09.12.10 — It's Going to Cost You!



Collage of Leonardo studies of arms and legs

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Sunday, September 12, 2010

IT’S GOING TO COST YOU, Puzzle by Paula Gamache, edited by Will Shortz

IT’S GOING TO COST YOU was the central across entry in the New York Times crossword of April 27, 2007, accompanied by two squares containing the word ARM and two containing LEG producing across/down pairs of BARMITZVAHS and DEAR ME, ALLEGEDLY and NOBLE GASES, WARMS and OSCAR MAYER, PEG LEG and CIRCLE GRAPH — this Sunday's crossword bears the same title and the use of an ARM and a LEG, except that here there are five of each for a total of ten interrelated squares.

  • BEAR MARKET and STARMAN (23A. Bad news on Wall Street; 3D. David Bowie single with the lyric “If we can sparkle he may land tonight“)
  • REGULAR MEALS (36A. Three squares) and 29D. “CHARMED, I’m sure”
  • SOLAR MASS and ALARMS (61A. Unit of star measurement; 53D. Frightens)
  • WAR MEMORIALS (77A. Arc de Triomphe and Nelson’s Column) and 78D. Emporio ARMANI
  • CALENDAR MONTHS and SMARM (114A. April, May and June; 99D. Smugness)
  • TATTLETALE GRAY and ALLEGE (25A. What Fels-Naptha banished, in old ads; 15D. Assert without proof)
  • DOUBLE GLAZED and PHLEGM 59A. Like some doughnuts and windows; 51D. Throat stuff)
  • BUBBLEGUM and ELEGIES (75A. Blow it; 69D. Mournful songs)
  • MIDDLE GROUND and ALLEGRA (94A. Neutral space); 86D. Brand for hay fever sufferers)
  • IDLE GOSSIP and LEGAL (116A. Blah-blah-blah; 117D. Permitted)

Other — ACOLYTES (57A. Followers), ADD TO and INCREASE (8A and 30A. Boost), ANTI-HERO and DEAN (8D with 9D. James known for playing an 8-Down), AS GOOD AS (35D. About equal to), ENDORSER (85D. Check person), GAS PLANET (48A. Heavenly body that humans will never set foot on), GETS ALL A'S (7D. Contends for valedictorian, say), INK ERASER (88A. Tough rubber?), LEIA and LEICA (52A. Alderaan royal, 39A. Classic camera maker), 62D. “L’Après-midi d’un faune” poet Stéphane MALLARME; MONODRAMA (62A. Beckett’s “Krapp’s Last Tape,” e.g.), OIL SLICKS (72A. Hazards for marine life), PASSLINE (81A. Bet in craps), PRO FORMA (106A. Merely routine), PRORATING (81D. Dividing fairly, say).

Mid-size — BOATER, BRANDO (118A. Subject of the 2008 biography “Somebody“), DO TELL (10D. “Let‘s hear it!”), EGESTS, ENROOTS, IN STIR, LAND HO (34A. Excited call to a crew), LESSEN, MARSHES, MENTHE, OATBRAN, ON A ROLL, OSCINE (28A. Relating to songbirds), PRINTS, ROLANDA, SEADOO, SEARLE, SELLERS, SENNAS (122A. Some flowering shrubs), STRATA, UNLASH and UNLOOSE, USES UP.

Five — AIOLI (46A. Provencal sauce), ALBUM, Take A TURN for the worse, BALOO, BUTCH, END, 98D. Mathematician Paul ERDOS, ERROR, FLASK, IMEAN, KNISH, KUNTA, MBEKI (67A.Mandela’s presidential successor), NEONS, NESTS, Bete NOIRE, OPERA, OSAGE, OSLIN, RECON, SAONE, SAPPY, SEEME, TIETO, TRIAL, ULEES, UMASS, YAHOO (58D. Swiftian brute).

Short stuff — AARE (20A. River with the Reichenbach Falls), ADEE, AHH, ASO and ASS, ASTR, ATAD, BBLS, CERE (42D. Smear with wax, old-style), DIPS, DORK, EATA, ELKE, ESAS, FENN, FRA, GELS, HALE, INOZ, IRMA, LET, LIES, MEET, MEGA and MOOG, NBC, NEAT, NOR, OAK, OLAN, ORA (101A. Mezzanotte is one), OREO, OTIS, OTOH (55A. Alternatively, in internet lingo), PCBS, RARE, RHYE, SAN, SETA, SLY, SOBA, SUD, TAP, TARA, THRO, TNT, WHIT.


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"Okay, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg." — In George Washington's days, there were no cameras. One's image was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs are "limbs," therefore painting them would cost the buyer more.


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Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Obstinate type; 4. Electronic music pioneer Robert; 13. Straw hat; 19. Cry after poor service?; 21. Some commercial signs; 22. Remove ropes from; 27. Where N.B.A. coach Rick Pitino played college ball; 31. French ice cream flavorer; 33. “So nice!”; 44. How to address a brother; 47. Large group in a 27-Across); 54. Jet boat brand; 56. When said three times, a W.W. II cry; 65. Deli nosh; 66. High-fiber, low-fat cereal ingredient; 82. Strong; 83. Part of MHz; 84. Company that introduced NutraSweet; 87. Botanical bristle; 90. Relax; 92. Angelo or Antonio; 93. Connect with; 97. Diminish; 102. Crime scene evidence; 110. Levels; 113. Works in the music business; 120. “Super!”; ; 121. Object of many a court order; 123. Overthrow, e.g.; 124. Hair goops;125. Like a three-card monte player. — DOWN: 1. Contents of a sleeve; 2. Request for face time; 5. Flavor associated with Chardonnay; 6. Treat in a blue wrapper; 11. It does a bang-up job; 12. Singer K.T. ___; 13. Relative of Rover; 14. Doing really well; 16. Butler’s place; 17. Those, to Tomas; 18. “Seven Seas of ___” (early Queen hit); 24. Galaxy sci.; 26. Squelch; 32. Disgorges; 37. “___ Gold”; 38. Kyushu volcano; 40. “Do I dare to ___ peach?”; 41. “Rinkitink ___” (L. Frank Baum book); 43. Slightly; 44. Hooch holder at a ballgame; 45. Intel mission; 50. Japanese noodle; 59. Unhip sort; 60. Farm newborns; 63. Lift innovator; 64. “ER” network; 66. ___ orange; 68. Crude qty.; 70. ___ Kinte of “Roots”; 71. “Um … well … it’s like …”; 73. ___ la Douce”; 74. Fabrications; 75. He taught Mowgli the law of the jungle; 76. Depletes; 77. Slightest amount; 79. Actress Sommer; 80. Sports competition; 84. South of France; 89. Watts who hosted a 1990s talk show; 91. Implants; 95. Behind bars; 96. Quick swims; 100. It joins the Rhone at Lyon; 103. Places for some newborns; 104. “Perry Mason” scene; 105. Tear-jerking; 106. Chem. Pollutants; 107. In short supply; 108. Pearl Buck heroine; 109. George Manville ___, English adventure writer; 111. “Comin’ ___ the Rye”; 112. Chick’s tail?; 115. Neither’s partner.

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