120A CHRISTINE (1983 Stephen King thriller)
-----------------
Sunday, December 2, 2007
CAR TALK, Puzzle by Seth A. Abel, edited by Will Shortz
Puzzle contains eight entries that have become inter-related by way of being given clues alluding to model names of automobiles:
INTERNETEXPLORER (23A Ford purchased online?); HOMERSODYSSEY (38A Honda owned by one of the Simpsons?); URBANLEGEND (58A City dweller’s Acura?); REALTROOPER (80A Genuine Isuzu?); MINIATUREGOLF (96A Tiny Volkswagen?); TWENTIETHCENTURY (113a One of the first Buicks to roll off the line?); TRUSTYSIDEKICK (17A Reliable Suzuki?); PARTIALECLIPSE (51A Half-assembled Mitsubishi?)
Other automobile related entries include:
CHRISTINE (120A 1983 Stephen King thriller); ARIES (83D Old Dodge); TOTALLOSS (7A It’s beyond repair); INN (56A Michelin Guide listing); GAUGE (67A Standard); JAR (52A Bump); ARABIA (53A Major oil source); ZAG (78D Turn back); EIS (116D Winter autobahn hazard)
People in the puzzle: ENGELS (1A Marx’s collaborator on “The Communist Manifesto”); JOES (26A Generic comic strip diner); AIDA (77A It’s set partly at the Temple of Vulcan); ZSA (78A When doubled, a much-married celebrity); CEO (103 Board honcho); UTA (110A Broadway’s Hagen); HOSTESSES (123A Party throwers); ARP (10D Dadaist Jean); ORRIN (13D Sen. Hatch); STENOS (14D They listen to dictators); EDASNER (39D Emmy winner for “Roots”); OLSEN (62D Either sister starring in 2004’s “New York Minute); 79D Dear SIRS; 92D Rapper TUPAC Shakur; LAURIE (99A Performance artist Anderson); and SEERS (102D They may have a ball). Sunday, etc.: 6D SON of God; ELIJAH (1D He ascended to heaven in a whirlwind, in II Kings); EZEK (108A O.T. book); LEAH (50D Rachel’s older sister); TITHES (97D Service charges?); and APSE (119A Religious statue locale).
Conversational, etc.: ORAL (106D Voiced); LOOKTO (20A Await); INORDERTO (21A So that one might); CEASE (57A “Avast!“); NONONO (2D Emphatic refusal); GOTEAM (3D Stadium cheer); YEABIG (40D Size approximation); SEZWHO (95D Question following “Oh, yeah?!”); 115D “ITS magic!”; CHATTER (89D Teeth do it); and 55D“INEED to Wake Up,” 2006 Oscar-winning song by Melissa Etheridge.
Odds and ends: NEBULAE (16D Space clouds); STARING (64D Kind of contest); SCHUSS (93A Go downhill fast); SHTETLS (65A Old Jewish villages); ESTRADA (33D Paved road: Sp.); ESPANA (69D Sevilla’s home); 68D Genoa’s Palazzo San GIORGIO; LATKES (101A Hanukkah treats); OCCULT (98D Cabalistic) -- lots of other stuff, take your pick; but nothing to really write home about.
Let’s end this SAGA (46D Overdrawn account?) with a near car-talk related entry, TIREOUT (66D Exhaust).
-----------------
For today’s cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
