03.12.15 — Fire!

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Puzzle by Ellen Lauschner and Jeff Chen

Edited by Will Shortz

Two 2×2 blocks of black squares to be imagined as containing the word FIRE, surrounded by entries that require the word as part of their answers, constitutes the main feature of this hot little Thursday crossword:

WILD[FIRE] (9D. Metaphor for quick-spreading success)
SPIT[FIRE]  (10D. British W.W. II plane)
[FIRE]-LIT (34D. Like a hearth)
[FIRE] AXE (35D. Emergency tool for breaking down doors)
PLAYS WITH [FIRE] (24A. Risks disaster)
[FIRE] LANE (26A. Illegal place to park)
GUN[FIRE]  (28A. Rat-a-tat-tat)
[FIRE] ANTS (29A. Stinging insects)

MIS[FIRE]  (31D. Failure)
BON[FIRE]  (32D. Feature of a big outdoor party)
[FIRE] SALE (58D. Chapter 11 event, maybe)
[FIRE] EXIT (59D. Building safety feature)
OPEN [FIRE] (47A. Start shooting)
[FIRE]MAN (50A. Many a calendar beefcake)
SURE[FIRE]  (53A. Impossible to fail)
[FIRE] IN THE HOLE (54A. Warning before a detonation … and a hint to 16 of this puzzle’s answers)

Other — ARACHNID (8D. Scorpion or tick), ARBOR DAY (40D. Annual April celebration), BROWSES (57A. Goes on Safari, say), CD TOWER (22A. Jewel case display unit), I’D SAY SO (4D. “Yep, sounds about right!”), LOST ARTS (3D. Letter writing and sentence diagramming, it’s said), Marvel supervillain Norman OSBORN a.k.a. the Green Goblin, POOLSIDE (41D. Relaxing in a cabana chair, maybe), SEMI-SOFT (38D. Like Havarti cheese).

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03.11.14 — Red Cross

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Puzzle by David Steinberg / Edited by Will Shortz

Five crossings in this Wednesday crossword refer to items that are (or can be) red, resulting in a RED CROSS. 

MARS with RARE MEAT (3D. Twix maker; 17A. Something that's just not done at the dinner table?)
RADISH with NAIL POLISH (18A: Salad bar item;  12D: Purse item)
BRICK with CHILI (31D: Adobe, e.g.; 42A: Tailgate dish)
STRAWBERRY with MERLOT (29D: Kool-Aid flavor; 65A: Dark wine)
ROSE with RED CROSS (62D: Stood; (67A. Aid provider since 1864 … or a hint to this puzzle’s shaded squares)

Other — ATHEIST (30D. One who’s beyond belief?), BUT WHY (58A. Cry from a whiny child), DAHS (14D. “Tom,“ entirely, in Morse code), EIRE (43A. It goes from Caradonagh to Skibbereen), HATS (8D. Top gear),  IT’S A LIE (21D. “Don’t believe that one bit!“), OPA-LOCKA (15A. Miami suburb), PEROT (33D. Reform Party pioneer), PROSPERO (72A. Shakespearean character who says “We are such stuff as dreams are made on”), RECIPE (45A. It might have a stirring part), TV TRAY (36A. Couch potato’s holder), WOMANISH. (1A. Ladylike). 

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03.10.15 — The Tuesday Crossword

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Puzzle by Allan E. Parrish / Edited by Will Shortz

LANDAU, CARRIAGE and COACH are the tidy threesome of this Tuesday crossword:

MARTIN LANDAU (20A. “Ed Wood” actor)
PAPER CARRIAGE (35A. Typewriter part)
BATTING COACH (53A. Expert on swings)

Other — ANCIENT (30D. Like the Dead Sea Scrolls), BABUSHKA (10D. Russian grandmother), CARDIO (8D. What spin classes provide, informally), MAINSTAY (23a. Primary supporter), MISSPENT (50A. Squandered, as youth), NATURAL (21D. Quick learner), PASSBOOK (37D. Obsolescent bank item), SPARSE (43D. Like people in the Yukon).

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03.09.15 — Board Game

The Road to Washington, board game, 1884 

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Monday, March 9, 2015

Puzzle by Debbie Ellerin / Edited by Will Shortz

BOARD GAME (62A. Entertainment found at the start of the answer to 17-, 21-, 27-, 45- or 54-Across) clues the main feature of this Monday crossword:

RISK TAKER (17A. One living on the edge)
LIFE RAFT (21A. Need on a sinking ship)
TROUBLE AHEAD (27A. Ominous outlook)
SORRY, CHARLIE (45A. “Fraid not”)

CLUE ME IN (54A. “So what’s the stor

Other — ALAS and “WOE is me!”(33D. “Ah, so sad”; 41D.); Yogi BERRA who said “When you come to a fork n the road, take it”; ÉCLAIR (20A. Patisserie pastry); FUEL and TESLA (22D. What an electric car doesn’t need; 3D. Electric car maker); HOBOS (19A. Bums); HOORAH (10D. Old-fashioned “Yay!”); IRS and LIMES (39A. Org. that may garnish your wages; 38A.Garnishes for Coronas); SARDI (67A. Noted Big apple restaurateur), SNIPED (40D. Took potshots); TIARAS (18D. Miss America toppers).

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03.08.15 — Counting Sheep — the Acrostic

Sunday, March 8, 2015

ACROSTIC, Puzzle by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon

Edited by Will Shortz

This Sunday’s acrostic draws a quotation from “Counting Sheep: the Science and Pleasures of Sleep and Dreams” by Paul Martin.

Author Paul Martin here tackles the science of that most mysterious, elusive and alluring of human activities, sleeping, and draws on both cutting-edge neuroscience and classic literature to do so. We spend one third of our lives asleep, but know hardly anything about it, and can remember so little of it as we come out of it. Why? Are dreams the place we go to resolve our problems, emasculate our fears and rehearse our hopes? Why are we paralysed when we dream? Why did sleep evolve? And is anybody getting enough sleep? ~ amazon.com 

The quotation:  THE PURITAN WORK ETHIC AND THE CULT OF TIME MANAGEMENT NAG US TO DO A LITTLE… MORE… EACH DAY.  SO WE GET LESS SLEEP.  BUT THAT IS STUPID, BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO CUT BACK ON THEIR SLEEP ACHIEVE LESS AND FEEL BAD INTO THE BARGAIN.

The author’s name and the title of the work:  PAUL MARTIN, COUNTING SHEEP

The defined words:

A. Trash-to-ashtray converter (2 wds.), PIG LATIN
B. Period for lighting candles, ADVENT
C. Of the previous month, ULTIMO
D. Find utterly despicable, LOATHE
E. Painkiller for patients in rehab, METHADONE
F. British author of “Island in the Sun” (2 wds.), ALEC WAUGH
G. Chide, scold, admonish, REBUKE
H. Crime of a quisling, TREASON
I. The Big 12’s Cyclones (2 wds.), IOWA STATE
J. Language of Big Brother, NEWSPEAK
K. Grape variety used in Bordeaux, CABERNET
L. Square one, starting point, OUTSET
M. Use a derailleur on the way down a hill, UPSHIFT
N. Lunatic, kook, psycho, NUTCASE
O. Sons of Liberty action of 1773 (wds.), TEA PARTY
P. Replacement for Apple’s MobileMe, iCLOUD
Q. After-dark entertainment, NIGHTLIFE
R. Field cultivated by Gregor Mendel, GENETICS
S. Thrown together carelessly, SLIPSHOD
T. Device limiting free movement, HOBBLED
U. Dutch export with a red cover (2 wds.), EDAM CHEESE
V. Engaged in conflict, under siege, EMBATTLED
W. Tom Cruise’s wheels in “Risky Business”, PORSCHE  

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03.08.15 — 3.1415926 ...

Sunday, March 8, 2015

“3.1415926 …”  — Puzzle by Tom McCoy / Edited by Will Shortz

Pi, Greek letter (π), is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi = 3.1415926... Pi Day is celebrated by math enthusiasts around the world on March 14th. The official site for Pi Day is piday.org.. Wikipedia, HERE. Teachers in many classrooms (this year a Saturday) celebrate Pi Day in classrooms across the globe taking a break from the normal routine to plan a special celebration in honor of π. March 14 also happens to be the birth date of Albert Einstein.

This year, Pi Day is 3.14.15, along with 9:26 (time of day), and this Sunday‘s crossword takes note with PI being the main feature of the puzzle.  In  five squares, pi (π), works in the down answers and the look-alike TT in the answers across.  Other answers also have reference to the main feature

• RO[TT]EN EGG (23A. The last one in perhaps) with TY[PI]CALLY (3D. As is usual)
• MAD HA[TT]ER (26A. "Why is a raven like a writing desk?" asker) with RA[PID]-FIRE (15D. How questions may be asked)
• GUIL[TT]RIPS (29A. Shames into action) with RES[PI]TE (9D. Breather)
• TA[TT]LE (117A. Snitch) with STU[PI]D (102D. Cry exclaimed while facepalming) 
• DO[TT]ED (120A. Like two lowercase letters of the alphabet) with UTO[PI]A (105D. More work)

HOW I WISH / I COULD CALCULATE / PI  EASILY (69A. With 94- and 72-Across, a mnemonic for the first eight digits of [symbol in the middle of the grid]), e.g., HOW is 3 letters, I is 1, WISH is 4,  I is 1, COULD is 5, etc. 3.1415926 the full mnemonic.

FILLING (50D. Pie part [that's appropriately placed in this puzzle?]), along with black squares that form a big pi symbol in the middle of the grid completes the main feature of the crossword.

Other — ALSO-RAN and HARE (90D. Race loser; 118A. Fabled 90-Down); CRAPSHOOT (114A. Risky venture); ESCROW (100D. What money can be kept in); ETRUSCAN (76A. Like much of Italy in 700 B.C.); EYESORES (16D. Derelict buildings, e.g.); KREMLIN (49D. One end of the hotline); SESAME SEEDS (38A. Sushi coating, maybe), SUSS OUT (92D. Solve).

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03.07.15 — The Saturday Crossword

Dark Moonlight, pixshark.com

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Saturday, March 7, 2015

Puzzle by David C. Duncan Dekker / Edited by Will Shortz

Across — 1. Completely, FROM A TO Z; 9. Southern river to Winyah Bay, PEE DEE; 15. Something you might make a stand for, LEMONADE; 16. Speaking part, LARYNX; 17. Quaint raid targets, ICEBOXES; 18. Minnesota county whose seat is Grand Rapids, ITASCA; 19. A lot of bucks … or the Bucks, briefly, MIL; 20. Tees off, NETTLES; 22. Herbert LOM of Hollywood; 23. Hit 90, e.g., SPED; 25. Their pH’s are often measured, SOILS; 26. Force user, JEDI; 27. Elusive giants, YETIS; 29. C. J.’s boss on “The West wing”, JED; 30. Sickening thing, TOXIN; 31. Boiling evidence, VAPOR; 33. “See the difference a little drop can make” sloganeer, VISINE; 34. A in typing class, e.g., HOME KEY; 37. Hodgepodges, RAG BAGS; 38. “Hold your horses!”, IN A SEC; 39. Beaucoup, MUCHO; 40. Modern back-and-forth, TEXTS; 41. Model material, KIT; 42. Unlikely to stress out, TYPE B; 46. Makes one’s bed?, SOWS; 47. Key of Debussy’s “Claire de Lune”, D FLAT; 49. What often produces passing thoughts?, SEMI; 50. Where the Saguenay R. flows, QUE; 51. Boston area known for its brownstones, BACK BAY; 53. Execute a motion on the fly?, ZIP; 54. Still in development?, UNBORN; 58. Pink application to red areas, CALAMINE; 58. Breezed through something, ACED IT; 59. Debated, debated, debated, AGONIZED; 60. Place less value on, DERATE; 61. They use every letter 1-Across, PANGRAMS.

Down — 1. Very weak, FLIMSY; 2. It might tell you to chill, RECIPE; 3. Cheese OMELET; 4. Descend upon in droves, MOB; 5. Like Mr. X, briefly, ANON; 6. Burdens, TAXES; 7. European Union anthem, ODE TO JOY; 8. Spiced up, say, ZESTIER; 9. Carries on steadily, PLIES; 10. Works on a course, EATS; 11. Follower of Johnson or Kennedy, ERA; 12. Source of a character flaw?, DYSLEXIA; 13. Some intelligence work, ENCODING; 14. Checks, EXAMINES; 21. One of several awarded to Pres. Clinton, LLD; 24. Strips of land, say, DIVESTS; 26. Sequel to Alcott’s “Little Women” and “Little Men”, JO’S BOYS; 28. ‘Land SAKES!” (quaint cry); 30. Like the best of friends, TIGHT; 32. PEC deck (gym machine); 33. Little sucker?, VAC; 34. Group of dispatchers, HIT SQUAD; 35. Two tablespoons, ONE OUNCE; 36. “Science as a Vocation” sociologist, MAX WEBER; 37. It’s sometimes called a yellow turnip, RUTABAGA; 39. Toadstool that exudes latex when cut, MILK CAP; 41. Sister of Pizza Hut, KFC; 43. Cup-shaped forest fungus, PEZIZA; 44. Shady Records co-founder, EMINEM; 45. Birds, e.g., BIPEDS; 47. Writer about a hellish journey, DANTE; 48. Hook on a kite, TALON; 51. Musical lead-in to pop, BRIT; 52. Light principle, YANG; 55. Concubine’s chamber, ODA; 57. Follower of Salyut 7, MIR.

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03.06.15 — Crosses in a Zoo

White baby liger, Getty images 

Breeding of ligers has been banned in many zoos and animal sanctuaries due to no conservation value of the hybrid, and the risk it poses on the tigress that gives birth to it.   Keeping the two species separate has been standard procedure.  However, ligers do occur by accident in captivity. ~ Wikipedia 

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Friday, March 6, 2015

Puzzle by David Phillips / Edited by Will Shortz

Of interest — AFC SOUTH (1A Colts’ division, for short), CREPES (42A. Bistro orders), DEL TACO (24D. Fast-food chain with the slogan “Unfreshing believable”), DINOSAUR (37A. One unable to adapt), IT’S A DATE (56A. “Ill see you then!“), LIGERS (54A. Crosses in a zoo), LIZ TAYLOR and VIOLET (12D. “Success is a great deodorant” speaker, informally; 33A. Violet for 12-Down), MARINARA (15A. Dip for mozzarella sticks), PET NAMES (59A. Love handles?), PRIME RIB (17A. Upper cut?), RE-ENTER (25D. Come again?), RON REAGAN (31D. Former Air America radio host), SIDE SALAD (29D. Alternative to soup at a restaurant), SYCAMORES (14D. Divine trees n the “Book of the Dead”), TRUE LIES (61A. Schwarzenegger movie with an oxymoronic title).

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03.05.15 — Falling Behind

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Puzzle by Jim Peredo / Edited by Will Shortz

FALLING BEHIND (38A. Lagging … or a hint to 17-, 19-, 56- and 61-Across) clues in the main feature of this Thursday crossword, falling “behinds“, e.g., RUMP, BUM, TAIL and CAN:

DONALD T/RUMP (17A and 18D. Who said about himself “Women find his power almost as much of a turn-on as his money”; RUMP session [meeting after a legislative dissolution])
BABY AL/BUM (19A. Record of infantile behavior?; 20D. No-good)
GORY DE/TAIL (56A. Part of a story you might not want to know; 60D. Follow)
UNAMERI/CAN (61A. Hating baseball and apple pie?; 63D. Fire)

Other — DIORAMA (65A. It‘s a scene to behold), GALACTIC (13D. Huger than huge), GODPARENTS (11D. Participants at many baptisms), HEARING AID (28D. Device placed next to a drum), IAMB (3D. “Hurray“ or “alas“), PTERO (15D. Wing: Prefix). TANGLES (24D. Argues [with]), WE‘RE LOST (36D. Comment upon driving past the same unfamiliar place again).

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03.04.15 — Naming Names

Harrison Ford as Han Solo

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Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Puzzle by Jeff Stillman / Edited by Will Shortz

Four phrases formed with names utilizing film characters constitutes the interrelated group of this Wednesday crossword:

ROCKY START (11D. 1976, for Stallone’s rise to stardom?)
BOND TRADERS (17A. Connery and Lazenby, between 1967 and 1971?)
TRIPLE AXEL (29D. Eddie Murphy, after 1964, 1987 and 1994?)
PLAYING SOLO (64A. What Harrison Ford was doing in 1977, 1980 and 1983?)

Other — AGATE (42A. Tiny type size), CETOLOGY (27A. Study of whales), CHIANTI (26D. Wine traditionally sold in a fiasco), CUPID and EROS (1A. Bow-toter on seasonal cards; 28D. Counterpart of 1-Across), DACTYLS (25A. Poetic feet), ELBE (61D. Dresden’s river), EN BLOC (48D. All together), IBSEN (45D. “The Wild Duck” dramatist), IBISES (50D. Once-sacred birds), INDIGO (4D. Spectrum hue), SERIN (44A. European finch), SUBTITLE (49A. Foreign film feature).

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03.03.15 — Hunter S. Thompson

Hunter S Thompson by purposemaker, available on Deviantart

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Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Puzzle by Kristian House / Edited by Will Shortz

Hunter S. Thompson is the main subject of this Tuesday crossword:

JOHNNY DEPP (18A. He played one of the lead roles in the film version of 50-55-Across)

GONZO JOURNALISM (23A. Writing style popularized by 35-Across)

HUNTER S THOMPSON (35A.. Author of 50-55-Across)

FEAR AND LOATHING / IN LAS VEGAS (50A and 55A. See 35-Across)

Other — CUDDLE UP (10D. Get cozy together), GENTRY (8D. Aristocrats), HAD A GO (1D. Tried), HELL NO (3D. “Not a chance!”), HO-HO (1A. Treat similar to a Yodel), MERTZ (41D. Neighbor of the Ricardos on “I Love Lucy”), SKYLAB (9D. Space station that crashed in 1979), U S STEEL (26D. Company that built the Unisphere for the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair), X-GAMES (49D. Event featuring motocross and snocross).

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03.02.5 — Smile

Paul Cézanne, The Basket of Apples, 1895 

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Monday, March 2, 2015

Puzzle by Andrea Carla Michaels / Edited by Will Shortz

Four answers with three sequential letter L’s constitutes the interrelated group of this Monday crossword:

STILL LIFE (17A. Cézanne’s “The Basket of Apples”)
CALL LETTERS (23A. Radio station identification)
MELL LAZARUS (5A. “Momma” cartoonist)
TWO-L LLAMA (63A. “A beast,” according to Ogden Nash)

Other — EMMETT  Kelly, classic circus clown; EXPLODED (40D. Went off, as a bomb); FLEETING (9D. Short-lived); JAILS (1A. Sends to the lockup); Peruvian author Mario Vargas LLOSA; NAMES (34A. Andrea, Carla and Michael).

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03.01.15 — "Noted" Anniversary

Julie Andrews, “The Sound of Music”, 1965

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Sunday, March 1, 2015

“Noted Anniversary” — Puzzle by Finn Vigeland / Edited by Will Shortz

In this fine Sunday 50th anniversary commemoration of  “The Sound of Music”, the notes DO, RE, MI, FA, SOL, LA, TI, DO (in single squares) rise from the lower left corner to the upper right to indicate the rising musical notes of the song “Do-Re-Mi” along with the following:

SALZBURG, AUSTRIA (24A. Setting of 118-Across)
JULIE ANDREWS (31A. Star of 118 Across)
THE HILLS ARE ALIVE (49A. Opening lyric of 118-Across)
RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN (68A. Duo behind 118-Across)
BEST PICTURE OSCAR (91A. Honor for 118-Across)
THE VON TRAPPS (108A. Family upon whom 118-Across is based)
THE SOUND OF MUSIC (118A. Movie that opened on 3/2/1965)

Other — ANNIES (103D. Annual awards in animation), CRUST (87D. Sicilian border?), HEGIRA (88D. Flight from danger), GIR[DO] (13A. 1958 space monkey), IV TUBE (102D. Hookup in bed?), MOZART (7D. “The culminating point that beauty has attained in the sphere of music,” per Tchaikovsky), NEEDLE (28D. Something a trypanophobe fears), NO-CAL (122A. Superdietary, informally), [SOL]VING TIME (60A. Important factor in a crossword tournament), SUSAN (91A. Narnia girl), TAIPEI (23D. Asian capital nicknamed the City of Azaleas).

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