07.27.08 -- Every Which Way

Sunday, July 27, 2008

GOING EVERY WHICH WAY, Puzzle by Mike Nothnagel and David Quarfoot, edited by Will Shortz

The main entries of today’s crossword feature directional glyphs -- eight entries contain two directions each -- either [up], [down], [left] and/or [right] are the following:

[Up] STAIRS [down] STAIRS (29A. Popular 1970s British TV series); [left] IT [up] TOCHANCE (38A. Took the risk); SIT [down] ANDSHUT [up] (125A. Exasperated teacher’s cry); [right] WHEREYOU [left] THEM (137A. Missing glasses location, usually); [down] THE [right] FIELDLINE (16D. Barely fair, maybe); STANDING [up] [right] (36D. Erect); [left] A [down] PAYMENT (72D. Secured, in a way, with “on”); ITS [right] [up] YOURALLEY (70. Sentiment suggesting “Try this!”).

The sixteen supporting entries each containing one direction each:

Across -- [down] BOY (16. Command to an overfriendly canine); ALL[right] (37. “Now you’re talking!”); THE [left] (71. Liberals); [down] SIZING (84. Cause of unemployment); S [up] DOG (91. Slangy street greeting); [right] ON (90A. “Amen!”); SET [up] S (95. Arrangements); [right] END (101. Football defensive line position).

Down -- DAM [up] (1. Block); [down] SHIFTED (31. Went from second to first, say); [left] ONBASE (38. Not brought home); [up] AT (41. Awake by); RESTED [up] (89. Took it easy); STAGE [right] (105. Common entry point); GO [down] (113. Happen, slangily); [left] EYE (140. Bazooka Joe’s working peeper).

As a sacrifice to the [up], [down], [left] and/or [right] gimmick, the remainder of the crossword is composed mostly of fragments and odds and ends, making for an unusual amount of small entries and their subsequent clues -- For a Sunday crossword, an average amount is somewhere around 120 or so, across and down.

Across: 1. 2003 Stanley Cup champions; 7. Portrays; 12. It’s found in many pockets nowadays; 20. Genus of poisonous mushrooms; 22. Brewing; 23. Pasta used in soups; 24. Actress Polo; 25. Nickname for a bodybuilder; 26. Flip; 27. Junior in the N.F.L.; 28. Bunch; 32. Bug; 34. Fraternity letters; 35. Dungeon items; 45. From ATO Z; 47. Radiate; 51. When a second-shift employee may get home; 52. City that overlooks a bay of the same name; 53. Opening screen option on many an A.T.M.; 56. “Think big” sloganeer; 57. One inside another; 59. Spot alternative; 61. Fine-tunes; 62. Split; 63. Abbr. in a real-estate listing; 64. Creator of the Tammany Hall tiger; 66. Tic-tac-toe plays; 68. Warner Brothers shotgun toter; 69. “Whose woods these AREI think I know”; Frost; 73. Actor Brynner; 74. INA rut; 76. Keats, e.g.; Ilk; 77. It May have two doors; 79. Ralph who co-wrote “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”; 81. Cartoonist Keane; 82. “The Praise of Folly” writer; 86. It might follow a slash mark; 91. Club alternative; 92. Slangy street greeting; 94. Ball with a yellow stripe; 98. Four-star hotel amenity; 99. J.F.K. info: Abbr.; 102. Old musical high notes; 103. Deuce beaters; 104. Where to pick up pick-up sticks; 106. Viking Ericson; 108. Summer Mass. Setting; 109. Bug; 110. “We AIMTO please”; 111. Nativity scene figures; 114. GINNIE Mae; 116. Stead; 117. Like most apartments; 119. A hyperbola has two; 121. Having stars, say; 122. Deliver, as a harsh criticism; 124. “Star Trek” TV series, to fans; 128. Shade of blue; 130. Kids drink from them; 132. Comedian Margaret; 133. Part of a shark’s respiratory system; 145. Genesis son; 146. Issue; 148. The second “R” in J.R.R. Tolkien; 149. Wrinkles; 150. Fan mag; 151. Pixar fish; 152. Africa’s ATLAS Mountains; 153. A super’s may be supersized; 154. Result of pulling the plug?; 155. Overflow; 156. Unesco World Heritage Site in Jordan; 157. Gives in return.

The exasperating bits and pieces with their nasty clues continues with the down entries: 2. Birds than can sprint at 30 m.p.h.; 3. Extensive; 4. One of a people conquered in 1533; 5. French orphan of film; 6. Camper’s aid; 7. Miss; 8. “IFAT first …”; 9. Arrangement of 40-Downs; 10. “Ain’t gonna happen” 11. Commercial prefix with foam; 12. Cyclades island; 13. Before: Abbr.; 14. Longtime Boston Symphony conductor; 15. Hollow center?; 17. Sugar source; 18. Read aloud; 19. Exclamation of surprise; 21. In itself; 31. Fasten with a pop; 33. Will Ferrell title role; 39. Off; 40. See 9-Down; 42. Bootleggers’ bane; 43. Son-in-law of Muhammad; 44. Go-ahead; 46. Common hockey score; 48. Proposed “fifth taste,” which means “savory” in Japanese; 49. Keeps; 50. Put forth; 54. “Do you want me to?”; 55. Tasmania’s highest peak; 58. Z-car brand; 60. International oil and gas giant informally; 62. Benedict III’s predecessor; 65. Misses, e.g.; 67. Negative; 78. Cipher org.; 80. T or F, e.g.: Abbr.; 81. Construction project that gave rise to the Ted Williams Tunnel; 83. Sphagnous; 85. Some taters; 86. Over; 87. Building component?; 88. Shrinking, perhaps; 91. Gone bad; 93. Frog legs, to some; 95. Hold off; 96. TV puppet; 97. Precept; 98. Pal of Kenny and Kyle; 100. Tach reading; 107. Alpine sights; 112. Behind; 115. “I’ll pass”; 117. Plush; 118. Connoisseur; 120. Pawned; 123. Head counts?; 126. Tristram’s love; 127. More gloomy; 129. Singer Mann; 131. “That’s AWRAP; 133. Look; 134. Footnote abbr.; 135. Impart; 136. Player’s call; 138. Behind; 139. “Bridal Chorus” bride; 141. Ground cover; 142. Early Chinese dynasty; 143. Choice word; 144. E-mail, e.g.: Abbr.; 147. Cartoon feline.

It's cold comfort that the arrow glyphs could possibly save time in a crossword that seems to shatter into way too many shards -- more a pile of rubble than a mosaic. Bug (today's Shortzesque clue) is used twice as a clue, once for 32A...

...and once for ANNOY (109A. Bug). Apropos!

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