04.09.08 -- Whine and Dine

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Click here for abridged post in LARGE PRINT.

Puzzle by Daniel Kantor and Jay Kaskel, edited by Will Shortz

WHINEANDDINE (54A. Title of this puzzle); MYSOUPISCOLD (20A. “I asked for tomato bisque, not gazpacho!” [complaint #1]); AREWEINVISIBLE (28A. “Has our waiter even made eye contact?” [complaint #2]); and WHERESOURORDER (47A “What, are they growing the food?” [complaint #3]) are the inter-related entries in this cross crossword puzzle.

Settling for no less are a few other gastronomical entries -- ATE (61D. Had a bit); CREOLE (4D. Spicy cuisine); RAW (44A. Au naturel); Al DENTE (a bit firm) (68A); Won TON (62A.); Shad ROE (34A.); SAL (51A. Sevilla seasoning); PATIO (60A. Place for a barbecue); EDAM (1D. Mild yellow cheese); along with the customer’s YAP (13A. Pie hole), which the waiter wishes would be closed!

Diners in the personage of puzzle people include SHUE (5A. Elisabeth of “Cocktail”); ANNE (17A. Windsor princess); HERR (15A. Mann of the Haus); OAKLEY (35A. Sharpshooting Annie); REA (53A. Actor Stephen); YODA (67A. Sci-fi sage); ERICIV (8D. 13th-century king of Denmark); ARETHA (28D. Queen of Soul, familiarly); ROMMEL (29D. German commander at the invasion of Normandy); IKE (32D. “South Park” boy); ESAI (43D. Morales of “La Bamba”); DADDYO (50D. Pops); ALDA (56D. Robert who won a Tony for “Guys and Dolls”), a NUDE (58D. Like Michelangelo’s David); and a Shortzesque couple, BUB (11D. Pal) and BRO (12D. Pal)!

Quite an OLIO (22D. Mishmash) -- this puzzle is ABLAZE (25D. On fire) with throes -- ACK (25A. Cousin of “aargh!”); CRAWS (33D. Sticking points?); WEAVE (41A. Zig and zag); PAW (52A. Manhandle); ACED (10D. Nailed, as a test); CLEVER (26D. Ingenious); KEYED (27D. Excited, with “up”); RED (49D. Bloodshot); WORNOUT (45D. Long past its prime); WILT (54D. Suffer from the heat); OWNSUP (48D. Confesses [to]); a bit like eating dinner off a running TABLESAW (9D. Workshop fixture)!

Other entries of five-or-more letters are PEEPHOLE (38D. Apartment security feature); SHOPPER (5D. Free local paper); ATMFEE (42A. Money for money); TABBY (9A. Housecat), which goes nicely with 23A. Place for a housecat (LAP); BEBOP (19A. Dizzy Gillespie’s jazz); REMAP (36A. Chart anew); ATOLL (65A. Bikini, e.g.); and NEHRU jacket (31D.), that old eponym from the East.

Four letters: DOOR, DRUM, EIRE, EMAG, EPIC, HEMI, IONS, IRON, OMNI, ONEG, PEAT, PONY, SILO, URDU and URNS. Three letters: CRO, FAR, ILE, IOU, PAD, TON, UHF and ZED.

Today is Cheeta‘s 76th birthday, and from the looks of it, he‘s a cool customer!

Happy Birthday, CHEETA!

Cheeta, the male chimpanzee most famous for his roles in Tarzan movies of the 1930s and 1940s, also became the longest-lived nonhuman primate on record in 1996 when he turned 64. As of 2008, he is still alive (at age 76 on April 9th), living at a desert sanctuary named after him: C.H.E.E.T.A. (which stands for Creative Habitats and Enrichment for Endangered & Threatened Apes). He is reputedly an enthusiastic painter, and his paintings are sold to benefit the sanctuary.

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Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games

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Across: 1. “The Divine Comedy,” for one; 14. It could be revolving; 18. Book of Mormon book; 24. ___ du Diable; 33. ___ -Magnon; 39. 1+; 63. Titan’s place; 64. A Rock band’s name often appears on it; 66. Language of the Hindustan Express; 69. Mulching material; 70. 10 C-notes. Down: 2. My little ___ (kids’ toy line); 3. Charge holders; 6. Prefix with sphere; 7. Mantel pieces; 21. Motor City org.; 30. Marker; 37. It has a horn: Abbr.; 40. Distant; 55. The Old Sod; 57. Fairway club; 59. Webzine; 60. Crash site?