11.05.10 — Golf Round

Friday, November 5, 2010

Puzzle by Mike Nothnagel, edited by Will Shortz

For those who do not care for the afterthought variety of crossword puzzle, today’s should be especially irksome. Whoopie! — SECRET PHRASE CONTEST:  When this puzzle has been completed, put nine holes over the grid and arrange the letters shown to form an appropriate two-word phrase (4,5). Where these holes are is for you to discover. When you have the answer, send it by e-mail to crossword@nytimes.com. Twenty-five correct solvers chosen at random, whose entries are received by midnight E.S.T. Sunday, Nov. 7, will receive copies of "The New York Times Little Black and White Book of Holiday Crosswords." Only one entry per person, please. The answer and winners' names will appear on Friday, Nov. 12, at www.nytimes.com/wordplay.

Yesterday’s New York Times crossword, by the same author, featured nine “holes” — placing that puzzle over this puzzle, through those "holes" one gets the letters GORLUFOND (in across order) seen through the “holes”, meant to be anagrammed as GOLF ROUND.

I don’t care for golf or contests, so enough of that!

Across — 1. GAPING hole; 7. Early film star who wore lipstick in the shape of a heart, CLARA BOW; 15. Severe sales restriction, informally, ONE PER; 16. Plunge, NOSE DIVE; 17. City that’s home to Parliament Hill, OTTAWA; 18. Has a service break?, TAKES TEA; 19. Reqmt. For giving someone the third degree?, DISS; 20. Some compact light sources, DIODES; 22. Try to fit a square peg in a round hole, e.g., ERR; 23. With 8-Down, takes a lot of shots, say, GETS; 24. Non-union?, UNWED; 25. Suggest for the future, BODE; 26. A TO B (first step); 28. MANOR Farm, setting for a George Orwell story; 29. Member of a campaign staff, MARKETER; 31. National Wear Red Day mo., FEB; 32. Came out of a hole, say, EMERGED; 33. Continues, as a band, PLAYS ON; 37. Its first two vols. covered 43-Across, OED; 38. Top-level commands, collectively, MAIN MENU; 39. Hard to discern, FAINT; 42. Pin in a hole, RIVET; 43. See 37-Across, ABC; 44. “Dinner’s ON ME”; 45. Measures of volume, SONES; 46. House of prayer, SHUL; 47. Spirited response?, RAP; 48. Runs up, INCURS; 49. Farm shelter, COTE; 50. “Uh-huh”, OKEY DOKE; 52. Iberian city that lends its name to a variety of wine, OPORTO; 54. It’s not useful in a long shot situation, NINE IRON; 55. Food writer Nigella, LAWSON; 56. Extremely touching?, END TO END; 57. Noted TV twins, OLSENS.

Down — 1. “You played well”, GOOD GAME; 2. Maryland’s historic ANTIETAM Creek; 3. Litter pickup place?, PET STORE; 4. South’s declaration, perhaps, I PASS; 5. Mint, NEW; 6. Like rulers, GRADUATED; 7. Toronto landmark, CN TOWER; 8. See 23-Across, LOADED; 9. Solicited, ASKED; 10. Actor Roger REES; 11. Things that pop up annoyingly, ADS; 12. Crunch, BITE ON; 13. Go too far, OVERDO; 14. One in an outfit, WEARER; 21. Approved, as a contract, INKED; 25. Subject of a 1980s surrogacy case, BABY M; 27. Produce, BEGET; 28. Not accidental, MEANT; 30. Coin with a hole in it, KRONE; 31. Goes it alone, FLIES SOLO; 33. Worker with street smarts?, PAVER; 34. Fish whose male carries the eggs, SEAHORSE; 35. Starting point?, ON BUTTON; 36. Bundles of bound quarks, NUCLEONS; 38. Something from which something else is taken away, MINUEND; 39. As an example, FOR ONE; 40. “Star Wars” name, ANAKIN; 41. Brew, IMPEND; 42. “Way to be, man!”, ROCK ON; 45. [Bo-o-o-oring!], SNORE; 46. Junk vehicles, SCOWS; 48. Peculiar: Prefix, IDIO; 51. In addition, YET; 53. Bud, PAL.

“…if you aim for nothing, you'll hit it every time." ~ Yogi Berra, on golf.

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Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.