10.08.10 — Bored to Death!

Friday, October 8, 2010

Puzzle by Brendan Emmett Quigley, edited by Will Shortz

Ennui reigns in this pretentious, tepid, boring and unfriendly Friday crossword.

Across — 1. Use a joystick, STEER; 6. Biblical figure who received the curse of Ham, CANAAN; 12. Somewhat astringent, as wine, TANNIC; 14. What yo-yo might make, NO SENSE; 15. City where A.A. was founded, AKON OH; 17. Like collision avoidance systems, AVIONIC; 18. “Driving Miss Daisy setting, GEORGIA; 19. Conservative pundit with a daily morning radio show, BENNETT; 20. Popular bar since 1946, ALMOND JOY; 22. “I never SAW A moor”: Emily Dickinson; 23. Delivery that may floor you, LEFT JAB; 24. One doing laundry, often, PILER; 25. Wrap in sheets, FOIL; 26. They’re on the books, WAGERS; 27. The great Pretender?, CHRISSIE HYNDE; 31. Things to come to grips with?, PLIERS; 32. Sound made while working on a mop, SNIP; 33. Basketball shooting game, HORSE; 34. Maximally intense, ACUTEST; 37. “Alice IS AT It Again” (Noel Coward song); 38. Pantry, STOREROOM; 40. What a compact often lacks, LEG ROOM; 42. Green, ENVIOUS; 44. Reply to a pushy person, I SAID NO; 45. Think worthy of doing, DEIGN TO; 46. Change, at times, PENNIES; 47. Turned down, DENIED; 48. What big projects are usually done in, STAGES; 49. Tough row to hoe?, WEEDS.

Down — 1. One way to go to a party, STAG; 2. Lead-in to bath or powder, TAKE A; 3. Join, ENROLL; 4. Massive, in Marne, ENORME; 5. Country standard that begins “Love is a burning thing”, RING OF FIRE; 6. Quail flock, COVEY; 7. Words of clarification, AS IN; 8 Strip teaser?, NEON SIGN; 9. Toughened, ANNEALED; 10. Seemingly, AS IT WERE; 11. Workers may be drawn to them, NECTARS; 13. What can give you a heads-up?, COIN TOSS; 14. Big shot, NABOB; 16. Some pilgrims, HADJIS; 21. Lake Chapala’s state, JALISCO; 24. Ordered programming; PAY-PER-VIEW, don‘t complain when it's abbreviates\d to PPV; 26. Bleached, WHITENED; 27. Like an owl’s eyes, CLOSE SET; 28. Set of cursive Japanese symbols, HIRAGANA; 29. Fix, as a bow, RESTRING; 30. Toughened, ENURED; 31. Big name in home theaters, PHILIPS; 34. ATMOS Energy (big natural gas utility); 35. Elegantly groomed, SOIGNÉ; 36. It’s worth a couple of bucks in Canada, TOONIE, we‘ll probably be subjected in future crosswords to Tooney, Twoney orTwoonie, when convenient; 38. Acoustics measures, SONES; 39. Soft, now, MUTED; 41. His vet is Liz Wilson, ODIE; 43. Rolls out for sale at a nursery, SODS.

Is that all you got?!

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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.