The New York Times Crossword in Gothic: 2007

The Last Sunset of 2007

The Last Sunset of 2007, Fire Island, NY, 12.31.07 - 4:38 p.m., photograph by Donald

12.31.07 -- On the Job!

Monday, December 31, 2007

Puzzle by Lynn Lempel, edited by Will Shortz

After a weekend from the New York Times that issued a bruising and brutal cold-hearted Saturday crossword puzzle from Bob Klahn (who of us will soon forget, golconda, peripeteia, ochlocracy and xantippe?), followed by a delightful warm-hearted Frosty the Snowman puzzle by Elizabeth C. Gorski on Sunday, regular solvers are left with little to do but tuck the collective tips of their medullae oblongatae between their shanks and skulk off in appreciation for an end-of-the-year crossword which presents little humor or challenge.

For the gory details, read the two assessments at The JimH Crossword Blog -- The Saturday Bob Klahn puzzle stinks and Elizabeth C. Gorski wraps up the year again. Jim says it all -- and while you’re at it, check out his companion blog -- XWord Info -- a great crossword puzzle archive for the entire past year and beyond!

With a last gasp, Father Time and Lynn Lempel bring the year to a close in the form of the final NYT puzzle of 2007, swiping it across the cranium to SOOTHE (22A Relieve) the perplexed grey matter after a horrendous Saturday and a humorous Sunday.

On the job! BLOODTYPING (10D Pre-transfusion procedure); NAMECALLING (25D Some verbal abuse); IRONFILING (17A A magnet attracts it in a physics experiment); and TOPBILLING (57A Star’s marquee position), along with (or for) CPAS (54A Inspectors of fin. Books) make this a Monday office worker’s special!

Plus, we get classic twin Shortzesque clues for NOTAWHIT (43A Zilch) and NADA (52A Zilch) -- the year’s last! This crossword SPLITSUP (28A Divorces) THEMET (32A Locale for a York diva) and her ARIA (15A Diva’s song) with a SPLAT (39A Tomato-hitting-the floor sound) of an EXIT (34D Escape route) from EDEN (60A Genesis garden) on the SKIDS (going to pot)(1D) with SCADS (1A Oodles) of SIN (8D Envy or gluttony) and WOE (44D Misery) -- OUI (23D “Yes, madame”), we ate the tomato!

Counting down to the New Year:

8-letter entries include SAFETIES (5D Two-point plays in football) and SPIRALED (39D Shot up, as inflation);

7-letter entries, SLANTED (24A At a tilt), CARGOES (47A Freighters’ freights), TAGSALE (9D Event before moving), and CHORTLE (41D Gleeful laugh);

6-letter entries, ANGLER (51A One with a hook, line and sinker), SPIELS (42A Sales pitches);

5-letter, KOREA (14A Seoul’s land), HEXES (37A Jinxes), EATIN (62A Have a meal at home), DOSES (65A Medicinal amounts), CORAL (2D Deep pink), AROMA (3D Enticing smell), VALID (6D Legitimate), INERT (18D Lifeless), SWAMI (42D Hindu teacher), OMITS (48D Skips), ERNIE (49D Old TV comic Kovacs) (actually, he’s more dead than old), and SIGNS (50D Leo and Libra).

4-letter, ABET, ARID, BALI, BLEW, COIN, COMA, EACH, ELSA, ENID, ERIC, GLEN, HERO, LAUD, LEAH, LENT, LIAR, LOON, LPGA, ONCE, PETS, SOLE, TANG, THEN, URAL, VAST, WHEE, and YORE (36A Olden times).

3-letter, AGE, AIR, CON, DAM, DEN, DEN, MRI, and last but not least WIN (Carry the day)!

Did Lynn say WIN! In the event you think that I’ve taken this puzzle thing too seriously, two bloggers have taken on the hubristic task of handing out awards this year! Seriously! On January 4, 2008, the American Crossword Critics Association (ACCA) - which is just Amy Renaldo (Orange of Diary of a Crossword Fiend) and Michael Sharp (Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle) - will be handing out their Best of 2007 Crossword Puzzle Awards, with five categories -- so, roll out the red carpet! …or is it orange!

3...2...1... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

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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

12.30.07 -- The Adorable Snowman

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Click here for LARGE PRINT.

WINTER FIGURE, Puzzle by Elizabeth C. Gorski, edited by Will Shortz

This Sunday delight is headed by the note: The 16 circled letters, starting in square #4 and proceeding roughly counterclockwise, ending at #38, will spell the opening lyric of a popular song. Well, if you’re reading this, you’ve either solved the puzzle or I’ve ruined your fun!

Fun it is too! Intelligent and frivolous! While the diagram (or "grid", as some prefer) is a bit clunky with its black squares roughly (hold it a distance from the eyes) outlining a snowman; however, the circled-squares do so with much more finesse -- the top hat at the top of the diagram gives a top-heavy look to the puzzle, taking one aback at very first glance. I thought, “who’s going to wear that to a New Year’s party?” -- EVENTS (145A. New Year‘s Eve parties, e.g.) -- and then discerned a coal-like outline of a snowman -- so like a SERF (144A Lord‘s worker) or VASSAL (90A Lord‘s worker), (so Shortzesque!), proceeded to solve this romp in the snow.

The 16 circled letters, as you know by now, whether through your own imperturbation or the less subtle machinations of this commentary spell out F R O S T Y T H E S N O W M A N. I couldn’t resist putting little baby Frostys into the grid instead of the letters -- too much free time? Why no! If people can go out and roll snow into big balls, stack them, stick objects into the result, e.g., coal, carrots, pipes, whatever, place a hat on top -- 107A. Provider of an old silk hat, e.g. (as depicted at the top of this puzzle) = HABERDASHER -- or even wrap a scarf around it, stick twigs into it to indicate appendages, and give it a broom, then my efforts at continuing the tradition with this entertaining cyber-snowman construction is not so outrageous that I need to seek analysis, or is it?!

Onward -- after “FROSTY, THE SNOWMAN” is 3D. Lyric, part 2, after “Was a”, JOLLYHAPPYSOUL; 134A Lyric, part 3, after “With a” CORNCOBPIPE; 16D Lyric, part 4, ANDABUTTONNOSE; 114A Lyric, part 5, ANDTWOEYESMADEOUTOFCOAL. So to beat this to death, the following:

Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul,

With a corncob pipe and a button nose

And two eyes made out of coal.
Frosty the snowman is a fairy tale, they say,

He was made of snow but the children

Know how he came to life one day.

There must have been some magic in that

Old silk hat they found.

For when they placed it on his head

He began to dance around.

O, Frosty the snowman

Was alive as he could be,

And the children say he could laugh

And play just the same as you and me.

Thumpetty thump thump,

Thumpety thump thump,

Look at Frosty go.

Thumpetty thump thump,

Thumpety thump thump,

Over the hills of snow.

I feel like such a child! Well, let me tell you, as a child, we had a blizzard that closed the whole town down for nearly a month, nothing came in, nothing went out. Could not touch the window panes as they were something of a cross between glass and ice upon to which one’s hands would adhere as if with crazy glue. We bundled up ala Eskimo to sleep at night, and yet during the day, we did -- yes, we built a huge snowman, which spent the good part of the winter evolving with the weather, vandalism, repairs, smack dab in the middle of the front yard, where it terrorized the neighborhood for months!

Across: 1. Land of 300+ islands; 5. Not straight; 10. Words: Abbr.; 15. Eclipse feature; 19. Borodin’s “Prince IGOR”; 20. N.F.L. team for which Barry Sanders played; 21. “Dancing With the Stars” winner APOLO Ohno; 22. Shortly; 23. Wright wings; 24. Playwright Fugard; 25. Not familiar with; 26. Nuptial exchange; 27. Shed some light on? 29. Deli offering; 31. Artificial heat?; 32. Pull; 40. Like some folders; 41. Cadaverous; 42. Class in factories; 44. Oil by the barrel; 45. Photographer Adams; 47. Avalons, e.g.; 48. Have ANOUT (be innocent, maybe); 50. Date with a Dr.; 52. No fancy threads; 54. Piece of soap; 56. Poker great Ungar and others; 59. Breaches; 60. Gets a move on; 63. Rain forests and grasslands, e.g.; 65. R.N.’s locale; 66. Ice cream maker Joseph; 67. Clarinetist’s purchase; 68. Scatter; 70. Smidgen; 72. Cultural funding org.; 73. “ITSNO big deal!”; 75. 13; 78. Dec. holiday plans?; 80. Pump room?; 82. Five min. periods, maybe; 83. A wee hour; 85. Without slack; 86. “Jurassic Park” actress; 88. Advantages; 90. Lord’s worker; 91. Part of R.S.V.P.; 92. Cen. Parts; 54. Yule LOG; 95. No longer working: Abbr.; 96. Bourg’s department; 97. Before, in verse; 98. Ginger treats; 100. Cole Porter’s “You Don’t Know PAREE”; 102. Hitches; 104. Fraternity letters; 110. Rugged wheels, briefly; 119. Rustic setting; 120. Ear-relevant; 121. State one’s views; 122. J.F.K. alternative; 123. “The Oath” author Frank; 125. Horizontal molding pieces; 131. Wolves; 133. Mountain ridge; 137. Contents of some scrolls; 138. Kind of track; 140. Wound (up); 141. Herbal tea; 142 Loses ground?; 143. Crawl (with); 144. Lord’s worker; 145. New Year’s Eve parties, e.g.; 146. Wood measure; 147. OSLO Accords; 148. News agency started in 1925.

I’ll dispense with the downs, so the snowman stays up as long as possible! -- with the exception of 1. FIESTA (Holiday Party); 2. IGLOOS (Homes that may have tunnel entrances); 58. SPARKLE (What icicles do); 118. FESTIVE (Holidayish); and 126. ANGEL (Harpist, of sorts) -- something else to do with the snow!

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For a festival of snowman cartoons, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games

Down: 1. Holiday party; 2. Homes that may have tunnel entrances; 4. Cheater hunters, maybe; 5. French chief Ducasse; 6. Luxuriousness; 7. One who can’t have everything?; 8. Rocker Brian; 9. Certain computer connection, briefly; 10. Sliding door place; 11. “Set ___ the doors, O soul”: Whitman; 12. Forage plant; 13. Sask. Neighbor; 14. Leg up; 15. Snarl unsnarled; 17. Arose; 18. Kind of kick; 28. Giant successes?’ 30. Shell food?; 33. “I beg to differ!”; 34. “Kiss my grits” lady; 35. Writer Willy who popularized space flight; 36. ___ -Aztecan language; 37. “Have some!”; 38. Second Amendment advocacy grp.; 39. “The ____ Kid”; 42. Part of many a test; 43. “Here!”; 46. Highlands tongue; 49. Cardinal’s home; 50. Favorers of the young; 51. Dish with stir-fried rice noodles; 53. “Passion” director; 55. French treaty city of 1802; 57. Accord of 1985?; 58. What icicles do; 61. Literary inits.; 62. Bully; 63. It may be fit for a king; 64. 1945 battle site, for short; 67. Long Island Rail Road station; 69. Alphabet trio; 71. Esoteric; 74. End up with; 76. Fall (over); 77. “The ____ Cat” (Tom and Jerry short); 79. Pacino and others; 81. Banks on a runway; 84. Horace contemporary; 87. Bobstays, e.g.; 89. Kyle ___, “The Terminator” hero; 93. Globular; 96. When the show must go on; 98. Grounded flier; 99. “Don’t ____ words!”; 101. Dietary abbr.; 102. Start another tour; 103. Animal pouch; 104. Feel one’s way around?; 105. High-hats; 106. Timid words; 108. Places for tolls; 109. 1986 Gene Hackman film; 111. Not narrow; 112. Tramps; 113. ½ and 1/3 parts; 115. Sprinkler; 116. Heavily sedated; 117. ___ trial basis; 118. Holidayish; 124. “Revolutionary” piece by Chopin; 126. Harpist, of sorts; 127. Nobody; 128. Visitor’s sleeping spot, maybe; 129. “So ____ be on my way / in the early morning’ rain” (Gordon Lightfoot lyric); 130. Sleep problem; 132. Old Testament prophet; 135. Dr. Octavius, Spiker-Man foe; 136. Some E-mail attachments; 139. Legal conclusion?; 141. Shatner’s “ ___ War”

12.29.07 -- Peripeteia Lost

Illustration for Paradise Lost, Gustave Dore

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Saturday, December 29, 2007

Click here for LARGE PRINT.

Puzzle by Bob Klahn, edited by Will Shortz

A dozen ten-letter entries in sets of three occupy the four corners of this puzzle with no regard to rhyme or reason.

Upper left: BUBBLEBATH (1A Modesty preserver, in some films) is an odd-ball description. OPERASERIA (15A Old form of Italian musical drama) on the other hand is fairly straightforward, as is ADVANCEMEN (17A Public appearance preparers).

Upper right: WINTERTIDE (12D End-of-year festival) is timely, especially in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. ANDYROONEY (13D “Common Nonsense” author, 2002) and STOLENCARS (14D Insurance Institute for Highway Safety concern) finish off this corner.

Lower left: HASAGOATIT (24D Tries something) was a very fair definition, as was the clue for OCHLOCRACY (25D Mob rule); however, a word not often used in day-to-day conversation, while the simple entry BOOTLEGGER (26D One running for work?) wanted to be VOTEGETTER, or anything else that could come to mind.

Lower right: PERIPETEIA (48A Unexpected turn of events, as in a literary work) is a word I haven’t seen in a quarter of a century. While PLATEGLASS (51A See-through sheets) is very common, the clue is opaque; and finally, EIGHTEENTH (53A Grant’s position in presidential history) is just a matter of enumeration.

After the ten-letter entries, eight eight-letter entries ensue: TOYSTORY (19A Pixar’s first feature-length film); BRASSARD (4D Uniform armband); HANDOUTS (10D Fliers, e.g.); FOURIRON (27A It has a smaller degree of loft than a mashie); XANTIPPE (32D Scolding wife: Var.); MISTITLE (33D Handle incorrectly?); GOLCONDA (37A Rich mine or other source of great wealth); and BAPTISMS (43A Initiations).

The center portion of the crossword was a bit tricky -- I wanted XERES to be JEREZ (which it is, but not today); WITTY, LUSTY, PALMS, PROMS; NOTES, NOSES (I’m not kidding); kept thinking of June Allyson in the The Shrike instead of XANTIPPE, and was totally unfamiliar with GOLCONDA, wallowing around in a seeming quagmire in the middle of the puzzle, at which time my computer froze!

When everything was “back to normal” (unnecessary quotes necessary for emphasis), I had a clean slate and left out my beloved mish mash of a center, entering only FIRMA (27D Latin land descriptor). Thereon, the computer was so slow, I just stared at blanks awaiting to type until I was allowed to do so! If I didn’t have a blog, I’d had quit right then and there!

Finally, I printed what I had and completed it by hand -- and while I was somewhat perturbed, I’m sure this would have sent the crossword speed-freaks to their analysts, no matter what the time of night!

The remainders, Across: 11. “TWAS wondrous pitiful”: “Othello”; 16. “AINT Nobody” (1983 Chaka Khan hit); 18. Introduction to Chinese?; 20. Finger or toe; 22. Mass appeals: Abbr.; 23. You may be lost in the middle of it (remind you of anyone?); 24. McKinley’s first vice president; 28. Cupule’s contents; 29. Sparkling; 30. List in a book’s front: Abbr. (what sensible individual uses TOC anywhere? Maybe TIC, TAC, or TICK TOCK, but Table of Contents -- if someone every says "read the TOCs", I’ll slap them!); 31. Like racehorses (wanted this to be FAST); 32. Spanish city that gave sherry its name (now is that a for-real clue?); 33. MINA Harker, heroine of “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”; 34. Rocket datum: Abbr.; 35. Where to pick up dates?; 36. Fall production; 37. Rich mine or other source of great wealth; 39. Shuffles; 40. Margay cousins; 41. Siege site; 42. Mountain sheep; 47. Graffitists’ scrawls; 50. Puts away; 52. Banks of note.

Down: 1. Shell, e.g., 2. Hair-raiser?; 3. Bunch; 5. You can make light of it (“The Tell-Tale Heart” flickered in my memory); 6. Squire (as a verb); 7. Draft picks (not military); 8. Private group (military); 9. Even numbers; 11. Meditative exercise; 21. Catawampus (it’s AWRY -- what?!); 23. Scoring units; 27. Latin land descriptor; 29. Joins; 35. Price-manipulating group; 36. Retinue; 38. Top-of-the-line; 39. Rug rat ; 41. It may be blind; 43. Gasconade (for a simple word like BRAG?!); 44. Name equivalent to Hans or Ivan; 45. Tear up (long “e”); 46. Military band (who wears those?); and 49. Father of Hophni and Phinehas, in the Bible -- it’s ELI, for the love of heaven!

So, this report comes crashing to an end! This clever crossword puzzle ate my computer and left me speechless -- peripeteia lost!

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For today’s cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games

12.28.07 -- Alphabet Soup

Friday, December 28, 2007

Click here for LARGE PRINT.

Puzzle by John Farmer, edited by Will Shortz

Whatever can be said or not said about this crossword puzzle, it is full of seldom-seen entries accompanied by brutal cluing. Additionally, every letter in the alphabet is included -- some would call it a pangram, which it is not; but it could be called pangramish, which is about as clumsy a definition as possible outside of perhaps an alphabet soup. The very symmetrical diagram (or grid), with its double-cross and anchored edges is an attractive one at which to gaze!

The 15-square LANDOCALRISSIAN (14A Sci-fi character whose name is an anagram of CAROLINA ISLANDS) and MEMBERSOFTHEBAR (53A Some licensed practioners); with the 14-square entries, JENNIFER LOPEZ (11A Singer with the #1 hit “All I Have“) and QUICKBROWNFOX (56A Exercise animal?) utilize most of the alphabet with the exception of V, Y, and G, which can be plucked from VALOR (43D Pluck); POTSY (57A Hopscotch); and OMEGA (26D Corinthian conclusion).

Rarefied definitions coupled with unusual entries make any puzzle more difficult, and today’s crossword is replete:

Across: 1. Algonquian Indian tribe; 6. Went sniggling; 16. Otoscope user, for short; 17. Have quite enough for; 18. MedWatch agcy.; 21. Chalon-sur-SAONE, France; 22. “The Da Vinci Code” priory; 23. “Half ALOAF … “; 25. Bygone Ford; 26. Place to find a C-note?; 27. Climber’s support; 29. Indian pastries; 31. DON Herbert, TV’s Mr. Wizard; 32. 100 qintars; 33. Hands out; 37. Constellation between Cygnus and Pisces; 41. They’re plucked; 42. Bird: Prefix; 44. Star ANISE; 45. “ASET of Six” (Joseph Conrad story collection); 46. “A parlor utensil for subduing the impenitent visitor”: Ambrose Bierce; 48. 1950s British P.M.; 49. Mooring site; 50. Stuffed with cheese, in Mexican cooking; 52. D-Day arena: Abbr.; 58. Tough to dig into, as soil.

Down: 1. Notice; 2. Home of many of 1-Across: Abbr.; 3. A long time in Lisbon; 4. Fuchsite and alurgite; 5. Assuming even that; 6. They’ll give you the run-around; 7. Illuminati; 8. Place, e.g.; 9. 7-in. platters; 10. More than exalts; 11. Sound of change; 12. Mr. Rosewater in Kurt Vonnegut’s “God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater”; 13. “Butterfly” actress, 1981; 14. Clear the way to; 15. Some babysitters; 20. South Beach, e.g.; 22. Northwest tribe; 24. 2004 Sondheim musical, with “The”; 28. Country INN; 30. It can fill a yard; 33. Elevator button; 34. 1968 hit whose title is repeated three times with “Oh” and then again after “Baby I love you”; 35. Make hot; 36. Passes effortlessly; 37. Miss badly; 38. Seaman in a ceremonial honor guard; 39. Excise on some out-of-state purchases; 40. Mr. abroad; 46. Extra benefits; 47. When a football may be hiked; 50. Geom. Figure; 51. “This is disastrous!”; 54. Pulitzer category, briefly; 55. Red EFT (young amphibian).

Last, but not least -- TGIF (19A “I’m ready for the weekend!”)!

Pegasus - Red flying horse used as the winged mascot for the Exxon Mobil Corporation.

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For today’s cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games

12.27.07 -- The Letter "C"

From the Mannerist alphabet, designed and engraved by I. Paulini

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Thursday, December 27, 2007

Click here for LARGE PRINT.

Puzzle by Jim Leeds, edited by Will Shortz

Five inter-related entries, by addition of the letter "C" to the beginnings of "oral exam", "on the lookout", "Old Folks At Home", "oil paintings", and "ovenware", convolutedly clued for the resulting CORALEXAM (17A. Certain marine biologist’s test?); CONTHELOOKOUT (23A. One way to get into a gang’s headquarters?); COLDFOLKSATHOME (35A. Eskimos in an igloo?); COILPAINTINGS (Pictures of Slinkys?); and COVENWARE (57A. Witches’ pots, pans, etc.?). I find this kind of cunning linguistics not entirely to my taste, as a single letter, in this case "C", becomes evident only upon uncovering at least two, maybe three of the conceits, requiring the solver to slog through five coyly-clued unamusing smarmy entries with perverted definitions. At least yesterday’s puzzle had three letters, e.g., "NYC"!

OCEAN (37D. Triton's realm) and SEA (4D. Triton's realm) are an excellent Shortzesque twin-clued pair of entries.

Longer entries: BIRDCALLS (3D. Coos and hoots); WOLFSBANE (32D. Poisonous flower); RIBROAST (9D. Beef cut); and FARPOINT (36D. Utmost distance from the eye at which an image is clear); followed by CRESTS (22A. Tops); ALERTS (5D. Red lights and flares); LEAVES (26A. Splits); PANFRY (43A. Prepare trout, in a way); PINEAL (43D. Kind of gland); and ASSOON (51A. Part of A.S.A.P.).

A raft of interesting four-letter entries give a bit of difficulty in the upper right and lower left corners -- RAKES (9A. Casino equipment); AWEEK (10D. Hebdomadally); KELSO (11D. Five-time Horse of the Year, 1960-64); COPRA (22D. Dried coconut meat); CAUSA finalis (purpose, in law); (45D.); OSTAR (46D. Massive, very hot celestial orb); ISERE (47D. French frigate that carried the Statue of Liberty to the U.S.); LORAN (48D. Nautical acronym). Less troublesome four-letter entries are SIXTH (6D. Musical interval); PEASE pudding (British dish) (7D.); "If IWERE you ..." (16A.); BELIE (19A. Gainsay); ERITU (12D. Verdi opera); along with its anagram UTERI (56A. Wombs); "What SEEST thou?" (biblical query) (13D.); BOERS (30A. 'Breaker Morant" people); ACIDS (40A. Stomach contents); LOESS (25D. Windblown deposit); BLINI (30D. Thin pancakes); SARAN (59A. Cling Plus brand); TEVYE (60D. "Fiddler on the Roof" role); NOONE (49D. Who has won an Oscar for Best Actor three times); and "ARENT we all?" (62A.).

The Statue of Liberty Arrives in New York Harbor on the Isere.
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Four letters -- ABIE, ALEX, AMER, ANON, ANYA, ARTS, ASPS, EGON, EROS, FACT, FOBS, JESS, HANG, LANE, LEGS, LIEU, LUCE, OBOE, OENO, OVID, PEEL, OBOE, OVID, SEXY, SNOG, and UGLI.

Three letters -- CAP, ENS, OKD, OPA, REN, SUM, TED, and WSJ.

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For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games

Across: 1. Palms (off on); 5. Egyptian symbols of royalty; 14. “____ the Agent” (old comic strip); 15. Lieu; 20. ___ Kooser, former U.S. poet laureate; 21. Cultural stuff; 28. F.D.R. agcy.; 29. Wrinkly fruit; 32. Lived; 39. Many a person on the U.S.S. Enterprise: Abbr.; 41. “’Starts With F’ for a thousand, ___ “; 42. Cartoon pooch; 52. Prefix with -phile; 53. ___ canto; 60. Novelist Seton; 61. Kiss in Kensington; 63. Zest; 64. 1910s heavyweight champ ___ Willard. Down: 1. “Is that a ___?”; 2. Poulenc’s “Sonata for ___ and Piano”; 8. Arithmetic exercise; 18. Word with bus or memory; 24. Poet who wrote “At night there is no such thing as an ugly woman”; 26. Time-honored name; 27. Expressionist Schiele; 31. Let pass; 33. Western Hemisphere abbr.; 34. Hot; 38. Not be resolved; 44. Like most adages: Abbr.; 54. Carrier of a bow and arrows; 55. Stamina; 57. Climax; 58. Financial paper: Abbr.

12.26.07 -- NYC

Singer Building at Night, Charles Vezin (1858-1942)

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Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Click here for LARGE PRINT.

Puzzle by Jim Page, edited by Will Shortz

NYC (38A. Song from 65-Across that’s hidden in 20- and 54-Across and 10- and 35-Down) and ANNIE (65A. Hit Broadway musical based on a comic strip); along with TONYCURTIS (20A. “The Defiant Ones” co-star, 1958); JOHNNYCAKE (54A. Cornmeal dish often served with maple syrup); FUNNYCIDE (10D. 2003 Kentucky Derby winner); and PONYCARTS (35D. Vehicles at a petty zoo), are the inter-related entries of this Wednesday crossword.

A pleasant puzzle with fairly equal-sized entries. However, I don’t much care for groups of ten-letter entries serving the purpose of a three-letter inter-related reference, and Tony Curtis, Johnny Cake (sounds like two thespians), along with the equestrian Funny Cide and pony carts entries, are no exception. They just land with a thud and seem lifeless. A little less lifeless, probably due to their being autonomous of any inter-relationship, are the eight-letter CANNABIS (40A. Hashish source), recently in the NYT puzzle as REEFER; and SET PIECE (36A. Movie chase scene, e.g.) followed by four seven-letter entries, DISCMAN (28A. Sony music player introduced in 1984); ARGYLES (43A. Some socks); MESSKIT (8D. Not backing); and BEIJING (41D. 2008 Olympics host).

Six-letter entries, CLOROX (6D. Bleach brand); ASPENS (26D. Quakers in the woods); METALS (27D. Most are good conductors); BENOIT (44D. 1984 gold-medalist marathoner Joan); MAPPED (32A. Delineated, with “out”); and KNEADS (42A. Massages).

Five-letter entries, AMISS, RECAP, ELITE, IDIOT (37A. Yo-yo); EDGED; MOLAR, CROPS, ARETE, MELON (2D Deep pink); ICING (3D Hockey no-no), usually defined in relation to cake; SATYR, ROUTS; SHOTS, SCORN; TALON (48D. Kite’s clutcher), thought “child”; OKAPI; and PERSE (50D. As such), which appeared this last Sunday.

Four-letter: CRAM, FAZE, LONE, URAL, OUTS, NIPS, NASA, ENGR, STOP, AQUA, BURR, the nicely contrasting ITOO and NOTI, LIST, ETAS, GEST, SPEC, ANTI, ARIA, ZAPS, ELSA, USED, MICA, ADAR, PING, MEGA, ACED NEDS, ABLE, QUIT, KEEN, STOP, URSA, OTOE, and YMCA, also a song.

Three-letter: KAY, MEX, NIX, DEC, CSI, SEE, SYS, and SOS.

Off to work -- Leapin' Lizards!

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For Annie's first appearance, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

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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. Wrong; 6. Study hard and fast; 10. Faze; 14. Game follow-up; 15. Sole; 16. Orsk’s river; 17. Like Green Beret units; 18. The triple in a triple play; 19. Just beats; 22. Rocket launcher; 23. Many an M.I.T. grad: Abbr.; 24. Brillo rival; 25. The second Mrs. Michael Corleone; 27. Felipe Calderon’s land: Abbr.; 32. Delineated, with “out”; 39. Just beat; 44. Would-___ (aspirants); 45. “___: Miami”; 46. Cross-referencing word; 47. Organ piece; 51. Pale hue; 57. Gore Vidal historical novel; 58. Langston Hughes poem; 59. Back biter?; 60. Not discounted; 61. Terse denial; 62. Trims in Photoshop, e.g.; 63. Itinerary data: Abbr.; 64. Heroic exploit. Down: 1. Glacial ridge; 4. Rakish sort; 5. Something risky to work on; 7. One sided contests; 8. Not backing; 11. Andrea Bocelli delivery; 12. Microwaves; 13. “Lohengrin” role; 21. Hand-me-down; 28. Boxing Day mo.; 29. Prefix with bucks; 30. Nailed; 31. Beatty and others; 32. Easily split mineral; 33. Month after Shevat; 34. Unwelcome auto noise; 36. Part of S.S.S.: Abbr.; 38. Grafton’s “___ for Noose”; 42. Razor-sharp; 46. Scoring attempts; 47. Show contempt toward; 49. Six-foot-tall African animal; 50. As such; 51. Fit for duty; 52. Conk out; 53. “Superman II” villainess; 55. Oklahoma tribe; 56. Workout locale, for short.