12.10.08 -- AEIOU
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Puzzle by Joe Krozel, edited by Will Shortz
AEIOU (51D. Language quintet comprising the only elements in the shaded / circled boxes).
Four nine-letter blocks of vowels indicated by four shaded boxes, or four boxes of circles if you’re solving in Across Lite, one block in each of the four corners of the crossword constitute the gimmick for today’s puzzle. It’s all show and of no use to the solver, unless perhaps one swoons at vowels when having completed a crossword.
Across in clue order -- MOOED (13. Mimicked some farm animals); 15. “WEAIM to please”; PAEAN (17. Song of praise); MATTLAUER (18. Longtime morning TV host); SIOUAN (20. Iowa, for one); ASISEEIT (22A. “From my perspective …”); 57. BEEEATER (57. Relative to a kingfisher); ATEOUT (59. Had dinner at a restaurant); LIEAROUND (62. Be idle); HOOEY (64. Rubbish); YOUIN (65. Query at a poker table); DUEIN (67. Expected), matching CUEIN down.
Down: NOAIR (2. Condition in outer space); TOEOFFROG (3. Ingredient in a witches’ brew); REAUDIT (4. Check again, as the books); SEAEELS (10. Congers); SAUER (11. Kraut modifier); EIEIO (12. Kid’s song refrain); KERFLOOEY (35. Out of whack); RITEAID (44. Walgreens rival); VOTEOUT (46. Reflect, as an incumbent in an election); TEEUP (52. Prepare for a drive); CUEIN (56. Make aware), see DUEIN across.
Outside of the nine-letter vowelette blocks are QUEUES (49D. Lines) and 45A. Hors DOEUVRES, and the inequipollent PRNDL (54D. Gearshift sequence).
Remainders across, alphabetically: ANTRE (1. Cavern); FIFTH (27. Award place for a green ribbon); LAPOF luxury; NEGRO (43. Part of U.N.C.F.); 24. “And the OSCAR goes to … “; REDARMY (39. Soviet military force); STYNE (70. “Funny Girl” composer); 50. SUPER (53. Fab); TORTURED (31. Stretched much too far, as language). Down: ISAAC (7. Prolific Asimov); FUROR (28. Uproar); GETSAT (8. Intimates); LAYUP (30. Easy two-pointer); MEARA (41. Stiller’s partner); 21. NOTRE Dame.
The requisite alphabet soup: AMPS, ASTO, ATT, BIG, BLY, BUM, DAD and DUO along with IDO, EDNA, EIN, ERO, IRAQ, MRT, ODE, ONS, OSSE, OWLS, RFD, ROLE, SHED, SLO, TELL, THDS, TIE and TIN, TIRE, TLC, TYNE, UPDO, USE.
Of course, the caterpillar includes Y!
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Puzzle available on the internet at
THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games
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Across in clue order -- MOOED (13. Mimicked some farm animals); 15. “WEAIM to please”; PAEAN (17. Song of praise); MATTLAUER (18. Longtime morning TV host); SIOUAN (20. Iowa, for one); ASISEEIT (22A. “From my perspective …”); 57. BEEEATER (57. Relative to a kingfisher); ATEOUT (59. Had dinner at a restaurant); LIEAROUND (62. Be idle); HOOEY (64. Rubbish); YOUIN (65. Query at a poker table); DUEIN (67. Expected), matching CUEIN down.
Down: NOAIR (2. Condition in outer space); TOEOFFROG (3. Ingredient in a witches’ brew); REAUDIT (4. Check again, as the books); SEAEELS (10. Congers); SAUER (11. Kraut modifier); EIEIO (12. Kid’s song refrain); KERFLOOEY (35. Out of whack); RITEAID (44. Walgreens rival); VOTEOUT (46. Reflect, as an incumbent in an election); TEEUP (52. Prepare for a drive); CUEIN (56. Make aware), see DUEIN across.
Outside of the nine-letter vowelette blocks are QUEUES (49D. Lines) and 45A. Hors DOEUVRES, and the inequipollent PRNDL (54D. Gearshift sequence).
Remainders across, alphabetically: ANTRE (1. Cavern); FIFTH (27. Award place for a green ribbon); LAPOF luxury; NEGRO (43. Part of U.N.C.F.); 24. “And the OSCAR goes to … “; REDARMY (39. Soviet military force); STYNE (70. “Funny Girl” composer); 50. SUPER (53. Fab); TORTURED (31. Stretched much too far, as language). Down: ISAAC (7. Prolific Asimov); FUROR (28. Uproar); GETSAT (8. Intimates); LAYUP (30. Easy two-pointer); MEARA (41. Stiller’s partner); 21. NOTRE Dame.
The requisite alphabet soup: AMPS, ASTO, ATT, BIG, BLY, BUM, DAD and DUO along with IDO, EDNA, EIN, ERO, IRAQ, MRT, ODE, ONS, OSSE, OWLS, RFD, ROLE, SHED, SLO, TELL, THDS, TIE and TIN, TIRE, TLC, TYNE, UPDO, USE.
Of course, the caterpillar includes Y!
Click on image to enlarge.
Puzzle available on the internet at
THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games
I liked the symmetry of AEIOU and EIEIO answers. The STYNE/TYNE crossing is cool. Jule Styne wrote "Gypsy" and Tyne Daly played Rose in a revival about a decade or so ago. Also, liked the crossings of HOOEY/KERFLOOEY, TEEUP/UPDO, VOTEOUT/ATEOUT and CUEIN/DUEIN.
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