08.06.08 -- The KID

The Kid, 1921: Jackie Coogan in Charles Chaplin's film 'The Kid'.

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Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Puzzle by Caleb Madison, edited by Will Shortz

KID (46A. Word that’s missing from 20-, 26-, 48- and 59-Across and 9- and 39-Down), HEARTBREAK (20A. 1972 Charles Grodin film, with “The”), KARATE (26A. 1984 Ralph Macchio film, with “The”), SAYHEY (48A. Willie Mays’s sobriquet), CINCINNATI (59A. 1965 Steve McQueen title role), FLAMINGO (9D. 1984 Matt Dillon title role) and SUNDANCE (39D. Nickname for Harry Longabaugh) are the interrelated entries of this Wednesday crossword.

Other personages include AMIES (2D. French girlfriends), an ARCHRIVAL (37D. Malfoy, to Harry Potter), a BORE (5A. Drone, e.g.), EDY (41D. Big name in ice cream), ELIE (68A. “Night” novelist Wiesel), EYRE (71A. Jane who loved Rochester), GERI (24A. Spice Girl Halliwell), HOSER (40A. Canadian lout), HYDE (69A Henry who once headed the House Judiciary Committee), an IMAM (13A. Religious leader in a turban), KITT (17A. “Santa Baby” singer, 1953), LEOIV (64A. Sainted ninth-century pope), a LOUT (16A. Lummox), NERUDA (43A. “Il Postino” poet), NORA (60D. Charles of mysteries), ODAY (57D. Anita who was nicknamed the Jezebel of Jazz), SIKH (1D. Many a Punjabi), a SOPH (56D. Not yet a jr.), TERI (35D. Hatcher of “Desperate Housewives”), TOSCA (28D. Opera about an opera singer), TSO (36A. General whose name is associated with chicken), and a YANKEE (50D. Munson, Maris or Mantle). Perfectly good monikers such as BIGBERTHA (5D. Long-range German gun of W.W. I), FORD (58D. Crossing, of a sort), LENA (33D. River of Irkutsk), and SLAVE (23A. Toil [away]) are clued otherwise.

AMTRAK (4D Train company with a portmanteau name) supposedly stands for "National Railroad Passenger Corporation". OK, that's not entirely fair -- it’s actually a portmanteau of "American" and "track", as in "we are run by the American government.” USRDA (67A. 15 mg. of zinc, e.g.) stands for United States Reference Daily Allowances -- should I be worried I’m not getting my zinc? ACLU (52D Rights org.) is American Civil Liberties Union, a non-profit organization unaffiliated with government, but funded by major corporations which run the government. TVA (21D. F.D.R. creation) is the Tennessee Valley Authority, a federally-owned corporation of the United States. CDC (45A. Public health agcy.) is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an agency of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.

Remaining five- and six-letter entries include AMINO (47A. Protein acid), 37A. San ANGELO, Tex., DAILY (54D. Like bread in the Lord’s Prayer), ENRAGE (8D. Make sputtering mad), GOPRO (18A. Lose one’s amateur standing), 14A. “IDONT blame you”, 3D. NATAL chart, ROADS (53A. They all lead to Rome, in a saying), SLIEST (48D. Most cunning), STAIR (55D. Way up, maybe), and UNDER (29A. Below).

The fill: ANOD, AONE, ASO, CIDE, DEAL, DECK, ELHI, EON, ETES, FAQS, ISEE, ITEM, KIAS, LIT, OCHO, ODON, ODOR, PARC, QUOD, ROOD, ROPE, RUN, SANA, SIKH, SOFA, STDS, TAEL, TOKE (15A. Puff), remember The Caterpillar (A E I O U)?

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THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games

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Search information -- Across: 1. Capital on the Arabian Peninsula, 9. Recommended reading for www newbies, 19. Give ___ of approval, 22. Drugs, informally, 33. Three sheets to the wind, 38. Dijon seasons, 42. Dos cubed, 45. Public health agcy., 51. “Agreed!”, 56. TV viewer’s vantage point, 63. Have too much of, briefly, 65. Rio and Sedona, 66, Setting of many a Monet painting, 70. Chinese weight. Down: 6. Stench, 7. Weapon in Clue, 10. Top status, 11. Part of Q.E.D., 12. Norms: Abbr., 15. Puff, 21. F.D.R. creation, 25. Homer’s outcome, 27. Japan’s largest active volcano, 30. Kayo, 31. K-12, 32. Crucifix, 33. River of Irkutsk, 34. Agenda addition, 44. A deer, a female deer, 49. Long, long time, 61. Murderous suffix, 62. “Got it”.