06.11.09 -- America the Beautiful

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Puzzle by Alex Boisvert, edited by Will Shortz

This early Flag Day crossword is prefaced with the note: After finishing this puzzle, color the circled squares blue, and color all the Across answers containing an "R" red, to reveal an image related to the puzzle's theme. Three interrelated entries are featured -- AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL (36A. Whence “Thine alabaster cities gleam” lyric), DON’T TREAD ON ME (49A. 1775 flag motto) and MOUNT RUSHMORE (30A. “Heads for the hills” locale?). To state the obvious, the 19x13 grid, the circled squares and the Across answers containing the letter “R” have nothing to do with solving the crossword. However, who cares? The result is a truly glorious image of Old Glory.

Our patriotic puzzle is more or less a half-dozen small crosswords, one in each corner and a mish-mash in the center, making for some stop-and-go solving as there are slim corridors leading from one section of the crossword to another.

Upper left -- Across: 1. Bikini blast, A-TEST; 17. Film character played by a full-blooded Cherokee, TONTO; 21. Ferrari competitor, LOTUS; 25. Japanese dog, AKITA; 29. Spruce, NATTY; 33. It may be fired, TILE. Down: 1. Hawk’s home, ATLANTA; 2. Lined up the cross hairs, TOOK AIM; 3. Name, ENTITLE; 4. Possible result of anxiety, STUTTER; 5. “…TO SAY the least”.

Upper right -- Across: 13. Track branch, SPUR; 20. Name, in a way, CITE; 24. Give a star, say, RATE; 28. iPod contents, TUNES. Down: 13. Rugby scuffle, SCRUM; 14. Softly, PIANO; 15. Total, UTTER; 16. “The Terminator” man Kyle REESE.

Lower left -- Across: 57. Stock, USUAL; 61. Some RCA products, VCRS; 65. The right point?, EAST; 69. Three-point shot, in slang, TREY. Down: 49. Bed cover, DUVET; 50. Jazz’s Peterson, OSCAR; 51. Sip, NURSE; 52. Delectable, TASTY.

Lower right -- Across: 48. Mideast capital, SANA; 56. Actress Moran and others, ERINS; 60. Bikers may have them, LANES; 64. METRO area; 68. Pupil, in Picardie, ELEVE; 72. Pony farm sign, RIDES. Down: 42. Like Bar-Ilan University, ISRAELI; 43. Blacked out, FAINTED; 44. Rattle, UNNERVE; 45. Rodeo rings?, LASSOES.

Center across: 6. Car wash aid, RAG; 9. Bugs, IRKS; 18. Ear: Prefix, OTO; 19. Cry, WAIL; 22. Dorm V.I.P.’s, RAS; 23. Suburb south of Paris, ORLY; 26. Trendy prefix, ECO; 27. Cultural org., NEA; 34. Poker champ Ungar, STU; 35. Actress Mendes, EVA; 46. Baseballer with a “W” on his cap, NAT; 47. Kilmer of “Batman Forever”, VAL; 58. Lucy of “Kill Bill”, LIU; 59. Drunk’s woe, with “the” DTS; 62. Take on, HIRE; 63. Knack, ART; 66. Kind of salad, BEET; 67. “Holy smokes!”, GEE; 70. “… OR SO he said”; 71. Chariot attachment?, EER.

Center down: 6. “Air Music” composer, ROREM; 7. Not free, AT A COST; 8. Turn bad, GO SOUTH; 9. “Forget it!”, I WON’T; 10. Pinker, perhaps, RARER; 11. Hawaiian tourist attraction, KILAUEA; 12. Hugger-mugger, SLY; 31. NUEVO León (Mexican state bordering Texas); 32. “Law & Order” spinoff, informally, SVU; 37. U.N.-like, INTL; 38. Wheels, CAR; 39. Oil production site?, ATELIER; 40. Operator’s need, BANDAGE; 41. Stately thing in Browning’s “Oh, to be in England … “, ELM TREE; 53. Buenos AIRES; 54. As a result of, DUE TO; 55. Aromatic compound, ESTER; 56. Whom Bugs bugs, ELMER; 62. “The Wire“ shower, HBO.

America, the Beautiful!

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

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.