09.05 Mon

M O N D A Y

September 5, 2011

Andrea Carla Michaels

Theme: Water, Water Everywhere — Each theme answer is a movie with a body of water in its title.



Theme answers:

• 20A: 1981 Fonda/Hepburn classic (ON GOLDEN POND).
• 27A: 2006 Bullock/Reeves romance (THE LAKE HOUSE).
• 48A: 1994 Streep/Bacon thriller (THE RIVER WILD).
• 56A: 2004 Kevin Spacey tribute (to Bobby Darin) (BEYOND THE SEA).

Now this is how you want your week to start. Monday with Andrea Carla Michaels? Now you're talkin'. Andrea's Monday puzzles are sooooooo smooth. It really gives you a taste of what Mondays can be. Yes, straightforward cluing. Yes, a little crosswordese here and there. Yes, a simple theme. But every cross is solid, not a single clue makes you go "wtf?" and there are even a few sparkly entries thrown in for free! Ya know what, though, I can't say that for sure about the clues because there were a lot of clues in this puzzle that I didn't even see. I threw ON GOLDEN POND in without any crosses and then pretty much worked all the downs from that top row. Same deal with THE LAKE HOUSE. The other two movies weren't familiar to me, but they appeared pretty easily anyway.



The only things that slowed me down at all were GATEAU (I just couldn't remember the French — French! — word for cake) K'NEX (I've heard of them before but still struggled), and EIRE, where I first tried ERIN and even as I was writing it in thought to myself, "Oh I don't think that's right …." But everything else was just smooth smooth smooth.







Looking back through the grid, I certainly would have had trouble with LILI, seeing as the clue — 32A: "Hi-__, Hi-Lo" — might as well be in Japanese, that's how much it means to me. But I never did see that clue so I was saved from feeling ignorant. (It's a song, in case you were wondering too.) Best word in the grid is clearly ZIPPIEST, although I'm not too terribly fond of the clue — 10D: Having the most pizazz — because I really really prefer my "pizzazz" to have four Zs. When it only has three, I feel cheated somehow.



With any luck, Andrea will be along at some point today to tell us more about this puzzle and to entertain us with her lovely self. So see you in the comments!



Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 17A: Composer Stravinsky (IGOR).
• 1D: Israeli submachine gun (UZI).
• 3D: Yoko from Tokyo (ONO).
• 29D: "Evil Woman" gp. (ELO).
• 46D: Celtic language (ERSE).
• 58D: Galway's land (EIRE).

Everything — 1A: E.T. carriers, theoretically (UFO'S); 5A: Fetch (BRING); 10A: Last letters in London (ZEDS); 14A: Calamine mineral (ZINC); 15A: Where one's name might go, on a form (LINE A); 16A: "Out of Africa" author Dinesen (ISAK); 17A: Composer Stravinsky (IGOR); 18A: Eight is enough for one (OCTET); 19A: Spitting sound (PTUI); 20A: 1981 Fonda/Hepburn classic (ON GOLDEN POND); 23A: Mac maker (APPLE); 26A: "I Ching" readers (TAOISTS); 27A: 2006 Bullock/Reeves romance (THE LAKE HOUSE); 31A: Back talk (LIP); 32A: "Hi-__, Hi-Lo" (LILI); 33A: Annual sports awards (ESPYS); 37A: In re (AS TO); 39A: Designer Karan (DONNA); 42A: Donkey's need, in a party game (TAIL); 43A: Low on funds (SHORT); 45A: Winged peace symbol (DOVE); 47A: Director Ang or Spike (LEE); 48A: 1994 Streep/Bacon thriller (THE RIVER WILD); 52A: Sleeve opening (ARMHOLE); 55A: Puts in the mail (SENDS); 56A: 2004 Kevin Spacey tribute (to Bobby Darin) (BEYOND THE SEA); 60A: Yankees superstar, familiarly (A-ROD); 61A: "Old MacDonald" refrain (E-I-E-I-O); 62A: New Zealander (KIWI); 66A: Mafia boss (CAPO); 67A: Dog's warning (SNARL); 68A: Michener novel, typically (EPIC); 69A: Tinkertoy alternative (K'NEX); 70A: Playable on a VCR (TAPED); 71A: Do, re or mi (NOTE); 1D: Israeli submachine gun (UZI); 2D: Source of Eve's leaves (FIG); 3D: Yoko from Tokyo (ONO); 4D: Dead Sea find (SCROLL); 5D: Web opinion piece (BLOG); 6D: Puerto __ (RICO); 7D: Part of IMF: Abbr. (INTL.); 8D: Must (NEED TO); 9D: French sponge cake (GATEAU); 10D: Having the most pizazz (ZIPPIEST); 11D: These, in Tijuana (ESTOS); 12D: Intimidate (DAUNT); 13D: Loses control on the ice (SKIDS); 21D: Host Conan of NPR's "Talk of the Nation" (NEAL); 22D: Rudolph's is red (NOSE); 23D: Book of maps (ATLAS); 24D: Engage in an online scam (PHISH); 25D: __-Bismol (PEPTO); 28D: Tease (KID); 29D: "Evil Woman" gp. (ELO); 30D: Delhi tongue (HINDI); 34D: "Going Rogue" author Sarah (PALIN); 35D: Give way (YIELD); 36D: Mushers' vehicles (SLEDS); 38D: Greek __ Church (ORTHODOX); 40D: Oct. follower (NOV.); 41D: D.C.'s Pennsylvania, e.g. (AVE.); 44D: Suffix with tele- or Dance-A- (THON); 46D: Celtic language (ERSE); 49D: Firstborn (ELDEST); 50D: Light-sensitive eye part (RETINA); 51D: Debilitate (WEAKEN); 52D: Taken __: surprised (ABACK); 53D: Showed again (RERAN); 54D: Mr. Magoo, e.g. (MYOPE); 57D: Jalopy (HEAP); 58D: Galway's land (EIRE); 59D: Word after "going twice ..." (SOLD); 63D: NASDAQ debut (IPO); 64D: Dorothy Parker forte (WIT); 65D: Arctic pier material (ICE).