01.26.09 -- What's the Idea?

Monday, January 26, 2009

Puzzle by Timothy Powell and Nancy Salomon, edited by Will Shortz

LETS NOT GO THERE (20A. “Bad idea!”); YOU MUST BE JOKING (“Bad idea!”); I DIDN’T HEAR THAT (52A. “Bad idea!”) are this Monday crossword’s interrelated entries. The puzzle continues in the same vein with 63A. “You’re something ELSE!“ and a FUROR (14A. Lots of screaming and shouting) with an occasional HE HE (15A. Gleeful giggle). Opening with NAG AT (1A. Bother persistently) and closing with PESKY (67A. Bothersome), in between we have LEERY (17A. Distrustful) VETOES (9D. Presidential noes) and SAY OK (25D. Give the go-ahead), NADA (10A. Zilch), SLY (61D. Wily) KIBITZ (44A. Offer advice from around a card table) and NERTS (21D. “Phooey!”).

BLIND DATES (31D. Social arrangements that don’t always work out) with a GREEN THUMB (3D. Gardener’s gift) and NOAHS ARK (10D. Two-by-two vessel) on the MAIN DRAG (39D. Central street) are the other long entries. Six-letter entries include AORTAS (4D. Arterial trunks); ETHANE (47D. Flammable gas); SEABED (30A. Sunken ship’s locale); SUNTAN (35D. Beachgoer’s acquisition); TREMOR (22D. Cause of a low Richter reading); ZITHER (45D. Instrument with 30+ strings).

Five-letter -- DEGAS (33D. Edgar who painted ballerinas); ECOLI (26D. Undercooked meat danger); 32D. EENSY-weensy; JETER (40D. Shortstop Derek); MRLEE (37A. “My sweetie” in a 1957 hit for the Bobbettes); OATES (60A. Hall’s singing partner); 41A. “OLMAN River” (song from “Show Boat”); ONEAL (64A. Center Shaquille); FHOLE (49D. Cello feature); SEDER (42D. Passover meal); STAIR (35A. Steps between floors); STOOP (51D. Bend to go through a doorway, say … or what may be in front of the door); THIGH (8D. Chicken piece); TRYST (5D. Romantic rendezvous); VIBES (29D. Aura, informally).

Short stuff -- ACH, ALAN, ANNE, AUEL, AXEL and AXED, DEAR and DIOR, DISH, EASE, EATS, EDYS, ESTA and ESTD, HERS, HOAX, IDES, IOTA, NAIF, NATE, NEWT, NFL, NSA, ONTV, OXEN, REDO, REED, REV, SETS, SHAG, SOT, SWIT, TEAK (57A. Wood for shipbuilding) -- or gopher!

Not a bad idea!

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Remaining clues -- Across: 6. Airing; 16. Plow team; 18. Loretta of “M*A*S*H”; 19. Alda of “M*A*S*H”; 23. Archibald or Thurmond of the N.B.A. 24. His and ___; 25. 6-1, 3-6 and 7-5, in tennis; 27. Race, as an engine; 34. “Oh!” in Osterreich; 43. Hush-hush org.; 46. Barfly; 47. Ice cream brand; 48. Babe in the woods; 50. Cornerstone abbr.; 58. Couturier Christian; 59. Elaborate April fool; 62. Are, in Argentina; 65. Kind of carpet; 66. Woodwind item. Down: 1. Org. for Patriots and Packers; 2. Jean who wrote “The Clan of the Cave Bear”; 7. Small salamander; 11. Car bar; 12. Letter starter; 13. One of the Bronte sisters; 28. Has dinner; 36. Work over; 52. Fateful day in March; 53. Satellite signal receiver; 54. Letter after theta; 55. Lighten, as a burden; 56. Pink-slipped.