Saturday, October 6, 2007
Puzzle by Brendan Emmett Quigley and David Quarfoot, edited by Will Shortz
JANEDOE (26D Miss No-Name) or "Little Miss No Name" was a doll made by Hasbro Toys in the mid-sixties that was dressed in rags, was barefoot; and had a very large, wet tear cascading down her smooth little dirt-smudged cheek -- an anonymous orphan. Well, she's in today's puzzle, among a throng of hard-hearted entries and soft clues, cynically sharing her "E" with SCREWIT (37D "Oh, I give up!") -- something, no doubt, more than a few anonymous solvers will exclaim -- this puzzle is a bitch!
Little Miss No-Name
http://www.missnoname.com/
http://www.whitless.com/littlemissnoname2.htm
This crossword’s constructors, likely giggling in glee, splatter the grid with plenty of orphaned oddities: "No god but God" author REZA Aslan (23A); CLOACA (45D Zoological cavity); PVCPIPE (8A Material for drainage lines); Early filmmaking brothers Auguste and Louis LUMIERE (17A); SERIESE (20A Bond type whose first purchaser was F.D.R.); JENA (26A German city where Napoleon defeated the Prussians); VAC (47A A sucker, for short); NFLDRAFT (1D Annual sports event with seven rounds); EAUDEVIE (2D Brandy); TIMEZONE (3D Mountain, e.g.); “The East ISRED” (1960s Chinese anthem) (6D); XTERRA (7D Nissan model); FEVERFEW (36D Plant used as an herbal remedy for headaches); SCHWAB (44D Brokerage giant); and THEONION (40D Paper that calls itself “America’s Finest News Source”).
In addition to the easy speak of SCREWIT, there is HOOEY (41A Rot); PODUNK (13D It’s far from a metropolis); TEESOFF (35A Ruffles); AVOWS (27A States); WARCRIES (38D Rallying slogans); ISTHATSO (39D “Who’d a thunk it?!”); YALL (42D Dialectal contraction); OOPS (55D Dropping sound); and SCUSI (52D “Pardon me,” in Parma).
Other Acrosses: NETFLIX (1A Blockbuster alternative); FAIREST (15A Just as anyone can be); AEROSOL (16A What some bombs release); CRUSADE (18A What a cause might turn into); DRACO Malfoy, bully in Harry Potter books (26A); BALKS (30A Pitch problems?); FINALS (31A May day events, perhaps); BRAUN (33A Big name in coffee makers); ENDASH (43A Minus sign equivalent); SCRIP (44A Fractional currency); TORTE (49A Layered dessert); CLAN (50A Reunion gatherers); DELOS (51A Apollo’s birthplace); ECHO (53A Be reminiscent of); HOI (54A Part of “the many,” in Greek); OARLOCK (55A Scull part); WALDORF (58A Noted Art Deco building in the Big Apple, with “the”); KUWAITI (60A Dinar spender); ACOUPLE (62A Some); ESOBESO (63A 1962 hit with the lyric “Like the samba sound, my heart begins to pound”); BANDSAW (64A Shop tool with pulleys); and DINESON (65A has at a spread), not DINESEN.
Other Downs: LEES (5D Refuse); PACECARS (8D Track warm-up leaders); VERSO (9D Back of a leaf); ISABEL (12D Deadly 2003 hurricane that hit North Carolina); ELENAS (14D Figure skater Sokolova and others); IAMB (21D Foot type); AWASHIN (24D Totally covered by); SLOOP (28D Relative of a cutter); BURNT (30D Black, say); RAILON (46D Criticize harshly and repeatedly); COOKED (48D Like some books); and DARLA (51D Friend of Porky), not DAFFY.
Leftovers: ACE, ABE, AMA, BUN, CRUE, DDE, FRI, POS, RAN, SFO, and DUD (59D Bomb not bursting in air?).
I’m sure this is right up someone’s alley!
Sincerely,
ANONYMOUS
