03.17.11 — Α, Β, Π and Ω

Thursday, March 17, 2011 — St. Patrick's Day

Puzzle by Anna Schechtman, edited by Will Shortz

IT’S ALL GREEK TO ME (41A. Totally confused response), along with four squares containing a Greek letter constitutes the interrelated group of this Thursday crossword. The four Greek letters and their entries — [ALPHA]BET SONGS (17A. Educational musical pieces for kindergarteners) with OR[AL PHA]SE (1D. First part of psychosexual development, [BET A]WARD (19A. Annual prize won multiple times by Beyoncé and LeBron James) with TI[BETA]N MONK (9D. Devout Lhasan, say), WHOO[PI] (63A. First name on “The View”) with LIGHT[PI]NK (42D. Color of many nurseries) and H[OME GA]ME (70A. What players don’t have to travel far for) with INC[OME GA]P (57D. Difference between the rich and the poor).

Other — AUDIENCE (22D. Nielsen measure), CRISIS, ENLIST, ESTEEM, HASSLE, IN A FOG (39. Dazed), MALLOMAR (24D. Chocolate-coated treat), STREETCAR (66A. People might make tracks for this), STRING, STUDIO (44A. Painter’s base), SUSANS (21A. Single Boyle and others).

Five-letter — ARGUS, AT TEN, ATOMS, BEGET (28D. Father), CAN’T I, DEFOE, ENTRE nous, EVENT, IONIA, KORAN, LATHE, LISPS, NOBIS, SETAE, SINAI, SPORK, STAMP, TRAMP steamer, USUAL.

Short stuff — ANA, ATF, DAB and DAD (36D. Father), DOG, ECO and EDO, EPPS, EST, ETE and EWE, FEST, GAD and PAD, GMC, GRIN, GRO, HARE, HOP, IRIS, LAUD, LOG, MIR, NORA, ONCE and ONES, ORO, OWN, PEA, ROVE, ROWS, SENT, SIEG, SLUM, SNL, SOAK, TONS, UNO, UTAH, WKS.

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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. Kind of column; 5. “Big Love” setting; 14. Politico with the memoir “Courage and Consequence”; 15. The “doll” in Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House”; 16. Ancient land on the Aegean Sea; 20. Old Testament peak; 23. Prize; 25. Jacob Riis subject; 26. Smidgen; 29. Gallivant; 31. Tokyo’s ___ Castle; 32. Setting for Seurat’s “Un dimanche après-midi à l'île de la Grande Jatte”; 33. Extol; 37. Record; 45. Have; 46. Big celebration; 47. Salad tidbit; 48. Big iits. In Detroit; 50. Green: Prefix; 52. ___ Digital Short; 53. Lion : pride :: ___ : husk; 55. Beat the draft?; 60. Kiting need; 62. Last words of “Over the Rainbow”; 68. When the line “God sufficeth me: there is no God but He”; 69. 1998 Goo Goo Dolls hit; 71. KFC offering; 72. Directed; 73. Omar of “House”. — DOWN: 2. Dona ___ pacem” (Catholic Mass phrase); 3. Affair; 4. Bristles; 5. Game with command cards; 6. Truckloads; 7. Hundred-eyed monster of myth; 8. Inconvenience; 10. Melees; 11. Carrier to Tokyo; 12. Satellite launched in 1986; 13. Digs; 18. German “victory”; 26. “Moll Flanders” author, 1722; 27. Smidgens; 30. Closely follow; 33. Problems for orators; 34. “News ___”; 35. Everyday; 38. Miracle- ___; 40. Justice Dept. division; 43. Dolly, e.g.; 49. Major crossroads; 51. Long ago; 56. Shop staple; 58. Corner piece?; 59. Firestones, e.g.; 60. Skyrocket; 61. Beam; 63. Calendar units: Abbr.; 64. Hip adjoiner?; 65. Conquistador’s loot; 67. Any fig. ending in “or so”.