Say What?! (06-19-2011)

Dammit.  Two wrong.

36A: Skunk, e.g.  We guessed DUD because, I mean, why not? Like, maybe you skunked something which means you fucked up and now everyone thinks you’re a huge DUD? Apparently the answer is FUR. Skunks have fur. And we suppose some people wear that fur right before having red paint thrown on it by PETA. Screw you, PETA. We’re blaming y’all for that mistake.  (Fun Fact: The new “blood splattering” is getting “glittered” by gay-rights activists.  We think this is fabulous.  Plus, how angry can you be when someone throws glitter at you?)

Otherwise, a pretty quick and dirty puzzle. Stupid theme – certainly not worth the exciting slang term + QUESTION MARK EXCLAMATION MARK that the title thew at us.  It’s basically expressions.  Like 104A: “Just keep doing what you’re doing, suitcases” (CARRY ON BAGS), but then you also get shit like 44A: “You’re in danger, tall hill” (LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN).  Not only is that not a term we’re familiar with, but suitcases is a viable alternative to ‘bags’.  Tall hill?  Really?  Patrick Berry, you are on notice.  We don’t hate you as much as Paula, but you’re certainly no Xan [Norwegian guttural noise].

HIGHLIGHTS

• 39A: Big-screen canine (ASTA).  Holla!!  Our favorite movie dog because he makes it rain, y’all.
• 6A: Bates’s “Misery” costar (CAAN).  Abbie and her brother watched this movie when they were about eleven, and Will had to sleep under her bed for three nights because he was so scared of Kathy Bates.  True story.
• 21A: Something well-preserved? (WATER).  Get it, guys?  Well?  Like in a water well?  Eric was thinking of Mimi’s cherry preserves, so this was kind of a let down for him.
• 27A: What you might get by moving a head? (PEZ).  Yay!!  Pez!!  Cuz one, pez is delicious, and two, what a clever clue!?  PEZ: Bringing the nation toward a diabetic coma one little piece at a time
• 107D: Life saver? (NOAH).  Clever pun.  Also, Eric knows a random line in Hebrew that is about Noah, so he feels pretty good about himself right now.  (Noah ish tamim hayah, b’dorotav).  Abbie is unimpressed because her people do it in Latin.  (That’s what ella said.)
• 90A: Sistine Chapel ceiling figure (EVE).  Three-letters.  Not God.  This took us like an hour.  In our defense, Adam has four letters.  So, that’s pretty complicated.
• 34D: “Rugrats” father (STU) Yay!  Rugrats!  Also, Happy Father’s Day.  We’re a little miffed that there wasn’t more Father’s Day cluing, but at least there also wasn’t any anal sex cluing (see Mother’s Day post).  We’ll call it a draw.
• 99D: Wayne’s pal in “Wayne’s World” (GARTH)  Abbie was a little too excited about this clue.

WILL SHORTZ’S MISTAKES

• 85A: “Goodbye, place I used to live” (FAREWELL ADDRESS).  Goodbye equals farewell.  We’re with you so far.  The “place I used to live” is your “address.”  Really?  What about the place you currently live?  In a puzzle of lame-ass theme clues, this one took the shit-cake.
• 103A: Speak for everyone in the room (ORATE).  The preposition is not correct.  Abbie has memorized all forty-nine prepositions via a handy song, and after a quick rundown… ‘to’ is better.  Good try!  (Preposition, preposition, starting with an ‘a’…)
• 97D: Runcible spoon feature (PRONG).  Oh.  My.  God!  We have always wondered whether “spork” had a technical name.  The answer is… no.  It’s called a fucking spork.   Runcible spoon, my ass.  Get in the cafeteria line with the rest of us, Will Shortz.

No pictures because Abbie has a date!  (Not really.  Sorry Dianne.  I know you got your hopes up there.  If it makes you feel any better, Eric doesn’t either.  But he’s totally going to go hang with Abbie’s dad, who, it turns out, is a baller!  Thanks for letting me crash!)

Peace,

ericandabbie