Stocking Stuffing
by Dan Fisher
edited by Mike Shenk
December 18, 2009


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


Theme: People, things, and words with a TOY surprise inside. Two spliced, one Japanese, one French, one American, and two Russian. Harks back to the international origins for KI-D in Elizabeth C. Gorski's November 13 puzzle.
BLUEPOINT OYSTERS {23A They were originally harvested off Long Island} – Kurlansky's book on the subject is embedded in my To Read pile. He is also working on New York on the Halfshell, “A fully illustrated version of the Big Oyster with its unusual history, recipes, science and humor for 7 to ten year olds. The history of New York City told through its famous oyster beds and how they were destroyed.”
TOYOTA PRIUS {34A Popular hybrid}
CHATOYANCY {47A Iridescent quality of some gems} – The nonjewelery world knows this as cat's eye: “The term "chatoyancy" comes from the French "chat", which means cat and "oeil", which means eye. So, the term "chatoyancy" literally translates as "the eye of a cat". For this reason, this phenomenon is also known as cat's eye effect."
LA TOYA JACKSON {67A “Just Wanna Dance” singer}
LEO TOLSTOY {83A Count Vronsky's creator}
DOSTOYEVSKY {94A “Notes from the Underground” author} – An attempt at the definitive fan page has Dostoevsky. Wiki has the TOY spelling as main with 6 other varietiations.
GOOD TIDINGS TO YOU {109A Carol wish}
TOY {108D Stocking stuffer found in seven of this puzzle's longest answers}


News To Me [I got 'em but I didn't get 'em]:
TRON {74A Light cycle rider of film} - The film, the game.
KPMG {29D One of accounting's Big Four} - A Texas A&M professor supplies everything you'd want to know, including accounting humor.


It's a Small World After All: 2
Dual appearances by this week's puzzle personalities:
MEADE {42A Victor at Gettysburg} also appearing in the NYT Sunday [12/20/09] as {117A Army of the Potomac commander during the Civil War}. Having lived in Pennsylvania & in Dixie, I must say I do not get the continued fascination with this divisive & bloody era.
U THANT {71D Kurt Waldheim's predecessor} was also in the LA Times Tuesday [12/22/09] as {54A '60s United Nations secretary general}. I really should know this, from crossword puzzles if not from an awareness of the outside world.


Admissions of Defeat: 2
ITTY {58A Microscopic}/CANTAB {44D Darwin College student} – I was so sure of ITsY that I figured CANsAB was an Aussie reference that went past me. I will put questionable answers in light pencil, but once a letter is written in, I have trouble reevaluating, even in the presence of impenetrable crossings. The Googleverse supports cantab as an abbreviation for Cantabrigian, i.e. www.cantab.org.
VIDA {16A Life, in Lima}/DON BUDGE {18D First player to win tennis's Grand Slam} - MEADE got me BUDGE but I missed DON. vON BUDGE could have been a last name for all I know about tennis. VIvA, VIDA, whatever. OTOH, if ITsY/ITTY had been the the only thing between me & a win, I would have been apoploptic.


Commentary: Wishing you & yours a happy Feast of St. Stephens here and in ENGLAND {119A Where Boxing Day is celebrated}.


Katherine Walcott
Puzzle Fan