09.25.11 — Twisted

Sunday, September 25, 2011

ENTWISTED, Puzzle by Paul Hansberger / Edited by Will Shortz

The capital letter of N twisted 90 degrees to become the capital letter Z affecting a change in eight standard phrases constitutes the interrelated group of this tedious Sunday crossword.

GREAT DAZE (21A. Result of being badly beaned?)
EMPTY ZESTER (23A. Scraping kitchen gadget with nothing in it?)
MAIZE LOBSTER (45A. Pale yellow-shelled sea creature?)
SEE JUSTICE DOZE (60A. View the effects of a big lunch in court?)
HIGH-LIGHTER PEZ (67. Fluorescent candy?)
FRASIER CRAZE (92A. “Cheers” spinoff mania?)
EMPEROR ZERO (113A. Hapless Roman ruler?)
KIDZAPPER (115A. Taser for children?)

Other — AL PACINO, DISAGREE, GROUPIES, HOMEMAKERS, IT’S ALL GOOD (13D. “No worries“), POOR PEOPLE, REVERSER, ROAD HAZARD, RUMP ROAST, WHAT THE HEY (27D. “Why not!”).

Seven-letter — AS A RULE, ASSURES,ATTEMPT, CREATOR, DEBASES, FREE RUN, KEILLOR (54D. Garrulous Garrison), MASKING, SIMILAR, SOLACED.

Six — APPEAR, CAPTOR (10D. Polyphemus, to Odysseus), COLLET, GETS IN, HEARST, LIMPID, MUDCAT, SAW BIT, SENDER, SHALOM, TREATS and TREATY, URGE ON, UGLIES.

Five — A AND W, AGAZE. ALAMO, AMASS, “The only rule is that there ARE NO rules“, Hit A SOUR note, Mea CULPA, DIANA, EN LAI, ENROL, GRAVE, HEARS, HEINZ, IDEAS, INLET, LATTE, OBEYS, PITAN, RAVES, RENEE, SAY NO, SMORE, STOLE, STORK, TOE IN, TONGA, TONNE, YIKES, ZELIG, ZONES.

Short stuff — AGA, ALEE, AMMO, AMY, ANT, ATTA, AURA, CIA, DAZS, DIM, DUE, EGAD, ERAS, ETUI, EURO, EYES, GRAM, HAM, HIKE, HOTS, IAS, IOU, IRAN, JAR, KILT, LAHR, LAVA, LEVY, MANN, MAWR, MAYS, MCM, MEGA, MES and MESH, MYTH, NERD, NFL, NITE, OLAV, REAP, REAL, ROI, ROTC, SATE, SCAM, SEEP, SELF, SEVE, SPAY, SPOT, STEM, TVS, WADI, WED, WREN, YULE, ZIP (117D. Goose egg), ZSA.

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Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.

Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Bryn ___ College; 5. Often-parched gully; 9. Goal of phishing; 13. Where the Baha’i faith originated; 17. It entered circulation in 2002; 18. “My heavens!”; 19. 1997 best seller subtitled “Her True Story”; 20. Lifted; 25. Big name in root beer; 26. Drill attachment with teeth; 28. Offered a shoulder to cry on, say; 29. Cry after a series of numbers; 32. ___ Meir Tower, Israel’s first skyscraper; 34. CBS’s “The ___ Today”; 35. “Author! Author!” star, 1982; 39 Broadly speaking; 41. Leonine movie star of old; 47. Differ; 49. Contraction before boy or girl; 50. October haul; 51. Yeaqr the Paris Metro opened; 52. Front-wheel alignment; 53. Vlasic pickles mascot; 55. That babies come from a 53-Across, e.g.; 56. Gather; 57. English weight; 58. Return address info; 63. Promise of a sort; 65. Person with a headset, maybe; 66. A bit slow; 75. Materialize; 80. Register, to a Brit; 81. It’s an imposition; 82. Show shock, in a way; 84. Land of King George Tupou V; 85. Memorable mission; 86. ___ in ink; 87. Jewelry setting; 89. Alternative to Ole or Edvard; 90. “R” card in Uno, in effect; 94. Stanch; 95. Eases the misgivings of; 97. Star-struck entourage; 98. Funny Poehler; 100. Allies have one; 102. Post-solstice celebration; 103. Kind of tape; 107 Arrives; 109. Crew; 118. Campfire treat; 120. Tiny-scissors holder; 121. Cone former; 122. Desire, with “the”; 123. “Buddenbrooks” novelist; 124. Trickle; 125. They can be prying or crying. — DOWN: 1. Very, informally; 2. Charismatic effect; 3. St. Paul’s architect; 4. Downed power lines, e.g.; 5. Bonded; 6. Turkish V.I.P.; 7. Haagen-___; 8. Things to think about; 9. Almost matching; 11. Kind of colony; 12. Giant who made “The Catch,” 1954; 14. Mil. Educators; 15. Sheltered; 16. Quiz bowl lover; 19. Corrupts; 20. Miror image; 22. Over again; 24. Daydreams, with “out”; 30. Black Watch soldier’s garb; 33. Scavenging Southern food fish; 35. Stock pile; 35. Foamy mugful; 37. Climbing aid; 38. Falls into line; 40. Clear; 43. Pittsburgh-based food giant; 44. Soprano Fleming; 46. Glut; 48. Take a whack at; 51. My, in Bretagne; 54. Garrulous Garrison; 56. Entrees sometimes prepared in crockpots; 59. Charles, e.g.; 61. Tipping point?; 62. Subj. of 2005 Pulitzer-winning book “Ghost Wars”; 64. Hags, e.g.; 67. Picks up; 69. Possible lagoon entrance; 69. Serious; 70. Unemployed persons with full-time jobs; 71. California’s ___ Castle; 72. O.T.B. conveniences; 73. Slender fish; 74. 1983 Woody Allen film; 76. Less fortunate; 77. China’s Zhou ___; 78. Visually transfixed; 79. Reviewers’ comments on book jacks, typically; 83. Distrustful; 87. God, with “the”; 88. Cut-off pants?; 91. Not consent; 92. Like some chickens; 96. Cheer for; 99. Swamp; 101. “My heavens!”; 103. Mosquito protection; 104. Cartridge filler; 105. “Great” red feature of Jupiter; 105. Fat unit; 108. The ___ Owl, “L.A. Confidential” coffee shop; 110. Fix; 111. Gold great Ballesteros; 112. Timeline segments; 114. When repeated, name in old Hollywood; 116. Outstanding.