Sunday, July 22 - David Levinson Wilk

The title of the puzzle is Worst Pickup Lines, and they're every bit as bad as the title suggests. In fact, they're so bad...I'm embarrassed to say that I guessed a couple of them without any letters in place.

23A: "Pardon me, are you from the Caribbean? Because..." (Jamaican me crazy).

30A: "I know it's not my business, but if you were a laser..." (you'd be set on stunning).

48A: "Say, is it hot in here...?" (or is it just you). One of the guesses.

66A: "Sorry to bother you, but do you work for NASA? Because..." (you're out of this world).

85A: "Excuse me, I seem to have lost my phone number...?" (Can I have yours). The second one I guessed right, although I wasn't sure if he'd say may or can. 68D: Bathroom powder (talc) confirmed it.

102A: "I don't mean to pry, but are you from Nashville? Because..." (you're the only ten I see). The worst of the bunch.

114A: "Even though we've never met, I'm sure your last name is Campbell. That's because..." (you're mmm mmm good). The third one I guessed correctly.

At least David Levinson Wilk admitted up front that they were bad! But he had plenty of good fill in this one.

19A: So-called "miracle plant" (aloe vera). Nice to see its full name. We usually only get aloe.

25A: Catcher in the World Series' only perfect game (Berra). Everyone in my house was a Yankees fan. I loved Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and Yogi Berra.

55A: Hip-shaking dance (cha-cha). Now there's a word you don't see every day.

72A: Dinosaur National Monument site (Colorado). Hey...we're in the New York Times crossword puzzle! Here's a link so you can learn more about it.

121A: Den, often (TV room). In our house, the den is the library. We like books much more than we like television.

122A: It gets a licking (popsicle). Too many letters to be Timex. Although it takes a licking, that's what came to mind.

3D: Amorist (Romeo). I stared at RO**O for entirely too long. Rollo? Rosco?

15D: About 11% (one ninth). A clever math clue...not too difficult.

16D: City that won the first N.F.L. championship, 1920 (Akron, Ohio). I'm sure that reader/commenter Wendy will be happy to see this answer.

17D: Doesn't get bothered by (shrugs off). For some reason, I really liked that.

78D: Easy putt, say (two footer). That would still be a hard putt for me. I took golf lessons three times...I'm done.

94D: Serve well (behoove). One of my favorite professors (I had her for Classical Sociological Theory, Social Problems, and Sex and Gender) used this word, so I can't help but think of her when I see it. She'd almost giggle when she said it...which was often.

It pays to know a bit about music. 34D: Key of Bruckner's Symphony No. 7: Abbr. (E Maj). Otherwise, I'd have thought I had a mistake in 48-A...words don't end in J.

Things I absolutely did not know:

1D: Goya subject (Maja). Isn't in Maia?

12D: Montreal daily (Gazette). I guessed this with the G in place. Woo-hoo!

39A: Collins of '70s funk (Bootsy).

98A: Title teen in a 1990s sitcom (Moesha). Never heard of the show or of her. When I had **ESHA, I guessed Keesha. Hey, it's a good wrong name.

61D: Filmdon's Jean-__ Godard (Luc). When you have the L in place, and it's three letters, Luc is almost a sure thing.

107D: __ des Beaux-Arts (Ecole). I have so much to learn before next year's tournament.

My vote for the most clever clue goes to 79A: Rich with humor (Little). I didn't see that one for a good long while. Also thought that 42A: First name in aviation (Amelia) was clever. I was thinking Martin (as in Martin Marietta, before it became Lockheed Martin).

The clue for 108D: Go postal (snap) was definitely a sign of the times. This wouldn't have been in an early Shortz puzzle. A sad sign of the times.

Ern returns at 65D: Coastal bird. Don't believe it's been around lately. Also back in 70D: Lash of westerns (LaRue).

I thought the answer to 87D: #2, informally (vice) was a bit off. I had veep, and I'm sure I wasn't alone.





There's the grid, and here's my sign-off. Enjoy your Sunday, and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G