In American culture, many bawdy jokes focus on wives who commit adultery with a mailman, milkman, plumber, traveling salesman, or any other man who knocks on the front door while the husband is away. In 1912, the year in which The Iceman Cometh is set, one of the deliverymen who stopped frequently at homes was the iceman. He delivered blocks of ice used to refrigerate food. Like milkmen and traveling salesmen, icemen became characters in these bawdy jokes. —
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Thursday, November 1, 2012
Puzzle by George Barany and Victor Barocas / Edited by Will Shortz
Ushering in the month of November, six 15-letter across entries with the hidden letter C upon a black square (or behind, take your choice) constitute the interrelated group of this toilsome, tough and tedious Thursday crossword:
1. With 4- & 9-Across, sports news of 1919, BLACK SOX SCANDAL
17. With 18- & 19-Across, Toys “R” Us, ELECTRONIC GAMES
4. With 37- & 39-Across, Fredric March’s last film, THE ICEMAN COMETH
45. With 47- & 48-Across, like some student activities, EXTRA-CURRICULAR
64. With 67- & 69-Across, role that garnered 12 consecutive unsuccessful Emmy nominations, 1985-96, JESSICA FLETCHER
73. With 74- & 75-Across, “invisible” part of a distribution list … or a hint to this puzzle’s theme, BLIND CARBON COPY.
Other across — 14. Part of E.N.T., EAR; 15. Stand for a sitting EASEL; 16. Part of a waste reduction strategy, RE-USE; 20. Figure in Raphael’s “The School of Athens”, PLATO; 22. Painter’s aid, LADDER; 24. Drawer at a doctor’s office?, SYRINGE; 26. Not moved from the original location, IN SITU; 30. Lib DEM (U.K. party member); 31. Times or Century, FONT; 33. Some French?, DES; 41. RENE Gallimard, protagonist of “M. Butterfly”; 42. Something to contemplate, NAVEL; 44. Tributary of the High Rhine, AARE; 49. Third of November?, VEE; 50. Like bright red cardinals, MALE; 52. Egyptian headdress figure, ASP; 54. Children of ISRAEL (descendants of Jacob); 56. Goldsmith, for one, ARTISAN; 60. Like “Wedding Crashers” or “Bridesmaids”, R-RATED; 63. A current flows into it, ANODE; 70. Brother of Moses, AARON; 71. Beauty pageant judging criterion, POISE; 72. Iraq war danger, for short, IED.
The School of Athens is one of the most famous frescoes by the Italian Renaissance artist Raphael. It was painted between 1510 and 1511 as a part of Raphael's commission to decorate with frescoes the rooms now known as the Stanze di Raffaello, in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican.
Down — 1. Urban cacophony, BEEPS; 2. LALLY column (construction piece); 3. Toward the back, AREAR; 4. Organic compound, KETONE; 5. Isl. South of Corsica, SAR; 6. “O Sole MIO”; 7. Princess known as the Defender of the Elijans, XENA; 8. Declined, as stocks, SLID; 9. Composer Dominick whose name means “silver” in Italian, ARGENTO; 10. Almost reaches, NEARS; 11. Musical syllable before and after “da”, DUM; 12. Enzyme suffix, ASE; 13. “LES Miz”; 21. Comparatively neat, TIDIER; 23. Racket, DIN; 25. Feds, G-MEN; 27. Model, IDEAL; 28. Aquarium fish, TETRA; 29. Program presenter, USHER; 31. N.F.L. record-holder for consecutive starts, FAVRE; 32. Embarassing spelling mistake?, ONE R; 34. Fountain name, TREVI; 35. Spells, HEXES; 36. Sign with an arrow, ENTER; 38. Mangle, MAUL; 40. “Tales of the City” novelist, MAUPIN; 43. Make-up person?, LIAR; 46. Ute or Cree, AMERIND; 51. What’s put before the carte?, A LA; 53. New York’s STATEN Island; 55. “Backdraft” crime, ARSON; 56. Wing it, AD LIB; 57. Bygone gas brand, SOHIO; 59. Uncool, NERDY; 61. Spanish appetizer, TAPA; 62. Get an E FOR effort; 64. Get one’s point across?, JAB; 65. Suffix with arbor or ether, EAL; 66. SRI Lanka; 68. “ESO Beso”.
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Puzzle available on the internet at
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