Fri., 1/9 Frank Virzi

[magus]

THEME:   spoken phrases with additional endings create new meanings
   
GOOD ONES:     
Tool for putting a Ping-Pong ball into orbit   LAUNCHING PADDLE   
Solo in space   HAN   
   
   
RATING:    
Three grins = Loved it; Two grins = Enjoyed it; One grin = A bit bland for my taste; One teardrop = Not much fun   

[Thomps2525]

Many newspapers, including the Daily News, run the daily NEA crossword. The grid is 13x13 and the answers are usually very common English words. Seldom is there a foreign word or a pop-culture reference. Today's Times crossword goes to the other extreme. Among the answers are references to actors, authors, plays, musicals, movies, movie characters, song titles, a Boer state, a Greek god, an Indian ruler and foreign currency. Friday crosswords are typically more difficult than the Monday-through-Thursday crosswords. I completed today's puzzle easily enough but, with all the semi-obscure references, it resembled a game of Jeopardy!