06.13 Mon

M O N D A Y
June 13, 2011
Jeff Chen

Theme: Double A's — Theme answers are names that contain AAs.

Theme answers:

• 17A: Johnny Carson's predecessor (JACK PAAR).
• 21A: "Misery" co-star (JAMES CAAN).
• 36A: "I, Robot" author (ISAAC ASIMOV).
• 55A: Vice president involved in a historic duel (AARON BURR).
• 61A: Common batteries, and a feature of 17-, 21-, 36- and 55-Across (DOUBLE A'S).

Good Monday morning, everybody. I am back from my whirlwind New York weekend. Actually it wasn't really much of a whirlwind now that I think about it. It was a quick trip, but it did involve many hours of sleeping in and sitting around by myself on Sunday morning. Boring? Actually, I'm pretty sure that's what heaven is like.

Nice to get home last night and find this little gem waiting to be solved. On a Monday, you can't really ask for more than what we have here: a simple theme with straightforward cluing that manages to include some nice medium-to-long answers, a touch of Scrabbliness, and very little in the way of what I consider crap fill. Unfortunately (?), that means there's also not much to talk about. I did hesitate a little on the first theme answer because I can never remember how to spell Jack PAAR even though we've covered it in CW101. I'm thinking that its inclusion in this double-A theme might actually help me remember it in the future. Thanks, Jeff!

The only other comments I really have are that with the U in place for [62D: Mex. neighbor], I actually entered URU. at first, which I believe should get me a Most Idiotic Misstep By a Crossword Blogger nomination this year. Also PAJAMAS / ANATOMY / MACARONI is a really nice stack right up there in the northwest corner (1D: Bedtime garb / 2D: TV's "Grey's __" / 3D: Cheese companion). And did you notice that MACARONI's symmetrical partner in the grid is VELVEETA (39D: Kraft cheese spread)? Nice touch.

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 20A: Pong producer (ATARI).
• 42A: LAX approximation (ETA).
• 59A: Justice Kagan of the Supreme Court (ELENA).
• 64A: Vaulted recess (APSE).
• 29D: "The Lord of the Rings" monster (ORC).
• 46D: Rodeo gear (RIATAS).

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Everything Else — 1A: Frying pan spray (PAM); 4A: Fanatic's feeling (ZEAL); 8A: Player on stage (ACTOR); 13A: Santa __: city SE of Los Angeles (ANA); 14A: "Joy of Cooking" writer Rombauer (IRMA); 15A: Curvy ski race (SLALOM); 19A: "I need a hug" ("HOLD ME"); 23A: Pat of "The Karate Kid" (MORITA); 25A: Binary code digit (ONE); 26A: Animal like new? (GNU); 27A: "Famous" cookie creator (AMOS); 28A: Floated upward (ROSE); 31A: Alternative to leaving a test question blank (GUESS); 33A: Roget entry: Abbr. (SYN.); 34A: Pulled in different directions (TORN); 35A: Pasty (WAN); 40A: "Car Talk" airer (NPR); 41A: Front of a clock (FACE); 45A: Worry persistently (BROOD); 48A: Blue state? (FUNK); 49A: Dab at with a towel, as a spill (BLOT); 50A: __ Tin Tin (RIN); 51A: NATO part: Abbr. (ATL.); 53A: Turn like a chair (SWIVEL); 60A: Masonry finish applied when wet (STUCCO); 63A: Pick up the pace (HASTEN); 65A: Windsor knot neckwear (TIE); 66A: Clam-digging area (SHORE); 67A: Blacken on the grill (SEAR); 68A: Gore and Hirt (ALS); 4D: "Not another word!" ("ZIP IT!"); 5D: Prohibition __ (ERA); 6D: Key with three sharps: Abbr. (A MAJ.); 7D: Zhivago's beloved (LARA); 8D: Pale (ASHEN); 9D: Nip and tuck contest (CLOSE GAME); 10D: Skin-soothing powder (TALC); 11D: Golden years (OLD AGE); 12D: Friends-countrymen link (ROMANS); 16D: Lists of computer options (MENUS); 18D: Singer Kristofferson (KRIS); 22D: Stooge with a bowl haircut (MOE); 24D: Cacophonous, as a crowd (AROAR); 30D: Major mess (SNAFU); 32D: Spanish 25-Across (UNO); 34D: Hoofer, so to speak (TAP DANCER); 35D: Candle threads (WICKS); 37D: Commercial prefix with Cone or Ball (SNO-); 38D: Japanese honorific (SAN); 43D: Polished part of a piggy? (TOENAIL); 44D: Books of maps (ATLASES); 45D: Full of chutzpah (BRASH); 47D: Surge (ONRUSH); 48D: Cause of chills and fever (FLU); 49D: Tab at a bar (BILL); 52D: Steak selection (T-BONE); 54D: Big brand in barbecues (WEBER); 56D: Prefix with -pus (OCTO); 57D: Nutrient guidelines, briefly (RDA'S); 58D: Rodeo gear (ROPE).