03.28 Mon

M O N D A Y
March 28, 2011
Gail Grabowski & Bruce Venzke

Theme: Greatest Hits — Each theme answer is a familiar phrase ending with a word that can be a synonym for "hit."

Theme answers:

• 17A: Tool that can extract nails (CLAW HAMMER).
• 27A: It's poured into an iron at breakfast (WAFFLE BATTER).
• 47A: United Kingdom currency (BRITISH POUND).
li>64A: Fur bartered by Native Americans (BEAVER PELT).

Looks like we're starting out the week with a simple (if violent) Monday theme in a smooth Monday grid. Nice! Lots of exclaiming going on in this puzzle:

• 45A: "Without a doubt!" ("SURE!").
• 68A: "I did it!" ("TA-DA!").
• 33D: Charlie Brown's "Darn it!" ("RATS!").

Seems like someone was talked into doing a magic trick and it didn't quite come off as well as expected. Ha!

Bullets:

• 5A: Fallback option (PLAN B). For some reason, the word "fallback" made me think of changing clocks for Daylight Savings Time and I couldn't think of anything else.

• 22A: "Get Smart" evil agency (KAOS). Although "Get Smart" was a little before my time, it was enough of a cultural phenomenon that I've always known some things about it (Agent 99, the shoe phone, some of the catchphrases like "Would you believe…?"), I would not have remembered the name of the evil agency, however, if it weren't for crossword puzzles.
• 25A: Bard of boxing (ALI). "If you were surprised when Nixon resigned, just watch what happens when I whup Foreman's behind!"
• 34A: They may be outsourced (JOBS). Well that's depressing.

• 40A: Aerialist's apparatus (TRAPEZE). Have you all seen "Man on a Wire"? I've only seen parts of it so far, but am looking forward to sitting down and watching it straight through.
• 63A: Length times width (AREA). And here we have a nice, noncontroversial clue for AREA.
• 2D: Golden St. collegian (UCLAN). Ooh, that's ugly. I tried BRUIN first, which wouldn't have been ugly at all.
• 6D: Moussaka meat (LAMB). I tried VEAL here. I guess I got my poor defenseless baby animals confused.
• 11D: Swedish furniture giant (IKEA). Did I tell you we're moving next month? Just to another house in the same area. It's quite a bit smaller than the house we're in now, though, and we will definitely be making a trip to IKEA. (Yay!)
• 35D: Sign of spoilage (ODOR). Ew.
• 41D: Olympian ruler (ZEUS). PuzzleDaughter's friend just got a puppy and they named it ZEUS. The girls insist on calling him ZEUSY, though, which sounds pretty funny.

• 56D: "Tears in Heaven" singer Clapton (ERIC). I would love to find you a clip right now, but if I click over to YouTube, I'll be stuck there for at least an hour and I just don't have that kind of time this morning. So please go enjoy some Clapton on your own.

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 46A: Mars' Greek counterpart (ARES).
• 31D: Russian ruler of yore (TSAR).
• 32D: To be, in Burgundy (ÊTRE).

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Everything Else — 1A: Muddy stuff (MUCK); 10A: Pinochle calls (BIDS); 14A: Bounce, as off a canyon wall (ECHO); 15A: Margaret Mead's island (SAMOA); 16A: Tom Joad, for one (OKIE); 19A: Princess played by Lucy Lawless (XENA); 20A: Spanish song (CANTO); 21A: Surprise "from the blue" (BOLT); 23A: Silky sweater (ANGORA); 37A: King with jokes (ALAN); 38A: Keebler cracker (ZESTA); 39A: Oral health org. (ADA); 42A: Pictures on the wall (ART); 43A: Back biter? (MOLAR); 50A: Heavy drinker (SOT); 51A: Tranquilize (SEDATE); 55A: Plastic user's concern (DEBT); 58A: Words of woe (AH ME); 62A: Autobahn autos (AUDIS); 66A: Highlands dagger (DIRK); 67A: "Bye for now" ("LATER"); 69A: High school skin problem (ACNE); 70A: Idyllic spots (EDENS); 71A: Sources of iron (ORES); 1D: Tourist magnet (MECCA); 3D: P.F. __'s: Chinese restaurant chain (CHANG); 4D: Shows servility (KOW-TOWS); 5D: Free TV spot (PSA); 7D: Bullets and such (AMMO); 8D: Seasonal song (NOEL); 9D: Pub bill (BAR TAB); 10D: Tailless flying toy (BOX KITE); 12D: Flintstone pet (DINO); 13D: Aral and Arabian (SEAS); 18D: Traditional round dance (HORA); 24D: Miles away (AFAR); 26D: Act like a couch potato (LAZE); 28D: Lightning burst (FLASH); 29D: Drink à la Lassie (LAP UP); 30D: Juan's January (ENERO); 34D: Doorway feature (JAMB); 36D: Java neighbor (BALI); 40D: Small jazz group (TRIO); 44D: In jeopardy (AT STAKE); 46D: Total numerically (ADD UP TO); 48D: Pony's place (STABLE); 49D: In the vicinity (NEAR); 52D: "Please be __ and ...": polite request words (A DEAR); 53D: Spanish squiggle (TILDE); 54D: These, in Madrid (ESTAS); 55D: Baby's pop (DADA); 57D: Swiss capital (BERN); 59D: Lettuce purchase (HEAD); 60D: Brisbane buddy (MATE); 61D: Fifty-fifty (EVEN); 65D: Medical drama settings, for short (ER'S).

03.21 Mon

M O N D A Y
March 21, 2011
David Levinson Wilk

Theme: R.O. MAN — Theme answers are famous men whose initials are R.O.

Theme answers:

• 17A: *"Barry Lyndon" star (RYAN O'NEAL).
• 59A: *Lead singer of The Cars (RIC OCASEK).
• 10D: *"Oh, Pretty Woman" singer (ROY ORBISON).
• 30D: *Henry Ford contemporary (RANSOM OLDS).
• 40A: Caesar, e.g. (or each of the answers to the starred clues?) (ROMAN).

I got home from ACPT really late last night and need to get my butt into work this morning, so all you get today is the grid. I should be back in full force tomorrow and I promise I'll tell you all about the puzzle festivities soon! (Spoiler alert! It was a blast.)

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Everything Else — 1A: King, queen or jack (CARD); 5A: URL starter (HTTP); 9A: Van Gogh setting (ARLES); 14A: Alan of "M*A*S*H" (ALDA); 15A: Davenport's state (IOWA); 16A: Dracula's title (COUNT); 19A: Singer Lauper (CYNDI); 20A: Against (ANTI); 21A: Used to reach a high shelf (STOOD ON); 23A: Sodom escapee (LOT); 26A: Armored vehicle (TANK); 28A: Being off target (ERRING); 29A: Genesis mountain (ARARAT); 31A: Brandy's music genre, briefly (R AND B); 33A: Under-the-chin helmet securer (STRAP); 34A: Saintly circle (HALO); 35A: Types (ILKS); 39A: Suffix with tele- (THON); 41A: It may be reserved (SEAT); 42A: Heavy drinkers (SOTS); 43A: Functions (USES); 44A: Second longest African river (CONGO); 45A: Deed holder (OWNER); 47A: Sea between Greece and Italy (IONIAN); 48A: Start of Juliet's balcony plea (O ROMEO); 51A: Male heirs (SONS); 53A: Opposite of SSW (NNE); 54A: Virgin Mary (MADONNA); 56A: Poet Silverstein (SHEL); 58A: Like the Leaning Tower (ATILT); 64A: Mazda rival (HONDA); 65A: Apple computer since 1998 (IMAC); 66A: Fairy tale beginning (ONCE); 67A: Dread (ANGST); 68A: Turkey meat choice (DARK); 69A: Fake coin (SLUG); 1D: Elevator compartment (CAR); 2D: One of the Khans (ALY); 3D: Nutritional no. (RDA); 4D: "The X-Files" agent Scully (DANA); 5D: Suggest (HINT AT); 6D: Wheel alignment service (TOE-IN); 7D: First coml. airline to show in-flight movies (TWA); 8D: Friends (PALS); 9D: Harmony (ACCORD); 11D: Day before mardi (LUNDI); 12D: __ a happy note (END ON); 13D: Attack, bee-style (STING); 18D: Ready to serve, as beer (ON TAP); 22D: Mortise insert (TENON); 23D: Doesn't fade (LASTS); 24D: Big name in garden care (ORTHO); 25D: Medium's card (TAROT); 27D: Adversaries in a Hoffman/Streep film (KRAMERS); 32D: "Woe is me!" ("ALAS!"); 34D: Siphoning aid (HOSE); 36D: Russian Revolution leader (LENIN); 37D: Elena of the Supreme Court (KAGAN); 38D: Weapon for David (STONE); 40D: Sentence that should be two sentences (RUN ON); 44D: Trig function (COSEC); 46D: Charged angrily (WENT AT); 47D: Like pawned items (IN HOCK); 48D: Nebraska city (OMAHA); 49D: Boca __ (RATON); 50D: Taking too much (OD'ING); 52D: Sesame Street grouch (OSCAR); 55D: Parched (ARID); 57D: Thailand neighbor (LAOS); 60D: Britney Spears's "__ Slave 4 U" (I'M A); 61D: NBC weekend revue (SNL); 62D: Old French coin (ECU); 63D: Oktoberfest need (KEG).

03.14 Mon

M O N D A Y
March 14, 2011
Billie Truitt

Theme: Hard to describe but ... — Theme answers are familiar phrases that follow the pattern "[xx]ing [xx]g."

Theme answers:

• 17A: Lather-holding cup (SHAVING MUG).
• 25A: Sock mender's tool (DARNING EGG).
• 36A: Violin knob for pitch adjustments (TUNING PEG).
• 48A: Retriever or pointer (HUNTING DOG).
• 57A: Joke that gets funnier with repetition (RUNNING GAG).

Looks like we're starting the week off with a really solid Monday puzzle. As I was solving, I have to admit the theme did provoke a raised eyebrow, but the more I look at it the more I like it. And the reason I'm even looking at it again is to make sure I'm not missing something. Is there a vowel progression in the first words? Are the last words related in some way? No and no. But that's okay with me today. Say the phrases one right after the other. Even though it's difficult to describe their connection in words, they definitely go together.

Not much crosswordese in the grid today, which is a nice surprise for a Monday.

• 19A: Homely fruit (UGLI).
• 58D: Author Anaïs (NIN).

Crosswordese 101: This is more like Crosswordese 301, but you're ready for it, right? Dame NGAIO Marsh was an author who wrote mysteries. You will almost always see the words mystery, whodunit, and/or writer in clues for NGAIO (as in today's 34D: Whodunit writer Marsh). Other details to try to hold onto: she was a contemporary of Agatha Christie and Erle Stanley Gardner, and the protagonist in her books is a detective named Roderick Alleyn.

Entries that jumped out at me as particularly nice include WISE MEN, BIG NEWS, and ARUGULA (I don't like to eat it, but I do like to say it) (28A: Magi / 11D: Special report subject / 38D: Peppery salad green). It took me way too long to come up with DIET from its clue, 16A: Losing strategy? You'd think I'd be hip to that trick by now but apparently not. Love the clue for STINKS, 65A: Smells to high heaven; not so much the clue for AGE, 52A: 2011 minus year of birth, roughly.

38A: "AMEN to that!" is my colloquial phrase of the day. And, I tell you what. I must really like this puzzle because I'm not even going to rant about the horrible, horrible earworm of 41D: "Afternoon __": suggestive #1 hit of 1976 (DELIGHT). And that seems like something I would rant about, doesn't it?

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Everything Else — 1A: World Wide __ (WEB); 4A: Gunpowder element (SULFUR); 10A: Turns seaward (EBBS); 14A: Firefighter's tool (AXE); 15A: Dream up (CREATE); 20A: Eye part containing the pupil (IRIS); 21A: Timeline divisions (ERAS); 23A: Habit wearer (NUN); 24A: Kimono sashes (OBIS); 30A: Sweden neighbor (NORWAY); 31A: Utmost degree (NTH); 32A: Church instrument (ORGAN); 35A: Flag maker Betsy (ROSS); 40A: Ecstatic way to walk (ON AIR); 41A: Roman 700 (DCC); 44A: 1992 Olympic skating champ Yamaguchi (KRISTI); 46A: As an alternative (INSTEAD); 51A: Heidi's heights (ALPS); 53A: It replaced the franc (EURO); 54A: Handling the job (ON IT); 55A: Member of an Iraqi minority (KURD); 61A: "Now ___ me down ..." (I LAY); 62A: Complete (ENTIRE); 63A: Hurry, old-style (HIE); 64A: Clearance event (SALE); 66A: Blasting sply. (TNT); 1D: Used to be (WAS); 2D: Lettered piece of court evidence (EXHIBIT); 3D: Pessimistic about Wall Street (BEARISH); 4D: Biol. and chem. (SCIS.); 5D: Coffeepot for a crowd (URN); 6D: Jeans part (LEG); 7D: Hall of __: enshrined athlete (FAMER); 8D: One-eighty (U-TURN); 9D: Win back (REGAIN); 10D: Campus e-mail address letters (EDU); 12D: Sturgeon yielding expensive caviar (BELUGAS); 13D: Tight-fisted (STINGY); 18D: Workbench clamp (VISE); 22D: Noisy sleepers (SNORERS); 24D: Part of BYOB (OWN); 25D: Bruce of "Coming Home" (DERN); 26D: Prefix with -plasty (ANGIO); 27D: Pirate's quaff (GROG); 29D: Canadian lawman on horseback (MOUNTIE); 33D: Raggedy doll (ANN); 36D: Try out (TEST); 37D: Unwelcome engine sound (PING); 39D: Twenty Questions choice (MINERAL); 42D: Ship's leader (CAPTAIN); 43D: Jewel box contents, briefly (CD'S); 44D: Military pants (KHAKIS); 45D: Hardens (INURES); 47D: Zesty taste (TANG); 49D: McJob holder (GRUNT); 50D: "__ know you?" (DON'T I); 54D: Vending machine bills (ONES); 56D: Hair coloring agent (DYE); 59D: Rub the wrong way (IRK); 60D: Retrieve (GET).

03.07 Mon

M O N D A Y
March 7, 2011
Scott Atkinson

Theme: Hard to Explain in Words — Theme answers are phrases that follow the pattern "[three letters]ky [two letters]ck"

Theme answers:

• 17A: Small-time (RINKY-DINK).
• 53A: Fortunate one (LUCKY DUCK).
• 10D: Wham-O footbag (HACKY SACK).
• 29D: Cheap dance hall (HONKY TONK).

These theme answers are really fabulous. And the rest of the fill is … not. Wow. Really not a fan of this one, which is unfortunate because, as I said, the theme answers are awesome. Everything seemed to be going along just fine until I got to HDS. (29A: Coin flip call: Abbr.). Why in the world would you abbreviate a coin flip call? Is there any situation you can think of where you would be writing about a coin flip and need to use the word HEADS but have to/want to/feel it would appropriate to abbreviate it? And, in general, it got worse from there. Lots of partials: TO AN, A CHAT, I BE. Gratuitous plurals: PUCKS, CHANNELS, CROCKS, PARKAS, just as an example (there are plenty more!). To round out the list we've got some random letter strings and non-words — R-S-T, AAHS, PPP — and the singularly awful TUSKERS (which also happens to be a gratuitous plural).

The theme answers are terrific and most of the longer fill ranges from fine to quite nice (like POIROT, COUSTEAU, ORTHODOX). But overall, just not feeling this one, dawg.

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 15A: Most eligible for the draft (ONE-A).
• 26A: Some Ga. Tech grads (EE'S).

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Everything Else — 1A: Pet adoption ctr. (SPCA); 5A: Like drive-thru orders (TO-GO); 9A: Cash alternative (CHECK); 14A: Come __ end: conclude (TO AN); 16A: Popular branch of yoga (HATHA); 19A: Have __ with: talk to (A CHAT); 20A: Like strictly religious Jews (ORTHODOX); 21A: Invite to enter (ASK IN); 22A: Fawn's mother (DOE); 23A: Family folk (KIN); 24A: Simple to apply, in adspeak (EASY-ON); 25A: Approx. leaving hour (ETD); 27A: Pass along softly, as a secret (WHISPER); 30A: Yuletide spiced ales (WASSAILS); 31A: Número after siete (OCHO); 34A: Fellows (MEN); 35A: Stage group (CAST); 36A: Occur together (COINCIDE); 39A: '60s atty. general who served under his brother (RFK); 42A: End of a giggle (HEE); 43A: Angel dust, briefly (PCP); 46A: Completely stump (STYMIE); 47A: "May __ excused?" (I BE); 48A: Significant period (ERA); 49A: Handy bags (TOTES); 50A: Rodin or Michelangelo (SCULPTOR); 52A: Evita's married name (PERON); 54A: Put on a coat? (PAINT); 55A: Color of suede shoes, in song (BLUE); 56A: __-Seltzer (ALKA); 57A: Hockey disks (PUCKS); 58A: Dines (SUPS); 59A: Mouth off to (SASS); 1D: Walked decisively (STRODE); 2D: Christie sleuth Hercule (POIROT); 3D: On a slant (CANTED); 4D: Pharaoh's cross (ANKH); 5D: Hot alcoholic drinks (TODDIES); 6D: Burger toppers (ONIONS); 7D: Group with thirtysomethings, briefly (GEN-X); 8D: "Mighty" tree (OAK); 9D: Vehicle's framework (CHASSIS); 11D: Addis Ababa's country (ETHIOPIA); 12D: Television watcher's choices (CHANNELS); 13D: Kit __ bar (KAT); 18D: Teamed, as oxen (YOKED); 24D: McGregor of "Moulin Rouge!" (EWAN); 30D: Like small laddies (WEE); 31D: Halloween mo. (OCT.); 32D: "Undersea World" explorer Jacques (COUSTEAU); 33D: Momentous (HISTORIC); 37D: Joins, as stones in a wall (CEMENTS); 38D: Colored part of the eye (IRIS); 39D: Expresses stern disapproval of (REBUKES); 40D: Touchy-__ (FEELY); 42D: Diaphragm spasm that may be cured by holding one's breath (HICCUP); 43D: "Downtown" singer Clark (PETULA); 44D: Onion soup holders (CROCKS); 45D: Hooded coats (PARKAS); 50D: "Star Trek" helmsman (SULU); 51D: Palmtop computers: Abbr. (PDA'S); 53D: Scale abbr. (LBS.).

02.28 Mon

M O N D A Y
February 28, 2011
Jeffrey Lease

Theme: Captain, My Captain — The first word of each theme answer is a well-known captain.

Theme answers:

• 17A: *1968 sci-fi classic remade in 2001 (PLANET OF THE APES).
• 23A: *Chili competitions (COOK-OFFS).
• 50A: *Reason for rhinoplasty (HOOK NOSE).
• 58A: *1980 Disney comedy about an all-night puzzle-solving race (MIDNIGHT MADNESS).
• 38A: Rank that goes with the first parts of the answers to starred clues (CAPTAIN).

Welcome to today's edition of "Excellent Theme Idea With Iffy Execution." I have to say I don't understand how these theme answers made it past Quality Control. CAPTAIN PLANET? Who the heck is that? CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT isn't any better and, to add insult to injury, it's clued with a movie nobody's heard of. I realize sometimes a constructor gets stuck for theme answers (believe me, I know!) but just off the top of my head, both KANGAROO COURT and AMERICA ONLINE are 13 letters and reference Captains most people have heard of, which makes them perfectly acceptable (dare I say better?) entries for this theme. I'm sincerely baffled by the choices made in this puzzle.

There were, however, a couple entries in this grid that seemed particular colorful and made me smile:

• 43A: Jump (on) suddenly (POUNCE).
• 25D: Lacking strength (FEEBLE).
• 27D: Bug-hitting-windshield sound (SPLAT).

Bullets:

• 20A: Jewish (SEMITIC). When I hear the word SEMITIC, it's most often in the context of something that's "anti-SEMITIC" so even without the "anti" my instinctual response is to flinch.
• 22A: Conference including Duke and UNC (ACC). The Blue Devils and the Tar Heels are part of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
• 28A: Liver secretion (BILE). This is another one of those words that I'd rather not see in my puzzle. Hello? Breakfast test?
• 47A: Band-Aid and Barbie, e.g.: Abbr. (TM'S). Band-Aid and Barbie are both trademarks.

• 53A: Corn unit (EAR). I miss Iowa.
• 54A: Inexpensive brand (CHEAPIE). Personally, I would say "CHEAPO." You?
• 64A: Wrinkle remover (IRON). HAha! The visual I got here was an old woman taking an iron to her face. Yeah, okay, the old woman was me. It was still funny.
• 34D: Occurrence (HAP). Not a fan of this entry. See also 56D: "This __ silly!" (IS SO).
• 49D: Farm (GRANGE). Thank goodness we're going to end on a rockin' note.

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 5A: Double reed instrument (OBOE).
• 68A: School attended by many princes and prime ministers (ETON).
• 8D: Tolkien's Treebeard, for one (ENT).

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Everything Else — 1A: One with a degree (GRAD); 9A: Bit of campaign nastiness (SMEAR); 14A: Assistant (AIDE); 15A: Course of action (PLAN); 16A: Croatian-born physicist Nikola (TESLA); 21A: Rotten (BAD); 30A: "What's up, __?" (DOC); 31A: Clean the floor (SWEEP); 32A: Was victorious (WON); 33A: Dissertations (THESES); 36A: It can be airtight or waterproof (SEAL); 37A: Fishing pole (ROD); 40A: Support garment (BRA); 41A: Slightly (A BIT); 44A: Tennis call (LET); 45A: Keg party attire (TOGAS); 48A: Like much wine and cheese (AGED); 52A: Rover's warning (GRR); 63A: Overindulge, as kids (SPOIL); 65A: Fight for air (GASP); 66A: Wedding dresses (GOWNS); 67A: Fey of "30 Rock" (TINA); 1D: Spaces (GAPS); 2D: Annoy (RILE); 3D: TV Batman West (ADAM); 4D: "I did not!" is one (DENIAL); 5D: __ nerve (OPTIC); 6D: Voting group (BLOC); 7D: Palooka (OAF); 9D: Texas Roadhouse fare (STEAKS); 10D: Grassy fields (MEADOWS); 11D: Sixth sense, briefly (ESP); 12D: Pub pick (ALE); 13D: Dorm supervisors: Abbr. (RA'S); 18D: "And so on and so forth," for short (ETC. ETC.); 19D: "True Blood" airer (HBO); 23D: Party disguise (COSTUME); 24D: Indian and Arctic (OCEANS); 26D: Dreaded (FEARED); 28D: Owie (BOO-BOO); 29D: Spectrum color between blue and violet (INDIGO); 30D: Train stations (DEPOTS); 32D: Ire (WRATH); 35D: Start of a guard dog command (SIC); 39D: Approached (NEARED); 42D: Deceived (TAKEN IN); 46D: Slow mollusks (SNAILS); 51D: Nonprofit's URL ending (ORG); 52D: The Gold Coast, since 1957 (GHANA); 54D: "Let's roll!" ("C'MON!"); 55D: __ moss (PEAT); 57D: "Monday Night Football" channel (ESPN); 58D: Chinese food additive (MSG); 59D: Wall St. debut (IPO); 60D: Wall Street index, with "the" (DOW); 61D: Smack (HIT); 62D: Prefix with athlete (TRI-).

02.21

M O N D A Y

February 21, 2011
Angela Olson Halsted & Doug Peterson

Theme: Three Petes. (Not to be confused with "Three-peat", which is a term trademarked by Pat Riley). Each of the long answers starts with a word that is also the last name of someone named Pete. Speaking of which, this is Pete Mitchell guest-blogging for PuzzleGirl, as she didn't have the heart to dis her own puzzle. Well, okay, it's not that bad, but for the sake (Pete's sake?) of full disclosure, I don't really care much for Monday puzzles to begin with, so don't expect a rave. Also, I really, really, really dislike Pete Rose. He and Don King are the two vilest creatures in sports, in my opinion, and I have felt this way long before any gambling scandal came to light. So, please bear with me if I come across a little on the grumpy side.

Here, click on this. It'll be good background as you read the rest.

Theme answers:

• 17A: Legendary spring that creates spring chickens? (FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH). Pete Fountain is the world-reknowned jazz clarinet player that you're listening to right now if you clicked the above link.
• 38A: Grammy revoked from Milli Vanilli (BEST NEW ARTIST). Pete Best is best known as the original pre-Ringo drummer for the Beatles. The friend that got kicked out of the band before they became the biggest thing since sliced bread. Would they have been as successful with Pete instead of Ringo? Here, judge for yourself. Milli Vanilli achieved infamy when it was discovered that the front-"men" weren't actually singing on the Grammy-winning songs; they had been lip-syncing the whole time.
• 60A: Portland Trail Blazers' home (ROSE GARDEN ARENA). Pete Rose played baseball.
• 71A: Name that can precede the first word of 17-, 38- or 60-Across (PETE).

So, my first gut reaction here was "Really, those are the best Petes you could come up with?" But when I started thinking about it, most famous Peters go by Peter, not Pete. My second thought was "Why two musicians and a baseball player?" Ideally, themes tie a little tighter than that. But while there are other famous Pete musicians (Townshend, Seeger, etc.), none of them lend easily to a theme phrase. So, we'll give a pass to the theme and look at the rest of the puzzle.

Bullets:

• 30D: Girl group with the 1986 #1 hit "Venus" (BANANARAMA). Done originally, and more famously, by Shocking Blue, in 1970. But I love the band name and the 80's reference. Nice fill.
• 15A: Old Geo model (PRIZM). Cool way to get a Z into the puzzle.
• 42A: Polite "Ready to go?" ("SHALL WE?"). In-the-language phrases like this always punch things up more than straight dictionary answers. Same with 54D: "Obviously!" ("NO DUH!") and, to a lesser extent, 19D: ''I agree, however ...'' ("YES, BUT"). 21A: "I'll treat!" ("ON ME!") fell a little flat for me, as it feels like it's missing an "It's...". The only way I can make it work as written is as a continuation: "Let's go to dinner. On me."

• 4D: Hawaiian who sang "Pearly Shells" (DON HO). Can you name another singing Hawaiian? Me neither.
• 1D: DOJ division (ATF). It's now the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, but they still use the ATF acronym. DOJ is, of course, Department of Justice.
• 11D: Justice replaced by Sotomayor (SOUTER). Souter is from New Hampshire, so I gotta give him props.
• 27A: Mighty long time (EON). Occasionally spelled AEON, as well.

• 28A: Stat for Mariano Rivera (ERA). Funny that these two show their heads side by side. Many times you'll have a vague clue like "Span of time" that's three-letters beginning with E, and you don't know whether it's EON or ERA. Here, we already have EON, so ERA was clued as Earned Run Average. Sometimes it's a detergent ("Tide rival"), which throws those 'Bama fans for a loop. Oh, and here's a bit of trivia for you: In 1972, the Dodgers retired Jackie Robinson's #42. In 1997, Major League Baseball retired it across all teams, the only number for which this has ever been done. There were a dozen players currently wearing the number, and they were grand-fathered. Today, there is only one active player left wearing the #42 — Mariano Rivera.

Not much else to talk about. This is one of the problems with Monday puzzles. 78 words, but 23 of them are 3-letters long and another 22 are 4-letters long, and one of the two longest non-theme answers is AM/FM STEREO (9D: Car sound system). This means a lot of boring fill for only three theme answers. The only way to make short words sparkle is with tougher clues, but you can't do that on Monday, so you're basically hosed.

Crosswordese 101: Even if you know nothing of foreign languages, you should learn how to count to at least three (preferably ten) in the major European languages, French (un, deux, trois), Spanish (uno, dos, tres), German (eine, zwei, drei), and Italian (uno, due, TRE [22A: Three, in Turin]). These show up a ton.

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

• 10A: Employee protection org. (OSHA).
• 50A: Paranormal showman Geller (URI).
• 6D: Magnate Onassis (ARI).
• 10D: El Dorado gold (ORO).
• 61D: Heart test letters (EKG).

Well, that's it for me. I've probably overstayed my welcome as it is. Thanks, PuzzleGirl, for having me. It's been a while since I've done this kind of thing and I must say, I don't really miss it that much. :)

- Pete M.

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Everything Else —1A: Grew older (AGED); 5A: American __: Pacific territory (SAMOA); 14A: Chore list heading (TO DO); 16A: Carrot or turnip (ROOT); 20A: Garment border (HEM); 23A: College concentration (MAJOR); 26A: Pungent salad green (CRESS); 29A: CEO's degree (MBA); 31A: Ford classics (T-BIRDS); 33A: Carvey of "Wayne's World" (DANA); 35A: Karaoke singer, usually (AMATEUR); 43A: Linger in the tub (SOAK); 45A: Start to melt (SOFTEN); 48A: Bordeaux brush-off (NON); 51A: "Fresh Air" airer (NPR); 52A: Rear end (FANNY); 55A: Political aficionado's station (C-SPAN); 57A: Absorbed, as a cost (ATE); 58A: Circular cookie (OREO); 59A: Stable tidbit (OAT); 66A: Good fortune (LUCK); 67A: Cursor controller (MOUSE); 68A: Diabolical (EVIL); 69A: Fawn's father (STAG); 70A: Campfire remains (ASHES); 2D: Bit of baby babble (GOO); 3D: Academic URL ender (EDU); 5D: Inbox junk (SPAM); 7D: 23-Across opposite (MINOR); 8D: Atmospheric layer (OZONE); 9D: Car sound system (AM/FM STEREO); 12D: Souped-up ride (HOT ROD); 13D: Aegean capital (ATHENS); 18D: Time in office (TERM); 23D: __ school (MED); 24D: Part of U.A.E. (ARAB); 25D: Dick's storybook partner (JANE); 26D: Caravan creature (CAMEL); 32D: Spring blossom (IRIS); 34D: Admin. aide (ASST.); 36D: Pointy tool (AWL); 37D: Like a lion's coat (TAWNY); 39D: It "comes on little cat feet," in a Sandburg poem (THE FOG); 40D: Campbell's product (SOUP); 44D: Reunion group (KIN); 45D: Entangles (SNARLS); 46D: Decline to participate (OPT OUT); 47D: Grapefruit-flavored diet drink (FRESCA); 49D: Academic sports org. (NCAA); 53D: Detective Wolfe and an emperor (NEROS); 56D: Throat bacteria (STREP); 59D: Tip jar bills (ONES); 62D: Suffix with Canton (-ESE); 63D: Anticipatory time (EVE); 64D: Trivial point (NIT); 65D: Drink by a dartboard (ALE);

02.14 Mon

M O N D A Y February 14, 2011
Ian Livengood

Theme: Happy Valentine's Day — Last words of the theme answers make the phrase HEAD OVER HEELS.

Theme answers:

• 20A: Bounty, to the hunted (PRICE ON ONE'S HEAD).
• 38A: Examine quickly (GIVE THE ONCE OVER).
• 53A: Frolic vigorously (KICK UP ONE'S HEELS).
• 69A: With "in," what can follow the phrase formed by the ends of 20-, 38- and 53-Across (LOVE).

Cute theme for Valentine's Day with three fifteen-letter phrases. Aside from the Scrabbliness, I don't see much to get excited about with the fill. Craig STADLER seems a little harsh for a Monday (46A: Golfer Craig known as "the Walrus"). I mean, I needed a couple crosses in place to remember his name and I even know who the guy is. Seeing TA-TA right above TALLY-HO (23A: "Cheerio!" / 28A: Fox-sighting cry) did make me chuckle. My favorite entries in the grid have to be FIASCO (9D: Total flop) and ZEVON ("Werewolves of London" singer Warren __). The only place I ran into trouble was down in the southwest where I tried SPINS before SKEWS (50D: Depicts unfairly, as data), but that didn't take long to sort out.

Bullets:

• 1A: Hearts, e.g. (GAME). A little non-theme bonus answer for our V-Day.
• 18A: Kind of nut (KOLA). I saw a tweet the other day from someone who mistyped KOALA as KOLA. It ended up making the tweet pretty funny but it would be totally inappropriate for me to share it with you here. Sorry.

• 24A: 2011 Rose Bowl champs: Abbr. (TCU). Texas Christian University. Their mascot is the horned frog. And I thought being a terrapin was lame.
• 50A: Disco __ of "The Simpsons" (STU). Not being a Simpsons fan, I used to have a hard time remembering this. It helped for me to learn a little something about the context, so I'm going to pass it along to you in hopes that it will help you as well. Now I'm sure I don't have all the details but apparently there was a jacket that was being customized for Homer that was supposed to say "DISCO STUD" on the back. But they ran out of room and it ended up saying "DISCO STU." So now you know. (If you didn't already.)
• 7D: Western necktie (BOLO). I have to say that I really do miss living in a place where you see men wearing bolo ties and/or cowboy hats as just a normal everyday thing.

• 29D: Architect Frank __ Wright (LLOYD). Weren't we just talking about him yesterday?
• 47D: Stay out of sight (LIE LOW). I know this is grammatically correct, but I'm pretty sure I've heard people use the incorrect "lay low" more often.
• 54D: Robert of "The Sopranos" (ILER). Runner-up for today's Crosswordese 101 entry.
• 57D: Nick Charles's wife (NORA). Pop quiz for anyone who's just starting out on crossword puzzles. What's the name of Nick and Nora's dog?
• 60D: "For Pete's __!" (SAKE). This is funny but I can't tell you why yet.

Crosswordese 101: There are two ELIHUs you need to know for crossword puzzles. ELIHU Root is described as a statesman, Secretary of State and Nobel Peace Prize winner. You might also see the words "law" and "government" in clues for ELIHU Root. ELIHU Yale, on the other hand, was a philanthropist and the founder of Yale University. For both Root and Yale, you will almost always see their last names in the clue, so they're pretty easy to spot.

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

• 36A: Hawaiian neckwear (LEI).
• 44A: Skating jumps (AXELS).
• 49A: Once called, in wedding notices (NÉE).
• 62A: Silents actress Negri (POLA).
• 58D: Sailor's patron saint (ELMO).

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Everything Else — 5A: Soft pats (DABS); 9A: Physicist Enrico (FERMI); 14A: Sink cleaner (AJAX); 15A: Straddling (ATOP); 16A: Hipbone-related (ILIAC); 17A: It's quite a story (SAGA); 19A: Bridal path (AISLE); 25A: From A __ (TO Z); 31A: Dallas hoopster, for short (MAV); 34A: "Tosca" or "Pagliacci" (OPERA); 37A: Gradually lose color (FADE); 42A: Strong as __ (AN OX); 43A: Wall climber (IVY); 45A: One of a D.C. 100 (SEN.); 51A: Followers: Suf. (-ISTS); 61A: Being not from 41-Down (ALIEN); 63A: Appeal (PLEA); 64A: Meas. of the cereal without the box (NET WT.); 65A: Helen of __ (TROY); 66A: Run __: go wild (AMOK); 67A: Lock of hair (TRESS); 68A: Cuts, as logs (SAWS); 1D: [Heavens!] (GASP); 2D: Cracked open (AJAR); 3D: Nativity trio (MAGI); 4D: Right on the money (EXACT); 5D: Former territory where Mount Rushmore is (DAKOTA); 6D: Lacking a musical key (ATONAL); 8D: Time period (SPAN); 10D: College benefactor Yale (ELIHU); 11D: Greet the judge (RISE); 12D: __ fide: in bad faith (MALA); 13D: Topped a cupcake (ICED); 21D: Really bug (EAT AT); 22D: Set of moral principles (ETHIC); 25D: Colosseum garments (TOGAS); 26D: Think aloud (OPINE); 30D: Itch (YEN); 31D: Expert (MAVEN); 32D: Fred's dancing sister (ADELE); 33D: Limericks and such (VERSE); 35D: Stout of whodunits (REX); 37D: Sly critter (FOX); 39D: Asked boldly, as for money (HIT UP); 40D: Actress Longoria (EVA); 41D: Planet nearest Mars, usually (EARTH); 46D: Daring feats (STUNTS); 48D: Blue book exams (ESSAYS); 52D: Flower leaf (SEPAL); 53D: "Critique of Pure Reason" writer (KANT); 55D: Refer to (CITE); 56D: Chooses (to) (OPTS); 58D: Sailor's patron saint (ELMO); 59D: Pope before Sergius III (LEO V).

02.07 Mon

M O N D A Y February 7, 2011
Thomas Takaro

Theme: Head Games — Theme answers are 15-letter familiar phrases that end with a word for a body part. I wanted to say "part of a face" but EARS aren't really part of the face, right?

Theme answers:

• 17A: New perspective (FRESH PAIR OF EYES).
• 25A: "Doesn't bother me a bit" (NO SKIN OFF MY NOSE).
• 43A: Listen very carefully (PRICK UP YOUR EARS).
• 57A: How the poor live (FROM HAND TO MOUTH).

Nice, simple Monday theme for us today. I really like that all the theme answers are 15 letters long. There's a bit of crosswordese in the grid, but it's at a perfectly acceptable level for a Monday. I'd say this is an all-around solid puzzle for us to start off the week. There were only a couple places that made me pause at all. My first thought for [10A: Agile] was SPRY, not DEFT. The clue for MOI seemed a little on the difficult side for this early in the week (24A: "Dites-__": "South Pacific" song). I assume Greene will be along any minute now to tell us everything we need to know about this song. And I wasn't 100% sure on how to spell 5D: New York's TAPPAN Zee Bridge (I tried TAPPEN first). Other than that, though, a nice smooth solve.

Bullets:

• 21A: U.S., French and Australian tournaments (OPENS).
• 23A: Emissions watchdog org. (EPA). The Environmental Protection Agency.

• 38A: "__ the loneliest number": '60s song lyric (ONE IS). That's Three Dog Night, right?
• 46A: Section of L.A.? (LOS). The question mark is a hint that the answer isn't going to be an actually neighborhood in Los Angeles, but instead is a part (section) of the name "Los Angeles."
• 62A: Hummus holder (PITA). Have I told you about the hummus place right in the building where I work? It's called "Perfect Pita" and it's the best hummus I've ever had. I was getting it pretty much every day for lunch, so I decided I should just buy some hummus at the grocery store and bring it in to save money. Well, I opened up that first container of grocery store hummus, took one bite, and thought to myself "What is this crap?!" I am forever spoiled. There will be no more sub-par hummus in my life.

• 18D: "Come on, let's go for a ride!" ("HOP IN!"). You know I'm a fan of the colloquial phrase. This one is awesome.
• 19D: Bank robber "Pretty Boy" __ (FLOYD). Wikipedia tells me he wasn't exactly a fan of his nickname. I always kinda wondered about that.
• 24D: Lyon ladies: Abbr. (MMES.). French!
• 33D: Some turnpike ramps (EXITS). Have you all seen this new-fangled intersection that some cities are trying now. It's called, hmmm … let me see if I can find it. Yep, it's called a "diverging diamond." The article I saw was about the first diverging diamond in Springfield, Missouri. It's supposedly both safer and less expensive than building a bridge. Looks like a great idea.
• 41D: Smidgen (SKOSH). I do love this word. Quite a bit more than a SKOSH.

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 16A: Draft classification (ONE-A).
• 4D: '60s militant gp. (SDS).
• 6D: "Dies __": hymn (IRAE).
• 11D: "Only Time" New Age singer (ENYA).
• 13D: Soviet news source (TASS).
• 53D: Sicilian smoker (ETNA).

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Everything Else — 1A: Steve of Apple (JOBS); 5A: Snug, as jeans (TIGHT); 14A: Old-fashioned exclamation (EGAD); 15A: One-way street sign symbol (ARROW); 20A: Turkish topper (FEZ); 22A: Hurdles for future attys. (LSATS); 34A: Deathly white (ASHEN); 35A: Did electrical work (WIRED); 36A: Roman peace (PAX); 37A: Inst. of learning (ACAD.); 39A: First name in jeans (LEVI); 40A: Word after box or cable (CAR); 41A: Burst of growth (SPURT); 42A: '90s candidate Ross (PEROT); 47A: Commercial suffix with Water (-PIK); 48A: __ Dei: lamb of God (AGNUS); 51A: Prophets (SEERS); 54A: Barfly (SOT); 60A: Rivers, to Rosita (RIOS); 61A: __ cum laude (MAGNA); 63A: Grand Ole __ (OPRY); 64A: Thrown weapon (SPEAR); 65A: Put in the overhead bin (STOW); 1D: Bezos of Amazon (JEFF); 2D: Grimm baddie (OGRE); 3D: Folksinger Joan (BAEZ); 6D: "Dies __": hymn (IRAE); 7D: Boyish smile (GRIN); 8D: __ d'oeuvre (HORS); 9D: Seesaw complement (TWO); 10D: Knocks off (DOES IN); 12D: Pedal pushers (FEET); 23D: Barely made, with "out" (EKED); 25D: Civil rights org. (NAACP); 26D: Acting award (OSCAR); 27D: Lamb Chop creator Lewis (SHARI); 28D: Admit it (OWN UP); 29D: Flaming (FIERY); 30D: Corn chip (FRITO); 31D: Verdi work (OPERA); 32D: Really enjoy, as food (SAVOR); 38D: Magnum __: great work (OPUS); 39D: Onion relative (LEEK); 42D: Bender of rays (PRISM); 44D: Bumbling (CLUMSY); 45D: Hubbub (UPROAR); 48D: Jackson 5 hairdo (AFRO); 49D: Golf club part (GRIP); 50D: American-born Jordanian queen (NOOR); 51D: Piece of cake (SNAP); 52D: Outskirts (EDGE); 54D: One of a deck's foursome (SUIT); 55D: Maestro Klemperer (OTTO); 56D: Melting period (THAW); 58D: Early hrs. (AM'S); 59D: Covert __: spy missions (OPS).

01.31 Mon

M O N D A Y January 31, 2011
Donna S. Levin

Theme: Hot Hot Hot — The last word of each theme phrase can precede the word "alarm" in a familiar phrase.

Theme answers:

• 17A: Exec's perk (COMPANY CAR).
• 23A: Tempts fate, in a way (PLAYS WITH FIRE).
• 50A: Second in a Sue Grafton series (B IS FOR BURGLAR).
• 61A: Fairly spicy, as chili (and like this puzzle, literally, based on the ends of 17-, 23- and 50-Across) (THREE-ALARM).

Really smooth Monday puzzle today. Highlights for me include: FALAFEL, AT FIRST, and TAILBACK. Cute theme. It's unfortunate that you can't really do much with the word "alarm." I mean, an alarm is pretty much just one thing, so we're not gonna see three different types of alarms in the theme phrases. But I've always found chili's "three-alarm" designation pretty humorous and it is, in fact, how I prefer my chili, so overall I'm gonna give this one a thumbs up.

Bullets:

• 10A: Dog bugger (FLEA). I thought for a minute there might be a word for "dog boogers." But that would be gross.
• 16A: Bee, to Andy (AUNT). Before anyone says it: Yes, that is how Aunt Bee spells her name.
• 19A: Adriatic resort (LIDO).



• 29A: Actor Diggs (TAYE). I've seen the name, but I don't know who this is. Let me look it up. … Hm. Okay, he played the young stud in "How Stella Got Her Groove Back." I read the book, but didn't see the movie. Now he's on TV in a show called "Private Practice" that's apparently a spin-off of "Gray's Anatomy." So now you know.
• 33A: Actress Cheryl (LADD). Cheryl LADD, on the other hand, I knew right off the bat. "Good morning, angels!"
• 38A: One in an extra-large baby carriage, perhaps (TRIPLET). Yikes. There's a set of first-grade triplets at PuzzleDaughter's school. That just seems insane to me.
• 57A: Horn for a Muppet named Zoot (SAX). For some reason, I read this as "Mom for a Muppet named Zoot." I'm not familiar with this particular Muppet. Does he wear a zoot suit?
• 7D: Avian chatterbox (MACAW). I tried MYNAH first.

• 12D: Biblical witch's home (ENDOR). I thought the phrase "The Witches of Endor" was something, but I think I'm getting that confused with "The Witches of Eastwick." ENDOR is only known to me in the context of Star Wars. And using the word known might be a slight exaggeration. Is it a forest? Is it where the ewoks live? I feel like that girl on that video.
• 18D: R&B artist with the 2006 #1 hit "So Sick" (NE-YO). CAn't say I'm familiar with this particular artist. Seems quite un-Monday-ish, but the crosses are all solid.
• 35D: Perpetrator (DOER). I can't really picture anyone using the word DOER besides Andy Sipowicz.
• 63D: '70s TV boss of Mary, Ted and Murray (LOU). More TV right in my sweet spot. The Mary Tyler Moore show.

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 15A: Pastry served au rhum (BABA).
• 68A: Eyelid woe (STYE).
• 27D: Score after deuce (AD IN).
• 58D: Jason's vessel (ARGO).

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Everything Else — 1A: Dissolves into a puddle (MELTS); 6A: Firing range rounds (AMMO); 14A: Audibly astonished (AGASP); 20A: Sixth sense letters (ESP); 21A: Tableland (MESA); 22A: Conestoga, e.g. (WAGON); 27A: God of manly beauty (APOLLO); 30A: "Saturday Night Fever" dance genre (DISCO); 31A: Bogus plan (SCAM); 37A: Acolyte's suffix (-IST); 41A: Angus's greeting (MOO); 42A: Space Shuttle gp. (NASA); 44A: Feb. 14 (V-DAY); 45A: Colorado resort (ASPEN); 47A: "Of __ I Sing" (THEE); 49A: Mideast fleet (OILERS); 55A: One more time (AGAIN); 56A: "Trick" or "treat" (VERB); 60A: Defame (SLUR); 64A: Charged particles (IONS); 65A: Feathery wraps (BOAS); 66A: Dance in a line (CONGA); 67A: Layer of paint (COAT); 69A: Praise (KUDOS); 1D: Nutmeg spice (MACE); 2D: Boardroom clashers (EGOS); 3D: Streetlight supports (LAMP POSTS); 4D: 1/6 fl. oz. (TSP.); 5D: Musical with the song "The Holy Grail" (SPAMALOT); 6D: Bottomless pit (ABYSS); 8D: Wharton deg. (MBA); 9D: Galley mover (OAR); 10D: Pita filling (FALAFEL); 11D: "Super Mario" brother (LUIGI); 13D: Do penance (ATONE); 22D: "For what reason?" ("WHY?"); 24D: Partnership letters (LLC); 25D: Country with a da Vinci drawing on its one-euro coin (ITALY); 26D: Docile (TAME); 28D: Galileo's birthplace (PISA); 31D: Flip of a hit single (SIDE B); 32D: IRS audit rep (CPA); 34D: Barnes & Noble link? (AMPERSAND); 36D: Crime bosses (DONS); 39D: Winnebago owner, briefly (RV'ER); 40D: NFL ball carrier, often (TAILBACK); 43D: In the beginning (AT FIRST); 46D: Gp. that abducted Patty Hearst (SLA); 48D: Sweetie (HON); 49D: Meanie (OGRE); 50D: Rudimentary (BASIC); 51D: Inuit home (IGLOO); 52D: Sweat box? (SAUNA); 53D: Sun danger (UV RAY); 54D: Witherspoon of "Walk the Line" (REESE); 59D: Dec. holiday (XMAS); 61D: "Very funny" TV station (TBS); 62D: In vogue (HOT).

01.24 Mon

M O N D A Y

January 24, 2011
John Lampkin

Theme: ROFLMAO — Okay, not really ROFLMAO. Just LOL. Theme answers are familiar three-word phrases with the initials L.O.L.

Theme answers:

• 20A: Comfortable situation to live in, with "the" (LAP OF LUXURY).
• 56A: Low-paying but rewarding project (LABOR OF LOVE).
• 11D: Minnesota-based dairy cooperative (LAND O' LAKES).
• 29D: "Like that's going to work!" ("LOTS OF LUCK!").
• 41A: Cyberchuckle, and a hint to this puzzle's four longest answers (LOL).

Good morning, everyone. Looks like we're starting out the week with a smooth solve from Mr. Lampkin. I usually expect something tricky from John, but today's puzzle is pretty straightforward. Well, it is Monday after all. Did you notice how many of the clues seemed to be "paired"? For example:

• 44A: "Romeo and Juliet" city (VERONA).
• 46A: Before, to Shakespeare (ERE).


• 6D: Brand over spaghetti (RAGU).
• 7D: Brand under the sink (AJAX).

I think of that type of cluing as Bob Klahn-esque, and it doesn't surprise me that we're seeing quite a bit of it from John.

As for the theme, it's a perfectly solid theme for Monday. Theme phrases are not particularly sparkly, but they don't just lie there either. The only nit I would pick is that three of the theme answers use OF as the O part of the phrase, while the fourth is the contraction O'. That didn't affect my solving experience, but it does detract somewhat from the theme's elegance. And I admit that's being awfully picky.

Grid entries that spice up this Monday fare include:

• 14A: Ballerina's rail (BARRE).
• 27A: A deuce used as an ace, say (WILD CARD).
• 5D: Showing shame (RED-FACED).
• 42D: Like a stroller at the shore, shoewise (BAREFOOT).

That last clue made me LOL. "Shoewise"? Had no idea what was going on there and only figured it out from crosses.

Bullets:

• 39A: Went to the polls (VOTED). When PuzzleSon was just a toddler, we took him with us to vote one time. Our polling place was an elementary school in the neighborhood, and they used machines where you make your choices and then push a big green button clearly marked with the word VOTE. As we went through the process, I explained it to PuzzleSon, the way parents do with little kids (knowing that none of it probably made a bit of sense to him). After that, every time we'd drive by that school he would yell out "Push green button say boat!"

• 66A: Nuts (LOCO). One of the few relatively tricky clues in the grid because the answer could have gone in a number of directions. Nuts like peanuts and walnuts? Nuts like a group of nutty people? Nope, it's not even a noun in this case. I had the same sort of hesitation with 13D: Relaxed (EASED). There, my first thought was to read the clue as a verb.
• 8D: Spanish toast (SALUD). Add this to your list of toasts, which should include SKOAL from the other day.
• 21D: Angle iron (L-BAR). Ane here, once again, ladies and gentlemen, a perfect example of how doing crossword puzzles regularly can help you become a better solver. I wouldn't have had the foggiest idea on this one if we hadn't just had L-BAR as a theme (and, if I recall correctly, the reveal answer was clued as "angle iron").

• 28D: People magazine focus (IDOL). Have y'all been watching "American Idol" this season? I'm a big Aerosmith fan, so I was afraid seeing Steven Tyler on the panel would make me cringe like crazy. Now, I haven't watched a whole episode all the way through, but the bits and pieces I've seen of him have been palatable. I understand that he sometimes tends a little toward the pedophile end of the spectrum, and that doesn't sit well with me at all, but from what I've seen, he's pretty entertaining.

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 17A: Twisty-horned antelope (ELAND).
• 34A: Beethoven's Third (EROICA).
• 43A: "Born Free" lioness (ELSA).
• 46A: Before, to Shakespeare (ERE).
• 47A: "Free Willy" critter (ORCA).
• 59D: Chief Norse god (ODIN).
• 61D: Gaelic language (ERSE).

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Everything Else — 1A: Where many knots are tied (ALTAR); 6A: Tabula __: blank slate (RASA); 10A: Elmer's product (GLUE); 15A: In __: stuck (A JAM); 16A: Bear with too-hot porridge (PAPA); 18A: Powerful wind (GALE); 19A: Tiny army marchers (ANTS); 23A: Anonymous Jane (DOE); 24A: Research facility (LAB); 25A: Songwriter Neil (DIAMOND); 32A: Store, as a hose (COIL); 33A: "Much __ About Nothing" (ADO); 36A: Li'l Abner's creator Al (CAPP); 42A: Cake maker (BAKER); 49A: Turns on, as an engine (STARTS UP); 51A: What mirrors do (REFLECT); 54A: Golfer's support (TEE); 55A: Dot-com's address (URL); 62A: Very dry, as Champagne (BRUT); 64A: Musical quality (TONE); 65A: __ but wiser (OLDER); 67A: Ending for exist (-ENCE); 68A: Leaves out (OMITS); 69A: Actress Sommer (ELKE); 70A: Nut, e.g. (SEED); 71A: Past or present (TENSE); 1D: Adam's second son (ABEL); 2D: Refrain syllables (LA LA); 3D: Mouse catcher (TRAP); 4D: Golfer Palmer (ARNOLD); 9D: Part of USA (AMERICA); 10D: 4.0, for one: Abbr. (GPA); 12D: Pulitzer author Sinclair (UPTON); 22D: NBA's __ Ming (YAO); 26D: Glittery mineral (MICA); 27D: Breaker at the shore (WAVE); 30D: Romeo or Juliet, e.g. (ROLE); 31D: Christian's dresses? (DIORS); 35D: Coagulate, as blood (CLOT); 37D: Lima's country (PERU); 38D: Get ready, briefly (PREP); 40D: British peer (EARL); 44D: Moves out (VACATES); 45D: Peacekeeping gp. since 1949 (NATO); 48D: Animation collectible (CEL); 50D: "Out with it!" ("TELL ME!"); 51D: Moscow money (RUBLE); 52D: Filmdom's Flynn (ERROL); 53D: Steakhouse steak (T-BONE); 57D: Grimm beginning (ONCE); 58D: Oboe or bassoon (REED); 60D: Docs for doggies and dogies (VETS); 63D: Stubbed digit (TOE).