09.08.11 — The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Puzzle by Matt Ginsberg and Pete Muller / Edited by Will Shortz

The ELECTRIC KOOL-AID ACID TEST in circled letters on the outer edge of the crossword, MERRY PRANKSTERS (35A. Subject of the 1968 work named in the circled letters reading clockwise), WOLFE (25A. Author of the 1968 work named in the circled letters reading clockwise) and KESEY (44A. Leader of the 35-Across) constitute the interrelated group of this tricky, twisted, out-of-sight Thursday crossword.

Other — APPRAISED, APRES-SKI (22A. Hot chocolate time, maybe), AVOGADRO (60a. Italian scientist who lent his name to a number), EASTERLY, EREMITES, I’LL NEVER (7D. “No way!”), NOT ABOVE, RAISABLE, REMEDIAL, SESAMES, SIDEKICKS, STU ERWIN (1A. He played Joe Palooka in the 1934 film “Palooka”), TRACTILE, TOODLE-OO, YOUR MOVE (36D. “I played already).

Mid-size — AESOP (39A. Source of the saying “The gods help them that help themselves”), A FIRST, ALTER, BLOOM, CARTED, CELIE, CENSE, DENALI (18A. National park whose name means “the high one”), DITTOS, ENATE, ENTRÉE, I LEAVE (59A. Will words), INDIC, IRONER, KLUDGE (44D. Workable if awkward solution to a computer problem), NO LIMIT, RETYPE, SELECT, SEMITIC (21A. Like Jesus), TRICK, TURRET, Cinéma VERITE, VOILA, WRIER (6D. More twisted).

Short stuff — AES, EEK (24A. “Horrors!”), BLU-ray, ERSE, ETC (4D. More quickly?), FORA, HEF, “Leave IT AT that!”; IVA, JEDI, JFK, KOOL, LAD (58D. Man of tomorrow), LONI, LURE, MOS, NYE, Cup O’TEA, PTUI (30A. Cartoon “Yuck!”), RASP, High SEAS, SETH, SPY, SSR, TAR and TARE, USAF, WPM, YEN.

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Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.

Remaining clues — ACROSS: 9. Elite; 15. Like the trades; 16. Press agent?; 17. Able to be drawn out; 19. Bunny fancier; 20. Itch; 31. 1950s political inits.; 32. Perfume, in a way; 40. Detectives look for them, briefly; 41. Emulate Don Corleone; 42. Castle part; 45. Archer’s wife in “The Maltese Falcon”; 48. Like ruckuses or roadster roofs; 50. Like some poker betting; 53. 1950s-’60s political inits.; 56. Secretaries used to make them; 57. “Ciao!”; 61. Hauled (off); 62. Like summer school classes, often. — DOWN: 1. MacFarlane who created TV’s “Family Guy”; 2. Amount ignored in weighing; 3. Org. with the ad slogan “It’s not science fiction. It’s what we do every day”; 5. Make more presentable, as a letter; 8. Nevada county containing Yucca Mountain; 9. Seconds; 10. Loners; 11. Actress Anderson; 12. Related on the mother’s side; 13. “The Color Purple” protagonist; 14. Double-cross, e.g.; 21. Georgia was one once: Abbr.; 22. Something new; 23. Some bagel toppers; 25. Steno’s stat.; 25. Cup ___ (hot drink, informally); 27. Neon sign, e.g.; 29. Recommendation letter, maybe; 3. Valued; 37. Willing to consider; 38. Writer in cipher, maybe; 43. Slowing down, in music: Abbr.; 45. Like Hindi or Urdu; 46. Last word in a showman’s spiel; 47. Let out, e.g.; 49. A flower is pretty when it’s in this; 53. “Episode VI” returnee; 54. Meeting places; 55. Noted gang leader; 57. Swabbie.