05.25.09 -- TREE

Boys Climbing a Tree, 1790-92,
Francisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes
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Monday,
May 25, 2009 -- Memorial Day
Puzzle by Peter A. Collins, edited by Will Shortz
Nothing special here for Memorial Day. This is an odd little puzzle shy a vertical column of squares, making it 14x15, with three movie titles each containing the name of a three-letter
TREE (64A. Thing hidden in each of the movie names in this puzzle) within circles -- STEEL MAGNOLIAS (19A. 1989 Sally Field/Dolly Parton/Shirley MacLaine movie); BIG MOMMAS HOUSE (35A. 2000 Martin Lawrence movie); PRELUDE TO A KISS (50A. 1992 Alec Baldwin/Meg Ryan film). Hidden trees occurred in song titles in the New York Times crossword of Sunday, May 4, 2008.
There are a few more long entries --
BAGGY JEANS (26D. Hip-hop wear); BOOM BOOM (5D. Classic John Lee Hooker song of 1962); LOVING CUPS (10D. Some trophies); STEROIDS (37D. Shots taken by some athletes) -- but no more trees.
Mid-size -- ADAPTOR (32A. Electrical device for foreign travelers); GROPES (42A. Seeks blindly); OTELLO (44D. Verdi hero married to Desdemona); REDACT (43D. Edit);
SONNET (D. One of Shakespeare’s begins “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”); STOPPER (40A. Cork); TOASTS (27A. “Here’s to you!” and others); WEIGHS (7D. Puts on a scale).
HE-MAN and SLAB share the clue of Hunk.
JANET and RENO are linked with the clue John Ashcroft’s predecessor as attorney general. Other five-letter entries are ALLOT (47D. Apportion) and LOTTO (20D. Game with a $100 million prize, maybe); HOSEA (38D. Old Testament prophet); IDIOM (25D. “Knock it off” or “get it on,” e.g.); 24D. “Star Wars” villain JABBA the Hutt; OSTER (4D. Blender maker); OTERI (31D. Onetime “S.N.L.” player Cheri); SKIRT (49D. Mini or tutu); 9D. Milan’s La SCALA; TASER (30D. Police stunner).
Short stuff -- ALAI, AMY, ANNO, ARM, ARIA, ASP, AVID, AXES, BOGS and BOWS, BEDS, CLOD, CORE, EXIT, GNU, GTO, INLA and INOR, JIB, MOST, OLEO and OLLA and OLIN, OMS and PMS, PINT, PRAM, REAL, RENE and RENO, RES, ROB, ROOF, SAFE, SCAT, SLOE, SOP, SRI, TAOS and TOSS, ZAPS and ZERO.
Remember the true meaning of Memorial Day!
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For today’s cartoon, go to
The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
Click on image to enlarge.
Puzzle available on the internet at
THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games
If you subscribe to home delivery of The New York Times you are eligible to access the daily crossword via The New York Times - Times Reader, without additional charge, as part of your home delivery subscription.

Remaining clues -- Across: 1. Home (in on); 5. Arrow shooters; 13. Lumberjacks’ tools; 14. Margarine; 15. Uneaten part of an apple; 16. Small milk carton capacity; 17. Ken of “thirty something”; 18. Eager; 22. Hold up; 24. Foresail; 29. Old Pontiac; 34. “Git!”; 39. Swamps; 41. Novelist Tan; 45. ___ Lanka; 48. Legal matter; 56. Not imaginary; 57. Jai ___; 58. “To Live and Die ___”; 60. Lunkhead; 61. Santa’s landing place; 62. Part of M.V.P.; 63. Pitch. Down: 1. Microwaves; 2. Stage direction after an actor’s last line; 3. Philosopher Descartes; 6. Earthenware pot; 11. Diva’s number; 12. They have headboards and footboards; 21. Meditation syllables; 28. One of an octopus’s octet; 33. Evenings, briefly; 34. Soak (up); 36. Egyptian cobra; 42. Bearded beast; 50. Nanny’s vehicle; 52. New Mexico resort; 53. “Are you ___ out?”; 54. Gin flavoring; 55. Not out.

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