TUESDAY, March 23, 2010 — Merle Baker

Theme: "Big Finish" — First words of the theme answers can follow the word grand in familiar two-word phrases.

Theme answers:

• 17A: *Sam in "Casablanca," e.g. (PIANO PLAYER).
• 36A: *Fast-paced (SLAM-BANG).
• 42A: *Collapsible headgear (OPERA HAT).
• 11D: *Hank Aaron's 6,856 is the career record (TOTAL BASES).
• 29D: *1962 Gene Chandler hit (DUKE OF EARL).
• 61A: Big finish, and what the first words of the answers to starred clues can be (GRAND FINALE).

Hi, everyone. Back from beautiful downtown Omaha (*cough*) and my brain's pretty well fried. It takes a good big of energy to watch three loooong days of college wrestling. But when the Hawkeyes come out on top, it's all worth it! I had an awesome time, but I'm pretty much ready for my life to get back to normal so I'll have more time to obsess about puzzles. Until next season, of course.

This puzzle was … fine. I'm tired. I solved it without any real problems. The theme didn't help me as I solved, but in retrospect, I like it. GRAND OPERA is not something I'm familiar with. Come to think of it, neither is OPERA HAT. So I would have been fine without that particular entry. But overall, nicely done.

Quick hits:

• 1A: "The __ Kid": early TV Western (CISCO). Here. This will get "Duke of Earl" out of your head.



• 16A: Cal. neighbor (ORE.). Tried Nev. first.

• 19A: Spinner (TOP).
• 45A: Sun, to Esteban (SOL). Spanish!
• 5D: Disney toon panda, "Special Agent __" (OSO). I've seen quite a lot of Disney over the last few years, but I don't recognize this one.
• 13D: Back-to-school mo. (SEPT.). In a lot of places anyway.
• 28D: Fails to grasp (DROPS). Cute. I would not have been disappointed to see a question mark at the end of this clue. It's tricky enough to have one, I think.

• 38D: Elation (GLEE). Do you watch that show? I haven't seen it, but hear it's pretty awesome.
• 40D: Base melody (TAPS). Gives me the goosebumps every time I hear it.

Crosswordese 101 Round-Up:

• 55A: UN anti-child-labor agcy. (ILO).
• 7D: Airline to Tel Aviv (EL AL).
• 58D: Away from the wind (ALEE).

Everything Else — 6A: Suit parts (VESTS); 11A: "__ the season ..." ('TIS); 14A: Choir members (ALTOS); 15A: Even if, for short (ALTHO); 20A: Squealed, so to speak (SANG); 21A: Be under the weather (AIL); 22A: Formally unsay (RECANT); 24A: Cutlass or 88 (OLDS); 26A: She plays Julia in "Julie & Julia" (MERYL); 27A: Tack on (ADD); 30A: Standards of excellence (IDEALS); 32A: CEO's degree (MBA); 34A: Dirty (GRUBBY); 39A: "Wake Up With Al" weatherman (ROKER); 40A: China's Mao __-tung (TSE); 41A: Studio stand (EASEL); 44A: "Honor Thy Father" author Gay (TALESE); 46A: Outcome (UPSHOT); 48A: Canonized 26-Down (STE.); 49A: Festival showings, perhaps (FILMS); 51A: Quartz variety (ONYX); 53A: Began the betting (OPENED); 55A: UN anti-child-labor agcy. (ILO); 56A: Old oath (EGAD); 60A: Menu phrase (ALA); 64A: Roofing material (TAR); 65A: Part of a pound (OUNCE); 66A: Best-seller list entry (NOVEL); 67A: NBC fixture for nearly 35 yrs. (SNL); 68A: Dirty campaign tactic (SMEAR); 69A: Show reverence, in a way (KNEEL); 1D: Limits (CAPS); 2D: Hip bones (ILIA); 3D: Ollie's partner (STAN); 4D: Zaire, today (CONGO); 6D: Travel bag (VALISE); 7D: Airline to Tel Aviv (EL AL); 8D: Farm home (STY); 9D: "Spider-Man 3" actress Russell (THERESA); 10D: More ticked off (SORER); 12D: Heavy metal (IRON); 18D: Rice source (PADDY); 23D: One of a drum set pair (CYMBAL); 25D: Scales of the zodiac (LIBRA); 26D: Swiss miss, maybe: Abbr. (MLLE.); 27D: Soil-related prefix (AGRO-); 31D: Helpers: Abbr. (ASSTS.); 33D: "__ of robins ...": Kilmer (A NEST); 35D: Capital east of the Elbe River (BERLIN); 37D: Substantial (MEATY); 43D: Boring (HUMDRUM); 44D: Like a __ bricks (TON OF); 47D: Obama attorney general Eric (HOLDER); 50D: Tyke's blocks (LEGOS); 52D: Arc lamp gas (XENON); 53D: Granola ingredient (OATS); 54D: Word after flight or floor (PLAN); 55D: Ancient Peruvian (INCA); 57D: Contributed (GAVE); 58D: Away from the wind (ALEE); 59D: Farmer's place, in song (DELL); 62D: "Wheel of Fortune" buy (AN E); 63D: Printer need (INK).