Erté, Letter "Z" 1928 ----------------- Thursday, January 1, 2009 Puzzle by Alan Arbesfeld, edited by Will Shortz 2009 has arrived with a minimalist three-some of interrelated crossword entries: three Z’s -- RUN AROUND SUEZ (20A. Do a marathon in Egypt?); PLAYS HARD TO GETZ (37A. Goes all out at an audition for a sax great?); CLASSIFIED ADZ (55A. Top-secret carpentry tool?). ALLATONCE (41A. Suddenly) starts off the remaining long entries which include BALTICSEA (34D. Part of Poland’s border); BOYZ II MEN (11D. Band whose 1994 song “I’ll Make Love to You” was #1 for 14 weeks); INNUENDO (9D. Dirty campaign technique); MACADAMIA (35A. Some kind of a nut); ONONESOWN (17A. Independent); and STEPAWAY (39D. Leave for a bit). ENDALL (47D. Ultimate goal) leads the six-letter entries -- ENGIRD (30A. Surround); 51A. “DONNIE Brasco” (1997 Pacino/Depp film); IDIDIT (45D. “Hurray for me!”); OPENTO (22A. Not rejecting out of hand); 43. Irish SETTER; SOSOON (5D. “Already?”); TENANT (4D. One paying for staying), not always!
ADAZE (26D. Stunned, after “in”) is the headliner for the five-letter entries which dominate the crossword -- ARENA (62A. It often has a ring in the middle); EFILE (44A. Take care of one’s taxes sans paper); EZRAS (54D. Pound and Stone); FARCE (29D. TV’s “Fawlty Towers,” for one); ILLER (33D. More wonderful, to a hip-hopper); HEADY (65A. Intoxicating); HORAS (40D. Rings at Jewish weddings?); INBAD (9A. Hardly getting along); IDENT (53D. Birth cert., e.g.); LYNDA (8D. Carter who played Wonder Woman); NATES (52D. Rear end, anatomically); NOONE (16A. Who opposed George Washington for president in 1792); NSYNC (19A. Justin Timberlake’s former band); OZONE (3D. O3); PSHAW (50D. “Nonsense!”); RANUP (2D. Accumulated); RESEW (59A. Mend, as a torn seam); SPASM (32D. Tic); SWEAT (21D. Worry about, in slang); TENOF (27A. Close to the hour); THORO (1D. Complete, for short); TRITE (25D. Shopworn).
The short stuff -- ALOU, ANN, ATOI, AWE, CDEF, DEC, ERE and ERTE (18D. At Deco designer), FLOR, GAG, HAZE, HAWN, ITA, LENA and LEND, LOEW, LSTS, OLAY and OMAN, MRI, NEE, NOSE, PAP, RAH, SAHL, SIB, TROT, WART, YAT.
Zzz!
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Puzzle available on the internet at THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games
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Xword search information -- Across: 1. Brisk pace; 5. Satirist who wrote jokes for J.F.K.; 14. Sight blocker; 15. Oil of ___; 23. Leave open-mouthed; 24. Senor chaser?; 32. Bro, say; 42. Formerly named; 48. Inside look, for short?; 49. Drivel; 63. Yours, overseas; 64. Yakutsk’s river; 66. Dermatologist’s concern; 67. D-Day vessels: Abbr. Down: 6. Diamond family name; 7. Best Supporting Actress for “Cactus Flower,” 1969; 10. Mr. Potato Head piece; 12. Novelist Packer or Patchett; 13. Read a New Book Mo.; 18. Art Deco designer; 28. Gulf of ___; 31. Squirting flower or dribble glass; 38. China’s Sun ___-sen; 46. Co-founder of MGM; 56. Furnish; 57. Smidgen; 58. “Dona ___ and Her Two Husbands”; 59. Bit of cheer?; 60. “ERE the bat hath flown / His cloister’d flight …”: Macbeth.
3 comments:
Notes:
Z as an add-on-letter to the long entries is ultra terminal.
ADZ gets its‘ first starring role in memory.
Featured phrases -- ON ONE'S OWN, ALL AT ONCE, HOLD WATER, I DID IT, IN BAD, SO, SOON, RAN UP, OPEN TO.
LYNDA Carter seems to be the only Linda with a Y for crosswords.
Mort SAHL was also critical of Kennedy.
MACADAMIA appears for the second time in recent memory.
Goldie HAWN was at the top of her career in Cactus Flower.
Marcus LOEW (Co-founder of MGM) in 1924, formed the new company from three separate companies, Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures, and Louis B. Mayer Pictures.
LENA River has appeared somewhere recently but not as running through Yakutsk.
NATES (e.g., latin “natis”) is the gluteus maximus.
NO ONE opposed George Washington’s “election“ as it was a formality akin to the old USSR -- one candidate, no opponent -- the only president elected unanimously.
Featured phrases -- ON ONE'S OWN, ALL AT ONCE, HOLD WATER, I DID IT, IN BAD, SO, SOON, RAN UP, OPEN TO.
Yesterday, YAKUT -- today “Yakutsk's river” (as a clue for LENA)
I had CLEF at first rather than CDEF.
Pound and stone are EZRAS today rather than weights.
HAZE and A DAZE might appeal to those with a hangover this New Year’s day.
Something to make you laugh this New Year's Day.
NYTAnonimo
Thanks for sharing -- I indeed did laugh -- I'm sure other readers will enjoy your contribution!
Happy New Year!
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