F R I D A Y November 12, 2010 Dan Naddor

Theme: Add a U — Theme answers are familiar phrases with an added U, which causes wackiness.


Theme answers:

• 16A: Opening with a thud? (BAD DEBUT).
• 19A: Staple in a Hollywood first-aid kit? (STAR GAUZE).
• 26A: Compulsion to set up camp? (TENT DURESS).
• 34A: Hoss and Little Joe's off-color jokes? (PONDEROSA RAUNCH).
• 43A: Civil unrest in Brest? (FRENCH FURY).
• 50A: Restrain a legendary soul seller? (HOLD FAUST).
• 58A: Classy accommodations at the Spider Ritz? (WEB SUITE).
• 47D: "Have a nice day" response, and a literal hint to this puzzle's theme (YOU TOO).

For an add-a-letter theme, this one seems pretty average to me. TENT DURESS and FRENCH FURY are pretty awesome entries, but the others don't do much for me. I did figure out the theme early and then use it to figure out the other theme answers with few crosses, so that was pretty fun.

Bullets:

• 1A: Bucolic (PASTORAL). "Bucolic" sounds too much like "bubonic" to me, so I can never remember at first that it means something pleasant.
• 13A: Wood preservative (CREOSOTE). I didn't realize it was a preservative. I just thought it was something that ruined your chimney.
• 25A: Source of Ulee's gold (BEES). Someone mentioned this recently (was it just yesterday??), so here ya go:



• 49A: Gulf of Finland city (ESPOO). I don't know what to say about this, I just wanted to highlight it.
• 4D: "The Fox and the Hound" fox (TOD). I don't know what this means.
• 46D: House Judiciary Committee chair during the Nixon impeachment hearings (RODINO). I know a lot of names associated with the whole Watergate thing, but RODINO isn't one of them.
• 56D: Rancher's concern (HERD). I tried "head" first.
• 61D: Trendy boot brand (UGG). Where I live, 9-year-olds need to have them. Ugh.

Crosswordese 101: ADAR is the most popularJewish month in CrossWorld. Here's what you need to know about it:

• It's the sixth Jewish month, falling between Shevat and Nisan.
• Purim takes place in ADAR.
• Purim is also sometimes known as the Feast of Esther.
• The Feast of Esther follows the Fast of Esther, known in Hebrew as Ta'anit Esther.

And that's it. You are now prepared to recognize any clue for ADAR that you're likely to stumble upon.

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

• 29A: She played Emma in "The Avengers" (UMA).
• 40A: Lake near Niagara Falls (ERIE).
• 9D: Old lab heaters (ETNAS).
• 10D: Isaac's eldest (ESAU).
• 23D: Raison d'__ (ÊTRE).
• 51D: European capital (OSLO).

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Everything Else — 14A: Plays the class clown (CUTS UP); 17A: Showy (ORNATE); 18A: Overseas fem. title (SRA.); 21A: Clueless (AT SEA); 32A: Mideast language (IRANI); 33A: Support group? (BRAS); 41A: Atlanta campus (EMORY); 42A: Jets coach Ryan (REX); 48A: Fizzled out (DIED); 55A: Word with a head slap (DUH); 57A: Six-Day War country (ISRAEL); 62A: Insurer of Tina Turner's legs (LLOYD'S); 63A: One transferring property rights, in law (ASSIGNOR); 64A: Plenty (TONS); 65A: As terrific as they say (THAT GOOD); 1D: Banned pollutants (PCB'S); 2D: Biblical resting place (ARARAT); 3D: Composed (SEDATE); 5D: Suffix with fruct- (OSE); 6D: Hold up (ROB); 7D: "Do you bite your thumb __, sir?": "Romeo and Juliet" (AT US); 8D: Riga resident (LETT); 11D: Eponymous skater Alois __ (LUTZ); 12D: WWI German vice-admiral (SPEE); 14D: Centers (CORES); 15D: Prods (URGES); 20D: Justice Fortas (ABE); 22D: Derisive (SNIDE); 24D: Month before Nisan (ADAR); 27D: Card game warning (UNO); 28D: Out of bed (RISEN); 29D: Still-life subject (URN); 30D: Bud (MAC); 31D: Tip for a smoker? (ASH); 33D: Corner the market on (BUY UP); 34D: In accordance with (PER); 35D: It may be found in a deposit (ORE); 36D: Outlaw (NIX); 37D: Onetime Jeep mfr. (AMC); 38D: Architect Mies van der __ (ROHE); 39D: Pound sounds (ARFS); 43D: Fluted, in a way (FIFED); 44D: Old Spanish coins (REALS); 45D: Web address ender (EDU); 48D: Critical moments to gear up for (D-DAYS); 50D: Maximum degree (HILT); 52D: Hubbard of Scientology (L. RON); 53D: Team acronym (SWAT); 54D: John with Emmys and a journalism award (TESH); 59D: Jamboree gp. (BSA); 60D: Be in session (SIT).