01.12.08 -- KICKSTART!

Saturday, January 12, 2008

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Puzzle by Frederick J. Healy, edited by Will Shortz

KICKSTART seems a fair way to start a crossword and/or a commentary, followed by SPLAT!

However, in the spirit of crossword blogs, I should do a FIRSTTAKE with something like “Frederick Healy's New York Times puzzle’s unexpected letter combinations are MTPOCONO; REALITYTV; MDDEGREE, LTGOV, KCAR”, and then expound upon the writers’ strike, making recommendations, giving admonitions, and indicating my preferences with down-speak like “fave”.

Then I’d say I liked KICKSTART and ROADRAGE, and leave out SPLAT, coyly mention SHEBOP in association with self-abuse and paeanful songs, stating a preference for PEABO. I’d have to mention those tacky SPEEDOS (unassociated with the speedy ROLLERBALL) -- segue into sports with NADIA, PERFECTTEN, SCORER, ORSER, AGASSI, ERNIE, ALLCOMERS, etc.

Mention the E words, like EFILE, ELIE, EDEL, ETNA, etc., then on to favorite clues, maybe "basket maker" (24A.), the twin Shortzesque clues of "record holder" (33A. REGISTRAR and 45D HIFI), and perhaps "curling setting" and "house style".

Question STRAP (Leave in difficulty), then on to food -- RAISINPIE, providing a link for a recipe, eschewing any thought of consumption. Close with an authoritarian remark about ILLE. Try hard to forget yesterday’s maelstrom -- GODEL, BEAK, ASOK, and GMAN!

IGOOFED! There’s no space left for CLEOPATRA, HEROD, KOCH, LANI, ABIE, SHERM, the OREAD, the TADS, and IAN. Even less for ATEST, AERIE, ASNEAR, and ASEPTIC -- scant for PILAF (not Piaf), SALON, SMELTER, RESHIPS, CELS, RAYED, TAS, or RRR (8D. Elementary school trio?) -- and none for SPOILED, DEFIES, WIELD, TAMPERS, CEDED, DEED, or FRI.

Alas, into the ACRID (43D. Sharp) sea of commentary, where I’ve no time left to DIPIN my TOES (14D. Web sites?).

Head on out and KICKSTART the kvetching! May I suggest 29A -- “Laborare est ORARE” (“to work is to pray”) -- now don’t shoot the messenger, the quotation marks are by The New York Times -- so go get ‘em!

Across: 1. Energize; 10. Food fight noise; 15. “Tom Jones” beat it for Best Picture of 1963; 16. Singer Bryson; 17. Cocky competitors might take them on; 18. Star Steeler Stautner; 19. Sends off again; 20. Beards; 21. Not do anything about; 24. Basketmaker?; 28. Touristy resort borough SE of Scranton, Pa.; 32. Christmas story bad guy; 33. Record holder; 34. Writer of a five-volume Henry James biography; 35. Curling setting; 36. Young ‘uns; 37. Much unscripted fare; 39. High hideaway; 40. Acquisition before becoming a resident; 41. Comparatively close; 42. Fits behind the wheel?; 44. 1984 Cyndi Lauper hit; 47. House style; 52. Middle Eastern dish; 53. Recording session starter; 55. Stampless I.R.S. submission; 56. Sultana-stuffed treat; 57. Exercise; 58. Showed.

Down: 1. Plymouth Reliant, for one; 2. River at Rennes; 3. Frames a collector might frame; 4. “Citizen KOCH” (1992 autobiography); 5. Having turned; 6. Monkey; 7. Historically significant trial; 8. Elementary school trio?; 9. Univ. helpers; 10. Small trunks; 11. Achievement by 30-Down that had been previously unattained; 12. Legal scholar Guinier; 13. Rose’s beau on Broadway; 14. Web sites?; 20. Take a bit of one’s savings, say; 22. Place of refinement; 23. State second: Abbr.; 24. Col. Potter on “M*A*S*H,” to pals; 25. Turned over; 26. Mountain nymph; 27. Title sport in a 1975 James Caan film; 30. Big name at the 1975 Olympics; 31. 1987 world figure skating champion; 33. Having spokes; 35. Leave in difficulty; 38. Acknowledgment on a slip; 39. Sterile; 41. 1994 U.S. Open winner; 43. Sharp; 44. Shoot out; 45. Record holder; 46. Designer Saab; 48. View from Catania; 49. Hands are under one: Abbr.; 50. Steinbeck figure; 51. Title; 53. Many workers look forward to it: Abbr.; 54. Golfer Woosnam.

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