Australia Day

Australia Day, Puzzle by Fred Piscop, edited by Will Shortz

If you subscribe to The New York Times on-line Premium Crosswords, you are probably familiar with the monthly puzzle. For January, the title of the puzzle is Australia Day, which takes place on 26th of the month. Mr. Piscop packs a lot of Australia into the puzzle with the following clues and their entries:

Across: 1. Australian rockers who recorded “Back in Black”, ACDC; 12. CORAL Sea (waters off Australia); 15. Lake EYRE (Australia’s lowest point); 16. Pacific nation whose currency is the Australian dollar, NAURU; 17. Commonwealth STAR (symbol on Australia’s flag); 20. Duck-billed Australian mammals, PLATYPI; 27. BOTANY Bay, Australia; 39. New South WALES, Australia; 45. Australian wild dog, DINGO; 48. Did the Australian crawl, SWAM; 52. Australian hobo, SWAGMAN; 56. Australian race horse Phar LAP; 59. Clown fish who lands in an Australian dentist’s fish tank, NEMO; 68. Australian outlaw NED Kelly; 69. Pal, to an Australian, MATE.

Down: 2. Energy source exported by Australia, COAL; 6. Australian’s greeting, GDAY; 8. Australian-raised actor MEL Gibson; 9. AYERS Rock (Australian landmark); 10. Australian actor Russell CROWE; 24. “Waltzing MATILDA” (Australian folk song); 26.“ADVANCE Australia Fair” (Australian’s national anthem); 28. Gem mined in Australia, OPAL; 29. Polynesian carving, TIKI; 31. Australian OPEN (tennis tournament); 32. LES Murray, Australia’s “bush-bard”; 36. Explorer ABEL Tasman, who mapped much of Australia; 44. Australia’s largest city, SYDNEY; 48. Australian STEVE Irwin, “The Crocodile Hunter”; 49. Australians call them “sheilas”, WOMEN; 54. Straight as A DIE (honest, to an Australian); 56. Australian-born singer LANA Cantrell.

The remains, though not overtly Australian, would probably do quite nicely in any crossword Down Under.

Across: 5. Execs., collectively; 8. Anti-mugger spray; 14. Bit of verbal fanfare; 18. Explorer Ponce de LEON; 19. “Slippery” tree; 23. Train network: Abbr.; 24. Othello, for one; 25. Job for Perry MASON; 30. Sank, as a putt; 33. Ill will; 34. Cartoon skunk PEPE Le Pew; 35. Vintner’s vessel; 38. H.H. Munro’s pseudonym; 40. Irish Rose’s lover; 42. Dogpatch diminutive; 43. Has AN IN (is connected) 44. Bergen dummy Mortimer SNERD; 47. Competes in the Tour de France; 50. Beef unit; 51. Classic Pontiac muscle car; 61. Garfield’s pal; 62. Online sales; 64. State firmly; 65. Stir up; 66. One-named New Age keyboardist; 67. Gymnasts’ perfections.

Down: 1. Complexion woe; 3. Bongo or conga; 4. Elevator part; 5. “The Simpsons” creator MATT Groening; 7. Ground crew’s rollout; 11. Start of a choose-up rhyme; 13. “Evita” star Patti LUPONE; 14. Russian autocrat of old; 21. Myrna LOY of “The Thin Man”; 22. Zamboni’s milieu; 27. Chem. majors’ degrees; 30. Sun: Prefix; 34. Feeling of hunger; 37. Get pooped; 39. Pasty-faced; 41. Mag. Staffers; 46. AOL chats; 47. Undercover org.; 50. Hook’s sidekick; 51. Swarming pest; 53. In need of a patch; 55. Richly adorn; 57. “If it AINT broke …”; 58. Ballet bend; 60. Surgery ctrs.; 63. Hat with a pompom.

...but not a kangaroo in sight! A ripper -- fair dinkum! G’day!

Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at

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