Black Swan, Frederick Polydore Nodder, 1792
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Saturday, November 28, 2008
Puzzle by Byron Walden, edited by Will Shortz FEDERALISTPAPER (8A. Writing of Publius) and CLOSEDCIRCUITTV (36A. Feeding tube?) share an I in the center of today’s crossword, probable precursors of the age of Big Brother in a crossword rife with associations, fast and loose, a wink at the past, a jolt of the present, and an eye on the future. DONTLAUGH (33D. “No, really”), solving this puzzle might make for a delightful HARDDAY and SADTALES of DRAMA sans assistance of an AXE (23A. Innovation of the Paleolithic period) or being TECHSAVVY (14D. Like computer programmers) -- this one is no TRIFLE (16A. Gimcrack)!
It HURLS (24A. Jaculates) a LUGNUT, POOLCUES and EPEES to the sound of an ETUDE (46D. Many a Carl Czerny composition) or RHAPSODY, yea -- OLDMUSIC is DREAMTOF (1A. Saw in the dark?) while MASTIC and KNARS, PEASALAD (27A. Side dish popular at New Year’s), RYEBEERS and a DRUPE (29D. Plum, for one) are served for a no-FLAB cuisine. MEA and MIA RELAX at an OASIS (48D. Spring break?) lost in ILELONGUE, the ETO or ACRE. SHIPAHOY (39A. 1942 Eleanor Powell musical set at sea) and 45A. “YIPPY Ky Yay (1998 country song), ATLAST we can PASS SAUCILY searching for SOLI among FATHA, ALANLADD or an IGUANA (54A. Relative of a chuckwalla) selling insurance -- why not?! Here LISZT joins a highly CENSED URBANV and EDWARDII, a triumvirate in awe of a moniker such as MCCASKILL, wishing ALL (21D. With 50-Down, like the children in “A Visit From St. Nicholas”) are SNUG (50D. See 21-Down) in their RELIABLE AFTERMATH or maybe THIS!
With it deception, illusion, tricks, hoodwink, juggling or just plain old praestrigia, this puzzle's a GAS (51A. Hoot)! …hey, you’ve got MALE (5D. Like a cob) -- a swan song!
----------------- For today’s cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated. For the completet post, go HERE.
