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Monkey Business
Cheeta, (pictured above with “Boy”) the male chimpanzee most famous for his roles in Tarzan movies of the 1930s and 1940s, also became the longest-lived nonhuman primate on record in 1996 when he turned 64. As of 2008, he is still alive (at age 76 on April 9th), living at a desert sanctuary named after him: C.H.E.E.T.A. (which stands for Creative Habitats and Enrichment for Endangered & Threatened Apes). He is reputedly an enthusiastic painter, and his paintings are sold to benefit the sanctuary.------------------Wednesday, April 2, 2008Puzzle by Patrick Merrell, edited by Will ShortzHAPPYBIRTHDAYTO (16A. Step 1: Highlight this answer); CIRCLELETTERSTO (27A. Step 2: With 43- and 55-Across, do this in the grid [scrambled or not] … it works for almost anyone!); SPELLOUTTHENAME (43A. See 27-Across); OFYOURRECIPIENT (55A. See 27-Across) are the inter-related entries of today’s crossword -- should one add 47A. With 48-Across, “ …and that AINT HAY!” (43A. See 27-Across)?It would be a shame to waste the sentiment, so I tried to sandwich CHEETA into the space allotted for THELMA (31D. Louise’s cinematic partner), mistaking Louise for Maureen (O'Sullivan). What?! UGH (8D. Cry before or after sticking out the tongue)! These long original-quote crosswords are nearly as impersonal as a computer-generated birthday greeting, but here goes!Happy Birthday, CHEETA!
-----------------For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
Feel Like a Fool
Stańczyk by Jan Matejko
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Tuesday, April 1, 2008 Puzzle by Manny Nosowsky, edited by Will Shortz Appropriately, FEELLIKEAFOOL (33A); FOOLFAINT (16A); APRILFEEL (54A); NOBODYSFEEL (8D); and FOOLINGOKAY (23D) are the inter-related entries of this April Fools’ Day crossword puzzle.
Not looking at the clues, one might wonder is it STUD or STUD, SHARK or SHARK, INCHES or INCHES? -- there’s also a NAVEL that’s an INNIE -- OPIUM for QID or is it QID? Have you ever ordered a QUIRE of paper?
SWOREOFF and TOOKNOTE stand side by side as do OVERSELL and LIVEWELL. I’ve been to FARGO, not to be forgotten! Cold! Want something warmer, there are LEIS and a UKE from that Pacific paradise!
Looking for more BILGE? Is it ARKS or ARKS? ERIE or ERIE. I won't touch that KNOB! The lower left corner left me INRAGS -- MIASMA, TREADS, ATRIA, ACETO, MEDIA, ASSAY, et al.
GOOGOO, ADMIRE, IDOL, so DEF! This puzzle certainly is, so I’ll just be a fool and say I feel this April Fool puzzle’s a KAYO!------------------
For today’s cartoons, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
AIR
Waterloo Bridge, Effect of Fog, 1903 -- Claude Monet
Plein air -- a French term for "in the open air," describes paintings that have been made outdoors, rather than in a studio, a key method of the Impressionists.
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Monday, March 31, 2008
Puzzle by Jeff Armstrong, edited by Will Shortz
AIR (36A. Word that can precede each half of the answers to each of the eight starred clues) is the star clue in this breezy Monday puzzle. The inter-related entries are FORCEFIELD (18A. *Sci-fi barrier); DATELINE (20A. *Newspaper article lead-in); SHOWTIME (28A. *When the curtain goes up); HEADLOCK (41A. *Wrestling move that puts an arm around someone’s neck); MAILDROP (50A. *Secret communication location); SPACECRAFT (54A. *Mars Pathfinder, for one); BASEBALL (4D. *Diamond game); and SPEEDWAY (37D. *Indy 500 venue).
O.K., redundantly, air force, air field, air date, airline, air show, air time, airhead, airlock, airmail, airdrop, air space, aircraft, air base, air ball, air speed, and airway.
I was talking to my nephew while writing this, and for whatever it’s worth he called my attention to the MacBook Air, and a parody of the ad, HERE. I guess the ultimate would be to disappear into thin air!
As for this puzzle, I think you’ll find that it was a real breeze!
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For today’s cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
Fool
From the cover of “Fools Are Everywhere…”
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Sunday, March 30, 2008 ACROSTIC
Puzzle by Emily Cox & Henry Rathvon, edited by Will Shortz
This delightful Sunday acrostic anticipates the advent of April Fools’ Day with a quotation from a paragraph of “FOOLS ARE EVERYWHERE: The Court Jester Around the World” by Beatrice K. OTTO:
“The connection between the jester and the poet worked both ways, and THE QUALIFICATIONS OF A GOOD JESTER INCLUDED THE ABILITY TO EXTEMPORIZE VERSE AND TROT OUT RHYMING RETORTS OR CRINGE-INSPIRING DOGGEREL. POETIC SKILL WAS A VITAL PART OF THE JESTER’S RAGBAG OF TRICKS AT ALL TIMES and in all places. The Elizabethan comic actor and jester Richard Tarlton was so renowned for his ability to extemporize witty verse that he gave his name to a verb, “to tarltonize,” and William Kemp, another Shakespearian clown, actor, was also known for this ability. Actors such as Kemp, needing the actual skills of the jester rather than the ability simply to play the part from a script, came very close to being jesters in their own right.”
The defined words: OAFISH (A. Crude and not very clever); TATTLED (B. Made like a blabbermouth); TAROT (C. Reading material for a cartomancer); OPERETTA (D. Lyrical form of amusement); FORECASTING (E. Weatherman’s job); OSTRACIZED (F. Banished by votes, cast on potsherds, once); OVERACT (G. Indulge in caricature); LITTLEJOHN (H. One of the Merry Men [2 wds.]); SIGHTGAG (I. Clown shoes or a fake arrow through the head, e.g. [2 wds.]); AMPLIFIED (J. Plugged in for playing; explained further); REJOINDER (K. Comeback from a wag); ESTRAGON (L. “Waiting for Godot” role for Robin Williams); EPIGRAM (M. Pearl of wisdom from Oscar Wilde or Dorothy Parker); VESTS (N. Garb often worn by magicians and jugglers); EXCALIBUR (O. Weapon thrown into a lake by Sir. Bedivere); RISIBILITY (P. Laughter, or an inclination to laugh); YORICK (Q. Fellow “of most excellent fancy,” to Hamlet); WOLFGANG (R. Puck seen on the Food Network); HUMORIST (S. Will Rogers or Ogden Nash, e.g.); ESPRIT (T. Jeu’___ [witticism]); REDSKELTON (U. Member of the first class of International Clown Hall of Fame inductees, 1989 [2 wds.]); ELOQUENT (V. Silver-tongued; expressively stated).
I wish I were a clever-enough ass to express what a wonderfully cheerful and brilliant acrostic that Emily Cox, Henry Rathvon & Will Shortz have given us -- but then how could I be taken seriously? Suffice to say that this acrostic is enormously entertaining -- and one up on the April Fool!
Mixed Feelings
Department of Psychology, HELP University-----------------
Sunday, March 30, 2008
MIXED FEELINGS
Puzzle by Paula Gamache, edited by Will Shortz
Anagrams of the circled letters in the entries of TOENAILCLIPPERS (23A); CASEYSTENGEL (30A); TELEPHONE (52A); SLUTSKAYA (68A); THIRDGEAR (88A); POTATOMASHER (109A); SPORTSEQUIPMENT (118A); BEDROOMEYES (14D); PADDEDENVELOPE (16D); PINSTRIPEDSUIT (50D); and EMPTYHANDED (67D) provide ELATION, ECSTASY, HOPE, LUST, RAGE, SHAME, PIQUE, BOREDOM, LOVE, PRIDE, and EMPATHY.
Other mixed feelings-related entries in the puzzle include INSULTS, ATPLAY, PITY, ENRAPT, SADCASES, ILIED, FRIENDS, NODAT, GOTEM, ATHEIST, GAMUT, GUISE, EASE, SOPUP, EATOUT, ELOCUTES, and somehow SHLEPP.
Interesting configurations of the crossword include EDEN crossing ADAM linked to EVE; ARIA linked to SOLO; YESNO crossing ISEE above SEA; AKEEM and KHAYYAM sharing a K; “YEE-haw!” alongside HIE; the crossing of ART and ARM; and the confusion of the circled T in THIRDGEAR, is it really RAGE or am I missing something?
Nonsense in the puzzle includes DOO and DAT, LAALAA, YEE, GOTEM, AAA, AABA and OGPU. The clue for EPEE, (125A. Blade of Grasse) was interesting enough. Stuff that gave me trouble was PHENOL, PURIM, AVIONIC, NITTI, and STRETTO -- all in the same area.
People in the puzzle for these mixed feelings include Casey Stengel, Toni Morrison, Fred, Little Nemo, Nia Vardalos, Irina Slutskaya, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Nitti and Capone, Omar Khayyam, Erik Satie, et al.
I don’t particularly care for having to work anagrams separately from a puzzle after the solution -- none of the anagrams in the circled letters could possibly be of any help during the solve. So, when the puzzle is completed, unless one is obsessed or finds it necessary for some reason or other to perform such a function (say for amusement or writing a blog) it’s really a big afterthought. That aside, this is an orderly Sunday puzzle, but one of which I do have mixed feelings!
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For today's cartoons, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
Earth Hour, et cetera
Ortelius's map of the world, from 1601
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Saturday, March 29, 2008 Puzzle by Mike Nothnagel, edited by Will Shortz An angry world is reflected in this crossword puzzle with scorn, disease, teargas, steroids, fear, rot, hate mail, hard time, woe and war cry, denial, intimidation, blindness, impairment, worry, rain, fighting words, et cetera, a fitting theme for today's Earth Hour! SWEATINGBULLETS (34A. Very worried) and BUZZLIGHTYEAR (15D. Cinematic captain of Star Command) cross in the center of this otherwise friendly Saturday puzzle, sharing their G. The four corners of the puzzle are fairly tight, with plenty of staggered spaces between for easy access from one side to another. Upper left, down: PACECARS (1. Indy sights since 1911); STATELAW (2. Governor’s guide); HARDTIME (3. It’s done in the slammer); AXES (4. Lines on planes); WIE (5. Youngest golfer ever to win a U.S.G.A. adult event [age 13]); SARAH (6. Grandmother of Jacob). Across: PSHAWS (1. Scornful dismissals); ATAXIA (14. Symptom of nervous system impairment); CAREER (16. Sports stats specification); ETDS (18. They’re often moved back in airports: Abbr.); ALITO (26. Associate of Thomas); RAMSESII (30. Son and successor of Seti I). Upper right, down: TOPEKA (7. Seat of Shawnee County); EST (8. Record finish?); In AWORD (briefly) (9.); RODE (10. Hounded); GRANDE (11. It’s big in Rio); ATTEST (12. Swear); SHEETS (13. It may rain in these). Across: TEARGAS (7. Cause of temporary blindness); BOSWORTH (15. Linebacker Brian banned from the 1987 Orange Bowl for steroid use); UPTODATE (17. Current); RENEE (21. Ally’s roommate on “Ally McBeal”); DST (25. It begins near the end of winter: Abbr.); SETS (29. Mounts in a frame). Lower left, down: CAVETT (41. Gov. Lester Maddox walked off his show in 1970); ARETOO (42. Reply to someone in denial); WARCRY (43. Fighting words?); BEES (52. Producers of some storage cells); BSTAR (48. Rigel or Spica); EDU (56. Part of many schools’ addresses); REPROS (45. Dupes). Across: CAWS (41. Calls in the field); ARA (47. Neighbor of Telescopium); VERBS (51. Point and click, e.g.); ETCETERA (55. Series finale?); TOREADOR (59. Caped combatant); TOYSRUS (61. Children’s Bargain Town, today). Lower right, down: RIGGS (49. 1939 Wimbledon winner); LOT (58. Auction offering); LUKE (54. The prodigal son is found in it); EARTOEAR (36. Very wide, in a way); TIESCORE (37. Result of getting even with someone?); SLIPINTO (38. Enter on the sly). Across: HATEMAIL (40. Form of intimidation); “DAREI ask …” (46.); TSP (50. 1/192 qt.); LOCI (54. Places); GLUEON (57. Affix, in a way); GOKART (60. Amusement park vehicle); STEREO (62. Tuner’s place). Rounding out the center of the crossword -- Across: ADZE (19. It might help you dress in a shop); WHIZKID (23. Small wonder?); GLAM (28. Kind of rock); ROT (39. Claptrap); ARTY (44. Warholian); BREYERS (48. Brand in the freezer section); PEDI (53. Cab opener?). Down: DIGIN (20. Start putting stuff away?); “WOETO him who believes in nothing”: Victor Hugo (23.); IMOUT (24. Words said when one’s hand is shaky?); TSARS (27. Old dynasty members); SELMA (29. 1965 march setting); SITAR (31. It’s heard on the Beatles’ “Rubber Soul”); SLEDS (33. Runners’ locations); BAYED (35. Howled). A cross crossword for a cross world, across and down, et cetera... Lights out!
Google users in the United States will notice today that Google has "turned the lights out" on the Google.com homepage as a gesture to raise awareness of a worldwide energy conservation effort called Earth Hour. On Saturday, March 29, 2008, Earth Hour invites people around the world to turn off their lights for one hour – from 8:00pm to 9:00pm in their local time zone. On this day, cities around the world, including Copenhagen, Chicago, Melbourne, Dubai, and Tel Aviv, will hold events to acknowledge their commitment to energy conservation.
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For today's cartoons, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
Website
Elevator shaft of the Cooper Union Foundation Building, NYC, designed by Frederick A. Peterson, construction began in 1853 and was completed six years later.
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Friday, March 28, 2008
Puzzle by Barry C. Silk, edited by Will Shortz
When commenting on the February 23rd puzzle, which was also authored by Barry C. Silk, I noted that depending upon one’s familiarity with selective areas of interest and experience, a crossword puzzle in which no word relates to another in any way, shape or fashion can be a tiresome and thankless chore. I then mentioned one entry that was of interest to me -- today, I find none.However, the mantra at this WEBSITE (16A. A mouse may help you get there) is "the blog shall be posted." -- much like the old post office slogan "Neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor gloom of night shall stay these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."You’ve got mail! Word has it that SOUTHPHILLY is also known for the SOFTPRETZEL. ATHESCENE is where it’s happening, but what is “it“? It’s COMESLATER, not COME SAFTER. QUONSETHUT, only WWII, really? ONEPERCENT of genius is inspiration, 99% is perspiration, leading to WATER BORNE and SPORTSWEAR, not SPORTSGEAR. EYEFUL could be EYECUP.ETTE (13D. Major conclusion); URSA (53D. Major start?), not DRUM. SANO, not SANE. ADHERE rather than ATTACH. NEUROSIS is not an apartment complex, THREEPM, not SEVENPM; a flea market is called a SWAPMEET if you have fleas; it’s SNERT, not SANDY. SALSAS today, and SALSA yesterday. REAL, RIAL, RIEL, RYAL RYEL, it’s so unreal!Suddenly, I’m reminded of the WHELP (47D. Whippersnapper) of an office boy who quit his job and threw the mail cart down the open elevator shaft -- I’m sure this would include anything containing NEEDANAP, ACQUIRE, SMALLER, TMOBILE, TOURNEY, ATLANTA, THERETO, ANTENNA, SHARPEN, ROSALIA, SNIFTER, SIXTHMAN, MARINO, METRE, ABLER, GLENN, EPPIE, LSAT, LINZ, URB XES, HEF or COW.
The mail cart’s in the shaft -- call maintenance!-----------------For today’s cartoons, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
