03.18.10 — NOTES

Music Notes by joeysart

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Thursday, March 18, 2010

Puzzle by Daniel A. Finan, edited by Will Shortz

Note attached to crossword: When this puzzle is done, the answers will include a familiar series of 38-Across (minus the middle square). Connect the squares of this series in order with a line, starting with the circled square. The resulting image will be a pair of 38-Across (WITH the middle square). In addition, the clues all share a feature that provides an additional hint to the puzzle's theme.

Confusing? Like a joke too long to the punch line, this Thursday crossword necessitates the rambling note it deserves -- believe me, it’s not worth the time! Eight “notes“, DO, RE, MI, FA, SOL, LA, TI and DO are in single squares arranged on the puzzle’s grid for the purpose of connecting those “notes” to render an image of an eighth note, ergo EIGHTHNOTES (38A. [Refer to blurb]). Amusing?

The involved (in order of connection to render the image) — the square with the circle, 58D. Solving, as a puzzle, [DO]ING and 57A. Time share unit, CON[DO]; 52D. Restaurant order, ENT[RE]E and 65A. Renaissance cradle city FLO[RE]NCE; 63D. Mineral in sheets, [MI]CA and 62A. Doughbags, MULTI[MI]LLIONAIRE; 6D. Mideast peace conference attendee, 1993, ARA[FA]T and 20A. Do me A[FA]VOR; 11D. Reverse of “bring together” and 16A. Resting place for the deceased, MAU[SOL]EUM; 39D. Fatal virus, EBO[LA] and 56A. Milk: Prefix, [LA]CTO; 55D. Lazy, O[TI]OSE and 59A. Latin motto “Ars GRA[TI]A artis”; 31D. Michigan, e.g., to a Spaniard, ESTA[DO] and 47A. Fated for ruin, [DO]OMED.

Other (alphabetical) — BUTLERS (13D. Mister Belvedere and others); DRACULA (41D. Fanged villain); EYE COLOR (38D. Factual info on a dating service questionnaire); FAJITAS (1A. Tijuana dishes); FIVE-YARD PENALTY (17A. False start’s result, in football); IMPRISONS (8D. Doesn’t let go?); 8D. IN LIMBO (8A. Relegated to a state of oblivion); 15. ISADORE (Middle name of Sen. Joe Lieberman); MELANGES (12D. Mishmashes); RARE GAS (67A. Last-column element on the periodic table); STRANGLES (35D. Does in with a rope); TSARINA (66A. Resident of the Winter Palace before 1917); ZESTIER (68A. Relatively piquant).

The rest of it — ART, ASIAGO, CTRL and ESC (Laptop keys), C-SPOT, DIGIT, DOGEAR, DOPE, EEL, EDY, ENER, ERE, ESSE, ETAL, ETERNE, FIFTHS, GRE, HGTS, IDE, IER, INTWO, JAVITS, KISS (33A. Request of a frog in a fairy tale), LACE, LUNE, MCMIII, MEG, MFR, NAE, OMY, OPS, REC, SAKI, SERVO, Fashionista SHERI Moon Zombie, SOSAD, STAB, TAI, TOPIC, TOYA, TRAC, WAITZ.

Ending on an up note…

Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games.

If you subscribe to home delivery of The New York Times you are eligible to access the daily crossword via The New York Times - Times Reader, without additional charge, as part of your home delivery.

Remaining clues — ACROSS: 19. Red ___ (sushi order); 21. Reference abbr.; 22. Ming’s 7’6” and Bryant’s 6’6”, e.g.: Abbr.; 24. “Resolved: that …,”: for debaters; 26. D.O.E. part: Abbr.; 28. “Tis a pity”; 30. Tiberius “to be”; 32. Last test before starting some advanced deg. Programs; 36. Missions, for short; 40. Last name in ice cream; 42. Laborer’s suffix; 43. Lance; 44. Reversible preposition; 45. Double-bladed ___ II razor; 51. Doily material; 53. Rent down the center; 61. Tilly of Tinseltown. DOWN: 1. Remy Martin units; 2. Lasagna cheese, sometimes; 3. Late New York senator Jacob; 4. Lanthan- suffix; 5. Michael’s sister La ___; 7. Regulator mechanism, for short; 9. Refusal for Rob Roy; 10. Millet’s moon; 14. Record of 1947 “Peg ___ Heart”; 18. Lamebrain; 23. “Reginald” writer; 25. Large bill, slangily; 27. Remote button; 29. “Far out, man!”; 40. Sole alternative?; 48. “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm” was published in this year; 49. Timeless, old-style; 50. Reader’s place marker; 54. Repeat New York City Marathon winner Grete ___; 60. Miscellanies; 62. Dow Chemical, e.g.: Abbr.; 64. Michelangelo’s field.