01.01.10 -- Pop the Cork!

“Pop the Cork!”, Puzzle by Fred Piscop, edited by Will Shortz

If you subscribe to The New York Times on-line Premium Crosswords, you are probably familiar with the monthly bonus puzzle. For the first one of the new year, this January of 2010, the title of this cheerful crossword is “Pop the Cork!” and features "pop" in over two dozen clues.

Across: 1. FLAG football (Pop Warner sport); 8. Pop in, ENTER; 19. Labelle was the first pop group to play here, MET; 20. Kellogg’s Corn Pops, e.g., CEREAL; 23. Pop the question, PROPOSE; 28. TOOTSIE Pop (candy-coated ersatz chocolate on a stick); 32. “Where’s Poppa?” star George SEGAL; 40. Thing you can “pop a wheelie” on, BIKE; 43. Bart Simpson’s pop, HOMER; 46. When tripled, a 1964 pop hit, FUN; 48. Longtime Boston Pops conductor Arthur FIEDLER; 59. How some popcorn is popped, IN OIL; 62. Bubble WRAP (material you can “pop”); 66. Breakfast food that may pop up, TOAST; 68. Pop artist ANDY Warhol.

Down: 2. Pop bottle capacity, LITER; 5. Mom-and-pop STORE; 7. It might pop into your head, IDEA; 8. Pop. Figure, perhaps, EST; 24. Mom-and-pop educational orgs., PTAS; 33. They may pop on a plane, EARS; 35. Tippy-top, ACME; 39. Popeye’s creator, Elzie SEGAR; 42. “HOP on Pop” (Dr. Seuss book); 48. Pop FLIES (easy chances on the diamond); 54. SODA pop (fizzy drink); 56. A pop, EACH; 57. “Waterloo” pop group, ABBA.

Popping the cork? HERE. Or perhaps you’d prefer THIS!

One more time -- Happy New Year!

Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games.

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