Tuesday, November 13 - Fred Piscop

Ooh...a tougher-than-usual Tuesday puzzle to follow yesterday's delicious fare.

The theme is establishments of sorts...each theme answer is a common phrase, clued as if it were some type of business.

20A: Striptease business? (showing concern). While I don't use (or often hear) the word concern in reference to a business, it is a legitimate use of the word.

35A: Wrestling business? (holding firm).

53A: Comb business? (parting company). This was the first one I got...also my favorite.

I had to rely on crosses in so many areas of this one. There were some things I just didn't know.

19A: Yemeni port (Aden). I should know this. I think it ends up in a puzzle at least once a quarter.

33A: Knight's attendant (varlet). Rhymes with starlet, rather than sounding like valet...which I have heard of.

47A: Portugal's place (Iberia). Hopelessly geographically impaired.

52A: Row C abbr., maybe (ind). I'm not getting this at all.

63A: Mullally of "Will & Grace" (Megan). Have never seen the show...have never heard of her.

22D: Some Japanese-Americans (Nisei). I never remember this word, but I remember that it refers to second generation.

33D: TV handyman Bob (Vila).

Favorite answer in the puzzle was 3D: Jumble (mishmash). What a great word.

An old friend reappears at 66A: Dummy Mortimer (Snerd), shown at right with Edgar Bergen.

Others I liked include 18A: Cutoffs fabric (denim), 5D: Figure that's squared in a common formula (radius), 12D: Mafia code of silence (omerta)...remembered it this time, 36D: The Pineapple Island (Lanai)...love anything Hawaiian, and 38D: Sauce for some seafood (marinara)...I had cocktail, the more obvious (albeit wrong) answer.

Interesting to see 25A: "__ to say this, but..." (I hate) and 44D: Not be able to stomach (loathe) in the same puzzle.

Another connection between 28A: Stereotypical sandwich board diner (Joe's) and 40A: Beanery sign (eats).

Loved the clue for 29D: Bacchanalian revelry (orgy). That's what finally made varlet appear.

51A: __-Caps (Nestlé candy) (Sno)...one of my childhood favorites. Since they're dark (at least semisweet) chocolate, I guess I'd say I still like them.

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



In the words of 41D: Cratchit boy (Tiny Tim), "God bless us...everyone." See you tomorrow.

Linda G

Monday, October 29 - Fred Piscop

Now that the World Series is over, life (and blogging) will return to normal. As much as I wasn't a Rockies fan...that's how much I became one in the last couple of weeks. They played well, and there's no shame in being the best in your league and the second best baseball team. That said, the Red Sox are an incredible team. Sometimes I found myself cheering for them because they were just so damn good!

Truthfully, I'm relieved that the World Series is over...on several counts. In no particular order:

• The knots in my stomach will go away.


• I'll be able to solve and blog at my regular time, instead of waiting until the game is over.


• We can eat dinner at the table again, instead of in front of the TV (which most of you know we never watch).


• We don't have to watch those asinine commercials even one more time (some were pretty good, but the lame ones were so very lame).


• I won't have to watch baseball players spit...sometimes it just turned my stomach. Don says it's a baseball thing, but I don't get it and I find it disgusting.

Okay...the puzzle. I may have said this before, but a Fred Piscop puzzle was the first published by Will Shortz when he took over as the NYT puzzle editor. Today we get a very doable (even while watching the game) but not incredibly easy puzzle. I had trouble understanding a couple of the theme entries, but they became clearer once I started writing.

Puns are featured (again) in the four theme answers...in-the-language tion words that are clued in clever new ways. [Monday morning update: That's not explained well, but I still can't come up with anything better.]

17A: Allotment of heredity units? (generation). That took me forever to understand...gene + ration.

56A: Preacher's sky-high feeling? (revelation). Just now got this one...rev (as in reverend) + elation.

10D: TV channel for golfers? (forestation)...by now I'm sure you're following.

25D: Pasta-and-potato-loving country? (carbonation). My favorite.

We also get a decent helping of multiword answers:

1A: Started a cigarette (lit up).

36A: Is false to the world (lives a lie).

37A: Get from __ (progress slightly) (A to B).

40A: Studied primarily, at college (majored in).

43A: Caveman's era (Stone Age).

9D: Bikini wearers' markings (tan lines). I remember that from a puzzle long, long ago.

And a few words that I don't think have appeared in a grid...at least not in the past several months.

24A: Nuclear power apparatus (reactor).

29A: Slender cigar (Panatela).

50A: Stewed to the gills (blotto). Love the word but not the feeling.

2D: Jim Carrey comedy "Me, Myself & __" (Irene). Never saw it. I can only take him in small doses.

3D: Kingdom east of Fiji (Tonga).

38D: Equine-looking fish (seahorse).

49D: Sunken ship finder (sonar).

Some standard crosswordese, some of which sported fresh new clues.

10A: Rooters (fans).

15A: Gumbo vegetable (okra). Batter-dipped and fried...the only way to eat it.

38A: Battle of the __ (men vs. women) (sexes). I don't think the parenthetical clue was necessary, even for a Monday. Sure, bands would have fit, but not for long.

42A: Holder of 88 keys (piano).

46A: Mediums' meetings (seances).

60A: Twistable cookie (Oreo).

62A: Decaf brand (Sanka).

11D: State frankly (avow). It never fails that I will enter aver when they want avow...and vice versa.

Some of my favorite answers, not already mentioned, include: 22A: Room to maneuver (leeway); 1D: Hearty brew (lager); 27D: Safe place (haven); 29D: Mischievous sprite (pixie); 30D: Director Kazan (Elia); 33D: Scots' caps (tams); and 47D: Nickels and dimes (coins)...thought they might have been looking for a verb there.

I have to mention 51D: Dr. Zhivago's love (Lara). Before Dooley and Barnabas came along, we had two female dogs...Tasha and Lara. Lara lived to be 18...the vet said that no one had ever told her she shouldn't live that long. They were the sweetest little girls, and I never thought I could love another dog (or dogs) that much...but I do.

It's time to wrap this up. Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G