01.31.13 — T-Shapes

 
 
Thursday, January 31, 2013
 
Puzzle by Mike Buckley / Edited by Will Shortz
 
TEAS (31A. Tetley products), TEASE (32A. Twit), TEES (34A. Tiger’s bagful) and T-SHAPES (23D. This puzzle’s theme), along with eight T-shaped spacers and all the clues beginning with the letter T constitutes the gimmick of this tiresome Thursday crossword — nothing of the aforementioned being of any consequence or help to the solution of the puzzle, regrettably a mere “look what I did” arrangement.
 
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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Toon/live action film of 1996; 9. Typewriter’s spot; 13. Tool for the scatterbrained; 15. Thereafter; 16. Tragedy-stricken; 17. “Three Sisters” playwright Chekhov; 18. Torpedo detector; 19. Trademarked Intel chip; 21. “This Little Girl of Mine” country singer ___ Young; 23. Take; 24. Telegraph suffix; 26. Told to come; 26. Tripp’s rank on “CSI Miami”: Abbr.; 28. True: Ger.; 30. Tear up; 35. Taoism, e.g.: Abbr.; 36. Technical work requirement; 37. Total; 38. Tense, maybe; 42. TV channel with “Style Report” and “Beauty Report”; 44. Tsars and others; 45. Tide’s ebb, e.g.; 48. Threaded across and down; 49. Texas hold’em action; 51. Text you might R.S.V.P. to; 52. Thing that’s highly explosive; 56. Trig functions; 57. Treating all fairly; 58. Toboggan; 59. Taxed. — DOWN: 1. Tosses, as seeds; 2. Theorem work; 3. Titan booster; 4. The CafĂ© Carlyle and others; 5. Times to start new calendarios; 6. “The __ is up!”; 7. Type of dye; 8. Target audience of Maxim; 9. Ten-spots and such; 10. Taken; 11. Traveled by Vespa; 12. Ted and others; 14. Third way, maybe; 15. “The House of the Seven Gables” locale; 20. Towering tree; 22. Tadpole’s later form, perhaps; 26. Turn a blind eye, say; 27. Turkey or chicken dish served cold; 29. Taste authority; 31. Toned quality; 34. Trumpet blares; 39. Treated for preservation, maybe; 40. Touchdowns : football :: ____ : rugby; 41. “That’s terrible!”; 43. Tec group in old France; 46. Terri with the 1980 country hit “Somebody’s Knockin”; 47. Tenor standard “___ Mio”; 50. Took (out); 53. Test figs.; 54. Tough ___; 55. Theater head: Abbr.

 

01.30.13 — Echoes


 
 
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Wednesday, January 30, 2013
 
Puzzle by Will Nediger / Edited by Will Shortz

Duplicating an “O” syllable at the end of a word/phrase resulting in new phrases constitutes the interrelated group of this wily Wednesday crossword.

DOCTOR NO-NO (17A. Coming on to a patient, perhaps?)
BAN JOJO (21A. Deny membership to skater Starbuck?)
LET MY PEOPLE GO-GO (36A. Dictator’s directive at a dance club?)
DIS COCO (55A. Bad-mouth designer Chanel?)
MAKE IT SO-SO (59A. “Strive for medium quality on this one”?)

Other — BLADE II (35D. 2002 sequel starring Wesley Snipes), DO THE MAMBO (4D. Dance to Tito Puente, say), LAY-OVER, ORGAN MUSIC (32D. Sunday hymn accompaniment), RATED PG.

Europa, moon of Jupiter

Mid-size — ACCEPT, ACMES, COMMA, ECOLI, Zac EFRON, ELMIRA, EUROPA (13D. Moon of Jupiter), GADDED, GAS CAP, GOGOL, HIJAB, IN A JAM, LETHE (4D. Hades‘ river of forgetfulness), NACRE, OVIEDO (46D. City of northern Spain), QUADS, REFORM, SKOAL, SNOOP, WHO AM I (48D. Amnesiac‘s question), WON BIG (8D. Hit the jackpot), Mello YELLO.
 
Short stuff — ABEL, AFAR and AJAR, ARC, AVA Gardner, BEG, B MAJ, BOOM, BRIE (10A. Easy-to-spread cheese), BRR, COLE and COLT, COME, “Make my DAY!”, DECO, DELE, “Mon DIEU!”, DOPE, EDAM (64A. Cheese that doesn‘t spoil), ELLA, E-MAG, EMIL, EMO, Teri GARR, HOAX, I’M OK, JEWS, JINX, KID, Bert LAHR, LILA Kedrova, Fannie MAE, MENU, NARC, OBI, OJAI, OJO, ORCA, PIE, QED, RAP, SAL ammoniac, SIDE, UFO, VIA.
 
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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Muscles strengthened by squats; 6. Shul attendees; 14. Zac of “High School Musical”; 15. “Don’t worry about me”; 16. Course list; 19. Way off; 20. Piltdown man, for one; 23. Agree to; 26. Kedrova of “Zorba the Greek”; 27. Genre that includes freestyling; 28. Up time; 29. Cyberspace ‘zine; 31. Less-than sign’s key mate; 33. First name in scat; 35. Shiverer’s sound; 42. Seek pocket change, say; 43. Itinerary word; 44. Close to closed; 45. “Taras Bulba” author; 48. Marijuana, informally; 49. Seeker of illicit 48-Across; 50. Hollywood’s Gardner; 51. Cowardly Lion portrayer; 53. New York site of Mark Twain’s grave; 58. Radio City’s architectural style; 65. Painter Nolde; 66. Muslim woman’s veil; 67. Idiot; 68. Onion rings, e.g.; 69. Potentially dangerous strain. — DOWN: 1. Proof letters; 2. Area 51 craft, supposedly; 3. Part of a curve; 5. Buttinsky; 6. Give bad luck; 7. Rock subgenre; 9. Toast word; 10. Key using all the black keys: Abbr.; 11. Go straight; 12. Facing big trouble; 18. Suitable for most audiences; 22. Decorative inlay material; 23. First fratricide victim; 24. Nat or Natalie; 25. Gelding-to-be, maybe; 26. Break between flights; 37. Mello ___ (soft drink); 38. Budget chart shape; 39. City near Santa Barbara; 40. Teri of “Tootsie”; 41. Ocean predator; 45. Traipsed (about); 47. Often-removed car part; 52. Topmost points; 56. Command to Fido; 57. Editorial strike-out; 60. Give a ribbing; 61. Spanish eye; 63. Geisha’s accessory.

 

01.29.13 — Exclamation Mark!


 
Marlon Brando in “Viva Zapata!”
 
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Tuesday, January 29, 2013
 
Puzzle by David Steinberg / Edited by Will Shortz
 
EXCLAMATION MARK (40A. It follows the answer to each starred clue), VIVA ZAPATA (17A. *1952 Marlon Brando film), MAMMA MIA (21A. *2008 Meryl Streep film), OLIVER (30A. *1968 Mark Lester film), AVANTI (46A. *1972 Jack Lemmon film), AIRPLANE (54A. *1980 Robert Hays film) and HELLO DOLLY (64A. * 1969 Barbra Streisand film) constitute the interrelated group of this entertaining Tuesday crossword.

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Wines said to go well with meat; 5. White-bellied whales; 10. Musical Mama; 14. Each; 15. Bubkes; 16. Voting nay; 19. It might hold the solution; 20. Arctic fishing tool; 23. Parent who can pass on an X or Y chromosome; 25. Orioles and Blue Jays, informally; 26. From the start; 34. Name on a plaque, maybe; 35. French seas; 36. Part of fashion’s YSL; 43. Medvedev’s denial; 44. Skew; 45. Blue Cross competitor; 48. Atlas blowup; 49. Harvard Law Review editor who went on to become president; 52. Bubkes; 58. Intense passion; 66. Letter-shaped support; 67. Lensman Adams; 68. Common feature in Roman statuary; 69. Achy; 70. Emulated a lamb; 71. Former New York archbishop. — DOWN: 1. Shankar at Woodstock; 2. Like some fails, in modern slang; 3. Bird of peace; 4. Baden-Baden and others; 5. Seiji ___, longtime Boston Symphony maestro; 6. Dead letters?; 7. Tight-lipped sort; 8. Court proceedings; 9. Hoax; 10. Chargers in “The Charge of the Light Brigade”; 11. Japanese cartoon art; 12. Connector of stories; 13. Fictional Marner; 18. Actress Pia; 22. Disy ___; 24. Realm; 26. Mideast oil port; 27. Hardly aerodynamic; 28. Formerly; 29. Watt’s equivalent; 31. Allow to attack; 32. Silent film effect; 33. Letters on brandy; 37. Textile factory containers; 38. White-tailed raptor; 39. Game similar to bridge; 41. Many a C.E.O. has one; 42. Did perfectly; 47. Batman portrayer Kilmer; 49. Desert stop-off; 50. A ring bearer; 51. Loud, as a crowd; 53. Poker player’s “Uncle”; 55. Melville captain; 56. “99 Luftballons singer; 57. “Lohengrin” heroine; 59. Tedious learning method; 60. Many a YouTube upload; 61. Gymnast Korbut; 62. Meg of “Sleepless in Seattle”; 65. Big name in jeans.

 

01.28.13 — Tools

 
 
Monday, January 28, 2013
 
Puzzle by Jaime Hutchison and Victor Fleming
Edited by Will Shortz

WHAT A TOOL (35A. Common put-down that hints at the ends of 17-, 21-, 53- and 58-Across), FUEL LEVEL (17A. Info on a dashboard gauge), MIKE HAMMER (21A. “I, the Jury” detective), MODEL PLANE (53A. Flier made from a do-it-yourself kit) and FIRE DRILL (58A. Safety exercise prompted by an alarm) constitute the interrelated group of this work-a-day Monday crossword.

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Little prankster; 4. Does nothing; 9. Tots’ fathers; 14. Neither’s partner; 15. TV host Gibbons; 16. Go off like a volcano; 19. Countryside: Sp.; 20. Within: Prefix; 23. Big name in at glass; 25. Comic Caesar; 26. Thanksgiving side dish; 27. In layers; 28. Read leisurely; 30. French legislature; 31. Tiny misstep; 34. Newspaper opinion piece; 38. Asia’s shrunken ___ Sea; 41. Fill-ins, informally; 42. British fellow; 46. Divulges; 48. PC lookalikes, e.g.; 49. Pres. Lincoln; 50. Pop singer Carly ___ Jepsen; 52. “Aha!”; 56. Fashion magazine with a French name; 57. Rust, for example; 60. Laura and Bruce of the silver screen; 61. That is: Lat.; 62. Cambodia’s Lon ___; 63. These, to Conchita; 64. When repeated, identifies people; 65. Before, to a bard. — DOWN: 1. Overruns as pests might; 2. Canadian police officers; 3. In the sixth grade or earlier, typically; 4. Sick; 5. Judged; 6. “Deathtrap” playwright Ira; 7. Book before Daniel: Abbr.; 8. Counterpart of purchases; 9. 2010s, e.g.; 10. Biblical name for Syria; 11. Produce, as page layouts for a printer; 12. Mollify; 13. Attacked en masse; 18. Singer with the #1 R&B hit “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine”; 22. Zoo heavyweight, for short; 24. Top 10 Kiss hit with backing by the New York Philharmonic; 29. Dog command; 31. Springfield resident Disco ___; 32. Experiment site; 33. With 36-Down, “Easy!”; 36. See 3-Down; 37. Lead-in to “di” or “da” in a Beatles song; 38. With ice cream; 39. Packs again for shipping; 40. Suffered humiliation; 43. Length of a pithy joke; 44. Garrison of “A Prairie Home Companion”; 45. Actress Getty of “The Golden Girls”; 47. Discount price phrase; 48. Edam or Brie; 51. Leprechaunlike; 52. Against property, to a judge; 54. Poet ___ St. Vincent Millay; 55. Opera with a slave girl; 59. Drunk’s woe, informally.

 

01.27.13 — The Plane Truth — the Acrostic


 
 
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Sunday, January 27, 2012
 
ACROSTIC, Puzzle by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon
Edited by Will Shortz

This tough solve draws a highly enjoyable quotation (read the rest of the chapter, hell, read the whole book!) from the chapter entitled The Plane Truth or Dem Ain’t Goobers, Dem’s Peanuts!My Point…And I Do Have One by Ellen Degeneres.
 
I was awfully excited when I was asked to write a book. I was however, nervous. I was afraid I didn’t have anything important to say. But when I began writing, I realized that although I don’t know a lot about any one thing, I know a little about a whole bunch of things: baking a pie; dancing; curing the common cold; running the Iditarod–it’s all in the book. And I realized I notice things that maybe some people don’t notice (or they don’t notice that they don’t notice). That’s all in the book, too. ~ Ellen Degeneres, from the Trade Paperback edition.
 
The quotation: SO HERE I AM, SITTING IN MY SEAT, WORKING ON MY JOURNAL. HEY, THERE’S A FLY ON THIS PLANE. I AM SO SCARED OF FLYING, I CAN’T IMAGINE HOW FLIES DO IT ALL DAY EVERY DAY. BUT THEN AGAIN, THAT’S WHAT A FLY DOES, FLY DOES, FLY. IT’S HIS JOB.
 
The author’s name and the title of the work: DEGENERES, THE PLANE TRUTH

The defined words:

A. Muscle used in arm-flapping, DELTOID
B. Heavenly, blissful, divine, ELYSIAN
C. Sneaks and kicks (2 wds.), GYM SHOES
D. Discarded computers, TVs, mobile phones etc. (hyph.), E-WASTE
E. Star known for defying gravity, seemingly, NIJINSKY
F. Marriage within one’s own clan, ENDOGAMY
G. Mechanism with teeth and a pawl, RATCHET
H. Snobbishness, ELITISM
L. Vague and mysterious, hard to see through, SHADOWY
J. Buses, subways, rail, and such, TRANSIT
K. Title for the Bishop of Rome (2 wds.), HOLY FATHER
L. Combine, as oil and vinegar, EMULSIFY
M. Hang-up that might involve snakes or elevators, PHOBIA
N. Touchdown, LANDING
O. Equipment found in cockpits, AVOIONICS
P. Mount with a view of Penn State’s Beaver Stadium, NITTANY
Q. Rather pleasant, quite nice, ENJOYABLE
R. Musical effect meant to heighten drama, TREMOLO
S. In a New York minute (2 wds.), RIGHT AWAY
T. Like Chevrolet’s Corvair, per Ralph Nader, UNSAFE
U. Gradually lose volume, as speech (2 wds.), TRAIL OFF
V. Slime-exuding sea creature than can tie itself in knots, HAGFISH

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Image Stack - Fly Face by The Kav © All Rights Reserved

The paragraph of the quotation and the one following: So here I am, sitting in my seat, working on my journal. Hey there’s a fly on this plane. I am so scared of flying, I can’t imagine how flies do it all day, every day. But, then again, that’s what a fly does, fly. It’s his job. What’s going through that fly’s mind? He’s looking out the window and probably saying to himself, “Wow, look how high up I am. I”ve never gotten up this high, I am going very, very fast, and I’m not really working any harder than I usually do.

This fly just happened to wander onto a plane in Los Angeles. Several hours later it is going to get o ff in New York City. I’m concerned it will be disoriented, and not just from jet lag and being improperly dressed for New York, but more in a Home Alone 2 kind of way. ~ Ellen Degeneres, The Plane Truth, from My Point…And I Do Have One
 
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A little more from Degeneres on flying…
 

 
 
 
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01.27.13 — Black CAT

 
 
 
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Sunday, January 27, 2013
 
Puzzle by Jeff Chen / Edited by Will Shortz
 
Four “black” CAT crossings and one solo “black” CAT constitutes the main feature of this sly Sunday crossword:
 
COPY[CAT] CRIME (30A. Offense that’s provoked by lurid news) crossing RAT [CAT]CHER (6D. The Pied Piper of Hamelin, e.g.)
WILLA [CAT]HER (43A. Author who wrote about frontier life) crossing CRAZY [CAT] LADY (14D. Screwball character on “The Simpsons”)
MUS[CAT] GRAPE (88A. Base of Asti wine) crossing DELI[CAT]ESSEN (58D. Hero’s spot)
LATEX [CAT] SUIT (102A. Dominatrix’s wear) crossing STAY[CAT]ION (76D. Modern R&R option)
TOM[CAT]TED (63A. Sowed one’s wild oats)

Other — AD ASTRA (61D. Magazine of the National Space Society), AGREES TO (85D. Shakes on), AM STATION (78D. Source of talk, often), CAESURA (1A. Break in poetry), CALICO (1D. It may be spotted in a pet store), EVIL QUEEN (53A. Villain in many a fairy tale), MT ARARAT (86A. Biblical resting spot), PROP PLANE (72D. Old barnstorming needs), SCORE A HIT (16D. Make the Billboard charts, say), SPACEMEN and STARSHIP (100A. ETs; 45A. Vehicle that’s out of this world?), SPARE TIRES (10D. Middle weights?), TERRORIST (79A. Villain in many an action movie), TESSERAE (13D. Mosaic tiles), WAUL (43D. Cry like a feline).

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 8. Costumed animal, perhaps; 14. Something media executives keep an eye on?; 19. The hare, notably; 20. One on the verge of croaking?; 21. Prompt again; 22. Allowed aboard; 23. Molecules in natural gas; 24. Acrobat developer; 25. Chains; 26. “Take that!”; 28. Egg-sorting device; 32. “Fine, have it your way!”; 35. Davis of “I’m Not Rappaport”; 37. Mom-and-pop orgs.; 38. Salty stream; 40. Aforementioned; 41. New England seafood staple; 49. Person on tap?; 51. Cold war fighters; 5. Shred; 55. Winged; 57. Salon request; 59. 27-Down predators; 60. Diamond unit; 62. Water park feature; 66. ___-dozen; 70. Metals giant in the Dow Jones Industrial average; 72. Monterrey cheddar?; 75. Sanitariums; 77. Chaise scene?; 82. Darkens; 83. ___ mater; 84. Paparazzi payer; 9. Sandwich spec; 91. First responders, for short; 93. Pop’s pop; 94. Where the Mets once met; 95. Back-to-back competitions?; 105. Sampling’; 106. ___ Sea, body of water north of Norway; 108. In itself; 109. Really hurts; 111. More poker-faced; 113. Show time; 115. Act impulsively, as young lovers; 116. Without any oomph; 117. More dirty, as Santa’s boots; 118. He wrote “One Step Forward, Two Steps Back”; 119. Dramatist Sean; 120. Swaddles. — DOWN: 2. Last Oldsmobiles; 3. Hinders; 4. Wife of Woody; 5. Fancy flower holders; 7. Years abroad; 8. “Misty” crooner; 9. Leigh Hunt poem “About Ben ___”; 11. Traffic director; 12. Cry with an accent; 15. Moistens, in a way; 17. Unwieldy boat; 18. Victorian leader?; 20. Foursome; 27. Ink holders; 29. Return address letters?; 32. Bonding measurement; 33. Feudal vassal; 34. P.M.’s and such: Abbr.; 36. Sigmoid curve; 37. In on; 39. Actress Sommer; 45. Participants in some rivalries, briefly; 46. Going rate?; 47. Yours, in Ypres; 48. Number-cruncher’s numbers; 49. Hwy. that ends near La Guardia; 50. Word often seen before 3, 4 or 5, but never 1; 51. Precocious Roald Dahl heroine; 54. Apollo 10’s Snoopy, e.g., for short; 64. High-fiber cereal; 65. Raptors home: Abbr.; 67. Pioneering conservationist; 68. Watson of the Harry Potter films; 69. Part of T.A.: Abbr.; 71. Retirement spot; 73. Lake connected to Sandusky Bay; 74. Roll around in the yard?; 76. Modern R&R option; 77. Well-rounded; 78. Source of talk, often; 80. Jack of old westerns; 81. “My turn”; 83. Double agent Aldrich; 87. Cherry, e.g.; 90. Master of literary twists; 92. SautĂ©ed seafood dish; 93. Intl. standard; 94. Intense, as a gaze; 96. Not fazed by; 97. Kind of pass for an overseas passenger; 98. On the stock exchange; 99. Stock units?; 103. Hitch ___; 106. When doubled, island near Tahiti; 107. Author’s encl.; 108. Univ. figure; 109. “The Producers” producer Brooks; 110. It may be represented by “XXX” in the funnies; 112. One of the X’s in XXX.


 

01.26.13 — The Saturday Crossword

 
Mae West in "I'm No Angel", 1933
 
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Saturday, January 26, 2013
 
Puzzle by Raymond C. Young / Edited by Will Shortz

Across — 1. Rainbow event, GAY PARADE; 10. Given orally, at law, PAROL; 15. Maureen of “Tarzan the Ape Man”, O’SULLIVAN; 16. Russian princess who was Nicholas II’s only niece, IRINA; 17. One of a chain owned by Wyndham, RAMADA INN; 18. Platte River natives, OTOES; 19. “Unfaithful” Oscar nominee, DIANE LANE; 20. See 26-Across, NIGHT; 21. “Come on down!” announcer, OLSON; 22. Ode title opener, TO A; 23. Receipt to redeem a credit, SCRIP; 24. Place of imprisonment in book and film, ZENDA; 28. With 20-Across, Conan’s domain, LATE; 27. Worried about, in slang, SWEATED; 32. What repeats in solemn hymns but isn’t in hymnals?, SILENT N; 34. One who snaps, CENTER; 35. First-ever, MAIDEN; 36. “Indeed, mat”, RIGHT-OH; 38. Shaking, QUIVERY; 38. Pianist EMIL Gilels; 40. Prepare for a long drive, GAS UP; 42. Falls off, WANES; 44. Maxwell rival, REO; 45. “the strain seemed doubly dear, / Yet SAD AS sweet”: Wordsworth; Butler who played Grace Kelly, BRETT; 51. Setting for the swing set?, DANCE HALL; 53. Thor’s group, AESIR; 54. She told Willy Wonka “Loompaland? There’s no such place”, MRS TEEVEE; 55. Signs of spring, CROCI; 56. Clear thinker’s asset, ALERT MIND; 57. American tribe that lent its name to a state, KANSA; 58. Non-profit concerns?, NET LOSSES.
 
Down — 1. Monkey launched into space in 1958, GORDO; 2. Repeated cry from Mercutio in “Romeo and Juliet”, A SAIL; 3. Arizona natives, YUMAS; 4. City whose name is Spanish for “flat”, PLANO; 5. Mayflower man, ALDEN; 6. 100 fils, FIAL; 7 Winged it?, AVIATED; 8. Activia maker, DANNON; 9. Standard sudoku groupins, e.g., ENNEADS; 10. No-spin particles, PIONS; 11. It includes the extradition clause, ARTICLE IV; 12. It’s between Laredo and Nuevo Laredo, RIO GRANDE; 13. Performance with nearly perfect pitch?, ONE-HITTER; 14. What a broke person is down to, LAST PENNY; 24. Feeling no physical attraction?, ZERO G; 25. Prepare to fire into the sky, AIM UP; 27. Kind of earring requiring twisting, SCREW BACK; 28. 1919-33, in German history, WEIMAR ERA; 29. Pre-takeoff command, ENGINES ON; 30. One side in the Bay Bridge Series rivalry, ATHLETICS; 31. Southeast Asian observance, TET; 33. Medieval love poem, LAI; 37. Mae West reputedly said this “is good to find”, HARD MAN; 38. Military hut, QUONSET; 41. Aspartame developer, SEARLE; 43. Tiny groove, STRIA; 45. Ensure, SEE TO; 46. Sounds that make frogs disappear?, AHEMS; 47. “Jezebel” star DAVIS; 48. Coeur d’ ALENE; 49. They go down when it’s cold, SLEDS; 52. CTRL-C.
 
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01.25.13 — Friday Fog


 
Fog shadow of Golden Gate Bridge San Francisco, 2006.
 
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Friday, January 25, 2013
 
Puzzle by Joe DiPietro / Edited by Will Shortz

Across — 1. Automaker David Dunbar Buick, by birth, SCOTT; 5. Apple quantities, PECKS; 10. Expression of despair, SOB; 13. A really good offer, say, THREE FOR ONE; 16. Chase Field team, on scoreboards, ARI; 17. Former New York City attraction with a revolving dance floor, RAINBOW ROOM; 18. Track hostilely, DOG; 19. Tool time?, IRON AGE; 20. Cold comfort?, TISSUE; 22. It has pins at one end, ALLEY; 23. Football Hall-of-Famer Grimm, RUSS; 26. “The Last of the Mohicans” girl, CORA;27. Rank, TIER; 28. Pumice feature, PORE; 29. There are eight in “Old MacDonald Had a Farm”, OINKS; 30. Some concerned with 5-Downs: Abbr., EES; 31. +2, DOUBLE BOGEY; 33. Serious offense against God, MORTAL SIN; 34. Hit home, STRUCK A NOTE; 37. Mil. Authority, CMD; 40. Game with forks and pins, CHESS; 41. Goes out, in a card game, GINS; 42. James CAAN of “Elf”; 43. Giant of legend, YETI; 44. Seve Trophy (golf tourney); 45. Rather, SORTA; 46. Having a catch, TRICKY; 48. Skips, SITS OUT; 50. Dynasty after the Qin, HAN; 51. To come, IN THE FUTURE; 54. Abbr. in auto ads, EPA;58. Challenges catchers, in a way, STEALS BASES; 56. Change a shade?, DYE; 57. SHELF LIFE; 58. Staff sign, REST.
 
Down — 1. Streaked, STRIATE; 2. Delta preceder, CHARLIE; 3. Brooks Robinson and Frank Robinson, ORIOLES; 4. Sawbuck, TENNER; 5. Candle-lighting occasion, POWER OUTAGE; 6. Say 1 + 1 = 3, say, ERR; 7. Cote call, COO; 8. Speed units, KNOTS; 9. Penultimate match, SEMI; 10. Number of tears?, SAD SONG; 11. “Parliament of Whores” humorist, O’ROURKE; 12. Mardi Gras setting, with “the”, BIG EASY; 14. It may do your bidding, E-BAY; 15. Horror film effect, FOG; 21. Offshoot, SCION; 24. Mid 13th-century pope, URBAN IV; 25. Forgo modesty in a job interview, SELL ONESELF; 28. Bill add-ons, PORK; 29. Drama honor, OBIE; 31. Creations in Word, informally, DOCS; 32. Shop quotes: Abbr., ESTS; 33. Some strains, MUSIC; 34. Reaped, in a way, SCYTHED; 35. Couples may be in it, THERAPY; 36. Image receivers, RETINAE; 37. Hit the bars, say, CAROUSE; 38. Comes due, MATURES; 39. Fatherhood confirmer, maybe, DNA TEST; 42. Bill splitter?, CO-STAR; 44. SYNTH-pop; 45. Hit accidentally, STUB; 47. Give lip to?, KISS; 49. What-ifs; 52. Top-Flite holder, TEE; 53. Cartoonist Foster, HAL.
 
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THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.
 



01.24.13 — TRA


 
Neon Tetra - paraheirodon innesi © Leino Ole, Animal Planet
 
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Thursday, January 24, 2013
 
Puzzle by Michael Shteyman / Edited by Will Shortz
 
Six answers ending in TRA constitutes the interrelated group of this friendly Thursday crossword:

FRANK SINATRA (19A. Subject of a 2010 biography subtitled “The Voice”)
EXTRA (39A. Tabloid TV show co-hosted by Mario Lopez)
NISSAN SENTRA (55A. Compact since 1982)
COSA NOSTRA (11D. Dangerous family)
NEON TETRA (20D. Colorful fish)
IRAN CONTRA (29D. Affair of the 1980s)
 
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Puzzle available on the internet at

Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Chiquita import; 8. Sailor’s heavy jacket; 15. 1968 to the present, in tennis; 16. Gathers on the surface, as a layer of molecules; 17. Small image displayed in a browser’s address bar; 21. Marie Antoinette’s loss; 22. Title boy in a Humperdinck opera; 26. Forearm bones; 30. Word before and after “yeah”; “Whoa, baby!”; 33. It may have one or two sides; 35. Part ofa baby’s daily schedule; 37. Port ___; 38. City that’s home to three Unesco World Heritage Sites; 41. Atomic; 42. “Broccoli again?,” e.g.; 43. Tale; 44. Put on guard; 46. Hollywood’s Roberts and others; 48. Part of P.S.T.: Abbr.; 50. Several “Boris Godunov” parts; 51. Lapsed; 53. Back; 61. Brodering state; 64. Two; 65. Line of Porsches whose name is Spanish for “race”; 66. Decorative melody added above a simple musical theme; 67. With 47-Down, popular hotel chain; 68. Goddess with a golden chariot. — DOWN: 1. Sockeroo; 2. On ___ with; 3. Gulf of Finland feeder; 4. Have ___ with; 5. Unimaginative gift, maybe; 6. Sprang; 7. “Madness put to good uses,” per George Santayana; 8. Nickname for Haydn; 9. First lady of the 1910s; 10. Off course; 12. Meal morsel; 13. Type letters; 14. Medicine amt.; 23.Country lads; 24. Newsweek and others; 25. She was on the cover of back-to-back issues of Time in September 1997; 26. Metalworker’s tool; 27. Sweater material; 28. It stops at Manhattan’s Washington Square and Rockefeller Center; 29. Affair of the 1980s; 31. Bygone political inits.; 34. Sushi fish; 36. Part of the Iams logo; 40. Fraternity letters; 45. Side by side; 47. See 67-Across; 49. “You’re welcome, amigo”; 52. Line that ended in 1917; 54. Consistent with; 56. Leave rolling in the aisles; 57. “Good job!”; 58. Ride in London; 59. Rice-A-___; 60. Talk show times: Abbr.; 61. Pal; 62. “Kapow!”; 63. City community, informally.

 

01.23.13 — Initially


 
Godfrey Kneller's 1689 portrait of Isaac Newton
 
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Wednesday, January 23, 2013
 
Puzzle by Joel Fagliano / Edited by Will Shortz

PETER O’TOOLE (19A. Po boy?), LAILA ALI (29A. L.A. woman?), ISAAC NEWTON (35A. In person?), PAUL RYAN (42A. P.R. man?) and IVANKA TRUMP (52A. It girl?) constitute the interrelated group of this well-balanced Wednesday crossword.
 
Other — ACID RAIN (10D. Environmental problem addressed in the Clean Air Act), APROPOS, AVEENO (2D. Johnson & Johnson skin-care brand), CENTER, CHOCOLATY (14D Like many Ă©clairs), EASEL, ESPIES, FAR OFF, INMATE (46D. Cell body), INUNDATE (35D. Overwhelm), L L COOL J (11D. Rapper on “NCIS: Los Angeles”), MORESO, POM POM, RAILS AT, SOFTIE, IOWA STATE (31D. The Cyclones of the Big 12), TAKEN IN, TOUCAN (45D. Amazon flier).
 
 
Five-letter — ABOUT, BRETT Ratner, CROAT, Zac EFRON, HEY YA, LINEN, RASTA, RINSO, SKUNK (49D. One raising a stink?), T-BONE, Rainbow TROUT.
 
Short stuff — ABBA, ACAI, APE, ARF, ARNE Duncan, ATL, “Fine BY ME”, CIA, DOE, EEL, ET AL, GATE, HALT, HICK, HUH, IPO, MAYO, MENU, NOON, OATS, ONE / ACT (23A. With 24-Across like Edward Albee’s “The Zoo Story”), OLD, Turn-ONS, OVER, PACT, PSAT, RAGU, Rembrandt van RIJN, ROI, SANK, STEP, STU, TIE, TRUE, UCLA, Quelques-UNES, VATS, YOYO.
 
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Click on image to enlarge.
 
Puzzle available on the internet at

Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Deal; 9. “Stop!,” at a checkpoint; 13. Finito; 14. Balkan native; 15. Jackie Robinson’s alma mater; 16. It might start with Starters”; 17. 2003 OutKast hit that was #1 for nine weeks; 18. Bumpkin; 22. Female kangaroo; 25. Teen heartthrob Zac; 27. To a greater extent; 32. N.L. team with a tomahawk in its logo; 33. Notable 2012 Facebook event, for short; 34. Artist Rembrandt van ___; 38. Obama education secretary Duncan; 40. Draw; 41. Chow line?; 44. Pushover; 48. Detergent brand; 49. Apt name for a chef?; 51. Not funny anymore; 57. Natl. Merit Scholarship earner’s exam; 59. Give or take; 60. Antioxidant berry; 61. Lucky Charms ingredients; 62. Steak cut; 63. Scandal suffix; 64. Rung; 65. Went under; 66. Quelques-___ (some: Fr.). — DOWN: 1. It might be shaken next to a field; 3. Tallest member of a basketball team, often; 4. “You make a good point”; 5. “Rush Hour” director Ratner; 6. It has its ups and downs; 7. Tuna salad ingredient; 8. List ender; 9. “Come again?”; 12. Fooled; 20. Guy in dreads, say; 21. Pickled delicacy; 26. Way in the distance; 28. Stands in a studio; 29. Fourth-anniversary gift; 30. Donkey Kong, e.g.; 31. The Cyclones of the Big 12; 36. ‘Homeland” org.; 38. Suitable; 39. Harangues; 43. Person in un palais; 47. Spots; 53. Tanks; 54. “Mamma Mia!” group; 55. When shadows are shortest; 56. “Sauce brand; 58. Recipe amt.

 

01.22.13 — Cow


 
 
Grazing Cow, 1858, Jean Francois Millet
 
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Tuesday, January 22, 2013
 
Puzzle by Jay Kaskel / Edited by Will Shortz
 
BLUE CHEESE (17A. Byproduct of a sad dairy cow?), PLAIN YOGURT (25A. Byproduct of a homely dairy cow?), WHIPPED BUTTER (37A. Byproduct of an exhausted dairy cow?), STEAMED MILK (52A. Byproduct of an irate dairy cow?) and HEAVY CREAM (61A. Byproduct of a portly dairy cow?) constitute the interrelated group of this Tuesday crossword.
 
Other — “Is you is or is you AIN’T ma’ baby?“, EGGSHELL (40D. Shade of white), IRIDIUM (26D. Meal between osmium and platinum on the periodic table), SOUR MASH (3D. Whiskey distillery supply).
 
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Click on image to enlarge.
 
Puzzle available on the internet at

Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Not so likely to be fooled again; 6. [Mercy!]; 10. Avoid; 14. Make a running start at marriage?; 15. Mixed bag; 19. Ming museum piece, maybe; 20. Is a bookworm; 21. Place in society; 23. Tartan cap; 28. Oman man; 30. Capote, to pals; 31. Rogers; 32. Old Carl Sagan series;35. “I would say …,” in texts; 42. Cry often made after a whistle; 43. Kohl’s competitor; 45. Tehran tongue; 49. Suffix with cavern … or gorge?; 51. Turkish V.I.P.’s; 56. ___ Poke (caramel candy); 57. What a magician pulls a rabbit out of; 58. Janet of “Psycho”; 60. Fit to serve; 66. Fruit in a still-life painting; 67. Brand in Road runner cartoons; 68. Does fantastic stand-up; 69. Mex. Miss; 70. Film ___; 71. Paintball sound. — DOWN: 1. Part of WWW; 2. Down with a bug, say; 3. Whiskey distillery supply; 4. Sword you score points with; 5. Part of a show that begins “Previously on …”; 6. Attacks; 7. Ginger ___; 8. Start of a cheer; 9. Verses, collectively; 10. Cannibal, e.g.; 11. Temporary gap; 12. Waffling; 13. ‘40s beaqch blasts, briefly; 18. Good cholesterol, for short; 22. Camry maker; 23. Tic ___ (breath mint); 24. In ___ (lined up); 27. Senseless; 29. Alternative to Ascap; 33. Kia model; 34. Place to get a facial; 36. Gilligan’s island home; 38. Gen. follower; 39. ___-la-la; 41. Legitimate; 44. Chinese menu general; 46. Repentant one; 47. “___ after me …”; 48. Much of Libya and Algeria; 50. Expensive filling material; 53. One of the Coen brothers; 54. Science writer Willy; 55. Thrills; 59. Traction; 62. Prefix with friendly; 63. “What ___, chopped liver?”; 64. ___ king; 65. Winter Denver hrs.