08.31.07

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Cano, Canon, and Cannons


Illustration: 3D THECRUSADES -- "Celestial Light", Gustave Dore

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Friday, August 31, 2007

Puzzle by Paula Gamache, edited by Will Shortz

Very little in the way of the familiar presents itself in this Friday crossword puzzle. The canon of crosswordese is left far behind as this construction marches with a salvo of cannons to awaken the dusty corners of the solver’s cerebral sensibilities.

Led by THECRUSADES (3D Fights with knights), this is a STORMY (62A Violent) and ECLECTIC (18A Catholic) TOUGH (47A “Deal with it!“) puzzle that registers a sizeable ECHO (41D Come back) on the RICHTER (8D Scale developer).

Pay no attention to this paragraph, it's nothing more than a squirrel running up and down a foul pole being watched by 54,000 souls under a full moon, but having just watched the Yankees HOSE (26D Spray source) the Red Sox 5-0 with two home runs by Robinson Cano, a double RIP (56D Turbulent water stretch) off Curt Schilling’s RIGHTARM (16A Exchange for something you really want?), Chien-Ming Wang pitching a no-hitter into the seventh, broken up by Kevin Youkilis (who doesn’t stay on the base path, unfortunately), a DOOVER (57A Second chance) over the head of Youkilis by Joba Chamberlain, and Tony Francona going into a SNARLY (45D Bad-tempered) SPUTTER (39A Speak explosively in anger), I knew it was going to be difficult not to comment on the Broom in the Bronx!

Meanwhile, back at the puzzle, Paula Gamache could probably pitch a no-hitter! Mixing fast balls like HUGMETIGHT (29D Short, close-fitting jacket), curve balls, ala PRICETAG (7A Shock source, sometimes), knuckle balls, as SOUTHERNCROSS (33A Constellation seen on the flags of Australia, Samoa and Papua New Guinea) and change ups in the form of PIGPENS (40D Dumps) crossing with DIRTPOOR (50A Hard up), her construction is worthy of a Wang or a Schilling!

With ACTFOR (1A Be an agent of) and MAHALO (15A Hawaiian “thank you”) combined for an OPENER (17A Handle, e.g.), our MADAMESPEAKER (38A Parliamentary address) could ORATE (48D Give a stemwinder) daring all and sundry to LAUGHATME (28A 1965 Sonny Bono hit). Will Shortz chimes in with the double-clued CHEESECAKE (10D Skin pics?) and TAT (12D Skin pic?) like a closer with a cutter! Shortzesque To ATEE (30D)!…but let’s get to the ROOT (52D Lexicographic concern) of this puzzle!

In between, GYMSHOES (20A They might just squeak by in a basketball game) prove not to be SNEAKERS; AUTOS (24A Runners with hoods) perplexes; ECLECTIC defined as Catholic defies any thesaurus (go ahead, let me know if you find it anywhere!); DANTES (37A “_____ Peak” [1997 Pierce Brosnan film]) is here no Inferno; and SPOTREMOVER (25D Cleaning product that may be useful after a party) seems to indicate messy guests!

If Cano comes up to bat against this canon of cannons, he’d better hope it’s a repertoire by Mike Mussina, uh, a little slower -- AMORAL (1D Unscrupulous); CAPITA (2D Pantheon heads?); PRESUME (7D Gather); IGLOO (9D One-room house, typically); ETCS (11D Truncation indications: Abbr.), GMC (14D It has pickup lines); AGORAS (23D Ancient meeting places); NDAK (34D Home of Theo. Roosevelt Natl. Park); OTO (58D Tribe visited by Lewis and Clark); CMDR (35D U.S.N. position); HAIR (36D Eyebrow makeup); DOGE (50D Bygone magistrate); and REDELM (44A Tree with double-toothed leaves and durable wood) -- any one of them could bring a swing of PICKETERS (43A Striking figures), and a FAN-(4D Cool, in a way)-out to AHS (64D “I get it” responses) -- but don’t make a BET (55D See, say) or take ODDS (51D) on it!

Celebrities at the game include OLEG (5D Hockey player Tverdovsky); RORY (6D Youngest of the Culkin brothers); ARI (13D Agent Gold on HBO’s “Entourage”); RIC (19A Wrestler Flair); ARNETT (32D Desert Storm reporter); and EAPOE (31A “Berenice” author, briefly), all admitted with no CHARGE (35A Club’s cover).

SHH (25A Sound from a silencer), there’s more -- ATRA (22A Grooming brand introduced in 1977); HESS (27D Amoco alternative); DIESE (42A This, in Thuringen); RRS (46A Regulation targets for Theodore Roosevelt: Abbr.) TMEN (49A Catchers of some ring leaders); ODA (53A Seraglio section); ABROGATE (54A Void); HEIGHTEN (59A Opposite of diminish); and STPETERS (61A Cardinals’ gathering place).

Gamache game over! Do the MATH (21D It has many functions) and DOTELL (60A “Let’s have it”)!

Perfection?! -- worth twice the price of admission!

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For today's cartoons, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

Today’s Video: Squirrel On Yankee Stadium Foul Pole!!!

08.30.07

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Why?

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Puzzle by Victor Fleming and Bruce Venzke, edited by Will Shortz

Today’s puzzle asks who, what, when, where, almost how, but not why -- missing by one (and a half?) the Five Ws, also known as the Five Ws (and one H) or simply the Six Ws.

WHERETHEBOYSARE (17A 1961 Connie Francis Hit); WHENIFALLINLOVE (3D 1952 Doris Day hit that was an even bigger hit for the Lettermen in 1961); WHATINTARNATION (12D “Huh?!”)(Tarnation, in this case, is a colloquial synonym for damnation); and WHONEEDSENEMIES (61A End of a line about “friends”) extend the entire 15 squares top, bottom, left and right of today’s puzzle, while SALCHOW (37A Eponymous rink jump) almost takes care of the How?...but no Why? Why?

Huh?

SINISTER (19A Up to new good) seems to be the operating word for this Thursday thrashing -- EXHUME (15A Dig up); PIRANHAS (16A Vicious sorts); NEUTER (20A Sterile, in a way); LIVEALIE (63A Not be honest about oneself); ONIONS (64A Ingredients in many stews); SNEERSAT (65A Derides); TURNTO (66A Become, as mush); DEEPSET (43D Like some eyes); and DETACHMENT (30D Troop group) join WHATINTARNATION and WHONEEDSENEMIES as forbidding fare.

The positives, EXHILARATE (2D Thrill); ENSURE (11D Protect); ELEVATE (39A Bring up); IRAISE (32A Hold ‘em challenge); ONTHEWAY (7A En route); and PERMITME (58A “Here, I can help you”) are a meager MENU (59D Button on an iPod).

AARE is back from Tuesday‘s puzzle, and close behind are AMES, ASHE, ATL, AWLS, CREE, EELS, EERO, ENID, ENOS, ENDO, EONS, ESSO, DAH, LANE, NAFTA, NEWS, NIB, SEED, SOLD, SPEC, SRI, TEX, TRON, VEAL, WIPE; and YSER

Theatricals, outside of Doris Day, Connie Francis, and The Lettermen, include Debussy’s “Air de LIA” (21A); DANCE (49A Bolero, e.g.,); NEIL Jordan, who wrote “The Crying Game” (45A); NEWMAN (1A Seinfeld’s “sworn enemy”); NIA (50A Long on screen); and VLADIMIR (40D One of the men waiting in “Waiting for Godot”).

Wandering aimlessly about the grid are such entries as NEWS (1D Google heading); MURIATIC acid (old name for hydrochloric acid)(4A); NETTV (6D Web-based service); OPERATE (7D Be in charge of); HAYES (10D First sitting president to visit the West Coast); NISAN (25d Passover month); LIENEE (46D Mortgagor, e.g.); RHIN (56D Nose: Prefix); DELRAY Beach, Fla. (44A); ARLENE (55A Children’s author/photographer Alda); and OXEYE (31D Kind of daisy).

That should cover it, ORNOT (53D Optional phrase)!...but, again --

Why oh why no “why”?!

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For today's cartoons, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

08.29.07

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All Thumbs

Illustration: 19A OWEN (Wilson of "Zoolander")
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Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Puzzle by Jayne and Alex Boisvert, edited by Will Shortz

It appears that most folks, including today’s puzzle celebrity, are all THUMBs when it comes to committing suicide. At times, when it’s done “unintentionally”, it succeeds (e.g., the doctor who performed an appendectomy upon himself, but unfortunately fainted during the procedure). OWEN (19A Wilson of “Zoolander”), thankfully is one of those who was all THUMBs in attempting to do so -- read Owen Wilson Suicide Attempt. Owen Cunningham Wilson (born November 18, 1968) is an Academy Award-nominated actor and writer (for his work on the screenplay of “The Royal Tenenbaums”), but he is best known for his successful comedic roles in Wedding Crashers and as Hansel in Zoolander.

Today’s puzzle gives us no less than four THUMBs in four squares of the puzzle -- e.g., the word THUMB is squeezed into a tiny little box four times. THUMBONESNOSE (20A Expresses scorn); UNDERMYTHUMB (29A 1966 Rolling Stones hit); THUMBTHROUGH (43A Scan); OPPOSABLETHUMB (51A Human hand characteristic); along with their obligatory downs of TOMTHUMB (1D Barnum midget); SORETHUMB (26D It may stick out); THUMBNAIL (33D King of sketch); and THUMBSUP (56D Encouraging sign).

The entries above and below OWEN, e.g., LOON (16A Canadian dollar bird) and WAYS (22A Means’ partner) are, I am sure, purely coincidental. Other than that, the remainder of the puzzle is fairly standard stuff, with a few exceptions -- BORAX (15A 20 Mule Team compound); ARENT (18A Ain’t grammatical?); SCREED (26A Blowhard’s speech); PENAL (41A Prison-related) and PUSS (63A Face, slangily); ELEE again, this time properly clued as 21D Gen. Robert _____; and URIAH (29D Dickens’s _____ Heep) crossing NAIAD (38A Nymph of Greek myth) in dead center of the grid, resulting in the central square containing the letter and/or word “I”.

Longer entries hanging around throughout the puzzle include NEUROSIS (38D Anxiety may be a symptom of it); TRINKETS (4D Tchotchkes); ABASED (5D Brought down); FLOWER (10D Lapel insert); RHYMES (44D Rappers’ skill); AUDIBLES (39D Quarterback’ play changes); and EXTENDED (9D Like some warranties).

Shorter, less-frequently seen entries include SAONE (58A Rhone feeder); PANE and PONE side by side; joining with the oft-seen ODOR, MAGI, TILT, KLEE, NYE, IAN, ORATE, ALLA, ESC, MULTI, ZITI, HER, QUAY and QTIP, IDLE, INNER, SEEDS, SEEP, ECRU, YALTA, MILLE, META, URDU, ZONES, LOGO, IDAS, OREO, RISERS, VANS, IOWA, JOEY, INNS, YEN, NEAL; with pleasant appearances by BORNE (6D Held up); CRUST (27D Pie part); RANCH (28D Dressing choice); GREEN (35A Eco-friendly); and, if one is not all thumbs, REDEAL (45A Start a new hand).

Last, but not least, we have POE (41D Rue Morgue’s creator).

Remind you of anyone?

For whatever AILS (50D Has a fever say) today’s puzzle celebrity -- get well soon!

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Today's video rerun -- A Nightmare of a Crossword

Cartoon? The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

08.28.07

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Elementary!


Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Puzzle by Linda Schechet Tucker, Edited by Will Shortz

Clues to solve today's puzzle with BASILRATHBONE (26A Sherlock Holmes portrayer):


Across: 1. Russian space station; 4. "The Song of ROLAND" old French epic; 10. Spill the beans; 14. Half of dos; 15. Blackboard appurtenance; 16. Like hands after eating potato chips; 17. It's worth listening to; 19. Info in a used car ad; 20. Toll; 21. Conduct a survey; 23. Republic from which Montenegro gained its independence; 25. MAH-jongg; 26. Sherlock Holmes portrayer; 33. Nabokov heroine; 35. "Don't TREAD on me" (slogan of the American Revolution); 36. Where San Diego is: Abbr.; 37. Art DECO; 39. Expensive coat; 41. Cravings; 42. Not silently; 44. Laughing; 46. Drivers' org.; 47. Perfect shape; 50. Building wing; 51. Sale markdown indicator; 54. Variety of rose; 60. Decorative sofa fabric; 61. River of Switzerland; 62. Where the first words of 17-, 26- and 47-Across may be found; 64. It may be in the doghouse; 65. Its alphabet starts with alif; 66. Bard's "before"; 67. Hightail it; 68. Tennessee team; 69. "Help!".

Illustration: The "dancing men" code from "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon" (1942)

Down: 1. Scents used for perfume; 2. Senseless; 3. English philosopher called "Doctor Mirabilis" ; 4. One who sees it like it is; 5. Fort ORD, former Army post on Monterey Bay; 6. Source of basalt; 7. Purchase stipulation; 8. Place for a crick; 9. Imagined; 10. Cry of glee; 11. Stead; 12. Chester Arthur's middle name; 13. Polar explorer Richard; 18. Isle of exile; 22. Sis-boom-bahs; 24. Snobs put them on; 27. Memorize, as lines; 28. Raging mad; 29. He lost of Dwight; 30. They're controlled by the moon; 31. "Peter Pan" dog; 32. Actress Lanchester, who married Charles Laughton; 33. "Madam, I'm ADAM"; 34. Place to get a Reuben; 38. Catcher of sound waves; 40. ENTR'acte; 43. Mid seventh-century date; 45. Haberdashery items: Var.; 48. Dated; 49. Smell; 52. Old Oldsmobile; 53. They may be dominant; 54. Knife handle; 55. Where Bill and Hillary met; 56. LaBREA Tar Pits; 57. Hatcher or Garr; 58. Part of Q.E.D.; 59. "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" group; 63. Winning cry in a card game.

The solution? Elementary!

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For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

08.27.07

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I, Robot


Monday, August 27, 2007

Puzzle by Steven Ginzburg, edited by Will Shortz

I, Robot -- Monday, go!

Heading back to work with fellow marching ANTS (68A Tiny critters found twice each in 17-, 38- and 60-Across). In today’s puzzle ANTS (68A) is a clue to find a place in three inter-related entries for the letters, A, N, and T in sequence, spelling ANT, twice -- in ORGANTRANSPLANT (17A Operation for a new liver or kidney); ANTIOXIDANT (38A Beneficial substance in fruits, vegetables and tea); and ROMANTICFANTASY (60A Literary genre popular with women) each have ANT, twice.

Well, that’s it, and I suppose it will need do for this humdrum last Monday in August before it is that Labor Day Monday we say a premature goodbye ANON (66A Shortly) to Summer -- so let's kiss the Monday blues goodbye for a couple of weeks. Today, we are those who are lucky enough to be soldiering with the HERD (1A It’s rounded up in a roundup) whether you drive, risking DENTS (70A Car dings), PEDAL (5A Propel a bicycle) or take a CAB (23D Taxi) to work while the boss is calling FORE (36D Cry after a bad swing), or on a business trip to MAUI (14A Hawaii‘s “Valley Isle“)!

On to the puzzle -- TWOXTWO (27D Four) is an entry I’ve not seen before, and it is neatly placed so the X is in the exact center of the grid, shared by ANTIOXIDANT across. It looks great and should inspire us all to clean up our desk or MANHOLE (12D Street opening for a utility worker), to read our EMAIL (67A Message from a BlackBerry, maybe) from the firm of ENOS, ELI, LEVY and DIAZ that EGGSON (28A Encourages) a FEW (48A Small number) while there is still TIME (57D It heals all wounds, in a saying) -- “AINT it the truth!” (8D).

This is definitely a puzzle for those who work for an honest living with such entries as HMO (1A Insurance grp.), EAR (2A Where a phone is held), PATRON (5D Sponsor), ENRON (6D Company with a spectacular 2001 bankruptcy) AFL (10D C.I.O.’s partner); CLASSACTION (11D Kind of suit), or even such stock-market-tainted whispers as LESSENED (9D Made smaller); REFIT (53D Size again), or INFLATED (39D Puffed up), WIN (32A Take home a trophy); ACME (10A Pinnacle) and ZERO (20A Home [in on]).

It’s also a melodic Monday, with “ANNIE Get Your Gun” (15A); VOICE (44A Alto or soprano); CAROLS (49A Yuletide sons); NOEL (71A Yuletide), GMINOR (29D Key of Saint-Saens’s “Danse macabre”); even TUNERS (31D Radio receiver parts), some with an ORAL (52A Face-to-face test) HUE (24D Shade). Little bits and pieces that are getting left out here -- TSE, NITS, IBAR, NIP, EON, ANO, STE, YSL, and ANY (61A One or more) others you can find.

Good news, there‘s more! Fall fashions of FLAX (16A Linen fiber); LACE (41A Feature of many a wedding dress); an Oriental RUG (3D), a TASSEL (50A Mortarboard addition); or PEG (19D Place to hang one‘s hat). We have refreshments, notably EXTENTS (13D Spreads) of FOIE gras (36D); MALT (34A Beer component) and ICES (37A Decorates, as a cake) so I hope you WONT (26A Refuses to) forget your ANTIOXIDANT which you’ll get from OAT (56A Grain in Cheerios).

For those of you still on vacation , perhaps drifting in a gondola through the CANALS (49D “Streets” of Venice); visiting historic AVALON (40D King Arthur’s burial place); or just being LITERAL (41D Without metaphor), showing off your DNA (7D Reproductive material) while diving for ABALONE (42A Mother-of-pearl source), or up on the beach, reading comic books by STAN Lee of Marvel Comics (59D), a good novel by AUSTEN (30A Jane who wrote “Sense and Sensibility”), or the NEWEST (18D Most recent) ROMANTICFANTASY with multiple BEAUS (35A Swains) and only one SHE (22A That woman), “The Sweetheart of Sigma CHI“ (23A), eliciting a tear from your IRIS (33D Eye part) and a shudder thinking of that ORGANTRANSPLANT in your future revealed through ESP (46D Telepathy, e.g.). Replaceable parts?! Good! Toss 'em aside and march like ANTS (68A) to work with denizens created by ISAACASIMOV (25D “I Robot” author).

…click, click...whirrrrr!

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Today's crossword video: Kyle Nicolas at 4yrs of age

08.26.07

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Head Game



Sunday, August 26, 2007

GETTING AHEAD
Puzzle by M. Greene and Craig Kasper, edited by Will Shortz

Created with words of letters in circles (in fairly proper placement) is a face and/or head -- HAIR, SCALP, BROWS, EAR, EAR, EYE, EYE, NOSE, LIPS, and CHIN. This conceit can be of use in solving if discovered without too much pondering. It is a slim amount of entry assistance, but anything in an arduous crossword such as this, is welcome.

The ten entries that contain the circles -- BOOSTERCHAIR (21A Toddler’s mealtime accessory); FISCALPERIODS (29A Quarters for a business, e.g.); WEBBROWSER (54A Safari, e.g.); BEARTHEBURDEN (53D Be weighed down); BLEEDINGHEART (15D Empathetic one, derisevely); BLARNEYED (64A Persuaded with flattery); HEYERDAHL (66A Noted explorer of Polynesia); NANOSECOND (76A Time in which light travels one foot, approximately); LUNARECLIPSES (100A Astronomical events that occur twice or more a year), and CHINESEBOXES (113 Nested set of containers).

Interesting stuff: An IMAC (7A Product whose 1-Across is a 61-Across) has an APPLE (61A Snack item) as its EMBLEM (1A See 7-Across); 81A. Creatio ex NIHILO (Christian tenet), creation out of nothing; BORAXO (18A Heavy-duty hand soap), MUON (71A Particle created by a cosmic ray); and TATAMI (98A Teahouse floor covering).

Oh No!: OHNO (57A Worrywart’s cry) ONO (79D “Yes, I’m a Witch” musician), not these entries again: EXHALED (20A Showed relief, in a way); RATATAT (24A Battle report?); UGARTE (36A Lorre’s ”Casablanca” role); SANTA (42A Grinch disguise), just appeared in Friday’s puzzle; RAGGED (49A Rough), we had Raggedy Ann yesterday; CRETIN (58A Idiot), leave these poor souls alone; REESE (70A 1940s-50s Dodger who was a 10-time All-Star), sometimes Witherspoon, or with an “s”, the candy.

Nice to see: FREEDOM (117A License); and the seldom-seen entries, LASTORY (4D Steve Martin romantic comedy); ACTIONABLE (19D Worth trying?); KAZOO (14D Skiffle instrument); CYRIL (10D Saint for whom the Russian alphabet is named); ENCIPHERED (67D Secret); and CLUEIN (119A Tell); along with the “head” entries -- BOOSTERCHAIR, FISCALPERIODS, BLEEDINGHEART, BEARTHEBURDEN, WEBBROWSER, BLARNEYEYED, HEYERDAHL, NANOSECOND, LUNARECLIPSES, and CHINESEBOXES.

Other clues of interest are 11A. Posh part of Boston; 19A. Like some upset stomachs; 28A. Danger in a uranium mine; 74A. Comedy show that once featured John Candy and Martin Short; 107A. Filmed over; 121A. Relative of Rover; 5D. Like seven of Sophocles’ 123 plays; 13D. Political asset; 40D. Kerfuffle; 65D. Coin with kanji writing; and 93D. Cry of triumph after “Whew!” -- IMADEIT! That was a kerfuffle with a skiffle!

New to me were AXL Rose (12D); REDPINE (109A Minnesota’s state tree); and Music of Kanye West (97D HIPHOP) -- also, there's lots of fill which I won’t bring up so I won’t put it down, except for NOS and NOT, SES and SESS, PIG and PUB -- you get the idea.

Used a CRAYON (31D Tool for many a homemade Mother’s Day card) to color in the hard-to-see head/face parts in the grid -- but I hesitate to call it a tool!

I’ll stop now, or I’ll start finding more body parts (e.g., NAPES [101D Kittens’ “handles]) in this Sunday crossword puzzle head game and never get on with life!

08.25.07

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Thick Tricks and Trivia



Saturday, August 25, 2007

Puzzle by Myles Callum, edited by Will Shortz

Thick obfuscation, slick tricks and odd-ball trivia constitute the modus operandi of this Saturday stumper.

Could-be-anything clues: THETHINGIS (1A “That may be true, but…”); SOCIALCALL (15A Visit); IWON (18A Exultant cry); AHOOT (26A Tons of fun); IMEANIT (40A No-nonsense cry); ALAMODE (38A Chic); IDIOTS (52A They’re thick); REGALE (54A Feast); HONE (2D Improve); HAHAS (5D Routine responses); NOWYOUKNOW (12D Response to “I had no idea!”); RUBITIN (25D Cry “nyah, nyah!”); CEASEFIRES (27D Engagement breakers?); SMALLTIMER (29D Insignificant sort); ADAY (56D What you may call it when you’re wiped out); and the Shortzesque twin clues for REEDY (51D Like some instruments); and SURG (53D Like some instruments: Abbr.).

Trick clues: ANOTHERDAY (17A When a procrastinator tends to something); RELOAN (19A Advance further?); SEWER (22A Place of refuse), which earlier this week was a reference to tailoring; CASE (27A It’s built for a trial); SERUMS (31A Shot putters’ supplies?); SALEMSLOT (41A King’s second); RAMS (59A Ones going head to head); WINETASTER (14D One concerned with the nose).

Total trivia: 11A “…there are evils ENOW to darken all his goodness”: Shak.; 16A. LORI Lemaris, early love of Superman; 20A Comic ELAYNE Boosler; UMA (33A Player of June in “Henry & June”); BABUSHKAS (36A Russian peasant wear); CLORIS (45A She had brief roles as Phyllis on “Rhoda” and Rhoda on “Dr. Kildare”); UTNEREADER (60A Magazine that hands out annual Independent Press Awards); TSAR (1D Alexis, e.g.); 4D Italian tenor TITO Schipa; ILENES (6D Soap actress Kristen and others); SLYE (10D Roy Rogers’s surname at birth); ORONOMAINE (13D Northeastern city named for a Penobscot chief); LASSES (21D Some of those who “hail the new” in “Deck the Halls”); WEBELOS (23D Arrow of Light earner’s program); ALLANADALE (28A Outlaw band member); GAYE (55D “What’s Going On” singer, 1971); and LENE (57D New Wave singer Lovich).

Biblical: ELIAH (11D Son of Elam whose name means “God the Lord”) and HOSEA (49D God commanded him to marry a harlot). Kid stuff: RAGGEDYANN (65A Little redhead); GOOGLYEYES (67A Puppet glue-ons); ESME (30D Saki story whose title character is a hyena); and TOMCAT (35D Felix, e.g.). Incredibly cheap clue: ELEE (64A Part of a rebel name).

Nice stuff: FATHA (48A Jazz pianist who played with Satchmo); MUM (32D Clammed up); HATE (57D Bete noire); ORE (42D Nugget holder); and ELMST (34A Title locale of five 1980s films: Abbr.).

I suppose there are those who will like the triple layers of 10-letter words in the four corners, while scoffing at that old reliable, ERNS (58D Shore scavengers), at the puzzle's end.

Time to fly!

08.24.07

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Satan & Santa in Season!


Friday, August 24, 2007

Puzzle by Patrick Berry, edited by Will Shortz

Several years ago, my neighbor's children were told at church on Sunday that they could no longer wish for Santa to bring them something at Christmas because SANTA was an anagram for SATAN! Poor things!

Today's T.G.I.F. puzzle includes both SATAN (3D) and SANTA (46D), with a BEASTLY (22D) RAINYSEASON (30A) in between -- a stocking-stuffing colorful witch's brew of words et cetera!

Across:

1. “It’s all here” sloganneer, once; 4. Frisky one; 8. Marie Osmond or Loretta Young; 14. “Elijah” or “The Creation”; 16. Key on a cash register; 17. Drop a few positions, maybe; 18. Overprotect; 19. Maker of Kiwi Teawi; 20. Mystery author Dexter; 21. The Pacific Ocean’s only island kingdom; 22. It was good for Sartre; 23. One and only; 26. They’re staffed with doctors; 30. Bad time for a tropical vacation; 33. Lawyers with many assts.; 34. I.T. firm founded by Ross Perot; 35. Wine used to make zabaglione; 36. Soviet ERA; 37. Member of an extended familia; 38. Country that won the most medals at the 1980 Winter Olympics; 40. Reluctantly accepting; 42. First name in cosmonautics; 43. Major U.S. Spanish-language daily; 44. Rarely written-out Latin phrase; 48. “Wozzeck” composer ALBAN Berg; 50. What stare decisis upholds the validity of; 52. Red line?; 54. Set of guidelines; 55. Mrs. Tony Blair; 56. Put forward; 57. Has trouble sleeping, maybe; 58. ALEC Ramsay (“The Black Stallion” hero); 59. Sorry.



Down:

1. Continue effortlessly; 2. Dog in Disney’s “Cinderella”; 3. “Paradise Lost” character; 4. Ultraloyal employees; 5. Passed on by taletellers; 6. Not full-bodied; 7. Wingtip tip; 8. Feeling no better; 9. “Man is a TOOL-using animal”: Thomas Carlyle; 10. Pass under the basket, maybe; 11. Is clueless; 12. Stout alternative; 13. Drift boat attachment; 15. Highest-grossing film of 1986; 20. Bridesmaid’s accessory; 22. Very disagreeable; 24. Hear; 25. Analytic work; 27. Soul singer who is also a coronated king of Ghana; 28. New rendering; 29.Near the bottom of the drawers?; 30. Take one more shot at; 31. It may be bid; 32. One of the “10 Attic orators”; 39. Tate MODERN (London art gallery); 41. Team that won the first A.F. L. Championship; 45. 1981 Literature Nobelist Canetti; 46. Stocking stuffer; 47. Fabric with the same name as a Scottish river; 49. French district that lent its name to a foodstuff; 50. “Fantastic!”; 51. Ne plus ultra; 52. Work within a company, say; 53. Density symbol, in physics; 54. Material at the basis of “Jurassic Park”.

...and the children? SAD (59A Sorry)!

Illustration:
Thomas Nast's Original 1863 "Santa Claus" Picture
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For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated

Today's crossword video: Elderly Crossword

08.23.07

To go to original post with illustrations and puzzle grid or to leave a Comment, click on TITLE at the beginning of this post’s commentary.

Morpheus Descending


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Thursday, August 23, 2007

Puzzle by Joe Krozel, edited by Will Shortz

A crossword puzzle with 74 entries and 66 clues. The clues appear in a single list, combining Across and Down. Where two answers share a number, the unclued Down answer is a homophone of the corresponding Across answer.

The clues:

1. Obstruction at the entrance to a cave, maybe; 2. Rarely used golf club; 3. Picture on a $50 bill; 4. Drip, say; 5. Seventh-century year; 6. Want ad abbr.; 7. Some needle holders, for short; 8. Like jail cells; 9. Makes like; 10. Connecticut or Colorado: Abbr.; 11. Touch up, as a painting; 12. Country named for its location on the globe; 13. Bring down; 14. Having hit a double; 15. Neuter; 16. For one; 17. Party of the first part and party of the second part, e.g.; 18. Gets going; 19. Weapon in old hand-to-hand fighting; 20. Does some yard work; 21. One famously begins “O Wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn’s being”; 22. Carcinogenic substance; 23. Victorian ___; 24. Headquartered; 25. Lowers the cuffs on, maybe; 26. Legis. period; 27. Point to; 28. Wood of the Rolling Stones; 29. ____ Nikolaevich, last czarevitch of Russia; 30. Queen of France in Shakespeare’s “Henry V”; 31. Rich Spanish decorations; 32. Big blasts, informally; 33. Duck down; 34. Tailors; 35. Social register listees; 36. Residents: Suffix; 37. Seat at a hootenanny; 38. Place for a guard; 39. Recondite; 40. Shoulder muscle; 41. Tolerates; 42. Logged; 43. Singer who founded Reprise Records; 44. Letter before Peter in old radio lingo; 45. Bygone council; 46. Donations at some clinics; 47. Eseential; 48. “___ for nest”; 49. Accent; 50. NASA subj.; 51. French town; 52. Contents of some shells; 53. Audio equipment pioneer; 54. Wiped out; 55. Verb of which “sum” is a form; 56. Campsite visitor; 57. Job specifications; 58. ___ B. Wells, early civil rights advocate; 59. Individually; 60. Race unit; 61. Blood type letters; 62. Calculator button; 63. Wears down; 64. Work force; 65. Grade again; 66. Pretended to be.

The electronic version detracts quite a bit from the clever gimmick, listing both Across and Down, with a dash (-) after the unclued Down clue to indicate the unclued homophones. The notepad states: “The clues in the print version of this puzzle appear in a single list, combining Across and Down. Where two answers share a number, the unclued Down answer is a homophone of the corresponding Across answer.”

Why the clues could not have been printed as simply 1 through 66 with no distinction between across and down is mysterious -- perhaps the rigid format of the electronic puzzle would not permit this to be done. In any event, I await the newspaper in the driveway to look at the print version.

Ah!, now having arrived double-wrapped in blue under one of my fir trees by the driveway, printed below is the note in question as it appears in the newspaper itself -- cannot print whole puzzle as copyright does not allow same -- only a filled in grid is permitted. Note clue #1.

Sixteen entries share eight clues, all beginning with the letter “B” -- 1 is BOULDER and BOLDER; 8 is BARRED and BARD; 24 is BASED and BASTE; 27 is BODE and BOWED; 37 is BALE and BAIL; 38 is BORDER and BOARDER; 54 is BEAT and BEET; and 56 is BEAR and BARE.

Such an inspired arrangement could render the remainder of the puzzle to be less than VITAL (47); however, VILLE (51); DESEX (15) and ALTERS (25); ECUADOR (12) and EIDER (33); ISABEL (30) and ALEXEI (29); OBSCURE (39) and LEGALESE (17); ONEIRON (2) and ONSECOND (14); ROTATOR (40) and REVSUP (18), DIRK (19) and TAR (22); SODS (20) and SOVIET (45); STRESS (49) and DEPRESS (13); DUTIES (57) and LABORERS (64); ALACARTE (59) all alone, along with USGRANT (3), and the unusual look of the entry POSEDAS (66) ("posed as") give depth and variety in both cluing and entry.

Oh, and there’s ol’ blue eyes too -- SINATRA (45)!


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For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

Today's video -- A Nightmare of a Crossword

Article: Doug Gordon on August 14th weighs in on the literal downsizing of the NYT

08.22.07

To go to original post with illustrations and puzzle grid or to leave a Comment, click on TITLE at the beginning of this post’s commentary.

Pickup Lines

Illustration: Sophia Bush in The Hitcher (2007)

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Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Puzzle by Patrick Blindauer, edited by Will Shortz

PICKUPLINES (61A Singles bar repertoire (and a hint to 17-, 24-, 36- and 52-Across), along with BOOKEMDANNO (17A McGarrett’s TV catchphrase), NEEDALIFT (24A Question for a hitchhiker), ITSFORYOU (36A Shout from the phone), and LIKEAROCK (52A Chevy truck slogan, once) are the inter-related entries of this inert Wednesday puzzle.

We just conjugated on the subject of pickup lines in The New York Times Crossword Puzzle, Sunday, July 22, 2007, which was titled WORST PICKUP LINES.

Here’s the SUBPLOT (1D Side story). Because I never saw a single episode of Hawaii Five-O, picked up a hitchhiker, shouted from the telephone, drove a Chevy truck, or used a pickup line, I’ll ask AMNESTY (46D General pardon) on grounds of the UNKNOWN (41D Hardly a celebrity) for being less than enthusiastic. If that GOESFAR (12D Succeeds in a big way) well, thanks and DENADA (9D “Gracias” response).

Oh, and TOSSIN (67A Casually add) TSKED (4D Clicked one’s tongue), and INHERE (64A Cry after “Psst!”) into the mix of this stew-of-words-and-phrases of miscellany that feels like it needs to be TIDIED (31D Straightened [up]).

PRORATE (2D Apportion, as costs), ANOINTS (3D Rubs oil on), ARMOIRE (11D Tall wardrobe), REGATTA (13D Yachting event), ALIENEE (40D Property recipient, in law), INTONER (44D Chanter), GUNNER (15A Artillery unit member), ORSINO (48D "Twelfth Night lover), ELNINO (47A Cause of odd weather), MIKADO (5A Nanki-Poo’s father), OPERA (35A Paris Metro station next to a music center), OLEOLE (59A World Cup chant), PRIEST (20A Father figure?), ARARAT (29A Biblical landing spot), COOLEST (45D Least ruffled), SELFISH (39D Me-first) and LEILA (56D Hyams of 1920s- ‘30s films) are the disparate main entries in this out-of-focus melange.

END (49A Wrap up)!

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For today's cartoons, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

Comic crossword video -- "The Puzzling World of Will Shortz" by Alex

08.21.07

To go to original post with illustrations and puzzle grid or to leave a Comment, click on TITLE at the beginning of this post’s commentary.

Bees

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Puzzle by Tom Heilman, edited by Will Shortz

BEES (60A Theme of this puzzle), along with STINGOPERATIONS (17A Police ploys), HONEYIMHOME (30A End-of-day spousal salutation), GIVEMEABUZZ (46A “Call when you get the chance”), and THEAFRICANQUEEN (62A Bogart/Hepburn film) are the inter-related entries of this breezy crossword puzzle.

In a mystery worthy of Agatha Christie, bees are flying off in search of pollen and nectar and simply never returning to their colonies. And nobody knows why. Researchers say the bees are presumably dying in the fields, perhaps becoming exhausted or simply disoriented and eventually falling victim to the cold, recalling the ominous quote attributed to Albert Einstein: "If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left. Among the highest suspect cause of bee disappearance is satellite radio and cell phones -- read the story in The International Herald Tribune HERE. The subject is also reported in The New York Times HERE, and The Minneapolis Star Tribune HERE.

No such concern exists in this Tuesday crossword, just business as usual. The other long entries are CHIPSHOTS (10D Lofted approaches to the green); CASELOADS (36D Social workers’ work); SOREEYES (8D What a welcome sight relieves); and MEATPIES (41D Pastries in “Sweeney Todd”).

Five- and six-square entries include TOPTEN (6DBest-seller list), UPTAKE (48D Mental grasp), CACHE (1A Private stash), OCHER (14A Earthy pigment), DEICE (35A Clear, as a winter windshield), AMUSE (40A Give the giggles) sharing the puzzle’s central ‘U” with EXURB (31D Outlying community), USHER (45A Lead down the aisle), TRIED (67ATook a shot at), HENRI (4D Painter Matisse), IDTAG (27D Holder of a dog’s name and owner info), LEONI (28D Tea of “Spanglish”), KIROV (29D Russian ballet company), OMAHA (32D D-Day beach), METED (33D Apportioned), ENERO (34D First month in Madrid) and SASSY (70A Full of lip).

Old standards abound, including TOSS, CHIC, OBOE, HOOD, TSAR, STYE EPPS, ISLE, EWES, ILK, XED, OMEN, TORA, TATE, ANOS, MER, ADO, LINT, PAIL PROF, PATH, ALBA, WEED, PERK, OWLS, ISEE, COST, ACTS, CHIA, ERG, OBEY, SEA, HOOP, IONS, CDS, OSLO, TEEM, SHE, WIDE, AMEN, UZI, MIFF, TWO, PHEW, REEL, RPI, ACRE, LEIS, ANDY, and ZAHN -- all with fairly clear clues.

08.20.07

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Trios


Monday, August 20, 2007

Puzzle by Lynn Lempel, edited by Will Shortz

LITTLEPIGS (17A Fortune-seeking trio); MENINATUB (11D Trio at sea); BILLYGOATSGRUFF (36A Grass-eating trio); BLINDMICE (33D Trio on the run); FRENCHHENS (57A Gift-giver’s trio) are the inter-related entries of this cheerful HOMAGE (52A Respectful tribute) to threesomes in this Monday back-to-work puzzle!

If you’re not careful, you’ll be caught whistling nursery rhymes at the water cooler! Everyone will think you had a hot EROTIC (10D Titillating) weekend, ala LANA (64A Turner of “Peyton Place,” 1957) or stirring up trouble in SALEM (1A Town known for witch trials)! Unless, that is, you’re one of those lucky souls who this day STAYS (65A Sticks around) or can ABIDE (2D Put up with) ABED (31D In the sack)!

No need to explain, let them complain -- good! This crossword puzzle also provides them with stern and solemn words: GLITCHES (38D Minor hang-ups); DONTWALK (43A Pedestrian’s intersection warning); DRATS (47A Exclamations of annoyance); FLED (63A Ran away from) and a TRACK (28D Racecourse) for that purpose.

Or just AMBLE (31A Mosey along) until you’ve SATDOWN (48A Took a load off one‘s feet); and then there is SEESRED (24A Hits the roof); DIDIN (26A Brought to ruin); EKE (27A Barely make, with “out”); PITIES (22A Feels sorry for); NEIN (54D Dresden denial); WANLY (50D In a weak manner), EMT (4D Aid provider to the critically injured, briefly).

You’ll need a cup of LATTE (3D Coffee concoction) to put up with the boss’s MALARKEY (5D “Nonsense!”).

This Monday special won’t tax your LOBES (42A Brain sections), however, TITICACA (28A Peru-Bolivia border lake) has to be the oddest damn word seen in a crossword puzzle this month. OBAMA (14A Politician who wrote “The Audacity of Hope”) is very “current events“, unlike MAO (55A China’s Chairman); IDI (23D Amin of Africa); and SANTA (48D December list keeper). Who cares -- we've got the Venus de MILO (32D) and MARC (46 Painter Chagall) as RESPITES (9D Peaceful interludes).

With that, I hit the ROAD (39D Highway or byway)!

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For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

08.16.07

To go to original post with illustrations and puzzle grid or to leave a Comment, click on TITLE at the beginning of this post’s commentary.

Ennui

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Puzzle by Alan Arbesfeld, edited by Will Shortz

The entries FROM (10A) with STARTTOFINISH (37A) cannot be divined by their clues, nor are the inter-related entries to which they don’t actually refer and for which they supposedly provide a clue, of help in solution of those entries, which are as follows:

RUSTINMET (18A Reason to renovate an opera house?); HEATEROFWART (20A One cauterizing a skin blemish?); RAILWAYSBUST (54A Narc operation on Amtrak?); and finally, ENDEDBART (57A Dropped “The Simpsons” from the TV schedule?)

What FROM STARTTOFINISH indicates is imagining the removal of the last letter (“T”) of each of those entries and placing it at the beginning, eliciting an “oh, I see” or a “who cares?” Left hanging in the wind with no further reference are the results: TRUSTINME; THEATEROFWAR; TRAILWAYBUS; and TENDEDBAR, all without further clue or explanation.

This gimmick appeared just last week in the Wednesday The New York Sun puzzle in the guise of ARCANTONYM, ASTERHATE, RAININGBRAT, RACKSTART, and UMBERLINEN resulting in MARCANTONY, EASTERHAT, TRAININGBRA, TRACKSTART, and NUMBERLINE, with the notation "The First Shall Be Last” with the same resulting ennui.

It is nice that the center O of ABOVO (30D From the beginning) crosses and shares the center O of STARTTOFINISH resulting in an O in the exact center of the grid -- however, ATAD of DATA (yes, those are entries) more is needed for all to coalesce in a satisfactory manner -- including is there something to the fact that all the removable letters are “T”’s -- you know, if one were playing golf, and kept moving one's tee from start to finish during the game? Having never played golf, I have no idea! Then there’s ANGER (63A Tee off). Maybe the central O is the hole in which to putt. Compared to today’s Times puzzle, Alan Arbesfeld’s last puzzle was SET in stone!

The Puzzle Police will be very upset to see ENYA (6A 2001 Oscar nominee for the song “May It Be”) as an entry, deeming that entry to be highly overused -- In fact, I thought I’d never heard Enya warble, but having seen the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, I guess I have -- it’s the same contingent of the Puzzle Police, aficionados of The Simpsons, who despise The Da Vinci Code, swearing eternal hatred without (at least so avowed) ever having read or viewed same, so as to their comments on Enya -- well...more ennui!

QTIP (64A Wax remover) always sends shivers down my spine -- so many have punctured eardrums from packing in the wax -- try warm water and head-tilting -- there should be a warning on the Q-Tip package -- “never put anything larger than your elbow in your ear!” This goes for UVEA (62A Iris’s place) -- those poor souls blinded from contacts!

Today’s acrosses include RAISE (1.Union demand); Monkey’s UNCLE (14); BEET (15. Sugar source); OILS (16. Some artwork); STEAL (17. Super bargain); TUXEDO (22. Prom wear); ECO (23. Prefix with warrior); ESL (24. Night school subj.); OPE (27. What flowers do, in poetry); ADA (28. Abbr. On a toothpaste box); KNIGHT (31. Caballero); CASABA (33. Wrinkly-skinned fruit); ILIAD (36. Poem about Paris, in part); REALM (40. Kingdom); “When I am dead and gone, remember to AVENGE me…”: Henry VI, Part I“ (41); EXPELS (42. Throws out); OWL (44. Hieroglyphic symbol for the ancient Egyptian “M“; LOU (45. Bud‘s bud); DYE (48. Salon supply); OKS (49. Blesses); ACTOUT (51. Pantomime); Florence‘s PONTE Vecchio (60); SULA (61. Toni Morrison novel); MEND (65A Rectify); and NEEDS (66. Can‘t do without).

The downs include RUSHTO (1. Hurry in the direction of); ANTEUP (2. Make a stud payment); ICEAXE (3. Climber’s chopper); SLATE (4D Ballot listing); EELED (5D Caught congers); Battle of the EBRO, in the Spanish Civil War (6); NEUF (7. Nine, in Nantes); ’YESWE Have No Bananas” (8); ATTACK (9. War cry); FONT (10. Helvetica, for one); RIM (11. A dunker may grab it); OLE (12. Soccer cheer); MST (13. Boulder hrs.); IRONING (19. A Household chore); ROAST (21. Comical tribute); EGIS (24. Sponsorship: Var.) SHAH (25. Ruler toppled in 1979); LTD (26 Bygone Ford); DATA (29. Bank contents); “Would ILIE?” (32); CALE (33. Racer Yarborough); ARMLOAD (34. Big bag of groceries, e.g.); AFEW (35. Some); SEXY (37. Hot); TAPE (38. Marathon terminus); INLAY (39. Dental work); RED (40. Brave opponent); SKIBUM (43. Slopes devotee); LOUNGE (45. Waiting area); OUSTED (46. Given the boot); UTTERS (47. Comes out with); SLAVE (50. Work like a dog); CSPAN (52. Hearings airer); TBONE (53. Steakhouse selection); REAP (54. Bring in); WREN (55. Word with house or Carolina); ATAD (56. Slightly); ESQ (57. Atty.’s title); NUT (58. Buff); and last and least DLI (59. Mid sixth-century date).

08.15.07

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Paronomasia


Illustration: Modern Times

Of the great silent comedians, only Charlie Chaplin was wise and powerful enough to continue making silent films, creating two more masterpieces, City Lights (1931) and Modern Times (1936) with his Tramp character, pointed social commentary, pathos, romance, along with well-judged music and sound effects (e.g., the swallowed whistle routine in City Lights). Recognizing how silence was necessary for his character's universality, he retired the Tramp with Modern Times and for his subsequent films in dialogue (beginning with The Great Dictator in 1940) employed his own, clipped, British-accented voice.

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"Hanging is too good for a man who makes puns; he should be drawn and quoted." -- Fred Allen

MANWHOFELLINTO (20A Start of a newspaper headline about a workplace mishap);
UPHOLSTERY (34A Headline, part 2);
MACHINENOW (42A Headline, part 3);
FULLY RECOVERED (51A End of the headline).

"Man Who Fell Into Upholstery Machine Now Fully Recovered” is an unlikely start of a headline about a workplace mishap. Why would it be a “newspaper headline” -- other than that Monday’s crossword puzzle had four newspapers begging for it.“ What is much more likely is that it is a pun as old as the hills -- Google it!

Along the way you’ll find such “gems” as:

Police were called to a daycare where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.
Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He's all right now.
The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference.
To write with a broken pencil is pointless.
When fish are in schools they sometimes take debate.
The short fortune teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.
A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months
A thief fell and broke his leg in wet cement. He became a hardened criminal.
Thieves who steal corn from a garden could be charged with stalking.
We'll never run out of math teachers because they always multiply.
When the smog lifts in Los Angeles , U C L A.
The math professor went crazy with the blackboard. He did a number on it.
The professor discovered that her theory of earthquakes was on shaky ground.
The dead batteries were given out free of charge.
If you take a laptop computer for a run you could jog your memory.
The dentist and the manicurist fought tooth and nail.
What's the definition of a will? (It's a dead giveaway)
A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.
Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
A backward poet writes inverse.
In a democracy it's your vote that counts; in feudalism, it's your Count that votes.
A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.
If you don't pay your exorcist you can get repossessed.
With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.
Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I'll show you A-flat miner.
When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.
A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France , resulted in Linoleum Blownapart.
You are stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.
He broke into song because he couldn't find the key
A calendar's days are numbered.
A lot of money is tainted: 'Taint yours, and 'taint mine.
A boiled egg is hard to beat.
He had a photographic memory which was never developed.
A plateau is a high form of flattery.
Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.
When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.
When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.
Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead to know basis.
Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.
Acupuncture: a jab well done.

Had enough?

Well, consider that in actuality an upholstery machine is simply a sewing machine -- although research yields other evidence, it is difficult to imagine someone falling into such a device -- this is not a complaint about the puzzle, but the pun is a bit of a (excuse the pun) "stretch" in the world of fabrics.


To accommodate this tripe, the remainder of this puzzle is unbelievably familiar banal happenstance fill -- SOD, WHIM, AIDA, OSLO, OLAF, METE, ESSO, LILY, ETC, AMINO, NINOS, SNORE, CHINA, DUNES, FAIR, ULNA, LOSS, EWES, COCO, OKRA, ELLA, DAIS, NOS, SWAM BOOM SABLE, OHIO, ISLE, TUTUS, DIDO, SLAT, EDENS, SHO, ILO, DSC, OPS, NAÏVE, ETA, ESNE, EGO, OSS, SRI, IRE, ALOES, WOKE, ELAN, INSET, ECRU, CLIO, RASPS, SOAP and TASS.

Two entries seem to have been chosen by Googling to construct -- BTEN (11D Binger call); TREWS (33D Close-fitting tartan pants) -- if you’re stuck with a bunch of letters and you’ve run out of time, Google it -- something will come up -- clue it, you’re done!

Recalling Sunday’s puzzle, is MOONS (4D Gazes dreamily); and from yesterday’s puzzle, STELLA (9D Designer McCartney, daughter of Paul and Linda), that clue making one yearn for yesterday's definition -- Stanley’s love in “A Streetcar Named Desire”. The seemingly chosen-on-purpose-probably entries are OVERSLEEP (35D Ignore the alarm?); AUDIOTAPE (10D Sound recording); BISHOPS (5D Knights’ neighbors); and IGIVEUP (43D "Go ahead, tell me”).

The Times puzzle continues its foray into the taboo with TRYST (45D No-tell motel happenings), and the modestly clued ERECT (50D Construct) and SPASM (26D Twitch) -- any other cluing would be BLATANT (30A Not subtle at all). SMARTED (44A Stung), SPINE (40A Subject for a chiropractor); STEAD (29D Lieu); SNORE (40D [How boring!]); along with MEIR (42D Rabin’s predecessor) and Astronomer Tycho BRAHE (30D) use up space.


Special mention is due to LUNT (12D Broadway’s ____-Fontanne Theater) -- however, the clue has a misspelling -- it should be “Theatre” -- The LUNT FONTANNE THEATRE is named for Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne -- Broadway’s premiere husband and wife acting duo for most of the first half of the last century. The next production at the theatre is Disney’s “The Little Mermaid”.

That should "cover" it!

Oh wait!, speaking of “newspaper”, the Times shrunk by three inches (left to right) taking away 1 ½ inch from each page, losing a full column (this after several years ago enlarging the type size -- less and less print, you see!) -- in order to accommodate itself to uniform printing presses throughout the country -- maybe you’ll be getting the puzzle sooner than the six weeks later in syndication. Also, the print and grid for the puzzle are larger -- due probably to the new configuration of columns upon the shrinkage. I can tell you that after fondling the same size for so many years, it feels like something is missing -- “All the News That Fits We Print” could be the new mantra!

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For today’s cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

08.14.07

To go to original post with illustrations and puzzle grid or to leave a Comment, click on TITLE at the beginning of this post’s commentary.

Doofus

Illustration: 36A STELLA (Stanley's love in "A Streetcar Named Desire")


Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Puzzle by C. W. Stewart, edited by Will Shortz

NINCOMPOOP (18A Doofus); BIRDBRAIN (27A Doofus); DINGALING (48A Doofus); NOODLEHEAD (55A Doofus); NUMSKULL (4D Doofus); and DUMBBELL (39D Doofus) are the inter-related entries with their repetitive Shortzesque clues, an impressive six in this idiot’s delight of a crossword puzzle. I am sure the thesaurusification could go on and on, but pity the poor doofus!

To ensure the solver doesn't take this name-calling personally, the puzzle finishes with (61D A person who is not a doofus) -- YOU! While I appreciated the sentiment, it was a little late -- what's next? Idiot? Putz? Jerk? Simpleton? Fool? Hopefully NOONE (50D Nary a soul) mistakes IGOON (49D Shall I GO ON?" [Want me to continue?]) for GOON -- clued as "awkward, grotesque, stupid, etc." by a closet-full of pedagogical academicians! Of course, we also have PANSIES (7D Pretty violets) and TENDERS (43D Chicken TENDERS); JUDAS (34D Traitor) and PAROLEE (32D Many an ex-con) -- and then there is EPITHET (42A Nickname) -- which Webster's more accurately defines as an adjective, noun, or phrase used to characterize some person or thing, often spec. a disparaging one (Ex.: "egghead" for an intellectual) -- perhaps we'll get (A person who is not an intellectual) -- YOU!

Oh, it goes on -- SOU (59D Pittance); NEED (65A Crave); LEDOUT (38A Shown the door); OMITS (25D Cuts out); LAPSE (24D Expire); ORDEALS (19D Difficult experiences); LOCKE (24A English philosopher who wrote "Wherever Law ends, Tyranny begins"); EMMA (23A Novel on which "Clueless" is based); ELOPER (46A Runaway bride or groom); SMEAR (47A Eyeliner problem); and LALA land (37D) -- what a mess of negativity!

In the event you're OBESE (51A Overweight plus), a friendly reminder is here; then there's PILL (31 Tablet) and AMA (Doc's org.); this puzzle is filled with the INS and outs (1D) of going POSTAL (32A Part of U.S.P.S.) -- oh forget it, IGOON, I REPEAT (30 Parrot) myself -- NANU (13A When doubled, an old sitcom goodbye) -- BAM (9D "Pow!")!

I'm outta here!

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For a proper rant, read Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle!...

…or check out KISS’ “gothic doofus” Gene Simmons' Hair On Fire -- HERE!

08.13.07

To go to original post with illustrations and puzzle grid or to leave a Comment, click on TITLE at the beginning of this post’s commentary.

Stop the Presses!


Monday, August 13, 2007

Puzzle by Andrew Ries, edited by Will Shortz

For the Monday commute, today's crossword puzzle is contained in one of the following four daily papers, one of which may be smudging your fingers with ink -- the SUN, STAR, POST and TIMES all being clued by DAILY (5A With 72-Across, the end of 20-, 37-, 44- or 59-Across) and PAPER (72A See 5-Across) with the following inter-related entries:

PLACEINTHESUN (20A 1951 MontgomeryClift/Elizabeth Taylor film, with “A”);

MORNINGSTAR (37A Venus);

TRADINGPOST (44A Place to do business in the Old West);

SIGNOTHETIMES (59A 1987 Prince song and album).

People in the news include ERNIE (15A Els of the links); EVEL (16A Stuntmaster Knievel); TUROW (66A Scott who wrote "Presumed Innocent"); "TESS of the D'Urbervilles" (73A); ARON (6D Elvis's middle name); IVOR (38D Actor/composer Novello); EDA (41A Author LeShan); TAFT (46A President before Wilson); SOUSA (53D Man of many marches); Prince, Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor.

Places in the news include INST (7D Part of M.I.T.: Abbr.); TEX (12D It's between La. and N.M.); OSU (24A Buckeyes' sch.); BONN (29D East Berlin's counterpart during the cold war); ESSEX (23A English county on the North Sea): ESTES Park, Colo. (58D); a trading post in a place in the sun and HQS (64D Mil. command bases).

Turn to the sports page for a STATISTIC (36D Earned run average, e.g.); the business page for COSTS (18A Prices) and ISPS (60D AOL and Road Runner: Abbr.); the entertainment for ARIAS (3D Operatic solos) SUNG (22D Like lyrics) One ATA time (65D) or ASONE (69A In unison) to AMUSE (56D Make laugh), making one AGAPE (1D Wide open , as the mouth) at the reviews for the competing EOS (51A Goddess of the dawn) and SEXY (19A Like a Playmate of the Month) Venus, the morning star! Or check out a LITHO (8D Many an art print, for short) in the same section -- "Arts and Leisure" -- not the LOLLS (2D Lazes) kind!

Take ASTAB at (try)(48A) the ads, perhaps OVENMITTS (11D Hand protectors for bakers) to guard against FLAME (54A Lick of fire), or GORP (14A Hiker's snack) may be on sale -- or a QTIP (68A Cotton swab) or HATS (64A Milliners' output), an AGATE (26D Playing marble) or SNIPS (31D Sounds in a barbership), or play for the PURSE (35D Total prize money) if your guesses are YESES (9D Affirmatives), you'll win!

Hope I don't sound NAIVE (42A Gullible), but this crossword's ABCS (28A Kindergarten learning) are like an EXAM (21D What a student crams for) eliciting JOTS (10A Scribbles) as we HONE (62D Fine-tune) our word skills on the way to work!

A sign of the Times? -- "All the news that's fit to print" -- there's no LIMIT (55D Maximum or minimum)!

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Extra! Extra! Read all about it! -- Stop the presses!

08.12.07

To go to original post with illustrations and puzzle grid or to leave a Comment, click on TITLE at the beginning of this post’s commentary.

MOON



Sunday, August 12, 2007

LIGHTHEADED: Puzzle by Cathy Millhauser, edited by Will Shortz

HEAVEN (50D Paradise) is SHINING (1A Illustrious) on this ode TOTHEMOON (62D Ralph Kramden cathchphrase on old TV…and a hint to this puzzle…) which includes NEW, HARVEST, QUARTER, BLUE, PAPER, CRESCENT, WAXING, HALF and FULL.

NEWAGEMOVEMENTS (22A Tarot reading, crystals, spiritualism, etc.); HARVESTHOME (33A Traditional English festival); QUARTERSTAFF (44A Little John’s weapon in Robin Hood legend); BLUELAGOON (64A Brooke Shields movie with “The”); PAPERTIGER (75A Its roar is worse than its bite); CRESCENTROLL (94A Dinner bun); WAXINGSALON (103A Hair removal site); HALFALOAF (38D Proverbial portion); FULLMETALJACKET (119A 1987 Kubrick film) provide the "light" beginnings.

Titling the puzzle LIGHTHEADED (likely for the phase or type of MOON at the beginning of the above entries) takes on more meaning when one delves further into this otherwise very dark crossword puzzle.

Eerily peppered with such WORDS (40A Partner of music) as GLOWER (7D Sullen looks); WORST (32D Most base); ACHE (36A Caladryl: itch :: Bengay: ____); TREPAN (35D Boring tool); ERROR (47D What "[sic]" may signify); LIGATED (65D Tied surgically); PELT (78D Trapper's prize); CHEMICAL (19A Dow product) crossed by NAM (6D Sen. John Kerry served there); WEEP (26A Mourn audibly); TOADY (56A Bootlicker); BANAL (82A Overdone); STARE (126A Show awe, in a way); MANURE (99D Garden fertilizer); and CREMATE (96D Burn at the end?); this puzzle has a side as dark as IVORY (72A Some contraband).


Inhabitants of this crossword puzzle include Alice Faye, Charlotte Rae, Oona Chaplin, Stanley Kubrick, Susan SONTAG (8A She wrote "Under the Sign of Saturn"), Jack Nance, Carol Burnett, Jim Morrison, Franz Lehar, Chicago Mayor Daley, Nelson Algren, Santana, William Shea, John Kerry, Bob Hoskins, Chain Potok, Robin Hood, the Spice Girls, Tiberius Claudius Nero, Hiram Walker, and Ralph Kramden

The Great Moon Hoax articles (New York Sun, 1835) Link, and some historical background here.

Not to dwell upon the dark side of the moon, there is light in this crossword to pierce the night. The positive: ETHIC (14A Body of precepts); WASH (49A Break-even enterprise); TEE (67A Bit of a snicker); NEAT (89A Well-planned); OONA before OVUM; AXILLA crossing NILLA; AYE and SALUT; ETO and STLO; FAYE and RAE; CUPS and CORN; IDIOMS (17D See red, talk a blue streak, etc.); OBOES and OPEDS; -- with JOY (122D Procter & Gamble detergent) and ELYSIAN (128A Like a paradise) sharing the end of this puzzling puzzle with TOODLEOO (125A "Ta-ta")...

...it's got OOMPH (9D Zip)!

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For today's cartoons, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

08.11.07

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Jambalaya




Illustration: Ziegfeld, Florenz (1869-1932) -- famous last words “Curtain! Fast music! Lights! Ready for the last finale! Great! The show looks good. The show looks good." Florenz Ziegfeld was a famous Broadway producer whose musical reviews featured fantastic sets and beautiful women. He died hallucinating that he was directing one last show. In the 1936 Oscar winning movie, The Great Ziegfeld, William Powell plays the producer, and Ziegfeld's last words are "I've got to have more steps. I need more steps. I've got to get higher. Higher."
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Saturday, August 11, 2007

Puzzle by Karen M. Tracey, edited by Will Shortz

Jambalaya is certainly a duplicitous clue for GRABBAG (58A), and an odd one for OLIO (32D), but no farther fetched than Hank Williams singing “Jambalaya” with a Betty Boop cartoon running in the background. This classic Shortzesque double-entry clue easily defines this Saturday crossword puzzle -- a grab-bag olio of words in motion, swirling in a witch’s brew!

Slicing across the center of the grid is FLORENZZIEGFELD (36A Biographical subject of the Best Picture of 1936) and cutting through that entry is ALJAZEERA (20D Mideastern news source), leaving a Z in the center of the the grid, like the mark of Zorro! EZIOPINZA (34D Co-star of Broadway's "Fanny"), JOEISUZU (27A Fictional salesman of '80s ads), along with BENITEZ (59A Relief pitcher Armando) and (Morris B.) ZALE Corporation (jewelry retail giant)(29D) provide this puzzle with plenty of proper-name Z's, totalling SEIS (14D Number of wives of Enrique VIII).

Above that central Z is the entry EASYA (34A It's hard to fail) -- these minimal utterances are joined by the less reticent MTSINAI (18A Tablets site); RAP (35A Grammy category); the noisy SOFTSHOE (42A Tap type) and OVATION (56A Hero's welcome); DINS (21A Headache intensifiers); the quieter ETUDES (3D Exercise of a sort); and the SPEEDEE (62A McDonald's mascot before Ronald) remark TATA (9D Cry before disappearing).

ADDISABABA (19A Where the African Union is headquartered) and ADIDAS (11D Sportswear company whose logo is three parallel stripes) are of no relation. Continuing with our jambalaya, little SYMBIOSIS (8D Mutualism) is inherit between such entries as BASINGER (4D Best Supporting Actress of 1997); WOLFSBANE (33D Monkshood); OLESTRA (61A Substitute for some snack foods); GIANTPANDA (54A Resident of Chinese highlands); MAGEE (51D Patrick with a Tony); STJAMES (8A Place on a Monopoly board) or a HORDE (2D Group of 6-Down) of NOMADS (6D See 2-Down); and I'm sure there was no attempt to do so in this Whole SHEBANG (1A)!

For the NTH (37D Indefinitely large) time, we get ATTS, CFOS, DELI, DIEM, EGAN, ENGRS, EVEL, EYE, GDS, GOER, ITT, JRS, OIL, PANE, PRES, SHY, SRTAS, STIES, and UPDO -- along with TSTRAP (44D Pump alternative) which appeared just this Wednesday clued as Woman's shoe style -- very DRESSY (26D Smart). Also seen recently was RODEO (41A Place for a clown) and REBA (52A 1988 chart-topping country album) and less frequently, ROTATOR (15A What goes around) and YARDAGE (16A Gain or loss) -- TRUST ME (17A Line from a scam artist) and COWER (31A Shrink) somehow pair off nicely. I wanted VAC (24A Little sucker?) to be TIC, of course.

ROBO (52A Cyborg's beginning?) must refer to "Robocop", the movie, THATIS (43D Clarifying words). Nice that RANLATE (60A Went over) sits atop SPEEDEE. INBAD (49D On the outs [with]) and EDATE (50D Virtual meeting of a sort) join the final odd-couple, VIAGRA (24D Sex therapist's suggestion) and GREBE (7D Relative of a loon)!

Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and fillet gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-o
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou.

08.09.07

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Estrangement



Thursday, August 9, 2007

Puzzle by Tyler Hinman, edited by Will Shortz

I suppose if one were determined to find a nexus in this crossword puzzle, it might be 20-22A, 36A and 53A with endings of GAL, GAULLE and GALL -- CHARLESDEGAULLE (36A President with a bridge in Montreal named after him) is the longest entry in the grid and being in the center begs for the attention -- MARCCHAGALL below (53A He said "Great art picks up where nature ends") might better serve as a focal point, while STEVEN (20A With 22-Across, actor with a black belt in aikido) SEAGAL (22A See 20-Across) the first of the three with his name split by three black squares is just an irritation. With all the acrosses, I was relieved that in addition to Pont Charles-De Gaulle of Montreal, Marc Chagall provides an opportunity to ELEVATE (64A Bring up) an impossible eclectic collection of verbiage devoid of unity.

An odd grid, broken up into three sections with seven stacks of words kept reminding me more of an automobile grille than a crossword grid: Upper left, all down -- QUESTS (1 Knight’s journeys), BARTOK (2 Hungarian composer who wrote “The Miraculous Mandarin”; and SERENA with its tricky clue (3 Star near Venus?) provide happenstance fill, QBS, UAE, ERR, along with STEVEN, TONER and SKAT. Upper right JARGON (11D Computerese, e.g.); ALPACA (12D Wool source); and XFILES (13D 1998 film thriller based on a TV series, with “The”) issue JAX, ALF, and RPI as fill, with SEAGAL, CROCE and UNAS following.

ATLANTA (4A Where Home Depot was founded); SHOWBIZ (15A Tinseltown doings); and PAGEANT (18D Where to see a crown) provides upper center fill of ASPER, THAN, LOG, AWE, NBA, TINS, and AZTEC (10D Tenochtitian dweller).

Issuing through the black squares by one letter are VETERAN (21D Longtime) and ARUGULA (23D Salad bar offering) -- we are now in the central section of the puzzle, which almost stands by itself, as does the first section above and the third section below -- the lower section is connected in the same manner as the upper by by ABITMUCH (38D Too-too) and LIBELLAW (39D Protection against smearing).

In the center section, ASH (25A Cigarette detritus) is piled on top of IMPEL (30A Force along); EASTEREGG (33A Item sought in the spring), the aforementioned CHARLESDEGAULLE and to the sides REBATE (42A Consumer’s enticement); OILIER (43A More smarmy); AMINO (44A Protein building block, for short); and TABOO (48A Don’t do it) -- the rest of the entries in the section are by-chance fill, mostly down.

The third section of the puzzle has a pile of words on the left consisting of FOULOUT (58A Be disqualified, in the 8-Down); ENCLOSE (63A Wall in); and BAHAMEN (65A “Who Let the Dogs Out” group), providing a little life in the puzzle. To the right -- SIMILAR (60A Comparable); ELEVATED (64A Bring up); and RENEWED (66A Like some friendships). The whole section (which includes MARCCHAGALL, SASHA, PIC ascending centrally) provides a downpour of happenstance fill, FEB, ONA, ALLA, ROOM, AMEN, LIVE, ATE, RED and the more lengthy AGILE (51A Unlike klutzes) and SCUSE (50D Italian apologies).

There is no flow or real connection from one area to the other here -- it is a cordoned-off crowd of words that seem distressed at their estrangement.

Not my cup of tea -- but certainly an original, if claustrophobic, puzzle!

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For today's cartoons, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

08.08.07

To go to original post with illustrations and puzzle grid or to leave a Comment, click on TITLE at the beginning of this post’s commentary.

PA


Illustration: from "The Fog" 2005, remake of John Carpenter's "The Fog", 1980

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Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Puzzle by Donna S. Levin, edited Will Shortz

PA is used here paronymously -- thankfully omitting "PAsty", "PAtrick", and "onion PArings"; however, "PAuseless" might be appropriate -- it's just a lot of fun!

The inter-related entries PAROLEREVERSAL (20A Back-to-the-slammer order?); PARENTSTRIKE (30A Reason the kids were left alone?); CIRCUSPATENT (40A Reward for a Ringling invention?); and BUFFALOPAWINGS (54A Scuff marks on the prairie?) without the PA are "rent strike", "role reversal", "circus tent", and "buffalo wings" (the last being the "ouch" pun).

Pairings permeate this puzzle with EDERLE (17A Channel swimmer Gertrude) and LIFEBOAT (35D 1944 Hitchcock classic); WAWA, SHA na na, TRA la la; ABOVE (8D Superior to) and ALONE (52D Without equal); ASS (11A Balaam's beast) and ONAN (25A Son of Judah) being today's Biblical references -- interesting to note that Balaam's beast is not only the second best-known ASS in the Bible, but the female forerunner of Mr. Ed. ONAN, on the other hand (excuse the expression), achieved notoriety for coitus interruptus, being saddled with the eponym of "onanism", generally considered a hot sin in many faiths, and elsewhere a cause for scoff and scorn -- ATWORST (42D Least favorably) a ridiculed self-absorbed activity.

"I'm just a girl who can't say no", ADOANNIE (11D "Oklahoma!" gal) and SRILANKA (12D Ceylon, now) make whole appearances (rather than the usual "ado" and "sri" -- TSTRAP (32D Woman's shoe style), with its TSTR beginning, gives pause while solving; DOOGIE (59A TV's Howser) and DOCENT (62A Museum guide) are an odd couple; Rap's Dr. DRE (16A) and DOC (57A Bespectacled dwarf) are another, even though well-separated like SPARES (65A Alley pickups) -- the last being a throw-back to our Monday puzzle. OIL (19A Crude, e.g.) was clued yesterday as Texas tea.

LEERED (3D Looked like a wolf), LINGER (47D Hang around) and SWOOP (53D Hawk's descent) are a creepy trio; the contrasting SUNNY (29A Cheerful) and THEFOG (14A 1980 John Carpenter chiller);AFOOT (44A In progress) above PEDI (50A Prefix with cab or cure) are other pairings.

Questions: How is FATS (7A Dietary needs) dietary needs? Is a SOLARA (1A Toyota Camry model) so named because it has a sun-roof? Why is PRODUCED (36D Cranked out) clued as a chore of rote?

Never heard of AFROPOP; (4D Music from across the Atlantic) before today; my neighborhood firehouse FIREMAN (7A Dalmatian's master, sometimes) has a Newfoundland; my Ford ENGINE (48A Object of a tuneup) could use one (a tuneup, not a dog); and welcome back TAPIOCA (43D Starchy dessert) -- third time in a month! I'll WAGER (51D It might be placed at a window) that's the FATS, something not to EAT (39A Get stuck with, as the cost) -- OHDARN (2D "Shoot!")!

This puzzle deserves a STAR (10D Marquee's topper), and for a Wednesday, several!
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For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

08.07.07

To go to original post with illustrations and puzzle grid or to leave a Comment, click on TITLE at the beginning of this post’s commentary.

The Talk

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Puzzle by Daniel Kantor, edited by Will Shortz

BADABING (20A "Just like that!"); FUHGEDABOUTIT (25A "Not on your life!"); and YOUTALKINTOME (42A "Yeah, wanna start somethin'?"), clued by MOBSCENE (50A "The Sopranos" clip? ...or where you might hear 20-, 25- and 42-Across) are the main long entries in this tiny Tuesday terror along with a generous helping of entries worthy of inclusion in dialogue for the HBO series of "The Sopranos", which ended it's six-season run this year

Other entries which would fit nicely into an episode are FLASK (1A Liquor holder in a coat pocket); AWE (6A Wonderment); BEEPS (9A Taxi sounds); AVERT (17A Ward off); ZONES (19A Sectors); EZPASS (22A Electronic toll-collecting system in the Northeast); HARASS (30A Torment); BAY (35A Cargo area); Holiday INN (37A); KARATS (40A Gold standards); PACT (45A War ender); BADDIE (47A No-goodnik); BAN (55A Embargo); FLAB (1D "Spare tire"); ACED (3D Nailed); ATONED (6D Made amends [for]); BUZZCUT (9D Army barber's specialty); SASS (13D Snippiness); Love, honor and OBEY (24D); Taken ABACK (surprised) (27D); TASTE (29D Small bite); GAS (33D Good time, slangily); FANNY (25D Rear end); STAINED (38D Tarnished); PACE (39D Walk to and fro); DEAL (49D Successful conclusion of a negotiation); and ENDS (53D Conclusions).

That's a lot of talk!

Left out of the conversation, but holding their own were IRONCAGE (36D Circus animal enclosure); LAVA (2D Content of some cones); ETNA (11D Italian source of 2-Down); IDES (21A Midmonth time); ISLAM (28D Religion with the Five Pillars); UPDATE (43D Timely news bulletin); ICONIC (44D Like some sacred art); ACLU (48D Legal rights org.); OIL (18A Texas tea); BEST in Show (31A); ILSA (36A Rick's "Casablanca" Love); COIN (46A Create, as a phrase); EGGED (59A Goaded, with "on"); UZI (58A Israeli-invented gun) -- an OCEAN (54A Continent separator) of lively entries in today's MAZE (50D Labyrinth) of a tough-talking crossword!

A fun puzzle and a pleasant solve -- the constructor Daniel Kantor has made us an offer we can't refuse!

For today's cartoons, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

08.06.07

To go to original post with illustrations and puzzle grid or to leave a Comment, click on TITLE at the beginning of this post’s commentary.

Pinboy

Monday, August 6, 2007

Puzzle by Allan E. Parrish, edited by Will Shortz

Bowling is the subject of the inter-related entries FREEZEFRAME (17A Result of hitting the pause button on a movie); TOSPARE (38A Extra); TINPANALLEY (61A Old-time songwriter's locale); BANANASPLIT (11D Dairy Queen offering); and FIRSTSTRIKE (25D Attack before being attacked); e.g., "frame", "spare", "alley", "split", and "strike".

If you are headed back to work this Monday, consider for a moment the by-gone job of the pinsetter.

In the 50’s, before the fully-automated bowling machine replaced the pinboy -- an irascible border-line delinquent usually too young to acquire employment in any other field except the delivery of newspapers or mowing of lawns -- pinsetting was like having a real job!

At the end of the bowling alley (lane) was a pit -- above the pit, sitting on a wall-like structure was the all-important pinboy -- if you wanted to bowl, you had to have a pinboy to reset your pins. Unlike a machine, one could argue about strikes and spares, blaming human error on the part of the pinboy’s lack of expertise in resetting the pins. There was a relationship with the bowler and the pinboy that was quite volatile!

In many towns in the Midwest, the fully-automated AMF bowling machines along with television did not arrive until the late 50’s. A rack was used that one could throw the pins into, then push a lever down to set the pins in the correct position. This provided a good job for young men that liked a little excitement. The pinsetter would sit on the edge of the pit with his feet clear of the bowling ball that would come crashing down the alley. Most of the time all the pins would remain in the pit, but sometimes they would fly out and if the boy were not alert he could get hit.

Being a pinsetter was like Pinocchio with a job! The crash of pins, the thud of the ball, jumping down into the pit to reset the pins (there was an up-and-down machine in which to place the pins) -- hoping that the bowler who was poised to pick up the spare saw the fragile human in the pit! If the pin setter was too slow and the ball reached the bowler before the pin setter was through in the pit the person bowling may throw the ball and catch the pinboy in the pit. The bowler usually could not see the pinsetter down in the pit, or maybe they could and liked to see him jump!

Violent bowlers required distancing oneself from the area of the pit entirely due to the flying pins -- many a ghastly bruise was obtained by the novice. On occasion, the bowler would bowl while the pins were being reset -- that justified rolling the ball back up the alley to the bowler! Imagine the hothead that the pinsetter hit with the ball charging back to the pin setting area to find no one in charge of setting his pins!

Ladies night was particularly interesting to the pinsetter -- lots of splits and spares and gutter balls! The slow-moving rumbling ball allowed the pinsetter to leisurely ogle up the alley to determine the quality of undergarments, if any. The tips were spent for the most part on the pinball machines at the entrance, from which a bowler had to wrest an unwilling rascal to take his abuse!

EXCEL (1A Do very well [at]); AROAR (15A Loud, as a stadium crowd); CARE (20A Have concern); STRIVE (50A Try hard); EEK (66A "Horrors!"); LEAVE (68A Go out); EXECUTE (4D Carry out, as an assignment); ERR (7D Goof up); REAR (44A Derriere); BARES (34A Uncovers); POPPED (47D Like some balloons, questions and corn); PRO (62D Con's opposite); and WENT (36D Departed) could all somehow fit into the pinboy's story.

BOATEL (12D Overnight accommodations by the shore); BAINES (28A The "B" in L.B.J.); OCTAVO (51A Book size); and MAMABEAR (9D "Goldilocks" character) are seldom seen entries. Entries with initials include LEOXI (14A Pope before Paul V, whose papacy lasted less than four weeks); BBC (11A U.K. Channel); AOL (16A Yahoo! competitor); PJS (40A Nighwear, briefly); SSW (53 NNE's opposite); PSI (60A Tire pressure meas.); ECARD (67A Online birthday greeting, e.g.); CSPAN (71A Channel with cameras in the Capitol); and STAT (32D "Immediately," in the O.R.).

Seen in puzzles this past week and repeating here are TINPANALLEY and PARROTS (56A Chatty birds); while Sunday's omission of ORIOLES (46D Baltimore nine) among its flock of birds is here rectified.

Fun puzzle -- NOLIE (45A "Honest to goodness!")!

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For today's cartoons, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

08.05.07 - Acrostic

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TIME


Illustration: The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali
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Sunday, August 5, 2007

ACROSTIC -- Puzzle by Emily Cox & Henry Rathvon -- Edited by Will Shortz

Today’s quotation (appearing at the end of this commentary in the acrostic grid) is from “Close to Home”, a collection of Ellen Goodman’s newspaper columns published in 1979.

In the event you are unfamiliar with the acrostic, The New York Times provides the following paragraph: “Guess the words defined below and write them over their numbered dashes. Then transfer each letter to the correspondingly numbered square in the pattern. Black squares indicate word endings. The filled pattern will contain a quotation reading from left to right. The first letters of the guessed words will form an acrostic giving the author’s name and the title of the work.”

The Times allows the completed grid to be published, but will serve notice of copyright if more than that is duplicated and posted. So, one needs to type it out -- unfortunately, in the case of an acrostic, it would be a monumental task to type the placement of the numbers beneath each defined word which correspond to the grid.

Without their numbers, the defined words are:

A. EVERYMAN -- Joe Blow or John Doe
B. LIBRATE -- Wobble back and forth before coming to rest
C. LEFTBANK -- Montparnasse setting (2 wds.)
D. ETERNITY -- Typical wait duration?
E. NANETTE -- Title character of a 1925 musical comedy
F. GODUTCH -- Split the bill (2 wds.)
G. ONTARIO -- Home province for the Raptors
H. OPTICIAN -- Person whose job can be a grind?
I. DIFFUSE -- Spread out, scattered
J. MASONIC -- Belonging to a certain secret society
K. ABEYANT -- Not active at the moment
L. NEPOTIST -- One dispensing favors to the family
M. CHEWOUT -- Rake over the coals (2 wds.)
N. LOTHARIO -- Casanova, Don Juan, Romeo
O. OVIFORM - - Shaped like an egg
P. SHYING -- Balking
Q. ETHANCOEN -- One half of a filmmaking duo (2 wds.)
R. THIMBLE -- Item in a digitabulist’s collection
S. OFFENSE -- Scoring strategy or violation, in sports
T. HAWTHORN -- State flower of Missouri
U. OVERWRITE -- Explain on paper too elaborately; cover with words
V. MOUSETRAP -- Invention not easily improved upon
W. EMINEM -- Rapper with a 2002 Oscar for Best Song

The quotation, for me at least, has a way of seeming to be unfocused -- perhaps too many ellipses are involved. One would have to see the original quotation to know.

In any event, having been president of a tenant association for several years, I can certainly empathize with the sentiment involved, although I’m not sure our “urban tribe” was diffuse and stood waiting for an eternity!

08.05.07

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BIRDS


Illustration: The Twittering Machine [Die Zwitscher-Maschine]. Paul Klee, 1922
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Sunday, August 5, 2007

WINGING IT -- Puzzle by Caroline Leong, edited by Will Shortz

A gathering of Florence Nightingale, Steve Martin, Atticus Finch, Christopher Wren, Merlin, and Captain Jack Sparrow certainly belies “birds of a feather flock together” -- and their bird-verb activities are of an odd sort in this Sunday crossword puzzle which is all in good fun!

NIGHTINGALEHAWKSLARKS (23A Nurse Florence sells adventures?)
MARTINPARROTSCOOTS (31A Actor Steve repeats what geezers say?)
FINCHDUCKSCUCKOOS (57A Lawyer Atticus avoids crazies?)
WRENSWALLOWSRAILS (69A Architect Christopher gobbles banisters?)
MERLINROOKSBOOBIES (93A Famed magician cheats chumps?)
SPARROWGULLSCARDINALS (106A Disney’s Captain Jack dupes church leaders?)

This puzzle's aviary also cages in its grid a nightingale, larks, martins, coots, a finch, cuckoos, a wren, rails, a merlin, boobies, a sparrow, and cardinals.

Birds as verbs are "hawks", "parrots", "ducks", "swallows", "rooks", and "gulls" -- with only "parrots" taking its meaning from the action of a bird -- "Polly want a cracker?!"

IGNIS fatuus (63A) and GHOST (64A Word game popularized by James Thurber) occupy the center of the grid whose dead center is a black square. Other notable entries include the side-by-side ICE and ICH; and the distant ACE and ACS; GIA and GAO: LANA and SANA; SHAH and SHAD; SASS and SISSY; Faulkner femme fatale EULA Varner (73D) and EULER [98D Mathematician who introduced the function symbol f(x)] who is having a good week in puzzledom!

GRIME clued as Smutch (45A) is a fresh (can it be called that?) twist in definition; BIGEATER (7D Gourmand) and PIGGED (56A Overate, with "out"); and nice to see Rapa NUI (Easter Island) (105A) and LOKI (80D Norse deity of mischief) on the haunt. Even though ARBORDAY (37A Annual event celebrated outdoors) is included, a habitat for birds is provided only by SYCAMORES (75D Graceful trees) -- "Fly, fly, fly...fly, fly, fly...fly, fly, fly!!!

08.04.07

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Sideshow

Illustration: " Invitation to the Side-Show" by Georges Seurat, 1888
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Saturday, August 4, 2007

Puzzle by Byron Walden, edited by Will Shortz

Opening with BEFORETHEOTHERS (1A First) and closing with KEEPONKEEPINGON (60A Last) this sideshow of a crossword puzzle features as its central attraction a BEARDEDLADY (34A Sideshow staple) presiding over a festival of wordplay.

With a 15-letter triple deck above of BEFORETHEOTHERS; ITALIANALPHABET (16A Dante characters?); and GIRLFROMIPANEMA (17A The “she” in the lyric “And when she passes, I smile”) and a 15-letter triple deck below of AMERICANSTUDIES (56A Interdisciplinary college major); NICOTINELOZENGE (59A Patch alternative); and KEEPONKEEPINGON, our BEARDEDLADY is in a NUCLEUS (23D Chromosome home) of oddities in the fragmented central passageway of this Saturday puzzle, including a DUNK TANK (35D Charity carnival feature) in which to Drown the Clown if you DECRY (32A Disparage) and have an ODIUM (37A Strong aversion) for HASSLE (44D Headache).

The downs above include BIGDOS (1 Galas); Saint-ETIENNE-du-Mont, church containing the remains of the patron saint of Paris (2); FARMCLUB (3 Place for some prospects); OLLIE (4 Hardy one?); RIFT (5 Break); EAR (6 Place for a stirrup); TNOTES (7 They may take a few yrs. to mature); HAMAN (8 Villain in the book of Esther); ELICITED (9 Brought out); OPP (10 NE for SW, e.g.); THAD (11 Jazz trumpeter/composer Jones); “Trip to HANOI” (1968 Susan Sontag book)(12); EBERLE (“Over the Rainbow” vocalist Ray); REMAIN (14 Be extant); and STAGED (15 Like some disappearances) -- abracadabra!


Swirling about in the center with our must-be-a-DEM (32D Person on the left?: Abbr.) BEARDEDLADY are EPSOM (38A With 55-Across, MgSO4.7H2O) SALTS (55A See 38-Across); BURRITO (22D Chihuahua fare); GRAPE (28D Gatorade choice); OKRAS (49A Mallow family members); BEADS (26D Wampum); and SOPS (47A Food eaten with gravy).

The downs below include L.A.’s USBANK Tower, the tallest building in the West (40); NORMIE (41 Nickname on “Cheers”); APIECE (42 Not together); YODELING (36 Higher calling?); MONTEGO (39 Former Mercury model); STROP (48 Leather band); RANEE (50 Eastern royal) BADEN-Wurtternberg (Stuttgart’s state) (51); TITO (53 Co-founder of the Non-Aligned Movement, 1961); SUZI (55 1970s rocker Quatro); and LESSEN (46D Bring down).

Scattered about “Lo, here ILIE, / Never to rise again” “Hamlet” (24A); SNL Digital Shorts (25A); BENIN (22A Its capital is Porto-Novo); DOL (45A Capital of New Zealand: Abbr.); BRITT (52 The Green Hornet’s real first name); DEMIT (18A Relinquish); and EULER (30A Discoverer of the law of quadratic reciprocity).

BUS (26A One way to work); TUG (27A Drawing of the heart?); TAC (19A Central square, maybe) and several other happenstance-fill lurk unnoticed, but DORAG (20A 50 Cent cover) and TOP (58D With 29-Across, highest quality) END (29A See 58-Down) stand out.

Oh...and thanks for LEO (31D Olympics theme composer Arnaud) -- it’s my birthday!

For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated

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08.03.07

To go to original post with illustrations and puzzle grid or to leave a Comment, click on TITLE at the beginning of this post’s commentary.

Nautilus


Illustration: FIBONACCISERIES (35A "The Da Vinci Code" sequence) -- Illustration: Nautilus
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Friday, August 3, 2007

Puzzle by Charles Barasch, edited by Will Shortz

VOODOOECONOMICS (8D Derogatory term popularized by George H. W. Bush) and FIBONACCISERIES (35A “The Da Vinci Code” sequence) both 15-letters long, slice through each other down and across this amazing, but ruthless, end-of-the-work-week crossword puzzle. Full of arcana and/or seldom-used entries, coupled with a mischievous vagueness as a presiding characteristic of its clues, Charles Barasch, the wordsmith of the day, has constructed a masterly mélange of enigmatic stupefaction.


Illustration: "Voodoo Economics," Mark Kostabi, 1992, graphite on paper

Who among the living, walks about with such esoterica at the tip of the tongue as EMILIANO (15A Two-time president Chamorro), GAVIN (30A San Francisco mayor Newsom); HENRYVII (12D The Wars of the Roses ended in his reign); MALRAUX (26D France’s first minister of culture, 1959-69) ROIS (23A Beaucoup de Louises); SELENA (62A Jennifer Lopez title role); or for that matter -- AMATOL (2D Stuff in a bomb); ANODYNES (14D Soothing things); GAELS (30D Iona College athletes); SUBIC Bay (South China Sea inlet) (44A); and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, e.g. (21D IRAQI)?

LUREIN (16A Draw successfully); ITSALIVE (58A Horror cry); IDUNNO (18A “Ya got me!”); MYMY (26A “Well, I declare!”); “YESWE have no…” (50D); and INEVER (46D “How dare you?”) lead a profusion of confusion that includes KOOKY (46A Out there); JAMMIES (53A Undercover wear?); ALIEN (9D Superman, for one) and SHE (57D Word before some animal names). It’s the clues -- the entries are not all that exotic.

Other acrosses:

1. Celebratory cry
2. It can leave you breathless
17. County whose seat is Redwood City
19. Union in D.C., e.g.
20. Sets up
25. Dismiss as unworthy
27. Stooges actions (SLAPS)
31. Skeleton part
33 Handicap, say
39. Sly slur (INNUENDO)
40. Motor additive
42. Temp takers
56. Bottle
60. Religious leader who wrote “Peace with God”
61. Baseball coverings
63. Bakes

Other downs:

3. Flower named for a German botanist
4. Hackberry relative
5. Pseudologue
6. “Soap” family (TATES)
10. Head makeup
13. Dwarf
24. Salad bar binful
28. They can make waves
35. They may follow the drill
36. Wobbly
37. Note offering good advice for life?
45. Come to pass
54. “Look Forward in Anger” comedian
59. Books, for short

This is a perfectly proportioned puzzle with good KARMA (49A) and mischievous mystification!

Oh...and TGIF!

Illustration: Fibonacci Sequence, the spirally expanding geometry of the Chambered Nautilus shell, the similarly appealing geometry of flower petals, or in the famously “perfect” proportions of DaVinci’s Vitruvian Man

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For today's cartoons, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.