Moonstruck.
Donald | 02.23.08 - 6:39 pm | #

I just did the NYT monthly bonus puzzle for February, which has a Leap Day theme. I was delighted to find JETE (Ballet leap) at 1-across, since it is not often seen. Later on, there were two other clues for "ballet leaps", but the answers are actually ice skating jumps: Toe LOOP, and the ubiquitous AXEL. It's surprising to run across such an oversight.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to celebrating Leap Day in Brooklyn!
Jan (danjan) | 02.23.08 - 9:37 pm | #

Wow, The puzzle was good and time filling for me, but after finishing the first theme entry, I thought the letters were mixed up as I couldn't suss out Mr. Theron. The abundance of three letter words and recognizable longer fills made it possible to finish. It would take a real trivia nut to get these without a good number of crosses. This is my idea of a Sunday puzzle.
PhillySolver | 02.23.08 - 11:23 pm | #

Woohoo, first time ever beating Orange in the applet. Good omen for the tournament! (...where I won't come close to the elite ranks, but my goal is top 50. Or a rookie prize or something.)

Fun theme but not much interesting fill. Alliterative cluing has officially gone too far with [Granny, in Gelsenkirchen]. Hmm, I take that back, "Gelsenkirchen" is fun to say... like every German word of four or more syllables.

Does THEOSCAR really qualify as asymmetrical? Aren't "cue" theme entries usually alone in a corner, scrambled presidents notwithstanding? Why am I quibbling with the woman who wrote the book on the subject?

Wow, the only thing scarier to me than a diagramless (which I've never really attempted) would be a Blindauer diagramless, where you know something funny's going on! (Cue the opening number of "Lucky Stiff"...)
Dan | 02.24.08 - 12:05 am | #

Actually, it was Moonstruck!
Anonymous | 02.24.08 - 12:26 am | #

Thanks for the nod, Orange - I look forward to your take on my first diagramless word-baby.

And since you brought up one of my favorite musicals, Dan, enjoy:

"Speaking French" from "Lucky Stiff"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2...h? v=2nBZgsoyUtc

Best,
pauer
pauer | 02.24.08 - 8:52 am | #

Patrick, you may have a knack for diagramlesses! Look forward to your next offering.

Anonymous and Donald, thanks. I never did see Moonstruck.

Dan, ouch! I see that plenty of other people whomped me completely on the applet. I'm going to have to blame tiredness from the late night Friday!

This is completely off topic, but my husband's ordering some Cubs tickets online. They recommend that you print your tickets at home—which you can't do before March 12—and it costs an extra $2.50! What a racket.
Orange | Homepage | 02.24.08 - 9:27 am | #

Orange, "Moonstruck" is definitely worth seeing...if only for the scene where she tells Nicolas Cage to "snap out of it."

No matter that others beat you on this one...they're probably career movie buffs. You continue to amaze me...under ten minutes! I worked it off and on for a total of about two hours.

That's a racket all right. Not exactly the same, but I detest the Qwest prompt when you get a busy signal..."for only 95 cents," Qwest will blah, blah, blah. I'm definitely not pennywise and pound foolish, but I hope I will never be too busy that I pay them in lieu of redialing.
Linda G | Homepage | 02.24.08 - 11:48 am | #

diagramless::: I found this one fairly easy. Odd because the d-less usually is so challenging for me, and the "pauer" puzzles are as well. Once I cracked the caddy and frozen treat clues (guess I won't write the answers since they're not overt in Orange's write-up, other than 68d), things started to roll. Of course, I had to correct Bonnie Chastain, and there was that moment of indecision when completing the Tones clue, where I knew if I did what comes naturally the symmetry would disappear.

Thanks Pauer for the fun puzzle and thanks Orange...I never would have seen the "big eye" without your write-up. Next time I'll try it without looking up the starting square.
barryf | 02.24.08 - 2:18 pm | #

You bet. Initially, I was toying with THEEYESHAVEIT and EYEEYECAPTAIN as theme material, but I eventually came to my senses.

Best,
pauer
pauer | 02.24.08 - 5:59 pm | #

@pauer -- EYEYIEYE!
barryf | 02.24.08 - 7:12 pm | #

Orange, I'm surprised you didn't recognize Geraldine PAGE in the LAT Sunday. "The Trip to Bountiful" is in your time, isn't it? 1980s? Or are you younger than I think? ;-)

I think YOUNG was Loretta, don't know what film. Now that was definitely before your time.
Jim | 02.24.08 - 11:28 pm | #

March, is Frederick March. And He is from long ago.
John | 02.25.08 - 9:14 am | #

Speaking of diagramless... I was looking for a diagramless book for my sister. I started by looking at your site and Tyler's etc for recommendations. Frustrated, I then typed "diagramless" into Amazon search.

Is it really the case that there are NO diagramless books currently in print? Wow!
David Glasser | Homepage | 02.25.08 - 5:50 pm | #

It's true, David, for the time being. I have it on good authority that a diagramless book is in the works. Who would be crazy enough to write such a book? That's right: Brendan E. Quigley.

I, for one, can't wait to see it (no pressure, Brendan!).

Best,
pauer
pauer | 02.25.08 - 7:39 pm | #

Ooh, Patrick, thanks for the dirt! That's a book I'll be buying when it comes out.
Orange | Homepage | 02.26.08 - 12:21 am | #