11.15.07 -- HUH?

Drawing Hands, M.C. Escher

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Thursday, November 15, 2007

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Puzzle by Joe Krozel, edited by Will Shortz

Seven palindromic entries are the main feature of this Thursday crossword --

MUSTSAVEVASTSUM (17A Palindromic thought about preparing to pay down massive debt); PAGEGAWKSATTASKWAGEGAP (combined entries -- 24A With 47-Across, palindromic Senate worker looks with amazement upon job payment inconsistency -- 47A See 24-Across); AERATEPIPETAREA (61A Palindromic plan for freshening part of a lab); KAYAK (28D Vessel in icy waters); ESSE (11D Latin 101 verb); EMME (27D One-named supermodel); and TET (46A Asian holiday).

Some ridiculous palindromic sentences have been constructed and some very good ones -- “Must save vast sum” and “Aerate pipe area” are fairly good, while “Page gawks at task wage gap” falls somewhere in the convoluted area of fabrication for fabrication’s sake.

For more of this nonsense, see HERE, then HERE, and maybe HERE

The four single-word palindromes are ones frequently seen in crossword puzzles, along with the likes of AHA, BIB, BOB, BOOB, CIVIC, DAD, DEED, DID, DUD, DVD, EKE, ERE, EVE, EWE, EYE, GAG, GIG, HAH, HUH, KOOK, LEVEL, MA’AM, MADAM, MOM, MUM, NOON, NUN, PAP, PCP, PEEP, PEP, PIP, POP, PUP, RACECAR, RADAR, REDDER, REFER, REPAPER, REVIVER, ROTATOR, ROTOR, SAGAS, SEES, SEXES, SHAHS, SIS, SOLOS, SOS, STATS, TAT, TENET, TIT, TNT, TOT, TOOT, TUT, WOW, and ZZZ.

The better-known palindrome sentences use fairly common words -- “Madam, in Eden I’m Adam,“ “Able was I ere I saw Elba,“ and “Was it a rat I saw?“ After those are exhausted, we’ll encounter the likes of “Mr. Owl ate my metal worm” or “Neil, a trap! Sid is part alien!“

For those and everything else possible it seems, go HERE

Even Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart gets into the act:

Lord help us if we get too many more of these, we’ll all look like post-war Studebakers!

1947 Studebaker -- many people joked that they could not tell whether this car was coming or going.

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Other stuff: GAMUT (26D Range) and FROMATOZ (52A Completely); ISTHATSO (37D “Really?“) lightly intersected with IGUESS (41A “Um … sure”); LOSEATURN (14A Unlucky board game square) and ABSENTEE (9D Like some ballots); STAREAT (5D Ogle) crossing the GAWK part of (24A); the backward/forward words SMART (50D Feel the pain) (“Trams“); Play to ADRAW (18D) (“Ward A”); NEO (21A Prefix with natal) sharing it’s O with “New O”, a backward OWEN (22D Wilson of “Wedding Crashers”), hope he’s feeling better; REPO (53D Defaulter’s concern) (“Oper.“); EDAM (32A Cheese in a ball) (“Made”); and PSI (62D Tire meas.) (ISP -- Internet Service Provider).

The rest across: 1. Eventful times; 5. Gin flavor; 9. Prince Valiant’s wife; 16. Intoxicate; 19. It might set off a light; 20. Extra winning opportunities; 23. Sea flier; 29. “Is that someone I should know?”; 33. Lemon TEA; 34. Annoy; 36. 1960s singer Terrell; 38. It has M.S.G. in it; 40. Group-mailing aid; 43. Hot tub reaction; 45. Line starter in “Hot Cross Buns”); 50. Seal; 51. Ukraine was one: Abbr.; 56. Michigan is part of it; 63. Boxes; 64. Meeting.

Down: 1. Landmark Newport mansion, with “the”; 2. Womanizer; 3. A.A.A. member?”: Abbr.; 4. Preceders of spikes in volleyball; 6. Cutesy letter closer; 7. Some bank deposits; 8. Is green?; 10. Not bother; 12. Talk up; 13. 20 places?; 15. “ASONG to Remember,” biopic on Frederic Chopin; 24. Minor, at law; 25. Bit of old wisdom; 29. Squeeze out; 31. Ready; 35. Soother; 39. Harsh cries; 42. Cook in a skillet, maybe; 44. Star no more; 48. Drop by; 49. Breakfast serving; 50. Feel the pain; 52. How a painkiller should act; 54. Algerian port; 55. Fan’s publication; 58. Small combo; 59. Fair-hiring org.; 60. Certain iPod -- plus the strangely bracketed clue for 57. [Oh… my … God!] -- it’s GASP…

Yesterday we were regaled with “Whoso diggeth APIT shall fall therein”: Proverbs -- today, 30. Whence the line “They have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind” -- HOSEA.

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