05.08.12 — Shavings Account

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Puzzle by Lynn Lempel / Edited by Will Shortz

In this Tuesday crossword, an H is added (or the "s" sound exchanged for a "sh" sound, who knowsh?) within the standard phrases of best seller, pick-up sticks, all day sucker and Marryin’ Sam, thereupon question-mark clued as BEST SHELLER (17A. Winner of a pea-preparing contest?), PICK-UP SHTICKS (28A. Lotharios lines in a singles bar?), ALL-DAY SHUCKER (48A. One preparing corn for long hours?), MARRYIN’ SHAM (62A. Phony wedding?).

Other — ACCUSES, ACT LIKE, ALIASES, ATONES, CHIVALROUS (30D. Gallant), DURANTE (39A. Early TV star with a biography titled “Schnozzola”), HEROIC (10D. Valiant), LITMUS, SCREAM (31D. Edvard Much depiction), TAKES STOCK (11D. Assesses one’s options carefully), WILLIAM.

Five-letter — AMASS, ASPEN, AT BAY, BRACE, BRINE, EGRET, HOARY, IGLOO, MACYS, OMENS, OOHED, PUREE, SEIZE, SHUSH (6A. “Quiet!”), STALE, UNCAP, WEILL.

Short stuff — ABBA, AMEN, ANT, ARM, AXEL, AWL, BASE, CHIP, COOL, DWI, ELLE, ESC, “ET TU, Brute?”, FUDD, HASP, HULL, HYPE, IFS, ILO, IOWA, KIA, LAZE, LILT, LOS and LOU, MAKE, NSA, OAS, OHM, ORAL, PODS, RCA, SAVE, SEE, SERE, SPEW, TAYE, TBA, TREX, UCLA, URL, USDA, USSR, YES.

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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. Cornered; 11. Program abbr.; 14. Prop up; 15. Canned pumpkin, e.g.; 16. Spot for a band; 19. Maker of the Soul and Optima; 20. Figure skating jump; 21. Shoemaker’s tool; 22. Portents; 24. Hypotheticals; 26. Names on fake Ids, perhaps; 33. Waxed enthusiastic, say; 38. Cause of some weaving, for short; 42. Western alliance, for short; 43. Build up a nest egg; 45. Desertlike; 46. Store featured in “Miracle on 34^th Street”; 51. Prince who married Kate Middleton; 53. F1 neighbor on a PC; 54. Bird with prized plumes; 55. Measure of electrical resistance; 57. Campus near Beverly Hills, briefly; 61. U.N. agency for workers; 66. Gehrig on the diamond; 67. Take the lid off; 68. Commandeer; 69. The “L” in 57-Across; 70. Past its sell-by date; 71. Tree with a namesake ski destination. — DOWN: 1. Group whose music is heard in “Mamma Mia!”; 2. Fearsome dino; 3. First, second, third or home; 6. Gush; 7. Ship’s framework; 8. Virtual address; 9. Meet with; 12. Pickling solution; 13. Accumulate; 18. Barn door fastener; 23. Fabricate; 25. Elmer with a big gun; 26. Makes up (for); 27. Light, rhythmic cadence; 28. Seed containers; 29. Early stop in a presidential race; 32. White with age; 36. “Rent” actor Diggs; 37. Old NATO target; 40. Fed. Agency entrusted with food safety; 41. Outback sprinters; 44. Magazine whose name sounds like a letter of the alphabet; 47. Charges in court; 49. It turns red in acid; 50. Spheric opener?; 51. Kurt who wrote the music for “The Threepenny Opera”; 52. Domed home; 55. Like the Sabin polio vaccine; 56. Extravagant publicity; 58. Part of a poker player’s pile; 59. Take it easy; 60. Last part of Handel’s “Messiah”; 63. One often on the march; 64. “His Master’s Voice” company; 65. Cryptologists’ org.