The answer I missed in Merl's puzzle was the cross at STABAT/BORMAN (I thought he was Gorman). I'm hoping stabat=standing.
Karen | 10.31.09 - 7:10 pm | #

This was definitely one of my favorite Sundays of the year! What a tour de force. 12 theme entries in a unique theme. I put this under "I-shoulda-thought-of-it" category! PeRHAPSody opened the theme for me and it was actually one of my fastest Sundays (but still 2x orange time!)

Truly a confluence of art (the aha, the creativity) and science (the database, the computer programs).

This is a great construction combo, so I hope to see more from the two "show-offs" :-)
Shark | 11.01.09 - 12:50 am | #

The NYT is a true Marvel! Even little 5D deserves a mention -- What "two" meant, historically? Ans. BY SEA, crossing APOCRYPHA. It helps if you spell the latter correctly! My favorite nugget of the verities, PERHAPSODY? Loved all the new language!
ArtLvr | 11.01.09 - 5:28 am | #

Fab Puzzle of the Month by Merl too! I have no idea why I remembered Judy CANOVA, except that it's an intriguing last name, like Imogene Coca. BORIS BADENOV too! ("Bad enough"? There's also someone who sounds like "Good enough"!)

I singled out the same favorite: "Closing act", SUTURE, crossed by Coming SOON! Thought the BAT (clean-up) might have been more fun with a Halloweeny clue...
ArtLvr | 11.01.09 - 5:56 am | #

My best time ever - negative eighteen minutes! (That, of course, is my time of 42:00 less one hour for the time change).

I loved every minute of it.
David | 11.01.09 - 7:56 am | #

Can someone please post the answer for #12 to "Vowel Play" (NTR) -- it's the only one I can't figure out. Thanks.
twangster | 11.01.09 - 11:12 am | #

Twangster, I have notary/uniter.
Orange | Homepage | 11.01.09 - 12:24 pm | #

I found it a little harder than average mostly because the theme, while not too hard to deduce, led to entries that took real thought and crossings. Clever, though. Who knew one would have so much use for the phrase "portmanteau word"?

I'll say that I had trouble with a couple of name crossings. NYAD looked nicer than NIAD, but then IAN looked nicer than YAN, and I didn't know either. SVEN looked likely, but I didn't know the poker player. I hate crossings like that.
John Haber | 11.01.09 - 5:29 pm | #