09.12.12 — Possession

 

Satan as depicted in the Ninth Circle of Hell in

Dante Alighieri's Inferno, illustrated by Gustave Doré.

 

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Wednesday, September 12, 2012

 

Puzzle by Robert W. Harris / Edited by Will Shortz

THUMB’S CREW (17A. Index, middle, ring and pinkie fingers?), BUG’S PRAYER (29A. “Lord, make me impervious to Raid“?), GINGER’S NAP (43A. Reason everyone whispered during the afternoon on Gilligan’s island?) and COMIC’S TRIP (57A. Excursion for Jerry Seinfeld or Chris Rock?) constitute the interrelated group of this merry medievally evil Wednesday crossword. Oh, I get it, thumbscrew, bug sprayer, ginger snap and comic strip.

 

Other — AIRBAG, AUTOS and SRS (7D. It might suddenly blow up; 50D. Holders of 7-Downs; 49D. Official name for a 7-Down: Abbr.), AMULETS, ENDORSE, ERASER, EVIL EYE, GENEVA, IN-HOUSE, MINERAL, MODERN, NESSMAN and NIEMAN, ORDER UP, SATORI (44D. Buddhist state), SCROLL, SOLD OUT, STEEPS, The Great TEMPTER, UTILIZE.

 

Five-letter — ALITO, BAKER, BRAUN, CRETE (26A. Location of the Labyrinth of Minos) , “CRUEL Shoes”, DUE TO, ENDER, MEADE, MINDY, OLIOS, PRE-OP, RAVED and ROVER, REMIT, SADIE Hawkins Day, STAGE (32D. All the world, it’s said) STASH.

 

Short stuff — AIT, ALEX Cross, AVER, BELS, BOO, CCNY, DEN (24D. TV spot, typically), ERRS, EST, HOWL, ICBM, IUD, JAL, JETÉ, LIAR, LIMA, LOT, LPS, NITE, NEO, ON ME, OUZO (62A. Anise-flavored liqueur), PELÉ, POD, PSAT, RAP, RTE, RUNE, SASS, SEX, SPED, TEE, TLC, TOKE, VASE.

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Adult Content

 

 

 

 

Click on image to enlarge.

 

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.

Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. When repeated, a hit 1997 movie; 5. Secret supply; 10. Ballet leap; 14. “I’ve got this one”; 15. Justice who took O’Connor’s seat on the Supreme Court; 16. Assert as a fact; 19. City founded by Pizarro in 1535; 20. Hodgepodges; 21. Loudness units; 23. Some platters; 24. Because of; 25. Strike; 28. Guess: Abbr.; 31. WKRP’s Les; 34. Spot alternative; 35. Puff; 37. Victor at Gettysburg; 39. Compromised one’s values; 46. MapQuest abbr.; 47. It may follow East or West in London; 48. Thames island; 51. Prefix with natal; 52. Dark time, in ads; 54. Steve Martin’s “___ Shoes”; 55. Slips up; 60. China piece; 61. Norelco competitor; 63. ___ Cross, James Patterson detective; 64. Mork’s pal; 65. Hied. — DOWN: 1. Tract; 2. Not contracted out, say; 3. Charms; 4. Pay; 5. Lip; 6. It’s owned by Discovery Communications; 8. Gets into hot water?; 9. Wind sound; 10. Tokyo-based carrier; 11. Whammy; 12. The Great ___ (Satan); 13. Knockout punch, in boxing slang; 18. It might make you start; 22. Navigate a Web page, in a way; 25. Letter to Odin?; 27. Expressed enthusiasm; 29. Tub trio member; 30. Hospital area, briefly; 33. Like Cubism and Pop Art; 36. Juniors’ hurdle: Abbr.; 37. Feldspar, e.g.; 38. Sign, in a way; 40. “Waitress, your dish is ready!”; 41. Put into service; 42. Ball supporter; 43. Palace of Nations locale; 45. Harvard’s ___ Foundation for Journalism; 53. Nuclear weapon delivery device, for short; 54. Sch. Woody Allen flunked out o f; 56. Application datum; 58. Alternative to the pill, briefly; 59. Group of seals.