Sun., 8/23 Gordon Johnson

[magus]

Theme: planets mnemonic are first words of phrases: M V E M S U N [but not P]
   
GOOD ONES:     
A typical one {theme}   MNEMONIC   
Where some precious metal is exchanged   ALTAR [wedding rings]   
Shore thing  SAND   
Record collection   DATA BASE   
Kind of cow?   CASH   
   
BTW:   
My newspaper had "Hilo his," which gave me pause until I realized it was a misprint: his = hi's   
   
Adversarial attitude   US VS THEM [I guess, but I had US OR THEM, which I think is better (especially since I filled it in in ink)]   
   
Macon university   MERCER [note lower case U: Mercer is in Macon, GA]   
   
   
RATING:    
Three grins = Loved it; Two grins = Enjoyed it; One grin = A bit bland for my taste; One teardrop = Not much fun   

[Thomps2525]

On February 13, 2000, I opened the Sunday Los Angeles Times so I could see Charles Schulz's final Peanuts comic. He had decided to retire after drawing the strip for 50 years. On the front page of the main news section was the story that Schulz had died of colon cancer February 12.

Today I opened the Los Angeles Times so I could start solving Merl Reagle's Sunday crossword.....and the obituary page has the news of Reagle's death. He died August 22 in a Tampa hospital, two days after being diagnosed with acute pancreatitis and slipping into a coma. He was 65. His puzzles appeared in more than 50 newspapers nationwide.
 
http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-merl-reagle-20150823-story.html

Today's crossword, titled "Things Are People Too," is probably Reagle's final one. His wife says he usually worked right up to deadline so it is unlikely that there are any unpublished puzzles. 

Sissy: PANTYWAIST
Vivacious person: PISTOL
Work shirker: GOLDBRICK
Timid type: CREAMPUFF
Nonmixer at a mixer: WALLFLOWER
Gangly guy: STRINGBEAN
Newsroom figure: ANCHOR
Energetic type: LIVEWIRE
Cartoon mother-in-law: BATTLEAXE
Attorney, for one: MOUTHPIECE

Thank you, Merl, for all the clever pun-filled crosswords you gave us for the past 36 years. Rest in peace.

[magus]

Merle was probably the best ever, and I am saddened by his passing.

M
Anthony

[Thomps2525]

Merl Reagle refused to use crossword software. He created all his puzzles with an ol'-fashioned pencil on a sheet of ol'-fashioned  paper, often in a café or coffeehouse where he could see how the patrons reacted to his many puns. He was featured along with Will Shortz, Trip Payne and other puzzle creators in the 2006 documentary film Wordplay.