February 22, 2006

Cxetvrtak (that's Bosnian for Thursday)

I can't vouch for its accuracy, but this is the site I've been using to find foreign names for the days of the week.

I enjoyed Todd McClary's NYT, which was foreshadowed by my husband's living-room performance of "My Name is Yon Yonson" earlier this week. I checked the Cruciverb database for all the J-into-Y theme entries, and it appears that this theme is a new one. (Even if it weren't, I'd still like it. The entries are fun to say aloud.) Outside of the theme, the puzzle's oozing with good stuff, like JINX, KOOKY, KENYAN, EELSKIN, MOWGLI, and ANTONYM (which had a great clue: "Head to toe").

Jay Leatherman's Themeless Thursday puzzle in the Sun seemed easier than most TT's, but had some lovely fill. FOGGY BOTTOM on top and SUNNY SIDE UP down below, and GO ASK YOUR MOTHER. I wonder if the Missouri mini-theme (two states clued "The Missouri R. forms part of its border, plus SHOW ME) was the constructor's doing or a Peter Gordon suggestion. And how sad is the clue for BUD: "the world's best-selling beer, for short"? Oh, there are so many better brews out there...

NYS 3:56
LAT 3:51
NYT 3:49
CS 3:45
Newsday 3:00 (on paper)