12.26.11 — 'Tis the Season



Four Seasons by Alfonse Mucha, circa 1895

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Monday, December 26, 2011

Puzzle by Gary Cee / Edited by Will Shortz

SEASON FINALE (39A: With 41-Across, good time for a cliffhanger ... or what each of 17-, 24-, 50- and 63-Across has) along with four two-word phrases where second word is a season constitutes the interrelated group of this fine Monday crossword:

NASTY FALL (17A. What a slippery sidewalk might cause)
DONNA SUMMER (24A. “Last Dance” singer, 1978)
EDGAR WINTER (50A. Albino rocker with a 1973 #1 hit)
HOT SPRING (63A. Spa locale)

Other — BRIGHTS (43D. High beams), IN NAME ONLY (10D. Titularly), LUGGAGE (32A. It’s found on an airport carousel), MELANGE (7D. Olio), MOSEY ALONG (31D. Amble), RENT OUT (44D. Lease), SALVAGE (8D. Rescue), YEAR END (47A. December, say).

Five-letter — ANNIE, DELLA, DENIM, EDDIE, ELENA, ELIDE, Saint ELMO’S fire, EPEES, EXPAT, GAMER, KNELT, LOCAL, SARGE, SIDES, STEER, TAPED.

Short stuff — ACHE and ACNE, AKA and ASA and AVA, ALAN, AREA, AWW, La BREA Tar Pits, CASE, COAT and COAX, DAMS, “What’s the DIF?”, DIRE, DROZ, EGAL, ENT, ETTA, FADE, HARM, HASP, HOST, INCA, IKEA, ISEE, LETS, LSAT, NUS, ODER, OLIN, ORCA, OREO, PEAL, REAP, REP, SAE, SHY, SKA, STAY, TSA, TUSH, UGLI, WGT, YENS, YTD, ZEAL.

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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. Longing; 5. Beaver constructions; 9. Entrée add-ons; 14. Jacket; 15. Household goods retail chain founded in Sweden; 16. Prepared to be knighted; 19. Woody Allen’s “___ Hall”; 20. National who lives overseas, informally; 21. Actress Gardner; 23. Deputy;28. Injury; 33. Double-disc cookie; 34. “Hmm, yes …”; 35. Train that doesn’t skip a stop; 42. Not live, as on TV; 46. Future atty.’s exam; 49. Longings; 54. Ring, as bells; 55. Lb. or oz.; 56. Jockey Arcaro; 66. Kagan of the Supreme Court; 67. Backside; 68. Killer whale; 69. “Beetle Bailey” character; 70. “Don’t go!”; 71. Fervor. — DOWN: 1. Reason to use Clearasil; 2. Wheedle; 3. Lock securer; 4. 1964 album “___ James Rocks the House”; 6. Letters before an alias; 9. Some Caribbean music; 11. Clothing material that may have rivets; 12. Skip over in pronouncing; 13. Have the wheel; 18. Stock listings abbr.; 22. Drunk ___ skunk; 25. Actress Lena; 26. Letters before xis; 27. Furrowed fruit; 28. Party thrower; 29. Word after rest or gray; 30. Harvest; 36. Detective’s assignment; 37. One of the men on “Two and a Half Men”; 38. “___ Make a Deal”; 40. Baltic Sea feeder; 41. What colors do over time; 45. M.D. who may examine the sinuses; 48. “So-o-o cute!”; 50. Fencing swords; 51. Actress Reese; 52. World of Warcraft fan, e.g.; 53. Not Dem.; 57. Physician with a daily talk show; 58. In ___ straits; 59. Ancient Peruvian; 60. Alike: Fr.; 62. Letter encl. to facilitate a reply; 64. Grp. Doing pat-downs; 65. Reticent.

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