03.17.12 — Through a Morass Darkly



Saturday, March 17, 2012

Puzzle by David Quarfoot / Edited by Will Shortz

Treachery and deviousness mark this Saturday quagmire ...

Across — 1. High clouds?, POT SMOKE; 9. Ancient pentathlon event, DISCUS; 15. Approximately .264 gallons, ONE LITER; 16. Div. created in 1969, AL EAST; 17. It gets the word out, PA SYSTEM; 18. New Valentine’s phrase added on Sweethearts candy in 2010, TEXT ME; 19. Prince Edward I. clock setting, AST; 20. Having an under whelmed response, TEPID; 22. Essence, ATTAR; 23. Thought after an after-afterthought: Abbr., PPPS; 25. Freshen, RENEW; 27. Scramble, OLIO; 28. Hot, IRATE; 30. War cry of the ‘60s, REBEL YELL; 32. Smooth, LEGATO; 34. “The Da Vinci Code” albino, SILAS; 35. “Brokeback Mountain” director, LEE; 38. Hot dog’s relative, HAM; 38. Cable inits., TLC; 39. UP A tree; 42. “Alas!”, SO SAD; 44. Flavor, SEASON; 46. Hands-in-the-air phrase, PRAISE GOD; 50. McCarthy cohort, SNERD; 51. Big name in educational funding, PELL; 52. Spread, SOWED; 54. Birds of prey, ERNS; 55. Etiolates, PALES; 57. Incipience, ONSET; 59. Grp. Involved in the Abbottabad raid, NSC; 60. Onomatopoeic game on “The Price Is Right”, PLINKO; 62. Time near the end of a time range, LATE DATE; 64. It might have a crust, PIE TIN; 65. Sophocles tribute that begins “Numberless are the world’s wonders …”; ODE TO MAN; 66. Language of the Afghan national anthem, PASHTO; 67. Cry from an arriving group, WE’RE HERE!

Depiction of the Marquis de Sade by H. Biberstein in L'Œuvre du marquis de Sade, Guillaume Apollinaire (Edit.), Bibliothèque des Curieux, Paris, 1912

Down — 1. Medicate oneself, say, POP A PILL; 2 Rampaging, ON A SPREE; 3. Check that’s inked, perhaps, TEST PAGE; 4. Sharp, SLY; 5. Spray, MIST; 6. Fur source, OTTER; 7. Fish of sufficient size, KEEPER; 8. Fur sources, ERMINES; 9. Slangy pronoun, DAT; 10. They’re near appendices, ILEA; 11. Stock in an adult store, SEX TOYS; 12. Name-brand targets?, CATTLE; 13. Words below an eagle, U S MAIL; 14. A biochemical solid, STEROL; 21. Dock, in a way, DEBIT; 24. Itinerary abbr., STA; 6. Spring locales, WELLS; 37. 1997 Nielsen title role, MAGOO; 39. Common admission requirement, USER NAME; 40. Actor who might grin and bare it?, PORN STAR; 41. Director’s cutoff, AND SCENE; 42. Chorus member?, SILENT H; 43. Secrecy, with “the”, DOWN-LOW; 45. Game show purchase, AN E; 46. Rare dynamic marking seen in Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony, PPPPPP; 47. Objects from everyday life, REALIA; 48. United group, ALLIES; 49. “In order to know virtue, we must first acquaint ourselves with vice” speaker, DESADE; 53. Hold off, DETER; 56 Sketch, SKIT; 58. Department head?, TETE; 61. Conceptual art pioneer, ONO; 63. Line from Homer, DOH.


————————




Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at

No comments: