TUESDAY, June 1, 2010 — James Sajdak

Theme: The Four Seasons — Each theme answer is a person or a place that ends in a plural of one of the four seasons.


Theme answers:

• 17A: City near the base of Pikes Peak (COLORADO SPRINGS).
• 28A: National Economic Counsel [sic] director (LARRY SUMMERS).
• 47A: Where to board the Maid of the Mist tour boat (NIAGARA FALLS).
• 61A: 1999 recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (JONATHAN WINTERS).

Happy June everyone. I hope you had a nice holiday weekend and are ready to get back in the swing of puzzling. As you may know, Rex and Amy have retired from this blog — what with their own blogs and everything, I can't say I blame them — and from now on it's just you and me. So. There are gonna be some changes around here! First of all ... oh never mind, I can't think of anything. I just hope you'll all stay.

I've been a little nervous about this day and was hoping I'd be able to start my solo career with an awesome puzzle. Unfortunately ….

Don't get me wrong, this is a perfectly serviceable Tuesday puzzle. I'm just a little disappointed with the theme because we've seen it so recently. Not even three months ago! And with two of the same theme answers! And even then it wasn't new. Back in 2007, we saw it with three of the same theme answers. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know that's the NYT and not the LAT, but I don't think that makes a difference. It's been done. Twice in the last three years. Now, if this iteration of the theme had done something special, I would be more forgiving. Or if it had been, say, ten years since it had been done. But three of the four theme answers are recycled? Within a three-year period?! Sorry. That just doesn't do it for me.

Did I like anything about the puzzle? Why, yes. Yes, I did.

Highlights:

• 15A: Brazilian-themed Vegas casino, with "The" (RIO). I can't say that I've heard of that particular casino, but it was easy to pick it up. I like how it's paired with 45A: Indian-themed Atlantic City casino, with "The" (TAJ).

• 39A: Rye bread seed (CARAWAY). It doesn't seem like this is something I should know, but I did. According to the cruciverb.com data base, it's only appeared once before in the LAT.
• 43A: Barber's blade (RAZOR). Nothing really sparkly about the clue, but I'm always happy to see some Scrabbliness. See also 41D: "Stronger than dirt!" cleanser (AJAX).
• 55A: NHL stat (PTS.). I've never paid any attention to hockey at all, so I thought I was a goner here. Little did I know, the answer would be something simple like "points," which could have been clued in relation to just about any sport.
• 67A: New Mexico ski resort (TAOS). Beautiful place. Beautiful word.

• 7D: It may be Olympic-size (POOL). We spent the whole day at the pool yesterday and it was a blast. Looking forward to more pool days this summer!
• 11D: Goes for the gold (MINES). I like how 7D gets my brain thinking about the Olympics and then 11D comes along and tricks me.

Crosswordese 101: "Ronny" Howard played OPIE (14A: Bee's grandnephew) in the 1960s television sitcom "The Andy Griffith Show." Andy Griffith played Sheriff Andy Taylor, Opie's father, and Aunt Bee, played by Frances Bavier, was Andy's aunt. (And yes, her name is spelled Bee, not Bea!) The program took place in the fictional Mayberry, North Carolina. If you can remember all that, and that OPIE has red hair, you should be able to decipher his clues with no problem. Whistling the theme song is not required.


I'll see you all back here tomorrow. In the meantime, have at it in the comments.

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Everything Else — 1A: Cry out loud (BAWL); 5A: Pain for a sitter (IMP); 8A: Presumed evolutionary link (APEMAN); 16A: Like the sea (SALINE); 20A: Increase by (ADD TO); 21A: Floral greeting (LEI); 22A: Trial (TEST); 23A: Letters that get things moving (ASAP); 26A: One with a brush (ARTIST); 32A: Saharan (ARID); 33A: Prefix with state or sect (TRI-); 34A: Make eyes pop and jaws drop (AMAZE); 38A: Producer's dream (HIT); 42A: Gentle bear (BEN); 46A: Star's part (LEAD); 51A: Horse house (STABLE); 53A: Final, e.g. (EXAM); 54A: Nailed, as a 53-Across (ACED); 57A: "Get a load of that!" ("WOWIE!"); 65A: Tenor Bocelli (ANDREA); 66A: NASA thumbs-up (AOK); 68A: Puts back to zero (RESETS); 69A: "Golly" ("GEE"); 70A: A.D. part (ANNO); 1D: Lauderdale neighbor (BOCA); 2D: Like two peas in __ (A POD); 3D: Untamed (WILD); 4D: Workout wear (LEOTARD); 5D: 401(k) alternative, briefly (IRA); 6D: Central (MID); 8D: Seek ambitiously (ASPIRE); 9D: Golf pros often break it (PAR); 10D: Upper-class rule (ELITISM); 12D: Common Woody Allen theme (ANGST); 13D: Home in a tree (NEST); 18D: Like a bright future (ROSY); 19D: Clothing line? (SEAM); 24D: Nick and Nora's clue sniffer (ASTA); 25D: Manx murmur (PURR); 27D: Busboy's aid (TRAY); 28D: Cowardly Lion player (LAHR); 29D: Evidence of Sills' skills (ARIA); 30D: Nabisco cracker (RITZ); 31D: Mazda two-seater (MIATA); 35D: Eve's second (ABEL); 36D: Fervor (ZEAL); 37D: Discontinues (ENDS); 39D: Nursery bed (CRIB); 40D: Soft or hard attachment (-WARE); 44D: How some hotdogging is done (ON A DARE); 46D: "Raging Bull" boxer Jake (LAMOTTA); 48D: Top dogs (ALPHAS); 49D: "__ move on!" (GET A); 50D: Young deer (FAWN); 51D: Tea cart treat (SCONE); 52D: Watches over (TENDS); 54D: Close to closed (AJAR); 56D: Stocking problem (SNAG); 58D: Teach not to rely on, with "from" (WEAN); 59D: Wrinkle remover (IRON); 62D: Hanoi holiday (TET); 63D: Job's lot? (WOE); 64D: '50s presidential moniker (IKE).