ECRU gave me the "E" in ELM ( 9D: Workable wood), though sadly the answer was not ELM but ASH. One, two, three! ECRU! Is that word in the Pantheon, 'cause it should be. On the count of three, all crossworders everywhere will tell me the four-letter answer I instinctively entered here. I never think of AQUA as "pale," though I suppose it has legitimate claim to that designation. that's how stupidly frustrated I got by this one square. I was starting to think that I'd spelled NAPOLEON wrong, and the first letter might be "A". used as an Abbr.? I know it's (probably ) short for "OCCasionally," but still, ick. I had the final "C" of 32A, but not yet having AIDE DE CAMP - which provides the "D" in DCC - I couldn't decide what "year" the damned clue was talking about. And the F-cross ( 5A: Easy mark, in cards (fish)) provided no help - not a term I've heard much, if at all. FOYT ( 5D: Four-time Indy winner) always breaks me, too I get the -OYT part, and then can never remember what the consonant is. So, baseball and French, two things I know something about. I don't even remember how I finally arrived at the correct AIDE DE CAMP. An officer is helped by a CAMP? RIDERE CAMP? SIDELE CAMP? Ugh. All because _IDE_E CAMP ( 18D: With 53-Down, officer's helper) meant nothing to me. (Napoleon Solo)), I thought "PIETRA? PIETRI? PIETRO? Italian dessert?" I couldn't even see PIE, let alone PIE TRAYNOR. Instead, thinking it was some dumb-ass, made-up dessert like NAPOLEON ( 29A (THEME): The man from U.N.C.L.E. I can't tell you how long I stared at PIETR-YNOR and thought "PIETRO? Was there an Italian baseball player named PIETRO YNOR?" This was at the end of my solving experience, after I (supposedly) had the theme. Now that I have confirmed that my memory is not totally faulty, on to the puzzle.Īnd back to PIE TRAYNOR. Burns's ridiculously old-timey speech gives me great pleasure. "Damnation! These banjos couldn't carry PIE TRAYNOR's glove!" Toward the end of the game, the Isotopes look certain to lose, and after watching a 'tope strike out (the second out of the ninth inning), Burns exclaims: But then he and Burnsie start having fun, drinking, doing the wave, etc. Burns sits right next to him at the Power Plant-sponsored Family Night at the ballpark, figuring his good, beer-drinking time will be ruined. HA, YES! Stupid internet didn't have the quotation, but my beautiful, faithful DVDs and my ridiculous infinite patience have rewarded me with the quotation I was seeking! Homer is sad when Mr. Hmmm, I'll try "Dancing Homer" (Season Two, when Homer briefly becomes the mascot for the minor league Springfield Isotopes) - I know the quotation is out there somewhere. Burns's first proposed team of ringers for his Power Plant softball team. I was further thrown by my inability to see PIE as a name, let alone a dessert, despite the fact that not only do I know who PIE TRAYNOR ( 17A (THEME): Pittsburgh Hall-of-Fame third baseman) is - I can quote a "Simpsons" line with PIE TRAYNOR's name in it! I am currently cuing up "Homer at the Bat" (from Season Three) - nope, the quotation isn't there, though in that episode, PIE TRAYNOR is the third baseman on Mr. I got thrown by my inability to see the contours for the phrases - that is, to see where words in multiple-word answers began and ended. What makes my slowness truly galling is that I know the answers - it's not like I got thrown by obscurity or ignorance. Did two Thursday puzzles (out of this book) just before I did this one, and both Thursdays were done in (much) better times than today's 13:16. This was not a good puzzle for me, as you can see my by Thursday- or Friday-like time. THEME: Desserts - all theme answers start with dessert names used in non-dessert contexts, e.g.
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