01.06 Thu

T H U R S D A Y

January 6, 2011
Gary J. Whitehead


Theme: Of all the …. — Theme answers end with a word that can be a synonym for "nerve."

Theme answers:

• 17A: Marinara, for one (TOMATO SAUCE).
• 28A: Pentagon bigwigs (MILITARY BRASS).
• 46A: Not serious (TONGUE-IN-CHEEK).
• 60A: Part of an axon (and what 17-, 28- and 46-Across each has?) (NERVE ENDING).

I hate to say it, but I just can't love this puzzle. Mostly because the theme really doesn't do it for me and because of the huge amount of crosswordese. As for the theme, I get how SAUCE, BRASS and CHEEK can mean NERVE, but in two of the three cases I'm distracted by how they're so often used as adjectives (saucy and cheeky) and not as nouns. Also, and this might just be me, I'm not sure I've ever seen the word BRASS used in this way — not even as an adjective. Add the science-y reveal and what you've got is a theme that leaves me cold. I will say this, though — I can see where the theme phrases could have been way more boring than they are, so that's a plus. I don't think I can say anything nice about the crosswordese, though. There's just too much of it. On a Thursday! The pay-off for all that crosswordese is a few pretty cool entries (I'm looking at you, GO AWOL and SIXTH SENSE) and a definite Scrabbly lean, but it's just not enough to tip the scale for me. I'll be interested to hear your take on it.

Bullets:

• 7A: They have guards on both sides of them: Abbr. (CTRS.). Football!

• 25A: Moor (HEATH). This clue/answer pair gave me a double whammy of literature associations: "Moor" makes me think of Othello, and HEATH makes me think of "Wuthering Heights."
• 41A: Reliant Stadium NFL team (TEXANS). I can't keep track of the stadium names. Part of it is that I really just don't want to. The corporate stadium names are just terrible and are far too silly to actually say. Ugh.
• 53A: Eldest Younger gang member (COLE). I do not know what this means.
• 7D: Winter Palace figure (CZAR). Remember when I said "Sometimes it's spelled CZARS, but in crossword puzzles it's almost five times likelier to be spelled TSARS, so that's my default"? Yeah, that didn't help me today.

• 11D: Intuition (SIXTH SENSE). I'd like to see this movie again. It's been a long time. Speaking of old movies, has anybody seen the new "Wall Street" movie? (I realize it's not that new any more.) It looks like it should be pretty good.
• 18D: Exotic honeymoon, perhaps (SAFARI). Can't say I've ever heard of anyone going on a SAFARI for their honeymoon. Sounds kinda cool though.
• 30D: "Monster" (2003) co-star (RICCI). I struggled and struggled to remember Charlize Theron and then found she wasn't the right answer. Hate when that happens.
• 37D: What the mouse did clockwise? (RAN UP). This is the awesomest thing in the puzzle. Great, great clue.

• 44D: Collision preceder (SCREECH).

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 16A: Worldwide workers' gp. (ILO).
• 22A: The gamut (A TO Z).
• 23A: __ II, king who founded Borg (now Sarpsborg) (OLAF).
• 36A: Cheri who played Gail Hailstorm in "Scary Movie" (OTERI).
• 45A: French possessive (SES).
• 66A: One of a jazz duo? (ZEE).
• 7D: Winter Palace figure (CZAR).
• 9D: "One Thousand and One Nights" bird (ROC).
• 12D: Spread on the table (OLEO).
• 22D: Asteroids maker (ATARI).
• 58D: Curved molding (OGEE).
• 61D: "Strange Magic" band (ELO).

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Everything Else — 1A: Techie talk, e.g. (JARGON); 11A: Roman sun god (SOL); 14A: Nine follower? (ONE ONE); 15A: Menageries (ZOOS); 19A: Marked, in a way (X'ED); 20A: Winter coat (SNOW); 21A: Pusher pursuer (NARC); 32A: Swindle (CON); 33A: Philip __: 16th-century Italian saint (NERI); 34A: Only just (BARELY); 38A: First person in Berlin? (ICH); 40A: Yearned (PINED); 43A: Latin quarters? (CASA); 49A: Artful dodges (RUSES); 50A: Mention with an ulterior motive (DROP); 51A: Finish shooting (WRAP); 55A: Louisville's river (OHIO); 59A: Air base? (HUB); 63A: Feverish, say (ILL); 64A: Natural balm (ALOE); 65A: Browbeat (COERCE); 67A: It's often seen under a cap (GOWN); 68A: Swindle (HUSTLE); 1D: Scribbles (JOTS); 2D: Soon, poetically (ANON); 3D: San __ (REMO); 4D: Commit a service infraction (GO AWOL); 5D: Toronto's prov. (ONT.); 6D: Nursery arrival (NEONATE); 7D: Winter Palace figure (CZAR); 8D: Sensitive (TOUCHY); 10D: GPS heading (SSE); 13D: One of Poland's three most populous cities (LODZ); 24D: Winter coat features (LININGS); 26D: Withdraw (EBB); 27D: Wyoming tribe (ARAPAHO); 28D: Choral piece (MOTET); 29D: Unyielding (INEXORABLE); 31D: Streamlined (SLEEK); 32D: No-frills bed (COT); 35D: NFL gains (YDS.); 39D: Radio moniker (HANDLE); 42D: Take to court (SUE); 47D: Money set aside (ESCROW); 48D: Lyric poems (EPODES); 51D: Crackerjack (WHIZ); 52D: Run the show (RULE); 54D: Bakery appliance (OVEN); 56D: "Cotton Candy" trumpeter (HIRT); 57D: Not left out: Abbr. (INCL.); 60D: Henpeck (NAG); 61D: "Strange Magic" band (ELO); 62D: __-turn (NO U).

T U E S D A Y August 3, 2010 Gary J. Whitehead

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Theme: Playing the Ponies — Theme answers are familiar phrases that begin with words for types of racetrack bets.

[Note: I've heard from several of you about the mistake in the grid. 7D should be ARCA and 18A should be VICE. I'm at work now and can't fix it, but I will as soon as I can. -- okay, fixed.]

Theme answers:

• 20A: Cellarmaster's vessel (WINE DECANTER).
• 36A: Response to sugar pills, perhaps (PLACEBO EFFECT).
• 53A: It might have a massage setting (SHOWER NOZZLE).
• 64A/65A: What the starts of 20-, 36- and 53-Across are (TRACK / BETS).

This is an interesting theme. I don't think we've seen one like this for a while, where the actual "theme" part of the theme answer isn't a word all by itself, but is hidden in another word. Wait, we see that all the time. But not at the beginning of the word, right? For some reason, this seems different to me. Maybe I'm not explaining myself well. Maybe I'm just not awake yet (more likely). Because I generally don't go looking for the reveal on early week puzzles, I had No Idea what was going on until I got there. Me: "What the hell do WINE, PLACEBO and SHOWER have in common?!?"

More:

• 5A: Wife of Jacob (LEAH). One day I'll do a CW101 lesson on Bible characters. I probably need it as much as you do.
• 15A: Down-home music venue, familiarly (OPRY). I'm pretty sure it was badly damaged in the recent flood. I believe many many guitars were lost. So sad.
• 29A: Wedding symbol (RING). I was just sharing this picture with a co-worker yesterday. I received it in an email from a friend about three years ago. The subject line of the email was "The last time I saw my wedding ring…." (yeah, that's her dog)


• 40A: Wiener schnitzel meat (VEAL). The things you learn.
• 3D: "Hand in My Pocket" singer Morissette (ALANIS). I remember when this song first came out I was driving across Texas and the DJ said something like, "Oh that Alanis Morissette. She's so confused." And I yelled at my radio "She's not confused! She's *conflicted*, you idiot!" Here, you decide. Who's with me?



• 40D: Biden and Bush: Abbr. (VP'S). Tricky! When I see "Bush" in a presidential context, I pretty much think of Bush 43. But this clue refers to Bush 41.
• 50D: Nerd (DWEEB). I resemble that remark!
• 57D: __ es Salaam (DAR). I do not know what this means.

Crosswordese 101: O-LAN is the mother/wife/slave/heroine in Pearl S. Buck's award-winning 1931 novel "The Good Earth." The book was adapted for both the stage and screen, so sometimes the clue for O-LAN might refer to a "role" instead of simply a "character."

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

• 59A: Author Wiesel (ELIE).
• 66A: Past fast fliers: Abbr. (SST'S).
• 12D: Harem room (ODA).
• 52D: Poet Pound et al. (EZRAS).

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Everything Else — 1A: Seize (GRAB); 9A: Center of Florida? (EPCOT); 14A: Move to a new city, briefly (RELO); 16A: Dutch cheese (GOUDA); 17A: The "Good Earth" heroine (O-LAN); 18A: Nasty habit (VICE); 19A: 20 Mule Team cleanser (BORAX); 23A: Small-screen heartthrob (TV IDOL); 24A: American or Continental (AIRLINE); 28A: Cock and bull (HES); 32A: In the warehouse (STORED); 33A: Like many wallets (BIFOLD); 35A: Farm females (SOWS); 41A: __-faire: tact (SAVOIR); 42A: Wan (PALLID); 45A: Inflection (TONE); 46A: Ukr. neighbor (RUS.); 49A: Finished, as a deck (STAINED); 51A: Imagined (DREAMT); 56A: Expand, as a collection (ADD TO); 60A: Colorful horse (ROAN); 61A: Lose one's cool (PANIC); 62A: Those, in Tijuana (ESOS); 63A: Mired, after "in" (A RUT); 1D: Investor's concern (GROWTH); 2D: Go through again (RELIVE); 4D: Like a fillet (BONED); 5D: Cosmo topic (LOVE LIFE); 6D: Grand in scope (EPIC); 7D: Medieval Spanish chest (ARCA); 8D: Shenzi or Banzai in "The Lion King" (HYENA); 9D: __ Sousé, W.C. Fields's "The Bank Dick" role (EGBERT); 10D: Bad sport (POOR LOSER); 11D: Mangy mutt (CUR); 13D: Penultimate line on most bills (TAX); 21D: Greek architectural order (DORIC); 22D: "My country __ of thee ..." ('TIS); 25D: __-Z: classic Camaro (IROC); 26D: Ex-Speaker Gingrich (NEWT); 27D: Mag masthead names (EDS.); 30D: Wealthy Londoners (NOBS); 31D: Be a bad sport (GLOAT); 33D: Irrational way to go (BALLISTIC); 34D: "Whip It" band (DEVO); 36D: Bog fuel (PEAT); 37D: Singer's syllables (LA LA); 38D: Affection (FONDNESS); 39D: '80s Pontiac (FIERO); 43D: At the pawn shop (IN HOCK); 44D: "Gloria in Excelsis __" (DEO); 46D: Five o'clock shadow removers (RAZORS); 47D: German diacritical (UMLAUT); 48D: Surgical blockage relievers (STENTS); 54D: Apart from this (ELSE); 55D: Urban uprising (RIOT); 56D: Liable (APT); 58D: Genetic letters (DNA).

FRIDAY, Mar. 5, 2010 — Gary J. Whitehead

THEME: N to M — "N" is changed to "M" in the final letter of familiar phrases (all words involved in the letter change are 3-letter "-UN" / "-UM" words)



A very low word count for a themed puzzle (72). Maybe adding a couple black squares could've helped prevent the chain of random names that made this puzzle less-than-stellar. LARISSA? *That* is your central answer? That's weak. Weaker still is LARISSA (35A: City in Thessaly) into ADELPHI (another Greek name) (38D: Long Island university) into [choke] ORLE (52A: Outer area of an escutcheon) into RONSON (wtf?) (47D: Recent Zippo acquisition). Rest of the grid is pretty smooth, but that whole area from center to SE is kind of unsightly. As for the theme gimmick. I mean, it's fine. We've seen this type of thing a million times. It's an adequate basis for a puzzle. Quality of the theme answers *really* matters when the theme is a simple "change-a-letter." Today, one answer wins: ANNIE GET YOUR GUM. The others, I've already forgotten.

Theme answers:

• 17A: Suggestion to singer Lennox after a garlicky meal? (ANNIE GET YOUR GUM)
• 24A: Jamaican group winding down after a gig? (BAND ON THE RUM)
• 45A: Moocher at McDonald's? (HAMBURGER BUM)
• 58A: Feared words from an accountant? (HERE COMES THE SUM)

Made the SE worse by dropping in I REGRET for I REPENT (44D: Words of atonement). Also, since I formally refuse to acknowledge the existence of the so-called Episodes I-III of "Star Wars," I know only one actor who played Obi-Wan, and his name was ALEC (Guinness). Sadly for me, ALEC was already in the grid. EWAN (McGregor) came only with crosses (64A: He played Obi-Wan). Found JUDASES very hard to see for some reason (had every letter but the "J" before I got it). GOIN' isn't the greatest fill, but the clue kind of redeems it (18D: "___ Out of My Head": 1964 hit).



Crosswordese 101: ORLE (52A: Outer area of an escutcheon) — should I wait for you to look up "escutcheon?" Wikipedia's "Heraldry" entry defines "ORLE" as "A bordure separated from the outside of the shield" — so, a border that follows the contours of the shield but is not flush with the actual edge of the shield. A floating border. "Escutcheon," despite sounding like some horrific malady, is simply the shield part of a coat-of-arms.

See you Monday,

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter]

Everything Else — 1A: Bank statement no. (ACCT.); 5A: The Miners of Conf. USA (UTEP); 9A: One way to attend a party (STAG); 13A: Lincoln feature (BEARD); 15A: __ City: Baghdad suburb (SADR); 16A: Cook book (COMA); 17A: Suggestion to singer Lennox after a garlicky meal? (ANNIE GET YOUR GUM); 20A: Half of the Brady bunch, to Carol (STEPSONS); 21A: Clothes line? (CREASE); 22A: Samuel Johnson portraitist John __ (OPIE); 23A: Traitors (JUDASES); 24A: Jamaican group winding down after a gig? (BAND ON THE RUM); 28A: "Yours truly calling" ("IT IS I"); 29A: Downed (ATE); 30A: "Ditto" ("SAME"); 34A: Warmup toss (LOB); 35A: City in Thessaly (LARISSA); 39A: "Oedipus __" (REX); 40A: Sylvester's problem (LISP); 42A: Hägar creator Browne (DIK); 43A: Roman moon goddess (DIANA); 45A: Moocher at McDonald's? (HAMBURGER BUM); 49A: Acid neutralizers (ALKALIS); 52A: Outer area of an escutcheon (ORLE); 53A: Afternoon service (TEASET); 54A: Fragments (SNIPPETS); 58A: Feared words from an accountant? (HERE COMES THE SUM); 60A: Frankfurt's river (ODER); 61A: Canceled (NO-GO); 62A: Emcee's job (INTRO); 63A: Nos. divided by dashes (SSNS); 64A: He played Obi-Wan (EWAN); 65A: Strong taste (TANG); 1D: "__ le roi!": French Revolution cry (ABAS); 2D: Tiny amount (CENT); 3D: Mr. Peanut prop (CANE); 4D: Surveyors' tools (TRIPODS); 5D: Online newsgroup system (USENET); 6D: Does lacework (TATS); 7D: Eponymous ice cream maker (EDY); 8D: Gets by special means (PROCURES); 9D: Roller coaster sounds (SCREAMS); 10D: Senate apparel (TOGAS); 11D: Tickle pink (AMUSE); 12D: Fun partner (GAMES); 14D: Pillage (DESPOIL); 18D: "__ Out of My Head": 1964 hit (GOIN'); 19D: Language heard in Karachi (URDU); 23D: Flies, in a way (JETS); 24D: Law in the works (BILL); 25D: Paris possessive (À TOI); 26D: Writing points (NIBS); 27D: 17-syllable poem (HAIKU); 31D: Libyan, probably (ARAB); 32D: You might get one right after being seated (MENU); 33D: Checkup (EXAM); 36D: Ticket order? (ADMIT ONE); 37D: Barbecue order (RIBS); 38D: Long Island university (ADELPHI); 41D: Sci-fi weapons (PHASERS); 44D: Words of atonement (I REPENT); 46D: Baldwin of "30 Rock" (ALEC); 47D: Recent Zippo acquisition (RONSON); 48D: Gumption (GRIT); 49D: Oldest musketeer (ATHOS); 50D: It's on the Aire (LEEDS); 51D: Carpenter with a soothing voice (KAREN); 54D: Nintendo rival (SEGA); 55D: This, in Tijuana (ESTA); 56D: Make a right, say (TURN); 57D: Industrial pollutant (SMOG); 59D: Cut (MOW).