The New York Times Crossword in Gothic: 03.23.12

Magic square on a door in the Passion façade, La Sagrada Família,

Barcelona, Spain, photograph by Eve Andersson

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Friday, March 23, 2012

Puzzle by Steven Riley / Edited by Will Shortz

Another friendly Friday crossword with more than a bit of unfamiliar fare.

Across — 1. Aunties’ sisters, MAMMAS; 7. Gold medal, TOP PRIZE; 15. Fly, AVIATE; 16. Prepare to take off, perhaps, UNLOOSEN; 17. Evers of civil rights, MEDGAR; 18. Quick season greeting?, XMAS CARD; 19. Ice cream gobbler’s woe, BRAIN FREEZE; 21. A.L. East tem, on the scoreboards, BOS; 22. Ear-relevant, OTIC; 23. Old Norse work, EDDA; 24. Orange exterior, PEEL; 25. United entities before 1991: Abbr., SSRS; 28. “Get Smart” enemy agency, KAOS; 27. 2008 Israeli political biography, GOLDA; 28. Beater of a full boat in poker, QUADS; 30. Naturally bright, SUNLIT; 31. Develops, MATURES; 34. C6H6, BENZENE; 35. Stilted-sounding “Consider it done”, I SHALL; 36. “The Godfather” enforcer who “sleeps with the fishes”, BRASI; 37. “Cheers” alternative in a letter, YOURS; 38. Providers of inside looks?, MRIS; 39. “Minnie the Moocher” feature, SCAT; 43. Archer of film, ANNE; 44. In a day, say, SOON; 45. Solving aid, CLUE; 46. End of a line in England, ZED; 47. Hit MTV series starting in 2009, JERSEY SHORE; 50. Double grace period?, AMEN AMEN; 52. Start operating, date wise, OPEN ON; 53. Vronsky’s love, KARENINA; 54. Stoolies, often, NAMERS; 55. Like clams during winter, IN SEASON; 56. 1993 rap hit in which Snoop Doggy Dogg popularized the term “bootylicious”, DRE DAY.

Down — 1. Relatives of merengues, MAMBOS; 2. Heads off, AVERTS; 3. Where trapeze artists connect, MID-AIR; 4. Ancient talisman with mathematical properties, MAGIC SQUARE; 5. AT AN advantage; 6. One bound to do work, SERF; 7. Ball wear, TUXEDOS; 8. Popping Prozacs, perhaps, ON MEDS; 9. Common statue setting, PLAZA; 10. Ask, POSE; 11. Legendary raptor, ROC; 12. Figure skater Brasseur, ISABELLE; 13. Directed attention (on), ZEROED IN; 14. Runs over, ENDS LATE; 20. Goes over, READS; 24. Source of false returns, PONZI SCHEME; 26. Film critic Pauline KAEL; 27. Magazine articles, GUNS; 29. E-tailing specifications, URLS; 30. They can get choppy, SEAS; 31. “Ponyo” writer/director Hayao MIYAZAKI; 32. In unison, AS ONE MAN; 33. Booms, THUNDERS; 34. Pickle, BRINE; 36. Pierce with lines, BROSNAN; 38. “West Side Story” Oscar winner, MORENO; 40. Like the I.B.M. PC, often, CLONED; 41. Light show?, AURORA; 42. Minute, TEENSY; 44. Four enter them, but only two survive, SEMIS; 47. Tennis star Novotna, JANA; 48. Over there, to bards, YOND; 49. Practice with gloves on, SPAR; 51. Once known as, NEE.

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