09.06.09 -- Missing R

Sunday,
September 6, 2009
THE
ARGONNE, Puzzle by Robert H. Wolfe, edited by Will Shortz
No, not that Argonne, R gone. Nine interrelated entries omit the letter R from the final word of a common phrase to resulting in an uncommon one of paronomasia. RACES becomes ACES; RADIOS, ADIOS; ROLE, OLE; REEL, EEL; RAGE, AGE; RUDDER, UDDER; RAID, AID; REMUS, EMUS; RICE, ICE.
CROSS COUNTRY ACES (24A. Some skiing stars?); SHIP TO SHORE ADIOS (114A. Departure call from a Spanish vessel?); NONSPEAKING OLE (3D. Word signed for a deaf toreador?); SCOTTISH EEL (7D. Fish in a firth?); BECOMING THE AGE (28D. Reaching 21?); RIGHT FULL UDDER (35D. What an unevenly milked cow might have?); COMMANDO AID (40D. Camouflage?) ROMULUS AND EMUS (51D. Mythical twin’s bird tale?); CAROLINA ICE (71D. What the N.H.L.’s Hurricanes skate on?).
PLAIN FACT (69A. Unadulterated truth) is the ironic central entry and the next longest, followed by eight-letter entries of
GLADIOLA (92D. Relative of an iris); HASTEN TO (8D. Reach in a hurry); TENTH DAY (90D. Part of Christmas when lords a-leaping are given); TUTORAGE (4D. Educational work after school).
Seven-letter --
APOSTLE (73A. Bartholomew, for one); ASPERSE (56D. Sling mud at) and DEFAMED (65A. Slung mud at); COHERED (50A. Stuck); HOUDINI (100A. Big name in escapism?); ICED TEA (45D. Cooler in the summer); IN A COMA (38A. Far out?); SHOW HOW (94D. Demonstrate); SPEWERS (87A. Volcanoes, e.g.); WENT MAD (12D. Lost it).
Six -- ADESTE (97Carol starter); APOGEE (26D. High point); AURIGA (97A. The charioteer constellation); AVERSE (17D. Opposed); BICARB (20A. Internal settler?);
BRACTS (122A. Leaves of the base of a flower); FACE UP (16D. Unlike the cards in a draw pile); HOLMES (47A. To whom Mortimer declares “They were the footprints of a gigantic hound!”); K D LANG (96A. “Shadowland” singer, 1968); LEAD TO (89A. Result in); LUGS IN (91A. Brings with great difficulty); MAKE ME (46A. Defiant challenge to an order); NASHUA (5A. Site of Daniel Webster College); OTIOSE (101D. Lazy); PIG PEN (41A. Hampshire’s home); RARING (99D. Eager); SEA GOD (42A. Neptune, e.g.); TRUISM (11D. Obvious statement); URCHIN (98D. The Artful Dodger, e.g.); WHIP UP (88D. Create quickly); WRYEST (126A. Most sardonic); YESMEN (18D. Toadies).
Five -- ADANO, AIRES, CABAL, COSMO, CROWE, DIRGE, DRAPE, HAVES, HITUP, HOWIE, ICTUS, LARVA, MAGOG, MEMOS, PEACE, PROSE, RECAP, ROUSE, SOFAR, TROTS, TWITS, USURY.
Short stuff -- ABC, ALLI, ALOU, ANG, APOP, ASOB, ASAP, ASI, ATOM, AUF, AVE, BAD, CARR and CHAR, COTS, DODY, EBW, ECRU, EDD, EDER and EVER, ENG, EST, ETTA, FAY, HAP and HAR, HINT, IATE, ICEL, ILIA and ILKA, IMNO, IRAE, ISMS, LANA and LUNA, LIL, MAPS, MDCI, NAP, NBC, NIN, OHIO, OMAN, OVO, PEAR, PERM, PINT, POL, PRE, RAE, RAIL and RIEL, SEC, SINO, SMU, SPY, SST, STE, STLO, TARP, TIN, TMC, TNT, USA, USER, URI, URSA.
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Remaining clues across: 1. “This answer ends in a T,” e.g.; 16. ___ Vincent, former Major Leage Baseball commissioner; 19. Jesus, for one; 22. “____ Maris Stella” (Latin hymn); 27. Tell ___ story; 29. Bluesy James; 31. Make waves?; 32. Teen leader?; 33. Sault ___ Marie; 34. Schools of thought; 43. French town in W.W. II fighting; 44. Threnody); 54. William Tel’s canton; 55. “Dies ___”; 57. “___ expert, but …”; 58. Winter hrs. in Winter Haven; 59. ___ -lacto-vegetarian; 60. “Henry & June” author; 62. Jiffy; 64. Start of a German goodbye; 67. One of a pair of biblical nations; 72. Something of great interest?; 75. Reprimand to a dog; 76. “Norma ___”; 77. Rapper ___ Jon; 78. Person in a race; 79. Laugh half; 80. Speck; 82. Transportation option; 84. “Anytown, ___”’; 93. Rich people; 95. Reykjavik’s home: Abbr.; 103. Fictional village visited by Major Joppolo; 104. Window cover; 105. Hotel supply; 106. Nascar event airer; 108. Hall-of-Fame outfielder Roush; 109. Light shade; 110. Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Long; 111. Blacken; 112. Cambodian money; 118. Mideast sultanate; 120. Contents of a stannary mine; 121. Notes; 123. Long-tailed moth; 124. High-school subj.; 125. Cameron who directed “Jerry Maguire”; 127. Stat. Down: 1. W.W. II general ___ Arnold; 2. Pelvic bones; 5. “Wagon Train” network, 1957-42; 6. Buenos ___; 9. “Superman” villainess; 10. “Wagon Train” network, 1962-65; 13. Metrical accent; 14. Base protector; 15. “Alias” type; 25. River into which the Big Sandy flowers; 36. Dent form : tooth :: pyriform : ___; 37. Singer/actress Linda; 39. “___ Have to Do is Dream: 41. Simple writing; 42. Dallas sch.; 48. Sufficient, informally; 49. Until now; 52. Incessantly; 53. Goodman of “Splash” and “Grease”; 61. One of the Cyclades; 63. Power seekers, maybe; 66. “Just ___ thought!”; 67. Google service; 68. Each; 70. “Must’ve been something ___”; 74. Immature stage; 81. Year the mathematician Pierre de Fermat was born; 83. Chase in films; 85. ___-Japanese War; 86. Lee who directed “Brokeback Mountain”; 102. ___-friendly; 105.Hearst mag; 107. Brings (out); 110. Garden worker; 111. Novelist Caleb; 115. Actress Turner; 115. Cable station owned by Showtime; 115. “Charlotte’s Web” author’s monogram; 117. Onetime boom maker; 119. Time out?

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