08.07.07

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The Talk

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Puzzle by Daniel Kantor, edited by Will Shortz

BADABING (20A "Just like that!"); FUHGEDABOUTIT (25A "Not on your life!"); and YOUTALKINTOME (42A "Yeah, wanna start somethin'?"), clued by MOBSCENE (50A "The Sopranos" clip? ...or where you might hear 20-, 25- and 42-Across) are the main long entries in this tiny Tuesday terror along with a generous helping of entries worthy of inclusion in dialogue for the HBO series of "The Sopranos", which ended it's six-season run this year

Other entries which would fit nicely into an episode are FLASK (1A Liquor holder in a coat pocket); AWE (6A Wonderment); BEEPS (9A Taxi sounds); AVERT (17A Ward off); ZONES (19A Sectors); EZPASS (22A Electronic toll-collecting system in the Northeast); HARASS (30A Torment); BAY (35A Cargo area); Holiday INN (37A); KARATS (40A Gold standards); PACT (45A War ender); BADDIE (47A No-goodnik); BAN (55A Embargo); FLAB (1D "Spare tire"); ACED (3D Nailed); ATONED (6D Made amends [for]); BUZZCUT (9D Army barber's specialty); SASS (13D Snippiness); Love, honor and OBEY (24D); Taken ABACK (surprised) (27D); TASTE (29D Small bite); GAS (33D Good time, slangily); FANNY (25D Rear end); STAINED (38D Tarnished); PACE (39D Walk to and fro); DEAL (49D Successful conclusion of a negotiation); and ENDS (53D Conclusions).

That's a lot of talk!

Left out of the conversation, but holding their own were IRONCAGE (36D Circus animal enclosure); LAVA (2D Content of some cones); ETNA (11D Italian source of 2-Down); IDES (21A Midmonth time); ISLAM (28D Religion with the Five Pillars); UPDATE (43D Timely news bulletin); ICONIC (44D Like some sacred art); ACLU (48D Legal rights org.); OIL (18A Texas tea); BEST in Show (31A); ILSA (36A Rick's "Casablanca" Love); COIN (46A Create, as a phrase); EGGED (59A Goaded, with "on"); UZI (58A Israeli-invented gun) -- an OCEAN (54A Continent separator) of lively entries in today's MAZE (50D Labyrinth) of a tough-talking crossword!

A fun puzzle and a pleasant solve -- the constructor Daniel Kantor has made us an offer we can't refuse!

For today's cartoons, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.