08.01 Mon

M O N D A Y
August 1, 2011
Andrew Bannem

Theme: Ice Ice Baby — The last word of each theme answer can be a form of ice.

Theme answers:

• 20A: Microprocessor (COMPUTER CHIP).
• 39A: Substance in a visual display unit (LIQUID CRYSTAL).
• 56A: Broth-making aid (BOUILLON CUBE).
• 65D: The ends of 20-, 39- and 56-Across are forms of it (ICE).
• 30D: 65-Down, in a cocktail (ROCKS).

Remember last week when I complained about the 1-Across clue "See 69-Across"? Now, right here today? This is how it's done. FIZZ at 1-Across (1A: Effervescence). That's what I'm talkin' about. I tell you what, this theme didn't excite me much, but the fill in this grid is definitely above average for a Monday. The thing about Mondays is that they have to be easy. But easy doesn't mean the fill has to be boring. The easy part can be accomplished with straightforward cluing of lively entries (like we have today). My favorites include L.L. BEAN, MOOG, DOG IT, and YELL UP TO (48A: Maine mail order giant / 33A: Synthesizer pioneer / 12D: Loaf on the job / 41D: Shout at from below). I mean, that's pretty flashy for a Monday, right?

Bullets:

• 15A: Where dos are done (SALON). PuzzleDaughter is really into doing nails right now so she's opened a "salon" right here at the PuzzleHouse. She even has a Club Card so that once you've visited the salon ten times you get … a surprise. She's got kind of a strange business model though. The first four times you visit the salon it's free, but after that you have to start paying. Her marketing skills might need a little work is what I'm saying.

• 23A: Hard tattoo to misspell (MOM).
• 50A: Halfback's maneuver (END RUN). This is funny. I don't recall hearing this phrase in relation to football. It's pretty obviously a football term, but I've heard it mostly in its metaphircal sense.
• 67A: Modern kind of phone (SMART). This is a type of clue/answer pair that Amy taught me to find irritating. (And good thing too! I don't have enough things to be irritated about!) You see, a SMART isn't a type of phone. A SMART PHONE is a type of phone. This is one of those irritants that I just live with. You should either join me in being irritated or … decide that you're not going to be bothered by this kind of stuff. Probably best to choose the latter.
• 1D: Beatles adjective (FAB). For you young'uns out there, the Beatles were known as the FAB Four.

• 2D: Chat room "I think ..." (IMO). For you older people out there, it stands for In My Opinion.
• 5D: Forensic TV spin-off (CSI: MIAMI). I've never watched any of the CSI shows. I also never watched any of the Law & Order spin-offs, although I watched every single episode of the original. I'm not really sure why. I think I just got busy. It's not that I'm opposed to spin-offs. I watched "Rhoda" after all.
• 8D: Track tipster (TOUT). This is probably the toughest clue in the grid. Somewhere way back in the cobwebs I knew this definition of TOUT, but it sure didn't come easy.
• 25D: What they call the wind, in a 1951 song (MARIA). I'm not familiar with this song, but it brought to mind this one:

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 14A: Mine, in Marseille (À MOI).
• 7D: Baseball's Felipe or Matty (ALOU).
• 63D: Gardner on screen (AVA).

Everything — 1A: Effervescence (FIZZ); 5A: Orange container (CRATE); 10A: Afterthoughts (ANDS); 14A: Mine, in Marseille (À MOI); 15A: Where dos are done (SALON); 16A: Chimney buildup (SOOT); 17A: Blessing (BOON); 18A: Words spoken while tossing in cards (I'M OUT); 19A: One may be dog-eared (PAGE); 20A: Microprocessor (COMPUTER CHIP); 23A: Hard tattoo to misspell (MOM); 26A: Grafton's "__ for Burglar" (B IS); 27A: Sunday dinners (ROASTS); 28A: Qatar's peninsula (ARABIA); 30A: Grating sound (RASP); 32A: Load (up), as energy food (CARB); 33A: Synthesizer pioneer (MOOG); 35A: Juanita's "this" (ESTA); 39A: Substance in a visual display unit (LIQUID CRYSTAL); 42A: Scout uniform accessory (SASH); 43A: Depression era migrant (OKIE); 44A: Graph line (AXIS); 46A: Snobbish mannerisms (AIRS); 48A: Maine mail order giant (L.L. BEAN); 50A: Halfback's maneuver (END RUN); 54A: __-mo replay (SLO); 55A: High-speed PC option (DSL); 56A: Broth-making aid (BOUILLON CUBE); 60A: Two-tone treat (OREO); 61A: Oodles (A HEAP); 62A: Long skirt (MAXI); 66A: Leave out (OMIT); 67A: Modern kind of phone (SMART); 68A: Voltaire's "with" (AVEC); 69A: Topeka's st. (KANS.); 70A: Versatile blood donor (TYPE O); 71A: Green stone (JADE); 1D: Beatles adjective (FAB); 2D: Chat room "I think ..." (IMO); 3D: Bronx attraction (ZOO); 4D: Metal in pennies (ZINC); 5D: Forensic TV spin-off (CSI: MIAMI); 6D: Highway exits (RAMPS); 7D: Baseball's Felipe or Matty (ALOU); 8D: Track tipster (TOUT); 9D: Goes in (ENTERS); 10D: Pet-protecting org. (ASPCA); 11D: __ Ark (NOAH'S); 12D: Loaf on the job (DOG IT); 13D: Staircase units (STEPS); 21D: Japanese wraparound (OBI); 22D: Double Dutch needs (ROPES); 23D: Fella (MAC); 24D: Postgraduate grillings (ORALS); 25D: What they call the wind, in a 1951 song (MARIA); 29D: Backyard cookouts, briefly (BBQ'S); 30D: 65-Down, in a cocktail (ROCKS); 31D: Prefix with culture (AGRI-); 34D: Skunk's defense (ODOR); 36D: Take a __ at: try (STAB); 37D: Put a levy on (TAXED); 38D: Assumed name (ALIAS); 40D: Ryder competitor (UHAUL); 41D: Shout at from below (YELL UP TO); 45D: NBC show with Baba Wawa skits, briefly (SNL); 47D: At the bottom of the standings (IN LAST); 49D: Soft shot (LOB); 50D: Kindle download (E-BOOK); 51D: "__ Rae" (NORMA); 52D: Expected at the terminal (DUE IN); 53D: Mob outbreaks (RIOTS); 54D: Alarming situation (SCARE); 57D: "That's a surprise!" ("OH MY!"); 58D: Twice-monthly tide (NEAP); 59D: Key of Bruckner's Symphony No. 7 (E MAJ.); 63D: Gardner on screen (AVA); 64D: Crossed (out) (X'ED); 65D: The ends of 20-, 39- and 56-Across are forms of it (ICE).