06.09 Thu

T H U R S D A Y
June 9, 2011
James Sajdak

Theme: Alternate Endings — Familiar two-word phrases following the pattern [x]ing + [x]er have their suffixes reversed.

Theme answers:

• 20A: Choir members during the sermon? (SINGERS WAITING). [singing waiters]
• 24A: Grocery employee dealing with a shortage of shelf space? (STOCKER STUFFING). [stocking stuffer]
• 47A: Top sellers sealing the deal? (CLOSERS PITCHING). [closing pitchers]
• 53A: News hound's sign-off? (ROVER REPORTING). [roving reporter]

I solved this puzzle last night after I got home from PuzzleSon's middle school band/orchestra concert. The concert lasted more than two hours. And PuzzleSon played in a total of … one song. Which didn't occur until an hour and 50 minutes in. So what I'm saying is, this theme made no sense to me At All while I was solving. Even after I was done it took me a while to figure it out. But I'm pretty sure all that says more about my state of mind than it does about the puzzle. The theme is cute right? I kinda wish all the theme answers had been singular because the S in the middle of three of them seemed like a big part of my confusion while solving.

Not a lot of sparkle in this one. As for the longer answers, PARABOLAS and SNORKELS are awesome (17A: Certain conic sections / 5D: Reef exploration gear), but GUARD RAIL and SET FORTH just kinda sit there (62A: Road safety feature / 40D: Outline, as a plan). Of the fill-in-the-blank clues, not a single one ended up being the first answer that came to my mind. My first thought for [36A: "Do the __"] was HUSTLE, which frankly cracked me up (correct answer: MATH). For [3D: Cape ___], my list went MAY, FEAR, COD, and then finally HORN. And [24D: Poison __] only brought to mind PEN and IVY (not SUMAC). Oh, I did get 52A: Toy magnate F. A. O. Schwartz right off the bat though. Is that well-known outside of New York?

Bullets:

• 1A: Sieben und eins (ACHT). Whoa! German math right out of the gate. Sieben = 7, und = and, eins = 1, ACHT = 8.

• 9A: Finish the doughnuts? (GLAZE). Wanted this to be something about ICING, but GLAZE is better.
• 14A: New York restaurateur (SHOR). I learned about Toots SHOR from crosswords.
• 22A: Reaction to one who's revolting (ICK). Seems like there's been a lot of ICK in the news this week.
• 23A: Palais denizen (ROI). French!
• 33A: Neighbor of Arg. (URU.). Uruguay.
• 8D: "L.A. Law" actor (DYSART). I do not know who this is.

• 10D: Actress Loughlin (LORI). But I know this actor played Becky on "Full House." I guess that show has aged well because PuzzleKids watch all the reruns. They're also into "Everybody Hates Chris" right now. I can't tell you how glad I am we're past the Barney and Dora stage. (Not that there's anything wrong with Barney and Dora — they're awesome.)

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 44A: __ Jackson, Fonda title role (ULEE).
• 51A: Monodrama about Capote (TRU).
• 64A: Once, once (ERST).
• 66A: Indian noble (RANEE).
• 11D: Yemeni port (ADEN).
• 13D: Faline's mother, in Salten's "Bambi" (ENA).
• 39D: Lilly of pharmaceuticals (ELI).
• 53D: Indian noble (RAJA).

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Everything Else — 5A: Roe source (SHAD); 15A: Not, some time back (NARY); 16A: "The Kiss" sculptor (RODIN); 19A: Gladiator's milieu (ARENA); 34A: Evoke gaiety with gags at a gig (SLAY); 35A: He shared the peace prize with Shimon and Yitzhak (YASIR); 38A: Male sovereigns' address (SIRES); 41A: Polynesian pendant (TIKI); 42A: Lent a hand (AIDED); 46A: One of the 10 lowest digits? (TOE); 61A: Anglo-__ (SAXON); 63A: Throw out (EJECT); 65A: Make eyes at (OGLE); 67A: "He __ not sleep": Shelley (DOTH); 68A: Pill bottle instruction (DOSE); 1D: Some cobras (ASPS); 2D: Spiced tea (CHAI); 4D: Disastrous (TRAGIC); 6D: Dutchman who painted "Gypsy Girl" (HALS); 7D: Got __ deal (A RAW); 9D: Please (GRATIFY); 12D: Sock it to (ZING); 18D: Bremen brew (BECK'S); 21D: Pot marker (IOU); 25D: Hiker's route (TRAIL); 26D: Best (OUTDO); 27D: Heyerdahl craft (RA I); 28D: Corn product (SYRUP); 29D: Budgetary waste (FAT); 30D: Last Supper question (IS IT I); 31D: Maker of Coolpix cameras (NIKON); 32D: "Peer Gynt Suite" composer (GRIEG); 37D: Boys and men (HES); 43D: International thaw (DETENTE); 45D: Convenient greeting (E-CARD); 48D: Sch. basics (RRR); 49D: Progressed in waves (SURGED); 50D: Dragster's wheels (HOT ROD); 54D: Paddy team (OXEN); 55D: Viva __ (VOCE); 56D: Cannes cash (EURO); 57D: Tense time? (PAST); 58D: Emilia's husband (IAGO); 59D: Lofgren of the E Street Band (NILS); 60D: TV show about a high school choir (GLEE); 61D: Rev.'s speech (SER.).