Sunday, November 18, 2007
WORLD PAY (WORD PLAY)
Puzzle by Patrick Berry, Edited by Will Shortz
This is a frigid November crossword puzzle, ruled by a single letter -- L. All else reads as slave fill, while the switching of the L is perfunctory and frozen. Further, none of the inter-related entries helps much in the solution of the next with each entry coming at the tedious expense of time and the laborious uncovering of same.
Eleven inter-related entries are involved in this monotonous filing chore, provoking thought of so many better places to stick these L’s.
23A Run away from chewing tobacco users? - FLEE SPITTERS (FEE SPLITTERS);
25A Alexander the Great's ambition? - TO SLAY THE EAST (TO SAY THE LEAST);
15D Oil spill? - SEEPING SLICKNESS (SLEEPING SICKNESS);
37A Problem for a sweaty-handed Tarzan? - VINY SLIDING (VINYL SIDING);
56A One who's crazy for a sharp-dressed man? - FOP LOVER (FLOP OVER);
66A Shakespearean prince who's handsome and muscular? - STUDLY HAL (STUDY HALL);
78A Fish-worshiping groups? - COD CULTS (COLD CUTS);
92A What a magician might do with a big saw? - HALVE THE GAL (HAVE THE GALL);
36D Macho beer-drinker's outerwear? - COAT OF MANLY COORS (COAT OF MANY COLORS);
107A How to avoid getting tipsy on hard liquor? - PACE YOUR BELTS (PLACE YOUR BETS);
113A Designed jeans? - PLOTTED PANTS (POTTED PLANTS)
Other entries are an odd lot and seem motivated purely by the basic mechanics of where in the hell to place the L?
Hanging from the eaves are KINCAID, OGALLALA, EROTICA, CASTLED, MUZAK, ORSON, NUANCE, YODA, UNISOM, HIMOM, MOMUS, WANDA, MISTI, SENNETT, POLITICAL, DINESIN, TIREIRON, LEADSON, HECTOR BERLIOZ, IMPASTO, FRERE, ORIENTAL, LEONE, BABYISH, STAYS, ANGER, SANDBLIND, POKILY, and ONANDON.
This one left me cold.
