09.20.07 -- THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Click here for LARGE PRINT

Puzzle by Alex Boisvert, edited by Will Shortz

ERNESTHEMINGWAY (35A Author of a 1952 novel published in full in Life magazine) and six three-letter single-square entries -- THE, OLD, MAN, AND, THE, and SEA -- form the complete title and author's name of a novella by the author Ernest Hemingway written in Cuba in 1951 and published in 1952. It was the last major work of fiction to be produced by Hemingway and published in his lifetime. Internet reference to Hemingway and the novella at Wikipedia HERE.

The relatively unimportant entries which exist merely to form the title of novella are as follows: THELMA (14A Longtime Vicki Lawrence character); SMOLDER (15A Burn slowly); HERMAN (16A One of the Munsters); ANDEAN (58A Like llamas); EATHERE (59A Truck stop sign); and NAUSEA (60A Unpleasant feeling). The accompanying down entries forming the title are ATHENS (1D Peloponnesian War participant); FOLDED (7D Gave up one's hand); EMANATE (13D Flow out); ERRANDS (45A Odd jobs); ESTHER (50A Old Testament book); and RESEAT (53D Move to first class, e.g.)

For the purpose of solving the puzzle's three-letter-word-in-a-square device, I didn't notice any clue, other than the author's name spanning the center of the grid, and the inability of ATHENS and SMOLDER to fit into the alloted number of squares, but once I wrote in THE followed by OLD, the remainder of the title, which is perfectly symmetrical in the grid, reeled in the remainder of the solution of this very inventive and enjoyable Thursday crossword puzzle.

Spencer Tracy in the film "The Old Man and the Sea", 1958

The construction of the puzzle including the aforementioned entries and the remaining entries of the puzzle could well be self-described -- SPLENDID (20A "Jolly good!") and BOFFO (5A Terrif)! Seaworthy entries also include STERNS (42D Rears); CAREFREE (4D Happy-go-lucky); EAU (56D Evian or Perrier); TIEUP (40A Occupy); AZORES (26A Home of Sao Miguel Island); and BAIL (48A Throw out water).

TITI (37D South American monkey) makes a return; joining other animals -- BISON (22D Animal on the backs of three state quartrs); EMUS (52D Layers of eggs weighing more than a pound); and llamas (58A).

People along for the cruise include The Three Stooges with two entries, SLAP (2D Part of a Three Stooges shtick) and CURLY (62A A Stooge); CAGNEY (43D Oscar winner for "Yankee Doodle Dandy"); SHUE (10A Andrew of "Melrose Place"); BINET (22A Pioneer in I.Q. testing); HOWE (30A British general in the American Revolution); IAMS (41A Nutritionist Paul who founded a pet food company); EMIL (3D Dr. Skoda of "Law & Order") along with SHRINK (10D 3-Down's profession); HEINE (11D German poet who wrote "Don't send a poet to London"); Mata HARI (25D); GIULIANI (38D Politician who wrote the book "Leadership"); Thom MCAN shoes (51D); WYSS (34D "The Swiss Family Robinson" author Johann); Author ZORA Neale Hurston (27D); BSIDES (5D Elvis's "Hound Dog" and "Anyway You Want Me"); and a BGIRL (48D Old nightclub employee).

"No MAS!" (39A) leads a flotilla of small entries: ASEC, NEE, NAIR, RIGA, FEES, SSW and SSNS, ACME, INST, FER, ORT, SWAT, SAME, REC and RVER (54A Winnebago owner). Floating elsewhere are the larger entries of CHINESE (24A Takeout choice); the etymologically affinitive odd couple EGOTRIP (45A "I"-opening experience?) and EGGTIMER (50A Accessory for many a game); perhaps a Boatel with OMNI (6D Some chain hotels); CHUTES (43A Rodeo sights); OLEAN (47D Ingredient in some potato chips) and RESIN (55A Amber, e.g.); a CLAMP (24D Surgical aid); a FLEUR (29D Part of un jardin); a CHEAP (31D Badly made) CLARO (31A Light-colored stogie); and a FLASK (29A Lab container).

SITAR (42A Pear-shaped instrument) is intersected by STIRS (36D Rouses oneself); which, along with verbiage such as AHEM (26D Faux cough); URGES (12D Presses); GIVES (46D Buckles); RILES (49A Ticks off); and OWNS (28D Fesses [up to]), make for a little music and conversation for the old man and the sea.

-----------------

For today's cartoon, 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.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games

If you subscribe to home delivery of The New York Times you are eligible to access the daily crossword via The New York Times - Times Reader, without additional charge, as part of your home delivery subscription.