Julius Caesar and the Crossing of the Rubicon, Francesco Granacci, 1494
Puzzle by Patrick Berry / Edited by Will Shortz
Across — 1. Treaty signer with Ger. In 1939, USSR; 5. Horse of a sort, ARAB; 9. Eddie Fisher’s “Oh! My PAPA”; 13. Campaign/election analyst NATE Silver; 14. Oven brand, AMANA; 15. Resting, say, ABED; 16. Nickname since 1999, AROD; 17. Exceedingly hard to see, FAINT; 18. Really small amount, IOTA; 19. Stage-sharing speaker, PANELIST; 21. Oxen might be put in it, TANDEM; 23. Find contest’s meta-answer by reading THE FIRST LETTERS of these clues; 25. Tenth Commandment word, WIFE; 26. Heraldic drawing, ARMS; 27. Incline, SLANT; 29. Seven PINES (Civil War battle site); 31. Workers who play?, DJS; 34. Enclosing fence, PALE; 35. Equipped for a ride, perhaps, SHOED; 36. Kite part, BEAK; 37. Saddler’s aid, AWL; 38. Goes across, SPANS; 39. Role for Young, WELBY; 40 Insults playfully, GUYS; 41. Diminutive battery size, AAAA; 42. Solvers must FILL EVERY CIRCLE in the grids to determine the grids’ proper order; 49. Rat Island natives, ALEUTS; 50. Expenses for globetrotters, AIRFARES; 51 Anarchy, RIOT; 52. Drunken jag, SPREE; 54. Islander’s need, maybe, BOAT; 55. Not mad, SANE; 56. Outer parts, PEELS; 57. Real-time, LIVE; 58. Day on old calendars, IDES; 59. Exterior area, YARD; 60. Ruptured couple, EXES.
Down — 1. Suitable’s opposite, UNAPT; 2. “Princess” in its Hebrew translation, SARAH; 3. Evade while being questioned, STONEWALL; 4. Label anew, REDEFINE; 5. Lay up, AMASS; 6. Activist/singer Bonnie RAITT; 7. Former Texas governor ANN Richards; 8. Assaulted, in a way, BATTERED; 9. Muralists’ needs, PAINTS; 10. One that might be humble, ABODE; 11. PETER Ustinov of “Topkapi”; 12. Second or sixth in a series, ADAMS; 14. Lighted, AFIRE; 20. Elevate, LIFT; 22. Accepters of deposits, ATMS; 24. Driving divisions, LANES; 27. Évian, for one, SPA; 28. Regulation, LAW; 29. Astronomical appearance, PHASE; 30. Nonneutral particle, ION; 31. “Death of Sardanapalus” painter Eugène DELACROIX; 32. Hit that begins a one-two, JAB; 33. It’s what’s up, SKY; 35. Strip since 1961 that’s printed in black and white, SPY VS SPY; Causing only minor irritation, say, BEARABLE; 38. Raw beef fat, SUET; 39. Oliver Twist, e.g., WAIF; 40. Seat cushions?, GLUTES; 41. Spread, ACRES; 42. Iranian tongue, FARSI; 43. Narrative set in the Bronze Age, ILIAD; 44. Genre film director Sergio LEONE; 45. Worth more to collectors, say, RARER; 46. Output, YIELD; 47. Run along, LEAVE; 48. Democratic senator ESTES Kefauver; 53. Shepherd’s pie tidbit, PEA.
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All the puzzles this week, from Monday to Saturday, have been created by one person, Patrick Berry. Have your solutions handy, because today’s puzzle conceals a meta-challenge involving the solution grids of all six. When you have the answer to the meta-challenge, e-mail it to: crossword@nytimes.com. Twenty-five correct solvers, chosen at random, whose entries are received by 6 p.m. Eastern time on 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 nytimes.com/wordplay.
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Puzzle available on the internet at
Is the contest over?
ReplyDelete23-Across, “Find contest’s meta-answer by reading THE FIRST LETTERS of these clues“, e.g., “The corners of this week’s grids read in order spell a famous leader and his crossing words”.
42-Across, “Solvers must FILL EVERY CIRCLE in the grids to determine the grids’ proper order” (in this instance, a “circle” is the letter “O”). Each corner is read through the order of the six crosswords, upper left, upper right, lower left, lower right) producing JULIUS CAESAR, THE DIE IS CAST.
No need to throw things!