12.25.11 — Ain't He Sweet?



Sunday, December 25, 2011 — Christmas

AIN’T HE SWEET, Puzzle by Elizabeth C. Gorski / Edited by Will Shortz

GINGERBREAD / MAN (91A. With 100-Across, image revealed by connecting the circled letters alphabetically), along with the circled letters running from A through Z to form a gingerbread man is the main feature of this delicious Christmas Day crossword puzzle. A fair sprinkling of clues and answers relating to Christmas throughout the crossword present a wonderful holiday spirit.

Across — 1. Arthur Honegger’s “A Christmas CANTATA; 13. “Scrooged” actor Robert MITCHUM; 58. “Unto us A SON is given”; 76. Decoration on a 91-/100-Across, ICING; 96. “Miracle on 34th Street,” e.g., MOVIE; 102. 2001 film in which 91-/100-Across is a character, SHREK; 133. Partridge’s preferred tree, PEAR.

Down — 4. 91-/100-Across, often, TREE ORNAMENT; 16. Aid for making a 91-/100-Across, COOKIE CUTTER; 32. Elves, to Santa: Abbr., ASSTS; 42. “Santa Baby” singer, KITT; 83. How Santa’s reindeer are harnessed, IN PAIRS; 105. 16th-century monarch credited with presenting 91-/100-Acrosses to guests, ELIZABETH; 110. “The 91-/100-Across,” for one, FAIRY TALE; 114. Plopped down on Santa’s lap, e.g., SAT; 117. Relaxer for Santa, HOT MILK.

Other — AGITATE, ALL SMILES (38A. Clearly happy), AUTOMAT, BABY FAT, BARE ALL, BY THE BY, CAPTIVE (68A. Getaway planner?), CHEESE DIP, CORN CHIP, DEMEANS, DO IT NOW, EFFECTS, FACTORS, GRIMSBY, IN A CAST and IN RUINS, LEE TIDE, Actress Andie MACDOWELL, NEW MOMS, NO SUGAR, OVERDUB, RED MEAT, STAR MAP, STILTON (154A. Eponymic town of Cambridgeshire), SWOOP IN, TRIPOLI, TROTTED, YOKO ONO, ZINCITE (11D. Mineral in healing crystals).

Mid-size — ABATE, ABUSE, ACING, AGAZE, AGENTS, Journalist Joseph ALSOP, AVAIL, BADGE (79D. Star of “Gunsmoke”?), BENTS, BYTES, CHIANG, COBRA, DOESN’T, DOTTED, ERNST, GASPS, HOP ON, IN A FIX, LANAI, MCRIB, MIDIS, MINSK, MODERN, MONGO (136A. Fictional planet in “Flash Gordon”), MONOS, NEGRI (74A. Pola of the silents), NERTS, ODORS, RACKS, RAGES, SIXTE, TARIQ, TASTY, TIMBRE, UNITE, XANADU.

Short stuff (and lots of it!) AAS, ABLE, ADA, ADIN, ALS, ANO, ASIN, ASL, ATIT, AUS, B’NAI B‘rith, BSMT, CAT, CDC, CIA, CML, CORM, DAP, DO A good turn, EATA, EDNA, EFOR, EMIT, ESP and EST, ETA and ETAT, FIB, GOR, GRE, HBO, HES, HIRT, HOTE, IDOL, IFS, IOWA, IROC, IRR, ISIS, ITSO, Cousin ITT,I WAS framed!”, JONI, KITT, KOTO (33A. Japanese stringed instrument), LBO, LEGO, LES Misérables”, MIG, MOC and MOP, MYST (13D. Video game island), NARC, NOVO, Friend OF A friend, OLEA and OLEO, Carry ONS, ORY, OWN, PHI and PHS, POSE, PUP, RAT, RAVE, REDD, REQ, RITE, SFAX (102D. Tunisian seaport), SFO, SHED, SPA, SSS, STIR, SUET, SWEE, TAL, TKO and TKT, TOI, TSKS, Rock’s Jethro TULL, TWI, UTAH, WIZ, ZOOS.

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Or check out Patrick Merrell’s rendition, HERE.



Click on images to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at
THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.
Remaining clues — ACROSS: 8. Staring intently; 20. Add a musical track to, e.g.; w21. Destroyed; 23. Noted bride of 1969; 24. Model for an art class, say; 25. “Stop stalling!”; 26. Approach like an eagle; 27. Baptism, e.g.; 28. Kid’s block; 30. Cozy footwear; 31. “I could ___ horse!”; 39. Goes for the gold?; 40. Spice organizers; 43. Lose intensity; 44. Fencing position; 47. Crunchy snack bit; 50. Storage units; 51. Piccadilly movers; 55. Roman “olive”; 56. “Make ___!”; 59. Salt flats locale; 60. Carnivore’s love; 62. Components; 70. Newfangled; 73. Like some lines; 77. Mistreat; 79. Predispositions; 82. Score after deuce; 84. “Hairspray” role; 86. Young business partner?; 90. Bay area airport, in shorthand; 95. Mozart’s birthplace: Abbr.; 98. Medium skill; 101. Cold war fighter; 104. Horsed around?; 106. Shake up; 109. Special ___; 111. Chess champ Mikhail; 112. “Honey in the Horn” trumpeter; 115. Some toy batteries; 116. Beta preceder; 119. Tone quality, in music; 121. Stuck; 123. Wall St. deal; 126. Singer Mitchell; 128. Bronx and Central Park attractions; 132. Prepare, as eggnog; 133. Partridge’s preferred tree; 134 Navigational aid; 138. “Incidentally …”; 140. Drive-thru sandwich order; 141. Crudités platter centerpiece; 145. Delicious; 145. Org. in Tom Clancy novels; 147. Maternity ward figures; 149. Coffee order; 151. Stipulations; 153. Pacino and Bundy; 155. Mediterranean capital; 156. Skip across the water’s surface; 157. Certain pass: Abbr.; 158. Radio abbr.; 159. Guiness suffix; 161. Mandatory coll. Course. — DOWN: 1. Hooded menace; 2. Benefit; 3. “Drat!”; 5. Nabokov novel; 7. Proficient; 87. Year in San Juan; 9. “The Little Mermaid” fellow; 10. Cafeteria variety; 12. Rocker Brian; 14. W.W. II battleship; 15. Ref’s decision; 17. Cyclist’s offer; 18. Merge; 19. Vintage records; 21. Fan’s fixation; 22. Popeye’s ___’ Pea; 29. Fun house sounds; 35. ___-12; 37. Part of many a science course; 39. ‘70s TV production co.; 41. Mao contemporary; 45. Camaro ___-Z; 46. Paradise; 47. Bulbous plant part; 48. Butter alternative; 49. Actor Foxx; 52. Bickering; 53. High praise; 54. Storage unit; 58. Deaf talk: Abbr.; 61. You are: Sp.; 63. Serving well?; 64. Public health agcy.; 65. French pronoun; 66. Have; 67. Composer Max; 69. Sit still?; 71 Calf-length dresses; 72. Hawaiian porch; 75. Stormed; 79. Cellar, in classifieds; 80. Get an ___ effort; 81. De ___ (anew); 85. Slights, say; 87. Buster?; 88. Winter bird feeder food; 89. Terse reproofs; 92. Radiate; 93. Mob turncoat; 98. Californie, e.g.; 103. Males; 107. Sr.’s test; 108. Light head?; 112. “John Adams” airer; 116. Slumber party togs; 118. Recovering after injury, say; 120. Swab; 122. White lie; 123. Small boat danger; 124. Some pudginess; 125. Arm extension?; 127. Sale item abbr.; 129. Fails to; 131. Spies, e.g.; 133. Chem. Class measures; 135. Capital of Belarus; 136. Boss’s notes; 137. Bouquets; 139. Iraq’s Aziz; 141. Roman 950; 142. Table d’___; 143. Nile deity; 144. Baby boxer, e.g.; 146. Bopper; 148. Maven; 150. Brit’s oath; 152. Masseur employer.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

An "e" for effort not an "a"? Couldn't think of a better clue?