02.19.11 — West of the Nile

Collage of the painting Cain Kills Abel by Bartolomeo Manfredi with

a still frame from the 1955 film of East of Eden with Richard Davalos and James Dean

————————

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Puzzle by Tim Croce, edited by Will Shortz

Two large black-square bifurcating brackets supporting twelve ten-letter entries within seven small boxed-in puzzles is the main feature of this engagingly labyrinthine Saturday crossword…

OCEAN-BORNE (1A. Like a message in a bottle)
HAD A BAD DAY (11A. What makes cats happy?)
SIGN A LEASE (15A. Needed to relax and unwind, say)
EAST OF EDEN (20A. Classic novel with biblical parallels)
SPACE CADET (24A. Flake)
GO WIRELESS (43A. Eliminate lines of communication?)
NFL UNIFORM (50A. Wear for some guards)
REMEMBER ME (59A. Reunion question)
LEAVES TIME (62A. Allows an adequate period)
STRESS TEST (64A. Many a police officer must pass one)
EYE OPENERS (10D. Surprises)
SPICE GIRLS (24D. “Wannabe” hitmakers)

Other — A AND E, ACUTE, AERIE (47D. Takeoff point for many a flight), BRETT, CAIRO (2D. City of a Thousand Minarets), west of the Nile, the Valley of the Kings, CASES, CATER, EDGAR, IN USE, IT FIGURES (34D. “I should have guessed as much”), JAMES AGEE (11D. “Death in the Desert” writer, 1930), OH SAY (1D. Key starter?), PECAN, PENAL, SAMMS, SLEET.

Short stuff — ALAR, ANEW, ARED, ATAD, ATOI, BALE, BASS and BSS, DIVA, EARS, EVEN, EXES, FCC, FEET, FLAX, GAG, GIVE, HERO, JAZZ, LANE, MANO, MMES, NAST (9D. Santa drawer), NAVE, NBA, ODEA, OMAR, PCS, PREF, RAN, RDAS, REAL, RÊVE, TENS, THAI, TVPG, VANE and VENT, YORE, ZION, ZONE.

It seems to me that if you or I must choose between two courses of thought or action, we should remember our dying and try so to live that our death brings no pleasure on the world.
 ~ John Steinbeck, East of Eden

————————

Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.

Remaining clues — ACROSS: 11. What makes cats happy?; 16. Parisian possessive; 18. Palma’s place; 19. “Wielding ___ Sword” (Piers Anthony novel); 22. Old; 23. Some office equipment; 31. Language with 44 consonants; 35. Kind of tart; 36. With 37-Across, express freely, with “to”; 37. See 36-Across; 39. Unlike one; 40. Aisle or window, e.g.: Abbr.; 41. Do a wedding, maybe; 42. Contents of some farm bushels; 45. Shut up; 46. Sam Adams alternative; 57. Not knocked off; 58. Controversial color enhancer; 61. Source of current information?; 63. They’ve split. — DOWN: 3. Tidying tool; 4. “Billy the Exterminator” network; 5. Drafting org.; 6. Paper quantity; 7. Some ancient halls; 8. Some ancient halls; 8. They’re good stds. To follow; 12. Opposite of much; 13. Bus schedule specification; 14. Utah’s ___ Canyon; 21. Grp. caring about airing; 25. Kind of code; 26. Penetrating; 27. Spade work?; 28. Hissy-prone missy; 29. Present opener?; 30. Composition of some wads; 31. “Seinfeld” designation; 32. One may win a heart; 33. Fresh; 44. Led; 46. 1980 A.L. M.V.P.; 48. “The Colbys” co-star; 49. Driving danger; 50. Mass gathering place; 51. Oil source; 52 Pool or carpool concern; 53. Shuffled things; 54. Baseball’s Minaya; 55. “Le ___,” Picasso painting of his sleeping mistress; 56. Some Eur. Ladies; 60. First degs.