M O N D A Y September 20, 2010 Samantha Wine

Theme: Hiding Out — First words of theme answers describe something/someone that's not here.


Theme answers:

• 20A: Daydreaming (LOST IN THOUGHT).
• 36A: Failing to grasp a key element (MISSING THE POINT).
• 52A: Not expected back at work until tomorrow (GONE FOR THE DAY).

Nice, simple theme for this lovely Monday morning. Looks like we're just going to ease on into the week, which is fine by me. I finished this puzzle in 3:15 which means there was really no resistance anywhere. I can never remember of the ARTHRO- part of ARTHROscopic (12D: Prefix with -scopic) ends in an O or an A, so I just left that square blank until I came back around to it with the cross. Same with 63A: Mauna LOA. As always, it could very well have been KEA, so I just left that one alone and it filled itself in later.

Misc.:

• 18A: On the __: broken (FRITZ). My dad had an uncle named FRITZ. I think that's an awesome name.
• 26A: Funny Costello (LOU). Elvis Costello is pretty funny too, isn't he? No? Okay.

• 43A: What ballerinas dance on (TIPTOE). There's something just a little off about this clue for me. When people are described as walking on tiptoe, they're not actually walking on the tips of their toes. But when ballerinas dance, they really are. Or maybe they're not because of the blocks in the toes of their shoes. I don't know. It just seems a little fuzzy.
• 1D: Trade name abbr. (DBA). Doing Business As.
• 11D: Store to "fall into," in old ads (THE GAP). I have no memory of this slogan. I guess I wasn't paying attention to The Gap in the early 80s.
• 13D: "Scram!" ("BEAT IT!"). Oh sure, why not?



• 45D: Letter-writing friend (PENPAL). Do they still have those?

Crosswordese 101: Syngman RHEE was 35D: South Korea's first president. He served in that position from 1948 until his resignation in 1960. As far as crossword puzzles are concerned, that's all you need to know about him!

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

• 19A: Approx. landing hr. (ETA).
• 42A: IRS agent (T-MAN).
• 49A: Utah city near Provo (OREM).
• 63A: Mauna __ (LOA).
• 62D: Prior to (ERE).

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Everything Else — 1A: Persian Gulf emirate (DUBAI); 6A: Aptly named novelist (READE); 11A: Check for drinks (TAB); 14A: Rocket scientist Wernher von __ (BRAUN); 15A: Use for dinner, as dishes (EAT ON); 16A: Realm from 800-1806: Abbr. (HRE); 17A: Jazzy O'Day (ANITA); 23A: More intimate (CLOSER); 25A: __-mutuel: type of betting (PARI); 27A: Abel's slayer (CAIN); 30A: Tsar or emperor (DESPOT); 32A: It follows the overture (ACT I); 34A: Pressed for time (IN A RUSH); 41A: Conceived of (IDEATED); 46A: Slangy agreement (YEAH); 48A: HVAC measure (BTU); 50A: Uproar (TUMULT); 58A: Econ. yardstick (GNP); 59A: Nebraska city (OMAHA); 60A: Tee shot (DRIVE); 64A: Lees competitor (LEVIS); 65A: Ocean ship (LINER); 66A: Bigger picture: Abbr. (ENL.); 67A: Kosher deli offering (KNISH); 68A: Sharp-eyed bird (EAGLE); 2D: Caterer's vessel (URN); 3D: Controversial financial rescues (BAILOUTS); 4D: Cars (AUTOS); 5D: "Be right there!" ("IN A SEC!"); 6D: Get a better int. rate, probably (REFI); 7D: Make on the job (EARN); 8D: Working busily (AT IT); 9D: "The lady __ protest too much": "Hamlet" (DOTH); 10D: Automaker Ferrari (ENZO); 21D: New employee (TRAINEE); 22D: End result (UPSHOT); 23D: Littleneck, e.g. (CLAM); 24D: Centers of activity (LOCI); 28D: Actress Swenson (INGA); 29D: Smartly dressed (NATTY); 30D: Obstetrician's calculation (DUE DATE); 31D: Psychic's asset, for short (ESP); 33D: "Surely I'm not the only one?!" ("IS IT ME?!"); 37D: Altar promise (I DO); 38D: "Drinks are on yours truly" ("I'M BUYING"); 39D: MLB league (NATL.); 40D: Letter-shaped fastener (T-NUT); 43D: Flip back and forth, as an on-off switch (TOGGLE); 44D: Like some denim patches (IRON-ON); 47D: Circular gridiron gathering (HUDDLE); 51D: "West Side Story" heroine (MARIA); 53D: Music genre that experienced a '50s-'60s revival (FOLK); 54D: Sign of the future (OMEN); 55D: Sitarist Shankar (RAVI); 56D: That's partner (THIS); 57D: Corned beef dish (HASH); 61D: Commercial prefix with -cro (VEL-).