Theme: Sausage Fest — Theme answers begin with types of wurst.
Theme answers:
17A: Lennon had one (LIVERPOOL ACCENT).
25A: Go from pillar to post (KNOCK ABOUT).
50A: Josephine Tey title orphan (BRAT FARRAR).
66A: Based on the starts of 17-, 25- and 50-Across, what this crossword might be? (WURST PUZZLE EVER).
Cute theme. Somewhat diminished for me because I can't say I've ever heard of BRAT FARRAR. (Also, is the orphan pronounced like "brought"? The other theme answers keep the pronunciation of the "wurst" word. I just don't know about this one.) Also, I don't think of a LIVERPOOL ACCENT as a stand-alone phrase. Oh, and the clue for KNOCK ABOUT feels a little old-timey to me. So, yeah. Cute theme idea but I'm not a big fan of the execution. Obviously, your mileage may vary.
I got both ANITRA (19D: "Peer Gynt Suite" dancer) and EMMA (37D: "Bone Dance" sci-fi author Bull) totally through crosses and only had trouble when I tried "diced" for RICED (9D: Reduced to bits) and "bout" for SUMO (57D: Heavyweights' ring contest).
I had to laugh when I got to EVAS (63D: NASA "walks"). You may recall that I just covered EVA in yesterday's Crosswordese 101. In fact, I'm sure you do remember because a lot of you wanted either to add an EVA to the list or give me a hard time about "dissing" one of the EVAs already on the list. Forgive me if I take a moment to respond to those comments. First, yes there are other EVAs. But my goal in CW101 is to introduce you to the EVAs most likely to appear in puzzles. I didn't mention EVA Green because as far as I can tell she's only appeared in one major crossword puzzle and it was a late-week New York Times. EVA Braun? Has appeared five times in various puzzles. She is sometimes paired with EVA Perón, which puts her in an historical context which is perfectly legit. I honestly don't think you're going to see much of her in puzzles, not because of any queasiness about who she was, but because there are many (more interesting?) choices. Second, I'm well aware that there's a lot to know about the talented EVA Marie Saint. But in crossword puzzles you only need to know her name and that she's an actress. Please don't shoot the messenger.
This all brings me to the point I want to make today, though. (Finally!) EVA can stand for Extra-Vehicular Activity, a term used in astronautics. In the major puzzles, this version of the clue has been used only a handful of times so I didn't include it in my write-up yesterday. Yes, I feel horrible about it.
Bullets:
1A: Baron Cohen's Kazakh journalist (BORAT). From what I've been able to determine, you either love him or you hate him.
36A: Nasty boss (OGRE). Funny, I always called my nasty boss something totally different.
45A: Chuck (HURL).
47A: "All in the Family" spinoff (MAUDE). Weren't we just talking about her?
71A: Gave a shot, say (DOSED). Tried "tried" first.
7D: New pedometer reading (OOO). Not a fan of the letter O being used as a zero.
10D: Like bill payments? (IN CASH). I thought "Who pays their bills in cash?!" Then realized the question mark means that the payment itself is in "bills," i.e., cash.
13D: Adam's third (SETH). I saw a Twitter conversation going on the other day in which one person repeatedly referred to Adam and Eve as having only two sons (Cain and Abel, duh) and using that fact to "wonder" aloud how the earth was subsequently populated. Not being a religious person, I don't believe in the whole Adam and Eve thing, so I actually agree with the guy who was arguing against it. And yet my first thought was simply, "Um … Seth?"
29D: "How'm I Doing?" mayor/author (KOCH). He was mayor when I lived in New York so this was a gimme for me.
32D: Pianist Rubinstein (ARTUR).
40D: One may be thrown at a pothole (HUBCAP). I do not know what this means.
64D: Euro fraction (CENT). Very tricky! I honestly didn't know. But now I do — yay!
Crosswordese 101:We talked about ERN last year. I mentioned how sometimes it's spelled ERNE but totally forgot about TERN! ERN(E) and TERN clues are often indistinguishable: "Shorebird," "Coastal flier," "Beach bird." With those kinds of clues, you just have to wait for crosses. There are a couple words that don't cross over though, so look for these:
ERN = raptor, eagle
TERN = fork-tailed, gull, swallow
Other crosswordese in the puzzle that we've already covered:
[Follow PuzzleGirl on Twitter.] Everything Else — 9A: National Guard challenges (RIOTS); 14A: Publicist's concern (IMAGE); 15A: Bettor's note (IOU); 16A: Art film, often (INDIE); 20A: Undying (ETERNAL); 21A: Bring to light (UNEARTH); 22A: Handle clumsily (PAW); 24A: Wallet items, briefly (ID'S); 31A: Rodgers's partner (HART); 35A: Part of a TV feed (AUDIO); 39A: Eggy bun (BRIOCHE); 42A: Vibraphone virtuoso Lionel (HAMPTON); 44A: CIA forerunner (OSS); 48A: One of Alcott's women (BETH); 53A: Old Gremlin maker (AMC); 55A: Fannie follower? (MAE); 56A: Not surprisingly (AS USUAL); 60A: Esteem (RESPECT); 68A: "South Pacific" hero (EMILE); 69A: Museum-funding org. (NEA); 70A: Origami bird (CRANE); 72A: "How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must)" author Coulter (ANN); 73A: Ready to snap (TESTY); 1D: Ill temper (BILE); 2D: Jump over (OMIT); 3D: All-night bash (RAVE); 4D: Stress, so they say (AGER); 5D: Bird that migrates from the Arctic to Antarctica (TERN); 6D: H.S. experiment site (BIO LAB); 8D: Pilot's alphabet ender (ZULU); 12D: Sunroof feature (TINT); 18D: Bearded Smurf (PAPA); 23D: Romance (WOO); 25D: Barbecue fare (KABOB); 26D: Sip (NURSE); 27D: Praiseful poet (ODIST); 28D: Gp. in a 1955 labor merger (CIO); 30D: "This is awful!" ("UGH!"); 33D: Ida Morgenstern's daughter (RHODA); 34D: Office machine supply (TONER); 41D: Drop a brick, so to speak (ERR); 43D: It's often two, in mini golf (PAR); 46D: Hotfoot it (LAM); 49D: Give grief to (HASSLE); 51D: Burroughs swinger (TARZAN); 52D: Have a hunch (FEEL); 54D: Softened, in a way (MUTED); 56D: Blown away (AWED); 59D: Moon goddess (LUNA); 61D: Shiites, e.g. (SECT); 62D: French pop (PÈRE); 65D: Long basket, in basketball lingo (TREY); 67D: Path to enlightenment (ZEN).
Hi, it’s Jeffrey, back for one more day while PuzzleGirl is off on her super-double-top-secret mission. Theme: Musical Numbers or Incredibly Old Songs.
Theme answers: 17A. [Temptations number] – CLOUD NINE (1968)
64A. [Doris Day number] – TEA FOR TWO (1950)
9D. [Josh White number] – ONE MEATBALL (1944). Never heard of this one.
24D. [Tennessee Ernie Ford number] – SIXTEEN TONS (1955)
Quite the odd collection there. Average age = 56 years (or more, “TEA FOR TWO” is from 1925’s “No, No, Nanette”.) 1-2-9-16. Why? It is not a Fabonacci sequence (1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21...). Not squares (1-4-9-16). Not powers of two (1-2-4-8-16). Any theories? Are they all 16A. [Source of some urban pollution] – NOISE?
Other old stuff: 4A. [Student of Socrates] - PLATO 21A. [Ward, to Beaver] - DAD 34A. [Pre-fax communication] - TELEX 29A. [4-Across, to Aristotle] - TEACHER 48A. [First name in scat] - ELLA 52A. [21-Across, slangily] – OLD MAN 64D. [Fenway Park's Williams] – TED Some new stuff: 19A. [First name in TV talk] - ELLEN 20A. [CIA boss Panetta] – LEON 6D. [Andrea Bocelli delivery] – ARIA 57D. ["__ Only Just Begun": Carpenters hit] – WE’VE (1970 – new for this puzzle)
PuzzleGirl is scheduled to be back from her mission in time to take back her crown tomorrow. Thanks for bearing with me these two days.
All the rest of the stuff: 1A. [Letters on the Ronald Reagan] - USS 9A. [Travel like Eris or Ceres] - ORBIT 14A. [Zippo] - NIL 15A. [Put to work] - HIRED 22A. [Brunch fare] - OMELET 23A. [Tell-all news story] - EXPOSE 25A. [Market special] – SALE 27A. [Guinness serving] - PINT 37A. [Mob hit victim, often] - RAT 39A. [Worthless talk] - TRIPE 40A. [__-garde] - AVANT 41A. ["Thrilla in Manila" boxer] - ALI 42A. [School rides] - BUSES 43A. [Soprano Fleming] - RENEE 44A. [Spray graffiti on, say] - MAR 45A. [Stocks or bonds] - ASSET 46A. [Swap the old for the new] – TRADE UP 50A. [Legendary loch] - NESS 56A. [Having just exercised] - SWEATY 60A. [Returns pro] - CPA 62A. [Move carefully] - EASE 63A. [Convention nametag word] - HELLO 66A. [Poland Spring competitor] - EVIAN 67A. [Carriage return, these days] - ENTER 68A. [Catch some rays] - TAN 69A. [Campus VIPs] - DEANS 70A. [Tractor maker John] - DEERE 71A. [USNA grad] - ENS 1D. ["I give!"] - UNCLE 2D. [Proctor __ appliances] - SILEX 3D. [Single-masted ship] - SLOOP 4D. [Deg. for many 69-Across] - PHD 5D. [Tree also known as basswood] - LINDEN 7D. [Works the bar] - TENDS 8D. ["To a ..." poem] - ODE 10D. [Thespian's résumé listing] - ROLE 11D. [Fin or sawbuck] - BILL 12D. ["Now it's clear!"] - ISEE 13D. [Backpacker's shelter] - TENT 18D. [Still in the crate] - UNOPENED 22D. [Soccer shout] - OLE 26D. [Things to wear] - ATTIRE 28D. [Homeless itinerants] - TRAMPS 30D. [One with a cause] - CRUSADER 31D. [Greet the villain] - HISS 32D. [Blunted blade] - EPEE 33D. [Remainder] - REST 34D. [Like sourballs] - TART 35D. ["Rarely, if __ ..."] - EVER 36D. [Lang of Smallville] - LANA 38D. [In the style of] - ALA 47D. [Slangy reversal of direction] - UEY 49D. [Work shirker] - LOAFER 51D. [Movie segment] - SCENE 53D. [Dull finish] - MATTE 54D. [Egypt's __ High Dam] - ASWAN 55D. [Vegas signs] - NEONS 56D. [Storage building] - SHED 58D. [Director Kazan] - ELIA 59D. [Actor Arkin] - ALAN 61D. [Chopped spread] - PATE 65D. [It usually ends in "ite"] - ORE
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Cute theme. Somewhat diminished for me because I can't say I've ever heard of BRAT FARRAR. (Also, is the orphan pronounced like "brought"? The other theme answers keep the pronunciation of the "wurst" word. I just don't know about this one.) Also, I don't think of a LIVERPOOL ACCENT as a stand-alone phrase. Oh, and the clue for KNOCK ABOUT feels a little old-timey to me. So, yeah. Cute theme idea but I'm not a big fan of the execution. Obviously, your mileage may vary.
