06.28.07

Garbo Laughs


Thursday, June 28, 2007

Puzzle by Joseph Crowley, edited by Will Shortz


Oh my word! I haven’t laughed so much over a crossword puzzle in my life! There’s enough food and frolic in this creation to cause one to Throw AFIT (58D) of gastronomical proportions!

Roller coaster RIDES (29A Carnival sights), water CHUTE (44A Way Down), COBRA (47D U.S. attack helicopter), heights of the ALPES (16D Suisse peaks), everything all ASTIR (24A Circulating) in an ADO (58A Foofaraw), that SLAPS (11D “Snap out of it!“ actions) ONES (60D Kind of place) TAIL (26D Detective, at times) down to the WIRE (2D Finish line maybe), with a visit to Coney Island and Nathan’s to OUTEAT (53A Beat at a hot dog contest) with a stomach full of MIXEDGREENSALAD (14A Colorful opening course), ORANGEMARMALADE (17A Colorful spread), RAINBOW (37A With 39-Across, colorful dessert) SHERBET (39A See 37-Across), a BLUEBERRYMUFFIN (61A Colorful breakfast food), and REDBEANSANDRICE (64A Colorful entrée) with SUDS (57D Beer, slangily) --- Hurry, hurry, hurry, step right up and get your tickets at the KIOSK (22D Mall station) -- DAMN (52A Curse), try to TEAR (55D Wrest) me from my comfortable DEN (4D Place to display trophies) maybe with a game of REVERSI (43D Game on an 8x8 board) this July 4th -- IWONT (33D Obstreperous child’s cry) move an inch -- call me a DWEEB (45D Nerd), food and motion don't mix, something will come up -- DUH (30D “Well, obviously!”).

I’ll just light a GEM (18A Sparkler) and sing a few bars of ISOUR (33A “A Mighty Fortress ____ God [hymn]) or turn on the RADIO (12D Part of a beach kit) and listen fondly to 9A The Beatles’INMY Life” or an ETUDE (49D Chopin piece)!

Or better yet, draw the shades of the bunker and roll a film with my favorite SWEDE (1A Greta Garbo, by birth)!


Illustration: Greta Garbo as "Queen Christina" -- In what many call her greatest screen portrayal, the legendary Greta Garbo stars as the 17th century Queen of Sweden who shocked all of Europe when she relinquished her throne for love.
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