FRIDAY, July 23, 2010Donna S. Levin

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Theme: Hat Puns — Hat puns!


Theme answers:

• 20A: Opportunity to examine some headwear? (CLOCHE ENCOUNTER).
• 33A: Call-in broadcasting for chefs? (TOQUE RADIO).
• 40A: Northerners who dress with Scottish flair? (TAM YANKEES).
• 47A: Hats that are soft and angular? (BOWLER OPPOSITES).

Today's puzzle was a snap compared to yesterday's. Definitely on the late-week side for the LAT, but I didn't feel much resistance anywhere. Really the only clue I pondered at all was 3D: Miss Gulch's bête-noire, somewhat literally. First, I didn't really know the meaning of bête-noire. I had it in my head that it meant enemy or foe or something along those lines, but the "somewhat literally" part didn't compute at all. Second, I thought Miss Gulch was that banker lady on "The Beverly Hillbillies." But no, that's Jane Hathaway, secretary to the banker (and Clampetts' neighbor) Mr. Drysdale. Why I got her mixed up with the bike-riding neighbor/wicked witch in "The Wizard of Oz" (whose bête-noire is, of course, TOTO) is a mystery. Apparently they occupy the same space in my brain. (Oh, and bête-noire can be literally translated as black beast.)

There was a lot of stuff I didn't know in this puzzle, but the crosses took care of everything:

• 19A: Pachacuti, for one (INCA). Never heard of him.
  
• 40D: Lady Hillingdon is a cultivar of one (TEA ROSE). I don't know who Lady Hillingdon is and I don't know what "cultivar" means.
  
• 46D: Victor Vasarely's genre (OP-ART). Can't say I've heard of Mr. Vasarely either.

Other:

• 14A: Multilayer farm site? (COOP). I am no longer fooled by the use of "layer" to mean "hen."
• 24A: Recycled T-shirt? (RAG). Not sure why this clue needs a question mark.
• 36A: "Seinfeld" actress Julia __-Dreyfus (LOUIS). Love her.
• 38A: Idol whose fans are known as Claymates (AIKEN). Clay Aiken took second place on the first second season of "American Idol."
• 42A: Condiment for pommes frites (SEL). French!
• 1D: Versatile, electronically (AC/DC).



• 28D: Apple or ale lead-in (ADAM'S). Of course I've known forever what an ADAM'S apple is, but I learned ADAM'S ale from crosswords. (It's water!)

• 29D: Pierre, e.g. (CITY). Me: "Well, it's the capital of South Dakota. It's also a French name. Hmmm … What could they be getting at here?" Duh.

Crosswordese 101: I've been filling in ADESTE every time I see a clue like 25A: Carol beginning for a while now not having any idea what it means. So today I looked it up. It's my little gift to you. "ADESTE Fideles" is a Latin hymn that you and I know as the Christmas carol "O Come All Ye Faithful." It's typically clued as carol starter, seasonal song opener, Latin carol starter, or simply as a fill-in-the-blank "_____ Fideles."

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

• 46A: God attended by Valkyries (ODIN).
• 22D: Seven sheikdoms fed. (UAE).
• 46D: Victor Vasarely's genre (OP-ART).
• 48D: It's found in tubs (OLEO).

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Everything Else — 1A: Stage routines (ACTS); 5A: Full of spunk (SASSY); 10A: Shenanigan pullers (IMPS); 15A: Twaddle (TRIPE); 16A: "Ta ta!" ("CIAO!"); 17A: It's entered and processed (DATA); 18A: Needle bearers (PINES); 23A: Grub (EATS); 28A: Proactiv target (ACNE); 30A: One of a cup's 48: Abbr. (TSP.); 35A: Pampas weapon (BOLA); 37A: Posed (SAT); 39A: Gray area?: Abbr. (ANAT.); 43A: Livens (up) (PEPS); 44A: Delicate (DAINTY); 45A: Mendicant title (FRA); 55A: Plant used for first aid (ALOE); 56A: More than 70% of Earth's surface (OCEAN); 57A: Stretched just short of the breaking point (TAUT); 58A: Tidings (NEWS); 59A: Sudden movement (START); 60A: Gumbo ingredient (OKRA); 61A: "Gee willikers!" ("GOSH!"); 62A: Keep an __ the ground (EAR TO); 63A: McJob performer (PEON); 2D: Historic Newcastle resource (COAL); 4D: Garb for Apollo (SPACE SUIT); 5D: Religious guardian (ST. PETER); 6D: Astrological ovine (ARIES); 7D: __ Fein (SINN); 8D: Blueprint item, briefly (SPEC); 9D: "Just give me an answer already!" ("YES OR NO?"); 10D: Hockey infraction (ICING); 11D: After-dinner item (MINT); 12D: Step (PACE); 13D: Look down on the clouds, perhaps (SOAR); 21D: Can't take (HATES); 25D: Rand's shrugger (ATLAS); 26D: Shortbread cookie surname (DOONE); 27D: Peer (EQUAL); 30D: Perfunctory (TOKEN); 31D: Wintry woe (SLEET); 32D: Flower name derived from the French for "thought" (PANSY); 34D: PDQ cousin (ASAP); 35D: Halter, perhaps (BIKINI TOP); 38D: "Henry & June" role (ANAÏS); 41D: Enlarge, as a house (ADD ONTO); 43D: Ante- equivalent (PRE-); 45D: Meat (FLESH); 47D: Explosion (BANG); 49D: Awes (WOWS); 50D: Tetra- times two (OCTA-); 51D: Fruit with a "check the neck" ripeness test (PEAR); 52D: Steal (TAKE); 53D: Slovenia capital (EURO); 54D: Ollie's sidekick (STAN).