TUESDAY, June 29, 2010 — Bruce Venzke

Theme: Vowel Progression — The first three letters of the theme answers are P*T, where * = a vowel and the vowels are in alphabetical order.


Theme answers:

• 17A: Dad's legal protection (PATERNITY RIGHTS).
• 23A: Arizona tourist mecca (PETRIFIED FOREST).
• 39A: Batting practice aid (PITCHING MACHINE).
• 49A: One-room schoolhouse heater (POTBELLIED STOVE).
• 61A: Using a euphemism (PUTTING IT MILDLY).

I like this type of theme. It's been done many times by Andrea Carla Michaels and others and I'm sure this isn't the last time we'll see it. I like it that the theme answers are all 15s and none of them are forced phrases. Even the plural on PATERNITY RIGHTS is okay because that's actually what people say. (You know how I get with the plurals!) A few other things I want to mention.

Like, for example:

• 1A: Pirate's booty (LOOT). Hate it when I'm totally confident about 1 Across and throw it in without checking the crosses and then it ends up being wrong. Wanted SWAG.
• 9A: One of the deadly sins (SLOTH). I've said it before and I'll say it again: this is by far my favorite deadly sin.
• 32A: Iwo __ (JIMA). Watched an awesome documentary the other day about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Wow, that was quite tangential.

• 64A: __-Chalmers: onetime big name in farm machinery (ALLIS). I seem to recall some griping about this company's name being used in a grid, but having grown up in North Dakota, it was a total gimme for me.
• 7D: Unit of petrol (LITRE). The use of the word "petrol" in the clue is a hint that the answer will use the British spelling.
• 10D: Slide rule number (LOGARITHM). Wow. That's not at all how I would spell LOGARITHM.
• 13D: Laces into (HAS AT). Never heard of "lacing into." Is it a regional thing? Have you guys heard of it?
• 52D: Dick __, Hoosier senator since 1977 (LUGAR). Every once in a while by political geekiness helps me out.
• 54D: Señor's feature? (TILDE). You got this one easy, right? It's a literal clue. The word "señor" includes a TILDE (over the n).

Crosswordese 101: Here's what you need to remember about ELON (46D: North Carolina college town). It's a Christian North Carolina university in the NCAA's Southern Conference. Its athletes are called The Phoenix. And that's pretty much it.

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

• 15A: Aglio e __: pasta dish (OLIO).
• 47A: Stephen of "Michael Collins" (REA).
• 58A: Keds competitor (AVIA).
• 69A: 1920s Folies-Bergère designer (ÉRTE).
• 37D: "Double Fantasy" artist Yoko (ONO).

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Everything Else — 5A: Lash marking (WELT); 14A: Sacramento's __ Arena (ARCO); 16A: __ Puffs (COCOA); 20A: Unborn, after "in" (UTERO); 21A: Manitoba native (CREE); 22A: Gazetteer statistic (AREA); 26A: On fire (LIT); 27A: Reagan's "Star Wars" prog. (SDI); 28A: Whale of a tale (SAGA); 35A: "Fine by me" (IT'S OK); 42A: Love (ADORE); 43A: Auto financing org. (GMAC); 44A: Cat call (MEOW); 45A: Lode material (ORE); 58A: Keds competitor (AVIA); 59A: Boot out (OUST); 60A: Like some basins (TIDAL); 65A: Physics subject (ATOM); 66A: GPA spoilers (DEES); 67A: Bloodsucker (LEECH); 68A: Upsurge (RISE); 1D: Drink like a cat (LAP UP); 2D: Go on the stump (ORATE); 3D: Large chamber group (OCTET); 4D: "__ is human ..." (TO ERR); 5D: Took the cup (WON); 6D: Drawing out (ELICITING); 8D: Trifled (with) (TOYED); 9D: Biol., e.g. (SCI.); 11D: Yellow shade (OCHRE); 12D: Handy bags (TOTES); 18D: Stir up (ROIL); 19D: Flag throwers, at times (REFS); 24D: South Pacific archipelago and nation (FIJI); 25D: Like Pindar's works (ODIC); 28D: Mud bath locale (SPA); 29D: Assist (AID); 30D: Potent '60s-'70s Pontiac (GTO); 31D: Like trapeze artists (ACROBATIC); 33D: Leo's studio (MGM); 34D: Almond liqueurs (AMARETTOS); 36D: Potsdam pronoun (SIE); 38D: London's __ Gardens (KEW); 40D: "What have we __?" (HERE); 41D: Passed and then some (ACED); 48D: Sparkling-wine center (ASTI); 49D: Like decrees from Benedict XVI, e.g. (PAPAL); 50D: Seed-to-be (OVULE); 51D: Champ's prize (TITLE); 53D: Question about Biblical betrayal (IS IT I); 55D: More off-the-wall (ODDER); 56D: Parking helper (VALET); 57D: "Family Ties" mom (ELYSE); 62D: "Sorta" suffix (-ISH); 63D: Bovary's title: Abbr. (MME.).