Puzzle by David Pringle
PUTONESFINGERON (37A Identify exactly…or a hint to this puzzle’s theme) is the supposed hint for four “theme” answers, each of which starts with a finger: 17A 3” x 5” aids for speakers INDEXCARDS, 23A Corporate office staffers MIDDLEMANAGERS, 47A Fonzie’s girl on “Happy Days” PINKYTUSCADERO, and 58A Head of a cabal RINGLEADER. This handful of digits excludes the thumb; however, the anatomy lesson includes 6D Main artery AORTA, 43A It might be slapped after a good joke KNEE, 54D Edge CUSP and 49D Arm bones ULNAS.
This otherwise barebones puzzle is spineless, but normal, including such rabid standards as AMOK, ATE, AXE, AXELS, CAPO, CEDES, CODED, CREE, DECO, DEMO, ECOL, EKED, ENNUI, ENOLA, ERLE, ERST, ESE, EVE, FOE, GRAZES, IDEAL, IOWAN, IRAN, IRE, ISLET, LEMUR, LUX, ODORS, OFA, OGRES, OKS, OLE, ONE, OTIS, POD, REDO, REEKS, RIM, SIGNS, SLAM, SPA, SPIKE, STAG, SUE, UFO, URN, USER, VANES, WOKE and oh yes, TESS and MESS! That’s a lot of ordinary fill. For uniqueness and/or deformity, there stands alone the oft-misspelled ALLAN (42A Edgar _____ Poe), which would be cause to celebrate, except that today should be reserved for William Shakespeare’s 443rd birthday (or the 391st year of his death) -- check out Shakespeare and the NY Times Crossword.
For more insight into today's selection of entries and clues, be sure to read Madness...Crossword and Otherwise. All in all, this puzzle was a sweet little Monday exercise!
Illustrations:
Above -- The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn.
Below: This drawing of the anatomy of the hand was made by Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) c.1510. The copious notes, written from right to left, indicate Leonardo’s fascination with the sophisticated mechanics of the hand. The 600 drawings by Leonardo in the Royal Collection were acquired by Charles II in the late seventeenth century. The Royal Collection © 2006 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II -- also, 43A KNEE, 49D ULNAS, 54 D CUSP, 6D AORTA, and after puzzle 17A, 23A, 47A, 58A together -- four fingers of a hand.
NOTICE: The New York Times Crossword in Gothic will no longer carry a full copy of the puzzle due to receiving notice from a representative of The New York Times which states in part: “…you've included each day's puzzle (clues and all) on your blog, which violates the Times' copyright. Theoretically a reader could print out the puzzle from your blog rather than subscribe to it online… remove the puzzles you have posted now and refrain from posting any others.”
5 comments:
I don't get the comment by anonymous, but it's early.
Thanks for the mention. Maybe your readers will find me, and mine will find you : )
Happy birthday, William. I'll have cake in his honor today.
I didn't get it either -- it's deleted -- unhappy somebody, maybe a late post or a wrong blog, oh well.
I think if we remember the great people of the past (known and unknown) that they will smile upon us. For Shakespeare's birthday, here is the final speech (from Propspero) from "The Tempest"
And now my charms are all o'erthrown,
And what strength I have's mine own;
Which is most faint; now t'is true,
I must here be released by you,
Or sent to Napels. Let me not,
Since I have my dukedom got
And pardoned the deceiver, dwell
In this bar island by your spell;
But release me from my bands
With the help of your good hands.
Gentle breath of yours my sails
Must fill, or else my project fails,
Which was to please. Now I want
Spirits to enforce, art to enchant;
And my ending is despair,
Unless I be relieved by prayer,
Which pierces so that it assaults
Mercy itself and frees all faults.
As you from your crimes would pardon'd be,
Let your indulgence set me free.
That man was wont to conquer this little world...has made nothing but a shameful conquest of himself...
WS :)
This land of such dear souls, this dear dear land,
Dear for her reputation through the world,
Is now leased out, I die pronouncing it,
Like to a tenement or pelting farm:
England, bound in with the triumphant sea
Whose rocky shore beats back the envious siege
Of watery Neptune, is now bound in with shame,
With inky blots and rotten parchment bonds:
That England, that was wont to conquer others,
Hath made a shameful conquest of itself.
Shakespeare, Richard II act 1, sc 4
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