09.27.11 — Countries

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Puzzle by Peter A. Collins / Edited by Will Shortz

COUNTRIES (34D. Sovereign lands … or what are hidden in the answers to the six starred clues), e.g., KENYA, ITALY, PERU, OMAN, MALI and CHINA, along with the six answers, constitutes the interrelated group of this odd Tuesday crossword. The six countries are found in CHICKEN YARD (17A. *Area in front of a coop), DIGITAL YEARBOOK (23A. *Modern school memento), ROPERUG (35A. *Braided floor covering), TOO MANY (37A. *More than enough), ANIMAL INSTINCTS (50A. *Elemental parts of human nature) and CATCH IN A LIE (57A. *Discover to be fibbing).

Other — AMINO, AVERSE, BERETS, DEARER, DRY EYES (7D. They may be hard to find at a tearjerker), EENSY, HEINZ, HEREON, HITTER, I-BEAMS, INURED, LEAVE, LORNA, LUCCI, MAROON, ME TIME, NEALE, PALACE, PIPIT (44A. Larklike bird), PIXIES, RIMSKY, SLIER, TEN ACRE, TODDLE, THE WALRUS (5D. Character in a Beatles song).

Short stuff — ACLU, ALEC, ALI and AMI and ARI, and also ALL, CAB and CAW, CEE, CPA, DOOR, EDS, EEO, END, ERN, ESE, ETA, EXPO, GOOP, HST, ICH, IMP, INDO, IONS, KATS, LAME, LAX and LUXE, LING (26D. When repeated, a noted panda), MAR, NAST, ODOM, OEN and ONO, REPO and ROE, RIM, RITA (36D. “Lovely“ Beatles girl), RNS, SLAV, TIS and TRIS, TRU, VAC, VIAL, YVES, ZION.

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Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.

Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Medicine holder; 5. Walk ungracefully; 11. Nick, say; 14. Rights advocacy grp.; 15. This point forward; 16. Bon ___; 19. Grand Canyon part; 20. Cornfield call; 21. Sea eagle; 22. Some Saturns; 28. Beatle lover; 29. More clever; 30. Wee, informally; 31. Baseball’s Blue Moon; 33. O.R. figures; 34. One working with checks and balances, for short; 41. “___ the season”; 42. Play about Capote; 43. Bosnian, e.g.; 47. Ore-Ida parent company; 49. Language suffix; 53. Posh; 54. Letter from Homer?; 55. ___ v. Wade; 56. Former White House press secretary Fleischer; 62. Bee follower; 63. Opposed (to); 64. Hobbling, say; 65. Actors Burns and Wynn; 66. Guardian Angels’ toppers; 67. Even with booths. — DOWN: 1. Hoover or Oreck, for short; 2. German “I”; 3. Noted 1964 convert to Islam; 4. Susan of soaps; 6. Wine: Prefix; 8. More loved; 9. “___ Doone”; 10. Knock off; 11. Strand; 12. Some acids; 13. Composer ___-Korsakov; 18. Kit ___ (chocolate bars); 22. Metal supports in skyscrapers; 23. Opportunity, metaphorically; 24. ___-European; 25. Sticky stuff; 27. Takeback, briefly; 32. Break from responsibilities, informally; 38. Actor Baldwin; 39. Creator of the G.O.P. elephant; 40. The “Y” in Y.S.L.; 42. Like a small farm, perhaps; 44. France’s Élysée, for one; 45. Hardened; 46. Fairies; 47. One getting lots of doubles and home runs, say; 48. The Jewish people; 51. It might be taken by a sailor; 52. Author Zora ___ Hurston; 57. Request inside (or outside?) a wine bar; 58. Pres. When NATO was formed; 59. Loosey-goosey; 68. Mischief-maker; 61. Fair-hiring inits.