04.30.09

Paronomasia...

EMBALM (21D. Mummify)

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Puzzle by Greg Kaiser and Steven Ginzburg, edited by Will Shortz

Crossword puzzles thrive on the pun, or paronomasia, a form of word play that deliberately exploits ambiguity between similar-sounding words for humorous or rhetorical effect from the intentional misuse of homophonical, homographical, homonymic, polysemic, metonymic, or metaphorical language.

CAPITAL OFFENSES (36A. Pun-crimes committed by the answers to the six starred clues?) is today's example along with KHARTOUM (15A. *Final resting place for old autos?); BAGHDAD (24A. *Father of the Ziploc?); TRIPOLI (49A. *Wide shoe specification?); NEW DELHI (63A. *Recently opened sandwich shop?); DUBLIN (2D. *Multiplying' by 2?); BEIRUT (48D. *Base of a fragrant tree?), resulting in car tomb, bag dad, eee, new deli, doublin' and bay root -- hey, no offense taken!

Thursday links -- UBANGI (17A. Congo tributary); PAN-ARAB (46A. Like Gamal Abdel Nasser's movement); CIRRUS (64A. It's white and fleecy); EMBALM (21D. Mummify); SARONG (43A. Island attire); PANSY (53D. Violet variety).

No offense!

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For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

For the complete post, go HERE.

04.29.09

NINE to FIVE

Eternal Clock -- Shani

Wednesday,

April 29, 2009

Puzzle by Barry C. Silk, edited by Will Shortz

The interrelated entries for this mid-work-week crossword -- STANDARD WORK DAY (38A. Hint to the word ladder in the answers to the starred clues) -- NINE, TINE, TONE, TORE, SORE, SORT, FORT, FORE, FIRE, FIVE -- that's right, nine to five!

Links -- ISTHMUS (45A. Canal site, maybe); NAPSTER (32A. Early MP3-sharing Web site); SESSILE (29A. Permanently attached, in zoology); STTERESA (12D. “The Way of Perfection” writer); HEXOSE (51D. Simple sugar); ILLINI (49D. “Fighting” athletes); NEESON (8D. “Kinsey” star, 2004); SWEDE (69A. Dag Hammarskjöld, for one); ILEX.

The musical "9 to 5" opens on Broadway tomorrow, April 30th -- well, hello Dolly!

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For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated

For the complete post, go HERE.

04.28.09

Like...

Plato's Cave, Flemish School

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Puzzle by Matt Ginsberg, edited by Will Shortz

Today’s crossword features ONAPAR (55A. Like, with “with”) beneath SIMILES (51A. Theme of this puzzle) -- DEAF as a post, STRAIGHT as an arrow, NEAT as a pin, CUNNING as a fox, STRONG as an ox WISE as an owl, SICK as a dog, SLIPPERY as an eel, SOBER as a judge, DEAD as a doornail, HARD as a diamond, TIGHT as a drum, CLEAN as a whistle, THIN as a rail, CLEAR as a bell, HIGH as a kite, SOLID as a rock, and BLIND as a bat.

Tuesday links: ECLIPSED; AARON; BADGUY; CLYDE; GAGES; KENAI; SEALE; SNACK (42A. Some chips, maybe) along with the similarly clued NACHOS (49A. Some chips); KOLA, TOMB.

Why am I thinking Plato’s Metaphor of the Cave?

I‘m puzzled! Ah, well, for an adaptation of Plato's Allegory, in Clay, go HERE.

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For today’s cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

For the complete post, go HERE.

04.27.09

On the Job

Monday, April 27, 2009

Puzzle by Joe Krozel, edited by Will Shortz

DORA THE EXPLORER (24A. Animated TV character whose best friend is Boots), JOE THE PLUMBER (2008 campaign personality) and ROSIE THE RIVETER (50A. Norman Rockwell painting subject of W.W. II) are the interrelated entries of this back-to-work Monday crossword.

FREE RIDE, HUSH HUSH, ONE SLICE and UNTITLED are the other long entries.

Other occupations -- ANCHOR; ATKINS; KASEM; NURSE, EXEC.

Have a good week!

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For today’s cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

For the complete post, go HERE.

04.26.09 -- the Acrostic

Central Park in the Dark

Winter Night, Central Park Lake #3, 2008, Lisa Breslow

Sunday, April 26, 2009

ACROSTIC, Puzzle by Emily Cox & Henry Rathvon, edited by Will Shortz

This Sunday's delightful acrostic draws from a very fine work by Marie Winn, Central Park in the Dark.

The quotation: AT CERTAIN TIMES OF YEAR YOULL FIND HUNDREDS OF CUCKOOS KINGLETS AND GROSBEAKS YOULL FIND RACCOONS WANDERING AND BULLFROGS CROAKING AND IF YOURE LUCKY YOU MIGHT COME UPON A SILVER-HAIRED BAT DOZING IN THE LEAF LITTER

The author’s name and the title of the work: WINN CENTRAL PARK IN THE DARK

The defined words: A. WOODCOCK; B. INVENTOR; C. NIMBUS; D. NOCTURNAL; E. CHARLES; F. ETHOLOGY; G. NAYSAYER; H. TRUFFLES; I. RADIUS; J. ALLFIRED; K. LAGOON; L. PROFESSOR; M. ADHOC; N. RECTIFY; O. KINGKONG; P. IDYLLIC; Q. NIGGLING; R. TAKEOUT; S. HAZELNUTS; T. ENDEMIC; U. DIFFUSE; V. ABDOMEN; W. RUBAIYAT; X. KIDAROUND.

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For the complete post, go HERE.

04.26.09

Um... Er...

Sunday, April 26, 2009

ROUGHLY SPEAKING, Puzzle by Trip Payne, edited by Will Shortz

Thirty-something two-letter entries of ER or UM squeezed into single squares gives this crossword its game. The remainder of the crossword, if pleasant enough, exists to serve the gimmick.

Um…that’s it for now. Er…more later!

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For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

For the complete post, go HERE.

04.25.09

Parade

Catherine Deneuve, The Last Metro, 1980

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Puzzle by Brad Wilber, edited by Will Shortz

What would crossword puzzles do without the little guys, you know, the ever-popular YMA and her sisters AMY, MAY, MAE and RAE, or ELO, ENO, ONO and OONA? LEX, REX and TEX? These names get more than their fifteen minutes of fame in crossword puzzles simply because they are inadvertently formed by other words across or down -- whereupon it is the chore of the crossword constructor to disguise them as something else. Today we have VAL disguised as VAL-de-Marne, France, along with his lady friends, ENID and OPAL.

However, this Saturday crossword features a geniune parade of people -- ABIE BABY; ANDRES; EELERS; EL CID; ERI; EULER; FRED EBB; FDR; HENRY VIII; ISAAC; KANIN; RON HOWARD; MAE WEST (39D. Who said “I’ll try anything once, twice if I like it, three times to make sure”); MOZART (21D. “The Impresario” composer); NIOBE; OAKIE; ODDS MAKER; SCIPIO; SISLEY; TUTSI; WITS.

As they all RODE BY (2D. Passed, as in a parade), there were also people in the clues -- ARUBA (16A. Setting of Queen Beatrix Airport); CELIBATE (36D. Like many clerics); SANDALS (14D. Wear for Peppermint Patty); THE LAST METRO (38A. 1980 Truffaut film that won 10 César awards); and uh, maybe WASHBOARD ABS (31A. Desirable trunk feature)?

Remaining non-people entries of length -- ASSONANCE; BUNDT PAN; DRAINS OFF; SHORES UP; STEP CLASS. Mid-size -- BRAINY; DROP IT; ETHICS; GO WILD; KEEN ON; LA NINA; MELDED; ODIOUS; PEBBLY; RELIES; THE PITS (38D. Something dreadful). Five letters -- HOTEL; RINSE; SPEED; STROP; SWANK; TAKEN; TUBAS; TYSON.

The leftovers -- BASE, BIZ, ENID (20A. City founded during the Cherokee Strip land run), HAS, HOLD, IBEG, IHS (4D. Christian trigram), LEA, NAPA, NHL, NOME, OPAL (30A. It has a play of colors), PER, RARE, SATE, SYNC, TBA, URAL.

Ah!…who doesn‘t love a parade?

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For today’s cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

For the complete post, go HERE.

04.24.09

Seriously!

Miss Prissy, Looney Toons

Friday, April 24, 2009

Puzzle by Barry C. Silk, edited by Will Shortz

Well, it’s Friday and time to finish up the week -- here’s today’s list. I wish I had something more to say!

Eight-letters -- ACQUILINE; ADRENALS; ENOLA GAY; FIND A WAY; GUANACOS; LAST YEAR; ONE ALARM; ON THE LAM; REPAINTS; SUSAN DEY; SYMPATHY; T SQUARE; U C IRVINE; ZIMBABWE.

Seven -- BIG EARS; SESSION; STRAYER; ZOOLOGY.

Six -- BALTIC; EMMETT; EROICA; HAVANA; INNING; JOYFUL; PRISSY; QUAINT; SQUATS; TAGGED; TENANT; TENNIS; WEALTH; WRAITH.

Five -- BUTTE; ECONO; ERGOT; GAILY; GAITS; GREGG; HTTPS; JETTY; LSATS; MANIA; METOO; NOVAE; OLIOS; OCEAN; UINTA; WAKEN; WARTY; WISPY; WOWIE; YACHT; YOGAS.

Short stuff -- ALAS, ALE and ALT, BAHS, DRT and DST, ETNA, LEAP, MEER, NAVY, ORES, Rapper RIC-A-Che (Just turn it off when you‘ve had enough), RPM, TIE, TWP, WITT, WOK, YON.

Seriously!

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For today’s cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

For the complete post, go HERE.

04.23.09

BROWN

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Puzzle by Steve Dobis, edited by Will Shortz

BROWN (71A. Shade that defines 17-, 27-, 49- and 65-Across), GODFATHER OF SOUL, FEDEX COMPETITOR, CLEVELAND PLAYER and IVY LEAGUE SCHOOL are the interrelated entries of this Thursday crossword.

“Brown represents wholesomeness and earthiness. While it might be considered a little on the dull side, it also represents steadfastness, simplicity, friendliness, dependability, and health. Although blue is the typical corporate color, UPS (United Parcel Service) has built their business around the dependability associated with brown.” -- About.com

Mid-sized entries -- ANCHOR; ARAGON, DEFACE, ESCAPE, HARDUP; NAVAHO, NONAME; ONCALL; OPPOSED; POTENCY.

Five-letter -- AROMA; AUTOS; BORER; DRONE; ELIZA; ERROL; FRANC; MAYAN; OHARE; OLSEN; OMANI; ROMER; TANGY; TENAM.

Short stuff -- ACDC, AMES, ANO, AOKI, APEX, ASH, ATOR, CENT, DYE, ERN and ERSE, ENDS and ENOS, EMP, GIBB and GIGS, GRE, GYRO, ISLE, IVE and IVOR, LEAD, LINC, LLDS, LOEB, LOGE, MAV, MDL, MUSE, NOUS, NYPD, OAF, OKED, ONCE and ONME, OSHA, PATH, PUNY, RIBS, RRR, SIR, SLEW, SPIN, STAT, THEM, TOED, USS, YEA, ZAP.

What can brown do for you?!

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For today’s cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

For the complete posts, go HERE.

04.22.09

All at Sea

The Santa Maria at Anchor by Andries van Eertvelt, painted c. 1628

Wednesday, April 22, 2009, Earth Day

Puzzle by Daniel A. Finan, edited by Will Shortz

There are nine circled letters in today’s crossword; connecting them gives a rough outline of a ship listing the component parts with their associated letter names. We are given a Note stating: "When this puzzle is done, the nine circles will contain the letters A through I. Connect them with a line, in alphabetical order, and you will form an illustration of the puzzle's theme." The connect-the-dot picture is a sailboat defined by six entries with their clues referring to sections of the sailboat "illustration". This is entirely an afterthought and is of no use in the solution of the crossword, which is just fine, as it can be a pleasant diversion if one has the time to indulge in dwelling upon the crossword puzzle's construction -- however, the solution of same can be had with or without troubling with post-analysis. A previous sailboat puzzle HERE.

Nautical references: BLACK PEARL (18A. Ship in “Pirates of the Caribbean”); SANTA MARIA (55A. Ship to the New World); and the aforementioned six entries referring to the illustration -- MAIN / SAIL (17A. With 59-Across, A-B-C-A in the illustration); KEEL (25A. F-G); MAST (30A. C-D); BOOM (43A. A-B) and HULL (49A. E-F-G-H-E).

Additionally, ALEE (64A. Away from the wind); ATL (13D. One of the oceans: Abbr.); CAPT (9D. Hook or Cook: Abbr.); EVENT (29A. Ship’s christening, e.g.); LOGS (28D. Old Shipbuilding needs); PROBLEM (33D. Leak on a ship, e.g.); TAKING (34A. Pirating).

The remaining mid-size entries are an eclectic lot -- a few links: 23D. Poe’s “ANNABEL Lee”), for the original handwritten copy, go HERE; which is quite a contrast with ASTAIRE (36A. “Top Hat” dancer); IVANOV (2D. Chekhov play or its antihero); KIKIDEE (25D. “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” duettist, 1976); ODEON (60A. Ancient theater); ADAH (wife of Esau); RUR (12D. 1921 play that introduced the word "robot"); TAKING (34A. Pirating).

Oh, and it’s Earth Day!

Wikipedia HERE.

Google HERE.

Earth Day site, HERE.

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For today’s cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

For the complete post, go HERE.

04.21.09

Tinker to Evers to Chance

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Puzzle by Ronald J. and Nancy J. Byron, edited by Will Shortz

Four 15-letter across entries are the main feature of this Tuesday crossword -- DOUBLE PLAY COMBO (57A. What 17-, 25- and 43-Across were famously), TINKER SHORT STOP, EVERS SECOND BASE and CHANCE FIRST BASE, all with the same clue of 1908 Cubs player and position.

Along with third baseman Harry Steinfeldt, the trio of shortstop Joe Tinker, second baseman John Evers, and first baseman Frank Chance formed the legendary infield of the championship Chicago Cubs teams of the early 1900s. Their fielding and hitting led the Cubs to four National League penants (1906-8, 1910) and two World Series wins (1907-8). The Hall of Fame inducted all three simultaneously in 1946. In 1910, New York newspaper columnist Franklin Pierce Adams immortalized the three ballplayers in a short verse entitled "Baseball's Sad Lexicon":

"These are the saddest of possible words: / "Tinker to Evers to Chance." / Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds, / Tinker and Evers and Chance. / Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble, / Making a Giant hit into a double -- / Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble: / "Tinker to Evers to Chance."

Mid-size entries include ABSORB (10D. Work like paper towels), AT A PRICE (20A. How fame comes, sometimes), BRAINIAC (52A. 2006 Ken Jennings book ... or the author himself) accompanied by SMART (5A. Like a 52-Across), MUSCLE (6D. Bodyguard's asset), 44D. "Sorry, Wrong NUMBER", RERATE (45D. Add a star to, say), SPRITS (5D. Mast extensions) and STAY IN (45D. Not leave the house).

Five letter -- ASPCA, CHILI, EATME, ENIAC, ERICA, ERASE, GOTTI, NERVE, OBAMA, OCTAL, OLSEN, PUSHY, ROAST, SICEM, SPIES, STOIC, TRADE, TRIMS, VETCH.

Short stuff -- ABLE and ABRA, ACC, ALAN, ALIT and ATL, APPT, ASHE, AURA, BEEP, BETA, BLTS, BOAT, CANA, COTS, DARE, EGO and ETO, EXES, HONE, IMAX, INNS, ITIS, LIAR, LOOM, MALT, NOME, ODDS, ONKP, OREL, POL, REFS, REOS and RHO, RVS, SPA, STAR, TACO and TATA, TREE, TYR, UTES.

For the Chicago Cubs Curse of the Goat, go HERE, or HERE.

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For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

For the complete post, go HERE.

04.20.09

JAYS

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) c. 1825, John James Audubon

Monday, April 20, 2009

Puzzle by Randal J. Hartman, edited by Will Shortz

A crew of four individuals whose given name and family name (surname, last name) both begin with the letter J is clued by J CREW (36A. Retail clothing giant … or a description of 17- and 54-Across and 10- and 24-Down?). The four are JESSE JAMES (17A. Brother outlaw in the Wild West); JOE JACKSON (54A. White Sox outfielder nicknamed Shoeless); JANIS JOPLIN (10D. “Me and Bobby McGee” singer, 1971); JACOB JAVITS (24D. Longtime New York senator for whom a center is named). Other entries beginning with the letter J include JELLY JAR (36D. Smucker‘s container), “JOJO left his home in Tucson, Arizona” (Beatles lyric); JOUST, JOEY, JOSH, JEANS, JAYE, and JAYS (24A. Ones with caws for alarm?).

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For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

For the complete post, go HERE.

04.19.09

EXTRA OT

Sunday, April 19, 2009

EXTRA! EXTRA!, Puzzle by Will Nediger edited by Will Shortz

There was an EXTRA EXTRA crossword on February 19th of this year, and this past Thursday, an EXTRA CT -- today, it's an EXTRA OT. More noteworthy is the crossword of August 31, 2008, titled EXTRA PLAY.

In the EXTRA PLAY crossword, adding OT (Over Time, e.g., Extra Play) to say it ain't so, all the same, crystal ball, big business, school mark, lo and behold, Bard of Avon, and an act of God, produced entries of SAY IT AINT SOOT, ALLOT THE SAME, CRYSTAL BALLOT, BIGOT BUSINESS, SCHOOL MARMOT, LOOT AND BEHOLD, BARDOT OF AVON, AN ACT OF GODOT, with justifying clues.

Today's crossword again adds OT -- this time it changes wrecking ball, split screen, Hello Dolly!, John Maynard Keynes, royal flush, Black Forest and Trout Quintet into WRECKING BALLOT (22A. Spoiling one's vote?); SPOTLIT SCREEN (32A. Computer monitor at the center of attention?); OTHELLO DOLLY (47A. Child's toy in the shape of a Shakespeare character?); JOHN MAYNARD KEYNOTES (64A. Headline about an economics conference); ROYAL FLU SHOT (84A. Booster for a king?); BLACK FOOTREST (7A. Dark ottoman?); and TROT OUT QUINTET (109A. Put five musicians on display?).

It appears that puzzledom has not run out of overtime!

Other across: 18. 2000 Santana hit; 20. "The Oblong Box" writer; 38. Northwest Indian; 39. Golden Hind captain; 50. The Rock; 57. Red Roof rival; Supermodel, GIA Carangi; 82. Man of steel?, CARNEGIE; 96. Filmdom's RIDLEY Scott; 121. Squiffed.

Down: 5. The Aare flows into it; 11. Welfare act of old; 16. Bit of cuneiform; 28. Max von SYDOW; 29. City on the Swan River; 34. Epic that includes the Teichoscopia; 37. Reason for an R rating; 41. Superheroes often have them; 48. Not an independent thinker, or HERE; 62. Bill Clinton's autobiography; 64. Pop's JONAS Brothers, 64,514,959 views HERE (SOS); 65. "Nixon in China" for one, a clip HERE; 75. Sport with a bamboo sword, or HERE, or painfully HERE; 86. Lincoln, for one; 92. Where a V.I.P. may sit; 94. Julia ORMOND of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"; 112. 10th-anniversary gift.

S'long, I'm going into OT!

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For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

For the complete post, go HERE.