10.12.11 — A as in ALI

Muhammad Ali (Sweat) by Celebrity Image

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Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Puzzle by Gary Cee / Edited by Will Shortz

SPLIT A GUT (17A. Laugh uproariously), BREAK A SWEAT (25A. Perspire mildly), CUT A CHECK (36A. Pay cashlessly), CRACK A SMILE (50A. Begin to grin) and BUST A MOVE (62A. Boogie) appear to be the interrelated group of this witty Wednesday crossword.

Other — À LA MODE, ALI / ALLAH / ARABIC (4D. Boxer with an allegiance to 16-Across; 16A. One who’s called “the Merciful” and “the Compassionate”; 21A. Like the word 16-Across), APPAREL, CAINE (22D. Michael who starred in 39-Down; 39D. “The IPCRESS File,“ 1965 film), COROLLA (40D. Flower part), ELATION, FLARE UP, IPCRESS, MALWARE, MOSHING (1D. Punk rock concert activity), SEPTETS, SHYSTER, TARTARE, TEL AVIV.

Five- and six-letter — ALLOWS, ARUBA, BATIK, ECHOED, ELIOT (60A. “The Mill on the Floss” author), GLARY, GLEEM, INSTR, INSURE, KEATS (43A. Poet who wrote “Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter“), LET IN, MOUSE, MUZAK, PLAN A, POLE AX, RAFTS, S AND P 500, SLOES, SNACK, SO BAD (51D. Eminem rap with the lyric “Guarantee I‘ll be the greatest thing you ever had“), SOONER, STARR, TEXAS, TOGAE, ZELDA (42A. One of the Fitzgeralds).

Short stuff — AHA (34D. “So that‘s it!”), ALI and ALP, ASTI, DEC, DERN, EDIT, ERA and IRA, GLEE, “Hee HAW“, ICE, KEG, LCD, MAMA, MAT, MER, NERD, OPAL, ORTS, PAL, PER, RAG, REVS, ROTH, STAB, TAB, TORA, TSP.

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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. “That’s all right, ___” (lyric from Elvis’s first single); 5. Knife; 9. Flat floaters; 14. Pearly gem; 15. When said three times, a W.W. II cry; 19. Brighter than bright; 23. Dinner scraps; 24. A Gershwin; 27. Poindexter type; 29. Guarantee; 30. Crest alternative; 32. Preferred way to proceed; 35. “___ your request …”; 39. Blocks from the refrigerator; 47. Medieval infantry weapon; 49. TV show set at William McKinley High School; 56. High point of a Swiss vacation?; 57. Novelist Philip; 58. Tulsan, e.g.; 59. Mudroom item; 64. Fruit related to cherry plums; 65. Italian wine center; 68. Change a sentence, say; 68. Laura of “Rambling Rose”; 69. Speeds (up). — DOWN: 2. Jacket and tie, e.g.; 3. It might give you a virus; 5. Fab Four name; 6. Ancient Romans’ wear; 7. Dutch-speaking Caribbean isle; 8. Dyed fabric; 9. Sleazy paper; 10. Permits; 11. Recurrence of an old problem; 12. Steak ___ (raw dish); 13. Business cheat; 18. Keyboard key; 26. Small bag of chips, maybe; 28. It always starts on the same day of the week as Sept.; 31. Elevator background; 32. Bud; 33. Watch readout, for short; 37. Longhorn’s school, informally; 38. Bud holder?; 41. Jubilance; 44. One way to serve pie; 45. Mediterranean port; 46. Disney’s dwarfs and others; 48. Came back; 51. Computer option; 53. Wordless song: Abbr.; 54. Admit; 55. Onetime feminist cause, for short; 51. Cough-syrup meas.; 63. La Méditerranée, e.g.