Sunday, January 13, 2008
BABY TALK, Puzzle by Stella Daily and Bruce Venzke, edited by Will Shortz
Eleven entries W's replacing the L's of familiar proper names and/or phrases, et cetera, to indicate “baby talk”, forming puns that exploit confusion between similar-sounding words for humorous effect, clued for the entry’s resulting pun, as follows:
WESTWEFORGET (28A. The old frontier you and I don’t remember?);
PATENTWEATHER (45A. Climate that’s copy-protected by law?);
GIANTWIZARD (65A. Merlin on an Imax screen?);
ARTWINKWETTER (89A. Eyelid moistener at a museum?);
WAKEVICTORIA (107A. Rouse a beloved English queen?);
WIFEGOESON (3D. Better half takes the stage?);
WEDASTRAY (6D. Married in error?);
WEFTBEHIND (16D. Tush made of shuttle thread?);
TOETHEWINE (69D. Stick one’s foot in Chardonnay);
SICKWEAVE (81D. Fabric that needs serious mending?); and
MEMORYWANE (75D. Development of amnesia).
Across: 1. “Come on … be good kids”; 7. Kind of jacket; 11. Actor Gulager; 14. Occurs to, with “on”; 19. Emulate Earhart; 20. Bean town?; 21. Alley OOP; 22. Traditional whale hunter; 23. Like some titmice; 24. Went too far; 26. Pretty cool; 27. Mark who won the Master and British Open in 1998; 30. Is covered in dew, perhaps; 32. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, e.g.; 33. Longtime Bob Hope broadcaster; 35. OBOE d’amore; 37. Like some traffic; 38. Donkey Kong, for one; 39. Place to gamble in N.Y.C.; 41. Job ad abbr.; 43. Center of success?; 44. Rap’s Dr. DRE; 49. Ralph Nader and Ross Perot; 52. Brought on; 53. Sound from a fan; 54. LOONEY Tunes; 55. U.K. record label 57. Richness; 60. Like some grasses; 61. Porridge ingredients; 63. Scratches (out); 64. Took too many pills, briefly; 67. Fall mos.; 71. Currency whose symbol is “$”; 71. Like Java man; 73. Lose one’s marbles; 78. What to follow in the forest; 80. Stat for Warren Spahn: Abbr.; 81. Pull out formally; 82. F.B.I. Director appointed by Clinton; 83. Jimmy of DC Comics; 87. Bond poster; 93. Some colas, familiarly; 94. Small wts.; 95. “Well, LAH-di-dah!”; 96. Asian school of thought; 97. U.S.O. show attendees; 98. Cuddly sci-fi critter; 100. Algonquian tongue; 101. Court call; 103. Twangy; 105. Mover left or right; 110. Nocturnal insect; 113. Buggy drivers; 115. In the world; 116. National airline of Afghanistan; 117. Coca-Cola trademark; 118. Singer Des’ REE; 119. 10-year host of “Entertainment Tonight”; 120. Boasts of; 121. Seventh-grader, often; 122. Many, many mos.; 123. Pamplona shouts; 124. Tangle up (in).
Down: 1. Group with a secy. Gen.; 2. Certain gamete; 4. Christmas on Capri; 5. “S.N.L.” alum Cheri; 7. Scent maker; 8. Add pep to; 9. “What AMESS!: (“This place needs cleaning!”); 10. Go-KART; 11. Able to be followed; 12. Bath scrubber; 13. So far; 14. “Goll-lee!”; 15. Many a “Star Trek” character; 17. Bit of trail mix; 18. Pork place?; 25. Grabbed surreptitiously; 29. Graduation or confirmation; 31. Following; 34. Not just ask; 35. Florida county seat; 36. Not on deck; 38. Had something; 40. Go “waaaah!”; 42. Got things wrong; 44. Harriet Beecher Stowe novel; 46. Elite; 47. Didn’t walk or go by subway, say; 48. THEO Epstein, Red Sox G. M. starting in 2002; 50. Mr. Right, with “the”; 51. Enjoy the theater; 56. Word before and after “a”; 58. Prell competitor; 59. Currency exchange abbr.; 61. Painter Mondrian; 62. Milk source; 63. Former Israeli president Weizman; 65. 3.5, e.g.: Abbr.; 66. Actress Papas; 67. Viscera; 68. Rodeo locale; 70. Good winter entrée; 73. Some toothpastes; 74. Where to get a mil. commission; 76. In ADAZE (stunned); 77. None too bright; 79. Illustrator for Charles Dickens; 84. Bequests; 85. Circus props; 86. Supposed makers of crop circles; 88. Suffix with buck; 90. Bird whose name sounds like its soft call; 91. Tricks; 92. Get more soap suds out of; 99. Angers; 100. Metal that may ignite if scratched; 102. Try; 104. Dr. J. was one; 105. Spinning dizzily; 106. Park of DKNY; 108. Tribal chief; 109. “The Simpsons” bus driver; 111. They’re not good for QB’s; 112. Nasty wound; 113. Back; and last, but not least -- 114. Big mouth (MAW) -- hush!
Sweet talk!
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