12.24.07 -- Ho! Ho! Ho!

Mortimer Snerd

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Monday, December 24, 2007

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Puzzle by Mark Sherwood, edited by Will Shortz

Ho! Ho! Ho! Well ain’t this a nice Christmas Eve crossword puzzle -- it's a REDNECK XMAS!

Check it out, PROFESSOR (34D "Nutty" role for Jerry Lewis), we done got ourselves a PICKUPTRUCK (59A Light hauler), yep, we got one of ‘em; we're BORNTORUN (11D Bruce Springsteen’s first hit), jes’ like Uncle Zeke; a PARTYANIMAL (17A One who’s always up for a good time), yer lookin’ at ‘im; CREDITREPORT (27A Background check for a lender), don’t ask, don’t tell; and we're givin' them RAPPERS (32A Jay-Z and Timbaland) LIFEINPRISON (44A Long, long sentence); then thar's my good friends LOTT (48A Mississippi’s Trent) and 66A Edgar Bergen’s Mortimer SNERD!

'Taint all jes' that tho' -- if ya' follow my LINE (52D Word that can follow the starts of 17-, 27-, 44- and 59-Across), y'all gets a party line, credit line, life line, and a pick-up line. If that ain’ t’ yer likin’, thar’s other thangs we got, I WARNS (65A Issues an advisory) ya’!

I’ll be back fer more, just ya’ wait ‘n see!

Across: 1. Doorframe parts; 6. Chinese-born American architect; 11. Be a pugilist; 14. Bide one’s time for; 15. Manicurists’ concerns; 16. Electrical unit; 19. Coastal inlet; 20. Out of bed; 21. TEL Aviv; 22. In the near future; 23. Prefix with -lithic; 24. DEAN of students; 26. President before D.D.E.; 35. Atop, poetically; 36. REO Speedwagon; 37. Horizontally; 38. Musical transitions; 40. “What was ITO do?”; 41. Bulls, rams and bucks; 43. Goes to; 47. “I know what you’re thinking” claim; 49. BlackBerry, e.g., in brief; 54. Illustration, for short; 55. Husband of Isis; 58. April 15 org.; 61. Sgt., e.g.; 62. Didn’t go out for dinner; 63. Gift recipient; 64. Floppy rabbit feature; 65. Issues an advisory.

Down: 1. Where the Pokemon craze originated; 2. Cognizant (of); 3. Nintendo brother; 4. Kibbles ‘n BITS; 5. Eyelid woe; 6. Holiday INN; 7. Drink that often comes with an umbrella; 8. Olive stuffing; 9. Airline to Ben-Gurion; 10. Nantucket, e.g.: Abbr.; 12. Akron’s home; 13. Marvel mutant superhero; 18. Big name in fairy tales; 22. Egyptian viper; 25. Actor Harris and others; 26. Regarding this point; 27. TV’s “CPO Sharkey”; 28. Send again; 29. Place that often has picnic tables; 30. Hollow-stemmed plant; 31. Flip; 32. Fence part; 33. Play’s start; 39. GEN Xers; 42. Worker with genes or film; 43. Bit of land in a river; 45. Superlative suffix; 46. Brenda Lee’s “ROCK Around the Christmas Tree”; 49. Trim, as branches; 50. Kitchen gizmo; 51. Questioned; 53. Killer whale; 54. Sandwich bread; 56. Norms: Abbr.; 57. Fe, to chemists; 59. Furry foot; 60. Little UNS (tots) (and tonight they’re waiting for Santa)!

That's that! I guess we ought be grateful fer the Brenda Lee song, cause the NYT is playin' Scrooge on Christmas this year, here's the only other reference to the occasion other than in the Business Section -- 'TIS THE SEASON.

And now, the chance for a Christmas Evening crossword puzzle is LOST (52A. Unretrievable), or ain't that supposin' t' be irretrievable?!

Don't know, jes' askin'!

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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

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