10.05 Wed

W E D N E S D A Y
October 5, 2011
Clive Probert

Theme: I'm tryin' to sleep here! — Theme answers are noises that might make it difficult to sleep.

Theme answers:

• 17A: Honk ... honk ... honk ... (AUTOMOBILE ALARM).
• 27A: Woof ... woof ... woof ... (BARKING DOGS).
• 42A: Drip ... drip ... drip ... (LEAKY FAUCET).
• 54A: What you'll get as a result of 17-, 27- or 42-Across? Not! (GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP).

Cute theme idea. I have definitely been deprived of a GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP by all of these things at one time or another. I'm not crazy about the execution for two main reasons. First, it's a CAR ALARM. Nobody calls it an AUTOMOBILE ALARM, so that seems like cheating. Also, why is BARKING DOGS plural when the other theme answers aren't? It really only takes one dog barking to keep a person awake. Again, sort of cheap using that S to make the phrase long enough to work with the theme. I would rather have seen this theme worked on a little longer to see if it could be accomplished with a better set of theme answers. And if, in the end, it was determined that these were the best options, well, I probably would have kept the idea in my notes and not acted on it unless a really good set of theme answers presented themselves. Also, what's with the reveal clue? Why get all cutesy all of a sudden? I'm sorry to be so negative today, but these are the kinds of things I notice and the whole premise of this blog is for me to write about my solving experience. So there you go.

Bullets:

• 10A: 1996 title role for Gwyneth (EMMA). I didn't see this movie, but I'm guessing it's a modern take on Jane Austen's classic. For more Austen-y goodness, jump down to LYDIA (30A: Youngest "Pride and Prejudice" Bennet sister).
• 21A: Help in a bad way (ABET). I've seen this clue before, but it still managed to fool me today. Love it.
• 25A: Cheeky pet? (HAMSTER). I do not know what this means.
• 36A: Bonehead (DOLT). It seems like there are a lot of choices for clues like this: DODO, DOPE, BOZO … I'm sure there are others.
• 37A: Pong maker (ATARI). Thinking about Pong kind of freaks me out. I mean, look at today's video games and then remember how excited we were about Pong.

• 2D: Roy Orbison song that was a top ten hit for Linda Ronstadt (BLUE BAYOU). Sparkly entry of the day.
• 5D: "To Where You Are" singer Josh (GROBAN). I don't know this guy. If you had told me the name, I would have guessed he was an actor on a show like "How I Met Your Mother" or something.
• 50D: Red-bearded god (THOR). This little tidbit must have been in the back of my mind somewhere because I wrote it in without even thinking about it. But even while I was entering it, I was thinking "THOR has a red beard? Huh."

• 55D: Creator of Watson, a memorable 2011 "Jeopardy!" winner (IBM). Speaking of memorable "Jeopardy!" winners … Did you all see Joon last night? He is a freaking ROCK STAR. He made the decision to bet it all on that mental math Daily Double so quickly that I didn't even hear him say it because the audience was still applauding about the fact that he had found the Daily Double. BOLD is what I'm saying. So proud…. ::sniff::

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 1A: The duck in "Peter and the Wolf" (OBOE).
• 37A: Pong maker (ATARI).
• 48A: Fragrant compound (ESTER).
• 58A: Normandy river (ORNE).
• 4D: Expressive rock genre (EMO).
• 8D: Sargasso Sea denizen (EEL).
• 51D: __ Reader (UTNE).

Everything — 1A: The duck in "Peter and the Wolf" (OBOE); 5A: Hail (GREET); 10A: 1996 title role for Gwyneth (EMMA); 14A: "Project Runway" host Heidi (KLUM); 15A: Ardent lover (ROMEO); 16A: Business jet company founder (LEAR); 17A: Honk ... honk ... honk ... (AUTOMOBILE ALARM); 20A: Conifer with springy wood (YEW); 21A: Help in a bad way (ABET); 22A: Jargon (LINGO); 23A: City on the Shatt al-Arab waterway (BASRA); 25A: Cheeky pet? (HAMSTER); 27A: Woof ... woof ... woof ... (BARKING DOGS); 30A: Youngest "Pride and Prejudice" Bennet sister (LYDIA); 31A: Love, in Málaga (AMOR); 32A: In the center of (AMID); 36A: Bonehead (DOLT); 37A: Pong maker (ATARI); 38A: Brit's floor covering (LINO); 39A: Men (GUYS); 40A: "Will be," in a Day song (SERA); 41A: Prefix meaning "hundred" (CENTI-); 42A: Drip ... drip ... drip ... (LEAKY FAUCET); 44A: Mime who created Bip the Clown (MARCEAU); 48A: Fragrant compound (ESTER); 49A: Gesundheit evoker (ACHOO); 50A: Walrus's weapon (TUSK); 52A: Filmmaker's deg. (MFA); 54A: What you'll get as a result of 17-, 27- or 42-Across? Not! (GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP); 58A: Normandy river (ORNE); 59A: Kentucky pioneer (BOONE); 60A: Like lawn spots in need of reseeding (BARE); 61A: Some wallet bills (ONES); 62A: Social customs (MORES); 63A: Jeanne and Geneviève: Abbr. (STES.); 1D: "Sure" (OKAY); 2D: Roy Orbison song that was a top ten hit for Linda Ronstadt (BLUE BAYOU); 3D: On the surface (OUTWARDLY); 4D: Expressive rock genre (EMO); 5D: "To Where You Are" singer Josh (GROBAN); 6D: Spa convenience (ROBE); 7D: Send out (EMIT); 8D: Sargasso Sea denizen (EEL); 9D: It may be tapped at a concert (TOE); 10D: Brat Pack novelist Bret Easton __ (ELLIS); 11D: Intended (MEANT); 12D: Bart's mom (MARGE); 13D: Mail at the castle (ARMOR); 18D: "Ave __" (MARIA); 19D: Poor request? (ALMS); 24D: "Saturday Night Live" fare (SKITS); 25D: "Yippee!" ("HOORAY!"); 26D: Business opening? (AGRI-); 27D: Skyscraper, e.g.: Abbr. (BLDG.); 28D: Cake, in Calais (GATEAU); 29D: Former Berlin currency, briefly (D-MARK); 32D: Kayak maker (ALEUT); 33D: Pie filling that may include beef (MINCE MEAT); 34D: Meddle (INTERFERE); 35D: "Just __!" (DO IT); 37D: Where landlubbers prefer not to be (ASEA); 41D: Winery containers (CASKS); 42D: Boxer Spinks (LEON); 43D: Admits, with "up" (FESSES); 44D: Cartoon Mr. (MAGOO); 45D: Squirrel's find (ACORN); 46D: Avignon's river (RHONE); 47D: Works on a program (CODES); 50D: Red-bearded god (THOR); 51D: __ Reader (UTNE); 53D: Rock of Gibraltar mammals (APES); 55D: Creator of Watson, a memorable 2011 "Jeopardy!" winner (IBM); 56D: Gunk (GOO); 57D: Ft-__: energy units (LBS.).

08.11 Thu

T H U R S D A Y

August 11, 2011

Clive Probert

Theme: Boxing Day — Each theme answer is a boxing term clued as if it's something else.



Theme answers:

• 17A: Very angry, informally? (RIGHT CROSS).
• 26A: Tackle box item for liberals? (LEFT HOOK).
• 44A: Chuck steak, for example? (UPPER CUT).
• 58A: What 17-, 26- and 44-Across are, figuratively and literally (PUNCHLINES).

Cute idea for a theme although I can't say I'm super excited about the execution. Not really sure what the problem is. I think I wanted all the theme clues to involve the same kind of word play, but they all seem a little disjointed. Also, eight letters is awfully short for a theme answer and it looks like this puzzle stuck to the "rule" that no entry is longer than the theme answers. So that means lots of short words. On the bright side, I didn't see a single word in the grid that we've covered here in Crosswordese 101 and, honestly, that's pretty amazing. (I don't always catch the CW, so I could be wrong. If I am, I'm sure one of you will let us know in the comments.)



Highlights in today's grid include HEAVE-HO and BEST OF (10D: Bar drunk's comeuppance / 9D: Words on a "greatest hits" album). I don't believe I've ever seen the phrase "de TROP" (32D: De __: excessive) and kinda wonder what that's all about. Loved the tricky clue for EARP (31D: Holliday friend). Pretty easy to misread that one. And TOFU (30D: Flavor-absorbing food) of course brought to mind the lovely conversation we had at dinner on Saturday night at a vegetarian restaurant. Oh man. I still have to tell you all about Lollapuzzoola, don't I? How the hell is it Thursday already? I'll do what I can to post something about it tonight. In the meantime, I'll leave you with [28D: Soul great OTIS Redding].





Crosswordese 101: NIM (60D: Matchstick-removing game) doesn't come up too terribly often, but I think it warrants a little discussion so you'll remember it next time. If you're interested in the details of NIM, check out its Wikipedia page. Clues for NIM will pretty much always include the word game. Here are the other words you might see in the clue that should point you toward NIM: math, matchsticks, matches, sticks, and takeaway. You are now fully prepared for the next time NIM appears in a puzzle. My work here is done.







Everything — 1A: Bike part (PEDAL); 6A: Boo-boo (FLUB); 10A: Call heard at night (HOOT); 14A: Upstage a co-star, perhaps (EMOTE); 15A: No trouble at all (EASE); 16A: Within: Pref. (ENDO-); 17A: Very angry, informally? (RIGHT CROSS); 19A: Don Juan's love (AMOR); 20A: European cheese with a Protected Designation of Origin (STILTON); 21A: Alehouse (TAVERN); 23A: High regard (ESTEEM); 24A: Two-time '80s-'90s Senate majority leader (DOLE); 25A: Roman trio (TRE); 26A: Tackle box item for liberals? (LEFT HOOK); 30A: Head of Québec (TÊTE); 33A: New driver, typically (TEEN); 35A: Heart line (AORTA); 36A: Crew member (OAR); 37A: 1947 South Seas traveler (KON-TIKI); 39A: Wrongdoing (SIN); 40A: Hobbit on a quest (FRODO); 42A: California's __ Valley (SIMI); 43A: Deep-six (TOSS); 44A: Chuck steak, for example? (UPPER CUT); 46A: Carol opener ('TIS); 48A: One of the guys (MALE); 49A: Cling cause (STATIC); 53A: Twins in the sky (GEMINI); 56A: "The Legend of Zelda: __ of Time": video game (OCARINA); 57A: Base runner? (AWOL); 58A: What 17-, 26- and 44-Across are, figuratively and literally (PUNCHLINES); 61A: Temerity (GALL); 62A: Words after step or sleep (ON IT); 63A: IV part (INTRA); 64A: Pay to play (ANTE); 65A: A fish named Dory helped find him (NEMO); 66A: Starts fishing (CASTS); 1D: In and of itself (PER SE); 2D: Throws off (EMITS); 3D: Shirk responsibility (DOG IT); 4D: One playing the field, e.g. (ATHLETE); 5D: Alphabet soup bit (LETTER); 6D: Bouquet greenery (FERN); 7D: Thai language (LAO); 8D: Navy ship letters (USS); 9D: Words on a "greatest hits" album (BEST OF); 10D: Bar drunk's comeuppance (HEAVE-HO); 11D: Generous words (ON ME); 12D: Febreze target (ODOR); 13D: Having a hard time deciding (TORN); 18D: Recover from a knockout (COME TO); 22D: Central Asia's __ Mountains (ALTAI); 24D: It's in your jeans (DENIM); 26D: "__ Bleed": Stones album (LET IT); 27D: Roughly (OR SO); 28D: Soul great Redding (OTIS); 29D: 24-Across's state: Abbr. (KANS.); 30D: Flavor-absorbing food (TOFU); 31D: Holliday friend (EARP); 32D: De __: excessive (TROP); 34D: Come next (ENSUE); 37D: Mullah's text (KORAN); 38D: Velvet Elvis, e.g. (KITSCH); 41D: "The King of Kings" (1927) director (DEMILLE); 43D: Winter Palace woman (TSARINA); 45D: Like some earrings (CLIP-ON); 47D: Like biased writing? (ITALIC); 50D: Turns blue, perhaps (TINTS); 51D: Like a noble gas (INERT); 52D: Hidalgo houses (CASAS); 53D: Hung up on, with "over" (GAGA); 54D: McGregor of "Emma" (1996) (EWAN); 55D: Shed (MOLT); 56D: Bi- cubed (OCTO-); 59D: Somme one (UNE); 60D: Matchstick-removing game (NIM).

F R I D A Y October 22, 2010 Clive Probert

Theme: Art Puns!— Puns on the names of famous artists.


Theme answers:

• 20A: Baroque painter's study of a snack? (RUBENS SANDWICH).
• 36A: Surrealist's portrait of a president? (DALI MADISON).
• 42A: Synthetist's picture of a French author? (GAUGUIN ZOLA).
• 57A: Impressionist's study of a washerwoman? (MONET LAUNDERER).

Pretty decent puns, I think, as far as puns go. I'm glad I didn't get the RUBENS and GAUGUIN answers first because I probably would have been looking for more food-related answers, which I wouldn't have found. But I'm just not going to waste my time whining about something that might have happened but didn't. Instead, I'll tell you that the first time I saw this constructor's name (which I'm pretty sure was not that long ago and it was his debut puzzle in the New York Times), I thought for sure it was a pseudonym. I mean, Clive Probert? That name is too awesome to be real. Then I saw a tweet from his daughter-in-law expressing how excited she was about his puzzle and I realized it was, indeed, his actual name. Congratulations to your parents, sir! They did an excellent job naming you!

I liked the two answer pairs: First HEAR HEAR paired with YADA YADA YADA (64A: When repeated, "I agree" / 7D: When repeated twice, "and so on"). And then YURI Gagarin paired with NEIL Armstrong (10D: First first name in space / 59D: First first name on the moon). I actually tried ALAN for YURI before I remembered that the Russians beat us! And then I found 26D: Country singer ALAN Jackson elsewhere in the grid.

Bullets:

• 5A: __ ed (PHYS). My first thought? CRAZY. Because I once knew a guy called "Crazy Ed."
• 18A: Karachi language (URDU). The PuzzleKids had a Pakistani babysitter for several years when they were little and knew how to count to ten in URDU.
• 28A: Employees with a lot of keys (VALETS). Hmmm. Will VALETS help you with your VALISES? (That's a reference to yesterday's puzzle.)
• 38A: Spanish pronoun (ELLA). It means she.

• 41A: Org. co-founded by Babe Zaharias (LPGA). I did a lot of writing in, erasing, and re-writing in this section. My first thought here was LPGA but then I wanted SWEE' pea instead of 32D: SNAP pea and TEA instead of NAP for 47A: Afternoon break. It was a mess for a while.
• 48A: Radiances (SHEENS). Not a fan of the random pluralization.
• 49A: Mars candy bar (TWIX). On the other hand, I'm a huge fan of TWIX.
• 50A: Pol. platform-promoting org. (DNC). Democratic National Committee.
• 63A: Sheryl Crow's "__ Wanna Do" (ALL I). If you like Sheryl Crow and have never seen her live, I strongly suggest that you see her as soon as you can. I've always kind of liked her, but I found her to be much more impressive in person. See? I also provide concert-going tips. It's just another service I offer.

• 66A: Land of 10,000 Lakes: Abbr. (MINN.). Or, as it's sometimes known, Land of 10,000 Rehab Centers.
• 30D: "NBA on __" (ESPN). I can't get used to "NBA on ESPN." How many years has it been since the NBA was on CBS? "... When you watch the NBA on C-B-EEEESSS (C-BEE-ESS) ...." That was me singing. My point is that I still have that stupid song in my head however many years later.
• 45D: Representing in drawing (LIMNING). Very strange word.
• 56D: Oversight (ERROR). I kept thinking I was looking for a synonym of "monitoring" or "supervising" here.

Crosswordese 101: In early-week puzzles a clue for RIAL will, like today's 25A: Muscat money, have the word money right in it. Other choices for the modifier include Iranian, Middle Eastern, or Omani. Later in the week, you're likely to see the word capital in the clue instead of money because it's trickier. You see "Yemeni capital" and you try to remember the name of the capital city in Yemen, right? Also be on the lookout for the word bread. The clue "Iranian bread" is trying to trick you into thinking about Middle East cuisine when you need to be remembering that the word bread can be slang for money.

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

• 14A: Hyalite, e.g. (OPAL).
• 33D: Noodle tests? (EEGS).
• 61D: Humerus neighbor ULNA).

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Everything Else — 1A: Bulletin board material (CORK); 9A: Human-powered Eastern cab (CYCLO); 15A: Realize (REAP); 16A: Arcadian (RURAL); 17A: Actress Andersson (BIBI); 19A: Popped up (AROSE); 23A: 1986 movie title trio (AMIGOS); 24A: Rib (KID); 33A: Go back (EBB); 40A: Suffix with polymer (-ASE); 52A: Après-dinner confection (MENTHE); 62A: Intense excitement (FEVER); 65A: Newmark with an online list (CRAIG); 67A: Delinquent's fear (REPO); 68A: Ma's forte (CELLO); 69A: Pre-wedding party (STAG); 70A: Pres. Reagan's "evil empire" (USSR); 1D: G.I. Joe foe (COBRA); 2D: Subject of Great Britain/China wars (OPIUM); 3D: Religious teacher (RABBI); 4D: Filmmaker's __ light (KLIEG); 5D: Berlin was its last capital (PRUSSIA); 6D: Bathrobe word (HERS); 8D: Mettle (SPUNK); 9D: Freshwater crustacean (CRAWDAD); 11D: Popular foam shoe (CROC); 12D: Mascara target (LASH); 13D: Shout of support (OLÉ); 21D: Gare du __: Paris railway station (NORD); 22D: Aria singer, often (DIVA); 27D: Symphonic poem pioneer (LISZT); 29D: Word in many a rap name (LIL); 31D: Frat party wear (TOGA); 34D: Yawn-inducing (BLAH); 35D: Sad (BLUE); 37D: "Please open a can for me"? (MEOW); 39D: Improve, perhaps (AGE); 43D: Have, as an operation (UNDERGO); 44D: Stevie Wonder's "__ She Lovely" (ISN'T); 46D: Let go (AXED); 51D: Quahogs (CLAMS); 53D: Type of jacket the Beatles helped make fashionable (NEHRU); 54D: Windbreak, often (TREES); 55D: Lots (HEAPS); 57D: Like mortals? (MERE); 58D: Track (OVAL); 60D: Landed (ALIT); 62D: Govt. broadband regulator (FCC).