12.03.07 -- Mighty Mouth

The Aphrodite

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Monday, December 3, 2007

Click here for LARGE PRINT.

Puzzle by Harvey Estes, edited by Will Shortz

Strong, mighty and potent comprise the relationship between three entries -- STRONGLANGUAGE (20A Profanity, e.g.,); MIGHTYAPHRODITE (36A 1995 Woody Allen comedy); and POTENTPOTABLES (49A Classic “Jeopardy!” category).

These three entries could be an indication of a lost weekend for the hard-driven worker returning to the grind this Monday.

This crossword is an admirable one for the first day of the week which is supposedly the easy one for the week. It is composed of fresh and interesting entries with fair clues and enough standard material to satisfy anyone not ready for the week.

Woody's Aphrodite

After the lengthy 20A, 36A and 49A inter-related entries, there are two 10-letter unrelated entries, LARGEPRINT (11D Easily read type) and TIGERWOODS (27D Golfer named A.P. Male Athlete of the Year four times) -- two 8-letter entries, MONOLITH (4D Monument carved from a single stone) and DIRTBIKE (38D Off-road two-wheeler).

No sevens, but eight sixes, DOTIME (25A Sit behind bars); SARTRE (45A “No Exit” playwright); ÉMIGRÉ (5D Settler from a foreign land); ORGANS (10D Church hymn accompaniers); NAMATH (21D Football’s Broadway Joe); SONATA (34D Beethoven specialty); GETSET (43D Gird oneself); and SITARS (45D Indian instruments).

Outside of the four-letter words, a majority of entries are of five letters: COLAS (9A Pepsi and RC) and COALS (6D Snowman‘s eyes) (anagrams); ORALS (16A Face-to-face exams); EGRET (19A White-plumed wader); LORNE (24A “Bonanza” star Greene); EVITA (32A Madonna title role); RAGES (33A Flies off the handle); HEIST (40A Bank robber’s job); Dressed to the NINES (41A); WEARS (46A Becomes frayed); ROOST (54A Henhouse perch); OLDEN (57A From days of yore); ZESTA (60A Saltine brand); COEUR de Lion, epithet for Richard I (9D); GONER (22D Dead duck); DEMOB (25D Brit’s service discharge); OVINE (26D Sheeplike); LAPSE (28D Senior moment, e.g.); UTTER (30A Pure-and-simple); REESE (31D Witherspoon of “Walk the Line”); YEARN (37D Have a hankering); AETNA (47D Prudential rival); and MOLAR (48D Grinding tooth).

In support of STRONGLANGUAGE, the four letters words are ATOM, ECON, LIMO, MOLE, ALAN, IAGO, LARS, SPUR, BERG, MITT, OLLA, IONA, REAR, KNOW, MARS (61A Home of the Invaders in Wells's "The War of the Worlds"), EELS, ALAS, TILT, OMAR, OLGA, ALEE, POLE, PLEA, the anagrams LONE & ENOL, and lastly SAWS.

Finally, a meek squeak from just six three-letter entries -- LIN, RTE, ANE, ONE, SST and ROZ.

O.K., let’s get to work!

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