07.15.12 — Terror Firma

Sunday, July 15, 2012

“A” TRIP AROUND THE WORLD, Puzzle by Randolph Ross

Edited by Will Shortz

Seven sets of geographic locations beginning and ending with the letter “A”, sharing that letter within the sets, constitutes the interrelated group of this arduous and joyless Sunday crossword, hovering on the precipice of ridiculousness.

AFRICASIARGENTINARUBA (22A. Four stops on “A” trip around the world)
ATLANTALMAATANDORRA (26A. Three more stops)
AMERICARIZONALBANIA (55A. Three more stops)
ALGERIALABAMARCADIA (61A. Three more stops)
ALBERTALAMEDASTORIA (63A Three more stops)
ALTOONAARMENIARALSEA (95A. Three more stops)
ANTARCTICALASKANTIGUA (100A Three more stops)

With no clues given for the seven sets save “stops”, the crucial down clues crossing are even more painful as one needs to solve almost all of the downs to reveal the geographic locations. Many of the down clues may as well have been simply “word” — ergo, picture gleeful cackling in a dark corner of the puzzlemaker’s evil dungeon in contemplation of the solver’s angst.

Other — ABUSIVE, AIRLIFT, CARTON and CARLTON, CHALLAH, DETENTES, DILATES, GARGLER, HATBANDS, I LOVE LA, INSULTED, IT’S A DATE, LAUREATE, LIAISON, NO CATCH, ONE NAME, TERMITE, THIN LINE, TV IDOLS, URBAN POP, WINESAPS.

Mid-size — AEGEAN, AIELLO, ALAMO, ALLEN, AND YET, ANTON, ARCED, A STAR, BADEN, BAGEL, BE FAIR, BRAZIL, DA GAMA, EMILIO, GANEF, GLINTS, GO BAD, HAVOCS, HINTS, IDIOCY, INDENT, IPANA, KARAT, LADED, LIEBER, NAVAL, NESTS, OATES, ORRIS, OZONE, PACMAN, PANAM, RANIS, REMADE, RESIZE, SEWED, SHIRR, SNAKED, SONATA, STEPS, SWEATS, WISH I, ZALES.

Short stuff — AES, AGOG, AIWA, ALFA, AOL, ASHE, AUNT, BAA, BOL, CREW, DART, DIOR, DIP, DOES, EEW, EGOS, ENDS, FACT, FAD and GAD, FAST, FLO, HAN, HEB and HEF, HEWS, ISA, ITD, LAC, LSD, LUI, MINT, MOET, MRE, OARS, ODER, OWE, PACS, PAL, PANE, POV, RATS, SADE, SEZ, SHUT, SILT, TED and TEK, TOP, USTA, WIN.

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Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.

Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. European spa site; 6. Non-fiction; 10. Clam (up); 14. French pronoun; 17.Historic mission with “the”; 18. Borg rival; 19. Words before may and might; 21. They’re often seen in banks; 27. “___ be an honor”; 28. Flashes quickly; 29. Soft; 31. Three Stooges specialty; 34. John who is half of a popular singing duo; 35. McIntosh alternatives; 36. Bert, to Ernie; 37. Lang. from which 8- and 24-Down come; 39. Mag mogul with a mansion; 40. Moneymaking concern; 41. Bikini part; 42. Like many an out-of-towner in Times Square; 44. Sci-fi drug; 46. Window-shopping purchase?; 47. Manual contents; 49. ___ Observatory; 51. It comes and goes; 53. Wander; 54. Long-running PBS documentary film series; 65. “That’s yucky!”; 66. Former senator Stevens; 67. Speaks, informally; 68. 11-time N.B.A. All-Star Iverson; 69. Bake, as an egg; 72. Works on; 74. Tostitos bowl?; 76. Channel choker; 77. Solo in the movies; 78. Hacks; 79. S.A. tin exporter; 82. Sealing wax ingredient; 84. Woman in Progressive Insurance commercials; 85. “You’re on!”; 88. Punjabi princesses; 90. Camel group?; 92. Like a heckling crowd; 93. Sight from Mount Olympus; 94. Field fare, for short; 102. River through Wroclaw; 103. Wrapped (up); 104. Bubbly choice; 105. O-O-O; 106. Acid; 107. Grammy winner born in Nigeria; 108. Extrema, e.g.; 109. Takeoff points for many test flights. — DOWN: 1. Meadow sound; 2. Introduction for Romeo?; 3. Flit; 4. Designer Pucci; 5. Ruling against a receiver; 6. Eschew one’s food?; 7. Cheese choice; 8. Braided bread; 9. Home wrecker?; 10. Gym wear; 11. Traces; 12. Singles grp.?; 13. Love/hate separator, they say; 14. Honoree in the arts; 15. Some city sounds; 16. “Patience ___ virtue”; 20. Tab; 21. Root in perfumery; 23. “But despite it all …”; 24. Thief, slangily; 25. Highly rated; 30. Six make a fl. Oz.; 31. Classic toothpaste brand; 32. Early European visitor of India; 33. Satirical Randy Newman song; 35. Gain, as consent; 38. “Don’t play favorites”; 40. French ladies; 43. One clearing one’s throat?; 45. Piece of gold?; 46. Name formerly on New York’s MetLife Building; 47. Handel bars?; 48. The Fonz and Hannah Montana; 50. “Ach du ___!”; 52. Widens; 53. Spoil; 54. Campaign coffer fillers; 56. Staff; 57. Kay Jewelers competitor; 58. Stored on board; 59. Kind of nut; 60. European even of 1948; 62. Danny of “Do the Right Thing”; 64. Olympian Apolo ___ Ohno; 69. Branch of Islam; 70. Fedora features; 71. Put down; 72. Warming periods; 73. “I ___ you one”; 75. Maze navigator; 78. Ruinations; 79. Score of zippo; 80. What Madonna and Cher are each known by; 81. Go-between; 83. 11-time M.L.B. All-Star Fisk; 86. “___ Is Born”; 87. Christian in France; 88. Done over; 89. Twisted and turned; 91. Blow up, maybe; 93. Like pop-ups; 96. Electronics company bought by Sony; 97. “Darn!”; 98. Hollywood clashers; 99. P./G. Wodehouse’s ___ Agatha; 100. E-mail inits.; 101. Loser to D.D.E.