06.24.08 -- CYD

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Puzzle by Barry C. Silk, edited by Will Shortz

One of the crossword world's most frequently encountered three-letter fill entries, CYD (26A. Charisse of "Singin' in the Rain") passed away last Tuesday at the age of 86. The New York Times article, June 18, 2008.

The featured inter-related entries of today's crossword are tied together with DRAW (67A. Something you can do to the starts of 17-, 21-, 37-, 53- and 60-Across) -- BATHTOWEL (17A. Hotel offering); CURTAINCALL (21A. Bow-taking occasion); BLANKEXPRESSION (37A. Poker face); PICTURESHOW (53A. Cinema offering); and GUNPOWDER (60A. Flintlock need).

Other long entries include AGONIZES (9D. Has a touch time deciding); AMAZEDAT (27A. Blown away by); EATOUT (45D. Have dinner in a restaurant); KENTUCKY (38D. Home of Mammoth Cave); PETITES (49A. Dress store section); SERENELY (44A. In a calm way); VISIBLY (23A. In an obvious way).

Conversation in the crossword: IWOULD (5D. “If asked, yes”); IDARE (22D. Start of a challenge); 7D. “Since IMET You Baby” (1956 hit); AONE (64A. With “and” and 47-Down, Lawrence Welk’s intro); ATWO (47D. See 64-Across); and 66A. “Coffee, Tea ORME?”

PEOPLE (46D. Us Weekly rival) in the puzzle: ABBA (11D. “Waterloo” pop group); AMATI (9A. Valuable violin); ANOUK (62A. Actress Aimee); 33D. General Robt. ELEE; 51. Jimmy Dorsey’s “Maria ELENA”; an EMEER (39D. Arab chieftain: Var.); EMILE (42A. Novelist Zola); MARCIE (10D. Friend of Peppermint Patty); PAAR (53D. Jack who quipped “A funny thing happened to my mother one day: Me”); PAM (46A. Grier of “Jackie Brown”); and I guess we could count APE (36A. Pal of Tarzan) and WOMB (15A. Birth place).

Five-letter entries ADHOC (59A. Like some committees); AMORE (35A. Love, Italian-style); AMPLY (27D. Adequately, and then some); ATARI (2D. Pong maker); DOWRY (6D. Bride’s worldly possessions); GABON (16A. French-speaking African nation); ORBIT (19A. Asteroid’s path); 49. PHNOM Penh, Cambodia; RATES (3D. Motel posting); ROOTY (65A. Like ground around a tree); STREW (52D. Scatter, as seed); TUDOR (50D. Henry VIII's house); WEBTV (1D. Internet-on-the-tube).

Short fill -- APOP, ATE, AXIL, BESO, BBQS, CHOO, DAIS, DII, EGGO, ESPN, ETAT, ICON, IDIO, IDNO, INTL, GEOL, MORE, NTH, OBLA, QED, SADR, SEMI, SUER, TCBY, TENN, TOIL, TRE, WAD, WARN and, of course, CYD.

For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

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Puzzle available on the internet at

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