11.27.11 — YIN/YANG

Sunday, November 27, 2011

YIN/YANG, Puzzle by Jeff Chen / Edited by Will Shortz

With a grid resembling the symbol for yin and yang, this Sunday crossword is essentially two completely separate puzzles, rife with cul-de-sacs, divided right and left, ostensibly representing yin and yang, along with ten supportive entries:

On the right for yin, dark, night, moon, winter, cold:

AFRAID OF THE DARK (16D. Suffering from nyctophobia)
ROUGH NIGHT (45D. Question asked to one with a hangover)
HONEYMOON (43D. Time in Hawaii, maybe)
OLD MAN WINTER (102A. He might put chills up your spine)
CAUGHT A COLD (116A. Started sneezing and sniffling, say)

On the left for yang, light, day, sun, summer, hot:

LIGHT AS A FEATHER (42D. Weighing hardly anything)
DAYDREAMER (37D. Walter Mitty, e.g.)
SUN YAT-SEN (48D. Kuomintang co-founder)
SUMMER BREEZE (31A. Something to enjoy on the beach)
HOT AND HEAVY (24A Full of strong feelings)

Other — There are a few more "Asiatic answers": AHI (93D. Yellowfin tuna), FU MANCHU (40D. Master criminal of books and film), HONSHU (95D. Island south of Tsugaru Strait), RAMA (15A. Name of nine Thai kings), Moo SHU pork and TSUNAMIS (87D. Ring of Fire perils).

Mid-size — AMELIA, ARCHIE, A TERRE (18D. On the ground, in ballet), COASTAL, CONSULS, DNA TEST, EN MASSE, FOR SHAME, INSTATES, LANCIA, MIGUEL, MOROSE, MOTHERS, NEEDLE, ON THE NOSE (110. Perfectly), ORAL EXAM, OVEN MITT, RAY GUN, ROUSSEAU (15D. “The Social Contract“ philosopher), SAHARA, SCOOTS, SENATE, SET PIECE, SHERYL (94A. Crow with a powerful voice), SHOO-IN, STEGOSAUR (29A. Fearsome creature with plates on its back), SUDSIER, SWEDES, TONNES, USENET.

Five-letter — ABNER, AHOYS, Coeur d’ALENE, Rice-ARONI, ASK ME, ASTON, BOYLE, CARLA, DONNA, DORKS, DRABS, ELIHU (2D. Root of politics), ELVES, ENOLA, ERNIE, ERROR, FILTH, H BOMB, HOMER, INIGO, INTER, ISLAM, LEMON, LOANS, MADAM, MCCOO, NEALE, NILLA, RIYAL, RYANS, SENSE, SHINE, SOSAS, TWIRL (107D. Pirouette).

Short stuff — AAHS, ANI, ARS, ATE and ATH, AXE, AWRY, BYTE, CTA, DAZE, Opus DEI, DEMO, EGGO, ELP and ESP, ENA, ENDS, ERIN, ETH, FOB, GAP, Mata HARI, HAT, HEH and HES, HON, IDO, IRON, ITA, KHAN, MIRA, MOAT, MSG, NAT, NEHI, “What OF IT?”, OLAV, ODES and ONES, OSHA, PEA and PEU, RIDE, SAO, SLAT, SLRS, SONG, STDS, SUIT, SURE, TEN, THEM, TRAC, TRE (62A. Amount past due?), UFOS, UNIT, USAF, “YOU’D Be Surprised”.

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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. Test-drive; 5. Scintillate; 10. Who wrote “By their own follies they perished, the fools”; 19. Name of five Norwegian kings; 20. Dogpatch yokel; 21. Name on a B-29; 23. Priates of the Caribbean, e.g.; 26. Instinctive desire; 27. Villainous role for Montalban; 28. Bedelia of children’s literature; 34. More foamy; 35. “Let’s make ___ true Daily Double, Alex”; 36. Two on a line; 39. Razz; 40. Sleaze; 43. Mata ___ (spy); 47. Contented sighs; 49. Start of many Portuguese place names; 50. Family ___; 51. Gloomy; 53. Irving Berlin’s “___ Be Surprised”; 55. Area 51 holdings, supposedly; 58. Flavor enhancer; 59. Representatives in a foreign country. 60. Italian woman; 63. N.C.A.A. part: Abbr.; 64. Absorbed, in a way; 65. Breach; 66. Qatari bank note; 67. It has a crown; 68. Turner who led a rebellion; 69. Musician’s asset; 71. Where the vice president presides; 72. Grp. With the 1973 gold album “Brain Salad Surgery”; 73. Windy City rail inits.; 74. Dud; 75. Green hue; 76. Perfection, for some; 78. Ams, but not dams; 80. All together; 82. Dismiss; 83. Abbr. on a B-52; 85. Dance partner?; 86. Early online forum; 87. Gillette brand name; 88. Gift in “The Gift of the Magi”; 90. Classic soft drink brand; 92. Land o’ blarney; 93. Words on an information desk; 97. Guidelines: Abbr.; 100. Seaside; 113. Edith’s cranky husband; 114. Not straight; 115. Dept. of Labor arm; 118. Sorvino of “Mighty Aphrodite”; 119. Opponents of us; 120. Architect Jones; 121. Singer Susan with the 2009 #1 album “I Dreamed a Dream”; 122. Wood alternative; 123. “No problem!”; 124 Fancy car starter?; 125. Family of Slammin’ Sammy; 126. Some shooters, for short. — DOWN: 1. Uncool set; 3. Lady’s address; 4. Digit protector; 5. Bygone Las Vegas hotel/casino with a roller coaster; 6. Certain W.M.D.; 7. Lay to rest; 8. Writer Zora ___ Hurston; 9. Singer Tennessee ___ Ford; 10. Sly laugh sound; 11. Low dice roll; 12. Castle guard; 13. Some cobblers of lore; 14. Sci-fi zapper; 17. Author Cervantes; 25. Flabbergast; 30. Some of Keats’s feats; 32. Neighbor of Sudan: Abbr.; 33. “Bambi” character; 38. Lock; 41. Establishes; 44. MGM motto starter; 46. Malcolm X adopted it; 51. Is protective of; 52. Particularly: Abbr.; 54. “CSI” procedure; 56. Grilling procedure; 57. Bit of stage scenery; 59. “Cheers” waitress; 61. Coer d’___, Idaho; 70. British weights; 71. One of a standard group of five; 75. Little bit of French?; 81. Singer DiFranco; 84. “Bad!”; 89. Eight bits; 91. It may precede a kiss; 94. Skedaddles; 96. Italian automaker since 1906; 98. Adirondack chair element; 99. Hosts of the 1912 Olympics; 101. Some shark products; 103. Bits; 104. Marilyn who hosted 1980s TV’s “Sold Gold”; 105. Mates’ cries; 106. Nabisco brand; 108. Boot, in baseball, e.g.; 109. “___ Hope”; 111. Corporate bigwig; 112. Frozen food brand; 117. Sweetie.