"MAKING AMENDS"
Puzzle by Charles M. Deber, edited by Will Shortz
This is a warm and welcome Sunday puzzle!
Eight A’s is all it takes for this construction to be a droll, loveable exercise in wit, skill and refinement. The comic entries that tickle the funny bone and sparkle with sophisticated ingenuity are standard phrases with the simple addition of a single letter "A" in each to change the phrase into clever wordplay.
MENSAWEARDEPARTMENTS (20A Where smart shoppers shop?)
THREEMENINATUBA (34A Plight of an overcrowded orchestra?)
FIRSTAIDAKIT (52A Introduction to opera)
INDIANAOCEAN (68A Locale of Hoosier beaches?)
AWALKINTHEPARKA (83A Bit of winter exercise?)
ARIVERARUNSTHROUGHIT (101A Geraldo rehearses his show?)
CHECKEREDPASTA (1D Dish for an Italian racing champ?)
BOTTOMLESSPITA (48D Sandwich that can never be finished?)
This good natured fun runs throughout the puzzle with both clues and entries (31A Place for fish and ships) SEA; (66A Insider talk) LINGO; (94A Burmese gathering?) CATSHOW; (52A Tiny annoyance) FLEA; (70D Hen, at times) CACKLER; (20D Item on a chain, usually) MONOCLE; and references to a variety of amiable personalities -- MITZI (58A Gaynor of “South Pacific”); MANN (58D Jazz’s Herbie); REN (2D Stimpy’s TV pal); POTSIE (87D “Happy Days” role); to the dignified -- EVANS (4D Dame Edith who was nominated for three Oscars); SERGEI (12D Composer Prokofiev); LIAM (28D Former Irish P.M. ____ Cosgrave); DIANE (63D Photographer Arbus); JOULE (93D Eponymous physicist) and the macabre -- CARRIE (7D Stephen King’s first novel); LANDRU (14D French Bluebeard); TUTS (97D King ____ tomb); and ATTILA (85D Loser at the Battle of Chalons, A.D. 451).
Included for good measure are DANTES (63A _______ “Inferno”), CAIRO (29A Site of Napoleon’s invasion of 1798-1801); CREES (1A Tribe with a sun dance); SCRATCHER (39A Cat, at times); OODLES (55A Piles); KISSERS (108A Mugs) -- and so it runs through the whole grid, friendly, good natured, warmhearted and bright!
This is a masterful Sunday puzzle made to be worked with ease and comfort -- a classic!
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