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"Lavender Mist" [1950] by Jackson Pollock -----------------
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Puzzle by Myles Callum, edited by Will Shortz
Thick obfuscation, slick tricks and odd-ball trivia constitute the modus operandi of this Saturday stumper.
Could-be-anything clues: THETHINGIS (1A “That may be true, but…”); SOCIALCALL (15A Visit); IWON (18A Exultant cry); AHOOT (26A Tons of fun); IMEANIT (40A No-nonsense cry); ALAMODE (38A Chic); IDIOTS (52A They’re thick); REGALE (54A Feast); HONE (2D Improve); HAHAS (5D Routine responses); NOWYOUKNOW (12D Response to “I had no idea!”); RUBITIN (25D Cry “nyah, nyah!”); CEASEFIRES (27D Engagement breakers?); SMALLTIMER (29D Insignificant sort); ADAY (56D What you may call it when you’re wiped out); and the Shortzesque twin clues for REEDY (51D Like some instruments); and SURG (53D Like some instruments: Abbr.).
Trick clues: ANOTHERDAY (17A When a procrastinator tends to something); RELOAN (19A Advance further?); SEWER (22A Place of refuse), which earlier this week was a reference to tailoring; CASE (27A It’s built for a trial); SERUMS (31A Shot putters’ supplies?); SALEMSLOT (41A King’s second); RAMS (59A Ones going head to head); WINETASTER (14D One concerned with the nose).
Total trivia: 11A “…there are evils ENOW to darken all his goodness”: Shak.; 16A. LORI Lemaris, early love of Superman; 20A Comic ELAYNE Boosler; UMA (33A Player of June in “Henry & June”); BABUSHKAS (36A Russian peasant wear); CLORIS (45A She had brief roles as Phyllis on “Rhoda” and Rhoda on “Dr. Kildare”); UTNEREADER (60A Magazine that hands out annual Independent Press Awards); TSAR (1D Alexis, e.g.); 4D Italian tenor TITO Schipa; ILENES (6D Soap actress Kristen and others); SLYE (10D Roy Rogers’s surname at birth); ORONOMAINE (13D Northeastern city named for a Penobscot chief); LASSES (21D Some of those who “hail the new” in “Deck the Halls”); WEBELOS (23D Arrow of Light earner’s program); ALLANADALE (28A Outlaw band member); GAYE (55D “What’s Going On” singer, 1971); and LENE (57D New Wave singer Lovich).
Biblical: ELIAH (11D Son of Elam whose name means “God the Lord”) and HOSEA (49D God commanded him to marry a harlot). Kid stuff: RAGGEDYANN (65A Little redhead); GOOGLYEYES (67A Puppet glue-ons); ESME (30D Saki story whose title character is a hyena); and TOMCAT (35D Felix, e.g.). Incredibly cheap clue: ELEE (64A Part of a rebel name).
Nice stuff: FATHA (48A Jazz pianist who played with Satchmo); MUM (32D Clammed up); HATE (57D Bete noire); ORE (42D Nugget holder); and ELMST (34A Title locale of five 1980s films: Abbr.).
I suppose there are those who will like the triple layers of 10-letter words in the four corners, while scoffing at that old reliable, ERNS (58D Shore scavengers), at the puzzle's end.
Time to fly!
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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