TUESDAY, July 6, 2010 — Donna S. Levin

Theme: Magazines — Theme answers are familiar phrases that begin with a the name of a popular magazine.


Theme answers:

• 20A: Five-time "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit cover girl (ELLE MACPHERSON).
• 33A: 1982 song title items that "live together in perfect harmony" (EBONY AND IVORY).
• 40A: Key opening? (O SAY CAN YOU SEE).
• 53A: Great experience (TIME OF ONE'S LIFE).
• 58D: Newsstand buy, for short—one begins each of the four longest puzzle answers (and also ends the last one) (MAG).

Cute theme. I couldn't believe it hadn't been done to death, so I poked around on the Cruciverb.com database a little and found four occurrences, the most recent was a Monday New York Times puzzle by Mark Feldman (9/21/09). Then the website seemed to freeze up on me and I stopped looking. I'm guessing it's in there a few more times. But Donna is a pro and, as usual, she put together a nice smooth Tuesday for us. The only really "Huh?" moment for me was at BELL THE CAT (3D: Accomplish a daring feat). I've never heard that phrase before! From the clue I could obviously figure out exactly what it means and it's pretty cool, so there's my learning moment of the day. Oh, and I did throw terrier in where SHARPEI goes (9D: Wrinkly dog). Have I mentioned that I'm not a dog person?

Do you all know what a porkpie is? I only know it from the song "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat," a song written in memory of saxophonist Lester Young which my high school jazz band performed. But that was, like, a hundred years ago and I'm pretty sure I've never heard it mentioned since. So that's pretty random. Oh, and check this out! Lester Young's nickname was PREZ, as in 35D: Prez's backup (VEEP). Speaking of music in the puzzle, if you were just going through the acrosses, you probably smiled like I did at AXEL followed by ROSE. Well, you either smiled or, I don't know, winced or something (14A: Cousin of a toe loop / 15A: Levitated). (Yes, I know that's not how Axl Rose spells his name, but still.)

Talking Points:

• 17A: Stitch's adopter, in a Disney film (LILO). Was "LILO & Stitch" a big enough deal that childless people have heard of it?
• 51A: Jawbone source for Samson's weapon (ASS). Any time I see ASS in the grid I raise my eyebrows a little. But today it's even better considering 44D: Cheek (SASS)!
• 52A: SASE, e.g. (ENC.). Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope, which is something you might ENClose when submitting a manuscript.
• 60A: Actor Rickman (ALAN). I feel like I should know who this is … d'oh! It's Snape!
• 6D: Veg-O-Matic maker (RONCO). You know what's coming.



• 28D: Kris Kringle's employer of film (MACY'S). I believe this is a reference to the Christmas classic "Miracle on 34th Street."

• 30D: Marilyn Monroe's "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" role (LORELEI LEE). This is one of those movies that I think I should see only I can't remember if maybe I did once, but maybe didn't see the whole thing. Or maybe I'm just getting it confused with "Some Like It Hot." Do you have movies like that?

Crosswordese 101: I can hardly believe we haven't covered Joan MIRÓ yet (21D: Joan of art). He's right up there with ARP and ERTÉ in the highest echelons of crosswordy artists. You will see MIRÓ clued as a Spanish/Catalan (Barcelona-born) surrealist painter, who was a contemporary of Picasso, Calder, and Dali. Titles of his works that might pop up in clues include "Carnival of Harlequin," "Dog Barking at the Moon," and "Still Life with Old Shoe."

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

• 14A: Cousin of a toe loop (AXEL).
• 39A: Lake on four states and a province (ERIE).
• 11D: Northern European capital (OSLO).
• 31D: He put the "O" in Jackie O (ARI).
• 54D: "Picnic" playwright (INGE).

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Everything Else — 1A: Spider creations (WEBS); 5A: Porkpie feature (BRIM); 9A: Fern-to-be (SPORE); 16A: Wears (HAS ON); 18A: Burden (ONUS); 19A: Sky holder of myth (ATLAS); 23A: Tennis match part (SET); 24A: Wedding promise (I DO); 25A: Nathan Hale, e.g. (SPY); 26A: Stick (to) (ADHERE); 28A: Tiny arachnid (MITE); 30A: Mad scientist's milieu (LAB); 36A: Type size (PICA); 38A: Bill, once passed (ACT); 45A: A-Team muscleman (MR. T); 46A: Benevolent order (ELKS); 47A: Port in SW Italy (NAPLES); 50A: Heidi's high hill (ALP); 58A: City bonds, for short (MUNIS); 59A: Latvian capital (RIGA); 61A: Tense feeling (ANGST); 62A: Settled on a branch, say (ALIT); 63A: Departed (WENT); 64A: Silly ones (GEESE); 65A: Applications (USES); 66A: Butterfly catchers (NETS); 1D: Polish Solidarity hero Lech (WALESA); 2D: Like the storied man without a country (EXILED); 4D: __ gin fizz (SLOE); 5D: Make wider (BROADEN); 7D: "The jig __!" (IS UP); 8D: Interlock, as gears (MESH); 10D: Dupe (PATSY); 12D: Reddish horse (ROAN); 13D: USN rank (ENS.); 22D: Cornerstone abbr. (ESTD.); 27D: Auction venue with a four-color logo (EBAY); 29D: Enjoying a lot (INTO); 32D: Tournament edge (BYE); 34D: Union soldier (YANK); 36D: Fluffy toy dog, familiarly (POM); 37D: Syr. neighbor (ISR.); 41D: Woman's name meaning "heavenly" (CELESTE); 42D: Dog food choice (ALPO); 43D: Beats, as an incumbent (UNSEATS); 48D: "Terrible" child, in Toulouse (ENFANT); 49D: Olfactory stimuli (SCENTS); 50D: Slightly off (AMISS); 51D: 1973 Rolling Stones chart-topper (ANGIE); 53D: Adjust for pitch (TUNE); 55D: Munich missus (FRAU); 56D: Quiets, as a squeak (OILS); 57D: Croquet venue (LAWN).