T U E S D A Y October 26, 2010 Jeff Chen

Theme: Here! — First words of the theme answers can precede the word "roll" in a familiar phrase.


Theme answers:

• 17A: *"That's a certainty!" ("BANK ON IT!").
• 22A: *Say "Well done," say (PAY A COMPLIMENT).
• 34A: *Cover the night's check (SPRING FOR DINNER).
• 46A: *Generate sales leads (DRUM UP BUSINESS).
• 54A: Attendance check, and a hint to the puzzle theme in the first words of the starred answers (ROLL CALL).

What we have today is a perfectly serviceable Tuesday. It's got a fine theme, with fine theme answers. The fill, most of which is short, is fine. Other than the theme, the longest answers in the grid are NO OUTLET and HELSINKI, which are ... fine. Unfortunately, it's just really hard to get excited about Tuesdays. If I show up here on a Tuesday and I'm not complaining about a weak theme and griping about a bunch of answers that I don't like, then I think we can call it a success.

Bullets:

• 1A: Homey (COZY). Wanted this answer to be "bro" or "buddy" or something like that.
• 21A: Mousse user (SALON). HAha! Misread this as "Mouse user," which I'm sure is exactly what I was supposed to do!

• 30A: Bozo (JERK). I think of a bozo as more of a dummy than a JERK, but either way "bozo" is an excellent put-down.
• 31A: Remark from Rex (ARF). I don't get why dogs are so often named Rex in CrossWorld. Is that really a typical dog name? Spot, Fido, Rover? Sure. Rex? Not so much.
• 42A: "Brave New World" drug (SOMA). We'll cover this in Crosswordese 301.
• 51A: Nae sayer (SCOT). "Nae" is how they say the word "no" in Scotland.
• 1D: Chard alternative (CAB) and 3D: Chard alternative (ZIN). Is chard a leafy green vegetable? Hold on .... Yes. Yes it is. Was anyone else tricked by this or was it just me because I'm not a wine drinker?

• 5D: Chandler's "Friends" ex-girlfriend with an annoying laugh (JANICE). Great clue! By far my favorite thing in the whole puzzle.
• 56D: Poetic pugilist (ALI). I thought I was looking for a boxer that appeared in a poem, not a boxer who himself was prone to lapsing into poetry.

Crosswordese 101: Q.E.D., which you'll often see at the end of a mathematical proof or a philosophical argument, stands for the Latin quod erat demonstrandum ("that which was to be demonstrated"). When you see Q.E.D. in a crossword clue it's almost always prompting you for the answer ERAT. Clues are generally straightforward: "Q.E.D. part," "Part of Q.E.D.," or 29A: Q.E.D. word.

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

• 14A: Converse competitor (AVIA).
• 41A: Long-tongued cartoon dog (ODIE).
• 60A: Doctor of music? (DRE).
• 62A: Some dadaist paintings (ERNSTS).
• 2D: Egg cells (OVA).
• 8D: No more seats, on a sign (SRO).
• 24D: Rumored Himalayan beast (YETI).

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Everything Else — 5A: Boeing product (JET); 8A: Shoulder wraps (SHAWLS); 15A: Fuss (ADO); 16A: Immensely popular (RED HOT); 19A: "Ripe" part of life (OLD AGE); 20A: Ceremonial act (RITE); 27A: Rock examiner? (JEWELER); 28A: A seeming eternity (EONS); 39A: Function (USE); 40A: Suave to a fault (OILY); 43A: Obvious (EVIDENT); 50A: Knock one's knuckles against (RAP AT); 52A: To excess (OVERLY); 59A: Blew off steam (VENTED); 61A: Skin lotion additive (ALOE); 63A: Verizon rival (AT&T); 64A: Coquette (MINX); 4D: Himalayan beast (YAK); 6D: Magazine VIP (EDITOR); 7D: Carved pole (TOTEM); 9D: Capital east of Oslo (HELSINKI); 10D: "Mysterious and spooky" TV family name (ADDAMS); 11D: Ahab's quarry (WHALE); 12D: Start one's work day, maybe (LOG ON); 13D: Angioplasty implant (STENT); 18D: Like much family history (ORAL); 22D: Offenders, in copspeak (PERPS); 23D: Enlightened (AWARE); 25D: Word with group or pressure (PEER); 26D: British nobleman (LORD); 27D: Son of God, in a Bach cantata (JESU); 30D: Elation (JOY); 31D: Bolivian range (ANDES); 32D: Stagecoach controls (REINS); 33D: Fuss (FRET); 35D: Sign at a cul-de-sac (NO OUTLET); 36D: Hobbling gait (GIMP); 37D: Love handles, so to speak (FLAB); 38D: Botanical branch point (NODE); 42D: Stings (SMARTS); 43D: Companion (ESCORT); 44D: Purple shade (VIOLET); 45D: Worldwide: Abbr. (INTL.); 46D: Took the wheel (DROVE); 47D: Ecstatic film critic, e.g. (RAVER); 48D: Sch. founded by Franklin (U. PENN.); 49D: Dietary standard often measured in mg. (USRDA); 53D: NFL rushing nos. (YDS.); 55D: "Overhead" engine part (CAM); 57D: "Man of a Thousand Faces" Chaney (LON); 58D: Archvillain Luthor (LEX).