08.29.10 — The Alphabet




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

Sunday, August 29, 2010

GOING FOR A RUN, Puzzle by Derek Bowman, edited by Will Shortz

The title of this sluggish Sunday crossword means absolutely nothing during the solution, being a mere afterthought. Clues with an asterisk (*) generate an across group of two-word entries running consecutively through the alphabet from top to bottom of the puzzle. Yes, that’s it. So… Army Brat, Carbon Dating, Exhaust Fans, Gray Hairs, Inside Job, Kitty Litter, Mixed Nuts, Outer Planet, Quick Read, Speed Trap, Used Vehicle, Winter X games and Year Zero.

Across, six-letter or more — 20. Auditorium features, AISLES; 22. *Kid constantly switching schools, maybe, ARMY BRAT; 23. *Age-revealing method, CARBON DATING; 27. Kind of expression, PAINED; 29. *Stale air reovers, EXHAUST FANS; 33. *Supposed results of stress, GRAY HAIRS; 42. Newer, as a car, LATE MODEL; 58. *Embezzlement, e.g., INSIDE JOB; 60. *Pet shop purchase, KITTY LITTER; 68. *Party bowlful, MIXED NUTS; 78. *Pluto, e.g., before it was plutoed, OUTER PLANET; 81. *Harlequin romance, e.g., QUICK READ; 91. Delicate skill, DIPLOMACY; 101. *Leadfoot’s downfall, SPEED TRAP; 106. *It’s got some miles on it, USED VEHICLE; 113. Was two under, EAGLED; 117. *Annual sports event since 1997, WINTER X GAMES; 120. *Beginning of time?, YEAR ZERO; 122. Bagel request, SESAME; 124. Arrive continuously, STREAM IN.

Down, six-letter or more — 3. “You bet!”, OH YEAH; 5. Navy, e.g., DARK SHADE; 7. Went by, ELAPSED; 10. Egyptian god of the universe, AMON RA; 11. Rice source, PADDY FIELD; 31. Donation location, ALMS BOX; 37. Oscar winner for “Life is Beautiful”, BENIGNI; 39. Skipping, OMISSION; 40. Carries on, CONTINUES; 41. Is not as easy as it seems, HAS A CATCH; 48. Soldiers home from service, e.g., RETURNEES; 49. Start of a popular children’s rhyme, ONE POTATO; 57. Where the limbo dance originated, TRINIDAD; 64. Woolgathering, REVERIE; 70. Citation’s end, END QUOTE; 75. Like aprons, at times, SPLATTERED; 84. Low-cost, lightweight autos of the 1910s-’20s, CYCLECARS; 92. Sensible, PRUDENT; 97. Gave under pressure, SAGGED; 100. Many a path up a mountain, ZIG ZAG.

Five-letter — AINTI, AKRON, ALARM, ASTRA, BOOED, BORAX, BULGY, CRÈME, DANSK, DARTS, DEMUR, EENSY, ESTAN, EZINE, INTRO, ISAAK, KIDAT, LITER, LORIS, MLIII, MRBIG, NEALE, OOMPH, PAINED, PLAZA, PLIES, PRAMS, SAGES, SENOR, SHEBA (89A. Title dog in an Inge play), SICEM, STAKE, SYNOD, VELMA.

Short stuff — ARFS, ATWT, BIKE, BLAS, BOD, CAPE, DRYS, EBB, EGON, EKE, EMIR, EMO and ENO, ERAT, GROG, HAST, HRH, HSN, IFAT, IGA and INA, KENT, IRS, KSU, LARA, LAZ, LET, LOEB, LYES, MALI, MOAB, NEAR, NECK, NED, NOOK, OCH, OLES, ORIG, OTTS, PACE, REA and RIA and RIC, RIOT, SES, SETA, SGTS, SOD, SOWS, STUF, TAJ, TKT, ULM, URL, UPI, USAF, VAC, VAIN, VIET, WEDS, YAH.

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




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. Like villains; 6. Middleton who sang with Louis Armstrong; 11. They might carry babies in nappies; 19. Cell phone feature; 25. Headless Horseman’s wear; 26. The Wildcats, for short; 28. Real cutup; 35. Danielle Steel novel about a European princess; 36. Lisa with the #1 hit “Stay (I missed You)”; 38. Barks; 39. “Gee,” in Glasgow; 46. “Ladies and gentlemen …,” e.g.; 50. Biblical kingdom; 52. Big name in dinnerware; 53. “Conversations with God” author ___ Donald Walsch; 56. British American Tobacco brand; 62. Gamble; 63. Not an imit.; 65. Makes one; 68. Reuters competitor; 67. Words a house burglar doesn’t want to hear; 71. Highest point on the Ohio & Erie Canal; 73. “___ moment”; 74. Thunderbirds’ org.; 76. Like peacocks; 77. “___ a Woman?” (Sojourner Truth speech delivered in 1851 in 71-Across); 85. Isthmus; 86. Wine order; 87. Protuberant; 88. ___ precedent; 94. Cover some ground; 95. Cards once traded for Gehrigs, say; 98. Part of Q.E.D.; 99. ___-Boy (brand of furniture); 112. Some World Cup cheers; 115. Flair of pro wrestling; 116. Matey’s libation; 123. Online mag; 125. Religious council; 126. Around the Clock is a version of this; 127. Solomons. — DOWN: 1. Antiseptic agent; 2. Zip; 4. “Cabaret” lyricist; 5. Cleaner, for short; 8. Newswoman Logan; 9. “Sex and the City” character also known as John; 12. Small inlet; 13. “Per ardua ad ___” (Royal Air Force motto); 14. 900 years before Queen Elizabeth was crowned; 15. Mister abroad; 16. Tempo; 17. Own, in the past; 18. Double ___ (Oreo variety); 21. Some police personnel: Abbr.; 24. About; 30. Web address; 32. Cozy spot; 34. Cable inits. For sales pitches; 43. Atlantic City hot spot, with “the”; 44. Musician Brian; 45. Court cry; 47. Purchase at a booth: Abbr.; 51. Hog; 54. Elementary figure: Abbr.; 55. Corrosive cleaning agents; 59. Object; 60. Be a ___ heart; 61. Chris with the top 10 hit “Wicked Game”; 68. Where the Senegal River begins; 69. “___ all possible”; 72. White wine cocktails; 79. Squeeze (out); 80. Nancy Drew’s beau; 82. Locale of an 1805 Napoleon victory; 83. Supermarket with a red oval logo; 87. Lesage book “Gil ___”; 90. Gymgoer’s pride; 93. Derisive call; 96. “Time ___” (1990s sci-fi series); 101. Foments; 102. Wields; 103. Teeny-tiny; 104. “Dónde ___ los Ladrones?” (1998 platinum album by Shakirs); 105. Square; 107. Temperance proponents; 108. ___ Cong; 109. ___ de cacao; 110. Petty and Singer; 111. Von Furstenberg of fashion; 114. Kuwaiti dignitary; 118. Alternative rock genre; 119. Parisian possessive; 121. Actor Stephen.

No comments: