09.14.09 -- Watch Your S!

ASPISH (24-Down, Venomous, as a snake)
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Monday,
September 14, 2009
Puzzle by Bernice Gordon, edited by Will Shortz
OLIVER
STONE (17A. Film director’s sound?), MARGARETSANGER (26A. Birth control advocate’s fury?), GEORGESHEARING (43A. Jazz pianist’s court appearance?) and TOMSMOTHERS (57A. Comedian’s parents?) are the interrelated group of this Monday crossword, e.g., well-known names shifting an S from the last name to the first, to become a possessive. Hmmm…how about NICKSWISHER (Well for a baseball player?).
Mid-size entries include ASPISH (24D. Venomous, as a snake),
CREMONA (10D. Onetime center of Italian violin manufacture), DIVERGES (4D. Branches off), ESPIED (29D. Caught sight of), ETERNAL (5D. Everlasting), IMISSYOU (51A. Words of longing), MAESTRO (42D. Eminent conductor), STTERESA (20A. Nun from Avila), SURESHOT (39D. It’s guaranteed to hit the mark) and TREATED (41D. Dealt with, as an injury).
Five-letter -- ABODE (1A. Home); ACTOR (15A. Cage or Penn); 27D. “Get ALONG Little Dogies”; DATES (64A. 7/4/1776 and 12/7/1941, e.g.); DEBIT (14A. Subtraction from a bank account); ECOLI (31D. Bacteria in a breakout); EFILE (61A. Submit one’s tax return via computer); ELIEL (33A. Architect Saarinen); LOGIC (6A. If A > B and B > C, then A > C, e.g.);
MULAN (42A. 1998 Disney film set in China); 65A. This, that and the OTHER; PANDA (48A. Bamboo-eating animal); RINSE (28D. Get the soap out); ROANS (62A. Horses with speckled coats); ROMAN (32D. Not italic); SEPIA (34A. Old photo tin); SPAIN (38A. Barcelona’s home); TAILS (41A. Coin toss call); TEALS (30D. Dabbling ducks).
Short stuff -- ADOS, ANN, ASIA, AVON, BELT, COD, DENG and DENY, DONS, ENG and ENS, EYE, EZIO, GTO, ION, ISLE, LASS, LEAD and LEAR, LIV, LSD, MEDE, MIT, MMES, NAVY, OBIT, OCTA, OFA, OLD, ORNE, PAY, PULP, REAR, RNA, SAGA, SOME, SYNC,
USA and USSR, VAIN, YEAH, ZEE.
Watch your S!
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This crossword is the first of a series called Half-Century Puzzlemakers’ Week -- read Wordplay for details --
HERE.
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Puzzle available on the internet at
THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games
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Remaining clues -- Across: 11. ‘60s hallucinogen; 16. Teardrop’s starting point; 19. Massachusetts’ Cape ___; 23. Genetic letters; 24. Bard of ___; 35. How some mail-order packages arrive, for short; 37. Puts on; 39. Amount between all and none; 40. U.S.N. officer; 46. X-ray vision blocker; 47. Letter after wye; 56. 55-Down’s cold war foe; 60. Ullmann from Norway; 63. Wages. Down: 1. Foofaraws; 2. Alternative to suspenders; 3. News item listing surviving kin; 6. Lad’s mate; 7. Eight: Prefix; 8. Classic muscle car; 9. Charged particle; 11. Edward who wrote humorous verse; 12. Working well together, after “in”; 13. Say no to; 18. Derriere; 22. Where London is: Abbr.; 25. Conceited; 26. Ancient Persian; 36. China’s ___ Xiaoping; 38. Chronicle; 44. Antiquated; 45. Basso Pinza; 48. Solid parts of orange juice; 49. It’s east of Europe; 50. Armada; 51. Capri, for one; 52. Sras. : Mexico :: ___ : France; 53. Opposite of nah; 54. French department; 55. 56-Across’s cold war foe; 58. Three ___ kind; 59. Sch. Near Harvard.

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