Pezhead

I completely missed that there were no Os or Cs in any of the non-theme clues. THAT'S as big a challenge as creating the delightful grid. I'm floored.

Okay, I guess it's been too long a day. When I read the clue [How many TV hosts are dressed], my first thought was, "All of them, I think." Of course, we never know what the situation is under the anchor desk.

Even if you can't name the castaways on Gilligan's Island or Herman Munster's children, I doubt there's an American over 15 who hasn't heard of these characters, or requested to be beamed up. Okay, maybe not the latter. But this is a classic in my book. Great puzzle, great theme, even some pretty good fill.

I used to know how to spell ONOMATOPOEIA and PORTOBELLO, but tonight couldn't remember where the As go and where the Os go. Time for some of those special memory supplements, I think.

@Dave S "The bottom half was very loath to spill its secrets, especially the SW." @Rodzu "Northwest stymied me at first." @Steven M. "Got tripped up with the Northeast section. Love seeing all four corners called out. It says to me it was a perfect Saturday puzzle through and through.

Trying to parse the clue in such a way that [Sources of lines for a reading, maybe] indicates PALM instead of PALMS. Any explanations from more seasoned solvers? What did I miss? Thanks.

Would anyone be able to help me understand 31A? Clue is Meet and answer is FIT. I guess I'm tired like @Steve L and @Barry Ancona, but it's just not coming to me. Thanks in advance.

Eight spanners and not a stinker in the batch--what kind of brilliance does it take to do that? Yes, a little faster than yesterday, but no less enjoyable. Bravo!

I used to be a chemist. Now I'm retired. That's why I first entered LEGO for [Universal building block]. I suppose my old self could buy the ATOM thing, but I kinda like my new self better.

SAnta before SAuce, Cha before Can, but otherwise pretty smooth. I had a coworker whose favorite phrase was "It'd be my pleasure", but what she really meant was "Make whatever poor choice you want, and I'll execute it, but we'll all pay the price down the road." And she was usually right.

Thank goodness for the circles showing the different parts of our toy. Otherwise ARHAT and HOSTA would have been a total Natick to me. Very impressive construction, particularly with the long non-theme entries COASTAL AREA, CHINESE YUAN and GOES NOWHERE. Perfect for a Thursday!

I can't remember who the setter was, but I remember a crossword from years ago where the clues were something like [Language spoken to the south] and [Uncle south of the border]. Pretty obviously SPANISH and TIO. Except the revealer showed the perspective was from Canada, hence ENGLISH and SAM. It was a sweet puzzle, as was this one.

What a delight to see a Monday column by Deb Amlen, not that Sam isn't terrific, too, but I was "raised" on the column when Deb was every weekday. So a Deb Amlen Monday is like mom's tomato soup. Add to that Christina Iverson's grilled cheese (simple but delicious), and it's close to the perfect day already. Thanks to you both!

Since I posted a comment for Kevin, it seems only right I post a comment for Zhou, too. I don't want to get in the middle of THAT little competition.

Hard to believe no one has placed this link into the comments yet. "It's just a flesh wound." <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmInkxbvlCs" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmInkxbvlCs</a> Then again, I suppose there aren't many solvers with the sense of humor of a 14-year-old boy. Except for me.

Was it a mistake that 5A appeared in today's puzzle instead of yesterday's? Seems like it might have helped some folks who were less than thrilled.

Don't want to break my streak of commenting any time PEZ shows up in a puzzle. Fortunately, it was a pretty stellar puzzle!

Nothing from Munster Mike yet, so here's something in the meantime: Rene Descartes walks into a bar and orders a shot. After he slugs it down, the bartender says, "Would you like another?" "I think not," Descartes replies. And poof! He vanishes! Be sure to tip your server...

I learned [Dad, in Korean] by watching KIMSCONVENIENCE. Fun to be able to effortlessly drop both entries in this weekend. I expect to see UMMA on Monday, for the full cycle.

Rachel's back! (although as a constructor and not a columnist). Do you think that means we'll hear from Rachel's mom? Feels like it's been a while. Rebecca Goldstein's ALWAYS a welcome name to see, too.

So touching, Deb. I'm just a month ahead of you with the death of my mom, but if you're like me, your breathing will come back, your shoulders will eventually drop back down, and your heart will find its normal rhythm again. You're in my thoughts.

Had no trouble sussing out the theme, but since @DebAmlen is looking for scapegoats, I'll blame it on the bossa nova (with its magic spell).

Peter Collins on a Monday? Surely not! Tickled to see a bunny slope puzzle from one of my favorite black diamond constructors.

Not telling Lewis how to do his job/passion, but I thought 'Demos for Democracy, e.g.' was just plain brilliant!

Can anyone help me understand 47A: They're OK = DOS? Like DOS and DONTS? Or is it something else? Thanks, as always.

Interesting to read that a constructor as talented as Barbara Lin was expecting "another rejection". I mean, I suppose everyone has an off day (or an off puzzle), but since we don't get to see the rejects, hard to believe she's ever gotten that dreaded email. Now that I've gotten my Barbara Lin fix, I need a little Kameron Austin Collins. It's been too long!

Caitlin notes that HAHAYEAH makes its first appearance as a puzzle entry. I kinda hope it's also the last appearance of that particular entry. Otherwise, I found this to be a perfect delight!

A proper Saturday puzzle. I'm counting on @Factboy to clarify this, but I'd have thought Liberty was [New York City's first public statue of a woman], somewhat before 1915. But I may not be parsing the clue entirely correctly. New York City? I think Liberty Island qualifies. Seems public. Seems like a statue. Seems like a woman.

Sam said, "I loved this theme so much that I’m hungry for more examples of phrases that would suit it. If you have any, please drop them in the comments." The only one I could come up with is [throw for a loss] = SNAKE EYES. But I'm expecting Cat Lady Margaret to chime in with, oh, half a dozen great examples.

I didn't notice the INSIDE down and INSIDE up until I read Caitlin's column. Absolutely brilliant, but I expect no less from these constructors. Mwah!

I enjoyed the constructor notes as much as I enjoyed the puzzle. Love seeing what goes on behind the scenes--so much so that I buy the DVD instead of streaming.

Inspiring story, Garrett! It's wonderful when you find someone competent who can truly help you through a difficult time. I think they're rarer than you might believe. Oh, yeah, a pretty sweet puzzle, too!

TIL 'akimbo' can also be used with legs. In my narrow world, arms akimbo always meant 'with the hands on the hips.' Consequently, (still in my narrow world) only a contortionist could stand with legs akimbo, placing their feet on their hips. Who knew?

Looks like many of the regular early commentators must be at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. Hope you're all having a magnificent time. Good luck to all tomorrow!

In his notes, Alex says, "Several other theme entries ended up on the cutting room floor. My favorite was “launch” party, which would have “lunch” party in circled letters. That’s an 83 percent overlap!" For the life of me, though, the ONLY other example I can come up with is knoW-notHInG. Anyone know what others of the several theme entries might be? It seemed like an extremely narrow theme group, but it's late and I'm probably a little fuzzy.

Interesting to see how 17A affects different solvers. I thought the clue was Monday-Tuesday level, comparing it to something like [Sitcom set in a Boston bar run by Sam Malone]. Of course, I know absolutely nothing about Game of Thrones, so I see this as payback for all those DAENERYS and STARK clues I've been clueless about for all these years.

Thrilled to see Kameron Austin Collins is back! I suppose a hiatus is allowed, but it's hardly convenient for those of us looking for au courant language and inventive language in our themeless puzzles. Don't get me wrong--lots of great themeless constructions over the past couple years, but there's just nothing like a KAC themeless. It's a good day!

Since @Factboy hasn't posted it yet, here's something I think all magicians know: Exactly eight perfect riffle shuffles will bring a deck back to its original configuration. Ain't math wunnerful?