Don't you just love the moment when you realize that Thursday's puzzle has to be a rebus! Nancy Salomon serves up another good one.
The theme, revealed at 38A: 1961 Del Shannon lyric (and title of this puzzle), is My Little Runaway, one of the few gimmes in the puzzle...that is, until I realized that meant she was on the lam. Those three letters share a square in the theme answers:
15A: Southwestern trees (alamos), with 10D: Tree-lined promenade (alameda)
17A: "It's not my fault!" (don't blame me), with 9D: Frontier sharpshooter (Calamity Jane)
19A: Not giving the police any more information (clamming up), with 1D: Total chaos (bedlam)
32A: Hubbub (clamor), with 33D: Hobbled (lamed)
47A: Fiery (aflame), with 28D: Con games (flimflammery)
54A: Double dessert (pie ala mode) was the giveaway answer for me. It was paired with 55D: "Ah, for the good old days," e.g. (lament)--an entertaining clue/answer.
59A: Some crime deterrents (street lamps), with 60D: Eastern priests (lamas)
I was surprised that 16A: Job at a lineup (IDing) was a gimme. Is that a sign that I've been doing these puzzles for too long? I mean...should that have been a gimme?
Doing puzzles for this long, though, means I've finally learned some of the clues and answers that show up time and again.
64A: Soul singer Baker (Anita). I'd never heard of her until I started doing these.
66A: River of Flanders (Yser).
67A: "Tell Mama" singer James (Etta)...although I'd like to see a reference to Etta Place every now and then.
18D: Cap'n's underling (Bos'n). Don told me this one the last time it came up. This time I remembered it. For those who don't know, it's the abbreviated version of boatswain, a petty officer in charge of the deck crew.
My vote for the most clever (or original) clue/answer pairings:
9A: Water-to-wine town (Cana). If you paid attention in Sunday school, you had this one.
22A: Long line in Rome (popes).
43A: One way to serve ham (on rye).
6D: Get together without fanfare? (elope).
That's it for tonight. See you tomorrow.
Linda G
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6 comments:
And I'd like to see a reference to Etta Candy once in a while.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etta_Candy
and there's also etta kett...
http://www.toonopedia.com/ettakett.htm
;-)
janie
If you're not tearing your hair out trying to decipher them, these rebuses are really fun! I often hope to see them when Thursday rolls around, and this one didn't disappoint.
Every once in a blue moon, Mr. Shortz will throw one at us on a Wednesday too, if I recall. Always have your radar on, being aware of the possibility of some trickery if things just don't fit quite right.
Nice commentary, Linda. "Popes" really suprised me (was seaching for some latin word) and the fact that it was next to "gor" whatever the heck that is! Pfft!! Tough.
Kitt cries fowl --unfair,unfair :)
When I was finally done and saw 40D it took me a quick minute to figure it out. When I did -- ooo la la~ Great clue -- tricky but good.
oops! just saw several typos in above -- was rushing. Yek!
I can't believe you're calling this puzzle a "rebus"!? Allow me to go into a pompous rant about how you are abusing our fair language, madam ...
Etc.
[wink]
Well, it's 10:01pm, so I'm off to get the puzzle. See you tomorrow.
rp
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