Sun., 7/5 Mark Bickham

[magus]

THEME:   groups of men with the same first name
   
GOOD ONES:    
All theme clues using a collective noun that matches the first name: Gene pool, Bills piling up [bill pile], Art gallery, Robin's nest, Buddy list.   
Paper pieces   OP EDS [not origami]   
Square with roots   SOD [not "sqaure roots"]   
Components of a very long month?  SUNDAYS [from the bygone expression "a month of Sundays"]   
Eaves dropper?   ICICLE   
Widely read article   THE [definitely!  ]   
It has two of itself in it   ESS [the spelling of the letter S {ESS} itself has two S's]   
   
BTW:   
Warning from a small house   GRR [guess the house is a doghouse, but mansions have guard dogs;  I'd go with "House warning"]   
   
   
RATING:   
Three grins = Loved it; Two grins = Enjoyed it; One grin = A bit bland for my taste; One teardrop = Not much fun   

[Thomps2525]

Merl Reagle obviously put a lot of thought into today's Los Angeles Times crossword titled "R Moving Day." The theme answers are familiar phrases with the letter R moved to a different spot.

"Contact sports" became CONTRACTSPOTS ("Come down with measles?"). "Red as a beet" became EDASABERET ("Actor Harris in Special Forces attire?"). "Turned up the heat" became TUNEDUPTHEHEART ("Did cardio workouts?"). "Such a pretty face" became SUCHAPETTYFARCE ("Putdown of a broad comedy?"). "It's Greek to me" became ITSGEEKTORME ("Mel's least favorite way to be greeted when he was a kid?").

Reagle also used Spanish (OSO), French (COR, AIGRE), Latin (QUA), Italian (SOAVE) and Hebrew (NISAN). *Sigh*