Thursday, June 19 - Joe Krozel

As soon as I printed out the grid, I knew I would love this puzzle...but I underestimated how crazy it would make me.

Joe Krozel revealed his pack of lies (the black squares in the grid provided a hint) at 56A: Number of clues in this puzzle that contain factual inaccuracies (ten).

It took me some time to figure out the tenth inaccuracy. I was surprised to get the two sports-related lies.

The lies...

14A: Chemical element with the symbol Fe (neon). I know very few of them, but iron is one of them...so that was my first answer.

19A: Former pharmaceutical giant (GTE). I'm not a very good liar, I guess. I had GAF for this one.

24A: Father of Jacob (Esau).

57A: Dwarf planet larger than Pluto (Eris). [UPDATE: Oops! This one wasn't a lie! Thanks to KarmaSartre for pointing that out. The tenth lie was at 1A: France's __ von Bismarck (Otto). If I'd blogged about that answer, I probably would have paid more attention to the clue and realized that von Bismarck isn't a French name!]

8D: Golf great Andre (Agassi). I thought it was quite odd that his name would fit with the letters I already had in place. I really hadn't caught on to the lying bit...having somehow missed the clue at 56-Across.

9D: Standard office-closing time (nine a.m.). Of course, I had five p.m., until none of the crosses would work.

28D: It's more than 90 degrees (acute angle).

47D: Tennis champ Ernie (Els).

49D: Currency of China (yen).

50D: Summer hrs. in N.Y.C. (EST).

I can't even imagine how difficult this one would be to construct. I just loved the long vertical answers spanning the right side of the grid:

11D: One who exhibits pack mentality? (cigarette smoker).

12D: Who quipped "God tells me how the music should sound, but you stand in the way" (Arturo Toscanini).

13D: Job seeker's fashion advice (dress for success).

Other favorites include 18A: Terrible one? (enfant), 26A: Spot (catch a glimpse of), 36A: Crane, e.g. (erector)...I had origami, 39A: Possible name for the first decade of the century (oughts)...the last answer to fall, 42A: Former Romanian leader Ion __ (Iliescu)...[I just saw the LIES in his name], 44A: Nickname on the Houston Rockets starting in 2004 (T-Mac)...for all I knew, that was a lie, 45A: Kind of dog (seeing eye), 52A: Road access regulaators (toll gates), 54A: Always bouncing back (resilient), 5D: Silverstein who wrote and illustrated "The Giving Tree" (Shel)...a favorite, 27D: Bolt (high-tail it), 29D: "Nope, still not right" (guess again) and 30D: Writing that's hard to read (secret code).

Some of the three-letter answers had me stumped...among them 34D: Park of E.E.C.: Abbr. (Eur.). I had read it as E.E.O.C. so had Emp...which caused all kinds of problems in that area.

The entire time I was solving this, I kept thinking about "lies, damn lies and statistics." If you're not familiar with that, you can read about it here.

That's it for tonight. Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Thursday, June 5 - James Sajdak

James Sajdak isn't a familiar name...that always makes me think it's a debut. Doesn't matter...it was an enjoyable Thursday puzzle. I wasn't up for a rebus tonight...bone tired again...so a theme just added to my enjoyment factor.

The theme was revealed at 57A: Where things are freely bought and sold...and what the starts of 17-, 23-, 36- and 46-Across do (open market). This is Pike Place Market in Seattle...the very best open market I've seen. When we were there a few years ago, we bought...among other things...all kinds of seafood, including giant crabs, and shipped them home. It was heavenly.

The theme answers:

17A: Tiny sideshow attraction (flea circus).

23A: Old weather forecaster (Farmers Almanac).

36A: When a big game is caught (Super Bowl Sunday). Sweetly deceptive clue.

46A: Roosevelt group (Bullmoose Party).

Most of the theme answers came readily. I have no idea how I could be on anyone's wavelength tonight...I can barely keep my eyes open.

Favorite clues and/or answers include 5A: Clothing retailer on the New York Stock Exchange since 2006 (J Crew), 15A: "A Dog of Flanders" novelist, 1972 (Ouida), 16A: Rapper with the gold-record album "O.G. Original Gangster" (Ice T), 21A: Short race, for short (one K), 29A: Israel's Olmert (Ehud), 32A: Citynicknamed Gateway to the West (Winnipeg), 40A: Remove, as a mustache (shave off), 41A: Title film role for Robin Williams (Garp), 52A: Guiding beliefs (ethos), 62A: First name in horror (Bela), 1D: Daily trippers? (oafs), 2D: Sign of treble? (G clef), 3D: Radio host Gibbons (Leeza), 10D: Do anything to help (lift a finger), 24D: Like land in urban renewal (redeveloped), 43D: "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" lyricist (Lerner), 44D: Missing links? (apemen), 46D: Arty topper (beret) and 48D: Disputed holy city (Lhasa).

This next week is going to be nonstop...delivering furnishings to the apartments, having documents signed by the residents, getting things together for the dedication. If you're interested in guestblogging, drop me an email and I'll get things set up. Otherwise, I may be in and out for the next week or so.

Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you soon.

Linda G

Thursday, May 29 - John Farmer

Gettin' DOWN with John Farmer...what a way to spend a Wednesday evening!

While I managed to figure out that I was dealing with a rebus, I originally didn't limit it to DOWN...had ACROSS in a couple of the squares. When I couldn't make sense of some of the crosses, I finally got it straightened out.

[UPDATE: I didn't really get it straightened out. See JimH's blog for an explanation...and read the right words into the blathering that follows!]

The theme answers...all good ones:

1A: First clue (one D[own]). This was the site of one of my ACROSS mistakes...since I always read 1A before 1D. Its cross at 4D: Jazz/blues monthly (D[own] Beat) was one that didn't make any sense with ACROSS in place.

18A: Spans, as a river (stretches D[own]). Again, stretches ACROSS made perfect sense, although 13D: Hit the skids didn't...until I changed go ACROSS hill to go D[own]hill.

35A: Relocate from one side to the other (move D[own]town). Another ACROSS mistake here...made obvious by 26D: Master (get D[own] pat).

[Well, hell...no wonder ACROSS made sense in so many of the answers!]

58A: Facing one's house from a short distance away, say (D[own] the street), crossing at 39D: Scorn (look D[own] on).

68A: Transect (cut D[own]), with 45D: Inverted (upside D[own]).

I definitely need to brush up on my political facts...couldn't remember 10A: Secretary of state after Muskie (Haig) until I had a few letters in place. In fact, I didn't even remember that Muskie had been a Secretary of State...in Jimmy Carter's cabinet.

I had a minor mix-up with tonight's featured connected cluing...27A: With 22-Across, order at a tiki bar (Mai / Tai). I had them switched, so the crosses were a bit difficult. Once I realized the error, I got 8D: Celt of NW France (Breton) and 11D: Handy guide for a walking tour (area map).

I spent years attending an Episcopal church, so I immediately knew 2D: Church vestibule (narthex)...it looks so good in the puzzle. I also nailed 1D: Faux fat (Olestra). Western Colorado was part of the test market for Lay's fat-free chips made with Olestra. They caused serious gastric distress in some people...I had no problem, though, and thought they were pretty tasty.

I really liked the clue at 21D: A Baldwin. Nope, not Alec or any of his brothers. In fact, it's the only Baldwin I'd want in my house...a gorgeous Baldwin piano.

Other favorites:

25A: Ancient square (Agora).

29A: "Coming to America" co-star (Arsenio Hall). I didn't know that but managed to get it with a couple of letters in place.

33A: __ Scamander, pseudonym of J. K. Rowling (Newt). Didn't know that.

39A: Title girl in a 2002 Disney film (Lilo). This was about the time the girls thought they were too old for Disney, so I didn't see it.

52A: Quarterback Rodney (Peete)...only because of crosses.

57A: St. Clare's birthplace (Assisi). We've had this more than once...St. Francis is more well known, but St. Clare holds her own in the New York Times.

63A: City on the Oka (Orel).

64A: Non __ (not so much, in music) (tanto).

7D: Sci-fi debut of 1921 (R.U.R.)...only because I've seen it in a puzzle.

9D: Doha dweller (Qatari).

40D: Like some fertility lab techniques (in vitro)...interesting cross at 51A: Some modern donations (ova).

41D: Hide in a closet? (leather)...probably my favorite clue.

49D: Stab in the back (betray). Eveb when I had BETR*Y, it still took some time to see it.

57D: "This is not __" (warning label) (a toy)...although it should have read "This bag is not __"...

Good one, John. I'm frequently frustrated by rebus puzzles, but I thoroughly enjoyed solving this one.

Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Thursday, May 22 - Richard Silvestri

If I could read and write, I'd probably have an easier time with crossword puzzles. I don't know what it is lately, but I've had a problem with both...more about that after the theme.

Richard Silvestri's puzzle really wasn't very Thursday-ish. I had two problem areas...both caused by operator error. Otherwise, I might have almost breezed through this one.

The theme is revealed at 38D: Sign...or a description of the answers to the six starred cues? (omen).

And the six O-men are:

17A: *Five-time Wimbledon winner (Björn Borg)...the best-looking one of the bunch. This was my writing error. While saying it correctly in my head, I wrote Bjorg Born...making for a bit of a mess in that area.

24A: *"Numb3rs" star (Rob Morrow). I've never seen it...or even heard of it...but he's actually not bad looking.

51A: *Harpers Ferry raider (John Brown).

64A: *"Newhart" actor (Tom Poston).

3D: *Famed restaurateur (Toots Shor). Here he is with Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe...some time in the fifties.

36D: *Co-star of "The Andy Griffith Show" (Don Knotts). Did anyone else have Ron Howard at first? He's another O-man.

Favorite clues in this one include 22A: Start court proceedings? (serve), 30A: Fire proof? (ash), 31A: "Son of" story (sequel), 47A: Howard in shorts (Moe)...two days in a row, 69A: Catfish Row denizen (Bess), 4D: Perfect pitch (strike), 10D: Vesta, Pallas or Hygiea (asteroid)...a good guess with only two letters in place, 27D: Orly : Paris :: Gardermoen : __ (Oslo), 40D: Athletes on horses (gymnasts)...clever, and 56D: Yclept (named)...that's a new one for me.

My reading problem was at 68A: Classic spy plane. I couldn't for the life of me figure out how UTWO could be correct. I checked and rechecked every answer in that corner until it finally registered...U2. Is it time to turn in my Pentel?

A few more noteworthy answers before I wrap it up. 1A: Lively group? (arts), 5A: Volkswagen route (Bahn), 41A: "The Last Supper," e.g. (mural), 44A: Be deceitful (palter), 57A: 252-gallon unit (tun)...who knew?, 63A: Parsonage (manse)...I'm sure we've had it before, but I needed crosses to get it tonight, 2D: Red, as a Spanish wine (roja), 7D: Silent film star (Harpo), and 28D: " __ paratus" (motto of the U.S. Coast Guard) (Semper)...I think that's Latin for "Always Keep the Boat Afloat." Not really...it's Always Ready.

Skating queen Sonja Henie appears at 53D: "Sun Valley Serenade" star, 1941. Way before my time, but I remember hearing about her when I was a kid. She won her first gold medal at the age of fifteen. You can read more about her here.

That's it for tonight. Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Thursday, May 15 - Elizabeth C. Gorski

Elizabeth Gorski's puzzles are always entertaining. Today's featured a word ladder, which just added to the enjoyment factor...as well as the ease factor. Once I got one of the theme answers, it was easy enough to work forward...then back...to complete the ladder.

1A: *Beginning (dawn)

18A: *"Rats!" (darn)

22A: *Makeshift hangar (barn)

33A: *__ center (burn)

41A: *Right face, e.g. (turn)...that's the one that paved the way for all the others.

53A: *Relative of an Azerbaijani (Turk)

59A: *Narwhal feature (tusk)

66A: *End (dusk)

The theme is wrapped up at 36A: Classic Broadway show tune, or a hint to the word ladder revealed by the answers to the eight starred clues (Sunrise, Sunset).

Favorite clues include 16A: Eats at a bar (tapas), 17A: Major money maker (Mint), 38D: Swiss nationals, historically (neutrals), 42A: Apple picker? (Mac user), 64A: Leaves in a salad (cress), and 39D: Throws out (suggests).

Favorite answers:

29A: Going postal (in a rage)...with apologies to all postal employees, their friends and family members. My sister (a recently-retired postmaster) never liked the expression...but I do like how the answer looks in the grid.

31A: Sight from Lake Victoria (Entebbe)...didn't have a clue, but it fit.

44A: Shimmer (glisten). I had trouble in that corner because I wouldn't let go of glimmer soon enough...even though I knew it couldn't be right.

52A: Lobster claw (chela). I really thought this had to do with the clasp on a necklace.

61A: Attorney with the autobiography "My Life on Trial" (Belli).

1D: Mater __ (Mary, in Latin prayers) (Domini)...a Roman Catholic upbringing paid off again.

2D: "Familiar Spirits" author Lurie (Alison).

3D: Angelina's "Girl, Interrupted" co-star (Winona). I like one of them. The other...not.

5D: Film producer __ Al-Fayed (Dodi). I didn't know that about him...but I admired Princess Diana and was saddened by their deaths.

8D: Cold-shoulder (ignore)...like the clue as well.

10D: Portion of a trick-or-treater's haul (caramels). If you're not putting chocolate into my Halloween bag, you don't need to put in anything.

12D: Follow-up to "Oh, yeah?" (wanna bet). One of the funniest retort answers ever.

30D: Pretexts (guises).

36D: Heaviest member of the weasel family (sea otter). I don't think of weasels as cute in the least, but this little guy...way cute.

43D: Not homogeneous (ragtag).

48D: Title subject of a 1922 documentary in the National Film Registry (Nanook). It's not just a documentary...according to this article, it's "Widely considered the first full-length document of ALL-TIME!" Didn't know that.

I didn't have a clue about 25A: Home of novelist Mario Vargas Llosa, but I thought his name sounded as though he'd be from Peru...and it was right. I love when that happens.

Time to call it a night. I didn't check answers, so let me know if you spot any errors. Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Thursday, May 8 - Harvey Estes

This is one of the easiest Thursday puzzles I can remember...at least in terms of figuring out the theme.

Sitting short and sweet in the center of the puzzle...34D: Handheld computer, or holding hands (PDA)...setting the stage for the two long theme answers.

3D: With 6-Down, 34-Down / 6D: See 3-Down (public display of / affection)

11D: With 35-Down, 34-Down / 35D: See 11-Down (personal digital / assistant)

That was some feat of construction! I'll be the first to admit that I groaned when I saw those clues. I just ache all over from coughing so much, and I'm feeling on the grumpy side...and I just didn't want to deal with clues I couldn't figure out. So I skipped them and just started working what I could...adding a few letters here and there...until it became apparent.

Other good long answers...21A: They really get steamed (espressos), 23A: Red River area (Indochina), 54A: What a solid yellow line may indicate (no passing), and 58A: "Be right there!" (in a moment). Two of them were gimmes, one took a couple of letters to guess...the third eluded me for far too long. I'll leave it to you to guess which was which.

Spicy fill and/or cluing at 14A: Take over (usurp), 17A: Free, in France (libre), 20A: Michael of "Monty Python" (Palin), 36A: Red Sea's Gulf of __ (Aqaba), 42A: Dutch beauty (tulip)...mine are up and looking gorgeous, 43A: "Hungaria" composer (Liszt), 44A: Graham of rock (Nash)...a favorite of mine in the seventies, 47A: Round end (peen), 68A: "It Don't Come Easy" was his first solo hit (Starr)...had Ringo at first, 13D: Chasers in a saloon, perhaps (posse)...clever cluing, 37D: Place for a body to repose (bier)...in the summer, my body frequently reposes in a beer, 48D: Polite turndown (no ma'am)...the older I get, the more I dislike being called ma'am, 50D: Unwelcome end, with "the" (kibosh), and 61D: "Shall We Dance?" star, 2004 (Gere).

38D: Place for some icons (apse) is the best clue I've seen for a word that appears with some frequency.

66A: Zodiac symbol (lion)...both that and Leo are fairly common crossword fare, but I'm sure that fellow blogger Donald will be happy to see it nonetheless.

63A: "Paint the Sky With Stars: The Best of __" (1997 album) (Enya). She has the right combination of letters to make it into the grid fairly often. I haven't heard this one, but I just love the back of this CD.

Spend enough time doing crossword puzzles and you'll never stumble on 10A: Per (a pop), 64A: Met highlight (aria), 65A: Western (oater) or 26D: Uzbek sea name (Aral).

I liked seeing 49A: Put out (irk) and 51A: W. Eur. country that does not belong to NATO (Ire) side by side...even if they didn't have similar meanings in this case.

Don, the lover of all things ketchup, will like the clue at 32A: Move like ketchup (ooze). As a lover of Z, I like the answer.

That's it for tonight. Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Thursday, May 1 - Jim Leeds

In yesterday's puzzle, Henry Hook gave us permission to use Google for crossword solving. Yep...it was right there as an answer. But even without his okay, I'd have felt okay Googling to finish today's puzzle.

We haven't seen a New York Times puzzle by Jim Leeds since December 27, 2007...and we haven't had a rebus in some time. It was fairly easy for me to guess that that's what we were dealing with...I just knew that 4D [Boonies] had to be sticks, but it wasn't going to fit.

The theme was revealed at 38A: "That's repulsive!"...or a hint to this puzzle's theme (gross). At that point, though, I thought it would have something to do with a quantity...you know, twelve dozen.

Instead, we have ick hidden in the grid...a total of nine times. Four of the entries give us a double shot of it.

17A: Club founder and president in an 1836 Dickens novel (Mr. P[ick]w[ick]).

18D: Field goal attempter, once (drop k[ick]er).

36A: Handle (mon[ick]er). I think there should have been some indication of an alternative spelling. Moniker is seen more often.

41A: 5th Avenue alternative (Sn[ick]ers). This was another argument for a rebus...I was pretty sure of this answer my first time through.

53A: Century, e.g. (Bu[ick]). [UPDATE: This appears incorrectly in the grid...see Bob's comment and my reply.]

59A: Crispy appetizer (breadst[ick]). I spent too much time trying to think of something deepfried.

61A: Easy winner in bridge (qu[ick] tr[ick]). I know nothing about bridge. I'm not even sure if that's one word or two.

And the downs that crossed them...

4D: Boonies (st[ick]s).

6D: __ and snee (sn[ick]). I'm not familiar with that one.

11D: Hysterical hen of fable (Ch[ick]en L[ick]en). I've heard of Chicken Little and the Little Red Hen. I thought Chicken Licken was a fast-food chain.

35D: Awkward situations, informally (st[ick]y w[ick]ets).

52D: Quiz show gizmo (cl[ick]er). I went to Catholic school for seven years. The word clicker brings up images of Sister Anybody with her little clicker. Sit up straight...get rid of the gum...stop talking and start reading.

56D: Amusement park purchase (t[ick]et).

58D: Eat without enthusiasm (p[ick] at). That's definitely not a problem for me. I really enjoy food...and am lucky that I don't weigh twice what I do.

There were a few answers I wasn't sure about. Some I got from crosses, others from Google.

14A: Ex-Dodger manager Walter (Alston).

47A: Sir Thomas who introduced the sonnet to England (Wyatt). I sort of knew it, but it was more of a guess...confirmed by crosses.

32D: Beaux-__ (Arts). Describing it as ornate would be an understatement.

39D: Opinionated Hannity and others (Seans).

48D: Former CBS chief Laurence (Tisch).

54D: 1934 Chemistry Nobelist Harold (Urey).

Then there was the answer I couldn't get at all...until I checked out Harris's posted grid at Water and Waves. 7A: U.S. Army award: Abbr. (DSC). I checked with Don...it stands for Distinguished Service Cross. I didn't have a clue, and I wasn't getting anywhere with whatever I'd originally had. The crosses weren't much help, either. 7D: Pedestal part (dado), 8D: Parade walks (struts) and 9D: Draper's offering (cloth). It's late, and I'm tired. That's my story, and I'm sticking with it.

Favorite or otherwise noteworthy clues and/or answers...1A: Unicorns and griffins (beasts), 26A: Cause of a sore spot (thorn), 33A: Tiniest bit at the bottom of a coffee cup (last drop), 43A: Grapefruit units (segments)...not sections, 45A: According to __ (Hoyle)...don't get that at all, 46A: Free __ (1850s abolitionist) (Stater), 55A: Waist removal regimens? (diets), 64A: Brown and simmer (braise), 2D: The Jetson boy (Elroy), 44D: Dram or gram (measure) and 46D: Chest: Prefix (stetho).

Time to call it a night. Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Thursday, April 24 - Michael Langwald

Michael Langwald's New York Times debut was just last month...and here he is with a late-week puzzle his second time around.

Four good theme answers which make up a rebus...minus the pictures.

18A: Summer arctic phenomenon (midnight SUN).

24A: 1890 battle site that's now a memorial (Wounded KNEE).

37A: Grandmother of Jesus (Saint ANNE).

56A: Measure of a company's dominance (market SHARE).

The theme is revealed at 62A: 1965 hit by the performers suggested phonetically by the ends of 18-, 24-, 37- and 56-Across (I Got You Babe).

In addition to a cleverly executed theme, there's the added treat of some really good fill.

4A: Former New York governor (Cuomo). I only know three of them, and the other two wouldn't fit.

15A: Big name in pest control (Orkin). The older I get, the more I freak out over bugs. Orkin (or someone like them) came and sprayed at work...now things are coming out to die. At least once a day, some large thing crawls into my office, causing me to shriek (quietly) and find someone to dispatch it. I honestly don't understand why they bother me...I'm still okay with spiders. Go figure.

16A: __ Bowl (Aloha). My favorite of all. Guess why?

28A: Mayo can be found in it (año). How very clever is that? My first answer was BLT, although I skip the mayo on them.

41A: Hamilton who wrote "Mythology" (Edith). Never heard of it...or her. It was a good guess once I had the TH in place.

53A: "Ghostbusters" director Ivan (Reitman). Well, at least I've heard of the movie. I probably even saw it twice.

4D: Field for Fields (comedy). Totie Fields has been in the puzzle at least once since I've been blogging...maybe twice. This is one of her quotes. She was a class act...and one very funny lady.

11D: Proportionately (to scale).

12D: Condiment made with a mortar and pestle (chutney).

13D: Two-wheeled carriages (hansoms). I know we've had that before, but it continues to trip me up.

36D: Mother of Charlemagne (Bertha). What...it's not enough that we have to know the grandmother of Jesus.

43D: Tied up (in knots). Have you noticed that many of the two-word answers can be parsed incorrectly and still make two words...ink nots, in this case. 54D: "Honest!" (I swear) is another one...is wear. They don't make any sense, but that's how I saw them when I looked back over the grid. Toscale (see above) could be the name of a city in Italy.

46D: Hobbyist (amateur).

48D: Israeli parliament (Knesset).

51D: War preceder (man o')...Raise your hand if you tripped over that one.

52D: Actress Andress (Ursula). She was a Bond girl...and absolutely gorgeous.

It's been a busy night. I came home and baked a big batch of my now-famous layered mint brownies for our volunteer appreciation dinner which is tomorrow night. Things have come together nicely for the event. We have about 400 volunteers, so this is a pretty big deal. I also baked a birthday cake for our director. She bakes a birthday cake for every employee...in addition to what we have at work on our birthday. Before I came along, no one attempted to bake one for her...they all said they were a bit intimidated. I was up for the challenge...and last year I made a German chocolate cake. This year I made a yellow butter cake, frosted with French Silk.

So I was late getting to the puzzle, and now it's 10:15...past my bedtime.

Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

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

Thursday, April 10 - David J. Kahn

Everything's coming up roses with David Kahn's Thursday puzzle. I don't always crack this much of a Thursday puzzle without a bit of help from Google...tonight I only needed to confirm one answer.

We have a hint to the theme at 38A: Classic 1911 children's novel...with a hint to this puzzle's theme (The Secret Garden). That was a gimme, and it wasn't too difficult to guess what was going on. I had already noticed roses hiding in a couple of answers...25A: Popped up (arose) and 33A: Everyday speech (prose). It's all laid out at 64A: What you can find in the grid after completing this puzzle, looking up, down, left, right and diagonally, word search-style (a dozen roses). As you'll see, I only found nine roses...but I was a bit strict with the rules. Maybe I was allowed to go left, then down...or to the right, then diagonally. It wasn't really clear...then again, it wasn't an important part of the puzzle-solving experience for me.

There was some really good cluing in this one...my favorites:

1A: Diamond datum (RBI)...nothing to do with cut, color, clarity or carat.

54A: Spot checkers? (ad men)...the last answer to fall.

73A: Oils, say (art)...far more difficult for me than it should have been. I wanted something that would end in S, but I knew that 52D: Vacation destination was resort.

3D: Antenna holder, maybe (insect).

28D: "The chief nurse of England's statesmen" (Eton)...a far better clue than we usually get.

38D: One way to get to the top (T-bar)...a gimme for some reason.

Favorite answers include:

8A: Syrian city of 2.5+ million (Aleppo). That's the one I checked, since I wasn't sure about the cross at 10D: Certain alkene (enol)...I'm still not.

18A: University of Paris, familiarly (The Sorbonne). I especially like the inclusion of the article.

20A: Curved molding (ogee)...always a favorite word.

23A: Like some potatoes (riced). Some people aren't familiar with this way to prepare potatoes. For those who aren't, here's how you rice a potato after it has been boiled. The resulting potatoes are much better than mashed...I may have to do this tomorrow.

45A: __ metabolism (basal).

48A: Washed-out look (pallor).

60A: Short-range club (nine iron). I know very little about golf...but even I know that woods are for long-range. I correctly guessed 71D: Big shirt maker as Izod...which meant it was either a five or a nine iron. It didn't help that I was unfamiliar with 47D: Horse-training school (manege).

68A: Dumpling stuffed with cheese (pirogi). I wanted ravioli, but it wouldn't fit. Now I want ravioli...to eat.

2D: Dance energetically (boogie)...it just makes me laugh to see it in the grid.

9D: Women's __ (libber). Wendy, this is because you enjoyed yesterday's sardonic comic and requested more of them.

24D: Skinny (dope).

40D: Stage actress Duse (Eleonora)...a beautiful name and a beautiful woman.

43D: "__ the day!" (Shakespearean interjection) (Alas)...don't know what it's from, though.

50D: Capital of República Portuguesa (Lisboa).

Don just got home...only a few more days until this wretched tax season is over. It's always hard, but it was so much harder when the girls were little. They just never understood why Daddy worked late...why he worked on the weekends. I think they get it now.

Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Thursday, April 3 - Kevin G. Der

Yesterday's puzzle featured rebus as an answer...used correctly...and I reserved the right to use it incorrectly in the future. Today I had the opportunity.

Kevin Der has hidden the word cow eight times in this puzzle. Although we aren't told that it's a hint to the theme, one appears at 38A: 1980s catchphrase (WHERE'S THE BEEF). I somehow got that with only the R in place...but it was one of the only answers I had for the longest time.

This took me almost an hour to finish. I managed to figure out the theme early on, but the random placement of theme answers made for a very slow, difficult solve.

The theme answers:

5A: Freaked out (had a cow), crossing at 9D: One tied for first place (cowinner).

10A: Looks unhappy (scowls), crossing at 11D: Place for grazing (cow pasture). Because I had pasture, the theme revealed itself.

16A: Soup or salad ingredient (cow pea), crossing at 10D: Barges (scows).

17A: Beloved film character with a tail (cowardly lion)...with 1D: It makes livestock go crazy (locoweed).

41A: Baseball cover (cowhide)...with 41D: Surfer's exclamation (cowabunga)

42A: Pens together (cowrites)...with 31D: Its coat of arms features a horseman spearing a dragon (Moscow).

61A: Cry just before someone gets some big bucks? (ride 'em cowboy)...with 63D: Shrink (cower).

68A: Battle site in "Animal Farm" (cow shed)...with 44D: It may be milked for all it's worth (dairy cow).

There will be some of you who didn't like the theme at all. It was a bit clunky in spots...cow is actually part of some answers (cowhide, cowboy, cow pasture), but just consecutive letters in others (locoweed, cowrites, cower). As tough as it was, I still found it entertaining.

Most of my trouble came in the southeast corner. I was missing huge chunks, including three consecutive downs...47D: Eye in the heavens (Hubble), 48D: Ancient (age old) and 49D: "As a matter of fact, I do" (why, yes). I don't remember how it finally broke, but I just kept chipping away...guessing a few things here and there that panned out, including 66A: Catherine Deneuve was on its first U.S. cover (Elle). I just spent ten minutes looking for the cover...this will have to do.

Things I didn't know:

1A: Benjamin Harrison's vice president, __ P. Morton (Levi).

19A: Car with an acronymic name (Saab). I know the name, of course, but didn't know it was an acronym...for Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (Swedish Aeroplane Company), according to Wikipedia.

6D: __ prima (painting technique) (alla).

36D: Knife, slangily (shiv). I think I should have known this...we've probably had it more than a few times.

Things that came to me from who-knows-where:

25A: One of the so-called Southern Ivies (Emory).

37A: Mexican silver dollars (duros).

43A: Whence the line "Whatever it is, I fear Greeks even when they bring gifts" (Aeneid).

33D: Hill, in Spain (cuesta).

On the heels of a recent theme...we have at 35D: Food brand whose name is a portmanteau of two state names (OreIda).

Favorite clues include 14A: Big pullers (oxen), 15A: Out (alibi) and 46A: Spring break? (thaw).

There's so much more to this one, including some good multiword answers...but it's late and I have an early appointment.

Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Thursday, March 27 - Joe Krozel

Joe Krozel has a solid theme with his Thursday puzzle...three 15-letter answers, wrapped up and revealed at 49D: Word defined by 20-, 36- and 51-Across (crane). All three are clued identically...[See 49-Down]...and the answers are:

20A: Stretch one's neck

36A: Novelist Stephen

51A: Large wading bird

There was nothing forced about the nontheme fill, which included some good long answers. Among my favorites:

18A: Federally guaranteed security (Ginnie Mae).

22A: Showy shrubs (azaleas). They're definitely one of the most beautiful shrubs, but I haven't been able to grow one since I left Florida. In our gardening zone, they're pretty much confined to pots...and that's just not how they're intended to grow.

56A: Private chats (one-on-ones). I'm sure I've never heard it used as a plural before, but it works for me given the overall complexity of the grid.

2D: Faint, in slang (plotz). That's a new one on me.

10D: Engagement agreement (prenup). That took forever to see, even when I had most of the letters in place.

11D: Hard to take? (camera shy). So did this one...I was trying to get something that ended with -ashy.

19D: Wagner princess (Isolde).

21D: Designer for Jackie Kennedy (Cassini). Everything he designed for her worked beautifully. He was a classic designer...she was a classic First Lady.

27D: What "knock knock" may mean (let me in). At first I thought it would have something to do with a joke. I'm sure I'm not alone there.

31D: Celebrated Sigmund Freud patient (Dora). A much better clue than the more current Explorer.

32D: Oscar-winning song from "A Star Is Born" (Evergreen). I absolutely loved that movie and cried hysterically for hours after it ended. I may have told this story before...I stopped at the Chevrolet dealership on my way home, and it was obvious I'd been crying. The salesman brought me some coffee...and I ended up buying my Camaro. Anyway, here's Barbra Streisand singing Evergreen...accompanied by Kris Kristofferson.

37D: Perfect-game pitcher Don (Larsen). I didn't know it, but I had enough letters to guess correctly.

38D: Graph of the equation y = ax2 + bx + c (parabola). I couldn't explain that if my life depended on it...the clue or the answer.

43D: Leave in a hurry, slangily (bug out).

There were a couple of things I didn't know and couldn't have gotten without crosses.

6A: A good breakfast, but a bad supper, according to Francis Bacon (hope). I don't have a clue what he meant by that. If you do, I'm sure there are several of us who'd like to know.

15A: Robert of "The Sopranos" (Iler). Never saw the show.

46A: "Donald's Cousin __" (1939 Disney cartoon) (Gus). Never heard of him, but he fit.

50D: Best and Ferber (Ednas).

52D: Black cuckoos (anis). We have several birds in this puzzle. In addition to crane, this guy is joined by crossword regular erne, appearing at 9D: Marine eagle.

Favorite clues include 25A: Diamond setting (ball park), 40A: It's often played before playing (anthem)...nice tie-in there..., 62A: Unlikely valentine swappers (exes) and 47D: Dukes (fists)...as in, put up yours.

Also wanted to mention 42A: Cary Grant played a male one in 1949 (War Bride)...mainly because I downloaded this picture. I've seen several Cary Grant movies, but that's not one of them.

Well, this was supposed to be a short post, but I guess I got carried away. Now I'll be late getting to bed...must do better tomorrow.

Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G