06.18.08 -- L L L

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Puzzle by Adam Fromm, edited by Will Shortz

DINNERPARTLY (24A. Appetizer, entrée or dessert?), SUGARPLUMFAIRLY (38A. Bonbon and how it should be divvied up?) and THOMASHARDLY (51A. Doubting apostle? Not by a long shot!) are the inter-related entries of this Wednesday crossword by way of an added L to the usual dinner party, sugar plum fairy, Thomas Hardy and, of course, clues justifying the three interposed L’s.

That out of the way, and good riddance, the longer entries are BOBANDRAY (4D. Old spoofing duo), CIGARETTE (37D. Winston or Salem), LOWERLIP (5D. Pouter’s protuberance), MACARENA (22A. Dance craze of the mid-’90s), MONALISA (9D. La Gioconda, familiarly); MOTORCAR (56A. Horseless carriage), RETHREAD (39D. Fix, as film on a reel) and FISHSOUP (41D. Bouillabaisse) -- are you getting excited?

O.K., then ho-hum on these middle-size entries: AMAZED (48D. Gobsmacked); ANKARA (8D. Capital south of the Black Sea); ENRAGE (20A. Bring to a boil); STEREO (59A. Two-track); -- actually, to think on it, the clues are fairly interesting -- here are the remainders:

Across: 1. “Ishtar” or “Heaven’s Gate,” famously; 5. Etna product; 9. 1/60 of a fluid dram; 14. Sequel to Melville’s “Typee”; 15. Workers in the field; 16. Sheepish; 17. Paint none too delicately; 18. Lawrence of the North Dakota Hall of Fame; 19. Don’ts; 26. Reuben server; 27. “Just ASI thought!”; 28. Boot part; 31. Role in “Young Frankenstein”; 34. Poorly; 36. Disdain; 42. “Horsefeathers!”; 43. Top figure on a clock; 44. Painter of “The Naked 56-Down”; 46. La-la lead-in; 49. Riding the waves; 60. Without a chaperon; 61. A round number ends in it; 63. “West Side Story” fellow; 64. Popular block game requiring nimble fingers; 65. Caesar’s almost last words; 66. TODO list; 67. Syrian president Bashar al-ASSAD; 68. Profound; 69. Building additions. (L's by any chance?)

Down: 1. Portended; 2. Muscat resident; 3. Wear black, perhaps; 6. Pink-slip; 7. The nerdier of the “Scooby-Doo” girls; 10. White key, informally; 11. Fine diving score; 12. Home INON; 13. Flat-topped land feature; 21. Word of wonder; 23. Price abbr.; 25. Wet blanket; 28. Picador’s opponent; 29. Traveler’s alternative to De Gaulle; 30. 2001 Oscar nominee for Best Original Song, “May It Be”; 31. Faiths, say; 32. Fellas; 33. S-curve; 35. Fiat LUX (common university motto); 40. War stat; 47. Big bird of myth; 50. Absorb, as a cost; 51. Archipelago known as the Friendly Islands; 52. Craggy ridge; 53. What hungry wolves do; 54. Tennis’s Ivan; 55. Toys that have their ups and downs; 56. See 44-Across; 57. Cheers for picadores; 58. Oodles and oodles; 61. Hwy.

It’s always nice to have a puzzle like this one mid-week, sort of like meeting up with a bunch of friends, except that they are words -- especially, OMOO, OXEN, OVINE, IGOR, GOYA, MAJA, TONY, VELMA, ENYA, LENDL, and WELK!…and a-one and a-two and a-three….!

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