Plums
Monday, January 14, 2008
Puzzle by Robert Dillman, edited by Will Shortz
“Above the fruited PLAIN (34D.), this puzzle has plenty of PLUMS (6A. Juicy fruits) -- EATS (53A Sups) to SATE (42D. Fill the stomach of) the solver. SUSHI (45D. Dish often served with 10-Down) and SAKE (10D. Hot Japanese drink), HERBS (40A. Catnip and fennel); PEASE (37D. Kind of porridge); and to TEND (58D. Manage, as a bar), there is a TEASET (47D. Group of cups and saucers) -- as a bonus, we've 60A. Good sign on a candy box (PRIZEINSIDE) -- and four other “good signs” comprising the inter-related entries in this Monday back-to-work crossword: ENDROADWORK (17. Good sign on a highway); JUSTMARRIED (11D. Good sign on a car trunk); FREEKITTENS (25D. Good sign on a lawn); and VACANCY (26D. Good sign at a motel).
If an aroma has WAFTED (23A. Floated gently in the air) it SEEMS (71A. Appears) there’s nothing LENTEN (21A. Like the season before Easter), nor INAPT (27D. Not well-put) when a WEENIE (13D. Ineffectual one, slangily) PLUNKS (51D. Sets [down]) WADS (23D. Bankrolls) for KILOS (68A. Weights abroad, informally) before taking STEPS (36A. Alcoholics Anonymous has 12 of them) to get UPBEAT (50A. Optimistic) because 15A. and 48D RATTED, “It’s no USE!”
Led by a SATRAP, the STRATA of people number AARON; AIDES; AVIS; BESSIE; HOSEA; “MEN in Black,” Will Smith film (2D); MERLIN; ORR; PHDS of UMASS in SPAS; the SPCA; STE; the USO; the UTE; AND (3D. &) ZOE .
To ANNOTATE, wishing not to ABRADE or IRE, please ATTEST (56A. Bear witness), I’ll ASSENT (12D. Concurrence) to take one on the JAW (11A. Target of many a boxing blow) with a SLEDGE (55A. Heavy hammer), say it was DUE (32A. Expected), SPEED to the end, and call it an EEN (66A. Dark time, in poetry), 'cause a feud is plumb TRIASSIC (47A. Arizona’s Petrified Forest dates from this period.)!
OOH (31D. “That feels gooood!”)!
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