Sunday, June 8, 2008
Q & A SESSION, Puzzle by Will Nediger, edited by Will Shortz
This is a strangely lifeless crossword puzzle -- or is it? It asks questions and gives nothing in return -- or does it? After the entry of DEADCALM, it is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
VERBATIM and UNQUOTE are here, HOLLERS is disguised as backwoods valleys -- other sounds are WAIL and WAULS, YIP and YELP, SUP and the slurp of SOUP -- a lot of negativity may be the putting-off aspect of this crossword with NOES, RAVAGED, OUST, STURM, RIOT, SHORT, STOOGES, SLUG, GLUT, AMOK, FOE, TAIL, HASAT, ROUNDER, IRATE, BURGLES, STUPOR, UGLI, SNOOTS, FLUS, QUEASIER, ODIUM, et al.
EXIT (95A. Stage direction).
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Puzzle available on the internet at
Across: 1. Bear-named villainess in Superman films; 5. Cause of a full stop for sailing ships; 13. Ritzy Rio neighborhood; 20. Column on a questionnaire; 21. Blasted, with “on”; 22. Wreaked havoc on; 23. They tremble in the slightest breeze; 25. Apple pie order; 26. Strip; 27. Hoedown sites; 28. Genevieve, e.g.: Abbr.; 29. Beginning of a cowboy song refrain; 30. Loathing; 31. “Star Wars,”, e.g.; 32. Parliamentary measure of 1774; 35. It’s pitched; 36. Abbey area; 37. Introductory course?; 39. Grassy plains; 40. Ten-millionth of a joule; 41. Too much ink; 42. Arctic bird; 43. Run out; 44. Period in which we live; 47. Addams who created the Addams family; 51. Drang’s counterpart; 53. Sidesplitter; 54. Word before and after “yes”; 55. Reason for lights going out; 58. Trio of comedy; 58. Takes off; 60. “All ___”; 62. Mrs., abroad; 63. Recoiling from; 65. Pursue; 68. Hikes; 69. Compound that’s subject to tautomerism; 70. Vending machine tricker; 72. Packard’s partner; 73. Scintillas; 75. Chess opening?; 77. Canine cry; 79. Cries shrilly; 80. ___ Mawr; 81. “The Spirit of Australia” sloganeer; 84. Engorge; 86. Wildly; 87. Implements using fulcrums; 88. Red, e.g., once; 91. Credit card magnet; 94. Birthstone for some Libras; 95. Stage direction; 96. Relative of Welsh; 97. Daughter of James II; 99. Shadow; 100. Attacks; 101. Tea holder; 102. Grasp; 103. Teen; 105. Washington machine setting; 106. Title girl of a Willa Cather novel; 109. Graham Greene novel set in Saigon, with “The”; 111. Woodworker, at times; 112. Without paraphrasing; 113. Pig product; 114. Backwoods valleys; 115. Freezing mixtures; 116. Scroll holders. Down: 1. Two wiggling fingers, maybe; 2. Drunkard; 3. White-hot; 4. Invite to a movie, say; 5. Classic 1965 novel set on the planet Arrakis; 6. Arts and Sciences major: Abbr.; 7. Gypsum variety; 8. Amount to take; 9. “It Happened One Night” director; 10. Mideast city that was once a British protectorate; 11. Monocle, basically; 12. Members of 82-Down; 13. Ready to blow; 14. Like forget-me-nots; 15. Gardner of “Mogambo”; 18. Where G.I.’s fought Charlie; 17. “Ararat” director, 2002; 18. Doc; 19. Mavens; 24. Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. today; 28. Slangy greeting; 31. Primer pooch; 32. Wharves; 33. South African who twice won the U.S. Open; 34. Hidden drawback; 36. El ___ (1942 battle site); 37. Glide; 38. “___ House,” 1983 Madness hit; 41. Is a second-story man; 42. Stuffed shirts; 43. Really mean; 44. What, to Camus; 45. Capital on the Dvina River; 46. Suffix with zillion; 48. Low-cost stopover; 49. Stops on le metro; 50. Word next to an arrow, maybe; 51. Daze; 52. Cozy and warm; 58. St. Lawrence and others; 56. In Harry Potter books, nonmagical offspring of wizard parents; 57. Treaded transport; 59. Sign of a brake problem; 61. Patrick of “X-Men”; 64. Place between hills; 66. Fruit named for its appearance; 67. Fever causes; 71. Spray under the sink; 74. 12973 #1 hit for the Rolling Stones; 76. Tour de France stage; 78. Close; 81. More upset; 82. Sawbones’ org.; 83. Play a sax solo, maybe; 85. Hosp. staffer; 88. 1988 Tracy Chapman hit; 89. Just for the heck of it; 90. Offers; 91. Sport with a service line; 92. Seek aid from; 93. Many a tux; 94. Beginning of all New York ZIP codes; 95. Wild animal ID; 96. Battle of ___ Bay, 1898; 98. Gets warmer; 99. Karate-like exercises; 100. The Beatles’ “And I Love ___”; 103. Plaintiff; 104. Lean and sinewy; 105. Solitaires, e.g.; 107. It’s well-supplied; 108. Palm Springs-to-Las Vegas dir.; 109. Home shopping channel; 110. Watch unit: Abbr.
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