07.01.08 -- Avast!

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Puzzle by Ken Bessette, edited Will Shortz

Featured in this Tuesday tempest-in-a-teapot are three long entries where the omission of a single letter in a standard phrase containing double letters results in a change of the expression, clued for the new meaning -- ARESTINGOFFICER (17A. Retired general?); ACOUNTPASTDUE (37A. Late nobleman?); APEALTOTHECROWD (59A. Carillon call?). That’s the whole gimmick, just three missing letters, or not. It would depend upon one’s familiarity with familiarities.

Lack of familiarity surfaces everywhere with such walk-the-plank entries as VIRTU (2D. Objets d’art); LASTS (4D. Cobblers’ forms); 6D. 1970s Japanese P.M. Kakuei TANAKA; SOR (13D. Sisters’ org.); 24D. ABOU Ben Adhem” (Leigh Hunt poem); ADUE (64A. Together, in music); and an assortment of the foreign, AERO (16A. Commercial prefix with méxico); ESO (42A. That: Sp.); and food, 60D. Kung PAO chicken and TSO (39D. General on Chinese menus), et cetera. Not at all out of the usual haphazard happenstance of crosswords, but a bit messy for a Tuesday Times crossword of which day-of-the-week simplicity is touted.

On to the longer entries: RAILBIRDS (10D. Horse-racing devotees, slangily); DECKEDOUT (11D. Dressed to the nines); ICESHEETS (33D. Giant glaciers); HOMEPLATE (34D. Catcher’s location); TULSAOK (23A. Part of the mailing address to Oral Roberts University); TAKEAIM (50A. Set one’s sights).

TANAKA is joined in the six-letter category by EBBETS (25A. Field for Dem Bums); BLARED (28A. Was loud); SONICS (45A. Seattle team, for short); ASHPIT (48A. Residue locale) and ITCHES (46D. Urges).

VIRTU has company in the five-letter entry group of AVILA (1A. Kansas City university formerly known as College of Saint Teresa); VIDAL (14A. Gore who wrote “Lincoln” and “1876”); SINAI (65A. Egyptian peninsula); TEENS (68A. Seven-year stretch); RIPON (29D. Wisconsin town where the Republican Party was born); HALOS (32D. Signs of goodness); TYPEA (26D. Impatient sort); IDEAL (3D. Unimprovable); EERIE (51D. Fear-inspiring); ALONE (52D. How hermits like to be); IOWAN (53D. Des Moinesian or Davenporter); MIDIS (54D. Modest dresses).

The remainder of this missing-at-C, P & R crossword includes ALT, AMP, ARE, ASTA, AXEL, CST, CASE, DAIS, EDYS, ELEM, ELF, ELK, ELL, ELOI, ERA, ETUI, EVA, EXGI, HIHO, IDOL, IDYL, ILL, IVY, LEOS, MATT, NEST, PECS, PODS, POSE, PSIS, RDAS, ROPY, ROSE, STAT, TAP, TASK, TELE.

A vast amount of fill! -- give or take a letter…

AVAST (1D. “Stop!” at sea)!

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THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games

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Search information: Across: 6. Prefix with conference; 10. Stds. Important to the health-conscious; 15. Eddie’s character in “Beverly Hills Cop”; 20. Surgeon’s order; 21. Speaker’s place; 22. Antlered animal; 31. Poetic work by Tennyson; 32. Old cracker brand; 35. University wall covering; 36. Stringy; 41. Grades 1-6: Abbr.; 43. “The Thin Man” terrier; 44. Glass-encased item in “Beauty and the Beast”; 55. Unit a little longer than an arm’s length; 58. Chest muscles, for short; 58. “The Time Machine” race; 63. Groening who created “The Simpsons”. Down: 5. Optional hwy. route; 7. W.W. II vet, e.g.; 8. A majority of August births; 9. Tolkien creature; 12. “___ you happy now?”; 18. Hero to many; 19. Library Lovers’ Mo.; 25. Big name in ice cream; 27. Done with a wink; 30. “Little” Stowe character; 38. Comfy spot; 40. Hoeing the garden, e.g.; 41. Chronology segment; 47. Word in many Perry Mason titles; ; 49. “___ say!”; 56. Opium poppies have them; 57. Decorative sewing kit; 59. Hi-fi component; 61. Access, as a resource; 62. 23-Across winter setting: Abbr.