Wednesday, May 14 - Doug Peterson

I finished Doug Peterson's Wednesday puzzle a half hour ago...but I just now caught on to the theme.

Although it was revealed at 71A: Football linemen, for short, caught in 17-, 28-, 47- and 63-Across? (RTs). I'm getting to know names of teams, and some well-known players...but this one escapes me. Why are football linemen called RTs?

Whatever...the four theme answers are in-the-language phrases that have the addition of RT somewhere in the answer. The new words are then cleverly clued. I tried to find RTS in the answers...so I didn't catch on to the theme for a while.

The theme answers are:

17A: Singles bar habitué (FREQUENT FLIRTER).

28A: Do some barhopping? (PARTY AS YOU GO).

47A: Dirndls? (ALPINE SKIRTS). This was the first theme answer I got, and it had RTS...so that added to my confusion.

63A: "Wild and crazy guy" on the old "S.N.L."? (MARTIN CHARACTER). I haven't thought of those two in years.

Lots of fresh fill in this one...before I get to that, though, there's one answer that threw me. 66A: Put up with (brook). I have never heard that definition of the word and thought I might have something wrong...but a 41A: Quick peek (glimpse) at water and waves confirmed that it's correct. I wonder if I'm the only one out there who was clueless on that one.

Favorite answers and/or clues:

4A: Polo name (Marco). That sure brings back memories of summers spent at the pool.

16A: Physics Nobelist Wolfgang (Pauli).

25A: H (eta)...much better clue than the usual Estimated Time of Arrival.

34A: Bogart role (Queeg).

39A: Stooped shoulders, e.g. (posture).

44A: Ryan with 5,714 strikeouts (Nolan). I know very little about baseball, but I do know Nolan Ryan...not personally.

55A: Lye, e.g. (alkali).

1D: The "Judy" of Punch and Judy (wife).

3D: This answer intersects it (one across)...probably my favorite clue/answer.

24D: Vicks brand (NyQuil). NyQuil gives me strange dreams...like seeing this guy on the beach. I rest better if I don't take it.

29D: Baseball's Felipe or Moises (Alou). This has appeared enough times...and it's about time I remembered it.

32D: "A Life for the Tsar" composer (Glinka).

40D: Death personified, in ancient Greece (Thanatos).

45D: For the heck of it (on a whim).

50D: Feet in a meter (iambs).

51D: St. __ of Assisi (Clare)...Francis is better known.

52D: Goodyear's home (Akron). I hope reader/fellow blogger Wendy finds this clue more acceptable than the one that appeared the last time.

58D: Eric of "Munich" (Bana)...just because I like him.

The weather has turned rainy and a bit cooler...just two days after packing away my winter clothes. That means I have no choice but to wear capris and open-toed shoes. That's not a problem for me, but I'm sure I'll hear about it from some of my co-workers.

That's it for this one. Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Friday, February 1 - Doug Peterson

The first puzzle of the month...and a constructor who's not a familiar name. If this is a debut, it's an impressive one.

Tough puzzle. After my first run-through, I had just a few answers:

1A: Temper (assuage). I don't know why I went there instead of thinking about one's temperament, but I did.

17A: Hobbes in "Calvin and Hobbes" (imaginary friend). A good guess and an excellent comic strip...right up there with The Far Side.

23A: Señora's step (paso).

28A: Tahini base (sesame).

34A: With 44-Down, Cajun dish with giblets (dirty / rice). I've never tried it...it just doesn't sound appetizing.

1D: For one (apiece)...only because of the two acrosses I had. They also gave me 2D: Not at all sunny (somber), 3D: Fit to be tried? (suable), 4D: Id output (urges) and 5D: Mordant (acid).

8D: Fred of "The Munsters" (Gwynne).

23D: British meat pie (pasty). That must be one of those words I learned from doing crossword puzzles. It's nothing I ever ate growing up...or in my adult life.

From there I just started going through the across clues again, guessing a few things, going through the downs, guessing a few more. I did end up with some strange-looking answers for some time, but it all worked out in the end.

I did check with Dogpile to see if there was anything else that would work for 25D: Actress Gray and others, but nothing turned up that would fit...except for my first guess, Erin. I remember her from some TV show, and I always thought she was just stunning. Was I right?

Also needed the last name of 25A: Actress Kimberly of "Close to Home" (Elise). It filled in a couple of spots...and things just kept flowing after that.

I had a little trouble with the connected cluing at 19A: Prefix with 6-Down (Penta). That certainly is a prefix, but I was trying to make 6-Down the prefix...and gon just didn't make sense. I finally put it all together.

Favorite clues, answers...or both:

15A: Be negative about (pour cold water on). That's not an expression I've used, but I'm fairly certain I've heard it before. It does look good in the grid.

36A: Subject of some conspiracy theories (Hoffa).

37A: Prez's first name on "The West Wing" (Jed). One of these days I'll get that on DVD. If it's anything like "The American President," I'll enjoy it.

44A: Playboy's plea? (renew).

49A: Stereotypically smarmy sorts (used car salesman). I've known some pretty nice used car salesmen. They do get a bad rap (and rep) often.

51A: Tickled the most? (pinkest). Too funny.

12D: Before being delivered (prenatal).

27D: Make like Pac-Man (chomp).

28D: They're bound to work (serfs).

29D: "Heads up!" (watch out).

30D: It stocks blocks (ice house).

32D: Prepare for a shower, maybe (giftwrap).

45D: Longtime columnist who coined the term "beatnik" (Caen).

There were a few places where I was just lost...and saved by the crosses:

8A: Ape wrestlers (grapple). And I still don't get that. At all.

37D: Basso Hines (Jerome).

42D: Belarus's capital (Minsk). I've seen that again and again, and I still don't ever remember it. Maybe next time.

The worst wrong answer I had was at 29A: Well activity. I had gushing, instead of the correct wishing. We had a well once...it gushed. That wasn't a bad thing.

One more long answer that's worth noting...46A: They're not easily overturned (outrigger canoes).

And that's it for tonight. Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G