07.12.09 -- H I S T O R Y

Discussing The Divine Comedy With Dante, 2006, Dai Dudu, Li Tiezi and Zhang An

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Sunday, July 12, 2009

LINKS TO THE PAST, Puzzle by Alan Arbesfeld, edited by Will Shortz

H I S T O R Y results from the headlined note of this crossword, “When this puzzle is done, interpret the answers to the seven starred clues literally, in order from top to bottom” -- the middle of the word NOWHERE holds an H in the entry of MIDDLE OF NOWHERE (23. *Boondocks); the center of the word MEDICAL is an I; the lead letter of SPIRITUAL, S; the beginning of TIME, T; the second letter of COMMAND, O; the end letter of DECEMBER, R; the closing one of BROADWAY, Y. The clues are straightforward -- MEDICAL CENTER (34. *Ambulance destination); SPIRITUAL LEADER (50. *Imam or priest); BEGINNING OF TIME (69. *When the heavens and earth were created); SECOND IN COMMAND (87. *Deputy); END OF DECEMBER (103. *Week after Christmas); BROADWAY CLOSING (118. *Lights out in New York City.

The next longest entries are all downs -- APPLE TART (14. Small, fruity desert); AT ANY PRICE (77. No matter the cost); BEER FESTS (81. Events that are barrels of fun?); CROSSCUT (90. Kind of saw); I LOVE YOU (6. P.S. in a Beatles song); FAR AND WIDE (74. All over); MEDIA BLITZ (3. Publicity push); PIRATE SHIP (16. Worrisome sight on the Spanish Main); REDUNDANT (46. Pleonastic).

Seven letter entries include ACTLIKE, BEANBAG, BIOTYPE; GEOLOGY, LOWGEAR, OFFENSE, ONLEAVE, PEAHENS, WOE/ISME -- six-letter, ANOMIE, ASTERN, CARESS, CELEBS, CLOVER, GENOME, GREASE, OLEOLE, RESEND, UNCOIL, VIOLET -- five, AFTON, ALINE, ARLEN, ASPCA, BANGS, BASTE, BIDET, COATI, EARED, EDGER, EMILS, ERWIN, ESTEE, HEIDI, INBOX, ISSUE, LAHTI, LAING, LEMON, LEONE, MATEO, MCATS, NETTY, OGLED, ONEAT, ONICE, SOLE, VIRGO, ULEES, PHILS, PEROT, ONICE, ONEAT, PALME, RAHAL, RAITT, RENTA, RIGID, SEEDS, SERGE, SHEEN, SITES, TEXTS, TIEGS.

Short stuff -- ABS, ACTE, ACDC, AGRA, AIDA, AKA, ALI, ARAL, AMP, ALFA, ANNE, APIA, ASAP, ASEA, BAD, CAN, CEDE, COED, CLIO, ELEC, ERN, ETIC, IBET, IRE, LAMA, LEA and LEE, LENO, LIDS, LIMO, MAR, MENU and MNEM, MPAA, NCAR, NTWT, OED, OLEO, ONUS, OSLO, PALM, PEAR, PEDS, PRE, PSST, RAPS, RBI, REFI, SDS and SRS, SOL, SYST, TAZ, VUE, WED.

And that’s the way it is...!

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THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games

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Remaining clues -- Across: 1. Figure in “Lost Horizon”; 5. Intelligent, creative sort, supposedly; 10. Fancy wheels; 14. Pet protector, for short; 19. Monthly bill: Abbr.; 20. “___ Gold”; 21. ___ Sea, 2,000-square-mile saltwater lake; 22. Singer Collins and others; 26. Former presidential candidate in the Forbes 400; 27. Standing by; 28. Symbol of modesty; 29. Away with an O.K.; 31. PBS funder; 32. Mobile-to-Birmingham dir.; 37. Group of genetically related organisms; 40. “Buy ___ regular price, get …”; 41. Directional suffix; 42. It’s within your grasp; 44. With 51-Down, cry of sorrow; 45. Specter in the Senate; 48. Emulates AZ or T.I.; 54. 1986 Indy winner Bobby; 57. Vacation itinerary; 58. Literary heroine whose best friend is a goatherd; 59. Copy; 61. Looney Tunes nickname; 62. San ___, Calif.; 65. Straighten out; 68. G or R issuer: Abbr.; 72. Car driven by James Bond in “Octopussy,” for short; 75. Forward; 76. “Sweet” stream in a Burns poem; 77. Roadie’s armful; 80. Noisy but comfy chair; 82. Wallop; 84. First name in skin care; 86. Material with a distinctive diagonal weave; 92. Serving in the navy; 94. Tweets, e.g.; 95. Grandfathers of III’s; 96. Unpaid debt, e.g.; 97. Let go; 99. Strait-laced; 101. Field for a fault-finder?; 108. G, musically; 109. Lead-in to calculus; 112. 1, to a trucker; 113. Love sign; 115. Dog-___; 117. Actor Jannings and others; 122. Bathroom fixture; 123. “Yeah, right!”; 124. Children; 125. Part of a French opera; 126. Open stars?; 127. Tops; 128. Like mesh; 129. Bartlett, e.g. Down: 1. A mechanic might see it a lot; 2. Flared dress; 4. Group with the 22x platinum album “Back in Black”; 5. Saturn offering; 7. Mortgage adjustment, for short; 8. Subject of some modern maps; 9. “___ Mio”; 10. “Chicago Hope” actress; 11. Choler; 12. Nick, say; 13. World Cup shout; 15. Luster; 17. Bee’s target; 18. Back on board; 24 O’Brien’s predecessor; 25. Get together; 30. Birthplace of James K. Polk and Andrew Johnson: Abbr.; 33. Abbr. on a cereal box; 35. Like most dorms nowadays; 36. ___ Page, woman in “The Merry Wives of Windsor”; 38. 1950s Hungarian premier ___ Nagy; 39. Birds with showy mates; 42. “Hey there!”; 43. Pacific capital; 45. Foreman foe; 47. “The Divided Self” author R.D. ___; 49. Former Swedish P.M. Olof ___; 51. See 44-Across; 52. Director Sergio; 53. Bonnie in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; 55. Wanted poster letters; 56. Field of green; 60. Sister of Erato; 63. Indian tourist locale; 64. Cover girl Cheryl; 66. Cousin of a raccoon; 67 Something to play; 69. Forehead coverer; 70. Desk tray; 71. Memory: Prefix; 72. They may be crunched; 73. Wrangler rival; 78. ___ items; 79. Those hoofing it; 83. ‘60s radical grp.; 86. Eye irritant; 88. Suffix with diet; 89. Relinquish; 91. Peace Prize city; 93. Verdi’s “Celeste )___”; 97. A-listers; 98. Breakdown of social norms; 100. Playful rodent; 101. Payola, e.g.; 102. Promise, for one; 104. Gave the once-over; 105. Exams for future docs; 106. Uncooperative; 107. Field Marshal Rommel; 110. ___-car; 111. Lawn tool; 114. Method: Abbr.; 116. “Hurry!”; 119. Result of bringing someone home, for short; 120. Etymologist’s ref.; 121. Science writer Willy.