04.07.08

Play Ball!

The Hillsboro Baseball team of 1900.

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April 7, 2008

Puzzle by Randall J. Hartman, edited by Will Shortz

This Monday back-to-work crossword COVERSEVERYBASE (40A. Takes care of all possibilities). No, not the cliché, “covers all the bases”, but only a killjoy crossword curmudgeon could care! It’s just a breezy and friendly walk in the park for a beautiful Spring day!

FIRSTLADY (17A. Bess Truman or Barbara Bush); SECONDGUESS (25A. Question after the fact); THIRDDEGREE (52A. Grilling); and HOMEALONE (65A. 1990 Macaulay Culkin film) are the entries which cover every base of America’s national pastime begun in Russia 700 years ago! Oh really, see HERE!

With the baseball season having just begun, this tidy little crossword puzzle is timely -- however, it will do for just any day of the year from April to October. Wikipedia provides a neat History of Baseball in the United States, and for the latest news and current stats in the major leagues, one can check out The Official Site of Major League Baseball. You don’t need much more!

Today’s puzzle does provide plenty of people to play a game -- whatever that would be like!: AMIN (1A. See 48-Down) and IDI (48D. With 1-Across infamous Ugandan dictator); ZAPPA (9A. Frank of the Mothers of Invention); “ANNA and the King of Siam” (15A.); ELLEN (50A. Funny DeGeneres); GRETA (63A. Garbo of “Mata Hari,” 1932); ASNER (68A. Ed of “Lou Grant”); TYRA (72A. Model Banks); CAL (5D. Iron Man Ripken of the Orioles); WAYANS (8D. Brother comic Shawn or Marlon); ZANEGREY (9D. “Riders of the Purple Sage” author); SAINTJOAN (37A. Play by George Bernard Shaw); LEDA (51D. Mother of Castor and Pollux); IRENE (54D. Ballroom dancer Castle); SONIA (57D. Braga of “Kiss of the Spider Woman”); ILSA (62D. She requested “As Time Goes By“); a GOONY (55D. Foolish person, slangily), Bess Truman, Barbara Bush, Erskine Caldwell, Pablo Picasso, Macaulay Culkin, Superman, and a POSSE (11D. Star’s entourage). Go team!

"Love has its sonnets galore. War has its epics in heroic verse. Tragedy its sombre story in measured lines. Baseball has “Casey at the Bat." -- Albert Spalding.

"Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright,

The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,

And somewhere men are laughing, and little children shout;

But there is no joy in Mudville -- mighty Casey has struck out.

For the complete version of Casey at the Bat by Ernest Lawrence Thayer, as taken from the San Francisco Examiner of June 3, 1888, go HERE.

Play ball!

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

For the classic animated cartoon of "Casey at the Bat" (1946) on YouTube, click HERE.

04.06.08

Sound Moves

Sunday, April 6, 2008

COULD YOU REWORD THAT, PLEASE?
Puzzle by Daniel C. Bryant, edited by Will Shortz

CLAYMANEXEMPTION (23A. Tax break for Gumby?);
SEALOVEAPPROVAL (35A. Blessing for a shipboard romance?);
MAYDOUBTAWILL (56A. Perhaps doesn’t believe witty Rogers?);
KEYPAWNMOVING (76A. End-game maneuvers?);
MINEDOVERMATTER (92A. Excavate in the white cliffs?);
GRAYTOILEOFCHINA (110A. Drab Oriental fabric?);
DRAWPINCENTERS (16D. Sketch sewing-kit stores?); and
MYLAUGHTERMILE (46D. Clown’s parade memoir?) are the inter-related entries in this very sound Sunday crossword puzzle.

Of course, we hear “Claim an exemption; seal of approval; made out a will; keep on moving; mind over matter; Great Wall of China; drop-in centers; and mile after mile." Or perhaps we don’t -- the title of this puzzle is different in the electronic version -- e.g., Sound Moves.

Silence is golden, so that's it for today -- here, hear! A sound decision -- eh?!

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

04.05.08

Nightmare

The Nightmare, Johann Heinrich Füssli
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Saturday, April 5, 2008

Puzzle by Rich Norris, edited by Will Shortz

“A nightmare is a dream which causes a strong unpleasant emotional response from the sleeper, typically fear or horror, or the sensations of pain, falling, drowning or death. Such dreams can be related to physical causes such as a high fever, or psychological ones such as psychological trauma or stress in the sleeper's life, or can have no apparent cause. If a person has experienced a psychologically traumatic situation in life, for example, a person who may have been captured and tortured, the experience may come back to haunt them in their nightmares. Sleepers may waken in a state of distress and be unable to get back to sleep for some time.” -- Wikipedia

I declare this puzzle a nightmare!

Ten-letter across entries -- SHORTSTRAW (1. Not a very good drawing); MEDIUMRARE (15. A little red); IRONMAIDEN (17. Band with the 1982 platinum album “The Number of the Beast”); BRAINCHILD (56. Bean product?); ERICTHERED (59. 10th-century exile from Iceland); DARKHORSES (61. Upsetting types).

Nine-letter down entries -- TRIVALENT and YARDSTICK.

Eight-letter-down entries -- OILPAINT, RASPUTIN , STAYSMAD, TITICACA, TRIALRUN, and WATERSKI.

Seven-letter entries -- ASHANTI, OPENAIR, RADIXES, and STRAPIN.

Six-letter -- ATSTUD, DABBED, DEPAUL, HERALD, HERESY, LATEST, ODOULS, POLLEE, READDS, SMILEY, STAIRS, TAXLAW, TIGRIS, TORTES, WENTAT, and WISHES.

Five-letter -- AREEL, LAUDS, OCALA, OCHER, RINDS, SPUNK, TERRA and TIARA.

Four-letter -- ACID, ARIA, BENT, DANE, DOLE, ELLS, GPAS, HART, MATE, MEDE, NAPE, OCHO, OTOE, PDAS, STOW, WILT, NAPE, VIET, NAPE, SAWN, SCUM, STAT, TORI and TUMS.

Three-letter -- LAR, NTH, SMA, SPR, YDS and YIP.

Pleasant dreams!

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

For more on today's crossword, read Linda G at Madness...Crossword and Otherwise.

04.04.08

Q as in...

Friday, April 4, 2008

Puzzle by David Quarfoot, edited by Will Shortz

Initials take prevalence in this crossword puzzle with such fare as DNATURAL (16A. Accidental in the key of B or E); SUPERG (17A. Olympic even since 1988); ATT (18A. Call letters); SMORES (20A. Three-ingredient treats); FMAJOR (23A. Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony is in it); IRSAUDIT (53A. Dodger’s dread?); ATV (49A. Yamaha product, briefly); USSTEEL (15D. Largest tenant of Pittsburgh’s tallest skyscraper); JOHNQ (26D. 2002 Denzel Washington drama); VIPPASS (39D. It might get you backstage); AARP (47D. Powerful D.C. lobby); VTEN (51D. Powerful engine); and UPI (54D. News inits.), together with such shortenings as ESPO (10D. 1969 AND 1974 Hart Trophy winner, familiarly); INRE (12D. About); ALTHO (25D. Poetic conjunction); POPS (44D. Old man); and QUEENMUM (27A. Noted centenarian of 2000 familiarly). The latter had the same birthday as Roger Clemens, Barack Obama and me!

QUEENMUM holds court over a queue of Q’s in the puzzle, nine words beginning with the letter, including QUIETGAME (33Parent’s ruse to hush noisy kids); QUELL (35A. Silence); QTS (22A. Peck parts: Abbr.); QUILT (22D. It often gets down); QUEST (27D. Pursuit); QUINT (33D. Rare delivery); QUETZAL (35D. Guatemala’s national bird); and QUIZNOS (38D. “Mmmmm … Toasty!”); along with three crossing words containing the letter -- REHNQUIST (37A. Burger replacement), ELOQUENT (40A. One way to wax), and the aforementioned JOHNQ -- provoke one to note that Q is the initial of the author of the puzzle, especially since the Q’s are arranged flamboyantly in a diagonal row a little off-center of the diagram as a whole.

ADAMSALE (1A. Abstainer’s order) is after all just water; LIMETREE (14A. Linden); SAMSPADE (56A. Sleuth who “looked rather pleasantly like a blond satan”); and THESIREN (58A. Spellbinding “Batman” villainess played by Joan Collins) are the remaining eight-letter entries. Seven-letter entries include: STUDIOS (5D. Places to make racks); DRUMSET (9D. Band ensemble).

Six-letters: URSINE (15A. Like some cubs); KIOSKS (41A. Stands in line at an airport?); PIZAZZ (44A. Dash); ORIANA (52A. Title woman of a film that won the 1985 Camera d’Or); PATROL (55A. Do borderline work?); ARREAR (8D. Unfulfilled duty); and KISSME (41D. Pecking order?).

Five-letters: DEVIL (9A. Ranger rival); ROLOS (32A. Chocolate snacks); VITAL (39A. Key); SNIPS (57A. Small pieces); LEANN (7D. Rimes with “Blue”); FRERE (23D. Réunion reunion attendee); MOSEL (24D. German wine region); NGAIO (28D. Contemporary of Agatha and Erle); MASTS (29D. Pair from a deck, maybe); UMIAK (30D. Literally, “women’s boat”); MEALS (31D. Board); and SARAH (43D. Miles of film).

Four-letter fill includes ALDA, DINT, AMAT, VIER, EELS, LEGS, IRAN, ZITI, ADAR, GIST, TIDE, DENS, ESTH, ASIA, and GASP; three-letters IAN, ITT, SIP, UPI; and ,of course, none of two, but a Q as in...

Quaere!

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

04.03.08

COW

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Puzzle by Kevin G. Der, edited by Will Shortz

Eight squares in this crossword puzzle contain the word COW.


The resulting across entries are HADACOW (5. Freaked out); SCOWLS (10. Looks unhappy); COWPEA (16. Soup or salad ingredient); COWARDLYLION (17. Beloved film character with a tail); COWHIDE (41. Baseball cover); COWRITES (42. Pens together); RIDEEMCOWBOY (61. Cry just before someone gets some big bucks?); and COWSHED (68. Battle site in “Animal Farm”).


In the center of the diagram is the across entry WHERESTHEBEEF (38. 1980s catchphrase).


Going down, the eight squares result in the entries of LOCOWEED (1. It makes livestock go crazy); COWINNER (9. One tied for first place); SCOWS (10. Barges); COWPASTURE (11. Place for grazing); MOSCOW (31. Its coat of arms features a horseman spearing a dragon); COWABUNGA (41. Surfer’s exclamation); DAIRYCOW (44. It may be milked for all it’s worth); and COWER (63. Shrink).


Moo!


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For today’s cow cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated -- for acres of cow cartoons, go HERE.

04.02.08

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.

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Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Puzzle by Patrick Merrell, edited by Will Shortz

HAPPYBIRTHDAYTO (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!

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

04.01.08

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!

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