Sunday, November 11, 2007
PUTTING ON SOME WEIGHT
Puzzle by Alan Arbesfeld, edited by Will Shortz
KUNGFUTONGUEINCHEEK (Black Belt babbling Bach in bed?) is not in today’s puzzle, but the following are:
ASGOODASNEWTON (22. Up to top physics standards?);
PATTONONTHEBACK (32. Recumbent W.W. II general?);
CANTONOPENER (46. First game of a Chinese double-header?);
CLUBCARTON (55. Container for an iron or wedge?);
DONTGIVEMEANYLIPTON (68. “I’m not interested in having tea!”?);
PROTONSHOP (86. Where to pick up nuclear supplies?);
SEXTONSYMBOL (Crucifix?);
CHARLESTONATLAS (107. Traveler’s aid in South Carolina?); and
ROLLAWAYCOTTON (Easily transportable plantation product?).
The remaining acrosses consist of: 1. Award for hanging; 7. 18th-century Venetian master who painted “Adoration of the Magi”; 14. Magnetic induction unit; 19. LAGUNA Beach, Calif.; 20. How miracle workers walk; 21. It may be left holding the bag; 24. Flammable gas; 25. Time, in Munich; 26. Pet lovers’ org.; 27. Raid target; 29. Actress Scala; 30. Spinning; 37. Punching tool; 39. Perry of fashion; 40. Zhou ENLAI; 41. Substitute (for); 50. Inkling; 51. Omelette ingredient; 53. Yard units; 54. Answer, briefly; 58. Grab; 62. Scot’s topper; 63. Prefix with comic; 64. Ludacris’s music; 66. “Air Music” composer, 1974; 76. Absolut rival, for short; 77. Thing often rolled over, in brief; 78. Tiny amounts; 80. British rule in India; 83. Bureau; 90. Lago composition; 92. Seagoing: Abbr.; 94. Small salmon; 95. Big rig; 101. Like some odes; 103. Fabric with a repeated pattern; 104. House overhang; 106. Green; 111. Item often cloned; 116. With it; 117. Burglar’s advance man, maybe; 118. Goes (for); 120. Bern’s river; 121. Bakery lures; 128. Take umbrage at; 129 Lawyer, at court; 130. Writers Shreve and Brookner; 121. “Golden Boy” playwright; 132. Wharf locale; 133. Schoolyard challenge.
The downs are: 1. Square; 2. Surgical beam producer; 3. Texas A & M athlete; 4. Nasdaq info. 5. Game with Skip and Reverse cards; 6. St. Louis’s historic EADS Bridge; 7. Puccini classic; 8. Present at birth; 9. Meadow mother; 10. Pussy foot; 11. Member of the 500-home run club; 12. “The Joys of Yiddish: author; 13. “Smoking ORNON?”; 14. Call 911, e.g.; 15. Sound of satisfaction; 16. Facing; 17. Seattle cager, for short; 18. Word with round or rump; 21. Modern music genre; 23. Makeup kit item; 28. Give two fives for ATEN; 31. “Well, LAH-di-dah!”; 33. Spa offering, briefly; 34. Patron saint of Norway; 35. Low cards in pinochle; 36. 1930s heavyweight champ; 38. “Hold on there!”; 41. Brief shots?; 42. Killed time; 43. Prefix with surgery; 44. Mountain retreats; 45. When repeated, a reproach; 47. Eared seal; 48. Longoria of “Desperate Housewives”; 49. Record letters; 52. Fairway cry; 56. Baked, in Bologna; 57. ‘60s hot spot; 59. Party person; 60. William Tell’s home; 61. Charlemagne’s father, dubbed “the Short”; 65. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame designer; 67. Peak in NE Greece; 69. Prince in Ezekiel; 70. ILE de France; 71. Joe Pesci title role; 72. Dada pioneer; 73. Figure in a bust; 74. Questionnaire category; 75. Watts at the movies; 79. SPIC and Span (cleanser) ; 80. Coll. Dorm figures; 81. Questionnaire info; 82. Place together; 84. Small part; 85. Folgers alternative; 87. Alley OOP; 88. Unable to pass the bar?; 89. Biography subtitled “Living in the Shadows”; 91. Suffix with liquid or fabric; 93. “L’Shana TOVA” (Rosh Hashanah greeting); 97. Garage litter; 98. Marlins’ div.; 99. Cong. Period; 100. Court ruling?; 102. It makes MADD mad; 105. Not as busy; 107. Singer with Xavier Cugat; 108. Brought on board; 109. A.C.C. team, informally; 110. Spaced out; 112. It’s a dyeing art; 113. Photo finish; 114. Tourney type; 115. Perfume, in a way; 110. Con game; 122. Run into; 124. Shepherd’s locale; 123. Child seat?; 126. Brouhaha; 127. ONA trial basis.
Things for the nitpickers to accept (like, “GETHELP!“) are variations on “lah-di-dah“; “with it” can be hip or hep; double-cluing will continue (74. Questionnaire category, 81. Questionnaire info); impossible abbreviations will flourish (IBMPC); obscure artists will keep popping up (TIEPOLO) whenever they‘re needed; we’ll continue to be flooded with references to H2O (AGUA, ON WATER, SEAPORT, NAUT, THIRSTY); multiple-vowel entries WHOA and OEUF are here to stay as are OOP and OONA (if not OONA, then ONA); GUASS will be used when GLASS cannot, AWL when AWOL is AWOL; and OTARY will appear in desperation.
JUXTAPOSE, UPAGAINST, and APART provide a little movement, PINCHHIT and PINDARIC seem almost compatible, while the fill falls rampant with the likes of RSVP, SPCA, RPM, IRA, the aforementioned IBMPC, and non-initials TOVA, RAJ, GOG, COHO, ZEIT, ATOR, and, yes -- LAH!
Best entry and clue of the year appears in this puzzle -- SEXTONSYMBOL (96A Crucifix?).
Hey, it’s Sunday!
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For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
