05.10.07 -- Crossword Arithmetic

May 10, 2007

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Puzzle by Peter A. Collins, edited by Will Shortz

Entries 17, 25, 42 and 55 Across individually contain an arithmetical entry which results in the crossword puzzle's entry number, e.g.:

17. TENADDEDTOSEVEN

25. HUNDREDOVERFOUR

42. FIFTYMINUSEIGHT

55. FIVETIMESELEVEN

The clue for all four entries is simply "=".

I had no idea what was going on with the “equals” (=) clues until I had completed almost the entire puzzle -- so the clue was of use only with 17A -- I had worked from bottom up after doing as many downs as possible. Being that it is a Thursday puzzle which is approximately mid-week between the easy three (Monday, Tuesday, most of the time Wednesday) and the more difficult two (Friday and sadistic Saturday), I did not expected it to be so dry, calculated and studied.

Old standards making cameo appearances include the acrosses REHAB (1. Fix up, informally), KEEP (10. Not toss), NAPE (16. Collar's locale), END (20. Prime rib cut), MINE (23. Infielder's cry), ATOLL (32. One in a chain, often), LASS (33. Bonny girl), DRE (34. Rapping "Dr."), YETI (35. Cousin of Bigfoot), DADDY (36. Pops), RIIS (38. Early photojournalist Jacob), ORI (39. "...___ quit!"), HAMS (46. Scene stealers), NUNN (47. Longtime Georgia senator), MIRA (51. "Might Aphrodite" co-star Sorvino), PLEA (58. Fund-raising letter, basically), NOGO (59. Scuttled mission), and YARDS (63. Gridiron gain or loss.). The downs (without their clues) were RATE, EVEN, HIND, ALA, OPENED, KAT, KNEWOF, EAVE, EPEE, PENS, DUNE, RESET, AMIS, HYATT, SFPD, MILO, AVES, MOM, MEGA, ERA, EVER, VEND ANTS, REIN, SURE, UNISON, OLDEN, TVAD. That's a lot of "old standards"!

ONKP (6A Where Beetle Bailey can often be found), BADGIRL (5D Not just a tease), and DUMMYING (36D Preparing, as a layout, with "up") were the fresher entries of this puzzle. There were a lot of fairly predictable entries in between the predominately "old" and the few "fresh" entries, so one could (as I did) wind up working this puzzle not knowing the "theme" until the puzzle was completed, at which point I felt a little like I had just balanced my checkbook!

I was, however, left with admiration for the constructor's achievement in executing the requirements of the "theme" within the grid of the puzzle.

Oh, and do we need BADGIRL and DADDY in the same puzzle with MOM (56D Quaint tattoo), so close to Mother's Day?

For further illustrations, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

BADGIRL (5D Not just a tease): THEDA BARA, circa 1915

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games

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