Daily Beast, 11/13/09

Time – 11:42 (paper)
“Team Palin” by Matt Gaffney


The publication of a 1A/132A [...new book by Sarah Palin] titled “GOING ROGUE” leads Matt to using the unusual Palin family names for theme answers. Whatever your opinion of the ex-governor of 109A: [Wasila home] – ALASKA, you must admit that not every family could get this puzzle treatment. Osmonds? No. Jacksons? Tito and Jermaine, maybe.
Other theme answers:
23A: [Math lessons for one of Sarah Palin’s kids?] – TRIG CLASSES. Will Trig’s kids be named Calc, Alg and Arith?
39A: [One of Sarah Palin’s kids, when she’s upset?] – WEEPING WILLOW.
56A: [What one of Sarah Palin’s kids puts in her coffee?] – BRISTOL CREAM.
84A: [One of Sarah Palin’s kids, when a slapstick prank is pulled on her?] – THE PIED PIPER.
101A: [Lamp in one of Sarah Palin’s kids’ rooms?] – TRACK LIGHTING. Isn’t high school hard enough with a regular name?
119A: [Dialect spoken by Sarah Palin’s husband?] – TODD ENGLISH. This was new to me. Todd English is a celebrity chef.
Pseudo-theme answer:
82A: [Singer Bareilles] – SARA. Didn’t know the name but I know the song.
Canadian content for the blogger:
93A: [“The Love GURU” (Mike Myers movie)]/ Compare with 32D [Mystic] - SWAMI
2D – [Bobby of NHL fame ] – ORR
115D – [Neighbor of Sask.] – NDAK. Shouldn’t that be neighbour?
Other stuff:
25A: [“Thus Spoke Zarathustra” author] – NIETZSCHE. Made me think of 2001, a Space Odyssey music.
49A: [Throw a fit] – GO APE/76D [Freak out] – PANIC/51D: [Audience disapproval] – BOO HISS
(Is there a hidden political commentary in this puzzle?)
50A: [Fast spreading idea] – MEME. A slow spreading idea is called a YOUYOU.
51A: [Jaw covering] – BEARD. Clever and yet ordinary.
62A: [Fields Medal winner Terence] TAO. That is a big mathematics prize. I’ll bet Mike Nothnagel knew this. I’ll bet Amy didn’t.
69A: [X] – CHI. You wrote TEN, didn’t you? Yes you did. Don’t lie to me.
73A: [Grossmutter, casually] – OMA. Name two terms for grandmother that I didn’t know. I prefer Bubbie.
100A: [Maine college] – BATES. Would you go to a college named after the motel in Psycho?
42D: [Magazine whose next cover features Sonia Sotomayor] - LATINA
54D: [“About SCHMIDT”]. 2002 Jack Nicholson movie. Or another term for grandmother that I didn’t know. Either answer is equally possible.
59D: [Crab-eater’s tool] – MALLET. Why would you eat something that needs a mallet?
91D: [Fencers and hurdlers, e.g.] – ATHLETES. Not in the Winter Olympic, coming to Vancouver in 2010.
95D: [U.S. senator with a palindromic name] – Daniel AKAKA of Hawaii. Not Alaska, despite the A’s and K’s.
98D: [Watch whose days are numbered] – DIGITAL. Clue of the week!
See you next week!