Wednesday, 9/20

NYT 4:51
NYS 4:45
LAT 3:16
CS 2:56

Thanks for your comments thus far on the preceding post. Keep 'em coming!

Joe DiPietro's NYT crossword at first seemed like something that had been sitting on ice for a decade. Why? The combination of AC COWLINGS and OJ SIMPSON had me half expecting to see Kato Kaelin, Johnnie Cochran, or Lance Ito in the grid. Turns out AC and OJ shared not only that infamous Bronco car chase, but also initials with an alternate meaning. The set of theme entries is entertaining when spelled out: Air Conditioner Cowlings, Orange Juice Simpson, Designated Hitter Lawrence, Alcoholics Anonymous Milne, and Police Department James. How many of you read the clue, [Company in the Martha Stewart stock trading scandal], drew a blank, and began concocting imaginary biotech company names in your head?

In Jack McInturff's Wednesday Sun puzzle, the "See Ya!" title means I'm outta here. In other words, IM has been removed from the base phrase for each theme entry: ROUGH EST[IM]ATE, DEC[IM]AL FRACTION, and NATIONAL PAST[IM]E. It took me a fair amount of staring before I saw where the IM's had been excised. Favorite clue: [Inventory taker?] for LOOTER.

Updated:

Thomas Schier's CrosSynergy puzzle is a tribute to Red Buttons, who died this July (and happened to be the subject of a "Jeopardy!" clue the day he died).