07.05.07 -- TB or not TB

Thursday, July 5, 2007
Puzzle by Elizabeth C. Gorski, edited by Will Shortz
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Featured are six inter-related entries and their clues:
TBS (45A Cable channel… with a hint to the answers to the five starred clues)
TBALLEQUIPMENT (20A “*Undersized bats and gloves, e.g.)
TBONE (30A *Chophouse order)
TBOONEPICKENS (37A *Founder of Mesa Petroleum)
TBARS (42A *Alternatives to rope tows)
TBILISIGEORGIA (55A *Caucasus capital)
Not included in this list of TB's are (1) T-Bird which was in yesterday's puzzle, and (2) my brother's initials.
The T and B are not of much help in solving the puzzle -- one needs to have nearly completed the puzzle in order to know what kind of “hint” the clue for 45A might be -- and the pay-off is minimal and dull.
TBILISIGEORGIA (55A *Caucasus capital)
This puzzle feels lifeless after a rip-roaring holiday demolished the usual calm of mid-week, and frankly, it’s hard to care about. Solving this crossword felt like a chore -- not as bad as taking out the garbage or raking the yard, but a bit like cleaning up after the cook-out in the backyard -- it had to be done!
Leftovers from the holiday include KABOB (62A Serving from a grill), OTIS (1A Revolutionary James ____, famous for saying “Taxation without representation is tyranny”). The longer entries include GAMEPLANS (5D Strategies); SCRAPESBY (35D Makes a very modest living); TWINBORN (10D Like Romulus and Remus); MUSTANGS (11D Southern Methodist team, with “the”); TUBETOPS (37D Stretchy attire); BRAMBLES (38D Hiking hazards); and ODETTA (1D “Gonna Let it Shine” singer).
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...then do Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle
For today's cartoons, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
The New York Times Crossword Puzzle solution above is by the author of this blog and does not guarantee accuracy. If you find errors or omissions, you are more than welcome to make note of same in the Comments section of this post -- any corrections found necessary will be executed promptly upon verification.
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