02.26.09 -- ZAP!

Thursday, February 26, 2009
Puzzle by Brendan Emmett Quigley, edited by Will Shortz
The letter-string of INGQU appears to be the main feature of this Thursday crossword -- LIVING QUARTERS (20A. Residence); BURNING QUESTION (25A. It has to be asked); HOMECOMING QUEEN (43A. Alumni weekend V.I.P.); STRING QUARTETS (48A. Many Haydn compositions). The puzzle is
holoalphabetic, almost twice, being short of one F and one Z.
BROUGHAM (38D. Closed carriage with the driver outside in front); DATA SETS (9D. Records for computer processing); ELEVEN AM (4D. Matinee showing time, maybe) and SAUCEPAN (39D. Its home is on the range) are the other long entries.
Mid-size entries rule the day -- 61A.
Finnish architect Alvar AALTO; 18A. “Conversation is AN ART in which a man has all mankind for his competitors”: Ralph Waldo Emerson; ATE AT (34A. Troubled); BATCH (25D. Bake sale display); BEAT IT (10D. “Vamoose!”); BOATS (38A. Common origami figures); ELIXIR (44D. Alchemist’s concoction); ERASE (41A. Clean, in a way); GARSON (45D. She played Mrs. Miniver in “Mrs. Miniver); GLOAM (28D. Twilight, old-style); HURLS (57A. Casts); ILENE (31D. “The L Word” creator/producer Chaiken); 15A. Poet Federico Garcia LORCA; LUSTY (35A. Like Petruchio’s wench in “The Taming of the Shrew”; MY SON (64A. Words repeated after “O Absalom” in the Bible); NIKON (33D. Coolpix camera maker); OXEYE (32D. False sunflower); PLAN ON (5D. Have in mind); PLIED (5A. Worked regularly at); QUASI (29D. Somewhat); REAIM (27D. Adjust, as a satellite dish); SANYO (42A. Consumer electronics giant); US TEN (30D. Old hwy. from Detroit to Seattle); 26D. “In UTERO” (1993 #1 album).
Short stuff abounds -- ACES,
AFC, ALEE, ALTO, AURA, AXLE, BAJA, CRI, ECON, ECRU, EMO, EVIL, EXEC, IMIT, IRAQ, JEER and JOKE, JEW, KIRI, LOCI, LONG, LOU, LXI, NEAP, ODOR, OVAL, PREZ, QUAY, RICO, ROSY, SEEK, SERA, SOI, SQFT, STLO, TEAM, TRUE, TWIX, TWOD, URLS, WARE, ZAP (59D. Delete in one quick stroke).
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Remaining clues -- Across: 1. Toastmaster’s offering; 10. Home of Ensenada, informally; 14. “The ___ of Frankenstein” (Peter Cushing film); 16. Acct. ___; 17. Delft, e.g.; 19. “Hard ___!” (captain’s order); 23. Some music on the Warped Tour; 24. “___ see!”; 36. Middle year of Nero’s reign; 37. Santa’s reindeer, e.g.; 39. Ask for; 40. ___ de coeur; 46. 1961 Top 10 hit “Hello Mary ___”; 47. Texans’ grp.; 56. It comes from Mars; 58. Firm honcho; 60. Centers of activity; 62. Ambiance; 63. Something in the air; 65. Occurrence in the moon’s first quarter. Down: 1. Wandering ___; 2. Eyeglass lens shape; 3. ___ Davis, “A Girl Like Me” documentarian; 6. Pants spec; 7. Modern home of the ancient Akkadian empire; 8. It’s similar to cream; 11. Part of a wheelset; 12. Raspberry; 13. Reno’s AAA baseball team; 21. “You’re looking at your guy!”; 22. Upbeat; 41. Capital subj.; 2. Carpet meas.; 48. French town of W.W. II; 49. Lacking depth; 50. Opposite of pobre; 51. Unloading site; 52. They may be bookmarked; 53. Certain casato; 54. Legitimate; 55. “Buona ___”.

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