12.22.11 — Shapeshifting

Thursday, December 22, 2011 — The Winter Solstice

Puzzle by Kristian House / Edited by Will Shortz

SHAPESHIFTER (55A. Werewolf, e.g. … or the one responsible for 20-, 34- and 41-Across?), ARCTIC SQUARE (20A. Uncool Eskimo?), TIMES TRIANGLE (34A. Percussion instrument owned by a New York newspaper?) and BERMUDA CIRCLE (41A. Close-knit group at a popular island destination?) constitute the interrelated group of this Wednesday crossword.

Other — DIORAMA (9D. Kid’s art project), DISCUS THROW (3D. Olympic event dating back to ancient Greece), RAM HOME (44D. Make forcefully, as a point), SNO-CONE (5D. Carnival treat), UP AHEAD (42D. In the near future), VAGUE NOTION (26D. Inkling).

Mid-size — ADONIS, ASPEN, CALVIN, CSI NY, DAMASK, DEUCE, EXCEL, FIONA, Pink FLOYD, ICED IN, IXNAY, KASDAN, KELSO, LOW-CALL, OCHRE, OLDIE, OMERTA, STRADA, STOCK.

Short stuff — ABEL, ACAI, ACNE, AIDA, ALY, AMI and AMIR, ANNA, ASHE, CAR, CDII, DELA, Per DIEM, DODD, Scooby-DOO, DRAT, EGO, “… ERE I saw Elba“, EXEC, EXPO, EYE, FAVA, ILLS, IMAM, IRAQ, LIL, MESA, MOO, NERO, NET, OCT, OFF, OLAF, OUST, PETA, PERK, POE, SEAM, SEGO, SKIT, SPAR, STU, TEEM, TOFU, UNH, VOID.

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Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.

Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. ___-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, 2010; 5. Playlet; 9. Small spade, maybe; 14. Mideast bigwig: Var.; 15. 1951 historical role for Peter Ustinov; 16. “Nope!”; 17. Beaut of a butte?; 18. Minnesota’s St. ___ College; 19. Autumn shade; 23. Original Beatles bassist Sutcliffe; 24. Sound on Old MacDonald’s farm; 25. Title cartoon boy; 29. “The Big Chill” director; 31. Part of a baseball; 33. Khan married to Rita Hayworth; 37. 7/5/75 winner over Connors; 39. Who wrote “It was many and many a year ago, / In a kingdom by the sea ..”; 40. Depose; 46. Topic of Objectivism; 47. Company car, maybe; 48. Aphrodite’s love; 51. Lite; 53. Champagne chum; 54. Mo. Of the hunter’s moon; 59. “Shine On, Harvest Moon,” e.g.; 62. Fair; 63. Opera that premiered on “Christmas Eve of 1871; 64. Red-haired ogress of film; 65. Brim; 66. Nothingness; 68. It can make the face red; 69. Early Beatles tune subtitled “Go to Him”. — DOWN: 1. Reversible fabric; 2. Code of silence; 4. “Phooey!”; 5. Carnival treat; 6. Chief of medicine on “Scrubs”; 7. “The Hurt Locker” locale; 8. Food that wiggles; 10. Shine; 11. The Wildcats of the America East Conf.; 12. Roller coaster part; 13. Cyclone part; 21. Worship leader; 22. Popular source of antioxidants; 27. Drugs and crime, e.g.; 28. Security Council vote; 31. Soup base; 35. Go at it; 36. Court plea, for short; 37. Biblical brother; 38. State symbol of Utah; 42. In the near future; 43. Writer Francois ___ Rochefoucauld; 45. Year of the Battle of Pollentia; 49. Immobilized by a storm, maybe; 50. Italian road; 52. Hit TV series tarring Gary Sinese; 53. Part of a mountain forest; 56. Sponsor of ads famous for nudity; 57. Not jud. Or leg.; 58. Kind of bean; 59. Slightly askew; 60. Wee.