11.08.09 -- ANTSY

Sunday, November 8, 2009

COLONIZATION, Puzzle by Robert W. Harris, edited by Will Shortz

In this sparsely hymenoptera-populated crossword titled Colonization, ANT is added to hem-line, base ten, plain dealer, pry bar, GI bill, madam I am Adam, ped xing and web page to produce ANTHEM LINE (23A. “O say can you see” or “Thru the perilous fight!?), BASE TENANT (25A. Resident of a military installation?), PLANTAIN DEALER (40A. Tropical fruit seller?), PANTRY BAR (61A. Place to get drunk in the kitchen?), GIANT BILL (67A. What overuse of a credit card might result in?), MADAM I’M ADAMANT (84A Gentleman’s intransigent reply?), PEDANT XING (105A. Where nitpickers walk on a street?) and WEB PAGEANT (108A. Online beauty contest?). Yes, that’s really it -- except for the two lost ANTs contained in TYRANT and ANTSY.

Eight-letter entries -- ACADEMIA (62D. College world); APERITIF (90A. Dry Champagne, e.g.); BEARDING (37A. Confronting boldly); CASSETTE (44A. Tape holder); END PAPER (34D. Heavy sheet inside a book’s cover); GENERATE (8D. Produce); OIL SHIPS (60D. Crude transports); RATTIEST (82D. Most dilapidated); RELISTED (82A. Put back on the market); SENTINEL (33D. Guard).

Seven -- AIR FARE (45D. United charge); APPAREL (70D. Shirts and blouses); ARTISAN (58D. Goldsmith, for one); CESURAS (39D. Pauses during speech: Var.); CRONIES (44D. Back-room cigar smokers, say); DISOWNS (86D. Takes out of the will, say); FORESEE (27A. Divine); INUTILE (55A. Lacking serviceability); LIBELEE (49D. Object of a scurrilous attack, maybe); LONG RUN (104A. More than the immediate future); PLATTED 50D. Like surveyors’ charts); MADEIRA (85D. Sherry-like wine); NERDIER (73A. Not so cool); RADIOED (29D. Sent a message to shore, say).

Six -- ALIGNS (52D. Makes flush); ANGELA (92D. Cartwright of “Make Room for Daddy”); ANODAL (89D. From one end of a battery); ARTERY (18. Boulevard, e.g.); CONTRA (99A. Against); ENTRÉE (3D. Beef Wellington, e.g.); ESTOPS (24D. Impedes legally); GRAPES (87D. Basis of 85-Down); LENORE (2D. Poe poem); PHASER (1D. Sci-fi weapon); PRUNED (94D. Trimmed); REHEAR (4D. Take up again, as a case); RENTAL (17D. Vacation place, often); ROMERO (88D. “Night of the Living Dead” director, 1968); SECOND (46D. Back up); SEREST (51D. Most withered); STRAIN (93D. Group of viruses); STRONG (83D. Muscly); TREATS (32A. Boxful for Bowser).

Five -- ABAFT, ACMES, ADAGE, ANTSY, ARETE, AWRAP, BATES, CAMEL (20A. Brand with a pyramid on the package); CARLY, COACH, ERASE, GRAIN, INFOR, 57A. Poet Federico Garcia LORCA; NIXON, NSYNC (112A. Group with the 2002 hit “Girlfriend”); PILAF, SALTS, SNEER and SNOOD (59A. Hair net); SOLES, STASH, SUPRA, USHER.

Four -- ADIN, AIME, ALER, ANDS and ANDY, ARIE, BEAD, BENE, DALE, EARN, ECRU, EERO, EGOS, ELAN, ELOI, ESTA, FEAR, INON, IRMA, LENA, LIES, LINT, LPNS, NABS, NEE, ONES, OPIE, OREO, RASP and SAPS, RONA, SEAT and SUET, SRTA, ZAPS and ZEBU.

Three -- AEC, ALA, AMI and AMO, ASET, AWS, BYA, DEI, DIG and DIS, EIN, GIN, HIP, LED, LPS, LON, NEB, OOP, SAM, SSE, STE, USN and TAN, an anagram of the occasional wandering ANT…

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Remaining clues -- Across: 1. Oriole, e.g., briefly; 5. “Still waters run deep,” for example; 10. Microwaves; 14. Bygone Toyota model; 19. Prefix with factor; 21. Verve; 22. Person with a program; 28. Lace shade; 30. Place on a bus; 31. Business card abbr.; 33. Miss in Monterrey: Abbr.; 34. Bring in; 35. Alarm; 36. Architect Saarinen; 39. Singer Simon; 47. Alley ___; 48. Run down, in slang; 49. Collectible disks; 52. Singer India.___; 53. Philadelphia’s historic Gloria ___ Church; 54. Singer Horne; 63. About to get; 64. A as in Austria; 65. Original nuclear regulatory grp.; 66. Craggy ridge; 70. “That’s ___” (“It’s done”); 72. Seasons; 74. Drains; 76. Like, ‘60s-style; 78. Old brand in the shaving aisle; 79. Toledo-to-Columbus dir.; 80 “Casablanca” role; 81. Cool; 91. Horseshoer’s tool; 95. Columnist Barrett; 96. &&&&; 98. This one, in Acapulco; 101. Latin 101 verb; 102. Redheaded kid of old TV; 103 “The Time Machine” rce; 110. Obliterate; 111. Nabisco product; 113. Isn’t straight; 114. Cobbler’s supply; 115. Seizes; 116. Drug agent’s seizure; 117. Handy ___. Down: 1. Toward the stern; 5. High points; 6. Place for a rivulet; 7. Porthos, to Aramis; 10 Indian bovine; 11. Part of many fancy dish names; 113. Scornful expression; 14. Tallow ingredient; 15. Blue Angels org.; 26. Whip; 35. Away’s partner; 37. ___ Motel; 38. Home ___; 41. Had the upper hand; 42. Score just before winning; 43. Bit of fluff; 54. Cambodia’s ___ Nol; 65. Utterances around baby pictures; 68. Moccasin decoration; 69. Diner manager/waitress in “Garfield”; 71. Rice ___; 76. “Je vous ___“; 77 Gibson necessity; 84. Cara ___ (term of endearment); 96. Quick; 97. Subject of a museum in Yorba Linda, Calif.; 99. One way to fly; 100. Fidgety; 102. Till compartment; 103. Cause of star wars?; 104. Hosp. staffers; 106. Enzyme suffix; 107. Wyo. Neighbor; 109. ___ hair.