Monday, 4/23

CS 3:10
NYT 2:43
LAT 2:40
NYS tba

Wonderful Monday NYT crossword from David Pringle, isn't it? Loved the theme, especially that theme entry that hit my pop-culture sweet spot but might be unknown to generations before or after mine. PUT ONE'S FINGER ON is the hint to the other four theme answers, each of which starts with a finger: the INDEX, MIDDLE, PINKY, and RING fingers. (No THUMB or EBERT thumbs-up distractions here.) Now, with just two or three letters filled in and the clue, [Fonzie's girl on "Happy Days"], PINKY TUSCADERO leapt into the crossword and gave me a frisson of tween nostalgia. Every time MR C or MRS C gets into a crossword grid, Pinky has been patiently biding her time, waiting for her chance to shine. Most of the remaining fill is fairly standard Monday fare, with a little X, Z, and K action to spice it up. I like [Roly-___] as the clue for POLY. Every time a crossword has a mention of the roly-poly, pillbug, sowbug, or other isopod critter, I like to post a link to the photo of a giant isopod; somehow, this amuses me while millipedes and centipedes evoke abject horror. Anyway, thanks to Pinky Tuscadero, I love this theme and have dropped a copy of the puzzle into my favorite-puzzles bin.