04.04 Mon

M O N D A Y
April 4, 2011
John Lampkin

Theme: Um … rhyming things? — Yeah, rhyming things.

Theme answers:

• 20A: Feeling of uneasiness (HEEBIE JEEBIES).
• 27A: Hand-held two-way communications device (WALKIE TALKIE).
• 47A: Up-tempo jazz piano style (BOOGIE WOOGIE).
• 56A: Symbolic nosegays (TUSSIE MUSSIES).

I was pretty much just floating through this puzzle, admiring how smooth it was, noting the crosswordese but not being bothered by it because it's Monday, wondering if it would turn out to be a pangram, saying the theme answers out loud because they're fun to say and then … Whoa, what? TUSSIE MUSSIE? What the …??? Ne-Ever heard this phrase before. Now, granted, horticulture isn't exactly my forte, but … really? TUSSIE MUSSIE? Now, if there's one thing I've learned since becoming involved with the crossword community through Rex's blog and continuing over here, is that just because I've never heard of something that doesn't necessarily mean it's obscure. (Also, that the things I know aren't necessarily universally known.) But TUSSIE MUSSIE? Can't wait to hear what you all think of this one. Is this something that people know? It might as well have been, I know … SILKY RILKY or NOOTIE TOOTIE or (hey, this is kinda fun) JIGGIE BIGGIE. Or even better, it could have been something more common like NAMBY PAMBY, which isn't the right length, but hey at this point I'm reworking the whole theme anyway and would consider replacing HEEBIE JEEBIES with TINKY WINKY and calling it good. So yeah. That's what I thought of the theme. Pretty fun … to a point.

Highlights for me today include:

• 1A: Cotton swabs originally called Baby Gays (Q-TIPS). This one made me laugh. I mean, first of all it's awesome to start right out with a Q at 1-Across, but also, I'm all, "Hmm, I wonder which cotton swabs this clue could be referring to. Maybe the … waaaait a minute! There's only one kind of cotton swabs!"
• 37A: Reprimander's "reading" (RIOT ACT).

• 3D: Fully informed (IN THE LOOP). Even though I tried IN THE KNOW first.
• 11D: Murphy of "48 HRS." (EDDIE). Love love love this movie. I could probably recite this whole movie to you if, ya know, you wanted me to.
• 45D: Stumble across, as an idea (HIT UPON).
• 50D: Part of wpm: Abbr. (WDS.). Words per minute. I can type a lot of 'em.

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 6A: Actor Guinness (ALEC).
• 19A: Poet __ St. Vincent Millay (EDNA).
• 33A: Mashed luau staple (POI).
• 61A: Isaac's eldest (ESAU).
• 5D: Eyelid problem (STYE).
• 60D: Dublin's isle (EIRE).

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Everything Else — 10A: More than stumbled (FELL); 14A: Basic belief (TENET); 15A: Capital surrounding Vatican City (ROME); 16A: Falco of "The Sopranos" (EDIE); 17A: Shabby (RATTY); 18A: $3 million, 30-sec. Super Bowl feature (TV AD); 23A: Jungle swinger (APE); 25A: Fla. hours (EST); 26A: Cummerbund fold (PLEAT); 32A: Cheering noisily (AROAR); 34A: "M*A*S*H" staff (RN'S); 40A: Leave for a bit (STEP OUT); 43A: Mind reader's skill, briefly (ESP); 44A: "How beautiful!" ("OOH!"); 46A: Oil refinery input (CRUDE); 51A: Ami's good-bye (ADIEU); 54A: Tiny bit (TAD); 55A: His-and-__ towels (HER); 62A: Knucklehead (DOPE); 63A: Close, as a parka (ZIP UP); 66A: Hollywood success (STAR); 67A: Hollywood favorite (IDOL); 68A: College town near Bangor (ORONO); 69A: Nanny's charge (TYKE); 70A: Bills with Hamilton on them (TENS); 71A: Rehab step (DETOX); 1D: Super Bowl div. (QTR.); 2D: Green or black brew (TEA); 4D: Sampras of tennis (PETE); 6D: Manet or Monet (ARTIST); 7D: Affectionate bop (LOVE TAP); 8D: Key with four sharps: Abbr. (E MAJ.); 9D: Give up formally (CEDE); 10D: Weak (FEEBLE); 12D: Top of a form, perhaps (LINE A); 13D: "It's the __ I can do" (LEAST); 21D: Honey maker (BEE); 22D: Prefix with center or cycle (EPI-); 23D: Informed (of) (AWARE); 24D: Capital on the Seine (PARIS); 28D: See 31-Down (KAT); 29D: Lyricist Gershwin (IRA); 30D: __ Angeles (LOS); 31D: With 28-Down, layered chocolate bar (KIT); 34D: Glitch in need of smoothing out (ROUGH SPOT); 35D: Film with nakedness (NUDIE); 36D: Cattle drive critter (STEER); 38D: Pigeon's sound (COO); 39D: Dress (up) (TOG); 41D: Green prefix (ECO-); 42D: Athlete who isn't green? (PRO); 47D: Have no doubt (BE SURE); 48D: "Yes, mon ami" ("OUI"); 49D: Props for Monet and Manet (EASELS); 51D: "This is only __" (A TEST); 52D: Like the trail on a cattle drive (DUSTY); 53D: Singer Chris (ISAAK); 57D: Change text (EDIT); 58D: Pie à la __ (MODE); 59D: Former Lacoste partner (IZOD); 64D: Half of dos (UNO); 65D: Chicken __ (POX).