12.09.11 — Ready for Anything



Sack of Rome by the Visigoths on 24 August 410, by Joseph-Noël Sylvestre, 1890

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Friday, December 9, 2011

Puzzle by Patrick Berry / Edited by Will Shortz

With a grid that’s fairly open through its center and two corners isolated up left and down right, this fine Friday crossword features gnarly clues and a wide variety of lively answers ranging from the classic to the contemporary.

Across — 1. Visigoth king who sacked Rome, ALARIC; 7. Play book?, SCOREPAD; 15. Black, yellow and white, say, CALICO; 16. One that’s in your field?, HOME GAME; 17. Crabtree & EVELYN, purveyor of skin care products; 18. Bug out, RUN FOR IT; 19. Bring into the business, HIRE; 20. “The worst is upon us” mentality, CRISIS MODE; 22. Income source on a 1040: Abbr., INT; 23. Pig of children’s lit, OLIVIA; 24. Sighed word, ALAS; 25. “CSI” forensic scientist Grissom, GIL; 26. Yiddish for “connoisseur”, MAVEN; 27. Went down, in a way, KNELT; 28. Summer ailment, HAY FEVER; 30. Parent company of Reebok, ADIDAS; 31. Hoppy beverages, ALES; 32. Poet ELLA Wheeler Wilcox; 33. Wedding reception groups, TABLES; 36. Pop singer born Ellen Naomi Cohen, MAMA CASS; 40. Discharge, EGEST; 41. Think of, to some surprise, HIT ON; 42. 1.0 is not a good one, GPA; 43. Musica, e.g., ARTE; 44. Window holder, CASING; 45. “Awesome!”, RAD; 46. Longest-serving French president, MITTERRAND; 48. “Twin Peaks” actress Sherilyn, FENN; 49. Join in one place, SPOT WELD; 50. #1 Dolly Parton country hit with the lyric “I’m beggin’ of you, please don’t take my man”, JOLENE; 52. Forced to leave home, UPROOTED; 53. Supplies an address, ORATES; 54. Versatile openers, PASSKEYS; 55. “Oh me, oh my!”, YE GODS.

Down — 1. First-rate, ACE HIGH; 2. Second wife of Aeneas, LAVINIA; 3. With eyes wide open, ALERTLY; 4. Rub the wrong way, RILE; 5. Dangerous to drive on, say, ICY; 6. Private meetings, CONCLAVES; 7. McGovern’s 1972 running mate, SHRIVER; 8. “The Country COUSIN” (1936 Oscar-winning Disney short) ; 9. In OMNIA paratus; 10. Hand signal users, REFS; 11. Number one fan?, EGOMANIAC; 12. Removed from the can?, PAROLED; 13. Queen who becomes a senator in the “Star Wars” saga, AMIDALA; 14. Has no love for at all, DETESTS; 21. Tears apart, RIVES; 23. Egg foo yung, essentially, OMELET; 27. 1992 Grammy winner for “Constant Craving”, K D LANG; 29. Female impersonators use them, FALSETTOS; 30. Product once pitched with the line “Sometimes you feel like a nut”, ALMOND JOY; 32. Have a home-cooked meal, EAT IN; 33. Joins (with), TEAMS UP; 34. Victorious fleet commander at Actium, AGRIPPA; 35. Racetrack regulars, BETTORS; 36. Screws up totally?, MIS-ADDS; 37. Go along with, AGREE TO; 38. Reached across, SPANNED; 39. Depression, SADNESS; 41. Heavy cycle, HARLEY; 44. El Greco’s birthplace, CRETE; 47. Furry denizen of Endor, EWOK; 48. Standard, FLAG; 51. Sudbury Basin export, ORE.

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