Facial recognition aid / TUE 9-21-10 / Goodnight girl of old song / River that drains more than 20% of France / Pioneering anti-AIDS drug

Constructor: Adam G. Perl

Relative difficulty: Medium

THEME: STROKES (39A: Pets ... or what the starts of 17-, 25-, 50- and 61-Across are all kinds of) — First words of theme answers are all kinds of swimming STROKES

From Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle

Word of the Day: IDENTIKIT (35D: Facial recognition aid) —

IN BRIEF: n. - A likeness of a person's face constructed from descriptions given to police. (answers.com)

• • •

Pretty vanilla. "First words are types of ..." Right over the plate. Seems more of a USA Today-type theme. Grid is solid (w/ the exception of that "ORY/CTS/SHH" up north, yuck), but theme feels like something that should have, must have been done a million times. Theme answers are all decent, except BREAST OF CHICKEN, which is weak (three words to the others' two, bland and non-specific, awkwardly phrased). What's the difference between BREAST OF CHICKEN and chicken breast? Is the first one offered at a "banquet" because it sounds "fancy?" At any rate, puzzle is competent, but not too interesting—at least not theme-wise.

Theme answers:

• 17A: Entree on many a Chinese menu (BUTTERFLY SHRIMP)
  
• 25A: Cramped alternative to a basement (CRAWL SPACE)
  
• 50A: Old New Yorkers, e.g. (BACK ISSUES)
  
• 61A: Basic hotel banquet entree (BREAST OF CHICKEN)
  

This one took me slightly longer than the average Tuesday, for three reasons. First, FRODO instead of BILBO at 1A: "The Hobbit" hero. My daughter would mock me. She is having a "Lord of the Rings"-themed birthday party this weekend. Anyway, after some confused moments, BABAR (1D: King of the elephants in a children's book series) forced me to erase FRODO and eventually BILBO (Baggins) came into view. The next slowdown was IDENTIKIT—complete unknown, needed every single cross, and even then wasn't sure I didn't have an error. There appears to be a brand name of facial recognition software called "Identi-Kit," but the word seems to have a general meaning as well. Lastly, in the speed bump category, we have the front ends of BACK ISSUES and BREAST OF CHICKEN, neither of which came easily, the latter for reasons I've already been over, the former because I (I'm guessing by design) misread the "New Yorkers" in the clue as human beings, not magazines. NOKIA (44D: Mobile phone giant) and CRETE (52D: Where Minos reigned) got me back in business. Then I just went back up to the north, where I'd left some squares blank, and that was that. Took me about 5 seconds longer than yesterday's puzzle.



Bullets:

• 20A: Pioneering anti-AIDS drug (AZT) — weird that this answer feels dated, even though AIDS clearly isn't. Media seems to expend much more time on ... other things these days.
  
• 43A: Tabriz residents (IRANIANS) — speaking of plummeting media coverage. Two years ago the fraudulent elections were big news. Now: well, it's Iran, whaddyagonnado? Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go learn more about Christine O'Donnell's stance on masturbation.
  
• 68A: River that drains more than 20% of France (LOIRE) — I'm not sure I understand the clue. Drains it of ... Water? The will to live? Is this by geographical area or sheer water volume?
  
• 70A: Labor's partner (PARTS) — Went looking for something birth-related here. PAINS, maybe.
  
• 3D: "The Loco-Motion" singer, 1962 (LITTLE EVA) — pretty sure I learned this from xwords, via clues for EVA
  
• 27D: Feature of many a bodice (LACE) — would've wanted STAY if I hadn't had the "L" in place already.
  
• 18D: Fabled fliers (ROCS) — gimme. Seen that clue a gajillion (i.e. probably 6) times.
  

Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld

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