09.13.08 -- Past, Present and Future

Ground Zero, September 11, 2008, photo by Donald

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Saturday, September 13, 2008

Puzzle by Will Nediger, edited by Will Shortz

RETURNTOREALITY (8D. Stop daydreaming) and QUANTUMOFSOLACE (34A. Film in which Olga Kurylenko plays the Bond girl) are two fifteen-letter entries sharing their O in the center of the grid. It is not too often one encounters the title of an unreleased film in a crossword puzzle, but there it is -- now we have something to anticipate in our future. Here’s the PROMO (30A. Trailer).

YEARZERO (61A. Beginning of time?) continues the search for reality which includes eight-letter entries of ANNERICE (15A. Author born Howard Allen O’Brien); AUTOBAHN (36D. Main route?); IPODNANO (56A. Little music maker); JUICEBAR (1A. Place to buy a smoothie); OKLAHOMA (12D. Musical that won a 1944 Pulitzer); QUEENMUM (34D. The late Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, familiarly); REDLIGHT (17A. You shouldn’t go through with it); 14. Long Island’s SAGAMORE Hill National Historic Site; TIREIRON (59A. Trunk item); USSMAINE (35D. Ship with a memorial in New York City’s Central Park); YMASUMAC (13D Singer famous for her wide vocal range).

Six-letter entries -- ALLOYS (9A. Electrum and others); AMINOR (43D. Key of Beethoven’s “Fur Elise”); ALOMAR (33A. 10-time Gold Glove winner of the 1990s and 2000s); CESARE (42D. Italian writer Pavese); 52. Balzac’s “COUSIN Bette”; ESTEEM (28D. Treasure) sharing an E with ESTEE (40A. Girl’s name that sounds like two letters of the French alphabet); FAILED (19A. Went belly up); INDIES (3D. East or West area); JARFUL (1D. Peanut butter quantity); LOOKMA (16A. Little show-off’s cry); MENTOS (60A. Candy brand); MIAOWS (54A. Cat calls); NONONO (44D. “You’re doing it all wrong!”); SPLOSH (25D. Bathtub sound); STALAG (18A. “The Great Escape” setting); UNEASE (2D. Fidgetiness); UNHOOK (58A. Trunk item); USURER (38A. Person of great interest?).

Five letters -- ALSOP (9D. Journalist Joseph); BERTH (41A. Resting place); CASKS (47D. Port containers); CELLS (4D. Biologists’ study); EBONY (28A. Chicago-based magazine with one-million-plus circulation); ISLET (32A. An inset might depict one); MCRAE (46A. Jazz great seen in the 1967 film “Hotel”); MUNIZE (48D. Frankie of “Malcolm in the Middle”); PREPS (24A. Crams, maybe); RAISE (39A. Suggest).

The fill: ACH, AOL, ASIT, BIGD, BLUR, BRO, CAN, CORA, EMO, ERIE, FARE, FEY, HUM, INRE (32D. 48-Across starter), LOAN, LOT, MEMO (48A. Staff lines?), NABS, NASA, ODER, PIE, POEM, ROLE, SOOT, UFO, USES, WOO (55D. Try hard to win), check out this peacock!

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For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

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Last night, which was Wednesday, September 11th as I write, I visited “Ground Zero”, the site of the former World Trade Center, upon the seventh anniversary of the infamous attack on our country referred to as 911. Here, truly, a return to reality and a quantum of solace, with hope for the future.

Ground Zero viewed from Kent Ave. and Clymer St. in Brooklyn, September 11, 2008, photo by Donald

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TEEN PUZZLEMAKER WEEK -- All the daily crosswords this week, Monday through Saturday, have been contributed by puzzlemakers under the age of 20. Today's crossword is by Will Nediger, 18, of London, Ontario. He is a second-year student at the University of Western Ontario. This is his sixth puzzle for The Times.

Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games

If you subscribe to home delivery of The New York Times you are eligible to access the daily crossword via The New York Times - Times Reader, without additional charge, as part of your home delivery subscription.

Xword search information -- Across: 20. Subject of some amateur videos; 22. World Wind developer; 23. Plays for a fool; 26. Symptom for a car mechanic; 27. ___ Arcs, French ski resort; 42. Cooler; 45. Genre of rock’s Fall Out Boy; 49. Cuffs; 51. @ follower, sometimes. Down: 5. Lake ___, home of the Bass Islands; 6. Cowboys’ home, informally; 7. “___ was!” (German exclamation); 10. Studio part; 11. Advance; 21. Elflike; 24. Rhapsody, e.g.; 29. Result of a long exposure, often; 31. Iago, for one; 33D. “___ happens …”; 41. Pal; 50. Symbol of blackness; 52. “The Last of the Mohicans” girl; 53. Wroclaw’s river; 55. Try hard to win; 57. Trivial Pursuit goal.