62A: Powwows (TALKS); 64A: Brink (EDGE); 67A: Completely fall apart (GO TO RUIN); 75A: Under siege (BESET); 76A: Uses as partial payment (TRADES IN); 78A: Dark genre (NOIR); 79A: Revlon offering (SCENT); 81A: Dark time for poets (E'EN); 82A: Cut out, e.g. (EDIT); 84A: French pronoun (CES); 86A: Regular crowd (USUALS); 94A: Fashion (STYLE); 96A: Woo with words (COO); 97A: Choice word (ELSE); 98A: Con __: briskly, in music (MOTO); 101A: Chips follower? (AHOY); 102A: Sways while moving (CAREENS); 108A: Blake's daybreaks (MORNS); 109A: Source of flowing water (OPEN TAP); 111A: Teeny bit (TAD); 112A: Words of woe (AH ME); 113A: Cyan relative (TEAL); 115A: Win __, lose ... (SOME); 116A: Flares up (ERUPTS); 125A: E-bay action (BID); 126A: Place for a drip, briefly (IV TUBE); 127A: Attacking the job (AT IT); 128A: __ Bubba: gum brand (HUBBA); 130A: Blotto (LOOPED); 132A: Nineveh's land: Abbr. (ASSYR.); 1D: Riviera resort San __ (REMO); 2D: Business VIP (EXEC.); 3D: Weapon handle (HILT); 4D: NATO member since 4/1/2009 (ALBANIA); 5D: Retro headgear (BEANIE); 7D: "Click it or ticket" subject (SEATBELTS); 8D: New Hampshire city (NASHUA); 9D: Experts (ARTISTS); 11D: Broadcasting (ON AIR); 12D: Count player (LUGOSI); 14D: Brief moments (SECS); 16D: Former French president (CHIRAC); 17D: Harness horses (PACERS); 18D: It's commonly turned (ANKLE); 24D: Typical, as a case (TEXTBOOK); 26D: Corkscrew pasta (ROTINI); 29D: Calliope power (STEAM); 34D: Therefore (ERGO); 35D: Thin cut (SLIT); 36D: Even-tempered (MILD); 37D: Greek music halls (ODEA); 38D: Shakespearean merchant Antonio et al. (VENETIANS); 39D: "__ Alibi": Selleck film (HER); 41D: Silvery game fish (TARPONS); 42D: "Are too!" response (AM NOT); 50D: Loaf's end (HEEL); 52D: Vet (EX-GI); 54D: Lake-effect snow city (ERIE); 55D: In the mail (SENT); 57D: Fairy godmother's prop (WAND); 59D: Garden locale (EDEN); 65D: Pontiac muscle car (GTO); 66D: __ the Red (ERIC); 68D: Quite heavy (OBESE); 69D: Bausch & Lomb brand (RENU); 70D: Musical note feature (STEM); 71D: High pressure __ (AREA); 73D: Curriculum part (UNIT); 77D: Suspect (SENSE); 80D: Skirtlike trousers (CULOTTES); 83D: Inverness topper (TAM); 85D: Saturated with (STEEPED IN); 87D: "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" author (LOOS); 88D: Tofu source (SOYA); 90D: Wheat seed (KERNEL); 91D: The Philippines, to Philippe (ILES); 95D: "__ durn tootin'!" (YER); 101D: Herculean (ARDUOUS); 102D: One sharing the wealth? (CO-HEIR); 103D: Noted 1588 loser (ARMADA); 104D: Absorb (SOAK UP); 106D: Descendant of Noah's second son (HAMITE); 107D: Singer Kitt (EARTHA); 108D: Deadly African snake (MAMBA); 110D: Annapolis newbie (PLEBE); 113D: Show saver (TIVO); 114D: Prefix with plasm (ECTO-); 117D: Taverns (PUBS); 118D: Frozen dessert franchise (TCBY); 121D: Up to, casually (TIL); 122D: "Dilbert" Generic Guy (TED); 124D: Wolfed down (ATE).