TUESDAY, March 16, 2010 — Jerome Gunderson

Theme: "Tic Tac Toe" — Theme answers are familiar phrases that begin with the letter O and end with the letter X.

Theme answers:

• 18A: Rival of Staples (OFFICE MAX).
• 25A: Red Cloud's tribe (OGLALA SIOUX).
• 43A: Jane, to Dick, e.g. (OPPOSITE SEX).
• 57A: Pencil game that hints at this puzzle's theme, found in the first and last letters of 18-, 25- and 43-Across (TIC TAC TOE).

Happy Scrabbly Tuesday to you all! I noticed all the Xs right away, but didn't catch on that the theme answers started with Os until I got to the reveal. I'll give the theme a "meh," but the puzzle included decent fill, some tricky cluing, and the aforementioned Scrabbly letters. So, overall, it's a perfectly serviceable Tuesday.

Hmm…:

• 1A: Roaring group (CROWD). I stuck pride in here with no hesitation.

• 24A: Rides roughshod over (STEPS ON). When I was looking through the puzzle again, I read this is step-son.
• 37A: Make one of two? (UNITE). Not sure I understand the question mark here. Anyone?
• 1D: "Believe" singer (CHER).



• 10D: Nest noise (CHEEP). Tried chirp at first.
• 12D: South American plain (LLANO). This word always reminds me of Sammy Llana of the BoDeans.



• 29D: Jones of English architecture (INIGO).
• 47D: Paper measure (QUIRE). "A quire of paper is today used as a measure of paper quantity. The usual meaning is a set of 24 or 25 sheets of paper of the same size and quality. It might also be thought of as 1/20 of a ream." [wikipedia]

Crosswordese 101: There are basically two ways to clue ALF. First there's the wisecracking, furry, sitcom alien who apparently hails from the planet Melmac. Can't say as I've ever actually seen that show. the second one is ALF Landon, the 1930s Kansas governor who lost to FDR in 1936.

Everything Else — 6A: Bridge coup (SLAM); 10A: Boston NBAer (CELT); 14A: Act like a doting grandma, perhaps (HOVER); 15A: Hawaiian port (HILO); 16A: Healthy (HALE); 17A: Musical narrated by Che (EVITA); 20A: '40s-'50s paranoia that led to blacklisting (RED SCARE); 22A: "For Your Eyes Only" singer Easton (SHEENA); 23A: Island strings (UKE); 30A: Board with eerie messages (OUIJA); 31A: Neither's partner (NOR); 32A: Microwaves (ZAPS); 36A: Not guilty, for example (PLEA); 39A: Came down to earth (ALIT); 40A: Cowpoke's prod (SPUR); 41A: Petunia, e.g. (PIG); 42A: Serpentine (SNAKY); 46A: Fillies and foals (EQUINES); 50A: __ la la (TRA); 51A: Track athlete (RUNNER); 52A: "The Breakfast Club" actors are part of it (BRAT PACK); 59A: Conservative front? (ULTRA-); 60A: Perry's creator (ERLE); 61A: "Major" constellation (URSA); 62A: Grand __ National Park (TETON); 63A: Futurist (SEER); 64A: Seamstress's fold (TUCK); 65A: Not approximate (EXACT); 2D: Wander (ROVE); 3D: "Ars amatoria" poet (OVID); 4D: Antiprohibitionists (WETS); 5D: Count with a cape (DRACULA); 6D: Coastlines (SHORES); 7D: Family board game (LIFE); 8D: TV E.T. (ALF); 9D: Defogging target (MOISTURE); 11D: Chair maker Charles (EAMES); 13D: Houston pro since 2002 (TEXAN); 19D: Whole grain cereal brand (CHEX); 21D: Dossier letters (AKA); 24D: Flue filth (SOOT); 25D: "How clumsy of me!" ("OOPS!"); 26D: Big swig (GULP); 27D: Stead (LIEU); 28D: Slightly open (AJAR); 32D: Author Grey (ZANE); 33D: Quaint word of regret (ALAS); 34D: High-speed highway (PIKE); 35D: Underworld river (STYX); 37D: Pugilist's punch (UPPER CUT); 38D: Puppy bites (NIPS); 42D: Legislative act (STATUTE); 43D: Military service designation (ONE-A); 44D: Windex target (STREAK); 45D: Lyricist Gershwin (IRA); 46D: Art works by Romain de Tirtoff (ERTÉS); 48D: "I surrender!" ("UNCLE!"); 49D: Bury (INTER); 52D: Pear choice (BOSC); 53D: Suffix with cine (-PLEX); 54D: "__ boy!" (ATTA); 55D: Gator's kin (CROC); 56D: "Critique of Pure Reason" philosopher (KANT); 58D: Capote, on the stage (TRU).