08.28.08 -- An Eye for an I

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Puzzle by Sheldon Benardo, edited by Will Shortz

ANEYEFORANI (53A. Punny hint to answering 20-Across, 11-Down and 29-Down), along with EYECLAUDIUS (20A. Historical 1976 miniseries), EYETHEJURY (11D. Classic 1947 detective novel) and EYELIKEIKE (29D. Bygone political slogan) are the interrelated entries of this Thursday crossword.

Longer entries include DESIARNAZ (8D. 1940s- ‘50s film/TV star with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame) and SPONGEBOB (33D. Title TV character in Bikini Bottom), both over-clued. Seven-letter entries are CRISPER (30A. Refrigerator part), LISTENS (46A. Obeys), PATROLS (45D. Soldiers’ jobs), SLACKEN (4D. Abate) and SOPRANO (37A. Juliet, e.g., in Gounod’s “Romeo and Juliet”). CREATE (5D. Hatch), CRISIS (9D. Cause for using a hot line), SLEEVE (27A. Record holder), SOFTON (48D. Not punishing sufficiently), STAYED (48A. Didn’t raise) and TEASER (47D. Come-on) are the six-letter entries.

Those of five letters are ANIGH (25A. Close, old-style); CARDS (30D. ‘06 Series winner); CREST (9A. Place for a motto); HAGUE (6D. Global legal venue, with “The”); ICEAX (19A. Mountaineering equipment); 49A. KLEIG light: Var.; LAPEL (28D. It’s sometimes grabbed); LIVES (21D. Biographies); SHIPS (58A. Sends); OLEIN (38D. Liquid fat); OSTEO (39D. Prefix with sclerosis); PEKOE (62A. Black tea); PETER (50D. One of the “Brady Bunch” kids); RANEE (31D. Eastern royal); ROYCE (16A. Early British automaker Henry); SPREE (44A. Tear); STEER (65A. It may be rounded up in a roundup); 22D. UNION Station; WAYNE (32A. Big name in Gotham City).

The fill: APE, AREA, AROD, ASPS, AWAY and AWOL, BERN, BUTT, CADS, CAGE, CHAD, DOZE, EGOS, ESL, GAZA, GPO, ICED, IONS, KITE, LEAN, LODZ, NEAL, OJAI, OLEO and OREO, PELE, POE and POET, RARE, ROC, SALS, SANO, SCAN, SWAP, TEXT, TNT , UNC, WHET, YULE.

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Xword search information -- Across: 1. Poor dating prospects; 5. Central Africa’s Lake ___; 14. M.P.’s quarry; 15. Bloody, so to speak; 17. Hot strip?; 18. Washington has some big ones; 23. C7H5N3O6; 24. Toy at the beach; 33. “Mens sana in corpore ___”; 34. California’s ___ Musical Festival, since 1947; 36. Goon; 40. Chapel Hill sch. 41. Only player to be part of three World Cup-winning teams; 43. Poland’s second-largest city; 50. Lay person?; 51. Reverence; 60. Object of ridicule; 61. After-lunch bite; 63. Stick on a dish; 64. Scraggy; 66. European capital; 67. “Do the Right Thing” pizzeria. Down: 1. Part of a pound; 2. Out; 3. Siesta; 7. Yankee nickname starting in 2004; 10. Sinbad’s avian attacker; 12. Process, in a way, as documents; 13. Transcript; 26. Delivery notation: Abbr.; 27. Give and take; 35. Put away; 42. Night school class, for short; 51. Cold-blooded killers; 52. Stimulate; 54. Holiday season; 55. Quarter; 56. “Hud” Oscar winner; 57. Ones with charges; 59. Writer who wrote “I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity”.