M O N D A Y November 8, 2010 Neville Fogarty

Theme: Puzztastic! — Theme answers are familiar phrases whose first word rhymes with "bombastic."


Theme answers:

• 17A: Last resort actions (DRASTIC MEASURES).
• 27A: 2009 Clooney/Streep film based on a Roald Dahl book (FANTASTIC MR. FOX).
• 44A: Scrunchie, e.g. (ELASTIC HAIRTIE).
• 55A: Kitschy lawn ornament (PLASTIC FLAMINGO).

Hey, look who's here. It's Neville again! Remember last week how I posted a picture of Neville Longbottom on the post with Neville Fogarty's puzzle? Well, apparently that prompted him (Neville Fogarty) to change his Facebook profile picture and it's perfect!

So, the puzzle. I felt like I struggled with it, but when I finished it was pretty much exactly the same amount of time I typically spend on Mondays. Maybe it's because there's barely any crosswordese in it (which is awesome on a Monday). The theme is cute. I'm not crazy about ELASTIC HAIRTIE. I mean, sure, that's what it is, but that's not a phrase that trips off the tongue, ya know? And, yes, I understand what is meant by PLASTIC FLAMINGO but I don't think I've ever called it that. Pretty sure I've only called the flamingo yard decoration a "pink flamingo," which does nothing to distinguish it from the actual pink flamingo bird, but hey, that's how I roll. So, I'm gonna do a little sleuthing here. … Turns out "plastic flamingo" and "plastic flamingos" (in the plural) get a total of about 25K Google hits. Obviously, "pink flamingo" isn't going to give us the results we want because, unlike me, Google doesn't automatically distinguish between the lawn ornament and the actual bird. "Plastic pink flamingo," however, gets 250K hits. What does that tell us? Well, nothing, actually. But it was fun, right?

Bullets:

• 16A: Loughlin of "90210" (LORI). Can't say I ever watched this show. Some of the boys on it were pretty cute though. Her name sounds familiar though. Hmmm ... Oh! She played Uncle Jesse's girlfriend-then-wife Becky on "Full House." The PuzzleKids luurrv that show.
• 21A: Icy space streakers (COMETS). If I say "I didn't know COMETS were icy" does that just make me look stupid?
• 22A: "The way I see it," in online shorthand (IMO). In My Opinion.
• 31A: Display ostentatiously (FLAUNT). If you've got it ….

• 35A: Soccer moms' transports (VANS). Just last week I started wondering when I'm going to be able to ditch the mini-van and get myself a nice little car. I think it might be soon.
• 49A: Dali display, say (ART). I entered ART first then thought, "Nah, that's too easy," and changed it to "oil." Then back to ART.
• 61A: Like some gases (INERT). I tried "noble" here first.
• 63A: Glittery rock style typified by David Bowie (GLAM). I've never been much of a Bowie fan, but I do enjoy this song.



• 11D: Rita who shouted "Hey you guys!" on "The Electric Company" (MORENO). Just took a quick look at Rita Moreno's Wikipedia page and wow, she's 78 years old. I loved her on "Electric Company." She's one of only 10 people who have won an Oscar, a Tony, a Grammy, and an Emmy. But you knew that.
• 13D: Actress Spacek (SISSY). I can't picture her without pigs blood all over her. That's unfortunate.
• 22D: Uncertain (IFFY). Ooh, that's a great little colloquial word.
• 41D: Saint Stephen's punishment for blasphemy (STONING). I'm not really up on my Bible, so I had to get this through crosses. (See what I did there?)

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 4D: Condé __ Publications (NAST).
• 8D: Maiden name lead-in (NÉE).
• 53D: Mennen shaving lotion (AFTA).

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Everything Else — 1A: Like 20 Questions questions (YES-NO); 6A: Put together, as a book (BIND); 10A: Ratchets (up) (AMPS); 14A: Halloween option (TREAT); 15A: Over, in Germany (UBER); 20A: Celery pieces (STALKS); 24A: Sorrow (WOE); 25A: __ moment: sudden realization (AHA); 26A: Vote against (NAY); 32A: Landlord's contract (LEASE); 33A: Holler (YELL); 34A: "__ the season to be jolly ..." ('TIS); 39A: Malia Obama's sister (SASHA); 42A: Gripe and grouse (KVETCH); 47A: "One Day __ Time" (AT A); 48A: Pull a scam on (CON); 50A: Biblical beast (ASS); 51A: Abandon on an island (MAROON); 53A: Giorgio known for snazzy suits (ARMANI); 59A: Peru's capital (LIMA); 60A: Message passed in class (NOTE); 62A: Posing no challenge (EASY); 64A: Lymphatic tissue masses (NODES); 1D: Since Jan. 1, on a financial report (YTD); 2D: Botch something up (ERR); 3D: Like corn and apples (SEASONAL); 5D: From Canada's capital (OTTAWAN); 6D: Water carrier (BUCKET); 7D: PCs from Big Blue (IBMS); 9D: Old Greek coin (DRACHMA); 10D: Former student (ALUM); 12D: Before the state's cut, as income (PRE-TAX); 18D: Words of defeat (I LOST); 19D: Flies in the clouds (SOARS); 23D: Masculine (MALE); 25D: Top poker pair (ACES); 28D: Oklahoma oil city (TULSA); 29D: Hipbone-related (ILIAC); 30D: Flu symptom (FEVER); 34D: Like a fine line (THIN); 36D: Reached, as goals (ATTAINED); 37D: Mark Harmon military TV drama (NCIS); 38D: Women (SHES); 40D: Fancy scarf (ASCOT); 42D: Destiny (KARMA); 43D: A, B, C, D, E, or K (VITAMIN); 44D: And others: Latin (ET ALIA); 45D: '80s-'90s Anaheim Stadium NFL team (L.A. RAMS); 46D: Apollo Theater site (HARLEM); 47D: More than enough (AMPLE); 52D: "The Star-Spangled Banner" start (O SAY); 54D: El __: climate pattern (NIÑO); 56D: KFC's Sanders, e.g. (COL.); 57D: Univ. sr.'s exam (GRE); 58D: NBA tiebreakers (OTS).