T U E S D A Y November 2, 2010 Bruce Venzke

Theme: Doing Something — Idioms that start with a gerund about reshaping.


Theme answers:

• 17A: Being convincing via coercion (TWISTING ONE'S ARM).
• 27A: Making a comeback, say (TURNING THE TIDE).
• 45A: Sneering (CURLING ONE'S LIP).
• 60A: Telling a little white lie (BENDING THE TRUTH).

Good morning, everyone, and Happy Election Day. Hope you all are planning to VOTE today. The PuzzleKids are off from school today, and I need to get out and vote and then figure out how to keep them entertained today, so no time for a long write-up. Today's theme really doesn't do anything for me and the fill is … okay. Now that I know what LORAN is (35A: Ship-locating system — learned it from crosswords), I always like seeing it. Other than that, SPITFIRE (5D: One who's quick to anger) is the only entry that sparkled for me.

So, do you all know about the Fireball Crosswords? Peter Gordon, who used to edit the New York Sun puzzles, now has a subscription-based service where he provides a weekly puzzle by email. This past year, he constructed most of the puzzles himself, although occasionally we'd get a puzzle by someone fantastic like Patrick Blindauer or Trip Payne. Next year, Peter plans to raise the cost of the subscription to $16 (for 40 puzzles total, not sure exactly what weeks he won't be providing puzzles) in order to pay top dollar for other constructors to contribute. The Fireballs are top-quality puzzles on the difficult end of the spectrum. If you already subscribe to Fireball, you received an email from Peter this morning asking you to let him know if you will continue to subscribe at the new rate. Please answer that email! If you're just hearing about Fireball puzzles now and are interesting in subscribing for next year, please shoot Peter an email (xwords@optonline.net) and let him know. I've really enjoyed the Fireball puzzles this year and encourage everybody to pony up a couple more dollars to keep them going!

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 34A: Vintage car (REO).
• 49A: "Was __ loud?" (I TOO).
• 68A: Melville's "Typee" sequel (OMOO).
• 3D: Opera star Pinza (EZIO).
• 24D: Dagger of yore (SNEE).
• 32D: "Orinoco Flow" New Age singer (ENYA).

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Everything Else — 1A: Throaty attention getter (AHEM); 5A: Contemptible person, in slang (SLEAZE); 11A: Brewery cask (KEG); 14A: Mideast's __ Strip (GAZA); 15A: Set in waves, as hair (PERMED); 16A: Prompt on stage (CUE); 20A: Ski resort grooming vehicle (SNO-CAT); 21A: Yves's yes (OUI); 22A: Bow-toting god (EROS); 23A: Boxer sounds? (ARFS); 25A: Food package meas. (NT. WT.); 33A: Gossipy Barrett (RONA); 34A: Vintage car (REO); 36A: Yiddish laments (OYS); 37A: Sticks to, as a task (KEEPS AT); 40A: One of the "Little Women" (AMY); 41A: Part of a front-end alignment (TOE IN); 43A: Mississippi or Mersey: Abbr. (RIV.); 44A: Water shade (AQUA); 49A: "Was __ loud?" (I TOO); 50A: Drawer feature (KNOB); 51A: Actress Chase (ILKA); 54A: Miner's find (ORE); 56A: Genetics pioneer Mendel (GREGOR); 63A: Pasture call (MOO); 64A: Wobble (TEETER); 65A: London art museum (TATE); 66A: When one hand is up and the other is down (SIX); 67A: Doctor's directives (ORDERS); 68A: Melville's "Typee" sequel (OMOO); 1D: FBI investigators (AGTS.); 2D: Goldie of "The Banger Sisters" (HAWN); 3D: Opera star Pinza (EZIO); 4D: Lash cosmetic (MASCARA); 6D: Sportscaster Berman (LEN); 7D: Therefore (ERGO); 8D: Total (AMOUNT); 9D: Nadir's opposite (ZENITH); 10D: Netherlands city (EDE); 11D: Plymouth Reliant, e.g. (K-CAR); 12D: Continental currency (EURO); 13D: Jeweler's stock (GEMS); 18D: Mountain lake (TARN); 19D: Brief fight (SET-TO); 24D: Dagger of yore (SNEE); 26D: Whip mark (WELT); 27D: "Happy birthday __!" (TO YOU); 28D: Racers Al or Bobby (UNSER); 29D: Decide to play for pay (GO PRO); 30D: Kuwaiti neighbor (IRAQI); 31D: Keep from flowing, as a stream (DAM UP); 32D: "Orinoco Flow" New Age singer (ENYA); 33D: Univ. military program (ROTC); 37D: Heal, as bones (KNIT); 38D: Pile-of-dishes place (SINK); 39D: Steed and Mrs. Peel's show, with "The" (AVENGERS); 42D: Homeric war epic (ILIAD); 44D: __ VO5: beauty product (ALBERTO); 46D: Twelve o'clock meeting (NOONER); 47D: Stuffed with food (GORGED); 48D: Do a laundry task (SORT); 51D: Certain PCs (IBMS); 52D: First of 13 popes (LEO I); 53D: Fort featured in "Goldfinger" (KNOX); 55D: Cigar suffix (-ETTE); 57D: Largest of the Mariana Islands (GUAM); 58D: Director Preminger (OTTO); 59D: Prefix with stat (RHEO-); 61D: Skater Midori (ITO); 62D: The Beatles' "I Saw __ Standing There" (HER).