03.03.13 — Praise for Prose

 

Sunday, March 3, 2013

 

SEVEN BLURBS FOR SEVEN BIOGRAPHIES

Puzzle by Samuel A. Donaldson

Edited by Will Shortz

 

Seven clues consisting of imaginary blurbs for seven answers of imaginary biographies, each answer a standard phrase with the second and fourth word switched to achieve the “biography” title, constitutes the interrelated group of this friendly Sunday crossword:

 

• THE COOKING OF JOY (22A. “It’s worth it just for Ms. Behar’s famous lasagna recipe”)
• THE DESTRUCTION OF EVE (35A. An insightful look at how playing Miss Brooks took its toll on Ms. Arden”)
• THE SPADES OF JACK (48A. “You don’t have to be a gardener to dig this book about Kerouac’s tools”)
• THE TIME OF NICK (58A. “Finally, we learn how one Jonas brother defined an entire generation”)
• THE RIGHTS OF BILL (73A. “Clinton’s a well-known southpaw, so this expose on his other-handed punches is an eye-opener”)
• THE DARKNESS OF PRINCE (87A. “Required reading for all “Purple Rain” fans who think their idol is too goody-goody”)
• THE WARFARE OF ART (103A. “A gripping narrative about one folk singer’s violent turn against Paul Simon”)

Other — ATAHUALPA (71D. Last Incan emperor), BLISTERPACK (63D. Plastic coating for some pills), CORD OF WOOD (15D. Winter supply usually stored outside), EASY DOES IT (66D. “Nice and slow”), O PIONEERS (16D. Start of Willa Cather’s Great Plains trilogy), PASSIVATE (17D. Give an anticorrosive coating), RIVERBOAT (72D. Casino that’s partly underwater?), TEETOTALERS (3D. Dry ones).

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THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.

Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Insect pupa sold as fish food; 7. Doesn’t get the memo, maybe; 15. Make do; 19. Show instability; 20. Offering with potato chips; 21. Amount owed by an insurance policy holder; 24. Crop up; 25. Cleverness; 26. TV’s Peter and literature’s Ben; 27. Walk through; 28. Mathematician Paul; 29. Bolivian bears; 31. Born as; 32. British actress Diana; 33. “Start already!”; 39. Spanish beaches; 41. Cole Porter title woman; 42. Slickers and galoshes; 43. Conger catcher; 44. Captain Hook’s alma mater; 46. Engine attachment; 47. Crumbs; 52. Long time follower?; 53. Sight at a supermarket or golf course; 54. Pack number; 55. Indisposed; 56. Relief; 57. Anesthesiologists’ locales, for short; 63. Jaguar rival; 66. Frozen dessert name; 67. It could pave the way; 68. Second most populous continent: Abbr.; 69. On the safe side; 70. Legal helpers, briefly; 78. “Really?”; 79. Writer ___ Hubbard; 80. Many an aria; 81. Notable flop; 82. Chicago lakefront attraction; 84. Family head; 86. Nasty ones; 91. Night lights; 92. Very often; 93. Take the lion’s share of; 94. Duffer’s hazard; 97. Drives a getaway car, maybe; 98. British submachine gun; 99. Reach rival; 101. Duffer’s org.; 102. Like some calls; 106. It beats ace-high; 107. Open quality; 108. “___ Restaurant”; 109. Bulb unit; 110. Northeast nickname; 111. Political symbol. — DOWN: 1. When many bars close; 2. Fruity sodas; 3. Dry ones; 4. Abbr. sometimes seen twice in a row; 5. Trivial Pursuit category: Abbr.; 6. French press remnants; 7. Des ___; 8. Lodges; 9. Certain frat boy; 10. Completely remove; 11. Put teeth into; 12. Fine-tune; 13. Christian name?; 14. Bond, for one; 18. Check out; 21. Cigarette purchase; 23. Reflex test site; 28. Start of an elimination process; 30. Reserved to the maximum extent; 32. Some bathroom crystals; 33. “___ you mother”; 34. Like tweets, by necessity; 36. “Tombstone” role; 37. Some fight finishes, for short; 38. ___-Z (classic car); 39. Retailer for Rover; 40. Composer of the “Gold and Silver” waltz; 44. Falco of “Nurse Jackie”; 45. Be all thumbs as a writer?; 46. Word with pay or page; 49. Pale; 50. Food Network host Guy; 51. Former “Idol” judge; 52. An ending to beat; 56. Prefix with phobia; 58. Receiving stats; 59. Calif.-to-Fla. Hwy.; 60. Blemish; 61. N.B.A. part: Abbr.; 62. In that case; 63. Plastic casing for some pills; 64. Donnybrook; 65. Fargo’s partner; 66. “Nice and slow”; 69. Take aboard a spaceship, maybe; 70. One of a nautical trio; 73. Long expeditions; 74. Butt (in); 75. Sexologist’s subject; 76. Clop maker; 77. “Charlotte’s Web” girl; 79. Old Italian dough; 83. Two-___ (extended TV episode); 84. Author with a fan site called “Into the Wardrobe”; 85. Unvoiced; 86. It may get squandered in a game; 88. Diner; 89. “Wheel of Fortune” category; 90. Din; 95. Match; 96. Stooge; 98. Actor LaBeouf; 99. Spirit ___ Louis; 100. String tie; 102. Avian call; 103. File extension; 104. Mens ___; 105 End: Fr.