February 22, 2011
John Lampkin
Theme: Fooded Things — Verbs based on words that can be words for food are used to describe random things. In the past tense. (What am I missing?)
Theme answers:
- 20A: Arborist's handiwork (PRUNED TREE).
- 26A: Windshield nuisance (SQUASHED BUGS).
- 44A: Result of an errant brushback pitch (BEANED BATTER).
- 55A: Deli sandwich filler (CORNED BEEF).
Can't say this theme did anything for me except cause me to ask a lot of questions. For example, why? And what? Also huh? Yes, I get it. The first word of each theme answer is a word that can be a type of food. But the phrase itself is just … random. Except for the last one. Yes, trees can be pruned; that doesn't mean that PRUNED TREE is a good phrase. Yes, bugs can be (and frequently are) squashed. Is SQUASHED BUGS a phrase people use? I suppose it might be. A batter might get beaned by an "errant brushback pitch" but in what circumstance would someone ever use the phrase BEANED BATTER? Then there's CORNED BEEF. Perfectly legitimate phrase all on its own. I've never really thought about what the CORNED part means — turns out it has to do with salt curing — so to me this answer also stood apart from the rest because I couldn't picture corning the way I can picture pruning, squashing, and beaning. So. Yeah. That's what I think of the theme.
I always feel bad when I start out negative like that. You know what I'm gonna need to turn this write-up around? A really, really awesome entry. Like … maybe, HIFAULTIN?! Yes that should do it! What a great word. Love seeing it in the puzzle. Other highlights for me include:- 35A: Older woman's young lover, facetiously (BOY TOY).
- 8D: "Jeez Louise!" ("SHEESH!").
- 42D: Hack's service (CAB RIDE).
- 45D: One taking bets (BOOKIE).
- 5A: Go badly together (CLASH). Great clue.
- 18A: Time __ time: repeatedly (AFTER).
- 42A: Monopoly token (CAR). I think we've over this before here at LACC. Or maybe it was over at Rex's. It's not a CAR, it's a racecar. Similarly, there is not HAT token, it's a tophat. Says PuzzleGirl.
- 48A: Out of use, as words: Abbr. (OBS.). OBSolete.
- 53A: World dodo population (ZERO). I don't know if it was the "dodo" or the Z or what, but this one made me laugh.
- 59A: Pier gp. (ILWU). International Longshore and Warehouse Union.
- 7D: Helen Hunt or Holly Hunter, e.g. (ACTRESS WITH THE INITIALS HH).
- 21D: ABA member's title (ESQ.). Members of the American Bar Association are attorneys, who for some reasons are allowed to put "Esq." after their names.
- 50D: Yo-Yo Ma's instrument (CELLO). A friend from my childhood randomly posted on Facebook this picture of me playing the cello in 5th grade. For me, it's a cool picture in and of itself, but the really crazy part is that several people that know me literally thought this was a picture of PuzzleDaughter and not me.
- 25A: Shocking swimmer (EEL).
- 47A: HDTV brand (RCA).
- 60A: Religious recess (APSE).
- 32D: Siouan tribe (OTOE).
Everything Else — 1A: Raise, as produce (GROW); 10A: Stylish (CHIC); 14A: Instant, in product names (REDI); 15A: Madre's milk (LECHE); 16A: Bride's ride (LIMO); 17A: Busy, busy, busy (AT IT); 19A: "The Wizard __": comic strip (OF ID); 22A: All there (SANE); 23A: Development developments (HOMES); 24A: Jazz guitarist Montgomery (WES); 31A: Average guys (JOES); 34A: H.S. elite (SRS.); 36A: Place to make deposits, briefly (ATM); 37A: Bouquet delivery letters (FTD); 38A: Dream letters (REM); 39A: Novelist Fleming (IAN); 40A: Alabama's only seaport (MOBILE); 43A: Chip in a pot, maybe (ANTE); 49A: Chip in a bowl (NACHO); 57A: Blue book filler (EXAM); 58A: Dust Bowl refugees (OKIES); 61A: Center (MIDST); 62A: Amber brews (ALES); 63A: Dieter's goal (LOSS); 64A: Care for (SEE TO); 65A: Branching point (NODE); 1D: Boardroom diagram (GRAPH); 2D: Fashionably dated (RETRO); 3D: Intense dislike (ODIUM); 4D: One sitting on the stand (WITNESS); 5D: Attired (CLAD); 6D: How liberals lean (LEFTWARD); 9D: Not there (HERE); 10D: Quite near (CLOSE BY); 11D: Pretentious, informally (HIFALUTIN); 12D: Chip-tossing declaration (I'M IN); 13D: Programmers' writing (CODE); 25D: Ancient kingdom near the Dead Sea (EDOM); 27D: You, in Yucatán (USTED); 28D: Longtime "At the Movies" co-host Roger (EBERT); 29D: Capricorn's animal (GOAT); 30D: Holiday song closer (SYNE); 31D: Doorway side (JAMB); 33D: Humiliate (EMBARRASS); 37D: Pet pest (FLEA); 38D: Disorderly place (RAT'S NEST); 41D: Salaries, wages, etc. (INCOMES); 43D: Graceful steed (ARABIAN); 46D: Conclusion (END); 51D: Hacked (HEWED); 52D: Worth having (OF USE); 53D: Zest (ZEAL); 54D: Trade show (EXPO); 55D: Dot-__: e-businesses (COMS); 56D: This, to Pablo (ESTO).
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