08.27 Sat

S A T U R D A Y

August 27, 2011

Kyle T. Dolan

Theme: None



Good morning, gang. I'm pretty sure there will come a point in the next 24 hours or so where my power goes out and I have a few things to do before that happens. So let's take a quick run through this puzzle and get on with other things. Lots of good stuff in this grid. My favorite entries are HANG TIME, SKYPED, and ROCK BALLAD (7A: Seconds in the air, to punters / 56A: Phoned on a computer, in technospeak / 4D: Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven," e.g.). Stuff I just flat-out didn't know includes:

• 20A: Second crop of a growing season (ROWEN). You would think having grown up in the midwest I would know the farm-related jargon, but no.
• 37A: New Jersey river (RARITAN).
• 20D: "__ to the Top": Keni Burke song (RISIN'). Who? Oh, wait a minute. This slow jam sounds a little familiar to me.
  
  
  
  

Bullets:

• 1A: Gum with a jingle that began, "So kiss a little longer" (BIG RED). Thanks for the earworm.
• 34A: Calls at home (BALLS AND STRIKES). Baseball!
• 48A: Air Force pilot who became a pop star (DON HO). Who knew?

• 14D: Rose point (EAST). This is a reference to a compass rose. If you don't know what that is, for God's sake, Google it.
• 30D: Married couple? (ARS). And if you don't understand this one, take a look at the crosswordese round-up down at the bottom of this post. Down there, you'll see that the word ARS is a link and if you click on it you'll be magically transported to a day in the past where this type of tricky entry was explained, in this case by the lovely and talented Orange.
• 49D: Object of ogling (HUNK). Okay, this is funny. It didn't occur to me for a minute that women would be oglers. I'm always a little startled when my brain does that to me. It's like that old riddle with the doctor ("This boy is my son!") that makes you really think about assumptions and the fact that we, ya know, have them. Even if we don't think we do.

Sorry if this post isn't as entertaining as what you typically find here (You: "Wait, it's usually entertaining?"). I mean, I got damn near philosophical there at the end. I guess I just have a lot on my mind with the storm coming. And that reminds me. I remember back in the day when, here in the Washington area, the TV people would go all nuts about the coming BLIZZARD and then it would snow for 20 minutes. We really didn't used to have to take these people seriously is what I'm saying. But that seems to have changed. I dare say I'm none too happy about it.



Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 36A: Etta James classic (AT LAST).
• 10D: Fed personnel (G-MEN).
• 23D: French Revolution figure (MARAT).
• 28D: Co-composer of "Johnny's Theme" (ANKA).
• 30D: Married couple? (ARS).
• 32D: Cantina cooker (OLLA).

Everything —

1A: Gum with a jingle that began, "So kiss a little longer" (BIG RED); 7A: Seconds in the air, to punters (HANG TIME); 15A: Wicked (UNHOLY); 16A: Penance component (AVE MARIA); 17A: Poker chips are often seen in them (STACKS); 18A: Chocolaty treats (DOVE BARS); 19A: Some charity races (TEN-KS); 20A: Second crop of a growing season (ROWEN); 21A: Reason for a prep course (SAT); 22A: Healthy piece (SLAB); 23A: Picky person? (MINER); 24A: Brought down (ABASED); 26A: Bangladesh capital (DHAKA); 31A: Guiding light (POLARIS); 33A: Longhorn rival (SOONER); 34A: Calls at home (BALLS AND STRIKES); 36A: Etta James classic (AT LAST); 37A: New Jersey river (RARITAN); 38A: Exhilarating (HEADY); 39A: Folly (LUNACY); 40A: Threadbare (RATTY); 41A: Words spoken after Polonius says, "I hear him coming: let's withdraw, my lord" (TO BE); 45A: Tie up loose ends? (SEW); 48A: Air Force pilot who became a pop star (DON HO); 49A: Right to play first, in golf (HONOR); 50A: Grace (ELEGANCE); 52A: One of Penelope's 108 in the "Odyssey" (SUITOR); 53A: Disdainful (CAVALIER); 54A: Chant (INTONE); 55A: Diving concern (THE BENDS); 56A: Phoned on a computer, in technospeak (SKYPED); 1D: Marble works (BUSTS); 2D: Espionage aid, for short (INTEL); 3D: Country that eliminated the United States at the last two World Cups (GHANA); 4D: Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven," e.g. (ROCK BALLAD); 5D: FDR and Truman, fraternally (ELKS); 6D: Bad opening? (DYS-); 7D: Could choose (HAD ONE'S DRUTHERS); 8D: Swore (AVOWED); 9D: Word heard before and after "say" (NEVER); 10D: Fed personnel (G-MEN); 11D: Someone has to pick it up (TAB); 12D: Savings choices, briefly (IRA'S); 13D: Sorvino of "Mighty Aphrodite" (MIRA); 14D: Rose point (EAST); 20D: "__ to the Top": Keni Burke song (RISIN'); 23D: French Revolution figure (MARAT); 25D: Having strong low tones, as headphones (BASSY); 26D: Column style (DORIC); 27D: Highfalutin (HOITY-TOITY); 28D: Co-composer of "Johnny's Theme" (ANKA); 29D: Not dull (KEEN); 30D: Married couple? (ARS); 31D: Spread with drinks (PATÉ); 32D: Cantina cooker (OLLA); 33D: Pickup for a pound (STRAY); 34D: "Nuts!" ("BAH!"); 35D: Pedro o Pablo (SANTO); 39D: Pierced surgically (LANCED); 40D: 1998 De Niro thriller (RONIN); 42D: Leading (ON TOP); 43D: Cumberland Gap explorer (BOONE); 44D: Stumbled (ERRED); 45D: Branch (SECT); 46D: Valley where David fought Goliath (ELAH); 47D: Bob Seger's "__ Got Tonight" (WE'VE); 48D: Low area (DALE); 49D: Object of ogling (HUNK); 51D: Speak idly (GAB); 52D: Cheer syllable (SIS).