04.08.08 -- Sleep

Time to Re-Tire, 1907 -- Burr Giffen

Burr Giffen was a young commercial artist employed by Fisk Tire Company. In 1907, he sketched what would become their most famous advertising icon; a yawning, pajama-clad youngster. Modeled after 3-year-old Teddy Nelson, the image was a quirky one; the subject barely balanced a candlestick in one hand, and shouldered a passenger car tire opposite. When combined with the "Time to Re-Tire" tagline, it was an unlikely--but amazingly long-lived and successful--home run for Fisk's marketing department.

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Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Click here for abridged post in LARGE PRINT.

Puzzle by Dave Mackey, edited by Will Shortz

Feel sleepy? This crossword puzzle should finish the job with four inter-related entries -- BEDTIMEFORBONZO (17A. Ronald Reagan movie); PAJAMAGAME (30A. Doris Day movie, with “The”); PILLOWTALK (48A. Rock Hudson movie); and IDREAMOFJEANNIE (63A. Barbara Eden TV series).

Counting sheep?

Eight-letter entries: DRESSAGE (6D. Equestrian competition); ZOOLOGIC (10D. Of the animal kingdom); ILLTREAT (39D. “It’s on me!“); and BILLYJOE (41D. Subject of a 1976 film “ode”).

Seven-letter: BEHAVED (19D. Didn’t act up) and SCIORRA (36D. Annabella of “The Sopranos”).

Six-letter: ESTATE (4D. Bequeathed property); UTOPIA (8D. A World without 71-Across); EVIGAN (37A. Greg of “My Two Dads”); AMELIE (43A. 2001 title role for Audrey Tautou); TYCOON (49D. Captain of industry); and MORNIN (50D. Informal greeting at a breakfast shop).

Five-letter: ADDUP, AGORA, ASCAP, CIVIC, ECOLI, ELIAN, ENIAC, IDEAS, INSET, IRATE, IRISH, JABBA, MALES, NOVEL, RAIMI, ROTOS, and TOERR.

Four-letter: AFTS, ARNE, ASST, ATON, AWED, BEDE, BIRD, DAFT, EDNA, ERNS, GABE, GOBI, HEYS, IFFY, IMHO, INFO, LIZA, LOCO, MASC, NOTS, ODDS, OMIT, OMNI, ODDS, OWES, SAGA, SIFT, TIEA, THUS, TREY, and ZOLA.

Three-letter: CAY, CIA, EBB, EWE, ISH, MME, MRI, PER, REA, RKO, SAO, STP, UPA.

Two other thoughts: The crossings of BED & BEDE; MALES & MASC; BONZO & ZOOLOGIC; and the strange possibility of cluing ILLTREAT as a positive or negative. Oh yes, and the Shortzesque double-clues of 7D and 52A -- Bonkers.

One last word: "Zzzzzzz!"

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For today’s cartoons, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games

If you subscribe to home delivery of The New York Times you are eligible to access the daily crossword via The New York Times - Times Reader, without additional charge, as part of your home delivery subscription.

Across: 1. Kaplan of “Welcome Back, Kotter”; 5. Tally, 10. Emile who wrote “Truth is on the march”; 14. Is in hock; 15. More than sore; 16. Leave out; 20. Think tank products; 21. Indy 500 inits.; 22. Cuban boy in 2000 news; 23. As a result; 25. Chat room shorthand for “Here’s what I think”; 27. “Rule, Britannia” composer; 35. ___ Paulo, Brazil; 36. Era-spanning story; 37. 38. Honda with a palindromic name; 40. Gradual decline; 42. Cause of some food poisoning; 45. Wren or hen; 47. ___ Irvin, longtime cartoonist for The New Yorker; 50. Not fem.; 51. Deuce beater; 54. “___ is human”; 57. Sandy island; 59. Football’s Fighting ___; 66. ___ St. Vincent Millay; 67. Old newspaper sections; 68. Touch-and-go; 69. Support staffer: Abbr.; 70. Map detail; 71. Have-___ (lower economic group). Down: 1. Mongolian expanse; 2. Impressed and then some; 3. “Venerable” monk; 5. Colgate competitor; 9. According to; 11. First Dodge with front-wheel drive; 12. Minnelli of “Arthur”; 13. Like ___ of bricks; 18. Suffix with bull or bear; 24. Work ___ lather; 26. Flaubert’s Bovary, e.g.: Abbr.; 27. B.M.I. rival; 28. “Spider-Man” director Sam; 29. It’s no short story; 31. ___ the Hutt of “Star Wars”; 32. Ancient meeting place; 33. Maxim’s target audience; 34. Pioneering 1940s computer; 44. Stand-in for “you” in “Concentration”; 46. “Flying Down to Rio” studio; 53. Grp. known as the Company; 54. “___ yellow ribbon …”; 55. Bookie’s quote; 58. Coastal raptors; 58. P.M. periods; 60. Dope; 61. Sort (through); 62. Attention getters; 64. Hosp. procedure; 65. Ballpark fig.