07.20.09

Terra Firma

Glowing Tobacco Plant, Image taken by Keith Wood for Science Magazine

Monday, July 20, 2009 -- Apollo 11 Anniversary

Puzzle by Pancho Harrison, edited by Will Shortz

PLANT MANAGERS (57A. Factory supervisors … or a hint to the starts of 20-, 36- and 42-Across), ROOT OF ALL EVIL (20A. What the love of money is, they say), STEM THE TIDE (36A. Stop a prevailing trend), LEAF THROUGH (42A. Quickly turn the pages of) are the interrelated entries of this Monday crossword -- and one could perhaps manage to include PRUNE (23A. Lop off, as branches) and STREW (53D. Spread, as seed).

Although today is the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing, producing the quotation, “That’s one small step for man, a giant leap for mankind” nothing in this crossword relates to that occasion (well, maybe the clue for 33D); however, there are a few other remarks in the puzzle -- 14A. “Put a sock IN IT!”; 28A. “So long!“, SEE YA; 40A. “I’ll take that as A NO”; 54A. “Oh, bushwa!”, MY EYE; 71A. “Put a tiger in your tank” brand, ESSO; 30D. “I AM NOT amused!” and 43D. Ellington’s “Take THE A Train”, but that's not going to the moon!

A few more links -- 48A. Mexican revolutionary PANCHO Villa (not to be confused with Pancho Harrison); CLOSER (31A. Ninth-inning pitcher), EXPLOSIVE (11D. Nitroglycerin or dynamite), TOILS (8D. Works long and hard).

As for the MOON…

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

For the complete post, go HERE.