08.16 Tue

T U E S D A Y

August 15, 2011

Alex Boisvert

Theme: Why That Blankity-Blank … — Each theme answer is a made-up two-word phrase where they first word ends in a long E sound, and the second is the same word but with the long E sound dropped.



Theme answers:

• 17A: Meat used in place of a puck? (HOCKEY HOCK).
• 39A: Surcharge for a cab ride? (TAXI TAX).
• 61A: Davy Jones at an abbey? (MONKEE MONK).
• 11D: Intimidator on the bovine playground? (BULLY BULL).
• 35D: Short-term Arizona State employee? (TEMPE TEMP).

I really enjoyed this puzzle, which isn't a surprise given that I'm madly in love with Alex Boisvert. But I digress. Cute theme, lots of solid (and Scrabbly!) fill, a little bit of crosswordese to help you get a foothold here and there (it's Tuesday after all!). Pretty much perfect. Lots of theme in this grid, and it's going both across and down, which doesn't leave much room for any super flashy long entries. AQUAMAN is clearly the best of the bunch.



I started right off with a mistake at 1-Across, misspelling HAWG as HOGG (1A: Big Harley, in slang). D'oh! Other than that, I didn't really have any trouble. It was smooth going from start to finish. Great clues today include:

• 20A: John Williams quintet? (OSCARS). I don't know if this is right, but in my head John Williams is the guy who did the music for the Star Wars movies. To Wikipedia! …. Woo-hoo! Love it when I'm right about stuff like that. Or about anything really.
• 51A: Comfortably rewarding (CUSHY).
• 50D: Skating maneuver (CAMEL). A little on the tough side for Tuesday, but I like it.
• 56D: Where most people live (ASIA). I love it when the puzzle forces us out of our little American view of the world.

I think my favorite thing about this puzzle is that it gives me a chance to post a TIM Conway clip (40D: Comical Conway). I'm very tempted to use the "Elephant Story" clip, but I think I've used that a couple times before, so instead, ladies and gentlemen, today I give you the World's Oldest Fireman. Enjoy!







Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 57A: D-backs, on scoreboards (ARI).
• 27D: Dutch cheese (EDAM).
• 31D: 14-Across's Great Lake (ERIE).

Everything — 1A: Big Harley, in slang (HAWG); 5A: "Marching Along" autobiographer (SOUSA); 10A: "Mamma Mia!" group (ABBA); 14A: Soap Box Derby state (OHIO); 15A: Hearth debris (ASHES); 16A: Off-peak period (LULL); 17A: Meat used in place of a puck? (HOCKEY HOCK); 19A: Untidy type (SLOB); 20A: John Williams quintet? (OSCARS); 21A: Fridge sound (HUM); 22A: '70s Olympics name (OLGA); 23A: Fab Four member (STARR); 24A: Prepare beans, Mexican-style (REFRY); 26A: Scary fly (TSE-TSE); 30A: Place for care instructions (LABEL); 33A: Mouse catchers (CATS); 36A: Expected (DUE); 37A: Professor's goal (TENURE); 38A: Corrida cry (OLÉ); 39A: Surcharge for a cab ride? (TAXI TAX); 41A: English __ (LIT); 42A: Drum heard in Westerns (TOMTOM); 44A: Actress Basinger (KIM); 45A: Bar brews (ALES); 46A: Mar. parade celeb (ST. PAT); 47A: Presario PC brand (COMPAQ); 49A: Significant period (EPOCH); 51A: Comfortably rewarding (CUSHY); 55A: Dinner and a movie, say (DATE); 57A: D-backs, on scoreboards (ARI); 59A: Gillette razor named for its blade count (TRAC II); 60A: One with a password (USER); 61A: Davy Jones at an abbey? (MONKEE MONK); 63A: Gimlet garnish (LIME); 64A: Game show host (EMCEE); 65A: Throw in a chip (ANTE); 66A: SoCal force (LAPD); 67A: Country singer Rimes (LEANN); 68A: Tabloid loch (NESS); 1D: Hostess snack cakes (HO-HOS); 2D: "__ of golden daffodils": Wordsworth (A HOST); 3D: Neopagan religion (WICCA); 4D: Some Soap Box Derby entrants (GO-KARTS); 5D: Articulates (SAYS); 6D: __Kosh B'Gosh (OSH); 7D: "Rats!" ("UH-OH!"); 8D: Out of harm's way (SECURE); 9D: Invitation on a rep's button (ASK ME); 10D: Losing candidate (ALSO-RAN); 11D: Intimidator on the bovine playground? (BULLY BULL); 12D: Online journal (BLOG); 13D: Jessica of "Sin City" (ALBA); 18D: Slips up (ERRS); 25D: Show off one's muscles (FLEX); 27D: Dutch cheese (EDAM); 28D: Prom duds (TUX); 29D: Bulova competitor (SEIKO); 31D: 14-Across's Great Lake (ERIE); 32D: Tennis net grazers (LETS); 33D: Summer cabin beds (COTS); 34D: Boatloads (A LOT); 35D: Short-term Arizona State employee? (TEMPE TEMP); 37D: Pack (down) (TAMP); 39D: Four-legged Oz visitor (TOTO); 40D: Comical Conway (TIM); 43D: Like a pencil point (TAPERED); 45D: Sea-dwelling superhero (AQUAMAN); 47D: Car trim (CHROME); 48D: Farmland division (ACRE); 50D: Skating maneuver (CAMEL); 52D: Teatime snack (SCONE); 53D: Help for the clueless (HINTS); 54D: "Omigosh!" ("YIKES!"); 55D: Boring (DULL); 56D: Where most people live (ASIA); 58D: Bygone Peruvian (INCA); 59D: Not-so-little kid (TEEN); 62D: Barbie's guy (KEN).