Sunday, May 18, 2008
Puzzle by Brendan Emmett Quigley, edited by Will Shortz
With this puzzle's title PINBALL WIZARD as a clue, the inter-related entries of this Sunday crossword are TILTATWINDMILLS (22A. Fight imaginary foes); FLIPPERANDERSON (115A. Former L.A. Ram who holds the N.F.L. record for most receiving yards in a game [336]); BONUSQUESTION (5D. Test extras); ROLLOVERBEETHOVEN (15D. Opening track of “The Beatles’ Second Album”); SPECIALRELATIVITY (30D. Einstein subject); RAMPUPSALES (33D. Push for more business orders); BUMPERCROPS (46D. Good farming results); DRAINBOARDS (39D. Sloping surfaces next to sinks); and JACKPOTJUSTICE (53D. Awarding of huge settlements to plaintiffs, in modern lingo). This is a colorful puzzle conjured up by a real wizard!
Where I dropped the ball:
ADRIEN, I spelled ADRIAN;
ANASAZI, I‘m just not up on my ancient pueblo dwellers;
AZAN, so now I know;
CAVER, an explorer of sorts -- of caves, I knew spelunker;
DONHO, I kept insisting on Dan Ho, never saw him in anything, you see;
INI, I wanted ONI;
LACIE, who knows Alice’s sister’s names, and why?;
NUL, I wanted CUL;
SALAZAR, I’ve never paid any attention to marathons of any kind;
SALTEN, now I know who wrote “Bambi“;
SBARRO, there’s one of these Italian chain restaurants in Times Square, never went there, and couldn’t recall it, and why should I?;
SIAN, never saw “I, Claudius”, but I did see “Rome”;
ZOWIE, I had WOWIE!
My flippers worked perfectly well on such other useless trivia as ABRAM, ANION, ANTBEAR, ARIEL, ASTA, BNAI, CREST, DIAN, DIPSY, EELPOT, EMILY, INRI, IRONON, JARRE, JIVES, NANCE, NOMAD, OLIO, PCLAB, QUA, RUSSO, SFO, TENOR, TROVE, VICEROY, VOLTA.
Extra points, bonus and jackpot, et cetera for the long stuff -- ARRAYED, ASTOOP, CHECKSINTO, DESCEND, DESERTS, ENCLASP, ERNIEFORD, GOAROUND, INSISTENCE, INUNISON, PRICELIST, and REDROSE.
Oh, and I did the multiplication of VII octupled to LVI with the Arabic 7 x 8 -- is that cheating? Or should I know how to multiply using the Roman numerals -- who makes the rules here!
Tilt!
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Across: 1. Site of campus workstations; 6. Ancient pueblo dwellers; 13. Norm of “This Old House”; 18. Muse with a wreath of myrtle and roses; 19. Together; 20. Tell things?; 21. Bill formerly of the Rolling Stones; 22. Richard ___, 2002 Pulitzer winner for Fiction; 20. ___ B’rith; 27. Sylph in Pope’s “The Rape of the Lock”; 28. Pressure, of a sort; 32. “Sixteen Tons” singer, 1955; 38. Do better than; 37. In the capacity of; 38. X-ray units; 41. Nails; 42. Notch shape; 43. “Would you like to see ___?”; 45. Italian restaurant chain; 47. Game pieces; 48. Some badge holders; 49. “Alice in Wonderland” sister; 50. It’s a laugh; 51. Each; 53. “Lawrence of Arabia” composer Maurice; 54. ___-doodle; 56. Start of the names of some health care plans; 58. Daily grind; 60. Place for a vine; 61. Bent over; 63. How headings are often typed; 65. Surfing spot; 66. Immigrant’s class: Abbr.; 68. “Survivor” setting, often; 69. Blood-typing letters; 70. Fire; 72. Some M.I.T. grads: Abbr.; 73. Buster?; 75. Certain T-shirt design; 77. Sure application spot; 79. Drug-free; 80. National Chili Mo.; 81. Blue shade; 83. “Pearly Shells” singer; 85. Refrain syllables; 86. Loud laugh; 88. Take to Vegas, maybe; 90. Valuable find; 92. Mideast call to prayer; 93. Airport with a BART terminal; 95. Steer; 97. Kids; 98. Kind of score; 99. “Deadwood” figure; 100. Untouched; 101. Meaningless amount; 103. Quick stumbles; 104. Dealer’s handout; 107. Starts, as rehab; 110. Upper ___; 111. Shade PROVIDER; 114. Outplays; 119. Response to “Any volunteers?”; 123. Pretends; 124. “Back door’s open!”; 125. Explorer of sorts; 126. To date; 127. In order; 128. Post with a column. Down: 1. Missal location; 2. “Geronimo!,” e.g.; 3. Escape; 4. Defender company; 6. Electrolysis particle; 7. Match ___ (tie game, in France); 8. Aardvark; 9. ___ Phillips, who played Livia in “I, Claudius”; 10. Old film pooch; 11. “Fan-tastic!”; 12. Suffix in some pasta names; 13. Hosts; 14. To the point; 16. Cobbler’s tool; 17. Eds. Read them; 19. “No problem!”; 20. Oscar-winning Brody; 23. Jack of “Eraserhead”; 25. Good nickname for a cook?; 28. Galley marking; 29. Peripatetic sort; 31. Short-billed rail; 34. House of Lancaster symbol; 35. Jilts; 40. Pacifier; 44. Cheese ___; 48. Klinger portrayer on “M*A*S*H”; 52. ___ pro nobis; 55. Some greetings; 57. Zoologist Fossey; 59. Early anti-Communist; 62. Mix; 64. The Nutmeg State: Abbr.; 66. Hug; 67. Marathoner Alberto; 71. Control: Abbr.; 74. Actor James; 76. Indian tribe encountered by Lewis and Clark; 78. Sign of the cross; 82. “Were that so!”; 84. Plain as day; 87. Excellent debit rating; 89. Rappel down; 91. Edsel driver’s gas choice; 93. “Bambi” author; 94. Monastery figure; 96. Sovereign’s representative; 99. It’s a trap; 102. Approves; 105. Thicket; 106. Faust, e.g.; 108. Old Treasury offering; 109. National of ___; 112. Month in which Moses is said to have been born and died; 113. Aloe ___; 115. Fourth-most populous state, just after N..Y.; 116. French article; 117. Turkish title; 118. Press (for); 120. VII octupled; 121. Many a toothpaste; 122. Suffix with direct.
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