12.05.09 -- Count



The presidential election of 2000 was decided, in essence, by the vote of one Supreme Court justice.

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Saturday, December 5, 2009

Puzzle by Brad Wilber, edited by Will Shortz

BUSH V GORE (30A. 2000 Supreme Court case hinging on the 14th Amendment) and SECRETIVE (46A. Not open) are the only two nine-letter entries in this Saturday crossword -- it was and is all downhill from there!

Eight -- DECREPIT (38D. Condemnable?); DETERRED (63A. Opposite of encouraged); EARLY AGE (66A. 6 or 7, but not 60 or 70); EX-YANKEE (15A. One who used to get Bronx cheers?); GROUP HUG (42A. Corporate retreat closer, perhaps); LIBEL LAW (33A. Tabloid publisher’s check); LOITERER (13D. Laggard); OKEY DOKE (37D. “You got it”); ROBOCALL (1A. Modern campaign element); SHERBETS (17A. Ice varieties); SIDE DOOR (12D. It may be used to avoid paparazzi); X-RAY EYES (68A. Producer of a piercing look).

Seven -- LES PAUL (8D. “Vaya con Dios” hitmaker, 1953); LET IT BE (7D. 1970 hit documentary); PER YEAR (45D. Annually); UV INDEX (44D. It drops to 0 after sundown).



Six -- AKIMBO (65A. One way to stand); ALLEGE (50D. Hold); BYE NOW (3.D “Later!”); GO GRAY (49D. Start developing achromotrichia); MODENA (36A. Maserati headquarters city); OPTION (16A. To be or not to be, e.g.); OX HIDE (2D. Leather type); POP DUO (62A. The Carpenters, e.g.); READ ME (47D. Common text file name); REST UP (1D. Recharge); RETEST (67A. Second chance in education?); ROADIE (18A. Band hand); SBARRO (39A. Alternative to Uno Chicago Grill); SLIDES (51D. Begins to fail); STALAG (11D. War film setting); TUSSLE (9A. Fracas).


Five -- AKELA (6D. Cubs’ leader); 64D. Ad ASTRA (National Space Society’s magazine); DEANS (56A. They work to maintain their faculties); INLET (21A. Mooring site); PEWIT (28A. Plover named for its call); SAGAS (48A. Trilogies, often); TINGE (29D. Soupçon); VW BUS (32D. Model featured in “Little Miss Sunshine”).

Four -- ADEN, AGAR, ATAD, BART (34D. TV character who says “I didn’t think it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows”), CLIP, CNBC, EELY, EYRE, HASH, LIRA, MUSE, NERO (27D. First-century coup victim), NILE, NUBS, NYSE, ROLL, SOOT, TORI, UDON and UPON.

Three -- DSL, ENE, GLI, OAR and OER, OIL, PAR, RYE, TIN, UKE

Is that everything?… How about a recount!

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Remaining clues -- Across: 19. Cigarette holder; 20. Money holder; 22. Japanese noodles; 24. Not muich; 26. Port annexed by Britain in 1839; 35. The Who’s “Love, Reign ___ Me”; 41. Arthur Godfrey played it; 52. “Notes on a Scandal” director Richard; 53. Old capital of 36-Across; 55. Undulate; 59. Frequent 5-Down topic; 61. Los : Spanish :: ___ : Italian. Down: 4. Sweeping instrument; 5. “Squawk on the Street” airer; 9. Bagels, e.g.; 10. Part of many British place names; 14. Navigation abbr.; 23. Where Aida sings “O patria mia”; 25. Upgrade from dial-up; 31. Jumble; 36. Cogitate; 40. Environment for multiplication, of sorts; 43. Covering for some wrestlers; 57. Worn-down pencils, say; 58. Film about a furnace; 60. Difficult to grasp; 62. Acceptable shooting?; 64. Kind of vodka.



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