I'm used to seeing "plie" as a clue in New York Times crossword puzzles, but yesterday, I found this:

Sun, Nov 25, 2007 37 DOWN: "U.S. dance grp."

Answer: "ABT"

I was going to bring that up, too, Helene! I do the Sunday puzzle on Mondays, when it is delivered here. When I saw the clue this afternoon, I was so very pleased to fill in the letters A B T! Speaking of the Times crossword, it is something that gives me so much pleasure every Monday morning. To hunker down with the Sunday puzzle and a cup of honeyed tea, especially on a cold, grey, rainy day like today, is the perfect start to my week. I the NYT Sunday puzzle!

A slight change of topic, but this is really too fleeting to start a whole thread for, alas:

Did anyone notice on ER 2 weeks ago that not only was Giselle mentioned, but GAUTIER as well? Probably the first and last time on primetime network TV!

I'd love to know the context for that particular allusion, Ray.

Meanwhile -- back at the NY Times Sunday puzzle -- can anyone remember any other ballet clues that surprised and pleased them?

It was a courtship scene: a doc played by John Stamos and the hospital's with-it chaplain "Julia" are coming out of the theater after a date; the line shows us that she's sophisticated and he's a real guy's guy. (They actually have, for network TV, quite an extended discussion about the Willis.) Then they go to his apartment and rip each other's clothes off. So much for Gautier!

NBC only has 2-minute replays of past episodes--guess which scene ended up on the cutting room floor--but you may be able to find it on YouTube (the episode aired 11/15 and is called "Coming Home"

I know, I should be reading War and Peace.

Ah! I was trying to imagine how this could come up in the ER itself -- possibly as an interlude between resuscitating a young drug addict, reattaching a severed hand, or jumping to the conclusion that those nasty pustules might be symptoms of the Black Plague.

Compared to that, it's a relief to learn that Giselle can have such an overpoweringly erotic effect on audiences. Publicity departments, take note.

"Astaire" always pleases me as he is my absolute favorite dancer and personality, and his sister Adele comes up from time to time to confuse some solvers with the cluing of "dancing Astaire". A short while ago we saw Fonteyn, as in Margot. There was even once a puzzle with Dancing Men as its theme which featured names such as Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Robert Joffrey, Alvin Ailey. Oh, and Tharp appeared in one NYT Sunday puzzle. I've also seen Rudolf, clued as Nureyev, and I do believe Moira Shearer has shown up. Cyd Charisse certainly has, cluing the "Cyd". There have been a few jetes (usually clued as "ballet leap" or "ballet jump") as well as the frequent plies which Helene mentioned.

Back to ER and Giselle for a moment. It was particularly gratifying that the producers chose a ballet that was actually being performed in Chicago, by the Joffrey, around the time of the episode.

Now back to the NYT crossword puzzle. I didn't get to start it until last night (been a busy week here), so I'm glad I didn't see this thread until this morning. I, too, was delighted -- and mildly astounded -- at the answer to that clue.

A Times puzzle from a few years ago had the clue "prima ballerina" and I struggled to find a reasonable answer to fit the 6 spaces allotted. It wasn't until I had enough crossings that the answer became clear: "etoile". Now that's quite a bit beyond the standard "plie", I think!

Oh, I don't know -- I think Gautier would have been quite pleased...

Tanaquil Le Clercq used to constuct Times crossword puzzles ocasionally. I particularly remember one on Valentines Day which had little hearts in it. Also there was a daily puzzle some fifteen or twenty years ago the theme of which was Balanchine and Stravinsky. I sent a note to the woman who did it, whose name I've forgotten, alas. She wrote back charmingly and gratefully. Apparently she never got much fan mail.