Thursday, February 21, 2008
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Puzzle by Peter A. Collins, edited by Will Shortz
“Pecan“, “filbert“, “cashew“, and “almond” are the anagrammatized nuts being referred to by the entry MIXEDNUTS (55A. Party snack [and a hint to this puzzle’s circled letters]); and its inter-related entries, SAUCEPANS (18. Faberware set); FILTERBASKET (22A. Coffee maker component); CHEWSAT (36A. Bothers); and SAMDONALDSON (44A. Longtime ABC newsman) in this Thursday thistle bush of a puzzle.
Stuffed with three-letter junk-fill, e.g.: ABA, ALI, ATA, CAT, CIN and SIN, ELM, FRS, IDO, NWT, NOU and QUA, OTT, SEL,TDS and ETC (4D. Abbr. that may precede an ellipsis), etc…? Its four-letter words include AIWA, ARID, APED, ASKS, ATAD, BAUM, ELIS, ISEE, LARD, LOAD, NAYS, OINK, OPAL, ORLE, PSAT, QUIT, ROBE, RUSE, SASS, SKIL, THIS, UPAT, UTES, and UTNE -- ughh!
Longer, less trouble-some entries include ASIANMONEY (28D. Yen or yuan) and HARDKNOCKS (10D. Providers of life lessons); along with the seven-letter entries ARIANNA (29A. Huffington of the Huffington Post); CONCERT (41A. It may fill a hall); CREOLES (36D. Some bayou residents); REPAINT (15D. Puts a new coat on).
Six-letter entries continue with the familiar -- ABROAD (21D. Overseas); AHERNE (31D. 1939 Academy Award nominee Brian); AMNION (31A. Embryonic membrane); BALBOA (27D. Sighter of the Pacific, Sept. 25, 1513); CDROMS (42D. Software backups, typically); ENTAIL (24D. Require); ISAACS (26D. Susan who wrote the best seller “Compromising Positions”); RESTED (39A. Post-vacation, say); TATTLE (25D. Get in trouble, in a way, with “on”); and Mother TERESA (9D.).
Five letter entries fill out that old stale mixed-nut feeling of the puzzle with AANDE (7D. Owner of The History Channel); CANOE (53A. It’s often turned upside down when not in use); DIXIE (46D. Classic song with the words “Look away! Look away! Look away!”); ERROL (18A. Film director Morris); IBARS (26A. Some beams); ITEMS (57A. Bullet followers); LAIRS (45D. Hideouts); LISLE (43A. Twisted thread); MESTA (32D. Political hostess Perle); PAPAL (5D. Like a certain court); RAISE (23D. Summon up); READE (15A. “Hard Cash” author Charles); START (6D. Sign of fright); and SWEDE (47D. Singer of the anthem “Sang till Norden”).
I’m not great on nuts, especially if I have to crack them open -- at least these nuts and the words belong to someone else -- I don’t have to eat them!
Last night's lunar eclipse through trees of front yard.
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Puzzle available on the internet at
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Across: 1. Luxury hotel amenity; 5. Some exam practice, for short; 9. “Get ___!”; 13. Show ___ (attend); 14. Somewhat; 19. Word with red, white or rock; 20. Baker’s supply; 21. Copied; 30. Talk that might get one in trouble; 34. Hitter of 511 lifetime home runs; 35. HBO’s “Da ___ G Show”; 37. Excavation machine, for short; 38. Dr. J’s first pro league; 40. Home tool maker; 48. Heraldic border; 49. Sony subsidiary; 50. Sine ___ non; 58. Sterile; 59. Cry at Old MacDonald’s; 60. Side in a debate; 61. “It’s so obvious!”; 62. Mountain West Conference team. Down: 1. Flimflam; 2. Off-white shade; 3. Creator of Oz; 11. Words with a familiar ring?; 12. “S” on a French shaker; 17. “ ___ Coming” (1969) Three Dog Night hit); 22. Priests: Abbr.; 33. Yukon neighbor: Abbr.; 40. Wrong; 43. Put shells in; 50. Computer command; 51. ___ Reader; 52. Solicits; 53. Red letters?; 54. ___ gallop; 55. Avril follower; 56. ___ -turn.
7 comments:
Why is a sign of fright "Start"?
i also don't understand "start" as a sign of fright
The NY Times puzzle has been getting "hackier" ever since that Will Shortz film came out. I don't even bother doing Monday thru Thursday anymore. They're embarrassingly easy and gimmicky. I did today's however, because I was bored.
adam morgan and anonymous 4:59:
My old beat-up Webster’s gives the first definition as an intransitive verb --“to make a sudden, involuntary or unexpected movement, as when surprised; jump, leap, jerk, etc. in a startled way” and then gives a half dozen other vi uses. Included under definitions as a noun is {Archaic or Dial.} to cause to start, or move involuntarily; start. The definitions cover half a column, including “a sudden, brief shock or fright; startled reaction” and “a sudden, startled movement; jump, leap, jerk, etc.”
I am inclined to think that the use is not common in America, but more in Britain -- how many old films have used the line “You gave me such a start!” to express someone’s surprise -- Dictionary.com gives preference to our more common usage, e.g., “to begin or set out, as on a journey or activity”, “to appear or come suddenly into action, life, view, etc.; rise or issue suddenly forth”, “to spring, move, or dart suddenly from a position or place”, “to be among the entrants in a race or the initial participants in a game or contest”, giving the fifth definition as “to give a sudden, involuntary jerk, jump, or twitch, as from a shock of surprise, alarm, or pain,” giving as an example “The sudden clap of thunder caused everyone to start” -- something I myself would not likely say, substituting another word for “start” starting with the same first letter!
anonymous 6:55:
While “hackier” appears to be a word in infancy which has not yet made it to a hard-copy dictionary, it seems appropriate -- Going along with your thought, I myself am always disturbed to read solemn assessments on “themes” of Monday to Thursday crosswords in other blogs -- however, I feel obliged to take those blogs and the NYT puzzles seriously, or at least in fun, as I am writing a daily commentary. My motto seems to be evolving into “if you can’t say anything nice, etc…”, but every once in a while, I just can’t resist saying “NUTS!”
Haha. The movie is certainly a wonderful family film.
But I must say...we are all NUTS! The image conveys the subtly that we all go a little nuts for the things we desire in life. The squirrel surely took haphazard and dangerous measures in his attempt to seize his "Holy Grail." Most people in society are like the squirrel, desperate, with an unquenchable thirst because we seek ideal and unattainable goals. Even as rational beings, we deviate from rational behavior in order to obtain that which we long for, but cannot ever truly grasp.
Well...maybe that which we long for but never truly grasp is our sanity.
We're NUTS!!!
Danny:
Actually, I held back a little on the subject of nuts -- in a post dated 02.13.08 entitled "Soup to Nuts" there is a link on the second Soup to Nuts reference --
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9SKFyzoNV0
Check it out!
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