Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Tuesday, March 19, 2013, Mike Buckley

0:12:00

This was an enjoyable Tuesday puzzle. Lots went in immediately, of course, but it was interesting fill. Picked LEICA (14A: Pioneer in 35mm cameras) right off the bat, but I like-a that Nikon and Canon would both have fit. I'm learning a lot about the 2009 Star Trek movie, what with last Thursday's NERO and today's BANA (21A: Eric who played the villain in 2009's "Star Trek"). It got all French up in the NE, with EAU (16A: It flows in the Seine), ESPRIT (22A: Lively wit), and PONT (23D: France's ___ d'Avignon), but I've got no problem with that. OEUVRE (41D: Hors d'___) even showed up a little farther down.

As I said recently, I enjoy it when two answers are clued in the same way, and I also like today's pairs of (1A: Simpson of the Simpson-Bowles commission), ALAN, with (67A: One of the Simpsons), MARGE, and ICE (4D: Motel machine sign) with AAA (42A: Letters on a motel sign). That kind of thing makes any puzzle a little bit more interesting and fun.

Other clues/answers that we found particularly nice today were ELEGY (53D: Words of passing interest?), and CANALZONE (36D: Former U.S. territory) - tricky! And I loved seeing LITHESEOME (3D: Like ballerinas), EDWYNN (27D: Comic who sang "I Love to Laugh" in "Mary Poppins"), and USSWASP (28A: It's known as the Ship With the Mighty Stinger). I wonder if there's fierce competition to get that assignment?

As for the theme, any reference to Wayne's World is a good one, and the compound-word thing is a tried-and-true crossword convention. Everyone loves a party, right?

- Horace

7 comments:

  1. I always say there's nothing like a good joke.

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  2. Is that an Ed Wynn quote from the movie?

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  3. I believe it was Dick (Bert) who said this. And Ed (Uncle Albert) followed up by saying, "Yes, and that was nothing like a good joke!"

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  4. We're in complete agreement on this one: what a delightful Tuesday crossword! We are also in sync with the time. I timed this one on a stopwatch and came in at 11:59! I too loved the unusual cluing for ALAN. Didn't think about the tie-in with MARGE until you mentioned it, but I'm sure that was intentional. I guess you hit on all of the clever clues. Really nice Tuesday blend of gimmes and less well-known clues and answers.

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  5. Would that they could all be like this.

    Cool about your time!

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  6. I went over to Rex to see how his people liked this one (I always try to read and comment on your blog first), and I was surprised to hear the lukewarm reaction. What more could you want from a Tuesday?

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