Wed., 10/30 Jeff Chen

[magus]

THEME:   first words of phrases begin with Lone Ranger's call to his horse
   
GOOD ONES:    
Hero whose catchphrase {theme}   LONE RANGER   
   
BTW:   
Two abutting references to John Keats may be excessive but for the fact that it is John Keats.   
   
"I've got proof!"   IT’S A FACT [not the same: saying something is a fact does not prove it; conversely, something factual may not be provable]   
   
RATING:   
Three grins = Loved it; Two grins = Enjoyed it; One grin = A bit bland for my taste; One teardrop = Not much fun   

[ahimsa]

I liked this a lot more than you did. :-)  Great fill - DR MOREAU, HYPING, MEMENTO, G'DAY MATE...

My one nit was that maybe the clue for HI FI STEREO (16 Across) should have some indication of being an old fashioned term. Because who still uses that term these days? But maybe that was on purpose since too much info would have made it easier.

I had no trouble with ITS A FACT being clued as "I've got proof!" An expression in quotes when used for a clue does not have to be 100% identical, does it? I thought it just had to be close enough to be a replacement in a casual conversation. http://trickme.wordpress.com/2007/08/26/17-puzzling-thoughts/

So even though these two phrases are not identical they are both things that someone trying to prove a point might say. I could be completely wrong, though.

[magus]

Hi, ahimsa---

Yes, quoted terms are not necessarily exact substitutions but should be similar in meaning.  "It's a fact" vs. "I've got proof," as in many arguments, seems a question of degree.  I guess I don't see them as similar.  "I've got proof" can be used instead of "It's a fact," but so could "You don't know what you're talking about." "...both things that someone trying to prove a point might say," but they're really quite different. 

I don't think you're wrong, but really, do you really want to disagree with Mr. Know-all?  (By the way, "Mr. Know-All" by W. Somerset Maugham is one of my favorite short stories.  It's about an insufferable bore named Max Kelada, a character with a quality I very much admire --- and so will you if you read carefully.)