QEII (28A. Ruler crowned in 1953, informally)
Friday, January 9, 2009
Puzzle by Paula Gamache, edited by Will Shortz
The crossword puzzle, which has been called "the most popular and widespread word game in the world," was invented by Arthur Wynne in 1913.
Wynne was an immigrant from England who worked for the New York World. One day, his editor asked him to invent a new game for the newspaper's Sunday "Fun" section. Wynne recalled a puzzle from his childhood called "Magic Squares," in which a given group of words had to be arranged so their letters would read the same way across and down. Wynne created a larger and more complex grid, and provided clues instead of giving the necessary words.
As though to demonstrate just how far the Arthur Wynne “word cross” has come, today’s crossword is chock full of double entendre, innuendo, rhyming entries, deluge and clamor, canary and carnivore, exes and axis, drip and flip, batt and fazool, and QEII.
One atop another, THE ONCE OVER,
FOOTBALL WIDOW (12A. Partner of a certain rabid sports fan) and SAY THE MAGIC WORD start this crossword off in fine fettle.The rhymes -- CULTURE VULTURE GEORGIE PORGIE (47A. Nursery rhyme title fellow) and GREEN SCREEN are a tri-tandem at the end of the crossword.The
Shortzesque clues -- EMIT and SEEP (23- and 26-Down -- Ooze) and WRETCH and SARGE (13- and 14-Down -- Base person). Interrelated entries -- PAIR (22D. See 25-Down) and EXES (25D. 22-Down that has split) and DRIP (38A. With 15-Down, hangs on the line) and DRIES (15D. See 38-Across). How about BORG and BORGE …or FLIP and DRIP …and EXES and AXIS?Scattered linkage:
EDWARD II (10D. Loser in the Battle of Bannockburn, 1314); GATELEG (31D. Drop leaf supporter); SLEEVES (32D. They’re short on T’s); ELGART (7D. “Hooked on Swing” jazzman Larry); TIGGER (29A. Bouncy kid-lit character); ANAIS (36A. First name in erotica); BORGE (40D. The Great Dane of entertainment); ROTOR (18A. Wankel engine component); BAEZ (40A. Dylan was once her protégé); EADS (25A. 19th-century engineer with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame); 20A. QUIZ (28D. It can be frightening when one is popped); 20A. ROTI de boeuf.All this attention to to "word cross" would surely leave Arthur Wynne himself puzzled!For a “Brief History of Crossword Puzzles” --
HERE.For a “Crossword Nightmare” --
HERE.For that song with the word for the day, “FAZOOL” --
HERE.------------------
For today’s cartoons, go to
The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.For the complete post, go HERE.
