07.02.09 -- Rose is a rose, etc...

Portrait of Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso, 1906, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. When someone commented that Stein didn't look like her portrait, Picasso replied, "She will".

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Thursday, July 2, 2009

Puzzle by Elizabeth C. Gorski, edited by Will Shortz

GERTRUDE STEIN (20A. Pittsburgh-born poet who was the subject of a Picasso portrait) supplies this Thursday crossword with a FLORAL DISPLAY (50A. Colorful decoration hinted at by 34-Across) with the entry of ROSE IS A ROSE IS A ROSE IS A ROSE (34A. Famous quote by 20-Across). The sentence "Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose." was written by Stein as part of the 1913 poem Sacred Emily in which the first "Rose" is the name of a person, later using variations on the sentence in other writings with the resulting "A rose is a rose is a rose", regarded as meaning "things are what they are."

A crossword in the Times last year featured a dozen roses -- HERE. The corresponding down entries of today’s puzzle containing squares with the glyph of a ROSE are [ROSE] RED (34. Snow White’s sister); MO[ROSE] (27. Gloomy); [ROSE] UP (37. Was revolting) and AMB[ROSE] (24. Writer Bierce).

For a real twist, LEMON TARTS (18A. Tangy teatime treats) and SHOE FETISH (55A. Carrie Bradshaw had one in “Sex and the City”) are the next longer entries, followed by four of eight letters each, CORNELIA (11D. Wife of Julius Caesar), DRAINERS (10D. Sink accessories); I’M NO FOOL (35D. “Don’t play me for a dummy”) and SETTLE IN (36D. Get comfy).

Six-letter entries -- AENEAS (23A. Virgil hero); BISONS (33D. Buffalo’s Triple-A baseball team); DO RE MI (41D. Cabbage); EEYORE (46D. Character in “Piglet’s Big Movie,” 2003); I DO TOO (47A. “Likewise”); IN A LIE (45D. Embarrassing way to be caught); IN DEEP (2D. Seriously committed); LIEGES (1D. Subjects studied by medieval scholars?); POLISH (44D. Like Chopin); POT PIE (42A. Baked comfort food); REAGAN (21D. Subject of the 1999 best seller “Dutch”); SCURRY (3D. Rush); SPYCAM (26A. Surveillance device); SYNTAX (9D. Twisted this clue’s is); TACTIC (4D. Part of a war plan); TOP HAT (43D. Tails partner).

Five -- BRIBE (33A. Payola, e.g.); CAMUS (39A. Who wrote “Can one be a saint if God does not exist?”); EERIE (22A. Like some coincidences); GO BAD (3A. Spoil); ID EST (62A. That is); LOTUS (5A. Flower in Chinese embroidery); 59A. “MARCI X” (2003 Lisa Kudrow film); 49A. “NO ONE will ever guess!”; PR MEN (38A. Spinners?); UNIFY (15A. Fuse); WAS AT (28D. Attended).

Short stuff -- ADAM, AMOI, ASIR, ATAD, BICS, CUT, DCCI and DSCS, DST, EDUC, ELMS, HMO, IHIT, INCA, ITS, KOLN, LIRE, LIST, LULU, ONED, OOF, PSI, ROUT, SAK, SENT, SSE, TEE and THEE, TIME, UFOS, WAX.

Ah yes... a rose is a rose is a rose is a rose!

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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

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Remaining clues -- Across: 1. Not stay fully upright; 10. Year the Chinese poet Li Po was born; 14. People conquered by the Spanish; 17. Cabinet dept.; 28. Denture maker’s need; 30. Raw materials for shipbuilding; 40. Let fly; 4. “Spring ahead” hrs.; 57. Kind of poker; 58. Mine, to Manet; 60. Province of Saudi Arabia; 61. German cathedral city; 63. “America” pronoun. Down: 5. Berg opera; 6. Linear; 7. It may be on your side; 12. Rib or short loin; 13. “___ alive!”; 19. Informal top; 29. Smith of note; 32. Inexpensive pens; 48. Response to a stomach punch; 51. Slightly; 52. Money replaced by the euro; 53. Mil. awards; 54. “___ the jackpot!”; 55. Bag, in brand names; 56. Med. group.