Monday, October 13, 2008
The main (yes, that’s intentional) entries of today’s wonderful crossword are the interrelated SPANISHMAIN (17A. Caribbean area where pirates plundered); THELIONSMANE (29A. Sherlock Holmes adventure, in brief); BEEFCHOWMEIN (45A. Faux Chinese dish); BANGORMAINE (59A. City on the Penobscot River) in a puzzle which ignores Columbus Day -- for that, The New York Times published a wonderful acrostic in the Magazine Section on Sunday.
Other fair-sized entries are two of nine letters, QUADRATIC (11D. Kind of equation graphed as a parabola) and ROLEMODEL (35D. Someone to emulate); two of eight letters, GEMSTONE (23D. Diamond or ruby); STUDYFOR (25D. Prepare in advance of); two of seven, HANSOLO (24A. Harrison Ford’s “Star Wars” role); IMMERSE (50A. Dunk); and four of six, COMBAT (46D. Hand-to-hand fighting); MIMOSA (47D. Brunch cocktail); SCHOOL (6D. Academy, e.g.); SYNODS (10D. Ecclesiastical councils). The remainder of the crossword is divided near evenly between five-, four- and three-letter entries, and constitute the main bulk of the puzzle.
Five-letter entries, alphabetically -- ALOES (65A. Skin cream additives); ALPHA (2D. Beta preceder); BASIC (1A. No-frills); BOSCH (1D. Painter of “The Garden of Earthly Delights”); CIDER (27A. Fermented apple juice); COVEY (15A. Small flock of birds); 53D. ”EVERY Breath You Take" (#1 hit by the Police); GLORY (69A. Hero’s acclaim); INLAW (30D. Postnuptial relative); JELLO (39A. Translucent dessert); MOONS (49A. Jupiter’s Io and Callisto); OGDEN (22A. Poet Nash); OLLAS (14A. Stewpots); RHINO (51D. Heavyweight zoo attraction, for short); 33A. Truth SERUM (interrogation injection); SLAIN (3D. Assassinated); SNAPS (6A. Alternative to buttons on a jacket); 68. TERRA incognita; ULNAR (66A. Relating to an arm bone); VOCAL (44A. Outspoken, as a critic).
Four-letter -- 56D. Teen-AGER; ELBE (34D. Dresden’s river); CLOD (38A. Oaf); COIL (27D. Rattlesnake’s shape); DAMN (13D. Censure); EMIR (48D. Kuwaiti pooh-bah); ENOS (40D. Grandson of Adam); 12D. Italy’s Villa d’ESTE; ETAL (32D. Footnote abbr.); INTO (28D. Enthusiastic about); JOHN (39D. Sen. McCain); NANA (31D. Mom’s mom, e.g.); NOMO (7D. Hurler Hideo); SCAB (33D. Healing formation); SOLE (18D. The heel is attached to it); SPAN (54D. Reach across); STAT (37A. Interceptions or yards rushing); TAXI (55D. Alternative to the subway); TINA (41A. Turner who sang “We Don’t Need Another Hero”).
Three-letter -- ALE (60D. It’s poured in pints) and ALL (63D. 100%); AMI (56A. French friend); ATM (19A. After-hours bank convenience); AVA (8D. Gardner who was once married to Frank Sinatra); AXE (64A. Firefighter’s tool); 20A. “The Sweetheart of Sigma CHI”; CSI (5D. CBS forensic drama); HOV lane (commuters’ aid); 57A. IAN (4D. Suffix with Freud); MUG (62D. Serving of root beer); NIL (67A. Zero, in soccer) and NIT (36A. Annual coll. Basketball competition); 61D. NOR’easter; OHM (26D. Physicist Georg); 43A. “Based ONA novel by …”; OOO (21A. Tic-tac-toe win); 58A. S.O.S. PAD; PEI (9D. Louvre Pyramid architect); QED (11A. Proof finale); 16A. USA Today; VIM (44D. Get-up-and-go).
On this map of the Spanish Main the sea to the north is labeled the North Sea, Mar del Norte. “Novus Orbis sive America: Meridionalis et Septentrionalis,” 1734 -- the American Antiquarian Society
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Click on image to enlarge.
Puzzle available on the internet at
THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games
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