04.03 Sun

S U N D A Y
April 3, 2011 (syndicated)
Doug Peterson

[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: "The Play's the Thing" - 8 familiar playthings immortalized together are brought together again in this puzzle.

Theme answers:

• 23A: *They're educational and stakable (ALPHABET BLOCKS).
• 38A: *Construction set invented by Frank Lloyd Wright's son (LINCOLN LOGS).
• 47A: *Street hockey gear (ROLLER SKATES).
• 91A: *Shipping container (CARDBOARD BOX).
• 98A: *Dual-knobbed drawing device (ETCH A SKETCH).
• 119A: *Kindergartner's boxful (CRAYOLA CRAYONS).
• 15D: *Board game with color-coded cards (CANDY LAND).
• 81D: *Cuddly bedmate (TEDDY BEAR).
• 68A: Rochester, N.Y., institution whose inductees include the eight answers to the starred clues (NATIONAL TOY HALL OF FAME).

Hi, everybody! Neville here, sitting in for Doug. Why? Because he wrote this puzzle - you read the byline, didn't you? You might remember me for a few puzzles that I've had in the LA Times. Or not - I'm certainly not as prolific as Doug, who's had nearly 30 puzzles in the LA Times since this blog started up! Wow! Doug is one of my favorite constructors, and I'm pleased to make my debut here as a guest blogger on a Peterson puzzle.

Do you ever get lucky when solving a puzzle? I got lucky this time - I remembered a Sporcle quiz I played a little while back also based on this subject. Go give it a shot (after you finish reading this post, of course!) - you'll have an eight-answer head start. Big ups to Doug for picking out 8 of the stars from that list and cramming them all into this grid.

Bullets:

• 77A: Picnic favorite (BEAN SALAD). I had LEAF SALAD. That didn't work! I find both pasta and potato salads to be better than both of those choices at picnics, but neither of them fit.
• 78A: Tiny bit (TITTLE). When I think tittle, I think the dot over the miniscule i. I wrote in LITTLE instead.
• 82A: Tool used in a bed (HOE). Take it away, Ken Jennings:
  
  
  
• 25D: Scott of "Happy Days" (BAIO). More recently, Scott had a minor role as a lawyer on "Arrested Development". Enjoy some wordplay:



• 52D: Period of sacrifice (LENT). For those keeping score at home, three weeks until Easter!
• 58D: 1988 A.L. MVP (CANSECO). Jose Canseco is now known for having reached that pinnacle of fame that is being a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice.
• 94D: Peninsula north of Martha's Vineyard (CAPE COD). Did you know that Martha's Vineyard is one of only five apostrophes in a US natural feature name. Crazy, huh? Learn more here!
• 83D: NBA's __ Man of the Year Award (SIXTH). Of course, all eyes are on the NCAA tournament at the moment, but I think this is a great clue - I was stumped for a good while. Who's going to take it all - Butler or UConn?
• 100D: Three Stooges family name (HOWARD). Nyuk nyuk nyuk! I don't remember the Stooges being this violent or poorly edited:



• 101D: First non-European literature Nobelist (1913) (TAGORE). Let's learn something together, shall we? Rabindranath Tagore (aka Gurudev) was a Bengali poet/playwright/musician/artist. His best known work was Gitanjali, a collection of English poems. I fell for the double that this person might be American and that I might have heard of them - but I learned something, and that's pretty cool, too.

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 5A: Gate approx. (ETD). You've gotta get this D from the crossing - that's always a pain.
• 19A: Airline with a Ben Gurion hub (EL AL)
• 32A: Santa __ winds (ANA).
• 55A: Word between surnames (NÉE).
• 57A: City SSW of Moscow (OREL).
• 67A: Itty-bitty, in Inverness (SMA). I think this is a new one for the blog - maybe PG doesn't think this is Crosswordese, but I do. It's easy to remember this Scottish word for small - just take off the last two letters!
• 97A: '80s missile shield prog. (SDI).
• 4D: Pre-coll. catchall (EL-HI). Who says this? This is my pet peeve bit of crosswordese.
• 78D: Gumshoes (TECS). We've seen the singular here before for sure.
• 89D: Classified letters (EOE). Ah, the dreaded EOE/EEO dilemma. Did you guess correctly?

[I'm not on it yet, but if you are, you should totally follow PuzzleGirl on Twitter.]

Everything else - 1A: Cause for fishing hole excitement (BITE); 8A: Fleshy-snouted mammal (TAPIR); 13A: Fearless Fosdick's creator (AL CAPP); 20A: Book flap feature (BIO); 21A: Ridiculous (INANE); 22A: Comfortable shoe (LOAFER); 26A: Unlearned (INNATE); 27A: Long-tailed songbird (PIPIT); 28A: Shade of green (PEA); 29A: It's done in some circles (SEWING); 31A: Sturdy wagon (DRAY); 33A: Actor Estevez (EMILIO); 36A: "A Taste of Honey" dramatist (DELANEY); 41A: DMV document (LIC.); 42A: Vaquero's plain (LLANO); 46A: Arles affirmatives (OUIS); 50A: Port-du-__: French cheese (SALUT); 53A: Script section (SCENE); 56A: PBS series since 1974 (NOVA); 58A: Breezy good-byes (CIAOS); 60A: QB's try (ATT.); 62A: First name among disrespected comedians? (RODNEY); 64A: Pollution-free power sources (WIND FARMS); 66A: Links highlight (ACE); 75A: Jenny, e.g. (ASS); 76A: "Reliable Sources" airer (CNN); 83A: Swedish imports (SAABS); 84A: Winged goddess (NIKE); 85A: War of 1812 shipbuilding port (ERIE); 86A: Half a dance (CHA); 88A: "Gone With the Wind" Oscar winner (LEIGH); 90A: Dramatist Chekhov (ANTON); 94A: "How __ refuse?" (CAN I); 96A: Hardly posh (SEEDY); 104A: Home of Chichén Itzá (YUCATAN); 107A: Hullabaloo (HOOPLA); 108A: "Bingo!" ("AHA!"); 109A: Crime lab item (SWAB); 112A: Not spontaneous (STAGED); 114A: Come up short (OWE); 115A: "King Lear" daughter (REGAN); 117A: Ripped to pieces (TORE UP); 122A: Mystical secrets (ARCANA); 123A: "True Grit," for one (OATER); 124A: 20th-century composer Harris (ROY); 125A: Logical connector (ERGO); 126A: 1943 Allied conference site (TEHRAN); 127A: Campout treat (S'MORE); 128A: 34th pres. (DDE); 129A: Look to be (SEEM); 1D: "Little help here, bud?" ("BE A PAL"); 2D: "Fighting" team (ILLINI); 3D: __ Zee Bridge (TAPPAN); 5D: Flow's counterpart (EBB); 6D: Ascot fasteners (TIE PINS); 7D: "I'm listening!" ("DO TELL!"); 8D: Up to, in brief (TIL); 9D: "__ Amours": 1984 César Award-winning film (ANOS); 10D: Walked worriedly (PACED); 11D: Bygone writing aid (INKWELL); 12D: Able to overcome adversity (RESILIENT); 13D: Bring into harmony (ALIGN); 14D: Contemporary of Boris (LON); 16D: Where some worship from (AFAR); 17D: Anti-leather gp. (PETA); 18D: Zebras, to lions (PREY); 24D: Did lunch, say (ATE OUT); 30D: Iridescent jewelry material (NACRE); 34D: 1,051, to Hadrian (MLI); 35D: Fiends of fantasy (OGRES); 37D: Buckskin source (ELK); 39D: "What else __ do?" (COULD I); 40D: Elroy, to George Jetson (SON); 43D: Oodles (A TON); 44D: Snow in Milano (NEVE); 45D: Anthem beginning (O SAY); 48D: Percolate (LEACH); 49D: Sunday deliveries (SERMONS); 50D: Planted (SOWN); 51D: "Turandot" highlight (ARIA); 53D: O.T. prophet (SAML.); 54D: Bulk-purchase club (COSTCO); 58D: 1988 A.L. MVP (CANSECO); 59D: Funds for later yrs. (IRA'S); 61D: Leaves home? (TEABAG); 63D: Bozos (OAFS); 65D: Newborn Arabian (FOAL); 66D: Objectivism advocate Rand (AYN); 67D: Healthy portion (SLAB); 69D: Spaghetti pkg. unit (ONE LB.); 70D: Remini of "The King of Queens" (LEAH); 71D: Author Flagg (FANNIE); 72D: Hit the ground (ALIT); 73D: Speedy shark (MAKO); 74D: Idyllic setting (EDEN); 79D: "Dies __" (IRAE); 80D: Flag (TIRE); 82D: Crunchy Mexican munchies (HARD TACOS); 87D: Tackles (HAS AT); 90D: Capital south of the Black Sea (ANKARA); 92D: Mitt Romney's alma mater: Abbr. (BYU); 93D: Family tree, e.g. (DIAGRAM); 95D: Silent communication syst. (ASL); 99D: "Groovy!" ('COOL!"); 100D: Three Stooges family name (HOWARD); 101D: First non-European literature Nobelist (1913) (TAGORE); 102D: Meter feeder's need (CHANGE); 103D: Quaint carriage (HANSOM); 105D: It covers D.C. (C-SPAN); 106D: "Groovy!" ("NEATO!"); 109D: Fan's factoid (STAT); 110D: Modeled (WORE); 111D: Raise, as an eyebrow (ARCH); 113D: Tannery worker (DYER); 116D: Checks out (EYES); 118D: Uruguayan article (UNA); 120D: Stuff in a seam (ORE); 121D: Sourdough alternative (RYE)

M O N D A Y November 8, 2010 Neville Fogarty

Theme: Puzztastic! — Theme answers are familiar phrases whose first word rhymes with "bombastic."


Theme answers:

• 17A: Last resort actions (DRASTIC MEASURES).
• 27A: 2009 Clooney/Streep film based on a Roald Dahl book (FANTASTIC MR. FOX).
• 44A: Scrunchie, e.g. (ELASTIC HAIRTIE).
• 55A: Kitschy lawn ornament (PLASTIC FLAMINGO).

Hey, look who's here. It's Neville again! Remember last week how I posted a picture of Neville Longbottom on the post with Neville Fogarty's puzzle? Well, apparently that prompted him (Neville Fogarty) to change his Facebook profile picture and it's perfect!

So, the puzzle. I felt like I struggled with it, but when I finished it was pretty much exactly the same amount of time I typically spend on Mondays. Maybe it's because there's barely any crosswordese in it (which is awesome on a Monday). The theme is cute. I'm not crazy about ELASTIC HAIRTIE. I mean, sure, that's what it is, but that's not a phrase that trips off the tongue, ya know? And, yes, I understand what is meant by PLASTIC FLAMINGO but I don't think I've ever called it that. Pretty sure I've only called the flamingo yard decoration a "pink flamingo," which does nothing to distinguish it from the actual pink flamingo bird, but hey, that's how I roll. So, I'm gonna do a little sleuthing here. … Turns out "plastic flamingo" and "plastic flamingos" (in the plural) get a total of about 25K Google hits. Obviously, "pink flamingo" isn't going to give us the results we want because, unlike me, Google doesn't automatically distinguish between the lawn ornament and the actual bird. "Plastic pink flamingo," however, gets 250K hits. What does that tell us? Well, nothing, actually. But it was fun, right?

Bullets:

• 16A: Loughlin of "90210" (LORI). Can't say I ever watched this show. Some of the boys on it were pretty cute though. Her name sounds familiar though. Hmmm ... Oh! She played Uncle Jesse's girlfriend-then-wife Becky on "Full House." The PuzzleKids luurrv that show.
• 21A: Icy space streakers (COMETS). If I say "I didn't know COMETS were icy" does that just make me look stupid?
• 22A: "The way I see it," in online shorthand (IMO). In My Opinion.
• 31A: Display ostentatiously (FLAUNT). If you've got it ….

• 35A: Soccer moms' transports (VANS). Just last week I started wondering when I'm going to be able to ditch the mini-van and get myself a nice little car. I think it might be soon.
• 49A: Dali display, say (ART). I entered ART first then thought, "Nah, that's too easy," and changed it to "oil." Then back to ART.
• 61A: Like some gases (INERT). I tried "noble" here first.
• 63A: Glittery rock style typified by David Bowie (GLAM). I've never been much of a Bowie fan, but I do enjoy this song.



• 11D: Rita who shouted "Hey you guys!" on "The Electric Company" (MORENO). Just took a quick look at Rita Moreno's Wikipedia page and wow, she's 78 years old. I loved her on "Electric Company." She's one of only 10 people who have won an Oscar, a Tony, a Grammy, and an Emmy. But you knew that.
• 13D: Actress Spacek (SISSY). I can't picture her without pigs blood all over her. That's unfortunate.
• 22D: Uncertain (IFFY). Ooh, that's a great little colloquial word.
• 41D: Saint Stephen's punishment for blasphemy (STONING). I'm not really up on my Bible, so I had to get this through crosses. (See what I did there?)

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 4D: Condé __ Publications (NAST).
• 8D: Maiden name lead-in (NÉE).
• 53D: Mennen shaving lotion (AFTA).

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Everything Else — 1A: Like 20 Questions questions (YES-NO); 6A: Put together, as a book (BIND); 10A: Ratchets (up) (AMPS); 14A: Halloween option (TREAT); 15A: Over, in Germany (UBER); 20A: Celery pieces (STALKS); 24A: Sorrow (WOE); 25A: __ moment: sudden realization (AHA); 26A: Vote against (NAY); 32A: Landlord's contract (LEASE); 33A: Holler (YELL); 34A: "__ the season to be jolly ..." ('TIS); 39A: Malia Obama's sister (SASHA); 42A: Gripe and grouse (KVETCH); 47A: "One Day __ Time" (AT A); 48A: Pull a scam on (CON); 50A: Biblical beast (ASS); 51A: Abandon on an island (MAROON); 53A: Giorgio known for snazzy suits (ARMANI); 59A: Peru's capital (LIMA); 60A: Message passed in class (NOTE); 62A: Posing no challenge (EASY); 64A: Lymphatic tissue masses (NODES); 1D: Since Jan. 1, on a financial report (YTD); 2D: Botch something up (ERR); 3D: Like corn and apples (SEASONAL); 5D: From Canada's capital (OTTAWAN); 6D: Water carrier (BUCKET); 7D: PCs from Big Blue (IBMS); 9D: Old Greek coin (DRACHMA); 10D: Former student (ALUM); 12D: Before the state's cut, as income (PRE-TAX); 18D: Words of defeat (I LOST); 19D: Flies in the clouds (SOARS); 23D: Masculine (MALE); 25D: Top poker pair (ACES); 28D: Oklahoma oil city (TULSA); 29D: Hipbone-related (ILIAC); 30D: Flu symptom (FEVER); 34D: Like a fine line (THIN); 36D: Reached, as goals (ATTAINED); 37D: Mark Harmon military TV drama (NCIS); 38D: Women (SHES); 40D: Fancy scarf (ASCOT); 42D: Destiny (KARMA); 43D: A, B, C, D, E, or K (VITAMIN); 44D: And others: Latin (ET ALIA); 45D: '80s-'90s Anaheim Stadium NFL team (L.A. RAMS); 46D: Apollo Theater site (HARLEM); 47D: More than enough (AMPLE); 52D: "The Star-Spangled Banner" start (O SAY); 54D: El __: climate pattern (NIÑO); 56D: KFC's Sanders, e.g. (COL.); 57D: Univ. sr.'s exam (GRE); 58D: NBA tiebreakers (OTS).

S A T U R D A Y October 30, 2010 Neville Fogarty

Theme: None


A very nice Saturday offering today from Neville Fogarty. If I'm not mistaken, this is Neville's debut puzzle. No, wait. He had a puzzle in the Chronicle of Higher Education earlier this month, and I remember enjoying that one too. And I guess while we're spending some time talking about Neville, I should let you know that he has an entertaining blog, if you're interested in that sort of thing.

So, the puzzle. Lots of good stuff! I do just want to say right up front (to get it out of the way), that EXCITERS (3D: They'll get you going) is hideous. But you knew that. COOERS (56A: Doves and loves) is a little better, but not much. But if I start whining too much just give me two words: MONEY SHOT (6A: Angle on the Titanic sinking, to filmmakers). How awesome is that?! Now there's no doubt it would have been clued differently in, say, a BEQ puzzle, but even with this G-rated clue it's a great entry.

Bullets:

• 15A: Gwen's "Chicago" role, 1975 (ROXIE). Well, I knew one of them was named ROXIE. Oh, I just noticed this clue refers to the 1975 musical, not the 2002 movie. Gwen Verdon played ROXIE Hart in the 1975 version. Renée Zellweger was ROXIE in the movie.

• 19A: Vulnerable spot (BLIND SIDE). Speaking of movies, I never did see this one. I really want to read the book first. I heard the book is really good and it was written by Michael Lewis, the same guy who wrote Moneyball, which is one of my favorite books of all time.
• 22A: Takeout throw-in (CATSUP). This is one of those words that makes me cringe. I don't know why, but it really bugs me.
• 36A: Mess up, as power cords (ENSNARL). I am so looking forward to the day when everything is wireless so there won't be any ENSNARLments in my house!
• 54A: Letters seen near a tilde (ESC). The ESCape key is near the tilde key on a typical computer keyboard.
• 61A: TV show set at the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company (THE OFFICE).



• 1D: Traditional food at the Preakness (CRAB CAKE). The Preakness is always run at Pimlico in Maryland, so I guess that makes sense. They do like their CRAB CAKEs in Maryland.

• 4D: Team with a mascot named Roary (LIONS). Rex Parker's favorite team.
• 13D: Dan Aykroyd's birthplace (OTTAWA). I always forget he's Canadian.

Crosswordese 101: The only real crosswordese I see in the puzzle is SNEE, and we've already covered it.

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Everything Else — 1A: Small power source (C CELL); 16A: "Be right there!" ("IN A MINUTE!"); 17A: Big name in wrap (ALCOA); 18A: Out-of-court testifiers (DEPONENTS); 21A: Suggest (GET AT); 23A: 1942 FDR creation (OSS); 25A: Lea lady (EWE); 26A: Golden __ (AGE); 27A: It leads the way (PROW); 29A: Words in an infomercial disclaimer (PAID AD); 32A: Russell of "Felicity" (KERI); 34A: Actually (IN FACT); 39A: Came out with (UTTERED); 43A: Unstable situation (CRISIS); 45A: '70s attire making a comeback (MAXI); 46A: They can be rare (STEAKS); 49A: Charlie Brown never became one (TEEN); 52A: Decks, briefly (KOS); 53A: Many a startup ender, these days (COM); 58A: Make up (for) (ATONE); 63A: Ticketing agent? (METER MAID); 65A: Top level (ATTIC); 66A: Opened (PREMIERED); 67A: Drink garnish (TWIST); 68A: Words you may hear after being hurt (I'M SO SORRY); 69A: Measures of volume (SONES); 2D: Lip enhancer (COLLAGEN); 5D: Help cause, with "to" (LEAD UP); 6D: It's shorter than a 45-Across (MIDI); 7D: Barely losing (ONE DOWN); 8D: Barbers may shave them (NAPES); 9D: Genre of the 1997 album "Nothing Feels Good" (EMO); 10D: Qin dynasty family name (YING); 12D: Tried to trap (HUNTED); 14D: Stuck a toe in (TESTED); 20D: Three-mo. period (SPR.); 24D: Old footwear accessory (SPAT); 28D: Works on canvas (OILS); 30D: Routine (ACT); 31D: It may follow a bullet (ITEM); 33D: Old empire builder (INCA); 35D: Solder, say (FUSE); 37D: Old animal shelter (ARK); 38D: Get ready for a pledge (RISE); 40D: Win big (RAKE IT IN); 41D: Dispossess? (EXORCISE); 42D: Takes apart (DISSECTS); 44D: More fidgety (ITCHIER); 46D: Garlicky entrée (SCAMPI); 47D: Common way to carry a child? (TO TERM); 48D: Works on stage (EMOTES); 50D: Friendly start? (ECO-); 51D: Music to a dieter's ears (NO FATS); 55D: Name on a controversial 1998 report (STARR); 57D: Lesser __ evils (OF TWO); 59D: Marlin's son, in a 2003 film (NEMO); 60D: Greek goddess of discord (ERIS); 62D: Kayaker's obstacle (EDDY); 64D: __ periculo: at my own risk (MEO).