06.21.09 -- Last Words

Edvard Munch. The Death Bed. 1895

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

Sunday, June 21, 2009

FAMOUS LAST WORDS, Puzzle by Matt Ginsberg and Pete Muller, edited by Will Shortz

“Curtain! Fast music! Light! Ready for the last finale! Great! The show looks good, the show looks good!” ~~ Florenz Ziegfeld, showman, d. July 22, 1932

The last words of twelve individuals comprise the interrelated entries of this Sunday crossword puzzle:

OSCAR WILDE (1A & 13A “My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One or the other of us has to go”); GROUCHO MARX (27A. “Die, my dear? Why that’s the last thing I’ll do!”); LOU COSTELLO (32A. “That was the best ice cream soda I ever tasted”); SALVADOR DALI (53A. “Where is my clock?); CONRAD HILTON (71A. “Leave the shower curtain on the inside of the tub”); DYLAN THOMAS (87A. “I’ve had 18 straight whiskies. I think that’s the record”); PANCHO VILLA (94A. “Don’t let it end like this. Tell them I said something”); ERROL FLYNN (110A & 113A. “”I’ve had a hell of a lot of fun and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it”); MARCO POLO (20D. “I have not told half of what I saw”); CALIGULA (46D. “I live!”); EVA PERON (48D. “Eva is leaving”); BO DIDDLEY (68D. “I‘m going to heaven!”).

For more of the same, go HERE.

Remaining across -- 6. “Pow!”, WHAM; 10. Cutup, HAM; 18. Kapa haka dancer, MAORI; 19. “I, Robot” extras, AUTOMATA; 21. Fit, once, BESEEM; 22. Cuba y Puerto Rico, ISLAS; 23. Carpet store bargain bin, REMNANTS; 24. Get angry, RILE UP; 25. Concern coming up?, THE BENDS; 29. Mineral Suffix, ITE; 30. Pair in an ellipse, FOCI; 31. Red ball?, EDAM; 37. Way up, STAIR; 39. Actress Thurman, UMA; 42. Huskies’ org., AKC; 43. Cushion site, SOFA; 44. Mathematician PIERRE de Fermat; 46. PC cores, CPUS; 47. Scottish hillsides, BRAES; 50. Words of disappointment, DOGGONE IT; 52. Character sets?, CASTS; 55. Adolescent admonishment, BE POLITE; 57. Fleischer and Onassis, ARIS; 58. Vocalist Yoko ONO; 59. Puts in a box, maybe, PENALIZES; 60. Kim Jon-Il, e.g., DESPOT; 63. Yellowknife is its cap., NWT; 64 Madison or Monroe: Abbr., JAS; 65. Mild-mannered Mister ROGERS; 65. Taxpayer request, EXTENSION; 68. BUY American; 69. Hose color, ECRU; 70. Ibsen title character, PEER GYNT; 76. Others, in Andalusia, OTROS; 77. Building safety features, FIRE DOORS; 79. Pot grabber, NARCO; 80. Wii user, maybe, TEEN; 81. Rial spender, YEMENI; 82. Ones sharing Durocher’s astrological sign, LEOS; 84. Took sides?, ATE; 85. Packed, in brief, SRO; 86. Communal customs, MORES; 91. Press, IRON; 92. Some pitcherfuls, ADE; 93. Dark time, for short, EEN; 98. Vatican rules, PAPACIES; 103. “You are not!” response, I AM TOO; 104. Raid targets, ILLEGALS; 106. The Amazing RANDI (magician); 107. Korean carmaker, DAEWOO; 109. Yore-ic?, OLDEN; 111. Nine-digit ID, SSN; 112. Supreme leader?, ROSS.

À moi, ma chère amie!

Down: 1. Strike out, OMIT; 2. Tiara go-with, SASH; 3. Porter, for one, COLE; 4. Like 1, not I, ARABIC; 5. Meet, RISE TO; 6. Voting area, WARD; 7. Apricot and tangerine, HUES; 8. Green machine?, ATM; 9. Invader of Europe in 1241, MONGOL; 10. McCain residence for 5 ½ years, HANOI; 11. U.S. island occupied by Japan during W.W. II, ATTU; 12. Not fem., MASC; 13. WEIMAR Republic, toppled in 1933; 14. Its literal translation is “submission”, ISLAM; 15. Look life a wolf, LEER; 16. French pair, DEUX; 17. Nero, e.g.: Abbr., EMP; 21. 1970 N.F.L. M.V.P. John BRODIE; 26. Capone’s nemesis, NESS; 28. Cheer, HEARTEN; 30. Hail, FLAG DOWN; 32. Bell LABS; 33. New Orleans staple, OKRA; 34. It has 10 branches: Abbr., UCAL; 35. Minor errands, TO DOS; 36. E FOR effort; 37. Date, SEE; 38. Chief concerns?, TRIBES; 39. Enlarge, UPSIZE; 40. [Grumble, grumble, grumble], MUTTER; 41. Weigh, ASSESS; 49. Some beachwear, SARONGS; 51. Eugene GANT, hero of “Look Homeward, Angel”; 52. Fill with a crayon, COLOR IN; 54. Clueless, DITSY; 56. Exsiccate, PARCH; 59. Employers must meet them, PAYROLLS; 60. Points on some lines, DEPOTS; 61. Academy town, EXETER; 62. Two-channel, STEREO; 63. “I’m late!”, NO TIME; 64. 2007 film that won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, JUNO; 67. Ball of fire, INFERNO; 69. Pele’s real first name, EDSON; 71. About 877,000 hrs., CEN; 72. Info in a real estate ad, AREA; 73. Disneyland sight, TRAM; 74. Eight: Prefix, OCTA; 75. Con man’s responses?, NOES; 78. Hi-RES; 81. “Hello-o-o!”, YOO HOO; 83. Part of a program, STEP; 86. Hipster’s persona, MR COOL; 88. First supersonic human, YEAGER; 89. Learn by word of mouth, HEAR OF; 90. Like many hospital doctors, ON CALL; 91. Cloven, IN TWO; 92. Detective Pinkerton, ALLAN; 94. Carson’s predecessor, PAAR; 95. Part of O.A.S.: Abbr.; AMER; 96. Stars, VIPS; 97. Contents of Pandora’s box, except for hope, ILLS; 98. Anode indicator, PLUS; 99. Phobia of 100-Down, ASPS; 100. Ford role, familiarly, INDY; 101. Xanadu, EDEN; 102. SINN Fein; 103. Chemical suffix, IDE; 105. Kerfuffle, ADO.

“Good Night.”

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

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.