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Monday, November 5, 2007
Puzzle by Jeremy Horwitz, edited by Will Shortz
JALFREDPRUFROCK (17A T.S. Eliot title character who measures out his life with coffee spoons); JJONAHJAMESON (39A Editor out to smear Spider-Man); and JDANFORTHQUAYLE (61A Vice president who once famously mashed "potato") are three loosely, very loosely, inter-related entries in this Monday back-to-work crossword puzzle -- too bad we don't know Jeremy Horwitz' middle name, we could throw him in with this sorry trio and have ourselves a quartet! That would even it out between the real and the fictional names, Prufrock and Jameson, Quayle and Horwitz -- or maybe Quayle never really existed anyway, so he is fiction! Whatever, and if anyone calls this a "theme", I'll just roll over with laughter at such a ridiculous pretension. Go ahead, I need a g-g-good j-j-joke!
J. Jonah Jameson was also referred to as J. J. Jameson and simply J. J. J. -- no identification of the first J. seems to be available. Research on J. Alfred Prufrock does not identify his J. either; but, of course, J. Danforth Quayle was James. O.K., I think that exhausts today's J's. Wait!, here's the Prufrock lament -- The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.
If those who categorize crossword puzzles into “theme”/”no-theme” get insistent, then a “theme” today would seem to be not those three meager J’s, but a capital “E” for “Entertainment!”
This puzzle has no less than 22 entries that are related to the arts and entertainment: 1A “Lady Marmalade” singer PATTI LaBelle; RIFF (6A Musical phrase); 15A Poet OMAR Khayyam; 17A; MOE (22A “The Simpsons” bartender); ONAIR (26A Studio sign); ANDIE (29A Actress MacDowell of “Groundhog Day”); URI (34A Geller with a spoon-bending act); 39A; LEOTARD (43A Dance class outfit); ODES (68A Lyric poems); AVALON (2D Frankie of “Beach Blanket Bingo”); RODEO (6D Where you might hear “Ride ‘em, cowboy!”); FRUG (9D Lively ‘60s dance); SANJOSE (24D California city in a 1968 Dionne Warwick hit); 28A RIN Tin Tin; IPOD (30D Its first ad touted “1,000 songs in your pocket”); ERMA (33D Humorist Bombeck); LALA (36D Singsong syllables); JIMI (39D Guitarist Hendrix); TOON (57D Roger Rabbit or Donald Duck); and JLO (61D Female singer’s 2001 album that debuted at #1).
Now, that’s entertainment!Oh lovely, but lonely Jennifer Lopez -- stuck down in the corner as fill for J. Danforth Quayle -- is this supposed to equal equal rights for the ladies with a meager three letter entry -- JLO?
Click on J Lo's photo to give her equal space!
The rest of the acrosses: 10. On the briny; 14. Birdlike; 16. Butter slices; 20. Not just recent; 21. Muck; 23. Light throw; 32. Really impressed; 35. Light golden lager; 38. ULAN Bator, Mongolia; 42. Parti-colored; 44. Quantity: Abbr.; 45. Sheep cries; 46. Rapids transits (which I at first entered RAILS); 50. A goose egg; 52. Phobia; 55. Unfortunate sound when you bend over; 56. Hay storage locale; 58. Saw-toothed; 65. Come to shore; 66. Baby bassoon?; 67. War horse; 69. Puppy bites; and 70. Sexy nightwear.
The down remainders: 1. PAJAMA party (sleepover); 3. Cultivated the soil; 4. President who later served as chief justice; 5. Initials on a cross; 7. Little devil; 8. Distant; 10. Kitchen spill catcher; 11. Brazil’s largest city; 12. And so on: Abbr.; 13. “ASK and ye shall receive”); 18. CPR pro; 19. Grocery offering; 25. Accumulation on the brow; 27. Persia, today; 31. German article; 37. Grain bundle; 38. Beef quality graders: Abbr.; 40. 747, e.g.; 41. Be mistaken; 42. La PAZ, Bolivia; 45. Hit, as on the noggin; 47. Worn at the edges; 48. Like the Marquis de Sade or the Duke of Earl; 49. Rapid; 51. Unilever skin cream brand; 53. Fireplace remnants; 54. Necessary: Abbr.; 59. Corrosion sign; 60. Appraise; 62. “Dear old” guy; 63. Slugger’s stat; and 64. Blouse or shirt.
All in all, a j-j-jazzy little puzzle filled with interesting entries, and the tired entries are given fresh clues -- a Monday breakfast puzzle, thankfully with no O.J.J.J!
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For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
The New York Times Crossword Puzzle solution above is by the author of this blog and does not guarantee accuracy. If you find errors or omissions, you are more than welcome to make note of same in the Comments section of this post -- any corrections found necessary will be executed promptly upon verification.
Puzzle available on the internet at
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2 comments:
good point. not a theme, but a contrivance.
Hmmm, contrivance -- that's fair.
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