Popeye, E. C. Segar ----------------- Tuesday, October 20, 2009 Puzzle by Gary Cee, edited by Will Shortz Four circled anagrams of GEARS contained in the entries of ROSE GARDEN (17A. View from the Oval Office), CHIVAS REGAL (25A. Premium Scotch whiskey), OLD TIMER’S GAME (37A. Event featuring sports stars of yesteryear) and SAUSAGE ROLL (52A. Pastry sold at pizzerias) along with answer/clue SHIFT GEARS (61A. Make an abrupt change … and a hint to this puzzle’s theme) are the interrelated group of this business-as-usual Tuesday crossword. Of the four anagrams of GEARS, SEGAR (Elzie Crisler Segar was a cartoonist whose claim to fame was being the creator of everybody's favorite spinach-eating seaman Popeye the Sailor Man) and SAGER are usable puzzle words, while ASREG and ERSGA (search-engine oddities) are not. Left out are the possibilities of SARGE, RAGES and RE-GAS. Am I skipping a gear?
IT’S A DEAL (3D. “You’re on!”) and MAINLAND (40D. The rest of the U.S., to Hawaiians) are the other long entries with VINEGAR (26D. Partner of oil) dripping down the center of the crossword. Six-letter entries include ASIAGO (11D. Panini cheese); ASST DA (45D. #2 in a prosecutor’s office: Abbr.); CARLAS (12D. France’s Bruni-Sarkozy and others); CLASS A (32A. First-rate); EUROPE (47D. Chunnel’s home); FESTER (10D. Addams Family uncle); 43A. New York’s HERALD Square; HEREIN (6D. Found on this page); ORANGE (22D. Tropicana fruit); RATHER (46D. Newsman Dan); STOP AT (33D. Visit while on the road, as a motel); STRATA (57A. Levels of society); TOFFEE (50D. Chewy coating for an apple); TOTALS (21A. Wrecks beyond repair); TUSSLE (13D. Bit of a fight); USA USA (48D. Patriotic chant). Five-letter -- 20A. Grab A BITE (eat on the run); AM TOO (14A. “Are not!” retort); 45A. “Your 15 minutes of fame ARE UP!”; AROSE (31A. Greeted the morning); ERNIE (68A. Kovacs of early TV); FETAL (58A. Like an unborn baby’s position); GASPS (53D. Says while choking); LOGIC (5D. Mr. Spock’s forte); LT GEN (55D. Three-star U.S. Army officer); NODOZ (71A. Aid in pulling an all-nighter); PANTS (9D. Trousers); WEILL (1A. Compose Kurt). Short stuff -- AERO and AREA, AIR, APAR, ARLO, ARM, ATH, CAT, DAD, DEPS, DOC and DOT, EDNA, ELSE, EMO, ESAU, FACT, HAT, HOOP, VY, LET, LOEB, LSD, MICE and MISO, NAAN, NET, NIP, ODD, ONE, OREL, ORIG, PAVE, RIO, SEZ, SIRS, STYE, THOU, WAR. Eat your spinach! 
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Remaining clues -- Across: 6. Basketball backboard attachment; 10. It’s the truth; 15. Dame who’s a hoot; 16. Jacob’s twin; 19. Madams’ partners; 23. Stay-at-home ___; 28. Sportscaster Hershiser; 30. Sip from flask; 35. Tandoori-baked bread; 42. Not a copy: Abbr.; 49. Litter box visitor; 51. Sushi bar soup; 56. Safety device eschewed by the Flying Wallendas; 60. 10 C-notes; 66. Passbook amts.; 67. Smooth, as the way; 69. Word after Bay or gray; 70. Eyelid woe. Down: 1. It was hell, to Sherman; 2. Punk rock subgenre; 4. Leopold’s 1920s co-defendant; 7. Like a “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” item; 8. Cyclops eye count; 18. Greece’s capital, in its airport code; 23. ___ Holliday; 24. Folkie Guthrie; 27. On ___ with (equal to); 29. Drug sold on blotting paper; 34. Broadcast; 36. ___ Wednesday; 38. Prey for owls; 39. Biceps’ place; 41. “You’re something ___!”; 44. Preceder of com or org; 54. Tennis do-over; 59 Commercial prefix with “flot”; 62. Busby or derby; 63. Wall creeper; 64. Ipanema’s local; 65. “___ who?”
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