07.06.09 -- Categorically Speaking

The Apotheosis of Washington

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Monday, July 6, 2009

Puzzle by Fred Piscop, edited by Will Shortz

LIBERAL BENEFITS (17A. Company-paid medical and dental coverage college tuition, etc.), MODERATE DRINKER (37A. A sot he’s not) and CONSERVATIVE TIE (59A. Bit of attire for a business interview, maybe) are the interrelated entries of this congenial Monday crossword.

People in the Puzzle -- 62D. Critic ADA Louise Huxtable; AIDA (64A. A Slave to opera?); an ARB (7D. Wall St. whiz) and an AIDE (18D. Capitol Hill helper); 33A. Poet EDNA St. Vincent Millay; EMMA (10A. Actress Thompson of “Howards End”); EVAN (54D. Politico Bayh); FOES (15A. The North and the South, in the Civil War); MEL’S (1D. Diner on “Alice”); MIMI (46D. Actress Rogers who was once married to Tom Cruise); NERO (5D. Wolfe of whodunits); NIECE (30A. Dorothy, to Em); 60D. RAS Tafari (Haile Selassie); REBA (55D. McEntire of country music); a SIMP (25D. Nincompoop); WALDO (6D. Hard-to find guy in children’s books); 6A. WALT Disney Pictures).

Actions -- AVERT (52A. Ward off); EFFUSE (10D. Pour forth); ERR (29D. Blow it); GUILE (43A. Artful deception); INDENTS (23D. Hits the tab key, say); LIE (8D. Tell a whopper); LUBE (3D. Garage job, for short); METES (12D. Apportions, with “out”); NAMED (68A. Identified); PARSES (44D. Breaks down grammatically); 35D. PELL-mell; PUREE (21A. Reduce to mush); RETAG (51D. Put a new price on); SNAG (67A. Hosiery spoiler); TAN (9D. Get some sun); WEAR (24D. Grow tiresome).

Aspects -- ABOVE (65A. Superior to); EMERALD (53A. Ireland’s hue); FREE (36D. Gratis); ICIER (32A. Not so congenial); LITE (45D. Lo-fat); LIVE (57D. Not prerecorded); MOHAIR (47A. Angora goat’s fleece); MOIRE (11D. Wavy pattern on fabric); MOTTLE (46A. Pattern on a pinto horse); OVOID (48D. Egg-shaped); TIDY (27D. Neat); WISEST (24A. Most like Solomon).

Assertions -- 22A. “DO I look like a mind reader?”; 42A. “This will GO NO further!”; 39A. Here WE GO again”; HENCE (49D. “It follows that …”).

Miscellaneous -- AGAR, ARIA, ATOM, DEED, ECOL, EPIC, ETON, INDO, MELON (1A. Fruit often cut into balls); ODER and ODES, PLANT (44A. Factory); PLY, RICE, SKIT (34D. Burlesque bit), SPF and SRI, STEROID (20A. Controversial substance in baseball news); TEE, VIN and EXIT (2D. Emergency door sign)…

Have a good week!

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