06.23.11 — OIL

Oil well gusher at Campina-well 45, Steaua, Romana, 1906

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Thursday, June 23, 2011

Puzzle by Ian Livengood / Edited by Will Shortz

The word OIL in six squares, along with CLEAN UP (70A. Response to 40-Across … or what can be done to 12 answers in this puzzle without affecting their clues?) constitutes the interrelated group of this clever Thursday crossword.

• [OIL] TANKER (1A. Persian Gulf sight) with [OIL] CAN (1D. Garage container)
• [OIL] TYCOON (8A. Getty, e.g.) with [OIL] PAINT (8D. Canvas coat)
• [OIL] RUB (27A. Day spa offering) with [OIL] PUMP (27D. Crankcase part)
• FISH [OIL] (32A. Fatty acid source) with [OIL] SKIN (35D. Outer-layer protection)
• [OIL] SPILLS (40A. Environmental woes) with [OIL] RIG (40D. Gulf of Mexico sight)
• SESAME[OIL] with OLIVE [OIL] (48D. Greek salad ingredient)

Other — ACADIAN (17A. Early French settler in North America), AIRDATE, ALPINES (18A. Plants native to mountain summits), CABOOSE (15A. Rear end), CHIME IN, GRANOLA (44D. It‘s often found in bars), MATILDA (46. Young Roald Dahl title character), MOLOTOV (63A. Eponymous associate of Stalin), NO DOUBT, PIEHOLE (16A. Trap), PRALINE (67A. Nutty confection), REALITIES (21D. Stone-cold truths), UNHAT and TOP (29D. Take a 31-Down off, in a way).

Mid-size — AGILE, ENSUE, HEELS and HESSE, HILTS, IS ONE, KOING (5D. Leveling in a ring), MEAGRE, NOT ON, PETRI, PLIED, PONIES, RESEE, SHIRE, SILAS (33D. Albino in “The Da Vinci Code“), TILES.

Short stuff — Like A BAT out of hell, AIL, ALAS, ASSN, DST, ERIE, ESA, Ministre d’ ETAT, IMAC, LAS, LEK, LOAN, LORE, MALI, MAST, NEST, OISE, OLES, OONA, PENT, RENE, SISI, Pine-SOL, STEP, TACO, Mai TAI, TUTU, UFOS, UGH, ULAN Bator, UMPS, USH, YEP.

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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: 19. Off; 20. City that’s home to the U.S. Brig Niagara; 22. Flag support; 23. [I’m not happy about doing this]; 25. Result; 36. Locked (up); 38. Some bettors bet on them; 39. Do some theater work, informally; 42. Albanian money; 43. Scanty, in Salisbury; 46. Country where Bambara is the main spoken language; 47. Kind of dish; 48. Seine feeder; 49. Part of N.C.A.A. Abbr.; 50. Like a ballerina; 52. “Spring forward” hrs.; 57. “You bet!,” south of the border; 59. Dagger parts; 65. Send; 68. Time for a show; 69. Asian cooking staple. — DOWN: 2. Kind of shell; 5. Leveling in a ring; 6. Spanish “that” 7. ___ Furterer, line of French hair products; 9. Hearth decorations; 10. “I reckon”; 12. Wife of Charlie Chaplin; 13. World Cup sounds; 14. Fit (inside); 24. “Steppenwolf” novelist; 26. Astounding Stories subjects; 28. Take in again; 33. Albino in “The Da Vinci Code”; 34. They may give you a life; 35. Outer-layer protection; 38. Work steadily at; 41. ___ Piedras, P.R.; 51. “That ___ for the record books”; 53. County abroad; 54. Calls a game; 55. Handed-down wisdom; 58. “Ah, well …”; 58. Apple product; 60. There may be great interest in this; 61. Article to take a pin in?; 62. Part of a flight; 64. Tebow who won the 2007 Heisman Trophy; 66. Not do well