Loved it, loved it, loved it!
The theme...something like "You're in the Army Now." In case you've ever wondered (I have), here are the lyrics to the song.
The theme answers are:
21A: Film showing for V.I.P.'s, in the army? (PVT SCREENING).
41A: Big studio release, in the army? (MAJ MOTION PICTURE).
59A: Common ticket category, in the army? (GEN ADMISSION).
I got hung up in the northwest. Couldn't get 1A: Harsh criticism (flak) or its cross at 1D: Lays an egg (flops) for the longest time. Couldn't remember where Bob Dole was born...Kansas, making 4D Kansan, or the name of the dentist in Little Shop of Horrors (Orin, at 18A). Didn't know 3D: Cordial quality (amity)...in fact, still am not getting that one. Thought that 2D: Maggot, e.g. was larva...without the theme, though, it made no sense that the second letter would be V once I had screening in place.
Fortunately, I didn't struggle much with the rest of the puzzle.
Loved the long nontheme answers. 19A: Consumer Reports offering (buyer's guide), 64A: Means of visual communication (smoke signals), 12D: Postponed, in a way (rained out), and 37D: Bouncers' tasks (ejections)...that was the first answer that came to mind. Again, not knowing the theme, I couldn't figure out how that J would fit into 41-Across, so I didn't write it in right away.
Other noteworth clues and/or answers:
10A: Active vocabulary? (verbs). Don't know why that immediately popped into my head, but it did...making the northeast corner a piece of cake.
15A: Priest in an Ogden Nash verse (Lama). I wasn't familiar with that one, but here it is in its entirety...very cute.
The one-L lama, he's a priest
The two-L llama, he's a beast
And I would bet a silk pyjama
There isn't any three-L lllama
Pyjamas...that's the Victoria's Secret spelling. Sorry, no link. You can imagine the unwanted hits I'd get.
45A: Gary's home (Indiana). I learned this from The Music Man...little Ron Howard singing about Gary, Indiana. Clever clue.
49A: Like many oaths (solemn).
53A: Oktoberfest music (polka). Scrabbly word...love it, as well as its cross at 55D: "Bear" that's not a bear (koala).
70A: Quaint denial (tisn't).
5D: E.g., e.g. (abbr.)
22D: __ Canyon (Pueblo cultural area) (Chaco). That's the name of one of the streets in our subdivision, along with Banff, Shenandoah, McKinley, Rushmore...and a few others.
28D: Shows with lower-priced seats, usually (matinees). I remember them being $1.50, maybe even less. I think I paid at least $7.00 for the last one.
A couple of things I didn't know...not to be confused with the things I couldn't remember, covered above.
5A: Presidential middle name (Abram)...who middle name is it?
36D: Sari-clad royal (Rani).
54D: Feudal lord (liege).
60D: Indian tourist city (Agra).
And that's it for tonight. Here's the grid...
...and I'll see you tomorrow.
Linda G
