Thursday, July 5, 2012
Puzzle by Ian Livengood / Edited by Will Shortz
Pressing or not pressing the SHIFT KEY of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 on the standard keyboard constitutes the main feature of this troublesome Thursday crossword. The numbers in the five squares are numbers for the down answers, and the across entries are the result of shifting: @, #, $, % and ^, e.g., AT, POUND, DOLLAR, PERCENT and CARET.
SASQU2CH (1A. Mysterious figure), read SASQU[AT]CH
EX3ING (9A. Stating in detail, with “on”), EX[POUND]ING
SAND4 (22A. Potential beach find), SAND [DOLLAR]
5AGES (51A. Portions), [PERCENT]AGES
6AKERS (67A. Nurses, e.g.), [CARET]AKERS
2PAC (6D. Big name in 35-Across)
3DTV (11D. Reason to wear glasses at home?)
4RUNNER (26D. Toyota model beginning in 1984)
MAROON5 (28D. Band with the 2004 hit “She Will Be Loved”)
MOTEL6 (44D. Red Roof Inn competitor)
Remaining across — 15. Flowering vine, SWEET PEA; 16. Sight at a hotel check-in, once, LEDGER; 17. Do-overs at a card table, NEW DEALS; 18. Maestro Toscanini, ARTURO; 19. Country singer CLINT Black; 21. “VA-VA-voom!”; 27. Per DIEM; 29. Get in the end, NET; 30. Kind of bacteria, ANAEROBIC; 33. Stockpile, AMASS; 35. Vibe magazine subject, RAP MUSIC; 36. Pal, BRO; 37. Con, AGAINST; 38. Option on “Let’s Make a Deal”, DOOR ONE; 42. SNO-Caps; 43. Approach, ZERO IN ON; 44. 1985 N.L. M.V.P. Willie MCGEE; 47. Court plea, NO CONTEST; 52. Stun, as a suspect, TASE; 54. Mount Saint ELIAS, fourth-highest peak in North America; 57. “Romanian Rhapsodies” composer, ENESCO; 59. Tiramisu flavorer, AMARETTO; 65. Neighbors, in a way, LIES ON; 66. One with a lap cat, maybe, CARESSER, 68. Something that‘s pressed, which helps explain this puzzle‘s theme, SHIFT KEY.
Down — 1. Identify theft target: Abbr., SSN; 2. Amaze, AWE; 3. Put in stitches, SEW; 4. Proof finish, QED; 5. Western native, UTE; 7. Cooler part, CELL; 8. Like some observant Brooklynites, HASIDIC; 9. Please greatly, ELATE; 10. Gen XER; 12. Galápagos creature, IGUANA; 13. Big game day feeling, NERVES; 14. Hulled grain, GROATS; 20. Cage, informally, NIC; 22. Poet Teasdale, SARA; 23. “I hate to be A NAG …”; 24. Wine tour area, NAPA; 25. Ultimate end, DEMISE; 31. OSSO buco; 32. It might come straight from the horse’s mouth, BIT; 34. Oscar-nominated Pat MORITA; 36. Any one of five in the Big Apple, BORO; 38. Big mo. For vacations, DEC; 39. Universal donor’s blood type, briefly, O-NEG; 40. It can be hooked or pierced, NOSE; 41. Specialty docs, ENTS; 43. Sign holders, ZODIACS; 45. Head cases?, CRANIA; 46. Hide’s partner, GO SEEK; 47. Zip, NIL; 50. Almost an eternity, AEONS; 53. Latin 101 verb, ESSE; 55. Asian nurse, AMAH; 56. Asian attire, SARI; 58. One of two N.T. books, COR; 60. Zebra, REF; 61. Winter D. C. hours, EST; 52. Critical cluck, TSK; 63. Get ready to start, with “up”, TEE; 64. Old jazz great Kid ORY
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Puzzle available on the internet at
Well, I'm glad you figured it out, because I sure as heck didn't.
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