After Puzzle #2

You tawkin to me? YOU TAWKIN TO ME?!?
The theme of puzzle 2 is "Can we tawk? A puzzle that can be done in a New York minute" by Elizabeth Gorski. Wild applause when they announced her name before the solving started--this is a crowd that appreciates a good constructor. The three long clues had answers that are common phrases, with the ending "IT" dropped. So "Untying the knot in Las Vegas" is "making a quick ex." And "Group that performed 'The Tears of a Clown'" is "Smokey and the band". If you can figure out how dropping "IT" relates to New York or tawking, you are ahead of me. Stop it? Drop it? Call the IT department, because they might understand this theme? Puzzling.

More joy for the media-aware: "Spider-Man director Sam" (5 letters) was a gimme, and La Salle of "ER" (4 letters) likewise. Also Virginia of "Sideways" (6 letters). This could be my year! Or else it's just evidence of the power of video entertainment--as we each watch 5 hours of TV per day (on average) and read books, newspapers, and magazines for less than 40, the culture shifts inexorably to video, and so do the constructors. Alas poor Yorick, I knew he watched too much television, Horatio.

Here's a fun one for aunt Claire: "1930s film star played by Skippy" (4 letters). This is in the upper left corner, one you have to nail fast for quick solving. Luckily, I was the happy recipient of the entire Thin Man oeuvre from Claire a few years ago, so I knew that was Asta (Nick and Nora Charles's dog, who solves crimes and smells a bit, but he has a heart of gold).

Now, for the fashionistas, we have an exciting new product this year: crossword grid embossed Doc Martens. I.e. slip on sneakers, completely covered with black and white squares (and superscript numbers), no laces, such as Spiccoli wore on Fast Times at Ridgemont High (which is really worth watching again, please drop everything and do so immediately. It's stoke-a-boka). The guy wearing the Doc Martens also has knee-high white tube socks (remember the White Shadow?), which are nicely visible, due to the height of his pant leg. And a polyester green shirt. I tell you now, you will see this on Project Runway next season. "Designers, you will be creating an outfit for the crossword-savvy metrosexual... Sprechen Sie Sassy? MAKE IT WORK!"

PS. I guess it's obvious, but if you want to read these in chronological order, start from the bottom.



Answers
RAIMI
ERIQ
MADSEN