06.27.09 -- Ill at Ease

The Confession, 1896, Sir Frank Bernard Dicksee
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Saturday,
June 27, 2008
Puzzle by Trip Payne, edited by Will Shortz
CHRIST (42D. Word that first appears in Matthew 1:1) and BLESS ME FATHER (35A. Start of a confession) stand out in this craftily-clued Saturday crossword, along with the pair of ILL AT EASE (52A. Uncomfortable) and SELF-CONSCIOUS (31A. Uncomfortable, in a way), continuing with TELLS (59A. Relates to) and VESPERS (20A. They’re observed in the evening) with ENEMIES (2D. They’re opposed) and MEDIATE (3D. Talk to two 2-Down, say) recommending conciliation -- a little religion never hurts!
Mystery continues in many clues of the remaining long entries -- ANCESTOR (24D. Genealogical discovery); CAT LITTER (58A. Contents of a certain household box); DEMO TAPES (1A. Rock samples);
EYE CHART (21D. It begins with an E [in two ways]); ONE OR MORE (15A. Any); RED PEPPER (17A. Salad ingredient); SETS ON FIRE (28A. Lights); SPRITZERS (60A. Cocktails lacking hard liquor) and TOMB RAIDER (43A. Influential 1996 video game), FYI nearly 500 video games were released in 1996.
Seven-letter --
ANGELOU (12D. “Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘Fore I Diiie” poet); BRIOCHE (35D. French bread); EDUCATE (40D. School); LACKEYS (23A. Henchmen); LACTEAL (36D. Milky); MOSAICS (37D. Multipart art); POST-ITS (46A. Yellow squares, often); REVISER (41D. Agent of change); ROTH IRA (48A. Receiver of some contributions); SERVERS (9D. Waitstaff); STEREOS (13D. They’re often playing at home).
Five- and six-letter --
DO-RAGS (1D. Rappers wrappers); EAGER (18A. Keen); GLESS (10D. Actress co-starring in TV’s “Burn Notice”); GNASH (10A. Rub together); 30D. HO CHI Minh; HORSED (14D. Cut up, with “around”); ICE UP (51A. Freeze); IOTAS (32D. Is in Athens?); LENTO (16A. “Proceed slowly”); LOFTS (23D. Throws up); PIPES (46D. They have connections); RAVERS (44D. Movie critics, sometimes); SHALE (57A. Oil source); SLEET (29D. Some pellets).
Short stuff -- ALI,
AMIS, AMP, CFO, CRAT, EMT, ERE and ETE, FBI, GIA, HIC and HOC, HOOD, HULL, KIN, LAP (53A. You could stand to lose it), LEE, LTR, MCIV, METZ, NEAP, OOPS, POP, TIT, TRE, UVA.
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Puzzle available on the internet at
THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games
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Remaining clues -- Across: 19. Author of “Time’s Arrow,” 1991, a novel written in reverse chronological order; 22. Actress Scala; 27. “Pushing Daisies” star ___ Pace; 33. Quebec’s Festival d’___; 34. Post ___ (after-the-fact); 42. Auto finish?; 45. Drink whose name suggests its vitamin content; 47. Sch. Founded by a president; 50. Year that Acre fell in the First Crusade. Down: 4. Mumble after a fumble; 5. Hero of “Boyz N the Hood”; 6. Excite, with “up”; 7. ___ psychology; 8. Outmoded preposition; 11. Spring’s opposite; 25. Budgetary bigwig, for short; 26. They have connections; 38. Defibrillator user, for short; 39. RICO Act enforcer; 49. Bottom of the sea?; 50. Birthplace of poet Paul Verlaine; 54. Delta, for one: Abbr.; 55. BBC’s Sports Personality of the Century; 56. Black-throated ___ (Asian bird.

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