Eye (Oog) M. C. Escher, 1946 ----------------- Saturday, February 21, 2009 Puzzle by Mike Nothnagel and Byron Walden, edited by Will Shortz SYMMETRIC MATRIX (23A. Rectangular array that’s identical when its rows and columns are transposed, as this puzzle’s grid) and REFLECTED IMAGES (5D. They may be seen on a lake’s surface) are the main entries of this Saturday crossword which dispenses with the usual layout of a symmetric square in favor of a symmetric diamond on edge. It was slightly disorienting, but setting it upright, it looks just fine.
Two nine-letter entries ASIAMINOR (8D. Turkey setting) and CHEWINGON (40A. Pondering, informally) are followed by a half-dozen eight-letter entries -- CREPEPAN (33D. Specialty cookware item), ELICITED (18A. Provoked), ESCAPADE (31D. Dido), HESALIVE (16A. Cry of relief at an accident scene), SCHRODER (32D. German chancellor, 1998-2005), and TRAVELER (6A. One who may have connections).
Seven-letter -- ACETONE (38D. Polish stripper) and ASININE (57A. Cockamamie), ADPAGES (53A. Magazine sales), DEAREST (56A. Honey), EARCLIP (27A. Stud alternative), ERNESTO (58A. Automaker Maserati), ESCHERS (31A. Some collectible Dutch prints), EVELINE (12D. Title woman of a story from James Joyce’s “Dubliners”), FEEDBIN (37D. Trough), JURYBOX (55A. Courtside seats?), LITERAL (11D. Completely straightforward), REDOXES (13D. Electron-transferring reactions, briefly), 15D. Country music’s STATLER Brothers, THEVIPS (6D. 1963 Elizabeth Taylor/Richard Burton drama); WEEONES (59A. Tots), and XEROXES (39D. Some dupes).
Six-letter -- ANAKIN (25D. Obi-Wan’s apprentice), AZODYE (2D. Methyl orange or Congo red) and AZURES (14A. Certain blues), GOESTO (42D. Doesn’t skip) and GOLEFT (17A. “Haw”), INSANE (28A. Fruity), ISAYNO (44D. Self-response to “Must we put up with this?”), LATVIA (20A. NATO member since 2004), MOONED (46A. Revealed the end to?), MRSHOW (24D. 1990s HBO sketch comedy series), NAPLES (30A. Where pizza originated), NOPEST (41D. Brand of insecticide strips), READTO (51A. Lecture, in a way), and ZULEMA (3D. Woman’s name meaning “peace”).
Five-letter -- DRUSE (47D. Believer in al-Hakim as the embodiment of God), NIECE (43A. Many a goddaughter), RAGAS (1D. Hindu musician’s source material for improvisation), RAZOR (1A. Item with clear face value?), RELIC (7D. Dinosaur, so to speak), SCROD (35A. Split and boned entrée), STEMS (29A. Fruit salad waste), TRIMS (21D. Prunes).
Short stuff -- ADE and ARE, ARP and APES, ERIE, ELI and ELO, FAX, JAW, ORE, POE, SARI and SEER, SONS, TSPS, VAC, WANE, WOKS.
I think we‘re seeing eye to eye!
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Remaining clues -- Across: 19. Roadside stand offering, 22. Grp. With the debut single “10538 Overture”, 34. Round-bottomed vessels, 36. A choli is worn under it, 37. Kind of paper, 45. “Collage With Squares Arranged According to the Laws of Chance” artist, 48. One involved in future deals?, 49. Who wrote “I dwelt alone / In a world of moan, / And my soul was a stagnant tide”, 50. Some early “astronauts”. Down: 4. Elementary stuff, 9. A little cleaner?, 10. “Hostel” director Roth, 26. Some are heaping: Abbr., 34. Drop off, 36. End of many business names, 52. Home of Presque Isle Downs racetrack, 54. Be a different way?, 55. Wrench part.
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