Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Puzzle by Peter A. Collins, edited by Will Shortz Anagrams of the entries LEATHER (23A. Jacket material for a mixed-up North Carolina athlete?); WINELOVER (37A. Oenophile, as a mixed-up Michigan athlete?); RANPAST (56A. Flew by, as a mixed-up Michigan State athlete?); ARGOT (10D. Jargon from a mixed-up Florida athlete?); and RUBIN (55D. Apply to the skin, as on a mixed-up U.C.L.A. athlete?) will produce TARHEEL, WOLVERINE, SPARTAN, GATOR and BRUIN, basketball, football, basketball, football, basketball. I suppose the recurring clue “mixed-up … athlete” should make it obvious as to the interrelationship of the five entries; however, to be quite frank, I didn’t give a tinker’s damn about this puzzle’s anagrams nor the resulting sports -- I watch baseball. Never heard of the Tarheels, vaguely the Wolverines and the Spartans, have heard of the Gators and Bruins, but come on!, couldn’t they all be from one sport? There’s really no pay-off here, no tip to the solver during the solve, only a gnarly angst at the end in attempting to decipher “what in tarnation was that mix-up all about?” Links for some other stuff in the puzzle: ZACHARY (20A. Presidential first name); ONEACAT (41D. Classic batting game); ATEAT (4D. Really bugged); MAGEE (22D. Tony winner Patrick); RANCHO (5D. Where to find a vaquero); ELLA, EWA, IGER, LACI. Speaking of anagrams -- 33A. ONA high and 48A. ANO (48A. What makes God good?) -- now that's a mix-up!
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