Titania,1897 -- Frederick Howard Michael ----------------- Friday, December 25, 2008 Puzzle by Brendan Emmett Quigley, edited by Will Shortz This Friday crossword features non-words and/or multiple consonants -- XOXOXOXO (3D. Love letters?), XIII (26A. Chapter 13?); XAMOUNT (26D. An unknown quantity); TSTRAP (7D. Sandal variety); TVCAMERA (8D. An anchor often faces it); ETSEQ (51A. Reference book), along with a good dose of double-wording -- CRATEUP (18A. Prepare to ship); FITIN (41A. Conform); KEPTIN (14D. Didn’t strike); NEXTUP (31A. At the head of the line); ONEINTEN (2D. Pretty poor chances); ONEUP (49A. Best); SAIDIDO (58A. Got hitched); SETOFFS (24D. Counterbalances). Music and entertainment… ALLOFME (37A. Song standard with the lyric “Can’t you see I’m no good without you?”); ATRAIN (45D. Title transport in a 1941 song); BALOO (30D. “The Jungle Book” bear); EADIE (51D. Title lady in a 1933 song); FREEJAZZ (38D. Bop alternative); INX (23A. “Listen Like Thieves” band); JAFFE (44A. Rona who wrote “Mazes and Monsters”); SEXPERT (17A. Dr. Ruth, e.g.); SIRPAUL (20A. Pop superstar’s informal name since 1997); SUZIE (28D. Wong of book and film); THEMASK (8A. Comic book series that spawned films in 1994 and 2005); VOLANTE (16A. Lightly and quickly, in music); and why is TITANIA (62A. Uranus’s largest moon) no longer clued via Shakespeare?
Daily doubles… SNORTED (64A. Responded contemptuously) and SNOOZED (3A. Had a 33-Across, say) make a nice pair -- oh, DREAM (33A. It’s unreal) is the cross reference, perhaps one had at FOURAM (43A. End of a middle watch). Another pair is QUART (52D. Two 55-Downs) and PINT (55D. Half a 52-Down). Also ANOINTS (15A. Gives last rites to, e.g.) with another definition, and EMPOWERS (40D. Delegates). Phonetically, OTIS (50A. A leading manufacturer of cars) and OTOES (27A. Missouri relatives) seem a pair. Location, location, location… MAUNAKEA (39D. Literally, “white mountain”) and PARAMUS (55A. New Jersey shopping mall) make for exceptional geographic diversity -- DIRTROAD (36D. Way out in the country), would that also be a “way in” or is it just “far out?” BOXSEAT (1A. Where to get a good view of a hit and run) or BASTIONS (1D. Strong defenses) could be from where to watch JOUSTS (44D. Old tournament events). Leftovers… BACON (30A. Strips on a table), along with ANEMIC (12D. Weak); ATRIP (6D. Just off the bottom, nautically); BRONZER (63A. Alternative to a tanning booth); DEMOBS (48D. Retires from the R.A.F.); HORUS (9D. Falcon-headed god); PALMS (25A. They may be greased); STUDIO (13D. Small pad); and the short stuff -- CNN, DAR, ELAL, ELF, ENES, JAW, MAT, MDT, NASA, PET, PLOD, POE, RAD, SIP, STOA, TENO, TIO, URN (54A. Funeral home item). FINITO (46D. Done, slangily). ----------------- For today’s cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated. 
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Xword search information -- Across: 19. Member of la familia extensa; 22. Wyo. Is on it in the summer; 29. One of the Baltimore Ravens’ mascots; 47. Far out; 53. Sinew: Prefix; 57. Be windy. Down: 4. Nurse; 5. Hydrocarbon endings; 10. Company whose slogan is “Home away from home”; 11. Purchase at a home store; 21. Move slowly; 32. Kind of rock; 34. Mischievous tyke; 42. Pioneer’s org.; 59. Women’s org. with the motto “God, home and country”; 61. “House Call” airer.
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