04.18.10 — IT



In 1927, Clara Bow reached the heights of her popularity with the film “It“; the film was based on a story written by Elinor Glyn, and upon the film's release, Bow became known as "The It Girl". In Glyn's story, It, a character explains what "It" really is: "It...that strange magnetism which attracts both sexes... entirely unself-conscious... full of self-confidence... indifferent to the effect she is producing and uninfluenced by others." More commonly, "It" was taken to mean sex appeal. "'It', hell ... She had those", quipped Dorothy Parker.

-----------------

Sunday, April 18, 2010

WHATS-ITS, Puzzle by Randolph Ross, edited by Will Shortz

IT at the end of eight across and eight down entries clued in italics in newsprint and with an asterisk in the electronic version constitutes the interrelated group of this Sunday crossword that's just... well... full of IT!

Across — 1. Your tongue, BITE IT; 14. Uncle, SAY IT; 23. An idea, COME TO THINK OF IT; 25. The picture, GET IT; 111. Crow, EAT IT; 112. A message, TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT; 119. The light, SEE IT; 122. Face, LOSE IT.

Down — 8. The point, STICK TO IT; 32. A deck of cards, DEAL WITH IT; 35. The aisles, ROLLING IN IT; 40. Sore loser, DON’T BET ON IT; 43. A pillow, SLEEP ON IT; 46. An abacus, COUNT ON IT; 51. Lunch, BROWN-BAG IT; 80. Snuff, NOT UP TO IT.

Other — AT A SLANT (20A. Sloping), BARKCLOTH (45A. Retro upholstery material), ENEMIES (4D. Exes, sometimes), FLAT IRON (61A. Old-fashioned clothes presser), HEMOSTAT (73A. Surgeon’s tool), 64A. California’s NAPA Valley and 110D. California’s SIMI Valley, OIL and RANCH (48A. Dressing choice, 66D. Dressing choice), OPEN AREA (71A. Expanse), OVERPAID (117A. Didn’t get a good deal), STILETTO (59A. Tool for making eyelets) , WAIST-HIGH (97A. Like cornstalks after about six weeks).

Mid-size — ATTICS, CLOVES, EASILY, GOSSIP, ICE TEAS, IN PARK (Not going anywhere?), I WANNA, ROCKY VI, BENITO, LAHORE (Home of Shalimar Gardens), LAIRDS, LEAD OUT, LOSE IT, LOW BID, METERS, MODULOS (Math operations that yield remainders), MT OSSA, Olympic discus great Al OERTER, PARTER, ROTINI, SCYTHES, SKYLAB, SPACEK, ST ELMO, THRIVES, WROUGHT (Created).

Five-letter — ABNER, ADENO, ALETA, ANNAS, ASICS (Athletic shoe brand), ATILT, BOOTH, BRAGA, CLUER (Crossword creator, at times), CROWE, ELLIE, ENNUI, ERATO (Classical sister), FORES, HIKES, IN TEN, MAFIA, NOOSE, OMNIA, ONION, RANCH, SAGET and SETAT, STIES, USTED (You, in Yucatan).

Short stuff — ADEN, ADS, ALI, ALMS, ARE and ART, ATAD and ATEE, AVE, BIC, BOLT, BSA, BULK, CITI (Field opening?), CMII, DANK, DTS, EEL, ELI, ESL, ETD, GAT, HACK, HADA, HTS, INI and INIT, ITT (Big corp. in defense contracts), not the Cousin from The Addams Family, IWON, LAG, LOEW, LSD, MESS, MOES, NAME, NAPA, NAST, NIL and NIN, OIL, OOM, OREL (City SSW of Moscow), OSO, OTB, OTOE, OUSE, PALE and PELE, Former Chinese Communist military leader Lin PIAO, RAD, RIPS, SACS, Seven SEAS, SIMI, STE, TAMA, TAO and TAP, TENS (Second place?), TOM and TOT and TOTO, TRAC, Angkor WAT (Cambodian temple), YETI (Hirsute Himalayan).


.


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: 7. Trip preparation; 10. Early 10th-century year; 18. “Lemme!”; 20. Sloping; 22. Gland: Prefix; 28. Identify; 27. 1986 Parody of a Sylvester Stallone film series; 28. First name among the Axis powers; 31. Direct to the exit; 34. It often follows you; 36. Summer coolers; 38. Dragon roll ingredient; 39. Spots; 42. Greek high spot; 44. Gambler’s hangout, for short; 49. Contract winner, often; 52. Leave in a hurry; 53. Opera ___ (complete works: Lat.); 54. TV “Miss”; 56. Story accompanier; 57. “A Beautiful Mind” star; 63. Org. with an oath; 67. Old buffalo hunter; 69. Closed-captioning problem; 77. Kind of ring; 79. Rube of bygone funnies; 80. Common cricket score; 81. Cause of a pain in the neck; 82. Yawn producer; 83. Pouches; 84. Curly pasta; 86. Writer Anais; 89. Weapon carried in a speakeasy; 90. Accommodations with low overhead?; 92. Abbr. in many a Quebec address; 93. Fighter with a shuffle; 97. Shaker ___, oh.; 98. Field tools; 100. Moses at the Red Sea, e.g.; 102. “In the Bedroom” actress, 2001; 106. Rare announcement after balloting; 108. Slams; 116. Prince Valiant’s wife; 118. Name associated with fire; 120. Putter (around); 121. Sot’s woe. DOWN: 1. Inexpensive pen; 2. Joyful cry; 3. Author Janowitz; 5. One ___ (long odds); 6. Eastern path; 9. Like dungeons, typically; 10. Some garlic; 11. Scorsese subject; 12. ___ Kamoze of reggae; 14. Bob ___, narrator on TV’s “How I Met Your Mother”; 15. Present-day site of the ancient port city Eudaemon; 17. J. Edgar Hoover used one: Abbr.; 18. Fictional terrier; 21. 1973 NASA launch; 24. Gillette’s ___ II; 28. Major portion; 34. Not straight; 37. Announcement at a terminal, in brief; 39. Poor support; 41. Sloppy spots; 42. ___ Southwest Grill (restaurant chain); 45. Ticket site; 47. “Humpty Dumpty ___ great fall”; 52. Actress Sonia; 55. Wharf workers’ org.; 60. Water source; 61. Course calls; 62 Part of a tuba sound; 68. Spanish bear; 69. Theater mogul Marcus; 70. Kournikova and others; 72. Without breaking a sweat; 74. 2010 Denzel Washington title role; 78. River of York; 84. Far out; 85. G.O.P. elephant originator; 88. Commit a computer crime; 89. Dirt; 91. Does very well; 94. They may be fed downtown; 95. Scots with lots; 98. Tuned to; 99. Ups; 103. Washed out; 104. Suit to ___; 107. Not much; 109. Soccer immortal; 112. Nursery rhyme boy who “stole a pig, and away he run”; 113. N.Y.C.’s A, B, C or D; 114. Night sch. Class; 115. Rug rat.

No comments: