"Ida," the small "missing link", a 47-million-year-old fossil that suggests a critical missing-link species in primate evolution --National Geographic ----------------- Sunday, August 30, 2009 LITERALLY SO, Puzzle by Ashish Vengsarkar and Narayan Venkatasubramanyan, edited By Will Shortz The clues for the interrelated group of this Sunday puzzle are constituted by both the in-all-caps clues with missing letters and the missing letters sequentially -- for TAKE OUT OF CONTEXT (23. -IRC-S-ANCES, missing C-U-T. BLOODLESS REVOLUTION (36. ANTI--VERNMENT UN--ST), G-O-R-E; THE MISSING LINK (52. AR--CL-), T-I-E; DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS (70. P---ARY CARE PHY-ICIANS), R-I-M-S; SPARE NO EXPENSE (86. FI-TH-WH--L), F-E-E; EATS SHOOTS AND LEAVES (98. WHAT A -ANDA DOES IN -EIS-RELY FA-HION), P-L-U-S; LEMON DROP COOKIES (121. W--THL-SS R-AD-TER), O-R-E-O-S. I found the gimmick made for an irritating and clumsy solve, whether or not it might be considered clever. Other entries of length include ALEATORY (92D. Dependent on chance); DIES IRAE (29. Hymn whose second line is “Solvet saeclum in favilla”); ELLIS ISLAND (15D. National monument site since 1965); EUROAREA (78A. Currency union since 1999); LOMILOMI (107A. Hawaiian massage); TEAR STAINED (71D. Like the face after a good bawl); THOM MCAN (66A. Shoe brand reputedly named after a Scottish golfer); and YOU AND ME (5D. Us). Mid-size entries -- ADVICE (92A. Tips, e.g.); AGATHAS (27A. Mystery writers’ awards); ALPACAS (96D. Sources of fleece); ARTSALE (6D. Gallery event); ATLANTA (115A. Home of the N.H.L.’s Thrashers); BATEAU (14D. French river craft); BONITO (36D. Mackerellike fish); ENCORE (50A. It’s music to a musician’s ears); ENGINE (73D. It typically has lots of horses); GNARLED (56D. Knotted up); INASEC (59A. Soon); LACTIC (37D. Kind of acid); METHANE (53D. Dangerous buildup in a mine); RANKLE (10D. Stick in one’s craw); REACTS (74D. Isn’t inert); REROUTE (51D. Send another way); STRATI (79A. Low clouds); STOLEN (100D. Pirated); TONNES (101D. British weights). Five-letter -- ASPCA, EAGAN, ERASE, GELID, INALL, LITRE, MERCK, NEXUS, NICOL, OSCAR (126A. 8 ½-pound statue), ORAMA, ORRIN, RHOMB, ROOTS, SANER, SASSY, TONAL, YAPAT. Four -- ADAM, AFTA, AKIN, AMFM, ANTA, ARLO and ORAL, ASEA, AVIS and AVIV, DAZE, DIAG, EGGS and EKGS, ENDS, EROS, FINE, GAZA, GEAR, GOAD, IMAX, IMHO, INRE and INTR, IRAN, LEAK, LIDS, MAZE, MCXI, MEET, MERE, MONK, NANA and NINA, NLER, NONE, ODOR, OPED, OTIS, PERT, RAGA, ROSA, SLEE and SKED and SLED, SNAP, SOLD, SPAR, STOA, TACO, TERN and TERP, TPKE, XBOX. Three -- AKC, ANT, ASS, DEM, ETO, HST, ITI, IDA, LAI, MBA, MTN, NEA, ODS, OLA, OOH, OSO and OSU, OTB, OUI, PAO, PCS, RNA, SCH, SIR, SON, SSE and SST (30D. Bygone flier), TWA (64D. Bygone flier), XOO (105A. Tic-tac-toe loser). ------------------- For today’s cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
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Remaining clues -- Across: 1. Singer Lambert, runner-up on the 2009 “American Idol”; 5. Talk to shrilly; 10. Four-sided figure; 15. Halloween purchase; 19. “___ by me”; 20. Slangy commercial suffix; 21. Shelter org.; 22. Scuba diver’s worry; 26. Be a couch potato; 28. Person with few possessions; 31. Breeze; 33. Pay stub?; 35. Ninny; 45. Urge; 46. Maker of Fosamax and Zocor; 47. Moscow’s home: Abbr.; 48. Covered walkway; 57. Size unit of an English soda bottle; 58. Like 11-Down: Abbr.; 59. Soon; 60. “Is ___?”; 61. Underground network; 77. Together; 78. PBS benefactor; 82. Stranded messenger?; 84. 1991 Tony winner Daisy; 93. Heart lines: Abbr.; 94. Where some people get tips: Abbr.; 95. Like the Vietnamese language; 97. Like some verbs: Abbr.; 104. Tiny tunneled; 108. Box lightly; 112. Met, for one; 120. Modern home of the biblical Elam; 124. Stun; 125. Take out; 127. Regarding; 128. Bob in the Olympics; 129. Connection; 130. Fresh; 131. Favorite baby sitter, maybe. Down: 1. Brut rival; 2. TV screen meas.; 3. “It’s Time to Cry” singer, 1959; 4. Hook up; 7. Kung ___ chicken; 8. Alternative to satellite; 9. Kind of shell; 11. Pres. When the C.I.A. was created; 12. Piece of a newspaper?; 13. 1,111; 16. Skis, boots, masks, etc.; 17. Mideast tinderbox; 18. ___-Ball; 24. Very; 25. “___ off?”; 32. Fresh; 34. Company name that becomes another company name if you move its first letter to the end; 38. Effluvium; 39. Principal location?: Abbr.; 40. TV exec’s concern; 41. Some E.R. cases; 42. Chou En-___; 43. ___ Chandler, longtime publisher of the Los Angeles Times: 44. All’s opposite; 45. Icy; 49. Dog breeders’ org.; 54. Preface online; 55. “Excalibur” star Williamson; 62. Senator Hatch; 63. Spanish bear; 65. Word often following yes or no; 67. Agreement abroad; 68. Atlas abbr.; 69. Wharton deg.; 72. A.C.C. athlete; 75. Less bananas; 79. Toledo-to-Columbus dir.; 80. N.J. or Pa. route; 81. Music in Mysore; 83. Architectural pier; 85. Tel ___; 87. Cry at a circus; 88. W.W. II arena; 89. Wii alternative; 90. Male delivery; 91. Some receivers; 99. NBC inits. Since 1975; 102. Cry after the rap of a hammer; 103. Man’s name that’s an anagram of 108-Down; 107. Caps; 108. Exam format; 109. Something to be threaded; 110. Pure; 111. Kind of screen; 113. Psyche’s love; 114 Sub ___ (confidentially); 116. Similar; 117. Ship that sailed “the ocean blue”; 118. Shore flier; 119. On the ocean; 122. The cowboys of the Big 12 Conference; 123. They may be cloned.
Thanks for the help. This puzzle made no sense!
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