Thursday, November 5, 2009
Puzzle by Patrick Blindauer, edited by Will Shortz
“With his face swaddled in bandages, his eyes hidden behind dark glasses and his hands covered even indoors, Griffin – the new guest at The Coach and Horses – is at first assumed to be a shy accident-victim. But the true reason for his disguise is far more chilling: he has developed a process that has made him invisible, and is locked in a struggle to discover the antidote. Forced from the village, and driven to murder, he seeks the aid of an old friend, Kemp. The horror of his fate has affected his mind, however – and when Kemp refuses to help, he resolves to wreak his revenge.” -- blurb from the 2009 Penguin Classics edition of “The Invisible Man, A Grotesque Romance“ H.G. Wells, first published in 1897.
A note accompanies this amusing get-out-the-invisible-ink Thursday crossword: “When this puzzle is completed, one letter of the alphabet will appear 22 times. Shade in its square everywhere it appears. The result will be an image suggested by 36-Across.”
The note refers to the letter S with 36-Across being THE INVISIBLE MAN (1897 novel subtitled “A Grotesque Romance”). A pixel-esque stick figure is the result, invisible unless one highlights the letter S in some manner -- best lightly!
ROSES ARE RED (18A. Start of a lover’s quatrain) and CLEANS HOUSE (60A. Eliminates undesirable parts) are the other long entries, followed by six of eight letters -- AMERICAN (40D. Yank) ; CLEAR-CUT (1D. Plain as day); 39D. Eau MINERALE; NARRATED (41D. Told tales); RANDOLPH (2D. Air Force base near San Antonio).
Seven-letter -- ADAPT TO (67A. Get comfortable with); ADORERS (20A. Big fans); AGES AGO (15A. Way, way back); CAJOLED (4A. Worked on); MONKEES (55A. #1 album for 13 weeks in 1966-67, with “The”); SIBERIA (58A. Where the Samoyed dog comes from); SNAKING (22A. Not straight, in a way); STEP-INS (64A. Panties, old-style); and then there’s SSSSSSS (25D. 1973 horror flick about a doctor who turns his assistant into a cobra), forming the torso of the invisible man! Here’sssssss Wikipedia!
Six -- AGORAS (5D. Ancient meeting places); APOLLO (45D. New York theater on the National Register of Historic Places, with “the); CLASPS (27A. Holds); EDENIC (12D. Like paradise); GADGET (13D. Thingumbob); INANER (49A. Comparatively cockamamie); IT ISN’T (49D. Words of objection); LINEAR (46D. Like some algebra); MARINE (11D. “Battle Cry” soldier); TOMCAT (44D. The Rum Tum Tugger, e.g.).
Five -- ANIMA (43A. True inner self); DO-RAG (10D. Headwear banned by the N.F.L. in 2001); ENATE (38D. Maternally related); GENIE (26A. Canadian Oscar); G-SUIT (53D. Astronaut’s attire); HOLST (42A. Composer of “The Planets”); JESSE (6D. 19th-century James); 33A. UP THE ante; MENSA (51D. Indicator of brightness); OPIUM (50A. It’s addictive); OSTIA (34A. Port of ancient Rome); RISHI (21D. Hindu sage).
Short stuff -- ACT, ADA and ALA and ALAN, AES, ATIT, BESO, CARE, CRI, EGAN, EKES, END and ENT, ESTD, LAE and LAN, LASS, LUKA (47D. 1987 Suzanne Vega hit), LYS, MEG, OILY, OPP, OSE, PENH, RONI, SAS, SGT, SHEA, SIB, TALL, TERR, TOR, VOL.
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Click on image to enlarge.
Puzzle available on the internet at
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Remaining clues -- Across: 1. ___ de coeur; 11. Ryan of “Top Gun”; 14. Computer system acronym; 16. Canine care grp.?; 17. Tolkien creature; 23. Rice-A-___; 24. 1950s political inits.; 29. Eur. Carrier; 32. Small denomination; 44. One way to stand; 48. Fleu-de-___; 52. ___ Maj.; 54. The Dakotas, once: Abbr.; 62. Pretense; 63. According to; 64. Panties, old-style; 66. Rocky point; 68. This Across answer, appropriately. Down: 4. It may be managed or extended; 7. Sugar ending; 8. Filly; 9. New York cardinal; 19. Just manages, with “out”; 28. Phnom ___; 30. Having words; 31. Bro or sis; 34. Like unwashed hair; 35. Mathematician Turing; 37. TV control: Abbr.; 47. 1987 Suzanne Vega hit; 56. Founded: Abbr.; 57. Where the Mets once met; 59. Don Juan’s kiss; 61. Vs.
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