Thursday, April 9, 2009 Puzzle by Patrick Blindauer and Tony Orbach, edited by Will Shortz AAHS (65A. Contented sighs and a homophonic hint to this puzzle‘s theme) is the tortured tie to six inane entry/clues containing OZ within the entry -- Mini-Mart becomes MINI-MOZART (17A. Nickname for a dwarfish piano prodigy?); dingbat, DOZING BAT (19A. Sleeping cave denizen?); boy wonder, BOOZY WONDER (31A. Pickled pub quiz winner?); one-liners, OZONE LINERS (40A. Ships carrying a smelly gas?); Cy Young, COZY YOUNG (51A. Comfy kids?); lions’ den, LIONS DOZEN (57A. Pride of 12?). The entry of JUDY (1A. Garland native to Minnesota) clinches that the film version of The Wizard of Oz is the thread of today’s crossword. Or is it OZZY (52D. Black Sabbath singer, to fans) which crosses OOZE? Eating the rest of those hanging Z’s are ATOZ, DITZ, EZINE, ZEES, and NAZARENE, while INSOMNIA denies us any Zzzzz’s. No poppies, no opium, but NUMB (20D. Unfeeling) will do. Last links -- ELWES, “Twister”; OSLIN; CUJO; JONI; ZEES...That’s enough… I off to see the Wizard!
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