12.01.10 — Birthday Puzzle

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Puzzle by Caleb Madison, edited by Will Shortz

One hundred and seventy years ago yesterday, Mark Twain was born; however, he did not rate a birthday crossword in The New York Times.

At age seventy-five, today‘s birthday boy, WOODY ALLEN (1A. With 66-Across, subject of this puzzle born 12/1/1935) does, along with nine titles of films for which he was responsible — ALICE, ANNIE HALL, BANANAS, INTERIORS, MANHATTAN, MATCH / POINT, RADIO DAYS, SLEEPER and ZELIG.

Other — ADRIFT and ALIGNED (41D. Neatened in a way; 46D. Unmoored), AS I RECALL (14A. “If memory serves …”), B TWELVE (27D. Vitamin involved in cell metabolism), COHABIT (25D. Live together), ELYSIAN (7D. Heavenly), FEBRILITY (63A. Feverishness), MISSTEP (19A. Faux pas).

Mid-size — AAA MAP, ALSTON, ANEAR, AVION, AZARIA, CLASS A, ENHALO, HASTEN, KATHIE, MOLTO, NO NO NO (44D. “Stop! You‘ve got it all wrong!”), NUCLEI, STOLA, ROMAS and RAMON, STOLA, TOMCAT, YEOMEN.

Short stuff — AMAH, ANC and ANO, AOUT, ARAB, ATO, AWE and AWW, BAAS and BASE, BAT, BEA, CDI, CST, DRI, ELOI, IDI, ILL, IMAN, ION, KAN, LALA and LAMA, LER (54D. Celtic sea god), MAS, MSRP, NAE, OID and OIL, OSA, OTBS, PAIL, PORT, RANG, RTE, SNL and SYN, TAN, TDS, WAR.

Fame is a vapor; popularity an accident;

the only earthly certainty is oblivion.

~ Mark Twain's Notebook

————————

Click on image to enlarge.

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

Remaining clues — 6. “Maude” star Arthur; 9. With 64-Across, 1-/66-Across movie of 2005; 16. Dress in the Forum; 17. … of 1987; 18. Some tomatoes; 21. Winter hrs. in St. Louis; 22. … of 1990; 26. ___ exchange; 27. It’s high on the pH scale; 28. Silents actor Novarro; 29. … of 1979; 31. Asian nurse; 32. Dorothy’s state: Abbr.; 33. “Too bad!”; 34. … of 1971; 36. … of 1973; 40. Be up; 41. Mayo is in it; 42. ___ land; 43. … of 1977; 47. Par ___; 48. Part of l’été; 49. A mean Amin; 50. … of 1983; 51. Nelson Mandela’s org.; 52. Shaded passageway; 55. Verdi’s very; 57. … of 1978; 62. Close, in verse; 64. See 9-Across; 65. Raiders make them, informally; 66. See 1-Across. DOWN: 1. Something played out in a theater; 2. Spanish she-bear; 3. Geometric suffix; 4. Demoisturized, in commercial names; 5. Palace workers; 6. Flock sounds; 8. Hall-of-Famer Walter who was a Dodger manager for 23 years; 9. No. on a car: 10. ___ Z; 11. Male with whiskers; 12. Top level; 13. Get a move on; 15. Early fifth-century year; 20. Surround with a glow; 22. Sheik’s mount; 23. Spiritual guide; 24. One-named 1970s-’80s supermodel; 29. “Keep them coming, Juan!”; 30. Amazement; 32. TV’s ___ Lee; 35. Scot’s not; 36. Show announced by Don Pardo for 30+ years, for short; 37. Construction worker’s lunch container; 38. H.G. Wells people; 39. Phoned; 43. Certain travel guide; 45. Centers; 47. Hank with voices on “The Simpsons”; 52. Left side; 53. Places where the Daily Racing Form is read, in brief; 56. Get bronze; 58. Excellent, slangily; 59. Lube (up); 60. Way: Abbr.; 61. Dict. listing.