M O N D A Y October 4, 2010—Lila Cherry

Today's puzzle was not available online by the time I had to leave for work this morning. I'll post it later this evening when I get home. Sorry!
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Okay, now that Angela has left for work, we can play. Amy here with a copy of my Diary of a Crossword Fiend post.



THEME: "Gooey Sammich"—Five theme entries begin with the words PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY SANDWICH
The theme is a gooey PB&J sammich:

• 17a. [Sources of rowdy criticism] are PEANUT GALLERIES. Does that really take a plural? Singular feels much more familiar.
• 25a. BUTTERBALL is a [Turkey brand].
• 38a. The ampersand, or [&], may be informally called the AND SIGN.
• 49a. [Colorful plastic footwear] is JELLYSHOES. Don’t eat ‘em, folks.
• 59a. [Hawaii once comprised most of them] clues the SANDWICH ISLANDS.

I love some of the longer fill—STAND PAT, BEN STEIN the game show EMCEE, CHAMELEON, and PERCHANCE are terrific entries. Some of the short answers gave me more trouble, which I wasn’t expecting on a Monday (but then, it was before 7 a.m. when I was doing the puzzle, pre-breakfast and pre-caffeine):

• 1a. COCKY means [Self-confident to a fault]. Clear enough, but I drew a blank on it and skipped the upper right corner until later.
• 16a. [ROTC school WSW of Washington, D.C.] is VMI, or Virginia Military Institute. Voo Much Information!
• 32a. [Recline, biblically] clues LIETH. These biblical verb answers are a category of fill that I don’t care for.
• 2d. [Aptly named California coastal city] is indeed aptly named: OCEANSIDE. Too bad Oceanside is pretty much unknown to me.
• 6d. [Severity, in Soho] clues RIGOUR with the British “U” spelling (there’s a Soho in London as well as in New York City).
• 8d. This one was a gimme, but it troubled me. KIL. as [About .62 mi.] is awkward because km is the more widely accepted abbreviation for kilometer.
• 19d. [Opener's next call, in bridge] is REBID. My kid was asking about bridge the other day. My husband told him it was a game for very old people. I said “Hey! Brendan Quigley plays bridge.” My husband said he was an exception. So you see that we are not a bridge-embracing household. Nautical, poker, bridge, and biblical verbs—among my least favorite categories of fill.
• 48d. [Omega preceders], P*IS…is it PHIS or PSIS? I usually have to check the crossing to figure it out. It’s PSIS.
• 60d. [All-Pro Patriots receiver Welker] is named WES…but I’ve never heard of him, I don’t think. Current player, or player of yore?
• 62d. The CCU [Hosp. heart ward] doesn’t get much play in crosswords. It may stand for coronary care unit or cardiac care unit. Other *CUs besides the ICU include the SICU (surgical), MICU (medical), NICU (neonatal or neurological), and PICU (pediatric), none of which you are likely to encounter in crosswords.

Your assignment today is threefold, pupils. It's Blog-It-Yourself Day!

1. Head to YouTube and watch a video that today's puzzle evokes.
2. Do a Google image search on a word like JELLY or BUTTERBALL and find a goofy picture. No, better yet, find a hilarious picture to accompany the word REBID.
3. Nominate your own Crosswordese 101 entry from today's puzzle and see if it's already been covered here. If it hasn't, make up lies about the word.

P.S. Constructor "Lila Cherry" is one of editor Rich Norris's noms de plume.

P.P.S. Sorry about the font madness!

WEDNESDAY, September 15, 2010—Mike Peluso

THEME: "Help! I'm Trapped in This Chalet!"—Four long two-word answers have the word ICED embedded withIN them, spanning the two words

PuzzleGirl has been called away on short notice this morning (Is it because she was an alternate for the Women's Masters Wrestling Tournament all-star team and her Wrestling Boyfriend™ was going to be there to cheer her on? I'll never tell) and needed a substitute. I only have 20 minutes to get ready to leave the house and blog, so you're getting a copy-and-paste of my Diary of a Crossword Fiend post.

You know how constructors fall back on ICE IN no matter what season it is, just because the letters come in handy? Mike has promoted ICED IN to a starring role: There is an ICED that’s IN each of the four longest entries. Like so:

• 16a. [What b.i.d. means, in prescriptions] is TWICE A DAY, but that doesn’t fit. TWICE DAILY does, however. You may think this is a horribly dry clue and answer, but your friendly neighborhood medical editor appreciates it.
• 26a. [Some rear entrances] are SERVICE DOORS. Arbitrary plural for the purpose of achieving symmetry.
• 44a. [The first official one was November 11, 1919] refers to ARMISTICE DAY. My grandpa may or may not have been in the Navy then; he didn’t serve in WWI, but I think he was sailing to China and the Philippines prior to 1919. But not much prior, as he was only born in 1901 (lied about his age to get in the service early). Anyway, he had awesome tattoos from Shanghai and once tried opium.
• 59a. [Many are German shepherds] clues POLICE DOGS. Another plural.
• 48a. ICED IN is clued [Stranded at the ski lodge, perhaps, and a hint to this puzzle's hidden theme].

My favorite entries:

• 45d. ICARUS is your [Wax-winged flier of myth]. I like to think his last words were “Da-a-ad! Why didn’t you tell me this would happen?”
• 8d. [San Francisco and environs] clues the BAY AREA. To really make the locals happy, call the area “Frisco” or “San Fran.” They love that.

Crosswordese 101: Please nominate your own entries and look them up the XW101 database. EWERS, EMIR, ORAN? I'll bet they're there. If INGLE is not, look it up in the dictionary. First time I've seen it with a clue tying the word to England.

Gotta run!

FRIDAY, August 20, 2010—Donna S. Levin

THEME: Fancy house puns

• 17a. [Faithful caretaker of a religious residence?] is a MANSE BEST FRIEND. This plays on "man's best friend."
• 26a. [Stately home for debate team practice?] is a MANOR OF SPEECH, playing on "manner of speech," which sounds off-kilter to me. Aren't "in a manner of speaking" and "speech mannerism" a good bit more familiar than "manner of speech"? It Googles up OK, but…. (At my high school, the speech team and the debate team were entirely different activities, but the clue still works because the debaters make speeches.)
• 45a. ESTATE OF GRACE, playing on "state of grace" and Princess Grace, is a [Former European princess's elaborate dwelling?]. With the ACE at the end, I tried something-PALACE too.
• 58a. [French castle built with misgivings?] is a CHATEAU OF A DOUBT, punning on "shadow of a doubt." A redoubt is a fort, so I was messed up here.

Amy here, filling in for an under-the-weather PuzzleGirl. I have sent her to bed so she can awake restored to good health, so with any luck you'll have her back in time for the Saturday puzzle.

As for the Friday crossword—hoo-whee, this one knocked me on my tuchis. The first theme entries I filled in were 17a and 45a, so I can be excused for thinking this was an add-an-E theme (MANSE, ESTATE). The pun business threw me for a loop, and it took me 5:19 to finish—basically 25% longer than a typical Saturday L.A. Times crossword. Was it a bloodbath out there for everyone, or did you cotton on to the pun theme without a struggle?

What I liked best:

• 10a. [Bar assistant?] is a PARA, as in a paralegal assisting the lawyers who've been admitted to the bar.
• 14a. ALEE gets a fresh tropical clue: [Like the northern Antilles Islands vis-à-vis the southern ones]. Antigua and St. Kitts are two of the Leeward Islands, sheltered from the prevailing winds. Windward Islands like Martinique and Barbados bear the brunt of the winds. I suspect one group is rainier than the other, but couldn't tell you which is which.
• 16a. ENID, Oklahoma, is a [City named for a Tennyson heroine]. Never knew that trivia tie-in.

• 20a. Clues like this trip up a lot of solvers. [Choose to reject, say?] is an ANTONYM, in that the word "choose" is an opposite of "reject." Dastardly!
• 34a. Sure, AHEAD is a regular word, but Donna splits it into A HEAD, or [Per person]. As in "the benefit costs a hundred bucks a head."
• 41a. We all know the KAZOO, sure, but its synonym, [Vocaphone]? Not so much. I learned something here. I don't know the heavy metal song "Enter Sandman" by Metallica, but this fella's multi-tracked himself playing it on kazoo:





• 51a. [It's used at Gallaudet U.] clues ASL, or American Sign Language. My family and I just started an ASL class. I keep forgetting how to fingerspell the letters F, G, K, Q, and X. Clearly I will need to learn the sign for the F-word because spelling it out will be too tough for me.
• 66a. Clark KENT is a Perry [White underling].
• 3d. Hidden past tense: [Hit the road] clues WENT.
• 4d. Did you know the [FireDome and Fireflite] were DESOTOS, old cars? I did not.
• 5d. [Short nightie] clues BABY-DOLL. Great entry.
• 11d. [Operating room number?] means "stuff that numbs you in the OR": ANESTHESIA.
• 13d. Another obscured past tense: [Put two and two together] clues ADDED.
• 28d. NEW ZEALAND is the [Home of the flightless kakapo] as well as the bloodthirsty KEA, which can fly and will probably swoop in and terrify you. But do not discount the ability of the kakapo to get in some blows! This randy kakapo drew blood from a photographer:





• 29d. FAUST is your literary answer of the day, a [Legendary soul seller].

Crosswordese 101: SCREE is one of those words I learned from crosswords. They use it in geology and up in the mountains, sure, but you can be excused if you didn't know this one. This 30d: [Cliffside litter] is the rocky debris that slides down the mountain slope.

Over and out. Happy Friday, folks!

SATURDAY, May 29, 2010—Fred Jackson III

THEME: No theme today—It's a themeless puzzle, just like every Saturday.

Well! Look at that. This is the final Saturday in May, and so concludes my run as a regular contributor to L.A. Crossword Confidential. I've enjoyed my time here, and I hope I've helped you learn how to kick crossword butt like never before. You're in great hands with the charming and delightful PuzzleGirl.

On to today's puzzle. Hmm, 4:48. Either this puzzle's harder than usual, or I'm tireder than I thought. No particular trouble spots leap out at me—I think the wheels were just turning a little slowly tonight.

Hot stuff:

• 5A: [Movie warning] is the PG THIRTEEN rating. Odd to spell out the number, I know, but sometimes I like that in a crossword answer. (Just not in UTWO or THREED.)
• 16A: [Unequaled] means the ONE AND ONLY.
• 19A: Ooh, POE trivia! Edgar Allan Poe is the [Orphaned author raised by the Allans]. Did any of you read that New Yorker article some months back about Poe's messed-up life?
  
• 22A: [Incomplete rainbow] is SUN DOG. Ha! Eleven days ago, we learned that a MOON DOG is a [Bright spot on a lunar halo]. I guessed SUN DOG because of that. The scientific name is parhelion, meaning "a bright spot in the sky appearing on either side of the sun, formed by refraction of sunlight through ice crystals high in the earth's atmosphere." Is that the same as an incomplete rainbow? I don't know.
• 27A: A [Buff] is a FIEND. Yes, FIEND means an enthusiast, not just a demon. Case in point: Diary of a Crossword Fiend.
• 58A: One famous [California shopping mecca] is RODEO DRIVE. I've never been.
• 61A: ["It doesn't get any better than this"] clues "I'M IN HEAVEN." That was me on Tuesday, eating a Beard Papa's cream puff with fresh strawberry custard filling. Slices of perfectly sweet fresh berries in creamy custard inside a pastry shell? It was all I could do not to slide to the floor in bliss.
  
• 3D: [Where one might anticipate being introduced] is in a TV show's GREEN ROOM. I was in one once, for a game show. It was crowded and the food was lame. I'm boycotting green rooms until I can present my demands in a binding contract. I want cream puffs, Diet Coke, and orange Peanut M&M's.
• 5D: [Vernacular jackpot] is a POT O' GOLD. Don't bother looking for it at the end of a SUN DOG.
• 33D: [Richard Simmons weight-loss program with color-coded cards] is DEAL A MEAL.
• 34D: [At night] clues AFTER DARK. Any longtime Mac users out there remember After Dark's "Flying Toasters" screensaver?

You know what singer I really know nothing about? Laura NYRO, 14D: ["Stoned Soul Picnic" songwriter]. Here's that song, and no, it doesn't sound familiar to me. The "Flying Toasters" song, sure, I can hum that one. Don't know a single Nyro song.



Crosswordese 101: ELENA is about to get a new lease on crosswordese life. Those three vowels alternating with the most ordinary sort of consonants? Constructors love that sort of name because it can help cool words fit together. Today's clue for ELENA is "Uncle Vanya" role, but most often she's clued as actress Verdugo. Other clue choices include tennis players Dementieva or Makarova, skaters Valova or Sokolova (who??), the Spanish princess whose dad is Juan Carlos I, the last queen of Italy, or the song "Maria Elena." You're looking at that list of clues and probably having glimmers of recognition for very few of them, right? If ELENA Kagan's appointment to the Supreme Court is confirmed this summer, constructors will rejoice: At last! An ELENA solvers can reasonably be expected to know!

Everything Else — 1A: Powder holders (KEGS); 5A: Movie warning (PG THIRTEEN); 15A: Elision from Eliza ('ENRY); 16A: Unequaled (ONE AND ONLY); 17A: Times when the French fry? (ÉTÉS); 18A: Stern boss (TASKMASTER); 19A: Orphaned author raised by the Allans (POE); 20A: Winter warmer (HOT TEA); 21A: __'clock scholar (TEN O); 22A: Incomplete rainbow (SUNDOG); 24A: It may be fit for a queen (TIARA); 26A: Dry gulch (ARROYO); 27A: Buff (FIEND); 29A: Kit Carson House site (TAOS); 30A: They may come in a pack (LIES); 32A: Verbal flourishes (TA-DAS); 36A: "Here __ Again" (Whitesnake #1 hit) (I GO); 37A: Start of a religious title (DALAI); 39A: Amphibian youngster (EFT); 40A: Score markings (TEMPI); 43A: When both hands are up (NOON); 44A: Some bank holdings (DATA); 45A: Club newsletter (ORGAN); 47A: Like some kisses (STOLEN); 49A: Winter warmer (PARKA); 51A: "Let's keep moving!" ("ONWARD!"); 52A: Champagne designation (BRUT); 53A: Tangles, or disentangles (RAVELS); 57A: Year before Columbus's fourth voyage (MDI); 58A: California shopping mecca (RODEO DRIVE); 60A: Penn name (SEAN); 61A: "It doesn't get any better than this" ("I'M IN HEAVEN"); 62A: Pioneering puppeteer Tony (SARG); 63A: Alabama and Mississippi are in it (COTTON BELT); 64A: Large order (ELKS); 1D: Doesn't quit (KEEPS AT IT); 2D: Posse (ENTOURAGE); 3D: Where one might anticipate being introduced (GREEN ROOM); 4D: M.O. (SYS.); 5D: Vernacular jackpot (POT O' GOLD); 6D: No-see-um, e.g. (GNAT); 7D: Mike holder's opening, often (TEST); 8D: Cod cousin (HAKE); 9D: Cell dweller (INMATE); 10D: Dietary no. (RDA); 11D: Fiesta fare (TOSTADA); 12D: Decide to compete (ENTER); 13D: "Uncle Vanya" role (ELENA); 14D: "Stoned Soul Picnic" songwriter (NYRO); 20D: Today, in Tijuana (HOY); 23D: List of acceptable behavior (DOS); 25D: 1099-__: bank-issued tax form (INT); 27D: Record holder? (FELON); 28D: Five-time Japan Senior Open winner Aoki (ISAO); 31D: Ending for Louis (-IANA); 33D: Richard Simmons weight-loss program with color-coded cards (DEAL A MEAL); 34D: At night (AFTER DARK); 35D: Sports page feature (STANDINGS); 38D: Cheeky (INSOLENT); 41D: Sign to heed (PORTENT); 42D: Nettle (IRK); 44D: Average fellow? (DOW); 46D: Party locale (GARDEN); 48D: Shipping wts. (TNS.); 49D: Ad (PROMO); 50D: Review of books? (AUDIT); 52D: __-a-brac (BRIC); 54D: __ League (ARAB); 55D: On the qui __: alert (VIVE); 56D: Big name in jumping (EVEL); 59D: "Well, well!" ("OHO!"); 60D: 157.5 degrees from N (SSE).

WEDNESDAY, May 26, 2010—Dan Naddor

THEME: "World Leader Pretend"—Seven of the eight interlaced theme entries begin with words that can precede "world"

Theme entries:

• 17a. [*Happy-go-lucky] means FREE AND EASY. The free world costs less than the expensive world.
• 26a. [*Scandal involving plumbers] is WATERGATE. Waterworld! This Kevin Costner movie presaged Costner's smartness with water-and-oil issues. He's come up with a technology that BP might need to use to clean up its horrible mess.
• 45a. [*Something to touch before getting home?] is THIRD BASE. I know the U.S. is part of the first world, and the third world consists of developing nations. So, what's the second world? And how many of you thought of making out rather than baseball when you got this answer? And if the latter, how come there's nothing for a girl to touch on a guy that constitutes each base?
• 5d. [*Genuine article] is the REAL MCCOY. Real world is generic and also MTV-specific: The Real World.
• 11d. [*Baseball fan's dream come true] is FANTASY CAMP. Are you living in a fantasy world? In my fantasy world, this answer related to fantasy baseball, and the WORLD ___ answer had to be WORLD SERIES, and baseball was hiding everywhere in this puzzle. Er, no.
• 25d. "I, the UNDERSIGNED," am a [*Letter writer, formally]. Do you prefer your underworld to be mob-related, vampire-related, or hell-related?
• 35d. [*Veterans] are OLD TIMERS, and the Old World is Europe, Africa, and Asia.
• 54a. Tying it all together, WORLD LEADER is a [Summit attendee, and what the first word can be in each answer to a starred clue].

That's a lot of thematic material for a 15x15 crossword, people. Dan even squeezed in some 7- and 8-letter fill. It was mildly confusing that the 8s are compounds that sound like they fit in with the theme entries—DEAD MAIL and SIDECARS don't have asterisked clues, though, and "dead world" and "side world" aren't familiar "worlds" like the theme results.
A number of the 3s are abbreviations, but all familiar ones.
Eight more clues:

• 14a. Marvelous [Marvin of boxing]'s last name is HAGLER.
• 34a. [Koala kid] is a JOEY. I think I was completely guessing on that, but what do you know? It turned out to be right. Maybe I have heard it before.
• 59a. [Some people lie about theirs] clues AGE. Not me—I only lie about PuzzleGirl's age.
• 63a. [Exxon, once] was called ESSO. I am in no mood to see oil conglomerate names in the puzzle, people.
• 18d. [J&B alternative] clues DEWARS. I, for one, do not wish to hear an exposition on which brands of Scotch are the best. But I can tell you where to go for killer margaritas in Chicago! (Cesar's.)
• 22d. AGLEAM means [Shining]. This is part of the family of a- words that are encountered more often in crosswords than in the REAL WORLD. Agleam, abeam, agape, aslant, alee? Meh. But amok, awry, and akimbo rock.
• 33d. [Est founder Werner __] ERHARD always makes me think of that woman named Marilyn I babysat for when I was 12. She had Est things posted on her fridge, and I still don't understand. Props to Dan for using Est to clue ERHARD rather than using Werner Erhard to clue EST.
• 39d. [XCII x VI] is DLII. You know what I usually do with Roman numeral math clues? I multiply the end numbers to see what the answer will end with. 2 x 6 = 12, so the last two letters are II. I let the crossings fill in the rest.

Crosswordese 101: ALB! You may remember the ORALE, and now here's the related ALB, or 16a: [Priest's robe]. It may be clued as a priestly, liturgical, mass, or Vatican garment or vestment. Less often, it's clued as an abbreviation for Albania, such as [Tirana's country: Abbr.] or [Yugo. neighbor].

Everything Else — 1A: Hook-and-loop fastener (VELCRO); 7A: Masterpieces (GEMS); 11A: Lucrative (FAT); 14A: Marvin of boxing (HAGLER); 15A: Carbon compound (ENOL); 16A: Priest's robe (ALB); 17A: *Happy-go-lucky (FREE AND EASY); 19A: Sgt., for one (NCO); 20A: Natural emollient (ALOE); 21A: Use a crib for (CHEAT ON); 23A: __ und Drang (STURM); 26A: *Scandal involving plumbers (WATERGATE); 28A: Part of BYOB (OWN); 29A: Controversial 2000 election issue (CHADS); 31A: WWII transport (LST); 32A: Brandy cocktails (SIDECARS); 34A: Koala kid (JOEY); 36A: Oppressive (ONEROUS); 37A: Tightened, as shoes (RELACED); 40A: Actor John __-Davies (RHYS); 41A: It's undeliverable and unreturnable (DEAD MAIL); 42A: Civil War letters (CSA); 43A: "I __ born yesterday!" (WASN'T); 44A: Radiology staple, for short (MRI); 45A: *Something to touch before getting home? (THIRD BASE); 48A: Louvre Pyramid architect (I.M. PEI); 50A: #1 hit for the 4 Seasons (RAG DOLL); 51A: Appoint (NAME); 53A: Bed-and-breakfast (INN); 54A: Summit attendee, and what the first word can be in each answer to a starred clue (WORLD LEADER); 59A: Some people lie about theirs (AGE); 60A: Theater souvenir (STUB); 61A: Directions from the brass (ORDERS); 62A: Directed (LED); 63A: Exxon, once (ESSO); 64A: Home to online newsgroups (USENET); 1D: TV channels 2-13 (VHF); 2D: Pencil holder? (EAR); 3D: Bigger than med. (LGE.); 4D: Exonerate (CLEAR); 5D: *Genuine article (REAL MCCOY); 6D: "Yes __?" (OR NO); 7D: "How about that!" ("GEE!"); 8D: Passes (ENACTS); 9D: Israel's Dayan (MOSHE); 10D: More devious (SLYER); 11D: *Baseball fan's dream come true (FANTASY CAMP); 12D: "Little Women" author (ALCOTT); 13D: Steakhouse order (T-BONE); 18D: J&B alternative (DEWARS); 22D: Shining (AGLEAM); 23D: Ho-hum (SO-SO); 24D: Bed in old sitcoms (TWIN); 25D: *Letter writer, formally (UNDERSIGNED); 27D: Much spam (ADS); 30D: Fräulein's residence (HAUS); 33D: Est founder Werner __ (ERHARD); 34D: Composer Sibelius (JEAN); 35D: *Veterans (OLD-TIMERS); 37D: React to an e-mail error message, maybe (RESEND); 38D: The Auld Sod (EIRE); 39D: XCII x VI (DLII); 41D: Perp prosecutors (DAS); 42D: Adapt (CHANGE); 43D: Critter in a John Lennon title (WALRUS); 45D: Dry run (TRIAL); 46D: Look for water (DOWSE); 47D: Dries gently (BLOTS); 49D: Gettysburg general (MEADE); 52D: Baseball's Moises (ALOU); 55D: Wall St. deal (LBO); 56D: Barcalounger site (DEN); 57D: Prepositional palindrome (ERE); 58D: Queue after Q (RST).

SATURDAY, May 22, 2010—Victor Fleming

THEME: No theme today—It's a themeless puzzle, just like every other Saturday.

With a 4:20 solving time for me, I'll rate this puzzle a bit tougher than the average Saturday L.A. Times crossword.

I'll walk you through the puzzle now, focusing mostly on my favorite parts:

• 1a. [McCarthy era phenomenon] is the RED SCARE. Wouldn't it be awesome to use that clue for an answer like BUDDY HOLLY?
• 17a. The clue [1985 John Irving best-seller] is missing with "The". With or without The, CIDER HOUSE RULES looks good in the grid. 1985? Holy cow. I still think of this as one of Irving's more recent novels.
• 20a. I like this clue. Yes, CUTENESS is a [Baby's asset]. Without said asset, the human race might've died out eons ago. If you're going to disrupt my sleep for months, you'd damn well better be cute.
• 30a. [Rested] clues TOOK FIVE, a solidly idiomatic phrase. I got addled by a wrong crossing. For 23d: [Show approval, or disapproval], I had RATE instead of the correct RAVE. (One raves about good things but gets raving mad about terrible ones.)
• 35a. This clue is misleading. [Frequent saver] is a GOALIE? As if. If I were the goalie, I assure you the saves would be infrequent.
• 42a. HOME STRETCH is perhaps my favorite answer today. [It's right before the end].
• 53a. AN ERA completes ["Corporations have been enthroned and ___ of corruption in high places will follow": Lincoln]. Good old Abe knew whereof he spoke.
• 54a. One [Cryptozoologist's subject] is the LOCH NESS MONSTER. Another is the yeti. Imagine my surprise when I drove past a store that had gone out of business and saw its name: Yeti Boutique.
• 8d. [They're not wild] isn't about untamed beasts, it's about EDUCATED GUESSES.
• 27d. [It's sold in bars] clues OLEO. "Barkeep! Double oleo, neat."
• 29d. The only reason I know that a [Paving stone] is sometimes called a SETT is because that word's been in crosswords before. It's too rare to count as crosswordese, I think. Luckily, all four crossings are more common, which should take the guesswork out of SETT. You won't see this entry before Saturday.
• 34d. FRESHEN UP is another great in-the-language phrase. [Shower and change, say] pretty much covers it.
• 56d. [Where "Shazbot!" is a curse] is ORK, as in the planet in Mork and Mindy. Ah, that takes me back to my tween years.

And now, a roundup of the less savory filling:

• 6d. [Sports fig.] clues ATH., short for "athlete," rather than some sort of statistic.
• 12d. [Everyone, in Essen] is ALLE. People seem to grumble when there are German words in the grid. (Me, I like 'em because I studied German.)
• 13d. [Suburban followers?] is a cute clue for a plural suffix, -ITES.
• 31d. Boring ONE-A is clued as [Service rank], which makes it sound like a military rank (along the lines of CPL, SGT, COL, MAJ) rather than a draft classification.
• 32d. Sure, a partial like OF AN is not great fill. But I do like the clue: ["Confessions __ English Opium-Eater": 1821 De Quincey work]. Are any of you opium-eaters? No? How about lotus-eaters? Anyone?
• 35d. GOT AT isn't so easy to put in a natural-sounding sentence in the past tense. The clue is [Touched], but I feel like "getting at" is more about implying. Dictionary tells me "get at" also means "reach" and "bribe." "I crawled under the car and GOT AT the damaged muffler"—that works, right?

• 41d. ["Life With Father" co-star Leon] AMES is no longer a household name. There was a guy in my college dorm who always called me "Ames." I'm still surprised no one else ever has.
• 45d. If you haven't encountered James ENSOR, the ["Christ's Entry Into Brussels in 1889" artist], in crosswords, you probably haven't run into him anywhere else. He had a decidedly macabre bent, with skeletons playing a prominent part in his art. Check out his work, and then he won't be an obscure entry anymore. (Advice: Belgian artist, 5 letters, your answer will invariably be ENSOR.)
• 51d. [Plasm lead-in] is the prefix ECTO-.

I usually don't know any current songs. My pop music fluency ended in about 1984. But now! I have a new favorite song, "Tightrope" by Janelle Monáe. It sounds great, and the video is captivating. The only relevance this video has to the crossword is that if the singer hits the big time, you might start seeing MONAE in the grid. Why, that name is 60% vowels! And her first name makes a good 7-letter entry, as the last 6 letters are super-common.



Crosswordese 101: ARETE is standard crosswordese with a lengthy pedigree. It means 9d: [Narrow ridge], meaning a sharp mountain ridge. Learn it, because it's not going anywhere.

Everything Else — 9A: Trysting relationship (AFFAIR); 15A: Flattered, in a way (IMITATED); 16A: Grand Canal span (RIALTO); 19A: Architect Saarinen (ELIEL); 21A: Goes back (RETROGRADES); 24A: "Shucks!" ("RATS!"); 25A: Displays, with "out" (TROTS); 36A: Medical malpractice issue (INFORMED CONSENT); 38A: Naval construction worker (SEABEE); 39A: Garden entrance component, perhaps (GATE POST); 40A: Beefy-T maker (HANES); 41A: A psychic may see one (AURA); 49A: Goes before (PRECEDES); 57A: Celebrate a promotion, maybe (EAT OUT); 58A: Grin measure? (EAR TO EAR); 59A: Shows exhaustion (DROOPS); 60A: Aviation pioneer (SIKORSKY); 1D: Sous chef's gadget (RICER); 2D: '60s boxing champ Griffith (EMILE); 3D: Finished the job (DID IT); 4D: Guide (STEER); 5D: Swindler Ponzi, at birth (CARLO); 7D: Popular '20s auto (REO); 10D: Early Ford supplier (FIRESTONE); 11D: Woodland spirit (FAUN); 14D: 18th-century sewer (ROSS); 18D: Brewski (SUDS); 22D: Ugly buildup (GRIME); 26D: Grating sound (RASP); 28D: Pie containers (TINS); 30D: Mrs. Addams, to Gomez (TISH); 33D: Capital of Hyogo Prefecture (KOBE); 37D: Traffic units (CARS); 43D: "Night Music" playwright (ODETS); 44D: Sought aid from (RAN TO); 46D: Beans of Paris? (TÊTES); 47D: Reason to lubricate (CREAK); 48D: Potter of fiction (HARRY); 49D: Asked in earnest (PLED); 50D: Jungle warning (ROAR); 52D: Half a track sound (CHOO); 55D: It follows April in Paris (MAI).

WEDNESDAY, May 19, 2010— Don Gagliardo

THEME: "B-B-B-B-Bad to the Bone"—A record-breaking 29 Bs appear in the grid, some of 'em beginning words in the nominal theme entries

Was this one tougher than usual for a weekday LAT puzzle for you? Or is it just me?

The middle answer, B-TWENTY-NINE doesn't have a spelled-out number anywhere but crosswords. Its clue reads 39a: [Enola Gay, e.g. (and a hint to this puzzle's unusual feature)], and you'll note that the clue refers to the puzzle, not to the handful of apparent theme entries. What look like theme entries but are really part of the overall grid-wide theme are these four phrases with B.B. initials:

• 17a. [Trivial Pursuit edition] is BABY BOOMER.
• 27a. [Luxurious soak] is a BUBBLE BATH.
• 53a. [Party recyclable] is a BEER BOTTLE.
• 64a. [Place for low-priority issues] is the BACK BURNER.

The real theme is the sheer number of Bs in the puzzle. The previous record for the most Bs in a 15x15 crossword was 22, according to Barry Haldiman's page, and Don Gagliardo blew that out of the water. He's made a habit of that—he also holds the record for most instances of the letter G (21), K (30), and W (15).

All righty, what else is in this crossword, Bs or otherwise?

• 22a. [i follower] clues POD. With Apple's latest product, the answer could also have been PAD…or MAC, for a less newfangled product.
• 32a. [Très __: very little] clues the French word PEU. I find it works best to hold your thumb and forefinger close together when saying this word. "Un peu."
• 56a. I'm not crazy about [Tongue trouble] as a clue for SLIP. Yes, "slip of the tongue" is a common phrase, but it's hardly ever "tongue trouble" that's responsible. I know, I know—it's not to be taken literally.
• 59a. [Like many dicts.] is ABR., the abbreviation for "abridged." In your dict., you may also encounter the abbrev OBS. (10d. [No longer used, as a word: Abbr.]), short for "obsolete." If you're lucky, your crossword includes words that are common enough to be found even in an abridged dictionary and not marked "obs."
• 3d. A BOBCAT is apparently a [Hare-hunting feline].
• 12d. [Beatles song with "Mother Mary"] is "LET IT BE."

• 13d. And here's ARETHA [Franklin of soul]. Her voice makes my scalp tingle (in a good way).

• 39d. BAKELITE is [Collectible plastic jewelry]. Any of you own some?
• 54d. ["... for there is nothing / either good __, but thinking makes it so": Hamlet] is completed by the partial phrase OR BAD. Who doesn't like a little Shakespeare?

Crosswordese 101: Here are a few reruns: ELY, AGEE, EL AL.

Everything Else — 1A: To the third power (CUBED); 6A: Motorcyclist's hog (BIKE); 10A: Beatles nonsense syllables (OBLA); 14A: "__ Mio" (O SOLE); 15A: Prefix with mensch (UBER-); 16A: Uncle Remus title (BR'ER); 17A: Trivial Pursuit edition (BABY BOOMER); 19A: Download source (SITE); 20A: Pugilists' gp. (WBC); 21A: Give it a shot (TRY); 22A: i follower (POD); 24A: Smidgen (BIT); 25A: Flight to Eilat (EL AL); 27A: Luxurious soak (BUBBLE BATH); 30A: Asian palm (BETEL); 32A: Trés __: very little (PEU); 33A: Word in a Flintstone yell (YABBA); 34A: ISP with chat rooms (AOL); 36A: Gp. that has issued more than 420 million IDs (SSA); 38A: Braves' div. (NLE); 39A: Enola Gay, e.g. (and a hint to this puzzle's unusual feature) (B TWENTY-NINE); 42A: "Phooey!" ("BAH!"); 43A: Ball belle (DEB); 44A: "Pick a number from __ ..." (ONE); 45A: "Idol" success Clay (AIKEN); 47A: Ballot choices (X'ES); 49A: Fiber-rich cereals (BRANS); 53A: Party recyclable (BEER BOTTLE); 56A: Tongue trouble (SLIP); 57A: Show with "Celebrity Jeopardy!" spoofs, briefly (SNL); 58A: Dadaist Jean (ARP); 59A: Like many dicts. (ABR.); 61A: Post-op area (ICU); 62A: Getting the job done (ON IT); 64A: Place for low-priority issues (BACK BURNER); 67A: Moreno with Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards (RITA); 68A: '40s film critic James (AGEE); 69A: Guadalajara "good" (BUENO); 70A: Max of '30s boxing (BAER); 71A: Proof of ownership (DEED); 72A: "The Beverly Hillbillies" star (EBSEN); 1D: Spider's doing (COBWEB); 2D: In working order (USABLE); 3D: Hare-hunting feline (BOBCAT); 4D: Cambridgeshire cathedral town (ELY); 5D: Plastic user's concern (DEBT); 6D: Keep afloat (BUOY UP); 7D: ThinkPad maker (IBM); 8D: Stay active (KEEP BUSY); 9D: Flamboyant Flynn (ERROL); 10D: No longer used, as a word: Abbr. (OBS.); 11D: Like one who can be bought (BRIBABLE); 12D: Beatles song with "Mother Mary" (LET IT BE); 13D: Franklin of soul (ARETHA); 18D: Celestial sight (ORB); 23D: Actress Susan (DEY); 26D: Sofa material (LEATHER); 28D: Safest option (BEST BET); 29D: Pennants (BANNERS); 31D: Like bass notes (LOW); 35D: Headed up (LED); 37D: "I'll take that as __" (A NO); 39D: Collectible plastic jewelry (BAKELITE); 40D: Words clicked to see more (NEXT PAGE); 41D: Bach's "Mass __ Minor" (IN B); 42D: Two-year periods (BIENNIA); 45D: Take in (ABSORB); 46D: Hoops org. (NBA); 48D: Quenched (SLAKED); 50D: Dior skirts (A-LINES); 51D: Christianity's __ Creed (NICENE); 52D: Press forward (SPUR ON); 54D: "... for there is nothing / either good __, but thinking makes it so": Hamlet (OR BAD); 55D: Tidal action (EBB); 60D: Hick (RUBE); 63D: La Brea material (TAR); 65D: Average mark (CEE); 66D: Erase, with "out" (RUB).

SATURDAY, May 15, 2010—Barry C. Silk

THEME: No theme today—It's a themeless puzzle, just like every other Saturday.

4:06 places this in the difficulty range of a Thursday NYT (or an uncommonly easy themeless Friday NYT).

The grid's got a triple stack of 15s across the middle, crossed by a couple more 15s running down. Those anchor entries are as follows:

• 34A: [Minor league team with a locomotive in one of its logos] are the READING PHILLIES. Barry's a big Philadelphia Phillies fan.
  
• 38A: [He played Will Scarlet in "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves"] clues CHRISTIAN SLATER. Never saw that movie, but he's a cutie.
  
• 39A: [New England setting] is the EASTERN TIME ZONE. I think EASTERN STANDARD was in another recent puzzle, so I tried that here. TIME ZONE makes for better fill.
  
• 5D: [Someone to build a team around] is a FRANCHISE PLAYER. Sports, schmorts. I want to put together a crossword team. You really can't go wrong with any of the first-round draft choices when it comes to crossword competitors.
  
• 10D: [Runway displays] include FALL COLLECTIONS. I feel like the designers have fall and spring collections, but not summer and winter. Is this true?

Highlights, lowlights, midlights:

• 1A: If you [Move to new places?] but don't get very far, you SHUFFLE.
  
• 18A: [Source of relief?] is the BULLPEN where they store the extra pitchers at a baseball game. Good gravy, Barry, that's three baseball things. You couldn't stick one of these in your NYT puzzle yesterday?
  
• What an unsightly pair these are. 21A: [Look at, to Livy] clues the Latin ECCE, and 24A: [Suffix with fluor-] is -ESCE. There are some other ugly little fillers, too. Like abbreviations—SBA, CIC, OSS. Fragments—DRI, 'ELD elided from "held," LA-Z, AT A. So many short names!—POE, NED, TEO, ALF, LEN, APU, ALLIE, INEZ, LOREN, LEHAR, LISZT, BEENE. Not one of these lends any real sparkle to the grid. The long answers are great, and the 7s are fine. It's the short stuff that's bringing me down.
  
• 57A: The [Mexican salamander] with frilly gills is the AXOLOTL. I'm a big fan.
  
• 59A: ["New York Mining Disaster 1941" was their first U.S. hit in 1967] did not at all tell me the answer. The BEE GEES!

Crosswordese 101: LEHAR has been covered here.

Everything Else — 1A: Move to new places? (SHUFFLE); 8A: Exotic vacations (SAFARIS); 15A: Bird known for hovering in a headwind (KESTREL); 16A: Like some birthstones (OPALINE); 17A: Bunratty Castle site (IRELAND); 18A: Source of relief? (BULLPEN); 19A: Best Actress winner for "Two Women" (LOREN); 20A: Wagner's father-in-law (LISZT); 21A: Look at, to Livy (ECCE); 24A: Suffix with fluor- (ESCE); 26A: 1930s Kansas governor Landon (ALF); 29A: Cupcake (HON); 30A: Racer Fabi (TEO); 31A: Entrepreneur-aiding org. (SBA); 34A: Minor league team with a locomotive in one of its logos (READING PHILLIES); 38A: He played Will Scarlet in "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" (CHRISTIAN SLATER); 39A: New England setting (EASTERN TIME ZONE); 40A: Soft & __: Dial product (DRI); 41A: "MS. Found in a Bottle" author (POE); 42A: Pres. title (CIC); 43A: Nancy Drew's boyfriend (NED); 44A: Problems (ILLS); 45A: Where some "SNL" regulars got their start (SCTV); 47A: New England cheer word (BOOLA); 50A: Child's retort (I AM SO); 54A: Seek acceptance at (APPLY TO); 57A: Mexican salamander (AXOLOTL); 59A: "New York Mining Disaster 1941" was their first U.S. hit in 1967 (BEE GEES); 60A: Like some academic positions (TENURED); 61A: They aren't on the program (ENCORES); 62A: Gives in (ASSENTS); 1D: Black & Decker competitor (SKIL); 2D: Long lunch? (HERO); 3D: Beta tester, e.g. (USER); 4D: Army post named for a CSA general (FT. LEE); 5D: Someone to build a team around (FRANCHISE PLAYER); 6D: Author Deighton (LEN); 7D: "We '__ our bloomin' own": Kipling ('ELD); 8D: ___ sister (SOB); 9D: "The Simpsons" shopkeeper (APU); 10D: Runway displays (FALL COLLECTIONS); 11D: DivorcÈe Lowell in an '80s sitcom (ALLIE); 12D: Tough currents (RIPS); 13D: Spanish name meaning "chaste" (INEZ); 14D: Elated (SENT); 22D: Restraint (CONTROL); 23D: Locomotives (ENGINES); 24D: Cultural group members (ETHNICS); 25D: Like many tsunamis (SEISMIC); 26D: Like rainbows (ARCED); 27D: Operettist Franz (LEHAR); 28D: Modern Persian (FARSI); 31D: Squelch (SIT ON); 32D: Designer Geoffrey (BEENE); 33D: Comparable to a beet (AS RED); 35D: Morse "E" (DIT); 36D: Light hit (PAT); 37D: __-Boy recliner (LA-Z); 44D: Volunteer's words (I'LL GO); 46D: Prize (VALUE); 47D: Symbol of innocence (BABE); 48D: Exposed (OPEN); 49D: Nigeria is its most populous member (OPEC); 51D: Poetic period (MORN); 52D: Go back on the dele? (STET); 53D: Defunct GM line (OLDS); 55D: Beginning of Time? (TEE); 56D: Org. in the 1946 film "Cloak and Dagger" (OSS); 57D: One step __ time (AT A); 58D: Strikes (out) (XES).

WEDNESDAY, May 12, 2010—David W. Cromer

THEME: "What's Up Your Sleeve?"—Four clues for ACE become theme answers clued with [ACE].

This one took me 3:36, which means it was a little tougher than the typical mid-week L.A. Times crossword. Weirdly, at least one newspaper printed this puzzle on Tuesday. This sentence is also a non sequitur. That word looks weird. What else ends with -tur but is still an English word?

Theme entries:

• 17a. This [ACE] means FLAWLESS SERVICE in tennis.
• 28a. VENTURA IN FILMS refers to the Jim Carrey character Ace Ventura, Pet Detective.
• 45a. BANDAGE ACRONYM—really?? I had no idea. I figured it was just a random brand name. The 3M website tells us ACE is short for "All Cotton Elastic," and that the ACE bandage has been around since 1914. One of my college roommates used ACE bandages a lot. She strapped her bosom down before heading to wrestling practice with the guys.
• 59a. The ACE is one HALF OF BLACKJACK. The other half is a ten, jack, queen, or king.

Let's tiptoe through the grid, shall we?

• 1a. [Pest control target] is a ROACH. Icky start to the puzzle!
• 6a. [Get down the road?] is a tricky clue for PAVE. I don't like this repurposing of "get down." "Get down the road" means "go down the road." "Get the road down" could be loosely interpreted as "pave it by laying down the asphalt." We don't say "get down the ___" for putting anything down.
• 10a. [Hired soldier, briefly] clues MERC, short for "mercenary." You know anyone who uses this abbreviation? Me neither. Or if they do use it, it's short for Mercury, the car make.
• 22a. ["Gerontion" poet's monogram] is TSE, for T.S. Eliot. I majored in English but never heard of this poem. No matter—the top poet's monogram in crosswords is TSE. EAP (Edgar Allan Poe) was also a poet.
• 36a. [Dried plum] is the government-authorized term for PRUNE now. People who were embarrassed to have prunes in their kitchen feel much better (and more regular) with their stash of respectable dried plums.
  
  
• 52a. [Drink with a string in it, perhaps] clues TEA. My first thoughts were of cocktails and tampons.
• 3d. [Phillips, e.g.: Abbr.] is an ACAD., an elite East Coast prep school. I learned all about it from The Preppy Handbook in the early '80s. I can't wait for the sequel, True Prep.
• 25d. [They're often sensitive to allergens] clues SINUSES. Knock on wood—I have had allergies only once in my life, in London one May, and they responded to antihistamines.
• 27d. ELEANOR [Rigby of song], a classic:

• 44d. [Nocturnal noisemaker] is an OWL. No, wait, it's gotta be a SNORER. No, sorry. It's a CRICKET. I don't think of them as nocturnal, but that's probably a factor of living in a low-cricket urban area.
• 49d. [Mirthful sounds]…HOOTS! No, wait, it's ZZZZZ. No, of course they're HA HAS. We're no longer nocturnal.
• 53d. [New newts] are wee EFTS. New newts is good newts, as everyone knows.
• 62d. [It holds the mayo] looks like it could be trying to trick us into thinking of condiments rather than the Spanish word for the month of May. What's a 3-letter Spanish word for "calendar"? Oh. It's a mayonnaise JAR. Our mayo is in a squeeze bottle. Jars are for suckers who want to get mayo on their knuckles.

Crosswordese 101: Ah, old-school crosswordese. It doesn't show up too often, but you want to memorize it because it will be back. An AMAH is an Asian domestic. Past clues have included these key words: Asian, Eastern, Indian, Chinese, Far East, or Nanking modifying the word nurse, nursemaid, housemaid, nanny, servant, or…wet nurse. Rarely, the answer will be AYAH instead of AMAH, but AMAH is the queen of the Asian nurse clue category.

Everything Else — 1A: Pest control target (ROACH); 6A: Get down the road? (PAVE); 10A: Hired soldier, briefly (MERC); 14A: Big name in foil (ALCOA); 15A: Ongoing auction site (EBAY); 16A: Asian domestic (AMAH); 17A: ACE (FLAWLESS SERVICE); 20A: Abe Lincoln's boy (TAD); 21A: "__ Got to Crow": "Peter Pan" song (I'VE); 22A: "Gerontion" poet's monogram (TSE); 23A: Just out (NEW); 24A: Acts as lookout, say (ABETS); 26A: Lascivious looks (LEERS); 28A: ACE (VENTURA IN FILMS); 33A: Knotted scarf (ASCOT); 34A: Reunion attendee (NIECE); 35A: Ripped (TORN); 36A: Dried plum (PRUNE); 38A: Help for a busy mgr. (ASST.); 42A: Small amounts (IOTAS); 44A: 100 clams (C-NOTE); 45A: ACE (BANDAGE ACRONYM); 49A: Door squeaker (HINGE); 50A: Flight component (STAIR); 51A: "Spider-Man" director Lee (ANG); 52A: Drink with a string in it, perhaps (TEA); 55A: Letters in a business name (LLC); 56A: One of the three states of matter (GAS); 59A: ACE (HALF OF BLACKJACK); 63A: Geometry calculation (AREA); 64A: Casual tops (TEES); 65A: Message obeyed by Alice (EAT ME); 66A: Part of CBS: Abbr. (SYST.); 67A: Narrow aperture (SLIT); 68A: Cornered (TREED); 1D: Huck's ride (RAFT); 2D: Earthenware pot (OLLA); 3D: Phillips, e.g.: Abbr. (ACAD.); 4D: Leather source (COW); 5D: Largest flatfish (HALIBUT); 6D: Dinero replaced by the euro (PESETA); 7D: Six-pack muscles (ABS); 8D: Seemingly endless (VAST); 9D: Places for pupils (EYES); 10D: Dallas cager, familiarly (MAV); 11D: "8 Mile" rapper (EMINEM); 12D: The Andrettis, e.g. (RACERS); 13D: Masticates (CHEWS); 18D: At any time (EVER); 19D: Dig find (RELIC); 24D: Making reparations (ATONING); 25D: They're often sensitive to allergens (SINUSES); 27D: Rigby of song (ELEANOR); 28D: Napa Valley vessel (VAT); 29D: Juan's "that" (ESO); 30D: Maker of bar code scanners (NCR); 31D: "Collages" novelist (NIN); 32D: Professional charge (FEE); 36D: School org. (PTA); 37D: Joplin work (RAG); 39D: Young fellow (SON); 40D: Porcine abode (STY); 41D: President pro __ (TEM); 43D: Keats's "__ a Nightingale" (ODE TO); 44D: Nocturnal noisemaker (CRICKET); 45D: Like computer code (BINARY); 46D: Geometry calculations (ANGLES); 47D: Words of relief (AT LAST); 48D: Advanced math subj. (CALC); 49D: Mirthful sounds (HAHAS); 53D: New newts (EFTS); 54D: Genesis victim (ABEL); 56D: Concert receipts (GATE); 57D: Wile E. Coyote's mail-order house (ACME); 58D: List of appts. (SKED); 60D: Dietitian's concern (FAT); 61D: Flowery welcome (LEI); 62D: It holds the mayo (JAR).

SATURDAY, May 8, 2010—Tom Heilman

THEME: No theme today—It's a themeless puzzle, just like every other Saturday.

I don't know how long I spent on this puzzle because I did it off the clock, on paper. I had a few trouble spots and hit the skids in two adjacent squares, so maybe it's a little harder than usual. Or maybe I just wasn't focusing. I finished in the southwest quadrant and figured 37A needed fixing. For 37D, BOUNCES worked for [Bumps along], and for 38D, I had ONSHORE for [Close to the coast]. These made 37A: [Deceptive lingo] into BOVETALK. Bove talk! Clearly wrong. (As was the suitable FAST TALK, which I started with until the crossings said no, no, no.) So I changed it to JIVE TALK with JOUNCES and INSHORE, the latter of which I swear I have never seen before.

Other potential trouble spots:

• 1A. [Reacted with embarrassment, maybe] clues GIGGLED, but my first thought was BLUSHED, crossings be damned. Undamn the crossings and let them lead you to the right answer.
• 8A. [Moderate pace] is JOG TROT. That's a term? For equestrians, yes.


• 26A. So I guess I should read Othello, huh? IAGO is clued with a line: ["So will I ... make the net / That shall enmesh them all" speaker].
• 48A. [Court org.]…oh, you can't fool me! I know it's about sports and not the judicial system. WNBA? Alas, no. It's the tennis court and USTA.
• 51A. For [They can get high], I suspected SOTS but was pleased when the answer turned out to be SEAS. SOTS is a mostly-in-crosswords word.
• 52A. [FDR home loan gp.] is NHA. Say what now? FDR-era initialisms are not my strong suit.
• 56A. To [Make notes?] is to COMPOSE music. Good misdirection here.


• 60A. Did you know ERITREA, Ethiopia's neighbor, was an [Italian colony from 1890 to 1941]? Apparently I did not.
• 61A: [Frenzied fits] clues the odd plural DELIRIA. Can I get a ruling on this? Is there ever a need to pluralize "delirium"?
• 6D. The [Activist who said "You can kill a man but you can't kill an idea"] is Medgar EVERS. Did you recognize the quote?
• 13D. I sure didn't know this. ORANGEY was the [Aptly named red tabby who played Cat in "Breakfast at Tiffany's"].
• 14D. [Police radio lingo] cues TENCODE or TEN CODE. Never heard of this term before. As in "10-4"?
• 39D. [A, B or C, e.g.] looks like multiple choice to me, but this is the clue for VITAMIN. Good one.
• 42D. Do you know anyone who would say "IN A STIR" for [Upset]? I'm pretty sure I don't.
• 50D. [Raeburn van __, cartoonist who drew "Abbie an' Slats"] clues BUREN. Martin or Abigail van ___ would be too easy, but…"Abbie an' Slats"??

And now, some highlights:

• 25A. [Nearly a billion people live in them] is the clue for SLUMS. I like it when a crossword educates me about the world, though it can be depressing at times.
• 53A. FALL DUE means [Become payable] and it feels like completely natural language.
• 8D. [Many ad circulars] are indeed JUNK MAIL. Fabulous fill!


• 21D. A [Knucklehead] is a NUMBSKULL. Also a colorful entry. (The B is optional, as "numskull" is also correct.)
• 34D. [Sewer's target] is a RIP. Sewer = one who sews, not a municipal wastewater drainage system.
• 36D. All right, sound the ALL CLEAR, or [Safe call].
• 41D. THE WIRE is a great entry if clued as the TV series (…which I have never seen). Clued this way, as [Deadline, metaphorically], the phrase feels naked. It yearns desperately to be part of "down to the wire."
• 43D. ["A cinch"] = NO SWEAT. Yep, idiomatically on target.
• 49D. [Public promenade] is a PASEO. Thank you, conferences set in San Antonio, for teaching me this word. S.A. has its famed Paseo del Rio alongside the concrete-edged river.

Crosswordese 101: ORA is a multifaceted piece of crosswordese. Today (and many days), it's clue with a Latin fill-in-the-blank, [___ pro nobis]. I believe that's Latin for "pray for us." ORA is also the plural "mouths" in Latin (and in the sciences, where Latin words find modern use—sometimes we see clues like [Zoological openings] or [Mouths, anatomically]), as well as "hour" in Italian. And then there's the readily accessible two-word partial OR A, as in "Are you a man ___ mouse?" Crosswords sometimes clue this as [Man-mouse connector].

Everything Else — 1A: Reacted with embarrassment, maybe (GIGGLED); 8A: Moderate pace (JOG TROT); 15A: Legally gone (ON LEAVE); 16A: Ignorant (UNAWARE); 17A: Spenserian beings (FAERIES); 18A: Sparks resident (NEVADAN); 19A: __ pro nobis (ORA); 20A: Fry corrugation (CRINKLE); 22A: Company abbr. (INC.); 23A: Undersized one (RUNT); 25A: Nearly a billion people live in them (SLUMS); 26A: "So will I ... make the net / That shall enmesh them all" speaker (IAGO); 27A: Rhone tributary (ISERE); 29A: Janeane's co-star in "The Truth About Cats and Dogs" (UMA); 30A: Asked for a hand? (ANTED); 31A: Excite (THRILL); 33A: Seen from above, as a view (BIRD'S-EYE); 35A: In person (BIG AS LIFE); 37A: Deceptive lingo (JIVE TALK); 40A: Carbohydrate used in jellies (PECTIN); 44A: Chilled (ON ICE); 45A: Abner's radio partner (LUM); 47A: Prefix with graphic (ETHNO-); 48A: Court org. (USTA); 49A: Techies' campus hangout (PC LAB); 51A: They can get high (SEAS); 52A: FDR home loan gp. (NHA); 53A: Become payable (FALL DUE); 55A: Austin-to-Del Rio dir. (WSW); 56A: Make notes? (COMPOSE); 58A: Scholarly (ERUDITE); 60A: Italian colony from 1890 to 1941 (ERITREA); 61A: Frenzied fits (DELIRIA); 62A: Chamber group member? (SENATOR); 63A: Watching carefully (ON ALERT); 1D: "Don't miss this chance" ("GO FOR IT"); 2D: Hurrying along (IN A RUSH); 3D: Information gatherer (GLEANER); 4D: Where BMW was born (GER.); 5D: Worldly (LAIC); 6D: Activist who said "You can kill a man but you can't kill an idea" (EVERS); 7D: First "Mission: Impossible" TV production company (DESILU); 8D: Many ad circulars (JUNK MAIL); 9D: Law school newcomers (ONE-LS); 10D: Yielded (GAVE); 11D: Old carrier (TWA); 12D: Project, as cheer (RADIATE); 13D: Aptly named red tabby who played Cat in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (ORANGEY); 14D: Police radio lingo (TENCODE); 21D: Knucklehead (NUMBSKULL); 24D: Manhattan district (TRIBECA); 26D: Spray targets (INSECTS); 28D: Cream of the crop (ELITE); 30D: Magazine revenue item (AD FEE); 32D: Airport on Flushing Bay, briefly (LGA); 34D: Sewer's target (RIP); 36D: Safe call (ALL CLEAR); 37D: Bumps along (JOUNCES); 38D: Close to the coast (IN SHORE); 39D: A, B or C, e.g. (VITAMIN); 41D: Deadline, metaphorically (THE WIRE); 42D: Upset (IN A STIR); 43D: "A cinch" (NO SWEAT); 46D: Managed (MADE DO); 49D: Public promenade (PASEO); 50D: Raeburn van __, cartoonist who drew "Abbie an' Slats" (BUREN); 53D: Defense structure (FORT); 54D: "The Long, Hot Summer" vixen __ Varner (EULA); 57D: Class action gp.? (PTA); 59D: "Rugrats" infant (DIL).