08.31.13 — This and That...

Roc by Charles Maurice Detmold 1924

Plate from "The Arabian Nights", 'The Roc which fed its young on elephants',

 "The Second Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor”

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Saturday, August 31, 2013

Puzzle by Josh Knapp / Edited by Will Shortz

Across — 1. TV host who won a Best Comedy Album Grammy, JIMMY FALLON; 12. Vegan lunch option, informally, PBJ; 15. Cry used to pump up a crowd, ARE YOU READY; 16. Following, ALA; 17. Fortune, KING’S RANSOM; 18. Beast in a Marco Polo tale, ROC; 19. Old station name, ESSO; 20. Abbr. in a birth announcement, LBS; 21. Request in pool or beer pong, RERACK; 23. Hudson River school?, SHADS; 25. “Eww!”, ICK; 27. Soundtrack to many a bomb-defusing scene, TICKS; 28. Prizes given to good docs?, OSCARS; 31. “Kazaam” star, informally, SHAQ; 32. Crying need?, TISSUE; 36. A wedge might come out of it, PIE; 37. Beast hunted by Hemingway in “Green Hills of Africa”, KUDU; 38. Work set mostly in Cyprus, OTHELLO; 40. Herbal quaff, SAGE TEA; 42. Wilde wrote “De Profundis” in one, GAOL; 43. Lion runner, MAC; 46. Unlike a showboat, MODEST; 46. Rash application, ALOE; 47. Reception opening, A TOAST; 49. Hull sealer, PITCH; 51. 1-Across’s home, once: Abbr., SNL; 52. Resistance figure, OMEGA; 57. Like pickle juice, ACETIC; 59. Dated, SAW; 61. Many a donor, in brief, ALUM; 62. Go around, but not quite go in, RIM; 63. W.W. II defense, MAGINOT LINE; 56. Sun TZU; 67. Fall fallout, some believe, ORIGINAL SIN; 68. Short agreement, YEP; 69. Scorsese film before “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”, MEAN STREETS.

Down — 1. “The Two JAKES” (“Chinatown” sequel); 2. Like 1-Across, by descent, IRISH; 8. Quick set, MENSA; 4. “Oh no!”, MY GOD; 5. His, modern-style?, YO’S; 6. Roll up and bind, FURL; 7. Source of the word “alcohol”, ARABIC; 8. Glass protector, LENS CAP; 9. Velázquez’s “LAS Meninas”; 10. Repute, ODOR; 11. Orange and blue wearer, for short, NY MET; 12. It opens during the fall, PARACHUTE; 13. Some trade barriers, BLOCKADES; 14. Nada, JACK SQUAT; 24. Dangerous thing to sell, SOUL; 26. KRIS Humphries of the N.B.A.; 29. Southern site of an 1865 battle, SELMA; 30. Weak spots, SEAMS; 32. Wrap session?, TOGA PARTY; 33. Slant one’s words, in a way, ITALICIZE; 34. Picture with a lot of gunplay, SHOOT-‘EM-UP; 35. Game controller button, SELECT; 39. Cholesterol-lowering food, OATS; 41. First-choice, GO-TO; 44. Hand over (to), CONSIGN; 46. Self-titled debut album of 1991, ALANIS; 50. Sign at a game, HI MOM; 53. “Au Revoir, Les Enfants” writer/director, MALLE; 54. Sporty Lotus model, ELISE; 55. Put one’s foot down, in a way?, GUN IT; 56. Accord indicators, AMENS; 58. Protection, CARE; 60. “I WON’T tell”; 64. 1998 Angelina Jolie biopic, GIA; 65. 40-Across source, TAR.

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08.30.13 — Egeria, etc.

Egeria mourns Numa (1669) by Claude Lorrain

Egeria (Latin: Ēgeria) was a nymph attributed a legendary role in the early history of Rome as a divine consort and counselor of the Sabine second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius, to whom she imparted laws and rituals pertaining to ancient Roman religion. Her name is used as an eponym for a female advisor or counselor. ~ Wikipedia

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Friday, August 30, 2013

Puzzle by David Steinberg / Edited by Will Shortz

Six fifteen-letter across answers constitute the main feature of this fairly friendly Friday crossword:

MICHELE BACHMANN (1A. First female candidate to win the Ames Straw Poll)
STRATEGIC ROUTES (16A. War paths)
THE LATE LATE SHOW (17A. It airs in the morning, ironically)
HUEVOS RANCHEROS (57A. Alternative to a breakfast burrito)
URBAN DICTIONARY (61A. Big source for modern slang)
PEER ASSESSMENTS (62A. Some critical comments from co-workers)

Other across — 18. Case builders: Abbr., ATTS; 19. Copy from a CD, RIP; 20. Understood, SEEN; 21. Show featuring special agents, NCIS; 22. Red Cloud, e.g., SIOUX; 24. Player of the bad teacher in “Bad Teacher”, DIAZ; 26. Rear, CAN; 27. Possible rank indicator, EPAULET; 29. Overseas relig. Title, STE; 30. Big name in car monitors, ONSTAR; 32. Beat it, SCRAMMED; 34. “Keep dreaming!”, AS IF; 36. Word after a splat, OOPS; 37. Like some lovers’ hearts, AFLUTTER; 41. Strikes, XES OUT; 45. She may be fawning, DOE; 46. Colorful cover-ups, SERAPES; 48. Brandy letters, VSO; 49. Grilling test, ORAL; 51. Misses abroad: Abbr., SRTAS; 52. Newborn abroad, BEBE; 53. SVEN Hedin, discoverer of the Trans-Himalaya; 55. ARI Folman who directed the 2013 film “The Congress”; 56. Comcast Center hoopster, TERP.

Egeria or Aetheria (often called Sylvia) was a Gallaeci or Galician woman who made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land about 381–384. ~ Wikipedia

Down — 1. Yellowstone setting: Abbr., MST; 2. Odysseus, e.g., ITHACAN; 3. Dopes, CRETINS; 4. Knocks off, HALTS; 5. Control tower info, ETAS; 6. Re-serve judgment?, LET; 7. Female adviser, EGERIA; 8. Ill-humored, BILIOUS; 9. Norwegian Star port of call, ACAPULCO; 10. Old oscilloscope part, briefly, CRT; 11. Turns over in one’s plot?, HOES; 12. Was reflective, MUSED; 13. Its adherents are in disbelief, ATHEISM; 14. Formula one?, NEONATE; 15. Neighbor of Victoria: Abbr., NSW; 21. Top kick, for one: Abbr., NCO; 22. Puck and others, SPRITES; 23. Some exact likenesses, XEROXES; 27. Certain league divisions, EASTS; 28. Forerunners of discs, TAPES; 31. Kind of cross, TAU; 33. They may be returned with regrets: Abbr., MSS; 35. 458 Spider and F12 Berlinetta, FERRARIS; 37. Production, ADO; 38. Definitely, FOR SURE; 39. Give some space, say, LEAVE BE; 40. Grind, RAT RACE; 42. Stormed, OVER-RAN; 43. Modern mouse hole?, USB PORT; 44. Ring bearer, maybe, TOE; 47. Emulates Homer, PAINTS; 50. Actor LEVAR Burton; 52. Competitor of Lauren and Klein, BEENE; 54. Numerical prefix, NONA; 56. First name in footwear, THOM; 57. “Two, three, four” lead-in, HUP; 58. Org. with a clenched fist logo, SDS; 59. Org. created right after the cold war, CIS; 60. MS-DOS component: Abbr., SYS.

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08.29.13 — Eye of the Storm

A water vapor satellite image of Superstorm Sandy

on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, Stu Ostro/Facebook

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Thursday, August 29, 2013

Puzzle by Timothy Polin / Edited by Will Shortz

So, we’re to imagine that this clever, but overly-complex and challenging Thursday crossword resembles a cyclone or hurricane, reminding us this is the season for same.  EYE appears in the unnumbered center square.  The answers for the upper half and the right half of the puzzle are reversed, the lower half and left half are not — wordage intending a “circulation” around the aforementioned word, EYE.  Two fifteen-letter answers are key:  RETRAC ENACIRRUH (17A. Exonerated boxer who is the subject of a Bob Dylan song) and BROOKLYN CYCLONE (55A.  Minor leaguer whose team is named after a Coney Island roller coaster).

The reversed and unreversed sections of the puzzle are fairly well divided by LONDON [EYE] (7D. Giant Ferris wheel on the Thames), GIMLET [EYE]  (34A. Piercing gaze), [EYE]  OPENER (43D. Enlightening experience) and [EYE]  OF NEWT (35A. Ingredient in a witch’s potion).

Reversed — ANIRTAK and the Waves (“Walking on Sunshine” band), CES, DECA, DEMYHR, DROL, ELI, ELIOTE, ENIL WOHC (36D. Mess hall queue), ERDNA, EUGES, HTUOM, LEA, LOC, MIR, NAMO, OSHO, RAOS, REHCO, SEVE, STIFEB, STIMO, STOT, TA GNIREEL (26D. Ogling wolfishly), TSE, TSYRT, TTA, WEDYENOH (37D. Green, juicy fruit), YORLIK (11D. Name in old graffiti), YHT (14A. Your substitute?).

Straightforward — AIG, ANT, APO, AT THE GYM (3D. Where to work out), BORNEO, BRIDE (45A. Name dropper, often?), CHE, DNA, EIRE, EKG, ELY, ENRON, EWES, GLENS, GLOM, HOV, INSEAM, “I PUT a Spell on You”,  KEA, KRYPTO (31a. Superman‘s dog), OILY, OMERTA, ONE, OTOH (32D. “That being said, “in textspeak”), RABBI, RACES, REUSE, ROLE PLAYS (18D. Uses sock puppets to talk to a therapist, say), ROTS, STEPPE, TUTORS, THESAURI (2D. Hustling is the same as cheating, according to these authorities), Walt Disney World’s TYPHOON Lagoon, TYRO.

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08.28.13 — I Had a Better Year

In 1930, Ruth was asked by a reporter what he thought of his yearly salary of $80,000 ($1,099,442 in current dollar terms) being more than President Hoover's $75,000. His response: "I know, but I had a better year than Hoover.” ~ Wikipedia

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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Puzzle by Erik Agard / Edited by Will Shortz

BABE / RUTH (1A. With 67-Across, man whose 1930 salary was $80,000), THE SULTAN OF SWAT (17A. Nickname for 1- /67 Across), PRESIDENT HOOVER (38A. Man whose 1930 salary was $75,000), I HAD A BETTER YEAR (60A. Quote from 1- /67-Across on why he out earned 38-Across) constitutes the interrelated group of this home-run Wednesday crossword.

Other —ARMADAS (45A. Battlers at sea), ENLISTED (5D. Up in arms?), HEARKENS (40D. Listens up, quaintly), HORRID (52A. Deplorable),  ITCH (10A. Seventh anniversary ruiner?), MAKE UP TO (55A. Repay), RED BAT (46D. Chestnut-colored flying mammal), SERENITY (20A. Peace and quiet), STATUTE (27A. It’s the law), UNIS (18D. One-piece garments, informally).

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08.27.13 — Two Door

A conceptual platform for the 2025 CL-Class, the F125 is a derivative of the F800 Style sedan concept, which made its appearance during the Geneva Auto Show back in 2010. In aluminum, carbon fiber, and high strength polymer with Mercedes‘ trademark gull-wing doors, the F125 is said to include a powertrain of hydrogen full cell with 4 electric motor.

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Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Puzzle by Jacob McDermott / Edited by Will Shortz

TWO-DOOR (41A. Coupe, e.g. … or a hint to 17- and 64-Across and 11- and 34-Down), STORM FRONT (17A. Product of colliding weather systems), FRENCH OPEN (64A. Annual tennis tournament played on clay), BACKSTAGE (11D. Behind the scenes) and STEEL TRAP (34D. Metaphor for a sharp mind) constitute the interrelated group of this Tuesday crossword.

Other — BATH OIL (45D. Aromatherapy purchase), HOLD ME (35A. 1982 Fleetwood Mac hit whose title is sung three times after “Come on and”), MARBLES (4D. Children’s game in which players “knuckle down”), SCHWA (24D. Vowel sound represented by an upside-down “e”), SPELLS (23A. Fainting fits, e.g.), VOODOO (47D. Kind of doll).

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08.26.13 — Low-Hanging Fruit

A child picking fruit, c. 1632, Gerard van Honthorst

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Monday, August 26, 2013

Puzzle by Ian Livengood / Edited by Will Shortz

LOW-HANGING FRUIT (7D. Simple things to pick … or what 5-, 11-, 29- and 38-Down have?), TOP BANANA (5D. Kingpin), ADAM’S APPLE (11D. Lump that moves when you swallow), EAST ORANGE (29D. “Colorful” city bordering Newark, N. J.) and BLIND DATE (38D. Dinner and a movie, say, with someone you don’t know) constitute the interrelated group of this sweet Monday crossword.

Other — ACTS, ADAGE, AIOLI, Supreme Court Justice ALITO, AMEN, ANG Lee, APER, ARKS, ARSON, CENTER CUT (63A. Like some premium roasts), EVIL (19D. Satan’s doing), “Kama SUTRA”, SWEET TALK (18A. Wheedle), et cetera.

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08.25.13 — Three Uses of the Knife — The Acrostic

Jason and Medea © Carle van Loo / Bridgeman Art Library

You take a knife, you use it to cut the bread, so you'll have strength to work; you use it to shave, so you'll look nice for your lover; on discovering her with another, you use it to cut out her lying heart. ~ Huddie Ledbetter, also known as Leadbelly 

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Sunday, August 25, 2013

ACROSTIC, Puzzle by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon

Edited by Will Shortz

This Sunday’s acrostic draws a quotation from Three Uses of the Knife: On the Nature and Purpose of Drama by David Mamet.

What makes good drama? How does drama matter in our lives? In Three Uses of the Knife, one of America's most respected writers reminds us of the secret powers of the play. Pulitzer Prize--winning playwright, screenwriter, poet, essayist, and director, David Mamet celebrates the absolute necessity of drama -- and the experience of great plays -- in our lurching attempts to make sense of ourselves and our world. ~ Google Books

The quotation:  IT IS IN OUR NATURE TO DRAMATIZE. … WE REINTERPRET THE WEATHER — AN ESSENTIALLY IMPERSONAL PHENOMENON — INTO AN EXPRESSION OF OUR CURRENT VIEW OF THE UNIVERSE.  “GREAT.  IT’S RAINING.  JUST WHEN I’M BLUE.  ISNT THAT JUST LIKE LIFE?”

The author’s name and the title of the work:  MAMET, THREE USES OF THE KNIFE

The defined words:

A. Dreamy god of Greeks and Romans, MORPHEUS
B. Come to, as a decision (2 wds.), ARRIVE AT
C. Practitioner of capitalism, MERCHANT
D. Muppet with Rubber Duckie, ERNIE
E. Seated figurer in many New Yorker cartoons, THERAPIST
F. Shakespeare’s Cressida, for one, TROJAN
G. Striking event in meteorology, HAILSTORM
H. Earliest U.S. intercollegiate sport (1852), ROWING
I. Volcanic mount of Antarctica, EREBUS
J. Privately (2 wds.), “ENTRE NOUS”
K. Like harvested bananas, usually, UNRIPE
L. Pious, perfect, SAINTLY
M. Last name on Martin Sheen’s passport, ESTEVEZ
N. It may go up a mountain in the spring (2 wds.) SNOW LINE
O. Best with brainpower, OUTWIT
P. Not for real, insincere, sham, FEIGNED
Q. “Das Kapital” or “Common Sense,” e.g., TREATISE
R. Coxa, in anatomy (2 wds.), HIP JOINT
S. One signing up for a tour, ENLISTEE
T. Gulf war battleground, KUWAIT
U. Producer of “The Jeffersons” and “Maude” (2 wds. NORMAN LEAR
V. One INFINITE Loop (Apple’s street address)
W. Bug repellent? (2 wds.), FLU SHOT
X. Direction for departing players, EXEUNT

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08.25.13 — Capital L's

Hopper, “A Bug’s Life”, 1998

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Sunday, August 25, 2013

Capital L’s, Puzzle by Victor Barocas / Edited by Will Shortz

In this overly complicated Sunday crossword, eight six-letter state capitals, TOPEKA, DENVER, JUNEAU, BOSTON, AUSTIN, ALBANY, HELENA and PIERRE each give the first and second halves of the capital’s name to two separate L-shaped answers:

• TOPEKA = TOP DOGS (27A. Big kahunas) and EUREKA (9D. Cry of epiphany)
• JUNEAU = JUNIPER (37A. Berry used to make gin) and THOREAU (20D. He wrote “It is life near the bone where it is sweetest”)
• DENVER = DENOUNCE (35A. Censure) and CLEAVER (16D. Butcher’s tool)
• BOSTON = BOSS HOGG (71A. White-suited “Dukes of Hazzard” villain) and SHELTON (46D. Connecticut city)
• AUSTIN = AUSTERE (73A. Spartan) and TINACTIN (43D. Athlete’s foot treatment)
• ALBANY = ALBERTS (104A. Einstein and Camus) and TIFFANY (81D. Renowned jeweler)
• HELENA = HELOISE (106A. Hint-giving columnist) and MACARENA  (77D. 1990s craze)
• PIERRE = PIETA (116A. Religious art figures) and LE CARRE (94D. Best-selling author who once worked for Britain’s M16)

Other — A BUG’S LIFE (130A. Pixar movie between “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2”), BARITONES (19A. Rossini‘s William Tell and others), BRIGHTEST (23A. Superlative for Sirius), CONVERSE (14D. Nike rival), GALAPAGOS (97A. Darwin stopping point, with “the”), IN-PATIENT (126A. Kind of treatment), Poet/dramatist Frederico Garcia LORCA; REISSUING (47A. Putting out on an anniversary, maybe), RINGO (102A. Lead singer on “Octopus’s Garden”), RISK FREE (95A. Guaranteed), ROCK CONCERT (24A. Rush job?), SPIN CITY (92D. TV show on which Charlie Sheen replaced Michael J. Fox), THIS IS A TEST (123A. Emergency Broadcast System opening), TRIPTYCH (51A. Bosch’s “The Garden of Earthly Delights,” for one), UVULA (21A. Lump in one’s throat).

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08.24.13 — The Saturday Crossword

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Puzzle by Frederick J. Healy / Edited by Will Shortz

Across — 1. Start of a phobia?, XENO; 5. All the best?, A-LIST; 10. Five-time U.S. Open winner, GRAF; 14. Immensely, A TON; 15. Leisurely, LENTO; 16. Sign of virtue, HALO; 17. Malted alternatives, CHOCOLATE SHAKES; 20. Be ruthless, TAKE NO PRISONERS; 21. Run-ONS; 22. Pair of word processors?, CUT AND PASTE; 23. Instinctive reaction, GUT; 24. Verbal gem, MOT; 25. Bygone country name or its currency, ZAIRE; 28. Safe to push off, SEAWORTHY; 34. It springs from Monte Falterona, ARNO; 35. Brush off, SPURN; 36. Place for tiger woods?, ASIA; 37. Get going, KICK START; 39. Not at all sharp, maybe, ON KEY; 40. A shot, PER; 41. Plant production: Abbr., MFG; 42. “Go figure!”, IMAGINE THAT; 48. One of the muskrats in the 1976 hit “Muskrat Love”, SAM; 51. Play savior, COME TO THE RESCUE; 53. Dual diner dish, APPLE PIE A LA MODE; 54. Stickler’s citation, RULE; 55. “Or else A RUDE despiser of good manners”: Shak.; Newton, e.g., UNIT; 57. Event with body cords, EPEE; 58. Not at all sharp, DENSE; 59. Lands, GETS.

Down — 1. Brand of blades, XACTO; 2. Brand of literature, ETHAN; 3. Where seekers may find hiders, NOOKS; 4. Almost never, ONCE; 5. Go-for-broke, ALL OUT; 6. Proceeded precipitately, LEAPT; 7. IV component, INTRA; 8. Chain of off-price department stores, STEIN MART; 9. Guzzle, TOSS DOWN; 10. Home of the world’s largest artificial lake, GHANA; 11. Ground crew gear?, RAKES; 12. Like prairie dogs, notably, ALERT; 13. “Pippin” Tony winner, FOSSE; 18. As if scripted, ON CUE; 19. “Get the lead out!”, HOP TO; 23. Get inside and out, GROK; 25. Director/screenwriter Penn, ZAK; 26. “Exodus” character, ARI; 27. Magazine with an annual “500/5000” conference, INC; 28. Likely result of excess 17- and 53-Across, SPARE TIRE; 29. Prefix with 36-Across, EUR; 30. Seemed to be, RANG; 31. Big of chiding, TSK; 32. Not daily, HIE; 33. “That’s fantastic news!”, YAY; 35. One bound to hold notes?, STENO PAD; 38. Venom, SPITE; 39. Spot OF TEA; 41. Actress MARLEE Matlin; 42. Words of support, I CARE; 43. Do the final details on, MOP UP; 44. Not coming up short, AMPLE; 45. Frost, to François, GLEE; 46. Human Development Report publisher, in brief, THE UN; 47. About 50% of calls, HEADS; 48. Turnover alternative, SCONE; 49. Tax burden?, AUDIT; 50. Measures up to, MEETS; 52. Like many a goody-goody, SMUG.

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08.23.13 — The Friday Crossword

Portrait by Baketti of the Coronation of Tsar Nicholas II & Empress Alexandra Feodoroyna, St. Petersburg, 1896 

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Friday, August 23, 2013

Puzzle by Ian Livengood / Edited by Will Shortz

Across — 1. Human-powered transport, PEDICAB; 8. Lingerie enhancements, BRA PADS; 15. Japanese “thanks”, ARIGATO; 15. Consumed, EATEN UP; 17. Like some Mideast ideology, PAN-ARAB; 18. Grammy-winning singer from Barbados, RIHANNA; 19. “ASK me later”; 20. Barrister’s deg., LLB; 21. Belief opposed by Communists, TSARISM; 22. Hammer and sickle, TOOLS; 24. Small arms, INLETS; 25. “Be right there”, JUST A SECOND; 29. Labor outfits, UNION SHOPS; 30. Bubbly brand, for short, MOET; 34. Oral reports?, BURPS; 35. Des Moines-to-Cedar Rapids dir., ENE; 36. It’s known to locals as Cymraeg, WELSH; 37. “Money” novelist, 1984, AMIS; 38. Orange entrée, informally, MAC N CHEESE; 40. Not take a back seat to anyone?, RIDE SHOTGUN;41. Diner freebies, STRAWS; 45. Fisherman’s Wharf attraction, SEALS; 46. Young colleen, across the North Channel, WEE LASS; 48. Browns’ home, for short, CLE; 49. Bring to a boil?, IRE; 52. By the boatload, APLENTY; 53. Wastes, RUBS OUT; 55. Cubs’ home, BEAR DEN; 56. Improbable victory, in slang, EPIC WIN; 57. Potentially embarrassing video, SEX TAPE; 58. Mezzo-soprano TATIANA Troyanos.

Down — 1. Quebec preceder, to pilots, PAPA; 2. Meaningful stretches, ERAS; 3. Soft touch?, DINK; 4. Supermarket inits., IGA; 5. Some bank offerings, CAR LOANS; 6. Totally flummoxed, AT A LOSS; 7. Spring figure, BOBBLEHEAD; 8. Pitcher BERT Blyleven with 3,701 strikeouts; 9. Oatmeal topping, RAISINS; 10. Close, AT HAND; 11. Unit of wisdom?, PEARL; 12. “Little Girls” musical, ANNIE; 123. Actress Kirsten DUNST; 14. Hits with some trash, SPAMS; 22. Sporty auto options, T-TOPS; 23. Torch carriers, SCONCES; 25. Capital of South Sudan, JUBA; 26. Old one, UNUM; 27. Her voice was first heard in 2011, SIRI; 28. It’s already out of the bag, OPEN SECRET; 30. Parts of a school athletic calendar, MEETS; 31. Designer, OLEG Cassini; 32. “Mi casa ES SU casa”; 33. Segue starter, THEN; 36. Everything, with “the”, WHOLE BIT; 38. Trip, MISSTEP; 39. Fried tortilla dish, CHALUPA; 40. Landlocked African land, RWANDA; 41. Collectors of DNA samples, SWABS; 42. Hides from Indians, maybe?, TEPEE; 43. Chill, RELAX; 44. All-points bulletin, e.g., ALERT; 47. Final word in a holiday tune, SYNE; 49. Locale for many political debates, IOWA; 50. Perdition, RUIN; 51. Site of the Bocca Nuova crater, ETNA; 54. Poli SCI.

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08.22.13 — CALL

Barbara Stanwyck in the film “Sorry, Wrong Number”, 1948

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Thursday, August 22, 2013

Puzzle by Stu Ockman / Edited by Will Shortz

This fetching Thursday crossword features six squares containing the word CALL, resulting in the following:

• CALL THE DOGS OFF (1A. Stop threatening) with CALLIOPE (1D. Homer’s Muse)
• BACALL (12A. “How to Marry a Millionaire” actress) with CALLBOX (14D. Roadside fixture)
• DON’T CALL US, WE’LL CALL YOU (38A. Audition rebuff) with RECALL (28D. Reminisce about) and RAPSCALLION (22D. Rogue)
• CALLAS (66A. Singer known as La Divina) with CATCALL (56D. Sound of derision)
• TOO CLOSE TO CALL (67A. Extremely tight) with ROLL CALL (55D. Class starter)

Other — GUADALCANAL (61A. Site of W.W. II’s first amphibious landing), I HAVE NO IDEA (15A. One’s initial response to this clue, perhaps), ‘MONGST (46D. In the midst of, poetically), ORIOLE’S NEST (17A. Suspended avian home), SPÄTLESE (24D. German wine made from fully ripe grapes), ST. PAULI GIRL (65A. Commercial figure holding six beer mugs).

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