08.16.08 -- Questions

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Puzzle by Byron Walden, edited by Will Shortz

HOLYSMOKES (30D. “Yikes!”)!

Nine entries of today’s crossword have clues ending with a question mark -- SHOTCLOCK (1A. Pace pacer?); STENO (23A. Recording artist?); SKIPARKA (39A. Protection for someone on the run?); OHIOSTATE (57A. Columbus’s flagship?); VIPPASSES (59A. Fancy entrees?); HERBARIA (2D. Mint preserves?); SLEEPSOFA (11D. Company retirement asset?); SKYWROTE (36D. Used lofty words?); ORES (50D. Groundbreaking discoveries?).

Nine more could use a question mark -- GRABASEAT (17A. Park it); PLOY (25A. Something from one’s bag of tricks); NESTLE (12D. Spoon); SOARTO (41D. Attain on the wing); ARKANSAS (35D. Hope can always be found here); TALLONES (37D. Hoisted quaffs); and maybe ROCKETTE (20A. One in a line of 36); DAKOTAS (33A. Drift Plain sharers) or AGHAST (40D. Consternated). Yes or no?

Beyond that Rockette and her thirty-six companions, people in the puzzle include EBSEN (19A. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” actor); ARI (26A. Uris hero); 29A. Reed RICHARDS, Mr. Fantastic of Marvel Comics; MUNRO (51A. “The View from Castle Rock” author); 53A. James Birdseye MCPHERSON, Union general in the Civil War; STGERARD (1D. Patron of pregnant women); BRITON (13D. Lion and unicorn wearer); STRATTON (23D. “Silver Spoons” family name); SCACCHI (39D. Greta of “The Player”); HERMAN (42D. Jerry who wrote “Hello, Dolly!”); ASIMOV (44D. “Pebble in the Sky” author). Is that everyone?

Doubled-up entries and their clues -- GOES (46A. With 34-Across, protests peacefully, in a way) ONAFAST (34A. See 46-Across); HARMONIC (49A. With 58-Across, violinists’ productions) TONES (58A. See 49-Across); SENS (28A. 45-Across and others) and KYL (45A. Arizona pol Jon); and why not include ONASTICK (3D. Like corn dogs) and CONEYS (14D. Corn dog alternatives). Yes?

The clue, 15A. Like some college appointments, is not what they are but what they could be, TENURABLE. Joining harmonic tones in the music department is CONANIMA (21D. Spiritedly, on scores). KETONE (9D. Compound used to stabilize perfumes) is new to me. TACOMA (43A. Western terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad) and OSAKA (47A. City of 2 ½ million at the mouth of the Yodo River) have clues fit for a travel brochure. Oh, and CLARETS (8D. Some reds) might also employ a question mark. No?

There’s no questioning the simplicity of the remaining five-letter entries, ALERO (16A. Old Olds); ARMOR (52A. Mail); MSNBC (10A. It began with the slogan “It’s time to get connected”); RESIN (18A. Frankincense or myrrh); STAKE (56A. Vampire hunter’s aid); TUBES (4D. Rigatoni, e.g.); or YURTS (48D. Mongolian dwellings). Yes?

The meager fill includes APO, CRAN, HOP, LAS, LET, MESA, OBE, OKOK, PAPA, PIP, PLOY, RATS, SATE, SENS, TADS, YAWL, and appropriately, MARK (10D. Accent, e.g.), which could have been for this crossword more appropriately clued as 10D. Question, e.g., with no question!

Huh?

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THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games

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Search information -- Across: 22. Winston Smith’s greatest fear, in “1984”; 25. Something from one’s bag of tricks; 31. Part of a U.S. embassy address; 38. Serve without consequence; 40. Grayish; 48. Small two-master. Down: 5. Prefix in many juice names; 6. ___ Tres Marias (Mexican islands); 7. U.K. honour; 24D. Minor amounts; 27D. Stuff; 32. P, in a phonetic alphabet; 34. Relenting assent; 51. Costa ___; 54. Doozy; 55. “Happy Days” event.