05.05.12 — The Saturday Bloodbath






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Saturday, May 5, 2012 — Cinco de Mayo

Puzzle by Ned White / Edited by Will Shortz

Initials, abbreviations, obscurity, slang, pop-culture trivia, vague references, twisted clues with fourth and fifth definitions, a veritable bloodbath of etymological nonsense — what more could a solver ask of a Saturday crossword?

Across — 1. Fault line?, I GOOFED; 8. Rope holding down a bowsprit, BOBSTAY; 15. Great part for Duvall?, SANTINI; 16. 1945 Tommy Dorsey hit, OPUS ONE; 17. Medium frequencies include them, AM BANDS; 18. Journalists James and James Jr., RESTONS; 19. Nigerian language, IBO; 20. Ingredient in gourmet potato chips, SEA SALT; 22. CRI de guerre; 23. Scary sucker, for short, DRAC; 25. Bastes, DRUBS; 26. Look down, POUT; 27. Shot stuff, SERUM; 29. LP insert?, MNO; 30. Pungent fish topper, AIOLI; 31. Longtime ace, OLD PAL; 33. Goes gray, GRIZZLES; 35. Part of some fruit drink names, CRAN; 37. Film with the protagonist “Z”; ANTZ; 38. Any of three title characters in a long-running Cartoon Network series, AQUATEEN; 42. See 46-Across, BEAVER; 46. With 42-Across, old ad mascot who sang “It’s dandy, for your teeth”, BUCKY; 47. Worked 9up), HET; 49. Source of the word “robot”, CZECH; 50. Salad, often, SIDE; 51. MIX IT up (brawl); 53. Big name in jewelry retail, ZALE; 54. Mouths, to Marius, ORA; 55. Spartan, AUSTERE; 57. Ad trailer?, LIB; 58. Reaches the age of, LIVES TO; 60. It forms much of Lombardy’s southern border, RIVER PO; 62. One, UNIFIED; 63. Central feature of St. Peter’s Square, OBELISK; 64. Taco alternative, TOSTADA; 65. “Coppelia” composer, DELIBES.



Down — 1. Parent’s peremptory “reason”, I SAID SO; 2. Common barn roof, GAMBREL; 3. Passenger’s status, ON BOARD; 4. Taxonomy suffix, OTA; 5. Drum and bass parts, FINS; 6. Through, ENDED; 7. Get heat from?, DISARM; 8. Part of French Polynesia, BORA BORA; 9. Some German models, OPELS; 10. Boom follower, maybe, BUST; 11. Boom maker, once, SST; 12. Gnarly, TOO COOL; 13. Author of “The Stranger Beside Me,” 1980, ANN RULE; 14. Beatles tune that begins “If you wear red tonight”, YES IT IS; 21. Like arias, SUN; 24. Sugar, CUPCAKE; 26. Dash, PIZZAZZ; 28. Oscar winner after “On the Waterfront”, MARTY; 30. Onetime Lake Texcoco dweller, AZTEC; 32. Papuan port, LAE; 34. Having five sharps, IN B; 36. Drink that had a Wild Red variety, NEHI SODA; 38. Drink that has a Ruby Red variety, ABSOLUT; 39. Philippine province on Luzon, QUIRINO; 40. The Aggies of the Big West Conf., UC DAVIS; 41. “What NEXT?”; 43. Steak or chop choice, VEAL RIB; 44. Cover-up witnessed by millions?, ECLIPSE; 45. Relatives of dik-diks, RHEBOKS; 48. Car bar, TIE ROD; 51. So as not to be overheard, say, MUTED; 52. Alabama or Missouri, TRIBE; 55. ASIA-Pacific; 56. First name in long jumping, EVEL; 59. Small creature that undergoes metamorphosis, EFT; 61. Clinton or Bush, once, ELI.

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