Detail of colored etching and aquatint, "Christie's Auction Room", by Thomas Rowlandson & Augustus Charles Pugin from The Microcosm of London, Volume 1 (London: R. Ackerman, 1810). Photographic Services & Permissions
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Friday, November 2, 2007
Puzzle by Barry C. Silk, edited by Will Shortz
Picture, if you will, the AUCTIONEER (55A Block head?) with the remains of the day -- it's his job to dress these items up with a hopefully appealing description and then hold the open outcry auction in hopes of enriching the estate. In this case, our items appear to be from a dead puzzle constructor, and it's clues are all hustle and bustle -- caveat emptor!
The best stuff has already gone out the door this week and what‘s left has been dressed up real pretty to sell; here’s the clues being pitched by our tireless hucksters from the puzzle department at the Times -- first let’s get the easy-movers out of the way:
We’re going across, who’ll give me 1. He had a hit with “The Joint Is Jumpin’”; one, I got one, who’ll give me, fifteen -- 15. First #1 hit by the Beach Boys; 17. City on the Transcontinental Railroad; 21. Taylor of Mystic Pizza”; 28. One of a primer pair; 34. El relative, it's a LOS; 43. Premium chargers, briefly, we got HMOS; 44. Like a well-maintained SEEDED lawn; 46. NON- Discriminatory leader?; 50. Fermentation locations; 53. 19th-century territorial capital; 57. Delivery possibility, it's a GIRL!; 58. Committed a sports no-no; sold!
Going down: 1. Internet Explorer alternative, give me FIREDOG or FIREFOX, who’ll give me 2. Facial feature, later in life, do I have a WRINKLE?, no?; do I have three?; 3. Carpenter, at times; 7. Hippie happenings; 8. African city of 2.5+ million founded by the Portuguese; 9. Infinite; 10. Food figs.; 11. Hanging setting, I have a WALL, who’ll give me a bid on the WALL?; check your 12. Big name in credit reports; and it’s 13. Greyhounds may run in it; we got 14. Wilde things?; 23. “See ya!”; and over here 30. They’re known for head-turning; do I have a 35. Fictional doctor; 36. “This is no joke!”; ho! We got 38. It was first observed in 1846; and 41. Group that starred in the 1968 film “Head,” with “the”; give me 45. Establishes; how about 51. Target of heavy W.W. II bombing, 1944; 52. “That SAID…”; let’s be 53. Comfortable; this is no 56. Discount designation: Abbr. -- thank you, ladies and gentlemen, now for the best of the rest of the lot!
Caveat emptor: Going across again, we got 11. Signs of neglect; 16. Like the sea; 18. Some people have it for life; 19. Not do the rite thing?; 20. Requests for developers: Abbr.; 22. Some cabbage; 23. Dwell; 24. Much; and we’re going to take ONE STEP AT A TIME (25, 52 and 39); do I get 26. Potentate; over there for 29. They’re not originals; 31. Materials used as inert paint fillers; 33. Best people; not asking for a ZILLION but we get it from 35. Whole slew of; 47. What “y” might become, that'll be IES; 48. Driver on a ranch; 49. It’s found in a chest; 54. Organs are located in it: Abbr.; 59. Due and sei; what am I bid for 60. Succulent African shrub popular as a bonsai, sold! -- going down: 4. They’re located on organs; 5. Draw to a close, we're beginning to WANE; 6. It may come after you -- ARE?; 26. Year of St. Genevieve’s death, everyone knows, we bid DXII, and I'm not whistling "Dixie"; 27. Pitching TILTED; 28. JEST in Fun; 32. Basketful, we got a LOAD of items; 37. Letter writing, some say, oh is it ever a LOSTART!; 39. One taken in; 40. Like some surgery; 42. Match-starting cry; and as the last of the lot, we got a 49. Challenge for a shortstop -- sold to the solver with the death grip on the pen!
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For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
