12.31.08 -- http://www.net/com/edu/gov

Visualization of the various routes through a portion of the Internet.

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Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Puzzle by Tim Wescott, edited by Will Shortz

The internet address letters HTTP, NET, COM, EDU and GOV are found within the 15-letter entries of:

HAVEABONETO PICK (17A. Feel like quarreling about something);

TOTALCOMMITMENT (23A. No halfway effort);

TRUMPEDUPCHARGE (49A. Basis of a false arrest, perhaps);

PLAYINGOVERTIME (61A. Going past the fourth quarter, say).

WWW (40A. Letters after two slashes) is in the dead center of this final crossword puzzle of the year of 2008, which is reviewed in cartoons, along with 2009 -- click HERE.

All the internet address letters are in circles in the electronic version, while in the newspaper, HTTP is in shaded squares, the WWW in unshaded, and the remainder contained in circled squares within the four 15-letter entries. The newspaper version, with the aforementioned variation in squares, gives the interrelated entries clarity and looks great.

Eight six-letter entries follow -- ABBACY (5D. Monastic jurisdiction); ATLAST (18D. “Finally!”); DASHER (41D. One of a seasonal octet); OMERTA (20A. Gangster’s code of silence); RECOUP (60A. Gain back); SCREWY (48D. Off the wall); SKORTS (9D. Women’s hybrid clothing); SPRITE (46D. “Obey your thirst!” sloganeer, once).

The bulk of the crossword is comprised of five-letter answers -- ACTED (54D. Did one’s part?); ADEPT (44A. Skilled); ALERT (39A. “Heads up!,” e.g.); 4. “It’s the end of ANERA”; ARISE (11D. Greet the day); 1D. Give ASHOT in the arm; CREAM (31D. Alfredo sauce ingredient); DECAF (41A. Grounds for a good night’s sleep?); DEGAS (52D. “At the Milliner’s” painter); EPEES (57D. They’re guarded at the Olympics); GUMBO (56D. Okra stew); ITSME (67A. Informal reply to “Who’s there?”); KOREA (16A. Divided Asian land); LIEON (43D. Use as a bed); MUTED (25D. No longer bright, as colors); 8D. ONEPM (8D. Common lunch hr.); ONTWO (24D. When a football may be hiked); OWNUP (34D. Confess); 7D. PANAM games; PILOT (64A. Altimeter user); RECON (12D. A little advance work); RELIT (50D. Activated again, as a burner); REVET (3D. Support with stone as an embankment); ROILS (55D. Agitates); SCARY (9A. Alarming); SPECS (28A. Writer’s guidelines); TAILS (19D. Call after a toss); TEAMO (2D. “I love you,” in Spanish); TIPPI (49D. Hedren of Hitchcock’s “The Birds”); URALS (51D. Range extending south from the Kara Sea); USONE (53D. Auto route from Me. To Fla.); YAKUT (13D. Native of NE Siberia).

Four-letter -- ALPO, ANEW, APAR, ATRA, BEAN, DSOS, DYKE, ELBE, LOON, ROES, SEEN, SEXY, TACO, TIOS.

Three-letter -- ACE, ASI, AYN, CAP and COP, EEK, IER, IWO, LEO, LSU, OFT, PLY, SAD, SOU, USS, VEX, YOM.

Two, one....

Happy New Year!

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For today’s cartoons, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

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: 1. Gillette razor; 5. Meat-in-a-can brand; 14. In view; 15. Noggin; 21. On ___ with (even with); 22. ___ ‘wester; 26. Rand who wrote “Atlas Shrugged”; 27. Sch. Where Shaquille O’Neal played basketball; 32. Spanish uncles; 35. Mexican restaurant offering; 42. Dick Van ___; 43. Addlebrain; 45. “ASI see it …”; 47. Enterprise inits.; 58. Suffix with hotel; 59. Richard and Jane in court; 65. Again; 66. Hamburg’s river; 68. Like the Beatles’ Sadie; 69. U.K. military medals. Down: 6. “Bus 9 to Paradise” author Buscaglia; 10. Steal, slangily; 28. “___ but true”; 29. Use diligently; 30. “A cockroach!”; 33. “Sands of ___ Jima”; 36. Dead man’s hand card; 37. Gown’s partner; 38. “How ___ Has the Banshee Cried” (Thomas Moore poem); 62. ___ Kippur; 63. Annoy.