Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Puzzle by Patrick Bindauer, edited by Will Shortz
“Noughts and crosses” (also known as “Tic Tac Toe“) is a simple children's game. This Wednesday puzzle succeeds in incorporating a completed grid for the game in the grid of the puzzle.
CHILDSPLAY (60A “Piece of cake!” [and a hint to the starts of 17-Across and 11- and 27- Down]) purports to be the controlling clue for this undertaking; however, when one glances at the empty grid with circles within the center nine squares, it’s pretty obvious that it’s “noughts and crosses” or something very similar. As a result the puzzle seems a little like being invited in through the back door. No mention is made at all of the 33D, 34D, 35D, 38A and part of 42A tick tack toe (a/k/a tic tac toe) arrangement within the nine squares with circles being an outcome of the children’s game -- too clumsy an explanation? -- maybe just too obvious.
I had some trouble with XOO (33D Kiss and hugs, in a love letter) as I’m never sure how many to do of which, x’s or o’s; and OXO (35D Big name in kitchen gadgets) was totally new to me; but then with the given of XXX (34D Adults-only) wound up with OXX (38A Part of a coach’s chalk-talk diagram) as a result of the foregoing and certainly I would never, ever know that information about a "coach's chalk-talk diagram"! I’d sooner have it be clued as the German beer, Oxx! Finally, there are EXXON (32A It merged with Mobil) and BOXOF (42A "...like a ____ of chocolates") at the top and bottom completing the tic tac toe grid.
The “tic” in TICKLEPINK (17A. Thrill), the “tac” in TACHOMETER (11D Part of a dash) work out fine -- but we get “tow” for “toe” with TOWTHELINE (27D Do what is expected). Too picky? You’re right -- forget all that, this is a very clever little Wednesday puzzle!
LATE BULLETIN: Oops!, I stand corrected by profphil who said... "the expression is "toe the line" and not Tow the line. I picture not putting one's toe over the (racing?) line. Although your version is nice too."
So, it's TOETHELINE! ...and the tic, tac, toe is entered perfect and in order in the grid! Huzzah! Not only clever, brilliant!
TETEATETE (20A Close communication?), ATAD (10A Not much), TINMAN (28 Heartless one?)(his second appearance in a week!), TEN (39A Start of a countdown), TAHITI (45A Bernstein’s “Trouble in ______”), OTTS (40A Baseball’s Ed and Mel), PITT (1D Willis’s “Twelve Monkeys” co-star), ACETATE (5D Film overlay), TOPED (6D Imbibled), TILT (55A Feature of the earth), and TSK (9D “Baa-a-a-ad!”) join the onomatopoeic phoneme “non-theme” “theme”.
The remainder of the puzzle gives us the author of “Fanatics and Fools” ARIANNA (10A Huffington, who wrote “Fanatics and Fools”) -- is that about crossword bloggers?, and the rarely seen JONI (61A Musical Mitchell) (it must be her “J”), the oddly named LAE (37A Seaport of New Guinea), and lastly, it includes LION (31A Companion of 28-Across) and (2D Romeo’s last words) I DIE!
Fun!
Confused? Let Linda G set it right at Madness…Crossword and Otherwise.
Or check Rex at Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle
Maybe guest blogger John at Diary of a Crossword Fiend.
Just need a laugh? -- today's cartoon at The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
Click here for original post with illustrations and puzzle grid.
