05.30.09 -- Zzzzzzzzzzzz!

Sleeping Beauty Thomas Ralph Spence

-----------------

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Puzzle by Matt Ginsberg, edited by Will Shortz

The letter Z gets a work-out in this Saturday crossword with an even dozen.

The Z-infected words in numerical order across -- 16. JACUZZI ,“Water that moves you” sloganeer; 17. CHORIZO, Spanish pork sausage; 19. YITZHAK, Shimon’s predecessor; 45. ZOG, Planet visited by Spaceman Spiff in “Calvin and Hobbes”; 49. OZARK, County in Missouri or county seat in Arkansas; 55. ZAG, Turn sharply; 56. GIN FIZZ, Drink with lemon juice; 58. SEIZING, Appropriation; 60. ESTEVEZ, Brat Pack member; 62. HAZED, Initiated unpleasantly.

The second-hand use of the Z (the downs) -- 5. MAZY, Tangled and interwoven; 6. ELZIE, Cartoonist Segar; 11. BAZAARS, Some charity events; 20. ZOOS, Sites of some exhibits; 35. PIZZAZZ, Flair; 41. AMAZING, Not just great; 49. OOZED, Fell though the cracks?; 57. FEZ, Casablanca wear; and last but not least, 59. ZED, Lack of organisation? (my spell-check keeps changing the "s" to a "z"!).

Z-less entries of seven and eight letters, alphabetically -- DRAGGED (43D. Never seemed to end); DRIVE-UP (10D. Convenient kind of window); HOAXING (53A. April Fools’ Day activity); JOJOBAS (1D. Southwestern shrubs yielding a cosmetic oil), word of the day; MOOCHED (23D. Sponged); ONE HALF (12A. Just over a minority); POLENTA (38D. Staple of northern Italy) and POMATUM (25D. Fragrant hair dressing); ROMANCE (42D. Court); SAMPRAS (14A. Sports star who wrote the 2008 best seller “A Champion’s Mind); SCHLOCK (14D. Junk), tempting word; SCRIMPS (32A. Is hardly extravagant); SECLUDE (3D. Screen); SLOWISH (37D. Larghetto); SPHERIC (37A. Round); TERENCE (61A. Ancient Roman writer of comedies); UNAWARE (2D. Not with it).

Five and six -- ARDOR (26A. Spirit); 29A. BAHAI (7D. Believer advocating universal brotherhood); B AND B (7A. Travel mag listing); DODGED (63A. Hemmed and hawed); ECOLI (24A. Cause of some food recalls); 13D. Clyde FITCH, “Beau Brummell” playwright, 1890; FIVER (29D. Fin); 29A. All FOURS (card game); GRIST (46D. Mill fill); JUST ME (1A. Response to “Is anyone else here?”); KNEED (50D. Hit below the belt); PETARD (40A. Gate-breaching bomb); RULES (27D. Is way cool); RUMOR (47A. It’s often unfounded); SEE OUT (30A. Complete, as a task); SLOES (44A. Sour fruit); SOCKS (15D. Belts); and because "sewage" wouldn’t fit, SWAGE (44D. Metalworking tool), word of the day runner-up.

Three and four -- AMOK (8D. Uncontrollably); AWE (52A. Floor); BAUM (22A. “Mother Goose in Prose” author, 1897) ; CLAP (34A. Summon a servant, maybe); COAX (39D. Urge); GIRO (54D. Big name in cycling helmets); HIVE (53D. Queen’s quarters); HOO (28A. Sob syllable); KAVA (36A. Polynesian libation); 51A. “MAMA Said” (1961 hit); NPR (9D. D.C.-based news org.); OWL (18A. Nighttime noisemaker); PEAK (25A. Busiest); RAP (33D. Criticize); TAR (31D. Cap’n, say); THU (4D. Day “Cheers” was on: Abbr.); VAC (21A. Sucker, quickly); and due to "world" being too long, WOLD (48A. Chain of treeless rolling hills), yet another runner-up for word of the day.

Freedom lives! We are free to Z it up in America, the letter was banned in Greece as the popular protest slogan "Ζει", meaning "he lives", the title of the film by Costa Garvas -- here’s the trailer for the film, Z.

-----------------

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.