01.31.08 -- BREAK

Langland Bay

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Thursday, January 31, 2008

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Puzzle by Paula Gamache, edited by Will Shortz

A note is provided with this crossword puzzle: “The circled letters in the answers to the seven starred clues, reading left to right or top to bottom, spell words that can complete familiar phrases that start with "break."

BREAK is not in the puzzle, and other than being circled letters, neither are the BREAK followers: BREAD, OPEN, WIND, RANKS, APART, FREE, and EVEN. The inter-related entries containing the circled letters have an asterisk preceding the clue -- BRAINDEAD (16A. *Not just stupid); OPIUMDEN (22A. *Setting in Sherlock Holmes’s “The Man with the Twisted Lip”); WITSEND (37A *Perplexed state); RATFINKS (49A. *Informers); APPLETART (59A. *Dessert made from a product of 10-Down); FRUITTREE (10D. *Orchard part); and EVILQUEEN (33D. *Fairy tale meanie).

Quite a volatile group of words -- one can imagine several scenarios utilizing these entries, non-entries, and their clues, but that might best be left to the imagination! PASS (1A. Throw) that all aside and there is yet further fodder in this crossword for the base -- LUST (24A. The hots), LEERS (61A. Satyric looks), AROUSED (15D. Stimulated), “Ich LIEBE dich” (German words of endearment) (58A.) -- Ah! “How foolish OFME!” (46D), I’ll return to my PEW (60D. Church perch)!

Ahem! Seven-letter entries include LAMPOIL (19A. Kerosene); YAOMING (20A. N.B.A. center who has pitched for McDonald’s, Pepsi and Visa); ALUMNAE (54A. Seven Sisters grads); POMPEII (57A. Major Italian tourist site); SLIPUPS (4D. Blunders); WAHINES (37D. Some luau dancers); FLIPTOP (42D. Cigarette box feature); and NAPSTER (23D. Music download source).

“Well, LADIDA!“ (5D) and ATOLLS (45D. Ocean rings) are the six-letter entries. The five-letter entries include SPREE (34A. Shopaholic’s delight); ATRIA (15A. Skylit courts); ROUEN (18A. Where William the Conqueror died); PABLO (1D. Cellist Casals); “That’s AWRAP!” (director’s cry) (2D); SOAMI (3D. “Ditto”); ADELE Hugo, 1975 Isabelle Adjani role based on a real-life story (6D.); ATOMS (9D. Bits); ALIEN (21D. Completely strange); IBIZA (38D. Resort island ESE of Valencia); UMBRA (48D. Planetary shadow); APPLY (50D. Be in force, as a rule), Author Zora NEALE Hurston (51D.); KIRIN (52D. Popular Japanese beer); and SITON (53D. Squelch).

Four-letter entries include ADIN, AFBS, AIRS (29D. Pretense), AMIS, ALLA, ANDY, ANNA, AWOL, BIEN, CELL, FESS, HITE, HWYS, JADE, JOES, LAVA, LIEN, MRES, NOME, ODIE, OLIO, PENN, SANG, STET, and XMAS. Three-letter -- ADV, AOL, DII, EEL, RIM, TAX and VIA (7D. Through).

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Across: 5. It may be found in a cone; 9. Homes for mil. Planes; 13. Object of a manhunt, maybe; 14. Score just before winning; 15. Skylit courts; 18. Where William the Conqueror died; 25. Snow ___; 26. Les Trois Mousquetaires, e.g.; 28. Strain; 31. “Eat at ___”; 35. Canyon part; 36. Daily or weekly, e.g.: Abbr.; 39. 1970s polit. cause; 40. Early sixth-century year; 41. Partner of aids; 42. Come clean, with “up”; 43. Slippery swimmer; 44. “The ___ Report,” 1976 best seller; 45. Co. with a triangular logo; 47. Grill; 62. Sleeper ___; 63. This and that; 64. “Finnegans Wake” wife; 65. Major rtes.; 66. Ivy League school in Philly. Down: 8. Granatelli of auto racing; 11. “Tres ___”; 12. Did a number; 17. 1890s gold rush city; 27. They replaced C rations; 30. Short holiday?; 31. Shade of green; 32. Garfield’s housemate; 34. Put back in; 38. Resort island ESE of Valencia; 54. Milan’s Teatro ___ Scala; 55. Collateral option; 56. Individually.