Thursday, April 17 - Byron Walden

I don't remember the last time I finished a late-week Byron Walden puzzle without Googling. It's entirely possible that I've never been able to do that. I just zoomed through this one...which could mean one of two things. It wasn't one of Byron's tougher puzzles...or I just know 17A: With 18-Across, "In the Arena autobiographer" (Charlton / Heston) and his movies.

To be truthful, I wasn't aware of his autobiography, and I initially thought the puzzle was about a boxer. I started with the Downs, though, and it was pretty easy to suss it out from there.

Other theme answers:

27A: 1956 movie starring 17- and 18-Across, with "The" (Ten Commandments).

39A: 1961 movie starring 17- and 18-Across (El Cid).

44A: 1968 movie starring 17- and 18-Across (Planet of the Apes).

58A: 1959 movie starring 17- and 18-Across (Ben Hur).

60A: 1971 movie starring 17- and 18-Across (Omega Man).

I've only seen one of them ("Omega Man"), but I'd heard about the others. "Soylent Green" is one of Don's favorite old movies. He'll be disappointed that it wasn't in the puzzle.

I haven't mentioned multiword answers lately...should get back to that, since I still like them.

1A: Run-of-the-mill computer, in tech slang (beige box). I can't believe I've never heard this expression, but it was very guessable.

15A: Not have an accomplice (act alone).

65A: Jarringly unfamiliar (too new).

7D: __ about (on or)...used extensively in legal documents.

27D: Prepare to drive (tee up)...I like the clue.

29D: __ soul (no one) (nary a).

39D: Like sushi fish, typically (eaten raw).

45D: Make a snack of (nosh on). I snack all the time, but I never say that I'm noshing...such a funny word.

Favorite answers include 9A: Part of a dirndl (bodice), 43A: Alternative nickname for the Gloved One (Jacko)...sounds like a variation of jackass, but I like that it has a J and a K, 64A: Throw the flag on, so to speak (penalize), 66A: Textbook offerings (examples), 9D: Like Sydney Carton at the end of "A Tale of Two Cities" (beheaded)...gross, to be sure, but I'll bet it doesn't show up in the New York Times puzzle often, 31D: Grading gamut (ABCDF), 46D: State capital originally called Crabtown (Helena)...so thankful that we played the capitals game for years and 55D: Czech runner Zátopek (Emil).

I liked the clues for 20A: Copy over? (trace), 42A: Home fronts? (yards), 49A: Transnational cooperation (axis), 63A: Tabitha's grandmother on "Bewitched" (Endora)...that makes her seem so sweet...I don't recall ever thinking of her as grandmotherly, 2D: Second (echo), 3D: Tilting type: Abbr. (ital), 12D: They believe (ists), 33D: Little shaver's conveyance (trike), 53D: Ring of the Fisherman wearer (Pope), 57D: Georges (ones) and 61D: Bit of cheesecake (gam).

I do like the similar answers at 8D: TV princess (Xena) and 50D: Prefix with phobia (xeno). What's not to love about X words?

I absolutely loved this puzzle...I don't think it's just because I was able to finish it without outside help. So many good words, so many good clues.

Although it certainly didn't hurt that I felt as though I was on Byron's wavelength for the first time in my life.

Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Saturday, April 12 - Byron Walden

It seems as though the New York Times puzzles have been much more challenging this past two weeks. If that's the new wave, I'm in trouble.

Most of Byron Walden's Saturday puzzle came together, but I went to bed last night with the southeast corner unfinished. After a good night's sleep (and a cup of Kauai coffee in hand), I finally saw what I couldn't see last night.

My biggest problem? 49A: Tub handle? I had the P*RK...although it seemed quite tacky, I couldn't get porky (or porkie, in this case) out of my head. This morning I erased everything I wasn't sure of...which let me see 50D: Word with flute or horn (alto). I was thinking of the wrong kind of tub...hence the wrong kind of handle. Is it butter? No, it's Parkay.

After that, I got 35D: Polish (elegance). That's one of those clues that can really throw you if you read it with the wrong vowel sound...or if you read it as a verb instead of a noun. I had tried both.

Other problems for me in that corner included 36D: Palestinian fighters (fedayeen) and 53A: TNT ingredient? (toluene). I don't get why there was a question mark. Because of that, my first answer was two tees...and it stayed for a very long time.

I wonder how many of you were thrown by 33A: Player coached by Hank Stram. If you were searching for the name of a particular athlete who would fit, you were in that boat with me. The answer was much more generic...Kansas City Chief. I cry foul...or interference...or off sides.

I generally love to see articles included in answers...and not just because that makes it a multiword answer...but I wasn't expecting it at 37A: Mayor's introduction (the honorable). My sister was the mayor of a small mountain town...we weren't that fancy.

My very favorite answer was 20D: Underwritten? (captioned)...and I got it with only the P in place. Why, then, was the rest of the puzzle so difficult?

Other favorites include:

17A: Lipitor and such (statins)...my drug of choice. I love my new cholesterol numbers...total 163, HDL 69, LDL 76. Better living through chemistry.

18A: State University of New York campus site (Oneonta). I didn't know this. How many campuses does SUNY have?

19A: Like some glasses (three D)...I read it as threed and was sure I had something wrong.

38A: Wearer of a wraparound cloth called a lavalava (Samoan).

43A: Customary start for Wimbledon singles finals (two pm). I didn't have a clue but knew they were looking for a time...I had ten am at first. It sounded reasonable.

54A: Bouts of madness (deliria). How about that? Yesterday Ava was in the puzzle...today it's madness.

55A: Kindergarten admonition (act nice). This is a step up from playground retorts, although I recall being told to play nice.

2D: Where Neptune can be found (in the sea). That was too funny...I wanted it to be Milky Way.

8D: "Too rich for my blood" (I fold). I think I'm old fits there, but it messes with the cross.

23D: Recipe amount (pinch). I don't even want to tell you how long it took me to see that.

27D: The Galloping Gourmet (Graham Kerr). Nice to have a long gimme...my mother enjoyed watching his show.

38D: Hospital patron (St. Jude). Again, with the STJ in place, I was sure I had a wrong answer somewhere.

Names I didn't know and will probably never remember include 20A: 1950s Dodgers pitcher __ Labine (Clem), 29A: Pulitzer-winning historian Doris __ Goodwin (Kearns), 10D: Top Médoc classification (Premier Cru), 25D: Slovenian-born N.B.A. guard Vujacic (Sasha), 28D: "Watership Down" director Martin (Rosen). But I did know 4D: "American the Beautiful" poet Katharine Lee __ (Bates), 44D: Winner of a record 82 P.G.A. Tour events (Snead)...one of my Dad's favorites as I was growing up, 48D: Tennis's Nastase (Ilie) and 52D: "Lucky Number Slevin" actress, 2006 (Liu).

I'd rather see 8A: Savanna bounders (impalas) clued in reference to the old Chevrolet we had. Actually, it was 1965 and it was our first brand new car. I think we had gazelle with that same clue recently, so I tried to make that fit...it wouldn't.

It's past noon on the east coast, so I'd better get this up.

Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Saturday, August 4 - Byron Walden

I don't know why I always panic when I see Byron Walden's name on a puzzle, but I do.

The man is brilliant, and his puzzles always reflect that. But how does he do it? How does he come up with a puzzle that has three 15-letter stacks at the top, with three more at the bottom...and all of them are superb fill.

1A: First (before the others).

16A: Dante characters? (Italian alphabet).

17A: The "she" in the lyric "And when she passes, I smile" (Girl from Ipanema). The only gimme of the six long answers.

56A: Interdisciplinary college major (American Studies).

59A: Patch alternative (nicotine lozenge).

60A: Last (keep on keeping on).

Did you notice how the first and last long answers were clued? First...and last. Brilliant, I tell you. Also see 29A and 58D: Highest quality (top/end). That's Byron Walden.

Things I didn't know but hope to remember when I see them again:

49A: Mallow family members (okras). I don't mean that I don't know okra. I didn't know it was a member of the Mallow family.

2D: Saint-__-du-Mont, church containing the remains of the patron saint of Paris (Etienne).

8D: Villain in the book of Esther (Haman). If I'm going to be a serious solver, I'm going to have to do some serious Bible reading.

13D: "Over the Rainbow" vocalist Ray (Eberle). Have never heard of him. I thought it was Ray Charles so briefly entertained the possibility that this was a rebus. Didn't they pull that trick on us just recently? Maybe last Friday?

50D: Eastern royal (Ranee).

Good guesses that panned out include 30A: Discoverer of the law of quadratic reciprocity (Euler). I'm sure it's fascinating stuff. Here's a link to information about it...I promise I'll read it later. Also 21A: First word of "Shrek" (Once). Isn't that how all fairy tales begin? And we recently had after, clued as how fairy tales end...or am I making that up?

There were several favorite clues and answers, so I'm not sure I can award a prize for the very best. But some of the best were:

20A: 50 Cent cover (do rag). Can you believe that do-rag has its own Wikipedia entry? Here it is, although Slim Thug is the featured model.

38A: With 55-Across, MgSO4.7H2O (epsom/salts). I didn't really know that one, but with a few letters in place, it was gettable.

4D: Hardy one? (Ollie). In case you're not tracking...it's Stan Laurel and Oliver (Ollie) Hardy.

15D: Like some disappearances (staged). Some years ago we lived in a mountain town, and one of the locals disappeared. Unsolved Mysteries came and filmed an episode. His body was found more than a year later, but a friend of his disappeared the day of the service...many of us thought that one was staged.

22D: Chihuahua fare (burrito). Very clever. I was trying to think of some kind of mini-kibble that would fit in there.

36D: Higher calling? (yodeling).

Right in the center of the grid we have 34A: Sideshow staple (bearded lady). The D crosses with the equally excellent 35D: Charity carnival feature (dunk tank), although I originally had cake walk there.

And today's confusing (to me) sports clue is at 57D: N.L. Central team, on scoreboards (CIN). Here's my interpretation/guess. N.L. means National League, Central has something to do with a division (as opposed to East or West), and CIN is Cincinnati. Are we talking football? Is N.L. supposed to be a hint?

Time to wrap it up. Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Saturday, June 30 - Byron Walden

It's always nice to finish a puzzle the day after I was totally crushed by one. I went into panic mode when I saw Byron Walden's name, but I just took a deep breath and jumped in.

The man is a genius. He always manages to stack long answers that aren't just long...they're @&$*#%' incredible fill.

Three stacks of 10-letter horizontal entries in the northeast:

5A: Small wonders (gifted kids)

16A: Dirt (inside info)

18A: Alley oops (gutter ball).

Three more in the southwest:

52A: It can keep ballfields dry (alcohol ban)

55A: Lots to offer (real estate)

57A: Bank holdings? (telephones)

We also get three vertical stacks of 8-letter answers, in the northwest and southeast. My favorite in each corner:

2D: Title city in a 1983 George Strait hit (Amarillo). I was never a huge country music fan, but I always liked George Strait. You Look So Good in Love was my favorite of his songs.

36D: Starchy bite (Tater Tot). I was baffled until I got a few of the crosses, then it became obvious.

I had never heard of 5D: Check for credibility, in modern lingo (giggle test). For the most part, I don't use modern lingo.

32A: Be profligate, in a way (sow one's wild oats). That's better than good.

There is a plethora of words ending in O. In addition to inside info, we have 15A: Novel that ends "By noon, the island had gone down in the horizon; and all before us was the wide Pacific (Omoo), 31A: Writer who was a source for Verdi's "Rigoletto" (Hugo), 40A: 1961 film also known as "The Job" (Il Posto), and 48A: Predecessor of the boliviano (peso). Also bro (26D: Good bud), Sho (33D: "Weeds" channel, briefly) and OOO (34D: Line struck through by a winner) -- tied for the most clever clue, IMOO.

The co-winner was 27D: Result of too many rusty nails on the road? (DUI).

The connected clues took me some time to decipher...44A and 31D (U.S. route and hwy, respectively).

Well, I don't want to be up late (44D: Burning the midnight oil), so I'll call it a night. See you tomorrow.

Linda G

Saturday, June 2 - Byron Walden

I Googled a-plenty with this one, and it still took me way too long. We're heading out of town for the weekend, and I really should have been getting my things together.

That's got to be one of the nicest things about having older kids--not that they're coming along this trip. I remember having to pack everything for the two of them, including a box of puzzles, games and goodies to keep them occupied in the car (or on the plane, or on the train). Whew! Don't miss that.

And as long as I'm digressing, a quick shoulder update. The good news--surgery isn't needed at this time. The bad news--I had to get a cortisone shot. That is, it was bad at the time, but now I feel soooooooo much better. Must remember not to overdo it, though.

One more quick digression, then on to the puzzle. Since this blog is relatively new, I didn't think guest bloggers were needed for a weekend absence. By now you know that you can visit the links at the right. Rex will have a solution and lengthy (no matter what he says) commentary on the New York Times, Orange (who has no life outside of the crossworld) does multiple puzzles, and Donald's NYT is always chock-full of artsy photographs. Green Genius does the Sun, which only runs Monday through Friday, but he generally posts something fun (non-puzzle-related) on the weekends.

I've already printed out the NYT Sunday puzzle, which I'll do on the way to Denver (no need to panic--Don's driving), and I'll try to sneak away from my family to read all the blogs for Sunday and Monday. Don likely won't be willing to bring his laptop...I think he's on to my addiction.

Okay, the Saturday puzzle...

I can't lie (54A: Intro to an unvarnished opinion), Byron Walden kicked my butt with this puzzle. The good news was that I was able to get a couple of the long entries, which helped open things up:

7D: Groundwork? (planting the seed). I had planting for a long time, then finally had an aha moment with 40 and 41A: Go out nicely (end/on a high note). Then I knew we were talking about planting the something, and seed fell into place.

2D: Coupling device? (civil union). Great clue and concept. My friend Leigh and her partner had their ceremony in England a year ago.

30D: Candlenut and buckeye (state trees). Most everyone knows that buckeye is the state tree of Ohio. Candlenut is the state tree of Hawaii. I have a beautiful lei made out of candlenut seeds that was given to me at the Ka'anapali Beach Hotel.

29D: Sizable, as a hamburger patty (eight ounce). Gag! That's half a pound! Had ounce and E, guessed the rest.

45A: Western__ (omelet). We call them Denver omelets out here.

26A: "Hänsel und Gretel" composer (Humperdinck). Although I didn't know that, once I had a few letters in place, it was pretty easy to guess the rest. No one else has a name like that.

Prior to doing puzzles, I knew absolutely nothing about sports. Now I'm getting good at guessing. 11D: Super Bowl XLI winners (Colts), 14D: Georgia Tech football coaching great Bobby (Dodd), and 21D: Many an 11-Down fan (Indianan).

Nice to see fellow puzzler/guest blogger/constructor evad in the puzzle, if only as part of an answer. 17A: Got around (evaded).

I hesitate to point out 50A: Sour orange, in French cuisine (bigarade). I want to go on record as saying I don't think there's anything sour about her, but I want to acknowledge Her Orangeness.

:D in an e-mail (grin) appears at 33D. A very clever clue. Nice cross with 33A: Nerve (grit), as in the movie, True Grit. Holy cow! Was that really in 1969? Seems like just yesterday.

I hope reader/commenter Ultra Vi was able to get 42D: Scoring leaders? (G clefs). Would be a shame if she missed it ; )

Two more disgusting answers. 49A: 52-Across, for example (fur); 52A: White 49-Across (ermine). They are the sweetest-looking little guys. I'm appalled that they're killed for their fur.

Stepping off my soapbox now...

There were a lot of words I was completely unfamiliar with. Some I guessed easily, some I struggled with forever.

1D: Marked difference (step change). What am I missing?

41D: Gag rule, of a sort (omerta). Never heard of it.

There are probably several more, but it's late and I'm tired.

Have a restful weekend. I'll see you Monday night--same place, same time.

Linda G

Saturday, May 19 - Byron Walden

This took me entirely too long, but this themeless puzzle was a work of art. Nine-letter entries stacked three high, in the NW and the SE. Twelve seven-letter entries (three in each corner). How does Byron Walden do it?

I loved the 15-letter answer to 8D: Say something to which people reply "Duh!" (state the obvious). I got it with only the first E in place. At the time, I thought that meant I'd breeze through the puzzle. It's not the only time I've been wrong about that.

Until about fifteen minutes ago, I was still missing about seven words. I walked away from it for a bit, came back and suddenly saw the answer to 43D: Rear (bring up). From there, the rest of the SE fell into place.

Things I didn't know:

44D: Eighth-century pope in office for 23 years (Adrian I). I wanted it to be Gregory. It fit...

45D: Breathing trouble (dyspnea). A new word for me.

47D: Birthplace of Yakov Smirnoff (Odessa), as well as 17A: Language of 47-Down (Ukrainian). I Googled to get Odessa, then was able to fill in the other.

60A: Noted Joffrey Ballet dancer of the 1980s (Ron Reagan). Had no clue.

Things I did not like:

2D: It's one funny thing after another (yukfest...or is it yuk fest). It sounds and looks ridiculous either way, but I'll overlook it because of the stacked answers up in that corner.

42A: Tabooed (forbad). That doesn't even sound like a word to me. Forbade, maybe. Okay, I just looked it up. It isn't the preferred past tense, but it's there.

Things I liked:

3D: Classic chocolate treat (Mars Bar). I'm into chocolate in a big way right now. Probably because I'm trying to eat less of it.

28A: Foul smoke (stogy). Great word, great clue.

35A: Like the Supremes and the Go-Go's (all female). I was thinking Girl Band, but that didn't fit, and Girl Bands didn't really fit the clue. I especially liked its placement in the center of the grid.

38D: Institutional investment (jumbo CD). I had the CD right away, but it took some time to get the rest. The SW corner was the last to fall into place.

56A: Devotee (fiend). How nice to see a reference to our dear friend. Al will be guest-blogging tonight, but Orange returns for the Sunday puzzle. I'm sure I speak for all of the guest bloggers when I say that it's been fun, but we're all anxious for her return.

34A: Rank informality? (cap'n). Another clever clue, and a word I haven't seen before.

5D: Narc tail? (otic). I like these word endings, especially when I get them.

11D: Question from the picked-upon (why me). Funny--and one of only a handful of gimmes that turned out to be right.

7D: Bearded perennials (irises). Mine are in bloom all over the back yard--purple, yellow, white, and some really exotic-looking blends. Gorgeous. I used to pick them to bring into the house, but they have a very unpleasant fragrance that I didn't notice outdoors.

Time to wrap this up. It's almost 11, and I have a full day tomorrow. As always, I'll start it on the deck, drinking coffee and watching the birds.

Linda G

Saturday, April 21 -- Byron Walden

This puzzle took me entirely too long to finish. According to the Applet, there's still something wrong, but I know it's just one letter -- and I can't figure out which one it is.

Googled a couple of things, but this was really a puzzle that forced you to think outside the box.

1A: Sputtered (loststeam). I had lost speed at first.

14D: Mall rats, typically (teencrowd)

30D: A cut above? (hairstyle)

12D: Chronic fatigue syndrome, informally (yuppieflu)

46A: Less sympathetic (stonier).

48D: Blowout (gala). I was thinking something to do with tires...

Totally loved 34A: showstopper (hardacttofollow). I got it with only two or three letters.

It's been too many years since I played Candy Land. Had to get a few of the downs before the name of a candy (gumdrop) came to mind.

It usually drives me nuts to see a clue appear more than once. Shingle abbr. appeared at 7D (estd), and again at 38A (bros), but I thought they were both good answers.

Boffo? Never heard of it, but it's the answer to 33A: Like a showstopper.

Theaterof/theabsurd is a connected answer appearing at 29A and 37A (20th century avant-garde movement). Another tied answer is Apple/Inc at 18A and 24A, clued as Fortune 500 company founded by two college dropouts. That was one of the few gimmes.

27D: Psychiatric discipline pioneered by Margaret Naumburg (arttherapy). Good clue, great form of therapy. When our girls first came to live with us, Nancy used a combination of play therapy and art therapy. Very telling.

Three weeks into my job, and things are going well. After three years of intensive case management with families, it's a welcome change to be on the administrative side--working with donors and volunteers, applying for grants, fundraising. Life is good.

Linda G