05.26.10 — Upgrades

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Puzzle by Anna Schechtman, edited by Will Shortz

GRADE INFLATION (56A. Modern educational phenomenon … or a hint to 20-, 29-, 38- and 45-Across) along with the replacement of the letter B with the letter A in GOES OUT ON A LIMA (20A. Chokes after bean eating?), funniest answer/clue in a crossword in ages, LAMA CHOPS (29A. Monk’s karate blows?), second funniest, VERA ENDINGS (38A. Movie finales featuring actress Miles?) and HONEY COMA (45A. Result of a sweetener overload?) are the interrelated group of this witty Wednesday crossword.

Other — BAD MOODS (11D. Peevish states), CYNTHIA (33D. “Sex and the City” actress Nixon), MAD and ALFRED E. Neuman (31D. Magazine featuring 47-Down, etc.), ON RAMPS (12D. Interstate entrances), ORDERLY (21D. Hospital attendant), ROUGH IT (42D. Camp in the wild), VINE RIPE (38D. Like some tomatoes).

Mid-size — AENEID (51A. Origin of the phrase “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts“), ALONE, ANNUM, CEDED, ELEVEN, EL TORO (63A. Fearsome wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure), GLOVER, GROOVE, GROUP, HELGA (48A. Wife of Hägar the Horrible), INTEND, LENTIL (6D. Soup bean), crossing the LIMA line, LOITER, ON TIME, REMADE and RENAME, TRAGIC, WET ONE (2. Sloppy kiss).

Short stuff — ANN and ANY, ATE, ATTN, AVIS, BOA, CHA and CHI, DEER and DRED, DRY, DST, EEO, ELLE, EMMA, ESA and EST, ETE, HIP, HUES, INN, ISH, ITEM, LAI and LAIC, LEVI, LIEU, NAVY, NOVA, ONTO, ORE, OTOE, REEL, RENO, RPI, SHH, SOME, SRI, STE, TEL, TOLD, TONS, TWIT, VAIN.

Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Ninny; 5. Actor Danny of “The Color Purple”; 11. Jungle menace; 14. “___ 911!” (former Comedy Central show); 15 Dub over; 16. English novelist Radcliffe; 17. Abbr. before a name in a memo; 18. Promptly; 19. Like zinfandel wines; 23. No room at the ___; 24. The Engineers of the N.C.A.A.: Abbr.; 25. Not all; 27. Gave up; 34. Business card abbr.; 36. Shade of blue; 37. When clocks are set ahead: Abbr.; 41. ___ Lanka; 43. In ___ of; 44. Fr. Holy woman; 52. Tints; 53. China’s Chou En-___; 55. Metalliferous rock; 62. The Windy City, briefly; 64. Plains Indian; 65. Cool, man; 66. Nearing midnight; 67. Johnston in 2008-09 news; 68. Broke a fast; 69. Newly fashioned; 70. Harriet Beecher Stowe novel. DOWN: 1. Like some irony; 3. Mean; 4. Lots and lots; 5. Congregation; 7. Not duped by; 8. Futile; 9. Novel on which “Clueless” is based; 10. Recite rapidly, with “off”; 12. Interstate entrances; 13. “Pick a number, ___ number”; 26. Approx. number; 28. Time off from l’ecole; 30. Per ___; 32. Alamo competitor; 35. Not of the cloth; 39. Abbr. in help-wanted ads; 40. Exclamation before “I didn’t know that!”; 41. Library admonishment; 46. That, to Juanita; 49. Hang around; 50. Pronounced rhythm, in music; 54. Unassisted; 57. ___ Xing; 58. She, in Cherbourg; 59. Twosome; 60. ___ Scotia; 61. Tattled; 62. When doubled, a dance.