I Am Glad I Came Back -- “…I go on with my work, it changes and all of a sudden there is fire and ruins and mud and grim debris all over...as if somebody more knowing and utterly destructive is leading me on.” -- George Grosz----------------- Thursday, May 1, 2008 Puzzle by Jim Leeds, edited by Will Shortz Today’s puzzle features nine squares barely able to hold the letters ICK, which is fully intended to be an expression of revulsion, as clued by the central across entry GROSS (38. “That’s repulsive!” … or a hint to this puzzle‘s theme) -- WARNING, don‘t go HERE! The across entries containing the nine multiple-letter squares are MRPICKWICK (17. Club founder and president in an 1836 Dickens novel); DROPKICKER (18. Field goal attempter, once); MONICKER (36A. Handle); SNICKERS (41. 6th Avenue alternative); BUICK (53. Century, e.g.); BREADSTICK (59. Crispy appetizer); QUICKTRICK (61. Easy winner in bridge). The corresponding down entries are STICKS (4. Boonies); SNICK and Snee (6.); CHICKENLICKEN (11. Hysterical hen of fable); STICKWICKETS (35. Awkward situations, informally); CLICKER (52. Quiz show gizmo); TICKET (56. Amusement park purchase); and PICKAT (58. Eat without enthusiasm). All of the above, and for that matter, the remainder of the puzzle, fairly well exists to support the ICK gimmick; however, few of them are of help in the divination of the squares containing ICK. One is left constantly wondering where to stick the next ICK! I got my first ICKs in the upper left corner and my last licks with ICKs weren’t ICKs at all, although I tried to stick an ICK in the upper right corner, but it just wouldn’t fit! ACK (10D. When repeated, antiaircraft fire), no relation -- leads off the barrage of the nonsensical abbreviation/ crosswordese parade which always exist in this genre, including ACTE, ANNO, ANTE, ARTS, AST, ATL, AYN, BBLS, CHE, CHEZ, DADO, DSC, ESA, EZRA, GMC, HOT, LASH, LETS, NEXT, NSA, QBS, RBI, SEXT, SYST, TEES and UREY. A few of the longer entries sans multiple-letter squares include LASTDROP (33A. Tiniest bit at the bottom of a coffee cup); BEASTS (1A. Unicorns and griffins); STETHO (46D. Chest: Prefix); THORN (26A. Cause of a sore spot); WYATT (47A. Sir Thomas who introduced the sonnet to England); and BAMBA (1D. 1959 pop hit, after “La"). Great puzzle, GROSS GimmICK! ----------------- For today’s cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
