02.06 Sun

S U N D A Y February 6, 2011
Mike Peluso

[Note: This is the syndicated L.A. Times puzzle. It does not appear in the actual newspaper, but is available for free at cruciverb.com.]

Theme: "Subtraction" — The letter string "ION" is literally subtracted from familiar phrases, leading to zany theme answers.

Theme Entries:

• 23A: "Most Difficult Woman" pageant title? (MISS IMPOSSIBLE).
• 35A: What Nadia Comaneci gave her Olympic opponents? (TENS HEADACHE).
• 57A: Batch of itch reliever? (CALAMINE LOT).
• 79A: Native American Washington baseballer? (CHEROKEE NAT).
• 99A: Timeless witticism? (PERPETUAL MOT).
• 118A: Deal between thugs? (MUSCLE CONTRACT).
• 16D: Restrictions on Cupid? (EROS CONTROL).
• 69D: Number in an Amtrak report? (RAILWAY STAT).

Happy Super Bowl Sunday, everyone! This is Doug, back at the helm. I haven't followed football closely in many years, so my Super Bowl excitement level is pretty low. I used to be a Seahawks fan way back in the days of Steve Largent, but I gave up on them when they changed their colors and moved to the NFC. I'll be pulling for the Packers so I can root against Ben Roethlisberger.

I hope football fans find some time for the puzzle today. Maybe you can solve it during the interminable pre-game show or the half-time nonsense. I really enjoyed this one. Most of the theme entries were fun, and they were clued cleverly. MISS IMPOSSIBLE was probably my favorite. There was some nice stuff in the rest of the puzzle too: ROBUST (I've always liked that word for some reason), TWITCHY, GEHRIG, GRIESE, SIOUX, NINJA, VENDETTA.

Bullets:

• 22A: 1939 retiree who said "Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth (GEHRIG). One of the greatest baseball moments of all time. And today I'm thinking about a 2011 retiree, Andy Pettitte. He's no Gehrig, but it's sad (for Yankee fans) to realize that we'll never see him on the mound again. And I'm reminded that we'll only have another season or two of Jorge Posada and three or four more of Derek Jeter. Mariano Rivera, on the the other hand, will pitch forever.
• 27A: Nashville-to-Louisville direction (NNE). I've never once figured out an "X-to-Y direction" clue. I always get them from the crossers.
• 64A: Sm., med. or lge. (ADJ). All three of those words are adjectives. Were you fooled?
• 79A: Native American Washington baseballer? (CHEROKEE NAT). D.C.'s baseball team is called the Nationals, or the Nats, for short. And I know PuzzleGirl is the proud owner of an official Stephen Strasburg t-shirt. OK, I promise that's the last baseball-related comment of the day.
• 83A: Hall of Famer Sandberg (RYNE). More baseball? I thought this was Super Bowl Sunday.
• 90A: Fail to take the heat? (MELT). Great clue. I thought it was going to have something to do with guns.
• 107A: Speed, for a running back (ASSET). There's a football clue! I assume the running backs in today's game (whoever they are) are indeed speedy.
• 124A: Kobe mat (TATAMI). I thought they snuck in a basketball clue on us, but this one refers to the Japanese city of Kobe.

• 9D: Acting like one has something to hide (TWITCHY). Coolest word in the puzzle.
• 43D: Starting Miami quarterback in three straight '70s Super Bowls (GRIESE). Now that's an awesome clue for Super Bowl Sunday. Bob Griese was the winning quarterback in Super Bowls VII and VIII. His son Brian won a ring for Super Bowl XXXIII, but he didn't play in the game.
• 51D: French card game (ÉCARTÉ). I just read an interesting article on écarté in the latest (April 2011) issue of Games magazine. It was a big deal in the 19th century.
• 70D: Iowa's ___ City (SIOUX). What? It's not Iowa City, home of the Hawkeyes? I'm shocked.
• 88D: Subject of a "Rigoletto" duet (VENDETTA). I love the entry, though the clue gave me no help.
• 94D: "Jersey Shore" airer (MTV). From "Rigoletto" to "Jersey Shore." Only in a crossword puzzle!
• 100D: DeMille specialty (EPIC). Am I the only person who thinks of the Dutch band Epica whenever I see EPIC in a puzzle? Yes, I believe I am.

• 115A: Ignore a Time change? (STET). I love this Time magazine-related clue for the usually boring STET. To an editor, DELE means "take something out" and STET means "put it back in." Something like that. I only know these words from crosswords.

Have a stupendous Sunday. I'll see you next week.

W E D N E S D A Y October 6, 2010 Mike Peluso

Theme: Fly Like an Eagle — Four themes answers, each one a different definition of "Eagle."



Hey, everybody! Doug here, filling in for PuzzleGirl. She was called away to some high-level meetings today. I don't want to give too much away, but she's on the short list to be Obama's new Wrestling Czar.

Theme Answers:

• 20A: Eagle (KEEN-EYED BIRD)
• 33A: Eagle (LUNAR LANDER)
• 41A: Eagle (TWO UNDER PAR)
• 54A: Eagle (HIGHEST SCOUT)

OK, if you're reading this, then I didn't break the blog. So far, so good!

This is a theme type that some solvers don't care for, but I enjoy seeing it every now and then. I liked the first three "Eagles," especially LUNAR LANDER & TWO UNDER PAR. Those are nice in-the-language phrases and don't look out of place in the grid. HIGHEST SCOUT feels a bit off. HIGHEST SCOUT RANK would be better, but that's 16 letters long. (Constructors hate 16-letter phrases.) Or maybe I'm a little bitter because I only made it to First Class in my Boy Scout career. That's three ranks below Eagle, if you're keeping score at home.

• 18A: Former credit card giant (MBNA). An odd entry that came to me immediately. Wikipedia tells me it was "the world's largest independent credit card issuer," so I guess those initials leaked into my brain at some point.
• 23A: Big pix: Abbr. (ENLS). That entry is all kinds of ugly. We shall not speak of it again.
• 47A: Composer Berlioz (HECTOR). I've heard of Berlioz, but I had no idea his first name was Hector. Hector? Really? My favorite Hector is the one from the Trojan War.
• 5D: Harris of country (EMMYLOU). This is a cool name to see in the grid. Embedding videos is above my pay grade right now, so after you're done reading this, go to YouTube and watch an Emmylou Harris video.
• 9D: Destructive 2005 newsmaker (KATRINA). Another cool name, but I always cringe when I see devastating hurricanes referenced in clues for Katrina, Ivan, Agnes, etc. Wouldn't it be nicer to use Katrina and the Waves in the clue? After you watch that Emmylou Harris video, check out "Walking on Sunshine."

• 27D: Girardi's predecessor as Yankee manager (TORRE). I'm pretty excited about his successor as Dodger manager, Don Mattingly. He was the only bright spot on some very bad Yankee teams when I was growing up. But I'll never get used to seeing him in Dodger Blue. Donnie, come home!
• 32D/7D: Feeling better (ON THE/MEND). I like the way the constructor rescued a partial by pairing it with another entry. Nice touch.
• 45D: Cleanup hitter's stats (RBIS). Postseason starts tonight. Play ball!
• 59D: Pin cushion? (MAT). Cute clue. And perhaps a shout-out to our new Wrestling Czar.

OK, that's enough for my first day. This is harder than it looks.

Everything Else — 1A: Dance fundamental (STEP); 5A: Spreading trees (ELMS); 9A: Cosmic payback (KARMA); 14A: __-up: slow Web connection (DIAL); 15A: Bubbly label name (MOET); 16A: Like some kites (AVIAN); 17A: Menlo Park middle name (ALVA); 19A: Shakespeare's title Athenian (TIMON); 24A: Reagan era prog. (SDI); 25A: Ball club (BAT); 28A: Pancho was his sidekick (CISCO); 30A: Running independently (ON AUTO); 32A: Trite (OLD); 37A: Leg-shaving alternative (NAIR); 39A: "Science Guy" Bill (NYE); 40A: Baking soda target (ODOR); 46A: Tint (HUE); 48A: WWII blockade vessel (U-BOAT); 50A: Joseph of ice cream fame (EDY); 51A: Tic __: mint (TAC); 53A: Sale condition (AS IS); 59A: Ambulance attendant (MEDIC); 62A: Cathedral section (APSE); 63A: "Dark Angel" actress Jessica (ALBA); 64A: Worship (ADORE); 65A: Bring up (REAR); 66A: Diver's haunt (REEF); 67A: Au courant, with "in" (TUNED); 68A: Ancient Persian (MEDE); 69A: Ilk (SORT); 1D: Nebr. neighbor (S. DAK.); 2D: Roofer's piece (TILE); 3D: Whence icicles hang (EAVE); 4D: Does a cabinetmaking task (PLANES); 6D: They may be pierced (LOBES); 8D: Pierces (STABS); 10D: Zealous (AVID); 11D: Part of most eyeglasses (RIM); 12D: "Little Red Book" author (MAO); 13D: Ex-Texas governor Richards (ANN); 21D: Check sent with a ltr., e.g. (ENCL.); 22D: Adored one (IDOL); 25D: Sanskrit for "awakened one" (BUDDHA); 26D: Enjoyed Denny's, say (ATE OUT); 28D: Scratched (CLAWED); 29D: Stupidity (IDIOCY); 31D: "That's __": "Uh-uh" (A NO); 34D: Toledo-to-Detroit dir. (NNE); 35D: Port on the Firth of Clyde (AYR); 36D: Sen. counterpart (REP.); 38D: Road to nowhere, metaphorically (RUT); 42D: Spied (NOTICED); 43D: Schlep (DRAG); 44D: Like monastic life (AUSTERE); 49D: Annual Hollywood gala, with "the" (OSCARS); 52D: Amulet (CHARM); 53D: Syrian leader (ASSAD); 54D: Take on (HIRE); 55D: Fencing sword (ÉPÉE); 56D: Stick on the table (OLEO); 57D: Opposite of unter (UBER); 58D: First president to take up golf (TAFT); 60D: University URL (EDU); 61D: Put on (DON).

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!

F R I D A Y August 27, 2010 Mike Peluso

Theme: It(t)y Bitty — Familiar phrases have the letters ‑ITY tacked onto the end. Wackiness ensues.


Theme answers:

• 20A: Oil company's penchant for employee transfers? (EXXON MOBILITY).
• 29A: Measure of neighborhood drug traffic? (OPIUM DENSITY).
• 46A: Egotism that brings you to tears? (MOVING VANITY).
• 56A: Pigmentation variations? (SKIN DIVERSITY).

I was distracted while I solved this puzzle, so I'm not really sure how hard it is. I know I had some self-inflicted trouble in the Mid-Atlantic area due to how quickly I entered OLÉ where RAH was supposed to go (26A: Arena cheer). I thought, "But shouldn't 27D: Make restitution be ATONE and 28D: Service songs be HYMNS?" Why yes. Yes, they should.

I have to admit I'm a little disappointed in the theme in that two of the phrases are plural, which kind of seems like cheating to me. I actually thought for a quick second that the theme might be adding ‑SITY to the ends of the phrases instead of just ‑ITY. Sometimes a theme's inconsistency doesn't really bother me until I'm done with the puzzle and am reviewing it again. But today, it actually bothered me during the solve. For what it's worth.

Bullets:

• 1A: W.E.B. Du Bois was among its founders (NAACP). I do so love it when 1 Across is a bit, fat gimme.
• 6A: Coot's cousin (RAIL). Are these some type of animal? … Yes, birds. Apparently, a coot looks (and acts) rather like a duck.
• 19A: Far Hills, N.J.-based sports org. (USGA). United States Golf Association.
• 23A: Pennzoil letters (SAE). According to Wikipedia, this refers to the Society of Automotive Engineers' "numerical code system for grading motor oils to their viscosity characteristics."
• 24A: Carrier with a hub at LAX (UAL). Why did I try UAW first? Anybody know? No? Okay.
• 35A: Where Charlie was trapped, in a Kingston Trio hit (MTA).



• 41A: "Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story" star Sherilyn (FENN). This is the first entry of the mini-theme of Actresses Who Look Like Other Actresses. Here's Sherilynn FENN and Julianna Margulies.
  
  
  See also 9D: LEELEE Sobieski of "Joy Ride" (2001) and Helen Hunt.
  
  I looked through Sobieski's past work on IMDb but don't think I've seen a single one of her movies or television shows. Which is weird, because I absolutely know her as "that actress who looks like Helen Hunt."

• 44A: "__ Woman": 1975 hit (I'M A). Raise your hand if you tried "I AM Woman" first. Only off by a couple years.
• 66A: Like many a motel air conditioner (NOISY). Ain't that the truth.
• 69A: One who's generally bottled up? (GENIE).
• 4D: Puccini's "O mio babbino __" (CARO). I totally guessed on this one. It just sounded right. I would translate this is "Oh my sweet baby." How'd I do? … Darn. "Babbino" is actually "papa," and "caro" is "dear."

• 31D: Hardly the drill sergeant type (SOFTY).
• 33D: Fowl on a menu (CAPON). Again with the birds. What is this, a duck? I sure don't know much today. A CAPON is actually a castrated rooster.
• 39D: Man, e.g. (OMNIVORE). I'm not a big fan of the word "man" used as a substitute "human."
• 40D: See, and then some (RAISE). Poker reference.
• 48D: Family gathering staples (VIDEOS). Me: "Why would a family be gathering staples?"
• 57D: F and G, but not H (KEYS). This is a music reference. Notes of the scale only go from A to G. So you might hear a song in the key of F or G, but you'll never hear a song in the key of H.
• 60D: Sportscaster Costas (BOB). Love him.

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 10A: Barcelona-born muralist (SERT).
• 15A: Coastal predator (ERNE).
• 62A: Like Erté's art (DECO).
• 29D: '90s "SNL" regular Cheri (OTERI).

[Follow PuzzleGirl on Twitter.]

Everything Else — 14A: Of an arm bone (ULNAR); 16A: Hawaii neighbor (MAUI); 17A: "The Wreck of the Mary __" (DEARE); 18A: Benefit (SAKE); 25A: Con opening (NEO-); 32A: Part of CPA: Abbr. (ACCT.); 36A: Doomed city (SODOM); 37A: Red (RARE); 38A: Peruvian address (SEÑOR); 42A: Puccini offering (OPERA); 45A: Muy, across the Pyrenees (TRÈS); 50A: "Wheel of Fortune" buy (AN A); 51A: Half a cocktail (TAI); 52A: "Kinda" suffix (-ISH); 53A: Half-witted (DIM); 60A: Pedestal (BASE); 63A: Any Frankie Avalon song (OLDIE); 64A: Follow (OBEY); 65A: Gardener, at times (HOER); 67A: Crown's girl, in a 1935 opera (BESS); 68A: "Gotcha" ("I SEE"); 1D: Sculptors' subjects (NUDES); 2D: Billy Joel's daughter (ALEXA); 3D: Has __ to grind (AN AXE); 5D: Asset protection plan, briefly (PRE-NUP); 6D: Determined (RESOLUTE); 7D: __-Israeli War (ARAB); 8D: Equitable way to pay (IN KIND); 10D: Blue books? (SMUT); 11D: 1969 road movie (EASY RIDER); 12D: Toupee (RUG); 13D: Madre's hermana (TIA); 21D: Injures badly (MAIMS); 22D: They're not free of charge (IONS); 30D: Frenzy (MANIA); 32D: Coffee asset (AROMA); 34D: Climbers' obstacles (CREVASSES); 43D: Fighting (ANTI); 47D: Kingsley role (GANDHI); 49D: Crowd (THRONG); 53D: Slew (DID IN); 54D: Formal doorstep response (IT IS I); 55D: "Yeah, right!!" ("MY EYE!"); 58D: Slurpee alternative (ICEE); 59D: __ gin (SLOE); 61D: Harlem Globetrotters founder Saperstein (ABE).

WEDNESDAY, Jul. 28, 2010—Mike Peluso

THEME: PRIME (70A: Steak rating, and word that can precede the first words of the answers to starred clues)


Hey everyone, it's Rex here filling in for the (choose one) a. injured b. lazy c. jet-setting d. burned out Puzzle Girl today. As "word that can precede" puzzles go, this one is OK—pretty average—but what's weird about it is that the *last* words (i.e. those Not involved in the theme) are the ones that appear to go together: TICKLER, CRUNCHER, SHAKER, KILLER. I spent a good minute trying to figure out what the link was before I realized that there was no link: PRIME was the key word, and the first, not the last, words were involved. What's more, the phrase structure is identical in 3/4 of the theme answers: Obj. VerbER, i.e. NUMBER CRUNCHER, RIB TICKLER, and TIME KILLER. This only solidified my conviction that those second words were somehow implicated in the theme (though the incongruity of the phrasing of MOVER AND SHAKER gave me pause, rightly).

Theme answers:

• 17A: *Funny story (RIB TICKLER)
• 27A: *Financial analyst (NUMBER CRUNCHER)
• 47A: *Influential one (MOVER AND SHAKER)
• 63A: *Diversion while waiting (TIME KILLER)

Rest of the grid looks pretty good. Did not pick up PARAPHRASE quickly because I associate it with concision, not merely restatement—was really looking for "RE-" beginning. Parallel tracks of UNINVITING and NIELSENS are pretty nice-looking, and KEVLAR, GOTHAM, COMETS, and MOREAU are pretty tasty too (for mid-length fill). Puzzle really pays a price for trying to run RYDER CUP alongside PARAPHRASE: forced into plural abbrev. RPMS, which puts a stranglehold on the whole corner. Random Roman Numeral becomes virtually impossible to avoid at 12D: XII years before the Battle of Hastings (MLIV), which brings along the crosswordtastic YALU and SUPE. Sub par corner for sure. Worth it for the long Downs? Judgment call, but I'd have scrapped that corner and started over. Dreck quotient just too high.

Crosswordese 101: YALU (16A: Strategic Chinese border river) — also called the "AMNOK" river (in Korean), this river separates China and North Korea. A lot of North Koreans are crossing it in recent years in order that they can, you know, live. By which I mean eat. Not starve. Etc. Great / horrifying recent article on effects of last year's currency devaluation.

PG should be back tomorrow. See you later—

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter]

WEDNESDAY, June 30, 2010 — Mike Peluso

Theme: Hudson and Winslet?* — Theme answers end with anagrams of STEAK.


Theme answers:

• 16A: Prospector's funding (GRUBSTAKE).
• 23A: Compete in a derby, maybe (ROLLER SKATE).
• 36A: "To Autumn" poet (JOHN KEATS).
• 54A: Disbelieving looks (DOUBLE TAKES).
• 62A: Tenderized cut of beef (CUBE STEAK).

This is one of those puzzles where I think it's kinda fun while I'm solving it because the theme has me confused enough to keep it interesting (have I mentioned I'm easily confused?), but then when I look back at it and see all the three-letter words, I think, "Wow. I liked this??" I count 23 three-letter words. That's a lot. And one of them is a random letter string, so you know that's not good. (61D: B-F connectors (C-D-E).)

I did like the clue for BASSIST (15D: Paul McCartney or Sting). I thought for sure the answer was going to British, so much so that I questioned the other letters I already had in place. I liked the pairing of DODO and AIRHEAD (9A: Ding-a-ling / 45D: Featherbrain) and wish SLURRED and SLOSHED had both been clued with relation to that sot (another great crossword word) (3D: Like a sot's speech / 41D: Waded (through)).

Other than that, not much stood out for me.

Hmmm…:

• 22A: "Bad Moon Rising" band, familiarly (CCR). I don't really like this song, so I think we'll listen to one I like instead.



• 30A: Rolodex no. (TEL.). I know it doesn't make any sense, but I swear there are people who still insist on using a rolodex.
• 44A: Lawyer's aide (PARA). I believe I've previously made it clear how I feel about this word.

• 58A: Showing no emotion (STOICAL). Is the AL necessary at the end of this word? Doesn't STOIC mean the same thing?
• 61A: Flay and Ray, e.g. (CHEFS). HAha! No idea what this was about. The only TV chef I'm familiar with is the guy on "Dinner: Impossible" because one of his "missions" was to serve lunch at the ACPT last year. Andrea Carla Michaels was recruited to help him with the puzzle aspect of the mission, and she really stole the show as far as I'm concerned. If you haven't seen it, I believe you can find it on YouTube.
• 66A: Dutch city known for its blue-and-white pottery (DELFT). The end of this word is such a great consonant collision. It's like DEL… phfft!

• 5D: Protective pad (MAT).
• 46D: Lasted longer than expected, as a meeting (RAN LATE). I really wanted ran over here. To me, running late is more like showing up late. But I concede that this is perfectly fine. Just giving you a little glimpse of how my mind works. You're welcome.

Crosswordese 101: There are a couple ERIK-with-a-Ks you need to know for solving crosswords. We've already covered ERIK Satie, who also has a gridworthy last name. Another is Gaston Leroux's 38D: The Phantom of the Opera, sometimes clued as Christine's lover (which, I think we must read literally as "one who loves Christine" and not the typical use of the word where the two parties love each other). The tenor in Wagner's "The Flying Dutchman" is also named ERIK-with-a-K. And, last but certainly not least, there's ERIK Estrada, who played Ponch on CHiPs back in the day.

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

• 71A: Mideast city on its own gulf (ADEN).
• 21D: Poetic preposition (ERE).
• 26D: Tarzan portrayer Ron (ELY).
• 28D: Rani's spouse (RAJA).
• 39D: Bern's river (AARE).
• 64D: Short head lines? (EEG).

[Follow PuzzleGirl on Twitter.]

* KATES (see what I did there?)

Everything Else — 1A: State of disarray (MESS); 5A: BLT condiment (MAYO); 13A: __ Alto (PALO); 14A: Baby step? (A TO B); 15A: Human, e.g. (BIPED); 18A: Simpson of fashion (ADELE); 19A: Zone (AREA); 20A: It's not pretty (EYESORE); 27A: Remedial treatment (THERAPY); 29A: Opus __: "The Da Vinci Code" sect (DEI); 31A: "The Scarlet Letter" letter (RED A); 32A: __-en-Provence, France (AIX); 34A: Run-down (SEEDY); 40A: Son of Abraham (ISAAC); 43A: Memorable time (ERA); 48A: Spa benefit, for short (TLC); 49A: FedEx rival (UPS); 52A: Tehran inhabitant (IRANIAN); 57A: Some OR staff (RN'S); 59A: German chancellor, 1982-'98 (KOHL); 67A: Swiss abstractionist (KLEE); 68A: Fee (RATE); 69A: Breyers competitor (EDY'S); 70A: Succumbed to being grilled (SANG); 1D: EPA sticker datum (MPG); 2D: Otitis (EARACHE); 4D: Fruit juice brand (SOBE); 6D: Words with clip or time (AT A); 7D: Backwoods type (YOKEL); 8D: Heeded (OBEYED); 9D: Passed, say (DID OK); 10D: Run (OPERATE); 11D: Erased (DELETED); 12D: 36-Across work (ODE); 17D: Lee with frozen desserts (SARA); 22D: NFL snapper (CTR.); 24D: Shimmering aquarium fish (OPAH); 25D: "__ Eyes": Eagles hit (LYIN'); 33D: 1960s-'70s Jaguar (XKE); 35D: "Baseball Tonight" airer (ESPN); 37D: Eye doctor (OCULIST); 40D: "__ be an honor" (IT'D); 42D: Keen way to be aware (ACUTELY); 47D: Q&A part: Abbr. (ANS.); 50D: Push-up target (PEC); 51D: IHOP servings (STACKS); 53D: Wants to know (ASKS); 55D: Smash hits, in slang (BOFFS); 56D: "Be-Bop-__": 1956 hit (A-LULA); 60D: Other, in Oaxaca (OTRA); 63D: Kingsley who played Gandhi (BEN); 65D: Baseball's Griffey (KEN).

FRIDAY, May 21, 2010 — Mike Peluso

THEME: Airline puns — familiar two-word phrases from the world of flight are turned into puns and clued "?"-style


Expectations have everything to do with how difficult I think a puzzle is. For instance, I did today's NYT in 7:01 and today's LAT in 5:21, but the former felt (and was, comparatively) blazing fast, where the latter felt like a struggle (though the time is pretty avg. for me). I expect to get kicked around by a Friday NYT, but I expect a Friday LAT to be little different from the rest of the week, i.e. pretty easy. I enjoyed the toughness today, especially when I was done and could see that yes, there was a theme, and it was fairly coherent. I finished up in the SE and needed every single cross for the final theme answer, as I thought I was dealing with PLANET-something. This means the "K" in POCKET (50D: Sink, as a billiard ball) was the last letter in. First letter in: the "A" in ARCED (1A: Like a javelin's path), right off the bat.

Biggest struggle was the NE, where PILATE did not come to me except with much effort. I was not thinking Bible. I was thinking classical literature. Nothing was coming. Nothing. Now that I look back at that section, I realize that I put CHILI'S down quickly (9D: Tex-Mex restaurant chain), and then couldn't do a thing with the Acrosses. This make very little strategic sense, because if I'd simply looked at the Down next to CHILI'S — 10D: Bits of wisdom? (PEARLS) — I would have gotten it instantly and then the CP- would have given me CPLUS (9A: 2.3, roughly) and I'd have been in and out of there quickly. Instead, I abandoned the section and returned to it later. Irritating. I should be more disciplined than that by now.

Never seen KRA (40D: Malay Peninsula's Isthmus of ___), RIVA (39D: 1972 Kentucky Derby winner ___ Ridge), or TSR (64D: Dungeons & Dragons co.) outside of crosswords, and so am not that fond of them as answers. I'm not sure I've ever seen RIVA before today. That "V" was right in the middle of an answer I struggled to get: LIVES ON (44A: Stays in memory). It's a fine clue, but I didn't have many crosses. Knew it was something IN or ON. So I guess that little western section was the second-toughest part of the puzzle today. Isthmus of KRA sounds like someplace Flash Gordon liked to hang out. Oh, and I had RUBY Ridge as the Kentucky Derby winner at first. I was thinking about Ruby Ridge recently, as I was in the Idaho panhandle just last week for my grandma's 90th birthday party. Which reminds me, I made a tribute puzzle for her. I offered it to readers of my other blog, and now I'm offering it to you. Just hit "Print," below, or go here (to Orange's site) to get an AcrossLite/.puz version.
Grandma 2

Theme answers:

• 17A: Capri beach chairs? (ISLE SEATS)
• 25A: Quiz a Roman judge? (TEST PILATE)
• 38A: Affable terriers? (FRIENDLY SKYES)
• 51A: Really dark beers? (BLACK BOCKS)
• 63A: This puzzle's title? (PLANE TALK)

Crosswordese 101: TSR (64D: Dungeons & Dragons co.) — you (and I) may as well commit this one to memory, as it will repeat on you (and me). Originally, TSR stood for Tactical Studies Rules, but that is not going to help you remember it. I'm going to try to remember that it's an inverted alphabetic string. I know it starts with "T," so I can just work from there. You ... do whatever you have to. TSR could stand for Total Social Rejects ... but that's just mean. And I enjoyed D&D for a brief time in my pre-teen years, so I can't fully endorse that mnemonic. And yet it might work for me.

See you Monday.

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter]

Everything Else — 1A: Like a javelin's path (ARCED); 6A: Balancing pro? (CPA); 9A: 2.3, roughly (C-PLUS); 14A: "The Wreck of the Mary __" (DEARE); 15A: Steak seasoning (RUB); 16A: Picked up (HEARD); 17A: Capri beach chairs? (ISLE SEATS); 19A: Rhythmic feet? (IAMBS); 20A: Faint (DIM); 21A: "The Metaphysics of Ethics" author (KANT); 22A: Camera type, briefly (SLR); 23A: Sailing, say (ASEA); 25A: Quiz a Roman judge? (TEST PILATE); 30A: Play with a brushing motion (STRUM); 32A: Fights in the sticks (RASSLES); 33A: Idealist (DREAMER); 37A: Post-WWII alliance (OAS); 38A: Affable terriers? (FRIENDLY SKYES); 42A: "Who, me?" ("MOI?"); 43A: They're not content to see you (RAISERS); 44A: Stays in memory (LIVES ON); 47A: Greek fabulist (AESOP); 51A: Really dark beers? (BLACK BOCKS); 55A: See 54-Down (REMO); 56A: Golfer's concern (LIE); 57A: Many a Middle Easterner (ARAB); 59A: Tokyo-based chip maker (NEC); 60A: Where to see an approaching train? (ALTAR); 63A: This puzzle's title? (PLANE TALK); 65A: Like a game in baseball's record books (NO-HIT); 66A: Sitcom E.T. (ALF); 67A: Coco rival (ESTEE); 68A: Traveling options (TOURS); 69A: Pin site (MAT); 70A: "Grace Under Fire" star Butler (BRETT); 1D: Puma competitor (ADIDAS); 2D: Put up a fight (RESIST); 3D: Less windy, say (CALMER); 4D: Bard's preposition (ERE); 5D: Certain sergeant's post (DESK); 6D: Rail relative (CRANE); 7D: Uses the "flat stick," in golf (PUTTS); 8D: Workout targets (ABS); 9D: Tex-Mex restaurant chain (CHILI'S); 10D: Bits of wisdom? (PEARLS); 11D: Flight (LAM); 12D: Suffix with sub- (URB); 13D: 1968 Columbia U. protesters (SDS); 18D: Put away (EAT); 22D: Hardly dense (SPARSE); 24D: BMW competitor (AUDI); 26D: Small diamonds (TREYS); 27D: Soothing lotion (ALOE); 28D: Chai and oolong (TEAS); 29D: Mountain road feature (ESS); 31D: Desert Storm mess, briefly? (MRE); 34D: Prepare for court, perhaps (ENROBE); 35D: Town in a 1945 Pulitzer-winning novel (ADANO); 36D: 11th-century year (MLI); 38D: Prevent (FOIL); 39D: 1972 Kentucky Derby winner __ Ridge (RIVA); 40D: Malay Peninsula's Isthmus of __ (KRA); 41D: Belgian river (YSER); 42D: Bud Selig's org. (MLB); 45D: Iced pastry (ECLAIR); 46D: Sidesteps (SKIRTS); 48D: Legislative century (SENATE); 49D: It's folded and filled (OMELET); 50D: Sink, as a billiard ball (POCKET); 52D: __ lily (CALLA); 53D: "Make today delicious" food giant (KRAFT); 54D: With 55-Across, Italian site of a post-WWI Allied conference (SAN); 58D: U.K. network, with "the" (BEEB); 60D: Hill dweller (ANT); 61D: Manchester head? (LOO); 62D: Cal. column (THU.); 63D: Robin's "Mork & Mindy" co-star (PAM); 64D: Dungeons & Dragons co. (TSR).

MONDAY, Apr. 19, 2010 — Mike Peluso

THEME: Baseball names in non-baseball contexts — familiar phrases where final word happens to be name of a Major League Baseball team


Fastest puzzle of the year. I'm waist-deep in baseball right now (wallowing, mostly, as my Red Sox are doing their best to suck worse than any team has sucked in the history of sucking right now). But even if I hadn't been a fan, this puzzle would have been easy. The only issue is XIAN (18A: Central Chinese tourist city) — a total outlier in a puzzle full of otherwise utterly familiar stuff. We should develop a program that will show just how much of the fill in any given puzzle has shown up in our Crosswordese 101 segment before. Feels like a lot today, though possibly no more than your typical Monday puzzle. Could've done without the ESSEN / ESSES pair, and YEOW is not an intuitive spelling for me, but otherwise, it was a fine, inoffensive puzzle.

Theme answers:

• 20A: San Francisco players not paying attention? (SLEEPING GIANTS)
• 25A: Minnesota players from old Bangkok? (SIAMESE TWINS)
• 49A: Anaheim players tripping over their own feet? (FALLEN ANGELS)
• 57A: Pittsburgh players from old Algiers? (BARBARY PIRATES)

Don't like that two of these have the "from old [somewhere]" in the clue. Make all clues follow same wording, or let them all be different, but don't give two the same wording and the others something else. Feels sloppy and uneven. Also, BARBARY PIRATES, while an acceptable phrase, certainly isn't as coherent and snappy and familiar as the others. I know BARBARY COAST. I just inferred BARBARY from crosses, and got PIRATES from the clue.

Crosswordese 101: ENUF (32D: A sufficient amount, in slang) — the crossword loves its variants of "enough." There's this one, which is super stupid and is used only in *written* "slang" (where, exactly, I don't know — advertisements and crappy band names, probably); and then there's the higherbrow ENOW — a poetic, bygone, Shakespearean version of the same thing. If Shakespeare had tweeted, he'd have used ENUF. Otherwise, like any sensible person, he'd have stayed the hell away from it. "'NUFF said." (an expression I hate worse than almost any other)

Bullets:

• 36A: Artist M.C. known for illusionary work (ESCHER) — tearing through this puzzle, I had ESCHE- and confidently dropped a "W" in that slot without ever looking at the clue. Mistake.
• 9D: Mötley Crüe duo? (UMLAUTS) — by now, you should be seeing straight through tricks like this.
• 29D: Chain restaurant with a blue roof (IHOP) — went there just yesterday, where wife got the saddest, limpest, palest excuse for a waffle ever. Boooo. Too bad I can't stay made at IHOP. I just love it too much. I love it from back when it had a kangaroo mascot. I am an IHOP NERD (nice juxtaposition).
• 53A: Word in an oxymoronic Michael J. Fox movie title (FUTURE) — as in "Back to the." I was thinking "what's oxymoronic about 'Doc Hollywood' or 'Teen Wolf'?"

See you Friday,

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter]

WEDNESDAY, March 17, 2010—Mike Peluso

THEME: "Foreplay"—The last word of the five starred answers can follow FORE.

Theme entries:

• 17A: *"Unbelievable!" ("OUTTA SIGHT!"). Retro slanginess! Foresight is the resulting thematic word.
  
• 25A: *Knitting aid, in a way (PLASTER CAST). You wear a cast to immobilize a fracture while the bones knit themselves back together. The cast in a forecast is entirely different in meaning.
  
• 37A: *Office component (MICROSOFT WORD). My favorite new Word toy is changing the case with shift-F3 when editing a manuscript. Not a new feature, but one I only learned a few months ago. The foreword appears at the beginning of a book and is decidedly not a "forward."
  
• 52A: *Legendary archer (WILLIAM TELL). Foretell. You like Rossini's "William Tell Overture" even when it's removed from a "Lone Ranger" setting, don't you?
  
• 61A: *Cartoon beeper (ROAD RUNNER). Meep-meep! Forerunner.
  
• 71A: Links warning, and a prefix with the second word of the answers to starred clues (FORE). Speaking of the links and golf, I hear Tiger Woods will play the Masters in April. We'll see if he still has that preternatural ability to focus on his game.

With 19 non-theme answers of 6 to 8 letters, this is a meaty puzzle. I especially like those corners with 4x6 blocks of fill intersecting theme entries.

All right, I didn't get to this puzzle as early as I'd hoped to, so let's get right to the rest of the fill:

• 10A: Part of C.W. Post: Abbr. (INIT.). Were you worried we were being quizzed on what the C. and W. are short for? Thankfully not.
  
• 14A: BCS org. (NCAA). Hey, we've moved on from college football, people. It's time for March Madness! The big basketball tournament starts tomorrow, so if you haven't filled out your bracket yet, get cracking!
  
• 20A: What you can't have success without? (ESSES). As in "multiples of the letter S."
  
• 43A: Like angry bees (ASWARM). I want each of you to use this word in conversation today. I plan to apply the word to the hordes of schoolchildren leaving the building after school tomorrow. Seriously, there are about 1,500 students at my son's school. SWARMS OF CHILDREN, people. SWARMS.
  
• 45A: Highway with a terminus at Dawson Creek, British Columbia (ALCAN). Dawson's Creek took place in the Carolinas.
  
• 58A: Japanese-American (NISEI). Nisei refers to one born in North America to parents who immigrated from Japan. Issei is an immigrant from Japan. Sansei (now, I've never seen this one in a crossword) is someone born here with grandparents who immigrated. When I see a clue like this, I fill in **SEI and wait for the crossings to tell me if I need NISEI or ISSEI.
  
• 60A: Almond __: crunchy candy (ROCA). Yum! I love Almond Roca. NYT constructor Matt Ginsberg's wife sometimes makes a big batch of roca before the ACPT, and I can't get enough of it. (Literally. Matt shares it with so many people that I only get a little bit.) Crunchy toffee coated with chocolate, plus almonds? That's a winner right there.
  
• 3D: Wakeboard relative (WATERSKI). Cool answer, that.
  
• 29D: Cold War agcy. (AEC). That's the Atomic Energy Commission, I believe. Superseded by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
  

Crosswordese 101:—I had one French 3-letter word picked out for XW101, and then another leapt out at me. Quick two-fer: MER (23A: La Méditerranée, e.g.) and ECU (2D: Old French coin). ECU is most often clued exactly this way, but it's got another currency meaning: the erstwhile European currency unit abbreviated as ECU, which preceded the euro. MER is French for "sea," and you'll see a lot of fill-in-the-blank clues like Mal de ___ (seasickness) and Debussy's "La ___."

Everything Else — 1A: Repairs with thread (SEWS); 5A: Burning (AFIRE); 10A: Part of C.W. Post: Abbr. (INIT.); 14A: BCS org. (NCAA); 15A: Tot watchers' nicknames (NANAS); 16A: Muscle quality (TONE); 17A: *"Unbelievable!" ("OUTTA SIGHT!"); 19A: Radio toggle switch (AM/FM); 20A: What you can't have success without? (ESSES); 21A: Abate (EASE UP); 23A: La Méditerranée, e.g. (MER); 25A: *Knitting aid, in a way (PLASTER CAST); 28A: "Born Free" lioness (ELSA); 30A: Record book (LOG); 31A: Evaluates (RATES); 32A: Adopt, as a stray (TAKE IN); 35A: Cosmetic surgery, for short (LIPO); 37A: *Office component (MICROSOFT WORD); 42A: R.E.M.'s "The __ Love" (ONE I); 43A: Like angry bees (ASWARM); 45A: Highway with a terminus at Dawson Creek, British Columbia (ALCAN); 49A: Night sch. course (ESL); 51A: Give off (EMIT); 52A: *Legendary archer (WILLIAM TELL); 56A: Évian, for one (SPA); 57A: Each (APIECE); 58A: Japanese-American (NISEI); 60A: Almond __: crunchy candy (ROCA); 61A: *Cartoon beeper (ROAD RUNNER); 66A: Reactions to no-brainers (DUHS); 67A: "Coffee __?" (OR TEA); 68A: Nevada neighbor (UTAH); 69A: Renege on a dele? (STET); 70A: Oracles (SEERS); 71A: Links warning, and a prefix with the second word of the answers to starred clues (FORE); 1D: __-Cat (SNO); 2D: Old French coin (ECU); 3D: Wakeboard relative (WATERSKI); 4D: Exams for srs. (SATS); 5D: Yosemite photographer Adams (ANSEL); 6D: '60s-'70s Saudi king (FAISAL); 7D: Having one sharp, musically (IN G); 8D: Cry of support (RAH); 9D: Competitor of Helena and Coco (ESTEE); 10D: Mississippi River source (ITASCA); 11D: Vegan's credo (NO MEAT); 12D: Add, as if by pouring (INFUSE); 13D: Plays the siren (TEMPTS); 18D: Cleopatra's undoing (ASP); 22D: Equipment for 52-Across (ARROWS); 23D: Came across (MET); 24D: Jack of Westerns (ELAM); 26D: Recital performer (SOLOIST); 27D: Pre-weekend "Phew!" ("TGIF!"); 29D: Cold War agcy. (AEC); 33D: Like some unexpected endings (IRONIC); 34D: Lille denial (NON); 36D: Home-school link: Abbr. (PTA); 38D: Appear to be (SEEM); 39D: Have debts (OWE); 40D: Collides with (RAMS INTO); 41D: Leak (DRIP); 44D: Beantown transit syst. (MTA); 45D: Oscars and such (AWARDS); 46D: Curl around the edge of the hole without going in, in golf (LIP OUT); 47D: Stale expression (CLICHE); 48D: Blue Jays' div. (AL EAST); 50D: Bank, often (LENDER); 53D: Houston hockey team (AEROS); 54D: Turkish money (LIRAS); 55D: Sch. with a Shreveport campus (LSU); 59D: Ample, slangily (ENUF); 62D: Pay dirt (ORE); 63D: Had (ATE); 64D: Auditory organ (EAR); 65D: Scoreboard letters (RHE).

SUNDAY, February 21, 2010 — Mike Peluso

Theme: Initials — Each theme answer contains a hidden presedential monogram.

[Note: This is the syndicated L.A. Times puzzle. It does not appear in the actual newspaper, but is available for free at cruciverb.com.]


Theme answers:

• 23A: *Obligation payable within a year (37) (SHORT-TERM NOTE). Richard M. Nixon
• 38A: *Ceremonial, as Anglican ritual (31) (HIGH CHURCH). Herbert Clark Hoover (who knew?)
• 54A: *Line dancer? (18) (CHORUS GIRL). Ulysses S. Grant
• 75A: *Double martini, e.g. (32) (STIFF DRINK). Franklin Delano Roosevelt
• 92A: *AOL service (44) (WEB HOSTING). Barack H. Obama
• 110A: *Arizona attraction (34) (PAINTED DESERT). Dwight D. Eisenhower
• 16D: *Hurting for money (33) (CASH STRAPPED). Harry S Truman
• 60D: *Aviation pioneer (40) (WILBUR WRIGHT). Ronald W. Reagan
• 84D: Clothing embroidery, maybe, and a hint to finding the "insiders" in the answers to starred clues (MONOGRAM).

Hi, everyone. I'm in Brooklyn hanging with my nerdy friends, so I'm going to leave the discussion of this puzzle to you. Just too much going on here. I'll tell you all about it later in the week!

Everything Else — 1A: Chatterbox (MAGPIE); 7A: Seven Sisters school (VASSAR); 13A: PSAT takers (JRS.); 16A: Tram unit (CAR); 19A: Some L-shaped wrenches (ALLENS); 20A: Substandard (CRUMMY); 21A: Moray, say (EEL); 22A: Palindromic Altar (ARA); 25A: Visits (STOPS BY); 27A: PC key (TAB); 28A: Dutchman who painted "Gypsy Girl" (HALS); 29A: Blonde bombshell Diana (DORS); 30A: Beauty, to Keats (TRUTH); 31A: Illness (MALADY); 33A: "__ match?" (GOT A); 34A: Two-time U.S. Open champ (AGASSI); 37A: Can, after "is" (ABLE TO); 42A: Turkey, maybe (TOM); 43A: Web addresses, briefly (URLS); 44A: In a few minutes (SOON); 46A: Californie, e.g. (ÉTAT); 47A: Span. title (SRTA.); 48A: Authority to decide (SAY-SO); 50A: Kiss, to Luis (BESO); 52A: "__, there's more!" (WAIT); 53A: Tic or twinge (SPASM); 57A: Use FedEx (SHIP); 58A: Audi rival (BMW); 61A: Average grades (CEES); 62A: 3M products (TAPES); 63A: Filled French fare (CREPES); 66A: Eave droppers (ICICLES); 68A: Mountain man, maybe (LONER); 69A: Santiago native (CHILEAN); 70A: Synagogue text (TALMUD); 71A: Leisurely stroll (PASEO); 72A: Mob enforcer (GOON); 73A: Simon and Garfunkel, e.g. (DUO); 74A: Auction activities (BIDS); 77A: When repeated, 1963 hit with alleged obscene lyrics determined by the FBI to be "unintelligible at any speed" (LOUIE); 79A: Salon supply (DYES); 80A: Come up short (FAIL); 81A: Self-reproach (SHAME); 86A: He orbited Earth 314 days before John (YURI); 87A: Agreement (PACT); 88A: Polite rural reply (YES'M); 90A: Hymn starter (O GOD); 91A: State so. of Queensland (NSW); 96A: Nearby (AROUND); 98A: Ancient invader of Greece (XERXES); 100A: Remedy (CURE); 101A: Punic Wars general (SCIPIO); 102A: "Able was __ ..." (I ERE I); 104A: Woody's son (ARLO); 105A: Theodore, to Wally (BEAV); 106A: L on a tag: Abbr. (LGE.); 108A: RSVP option (REGRETS); 113A: Ultimate degree (NTH); 114A: Old "King" Cole (NAT); 115A: Way of the Romans? (APPIAN); 116A: Genesis peak (ARARAT); 117A: Relaxed, in a way (SAT); 118A: Chicken general? (TSO); 119A: Save (RESCUE); 120A: Frau, in France (MADAME); 1D: Caravel feature (MAST); 2D: Granada palace (ALHAMBRA); 3D: How multi-nationals trade (GLOBALLY); 4D: Part of mph (PER); 5D: Because (IN THAT); 6D: Tejas y Nuevo México, por ejemplo (ESTADOS); 7D: TV add-ons (VCRS); 8D: A slot machine has one (ARM); 9D: Partial rainbow (SUN DOG); 10D: Glib (SMOOTH); 11D: Amphibious vehicle (AMTRAC); 12D: Bar array (RYES); 13D: Fun (JEST); 14D: Take back (RETRACT); 15D: Shed, with "off" (SLOUGH); 17D: Wall St. hedger (ARB); 18D: St. Pete athlete (RAY); 24D: Nevada Northern Railway Museum city (ELY); 26D: School gp. (PTA); 32D: Not as much (LESS); 33D: Knife hyped on TV (GINSU); 35D: DTs sufferers (SOTS); 36D: Islamic leader (IMAM); 37D: Country N. of Slovenia (AUS.); 38D: Makers of beds? (HOERS); 39D: Judge, e.g. (HEARER); 40D: Water and elec. (UTILS.); 41D: Snitch (RAT); 45D: Sarrusophone cousins (OBOES); 47D: Pitch (SPIEL); 49D: Form a certain front, in meteorology (OCCLUDE); 51D: Bone formation (OSTOSIS); 52D: Remove, as a silly grin (WIPE OFF); 53D: Reduces (SHRINKS); 55D: Listens to (HEEDS); 56D: Thief, in slang (GANEF); 57D: "Danke __" (SCHON); 58D: Drill insert (BIT); 59D: 1988 Motown acquirer (MCA); 64D: __-de-vie: brandy (EAU); 65D: __-cone (SNO); 67D: Early 10th century year (CMIII); 68D: Not prompt for (LATE TO); 69D: Stored ropes, e.g. (COILS); 71D: Intimidate mentally, with "out" (PSYCH); 72D: "Peer Gynt Suite" composer (GRIEG); 76D: Pop singer Taylor __ (DAYNE); 77D: Wildcat with tufted ears (LYNX); 78D: River of Yorkshire (OUSE); 79D: Apply sparingly (DAB); 82D: Lobe dangler (HOOP); 83D: 2000 Best New Artist Grammy winner (AGUILERA); 85D: Actor Byrnes (EDD); 87D: Euro preceders (PESETAS); 89D: Paving material (MACADAM); 92D: Failed to be (WEREN'T); 93D: Abrasion (SCRAPE); 94D: Blooms from bulbs (TULIPS); 95D: Having a twist (IRONIC); 97D: Yankee who is the A.L. career leader in saves (RIVERA); 99D: Signer, at times (X'ER); 101D: But, to Cassius (SED); 103D: What a colon means, in analogies (IS TO); 104D: On __ with (A PAR); 105D: Nota __ (BENE); 107D: Kitchen trailer? (-ETTE); 108D: Some OR personnel (RNS); 109D: SFO info (ETA); 111D: Cross shape (TAU); 112D: Down (SAD).