Wednesday, April 9 - Daniel Kantor and Jay Kaskel

For some reason, today's puzzle was easier to solve than a typical Wednesday puzzle. It makes no sense...an early morning meeting followed by a long day at the office, allergies that have kicked in with a vengeance...not normally conducive to successful solving.

Daniel Kantor is a name I recognize, but Jay Kaskel is a new one. I haven't Googled him yet...maybe someone has and will share what they learned.

Joint construction of a puzzle amazes me. I'd like to know how they divided up this one.

The first three theme answers are common restaurant diners' complaints:

20A: "I asked for tomato bisque, not gazpacho!" (complaint #1) (My soup is cold!)

28A: "Has our waiter even made eye contact?" (complaint #2) (Are we invisible?)

47A: "What, are they growing the food?" (complaint #3) (Where's our order?)

And the theme is revealed at 54A: Title of this puzzle (whine and dine).

One of my pet peeves is restaurant patrons complaining, at least loudly enough that I can hear it at a nearby table. So while I didn't find the complaints themselves funny, I couldn't help but laugh at the way they wrapped it all up.

The best part of this puzzle, though, was some of the fill. Favorites include 15A: Mann of the Haus (herr), 19A: Dizzy Gillespie's jazz (bebop), 42A: Money for money (ATM fee), 65A: Bikini, e.g. (Atoll), 66A: Language of the Hindustan Express (Urdu), 8D: 13th-century king of Denmark (Eric IV), 25D: On fire (ablaze), 29D: German commander at the invasion of Normandy (Rommel) and 43D: Morales of "La Bamba" (Esai).

Favorite clues...39A: 14+ (UHF), 46A: Something Elizabeth II has? (zed), 3D: Charge holders (ions), 33D: Sticking points? (craws), 37D: It has a horn: Abbr. (Afr)...I just now realized that was Africa and 60D: Crash site? (pad).

I almost missed 67A: Sci-fi sage (Yoda). I misread the clue (I've been doing that a lot lately) as [Sci-fi stage]. To make matters worse, I had 50D: Pops (Daddy-o) spelled Daddio. When the Applet wouldn't take my solution, it took a couple of minutes to see the error of my ways...or the errors.

Another answer threw me for a bit. 38D: Apartment security feature (peephole). When I had the PHO*E, I assumed it was some kind of phone...but peephone just wasn't working. I jumped to the downs in the southwest corner...mystery solved.

70A: 10 C-notes (one G) is one of those answers that causes me to do a double-take when I'm reviewing the grid to blog. What the hell's an oneg? What do I have wrong?

I've never seen an episode of South Park, but I know a little bit about it...mostly from crossword puzzles. I got 32D: "South Park" boy (Ike)...but only because I had all the across answers. He's a cute little guy...but he has a funny mouth. Is there a reason for that?

The spam comments have reappeared. There's no telling where their links would take you....but for the time being, you'll need to type in those funny letters.

Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Wednesday, December 12 - Daniel Kantor

It was a busy day at Madness...Crossword and Otherwise. There were more than 1,600 visits to the blog...about three times more than the average Tuesday...but not a single comment. I guess it's a busy time everywhere.

Today's puzzle, by Daniel Kantor, included several examples of A GOOD DEAL, appearing at 60A and clued as [What 17-, 25-, 36- or 50-Across is]. And the theme answers are:

17A: 21 in two cards (BLACKJACK). I'm always happy when that's the deal I get. Nice tie-in with 16A: Vegas request (hit me).

25A: Happy hour offering, maybe (TWO FOR ONE)...another tie-in at 29A: Drinking sprees (benders).

36A: C.E.O. protector (GOLDEN PARACHUTE).

50A: Huge amount, slangily (BAJILLION). Is that more than a gazillion? If I had a bajillion dollars, it would definitely be a good deal of money.

Strangest word in the puzzle is at 4A: Discourse topic (thema). I've never heard the word, and it isn't in my dictionary. I originally had theme, but I know that 8D: Neighbor of Mo. is ARK, not ERK.

Favorite clues in the puzzle include 23A: Circular seal (O-ring), 62A: Citified (urban), 63A: Initiates, in a cruel way (hazes), 1D: Pal around (with) (hobnob), 22D: Means of exit (off ramp), 40D: Place to brood (coop), and 58D: Gloomy guy? (Gus).

19A: Williams of "Happy Days" (Anson). I had a brain lapse as I was writing the word...ending up writing Ansel and wondered why I couldn't make the downs work up in that corner.

41A: __ Fixe (Idée). Love the word and its definition...an idea that dominates the mind; a fixed idea; an obsession.

55A: __ Kovic, role for Tom Cruise (Ron). This was Tom Cruise at his best, playing Vietnam vet Ron Kovic in Born on the Fourth of July. I liked Tom Cruise back then...back in the days when he didn't jump around on furniture and make a complete ass of himself. I think this is actually Ron Kovic, though...not Tom playing Ron.

58A: Like melted caramel (gooey).

65A: Brit's blade (sabre).

66A: Fishhook attachment (Snell).

11D: Dress shop compliment (it's so you). Don't you think they sound so sincere when they say that?

35D: Airport security request (photo ID). That reminds me of a funny story, but it's a long story...and maybe you had to be there.

38D: Willy Loman player on Broadway (Lee J. Cobb). We read Death of a Salesman in an English class...I was Willy's long-suffering wife, Linda. "He's not to be allowed to fall in his grave like an old dog. Attention, attention must finally be paid to such a person." If it's ever done at a theater in town, I'd like to read for that part.

51D: Rumormonger's start (I hear). I hate gossip. What a waste of energy. I used to work in the corporate office of a large grocery store chain, with several hundred employees. I got so tired of office gossip. I'm so blessed to be working in a small office where the employees just do their work.

I can hardly keep my eyes open, so I'll wrap this up. Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Tuesday, August 7 - Daniel Kantor

This one came together fairly easily tonight, despite the fact that I don't watch any of the TV shows where the theme answers might have been spoken.

20A: "Just like that!" (badabing). I'm not even sure if that's one word or two, but it probably doesn't matter.

25A: "Not on your life!" (fuhgedaboudit). Again, I'm clueless., but it very definitely looks wrong no matter how I write it.

42A: "Yeah, wanna start something'?" (you talkin' to me). I do remember this from The Lion King, but I don't think that's what they mean.

50A: "The Sopranos" clip?...or where you might hear 20-, 25- and 42-Across (mob scene).

So while this was a little bit (or a lot) over my head, there was enough good fill to keep me happy, many of which I've never seen in a puzzle.

1A: Liquor holder in a coat pocket (flask).

14A: Milk: Prefix (lacto). [Update: Thanks to reader JD for pointing out that 5D was kit bag, which makes this lacti.]

22A: Electronic toll-collecting system in the Northeast (EZ pass). The one in Denver has a similar name...enough that I was able to guess this one.

30A: Torment (harass). I worked with a lawyer about 30 years ago, who pronounced it with the accent on the first syllable. Come to think of it, Ross is the one who got me started on the New York Times puzzle way back then. Too bad I didn't keep it up.

9D: Army barber's specialty (buzz cut). It's also my specialty...actually, it's the only haircut I can give. Don's my best (and only) customer.

26D: Heavens: Prefix (urano).

28D: Religion with the Five Pillars (Islam).

41D: Start of an Ella Fitzgerald standard (A Tisket). Never heard of it...thank urano for the crosses!

44D: Like some sacred art (iconic). Good word.

Nice tie-in between 2D: Content of some cones (lava) and 11D: Italian source of 2-Down (Etna).

Uzi is back at 58A (Israeli-invented gun). Other regulars returning include 3D: Nailed (aced), 10D: Ran off to the marrying judge (eloped), 23A: Walk in water (Wade)...nice to see it clued other than in relation to Roe...and 36A: Rick's "Casablanca" love (Ilsa).

Here's an update (43D: Timely news bulletin). In the past (that is, the blog for the syndicated puzzle), a reader asked to see pictures of Dooley and Barnabas. For anyone else who'd like to see my sweet boys (and my girls), you can find them here.

I just noticed that a letter is missing in the grid. 32A: Temporary drop (saG), crossing with 33D: Good time, slangily (Gas). Oversights like this could cost me at ACPT! [Update: Error at 16A. Should be lacti.]

See you tomorrow.

Linda G