Self-Contained

Today's crossword by Fred Piscop is called "Contain Yourself." The theme answers do not refer to the slogan for The Container Store (one of my favorite places). Instead, they are common idioms separated by "in the":

20A: Small, seedy bar (HOLE IN THE WALL). Sometimes these are the best places to hang out. No drama, flash, or bouncers, just good booze and, on occasion, food.

Boris and Natasha

37A: Treacherous one (SNAKE IN THE GRASS). See Vladimir Putin. I usually don't express my political views online, but this "man" is a real piece of work. He has surely brought Russia back to the Dark Ages (aka The Cold War era). All we need now is the return of Boris and Natasha to the screen or tube. Oh, I forgot, this was done already in the mega-bomb Bullwinkle movie of 2000. This is also the name of a 2002 play by Alan Ayckbourn.

48A: Party pooper (STICK IN THE MUD). "Every party has a pooper--that's why we invited you. . . ." Is that how the old song goes? This idiom refers to someone who lacks creativity, imagination, or enthusiasm. The person is stuck in his/her ways and won't change for anyone or anything. Sound familiar?

The Name Game:

24A: Tyrannosaurs ____ (REX)
8D: Brother of Cain and Abel (SETH)
48A: Hotel supplier Bible (GIDEON). The exception is the Marriott hotel chain. There is a copy of The Book of Mormon in every room. That's because J.W. Marriott was one himself.

Alphabet soup:

13D: Surgery ctrs. (ORS)
31A: Unfulfilled, as a sched. (TBA)
55D: CSI Network (CBS). I don't get the fascination with this show. All my friends watch it, along with NCIS (another "Alphabet Soup" term).
53D: Lone Star State sch. (UTEP)

Nora Ephron

The cryptoquote for today is by one of my all-time favorite screenwriters and authors, Nora Ephron (1941-2012):

I always read the last page of a book first so that if  I die before I finish I'll know how it turned out.

I, too, have a habit of skipping to the last page whenever I get bored with a book.

Nora Ephron was a graduate of Beverly Hills High School and Wellesley College. Among the many screenplays she wrote were "When Harry Met Sally," "Silkwood," "Sleepless in Seattle," "You've Got Mail," and "Julie & Julia." One screenplay written by Ephron that didn't get enough attention but has gained a cult following on DVD and cable is "All I Want to Do." This is a film about a clique of girls at a boarding school during the 1960s who have ambitions and dreams, unlike most of their peers. Their school is about to go co-ed and they do everything in their power to stop it.

The JUMBLE shows a picture of a model at a fashion show. The caption reads "After a long day of showing off the new clothing line, the fashion model was _____."

Word list:

POHOM = OOMPH
COURC = OCCUR
WULLAF = LAWFUL
MANUTU = AUTUMN

Scrambled solution: OOURWTN
Solution: WORN OUT

Just four days until Season 7 of "Mad Men" begins and five days until vacation.

Have a great day!

Till tomorrow. . . .

Signing off,
The Puzzlechick