M O N D A Y November 22, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: Want! — Theme answers are familiar phrases that end with words synonymous with desire.

Theme answers:

• 21A: Tokyo monetary unit (JAPANESE YEN).
• 26A: 1983 Lionel Richie #1 song (ALL NIGHT LONG).
• 43A: Desolate title tree in a 1936 Fonda/MacMurray western (LONESOME PINE).
• 50A: TUMS target (STOMACHACHE).
• 65A: Hanker, and a synonym for the ends of 21-, 26-, 43- and 50-Across (YEARN).

Well this is just what we need on a Monday, right? A super smooth solve — not too hard but not boring either. This grid is filled with words that I think of as one level above the typical Monday: BAD EGG, CONJOIN, LAMENT, TENACITY, QUOI. Nothing particularly awesome about those words, but they add a little pizzazz to an easy puzzle. We're off to a good start this week.

Bullets:

• 31A: French city where Joan of Arc died (ROUEN). This was probably the trickiest thing in the grid. I didn't know it off the top of my head, but with a few crosses it came back to me.
• 33A: Milk units: Abbr. (QTS.). I tried "pts." first.
• 46A: It's north of the border (CANADA). Can't wait to hear from our Canadian friends about this one.
• 49A: Cle. hoopsters (CAVS). I was flying through this puzzle pretty fast and wrote in "Mavs" thinking "Somehow that doesn't seem quite right."
• 7D: "March Madness" org. (NCAA). Seems like "March Madness" is right around the corner. How the hell did it get to be Thanksgiving week already?!?

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 10A: Narrow-necked pear (BOSC).
• 16A: Figure skating jump (AXEL).
• 36A: Old Italian money (LIRE).
• 1D: Copied (APED).
• 26D: Woody's son (ARLO).
• 29D: Ivan the Terrible et al. (TSARS).
• 59D: Abu Dhabi's fed. (UAE).

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Everything Else — 1A: Like some short-term committees (AD HOC); 6A: How a lot of music is recorded (ON CD); 14A: Museum with many Spanish masterpieces (PRADO); 15A: Eight, in Spain (OCHO); 17A: Consumed (EATEN); 18A: Postal delivery (MAIL); 19A: Knish seller (DELI); 20A: Henna, for one (DYE); 24A: Hawaii's coffee capital (KONA); 25A: Reader's __: magazine (DIGEST); 32A: Wooden nickel, e.g. (SLUG); 37A: Parcel of land (TRACT); 39A: New Age-y emanation (AURA); 40A: Single (ONE); 41A: Wine vintage (YEAR); 42A: Thread holder (SPOOL); 53A: Long sandwich (SUB); 56A: Vaulter's need (POLE); 57A: "Today __ man": stereotypical bar mitzvah announcement (I AM A); 58A: Hospital staffer (NURSE); 60A: __ even keel (ON AN); 61A: Shoemaker McAn (THOM); 62A: Spud (TATER); 63A: Camping shelter (TENT); 64A: Talks and talks (YAKS); 2D: Open-sided cart (DRAY); 3D: Loathe (HATE); 4D: "__ on a Grecian Urn" (ODE); 5D: Unite (CONJOIN); 6D: Tuba sound (OOMPAH); 8D: Facial feature with a cleft, perhaps (CHIN); 9D: Distributed sparingly (DOLED OUT); 10D: No-goodnik (BAD EGG); 11D: Daisy variety (OXEYE); 12D: Tennis great Monica (SELES); 13D: Eastwood of Dirty Harry films (CLINT); 22D: Namibia neighbor: Abbr. (ANG.); 23D: Perform with the choir (SING); 24D: Kid's scrape site (KNEE); 27D: Butcher's cut (LOIN); 28D: Entice (LURE); 30D: Partners' legal entity: Abbr. (LLC); 33D: "Je ne sais __" (QUOI); 34D: Cyclo- ending (TRON); 35D: Shopper's delight (SALE); 37D: Persistence (TENACITY); 38D: "Norma __" (RAE); 39D: iPhone downloads (APPS); 41D: Wizened "Star Wars" guru (YODA); 42D: Interstate speed limit, often (SEVENTY); 43D: Bemoan (LAMENT); 44D: __ razor: logical simplicity rule (OCCAM'S); 45D: __-jongg (MAH); 46D: A hundred bucks (C-SPOT); 47D: Make amends (for) (ATONE); 48D: Texas Rangers president Ryan (NOLAN); 51D: Often sarcastic joke response (HA HA); 52D: In a frenzy (AMOK); 53D: Mlle., in Madrid (SRTA.); 54D: Exploitative type (USER); 55D: Swiss capital (BERN).