12.29 Wed

W E D N E S D A Y

December 29, 2010
Gary Cee


Theme: It's a real eye-opener — The first word of each theme answer can precede the word "eye" in a familiar phrase. Plus some other stuff.

Theme answers:

• 17A: *Unquestioning devotion (BLIND FAITH).
• 63A: *Knee-slapper (RIB TICKLER).
• 10D: *Pitchers and tumblers (GLASSWARE).
• 34D: *Like treatment for visiting dignitaries (RED CARPET).
• 38A: 5- or 40-Down ... or what the start of each answer to a starred clue can be (EYE-OPENER).
• 5D: Joe's stimulant (CAFFEINE).
• 40D: Smoker's stimulant (NICOTINE).

Hi, everybody. I'm feeling a little better so decided to give Doug a break today. Isn't he awesome for stepping in all the time though? I keep telling him he needs to just go ahead and take over the blog already and he's all, "Um … no." Anyway. Today's puzzle is filled to the gills with theme. We've got the reveal right in the damn middle with four of the [x]-eye theme answers and another two examples of EYE-OPENERs. Did you notice that all the theme answers are symmetrical? That's a lot of constraint to put on a grid, but Gary does a great job of filling it nonetheless. I mean, sure, DOZY is a little iffy (to put it mildly), and I'd rather not see SEWAGE in my grid, but there's an awful lot of sparkly stuff too, like POP STAR, HEIGH-HO, YAHTZEE and STAX (which I would have clued as the record label, but whatever). All in all, an ambitious theme well-executed, and you can't ask for much more than that. (I mean, sure, a pangram would have been nice, but I guess Gary was just slacking on this one.)

Bullets:

• 16A: Stubbs of the Four Tops (LEVI).



• 21A: "When the smog clears in California, UCLA," e.g. (PUN). That's pretty good, as far as puns go.

• 22A: Hitchcock title (SIR). I had no idea.
• 29A: Repugnant reaction (UGH). This was my reaction to 32A: Treatment plant input (SEWAGE).
• 45A: Latin 101 verb (ESSE). If I hadn't had one of the Ss in place already, I probably would have tried AMAT or AMAS.
• 58A: Televise (AIR). Unfortunately, the answer word here also appears in a clue (36D: Aired again (RERAN)) and in both instances the word has the exact same meaning. You don't see that very often. I believe that's what's known as an editorial oversight.
• 68A: Title owner of a sitcom bookstore (ELLEN). Whoa. How long has it been since ELLEN owned the bookstore? Let's see …. The last episode aired in 1998. That's an awfully long time ago. And I think she's done a few things since then that were, I don't know, clue-worthy.
• 2D: Place to see Bugs? (CEL). You can see Bugs Bunny on an animation CEL.
• 12D: Like Joe? (AVERAGE). Hi, Avg Joe!

• 31D: Flavor (SAPOR). This word trips me up every time. I'm quite sure I've never heard it used or seen it written. I've seen it in puzzles before, but it doesn't stick in my brain because it's not connected to anything.
• 43D: League of __ (NATIONS). Because "Women Voters" wouldn't fit.
• 62D: Pet physician's deg. (DVM). PuzzleDad tells a story about how back in the day he and his buddies, one of whom was a veterinarian, used to play basketball at the Y. One day, one of the guys got hurt. He was writhing around on the ground holding his ankle so, of course, they called the "doctor" over. After assessing the situation, he delivered the bad news: "I'm afraid we'll have to shoot him." (I bet that joke never gets old for veterinarians.)
• 66D: Popular New York Times crossword blogger Parker (REX).

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 45A: Latin 101 verb (ESSE).
• 69A: Homeland of the folk-singing Clancy Brothers (EIRE).
• 6D: Turkish authority (AGA).
• 28D: Hi-__ graphics (RES).
• 39D: Bigfoot cousin (YETI).

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Everything Else — 1A: Sound return (ECHO); 5A: Suspension bridge support (CABLE); 10A: Obtain forcibly (GRAB); 14A: Miller, for one (BEER); 15A: Shoelace tip (AGLET); 19A: Scored 100 on (ACED); 20A: Bozo (GOOF); 23A: Dice-rolling game (YAHTZEE); 26A: The King or Prince (POP STAR); 30A: Pound sounds (YIPS); 33A: Tie up, in a way (MOOR); 35A: Home of Duke U. (N. CAR.); 37A: Looks bad, comparatively (PALES); 41A: Parisian daily, with "Le" (MONDE); 44A: Singer Amos (TORI); 49A: Signs into law (ENACTS); 51A: Pool room supply (RACK); 53A: Amigo (PAL); 54A: Reaches (ATTAINS); 56A: Chesapeake Bay city (NORFOLK); 59A: Physicians' org. (AMA); 61A: Precisely (TO A T); 62A: Fall (DROP); 67A: Green climber (VINE); 70A: Two out of three, say (MOST); 71A: Teacher's directive (SEE ME); 72A: Pringles-like Lay's product (STAX); 1D: Flow back (EBB); 3D: Dwarfs' song (HEIGH-HO); 4D: Self-contradictory afterthought (OR NOT); 7D: Plane, in a control tower (BLIP); 8D: Relax (LET UP); 9D: Cultural group (ETHNOS); 11D: Conservatory event (RECITAL); 13D: Bridge action (BID); 18D: Half asleep (DOZY); 23D: "De-lish!" ("YUM!"); 24D: Gone by (AGO); 25D: Theme park acronym (EPCOT); 27D: Toon Le Pew (PEPÉ); 28D: Hi-__ graphics (RES); 41D: "Give __ holler!" (ME A); 42D: Province bordering four Great Lakes (ONTARIO); 46D: What a "Me and My Shadow" singer might be (SPOTLIT); 47D: Mineo in movies (SAL); 48D: Mountain lion prey (ELK); 50D: Catches (SNARES); 52D: Ray who said, "It requires a certain kind of mind to see beauty in a hamburger bun" (KROC); 55D: The parenthesis in :-) (SMILE); 57D: Counterfeits (FAKES); 60D: Competent (ABLE); 64D: Pro __: for now (TEM); 66D: Oscar winner Harrison (REX).

M O N D A Y December 20, 2010 Gary Cee

Theme: Pregame — The first word Both words of each two-word theme answer can precede the word "game" in a familiar phrase.

Theme answers:

• 17A: Miniature data storage device (MEMORY CARD).
• 24A: Teen group sleepover (PAJAMA PARTY).
• 47A: Like an actor who doesn't miss a line (WORD PERFECT).
• 60A: Bobby Vee hit with the line "I come bouncing back to you" (RUBBER BALL).
• 38A/40A: With 40-Across, in an advantageous position (and what both words in 17-, 24-, 47- and 60-Across can be) (AHEAD OF / THE GAME).

I tried to get this post written last night but with the Osmonds, Bobby Vee, and Eric Clapton in the grid, I got sucked into the YouTube vortex and had to get my butt to bed before I could write pretty much anything. So now it's morning and I'll have to spit this out quickly before I dash off to work. So hold on. Here we go!

Oh, before I get to the bullets, a note about how Bobby Vee got his start. The story is kind of interesting and it occurred to me that some of you might not be familiar with it. It's one of those things that I more or less grew up with, being from Fargo and all (along with a love of Roger Maris and a freakish ability to withstand sub-zero temperatures). I know you all know about "The Day the Music Died" back in 1959 when Buddy Holly's plane crashed. Well, that plane was on its way to the Fargo-Moorhead area and when it (obviously) didn't make it there, Bobby Vee's band volunteered to play the show and that was his big break. So there you have it.

Bullets:

• 14A: Home of the Osmonds (UTAH).
   
• 19A: Like many a movie twin (EVIL). I know that siblings can be very different from one another, but the whole "EVIL twin" thing is pretty damn ridiculous if you think about it.

• 33A: Heckle (JEER). This is actually where I first got sucked into YouTube. I remember a bit Seinfeld used to do about hecklers, so I went looking for it. Couldn't find it, but trust me: there are a lot of comedian v. heckler clips out there!
• 42A: Seaman's call for assistance (SOS). Heh heh, you said "seaman."
• 62A: Ricelike pasta (ORZO). Not to be confused with the alcohol "ouzo" or the automatic weapon "uzi." Three completely different things.
• 5D: 1971 Clapton classic (LAYLA). Unfortunately, I didn't have time to actually find an appropriate video of this before I was miraculously able to tear myself away from YouTube, so you'll have to go find one yourself. Look, I can't do everything for you.
• 6D: Pop-up path (ARC). I actually tried URL here first, thinking the pop-up in question was a pop-up ad. D'oh!

• 37D: Storied loch (NESS).
• 42D: Wager that isn't risky (SAFE BET). Anyone else try sure bet first?

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 31A: Above-the-street trains (ELS).
• 43A: Baseball's Slaughter (ENOS).
• 52A: Encl. with a manuscript (SASE).
• 64A: Sicilian volcano (ETNA).
• 26D: Orbital high point (APOGEE).
• 28D: Pop your pop might have liked (NEHI).
• 56D: Forearm bone (ULNA).

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Everything Else — 1A: Things to make notes on (PADS); 5A: Gate clasp (LATCH); 10A: Woeful word (ALAS); 15A: Impressive display (ARRAY); 16A: Coke or Pepsi (COLA); 20A: Faraway friend who likes to write (PEN PAL); 21A: Traditional stories (LORE); 23A: New England hrs. (EST); 27A: Bolivian high points (ANDES); 32A: Second afterthought, in a ltr. (PPS); 34A: Writer's deg. (MFA); 35A: Itzhak Perlman's instrument (VIOLIN); 41A: Tears to shreds (RIPS UP); 44A: Not masc. (FEM.); 45A: Old Mideast org. (UAR); 46A: Digs for (SEEKS); 51A: "Toto, __ a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore" (I'VE); 53A: Gap (HIATUS); 58A: Require (NEED); 63A: Judges hear them (PLEAS); 65A: Wine glass part (STEM); 66A: Occupied, as a desk (SAT AT); 67A: Hurdle (over) (LEAP); 1D: It gives you gas (PUMP); 2D: To __: precisely (A TEE); 3D: Rhett's last word (DAMN); 4D: Hit the mall (SHOP); 7D: Song refrain (TRA LA LA); 8D: Pool shots (CAROMS); 9D: Beast that grew two heads every time it lost one (HYDRA); 10D: King topper (ACE); 11D: Where romantic couples park (LOVERS LANE); 12D: Crème de la crème (A-LIST); 13D: Like the sea (SALTY); 18D: Jay-Z performances (RAPS); 22D: "Silas Marner" foundling (EPPIE); 25D: Funny Foxworthy (JEFF); 27D: Barely open (AJAR); 29D: Suspended animation (DEEP FREEZE); 30D: Took off the board (ERASED); 34D: Floor-washing aid (MOP); 35D: Videotape format (VHS); 36D: Response to "You all right?" (I'M OK); 39D: Down in the __ (DUMPS); 40D: Raced (TORE); 45D: Bond girl Andress (URSULA); 46D: Hullabaloo (STIR); 47D: Indigent imbibers (WINOS); 48D: In full view (OVERT); 49D: Wild West brothers (EARPS); 50D: Where the toys are (CHEST); 54D: One slain by Cain (ABEL); 55D: Westminster gallery (TATE); 57D: Open-handed blow (SLAP); 59D: __ Pérignon (DOM); 61D: Sheep sound (BAA).