Indeed a pleasant and entertaining softie of a puzzle. I wondered if LOWDOWN had anything to do with the theme, but it is late and I can't see it. It does make me wonder though if we will ever see DOWNLOW in a NYT puzzle.

I am a pre-GENX guy (Boomer really) , but think that the best introduction to Rudyard Kipling is to read his prose aloud.
PhillySolver | 05.18.08 - 11:16 pm | #

Yes Orange, VACANT somewhat applies to Joe's career after SNL and to the "simpleminded mawkish pap"* that was Robin's movie. But it doesn't apply to the actual Patch Adams, and I know that first hand.
*And that was the best review.
Glickstein | 05.18.08 - 11:30 pm | #

What is going on at the Sun???? Even their own website dosent work!!!! Yikes!!! Is the puzzle just floating out there in etherspace???
John | 05.19.08 - 9:41 am | #

John, the puzzles were posted about a half hour after your comment. I called the Sun and left a voicemail of complaint, so I'm taking full credit for the week's puzzles being posted now.

Lee, yes, I was applying the aspersions of vacuity to the Robin Williams portrayal, since that's what the clue referenced.
Orange | Homepage | 05.19.08 - 10:45 am | #

I admire anyone who can make the Sun come out.
Well done.
PhillySolver | 05.19.08 - 11:41 am | #

Actually Orange you can netflix rikki tikki tavi for your children (and yourself) its part of The Chuck Jones Collection.
Matthew Monahan | 05.19.08 - 12:30 pm | #

Orange - My links (more than 1) to the NYS pzl don't work, as of 3:40 pm EDT. Any ideas?
larry | 05.19.08 - 2:44 pm | #

Orange - Ignore previous post. Just checked again and VOILA! Thanks.
larry | 05.19.08 - 2:46 pm | #

Ooh, thank you, Matthew! It's in my queue now.
Orange | Homepage | 05.19.08 - 2:49 pm | #

PATCHADAMS (Robin Williams)? - Olivier
JOEPISCOPO? - Gielgud
PAULYSHORE? - Now we're talkin' dreck!

Congrats to Andrea for a fine double-header and to the Nothnagelian one for two-NYTs-in-nearly-as-many-days: nicely done, on all missions!

Btw, Lee: I love the word PAP - it's DRECK and then some, yet concise...a mere three letters packed with the exact meaning intended for the likes of "Patch Adams". I wish I could remember the adjective my sister-in-law used to describe the type of PAP she felt "The Berenstain Bears" was, when firmly crossing those books off her kid's reading list: was it alliterative?...pandering pap? No. Oh, trust me, it was a beautiful combination of words! No apologies to lovers of those books, either - on this I stand firm!!
tony orbach | 05.19.08 - 4:32 pm | #

Hey folks.

Geez, you take one weekend off to attend a conference and suddenly you're all over the paper! :)

I almost missed this one -- I was busy all day catching up on what I didn't do this weekend, and just now checked out today's puzzle.

Anyway, thanks for the kind words about the puzzle. It'll probably be the only time I'll have a puzzle published where the previous answer is my grid, too!

See y'all later...
MN
Nothnagel | 05.19.08 - 8:28 pm | #