10.30.12 — Where Was I?

 

 

NASA photo by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite featuring the swirl of Hurricane Sandy over the east coast of North America.

 

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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

 

Puzzle by Alex Vratsanos / Edited by Will Shortz

 

Where have I been? In the middle of Hurricane Sandy, a/k/a Frankenstorm, 28-hour blackout, unable to go outside and at night in the dark like a caveman waiting for the sunrise…

 

Catching up… RADICAL, LIBERAL, MODERATE, CONSERVATIVE and REACTIONARY in circled letters reading down from left to right constitutes the main feature of this topical Tuesday crossword. It matters not what entries contain the circled letters; nonetheless, this is a clever crossword full of variety and interest.

 

Interesting stuff — ALAMO and ANZIO (6D. 1836 battle site; 52D. 1944 battle site), COYER and SLYNESS, HOAXES (49A. “The Hitler Diaries” and others), MASTIC (22A. Resin in varnish) which is name of the Long Island hamlet where this writer spent the hurricane, ODESSA (26A. City in Ukraine or Texas), ORION crossing ORSON, POOR LAW (45D. Old welfare measure).

 

With a nod to Cal Ripken, in the seven years resulting in ten million hits that I’ve been blogging The New York Times Crossword, I’ve never missed a day; however, this is the first time I’ve been late to the plate! I had better post this now — no telling!

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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. Singer Lou; 6. Latin 101 word; 10. Mystery writer John Dickson ___; 14; Bubbling over; 15. ___ Ness; 16. Double curve; 17. Competition for 3-year-olds; 18. Together, musically; 19. “The Lion King” lioness; 20. Breastbones; 22. Resin in varnish; 24. Prefix with -batics; 25. Supplicate; 29. Gourmand; 30. Roy G. ___; 31. Haughty response; 33. Something that makes stops on the ocean?; 327. Frozen drink brand; 39. Mythical hunter; 41. “The Time Machine” race; 42. Medicinal plant; 44. ___ throat; 46. Rock genre; 47. Pear variety; 51. Subgroup; 54. Gator’s cousin; 55. Strong spate; 56. Like many eighth graders; 60. White House policy honcho; 61. Out; 63 Grammy winner Ronstadt; 64. Sanyo competitor; 65. Staff member?; 66. To have, to Henri; 67. Veg out; 68. Poetic adverb; 69. O. Henry Award winner for “Livvie is Back” — DOWN: 1. Units of a dangerous dosage; 2. Aid’s partner; 3. Sported; 4. Some fall babies; 5. Craft; 7. Certain ‘60s teens; 8. Prefix with puncture; 9. Venue where Toscanini conducted; 10. Be green, in a way; 11. Marble material; 12. Archaeologist’s find; 13. Get through to; 21. Heavens: Prefix; 23. Where Billy Budd went in “Billy Budd”; 25. Ulan ___, Mongolia; 26. Some warps; 27. Backgammon needs; 28. Like certain odds, paradoxically; 29. Verdi aria; 32. Director Welles; 34. Quizmaster Trebek; 35. A portion of; 36. Madre’s brothers; 38. F flat equivalent; 40. Jacket style; 43. Spanish liqueur; 45. Old welfare measure; 48. Composer Strauss; 50. Not retired; 51. Kind of point; 53. Rush hour speed; 54. More coquettish; 56. It may be tempted; 57. Carbon compound; 58. Do some paper work; 59. ___ a soul; 62. Trial.