12.13.11 — What's in A Name?

Bert Lahr, Ernie Els, Walter Matthau as Oscar Madison, Grover Cleveland and Telly Savalas

 and Muppets Bert, Ernie, Oscar, Grover and Telly

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Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Puzzle by Jonathan Gersch / Edited by Will Shortz

SESAME / STREET (19A. With 63-Across, where to find all the characters at the starts of 17-, 24-, 40-, 52- and 66-Across), BERT LAHR (17A. Cowardly Lion portrayer), OSCAR MADISON (24A. “The Odd Couple” slob), GROVER CLEVELAND (40A. President who was once New York’s governor), TELLY SAVALAS (52A. Kojak portrayer) and ERNIE ELS (66A. 2011 inductee into the World Golf Hall of Fame), along with ELMO, constitute the interrelated group of this sweet Tuesday crossword.

Six-letter — AD WEEK, A FIRST, ASSURE, CASPAR, CEDARS, COOPTS, EMCEED, FAJITA (50D. Tex-Mex wrap), HALEST, SCREAM (34D. 1996 slasher film with the villain Ghostface), TSETSE, WRAITH (28A. Ghostly spirit).

Five — ATRIA, AZURE, ERTES, JEWEL LORDS, MELEE (36A. Big brawl), PEARS, SADIE (44A. Hawkins with a day named for her), SCHWA, SKEIN, SORER, TEMPO, TOSCA, VIERS.

Short stuff — ABE, ALBA, AMA, Give A NOD of approval, ANTE, ARCO, BAEZ, CHER, CROC, DOME, EAU, ECRU, EDIT, EENY, EMIT, ENDS, ERR, ESSE and ISEE, HISS, IAN, ICEL, IDI, IRA, LAC, LAIR, LOT, LSAT, NOG, ODE, ORO, OWS, RARA avis, RIDE, RIOT (69A. Big brawl), RPI, SAGA, SLO-mo, TROI, WEEP, WIGS, WEAL and VEAL and VIAL.

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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. Name associated with honesty; 4. Snake sound; 8. Takes as one’s own; 14. Switzerland’s ___ de Genève; 15. West Coast gas brand; 16. Marketing pro’s magazine; 20. Bright blue; 21. Shed tears; 23. Sch. in Troy, N.Y.; 31. Nile menace, informally; 32. Author Fleming; 33. “To be,” to Titus; 45. Took a ferry, say; 46. Despot Amin; 47. Put down some chips; 49. “This is totally new!”; 57. Stella D’___ (cookie brand); 58. Give off; 59. Singer with the 1995 12x platinum album “Pieces of You”; 68. Stately trees of Lebanon; 70. Health advocacy grp.; 71. This I ___ you …”; 72. “The Lord of the Rings,” e.g.; 73. Drawing. — DOWN: 1. Francisco Goya’s “Duchess of ___”; 2. Joan who sang at Woodstock; 3. Stationery hue; 4. In the best of health; 5. Former terrorist org.; 6. Unstressed vowel; 7. More peeved; 8. 1980s defense secretary Weinberger; 9. “___ to Billie Joe”; 10. Pain reactions; 11. Compote fruit; 12. Presto or allegro; 13. Cat’s plaything; 18. Counselor on the Enterprise; 22. Like awards shows, typically; 25. Winner of an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and three Golden Globes; 26. Jefferson Memorial topper; 27. Nordic land: Abbr.; 28. Freaks (out); 37. Hideout; 38. Closes out; 39. Rework a document; 41. Serum container; 42. Start of a counting rhyme; 43. Young beef?; 48. African fly; 51. “Got it!”; 52. Puccini opera; 53. Some Art Deco pieces; 54. Nobles; 55. Contenders; 56. Open-air rooms; 60. Prosperity; 61. Pal of the starts of 17-, 24-, 40-, 52- and 66-Across; 62. Att. wannabe’s hurdle; 64. Mer contents; 65. Miswrite, say; 67. Holiday quaff.