09.10.07

Music for Monday


Illustration: Musical Instruments -- Georges Braque [Paris, autumn 1908]
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Monday, September 10, 2007

Puzzle by Edward M. Sessa, edited by Will Shortz

A delightful musical Monday puzzle ushers us humming and smiling back to work -- NOTESOFTHESCALE (40A Features found in 17- and 64-Across and 11- and 28-Down), along with POEMS (5A Sonnet and sestina), The Beatles’ “Back in the USSR” (10A); ECHOER (20A Parrot); BIRD (23A Robin or swallow); SILENCE (47A It is golden, it’s said); EMINEM (59A “Lose Yourself” rapper); Fox TV’s “American IDOL” (58A); TWEET (35D Little bird’s sound); IDYLL (51D Pastoral composition); and HIFIS (53D Old 45 players), along with a SMILEYFACE, provide all the music and cheer one needs to trudge to work -- all that’s missing is the Seven Dwarfs singing “Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to work we go” -- so for that, go HERE!

DOGBREEDER (17A Many a Westminster show exhibitor); SMILEYFACE (64A Longtime Wal-Mart symbol); SOFTPALATE (11D Rear of the roof of the mouth); and ACTIONDOLL (28D G.I. Joe, for one) provide the DO, RE, MI, FA, SO, LA, TI, DO.

There is colorful variety in today’s puzzle, some STEAMY (42D Like a sauna room) (I prefer a dry sauna); some CHEESY (48D Shabby) (why is “cheese” synonymous with low quality?).

ASIA and INDIA side by side lead off a variety of locations including SOHO, ALP, DADE, OHIO, LUNAR, ATHENS, and the capital of my home state, PIERRE.

Rulers to remind us of the boss at work include REINES (18D Queens of France), SHAH (52A Ayatollah’s predecessor), EMIR (57D Mideast potentate); and MAN (22D Homo sapiens), with or without a TITLE (45A Sir or madam).

BETE noire (44A), DUSK (1A Nightfall), FATE (38A Predestination) and DAMP (54A Wettish) are the heavies, while UNCLE Remus (36) ANIMATES (21A Makes a cartoon of) DODDERED (54A Walked unsteadily) Mathematician John von NEUMANN (29A) eating meager SLAW (39A Cabbage salad) and KABOB (4D Skewered lamb) while writing a PROXY (70A Shareholder’s substitute) RSVP (56D Answer, as an invitation) to their CALLS (34D Charges on a telephone bill) wearing nothing but a SARI (9D Wrap for Indira Gandhi) and an OBI (41D Geisha’s sash), projecting a strange MIEN (8D Demeanor), indeed!

Enough of the ACT (33A Play part) -- SIGH (3D Sound of relief) -- to work!