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).