Saturday, December 18, 2010 - Cultural Icons

Introduction

In today's puzzle from Cox and Rathvon, we encounter a couple of legendary Canadian performing artists - one from the realm of jazz and one from the world of opera.

Having misspelled the entry at 10a meant a very difficult solve at 6d. However, after much blood, sweat and tears and gnashing of teeth, I eventually saw the error of my ways.

Today's Glossary

Selected abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions appearing in today's puzzle

Appearing in Clues:

George W. Bush - the 43rd President of the United States, serving from 2001 to 2009.

Frankie and Johnny - 1991 American film directed by Garry Marshall, starring Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer, and adapted by Terrence McNally from his own off-Broadway play Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (1987).The title is a reference to the traditional American popular song 'Frankie and Johnny', first published in 1904, which tells the story of a woman who finds her man making love to another woman and shoots him dead. The story portrayed in the song Frankie and Johnny has been the inspiration for several other films, including Her Man (1930, starring Helen Twelvetrees), Frankie and Johnnie (1936, starring Helen Morgan), and Frankie and Johnny (1966, starring Elvis Presley).
Road to Rio - 1947 comedy film, directed by Norman Z. McLeod and starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour. It was the fifth of the "Road to..." series of films.

Twist and Shout - a song written by Phil Medley and Bert Berns originally recorded by the Top Notes but which became a hit in a cover version by The Isley Brothers. The song has subsequently been covered by numerous other artists, among them - and probably most well-known - The Beatles,  but also The Mamas & the Papas (in the style of a ballad), and The Who.

Appearing in Solutions:

lam² - [Collins English Dictionary] US and Canadian slang

• noun a sudden flight or escape, especially to avoid arrest on the lam a. making an escape b. in hiding
• verb to escape or flee

Dorothy Lamour (1914 – 1996) - American film actress, probably best-remembered for appearing in the Road to... movies, a series of successful comedies co-starring Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.

Franz Liszt (1811 – 1886) - 19th century Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist and teacher. "Liszt became renowned throughout Europe during the 19th century for his great skill as a performer. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age and perhaps the greatest pianist of all time."

Oscar Peterson (1925 – 2007) - Canadian jazz pianist and composer who released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, and received other numerous awards and honours over the course of his career spanning more than 65 years. He is considered to have been one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time.

Michelle Pfeiffer - American actress who made her screen début in 1980, but first garnered mainstream attention with her appearance in Scarface (1983). She rose to prominence during the late 1980s and early 1990s, giving a series of critically-acclaimed performances in the films Dangerous Liaisons (1988), Married to the Mob (1988), The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989), The Russia House (1990), Frankie and Johnny (1991), Love Field (1992), and The Age of Innocence (1993), as well as appearing as Catwoman, the feline anti-heroine of Batman Returns (1992).

rad - adjective informal, chiefly North American excellent; impressive: his style is so rad; a really rad game Origin: 1980s, probably an abbreviation of radical.

Teresa Stratas - retired Canadian operatic soprano who is especially well-known for her award-winning recording of Alban Berg's Lulu.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Legend:	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted

Across

1a {OSCAR PETERSON}* - anagram (crooked) of COP ARRESTS ONE

9a BORED~ - sounds like (so to speak) BOARD (wood plank)

10a GERMINATE~ - sounds like (outspoken) GERMAN EIGHT (octet in Bonn)

11a THOUSAND* - anagram (twist) of AND SHOUT

12a ARCHER - double definition; "more roguish" & "bow-and-arrow expert"

14a RYES~ - sounds like (audibly) RISE (react to yeast)

15a IM(PROPER)LY - IMPLY (hint) containing (about) ROPER (lasso user)

18a MALE|FACTOR - FACTOR (element) after (led by) MALE (man)

19a SPARS< - reversal (returning) of RAPS (knocks)

21a {AU LAIT}~ - sounds like (aloud) OLE (Spanish cheer)

23a DI_|SALLOW - DI (pair of diners; i.e., first two letters of "diners") + SALLOW (not very healthy looking)

26a _T|ASK| FOR|CE_ - hidden in (in) projecT ASK FOR CEment

27a O|PER|A - O (love; score of 0 in tennis) + PER (for each) + A (one)

28a {TERESA STRATAS}* - anagram (dances) of STARS AT EASTER

Down
1d OR|BIT - OR + BIT (small section)

2d COR(PORE)AL - PORE (opening) contained in (surrounded by) CORAL (pink)

3d RADISH - cryptic definition of a salad vegetable playing on RAD (far out!) + the suffix -ISH (rather)

4d ERGONOMICS* - anagram (arranged) of NICE GROOMS

5d _EURO_ - hidden in (involved in) nEUROsis

6d SKI|P RO|PE - SKI PRO (professional) + (with) PE (gym; Phys Ed or Physical Education)

7d NEATH* - an anagram (in fresh arrangement) of THANE gives a synonym for "below" that a poet might employ in verse

8d BE(TRAY)ER - TRAY (cafeteria item) contained in (covered in) BEER (suds)

13d DROOPINESS* - anagram (plays with) of I SPONSORED

14d RAM|PARTS - RAM (batterer) + PARTS (splits)

16d REP(ELL)ENT - REPENT (feel sorry for) + ELL (wing)

17d PFEIFFER~ - sounds like (in conversation) FIFER (whistler); Actress Michelle Pfeiffer

20d LAM|OUR - LAM (escape) + OUR

22d LISZT~ - sounds like (pronounced) LIST (leaning)

24d W|RAPS - W (George 'Dubya' Bush) + RAPS (criticizes)

25d EROS< - reversal (back) of SORE (aching)

Signing off for today - Falcon