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Why?
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Puzzle by Victor Fleming and Bruce Venzke, edited by Will Shortz
Today’s puzzle asks who, what, when, where, almost how, but not why -- missing by one (and a half?) the Five Ws, also known as the Five Ws (and one H) or simply the Six Ws.
WHERETHEBOYSARE (17A 1961 Connie Francis Hit); WHENIFALLINLOVE (3D 1952 Doris Day hit that was an even bigger hit for the Lettermen in 1961); WHATINTARNATION (12D “Huh?!”)(Tarnation, in this case, is a colloquial synonym for damnation); and WHONEEDSENEMIES (61A End of a line about “friends”) extend the entire 15 squares top, bottom, left and right of today’s puzzle, while SALCHOW (37A Eponymous rink jump) almost takes care of the How?...but no Why? Why?
Huh?
SINISTER (19A Up to new good) seems to be the operating word for this Thursday thrashing -- EXHUME (15A Dig up); PIRANHAS (16A Vicious sorts); NEUTER (20A Sterile, in a way); LIVEALIE (63A Not be honest about oneself); ONIONS (64A Ingredients in many stews); SNEERSAT (65A Derides); TURNTO (66A Become, as mush); DEEPSET (43D Like some eyes); and DETACHMENT (30D Troop group) join WHATINTARNATION and WHONEEDSENEMIES as forbidding fare.
The positives, EXHILARATE (2D Thrill); ENSURE (11D Protect); ELEVATE (39A Bring up); IRAISE (32A Hold ‘em challenge); ONTHEWAY (7A En route); and PERMITME (58A “Here, I can help you”) are a meager MENU (59D Button on an iPod).
AARE is back from Tuesday‘s puzzle, and close behind are AMES, ASHE, ATL, AWLS, CREE, EELS, EERO, ENID, ENOS, ENDO, EONS, ESSO, DAH, LANE, NAFTA, NEWS, NIB, SEED, SOLD, SPEC, SRI, TEX, TRON, VEAL, WIPE; and YSER
Theatricals, outside of Doris Day, Connie Francis, and The Lettermen, include Debussy’s “Air de LIA” (21A); DANCE (49A Bolero, e.g.,); NEIL Jordan, who wrote “The Crying Game” (45A); NEWMAN (1A Seinfeld’s “sworn enemy”); NIA (50A Long on screen); and VLADIMIR (40D One of the men waiting in “Waiting for Godot”).
Wandering aimlessly about the grid are such entries as NEWS (1D Google heading); MURIATIC acid (old name for hydrochloric acid)(4A); NETTV (6D Web-based service); OPERATE (7D Be in charge of); HAYES (10D First sitting president to visit the West Coast); NISAN (25d Passover month); LIENEE (46D Mortgagor, e.g.); RHIN (56D Nose: Prefix); DELRAY Beach, Fla. (44A); ARLENE (55A Children’s author/photographer Alda); and OXEYE (31D Kind of daisy).
That should cover it, ORNOT (53D Optional phrase)!...but, again --
Why oh why no “why”?!
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Abridged commentary of The NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD IN GOTHIC.
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