05.10 Tue

T U E S D A Y
May 10, 2011
Doug Peterson & Angela Olson Halsted

Theme: The Runs — Two theme answers are clued "Good place for a run" and two theme answers are clued "Bad place for a run."

Theme answers:

• 20A: Good place for a run (WRIGLEY FIELD).
• 34A: Bad place for a run (NATIONAL BANK).
• 41A: Good place for a run (VAIL, COLORADO).
• 56A: Bad place for a run (SILK STOCKING).

Happy Diez de Mayo, everyone! Your friendly neighborhood PuzzleHunk is back, this time with a review of a crossword co-constructed by our regular hosts, Doug and PuzzleGirl. Yes, the most exciting tag team since Larry Owings and Dan Gable is back with another fun puzzle. I guess they're too modest to brag about their own creation (unlike certain crossword bloggers), so they trusted me to steer the ship for the day. Ooh, what's that block of ice floating in the horizon? Hmm, let's get closer and find out!

The contrast between "good" and "bad" places for runs provided a nice balance, and alternating the "good" and "bad" places from top to bottom was an elegant touch. Sure, I didn't have to dig deeply to discover the theme, but the fact that this wasn't the usual game of "what do these long entries have in common" made the solving experience feel more unique and, thus, enjoyable. Had the puzzle been four "good places" or four "bad places," it would have felt much more stale. Instead, this one was kicked up a notch.

The theme entries themselves are also better than what I would expect for a puzzle with this theme. A duller puzzle would have used BASEBALL PARK instead of WRIGLEY FIELD, for example. Sure, Wrigley's a good place for a run only if you're a Cubs fan (or a fan of the visiting team, when it scores), but the answer's much more interesting and fun to figure out. The same goes for VAIL, COLORADO, a much livelier entry than MOUNTAIN SIDE (or some other 12-letter entry that refers to skiing).

The overall difficulty struck me as the perfect Tuesday puzzle. Were it not for some errors early on, I might have been able to finish in a normal Monday time. A Tuesday puzzle should have a couple of write-overs, though, so no complaints here. Thanks, Doug and PuzzleGirl, for the fresh approach and an entertaining solve!

Bullets:

• 5A: Dairy Queen treat (CONE). Ever try to make an eight-letter word (like, oh, say, maybe BLIZZARD) fit into four squares? It's not as easy as it looks.
• 23A: "Doesn't bother me" (I'M COOL). And I'm a sucker for multiple-word phrases in my grids.
• 29A: Lethargic (LOGY). Yogi was logy after eating a hoagie in the pic-a-nic basket he stole from an unsuspecting camper.
• 47A: Sweet companion (SOUR). Anyone else try SOFT at first? You know, as in "soft and sweet?" Anyone? (Sigh.)
• 2D: Provides with more heat? (RE-ARMS). Terrific clue (heat = guns).
• 6D: Passe wedding vow word (OBEY). Today we use "submit."
• 21D: Love interest in the song "Copacabana" (LOLA). Here's where my adoration of Barry Manilow works against me (well, here and at pickup bars). As any "Copacabana" fan knows, this could have just as easily been TONY or arguably even RICO. In fact, TONY is the better answer because the song is about Lola and Tony is her love interest.
• 31D: Chuckleheads (YOYOS). I just like to say "chucklehead" aloud--it makes me smile every time.
• 44D: Horn & Hardart eatery (AUTOMAT). I've heard of automats but never Horn & Hardart. Fortunately this was gettable from the crossings. This seems like the type of clue and entry that turns a Monday puzzle into a Tuesday puzzle.
• 59D: Chestnut's stablemate, perhaps (BAY). I so wanted HAY for the answer to this. It didn't occur to me until just now that BAY, like chestnut, is not just a hair coat color on a horse but also a term used to describe horses of that color. In other words, it's perfectly normal for horse people to refer to horses as "chestnuts" or "bays." But I still want the answer to be HAY. If only there was a football play called a HLITZ.

Crosswordese 201 Round-up:
(a little harder than your normal 101 lesson, but you're ready for it)

• 64A: Lofty abode (AERIE).
• 66A: Oklahoma tribe (OTOE).
• 22D: Sicilian volcano (ETNA).
• 33D: River through Aragon (EBRO). Aragon is a purty state. It's the one jes' northa Califore-nye-ay.

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Everything Else-- 1A: Colorless (DRAB); 9A: 1972 Olympics star Mark (SPITZ); 14A: Get a better int. rate, perhaps (REFI); 15A: Genesis victim (ABEL); 16A: Hidden repository (CACHE); 17A: Qualify for (EARN); 18A: "Jeopardy!" creator Griffin (MERV); 19A: Clay who was the "Idol" runner-up to Ruben Studdard (AIKEN); 24A: Logo on many a Richard Petty race car (STP); 25A: Inventor Whitney (ELI); 28A: Bug-loving org. (NSA); 32A: Schindler portrayer (NEESON); 36A: Raced (TORE); 39A: Reuben bread (RYE); 40A: Hairpieces, slangily (RUGS); 46A: "Portnoy's Complaint" writer Roth (PHILIP); 48A: Aptly named Quaker cereal (OHS); 51A: Gloomy guy (GUS); 52A: Eastern philosophy (TAO); 54A: Danshui River capital (TAIPEI); 59A: It might end in a sack (BLITZ); 62A: Molecule part (ATOM); 63A: Singer with Crosby and Stills (NASH); 65A: Discipline with poses (YOGA); 67A: Long (for) (YEARN); 68A: Hostage-rescue acronym (SWAT); 69A: Travel (WEND); 1D: Attracted (DREWIN); 3D: #1 Toto song that mentions Kilimanjaro (AFRICA); 4D: Game played in a hall (BINGO); 5D: Arthur's castle (CAMELOT); 7D: Soft ball (NERF); 8D: Lisa Marie's dad (ELVIS); 9D: "Going under the knife" knife (SCALPEL); 10D: What dues need to be (PAID); 11D: "Gross!" (ICK); 12D: Pop __ question (THE); 13D: Meditative sect (ZEN); 25D: Biblical twin (ESAU); 26D: __ Island (LONG); 27D: Signs, as a deal (INKS); 30D: "The __ With the Dragon Tattoo" (GIRL); 34D: 1994 role for Jodie (NELL); 35D: Fiddling emperor (NERO); 36D: Common sitcom rating (TVPG); 37D: Honolulu's island (OAHU); 38D: Reformer Jacob (RIIS); 42D: Inhabitant (CITIZEN); 43D: Autumn birthstone (OPAL); 45D: Neck-biting nickname (DRAC); 48D: Morphine or codeine, e.g. (OPIATE); 49D: Muppet man (HENSON); 50D: Sounded relieved (SIGHED); 53D: Signs off on (OKAYS); 55D: "You don't have to remind me" (IKNOW); 56D: Cooking instruction (STIR); 57D: Pack away (STOW); 58D: Forum attire (TOGA); 60D: Wrangler competitor (LEE); 61D: 401(k) alternative, for short (IRA).

02.21

M O N D A Y

February 21, 2011
Angela Olson Halsted & Doug Peterson

Theme: Three Petes. (Not to be confused with "Three-peat", which is a term trademarked by Pat Riley). Each of the long answers starts with a word that is also the last name of someone named Pete. Speaking of which, this is Pete Mitchell guest-blogging for PuzzleGirl, as she didn't have the heart to dis her own puzzle. Well, okay, it's not that bad, but for the sake (Pete's sake?) of full disclosure, I don't really care much for Monday puzzles to begin with, so don't expect a rave. Also, I really, really, really dislike Pete Rose. He and Don King are the two vilest creatures in sports, in my opinion, and I have felt this way long before any gambling scandal came to light. So, please bear with me if I come across a little on the grumpy side.

Here, click on this. It'll be good background as you read the rest.

Theme answers:

• 17A: Legendary spring that creates spring chickens? (FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH). Pete Fountain is the world-reknowned jazz clarinet player that you're listening to right now if you clicked the above link.
• 38A: Grammy revoked from Milli Vanilli (BEST NEW ARTIST). Pete Best is best known as the original pre-Ringo drummer for the Beatles. The friend that got kicked out of the band before they became the biggest thing since sliced bread. Would they have been as successful with Pete instead of Ringo? Here, judge for yourself. Milli Vanilli achieved infamy when it was discovered that the front-"men" weren't actually singing on the Grammy-winning songs; they had been lip-syncing the whole time.
• 60A: Portland Trail Blazers' home (ROSE GARDEN ARENA). Pete Rose played baseball.
• 71A: Name that can precede the first word of 17-, 38- or 60-Across (PETE).

So, my first gut reaction here was "Really, those are the best Petes you could come up with?" But when I started thinking about it, most famous Peters go by Peter, not Pete. My second thought was "Why two musicians and a baseball player?" Ideally, themes tie a little tighter than that. But while there are other famous Pete musicians (Townshend, Seeger, etc.), none of them lend easily to a theme phrase. So, we'll give a pass to the theme and look at the rest of the puzzle.

Bullets:

• 30D: Girl group with the 1986 #1 hit "Venus" (BANANARAMA). Done originally, and more famously, by Shocking Blue, in 1970. But I love the band name and the 80's reference. Nice fill.
• 15A: Old Geo model (PRIZM). Cool way to get a Z into the puzzle.
• 42A: Polite "Ready to go?" ("SHALL WE?"). In-the-language phrases like this always punch things up more than straight dictionary answers. Same with 54D: "Obviously!" ("NO DUH!") and, to a lesser extent, 19D: ''I agree, however ...'' ("YES, BUT"). 21A: "I'll treat!" ("ON ME!") fell a little flat for me, as it feels like it's missing an "It's...". The only way I can make it work as written is as a continuation: "Let's go to dinner. On me."

• 4D: Hawaiian who sang "Pearly Shells" (DON HO). Can you name another singing Hawaiian? Me neither.
• 1D: DOJ division (ATF). It's now the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, but they still use the ATF acronym. DOJ is, of course, Department of Justice.
• 11D: Justice replaced by Sotomayor (SOUTER). Souter is from New Hampshire, so I gotta give him props.
• 27A: Mighty long time (EON). Occasionally spelled AEON, as well.

• 28A: Stat for Mariano Rivera (ERA). Funny that these two show their heads side by side. Many times you'll have a vague clue like "Span of time" that's three-letters beginning with E, and you don't know whether it's EON or ERA. Here, we already have EON, so ERA was clued as Earned Run Average. Sometimes it's a detergent ("Tide rival"), which throws those 'Bama fans for a loop. Oh, and here's a bit of trivia for you: In 1972, the Dodgers retired Jackie Robinson's #42. In 1997, Major League Baseball retired it across all teams, the only number for which this has ever been done. There were a dozen players currently wearing the number, and they were grand-fathered. Today, there is only one active player left wearing the #42 — Mariano Rivera.

Not much else to talk about. This is one of the problems with Monday puzzles. 78 words, but 23 of them are 3-letters long and another 22 are 4-letters long, and one of the two longest non-theme answers is AM/FM STEREO (9D: Car sound system). This means a lot of boring fill for only three theme answers. The only way to make short words sparkle is with tougher clues, but you can't do that on Monday, so you're basically hosed.

Crosswordese 101: Even if you know nothing of foreign languages, you should learn how to count to at least three (preferably ten) in the major European languages, French (un, deux, trois), Spanish (uno, dos, tres), German (eine, zwei, drei), and Italian (uno, due, TRE [22A: Three, in Turin]). These show up a ton.

Other crosswordese in the puzzle that we've already covered:

• 10A: Employee protection org. (OSHA).
• 50A: Paranormal showman Geller (URI).
• 6D: Magnate Onassis (ARI).
• 10D: El Dorado gold (ORO).
• 61D: Heart test letters (EKG).

Well, that's it for me. I've probably overstayed my welcome as it is. Thanks, PuzzleGirl, for having me. It's been a while since I've done this kind of thing and I must say, I don't really miss it that much. :)

- Pete M.

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Everything Else —1A: Grew older (AGED); 5A: American __: Pacific territory (SAMOA); 14A: Chore list heading (TO DO); 16A: Carrot or turnip (ROOT); 20A: Garment border (HEM); 23A: College concentration (MAJOR); 26A: Pungent salad green (CRESS); 29A: CEO's degree (MBA); 31A: Ford classics (T-BIRDS); 33A: Carvey of "Wayne's World" (DANA); 35A: Karaoke singer, usually (AMATEUR); 43A: Linger in the tub (SOAK); 45A: Start to melt (SOFTEN); 48A: Bordeaux brush-off (NON); 51A: "Fresh Air" airer (NPR); 52A: Rear end (FANNY); 55A: Political aficionado's station (C-SPAN); 57A: Absorbed, as a cost (ATE); 58A: Circular cookie (OREO); 59A: Stable tidbit (OAT); 66A: Good fortune (LUCK); 67A: Cursor controller (MOUSE); 68A: Diabolical (EVIL); 69A: Fawn's father (STAG); 70A: Campfire remains (ASHES); 2D: Bit of baby babble (GOO); 3D: Academic URL ender (EDU); 5D: Inbox junk (SPAM); 7D: 23-Across opposite (MINOR); 8D: Atmospheric layer (OZONE); 9D: Car sound system (AM/FM STEREO); 12D: Souped-up ride (HOT ROD); 13D: Aegean capital (ATHENS); 18D: Time in office (TERM); 23D: __ school (MED); 24D: Part of U.A.E. (ARAB); 25D: Dick's storybook partner (JANE); 26D: Caravan creature (CAMEL); 32D: Spring blossom (IRIS); 34D: Admin. aide (ASST.); 36D: Pointy tool (AWL); 37D: Like a lion's coat (TAWNY); 39D: It "comes on little cat feet," in a Sandburg poem (THE FOG); 40D: Campbell's product (SOUP); 44D: Reunion group (KIN); 45D: Entangles (SNARLS); 46D: Decline to participate (OPT OUT); 47D: Grapefruit-flavored diet drink (FRESCA); 49D: Academic sports org. (NCAA); 53D: Detective Wolfe and an emperor (NEROS); 56D: Throat bacteria (STREP); 59D: Tip jar bills (ONES); 62D: Suffix with Canton (-ESE); 63D: Anticipatory time (EVE); 64D: Trivial point (NIT); 65D: Drink by a dartboard (ALE);

01.19 Wed

W E D N E S D A Y
January 19, 2011
Michael Sharp & Angela Olson Halsted

[Note from PuzzleGirl: This is the one week out of the year where I'm going to just mention that there is a donation button over in the sidebar. Please read my pitch for donations at the beginning of Monday's write-up here. And thanks so much for being here and for all the kind notes I've received in the last couple days.]

Theme: Tank you sir, may I have another? Theme answers are different types of tanks. Today's sub-theme: PuzzleGirl is PublishedGirl!

Theme answers:

• 3D: *"Heads up!" (THINK FAST).
• 8D: *Pioneering Frank King comic strip featuring Walt and Skeezix (GASOLINE ALLEY). Heh, they said Skeezix.
• 17D: *Award-winning author of "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" (SHERMAN ALEXIE). "Award-winning" is in there so you don’t think he’s too obscure. I’d heard of him, but couldn’t have named anything he wrote.
• 33D: *Trendy place for a breather? (OXYGEN BAR).
  
• 24D: Sleeveless summer wear, or what each answer to a starred clue might be said to have (TANK TOP).

Today’s authors, Michael Sharp and Angela Olson Halsted, are none other than Rex Parker and PuzzleGirl! Since Doug’s off puzzle-creatin’ too, that just leaves me to talk about today's puzzle. I’m SethG, and I’ll be your host today.

After I’d finished I went back to find the theme. I was sort of thinking it somewhere between the front and the back of my mind, but I knew I’d seen that one of the clues doubled as a theme revealer while I'd been solving. So I went back through and…I couldn’t find it. I went through again. I verified that only the long downs were starred as theme clues. Finally, I wrote them all down. Well, “SHERMAN’s a tank”, I thought. With GASOLINE in there, that’s two. I looked again, finally saw TANK in the middle, and slapped my forehead. But not hard enough to leave a mark.

Interesting grid shape with the entire theme in the downs. If the theme answers had, as usual, been across clues, "top" would have made less sense as a revealer. And LEFT TANK is not as common a phrase as TANK TOP.

Nice: the tanks are different kinds of tanks. Had the puzzle included four kinds of infantry tanks, or even worse three militaries and one not, it'd have been significantly weaker. Also nice: the fill. Clean in general, super-clean for a debut, with a few sparklers and not much that's bad.

Other possible theme clues include DRUNK AS A SKUNK and TOILET TRAINED, both 13s. DUNKIN' DONUTS is close, but not quite.

Bullets:

• 14A: Like a supportive crowd (AROAR). Ayeuk.
  
• 15A: Come as you __ (ARE).
  
• 29A: UN workers' gp. (ILO). Two UN workers' gps. = one Philippine province and its seaport capital.
  
• 36A: Playwrite Hart (MOSS). One of those is presumably a first name.
  
• 49A: Polite links response (GOLF CLAP). Far and away the best thing in the grid, and an early nominee for Best Fill of the Year. Awesome!
  See also: 16A: China flaw (CHIP). And, sorta, 56A: Drive crazy (DERANGE).
• 60A: Like former admirals (EX-NAVY). Can't decide whether I love it or loathe it. I think it's love.
  
• 62A: Surefooted goat (IBEX). Love this, but probably just because I'm weird. IBEX isn't ideal fill, it's just that I love a clue like [Surefooted goat]. I remember writing similarly before about SMEWS, clued as [Eurasian ducks].
  
• 25D: Climbing lane occupant (SEMI). Yeah, I relied on the crosses for that. Apparently, a climbing lane is that extra lane for trucks they put on steep hills so they can go really slowly without impeding traffic.
  
• 61D: "Go Simpsonic With the Simpsons" composer Clausen (ALF). Tour buses in the Outback stop to visit a crazy guy named Talc Alf. He doesn't bathe much. I met him, we posed for a picture with his arm around me, and I had to take off my shirt and wash it before I could wear it again.
  

Crosswordese 101:

52D: Ed of "Up" (ASNER) is an actor, and he's been in a lot of stuff. There are no other ASNERs you need to remember, and you'll never memorize everything he's done. Aside from Up, his major roles were as Lou Grant on the Mary Tyler Moore Show and a spin-off and Captain Davies in Roots. He frequently plays characters from the Bronx; he's from Kansas City. He was president of the Screen Actor's Guild and won a tankload of Emmys.

Congrats PuzzleGirl (and Rex)! Great job!
[Follow PuzzleGirl on Twitter.]

Everything Else — 1A: They may be indoor or outdoor (PETS).; 5A: Starr with rhythm (RINGO).; 10A: Angel dust, for short (PCP).; 13A: Yearn (for) (ACHE).; 17A: Far from dense (SPARSE).; 18A: Source of rays (SUN).; 19A: "West Side Story" duet (TONIGHT).; 21A: Prepare to seal, as an envelope (MOISTEN).; 23A: Classic Welles role (KANE).; 24A: Whopper (TALLTALE).; 25A: Sunscreen letters (SPF).; 27A: 7-Down's "Casta diva," e.g. (ARIA).; 30A: Fab rival (ERA).; 31A: Agt. under Ness (TMAN).; 32A: Hose (NYLONS).; 38A: Place for a bracelet (ANKLE).; 40A: Suit (EXEC).; 41A: Like some conditional statements (IFTHEN).; 43A: Warty amphibian (TOAD).; 45A: Singer Sumac (YMA).; 46A: Hard-rock link (ASA).; 47A: Eye hungrily (OGLE).; 48A: Hunk (GOB).; 53A: Loll (LAZE).; 55A: Outfit (CLOTHES).; 59A: Back talk (LIP).; 63A: Pre-holiday day (EVE).; 64A: Handle with skill (WIELD).; 65A: Hindu royal (RANI).; 66A: Shriner's cap (FEZ).; 67A: Lowly workers (SERFS).; 68A: Part of Q.E.D. (ERAT).; 1D: Warsaw __ (PACT).; 2D: Bounce (ECHO).; 4D: Dark brown pigment (SEPIA).; 5D: Mesmerized (RAPT).; 6D: George's musical partner (IRA).; 7D: Bellini opera (NORMA).; 9D: 1990s "Inside Edition" host (OREILLY).; 10D: Shells, e.g. (PASTA).; 11D: Unusual companion? (CRUEL).; 12D: 10-Down type (PENNE).; 20D: Tiny biter (GNAT).; 22D: Lifted (STOLE).; 28D: John in Scotland (IAN).; 34D: Hard-to-find clownfish (NEMO).; 35D: Picketer's bane (SCAB).; 37D: Vertical passage (SHAFT).; 39D: Captain Kirk's record (LOG).; 42D: Stays away from (ESCHEWS).; 44D: Pricey (DEAR).; 49D: Staff symbol (GCLEF).; 50D: Drab color (OLIVE).; 51D: 1990s-2000s Braves catcher Javy (LOPEZ).; 54D: Rumble in the Jungle setting (ZAIRE).; 56D: Netflix shipments (DVDS).; 57D: Actress Rowlands (GENA).; 58D: __ poll (EXIT).