Wednesday April 13, 2016 C.C. Burnikel

TITLE: SIDESHOW

C.C. supplies us with a tasty combination of second banana options as she slyly supplies SIDE DISHES that we might request at a restaurant. Further, the SIDES are on the SIDES of the theme fill. I was fortunate to have the circles you see in the grid below or would have probably needed the reveal. Of course it didn't help that I confidently entered SIDE ORDERS before some letter roulette at the bottom got me to "got 'er done" status. 

I liked all of C.C.'s OffeRINGS and thought BEAUTY ICONS may have been the toughest to generate.

Yes, I do see the irony of having Husker Gary blog on a day where the real "foodies" here would have done so much better. C'est la vie!

Let's examine the theme answers, uh, SIDE BY SIDE:

17. Impressionist who was frequently a guest of Johnny Carson : RICH LITTLE - The man of a thousand voices OR a side that can be White, Black, Brown or even Jeweled Moroccan RICE Pilaf With Pistachio Nuts

24. Greek gatherings? : FRAT PARTIES - College soiress OR a side/appetizer that can be dressed up as Poutine

34. Statute that protects source confidentiality in journalism : SHIELD LAW - Law that keeps sources private OR the favorite SLAW at our house (I heard that Steve!)

50. Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly : BEAUTY ICONS - BEAUTY ICONS and not BLONDE ICONS OR this side that has three types of BEANS

58. Menu listing literally represented by this puzzle's circles : SIDE DISHES - Some are a little more exotic than others

Across        

1. Like many knock-knock jokes : CORNY - PUNNY, not so much. 

6. Fit together, as some Russian dolls : NEST - Like these Matrioshka Russian Beatle Dolls

10. Commando ploy : RAID

14. Square measures : AREAS

15. Pledge : OATH

16. Magazine with annual Style Awards : ELLE - An old guy who buys his clothes at Kohl's ain't gettin' any award

19. Ink stain : BLOT

20. Quite a while : AGES

21. Org. with Wizards and Magic : NBA

22. Hard-to-hit pitch : CURVE - When it looks like it's coming for your head but winds up over the plate...

23. __ tai : MAI

27. Cleared (out) : EMPTIED

29. Clearasil shelfmate : OXY

30. Be in session : SIT

31. Less-filling brews : LITES

32. Phoenix-to-Albuquerque dir. : ENE - 6 hrs 27 min by car

33. Movie backdrops : SETS - Forbidden to film in Vatican City, Ron Howard had this incredible SET constructed in a parking lot to show St. Peter's Square. Some elements were built to scale and others were projected on green screens.

38. Column on a decision maker's list : CONS 

41. Govt. stipend : SSI - Supplemental Security Income 

42. Gem weight : CARAT - 1 CARAT = .00705 ounces

46. Copy : APE

47. Health club : SPA

48. Golfer's booking : TEE TIME - Kinda pricey at Pebble Beach

53. "Holy cow!" : MAN - Shades of Harry Caray for us baseball peeps

54. On edge : ANTSY

55. Jackie's second : ARI - How do you follow JFK?

56. Founded: Abbr. : ESTD

57. City near Tahoe : RENO -  former RENO custom - chucking your wedding ring into the Truckee River post-divorce

61. "Dancing With the Stars" co-host Andrews : ERIN

62. Tan shade : ECRU

63. Teapot part : SPOUT - "Here is my handle, Here is my 63 Across"

64. Viewpoint : TAKE - Depending on what word is stressed, you can get seven different TAKES on this sentence: "I never said she stole my money!"

65. Show sorrow or joy : WEEP

66. "101" class, briefly : INTRO - Chem 101 is a washout course for a lot of failed doctors and dentists

Down(side?)

1. Snickers ingredient : CARAMEL

2. Paper work? : ORIGAMI

3. Exchange need : RECEIPT - Costco says members don't need one

4. Slangy turndowns : NAHS

5. Paris fashion monogram : YSL - This Yves St Laurent tie is $155. Free shipping!!

6. "Pretty good!" : NOT BAD 

7. Frequent, as a diner : EAT AT

8. Mo. town : STL - ST L vs another Mo. town known by its initials   

9. With 25-Down, what America is across, to Brits : THE 25. See 9-Down : POND - Doughboys and GI Joes crossed THE POND in 1917 and 1941

10. Contradict in court : REBUT

11. Court order? : ALL RISE - "Should I RISE when you say so, Officer Bird?"

12. "This is awesome!" : I LOVE IT - Bird's boss Judge Judy has had the highest Syndicated TV ratings for years

13. Loathes : DETESTS

18. Memo starter : INRE

22. Show sorrow or joy : CRY

24. Bass, e.g. : FISH - You need this $2,000 piece of equipment to outsmart a FISH?

26. Jump on ice : AXEL - Here's a triple

28. Hardy title teenager : TESS

32. Yalie : ELI

33. Hit : SWAT

35. Road trip guessing game : I SPY - ...with my little eye

36. Morales of "NYPD Blue" : ESAI

37. Air Force heroes : ACES

38. Musical with nightclub scenes : CABARET

39. 1968 to now, in pro tennis : OPEN ERA - When pros were first allowed in Grand Slam Events

40. Fastidious sort : NEATNIK

43. Drummer's joke punctuation : RIMSHOT

44. Hobbyist : AMATEUR

45. Sees after : TENDS TO - Mom always said, "TEND TO our own knitting!"

47. Muddy digs : STY

48. Ripped to shreds : TORE UP - The Golden State Warriors TORE UP the NBA this season

49. Author Blyton : ENID

51. Me.-to-Fla. route : US ONE - Key West, FL. to Clair, New Brunswick, Canada  

52. Core group : CADRE

56. Channel with numerous sister channels : ESPN

58. Patch, perhaps : SEW

59. Diamonds, slangily : ICE

60. "Woe __": 1996 grammar book : IS I - Being a grammar cop won't make you any friends! 

Now it's time for you to get off the SIDELINE and tell us your SIDE of the story:

Grid

Note from C.C.:

The Fireball Newsflash Kickstarter missed the goal by just $96 last time. Peter Gordon is trying again. The new campaign is now halfway funded and ends on Sunday April 17. 

Please click here and be one of the backers. You get 20 puzzles from the master for $7. As I mentioned last time, Fireball Newsflash are mostly of LAT Tuesday level difficulty. Every puzzle features super fresh entries and fun clues.