10.21.11 — Crossing Over

The name destroying angel applies to several similar,

closely related species of deadly all-white mushrooms in the genus Amanita.

They are among the most toxic known mushrooms,

containing amatoxins as death caps do.

————————

Friday, October 21, 2011

Puzzle by Patrick Berry / Edited by Will Shortz

Three fifteen-letter crossover entries are featured in this frustrating, fragmented and fumbling, but ultimately foxy Friday crossword:

• TERRI FLEW INCHES (6A. Country singer Gibbs glided a short distance?), wrapping around or crossing over the line becomes WINCHESTER RIFLE clued as (9A. Old West gun, crossing over?)
• ELDEST ROY IN GANG (35A. Cowboy Rogers as part of a posse after some younger namesakes joined up?), DESTROYING ANGEL (36A. Poisonous gilled mushrooms, crossing over?)
• CHARTER ISLES LIE (60A. Leasable tropical locales aren’t truthful?), LESLIE CHARTERIS (64A. Simon Templar's creator, crossing over?)

Crossing over from down to up in the same column: 50. Takes to the cleaners, FLEEC / ES; 51. Off-ROAD / ERS (sturdy bikes); 52. Natalie Portman’s birthplace, ISRA / EL; 55. Overused plot device, CLIC / HE; 59. Winter protection?, FLU / SHOT; 60. TD Garden team, CE / LTICS; 61. Curtis of hair care, HE / LENE; 62. Chilling, say, ID / LE; 63. Set of channels?, SE / AWAY.

Crossing over from right to left in the same column: 5. Like some store-brought nuts, SHE / LLED; 16. Corporate treadmill, RAT RA / CE; 21. Nitwit, AS /S; 34. What Newton’s first law of motion concerns, I / NERTIA; 40. Presenters’ bits, LEAD-IN / S; 50. Source of much plywood, F / IR; 55. Resolve, CL / EAR UP; 66. Reach the top, SUCC / EED.

Other — ASSIGN (18D. Give out), BEAKER (31A. Chemist’s container), CAMBODIAN (15D. Language in which “yes” and “no” are “baat” and “te,” respectively), EMCEED (39A. Like a roast), INLAID (52A. Like a crown’s gems, maybe), NESSIE 29D. What the “Surgeon’s Photo” supposedly depicts), PIRACY (13A. Illegal copying), TRIFLE (58A. Matter barely worth mentioning).

Et cetera — ABA, AMFM, ANN, ASTRO, ARDEN, ATEAT, AXIS, CRAM, DISC and DISS, DRIP, EDEN, EGAD, ELATE, ENTRY, EVADE, FERN, FEY, G-MAIL, GPS, GRADE, GYM, IDI, IRA and IRE, ITEM, KNEE, LEV, MAID, MEL, NATL, NBA, NIN, ORALS, PST, PURR, RAP, REX, SIN, SNL, TIS.

————————

"CROSS" WORDS CONTEST — All the puzzles this week, from Monday to Saturday, have been created by one person, Patrick Berry. Have your solutions handy, because the Saturday puzzle conceals a meta-challenge involving the solution grids of all six. When you have the answer to the meta-challenge, mail it to: crossword@nytimes.com. Twenty-five correct solvers, chosen at random, whose entries are received by 6:00 p.m. E.T. Sunday, Oct. 23, will receive copies of "Will Shortz Picks His Favorite Puzzles: 101 of the Top Crosswords From The New York Times." Only one entry per person, please. The answer and winners' names will appear on Friday, Oct. 28, at http://www.nytimes.com/wordplay.

————————

Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.

Remaining clues — ACROSS: 2. Bring joy to; 11. Doing time; 12. Nautical leader?; 19. Org. with a draft; 20. Where somebody might be spotted; 43. Every mirror image has one; 46. L.A. winter hrs.; 48. Common female middle name; 56. Stressful tests; 65. Slip around. — DOWN: 1. Sleep-preventing sound, perhaps; 3. Poetic contraction; 4. Bookkeeping notation; 7. First name in despotism; 8. Plant with fiddleheads; 10. Learn the hard way?; 14. “The ___ Daba Honeymoon” (1914 #1 song); 17. Knock; 20. Free Web-based correspondence service; 21. “This Week in Baseball” host Allen; 23. “As You Like It” setting; 24. Particular; 25. Piece in the game Othello; 27. Whimsically odd; 28. Letter from school?; 30. Distressed; 32. Impact point for a spoons player; 33. “Dear me!”; 37. 1976 Broadway musical based on Henry VIII’s life; 38. Henry & June” author; 42. Banker’s recommendation, for short; 44. TV show with the most Emmy nominations, informally; 46. Pet sound; 47. Torrent; 49. Part of NBC: Abbr.; 53. Heat generator?; 54. Grad sch. Composition; 57. Chaim Potok’s “My Name is Asher ___”.