09.19.09 -- Bound Legs With Clubs

Caveman Stuck in Tar, Alex Fleisig

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Saturday, September 19, 2009

Puns and Anagrams, Puzzle by Mel Taub, edited by Will Short

HALF-CENTURY PUZZLEMAKERS' WEEK -- All the daily crosswords this week, Monday through Saturday, are by puzzlemakers who have been contributing to The Times for more than 50 years. Mel Taub had his first Times crossword published on October 24, 1954. His Puns and Anagrams puzzles (of which this is an example) have appeared in the Sunday Magazine since 1955.

ROLLER BEARING (14A. Mien of a crapshooter will reduce friction) and TRIP INSURANCE (40A. Fall guy’s protection when traveling) are the two 13-letter entries in a crossword which BLUDGEONS (15D. Bound legs with clubs) the usual Saturday with puns and anagrams.

Remaining across: 1. Impudence of a Br. fool, BRASS; 6 At least it’s a real bargain, STEAL; 11. Author in a stupor, PROUST; 12. Job for a Rhine surgeon, HERNIA; 16. Oath from a renegade, EGAD; 17. What lies in the Seine, ILES; 18. TEE party (golfers’ bash); 19. Kind of dry, SUN; 20. Turned pea in 19-Across, SPUN; 21. Group of Irish islands in quarantine, ARAN; 22. Dead set against being keyed up, SEDATED; 24. Divided A.P. pictures, APART; 25. U.N. rap added rapidly, RANUP; 30. Except having Republication passage from a book, EXCERPT; 34. Retro style, EDOM; 35. One who attends school hops, SOPH; 36. Swiss tourist center URI; 37. Why isn’t one done?, NO D; 38. Pedro’s hand in Oman, MANO; 39. PIER pressure (cause of a jetty collapse); 43. Where does N.C. rank among U.S. states in Christmas tree production?, SECOND; 44. Reined in nymph, NEREID; 45. Shabby followers of a bee, SEEDY; 46. Pairs accumulated in 500 days, DYADS.

Down: 1. With which Seamus will rub ego, BROGUE; 2. Companion of Arnold, ROLAND; 3. Word with which to laud the new year, AULD; 4. The direction to Hussein’s heart, SSE; 5. Having chevrons with red tips, STRIPED; 6. Charlie’s luster, SHEEN; 7. Affairs that might sate the British, TEAS; 8. Kind of ant, ERR; 9. She danced in Tirana, ANITRA; 10. I learn of some measurements, LINEAR; 11. With 13-Down, push a fellow in public relations, PRESS; 13. See 11-Down, AGENT; 20. Sign outside a post office, STOP; 21. Vault may finally collapse, APSE; 23. Graduate from Calumet, ALUM; 24. ARCH enemy (one who may blow up bridges); 26. Ireland’s currency unit since 2001, EXPOUND; 27. What stern landlords expect, RENTS; 28. Holds so dear, ADORES; 29. Expression coined by a crapshooter, NO DICE; 31. Plowed under, I gather, RUINED; 32. Summary? Cripes!, PRECIS; 33. Like one who’s tried too hard, TIRED; 35. S Y, SANDY; 38. Intellect in 1500, MIND; 39. One who may get a rap at a law office, PARA; 41. Writer whose work describes him to a T, POE; 42. Carlos, for example, in future years, REY.

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