Ryan and Brian Do Crosswords

All you podcast listeners (that’s all of you, right?) should check out yesterday’s Chronicle of Higher Education puzzle.  It was constructed by James Sajdak and features the clue Wielder of Mjöllnir.  Yes!  Thanks to Dan Feyer, Winner of the C Division, Winner of the B Division, Winner of Lollapuzzoola 2 for giving us the heads up.

Today’s New York Times puzzle is by one of our favorites, Joe Krozel, Rhymes with Puzzle.  Joe can always be counted on to provide fun, amazingly constructed puzzles and his latest offering does not disappoint.  Compared to last week’s Bob Klahn Grid of Impossibility, today’s puzzle is a bit on the easy side but that doesn’t detract from its excellent design and enjoyment factor.

The first thing I noticed was the quadruple stack of 15s running across the center.

32A. Overhead shower (INCOME STATEMENT).  This time I was onto the whole shower/shower trick but got fooled by overhead.  I thought the answer might be some sort of projector but, clearly, I was wrong.

37A. 1988 comedy starring Richard Dreyfuss and Raul Julia (MOON OVER PARADOR).  I knew this one immediately and got it without any crossings.  Even though I’ve never seen it, the combined help of being a huge Dreyfuss fan and being super aware of all that went on in 1988 made this one a gimmie.

38A. Song with the lyric “City of a million warm embraces” (ARRIVEDERCI ROMA).  This one was a bit more difficult.  Made even more difficult by my insistence on trying to fit CHICAGO in somewhere.  Even though we’ve said arrivederci to Roma they say as long as you through a coin into the Fontana di Trevi you’ll definitely come back.  (We forgot to do that but we took our picture in front of it so hopefully that will count.)

39A. Pomelo relatives (MANDARIN ORANGES).  Other names for the pomelo include: Chinese grapefruit, jabong, lusho fruit, pompelmous, and shaddock.  Shaddock?  Isn’t that a fish?

Hopefully Joe will read the blog today and tell us how he was able to accomplish this impressive stacking.

Other highlights:

26A. “Tootsie” Oscar nominee (GARR).  Seriously, who’s better than Teri Garr.  You know what?  As soon as I finish writing the blog, I’m going to make myself a sandwich and watch Tootsie.

28A. Charter (LET).  What does this mean?  LET like in “let an apartment”?

45A. Where things are bolted down on base (MESS ROOM).  Love the clue but isn’t it MESS HALL?

3D. One maturing quickly, for short (TBILL).  What did I put here first?  TWEEN.

6D. “That was the turnoff!” (YOU PASSED IT).  I have no sense of direction.  Even with a GPS I’m constantly missing exits and tearing off in the wrong direction.  I think I might get a t-shirt made up that has a picture of GPS and the words “recalculating route”.

8D. Charging giant, informally (AMEX).  Great clue.

12D. 1998 film featuring Colonel Cutter (ANTZ).  As soon as I read the clue, I knew it was ANTZ.  No idea why.  I barely remember the movie and I certainly don’t remember Colonel Cutter.  I didn’t write it in right away because I had no reason to believe I was correct.  Finally, I couldn’t deny my destiny any longer and typed my way to correct entry glory.  Colonel Cutter was voice by Christopher Walken, by the way.

28D. Renoir at the Getty (LA PROMENADE).  This got filled in entirely by crosses.  Beautiful painting, though.

45D. Tacit storytellers (MIMES).  You’ve got to hand it to mimes.  People hate them but they keep showing up to the party.

Really great puzzle today.  I can spend the rest of Saturday feeling more smarter.  And watching Tootsie.

Next stop, Sunday.