Saturday, December 24, 2011 - Merry Christmas

Introduction

It took me a couple of days to find time to solve this puzzle from Cox and Rathvon. As I suspected, the theme was easy to spot.












Solution to Today's Puzzle

Legend:	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted; "†" explicit in the clue

Across

1a   GRAPHED~ - sounds like (for an auditor) GRAFT (bribe)

5a   FAN| CLUB - FAN (whiff) + CLUB (bat)

Whiff^[3] and fan^[3] are both baseball terms. As an intransitive verb, either one means to strike out [used of a batter] and as a transitive verb, either one means to strike out (a batter) [used of a pitcher]. In addition, whiff^[3] can also be used as a noun, meaning a strike out.

9a   {FATHER CHRISTMAS}* - anagram (playing) of MRS THATCHER AS IF

10a   RAM|IS - RAM (male with horns) + IS (†)

Harold Ramis^[7] is an American actor, director, and writer, specializing in comedy. His best-known film acting roles are as Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters (1984) and Russell Ziskey in Stripes (1981), both of which he also co-wrote. As a writer/director, his films include the comedies Caddyshack (1980), Groundhog Day (1993), and Analyze This (1999). Ramis was the original head writer of the television series SCTV (in which he also performed), and one of three screenwriters for the film National Lampoon's Animal House (1978).

11a   RAP - double definition; "knock" & "modern musical style"

12a   YENTL - the even-numbered letters (oddly ignored) in the sequence (b)Y (m)E (i)N (I)T(a)L(y)

Barbra Streisand^[7] is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. For Yentl (1983), she was producer, director, and star. Streisand also scripted Yentl, something she is not always given credit for. According to New York Times Editorial Page Editor Andrew Rosenthal in an interview with Allan Wolper, "the one thing that makes Barbra Streisand crazy is when nobody gives her the credit for having written Yentl."

13a   HO(T SP)OT - HOOT (laugh loudly) containing (holding) TSP (teaspoon)

15a   AD(MIRE)D - MIRE (wetland) contained in (in) ADD (total)

17a   T|ON - T (tenor) + ON (performing)

18a   {REDNES|S}< - reversal (seen from behind) of {S (small) + SENDER (transmitter)}

19a   POP - double definition; "commercially appealing" & "carbonated beverage"

21a   CA|STING - CA (California) + STING (rock star)

Sting^[7] (born Gordon Sumner) is an English musician, singer-songwriter, activist, actor and philanthropist. Prior to starting his solo career, he was the principal songwriter, lead singer and bassist of the rock band The Police.

24a   BOL(S)TER - BOLTER (one dashing off) containing (around) S {initial letter (start) of S(how)}

26a   {ORNAMENTAL TREES}* - anagram (redistributed) of EASTERN MONTREAL

27a   FISHNET* - anagram (damaged) of THE FINS

28a   _DREI|DEL_ - hidden in (wraps) AnDREI DELicately

Down

1d   GO (FOR)TH - FOR (pro) contained in (sitting in) GOTH (dark rocker)

A goth^[5] is a member of a subculture favouring black clothing, white and black make-up, and goth music (a style of rock music derived from punk, typically with apocalyptic or mystical lyrics).

2d   AU(TOMATO)N - AUN {aunt mostly; i.e., all but the last letter of AUN(t)} containing (eating) TOMATO (salad ingredient)

3d   HE|ELS - HE (the guy) + (with) ELS (golfer Ernie)

Ernie Els^[7] is a South African professional golfer, who has been one of the top professional players in the world since the mid-1990s.

4d   DE(CO|RAT)ED - DEED (act) containing (interrupted by) {CO (fellow; as in words such as co-author and co-pilot) + RAT (singer; informer)}

5d   FI(REPLAC*)E - FIE (shame) containing (about) an anagram (ruined) of PARCEL

Santa Claus traditionally enters a house via the chimney and fireplace^[7].

6d   NA(ST)Y - NAY (negative vote) containing (involving) ST (saint)

7d   LEMON D|R|OP - LEMOND (cyclist Greg) + R (right) + (before) OP (operation)

Greg LeMond^[7] is a former professional road bicycle racer from the United States and a three-time winner of the Tour de France.

8d   BUSTLED - BUST (sculpture) + LED (was first)

14d   PERS(I|MM)ON - PERSON (individual) containing (eating) {I ([Roman numeral for] one) + MM (M&M)}

Persimmon^[7] is a color that closely resembles the tint of a very ripe persimmon fruit - a medium orange-red.

16d   MIST|LE(TO)E - MIST (spray) + {LEE (shelter) containing (coming around) TO (†)}

17d   TICK OFF - double definition; "check" & "incense"

20d   PERUS|AL - PERUS {South American land's (Peru's)} + AL ([chemical symbol for] aluminum)

22d   SIN|US - SIN (stray) + US (Yank)

23d   GEN(E)T - GENT (fellow) containing (catching) E {last letter (tail) of (on)E}

24d   BEAR|D - BEAR (produce) + D (down)

25d   T|WEED - T (true) + WEED (grass; marijuana)

References: 
^[1] - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
^[2] - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
^[3] - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
^[4] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[5] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
^[6] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
^[7] - Wikipedia
^[8] - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
^[9] - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)

Merry Christmas everyone - Falcon