07.03.11 — MY TREAT

Ice Cream Soda, photograph michelle658, flickr 

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Sunday, July 3, 2011

MY TREAT, Puzzle by Pete Muller / Edited by Will Shortz

ICE CREAM SODA (117A. Something delicious to drink), BROWN COWS (25A. Some versions of a 117-Across), SELTZER WATER (27A. Ingredient in a 117-Across), FLAVORED SYRUP (59A. Ingredient in a 117-Across), FLEXIBLE STRAW (83A. Utensil for a 117-Across), COKE FLOAT (121A. Version of 117-Acroiss), TALL GLASS (4D. Container for a 117-Across), CHOCOLATE (11D. Like many a 117-Across), LONG SPOON (84D. Utensil for a 117-Across) and TWO SCOOPS (87D. Quantity of a key ingredient in a 117-Across) constitutes the interrelated group of this Sunday crossword.

A long note prefaces today’s crossword: When this puzzle is done, the circles will contain five different letters of the alphabet, connect each set of circles containing the same letter, without crossing your line, to make a simple closed shape. The resulting five closed shapes together will form a picture of a 117-Across. The five letters can be arranged to name a good place to get a 117-Across. The place? D-I-N-E-R. The result has been sketched out quite nicely by Patrick Merrell, HERE.

Other — ADRENAL, ARREARS, ARSENAL, CAN IT BE, DO AGAIN, DR LAO and DR NO, EGG SACS, EKES OUT, ESOTERY, MADRONES (47D. West Coast evergreens), MISFIRES, MRI SCAN, NECTARS (86A. Sugary drinks), NEVADAN, NEWBIES, OVENWARE, RULE ONE, SCALABLE, SEA TRIP, SIDERITE (33. Valuable iron ore), SINATRA, SKID ROW, SNEAKER, VOICING (113A. Doing some cartoon work).

Mid-size — ALLOR, ANEND, ASSAIL, BERLE, BOSSA, EAR OF corn, EELED, EMBRYO, ENCINO, ETAIL, EXTEND, GEENA, “Beau GESTE“, GILLS, GNARL, INCAN, ISAID, ITSAN, KAUAI (65A. Island visited by Captain Cook in 1778), KNISH, LARRY, LOINS, MAITRE, NERDS, NEONS, OKRAS (17A. They‘re often deep-fried), ORRIN, ORTEGA, PADMA, PORTS, PSATS, RHEIMS, RIOJA, RUNES, SAYSOS, SEEYA, SETTO, SPORK, TREND, UMBER, UNSER.

Short stuff — ABCD, ACRE, AIL, ANAL (39D. Excessively orderly, informally), ANG and ANE and ARE, BRER, CLAW, CREE, DAMN, DATA, DO I (37D. Possible response to “You’ve got spinach between your teeth”), DOM Pérignon, DVDS (52D. Burned things), EAT, ELAN (132. Pizazz), ENYA, ETC, GUNN, HEXA, ILEX, ISPS, JET, KOREA, LENI, LETS, LYES, MAH-jongg, MDVI, MEAT, MOB, MRS Fields, NDAK, NEE, NEIN, NIL, OATS, ORR, PURL, RASH, REEL, RFDS, SAW, SDS, SETA, SIAM, SIC, SKIN and SKY, SUA, SWAY, TAR, TEED, TOIL, WAS, YETI, YSL, ZIP (28D. Pizazz).

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Linda Sez: 

It was close to 100 degrees today, and an ice cream soda would have been nice. Pete Muller's puzzle with interconnected cluing was a real treat! The only theme clue that threw me was for COKE FLOAT...I really wanted to squeeze root beer into those four squares. I stumbled on the NBC icon...what was before the peacock? I was on the wrong track...certainly Uncle Miltie was a 1950s icon! ETAIL used to stump me, but it's a gimme these days. I've been doing plenty of that while planning our daughter's October 1 wedding. One of my favorites was ANAL, clued as "Excessively orderly, informally." I've always taken it as a compliment when someone described me that way!

My job keeps me on the road about half of the month, but I'll pop in here when I can and put in my two cents. Have a safe and happy 4th!

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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. Essence; 5. Start of a nursery rhyme; 9. “I won’t bore you with the rest”; 12. Actress Davis; 19. 1964 title role for Tony Randall; 22. Indy 500 legend; 23 1950s NBC icon; 24. Spanish for “rope”; 30. “How is this possible?”; 31. Repeat; 32. Green lights; 34. “___, danke”; 35. Reversal of sorts; 36. “Top Chef” host Lakshmi; 40. Trouble’s partner in Shakespeare; 41. Kimchi-loving land; 42. “___ honor”; 44. Some cuts; 46. “___ straight!”; 48. DKNY competitor; 49. 1960s campus grp.; 51. “In case you weren’t listening …”; 53. Amazon’s business, e.g.; 55. When spider lings emerge; 64. Suffix with meth-; 67. Year Columbus died; 68. French kings’ coronation city; 69. Imprudent; 71. David of television; 73. Brawl; 75. Thin Japanese noodle; 76. Salsa seller; 78. Ready, with “up”; 80. Broadway lights; 82. Word with black or stream; 88. ___ nothing; 89. Like the buildings at Machu Picchu; 91. Watched; 95. Filmmaker Riefenstahl; 96. Senator Hatch; 98. ___ nova (1960s dance); 102. Characters in “The Hobbit”; 104. “Web ___” (ESPN segment showing great fielding plays); 107. Sniggled; 109. A stake, metaphorically; 110. Holly genus; 111. Attack fervently; 115. Cruise, say; 123. What a graph may show; 124. Baltimore and Philadelphia; 126. Come to ___; 127. “Catch-22” bomber pilot; 128. “Later, alligator!”; 120. Versatile utensil; 130. Whizzes at quizzes?; 131. Name connector; 132. Pizazz; 133. Influence. — DOWN: 1. Fellas in “Goodfellas,” e.g.; 2. Barely manages; 3. Bad thing to be in; 5. Cortisol-secreting gland; 6. Family member, in dialect; 7. Construction crane attachment; 8. It’s crunched; 9. Baby baby?; 10. Besmirch; 12. Private eye Peter of old TV; 13. “___ Man” (1992 movie); 14. Obscure things; 15. Neophytes; 16. Manchester United rival; 18. Bristle; 20. Wild ones may be sown; 26. Lived and breathed; 28. Pizazz; 29. Gobble up; 31. Meas. of screen resolution; 38. Fails; 41. Jewish deli order; 43. State straddling two time zones: Abbr.; 45. Thailand, once; 47. West Coast evergreens; 50. Like mountains and computer images; 54. Caustic cleaners; 56. Twisty tree feature; 58. ___ sponte (of its own accord); 60. Pots and pans for baking; 61. Spanish wine; 63. Hurdles for high-school jrs.; 66. Main lines; 70. Six: Prefix; 72. Mountain sighting, maybe; 74. Mountain; 77. Breathing aids; 79. Movie villain who sought to disrupt a space launch; 81. Union opponent; 85. Field unit; 90. Scoreless score; 92. Inside look?; 93. The primary instruction; 94. Bit of gym wear; 97. Winnemucca resident, e.g.; 99. Low-rent district; 100. Artist whose name is an anagram of “artisan”; 101. Director Lee; 103. Offer, as a hand; 105. French teacher; 106. It may come after a typo; 111. Need nursing, say; 112. Rents out; 114. Cos. That offer access; 116. Old U.S.P.S. routing codes; 118. Manitoba tribe; 119. Pull (in); 120. “And Winter Came …” artist; 122. Is for two or more?; 125. Shade of blue.