I'm a PC
by Myles Callum
edited by Mike Shenk
November 6, 2009


Full answers available on WSJ's crossword puzzle page or with the following week's puzzle on WSJ's online Lifestyle page.


Theme:
PETTY CRITICISM
{27A Carping? Nitpicking of Richard? Whatever! I'm a PC}
PRIVY COUNCILS
{38A Royal Advisors? Outhouse committees? Whatever! I'm a PC}
PASTRY CHEF {56A Patissier? Tart person? Whatever! I'm a PC}
POTATO CHIP {77A Crisp? Tuber splinter? Whatever! I'm a PC}
PRICE CONTROLS
{89A Anti-inflationary measures? Vincent's knobs? W! I'm a PC}
PRINCE CHARMING
{103A Fairy tale guy? Hexing a pop musician? Whatever! I'm a PC}
POSSE COMITATUS
{15D Sheriff's power? Latin militia? Whatever! I'm a PC}
POSITIVE CHARGE
{52D Proton feature? Favorable use of plastic? Whatever! I'm a PC}
The cleverness lies in the clues. The first part, a straight definition; the second, a humorous, literal reading of the words. Next time I open an outhouse door, I'm going to be looking for a circle of old men in wigs.


The Puzzle on the Web:
AMICE {54A White vestment} Priestly gear.

CRESSETS {61A Metal baskets for burning oil} Cresset Chemical Company (“an innovator in Release Agents, Curing Compounds, Sealers, Hand Cleaners and other products for the concrete construction industry”) has what I assume is a cresset as a logo. Looks like an Olympic torch to me.

IKES {65A Alibi ___ (excuse makers)} From the eponymous book by Ring Lardner.

OLAVS {80A Several Norwegian kings} Five out of 64, including one of the recent ones.

OLEG {113A Russian clown Popov} A member of the International Clown Hall of Fame.

POSSE COMITATUS{15D} A while back I saw a bumper sticker: If You're Not Outraged, You're Not Paying Attention. May I modify that to Confused?

CREES {40D Buffy-Sainte Marie and Tantoo Cardinal, e.g.}

LACER {42D Football factory worker} Wilson Sporting Goods has a video of making a football, complete with hand lacing.

SKEDS {62D Timetables, a la Variety} A search of “sked” at Variety.com yields 9744 hits. An improvement of the complicated mess that is English or decline of standards? Let's decide over donuts.

AMITI {70D Valuable violin} One of the Big Two according to the Met.


Commentary:
We will pass in silence over my personal performance on this puzzle and move on to Puzzles as Measure. When you do the same activity week after week, you notice variation. Some weeks you are plugged into God's own dictionary. The trickiest clue is an admirable little gem that fools everyone but cannot escape your fierce and penetrating wit. Other weeks, when you are gacking and snorting and regretting sharing an airplane with 200+ flu-wielding strangers, you feel dumber than a box of rocks. Yes, there are different sensibilities among constructors. You may have shared a frat party/sports championship/opera score with the constructor. However, The major puzzles also have professionals whose job it is to put out a consistent product. Face it, a person is more of a mood swing than the puzzle is.

Conversely, therefore, a puzzle becomes a gauge of my head space. Mental vapor lock means sudden-onset Alzheimier's or I'm more stressed/sicker than I thought. Bring on the chicken soup.


Katherine Walcott
Puzzle Fan