07.12.12 — In Between

Henry Fuseli's painting of Odysseus

facing the choice between Scylla and Charybdis, 1794/6

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Thursday, July 12, 2012

Puzzle by Pawel Fludzinski / Edited by Will Shortz

Three idioms (add “between”) roughly meaning a dilemma, THE DEVIL AND / THE / DEEP BLUE SEA (24A. With 37-/46-Across, difficult things to be “between“), A ROCK AND A / HARD PLACE (3D. With 30-Down, difficult things to be “between”) and SCYLLA AND / CHARYBDIS (10D. With 33-Down, difficult things to be “between”) constitute the interrelated group of this Thursday crossword.

Other — ABASER (43D. Bully, by nature), ADDAMS, ADORATION (17A. Worship), AENEID (9D. Source of the line “Each of us bears his own Hell”), ALERTED (41D. Given a tip), ARTFUL, Samuel ASANTE, BAR TAB, CELINE Dion, CIRCLE, CONTENDER (55A. Champion wannabe), EARLAP, EXILED, HATCHET (5D. Kind of job), IDEATE, TEN-HUT.

Five-letter — “Give me A SIGN“, DEEDS, DE-ICE, EATEN, EBONY, ECOLI, ERNIE, ESSEN, ETNAS, GLENN, “… whole world IN HIS hands”, IONIA, MIMEO, MOOED, NYNEX, OLEIC, SNEER, TIDAL, WATTS.

Short stuff — ACME, AGRI, AIDA, ALA and ALE, ANNA, ANTE, ASKS, AXON, BURG, CAD and CUD, CVII (21D. Roman numeral that’s an anagram of part of Caesar’s boast), DAUB, DYED, EASE, ELK, FED, GULP, HEMI engine, Country INN, NBA, NCAA, NILE, PHD, PSI, REE and RES, SCAR, TABU, WOK, YON.

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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. Indianapolis-based sports org.; 14. Hamlet; 15. Impulse carrier; 16. Strand in the water?; 19. Former Baby Bell; 20. Club; 21. Dion who didn’t sing with the Delmonts; 22. It has a round bottom; 26. Its state flower is the camellia: Abbr.; 27. Supplied; 28. Hit Broadway musical set partly in a tomb; 29. Drill sound?; 31. Symbol of the planet Neptune; 32. It’s all downhill from here; 36. Like some almanac data; 39. Traumatize; 40. Flit; 41. Morticia or Uncle Fester; 42. Apply roughly; 44. Something that’s not hard to drink?; 45. “Riddle-me-___”; 50. Not in this direction; 51. Cap add-on; 52. It might be used for tracking shots; 54. Old lab burners; 58. Take a coat off; 59. Deal preceder; 61. Look accompanying the comment “Is that all you got?”; 62. Not natural, in a way; 63. Grills. — DOWN: 1. Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy org.; 2. It’s a mouthful; 4. Prefix with culture; 6. Like Napoleon; 7. Called on a farm; 11. Ancient land SE of Lesbos; 12. Close in Hollywood; 13. Overruled; 18. Crafty; 22. Part of Los Angeles; 23. Kind of acid; 25. What Fred Astaire danced with; 31. Ultimate degree?; 34. Old copier; 35. City north of Bonn; 37. “The forbidden fragrance”; 38. Brainstorm; 40. [Boy, am I in trouble now!]; 43. Bully, by nature; 44. Four-time Pro Bowler ___ Samuel; 46. Scouts’ work; 47. Like victuals; 48. Orange TV character; 49. Black; 53. Tolstoy heroine; 55. Heel; 56. Utah state animal; 57. Low-___.