05.13.09 -- WATER

Water Shaft, Gibeon
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Wednesday,
May 13, 2009
Puzzle by Nancy Kavanaugh, edited by Will Shortz
JUST ADD
WATER (58A. Easy preparation instruction … or a hint to the starts of 20-, 28- and 48-Across) resulting in water buffalo, water lily and water table in the guise of BUFFALO WINGS (20A. Spicy bar fare), LILY LIVERED (28A. Yellow) and TABLE TENNIS (48A. Game to 11 points) are the interrelated entries of this arid Wednesday crossword.
There’s not much else keeping this one afloat. Two eight-letter entries are FORGIVEN (9D. Pardoned) and ONE CUBIT (39D. 18 inches, give or take), followed by two of seven letters, DEALS IN (5D. Buys and sells) and
RIDDLER (46D. “Batman” villain, with “the”).
Six-letter entries --
ALBINO (43A. Lacking melanin); AT WILL (8D. Freely); DAY SPA (53A. Place for pampering); EXTOLS (49D. Sings the praises of); NEGATE (37A. Wipe out); SPOILS (23A. Turns, in a way).
DETER (26D. Ward off) and REPEL (19A. Successfully defend) lead off the familiar five-letter entries which include ARTSY (57D. Too-too); BOFFO (3D. Super, in showbiz); CURBS (1D. Cuts back); DIGIT (69A. One, for one); DR LAO (33D. 1964 Tony Randall title role); 32D. Les ETATS-Unis; FUZZY (9A. Like a teddy bear); NABOB (61A. Big cheese); NONET (42A. Largish combo); NUBBY (34D. Having a rough knitted surface); ODETS (27D. “Golden Boy” playwright); OKIES (16A. Steinbeck migrants); PESTO (56D. Green topping); SCI-FI (4D. “Futurama” genre); STAIR (55D. Flight part); TRURO (38A. Cape Cod town); USE UP (2D. Finish off); YACHT (54D. America’s Cup entrant); and a trio from the middle east, IRANI (25D. Certain Oriental rug maker); OMANI (66A. Muscat native); YEMEN (30D. Red Sea land).
Short stuff -- ALL, AMI, ANEW, APOP, ARIL, BAG, CAST, COX, CUBS, DADA, DIVA, EDNA, EGOS, EMIT, EUR, GMS, HITS, IMNO, JONI, LAG, LEI, LODE, NAE and NEIN and NOD, OPAL, OTOS, REFI, SAW, SIRS, SOY, SPAR, SUN, TROY, UKES, USOC, VIEW, YSL, ZEE and ZIP.
Just add water!
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Remaining clues -- Across: 1. Windy City team; 5, “Me, me, me” sort; 14. Summer Games org.; 15. Radiate; 17. Certain mortgage, briefly; 18. All over; 24. It may have orchids or plumerias; 25. Ceremonial utterance; 32. Author Ferber; 36. Kiltie’s turndown; 40. Baseball bigwigs, for short; 45. Where It.’s at; 47. “Dear” ones; 51. Milk source; 52. Crew leader; 64. Form o f silica; 65. Group of thousands, maybe; 67. Comstock’s find; 68. Scoreboard tally; 70 Sail support; 71. 2004 Brad Pitt film. Down: 6. “___ expert, but …” 7. Op-ed’s offering; 10. Luau strings; 11. Mail aid; 12. Zuider ___; 13. Fashion monogram; 21. Tide competitor; 22. Frau’s “forget it”; 29. Internet annoyance; 31. They may clash; 35. Seed covering; 41. Radiation source; 44. Siouan speakers; 50. Go back and forth in the woods?; 58. Mitchell who wrote and sang “Chelsea Morning”; 59. Per unit; 60. Jean Arp’s movement; 61. Signal at Christie’s; 62. “___ losing it?”; 63. Avocation, slangily.

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