10.21.10 — BLOCK

Black Square, 1913, Kasimir Malevich, State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

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Thursday, October 21, 2010

Puzzle by Dan Naddor, edited Will Shortz

BLOCK (48D. The 2x2 black square near the middle of this puzzle’s grid, e.g., which is part of eight answers), 48A. Temporary lapse of memory, MENTAL (BLOCK); 39A. Neighborhood get-togethers, (BLOCK) PARTIES; 40A. Metal casting housing automotive cylinders, ENGINE (BLOCK); 41A. It displays the connections between system components, (BLOCK) DIAGRAM; 6D. What a hammer may hit, AUCTION (BLOCK); 7D. Author’s bane, WRITER’S (BLOCK); 43D. Smash hit, (BLOCK)BUSTER; and 44D. Bit of comic strip text, LETTER (BLOCK), constitute the interrelated group of this brilliant Thursday crossword.

Other — BOTTOM ROUND (21A. Butcher’s roast cut), ELBOWS (47A. Newbie rollerblade sore spots), FIERIER (25A. More ferent), MIGRAINE (22D. What screaming may exacerbate), MR AND MRS (27D. Start of some addresses), OMICRONS (32A. O’s overseas), ORACLE (36D. Soothsayer), PECTIN (24D. Jelly thickener), PIANO HINGE (3D. Cabinetmaker’s hardware), PIE CRUSTS (52A. Filling holders), POLE SITTER (58A. Certain 1920s faddist), 35A. Pax ROMANA (uneasy peace), SATORI (8D. Zen enlightenment).

Five-letter — ALUMS, AND/OR, ARRET, BLANC (43A. Like many squares in a French crossword), COREA (16A. Jazz pianist with 16 Grammys), ELVIN, HONOR, In the LAP OF the gods (left to fate), JEERS, LAURA, METAL, NO END, OP CIT, OUIJA, OVULE, SCARE, SHUNS, SLAWS, SNOOT, WIZEN.

Short stuff — AMP, CENT, CLEO, ELAN, HAIR, HEM, HOT, IOLE (53D. Princess loved by Hercules), KENT and SENT, LEI, MAN, MENO and OMEN, MOUE, MTG, NEON, OLE ONEA, ORIG, OUZO, PDA, PLAN, PPPS, RST (59D. Queue after Q), SARD, SERE, SLOB and SLOP, TASM, URDU, UTA.

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Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.

Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Rock blaster; 4. Shredded sides; 9. Blackballs; 14. “Fantasy Island” prop; 15. 1944 murder mystery directed by Otto Preminger; 17. Hagen of Broadway; 18. Footnote abbr.; 19. Flexible conjunction; “Wow!”; 23. Spill; 26. Border line?; 28. Not a copy: Abbr.; 29. Trendy; 42. Incessantly; 45. Pout; 57. N.B.A. Hall-of-Famer Hayes; 60. Anise-flavored liqueur; 61. Scheme; 62. Bronx cheers; 63. 1963 role for Liz; 64. E-mail folder; 65. Stop on the Métro?; 66. Cigarette that once advertised the “health benefits” of its Micronite filter. — DOWN: 1. Fraternity benefactors, for short; 2. Rock music genre; 4. Neatnik’s opposite; 9. Close call; 10. Pay tribute to; 11. Language of Islamabad; 12. Old Dodge; 13. Reddish-brown gem; 29. It’ll grow on you; 30. Fit for duty; 31. Land under Down Under: Abbr.; 32. Harbinger; 33. ___ mosso (less rapid, in music); 34. Hoagy Carmichael’s “___ Buttermilk Sky; 36. Soothsayer; 37. Subj. of a 39-Down reminder; 39. See 37-Down; 46. Kind of board; 49. Fertilized item; 50. Shrivel from age; 51. Condescending one; 52. Third afterthought in a missive: Abbr.; 54. Dash; 55. Small price to pay; 56. Bone-dry.