03.02.08 -- Leap Year Forward Thinking

Street Alphabet -- Ben Terrett

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Sunday, March 2, 2008

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FORWARD THINKING

Puzzle by Patrick Blindauer and Tony Orbach, edited by Will Shortz

Jumping ahead this Leap Year, today’s puzzle is titled “Forward Thinking” -- replacing one letter of the alphabet with the one following in each of the thirteen across entries, utilizing the entire alphabet in order, as follows:

A/B -- KOOLBID (1. Offer for an R.J. Reynolds brand?), Kool Aid;

C/D -- DADDYSHACK (29. Papa pad?), Caddy Shack;

E/F -- GOODFATS (38. Canola and sunflower oil?), good eats;

G/H --STARHAZER (41. Best fraternity pledge tormentor?), star gazer;

I/J -- JVDRIPS (52. Not the most exciting school athletes?), IV drips;

K/L --LEGPARTY (56. Social gathering with the Rockettes?), keg party;

M/N --NIXEDDRINKS (68. Got sober?), mixed drinks;

O/P -- SPYBEANS (83. C.I.A. noggins?), soy beans;

Q/R -- POPRUIZ (85. Hit boxer John with a haymaker?), pop quiz;

S/T -- SWISSMIST (93. Fog in Zurich?), Swiss Miss;

U/V -- MILKDVDS (96. How-to-films for a dairy farm?), Milk Duds;

W/X -- LOXPROFILE (104. Side view of salmon?), low profile; and

Y/Z -- COPYBOZ (128. Transcribe some Dickens?), copy boy.

The Other Acrosses: 8. Rules, for short; 12. 1970 Simon & Garfunkel hit; 19. Away from a teaching post; 20. Forster’s “AROOM With a View”; 22. Joining; 23. Cube holder; 24. IUD part; 25. Realm of Otto von Bismarck; 26. 1802 acquisition of 25-Across; 27. Settles on, in a way; 28. Top of a platter; 29. Papa pad?; 32. Composes; 34. Org. that oversees quadrennial games; 37. Sporty Mazda; 45. Jack who said “Just the facts, ma’am”; 47. Rugged coastline feature; 48. “My!”; 49. Casual attire; 59. “Like a Rock” singer Bob; 61. Cosmetician Lauder and others; 62. Get decked out; 63. Waste maker; 65. Puts up again, as bowling pins; 67. Squiggly letter; 70. Flutter; 73. Shows past the doorstep; 75. Student of Bartok; 76. The lion in “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”; 78. Clap hands on; 81. Pan-fry; 87. “THOSE Calloways” (Disney film); 89. “Damien” subtitle; 90 Mount Rigi, e.g.; 91. Head set; 100. OPTIC nerve; 102. First song on “More of the Monkees”; 103. EENIE, meenie, miney, mo; 109. “Soon It’s GONNA Rain” (“The Fantasticks” song); 111. Reliquary; 112. Temple of Isis locale; 116. Facial growths; 118. Phrase of agreement; 119. Words heard after opening a gift, maybe; 121. Hazel, e.g.; 122. Ice Cube ne OSHEA Jackson; 123. It started around 1100 B.C.; 124. Do a mailroom task; 125. Professional org.

The Downs: 1. Colorful carp; 2. Enough, for some; 3. Plaudits, of a sort; 4. “Sure, I’m game”; 5. Exposed; 6. One of Donald’s exes; 7. Susan of “Looker” 8. Train storage area; 9. ERNEST Tubb, the Texas Troubadour; 10. Nabber’s cry; 11. Rather, informally; 12. Silver prizes; 13. Physicist Fermi; 14. CIUDAD Real, Spain; 15. The “se” in per se; 16. The King’s “princess”; 17. Common past suffix; 18. Eastern title; 21. Like some Sp. Nouns; 27. “The Sopranos” Emmy winner Falco; 30. No man’s land, in brief; 31. Vladimir Putin’s onetime org.; 33. Michael of R.E.M.; 34. Wagner heroine; 35. Extras; 36. Mooches; 39. It commonly follows a verb: Abbr.; 40. Disrespect; 42. Salespeople, informally; 43. Lukas of “Witness”; 44. Sheet music abbr.; 45. Locks on a dome; 46. Chef Lagasse; 50. Cornerstone abbr.; 51. Must; 53. Winners’ signs; 54. August hrs.; 55. Some football blockers: Abbr.; 57. “See THIS?”; 58. Plane part; 60. Signs a lease; 64. “Julius Caesar” setting; 66. Deejay’s bane; 68. Classic soft drink with orange, grape and peach flavors; 69. Shad delicacies; 70. “So-Called Chaos” singer Morissette; 71. Like Niels Bohr; 72. Kind of inspection; 73. Orch. Section; 74. Old French coin; 76. Means of defense: Abbr.; 77. Come across as; 78. Canned meat brand; 79. “And that’s NOLIE” (“Believe you me”); 80. Christina in the 2005 revival of “Sweet Charity”; 82. Speech stumbles; 84. Informal greetings; 86. Zoo feature, in England; 88. Finnic language; 92. Fashion inits.; 94. Ring bearer; 95. Here, on the Riviera; 97. Fife player; 98. Bread for tacos?; 99. Plywood layer; 100. OPHRAHS Book Club; 101. 7, 11 and 13; 105. Bologna bone; 106. Mandela’s native tongue; 107. Hijacked cruise ship Achille LAURO; 108. Bar at the bar; 110. “I’d hate to break up ASET”; 113. Having a taste of the grape; 114. Run up ATAB; 115. NASA cancellation; 116. Econ. Measure; 117. Your and my; 119. Snap; 120. Cyrano’s nose.

The Times published an electronic Leap Day puzzle by Fred Piscop, which I just noticed. It's full of LEAPs, and it's great fun!

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