The Last Day of Pompeii, 1830-1833 -- Karl Brulloff -- The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
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Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Puzzle by Victor Fleming, edited by Will Shortz
THELAST (36A. What shall be first … or words than can precede 17-, 23-, 52- and 60-Across), MANSTANDING (17A. Guy ready to sing the national anthem?), DAYSOFPOMPEII (23A. Era ended by Vesuvius?), OFTHEMOHICANS (52A. Belonging to a Hudson Valley tribe?), and PICTURESHOW (60A. Museum exhibit?) are this Wednesday crossword’s inter-related entries.
The Last Picture Show is the title of a 1971 film by Peter Bogdanovich; The Last of the Mohicans, of course, a novel by James Fenimore Cooper; The Last Days of Pompeii is a novel written by Edward Bulwer Lytton in 1834; and The Last Man Standing is simply endurance, to whatever degree, but I‘ll spare all of us Survivor .
Victor Fleming in the world of crossword puzzles is simply one of the best. He is not to be confused with the late Hollywood Victor Fleming, a director of films, most notably Gone With the Wind, although his crossword constructions are also epics. In an unusual mid-week appearance (you’ll usually encounter him on the tough weekend puzzles), he has created a little masterpiece.
FOOLISH (24D. Daft) slices through THE LAST in dead center like a warning as to the benefits of being so. From there, the puzzle takes flight into many fancies, offering a wide variety of entries and clues just right for a Wednesday puzzle.
The eight-letter TONEDEAF (3D. Unable to hit a pitch?) and NOTSOHOT (39D. Less than wonderful), followed by seven-letter ENSNARL (4D. Tangle up), TENDSTO (44D. Takes care of); ONENESS (20A. Meditation goal), and the lone TENDONS (56A. Sinews) are the longer entries, followed by the six-letter DOGGIE (13D. Little canine), BOGIES (45D. Unidentified planes), DANIEL (11D. Title brother in a 1973 Elton John hit), ADONIS (12D. Mr. Gorgeous), OFLATE (46D Recently), STENOG (47D. Court worker, for short), SITUPS (49D. Gym class exercises), and CENSOR (6D. Bleep out).
Five-letter entries are 1A. “LETEM Eat Cake” (1930s musical); 6A. CELEB (Hollywood type); 14A. ILONA (Massey of old movies); 15A. ENVOY (Embassy figure); 21A. USING (Make the most of); 29A. TROOP (March [through]); 31A. ITALO (Author Calvino); 33A. OLEIC (Kind of acid); 42A. ATARI (Maker of the game Combat); 43A. STONE (Piece in the game go); 48A. ROSSI (Martini’s partner); 55A. GLEEM (Colgate alternative); 65A. TOPUP (Convertible driver’s option); 66A. STORE (Cache); 69A. TOTIE (Funny Fields); 5D. MATEY (Brit’s buddy); 10D. BYGUM (“Dang!“); 53D. EMPTY (Bottle ready to be recycled); 54D. “For every Bird ANEST”: Emily Dickinson; and a bow to the Holiday -- 68A. YULES (Christmases).
Four-letter entries: ACHE, ASST, BEER, BOSC, ELAN, ELSE, EROO, ICER, HARM, LIMO, NORI, OPES, POLA, SPEC, SWEE, and ETNA.
Three-letter, ADO, CPL, DAD, EON, ETO, IAN, IOU, ITS, LVI, NAY (39A. Vote against) and YEA (41D. Vote for), NOG, OAF, OTT, SEG, TUE, and END.
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For today’s cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
