11.04.09 -- O Factor

Wednesday,
November 4, 2009
Puzzle by Ricky Ini Liu, edited by Will Shortz
In this odd Wednesday crossword, Trix cereal, xenophobic, X-Men comics, Federal tax, X-rated movie and boxing match each have the letter X replaced with the letter O resulting in TRIO CEREAL (18A. Three-ingredient breakfast serving?); OENOPHOBIC (24A. Afraid of wine?); OMEN COMICS (53A. Foreboding cartoons?); FEDERAL TAO (60A. The way of the government?); ORATED MOVIE (3D. Film that’s been speechified?); BOOING MATCH (26D. Shout of disapproval exactly like another?). The corresponding entries sharing the letter O are all incidental -- CHO, INTRO, CLEO, STOOD, AMOR and ORA.
Other mid-size entries include ARCHER (1D. 1-Across, for one);
ARIZONA (34D. Pearl Harbor ship); ASIANS (7D. Afghans, e.g.); CHOLER (38A. Ill humor); COPPERY (19D. Having a reddish-brown tinge); DECEASE (45D. Pass on); NINTHS (49D. Portions of about 11%); MALAYA (2D. 1941-42 Allies vs. Japanese battle locale); MARCEAU (6D. Mime who created Bip); PANACEAS (41D. Cure-alls); RAPIER (40A. Weapon for 16-Across); REMEDIAL (4D. Like some summer school classes); SIGNEE (51D. Dotted-line user); SNEEZE (47D. Blessing elicitor, sometimes); SORT OF (10D. More or less); TREADS (52D. Radial patterns).
Five-letter -- AMAZE (65A. Totally wow); ANGST (50A. Frequent Woody Allen feeling);
CERES (54D. Dwarf planet in the asteroid belt); CSPAN (9A. Channel with hearings); CZECH (9D. Brno native); DYLAN (45A. “Lay Lady Lay” singer); INTRO (5D. Words from an emcee); MACAU (33A. Former Portuguese colony in China); RADII (29A. Straight edges of pizza slices, essentially); STOOD (55D. Got off the bottom?); TUBES (68A. Old TV parts); ZORRO (16A. Swordsman who leaves his mark).
Short stuff -- ACED, AMIR and AMOR, ARA, ASAP, CAGE, CHO, CLAM, CLEO, CZAR, DAB, EEN, EMU,
ERIS (46A. Largest dwarf planet in the solar system), ETNA, EYED, FAT, FONZ, GALA, HARM, HATE, ICES, IMAC, INRE, KEG, LAV, LOU, NASH, NET, NOL, OAK, OCT, OHSO, ORA, PRE, RARE, RIM, RCA, SHES, SIR, USED, ZINE.
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Remaining clues -- Across: 1. Valentine’s Day figure; 5. Computer that once came in “flavors”; 14. Porterhouse order; 15. Crowe’s role in “A Beautiful Mind”; 17. Stop talking, with “up”; 20. Word before mail or crime; 21. TV brand; 23. Visually assessed; 31. “Rush!”; 32. TV character who jumped the shark, with “the”; 35. Powder holder; 37. ___ pro nobis; 42. W.C.; 43. Tristan’s title; 48. Fan’s reading; 56. Mideast ruler: Var.; 57. Suffix with velvet; 58. It’s not gross; 59. Wrestling extravaganza enclosure; 64. Volcano that devastated Catania; 66. Very, very; 67. Sailed through; 69. Not mint; 70. Spike Lee’s “___ Gotta Have It”. Down: 8. Comedian Margaret; 11. Lead-in to law or med; 12. Constellation south of Scorpius; 13. Dictator Lon ___; 25. Tree on a Connecticut state quarter; 27. As to, on memos; 28. White House appointment; 30. Decorates, as a cake; 36. Many a party at Kennedy Center; 38. “63 role for Liz; 39. “No ___, no foul”; 44. Canyon area; 60. “___ chance!”; 61. Cousin of a cassowary; 62. Smidge; 63. Baseball’s Piniella.

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