11.08.09

ANTSY

Sunday, November 8, 2009

COLONIZATION, Puzzle by Robert W. Harris, edited by Will Shortz

In this sparsely hymenoptera-populated crossword titled Colonization, ANT is added to hem-line, base ten, plain dealer, pry bar, GI bill, madam I am Adam, ped xing and web page to produce ANTHEM LINE (23A. “O say can you see” or “Thru the perilous fight!?), BASE TENANT (25A. Resident of a military installation?), PLANTAIN DEALER (40A. Tropical fruit seller?), PANTRY BAR (61A. Place to get drunk in the kitchen?), GIANT BILL (67A. What overuse of a credit card might result in?), MADAM I’M ADAMANT (84A Gentleman’s intransigent reply?), PEDANT XING (105A. Where nitpickers walk on a street?) and WEB PAGEANT (108A. Online beauty contest?). Yes, that’s really it -- except for the two lost ANTs contained in TYRANT and ANTSY.

Eight-letter entries -- ACADEMIA; APERITIF; BEARDING; CASSETTE; END PAPER; GENERATE; OIL SHIPS; RATTIEST; RELISTED; SENTINE.

Seven -- AIR FARE; APPAREL; ARTISAN; CESURAS; CRONIES; DISOWNS; FORESEE; INUTILE; LIBELEE; LONG RUN; PLATTED; MADEIRA; NERDIER; RADIOED.

Six -- ALIGNS; ANGELA; ANODAL ; ARTERY; CONTRA; ENTRÉE; ESTOPS; GRAPES; LENORE; PHASER; PRUNED; REHEAR; RENTAL; ROMERO; SECOND; SEREST; STRAIN; STRONG; TREATS.

Five -- ABAFT, ACMES, ADAGE, ANTSY, ARETE, AWRAP, BATES, CAMEL (20A. Brand with a pyramid on the package); CARLY, COACH, ERASE, GRAIN, INFOR, 57A. Poet Federico Garcia LORCA; NIXON, NSYNC (112A. Group with the 2002 hit “Girlfriend”); PILAF, SALTS, SNEER and SNOOD (59A. Hair net); SOLES, STASH, SUPRA, USHER.

Four -- ADIN, AIME, ALER, ANDS and ANDY, ARIE, BEAD, BENE, DALE, EARN, ECRU, EERO, EGOS, ELAN, ELOI, ESTA, FEAR, INON, IRMA, LENA, LIES, LINT, LPNS, NABS, NEE, ONES, OPIE, OREO, RASP and SAPS, RONA, SEAT and SUET, SRTA, ZAPS and ZEBU.

Three -- AEC, ALA, AMI and AMO, ASET, AWS, BYA, DEI, DIG and DIS, EIN, GIN, HIP, LED, LPS, LON, NEB, OOP, SAM, SSE, STE, USN and TAN, an anagram of the occasional wandering ANT…

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

For the complete post, go HERE.