Monday, March 24 - David J. Kahn

Two thoughts came to mind after finishing this puzzle. First...I didn't think David Kahn did Monday puzzles. Second...where the hell did the last fifty years go?

The theme of the puzzle is revealed at 39A: Notable Army inductee of 3/24/58. I was only in the first grade, so I have no independent recollection of that being the date that Elvis Presley was inducted into the United States Army. The rest of the puzzle's theme answers are all about the Elvis the soldier.

17A: Like 39-Across's fans on his induction day? (All Shook Up).

56A: Last movie 39-Across made before his Army stint (King Creole).

11D: Army officer who met 39-Across in 25-Down (Colin Powell).

13D: Last Army rank of 39-Across: Abbr. (Sgt).

23D: Much-photographed event after 39-Across's induction (haircut).

25D: Where 39-Across was stationed overseas (West Germany).

30D: First movie 39-Across made after his Army stint (G.I. Blues).

54D: Record label of 39-Across (RCA).

I'm slightly amazed that there's so much trivia about Elvis joining the Army...and fairly astounded that David Kahn put them all together in one puzzle.

Noteworthy fill includes 5A: La __, Milan opera house (Scala), 16A: Phileas __, who went around the world in 80 days (Fogg), 32A: Layers (strata), 42A: Flexible (pliant), 49A: Legendary Chicago Bears coach George (Halas), 50A: Singer __ Anthony (Marc), 65A: Novelist Seton (Anya) and d66A: Artist who liked to paint dancers (Degas). He also painted nudes...an alternate way to clue him.

Also liked 4D: Openers for all doors (pass keys), 8D: "Ally McBeal" actress Lucy (Liu), 9D: Some computer software checks (alpha tests), 24D: City with a Penn State campus (Altoona), 27D: Like seawater (saline), 32D: Defeated soundly (shellacked) and 33D: Actresses Shire and Balsam (Talias).

For those who may not know, I grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida...close to Fort Lauderdale, the home of 63A: 1975-78 U.S. Open champ Chris (Evert). We were all quite proud of Chrissie, the teenager who faced (and beat) champions who had been playing professionally for years. That two-handed swing of hers was something to see.

We had the same clue tonight at 18D and 49D...[What the "H" of H.M.S. may be]. The answers were His and Her, respectively. I only knew that Her Majesty had ships.

In a comment earlier today, Wendy mentioned the second Sunday puzzle. In the past I haven't regularly done it, but after today's, I just might. Eric Berlin filled every square in the puzzle, including the 37 gray squares. Notepad gave you this information about Going Too Far: "Many of the answers in this crossword are one letter too long and won't fit in the spaces provided. Each of these answers will either begin or end in the gray square immediately before or after it. When the puzzle is done, all the gray squares will have been used exactly once, and the letters in them (reading left to right, line by line) will spell out a quote by fashion editor Diana Vreeland." It was tough, but it was good...and lots of fun.

And speaking of Wendy, be sure to check out her blog for insight into the music of the baby boomer generation. Her picks are always good, but yesterday's feature was one of my favorites...Bell Bottom Blues by Derick and the Dominos. I don't know how she decides who to feature (and what song she'll use)...but you'll want to go back often.

I stayed up past my bedtime and I'll pay dearly for it come morning. Elaine and a friend joined us for Easter dinner and just left a little bit ago. Leslie and Candy will be here tomorrow for a belated celebration. It's so hard to get both of the girls here at the same time, but it's actually kind of nice to have one-on-one with them.

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



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Sunday, June 24 - Eric Berlin

Today's puzzle, No Appointment Necessary, by Eric Berlin, is just what the doctor ordered. Not tear-your-hair-out difficult, but challenging enough to keep boredom at bay. And circles in the grid--something we random thinkers are always happy to see.

If you hadn't already figured out the theme answers by the time you reached 65A: Alternative title for this puzzle (The doctor is in), it was easy enough to go back to the circles and fill in some of those blanks. The theme answers are:

23A: Wall Street worker (SEcUritieS analySt). You can read all about Dr. Seuss here. I was surprised to find out that he wasn't really a doctor at all.

39A: Broadway's "The Producers," e.g. (MusiCal COmedY). Dr. Leonard McCoy, better known as Bones on Star Trek, was played by DeForest Kelley. He is best remembered (by me, anyway) for often saying, "I'm a doctor, not a [fill in the blank]," depending on what he was being asked to do.

50A: They might come back to haunt you (FAmoUS LasT words). I'm sure someone out there knows who Dr. Faust was. It's late and I'm not looking it up.

84A: Appetizers served with sauce (ShrimP cOCKtails). Most of my friends raised their babies on Dr. Spock. I think Mr. Spock might have been better.

91A: It might go in a tank (WATer SOfteNer). Although a fictional character, Dr. John Watson was really a doctor, as well as Sherlock Holmes's confidante.

109A: Elizabeth Dole once led it (DEpartMENT Of labor). I initially thought this was American Red Cross, but it didn't fit. Nor would it have produced a doctor. This one made me laugh for several reasons. First, the name is just so funny. Second, the only trivia I know about Dr. Demento is that he's one of Bart Simpson's mortal enemies. Third, every time I looked at the answer, I saw Department o'Flab.

Every time I got stumped on this puzzle (several), I walked away for at least fifteen minutes, then came back and saw something that had had me staring stupidly for far too long. The last section to fall was the northeast. 16D: Gradually substitute (rotate in) and 17D: One way to argue (heatedly) eluded me forEver. Only when I had those two did I get 53A: Blu-ray players, e.g. (Sonys). I am technologically impaired and don't know about Blu-ray players. I'm just beginning to understand iPods.

Also looked at--and didn't see--several others, including 96A: One way to be taken (aback). Geez, I had A_A_K and still didn't see it. It was the very last word I entered in the grid. Actually had 81A: More than enjoyed (ate up) early on, but every time I'd see it, I was sure I had something wrong. What the hell did ATEUP (pronounced a-toop) mean?

Very good guesses that turned out to be right:

38A: Terre's counterpart (mer). I'm embarrassed to say that I think I remember this word from Titanic. Please remember that my daughter was then 14 and in love with Leonardo DiCaprio. I can't tell you how many times I saw that movie.

102A: Language from which lemon and julep come (Farsi). I knew that 102D: Wash out had to be fade, and there's only one language that starts with an F and has five letters...except that 102D turned out to be fail, which still made my guess work out.

116A: Tempter (siren). I did think snake first, though.

74A: Car that won the 1939 and '40 Indy 500 (Maserati). Guessed that with only the two As in place.

Today we get a double-dose of Bible names. 10D: Mess of pottage buyer (Esau) and 61D: 10-Down's father (Isaac), as well as a playground clue that's better than the standard retorts we usually see. 70D: Playground taunt (sissy).

I'd be remiss if I didn't point out 59D: "__ Say, " 1939 #1 Artie Shaw hit (They). It's only significant if you remember that Artie Shaw was once married to the lovely and talented Ava Gardner.

In addition to Farsi, some words that I don't recall ever seeing in a puzzle include 1A: Dogs named for a region of Japan (Akitas) and 20A: Mrs. Gorbachev (Raisa).

Stumbled for a while on 89A: Symbol on a 6 key (caret). I was thinking letters on a phone pad, not the ^ that appears on a keyboard as the uppercase of 6. Also struggled with 58A: Game played with a 1/2- to 3/4-inch ball (roulette). A ping pong ball was the smallest I could think of, and I knew that wasn't small enough.

My favorite clues include 38D: Cheese place (mousetrap), 21A: Start a pot going (ante), and 119A: 10-year prison sentence, in gang slang (dime).

It got awfully close to 100 today, and I'm whipped. I should have taken a siesta (121A: Time out?) but didn't. So I'm calling it a night.

See you tomorrow.

Linda G