11.08.09 -- the Acrostic

The Accidental Tourist

Sunday, November 8, 2009

ACROSTIC, Puzzle by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon, edited by Will Shortz

Today’s quotation is drawn from The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler.

Annotation -- Macon Leary is a travel writer who hates both travel and strangeness. Grounded by loneliness, comfort, and a somewhat odd domestic life, Macon is about to embark on a surprising new adventure, arriving in the form of a fuzzy-haired dog obedience trainer who promises to turn his life around.

The quotation: I’VE ALWAYS THOUGHT A HOTEL OUGHT TO OFFER OPTIONAL SMALL ANIMALS. I MEAN A CAT TO SLEEP ON YOUR BED AT NIGHT, OR A DOG OF SOME KIND TO ACT PLEASED WHEN YOU COME IN. YOU EVER NOTICE HOW A HOTEL ROOM FEELS SO LIFELESS?

The author’s name and the title of the work: ANNE TYLER ACCIDENTAL TOURIST

The defined words: A. ATROPOS; B. NINTH; C. NAOMI WOLF; D. EPSOM; E. TOP SEED; F. YAHOO; G. LIMIT; H. EYEWASH; I. ROMANO; J. AT EASE; K. CALICO; L. CHOSEN; M. IGLOO; N. DUTCH OVEN; O. EULOGY; P. NEW BLOOD; O. , TREAD; R. ALTHEA; S. LEFT HOOK; T. THYMUS; U. OF LATE; V. USEFUL; W. RETINA; X. ISLE OF MAN; Y. STOGIE; Z. TRAVELOG.

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For the complete post, go HERE.

11.07.09

Saturday in Hell

Satan’s Treasures, Jean Delville, 1895

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Puzzle by Bob Klahn, edited by Will Shortz

A solve from Hell, lavish with the flames of ambiguity and misdirection, arcana and the obscure!

For today's post, go HERE.

11.06.09

Disparate Hapax

Juliette Binoche in “The English Patient”

Friday, November 6, 2008

Puzzle by Doug Peterson, edited by Will Shortz

The miscellaneous wordage of this Saturday crossword is led by two 15-letter entries, JULIETTE BINOCHE (8D. “The English Patient” Oscar winner) and REEL-TO-REEL TAPES (33A. Some audiophiles’ collections) cross in the center of this Friday crossword, followed by four of ten letters, ACETIC ACID (24D. Wood distillation product); EXPERIMENT (12D. It often has controls); GREEN ONION (25D. Its bulb is small); PEACE PIPES (11D. They go around on reservations).

More -- ALPHA MALE (16A. Leader of the pack); I CLAUDIUS (52A. John Hurt played Caligula in it); SERENGETI (57A. Where some buffalo roam); PAGANS (23A. Solstice celebrators); TRAJAN (5D. A Tall Roman column is named after him); AKELA (43D. Kipling’s “great gray Lone Wolf”); 19A. “The Ballad of JOSIE,” 1967 comedy western; ORGAN (10D. Source of ballpark pitches?); TALUS (32D. Fibula neighbor); VIOLS (54A. They had C-shaped sound holes); AROD (31D. Baseball nickname that‘s a portmanteau).

Words, words, words…

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

For the complete post, go HERE.

11.05.09

The Vanishing

Cover art for The Invisible Man Pocket Penguin Classics 2009

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Puzzle by Patrick Blindauer, edited by Will Shortz

A note accompanies this amusing get-out-the-invisible-ink Thursday crossword: “When this puzzle is completed, one letter of the alphabet will appear 22 times. Shade in its square everywhere it appears. The result will be an image suggested by 36-Across.”

The note refers to the letter S with 36-Across being THE INVISIBLE MAN (1897 novel subtitled “A Grotesque Romance”). A pixel-esque stick figure is the result, invisible unless one highlights the letter S in some manner -- best lightly! SSSSSSS (25D. 1973 horror flick about a doctor who turns his assistant into a cobra), forms the torso of the invisible man! Here’sssssss Wikipedia!

A few more links -- APOLLO (45D. New York theater on the National Register of Historic Places, with “the); MARINE (11D. “Battle Cry” soldier); DO-RAG (10D. Headwear banned by the N.F.L. in 2001); GENIE (26A. Canadian Oscar); HOLST (42A. Composer of “The Planets”); OSTIA (34A. Port of ancient Rome); LUKA (47D. 1987 Suzanne Vega hit); ROSES ARE RED (18A. Start of a lover’s quatrain).

I now vanish! -- wait!, one last look -- HERE!

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

For the complete post, go HERE.

11.04.09

O Factor

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Puzzle by Ricky Ini Liu, edited by Will Shortz

In this odd Wednesday crossword, Trix cereal, xenophobic, X-Men comics, Federal tax, X-rated movie and boxing match each have the letter X replaced with the letter O resulting in TRIO CEREAL (18A. Three-ingredient breakfast serving?); OENOPHOBIC (24A. Afraid of wine?); OMEN COMICS (53A. Foreboding cartoons?); FEDERAL TAO (60A. The way of the government?); ORATED MOVIE (3D. Film that’s been speechified?); BOOING MATCH (26D. Shout of disapproval exactly like another?). The corresponding entries sharing the letter O are all incidental -- CHO, INTRO, CLEO, STOOD, AMOR and ORA.

Wednesday links -- ARIZONA (34D. Pearl Harbor ship); MALAYA (2D. 1941-42 Allies vs. Japanese battle locale); MARCEAU (6D. Mime who created Bip); CERES (54D. Dwarf planet in the asteroid belt); MACAU (33A. Former Portuguese colony in China); ZORRO (16A. Swordsman who leaves his mark); ERIS (46A. Largest dwarf planet in the solar system).

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

For the complete post, go HERE.

11.03.09

Election Day

Tuesday, November 3, 2009 -- Election Day

Puzzle by Barry Boone, edited by Will Shortz

The quotation, YOU CAMPAIGN IN POETRY YOU GOVERN IN PROSE (20A. Start of a quote by 1-/73-Across, with 37- and 60-Across) and MARIO CUOMO (1A. With 73-Across, former New York governor) constitutes the interrelated group of this Election Day crossword.

Tuesday links -- 42D. ANTONIA; ELSINORE; KWANZAA; RHAPSODY; SNEEZED; TOW-LINES; ELSIE; 56D. “I Can‘t Remember If I CRIED” (“American Pie” lyric); ZERO G.

Vote!

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

For the complete post, go HERE.

11.02.09

Apropos

Monday, November 2, 2009

Puzzle by Andrea Carla Michaels and Ken Clayton, edited by Will Shortz

BELIEVE IT OR NOT (51A. Ripley catchphrase that’s apropos to 20-, 34- and 42-Across), THE EASTER BUNNY (20A. Spring egg distributor), TOOTH FAIRY (34A. One who leaves money under a pillow) and SANTA CLAUS (42A. Head of a major toy outfit) are the interrelated group of this pleasant Monday crossword.

A few more links -- KARACHI (44A. Largest city in Pakistan); BAHAI (29D. Persian-founded faith); 9A. “HASTA la vista, baby!”; 31D. George Eliot’s “SILAS Marner”; SNAP (5A. Crackle and Pop‘s companion).

A short trip to Ripley‘s Believe It Or Not! Times Square Odditorium might be apropos!

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

For the complete post, go HERE.