05.31.08 -- Lobotomy

Frame from the 1959 film of “Suddenly, Last Summer”

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Saturday, May 31, 2008

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Puzzle by Robert H. Wolfe, edited by Will Shortz

In Tennessee Williams's 1958 play, Suddenly, Last Summer, the protagonist is threatened with a lobotomy to stop her from telling the truth about her cousin Sebastian. The surgeon said, "I can't guarantee that a lobotomy would stop her—babbling!!!" To which her aunt responded, "That may be, maybe not, but after the operation who would believe her, Doctor?"

Four corner sets of three nine-to-ten-letter entries are the main feature of this pleasant, but characterless crossword:

Upper left, across: FATASAHOG (1. Porky); IDONTCARE (15A. “Whatever”); NUNNERIES (17A. Where habits are picked up?).

Upper right, down: SAILNEEDLE (12D. Tool for sewing canvas); NRADIATION (13. Certain atomic X-ray emission); SECONDHAND (14. Tick source).

Lower left, down: POSTMOSAIC (25. After the Pentateuchal period); INTHEAISLE (26. Between seating sections); THIRDFLOOR (27. Attic, often).

Lower right, across: PLAUSIBLE (56. Not too much of a stretch); BAWLEDOUT (59. Read the riot act); SOITSEEMS (61. “Sure looks that way”).

Two more ten-letter entries, GOINGAHEAD (29A. Proceeding); and MEDDLESOME (41A. Curious to a fault) head the remaining entries of this curiously conversational puzzle. Eight letter entries, EYETEETH (34A. Exchange for something very valuable) and THREETON (38A. Like some adult hippos). Seven-letter, KEISTER (19A. Seat); LAPTOPS (50A. Flight passengers often work on them); ACREAGE (6D. Spread statistic); DIESNON (22D. Day when courts are not in session); RENAULT (40D. One of three French auto-making brothers). Six-letter, ITLLDO (20A. “That’s good enough”); SADDEN (21A. Get down); ONHIRE (32A. Ready to get engaged?); ROLLON (40A. Product with a rotating ball); NANANA (45A. Lyric stand-in, perhaps); SILENT (47A. Clammy?); HAIRDO (7D. Top arrangement?); MALAWI (42D. Chichewa and English are its two official languages).

Five-letter -- ASONE, APSES, ASSNS, CERES, DEARE, HEALS, ILIAC, ILOST, NADIA, STETS, STILE, TILED. Four-letter -- ADIT, ADUE, ANNS, ENSE, ENYA, FINK, INGE, NETS, OBOE, PITT, PLUM, REEL, SELL, SEND, SETS, SOSA, TENT, TIDE, TONI. Three-letter -- GES, LAO, NIN, OAF, ORE, PBS, SSA.

I won’t babble on as I’ve nothing much to say about this one… perhaps it’s the lobotomy!

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Puzzle available on the internet at

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