Thursday, August 30 - Victor Fleming and Bruce Venzke

I recognize the names of both of these constructors, but I don't recall seeing a joint effort between the two of them.

Their questions for us today are...who, what, where and when? In that order:

61A: End of a line about "friends" (...who needs enemies).

12D: "Huh?!" (What in tarnation!). That's not something I would say, but I can picture a cartoon character saying it. I was able to figure it out anyway, so I must have heard someone say it.

17A: 1961 Connie Francis hit (Where the Boys Are). Sometimes it just pays to be this old. A 15-letter gimme is a nice way to start a Thursday puzzle. It wasn't just a song...it was also a movie about spring break in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, very close to where I lived.

3D: 1952 Doris Day hit that was an even bigger hit for the Lettermen in 1961 (When I Fall in Love). Okay, I'm not old enough to remember it by Doris Day, but I do remember the Lettermen. According to Wikipedia, it was recorded by almost everyone. Another long gimme.

Some of the fill is nothing short of terrific.

15A: Dig up (exhume). That's not a word you see in puzzles every day. It crosses with 2D: Thrill (exhilarate), another good word.

16A: Vicious sorts (piranhas). Whenever I hear the word, I think of the scene in Tarzan...the little elephant who worries that there are piranhas in their watering hole.

19A: Up to no good (sinister). Could have been clued, "like Snidely Whiplash."

37A: Eponymous rink jump (Salchow). I never remember how to spell it. The jump was named for its inventor, Ulrich Salchow.

44A: __ Beach, Fla. (Delray). It could have been confusing for some that Florida was abbreviated. For those of us who lived near there, it was simply called Delray...Beach was redundant.

4D: __ Acid (old name for hydrochloric acid) (muriatic). Why would they have to change the name of an acid? Here's everything you wanted to know about it but were afraid to ask.

I'll have to brush up on my Jewish months. I would never have gotten 25D: Passover month (Nisan) but for the crosses.

Pretty clever clues to pep up some of the 3-letter answers: 24A: Madras title (Sri); 36A: Gore follower (tex); 50A: Long on screen (Nia).

55A: Children's author/photographer Alda (Arlene). Many years ago, I read that Alan Alda had surprised his wife, Arlene, with a trip to...somewhere like Paris. He'd arranged with her assistant to clear her calendar, had all her clothes packed...he'd taken care of everything. Fast forward more than twenty years. I remembered her name and guessed that she was a children's author and photographer.

Did not know 40D: One of the men waiting in "Waiting for Godot" (Vladimir). Once I had the VL in place, though, it was pretty easy to guess what should follow.

There were plenty of multiple word answers in the puzzle.

7A: En route (on the way). Good guess that panned out, although I missed the cross at 7D: Be in charge of (operate). I had oversee until it just wouldn't work.

32A: Hold 'em challenge (I raise). I know zero about the game, but I figured there were bets involved.

58A: "Here, I can help you" (permit me). That sounds like pretty fancy talk. I'd just say, "Here, I can help you."

63A: Not be honest about oneself (live a lie). I'm sure I've seen this phrase in a puzzle in the past, clued pretty much the same. But it works.

65A: Derides (sneers at). One of those where you initially might have put an S at the end. I know I did.

66A: Become, as mush (turn to). That's what my banana did in my tote bag the other day. Great cluing there.

I can hardly keep my eyes open another minute, so I'll call it a night.

Here's the grid. For the third night in a row, it's 100% correct.



See you tomorrow.

Linda G