Franciscan order member / MON 8-16-10 / End of week office dress policy maybe / Quaint computer insert / Drooping as rabbit's ears

Constructor: Andrea Carla Michaels and Jennifer Nutt

Relative difficulty: Easy-Medium

THEME: TV DETECTIVE (60A: What each of the characters named at the ends of 17-, 24-, 38- and 48-Across is):

• Frank CANNON (1971-76) — LOOSE CANNON (17A: Unpredictable sort)

• Joe FRIDAY (Jack Webb years: 1949-59, 1967-70) — CASUAL FRIDAY (24A: End-of-the-week office dress policy, maybe)

• Nash BRIDGES (1996-2001) — BURN ONE'S BRIDGES (38A: Permanently sever ties)

• Adrian MONK (2002-09) — CAPUCHIN MONK (48A: Franciscan order member)

Word of the Day: CAPUCHIN MONK (48A: Franciscan order member)) —

The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (O.F.M. Cap; in England and Ireland, O.S.F.C) is an order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Capuchins, called a minister general, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri. // The order arose in 1520 when Matteo da Bascio, an "Observant" Franciscan friar native to the Italian area of Marche, said he became inspired by God with the idea that the manner of life led by the Franciscans of his day was not the one which St. Francis had envisaged. He sought to return to the primitive way of life in solitude and penance as practiced by the founder of his order.

• • •

Really liked this one, despite the fact that I (someone who starts teaching crime fiction again in something like two weeks) could identify only two of the four detectives. "CANNON" sounded like one of those one-named 70s cop shows I'd heard of (it is), but BRIDGES I could not identify. So I googled, only to have a powerful "D'oh" moment. "*Nash* Bridges." There was literally Nothing about that show that made me want to watch it, so I never did (as I avoided most '90s phenomena). I sort of forgot that Nash BRIDGES *was* a detective — whoa, I just realized NASH is in the grid—crafty (39D: Ogden who wrote "Candy / Is dandy / But liquor / Is quicker"). In my head, he is like a slightly more civilized and effete Walker Texas Ranger. Anyway, the theme answers themselves are fantastic, especially the highly unexpected and original CAPUCHIN MONK—the only answer in the grid keeping this puzzle from being flat-out "Easy" for a Monday. I hesitated only a couple of times while solving: once at SECY (58D: Cabinet head: Abbr.), an abbrev. I can't stand, and one which (consequently?) never comes readily to mind; and once at DELHI (33D: Indian metropolis), which I (once again!) misspelled on my first try. My brain will not let DEHLI go. Love the music in this one (esp. Stevie!).

Wife just called from the next room, re: clue on NIECE (15A: Uncle's special little girl): "Creepy!" Agreed. Only weirdish words today were FLOR (27D: Bloom: Sp.), which is more Spanish 102 than Spanish 101 (e.g. ESO, ADIOS, AGUA, etc.); and ALOP (31A: Drooping, as a rabbit's ears), which will make novice solvers go "???" but will be so familiar to constant solvers at this point that its presence is not likely to cause disturbance of any sort.

[My love for this man's music knows No Bounds—nothing can make me happier faster: Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie AMOUR"]

Bullets:

• 41D: Quaint computer insert (DISKETTE) — this clue made me laugh out loud, mainly because it made me imagine someone picking up one of these at a little antique store on the coast: "Look at this honey ... isn't it adorable?"
  
• 49D: Like some symmetry (AXIAL) — a bit of an oddity on a Monday, but I can tell you that I got this instantly based solely on the clue: symmetry seems to be a preferred way of coming at AXIAL.
  
• 67A: "Go, bullfighter!" ("OLE!") — this clue also made me laugh out loud, primarily at the idea of anyone, at any time, shouting "Go, bullfighter!" "Go, bullfighter! Throw a home run!"

About tomorrow's puzzle: I won't be around to blog it (though someone else will). I want to invite you, however, to write your own personal comments on your copy of the puzzle, cut it out, and send it to me at:

Rex Parker
4700 Vestal Parkway East, #279
Vestal, NY 13850-3770

Or else take a picture of yourself solving it, shredding it, making an airplane out of it, whatever, and send that along to me via email. Seriously.

I'll be back on Wednesday with a brief recap of this past weekend's Lollapuzzoola 3 tournament in Queens.

Thanks.

Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter]