MONDAY, June 28, 2010 — Scott Atkinson

Theme: Garanimals — Theme answers are two-word animal names that are made up of two different animals' names.


Theme answers:

• 17A: Hammerhead relative with stripes (TIGER SHARK).
• 27A: Huge walrus relative (ELEPHANT SEAL).
• 48A: Primate with spindly limbs (SPIDER MONKEY).
• 63A: One of two in "The Twelve Days of Christmas" (TURTLE DOVE).

[WARNING: So totally NSFW!]

I have a feeling people might have hit some rough spots today, mostly because of all the names. If it makes you feel any better, I see at least a couple grid entries that could have been clued as people but weren't.

Today is the first day of a new schedule for us here at the PuzzleHouse, so I can't spend a lot of time with you this morning.

Quickly:

• 15A: '80s Pontiac roadster (FIERO). For some reason, this answer paired with FIORELLO (21A: 1930s-'40s New York mayor La Guardia) tickled me.

• 37A: Supreme Court intern (CLERK). PuzzleSister once applied for a clerkship at the Supreme Court. She didn't get the job, but she figures that not a lot of people can brag that Justice Souter made coffee for them.
• 40A: Antlered critter (ELK). I don't remember exactly what Rex says about "critter" but whatever it is (a) I agree with him and (b) an ELK is too big to be referred to as a "critter."
• 47A: Curry of "Today" (ANN). Is she the one who gave a commencement address at Wheaton College in Massachusetts and mistakenly listed well-known alumni from Wheaton College in Illinois? I heard that her take-away from that incident was: "Don't Google drunk."

Crosswordese 101: The part that makes AEON crosswordese to me is the spelling. It's not an unusual word, but you have to remember that sometimes it's spelled with that A at the beginning. Most clues for AEON are about what you'd expect: "Many millenia," "Almost an eternity," and today's 30D: Long, long time. But once in a while it's clued in relation to the 2005 Charlize Theron film "Aeon Flux," which I don't believe I've had the pleasure of seeing.

Other crosswordese in the puzzle that we've already covered:

• 52A: One-named Irish singer (ENYA).
• 9D: John Lennon's love (YOKO ONO).
• 25D: Mayberry boy (OPIE).
• 29D: "Born Free" lioness (ELSA).
• 58D: "The Motorcycle Song" singer Guthrie (ARLO).

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Everything Else — 1A: Apple computers (MACS); 5A: Subsurface woodwork decoration (INLAY); 10A: Coffeehouse convenience for Web surfers (WIFI); 14A: Give off, as light (EMIT); 16A: Ruckuses (ADOS); 19A: Pulls, as a camper (TOWS); 20A: Visibly stunned (AGAPE); 23A: Submarine weapon (TORPEDO); 26A: Orange Free State settler (BOER); 32A: Covert __: spy activities (OPS); 35A: Be untruthful (LIE); 36A: Sharpshooter Annie (OAKLEY); 42A: Plains grazer (BISON); 43A: Cooking class, for short (HOME EC); 45A: "__ Miz" (LES); 53A: Pago Pago natives (SAMOANS); 57A: Talky gatherings (GABFESTS); 61A: Large wall picture (MURAL); 62A: Eins, zwei, __ (DREI); 66A: Alda of "M*A*S*H" (ALAN); 67A: Clarinetist Shaw (ARTIE); 68A: Words of understanding (I SEE); 69A: Oxen's harness (YOKE); 70A: Have a new __ on life (LEASE); 71A: Hanukkah moolah (GELT); 1D: Convened in (MET AT); 2D: Compadre (AMIGO); 3D: "Close, but no __" (CIGAR); 4D: Treeless Siberian tract (STEPPE); 5D: "No __, ands or buts" (IFS); 6D: Fed. research org. (NIH); 7D: Fall faller (LEAF); 8D: Speedy Gonzales exclamation (ARRIBA); 9D: John Lennon's love (YOKO ONO); 10D: Ride behind a speedboat (WATERSKI); 11D: TV's "American __" (IDOL); 12D: Chicks, ducks, etc. (FOWL); 13D: "That __ yesterday!" (IS SO); 18D: Fishing line holder (REEL); 22D: Adjust a paragraph setting (RETAB); 24D: Biden's state: Abbr. (DEL.); 28D: Phone call response (HELLO); 31D: Nashville's Loretta (LYNN); 32D: Folk legend Phil (OCHS); 33D: Sit (down) undaintily (PLOP); 34D: 18-wheeler (SEMI); 38D: Give new meaning to (REDEFINE); 39D: New Hampshire city (KEENE); 41D: Barbies' counterparts (KENS); 44D: Waterford product (CRYSTAL); 46D: Caribbean music (SKA); 49D: Grown-up (MATURE); 50D: Plus-size supermodel (EMME); 51D: Cool cat's "Get it?" ("YOU DIG?"); 54D: Cropped up (AROSE); 55D: Bellybutton (NAVEL); 56D: Winter hazard (SLEET); 57D: Melbourne greeting (G'DAY); 59D: Toucan's pride (BEAK); 60D: Mex. miss (SRTA.); 64D: "__ the season ..." ('TIS); 65D: Jeans brand (LEE).