Scot Ober's
Los Angeles Times crossword today includes PETERPIPER, ROTOROOTER, TRYOUT and PROPERETIQUETTE. "Typewriter area, letterwise" for those answers is TOPROW. They can be spelled using only the top row of letters on a typewriter. I wonder how hard it would be to write a short story using only those ten letters. It might be fun to try. "Terry, were we out? Trippy! I owe you." "You were too pouty, Peter. Try to quit!" "Try?" "Up to you, Peter." Not bad for a first draft!
Andrea Michaels'
Daily News crossword includes the mystery books HARDYBOYSSERIES, the 1968 hit song HARPERVALLEYPTA and, for "Crimson alumnus," HARVARDGRADUATE. "Bit of textspeak, unshortened" is LAUGHINGOUTLOUD. The beginnings of the theme answers form HARDYHARHAR. But shouldn't the clue have said "Bit of textspeak, spelled out"? Is "unshortened" even a word? Fans of Jackie Gleason will of course recognize "Hardy-har-har" as the sarcastic laugh often uttered by Ralph Kramden to his wife Alice on
The Honeymooners.
"Four-car garage" might have made for a good theme if the Universal Crossword creator had arranged the four long answers in a square and put the word GARAGE in the middle, but he didn't think of doing that. The grid includes CARTWHEELED, CARBONFIBER, CARAMELIZES and CARSICKNESS. Those words all start with CAR but otherwise have no connection. Any puzzle maker who wants to use my "four-car garage" idea is welcome to it. Perhaps names of automobiles could be used in place of words beginning with CAR.
