Another late February Wednesday, another spell of unseasonably warm weather. I’m currently in the middle part of the continent and would normally expect to see snow piled up along the roadside if not actual snowfall. But it’s warm and rainy today, and we have a new puzzle to get to, so let’s get to it.

  • Name: Opposition Leaders
  • Grid size: 15×15
  • Number of entries: 74
  • Difficulty: Very easy (my solve time: 5:25)

I read the title and had a brief thought that it might involve Canadian politicians, then promptly forgot about it, so it didn’t help or hinder me in the solve. But I had an easy enough time of it and was easily able to see the theme once I finished. The themers are common phrases consisting of an adjective followed by a noun, with another adjective added to the beginning that is the opposite of the original one (hence “opposition leaders”), then clued punnily:

  • 20A: [Diminutive head honcho?]: LITTLE BIG WHEEL – While I remember a Big Wheel as a plastic tricycle, it’s also slang for a person with a great deal of power or influence, especially a high-ranking person in an organization. If they’re small in stature, they could be a little big wheel.
  • 33A: [Refrigerated jalapeño?]: COLD HOT PEPPER – While a jalapeño straight out of the ‘fridge might be temperature cool, it would definitely still be spicy hot. Don’t get this confused with this band. I appreciate that Barb used the tilde in the clue – it’s missing from many crosswords and always irks me.
  • 39A: [Frozen Fresca?]: HARD SOFT DRINK – Are they even still making Fresca? I guess so… haven’t seen it in a while (not that I’ve been looking for it). While a frozen Fresca would be somewhat hard, it would be “harder” if you made a cocktail using it as an ingredient.
  • 57A: [Naughty hotties?]: BAD GOOD LOOKERS – I like the short pithy clues for the themers in this puzzle, and this is a good one. “Good looker” always makes me think of this song.

Another quick and smooth solve – I hit no real snags and just followed the entries as I got them. So I kind of wandered all over the grid and really didn’t think about the title or theme until I was nearly finished. I ended up with the SW and NE mostly blank, but quickly filled them in though I had a minor pause seeing 57A as I had a different letter ending 44D (see “Other stuff” below).

Canadian content:

  • 2D: [BTO’s “Let ______”]: IT RIDE – Bachman-Turner Overdrive were a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, founded by Randy Bachman, Robbie Bachman and Fred Turner in 1973. Their 1970s catalogue included five top-40 albums and six US top-40 singles, including this one.
  • 4D: [Wind catcher on the Bluenose]: SAIL – I got to sail in company with Bluenose (officially Bluenose II) many years ago from Bermuda to Halifax for a tall ships event.
  • 10D: [Rogen and Green, for two]: SETHSSeth Rogen was born in Vancouver, BC in 1982.
  • 13D: [Trudeau Sr. and Jr., for two]: PMS – One is Pierre and one is Justin, and one is still Prime Minister while the other passed in 2000.
  • 24A: [Ottawa-born Akroyd]: DAN – Haven’t seen much of him lately but he was part of a bumper crop of Canadian comedians back in the 70’s and 80s.
  • 69A: [The ___, Manitoba]: PAS – I needed all the crosses for this one – I was unaware of this town, which is “home to a variety of attractions and events, such as the Northern Manitoba Trappers Festival, Clearwater Lake Provincial Park, world renowned fishing and hunting, a number of unique locally owned restaurants, lakes, a golf course, and much more!” according to the town website.

Other stuff:

  • 21D: [“…a ____ ‘clock scholar”]: TEN O – I was not familiar with this phrase or nursery rhyme, and thought it referred to a student who waited until 10 pm the night before finishing their homework. Not that I have any first-hand experience with that…
  • 35D: [Door-slammer’s state]: HUFF – My first thought was “snit” which makes frequent appearances in crosswords.
  • 44D: [Bobbies’ fink]: NARK – I had “narc” in here for a loooong time. I mean, “narc” is short for “narcotics detective” and is the spelling used most often in the US, apparently “nark” is used most often in the Commonwealth.

Quote of the week:

“One person, standing on principle, can make a positive difference in the lives of many.”
-Jimmy Carter