12.21.11 — No "L"

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Puzzle by Ron and Nancy Byron / Edited by Will Shortz

NOEL (69A. Seasonal song .. Or a phonetic hint to 18-, 23-, 37, 52- and 59-Across), THE BIG SEEP (18A. Movie about La Brea Tar Pits’ formation?), THE ION KING (23A. Movie about a Nobel-winning chemist?), CASH OF THE TITANS (37A. Movie about Wall Streeters’ excesses?), PUP FICTION (52A. Movie about the early life of Lassie?) and WAYNE’S WORD (59A. Movie about the memoirs of the Duke?) constitute the interrelated group of this pleasant-enough Wednesday crossword. Four years ago, a Sunday Times crossword presented Dead Man Waking, The Santa Cause, Pup Fiction, The Seventh Sea, The God Rush, Snakes on a Pane, War of the Words, Men in Back, Anima House and The Big Seep, clued by NOEL NEILL, HERE.

Other — BOYCOTT (21D. Certain protest), CRESSIDA (11D. Bygone Toyota sedan), EAT DIRT (31A. Humble oneself), SYNONYMS (39D. Prim and proper, e.g.), THIN ICE (32D. Precarious place, metaphorically), TIN STAR (44A. Wild West badge).

Six-letter — DINERO, EMCEED, NICENE Creed, O’NEILL, RINSES, RUNWAY, SABINE, SOIREE, STRATA, TAI CHI.

Five — ACERB, ARMED, AS YET, CHERI, EENIE, ENCLS, HESSE, HODAD (36A. Surfer wannabe), KOREA, MAORI, ONE NO (43A. Bridge bid, briefly), PEONS, SCRIM, TENON.

Short stuff — AID, ANTE, APES, “Chances ARE”, ASH, ASIA, CATS, CEDE, DER, DO TO death, DSO, EKGS, ENUF, INES, INGA, KNIT, LEE, LTDS, MHO, NERF and NERI, NOSE, ORAN, OREL, OSHA, RICO, RTE, SACS, SAO and SAP, SHES, SOL and SOT, STEM, TAMA, TERI, URI, WAH, YEN, YSER.

————————

Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.

Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Hold back; 5. Egg pouches; 9. Bus. Cards in commercial mailings, e.g.; 14. Janowitz who wrote “Slaves of New York”; 15. Dept. of Labor agency; 16. “M*A*S*H” setting; 17. “Little Caesar” gangster; 20. Sharp-tongued; 22. Does a post-meal chore; 26. Our sun; 29. Word after Farm or Live; 30. Craving; 34. Curtain material; 42. So far; 47. William Tell’s canton; 48. Brit. Military honor; 51. ___ Tomé; 55. ___ Creed of A.D. 325; 58. Nonsense word said while pointing a finger; 63. Saint Philip ___; 64. Packing heat; 65. The “a” in a.m.; 66. Baseball analyst Hershiser; 67. “Siddhartha” author; 68. River through Belgium. — DOWN: 1. Geologic layers; 2. Meditative exercises; 3. Acted the host; 4. New Zealand native; 5. Boozehound; 6. Bat wood; 7. “S.N.L.” alum Oteri; 8. Texas/Louisiana border river; 9. Ticker tests, for short; 10. Snoop (around); 12. Jeans brand; 13. Syrup base; 19. “Young Frankenstein” woman; 21. Certain protest; 24. Soft ball brand; 25. Put in stitches; 27. “The Plague” setting; 28. Bygone Fords; 33. ___ death (overwork); 34. Dams and does; 35. Unit now known as a Siemens; 37. Musical with Mungojerrie and Jennyanydots; 38. Home to billions; 40. Plenty, informally; 41. Garr who played 19-Down; 45. Knuckle draggers; 46. Takeoff site; 48. Do-re-mi; 49. Evening affair; 50. “The Iceman Cometh” playwright; 53. Lowly laborers; 54. Mortise’s mate; 56. Supermodel Sastre; 57. Hand over; 59. Cartoon baby’s cry; 60. “Chances ___,” 1957 #1 hit; 61. Address abbr.; 62. ___ Spiegel.