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Morpheus Descending
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Thursday, August 23, 2007
Puzzle by Joe Krozel, edited by Will Shortz
A crossword puzzle with 74 entries and 66 clues. The clues appear in a single list, combining Across and Down. Where two answers share a number, the unclued Down answer is a homophone of the corresponding Across answer.
The clues:
1. Obstruction at the entrance to a cave, maybe; 2. Rarely used golf club; 3. Picture on a $50 bill; 4. Drip, say; 5. Seventh-century year; 6. Want ad abbr.; 7. Some needle holders, for short; 8. Like jail cells; 9. Makes like; 10. Connecticut or Colorado: Abbr.; 11. Touch up, as a painting; 12. Country named for its location on the globe; 13. Bring down; 14. Having hit a double; 15. Neuter; 16. For one; 17. Party of the first part and party of the second part, e.g.; 18. Gets going; 19. Weapon in old hand-to-hand fighting; 20. Does some yard work; 21. One famously begins “O Wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn’s being”; 22. Carcinogenic substance; 23. Victorian ___; 24. Headquartered; 25. Lowers the cuffs on, maybe; 26. Legis. period; 27. Point to; 28. Wood of the Rolling Stones; 29. ____ Nikolaevich, last czarevitch of Russia; 30. Queen of France in Shakespeare’s “Henry V”; 31. Rich Spanish decorations; 32. Big blasts, informally; 33. Duck down; 34. Tailors; 35. Social register listees; 36. Residents: Suffix; 37. Seat at a hootenanny; 38. Place for a guard; 39. Recondite; 40. Shoulder muscle; 41. Tolerates; 42. Logged; 43. Singer who founded Reprise Records; 44. Letter before Peter in old radio lingo; 45. Bygone council; 46. Donations at some clinics; 47. Eseential; 48. “___ for nest”; 49. Accent; 50. NASA subj.; 51. French town; 52. Contents of some shells; 53. Audio equipment pioneer; 54. Wiped out; 55. Verb of which “sum” is a form; 56. Campsite visitor; 57. Job specifications; 58. ___ B. Wells, early civil rights advocate; 59. Individually; 60. Race unit; 61. Blood type letters; 62. Calculator button; 63. Wears down; 64. Work force; 65. Grade again; 66. Pretended to be.
The electronic version detracts quite a bit from the clever gimmick, listing both Across and Down, with a dash (-) after the unclued Down clue to indicate the unclued homophones. The notepad states: “The clues in the print version of this puzzle appear in a single list, combining Across and Down. Where two answers share a number, the unclued Down answer is a homophone of the corresponding Across answer.”
Why the clues could not have been printed as simply 1 through 66 with no distinction between across and down is mysterious -- perhaps the rigid format of the electronic puzzle would not permit this to be done. In any event, I await the newspaper in the driveway to look at the print version.
Ah!, now having arrived double-wrapped in blue under one of my fir trees by the driveway, printed below is the note in question as it appears in the newspaper itself -- cannot print whole puzzle as copyright does not allow same -- only a filled in grid is permitted. Note clue #1.
Sixteen entries share eight clues, all beginning with the letter “B” -- 1 is BOULDER and BOLDER; 8 is BARRED and BARD; 24 is BASED and BASTE; 27 is BODE and BOWED; 37 is BALE and BAIL; 38 is BORDER and BOARDER; 54 is BEAT and BEET; and 56 is BEAR and BARE.
Such an inspired arrangement could render the remainder of the puzzle to be less than VITAL (47); however, VILLE (51); DESEX (15) and ALTERS (25); ECUADOR (12) and EIDER (33); ISABEL (30) and ALEXEI (29); OBSCURE (39) and LEGALESE (17); ONEIRON (2) and ONSECOND (14); ROTATOR (40) and REVSUP (18), DIRK (19) and TAR (22); SODS (20) and SOVIET (45); STRESS (49) and DEPRESS (13); DUTIES (57) and LABORERS (64); ALACARTE (59) all alone, along with USGRANT (3), and the unusual look of the entry POSEDAS (66) ("posed as") give depth and variety in both cluing and entry.
Oh, and there’s ol’ blue eyes too -- SINATRA (45)!
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For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
Today's video -- A Nightmare of a Crossword
Article: Doug Gordon on August 14th weighs in on the literal downsizing of the NYT
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Abridged commentary of The NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD IN GOTHIC.
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