11.02.07 -- Caveat emptor!

Detail of colored etching and aquatint, "Christie's Auction Room", by Thomas Rowlandson & Augustus Charles Pugin from The Microcosm of London, Volume 1 (London: R. Ackerman, 1810). Photographic Services & Permissions
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Friday, November 2, 2007

Click here for LARGE PRINT.

Puzzle by Barry C. Silk, edited by Will Shortz
Picture, if you will, the AUCTIONEER (55A Block head?) with the remains of the day -- it's his job to dress these items up with a hopefully appealing description and then hold the open outcry auction in hopes of enriching the estate. In this case, our items appear to be from a dead puzzle constructor, and it's clues are all hustle and bustle -- caveat emptor!

The best stuff has already gone out the door this week and what‘s left has been dressed up real pretty to sell; here’s the clues being pitched by our tireless hucksters from the puzzle department at the Times -- first let’s get the easy-movers out of the way:

We’re going across, who’ll give me 1. He had a hit with “The Joint Is Jumpin’”; one, I got one, who’ll give me, fifteen -- 15. First #1 hit by the Beach Boys; 17. City on the Transcontinental Railroad; 21. Taylor of Mystic Pizza”; 28. One of a primer pair; 34. El relative, it's a LOS; 43. Premium chargers, briefly, we got HMOS; 44. Like a well-maintained SEEDED lawn; 46. NON- Discriminatory leader?; 50. Fermentation locations; 53. 19th-century territorial capital; 57. Delivery possibility, it's a GIRL!; 58. Committed a sports no-no; sold!

Going down: 1. Internet Explorer alternative, give me FIREDOG or FIREFOX, who’ll give me 2. Facial feature, later in life, do I have a WRINKLE?, no?; do I have three?; 3. Carpenter, at times; 7. Hippie happenings; 8. African city of 2.5+ million founded by the Portuguese; 9. Infinite; 10. Food figs.; 11. Hanging setting, I have a WALL, who’ll give me a bid on the WALL?; check your 12. Big name in credit reports; and it’s 13. Greyhounds may run in it; we got 14. Wilde things?; 23. “See ya!”; and over here 30. They’re known for head-turning; do I have a 35. Fictional doctor; 36. “This is no joke!”; ho! We got 38. It was first observed in 1846; and 41. Group that starred in the 1968 film “Head,” with “the”; give me 45. Establishes; how about 51. Target of heavy W.W. II bombing, 1944; 52.That SAID…”; let’s be 53. Comfortable; this is no 56. Discount designation: Abbr. -- thank you, ladies and gentlemen, now for the best of the rest of the lot!
Sotheby’s -- antique pieces from RKO, used in dozens of films, but most notably in “Citizen Kane”.

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Caveat emptor: Going across again, we got 11. Signs of neglect; 16. Like the sea; 18. Some people have it for life; 19. Not do the rite thing?; 20. Requests for developers: Abbr.; 22. Some cabbage; 23. Dwell; 24. Much; and we’re going to take ONE STEP AT A TIME (25, 52 and 39); do I get 26. Potentate; over there for 29. They’re not originals; 31. Materials used as inert paint fillers; 33. Best people; not asking for a ZILLION but we get it from 35. Whole slew of; 47. What “y” might become, that'll be IES; 48. Driver on a ranch; 49. It’s found in a chest; 54. Organs are located in it: Abbr.; 59. Due and sei; what am I bid for 60. Succulent African shrub popular as a bonsai, sold! -- going down: 4. They’re located on organs; 5. Draw to a close, we're beginning to WANE; 6. It may come after you -- ARE?; 26. Year of St. Genevieve’s death, everyone knows, we bid DXII, and I'm not whistling "Dixie"; 27. Pitching TILTED; 28. JEST in Fun; 32. Basketful, we got a LOAD of items; 37. Letter writing, some say, oh is it ever a LOSTART!; 39. One taken in; 40. Like some surgery; 42. Match-starting cry; and as the last of the lot, we got a 49. Challenge for a shortstop -- sold to the solver with the death grip on the pen!
This Auction service is essentially provided to you free of charge, "as is" subject to the following disclaimer which may be updated from time to time without notice to you in addition to the overall DISCLAIMER.

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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
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