1955 hit for Platters / WED 1-15-14 / City near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base / Building unit with flanges / Philosopher who wrote It is difficulty to free fools from chains they revere

Constructor: Bernice Gordon

Relative difficulty: Easy-Medium

THEME: End of the Q — each theme answer is a phrase whose final word is represented by the letter of which it is a homophone:

Theme answers:

• GEOGRAPHY B (17A: It's all about location, location, location)
• "ONLY U" (39A: 1955 hit for the Platters)
• CARIBBEAN C (62A: Environs for Blackbeard)
• AFTERNOON T (11D: Occasion for sandwiches and scones)
• WELL, G (30D: "Hmm, imagine that!"
• BLACK-EYED P (28D: Soul food ingredient)

Word of the Day: Carol ALT (18D: Cover girl Carol) —

Carol Ann Alt (born December 1, 1960) is an American model and actress.

Alt's first big break in modeling was in 1986, when she was featured on the cover of Harper's Bazaar magazine, but garnered publicity in 1982 when she was featured on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. During the 1980s she appeared on over 500 magazine covers, becoming one the most famous models of her era. She was referred to as "The Face" by Life Magazine. During the height of her popularity, she was the face of ad campaigns for Diet Pepsi, General Motors, Cover Girl Cosmetics, Noxzema, Hanes and numerous others. (wikipedia)

• • •

I've seen themes use this letter-for-word conceit before, so no great shakes there, but this is actually reasonably well executed—lots of different letters, all at the end, all in legitimate, unforced phrases. Plus the fill is remarkably clean. Has a familiar, old-school feel to it. Solid, clean and easy—about as easy as "trick" puzzles come. I love the added touch of the short theme answers in the middle. I wasn't exactly expecting those, and (thus) that area was responsible for almost all the resistance I encountered with this puzzle. I also muffed up the east a bit, as wrote in NSA instead of NSC (31A: White House advisory grp.), and also tested SO- as the opening of 32D: Inasmuch as (SINCE). I think I was thinking SO FAR … but that would've needed the "as." Anyhoo, there was a bit of scrambling over in that region.


It didn't take me long to get the theme, but filling in the first answer didn't do it for me. GEOGRAPHY is all about location, location, location—so what's this "B" doing at the end (I wondered). I thought there was going to be some trick where the tacked-on letters … did something? Spelled something? Had to be connected with a Sharpie and then folded and hung from the ceiling at dusk while incantations are sung and smoke burns, finally to reveal a map to the lost pyramids of Jackson Hole? But no. After I got AFTERNOON T, the theme became clear. No incense needed. No pyramids. Just a solid, clever theme.

I don't normally do this, but … the constructor's birthday was just a couple days ago, so: Happy Birthday, Bernice. And nice work.

Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld