04.12.09 -- Fitting Words

Sunday, April 12, 2009

FITTING WORDS, Puzzle by Eric Berlin, edited by Will Shortz

SQUARE PEGS (65A. Things that may not go in 69-Across) and ROUND HOLES (69A. See 65-Across), along with ten four-square circles containing P, E, G and S are the interrelated entries of this Easter Sunday crossword -- the electronic and the print editions of the crossword are different in the allocation of the circles -- there is a circle for each letter of the PEGS in the electronic and one large circle covering four squares containing the letters P, E, G and S in the dead tree. In any event, everything "fits."

That aside, this is a fairly generic Sunday crossword -- the remaining longer entries: ACCEPTED (111A. Took); 89A. “Farewell, ANGELINA” (Dylan song popularized by Joan Baez); DISPLEASED (30A. Frowning); EARPLUGS (84D. Silencers?); GETSSORE (25A. Becomes peeved); INNEUTRAL (75A. Idling); PRODUCER (10D. Film V.I.P.); RINGSABELL (102A. Sounds familiar); SHESGONE (46A. 1976 top 10 hit for Hall & Oates); SLAMDANCE (59A. Punk rock club activity).

Seven-letter entries -- CRISPER (95A. Refrigerator part); DOGSTAR (50A. Bright spot in the night sky); EMINENT (18A. Distinguished); EPHRAIM (90D. Patriarch of a tribe of Israel); GAMELEG (7D. Cause of a limp); HADBEST (47D. Really ought to); HANGARS (70D. Buildings on some bases); HASATIT (88D. Attacks); IPECACS (39A. Medicinal syrups); LETLIVE (13D. Spare); MADIGAN (60D. Amy of “Field of Dreams”); MIRRORS (85D. Duplicates exactly); MISGAVE (23A. Felt suspicion); PAROLEE (55D. Recent release?); PASTEUR (33D. 1936 Oscar-winning title role for Paul Muni); REENACT (57D. Simulate, as an event); ROBERTS (114A. Rehnquist’s successor); SECURED (26D. In the hold, say); SLOEGIN (119A. Fizz ingredient); SPRAYER (51D. Exterminator’s tool); STLOUIS (48D. End of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, 9/23/1806); TERRIER (19D. Game pursuer); UNCLASP (76D. Remove, as a necklace).

Six-letter -- ARGYLL (58D. Historic Scottish county); ASLEEP (97D. Not up); ATONAL (42D. Lacking a key); BOCCIE (43D. Game with balls); COHENS (44D. Songwriter Leonard and others); COPIES (40D. Knockoffs); DARNIT (73D. “Phooey!”); GNEISS (78A. Layered rock); HALITE (1A. Rock salt); HARASS (100A. Bug); INGEST (4D. Swallow); LAPSES (123A. Small mistakes); OSMOSE (53D. Diffuse slowly); PANELS (34D. “What’s My Line?” features); PEROTS (52A. Politico Ross and family); PURSED (68D. Puckered); QANTAS (66D. Flying Kangaroo company); REBAGS (69D. Packs again, as groceries); SCLERA (83A. Eyeball covering); SEISMO (65D. Prefix with graph); SPIRAL (32A. Shell shape); SUSANN (41D. Best-selling novelist about whom Gore Vidal said “She doesn’t write, she types!”); USNEWS (67D. Longtime Time rival, informally).

Five -- AGENT (98D. Representative); ANGST (11D. Unsettled feeling); ATOLL (101D. Transpacific landing site); CEDES (99D. Hands over); 38A. COSTA del Sol; ENVOI (6D. End of a ballade); EPOCH (54A. Ages and ages); OHSAY (14D. Key opening?); ORNOT (106A. “…but I could be wrong”); ORSER (28A. 1987 champion skater Brian); RASPS (96A. Horseshoer’s tools); STERN (82A. Hard-nosed).

Four -- ABES, AMER, AMIE, AMOR, ATIE, BETA, CADS, CAPT, CHET, DESI, ERES and ERGS, EASY, GASP, GERE and GERI, HEEP and HEMP, ICON, INKS, INST, LEAN and LEAS, LISP, MONA and MONO, NCOS, NOON, OBOE, ORGS, OTRA, PEPE, PUNT, RAIL and RAIN and RANI, REOS, SAGE and SAGS and SAPS, SPAM, SPED, STEP, SSNS, SUER, SUNY, USTA, WEEP (12D. Boo hoo)!

Three -- AAS, ABA, ABC, AWL, BOA, CAL, IAL, ICY, INS, ITE, KEG, LAD, MAW, NEE, OSS, RUB, SEN and SEP, SVU, TAS, TEA, and 49A. “TOO bad”!

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Remaining clues -- Across: 1. [I’m shocked!]; 11. Item in a belt-maker’s tool belt; 14. Grps.; 20. AARP part: Abbr.; 21. Formerly; 22. Wickfield’s scheming partner in “David Copperfield”; 24. Like early Beatles recordings; 27. Cartoon skunk; 34. Give up, slangily; 35. Not offering traction, in a way; 42. Epitome of simplicity; 45. Attorneys’ org.; 48. One who goes a-courting?; 57. Stairway part; 61. Catch; 62. You are: Sp.; 63. Marisa’s role in “My Cousin Vinny”; 64. Word repeated before “go away” 71. Word with chair or street; 72. Schools in Albany and Oneonta are part of it: Abbr.; 73. First name in ‘50s comedy; 74. Suffix with adverb; 77. Fivers; 86. Gaping opening; 87. Newsman Huntley; 92. Tap site; 93. Org. in the 1946 thriller “Cloak and Dagger”; 94. Huck Finn, e.g.; 98. Some batteries; 99. “Aye, aye!” hearer: Abbr.; 107. Places to graze; 112. Org. for singles?; 117. Native’s suffix; 118. Spice Girl Halliwell; 120. Tech. school; 121. Univ. aides; 122. Many unread messages. Down: 1. Crop grown by George Washington; 2. Billet-doux recipient; 3. Orator’s challenge; 5. Caffeine source; 8. Son of Venus; 9. Something D.C. does not have; 15. Vintage cars; 16. “Nights in Rodanthe” star, 2008; 17. Careered; 29. Suckers; 31. Entrances; 36. Heartbreaker types; 37. “O” in the old Army phonetic alphabet; 38. Mint relative; 79. Closes, as a deal; 80. Instructions part; 81. Doesn’t look at all youthful; 91. Show a preference; 95. Political columnist Thomas; 102. Eastern queen; 103. Something to click; 104. PX patrons; 105. Test stage; 106. Other, in Oaxaca; 108. Physics 101 units; 109. In ___ (even); 110. Some Ids: Abbr.; 113. Natl. Library Card Sign-Up Month; 115. Diva’s wrap.