03.28 Mon

M O N D A Y
March 28, 2011
Gail Grabowski & Bruce Venzke

Theme: Greatest Hits — Each theme answer is a familiar phrase ending with a word that can be a synonym for "hit."

Theme answers:

• 17A: Tool that can extract nails (CLAW HAMMER).
• 27A: It's poured into an iron at breakfast (WAFFLE BATTER).
• 47A: United Kingdom currency (BRITISH POUND).
li>64A: Fur bartered by Native Americans (BEAVER PELT).

Looks like we're starting out the week with a simple (if violent) Monday theme in a smooth Monday grid. Nice! Lots of exclaiming going on in this puzzle:

• 45A: "Without a doubt!" ("SURE!").
• 68A: "I did it!" ("TA-DA!").
• 33D: Charlie Brown's "Darn it!" ("RATS!").

Seems like someone was talked into doing a magic trick and it didn't quite come off as well as expected. Ha!

Bullets:

• 5A: Fallback option (PLAN B). For some reason, the word "fallback" made me think of changing clocks for Daylight Savings Time and I couldn't think of anything else.

• 22A: "Get Smart" evil agency (KAOS). Although "Get Smart" was a little before my time, it was enough of a cultural phenomenon that I've always known some things about it (Agent 99, the shoe phone, some of the catchphrases like "Would you believe…?"), I would not have remembered the name of the evil agency, however, if it weren't for crossword puzzles.
• 25A: Bard of boxing (ALI). "If you were surprised when Nixon resigned, just watch what happens when I whup Foreman's behind!"
• 34A: They may be outsourced (JOBS). Well that's depressing.

• 40A: Aerialist's apparatus (TRAPEZE). Have you all seen "Man on a Wire"? I've only seen parts of it so far, but am looking forward to sitting down and watching it straight through.
• 63A: Length times width (AREA). And here we have a nice, noncontroversial clue for AREA.
• 2D: Golden St. collegian (UCLAN). Ooh, that's ugly. I tried BRUIN first, which wouldn't have been ugly at all.
• 6D: Moussaka meat (LAMB). I tried VEAL here. I guess I got my poor defenseless baby animals confused.
• 11D: Swedish furniture giant (IKEA). Did I tell you we're moving next month? Just to another house in the same area. It's quite a bit smaller than the house we're in now, though, and we will definitely be making a trip to IKEA. (Yay!)
• 35D: Sign of spoilage (ODOR). Ew.
• 41D: Olympian ruler (ZEUS). PuzzleDaughter's friend just got a puppy and they named it ZEUS. The girls insist on calling him ZEUSY, though, which sounds pretty funny.

• 56D: "Tears in Heaven" singer Clapton (ERIC). I would love to find you a clip right now, but if I click over to YouTube, I'll be stuck there for at least an hour and I just don't have that kind of time this morning. So please go enjoy some Clapton on your own.

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 46A: Mars' Greek counterpart (ARES).
• 31D: Russian ruler of yore (TSAR).
• 32D: To be, in Burgundy (ÊTRE).

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Everything Else — 1A: Muddy stuff (MUCK); 10A: Pinochle calls (BIDS); 14A: Bounce, as off a canyon wall (ECHO); 15A: Margaret Mead's island (SAMOA); 16A: Tom Joad, for one (OKIE); 19A: Princess played by Lucy Lawless (XENA); 20A: Spanish song (CANTO); 21A: Surprise "from the blue" (BOLT); 23A: Silky sweater (ANGORA); 37A: King with jokes (ALAN); 38A: Keebler cracker (ZESTA); 39A: Oral health org. (ADA); 42A: Pictures on the wall (ART); 43A: Back biter? (MOLAR); 50A: Heavy drinker (SOT); 51A: Tranquilize (SEDATE); 55A: Plastic user's concern (DEBT); 58A: Words of woe (AH ME); 62A: Autobahn autos (AUDIS); 66A: Highlands dagger (DIRK); 67A: "Bye for now" ("LATER"); 69A: High school skin problem (ACNE); 70A: Idyllic spots (EDENS); 71A: Sources of iron (ORES); 1D: Tourist magnet (MECCA); 3D: P.F. __'s: Chinese restaurant chain (CHANG); 4D: Shows servility (KOW-TOWS); 5D: Free TV spot (PSA); 7D: Bullets and such (AMMO); 8D: Seasonal song (NOEL); 9D: Pub bill (BAR TAB); 10D: Tailless flying toy (BOX KITE); 12D: Flintstone pet (DINO); 13D: Aral and Arabian (SEAS); 18D: Traditional round dance (HORA); 24D: Miles away (AFAR); 26D: Act like a couch potato (LAZE); 28D: Lightning burst (FLASH); 29D: Drink à la Lassie (LAP UP); 30D: Juan's January (ENERO); 34D: Doorway feature (JAMB); 36D: Java neighbor (BALI); 40D: Small jazz group (TRIO); 44D: In jeopardy (AT STAKE); 46D: Total numerically (ADD UP TO); 48D: Pony's place (STABLE); 49D: In the vicinity (NEAR); 52D: "Please be __ and ...": polite request words (A DEAR); 53D: Spanish squiggle (TILDE); 54D: These, in Madrid (ESTAS); 55D: Baby's pop (DADA); 57D: Swiss capital (BERN); 59D: Lettuce purchase (HEAD); 60D: Brisbane buddy (MATE); 61D: Fifty-fifty (EVEN); 65D: Medical drama settings, for short (ER'S).