09.18.08 -- Ups and Downs

The See-Saw by Jean-Honore Fragonard
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Thursday, September 18, 2008

Puzzle by Mike Nothnagel, edited by Will Shortz

Today‘s crossword features [See circles] as the clue for four interrelated across entries, 17.
WINDOWSHADE, 21. ELEVATOR, 55. SINEWAVE, and 63. STOCKMARKET. The circled letters going across the center of the grid read ITGOESUPANDDOWN in an appropriate “follow-the-bouncing ball” manner.

Initials play a notable role in the puzzle including
GQTYPE (20A. Well-dressed photogenic male); DRJ (16A. Nickname for #6 on the Sixers); SSTAR (50D. Relatively cool red giant); 28D. Deer XING; DNALABS (44D. Test sites), IPOS (45A. CNBC news topics, for short); ETDS (23A. Delays set them back: Abbr.); ETO (19A. D.D.E.’s W.W. II command); KOS (64D. W.B.A. finales).

INEVER (10D. Taken-aback response) heads the talkative entries -- AMTOO (66A. Defensive retort) which sports an entry look-alike electronically verbose 12.
ARTOO-Detoo; the admonishing BEGOOD (25A. “No horsing around!”); the imploring LOOKATME (40D. Attention-getting cry); and SEEYA (70A. “I’m outta here!”).

Other entries of six or more entries are
ADOPTEE (5D. Oliver Twist, for one); AGENDA (22D. Program); ALCOVE (58A. Recess); PAWSAT (46D. Handles roughly); REPAIR (30D. Garage job); SIDEBARS (9D. Court huddles); SLOVAK (50A. Language that treats “dz” as a single consonant); SQUATS (24D. Occupies an abandoned building); VOTIVE (32D. Like some candles) which reverberates up and down with VOTE (56D. Drop paper in a box, maybe), both of which denote expressing a vow, wish, or desire.

Five-letter: 14A. Thin as AREED; BAIRN (67A. Scottish child); DARIN (44A. “Dream Lover” singer, 1959); DEBRA (1A. Eric’s “Will & Grace” co-star);
FARSI (6A. Language from which “divan” is derived); FJORD (13D. Finger of the ocean); ICEIN (15A. Strand, somehow); 31. “How Do ILIVE” (1997 LeAnn Rimes hit); LAPPS (40A. Northern Europeans); LIEBY (51D. Remain inactive); MCRAE (54D. Jazz’s Carmen); ODETO (11D. Start of many dedications); ONCUE (52D. How actors should appear); REDYE (4D Change colors?); TEENS (69A. Majority of a crowd at a Jonas Brothers concert).

The remains: ABU, ACHE, ALTE, ATNO, BENT, DAWG and DAWN, ECON, ENNE, ERIQ, ESQ,
ETNA, FIS, INN, LAX, LIAR, NOAM, NOSE (35A. Oenophile‘s interest), OAF, OARS, OKIE, OTRA, RARE, REAL, REGT, ROAM, RYE, SPR, STE, SWIT, TEC, USER, VERY, WEDS.

With a fondness for the many odd-looking combinations of letters in its entries, this puzzle is a bit tricky -- but a puzzle is a puzzle is a puzzle, no matter the
ups and downs!

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Xword search information -- Across: 11. Dunderhead; 26. Negligent; 29. A.B.A. member’s title; 30. Burger order; 33. One pointing and clicking; 39. 80, for Hg; 41. Start time for many a military mission; 42. Colonel’s div.; 43. Check box option on a Spanish survey?; 47. Business with a register; 49. Paris’s Basilique ___-Clotilde; 53. Use a cell phone outside one’s calling area; 62. Dick; 65. Egypt’s ___ Simbel historical site; 68. Seedy sort? Down: 1. Family pet in “Hi and Lois”; 2. Former “ER” co-star La Salle; 3. Having one’s heart set (on); 7. Result of overstrain; 8. Concrete; 18. Forms a union; 26. Either of two guests on “To Tell the Truth”; 27. Der ___ (Konrad Adenauer); 34. When flowers bloom: Abbr.; 36. Crew members; 37. “M*A*S*H:” co-star; 38. Feminizing suffix; 48. Linguist Chomsky; 57. Coll. Major; 59. Tex’s neighbor; 60 Especially; 61. It’s about 2 ½ times as high as Vesuvius.

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