07.31.07 -- Walks

"Jesus Walking on the Sea" -- Gustav Dore

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Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Puzzle by Allan E. Parrish, edited by Will Shortz

WALKS (29D Word following the last parts of the answers to the five starred clues) is the anchor entry for TRIPLESPACE (20A “Line formatting option); COOLCAT (40A *Hipster); SCHOOLBOARD (61A *Education overseers); HOLYCROSS (11D *College in Worcester, Mass.); and PATTYCAKE (33D *Kids’ game), resulting in space walks, catwalks, boardwalks, crosswalks, and cakewalks.”

This Tuesday crossword vibrates WITH (44A Accompanying) activity: SCRAM (8D “Get out!”); START (51AGet going); VEER (18A Zig or Zag); YAW (23A Go off course); TAUT (49A Lacking slack); LOOSE (54D Not tied down); and THROB (42D Pulsate) and the people to do it.

ALEC (15A Writer Waugh); RAHAL (9A 1986 Indy winner Bobby); MILNE (19A Pooh’s creator); AGNEW (27A Nixon’s 1968 running mate); VEEP (7D 27-Across, e.g., informally); NOEL (73A Coward of the stage); REECE (71A Model/volleyball Gabrielle); GARTH (1D Singer Brooks); BLAIR (3D Britain’s P.M. until 2007); ROMERO (9D Cesar who played the Joker); ICET (35D “Ricochet” co-star); OSCAR (53D Musician/wit Levant); LOEWE (13D Lerner’s musical partner); PABLO (57D Artist Picasso); SAMPRAS (4D Tennis star Pete); ALTE (70A Der ___ [Konrad Adenauer]); SHE (43A Cyndi Lauper’s “___ Bop”); ARI (10D “Exodus” hero); PIKE (46A Explorer Zebulon); CHE (37D Rebel Guevara); and many others including EDSEL (59D Collectible Ford product) (named for Edsel Ford) and ALERO (2D Last Oldsmobile to be made) (named for R. E. Olds).

Contrasts are tossed about with APLOMB (52D Self-assurance), including ORONO (16A Maine college town) forming a cross with HOLYCROSS; HORROR (24A Blockbuster aisle) on line with MIRACLE (25A Prerequisite for sainthood); LOGIC and OPTIC; VEEP and VEER; SHE and CHE; ELI and ELOI; ARGO and OGRE; ALA and ALLA; with CAV and CAVERN sharing their starting C’s; and OLYMPIC and CHAMP tied by their C’s.

In short, it’s a good thing an OTTOMAN (48D Living room piece) is included to rest one’s PAW (31D Pussy foot?) from the ROAR (30A Big top noise) of movement in this wonderful and fun-to-solve crossword!

Man walks a dog -- Rock Painting, Madhya Pradesh Prehistoric Rock Paintings of Bhimbetaka, India

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