Jack Webb as Sgt. Friday -- LAPD Badge
Friday, May 25, 2007
Puzzle by Mike Nothnagel, edited by Will Shortz
JACK WEBB (1A Actor with an L.A.P.D. auditorium named after him)
Viewers of the old TV program, Dragnet, remember Sgt. Joe Friday repeatedly telling the witnesses he'd question about a crime, "Just the facts, Ma'am." He had no time to get mixed up in the emotional aspects, he just wanted names, numbers, and details.
This Friday’s crossword puzzle has no time to get mixed up either -- names, numbers, and details:
(Scene, LAPD holding cell, suspect: the notorious Crossword Puzzle Butcher)
IMONADIET (14A Words that often follow sweet offers) -- see, cold, not hot.
HIRELINGS (17A Flunkies) -- more at mercenary. A flunky cringes.
"Just the facts, Ma'am."
ANKLET (19A It can have its charms) Vague clue, low blow.
SAAB (20A “Born from jets” sloganeer”) A Saab story.
FISCALQUARTER (33A Subject of a financial report) Good, cold, nice and cold.
"Just the facts, Ma'am."
NINELIVES (55A Feline gift) Also a cat food not on the shelf.
JIHADS (1D Crusades) Why is the puzzle so hostile?
AMINUS (2D It’s less than perfect) The way we were going, I thought Nothnagel was looking for “animus“.
WALES (5D Its flag has a large red dragon) Oooo…quotation from movie “Red Dragon”
Hannibal Lecter: "Tell me, Will. Did you enjoy it? Your first murder? Of course you did. And why shouldn't it feel good? It does to God. Why only last week in Texas, he dropped a church roof on the heads of 34 of his worshippers, just as they were groveling for him. He wouldn't begrudge you for one Journalist."
Well, now that BEGSTHEQUESTION (8D Commits a logical fallacy) petitio principia
"Just the facts, Ma'am."
GRADEAS (13D Good eggs) and RATEDR (44D Like “The Godfather”) or "Goodfellas"?
GORE (29D 2006 Oscar winner for his first film) -- could be clued to fit a crime.
DIESES (45D Double daggers in printing) -- you were thinking Edward Scissorhands? Google it, you’ll get this message -- Did you mean: diseases?
"Just the facts, Ma'am."
SEMI (35D Interstate sight) Now that could be a really, really lot of different things!
MACAQUE (37D Monkey with cheek pouches)-- it’s like I have a twin!
“…the facts!”
Oll Korrect, OK! I confess, I confess -- a Lulu is a CORKER, KNELLS sounds ominously, MARKUP is an edit, the “Shoe” waitress was ROZ, well, not fully, just INASENSE, when she CALLS, secretaries often hold them, I put mine on a pedestal to IDEALIZE, I’m trying to keep it simple or MERE, SUEME, yeah, a snide challenge, you have a way of turning TOONESIDE, you can’t UNZIP, open, in a way my yap, I’ll POUT, look down, if you’re looking for AXEMEN or guitarists, slangily, I’m just one not mingling much, a LONER!
Am I making any sense, any sense at all!!!
"Just the facts, Ma'am."
Dah... da, dum dum!
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Anthony Hopkins was born in Margam, Port Talbot in Wales, good catch!
ReplyDeleteHa! I like your quips on SAAB, GORE, and DIESES (diseases?). Seems like a puzzle perfectly suited for your particular style of blog.... enjoyed your creepy commentary. Like an episode of the Addams Family. For me the puzz was painful. I had a bunch of wrong fill even after finishing it with bigtime CHEATING. The macaque looks like its got pouches in more places than its cheeks..... My favorite word was knells. Can't think of anything witty to say, so I'll quit rambling. G'night.
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, it was tough to solve and tough to write about, the problem with the writing is where to start and what to write about -- I'm sure the puzzle constructor didn't have in mind this twist -- read Rex for an entirely different script on this one.
ReplyDeleteCheating? Will Shortz wrote in an article to the effect that it's the solver's puzzle and however one gets there, it's up to the individual -- the only "cheating" he could think of was to call the 1-900 number for answers! That's got to be desperation and very painful as it costs a pretty penny!
I better take another look at that macaque!
You saved my Friday morning. I didn't have time to work this one by myself but I can't stand to leave a puzzle unfinished... so I was prepared to cheat, big time, in order to get on with the other things I need to do. Now I'm just going to enter your answers in my crossword dictionary and work on something more productive.
ReplyDeleteanonymous
ReplyDeleteI hear you!
You are so right!