Product names used to be taboo in crossword puzzles. Used to be. In today's Los Angeles Times crossword, the theme is PAPERTOWELS. The fisrt word of each theme answer is a brand of paper towels: SCOTTJOPLIN, BOUNTYHUNTER and VIVALASVEGAS.
The theme of today's Daily News crossword is BOARDGAMES. The first word of each theme answer is the name of a board game: RISKTAKER, CLUEMEIN, LIFERAFT, TROUBLEAHEAD and SORRYCHARLIE. The puzzle also includes ATARI, ATRA, SBARRO and TESLA.
So...a lot of free advertising for paper towels and board games.
The NEA crossword includes ASEA, a word which I don't recall seeing anywhere except in crosswords. The Universal crossword includes RIGHTOFWAY, RIGHTANSWER, LEFTBRAINED and LEFTFIELDER. The Times puzzle includes PSST, clued with "Hissed 'Hey!'" I maintain that a hissed "Hey!" would be "Hey!", although there is no way to hiss a word which does contain the letter S. The clue should be "Hissed equivalent of 'Hey!'" Hey, am I right?
