07.09.11 — Drum Roll, Please!

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Puzzle by Caleb Madison / Edited by Will Shortz

DRUM ROLL PLEASE (24A. “Wait for it …”) and THE LONG GOODBYE (43A. Film starring Elliott Gould as Philip Marlowe) head the long entries of this sly Saturday crossword along with eight of ten letters:

• SEX PISTOLS (14A. Group with a 1977 hit banned by the BBC, with “the”) 
• BRASS TACKS (17A. The basics)
• SEA ANEMONE (55A. Radially symmetric creature)
• CRIME SCENE (58A. It may be combed for hairs)
• PIZZA DOUGH (2D. It may spin overhead) along with its tag-along SBARRO (14D. Chain using lots of 2-Down)
• APOSTROPHE (3D. Qur’an part)
• ANNOYANCES (27D. Soreness causes)
• SPICE GIRLS (28D. Sporty ensemble?) 

Mid-size — COUNTS, DISRUPT, ECOTONE, EPHRON, GLAD TO, IT’S A GO, LA RAMS, LIANG, NATTER, OPIATE, OPPUGN (25D. Question the truth of), ORION, OXEYE, RIPKEN, RUN IN, RUPEE, SO I SEE, STAPLE, STILLER.

Short stuff — ACRE and SQMI (57A. Plot element?; 61A. 640 57-Acrosses: Abbr.), ANNI, ARE, ASSN, ATEN, BOON, BRUT and IZOD (30D and 16A. Polo alternative), DTS, EKGS, ELKE, ERNS, ESSE, EXAM, GULL, HAIG, HARM, HELD, HEM, HERR, HOCK, LED, LPS, MCQ, NIX, NPR, OPAL and ESCE (1A. Pick for a pendant; 49D. Suffix with 1-Across), OZS, PAD, PASS, PERK, POEM, RELY, RIPE, ROCS, SHEA, TUNE, UGH, URBS.

In closing, a drum roll definition and a drum roll dance ... !

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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: 5. In reserve; 9. Jets used to make touchdowns there; 13. Stinky; 18. Narc’s measures: Abbr.; 19. Perniciousness; 20. 1982 A.L. Rookie of the Year; 21. Go on and on; 23. Sucker; 30. Windfall; 31. Deadening agent; 32. Media inits. Since 1970; 33. Coin with two stalks of wheat on its reverse; 35. Mouse handler’s aid; 36. Row; 38. “I hated it”; 39. Is significant enough; 42. Titanic-taloned terrorizes; 46. U.N.C. Charlotte’s athletic conf.; 47. “We’re on!”; 49. Writer and director of “Julie & Julia,” 2009; 52. Take advantage of a broken line; 54. “Forget it!”; 59. Lean; 60. Beat reporters?: Abbr.; 62. Catonian infinitive. — DOWN: 1. Bellatrix’s constellation; 4. Set the bar; 5. Mann’s title; 6. It has its problems; 7. Breakable records; 8. Upset; 9. Corner item; 10. Ham option; 11. Actress Sommer; 12. N.E.A. member?: Abbr.; 15. “Tropic Thunder” director and co-star; 19. Line on a jumper; 22. Earworm, e.g.; 23. “I’d be delighted!”; 26. Sixth-century Chinese dynasty; 27. Soreness causes; 29. Kite kin; 34. Environmental transition area; 37. Downtowns, e.g.; 40. Knot-tying result; 41. “Obviously”; 44. They used to play at the Big A; 45. Tippler’s trouble; 48. Aster relative; 50. Private jet, e.g.; 51. “Caveat: Realism, Reagan and Foreign Policy” writer; 52. Scanning work, often; 53. 10 in un decennio; 56. John Wayne cop film; 57. Were present?