07.17.10 — O'Dark Thirty



Sleep, Salvador Dali, 1937

O’Dark-thirty is aviator speak for those bleak, lonely hours between midnight and 05:00 am. Those hours when your brain is telling your body to rest, relax, sleep.

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Saturday, July 17, 2010

Puzzle by Mark Diehl, edited by Will Shortz

How else can one blog the next day’s crossword but at o’dark thirty? Yes, it is the wee hours of Saturday and it is the Saturday crossword! Nothing more to be said, tough is tough and that’s enough!

Across — 1. Bed bottoms?, PAJAMA PANTS; 12. Letters for a duke, HRH; 15. Bauxite or cryolite, ALUMINUM ORE; 16. Winning lineup, OOO; 17. One whose shots reveal lots, BIKINI MODEL; 18. The Tigers, for short, LSU; 19. Worked on peanuts?, ATE; 20. Tricksters, IMPS; 21. Passes over, ELIDES; 23. Many mgrs. Have them, MBAS; 24. Pointed artwork?, STIPPLE; 25. Concordia University locale, ST PAUL; 28. One of a grand trio, PIANO LEG; 29. Preceder of his name?, WHAT’S; 30. End of a tile game’s name, JONGG; 31. It may be boiled in Bordeaux, EAU; 32. Hydroelectricity providers?, EELS; 33. Pulls a switcheroo on, perhaps, BILKS; 34. One might be caught near a beach, WAVE; 35. Is for more than one?, ARE; 36. Behaves like a loon, DIVES; 37. Attendance count, NOSES; 38. Put right, RESTORED; 40. Really bother, MOLEST; 41. Father of the Blues, W C HANDY (original recording of St. Louis Blues, HERE); 42. Vint CERF, Father of the Internet; 43. Former chocolaty Post cereal, OREO O’S; 44. Fanny’s First Play” playwright, SHAW; 45. SLO Poke (candy on a stick); 48. Visionary 1921 drama, RUR; 49. Its contents may get strained, TEA CANISTER; 52. One making a scene?: Abbr., DIR; 53. Be shellacked, GET A LICKING; 54. Slob’s environment, STY; 55. Very early morning, in slang, O’DARK THIRTY.

Down — 1. Sunblock ingredient, PABA; 2. Put down, ALIT; 3. Record player, briefly, JUKE; 4. French sweet, AMI; 5. Short coach, MINIBUS; 6. Like some instincts, ANIMAL; 7. Shell collection?, PUMPS; 8. Biblical shepherd, AMOS; 9. Betray inattention, NOD; 10. Nursery IDs, TREE TAGS; 11. One side of traffic, SELLING; 12. Call waiting line?, HOLD PLEASE; 13. Bouquet greenery, ROSE LEAVES; 14. Extra mouth to feed, maybe, HOUSE GUEST; 22. I.B.M. event of 1915, IPO; 23. Gymnastics school supply, MATS; 24. Home Depot display, SINKS; 25. They often fly out during an explosion, SWEAR WORDS; 26. 2003 spy thriller starring Al Pacino and Colin Farrell, THE RECRUIT; 27. Amontillado, e.g., PALE SHERRY; 28. Like some rafts, POLED; 30. Swinging, JIVEY; 33. Feeder filler, BIRD SEED; 34. Grimm villain, WOLF; 36. “Stay”, DO NOT GO; 37. British home of Cow Tower and Dragon Hall, NORWICH; 39. Way of the world?, TAO; 40. Be serious, MEAN IT; 42. Gymnastics school supply, CHALK; 44. Line of combat?, SCAR; 45. Excite, STIR; 46. Period of abstinence, LENT; 47. Period of indulgence, ORGY; 50. AT A price; 51. Runner given the boot?, SKI.

Good night!




Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.

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