12.20.07

In Duplicate...


Thursday, December 20, 2007

Puzzle by Peter A. Collins, edited by Will Shortz

EVERYENTRYTHATS (17A. Explanation of this puzzle’s theme …) INTHEGRIDHASTHE (25A. …including this… ) SAMEFIRSTLETTER (42A. …still more…) ASTHEENTRYSCLUE (56A. …and, finally, the end of the explanation) -- by the time one gets to the end of the explanation, it’s too late to help in the solution. Oh, well.

Across: 1. DAFT, Ditsy; 5. OVEN, Oast; 9. LOSIN, Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Am I ____"; 14. OLLA, Oviedo stew; 15. NEMO, Nautilus captain; 16. ACHOO, Allergic explosion; 20. SAX, Single-reed instrument; 21. ILES, Isolated French places; 22. AIRWAY, American or Delta route; 23. SPEE, Scharnhorst admiral of W.W. I; 24. ACNE, Adolescent outbreak; 32. DAWES, Director of the budget who became U.S. vice president; 33. NIT, Niggling criticism; 34. REN, Rapper MC ___; 35. ENOS, Enoch's great-great-grandfather; 36. SPITS, Sticks turned over a fire; 38. MOST, More than half; 39. ANA, Anecdotal collection; 40. OAT, One may be rolled; 41. MOUSE, Macintosh accessory; 47. SIRE, "Sovereign"; 48. VASE, Vessel for a florist; 49. BUSTLE, Busyness; 52. ATRA, Alternative to a Trac II; 53. ARM, Appendage; 59. RELET, Rent again; 60. CAAN, Corleone portrayer; 61. ABET, Aid in crime; 62. ODORS, Offensive emanations; 63. ONYX, Ornamental stone; 64. TASS, Transmitter of cold war news.

Down: 1. DOES, Discharges; 2. ALVA, An inventor's middle name; 3. FLEX, Flaunt, say, as muscles; 4. TAR, Tobacco smoke component; 5. ONELEG, On which an arabesque is performed; 6. VENEER, Varnished surface, sometimes; 7. EMTS, Experts at CPR; 8. NOR, Neither's partner; 9. LATINO, Lady from south of the border; 10. OCHRES, Orangish tones; 11. SHAW, "Saint Joan" playwright; 12. IOTA, Insignificant amount; 13. NOSY, Not just casually interested; 18. YIPES, "Yowzer!"; 19. YACHTS, You can see them at marinas; 23. SHES, Sinatra tune "___ Funny That Way"; 24. ADIT, Access for a collier; 25. IDEAS, Inspirations; 26. NANNA, Norse goddess married to Balder; 27. TWOAM, Time to close a bar, maybe; INITS, "I" and "M" in I. M. Pei: Abbr.; 29. TROUT, They chase flies; 30. HESSE, Hermann who wrote "Steppenwolf"; 31. ENTER, Exit's opposite; 36. SOIREE, Shindig of sorts; 37. PARE, Peel; 38. MOTE, Minute bit; 41. MESAS, Monument Valley sights; 43. ESTHER, Espoused of Ahasuerus, in the Bible; 44. FILETS, Fish orders; 45. TVTRAY, Tube watcher's food holder; 46. LARYNX, Language organ; 49. BARO, Beginning for metric; 50. USED, Utilized; 51. STLO, Site of July 1944 fighting; 52. ATAN, Arrive ___ agreement; 53. ALBA, Actress Jessica, 54. RUES, Regrets; 55. METS "Miracle" team of 1969; 57. NCO, No lieutenant yet: Abbr; and 58. Cool CAT.

TATA, "T -t--that's All Folks!"

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