10.31.09

Quadrupuzzle VI

Saturday, October 31, 2009 -- Halloween

Puzzle by Robert H. Wolfe, edited by Will Shortz

Today's crossword is essentially four small puzzles joined in the center by a few letters. Divided by four big black "hammers", each quadrant needs to be solved separately. This is the sixth New York Times crossword of this type over the past two years -- See 12.01.07 -- Quadrupuzzle; 09.20.08 -- Quadrupuzzle III and 07.18.09 -- Quadrupuzzle V all with the same diagram. 12.22.07 -- Quadrupuzzle II a close variation; and the least claustrophobic, 10.17.08 -- Quadrupuzzle IV.

Puzzle 1 (Upper left) links -- 13A. Escapee who fell to his death in the sea, ICARUS; 24A. One side of a leaf, RECTO;3D. Shell, CARAPACE; 14D. Wagnerian heroine, SENTA.

Puzzle 2 (Upper right) links -- . Spanning frameworks, GANTRIES; 23A. Brilliantly dressed cavalrymen, HUSSARS; 6D. Frequent Degas subjects, DANSEUSES; 15D. Companion abroad, GEISHA.

Puzzle 3 (Lower left) links -- 33A. Things that turn up in gardens?, HOES; 46A. Pneumatic power producer, AIR MOTOR; 25D. Establishment with many horns, SHOE STORE; 37D. Unrequited lover of legend, ELAINE; 44D. Yard supporter, MAST.

Puzzle 4 (Lower right) links -- 28A. Johnny Depp title role, ED WOOD; 41A. Axial skeleton parts, STERNA; 45A. 1974 pop hit with Spanish lyrics, ERES TU; 29D. Tree of Southeastern swamplands, WATER OAK; 41D. Saint-SAENS (Fauré contemporary).

Go four it!

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10.30.09

La Porte Étroite

La Porte Étroite

Friday, October 30, 2009

Puzzle by David Levinson Wilk, edited by Will Shortz

Twelve 15-letter entries are the main feature of this end-of-the-long-week crossword:

ONE MOMENT IN TIME; DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO; THE SAHARA DESERT (31A. Home for an addax and dorcas gazelle); DUPLEX APARTMENT; STRAIT IS THE GATE (48A. André Gide novel whose title comes from Matthew 7:14), La Porte Étroite; SWIMSUIT EDITION; AREA OF EXPERTISE; CHOCOLATE KISSES; FIELD CAPACITIES; NATIONAL ANTHEM; GONE OVER THE LINE; THIRD GENERATION

A few more links -- ANSAE (62A. Looped handles); FT ORD (1D. Mil. Base until 1994); NOONE (64A. “I’m Henry VIII, I am” singer); TAWNY (49D. Like a lion’s coat); TORAH (14A. Rite reading for some 13-year olds); VIG (30A. Bookie’s charge, for short)

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10.29.09

Ar′ō

Air offensive … descending shells explode during an Israeli strike in the Gaza Strip, January, 2009

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Puzzle by Joe Krozel, edited by Will Shortz

Ar'ō, or close to it, is the pronunciation for the starts of ARROWSMITH (18A. Sinclair Lewis novel), AIR OFFENSIVE (26A. Series of sorties), EERO SAARINEN (46A. Gateway Arch designer) and AEROSOL CAN (57A. Bomb), the interrelated group of this Thursday crossword.

Thursday links -- ALASTAIR (37D. Actor Sim who played Ebenezer Scrooge); LOVE SCENE (32D. What’s barely done in movies?); BEAGLE (30A. Tricolor pooch); LAGOON (23A. Venetian feature); TALENTS (43D. Biblical money units); NORAS (27D. Charles and others); SCOWS (5A. Punts, e.g.); TETRA (22A. Exotic fish); AURA (26D. Goddess of breezes); RANI (62A. “Doctor Who“ villainess, with “the“).

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10.28.09

Silent K

Letter K -- DrunkenFist.com

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Puzzle by Mike Torch, edited by Will Shortz

Affixing a silent K to the fore of word beginning with the letter N to change the meaning of five phrases comprises the interrelated group of this Wednesday crossword -- OLD KNICK (15A. Retired Big Apple basketball player?); KNEW TESTAMENT (21A. Was well-versed in a will?); LADY OF THE KNIGHT (38A. Guinevere, to Lancelot?); KNOT FOR PROFIT (48A. Macramé company’s goal?); KNIT PICK (64A. Select a sweater?).

Wednesday links -- CALL ME (63A. Theme song from “American Gigolo”); CICADAS (7A. Insects in swarms); SECANTS (66A. Trigonometric ratios); ASCOT (18A. English racing site); 49D. “NO ONE Is to Blame” (1986 hit); OSMIC (50D. Of element #76); USUAL (41A. Like some suspects); PISA (1D. Torre Pendente city).

O.K.

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10.27.09

Rah! Rah! Sis-Boom-Bah!

Cheerleader Yelling Into Megaphone, Revere F. Wistehuff

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Puzzle by Chuck Deodene, edited by Will Shortz

CHEERLEADER (57A. Shouter of this puzzle’s circled sounds), RAH! RAH! SIS-BOOM-BAH! contained within the entries of TETRAHEDRON (17A. Solid with four triangular faces), RAHM EMANUEL (25A. Chief of staff in the Obama White House), GENESIS (35A. Start of the Bible), BOOMERS (37A. Post-W.W. II demographic, informally) and GRAND POOBAH (49A. High muck-a-muck) are the interrelated group of this cheerful Tuesday crossword.

Tuesday links -- SAN MATEO (10D. Redwood City’s county), HEADPIN (18D. First thing usually hit by a bowling ball); 47D. Fernando BOTERO, painter of plump figures; MARLEY (46D. Jacob whose ghost appears to Scrooge); HYENA (51D. Carrion consumer); 63A. John Lennon’s “Instant KARMA!”; VIOLA (15A. Instrument played with a bow); EMO (59D. Popular music style), RAP (58D. Popular music style).

Rah! Rah! Sis-boom-bah!

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

For the complete post, go HERE.

10.26.09

Extra! Extra!

Newsboy Extra, Joyce Images

Monday, October 26, 2009

Puzzle by Mike Nothnagel, edited by Will Shortz

Four names rhyming with XFACTOR (36A. Mystery quality … or what 18- and 55-Across and 3- and 32-Down have?) -- FOX MULDER (18A. Dana Scully’s sci-fi partner), MAX YASGUR (55A. Owner of the farm where Woodstock took place), LEX LUTHOR (3D. “Superman” villain) and TEX RITTER (32D. Cowboy who sang the title song from “High Noon”). Is it a stretch to say that the call of a newsboy, EXTRA (31A. When repeated, bygone newsboy’s cry), echoed by XTERRA (36D. Nissan S.U.V.) give a playful ring to this Monday crossword -- the question is whether XFACTOR rhymes with the four proper names and/or where the reverberations of the bygone call of the newsboy begin or end -- soothsaying ghost in the city’s canyons of hard times and skyscrapers.

The news is that this is a good read, nay excellent, far above the usual Monday crossword -- contrasts and counterpoints abound, PERMIT ME (52A. “If I may … “) like an ALLEY CAT (20A. Prowling feline) on the, well, prowl… Nissan’s S.U.V. has a companion in the ALTIMA sedan, PUNK and POKE share their K, OSAGE and OSIERS resonate, ACHE and ACRE, OPAL and OPERA, PRO and PEROT, VENTI, VERSE and VIXEN, REGO and ROMA, SHOO and SHOT, alongside the thud of SOX (8D. “Red” or “White” baseball team) and MESS UP (44D. Goof) -- yes, the YANKEES are in the World Series this year!

A few links -- SALTBOX (10D. House style with a long pitched roof in back); ULSTER (19D. Coat named for an Irish province); AUDIE (11D. Actor Murphy of old westerns); NEMEA (43A. Ancient Greek city with a mythical lion).

Extra! Extra!

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

For the complete post, go HERE.

10.25.09 -- The Acrostic

Ghouls

Gravestone collaged with Ghoul, by dizzt

Sunday, October 25, 2009

ACROSTIC, Puzzle by Emil Cox and Henry Rathvon, edited by Will Shortz

This Sunday’s chilling acrostic draws its quotation from Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book -- “a tragic tale: a sleeping family, a talented murderer, and an adventurous toddler—orphaned, but not assassinated. Small and alone, by accident and luck he escapes the scene of the crime and climbs a grassy hill to safety. At the top of the hill the boy finds a fence, and on the other side, a dark, quiet place.”

The quotation: ONE GRAVE IN EVERY GRAVEYARD BELONGS TO THE GHOULS YOU WILL FIND IT WATERSTAINED AND BULGING WITH CRACKED STONE AND A FEELING OF ABANDONMENT IF THE GRAVE MAKES YOU WANT TO BE SOMEWHERE ELSE THAT IS THE GHOUL-GATE

The author’s name and the title of the work: NEIL GAIMAN THE GRAVEYARD BOOK

The defined words: A. NIGHT WATCH; B. ERLKING; C. IMAGINED; D. LESTAT; E. GENE WOLFE; F. AGED; G. INHUMED; H. MONET; L. ATTIC; J. NIOBE; K. THANATOS; L. HORSE; M. ETERNITY; N. GO AWAY; O. REVENANT; P. ABADDON; Q. VULTURES; R. EVIL EYE; S. YOUNG; T. AWFUL; U. REVENGE; V. DEATH WISH; W. BARGHEST; X. OGRESS; Y. OFFAL; Z. KOBOLD.

Happy Halloween!

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For the complete post, go HERE.

10.25.09

Not a Clue

Sunday, October 25, 2009

WISHFUL THINKING, Puzzle by Brendan Emmett Quigley, edited by Will Shortz

I’m not fond of quote puzzles, and this Sunday’s changes nothing -- MY GOAL IN LIFE IS TO BE A CLUE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE. I’VE NEVER TOLD ANYONE, BUT IT’S TRUE (23A. Start of a wish by 12-Across on 9/21/09), etc., along with PETER KING (112A. NBC football analyst/reporter and longtime writer) and SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (94A. Magazine for which 112-Across writes).

BIGMOUTHS and GET OVER IT are the other long entries, followed by six eight-letter answers -- ABBA EBAN; EPITOMES; ONE LITER; OXYMORON; ROID RAGE; TEST RIDE.

Seven-letter -- CADETTE; DEFINER; EQUATES; FATTEST; I LOST IT; 73A. ISIDORE, the Laborer, patron saint of farmers; PUNKERS; SAID I DO; SAVANNA; SCARIER; TOOLBOX.

Six -- ADELIE, AQUINO, AZO DyE, CEDRIC, DUNCES, DUNLOP, ENTERS, HOLMES, HOOVES, PACINO (Actor who said “I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse), however, it’s BRANDO‘s line, SVELTE, UP-TIME, VASTER, YEOMeN.

Five -- ADLER, AETNA, ARBOR, ARMEY, ARSON, ASKEW, A-TEST, BOYLE, END UP, ETUDE, EWERS, GEESE, GIZMO, IN-OUT, NALDI, OXEYE, OY VEY, RILLS, SAPOR, SASHA, SEDAN, SEGUE, SHEER, SIGIL, SEVEN, TONAL.

Short stuff -- ADO and APU, AGE and AGIN, AIDE, ALEE and ALY, ANO, ANTS, ASH, ASOF, AYES, BAL, BAUM, COPE, DATS, DESI, DINA, EAR and ERA, ELM and ELY, ELSA and ELSE, EON, EST, ETH and ETCH, ETD and ETE, GAG, GHIJ, IAS, IDLE, ITOO, JETE, KNIT, LEY, MELC, MPH, NENA and NINA, NLER, NOVA, NSA, OMNI, ORT and TORT, OTTO, PAVE, RIEN, RIO, SCUM, SDAK (9A. Its motto is “Under God, the people rule”: Abbr.), SHOE, SOI and SOIL, SOLO, STL, TRI, TSE, USE, UTES, YEOH.

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10.24.09

Turn, Turn, Turn and Tina Turner!

Tina Turner performing live in 2008

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Puzzle by Paul Gamache, edited by Will Shortz

This Saturday crossword is fairly straightforward with general clues and answers, turning up more than a few personages:

Links across: 15. Singer born Anna Mae Bullock, TINA TURNER; 17. “Baby Hold On” hitmaker, 1978, EDDIE MONEY; 22. Cabinet chief between Smith and Thornburgh, MEESE; 30. Singer Aguilera, self-referentially, XTINA; 33. “The Practice” and “Boston Legal” Emmy winner, SPADER; 48. Her alter ego is Princess Adora, SHE-RA; 54. “Life of Pi” author YANN Martel; 61. “Turn! Turn! Turn!” songwriter PETE SEEGER.

Down: 6. Where César Chávez was born, YUMA; 10. Old yeller?, CRYER; 34. Creation of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, JOB CORPS; 42. Ugly Dungeons & Dragons figure, SEA HAG; Chrissie of the Pretenders, HYNDE.

One good turn deserves another -- HERE or HERE.

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

For the complete post, go HERE.

10.23.09

What You See Is What You Get

Truth, by *damnengine, Dennis Sibeijn

Friday, October 23, 2009

Puzzle by Barry C. Silk, edited by Will Shortz

WYSIWYG (52A. Acronym for a kind of PC video screen display) is as good a description as any of the clues and a fair number of the answers in this Friday jawbreaker. "They may be seen with tails" turns up TOP HATS. "One skilled at mimicry" produces PARAKEET. "Dragging sound?", VROOM. Take your pick, name your poison -- this Friday, it’s what you see is what you don’t get!

Friday links -- BRYCE CANYON and VALLEY FORGE; PRINCETON (3D. Tigers’ place); TREE RINGS (34D. They help with dating); PATELLAS (29A. Tibia neighbors); ELENORE (57A. Title girl in a 1968 Turtles hit); JIGSAW (8A. Piece project?); AZTEK (15D. 2001-05 Pontiac made in Mexico); GLENN (47D. Actor Ford of “Gilda”); TO ERR (6D. Pope statement opener); ALAN (51D. Actor Ford of “Snatch”).

WYSIWYG!

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

For the complete post, go HERE.

10.22.09

A Shot in the Dark

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Puzzle by Joel Fagliano, edited by Will Shortz

A SHOT IN THE DARK (27A. With 52-Across, wild guess … or what the answer to each starred clue has?), along with NOT BY A LONG (17A. *”That’s way off”), SNAP (38A. *Photo), JELLO (39A. *Colorful party drink), DOWN (40A. *Rejected), GUN WEDDING (62A. *Quick hitch-up), SLING (71A. *Y-shaped item), TEE (10D. *What “fore” may precede) and PUT (61D. *Track-and-field event) are the interrelated group of this cunning Thursday crossword featuring nine black squares with starring roles via “a SHOT in the dark” in a puzzle otherwise fairly, er… light!

A few links -- RUTABAGA (3D. Vegetable that’s peeled); 24A. Mideast’s Mount LEBANON; Daniel Decatur EMMETT, composer of “Dixie”; KNURL (54D. Small ridge on the edge of a button or dial); NORVO (37D. Red of early jazz); OUIJA (25D. Spiritualist’s tool); UMBRA (4D. Shadow); JOEL (69A. Book before Amos).

Here‘s one more shot at a shot in the dark!

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

For the complete post, go HERE.

10.21.09

Crash Test

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Puzzle by Peter A. Collins, edited by Will Shortz

Quick! What fascinates a solver with any clue or answer? This is a test! Sorry, times up, we’ve hit the wall!

Well, for me, it’s not BOY GEORGE MICHAEL JACKSON BROWNE and POP (65A. Genre for 1- & 22-Across, 22- & 26-Across, 26- & 46-Across and 46- & 49-Across), the interrelated group of this Wednesday crossword -- descending the ladder: Boy George, George Michael, Michael Jackson and Jackson Browne. The clues? 1. “Whew!”, 22. Dragon-slaying saint, 26. Archangel in Daniel, 46. Mississippi’s capital and 49. “Hägar the Horrible” creator Dik. Go figure!

I’ll opt for CRASH TEST (58A. Job for a dummy?), which goes nicely with DUMBS DOWN (17A. Oversimplifies, as educational standards). Joining the seven-letter entries are JALISCO (42D. Guadalajara’s state); LE MONDE (43A. French newspaper since 1944), SENATOR (29A. Judge in an impeachment trial) and MID-WEEK (5D. Hump day, to an office worker), hey, that’s today!

Etymological crossings include AURAS and AURORA (16A. Saintly glows, 10D. Dawn goddess); 35A. Ab OVO (from the start) and OVOLO (31D. Convex molding), while the unrelated OBI and OBIE occupy uncrossed locations, otherwise separated but by a letter.

Other links -- INKPOT (39D. Place to dip a quill); J S BACH (46D. “Goldberg Variations” composer, in brief); NANTES (45D. City on the Loire with a quarter million people), OSWALD (44D. Ruby’s live-TV victim), 64A. Bob Marley’s “I SHOT the Sheriff”; ROSEN (32D. Baseball’s Al a k a the Hebrew Hammer); 19A. Council of TRENT, 1545-63.

Job for a dummy? Definitely!

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

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10.20.09

Shifting Gears

Popeye, E. C. Segar

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Puzzle by Gary Cee, edited by Will Shortz

Four circled anagrams of GEARS contained in the entries of ROSE GARDEN (17A. View from the Oval Office), CHIVAS REGAL (25A. Premium Scotch whiskey), OLD TIMER’S GAME (37A. Event featuring sports stars of yesteryear) and SAUSAGE ROLL (52A. Pastry sold at pizzerias) along with answer/clue SHIFT GEARS (61A. Make an abrupt change … and a hint to this puzzle’s theme) are the interrelated group of this business-as-usual Tuesday crossword. Of the four anagrams of GEARS, SEGAR (Elzie Crisler Segar was a cartoonist whose claim to fame was being the creator of everybody's favorite spinach-eating seaman Popeye the Sailor Man) and SAGER are usable puzzle words, while ASREG and ERSGA (search-engine oddities) are not. Left out are the possibilities of SARGE, RAGES and RE-GAS. Am I skipping a gear?

A few links -- ASIAGO (11D. Panini cheese); FESTER (10D. Addams Family uncle); ORANGE (22D. Tropicana fruit); USA USA (48D. Patriotic chant); LOGIC (5D. Mr. Spock’s forte); WEILL (1A. Compose Kurt).

Eat your spinach!

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

For the complete post, go HERE.

10.19.09

OOH and AAH

Monday, October 19, 2009

Puzzle by Lynn Lempel, edited by Will Shortz

OOH AND AAH (61A. Gush over … or sounds shared by the answer to each starred clue), BOONDOCKS (16A. *Backwoods locale), NEUTRON (27A. *Particle with no electric charge), GOULASH (49A. *Stew made with paprika), MOONSHOT (3D. *Apollo 11, 12 or 13, e.g.), HOOPLA (10D. *Commotion), BOUFFANT (39D. *Teased hairdo) and TUCSON (48D. *Home of the University of Arizona) are the interrelated group of this Monday crossword.

A few links -- EGRETS (43D. Long-feathered wading birds); SHRANK (15D. Got smaller), LOONS (65A. “Crazy” birds); ORFEO (54A. Monteverdi opera hero who descends into Hades); WHOA.

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

For the complete post, go HERE.