Renaissance painter Veronese / MON 6-10-13 / Comedian with mock 1968 presidential campaign / Modern lead-in to cafe / Lerner's partner in musicals

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel  

Relative difficulty: Medium-Challenging (you know ... *slightly* tougher than your avg. Mon.)



THEME: COME TO PAPA (59A: Casino cry ... or a hint for 16-, 23-, 37- and 45-Across) — two-word phrases where both words begin with "PA-"


Theme answers:

• 16A: Comedian with a mock 1968 presidential campaign (PAT PAULSEN)
• 23A: Money that doesn't completely satisfy a debt (PART PAYMENT)
• 37A: Tricky task in a driver's test (PARALLEL PARKING)
• 45A: Event that might have a pillow fight (PAJAMA PARTY)

Word of the Day: PAT PAULSEN—

Patrick Layton "Pat" Paulsen (July 6, 1927 – April 24, 1997) was an American comedianand satirist notable for his roles on several of the Smothers Brothers TV shows, and for his campaigns for President of the United States in 1968, 1972, 1980, 1988, 1992, and1996, which had primarily comedic rather than political objectives, although his campaigns generated some protest votes for him. (wikipedia)

Well, I've never heard of PAT PAULSEN, so there's that. Looks like he had mock presidential campaigns in six different election years (?!), as late as 1996 (!?!?!), and somehow I still managed to miss him completely. His name alone accounts for most of the puzzle's difficulty for me. I mean, it's an easy puzzle, still (3:08 for me), but not having heard of a theme answer on a Monday!? That doesn't happen to me very often—and when it does, it's almost always a proper noun well known to older people but not to me (though once there was a scientific term, I think). I also didn't know that PAOLO guy (48D: Renaissance painter Veronese), and took a while to come up with EARTHY and CLAIMS and PUPIL (I was reversing the roles on that last one, frowny face). The revealer on this one is great, the theme answers a bit dull (where are your PATTI PAGEs, your PAST PARTICIPLES, your ... uh ... PACIFIC PALISADES if it were one letter shorter!?). The fill is mostly just fine. I approve the theme and the answer "LIKE I CARE," which is fantastically snappy and colloquial.


Gonna go have another of these blackberry bourbon fizzes and possibly dinner. See you tomorrow.

Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld

P.S. please enjoy this headline