04.12.10 — Games

The Noble Game of the Swan 

A linen-backed etching from 1821, published in London by William Darton. The nineteen compartments of the swan game board includes the British Museum (No. 3). The game board came complete with a rule book, an etching of some swans and a slip case.

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Monday, April 12, 2010

Puzzle by Ian Livengood, edited by Will Shortz

The board games, Sorry, Clue and Risk are the PASTIMES (48A. Diversions … as hinted at by the ends of 17-, 34- and 52-Across) to be extracted from three complete sentences, I’M TERRIBLY SORRY (17A. “My deepest apologies”), I HAVEN’T GOT A CLUE (34A. “No idea”) and IT’S WORTH THE RISK (52A. “Let’s take that gamble”), constitute the interrelated group of this winning Monday, uh… pastime!  Oh, and they're all on video -- HERE, HERE and HERE.

Other — DAYLIGHT (9D. Vampire’s undoing), NAME DROP (35D. Try to impress in a conversation, say), O NEGATIVE (4D. So-called universal donor blood), SCRAP IRON (33D. Recycled metal), TIE GAMES (20A. They go into overtime), WART (11D. Witch‘s blemish) and 43A. Witches‘ BREW.

Mid-size — “ADESTE Fideles,” ATEIN, BOWLS (43A. Plays tenpins), DERMAL, DOLED, DRAMA and EMOTE, EBOLA (15A. Deadly virus), ETHOS, GALAS, JASON (23D. Golden Fleece pursuer), LAIRS, LATTES, LENTIL, NEALE, OBIES, “Live Free OR DIE (New Hampshire motto), PESOS, PLUME, RATIO, RAVINE, STEAL, STRAW, VETOED (45A. Nixed by Nixon), WAGON, WASHES and WEASEL (42A. Pop maker in a nursery rhyme).

Short stuff — ARON, AVAS, DEAN, EDIT, ELL, ERGO, ESTA and ETTA and ETAL, EWOK (10A. Furry creature allied with Luke Skywalker and the Jedi knights), GATE, GPS, JIVE, KEYS, LOBS, MAGE and WAGE, MICE, NEAT, OCTA, OGRE, PHDS, RASP, REMI, ROLE, SALT, SASH, SAVE, SKAT (51D. 32-card game), SSE, TMAN, TRE and TREO, TSAR, VIEW and “Star WARS”.

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: 1. As a result; 5. Handed (out); 14. ___ of students; 16. Caster of spells; 21. Coffee orders with foamy tops; 22. Actress Gardner and others; 23. Deceptive talk, in slang; 24. Soup ingredient from a pod; 27. Worker’s pay; 28. Car navigational aid for short; 31. Had home cooking; 32. Place for the words “Miss USA”; 33. Margarita garnish; 37. Actor’s pursuit; 38. Elvis ___ Presley; 39. Emmy category; 40. Opposite of NNW; 41. Federal agent investigating taxes, informally; 44. Sound gravelly; 54. And others: Abbr.; 56. Quadri- times two; 57. “Star ___,” biggest movie of 1977; 58. Mexican dollars; 59. Having everything in its place. DOWN: 1. Cut and paste, say; 2. Notes after do; 3. Golden ___ Bridge; 6. Theater awards; 7. Arcing shots; 8. 90-degree turn; 10. Act with great feeling; 12 Meanie; 13. Frequently misplaced items; 18. Large gully; 19. Put money in the bank; 24. Hideouts; 25. Set of guiding beliefs; 26. Author Zora ___ Hurston; 27. Car with a big carrying capacity, informally; 28. Lavish parties; 29. Feather in one’s cap; 30. Super bargain; 32. Scarecrow stuffing; 33. Recycled metal; 41. BlackBerry rival; 42. Bathes; 43. Plays tenpins; 44. 3:5, e.g.; 45. It’s afforded by a scenic overlook; 46. Jazzy James; 47. Peter the Great, for one; 48. Highest degrees; 49. They’re often double-clicked; 50. “Como ___ usted?”; 51. 32-card game; 53. III in modern Rome.