NYT Crossword 04/16/17 (Sunday)

Cruciverbalist: Timothy Polin

Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 31:56

Theme Title: Saddle Up!

Circled squares within answer are names of horses ridden by famous characters (on top of circled
squares). For those of a trivial bent, I’ll just name the rider answers:
ZORRO
CISCOKID
LONERANGER
ROYROGERS
SCOUT
DALEEVANS

Words I hadn’t known until now:

FRETSAW – “Woodworking tool” (I know a few saws…this is not one of them.)
LOCOMOTED – “Moved, jocularly” (This is a new one for me. Will start using it!)

Trivia I didn’t know:

THEHUMANTORNADO – “1976 blaxploitation film that was a sequel to ‘Dolemite’”
RIODIABLO – “Made-for-TV western co-starring Travis Tritt”
HUTU – “Native Rwandan”
ANNO – “365 giorni” (More of a Spanish guy)
EDNA - “’Hairspray’ matriarch”
ALOIS – “Arnold Schwarzenegger’s middle name”
DOLCE – “Sweetly, on a score”
STU – “’Rugrats’ father” (Never seen the series)

Junk answers:

PAH – “’Poppycock!’” (Really?)
ALA – “___ King”
AXHEAD – “Something getting stuck in a trunk?”
OMS – “Meditation syllables”

Clever clues:

EGGO – “They might pop up in the morning”
BSIDES – “Cuts on the back?”
PEALS – “Wedding rings?”
PATOIS – “Vernacular” (Not clever, just love the answer, not used enough)
LONGI – “Repeated part of a five-mile hike?” (A clue trick used occasionally by TPTB)