S A T U R D A Y November 20, 2010 Barry C. Silk

Theme: None

This was a really smooth solve for me. Nothing was super easy, but it all fell together nicely with the crosses. The only real trouble I had was up in the Maine area where I threw "Fannie Mae" without really thinking about. Then I couldn't make sense of any of the acrosses up there (obviously). I was pretty sure LOX was right (10D: Deli delicacy). I DON'T CARE and TEN looked good (13D: "Whatever" / 14D: Number of hydrogen atoms in butane). But I didn't have a guess for 11D: Exec. So I did something I always say I'm going to do when I get in a spot like that, but I rarely ever actually do. I just erased everything in that corner and started over. I started with LOX and I DON'T CARE and (ta-da!) without FANNIE in there messing everything up, it all came together swimmingly.

Bullets:

• 1A: "Finding a pencil," to Broadway's Charlie Brown (HAPPINESS). No idea where this clue was going until I had a couple crosses in place.

• 18A: Noble gas (XENON). Are there any noble gasses besides XENON? Not in CrossWorld there aren't.
• 19A: Fashion model Wek (ALEK). Needed every cross on this one.
• 22A: "Parker Spitzer" airer (CNN). I'm kinda surprised that show hasn't been canceled yet.
• 33A: Koala bear, e.g. (MISNOMER). I guess a koala bear isn't really a bear. It looks like a bear but it's … not.
• 54A: Carrier units, briefly (ACS). I don't know what this means.
• 57A: She played Linda in "Arthur" (LIZA). I totally forgot that she was in that movie! I guess Bo Derek was a little distracting. Oh wait that's not even the right movie. Dudley Moore was in more than one movie? Huh.
• 60A: Peru was its leading exporter in 2009 (ASPARAGUS). Yum.

• 64A: __ the hole (ACE IN). I must watch too much golf. The first thing I thought of was GET IN.
• 66A: British satellite entertainment option (SKY TV). Never heard of this, but crosses took care of it.
• 2D: Predecessor of Ginger (ADELE). Adele Astair was Fred Astair's dance partner before Ginger Rogers came along.
• 24D: Hangs around (LINGERS). Tried "loiters" first.
• 26D: 1969 rock opera (TOMMY). How is it possible that TOMMMY was that long ago?!?
• 34D: Early rules for it were developed at McGill University in the 1870s (ICE HOCKEY). I'm not 100% sure where McGill University is, but something tells me it's up north somewhere. Yep, Canada.

• 37D: Makeup option (ROUGE).
• 40D: Phil, say (NL'ER). And there you have it. The Philadelphia reference. Now you know for sure it was really Barry.

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 56A: Formerly (NÉE).
• 25D: Meeting place in 31-Across (STOA).
• 35D: Island near Eigg (SKYE).
• 36D: Rock genre (EMO).

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Everything Else — 10A: Proper (LEGIT); 15A: Like climbing the walls? (IDIOMATIC); 16A: Common compound (OXIDE); 17A: Scoundrel (REPROBATE); 20A: What 'n' may mean (AND); 23A: Recipient of a record 16 acting Oscar nominations (MERYL STREEP); 28A: Roy Orbison's "__ Over" (IT'S); 30A: Robert who played Sam Fujiyama on "Quincy, M.E." (ITO); 31A: Pindus Mountains site (GREECE); 38A: Big name in financial advice (ORMAN); 39A: Playing surface with 24 points (BACKGAMMON BOARD); 41A: Flower also called a marguerite (OXEYE); 42A: Warning words (YOU'LL SEE); 43A: Domain (SPHERE); 45A: "How about that!" ("GEE!"); 46A: Gp. with the 1979 top-10 album "Discovery" (ELO); 47A: It's given for a second (SILVER MEDAL); 58A: It's a joint (ANKLE); 65A: Donut, possibly (SPARE TIRE); 67A: Fare computer (TAXI METER); 1D: Whiskey's Walker (HIRAM); 3D: Proverbial payee (PIPER); 4D: Daffy contemporary (PORKY); 5D: E-mail qualifier (IMO); 6D: Pick up (NAB); 7D: Letter from 31-Across (ETA); 8D: Lute cousin (SITAR); 9D: Vista (SCENE); 11D: Suit (EXEC); 12D: HUD corp. since 1968 (GINNIE MAE); 21D: What a tiny circle may signify: Abbr. (DEG.); 25D: Meeting place in 31-Across (STOA); 27D: Snag (PROBLEM); 29D: Texter's command (SEND); 32D: Desire personified (EROS); 33D: Quantum theory pioneer (MAX PLANCK); 39D: Big name in audio (BOSE); 44D: A, overseas (EIN); 48D: In any case, with "at" (LEAST); 49D: Piaggio transportation line (VESPA); 50D: Delight (ELATE); 51D: One, for one (DIGIT); 52D: Color similar to Brandeis blue (AZURE); 53D: Surgery tool (LASER); 55D: Cut (SLIT); 58D: Digital camera inserts (AA'S); 59D: Letter carrier: Abbr. (ENV.); 61D: Goddess of peace (PAX); 62D: Hebrew name meaning "lion" (ARI); 63D: Stage occurring several times a night, briefly (REM).