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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