04.08.09

IRON

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Puzzle by Joey Weissbrot, edited by Will Shortz

IRON (69A. Element that can precede the starts of 20-, 31-, 47- and 54-Across), along with LUNG CAPACITY (20. An Olympic swimmer needs a big one), CURTAIN ROD (31. It may be over a window), HORSE SENSE (47. Sound practical judgment) and MAIDEN VOYAGE (54. Fateful event for the Titanic) are the interrelated entries of this Wednesday crossword.

DEEP PURPLE (6D. Group with the 1968 hit “Hush”) and TREASONOUS (33D. Spying against one’s own country, say) are the other long entries, followed by mid-size entries -- CANYON; CETERA; EDITED; EMPRESS; IGNORE; KABOOM; ORIGAMI; RUDYARD; SAMSON; SMITHS; SOLACE; THIRST; URANUS (25D. Astronomical discovery of 1781).

Five-letter -- ADAGE (71A. “Poor Richard’s Almanack” bit); ALERO; CABOT; CONG; GRINS; HOUSE; LORIS; NASAL; RARER (37A. Not so common) and 32D. RARIN’ to go; SMEAR; TALIA; TOSCA; TRUCE.

Short stuff -- AARP, AES, ALAS, ALDA, ALE and ALI, ALOU, ARC, ASIA, BERN, BLOC, CALL, CASH, DABS, DOSE, EDOM and ESAU, ELLE and ELSE, ENV, ERAS, GANG, HST, IBN, ITEM, MAS and MER and MESS, NAT, NEXT, ONCD, PRO, SAX, SEMI, SKIM, TOO, TORO, UMPS, USED, UZI, ZERO.

Of course, there’s The Iron Horse -- and then Iron Maiden with Run to the Hills!

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

For the complete post, go HERE.