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!

M O N D A Y September 6, 2010 Lila Cherry

Theme: What's black and white and read less and less frequently every day? — Theme answers end with words that can describe parts of a newspaper.


Theme answers:

• 18A: Watch or clock (TIMEPIECE).
• 20A: Second floor of a home, say (UPPER STORY).
• 33A/35A: Real McCoy (GENUINE / ARTICLE).
• 52A: Where to begin adding numbers (ONES COLUMN).
• 54A: Daily publication where you'd read the ends of 18-, 20-, 33/35- and 52-Across (NEWSPAPER).

I'm still a little freaked about learning that the contrusctor of today's New York Times puzzle is also a college wrestling referee. I was pretty sure there weren't any puzzle/wrestling people besides, ya know, me. I can't imagine talking to someone about both puzzles and wrestling. With most people, I can't really talk about either subject. Without them looking at me like I have three heads. Anyway, this is a very cool bit of news. I'm going to have to think about how I can take advantage of it in my quest to take over the world. I'm sure there's a way.

But hey — let's talk about this puzzle. I didn't time myself, but it felt like I blew through it pretty quickly, which is what I expect on Monday of course. The theme is solid, though not incredibly interesting — GENUINE ARTICLE is a nice entry and ONES COLUMN made me chuckle. TIMEPIECE and UPPER STORY don't do much for me, but they're fine. Well, now that I think about, UPPER STORY sounds a little awkward. I would be more likely to say "upper floor" or "second story." But that very well might just be me.

The interesting thing about this puzzle, though, is that it doesn't have much crosswordese at all. We'll talk about ESTER later and we've mentioned AGAPE (17A: Open-mouthed) before, but that's pretty much it.

Bullets:

• 1A: Moved on all fours (CREPT). I kinda wanted "sneek" for this but CREPT is so much better.

• 9A: Action film high point (CHASE). Do people really enjoy the chase scenes? They always bore me.
• 24A: QVC competitor (HSN). I don't know what QVC stands for (if anything), but HSN is Home Shopping Network.
• 29A: Brighton buddy (MATEY). PuzzleDaughter has this new thing where she talks in either a British or Australian accent when we're out in public. When we get out of an elevator, she'll say to the other passengers "g'day, mate" or "cheerio." It's pretty funny.
• 32A: Amt. still owed (BAL.). An amount still owed is a BALance.
• 45A: Bump off (DO IN). I had a heckuva time parsing this one. "DOIN? Shouldn't there be another letter in there somewhere?"

• 51A: Actress Gardner (AVA). I can never remember whether her name is Eva or AVA. And I could swear I just saw her in a puzzle with the E spelling. If I had been paying attention today, of course, I would have noticed EVA PERÓN (3D: Argentine leader played by Madonna) at another spot in the puzzle and realized they couldn't both be spelled the same way.
• 59A: Perrier, to Pierre (EAU). French!
• 60A: Cybercommerce (ETAIL). I can think of another thing ETAIL might mean, but it's completely inappropriate.
• 1D: Civil War org. (CSA). Confederate States of America.
• 13D: Pizazz (ENERGY). I've said it before and I'll say it again. I want four Zs in my PIZZAZZ.
• 36D: Dungeness delicacy (CRAB MEAT). I don't eat seafood so this answer made me hold my nose. And then 37D: Tart dessert (LEMON PIE) made me hurl.
• 53D: Nikki Sixx/Tommy Lee group Mötley __ (CRÜE).

Crosswordese 101: I don't really know what ESTER is, but I know how to recognize an early-week clue for it. Late in the week, clues for ESTER are often examples of ESTER like diglyceride, butyl acetate, banana oil, phosphate, or other science-y sounding things that I can never keep in my brain. Early in the week though? An ESTER is basically a "Perfumer's compound," "fragrant compound" or 63A: Aromatic compound.

[Follow PuzzleGirl on Twitter.]

Everything Else — 6A: "Snow" veggie (PEA); 14A: Break off completely (SEVER); 15A: Select, with "for" (OPT); 16A: Like Cheerios (OATEN); 22A: Your and my (OUR); 23A: John who played Basil Fawlty (CLEESE); 25A: Town, informally (BURG); 26A: Animal fat (LARD); 27A: Keats or Yeats (POET); 30A: Ear: Pref. (OTO-); 31A: Ernie's Muppet pal (BERT); 39A: Got ready for a lap dog (SAT); 40A: Ink stain (BLOT); 41A: Accelerate, with "up" (REV); 42A: Gets nosy (PRIES); 46A: Arrived (CAME); 47A: Swedish soprano Jenny (LIND); 48A: Tyrannosaurus __ (REX); 49A: Element used in dating rocks (CARBON); 56A: Microwave alerts (BEEPS); 58A: Speechify (ORATE); 61A: Justin Timberlake's boy band ('N SYNC); 62A: AAA suggestion (RTE.); 2D: Control, as temperature (REGULATE); 4D: Livened (up) (PEPPED); 5D: Ancestral diagrams (TREES); 6D: Pans partner (POTS); 7D: Nickname (EPITHET); 8D: Maximally (AT MOST); 9D: Xerox (COPY); 10D: See 25-Down (HAI); 11D: Enjoyed a diner (ATE OUT); 12D: Tie tightly (SECURE); 19D: Directional suffix (-ERN); 21D: Regret one's sins (REPENT); 23D: Drain obstruction (CLOG); 25D: With 10-Down, "South Pacific" song (BALI); 28D: Calif. neighbor (ORE.); 29D: Damon of "Good Will Hunting" (MATT); 31D: Skewed view (BIAS); 32D: "Bucking" horse (BRONCO); 34D: Secondhand (USED); 35D: Baba who stole from thieves (ALI); 38D: All square (EVEN); 40D: Costlier ballpark spot (BOX SEAT); 42D: Expect to happen (PLAN ON); 43D: Funny Joan (RIVERS); 44D: Sort of (IN A WAY); 45D: Farther below the water's surface (DEEPER); 46D: Salad oil bottles (CRUETS); 48D: Cell "messenger," briefly (RNA); 50D: "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" playwright (ALBEE); 52D: Oil cartel acronym (OPEC); 55D: RR depot (STN.); 57D: 35mm camera type (SLR).

MONDAY, Mar. 15, 2010 — Lila Cherry

THEME: IDES OF MARCH (56A: Today, to Caesar — and a hint to the hidden word appearing in this puzzle 15 times (including this one))


I like everything about this puzzle except one thing — IDE is not a word. Hang on ... I take that back. According to Webster's 3rd Int'l Dictionary, IDE is "a European freshwater cyprinid food fish." The dictionary also says that IDE is "one of the IDES," but IDES, though apparently plural in construction, is singular in usage. That's why the expression is not the IDE OF MARCH. I didn't notice the theme when I was solving, and when I finally did see it, after I was done, I went looking for fifteen instances of IDES! "But ... HIDE AND SEEK just has 'IDE' ... that can't be right." So, trying to pass "IDE" off as a "word," boo. Other than that, though, yay. A timely theme that not only gets you into a game of HIDE AND SEEK, but involves as many hidden "words" (15) as there are days represented by that word. That makes the construction much more impressive than it would have been otherwise, even if, as I said, I didn't notice this feat At All while I was solving.

Thought I was headed to a record time, but apparently my hesitation at 41D: Dr. Denton's, e.g. (PAJAMAS) cost me. These PAJAMAS are known to me only from crosswords. I have no idea what they are, when they were popular, etc. What I know is that I thought the clue was asking for a shoe insert. Further, I wrote in WHEW before I ever saw the clue for POLAR CAP (50A: Icy formation at either extremity of the Earth's axis), so had puzzled over what kind of "icy formation" might end in "W" ... but WHEW was supposed to be PHEW (54D: Relieved cry). Also wrote in PHIS for PSIS (50D: Trident-shaped letters). All this was enough to push me back to normal Monday time (low 3s).

Theme answers:

• 16A: Kids' game with an "it" (HIDE AND SEEK)
• 10D: Wedding party member (BRIDESMAID)
• 26D: Like most modern TVs, picturewise (WIDESCREEN)

... and 12 others



Crosswordese 101: ROLF (44D: Massage deeply) — while not nearly as common as your ERN(E)S and your EPEES, ROLF is a persistent repeater, and often stymies people who have never heard of it before. It's like that guy's name ... only without the final "E." ("That guy" is John ROLFE ... I had to Google to remember what "guy" I was thinking of) It's also a nice approximation of a wretching, barfing sound. ROLFing was invented by Ida Pauline ROLF, and is trademarked. Hey, constructors: I got a new IDA clue for you.

See you Friday,

~RP

P.S. an announcement (one I'll make several more times in the coming month or so) — the Crosswords L.A. Tournament is coming up, Saturday, May 1, at Loyola-Marymount University, and I will be there. I don't know yet if I'm competing, or judging, or just eating sandwiches and watching, but I'll be there. It promises to be a fantastic, friendly tournament, one that is welcoming and open to people of *ALL* skill levels. There are categories for non-speedsters. There's even a TEAMS category that allows you to solve in pairs. It's cheap and it's for a good cause, so you should definitely go. Details here (there's also a link near the top of our sidebar). Go register now. Thanks.



Everything Else — 1A: Month with showers (APRIL); 6A: Auctioned auto, briefly (REPO); 10A: Journalist Nellie (BLY); 13A: Egypt's capital (CAIRO); 14A: Ancient Greek district (IONIA); 15A: Corned beef bread (RYE); 16A: Kids' game with an "it" (HIDE AND SEEK); 18A: Nest egg item, for short (IRA); 19A: Bridge supports (TRESTLES); 20A: Curving pitch (SLIDER); 22A: Garment bottom (HEM); 23A: Suffix with meth- or prop- (ANE); 24A: Alley competitor (BOWLER); 28A: Backyard play apparatus (SWING SET); 33A: Like some college walls (IVIED); 34A: Employed (HIRED); 35A: Caesar's 1,051 (MLI); 36A: Author André (GIDE); 37A: Fall apple drink (CIDER); 38A: Pass's opposite (FAIL); 39A: Single (ONE); 40A: City on the Ruhr (ESSEN); 41A: Group of lions (PRIDE); 42A: Nuclear treaty subjects (TEST BANS); 44A: 9-Down footballer (RAIDER); 45A: Corn discard (COB); 46A: The Atty. General is head of it (DOJ); 47A: Low-level clouds (STRATI); 50A: Icy formation at either extremity of the Earth's axis (POLAR CAP); 55A: Peeper (EYE); 56A: Today, to Caesaróand a hint to the hidden word appearing in this puzzle 15 times (including the one in this answer) (IDES OF MARCH); 58A: Classic Jaguar model (XKE); 59A: Jeans material (DENIM); 60A: "What's in __?": Juliet (A NAME); 61A: Japanese money (YEN); 62A: Has a sandwich (EATS); 63A: Brawn (SINEW); 1D: Eight, in Berlin (ACHT); 2D: Twosome (PAIR); 3D: Bike outing (RIDE); 4D: Enrages (IRES); 5D: Despised (LOATHED); 6D: Perot of politics (ROSS); 7D: Denver-to-Chicago dir. (ENE); 8D: Crusty desserts (PIES); 9D: San Francisco Bay city (OAKLAND); 10D: Wedding party member (BRIDESMAID); 11D: Old Greek stringed instrument (LYRE); 12D: 365 days (YEAR); 14D: As above, in footnotes (IDEM); 17D: Met, Nat or Card (NLER); 21D: Beethoven's "Minuet __" (IN G); 24D: Archie Bunker type (BIGOT); 25D: Like lambs and rams (OVINE); 26D: Like most modern TVs, picturewise (WIDE-SCREEN); 27D: Reb general (LEE); 28D: Square's four (SIDES); 29D: Birdhouse songbird (WREN); 30D: Suffix with bombard (-IER); 31D: Drop in pronunciation (ELIDE); 32D: Flooring specialist (TILER); 34D: Yokel's possessive (HIS'N); 37D: 27-Down's org. (CSA); 38D: End of most work wks. (FRI.); 40D: Oceanic reflux (EBB TIDE); 41D: Dr. Denton's, e.g. (PAJAMAS); 43D: Ode title starter (TO A); 44D: Massage deeply (ROLF); 46D: Dire fate (DOOM); 47D: Like a sheer negligee (SEXY); 48D: Small child (TYKE); 49D: What's on your mind (IDEA); 50D: Trident-shaped letters (PSIS); 51D: Hindu princess (RANI); 52D: Prefix with apple (CRAN-); 53D: Summit (ACME); 54D: Relieved cry (PHEW); 57D: Tolkien tree creature (ENT).