07.20 Wed

W E D N E S D A Y
July 20, 2011
Scott Atkinson

Theme: Duck! — Words that end in LING are clued as if LING is a suffix intended to convey smallness, as it does in the word DUCKLING.

Theme answers:

• 17A: Very narrow fissure? (CRACKLING).
• 26A: Landfill in a toy city? (DUMPLING).
• 38A: Minuscule tattoo? (INKLING).
• 40A: Dollhouse dress adornment? (BOWLING).
• 49A: Where to wear a training bra? (BUSTLING).
• 62A: Very young hobo? (TRAMPLING).
• 67A: Waterfowl whose young inspired this puzzle's theme (DUCKS).

I got the beginnings of the first two theme answers first, but didn't actually complete a theme answer — and figure out the theme — until INKLING, which has a pretty cute clue. It was still a little tricky figuring out the theme answers, having to shift from one part of speech to another in my head in order to really grok what was going on. A good workout, I think. I'm not crazy about the clue for BUSTLING (49A: Where to wear a training bra?) — the "where" kind of threw me. I don't think I'd describe someone as wearing a bra "on her bust," which is where this clue leads me, the way it's worded.

Did you notice the bonus non-theme theme answers?

• 60A: Mila of "Black Swan" (KUNIS).
• 8D: Swan constellation (CYGNUS).

I was going to be irritated with KUNIS, since I've never heard of her, but then I realized the connection to the theme and couldn't be mad any more.

I have to assume there was no way around GAMALIEL (10D: Warren Harding's middle name) because that's gotta be scored pretty low on the old word list. I remembered that Harding's middle initial was G but assumed the answer would be something at least vaguely resembling a name. I had to piece that one together cross by cross. The "I" was the last letter I entered into the grid. You're killing me, SMALLS! (48D: Some tees.)

Bullets:

• 16A: Hand-dyeing craft (BATIK). We just can't get enough of this particular craft, can we?
• 42A: Opposite of perfect pitch (NO EAR). I wanted TIN EAR here, but NO EAR is perfectly acceptable.
• 44A: Transp. group in the Loop (CTA). Chicago Transit Authority.
• 3D: Twinkie or Ding Dong (SNACK CAKE). Best entry in the grid. Great clue too. Man! those are silly names for food.

• 6D: Slip in a pot (CHIT). I always think this clue refers to, like, an onion or something, but it's an I.O.U. "slip" that's been added to the poker "pot."
• 7D: Strips of leaves (DENUDES). I'm pretty sure I've seen this word before but didn't know what it meant.
• 35D: Cardinal who was a foe of the Musketeers (RICHELIEU). See this is what I was talking about with GAMALIEL. I didn't know this name either, but once I put a few crosses in place I could infer it pretty easily because it looks like a name. GAMALIEL? Not so much.
• 39D: Unwanted playground game teammate (LAST PICK). Oh, I was so afraid this was going to be RUNT or LOSER or FAT KID or something horrible like that. Whew!

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 34A: Where eaglets hatch (AERIE).
• 2D: Calvary inscription (INRI).
• 11D: Asteroids maker (ATARI).
• 25D: Bur. of Prohibition employee (T-MAN).
• 41D: Brewer's kiln (OAST).
• 61D: Palindromic airline (SAS).

Everything Else — 1A: Birthday secret (WISH); 5A: "Back in Black" band (AC/DC); 9A: Visibly amazed (AGAPE); 14A: __ Domini (ANNO); 15A: Bodybuilder's supplement (WHEY); 19A: Vintage violin (AMATI); 20A: Michael Moore health-care film (SICKO); 21A: Melody (TUNE); 23A: Rock 'n' roll middle name (ARON); 24A: Didn't sell (KEPT); 28A: CIA part: Abbr. (AGCY.); 30A: Arthur Fiedler et al. (MAESTRI); 32A: Hamm of soccer (MIA); 33A: Ryder rentals (VANS); 43A: Composer __ Carlo Menotti (GIAN); 45A: Pago Pago people (SAMOANS); 48A: Did a farrier's job (SHOD); 52A: Lacking spice (TAME); 54A: Chain selling stacks (IHOP); 55A: Clue in a case (LEAD); 57A: Dip for a chip (SALSA); 64A: "Fear of Flying" author Jong (ERICA); 65A: Sneaky trick (WILE); 66A: Luke's sci-fi sister (LEIA); 68A: Black stone (ONYX); 69A: Enjoys a smorgasbord (SUPS); 1D: WWII auxiliaries (WACS); 4D: Game with sticks (HOCKEY); 5D: Pointy tool (AWL); 9D: The N.Y. Nets were its last champion (ABA); 12D: Spike for a mountaineer (PITON); 13D: Squeezing (out) (EKING); 18D: Keystone character (KOP); 22D: Ambulance VIP (EMT); 27D: Shrimp relative (PRAWN); 28D: Key with no sharps or flats: Abbr. (A MIN.); 29D: NFL Hall of Famer Marchetti (GINO); 31D: Zambia neighbor: Abbr. (ANG.); 33D: Like megapopular web videos (VIRAL); 36D: Wild about (INTO); 37D: "Zounds!" ("EGAD!"); 40D: Recycling vessel (BIN); 43D: Yuri who was the first to orbit Earth (GAGARIN); 46D: Wire measure (MIL); 47D: Punch sequence (ONE-TWO); 49D: Pedaled (BIKED); 50D: Freedom, in Swahili (UHURU); 51D: Part of SST (SONIC); 53D: "Antony and Cleopatra" killer (ASP); 56D: Tyne with a Tony and Emmys (DALY); 58D: Salon sound (SNIP); 59D: "What __!": "How fun!" (A GAS); 63D: Tex-__ cuisine (MEX).