12.21.10 — Winter

The Letter L, Erté

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Tuesday, December 21, 2010 - Winter Soltice 

Puzzle by Alan Arbesfeld, edited by Will Shortz

In this simple Tuesday crossword, moving the letter L back three spaces in panel boards, mind-boggling, Christmas carols, bottle water and Adam Sandler results in PLANE BOARDS, MIND BLOGGING, CHRISTMAS CLAROS, BLOTTED WATER and ADAM SLANDER.

Other — AT EASE (46D. Free from anxiety), CARRY-ON BAG (29D. Allotment o one, usually, for an airline passenger), DOSAGE, ICIEST, LACERATE (39D. Cut jaggedly), SECANT, THE KINKS (5D. “Lola” band), THIS IS TRUE (11D. “You’re right!”).

Five-letter — ALLAH, AMUSE, ASSES, ATSEA, BLOOM, EASYA, EMEND, EXERT, IBSEN, LANCE, LARVA, LLANO, LOESS, NOMSG, ODETS, OLORD, OPTED, PLANB and PLANK, REACT, SNAPE, TILES, WIMPY, YEARN.

Short stuff — AAS, AIR, ALAN, AMIR, ASET, BENT, BOSS, CAN, DNA, ELHI, ELLE, END, EREI, ERST, ETC, HBO, ILE and IDLE, ISM, ITAL and ITAR and TAR, KERN, LEER, MAG, Gershwin’s “The MAN I Love”, NIX, ODIC, ORB, OVA, RAN, RAPT, SGT, SPCA, TBA, TEN and TIN and TIM, TYRE, YENS.

If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind? ~ Percy Bysshe Shelley

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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. Do a double-take, e.g.; 6. Made a choice; 11. Composition of Jack Haley’s Oz character; 14. God, to Muslims; 15. Gaucho’s plan; 16. “Six Feet Under” network; 17. F.A.A. supervisors?; 19. Belief suffix; 20. Start of a countdown; 21. Jerome who composed “Ol.’ Man River”; 22. Dolts; 24. Object to online commentary?; 27. Cosine’s reciprocal; 30. “Waiting for Lefty” playwright; 31. It’s walked on pirate ships; 32. “ … ___ saw Elba; 34. Awaiting scheduling, initially;37. Holiday smokes?; 41. Broadcast; 42. Strong desires; 43. Tickle; 44. Want badly, with “for”; 47. Least amiable; 48. Cleaned up after a spill?; 52. Tilter’s weapon; 53. _O__-Tass news agency; 54. Martinique, par exemple; 57. Heavenly body; 58. Defamation in the Garden o f Eden?; 62. Fertility clinic cells; 63. Potter’s potions professor; 64. Playing pieces in Rummikub; 65. Nat Geo, for one; 66. Snap course; 67. Wield, as power. — DOWN: 1. Totally absorbed; 2. Vogue competitor; 3. Shepard in space; 4. Pink-slip;5. “Lola” band; 6. Start of grace, maybe; 7. Fallback strategy; 8. Subject of a cigarette rating; 9. Shut down; 10. Prescription measure; 12. “The Wild Duck” playwright Henrik; 13. Chinese restaurant request; 18. Out of alignment; 23. Bilko or Friday: Abbr.; 25. Windblown soil; 26. Keatsian or Pindaric; 27. Pet advocacy org.; 28. Grades K-12; 32. Make improvements to; 33. Turned chicken; 35. One calling the shots; 36. “I’d hate to break up ___”; 38. One of four on a Rolls; 40. Mideast potentate: Var.; 45. Catchall abbr.; 46. Free from anxiety; 47. Font option: Abbr.; 48. Burst into flower; 49. Maggot or grub; 50. Hardly macho; 51. Totally lost; 54. Pink slip; 55. Lecher’s look; 56. Once, old-style; 59. Paternity suit evidence; 60. Smallish batteries; 61. Give a thumbs-down.