08.04.07

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Sideshow

Illustration: " Invitation to the Side-Show" by Georges Seurat, 1888
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Saturday, August 4, 2007

Puzzle by Byron Walden, edited by Will Shortz

Opening with BEFORETHEOTHERS (1A First) and closing with KEEPONKEEPINGON (60A Last) this sideshow of a crossword puzzle features as its central attraction a BEARDEDLADY (34A Sideshow staple) presiding over a festival of wordplay.

With a 15-letter triple deck above of BEFORETHEOTHERS; ITALIANALPHABET (16A Dante characters?); and GIRLFROMIPANEMA (17A The “she” in the lyric “And when she passes, I smile”) and a 15-letter triple deck below of AMERICANSTUDIES (56A Interdisciplinary college major); NICOTINELOZENGE (59A Patch alternative); and KEEPONKEEPINGON, our BEARDEDLADY is in a NUCLEUS (23D Chromosome home) of oddities in the fragmented central passageway of this Saturday puzzle, including a DUNK TANK (35D Charity carnival feature) in which to Drown the Clown if you DECRY (32A Disparage) and have an ODIUM (37A Strong aversion) for HASSLE (44D Headache).

The downs above include BIGDOS (1 Galas); Saint-ETIENNE-du-Mont, church containing the remains of the patron saint of Paris (2); FARMCLUB (3 Place for some prospects); OLLIE (4 Hardy one?); RIFT (5 Break); EAR (6 Place for a stirrup); TNOTES (7 They may take a few yrs. to mature); HAMAN (8 Villain in the book of Esther); ELICITED (9 Brought out); OPP (10 NE for SW, e.g.); THAD (11 Jazz trumpeter/composer Jones); “Trip to HANOI” (1968 Susan Sontag book)(12); EBERLE (“Over the Rainbow” vocalist Ray); REMAIN (14 Be extant); and STAGED (15 Like some disappearances) -- abracadabra!


Swirling about in the center with our must-be-a-DEM (32D Person on the left?: Abbr.) BEARDEDLADY are EPSOM (38A With 55-Across, MgSO4.7H2O) SALTS (55A See 38-Across); BURRITO (22D Chihuahua fare); GRAPE (28D Gatorade choice); OKRAS (49A Mallow family members); BEADS (26D Wampum); and SOPS (47A Food eaten with gravy).

The downs below include L.A.’s USBANK Tower, the tallest building in the West (40); NORMIE (41 Nickname on “Cheers”); APIECE (42 Not together); YODELING (36 Higher calling?); MONTEGO (39 Former Mercury model); STROP (48 Leather band); RANEE (50 Eastern royal) BADEN-Wurtternberg (Stuttgart’s state) (51); TITO (53 Co-founder of the Non-Aligned Movement, 1961); SUZI (55 1970s rocker Quatro); and LESSEN (46D Bring down).

Scattered about “Lo, here ILIE, / Never to rise again” “Hamlet” (24A); SNL Digital Shorts (25A); BENIN (22A Its capital is Porto-Novo); DOL (45A Capital of New Zealand: Abbr.); BRITT (52 The Green Hornet’s real first name); DEMIT (18A Relinquish); and EULER (30A Discoverer of the law of quadratic reciprocity).

BUS (26A One way to work); TUG (27A Drawing of the heart?); TAC (19A Central square, maybe) and several other happenstance-fill lurk unnoticed, but DORAG (20A 50 Cent cover) and TOP (58D With 29-Across, highest quality) END (29A See 58-Down) stand out.

Oh...and thanks for LEO (31D Olympics theme composer Arnaud) -- it’s my birthday!

For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated

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