The Babylon Marriage Market – Edwin Longsden Long----------------- Thursday, June 5, 2008 Puzzle by James Sajdak, edited by Will Shortz OPENMARKET (57A. Where things are freely bought and sold … and what the starts of 17-, 23-, 36- and 46-Across do?), along with FLEACIRCUS (17A. Tiny sideshow attraction), FARMERSALMANAC (23A. Old weather forecaster), SUPERBOWLSUNDAY (36A. When a big game is caught) and BULLMOOSEPARTY (46A. Roosevelt group) are the inter-related entries, resulting in a flea market, farmer’s market, supermarket and bull market. LIFTAFINGER and REDEVELOPED are the other two long entries, followed by WINNIPEG and SHAVEOFF. The four six-letter entries are APEMEN, CURERS, JOINED and LERNER (43D. “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” lyricist) -- which in "My Fair Lady" is sung at the market. Five-letter entries dominate the puzzle with ACORN, AMENU, ATARI, ATTIC, BERET, ETHOS, GCLEF, JCREW, LEEZA, LHASA, MEARA, OCEAN, OUIDA, REAMS, RENEE, RICKS, STENO, TOKEN, UTERO and YIELD (51. Return) -- something from the bull market. Four-letter entries: ACER, ARIL, BELA, BORO, COMA, EADS, EARN, EHUD, ERSE, FEAT, GARP, ICET, INDY, LANE, LENS, LOMA, NASA, OAFS, OFNO, OGLE, ONEK, REAP, REEF, STAY, TOAD, TRES. Three-letter: EAR, EDU, ERA, ESS, GYP, HUH, OIS, ORA, PDA, PEC, RBI, SEZ, WAS, WWF, UPA -- all of which we’ve seen before on the crossword market. Wait for the sale… ----------------- For today’s cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
