04.11.11 — Malevolent Monday

Ricardo Montalbán as Khan, Heath Ledger as The Joker, Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor, Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter, Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort, George Zucco as Moriarty, and Jeremy Irons as Scar

————————

Monday, April 11, 2011

Puzzle by Ian Livengood / Edited by Will Shortz

Seven villains, one for each day of the coming week, constitute the interrelated group of this smashing Monday crossword — KHAN (8. “Star Trek” villain), THE JOKER (15. “Batman” villain), LEX LUTHOR (19. “Superman” villain), HANNIBAL LECTER (36. “The Silence of the Lambs” villain), VOLDEMORT (51. Harry Potter villain), MORIARTY (58. Sherlock Holmes villain) and SCAR (63. “The Lion King” villain).

Other — CAMERA, EXTRA LARGE (28D. Jumbo), JOPLIN (16D. Janis with the 1971 #1 hit “Me and Bobby McGee”), KIDDER (43D. One joshing around), KLATCH (8D. Social gathering with coffee), SHED and STRIP (31D. Get out of, as clothing; 48D. Get out of clothing), SPELLS, STEPPE (21A. Siberian plain), THEME SONGS (3D. “I’ll Be There for You” for “Friends,” and others).

Five-letter — ALLOT, ANKLE, Give it A SHOT!” (“Try!”), B TEAM, IPADS, LEGAL, LITER, LSATS, MAGMA, PARSE, PATHS, PEP UP, PERES, POLIO, SLIME, SLYER, SPOIL (31A. Ruin, as the end of a movie).

Short stuff — AMMO, ASH, DESK, EGG and ERR, EST and ETC, GEE (62A. “Well, whaddaya know!”), HELM, HIGH and mighty, HOMO sapiens, ICEE, IMA and UMA, INCA, KEPT, LAG, LARA, LIES, MAIM, MARX, MESS, “O Sole MIO”, MIRE, NEAR, OMSK (54D. Siberian city), OPEC, OTTO, PAGE, PAT, RAIL, ROPE, SLAP, SLO-mo, SMUT, VIPS, XII (35A. Twelve on a sundial).

And therefore since I cannot prove a lover

To entertain these fair well-spoken days,

I am determined to prove a villain

And hate the idle pleasures of these days.

~ Richard III

————————

Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.

Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Single serving of butter; 4. Seriously hurt; 12. Cigarette’s end; 13. Ancient Peruvian; 14. Gooey stuff; 17. Volcanic rock material; 23. Yadda, yadda, yadda: Abbr.; 25. Fall behind; 27. Command post on a ship; 33. Action to a newborn baby’s bottom; 39. Easter ___; 40. Germany’s ___ von Bismarck; 41. Dissect grammatically; 42. Piece of office furniture; 44. Approximate no.; 45. Thurman of Hollywood; 46. John Denver’s “Thank God ___ Country Boy”; 48. Says ”D-O-G” or “C-A-T,” e.g.; 56. Half a train track; 57. Apple tablet computers; 60. French fathers; 61. Roulette action; 64. Held on to; 65. Goof. — DOWN: 1. Trails; 5. Important joint for a field goal kicker; 6. Frozen drink brand; 7. Karl with a manifesto; 10. Shells and bullets; 11. Close to; 14. Porn; 20. 8 ½” x 14” paper size; 22. Salk vaccine target; 25. Exams for aspiring attorneys: Abbr.; 26. Apportion; 29. “That’s all false, and you know it!”; 30. Bog; 32. Summon via a P.A. system, e.g.; 34. Invigorate; 37. Second-string players; 38. Nikon product; 47. Pigsty; 49. Soda bottle unit; 50. More crafty; 51. Bigwigs; 52. Intl. oil group; 53. “___ Croft: Tomb Raider”; 55. Lariat material; 59. QB’s mistake: Abbr.