"Bespectacled" is by Gary Steinmehl and the way it works is spelled out in 59A: Disparaging name for someone who wears glasses (and a hint to this puzzle's theme) (FOUR EYES.) In other words, all themed entries have four I's, to wit:
17A: Unpublished O.J. Simpson book (IF I DID IT) Since O.J. is in trouble again -- for breaking into a hotel room and stealing some sports memorabilia (thankfully this time he didn't kill anybody) -- his next contribution to the world of literature might be titled "If I Had Any Sense or Self-Respect Whatsoever."
23A: The Gipper's team (FIGHTING IRISH) 37A: Number eight iron (PITCHING NIBLICK) I don't think most modern golfers know the difference between a mashie niblick and mashed potato. The only reason I do is from reading P.G. Wodehouse.
45A: Beachwear, for some (STRING BIKINI)
It was a pretty easy Monday puzzle -- even though I didn't get 39D: Actress Taylor of "Ransom" or 42A: Comedian Carol or 44A: Moon of Jupiter; It's LILI, LEIVER and LEDA, for those of you keeping score at home.
Other entries of interest:
64A: Good Witch of the North in "The Wizard of Oz." (GLINDA) Well, only after those Yankee film-makers got hold of it. In L. Frank Baum's books, Glinda is the Good Witch of the South.
9D: "Gee whillikers" (WELL I'LL BE) These don't seem like synonyms to me. "Gee Whillikers" sounds like something one of the Little Rascals might say, and "Well, I'll be. . ." seems much more mature.
I thought High top? at 1-Across was a pretty cool clue for AFRO.
I'll take Crossword-E's for a thousand, Alex: EMUS (41A) ELI (62A) ESPN (56D) ERLE (29A) and ENS (40A)
31D: Beer that competed with Schaefer (RHEINGOLD) Rheingold is famous for many things -- their annual "Miss Rheingold" competition in the 40's and 50's where beer drinkers got to vote for the lady who would wear the coveted crown, for being one of the few advertisers who didn't run scared when Nat "King" Cole became the first black man to host his own television show. And they're famous to me because I used to enjoy their barrel-shaped Chug-A-Mug bottles before they went out of business in 1976.
3 comments:
I've been playing golf for nearly 40 years and have never heard anyone refer to their 8 iron as a PITCHING NIBLICK. I know all of the old terms for the clubs, but I don't think they've been used since early last century.
"Gee whillikers" and "well I'll be" sound perfectly synonomous to me. Perhaps it's a regional thing.
1A really threw me off. I started with ACME/APEX, then AERO/ACRO. Maybe I'm thinking too hard for a Monday.
42A Comedian Carol is LEIFER, making the down answer LIFESTYLE, or at least I'm pretty sure it is.
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