08.04.13 — Should I Call the Repairman?

Section through cabin of the Otis elevator, Eiffel Tower, Paris, France. Note the pivoted floor-sections.  As the car traveled, these floor-sections were leveled by the operator to compensate for the change of inclination; however, they were soon removed because they interfered with the loading and unloading of passengers. (From La Nature, May 4, 1889, vol. 17, p. 360.) ~ Elevator Systems of the Eiffel Tower 1889, Project Gutenberg  

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Sunday, August 4, 2013

Should I Call The Repairman?, Puzzle by Steven Ginzburg

Edited by Will Shortz

Six humorous clue/entry pun phrases constitute the interrelated group of this tolerably challenging Sunday crossword:

KEEPS CUTTING OUT (27A. The jigsaw … )
JUST WENT DOWN (40A. The elevator … ) 
HAS STILL GOT BUGS (53A. The mosquito zapper … )
FAILED SOME TESTS (77A. The quiz-grading machine … )
IS ON THE BLINK (89A. The crosswalk signal … )
DEVELOPED A SHORT (104A. The film-processing machine at the movie studio … )

Other — AGA KHAN (6D. High Muslim honorific), AT A DISCOUNT (66D. On sale), CORNERSTONE (3D. Place to find a date), ECCENTRIC (100A. Quirky), EYE SHADES (29A. Antiglare wear), KING-SIZE BED (14D. Part of a honeymoon suite, perhaps), RHUBARB PIE (74D. Tart dessert), STREET-WISE (5D. Savvy, in a way), TASTING / MENU (13D. With 37-Down, restaurant offering with may small dishes), WALLPAPERED (62D. Hung some strips).

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