01.15.09 -- The Devil Wears Nothing

 

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Puzzle by Patrick Blindauer, edited by Will Shortz

BREAKIN (38. Burglary … or a hint to 17/18-, 26/29-, 47/51- and 62/63-Across), JOSEPHI (17. With 18-Across, “J’ai Deux Amours” singer), NEBAKER (18. See 17-Across), MANDARI (26. With 29-Across, tangerine), NORANGE (29. See 26-Across), RAINRAI (47. With 51-Across, wet-day wish), NGOAWAY (51. See 47-Across), STUMBLI (62. With 63-Across, temporary setback), NGBLOCK (63. See 62-Across) are the marginally interrelated entries of this odd crossword -- do four misplaced black squares do anything for you? To be fair, the result includes breaking the IN in half in each of the combined entries... Oooh, cut me a slice of that!

Other seven-letter across entries are whole, in order of appearance, BEGORRA (1. Irish interjection), ESOBESO (15. Paul Anka hit that made it to #19), ARABIAN (14. The Black Stallion, e.g.), SUBLETS (20. Extended vacationers may take them), SESAMES (55. Chinese chicken flavorers), GALPALS (66. Baby shower attendees, often), SUREBET (67. Can’t-miss proposition); AMASSES (70. Gets together).

That makes a grand total of seventeen seven-letter entries in all, a bit unusual for a crossword, but facilitated by the division of the crossword grid down the center by two six-square black bars separated by the entry of TAZ (35. Looney Tunes nickname) in dead center being the only connection between the two halves of what is essentially two crossword puzzles pasted together. Further, within the two divisions are three nearly-separate sections in each, requiring the solver to traverse through seven sections, including the center, in order to complete the task.

 

TSK (68. “Shame on you!”) is on the bottom line of the remaining across entries which include AKA, ASHY, DORM (36. Rice pad), EBBS, EDEL, ELMO, HEP, OTT, PAT (11. One way to get something down), RENT, RUIN, SAKI, SLIM, SOT, SPR, YEO, ZENO.

 

RIP (5. It may be written in stone) is at the beginning of the short down entries which include ANI (7. What causes Fred to be fired?), ASET, BAJA, BARB, BRER, EROS, ETAS, GASH, GUM (64. Bazooka, e.g.), ICEE, INGA, KENS, LOBS, MKTS, NOOK, NSA, PEKE (11. Chow alternative), RAH, SINE, SSGT, SULK, TORS.

 

Down entries of more length include in order of appearance, OBEYED (4. Minded), SENSEN (8. Longtime breath freshener), PSEUDO (9. Fake), ROBBER (10. Person holding things up?), 16. “The BALLAD of Reading Gaol” (Wilde poem), MAYER (26. Early film executive), AKELA (27. “The Jungle Book” wolf), NAOMI (28. She renamed herself Mara, in Scripture), NOHOW (30. Slangy negative), GRETA (31. Scacchi of “Presumed Innocent”), EMPTY (32. Drain), ONRAMP (44. Cloverleaf component), RUMBLES (48. Relatives of cha-cha-chas), AIELLO (49. Danny of “Ruby”), INSIST (50. Be emphatic), AISLES (52. Where shopping carts are pushed).

 

Need a break?

 

Heeeere’s TAZ!

 

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Remaining clues -- Across: 1. Part of some resort names: Abbr.; 19. Whitish; 21. Goes back; 25. Pulitzer-winning biographer Leon; 33. Nickname preceder; 34. “One Song Glory” musical; 37. U.S.N. clerk: Abbr.; 42. Viral inflammation, informally; 43. Sailor’s saint; 45. Paradoxical fellow; 46. 12-time baseball All-Star; 53. Crush; 54. Literary pen name; 58. Gracile; 69. Lush. Down: 1. Mexican peninsula; 2. One taking a bow?; 3. Nasty wound; 6. Rallying cry?; 12. Play __ (do some tennis); 13. Rocky peaks; 22. Zinger; 23. Word before Rabbit or Fox; 24. Trig ratio; 39. Grasps; 40. Actress Swenson of “Benson”; 41. Hiding place; 55. Mil. Rank; 56. Some guesses, for short; 57. Be ill-humored; 59. High balls?; 60. Summer cooler; 61. Trading places: Abbr.; 63. Code crackers’ org.; 65. Word with sports or training.