New York Times, April 26

Um … er … how do I start this one?

Try with those two oft-repeated crutches: UM and ER. If you’re anything like me, I use those nonwords way too much in conversation — and now way too much in this crossword puzzle. The trick here is to squeeze as many of those UMs and ERs as you possibly can into the theme answers. You do that by putting both letters in a single box.

So 98 Across, “Crowded, in a way,” is BUMPER TO BUMPER … except in this puzzle, you squeeze it together: B(UM)P(ER) TO B(UM)P(ER). And those doubled-up squares cross quite nicely with answers like 90 Down, “Historic South Carolina fort”: S(UM)T(ER).

Another fun one: 62 Down, “2003 sequel to a popular 1994 comedy”: D(UM)B AND D(UM)B(ER)(ER). That crosses with 110 Across, “North Carolinian, e.g.” — EAST(ER)N(ER) — and 68 Across, “Actress Amanda” — PL(UM)M(ER), better known to “Pulp Fiction” fans as Honey Bunny.

Off the theme, I thought it was pretty cool to find out that eBay’s first sale was a broken laser pointer (40 Down). I also smiled at 46 Down (“Its capital is Bamako”) — MALI, on which I had to write a history report for Mr. Pryor in junior high school. That report also taught me Mali is the home of Timbuktu; who knew the place actually existed?

Questions or comment? Twitter me @crosswordkathy

Merl Reagle, April 26

Sigh. I have mixed feelings about this one. I hate-hate-hate when he starts off the puzzle with a “Note” — if you have to explain the theme, maybe it’s not that great, right? Also, why are you doing an Oscar-themed puzzle in April, two months after the red carpets have been rolled up?

Anyway, the theme answers in this puzzle combine the titles of films that have won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Yet the answers only incorporate parts of some titles: 84 Across, “Film about traveling around Florida?” is DRIVING IN THE HEAT — from “Driving Miss Daisy” and “In the Heat of the Night.” Same with 110 Across, “Film featuring people whose ears are hairier than their heads?” — ALL ABOUT OLD MEN. That combines “All About Eve” with “No Country for Old Men.” In both cases, I think he’s leaving too much of the titles out.

I think he’s more successful with 30 Across, “Film about a new kid in town” — THE APARTMENT HUNTER, from “The Apartment” and “The Deer Hunter.” I also liked 65 Across, “Film about a transplanted New Yorker? (really transplanted)” — MARTY OF ARABIA (“Marty” and “Lawrence of Arabia”) and 96 Across, “Film about a music fan’s Vegas fantasy” — DANCES WITH TOM JONES (“Dances with Wolves” and “Tom Jones”).

I never was a fan of stews.