Shifty Business
Sunday, June 7, 2009 SHIFTY BUSINESS, Puzzle by Jeremy Newton, edited by Will Shortz Integrated into this Sunday crossword is the most common five-speed shift pattern -- 1st, 3rd, 5th, Neutral, 2nd, 4th and Reverse -- in circles in the grid duplicating the pattern of a floor gear shift box. While there are other manual transmission layouts, the shift pattern used in today’s puzzle is well suited to a crossword, due to its being symmetrical. As for the driver, this layout is reasonably intuitive because it starts at the upper left and works left to right, top to bottom, with reverse at the end of the sequence and toward the rear of the car. The entries that happen upon these circled gears are as follows: Across, in order of appearance -- WHO’S [FIRST] (33. Teacher’s question at the start of a show-and-tell); GO TO [THIRD] BASE (35. Anticipate heading home); [FIFTH] ACTS (38A. Endings for Shakespeare); TAKES A [NEUTRAL] STANCE (67. Doesn’t care either way); THIS [SECOND] (98A. At once); JULY [FOURTH] BBQS (101A. Some summer feasts in the U.S.); [REVERSE] SIDE (103. Where to sign a credit card, e.g.). The corresponding downs -- SEEN [FIRST]-HAND (5. Witnessed); COME [THIRD] (10. Finish last on “Jeopardy!”); SAKS [FIFTH] AVENUE (15. Look over); ODOR [NEUTRAL]IZER (48D. It freshens the air); THIRTY-[SECOND] SPOT (67. TV advertising staple; [FOURTH]-RATE (102. Hardly commendable); RUN A [REVERSE] PLAY (84. Trick the defensive line, maybe). Sunday links -- AIRBUSES; FACEMASK; AREOLAE; CAVEART; ERNESTO; NYTIMES; ONEIDAS; ALIENS; CRISCO; EXOTIC; NESTED; ORTEGA; SABINE; STEINS; GAR (63A. Long-snouted swimmer); SKYY; SONS and SONGS; UVRAY. For today’s cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated. For the complete post, go HERE.
Sunday, June 7, 2009 SHIFTY BUSINESS, Puzzle by Jeremy Newton, edited by Will Shortz Integrated into this Sunday crossword is the most common five-speed shift pattern -- 1st, 3rd, 5th, Neutral, 2nd, 4th and Reverse -- in circles in the grid duplicating the pattern of a floor gear shift box. While there are other manual transmission layouts, the shift pattern used in today’s puzzle is well suited to a crossword, due to its being symmetrical. As for the driver, this layout is reasonably intuitive because it starts at the upper left and works left to right, top to bottom, with reverse at the end of the sequence and toward the rear of the car. The entries that happen upon these circled gears are as follows: Across, in order of appearance -- WHO’S [FIRST] (33. Teacher’s question at the start of a show-and-tell); GO TO [THIRD] BASE (35. Anticipate heading home); [FIFTH] ACTS (38A. Endings for Shakespeare); TAKES A [NEUTRAL] STANCE (67. Doesn’t care either way); THIS [SECOND] (98A. At once); JULY [FOURTH] BBQS (101A. Some summer feasts in the U.S.); [REVERSE] SIDE (103. Where to sign a credit card, e.g.). The corresponding downs -- SEEN [FIRST]-HAND (5. Witnessed); COME [THIRD] (10. Finish last on “Jeopardy!”); SAKS [FIFTH] AVENUE (15. Look over); ODOR [NEUTRAL]IZER (48D. It freshens the air); THIRTY-[SECOND] SPOT (67. TV advertising staple; [FOURTH]-RATE (102. Hardly commendable); RUN A [REVERSE] PLAY (84. Trick the defensive line, maybe). Sunday links -- AIRBUSES; FACEMASK; AREOLAE; CAVEART; ERNESTO; NYTIMES; ONEIDAS; ALIENS; CRISCO; EXOTIC; NESTED; ORTEGA; SABINE; STEINS; GAR (63A. Long-snouted swimmer); SKYY; SONS and SONGS; UVRAY. For today’s cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated. For the complete post, go HERE.
