Thursday, January 24, 2008
Puzzle by Matt Ginsberg, edited by Will Shortz
HITTHE (63A. Words missing from the answers to the eight starred clues), along with PINATA, ROAD JACK, CAMPAIGN TRAIL, GROUND RUNNING, NAIL ON THE HEAD, BULL’S EYE, FLOOR, and SKIDS are today’s inter-related entries of this fun crossword puzzle, clued as follows:
PINATA (13A. *Party game);
ROADJACK (15A. *1961 chart-topper for Ray Charles);
CAMPAIGNTRAIL (19A. *Vie for votes);
GROUNDRUNNING (37A. *Get off to a quick start);
NAILONTHEHEAD (55A. *Get it exactly);
BULLSEYE (62A. *Shoot perfectly);
FLOOR (28D. *React to gunfire, maybe); and
SKIDS (31A. *Fail).
To that group, one might as well add the entry AIMS (49D Targets)!
The puzzle also hits the spot with its remaining entries, starting with the eight letter entries: AERIALLY (18A. How trapeze artists perform); COALMINE (59A. Vein locale); CALLEDON (10D. Selected); and REGINALD Jeeves of P.G. Wodehouse stories (38D.).
Six-letter entries continue with 17A. ARISES, Stems (from); 35A. MEKONG, “Mother of all rivers”; 40A. OLEOLE, Corrida chant; 61A. AVANTI, Classic Studebaker whose name means “forward” in Italian; 1D. SPACES, Gets all ditzy; 2D. PIRATE, Capt. Sparrow, e.g.; 3D. ANIMAL, Zooid; 7D. TOETAG, Morgue ID; 45D. OPENTO, Entertaining; 46D. LOATHE, Abominate; and 47D. EDDIES, Swirls.
Five-letters: CARRY, GRAND, LYNNE, PLIED, SHOES, SNOOD, SPARS, STEAM,
TEVIS, UNAPT, and VERSE (30D. Chapter‘s partner).
Four-letters: AIMS (49D. Targets), ALLS, ASIA (14D. Largest of a septet), DIAN, GLAD, HATH, JAGR, NEED, OCHS (9A. Phil who sang “Draft Dodger Rag“), OJAI, ORAN, RASP, SDAK (31A. Where Wounded Knee is: Abbr.), SELF (27A. You, to you, or me, to me), SHAH, SOLE, STDS, SELF, and WANG.
Three-letters: APO, AVG, AYN, CBS, DID (65A. Served, as time), ENO, ETA, EWE, HCL, MAR, MNO, NNE, OJS, OTC, OUT (60D, Unsafe), POD, PST, SDI, SEA (43A. Swell place?), SKY (What‘s up), and YUL.
This is a breezy wonder of a crossword puzzle, a…well, uh -- HIT!
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