01.10.08 -- SPY

Matryoshki appear during the credits sequence of John le Carre's television miniseries Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, showing the successive appearance of four dolls, with the fourth doll having no face. In this case, we have a visual cue with the dolls for Russia (as the plot involves Soviet espionage), as well as with the final doll for the unknown mole, a spy who's buried in the deepest.

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Thursday, January 10, 2008

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Puzzle by Elizabeth C. Gorski, edited by Will Shortz

TINKERTOYS (17A. Constructing things); TAILORMADE (23A. Custom); SOLDIERBOY (45A. 1962 #1 hit by the Shirelles); and SPYCAMERAS (59A. Means of remote monitoring) are the inter-related entries constituting the title Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, the JOHNLECARREBOOK (37A. Theme of this puzzle, as hinted at by 17-, 23-, 45- and 59-Across), a spy novel first published in 1974, it is the first book in a three-book series informally known as The Karla Trilogy. The novel's title is from the children's rhyme “Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief." Some of the professions mentioned are used as cryptonyms assigned to the five mole-agent suspects in the novel.

To solve this riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma, our hero, George Smiley (Alec Guiness in the BBC series, pictured below) might need a few clues, perhaps the following:

Across: 1. Country store?; 6. Wrench (from); 10. Jeanne DARC; 14. Father, Son and Holy Ghost; 15. Feminine suffix; 16. Even, to Yves; 19. Don’t; 20. Couples cruise vessel?; 21. ‘50s two-seaters; 25. Some flames; 30. Piccadilly Circus statue; 31. Annoyance, in British slang; 32. Streamlined; 34. Cheer start; 40. Hard-rock filler; 41. Sikorsky and Stravinsky; 42. Citizen of Shiraz; 43. Hosiery hue; 44. Stripped; 51. It’s made up of columns; 58. Part of a camp schedule; 61. Hang ONTO; 62. “.. EREI saw Elba”; 63. Slanted; 64. Org.; 65. Nature; 66. With 46-Down, Ohio State’s JESSE OWENS Memorial Stadium.

Down: 1. Mailing label abbr.; 2. String TRIO; 3. Director Wertmuller; 4. Old cross; 5. Dates; 6. Prefix with fluoride; 7. Edible mushroom; 8. In whatever quantity; 9. Museum specialist; 10. Ranch wear; 11. Outdoor market; 12. Corp. budget item; 13. Like some calls; 22. Burglarized; 24. Oglers’ looks; 25. Californian’s vacation destination, maybe; 26. Sources of hurt feelings; 27. Turkish title; 28. Spigot site; 29. Lobby; 32. Rub, rub, rub; 33. Choreographer Lubovitch; 34. Get into some hot water?; 35. Actress Skye; 36. Start of many an accident;t 38. Departures; 39. Burlesque show wear; 43. Subject of a 1940 biopic starring Spencer Tracy; 45. It was split into two parts by the 1899 Treaty of Berlin; 46. See 66-Across; 47. Stays; 48. Charles BOYER, “Gaslight” star, 1944; 49. Footnote abbr.; 50. House call?; 53. Key of Pachelbel’s Canon: Abbr.; 54. Townshend of the Who; 55. Actress Meyers and others; 56. Square dance partners; 57. City near Padua; 60. Anti anti.

Oh, and of course, RAT (18D. Snitch) -- but who’s telling?

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