The Lament for Icarus -- Herbert James Draper
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Thursday, February 7, 2008
Puzzle by Kenneth J. Berniker, edited by Will Shortz
NOFLYZONE (34D. Restricted space … or a hint to the answers to the six starred clues) describes the inter-related entries VENUSTRAP (17A. *Hairy-leaved plant); WEIGHTBOXER (24A. * Fighter at 112 pounds or less); THERESAINMYSOUP (37A. *Classic comical restaurant complaint); INFIELDRULE (45A. *Umpire’s invocation after a pop-up, perhaps); ZIPUPYOUR (58A. *Advice to a careless dresser, maybe); and BYNIGHTER (3D. *Unreliable sort), all with no FLY.
ASFOR (42A. Regarding) other entries, it’s an odd lot: A quintet of EYRE, EYER, EIRE, ENID and EZRA; a quartet of APE, ARE, ASE and ATE; the trio of BEA, BLEU, and BREL; the DUO (35D. One and one) of XER and SEXER; and the solo ZAX with the DENSE (62A. Obtuse) definition of Hole-punching tool for a slater (58D).
The zax (also called a sack or sax) is a hand tool for cutting, trimming, and punching nail holes in slate. It combines a heavy rectangular knife blade with a large point protruding from the butt. The blade edge is used to split slate, while the point is used to pierce square holes for mounting the slate on the roof with square copper nails or making a series of small holes marking a line where the slate is broken over a slater's iron.
There are several six-letter entries: CURATE (22A. Parish V.I.P.); NORMAL (54A. Reassuring result on a blood test); SCRUBS (9D. O.R. attire); and BEAKER (43D. Lab receptacle).
The large part of the entries are of five letters: SABLE (1A. Jet); SALES (9A. Retail, e.g.); Indo-ARYAN (14A.); CLOVE (16A. Spam flavorer); ASTIR (29A. Not still); AINGE (60A. Former N.B.A. star Danny); SEDER (63A. Occasion to sing “Dayenu”); FRETS (65A. They’re found around a neck); Penny SAVER (1D.); ARENA (2D. Bowl); GARNI (6D. Decorated, on menus); ORANG (7D. Tropical tree-dweller); ALERO (10D. Car discontinued in 2004); LOMAX (11D. Bluesman Willie); EVITE (12D. Web-based way to announce a party); CTEAM (22D. Third-stringers); HYENA (25D. Villainous one in ”The Lion King”); SALAD (31D. Some greens); SPELL (38D. Relieve, as for a break); INCAS (45D. They believed the world was created by Viracocha); NOLIE (46D. “That’s the truth!”); FROND (47D. Makeshift fan); IMAGE (48D. Subject of a certain Google search); RAISE (49D. Subject of union negotiations); UPPER (50D. Caffeine or nicotine); TRUST (52D. Bank’s partner); and DARES (53D. Hurls defiance at).
The perfunctorily clued ENS and ENDS, ESSE, GOP, HEED and HIE, INN, LAUD, PLEA, RAG, SHEA and SHY, SPR, TIED, YES, and YTD provide fill for this puzzle’s nooks and crannies, but nothing touches ZAX!
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