09.03.07

Teals of Woe


Illustration: Cinnamon Teals by Karen C. Pruitt
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Monday, September 3, 2007

Puzzle by Sarah Keller, edited by Will Shortz

The first five letters of STALEBREAD (17A Base for turkey stuffing, often); STEALAWAY (25A Leave furtively); LEASTRESISTANCE (35A What the easiest path offers); SLATEROOF (48A Long-lasting housetop); TALESOFWOE (56A Sob stories) are anagrams of themselves -- or maybe ALTES, a king in Greek mythology. However, I would gladly trade any of the entries to include TEALS, with an appropriate suffix.

Why? Stale bread, a slate roof, and tales of woe say nothing of Labor Day; however, stealing away along the path of least resistance might pass muster, as we pass mustard at the backyard barbeque on this unofficial last day of summer.

So, TEALS it is!

With tomorrow possessing the back-to-work puzzle by default, this Monday puzzle is just too tender -- hopefully, you saved some of Saturday's; now that was one tough bird!

Lots of old crosswordese here: YOGA, ATTIC, DOCK, EAST, BURRO, OTOE, OTBS, ARENA, ADARE, EWING, LAOTSE, ADIDAS, ANTI, AGATES, ICET, PHONES, ELATE, IRANI, PEEL (61A Orange throwaway), SLEET (almost another anagram), TILL, ESTO, STEM, YES, OAT, GSA, ABBE, TURNS, IRA, COD, OTTAWA, ERGS, ELAL, WANE, IOTA, EATIN, GESSO, ADESTE, ALIST, ASE, TUNED, NCAA, CENT, ETTE, TSK, ALI, OILED, FREED, ASTO, RENO, WIT, OLE, and ELM. Those are a lot of old crossword puzzle standards.


Illustration: First Labor Day parade, Union Square, New York, 1882.

On the 125th anniversary of Labor Day, we are offered a single reference: EARNER (29D Salary recipient).

Other less-frequently seen entries are BURRO (15A Grand Canyon transport); UNSENT (41A Waiting to be mailed); ERRANT (46A Off-course); along with the anagram entries of ITLL and TILL.

ATLANTIS (4D Legendary sunken island); DOODAD (10D Thingamajig); COBRAS (12D Snake charmers’ snakes); KESEY (13D “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”); AIRLIFTS (37D Emergency military transports); SNIPE (48D Relative of the sandpiper); HAMLET (44D “To be or not to be” speaker); and OTELLO (45D Verdi opera) are the longer entries that round out this Labor Day lark.

Have a great holiday, and here’s hoping tomorrow’s return to work doesn’t produce TEALSOFWOE (Dead ducks)!

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