01.03.10 -- Huh...




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Sunday, January 3, 2010

ANTIQUE FINISH, Puzzle by Jeremy Newton, edited by Will Shortz

Eight aiches (strictly speaking, the letter H) have been added to eight common phrases resulting in a mildly humorous group of entries -- TRUMPETH PLAYERS (23A. Wins a bridge hand?), CELEBRITY DIETH (33A. Fame fades?), ROCKETH SCIENTISTS (51A. Stuns experts after new findings?), LITTER BASKETH (64A. Newborn puppies enjoy the sun?), PICKETH FENCES (74A. Recruits people to sell stolen goods?), SHOE STRING BUDGETH (86A. A lace starts to come undone?), AFGHAN BLANKETH (101A. Words escape President Karzai?) and BUCKETH BRIGADES (117A. Rebels against military forces?). Huh…


Other entries of length -- AGGRAVATE (82D. Worsen); ARMY TANKS (4D. Periscope users), CALL DIBS (13D. Stake a claim); GET AN ITCH (38D. Start hankering), RENEGED ON (83D. Broke, as a promise), SNEERS AT (11D. Pooh-poohs), SQUAD CAR (86D. Black-and-white), STRAY CAT (87D. Pound escapee, maybe), TEST SCORE (46D. Datum in a college application), THAT’S HUGE (58D. “Wow, congrats!”), YOUR GRACE (3D. What to call an archbishop).

Mid-size -- ACOMA, ACHOO, ALBUMS, AMISH, ANTES, AXIOM, BIJOU, BINGE, BLASÉ, CHLOE, COBRA, COPSE, DRYER, DUEBY, EDSEL, ELATE, ELIZA, EMAIL, ESSEN, ETHIC, FAULT, GENIE, HOARS, HUBBA, JCREW, KEELS, LMNOP, NOVEL, OASIS, OTTAWAN, OUTTA, PILAR, ROGET, SABOT, SECRETS, SIMIAN, SORDID, SPASTIC, SPENT, STEER, STOOD, STRANGE, TAHOE, TESLA, TIEDIN, TRANQ, TUNIC, UTAHN.

Short stuff -- AMY, ANA, ARI, BAS and BASS, BEBE, BUON, CLOG, COO, CUT, EAVE, EIN, ELOI, EMT, ENVY and ENYA, ESAU, ESO, ETE and ETH, EYE, FOE, GES, GNAT and GNU, GTO, HTS, INI, IRAN, IRR, ISIS, IZE, KID, LAG, LEOV, MOOR, NAE and NAM, NITE, NORD, NTH, OBIT, ODES, OHMS, OPEC, OVER, OXO, PET, PSST, RAH, RIV, SGT, SIR, SKA and SKI and SKY, SRTA, STDS, STOA, TAG and TUG, THEN and THIN, TOOK, TROT, TSO, USD, VETO.




Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at


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Remaining clues -- ACROSS: 1. Singer with the compilation “A Box of Dreams”; 5. Well-running group?: Abbr.; 9. Boom box setting; 13. Charmer’s subject?; 18. Drop anchor; 19. Block in Washington; 20. Run in “The Alphabet Song”; 22. “Power corrupts,” e.g.; 26. iPod sound?; 27. Salon appliance; 28. Fertility goddess; 29. Object of many 1950s jokes; 31. Whirlpool alternatives; 32. Car with “three deuces and a four-speed,” in a 1964 song; 36. Like cases on “The X-Files”; 40. Western capital: Abbr.; 41. A in German class; 42. Modern home of ancient Persepolis; 43. It ends in septembre; 45. ___ of Attalos (Greek museum site); 47. Exquisite curio; 57. Let go; 58. Inventor of alternating current; 59. Resistance units; 60. Cry on game day; 61. Mex. Title; 62. S.N.L.” veteran Gasteyer; 68. Not moving smoothly; 72. Rejuvenation site; 73. Local fan of the N.H.L.’s Senators; 76. General on Chinese menus; 77. H.G. Wells people; 78. Talk as lovers do; 79. They’re dedicated; 81. Winter coats?; 85. Setting in the film “Tropic Thunder”; 91. Real downer, for short?; 93. “All righty ___!”; 94. Spray-can art; 95. Airborne irritant; 96. Ship-to-shore aid; 98. Agent Gold of “Entourage”; 99. Exchange of spies, maybe; 109. Slip behind; 110. Not, to Scots; 111. Words before a deadline; 112. His twin duped him; 113. Never-before-seen; 115. Viking garment; 121. Fictional Doolittle; 122. Questionnaire line; 123. It has an expiration date; 124. Shot, as a photo; 125. Turn left or right, say; 126. Govt. bodies may issue them; 127. Place where leaves are collected; 128. As rust corrupts iron, so ___ corrupts man”: Aritisthenes. DOWN: 1. Mouth-to-mouth pro, briefly; 2. N, on a French map; 5. Just a memory now; 6. Prized; 7. Set or morals; 8. Thicket of trees; 9. Been-there-done-that; 10. Grant with Grammys; 12. Seamy; 14. Tic-tac-toe line; 15. Opposite of fast; 16. Reference volume, informally; 17. People without power, often; 21. [Nudge]; 24. Lowly sort; 25. Short, for short; 30. Size up; 34. “___ appetito!”; 35. Pasta suffix; 36. U2’s Bono, since 2007; 37. Bring (out); 39. Neighbor of Sudan: Abbr.; 44. Anka’s “___ Beso”; 45. Like chimpanzees; 48. National clothing chain based in New York’s Greenwich Village; 49. “Get ___ here!”; 50. Many a Mormon; 52 Tickle to pieces; 53. Actress Webb or Sevigny; 54. Half-price bin abbr.; 55. Footwear that’s hard to un in; 61. Reggae relative; 63. Allergic response; 65 Linked; 66. City SSW of Munster; 67. Endured; 68. Wiped out; 69. Pertaining to hair; 70. In ___ (unconscious); 71. Sea’s partner, commercially; 75. Bizarro, to Superman; 80. “Ten-hut!” yeller: Abbr.; 84. “Like, now!”; 88. Weak, as a plot; 89. Degrees in hist. or social sci.; 90. Brooklyn ___, N.Y.; 92. Ridiculous degree; 97. White-bearded Kenyan; 98. Photo groups on Facebook; 100. Cousin of a 55-Down; 101. Gets in the game; 102. Wimbledon no-no; 103. Coming-out party?; 104. Tiny addition to la familia; 105. Topples; 106. E, on a French map; 107. Chevy S.U.V.; 108. When repeated, a luster’s cry; 113. When the stars come out, in ads; 114. Benedict IV’s successor; 118. Suffix with capital; 118. A little butter?; 119. Colorado or Delaware, e.g.: Abbr.; 120. Where to aim a telescope.


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