Tuesday, February 26 - Sarah Keller

With apologies to Sarah Keller, this will be a short post. We're in the midst of a family crisis tonight...and likely the end of the engagement. That's not a bad thing, but helping Elaine find the courage to do what she knows she needs to do isn't easy.

The theme answers are all puns...cleverly clued in relation to college campuses.

20A: Polishing machines at an Ithaca campus? (CORNELL SANDERS)...the only real groaner of the bunch.

35A: Trustee group at an Atlanta campus? (EMORY BOARD).

43A: Thoroughfare at a New Orleans campus? (TULANE ROAD)...my favorite.

53A: Rental arrangement at a Milwaukee campus? (MARQUETTE SHARE). That was actually pretty good, too...but I needed the crosses to get it.

Favorite answer...60A: Letters that must be bought on "Wheel of Fortune" (AEIOU). I wonder how many of you put an S at the end of it...I did.

Favorite clue...9A: Sleep soundly? (snore). It would be funnier if I didn't.

How serendipitous to see 41A: Zellweger of "Chicago" (Renée) in today's puzzle, since I mentioned her in yesterday's blog. No one commented on the photo of her in that gorgeous dress at the Academy Awards, so I'll run it again.

There were two semi-gross answers in the puzzle. 16A: Prenatal sites (wombs) and 65A: Lice-to-be (nits). Actually, for some, there's a third...29D: Vegetarian's protein source (tofu)...although I happen to like the stuff.

I didn't know 50D: French military hats (kepis), but once I saw the picture, I realized that I did...I just didn't know what they were called.

I'm not familiar with the quote at 4D: John who wrote "Love built on beauty, soon as beauty, dies" (Donne). I'll have to look into it tomorrow.

One last thought...40A: Old Michael Jackson 'do ('fro)...I had to include this picture. I can't bring myself to post the after to this before.

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



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Monday, September 17 - Sarah Keller

It's not a good sign when I stumble over the first clue on a Monday puzzle. Fortunately, I did better with the succeeding clues, and eventually got the first clue, along with its related last clue.

The theme of the puzzle was BELL RINGERS. The theme answers were:

1A: With 68-Across, bell ringer (Avon/Lady).

The remaining theme answers, all clued as [Bell ringer], were 20A (church warden), 37A (percussionist), and 54A (bicycle rider).

I thought we'd have Quasimodo--the penultimate bell ringer. I imagine that would have been much harder to fit into the grid.

My only struggle with the puzzle was in the northwest corner. I didn't know 14A: Fashion designer Rabanne (Paco) or its cross at the A...2D: Poet Lindsay (Vachel). It didn't help that I didn't know Els at 28A (the first of a two-part clue which appeared at 52A: With 28-Across, winner of golf's 1997 U.S. Open (Ernie). I could have filled in just about any letter in both of those spots.

I had to laugh at 24A: Spouse's meek agreement (Yes, dear)...just because it's such a joke in our house. Don would never say that, except in jest.

Clues and answers that I liked:

15A: Pugilist (boxer). Every time I see that word I think it has to do with stamp collecting. One of these days I'll nail it without a second thought.

19A: Material for Elvis's blue shoes (suede). At the risk of offending anyone, I'll bet those were u-g-l-y.

42A: Inside info for an investor, maybe (hot tip). I could use a few of those to beef up the retirement portfolio.

50A: Kids' game involving an unwanted card (Old Maid). I wonder when that will be given a politically correct name...if ever.

67A: Pop music's Bee __ (Gees). I can't believe I went blank on that. I was trying to think of someone a little more modern. I actually liked the Bee Gees a lot when they were so popular.

9D: Dwell (on) (obsess). I only do that on days of the week that end in Y.

10D: Point A to Point B and back (round trip). I like that we just had Point A as an answer yesterday.

12D: Slugger Williams (Ted). I don't know how I knew non-Yankees back then, but I did.

21D: Honda model (Civic). I bought a 1988 Civic as a new car and drove it until we needed a van. I sold it to a friend's daughter, then bought it back from her two years later when she bought a new car. Three years ago I sold it to another friend, and it's still going strong.

32D: Greek fabulist (Aesop). I loved Aesop's fables as a kid. I'd still enjoy reading them now.

34D: Heartthrob (dreamboat). That's a word we used to describe Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Tab Hunter...and many others. I don't think it would be used to describe anyone today. Orlando Bloom...a dreamboat?

44D: Chinese martial art (tai chi). I've always thought it would be interesting to construct a puzzle that uses tai chi and chai tea as related theme answers. My problem is that I couldn't think of any other word pairs, but I'm sure there are several. If a constructor sees this and wants to run with this suggestion, that would be fine...just include my name in the byline.

47D: "Bewitched" witch (Endora). That was one of my favorite shows. I didn't like it as much after the old Darren left the show, though.

49D: Religious dissent (heresy).

I just noticed the similarity of several down clues...45D: "__ 'em!" (sic), 59D: __ boom bah (sis) and 60D: Lab field: Abbr. (sci).

I need to be in early tomorrow to decorate a co-worker's office, so I'm going to try to get to bed before 10:00. I've been staying up way too late and sleeping through the alarm...that's so unlike me. What happened to the morning person that I used to be?

Anyway, here's the grid...

...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Monday, September 3 - Sarah Keller

I remember a time...not all that long ago...when I wouldn't even notice a theme like this one. I'd be happy becaused I finished the puzzle, then I'd read about the theme on another blog. So I was pretty pleased to catch it after only two theme answers.

The first word of each of the five theme answers are anagrams...and the theme answers are:

17A: Base for turkey stuffing, often (STALE BREAD). Actually, I use cornbread. As we get closer to Thanksgiving, I'll share my recipe.

25A: Leave furtively (STEAL AWAY)...into the night.

35A: What the easiest path offers (LEAST RESISTANCE).

45A: Long-lasting housetop (SLATE ROOF).

56A: Sob stories (TALES OF WOE).

If you've been reading this blog for a month or more, you know that I love anagrams, so I was pretty happy with this theme.

There were just a couple of things I didn't know, but in both cases I got them from crosses:

33D: Painting surface (gesso). According to this article, it's the Italian word for chalk. I'd best remember that in the future.

38D: Annual hoops championship organizer, for short (NCAA). Well, I figured it was National Basketball-something, so I had NBAA. That created a problem, though, because there isn't a rapper named IBET. 42A: "O.G. Original Ganster" rapper (Ice-T) got me out of that hole.

I did like the stacks in the northeast...

10D: Thingamajig (doodad).

11D: Canada's capital (Ottawa).

12D: Snake charmers' snakes (cobras).

...and those in the southwest:

43D: Stack in a kitchen cabinet (plates). Kind of deceptive cluing for a Monday, but I liked it.

44D: "To be or not to be" speaker (Hamlet).

45D: Verdi opera (Otello). That shows up in puzzles from time to time. It's another good one to remember. Another regular is 22D: Carrier to Tel Aviv (El Al).

Also liked 4D: Legendary sunken island (Atlantis), 13D: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" author Ken (Kesey) and 21D: Preferred invitees (A-list).

Time to wrap this up. I have a house full of company, and I want to get back to them. Here's the grid.



Happy Labor Day!

Linda G

Tuesday, May 8 - Sarah Keller

It's so good to be home.

The theme of Sarah Keller's Tuesday New York Times puzzle is revealed at 64A (phases of the moon). The three theme answers are:

17A: One not taking just a few classes (full time student)

27A: Magazine with the recurring heading "Onward and Upward With the Arts," with "The" (New Yorker). I subscribed to the New Yorker for two years and never once noticed that.

49A: Kind of sale (half price). The very best kind. Even better when I get the additional 20% off for being 55 -- very, very soon.

Clues/answers worth mentioning:

20A: Catholic prayer book (missal). I still have the one I received when I made my First Holy Communion, about 48 years ago. It's sometimes hard to let go of sentimental things like that.

2D: Lanai neighbor (Maui). When we went to Maui, we stayed at the Kaanapaali Beach Hotel, described as Maui's most Hawaiian hotel. It wasn't the most elegant place (maybe three stars), but it was very clean and comfortable, and they treated their guests like family. The kind of family that likes one another.

32A: Comedian Fields (Totie). I remember seeing her on the Michael Douglas Show. She was a very large woman and she joked about her weight. My favorite was, "I've been on a diet for two weeks and all I've lost is fourteen days." She had a lot of health problems, including a leg amputation, breast cancer, and a mastectomy, but she continued to perform. She was truly an amazing woman.

38A: Typo, e.g. (error). Noteworthy because it also appeared in the Sun, cleverly clued as Trial associate?

My time was fairly fast on this puzzle. I got so many of the Acrosses that I completely missed several of the Down clues, such as:

41D: Kinks hit with a spelled-out title (la-la-la-la-Lola). They don't make songs like that any more.

30D: Cried out in pain (yowled). I guess I've never been in that much pain.

19D: Join forces (unite). That reminds me of a funny T-shirt I saw. Bad Spellers of the World Untie.

33D: Singer Lopez (Trini). His full name was Trinidad, but that's a very cool nickname. His biggest hit was "If I Had a Hammer."

I enjoyed guest blogging for the Fiend, but it is good to be back. There's really no place like home. Goodnight, Dorothy. Goodnight, Toto.

Linda G