Samstag

Robert Wolfe's NYT has some good Saturday clues. There's "Prepare to take off?" for UNTIE. "Terse bit of advice" is well-known to any parent: DON'T. I liked SPELT's clue, "Like L-O-N-D-O-N." Not being a fan of military history, TIN HELMET didn't come readily to mind. I hadn't encountered MANTRAP referring to, essentially, a beartrap for people rather than a seductive woman. Clearly I don't watch much basketball—I would've guessed that Mario ELIE was European or South American, but he's a native New Yorker (though he played in Europe and Argentina); I also would've thought he was a current young player rather than older and a coach. How about that "Ivy, e.g."—anyone else plug in COLLEGE instead of CREEPER? (D'oh.) I don't quite buy the plural FAIR SHAKES. Technically, I suppose any valid noun entry can be pluralized in a crossword, but this one seems wide of the mark to me.

NYT 7:16
Newsday 5:27
LAT 4:48
CS 3:28