03.06.09

All the World...

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players" 1824. © City of London

Friday, March 6, 2009

Puzzle by Corey Rubin, edited by Will Shortz

Ambiguity, obscurity and variety -- the stuff that crosswords are made of!

Interrelated entries for this Friday crossword include DO AS I SAY (67A. With 60-Across, hypocrite’s mantra) and NOT AS I DO (60A. See 57-Across); CLEANLINESS (9D. It’s next to 10-Down, both in an adage and literally in this puzzle), GODLINESS (10D. See 9-Down); ETLA (13D. See 28-Down) and ICI (28D. With 13-Down, here and there, to Henri). Loosely related are ON LOAN TO (16A. Being borrowed by) and NEED HELP (18A. Be in a fix, say); START ON (4D. Tackle) and TILT AT (15A. Square off against); GET A RAISE (30D. Start pulling down more?) and BASE PAY (49A. It doesn’t include a bonus); I MEANT (61A. Backpedaler’s words) and SAVE IT (59A. Cry that may forestall a lame excuse).

People links -- A A MILNE; ANDRE; ARTEMIS; CHANGS; EDNA; HEATH; MACGYVER; MAGEE; NORMA.

Other -- ALTAR RAIL; A STAGE (17A. The world, per the Bard); ENEMY MINE; MONISMS; PARAMUS; PISTACHIO; CEN.

And are all the words a crossworld…

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

For the complete post, go HERE.

03.05.09

Mush!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Puzzle by David J. Kahn, edited by Will Shortz

IDITAROD TRAIL (33A. With 16-Down, annual March event) along with SLED DOG RACE (16D. See 33-Across), ALASKAN INTERIOR (4D. Setting for much of the 33-Across / 16-Down), FAR DISTANT PLACE (9D. What the Athabaskan word for the beginning of 33-Across means) are this Thursday crossword’s interrelated entries.

CANADA (1A. Great Bear Lake locale) has not been left out in the cold, and a PARKA (19A. Cold weather wear) is welcome. The folly of who’s first gets the entries of EDGE (8D. Beat by a point or two) and SCORED (40D. Picked up a point or two). The remainder of the crossword is no less lively than a hot race in the cold!

Mush!

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

For the complete post, go HERE.

03.04.09

IN or OUT

Dog & Door, 2003, Nestor Botta

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Puzzle by C. W. Stewart, edited by Will Shortz

IN OR OUT (39A. Choice for a dog, as well as a hint to the puzzle’s theme) is the clue for the squares to contain both IN and OUT, constituting the interrelated entries of this Tuesday crossword.

Across -- [IN/OUT] COME (1. Revenue / Result); [IN/OUT] LAW (6. Many a holiday visitor / Bandit); ASK [IN/OUT] (10. Welcome, as a visitor / Try to make a date with); [IN/OUT] CLASS (26. At a lecture, say / Surpass in quality); STAND [IN/OUT] (48. Sub / Excel); [IN/OUT] FOR (67. Soon to get / Trying to get); LED [IN/OUT] (68. Ushered / Showed the door); DRAW [IN/OUT] (69. Attract / Protract).

Down -- [IN/OUT] LET (1. Fjord / Bargain locale); [IN/OUT] STEP (6. Foot part / Go beyond); [IN/OUT] SET (13. Map feature / Start); [IN/OUT] LAST (26. Arriving at the tail end / Survive); SENT [IN/OUT] (33. Submitted, as an entry / Emitted); BEAT [IN/OUT] (51. Hit so as to make collapse / Win over); SIT [IN/OUT] (52. ’60s protest / Skip, as a dance); ALL [IN/OUT] (60. Tired / Total).

Biblical links: MENORAH (4D. Holiday display); LABAN (28D. Brother of Rebecca, in the Bible); ABEL; LEAH (34A. Daughter of 28-Down); SLEW (59D. What Cain did to 35-Across).

In or out?

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

For the complete post, go HERE.

03.03.09

PRISON

PRISON, David Mc Camley

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Puzzle by Jeffrey Wechsler, edited by Will Shortz

Today’s crossword features a stretch of five interrelated entries of synonyms for prison -- FOUNTAIN PEN (17A. Prison for soda jerks?); MITER JOINT (24A. Prison for bishops?); CHAMPAGNE COOLER (39A. Prison for vintners?); HOKEY POKEY (49A. Prison for corny humorists?); WATERING CAN (62A. Prison for gardeners?) -- ah, home sweet home!

Links: DISMAY (1A. Loss of heart); 48D. JOCOSE (25D. Full of merriment); LINGUA franca; SNEERS (9D. Shows derision); ANIME (60A. Cartoon art genre); 43A. Bandleader Skinnay ENNIS; MONET (7D. “Haystacks” artist Claude); OWENS (50D. 1936 Olympics star Jesse); GAYE.

THAT IS ALL (11D. “Over and out”)!

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

For the complete post, go HERE.

03.02.09

Imaginary Menagerie

Monday, March 2, 2009

Puzzle by Lynn Lempel, edited by Will Shortz

Monday puzzle containing a menagerie of literary creatures of various colors -- PINK PANTHER (17A. Inspector Clouseau movie, with “The”); PURPLE COW (35A. Poet Gelett Burgess wrote that he never saw one); WHITE RABBIT (56A. Lewis Carroll character who’s late); GOLD-BUG (11D. Edgar Allan Poe story, with “The”); RED PONY (40D. John Steinbeck book, with “The”).

...and then there's also an ELAND (53A. Antelope with a hump and twisted horns).

Click here for the one that’s pink!

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

For the complete post, go HERE.

03.01.09 -- the Acrostic

Traffic

Sunday, March 1, 2009

ACROSTIC, Puzzle by Emily Cox & Henry Rathvon, edited by Will Shortz

This Sunday’s acrostic quotation is from Tom Vanderbilt’s “Traffic Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us)”. I found it one of the more challenging of recent memory.

The quotation: IN ANCIENT ROME THE TRAFFIC GREW SO INTENSE THAT CAESAR THE SELF-PROCLAIMED CURATOR VIARUM OR DIRECTOR OF THE GREAT ROADS DECLARED A DAYTIME BAN ON CARTS AND CHARIOTS EXCEPT TO TRANSPORT CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

The author’s name and the title of the work: TOM VANDERBILT TRAFFIC

The defined words: A. THIRD WHEEL; B. OCTAGONAL; C. MOTOR TREND; D. VACATIONER; E. ACCELERATOR; F. NATHAN; G. DIORAMA; H. EXIT RAMP; i. RIDE SHOTGUN; J. BARRICADE; K. ICE SCRAPER; L. LEFT TURN; M. TOOTED; N. TEAMSTERS; O. RIFE; P. ACCIDENTS; Q. FAST COMPANY; R. FOOTREST; S. IN TRANSIT; T. CRASH COURSE.

What civilization doesn’t have its’ problems?

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For the complete post, go HERE.

03.01.09

Good and Bad

Nosferatu, 1922

Sunday, March 1, 2009

GOOD AND BAD, Puzzle by Robert W. Harris, edited by Will Shortz

This Sunday crossword is headed by the note, “For the answer to each starred clue, including the first letter is good; dropping it is bad.” The entries (all across) with starred clues -- WRECKLESS DRIVING (23. *Good and bad for a motorist); CLOSING SALE (37. *Good and bad for a marketer); SHAVING A BEARD (52. *Good and bad for a West Point cadet); TRUSTY MACHETE (78. *Good and bad for a jungle guide); BLACK OF NIGHT (90. *Good and bad for a vampire); COVERT OPERATIONS (108. *Good and bad for a spy).