10.09.07 -- ELF

Santa’s Workshop -- holiday card, Tri-Sports

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Sunday, December 9, 2007

SECRET SANTA’S HELPERS

Puzzle by Patrick Blindauer, edited by Will Shortz

The Sunday New York Times Magazine arrives out east here with the Saturday paper in the driveway -- did the puzzle at breakfast. Neighbors brought themselves over with their elf, so I gave her a sea green crayon to do up what is labeled as:

“Bonus puzzle: When this crossword has been completed, try to find the word ELF hidden in the grid 20 times, word search-style -- horizontally, vertically and diagonally in any direction.”

How’d she do?

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.

Across: 1. Feed for cattle and horses; 8. River or city of Maine; 12. E-5 in the U.S.A.F.; 16. Fourth steps; 19. Bashes; 20. Control TRAC (four-wheel-drive system); 21. Vessel lost at Pearl Harbor; 22. Piz Bernina or Eiger; 23. Yuletide celebration; 25. Unwavering; 27. Decadent; 28. Clearing; 30. Hindu queen; 31. Not fair at all; 32. Bingo call; 33. Rock group with the 12-time platinum album “Hysteria”; 35. Some martyrs: Abbr.; 36. Gorge; 37. Swiss MISS; 38. Music center?; 39. Weena’s fictional race; 40. Marc Antony’s love; 42. Rolodex abbr.; 44. Like Narcissus; 50. Popular Hispanic newspaper name; 53. Reposeful; 54. Longtime soap actress Jones; 55. “Prince ALI” (“Aladdin” song); 56. Play analyzer; 58. Year England captured Normandy at the Battle of Tinchebray; 59. Kind of sweater; 61. Fully functional; 62. Actor Kilmer; 63. Last time? 66. 1964 Beatles #1 hit; 68. Museum hanging; 69. Employee’s move, for short; 70. Words from a promising individual?; 73. Ye follower; 74. Samoa-to-Hawaii dir.; 75. Spitchcock; 76. Starters; 77. “Bald” baby; 79. Hail; 81. Classic outdoor winter toys; 84. Uganda’s IDI Amin; 85. “Climb EVRY Mountain”; 86. One who-s gone but not forgotten; 87. Mag magnate; 89. DEMI-plie (ballet move); 91. Personnel person; 93. “ECCE homo” (declaration in John 19:5); 97. Bond’s man?; 100. Ltr. Carriers; 101. Quasar co-discoverer Sandage; 102. Pope of 452 who met with Attila; 103. Red-eye cause; 105. Burning; 106. Adam Sandler’s “Spanglish” co-star; 108. Precious cargo of legend; 110. Mythical beast; 111. Seussian villagers; 112. 1988 Cy Young winner Hershiser; 113. Laundry worker; 114. Verb follower?; 115. Kind; 116. Ophthalmologist’s concern; 117. Rolls. Down: 1. Sources of fall color; 2. Light, in a way; 3. Repetitive exclamation from Shakespeare; 4. Sen. Specter and others; 5. “Waiting for LEFTY” (Odets’ play); 6. Bash; 7. Certain flake; 8. Mushroom stems; 9. Silver-colored; 10. Songwriter Sammy; 11. Santa’s reindeer, traditionally; 12. Never-failing; 13. Rickey Henderson record-breaking stat; 14. Beetle juice?; 15. Edward O. THORP, card-counting author of “Beat the Dealer”; 16. Zoological studies; 17. Edits; 18. Words per minute, e.g.; 24. Manx trait; 26. Pin spots; 29. Eliminate; 32. “BEOF good cheer”; 34. Actress Getty; 36. Bolt; 39. Stumbling sounds; 40. 13, for Al; 41. Air; 43. Senior Saarinen; 44. Biblical strongman; 45 Dropping acid, say; 46. Evening person?; 47. Go kaput; 48. First name in court fiction; 49. Hanna-Barbera collectible; 51. Redenbacher of popcorn fame; 52. Hero’s hero; 55. Genesis shepherd; 57. Forces in the water; 59. Grouch; 60. Craft often shown landing on three legs; 61. Old sports org.; 64. Let out; 65. Current with the wind; 66. Metric foot; 67. Geezer; 70. Anatomical duct; 71. Voluptuous; 72. Osaka O.K.; 76. Alley and Toffler; 77. EFOR effort; 78. ALL clear; 80. Towering figure in French engineering; 81. Carrie Chapman Catt, for one; 82. Little wrigglers; 83. Baa maids?; 87. He-Man Woman-HATERS Club (“Little Rascals” group); 88. Link, as fingers of the hands; 90. Key of Dvorak’s “New World” Symphony; 91. “Crimes of the Heart” playwright Beth; 92. Out of gear; 93. Firstborn; 94. John of “Rat Race”; 95. Constellation between Lynx and Hydra; 96. Starts to make a scene?; 97. “Life ISTOO short…”; 98. Brand under AMC Theatres; 99. “We Got the Beat” group; 101. “The Night Café” was painted there; 104. Comic Sahl; 105. Frizzy coif; 107. “Well, what have we here?!”; 109. Big inits. in news.