05.24.13 — Careless Abandon

Explosion at gas station in Kazakhstan 

————————

Friday, May 24, 2013

Puzzle by Joe Krozel / Edited by Will Shortz

Twelve fifteen-letter answers constitute the main feature of this fearsome Friday crossword:

HAS AN INTEREST IN (17A. Is curious about)
PROCRASTINATING (24A. Off-putting?)
GASOLINE STATION (31A. It may help you get from E to F)
CARELESS ABANDON (41A. Bad quality for dangerous work)
RAN A CLOSE SECOND (48A. Barely lost)
TOLERANCE LEVELS (58A. Drug study data)
BOSTON STRANGLER (3D. Notorious 1960s figure)
GENERAL ELECTRIC (5D. Company of which Thomas Edison was once a director)
HONKS ONE’S HORN AT (6D. Greets with a beep)
THESIS STATEMENT (8D. Doctoral candidate’s starting point)
THE SAHARA DESSERT (9D. Large portion of Africa)
PETRIFIED FOREST (11D. Source of hardwood?)

————————

Click on image to enlarge,
or Right click and select “Open Link in New Window".

Puzzle available on the internet at
THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.

Remaining clues — ACROSS:  1. Comparable in extent; 6. Old White House inits.; 9. Convertible setting; 14. Holdings; 15. “Look at that!”; 16. Laughing ___; 20. N.Y.C. line; 21. Some bulls; 22. Stranded message?; 23. Place to hang something; 228. Museum funding org.; 29. Scale markings: Abbr.; 30. Pajama-clad exec.; 37. Word with place or prayer; 38. Stretch (out); 39. Besmirch; 40. Long time; 45. Put away; 46. Google finding; 54. H.S. subj.; 55. Rocky mount; 56. ___ o menos (basically, in Spanish); 57. Pooh pal; 62. ‘90’s soccer great Lalas; 63. Prince Valiant’s son; 64. Onetime big name in daytime talk; 65. Georges who wrote “Life” A User’s Manual”; 66. See 67-Across; 67. With 66-Across, little source of carbs.  —  DOWN:  1. “___ of fools sailing on” (Wang Chung lyric); 2. 1998’s ___ Report; 4. Pension supplement, for short; 7. One perhaps having one too many; 10. Cries of despair; 12. 18-Down, for one; 13. Consumer products firm since 1837, informally; 18. Dockworker’s grp.; 19. Infomercial pioneer Popeil; 25. Fig. at the top of an organizational chart; 26. Lao-___; 27. Asian holiday; 31. Big maker of S.U.V.’s; 32. Moody’s rating; 32. Presidential nickname; 34. It may be clicked on a computer; 35. Cargo on the Spanish Main; 36. Grandmother, to Brits; 42. Fraternity letter; 43. Start of a cheer; 44. Japanese computer giant; 48. Draw on again; 49. Tropical lizard; 50. Mauna ___; 51. Mineo of movies; 52. “I’m serious!”; 53. Nurse, at times; 59. Computer file suffix; 60. ___-Magnon; 61. Intl. broadcaster.