Wednesday, February 27 - Lee Glickstein

It was after 9:30 before I even downloaded the puzzle. It seemed like a pretty easy Wednesday...maybe more like a Tuesday or a tougher-than-usual Monday.

The theme was revealed at 36A: Members of this can be found in the centers of 17-, 24-, 51- and 60-Across (nuclear family)...a gimme for me because I had the first of four theme answers:

17A: Make tracks (skedaddle).

24A: Sources of ready cash (pawnbrokers). I've never referred to either of my brothers as bro...is that a guy thing? I dated someone a hundred years ago who called his brother Broman...brother/man. I thought that was kind of cool.

51A: Turkey insert (thermometer). Another gimme.

60A: Got by (on) (subsisted). As was this one.

The only difficult answer for me was 42A: __ lion, beast slain by Hercules in his first labor (Nemean). I may have known it at one time...but that time has long since passed.

Yesterday we had bless, clued as [Cross over?]...today we have 3D: "Gesundheit!" (bless you). Similarly, we had Mt. St. on Saturday, clued as [__ Helens]...today we have 46D: Mt. St. (Helens).

Favorite clue/answer today...59A: I, historically (one AD)...very good.

Other noteworthy clues/answers:

20A: Mead study locale (Samoa). Although it wasn't clued as such, this is a timely answer, since our Girl Scout cookies were delivered today. My favorites are Samoas...but I didn't order any of them.

21A: Chips that one might "muncha buncha" (Fritos). I love Fritos and could never have them in the house.

27A: Cassidy portrayer of TV and film (Boyd).

6D: Time to crow (at dawn). I love that it's almost light when I get up now...and it's still light when I drive home at five. Come on, spring!

10D: Its symbol is X (strike)...had something similar last Saturday.

11D: Harvey of "The Piano" (Keitel). That has to be one of the strangest movies I've ever seen. At least one person out there will think I'm dead on (33D: Absolutely accurate).

Five hours of sleep last night wasn't anywhere near enough, and I can't believe I'm still awake at 10:30. The engagement is off...bittersweet for Elaine, but a huge relief for her parents. Thank you to those who lent support through your comments and emails.

Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Sunday, September 2 - Lee Glickstein and Nancy Salomon

The Sunday New York Times was a jewel...just the right mix of clever, difficult, fun, and tricky.

The theme was PUT IT IN WRITING. The addition of IT somewhere within the title of a fairly well-known book (or play) changed it to a new (and funny) title, which was then appropriately clued.

23A: Quentin Tarantino paperback about a minister's stories? (PULPIT FICTION). I'm fairly certain that was in a recent puzzle...possibly the Sun.

29A: Randy Shilts exposé of an outlaw musician? (AND THE BANDIT PLAYED ON).

57A: Susan Howatch novel about protesting clergy? (SITINS OF THE FATHER). I inserted IT in the wrong place here...SINITS...which meant the downs wouldn't cooperate. Finally figured it out.

82A: Marlo Thomas storybook for liberated vampires? (FREE TO BITE YOU AND ME). This one makes me laugh every time I read it.

107A: Grimm Brothers story about a sorry leader, with "The"? (PITIED PIPER OF HAMELIN). This was the one that finally gave me the theme. Things started making much more sense at that point.

121A: Shakespearean play about a monarch who writes bad checks? (KITING HENRY IV).

I set this aside for about an hour. When I came back, all kinds of answers popped into my head...things I'd been struggling with earlier. Things like:

1A: Heart of a bus. district (Main St.) Had the A and the N for the longest time, but nothing was coming to mind.

13A: Mexican state east of Veracruz (Tabasco). Had Jalisco, but then nothing made sense for 13D: Wreck (total). Actually, I had total, then erased it to enter Jalisco. When will I learn to go with my gut?

28A: Became fully evident (sank in). I had 17D: Doesn't just bad-mouth (slanders), so I knew it didn't end in -ed, but it took walking away to see it.

11D: Hunk (Adonis). I can't remember how many letters I had before I finally caught on.

41D: Deli order (tuna on rye). I knew it was on rye, but I couldn't figure out a sandwich ingredient that ended in A.

58D: Win in a children's game (OOO). Jeez! I had OOA, thinking that 67A: Mexican Indians was Otamis, rather than the correct Otomis.

There were quite a few things that were completely unknown to me:

20A: Squeezed at the ends, as leaves (oblate).

51A: Warning signal, once (alarum).

119A: Copycat (epigone).

109D: "Funny Face" director Stanley (Donen).

Favorite multi-word answers include: 55A: "Just because" (no reason), 127A: This second (at once), 131A: One way to live transsexually (as a man), 29D: Little League issue (age limit), 30D: "Don't sweat it" (no matter), and 64D: City served by Indira Gandhi International Airport (New Delhi)...got that off the LH.

Clues/answers that I just plain liked:

89A: Piddling (picayune). I think we've had the word before, because I remember commenting on it...or maybe that was just a comment I posted elsewhere.

99A: Saucy dance (salsa). That's a perfect clue for those of us who confuse samba, mambo, and other Latin dances.

128A: Second __ (banana).

130A: Crowds, it is said (threes). That's the best of the bunch.

6D: Peevish (tetchy). I don't remember the last time I've seen the word anywhere, but it's a great one.

10D: Rat race (grind).

91D: One whose work may suit you (clothier).

105D: Study in multiplication and division? (amoeba).

I didn't know 27A: State where Geo. W. Bush was born (Conn). I figured he was born in Texas. I was born in Connecticut, and I don't like sharing that with him.

I'm always proud to get the simplest sports-related clue. 18D: Oriole Ripken (Cal) was a gimme. I think that may be the only sports trivia in this puzzle.

Interesting that we have mop (1D: Big job for a barber), as well as mope (62A: Be down)...Abu (2D: __ Ghraib, Iraqi prison) and Sabu (70D: "Elephant Boy" boy)...86D: Leandro's love (Ero) and 100A: Love child? (Eros).

I spent a couple of hours lying poolside with a friend today, and that just wipes me out. I stupidly forgot my own advice about sunscreen...don't know what I was thinking. Anyway, I'm tired out and ready to call it a night.

Here's the grid. I started to check it and lost the whole thing when I was almost finished...didn't bother to do it over again. Let me know if you see any errors.



And if I didn't mention your favorite clues or answers, please share. I really enjoy reading what others thought of the puzzle. I already know what I thought ; )

Enjoy your Sunday...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G