Department of Psychology, HELP University
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Sunday, March 30, 2008
MIXED FEELINGS
Puzzle by Paula Gamache, edited by Will Shortz
Anagrams of the circled letters in the entries of TOENAILCLIPPERS (23A); CASEYSTENGEL (30A); TELEPHONE (52A); SLUTSKAYA (68A); THIRDGEAR (88A); POTATOMASHER (109A); SPORTSEQUIPMENT (118A); BEDROOMEYES (14D); PADDEDENVELOPE (16D); PINSTRIPEDSUIT (50D); and EMPTYHANDED (67D) provide ELATION, ECSTASY, HOPE, LUST, RAGE, SHAME, PIQUE, BOREDOM, LOVE, PRIDE, and EMPATHY.
Other mixed feelings-related entries in the puzzle include INSULTS, ATPLAY, PITY, ENRAPT, SADCASES, ILIED, FRIENDS, NODAT, GOTEM, ATHEIST, GAMUT, GUISE, EASE, SOPUP, EATOUT, ELOCUTES, and somehow SHLEPP.
Interesting configurations of the crossword include EDEN crossing ADAM linked to EVE; ARIA linked to SOLO; YESNO crossing ISEE above SEA; AKEEM and KHAYYAM sharing a K; “YEE-haw!” alongside HIE; the crossing of ART and ARM; and the confusion of the circled T in THIRDGEAR, is it really RAGE or am I missing something?
Nonsense in the puzzle includes DOO and DAT, LAALAA, YEE, GOTEM, AAA, AABA and OGPU. The clue for EPEE, (125A. Blade of Grasse) was interesting enough. Stuff that gave me trouble was PHENOL, PURIM, AVIONIC, NITTI, and STRETTO -- all in the same area.
People in the puzzle for these mixed feelings include Casey Stengel, Toni Morrison, Fred, Little Nemo, Nia Vardalos, Irina Slutskaya, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Nitti and Capone, Omar Khayyam, Erik Satie, et al.
I don’t particularly care for having to work anagrams separately from a puzzle after the solution -- none of the anagrams in the circled letters could possibly be of any help during the solve. So, when the puzzle is completed, unless one is obsessed or finds it necessary for some reason or other to perform such a function (say for amusement or writing a blog) it’s really a big afterthought. That aside, this is an orderly Sunday puzzle, but one of which I do have mixed feelings!
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For today's cartoons, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
