Monday, January 21, 2008
Puzzle by Andrea Carla Michaels, edited by Will Shortz
"Win, Lose or Draw": WINBYANOSE (17A. Triumph, but just barely); LOSEONES BALANCE (38A. Fall off a beam, e.g.); and DRAWABLANK (61A. Momentarily forget [or get lucky in Scrabble?]) are three inter-related entries unrelated to this Martin Luther King Day.
Along with WENTFIRST (3D. Led off) UNDEROATH (35D. Sworn to tell the truth), and several other entries and clues, this puzzle has a conversational air -- 10A. Say jokingly, JEST; 24A. False fronts, FACADES; 28A. Smug smiles, SMIRKS; 44A. Fusses, ADOS; 51A. Less drunk, SOBERER; 57A. Parisian yes, OUI; 18D. Talk idly, YACK; 50D. Meditated (on), MUSED; 53D. Took a curtain call, BOWED; 58D. “Render therefore UNTO Caesar …”; and 69A. Command to a steed, WHOA!
DWARF (5A. Dopey or Doc) lead off the beings in the puzzle which include AMES (21A. Actor Ed of “Daniel Boone”); OTT (42A. Baseballer Mel); NEWT (45A. Politico Gingrich); ARTE (25D. Comic Johnson); a SCOT (36D. Glaswegian, e.g.), along with 37D. Loch NESS monster; a SAVER (48D. Lifeguard, at times); NOMADS (45D. Wanderers); and LEW (63A. Actor Ayres), not to be confused with LEWD (1A. Lascivious) -- and dare we mention ALLAH (27A. God to Muslims)?
Places in the puzzle are AARE, UTAH, MAUI, SAMOA, LAWN, ERIE, SAUNA, STLO, USA, OCEAN, OCALA, RIO, and 47D. United ARAB Emirates. There’s a withdrawn air to the crossword, what with RARER, EBBING, EKED, DAB, WANED, MOOT, and the aforementioned inter-related entries.
Not so much ALIKE are a JUMBLE of entries: CARETS, ALUMNI, OILER, LOADS, DRAMAS, AROSE, ETAIL, THIGH, STUBS, RENTS, CONES, CEDARS, et cetera.
FREE (9D. Unoccupied, as a theater seat) is the closest we get to a mention of the Holiday!
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