10.10.08 --Bare Facts

Strip Poker, Beryl Cook
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A recent comment received from an anonymous reader of this blog stated -- “One thing I've never been able to figure out...why are some of your entries in pink and others in white?” Well, I always thought they were a light lavender; however, for the record, the different color indicates a link -- it’s been that way almost two years, and now I find out just now there are those who don’t know that! O.K.!
Two twelve-letter entries lead off this Friday crossword -- KEEPSANEYEON (21D. Monitors); NOPAINNOGAIN (9D. Macho credo) -- followed by four ten-letter entries -- FAMILYROOM (3D. TV station?); JETSETTERS (54A. Much of high society); SAINTDENIS (29D. Burial site for many French kings); STRIPPOKER (18A. Game in which players barely bet?) -- a further note, when this blog lists entries by size, it’s in descending order with each group alphabetized.
QUICKFIX (20A. Makeshift) precedes a group of eight-letter entries all beginning with the letter “S” -- SCANNERS (50A. Needs for 8-Downs), which is MRI (8D. Hand pic, perhaps); SIRNOSIR (28A. Emphatic response during a drill); SEMINOLE (43A. Gator rival); SERENADE (38D. Fraternity activity); SPECIMEN (4D. Lab subject). Sometimes a link can speak more of an entry than any yak.
Seven-letters -- CLOSING (37A. Dealmaker’s delight); MARXISM (7D. School concerned with classes?); MOONSET (35A. Horizon happening); VESSELS (41D. Pitchers, e.g.). Hold everything, we’re not there yet!
Six -- EGOIST (36D. Solipsistic sort); HASFUN (5D. Parties, say); INESSE (44D. Real); ISONTO (10D. Knows the plans of); LAYMEN (26A. Amateurs); PARTED (45A. Having a headline?); PLASMA (45D. Kind of TV); PLURAL (19D. Like apples and oranges). Next, the two long groups…
Five -- ADORE (27D Dig deeply); ADREP (32A. TV biz figure); AGAVE (40A. Rope fiber source); ARESO (57A. Childish comeback); GENIE (42A. Beneficial thing to release); IMEAN (33A. Preceder of what should have been said); INNIE(30D. It doesn’t come out of the stomach); INUIT (24A. Yupik relative); 33D. Above ITALL; LAMPS (26D. Spelunking aids); LANES (22A. Drives in the country); NEILS (46A. Pulitzer-winning writer Sheehan and others); NICAD (9A. Certain dry cell, briefly); NIECE (25D. Salome, to Herod Antipas); OSAGE (16A. Language related to Winnebago); RAGED (31D. Spread unchecked); RISEN (60A. Up); TREYS (48A. They don’t take many tricks), except in strip poker!
Four -- AGES (12D. Forever); ALAR (15A. Target of a 1989 E.P.A. investigation); ALTI (6D. Some singers); ALUM (58A. Many a team booster); ANAT (56A. Knowledge of body?: Abbr.); ARME (17A. Weapon for un soldat); CAKE (11D. Stick together); CRUD (51D. “Rats!”); DIME (59A. Torch site); ESPN (62A. “Pardon the Interruption” airer); HAMM (5A. Scorer of a record 158 goals); HEAP (14A. Bucket of bolts); LIED (47A. Came up with an invention); LIEU (23A. Place); PERU (2D. Indiana town where Cole Porter was born and buried); RAMP (52D. Way up); RTES (49A. Ways: Abbr.); SHAQ (1D. Three-time M.V.P. of the N.B.A. finals, familiarly); SPFS (1A. Beach nos.); STEN (53D. Gun of old); TERI (48D. Pop singer DeSario); USDA (61A. Certified letters?).
And those pesky little three-letter entries, well, along with MRI there are just a half dozen -- 34A. 2008 French Open champion ANA Ivanovic; DER (13D. Overseas article); JAR (54D. Funerary receptacle); 39A. Club PRO; and 55D. TAU lepton.
Many times, I link rather than think -- paraphrasing a source seems senseless. Just go there!
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