01.21.13 — Echoes

 

 

John Locke, 1697, Godfrey Kneller

 

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Monday, January 21, 2013 — Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

 

Puzzle by Susan Gelfand / Edited by Will Shortz

LOCKE’S LOCKS (17A. Philosopher John’s tresses?), PENN’S PENS (25A. Actor Sean’s writing implements?), WRIGHT’S RIGHTS (34A. Aviator Wilbur’s entitlements?), HAMM’S HAMS (50A. Soccer star Mia’s meats?) and LISZT’S LISTS (59A. Composer Franz’s rosters?) constitute the interrelated group of this Monday crossword.

 

Other — ECHO (28D. Canyon sound effect) , DAKOTA (4D. Territory that became two states), LECTURER (3D. Professor, e.g.), TRAVESTY (38D. Great injustice), WHAMMY (44D. Devastating blow).

 

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Gross growth; 5. Bakery items with lox; 11. Prominent crocodile feature; 14. Region; 15. “Dynasty” vixen; 16. Weather prefix with bar; 19. Sgt., for one; 20. Transformers and Barbies; 21. Female deer; 22. Marked, as a ballot; 23. Sharper than 90 degrees; 27. Sentence sections; 29. Hot, spicy drink; 30. Tip of a shoe; 31. Heel; 33. ___-12 Conference; 40. The way, in Chinese philosophy; 41. Whole bunch; 42. Sunbeam; 44. Roulette centerpiece; 47. Part of a first-aid kit; 54. Roof overhangs; 55. Pub pints; 56. Coach Parseghian; 57. Berlin article; 58. Kilimanjaro, e.g.: Abbr.; 63. The “M” of M.D.: Abbr.; 64. Wears away; 65. Part of Texaco’s logo; 66. Calendar spans: Abbr.; 67. Go-getter; 68. Doc’s needle. — DOWN: 1. ___ de mer; 2. Granada gold; 5. Voice below baritone; 6. The works; 7. Rock with a glittery inside; 8. One who’s finished a sentence?; 9. Compare; 10. Serpentine sound; 11. Brought bad luck; 12. Go higher; 13. Filled with trees; 18. Potato protuberances; 22. Several ages, in geology; 23. Fitting; 24. Grub; 25. H.S. junior’s exam; 26. Male deer; 32. It’s faster than dial-up, in brief; 33. Gyro bread; 35. News articles; 36. Some square dancers; 37. Steals from; 39. Wise soul; 43. “You rang?”; 45. What reins connect to; 46. Corrects; 48. Singer Young or Sedaka; 49. From Copenhagen, say; 51. Not clean-shaven; 52. Firebug’s crime; 53. Maker of the Protégé; 57. Former name of Exxon stations; 59. Was at the helm; 60. President pro ___; 61. Dance style with fancy footwork; 62. Sign indicating a sold-out performance.

 

01.20.13 — What the L?

 

 

Jonah and the Whale, 1621, Pieter Lastman,

Stiftung Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf

 

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Sunday, January 20, 2013

 

ALL-INSPIRING, Puzzle by Yaakov Bendavid

Edited by Will Shortz

If a puzzle has a title, it usually has some relation to the composition. In the case of this plodding Sunday crossword, it is difficult to determine what qualifies as “all-inspiring”:

THE ROYAL WHEEL (23A. Prince’s pottery equipment?), pun on “the royal we”
DO NOT PASS GOAL (104A. Stop proceeding in the maze when you reach the end?), “Do not pass Go.”
ICE CUBE TRAIL (3D. Strategy employed by a Siberian Hansel and Gretel?), “ice cube tray”
DUEL AS I SAY (11D. Fencing coach’s pronouncement?), “Do as I say.”
GREEN BALE PACKERS (14D. Haymakers?), “Green Bay Packers”
GET OUT OF THE WHALE (36D. Advice to Jonah?), “Get out of the way.”
I TOLD YOU SOLE (58D. “Waiter, we ordered the fish!”?), “I told you so.”
HEAD TO TOLL (67D. Approach a thruway booth?), “head to toe”

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Like some church matters; 7. Ancient priests; 13. Dr. Moreau’s creator; 20. Go over the wall, maybe; 21. Fix, as a model plane; 22. Gradual decline; 25. Firearm company for nearly five centuries; 26. Indy entrant; 27. Bygone Saudi king; 28. City on Utah Lake; 29. Cooking meas.; 30. Words of certainty; 31. Series; 32. Lounging robes; 34. Hooter; 35. New members of society; 36. Prepares for action; 38. Madras title; 39. Soft cheese; 40. Dutch city near Arnhem; 41. Ten, for openers; 42. Manhattan area bordered by Broadway; 44. Boobs; 45. Certain sorority woman; 47. Cat on the prowl; 48. Soup kitchen needs; 50. 2006 Winter Olympics host; 52. Radio wave producer; 53. Part of one’s inheritance; 54. Those girls, to Juanita; 55. Public ___; 57. Lack of enthusiasm; 61. The year 151; 62. “Goosebumps” writer; 63. Jewelry material; 64. Leaves after dinner?; 65. Best Actor Tony winner for “Mark Twain Tonight!”; 67. Of the blood; 70. Pete Seeger’s genre; 71. Punch-in-the-gut sounds; 72. Have no doubt; 75. Put back up, as a blog entry; 78. Kind of TV; 79. Online health info site; 80. Hard cheese; 81. In hiding; 83. “Doctor Zhivago” role; 84. Hails from Rocky Balboa; 87. Makes a lap; 88. Modern group-mailing tool; 88. Modern group-mailing tool; 89. Some barkers; 91. Eve’s counterpart; 92. Commonly, once; 93. Infatuated with; 95. “Yes, Cap’n!”; 96. Semisoft cheese; 97. Einstein’s “never”; 98. Teachers love hearing them; 99. Some classical statuary; 101. Big name at Indy; 102. Tumbler; 106. Kind of strength; 107. Flamenco shout; 108. Det. Bonasera on “CSI: NY”; 109. Dead Sea Scrolls preservers; 110. “The Player” director, 1992; 111. What the weary get, in a saying. — DOWN: 1. Not object to 2. Conscience-stricken; 4. Ivory alternative; 5. Left on board; 6. Willy who wrote “The Conquest of Space”; 7. Big name in radio advice; 8. VCR button; 9. Chefs hate hearing them; 10. Of the lower small intestine; 12. Paris seasoning; 13. Like the Talmud; 15. Basic bait; 16. Dir. From Winston-Salem to Raleigh; 17. Of the seashore; 19. Fastened with Velcro, e.g.; 24. One of six areas on a Risk board; 28. Additional; 33. Name on pencils; 37. Russian import, briefly; 39. Was an omen of; 41. Place to rest; 43. Reddish brown; 46. What’s-___-name; 47. Grand Canyon rental; 49. Deep blue; 50. Georgia ___; 51. Nobel Peace Center site; 52. It can be shocking; 53. Ginger Spice’s first name; 56. Members of la familia; 57. Haul around; 59. Swiss patriot; 60. Sherpa’s herd; 62. Low-budget hotels, for short; 63. Italian beloved; 66. Sail supports; 68. “Mi casa ___ casa”; 69. Swollen glands cause; 70. Woman, in slang; 72. Hallowed, old-style; 74. Warriors’ grp.; 75. Strike a chord; 76. Feats of construction; 77. Paisley and plaid 78. Carries on steadily; 79. President who was an electrician by profession; 82. Some chemical salts; 83. Expose, as a criticism; 85. Trials; 86. Greet like a junkyard dog; 90. Calif. Barrior setting; 91. Hawker; 93. Polio vaccine developer; 94. Good-sized musical group; 96. Heartiness; 100. Leeway; 103. Sugar suffix; 104. Dennis Quaid remake of a 1950 film noir; 105. Govt.-issued ID.

 

01.19.13 — The Saturday Crossword

 

Saturday, January 19, 2013

 

Puzzle by David Quarfoot / Edited by Will Shortz

Across — 1. Religious emblem, informally, JESUS FISH; 10. Jerks, ASSES; 15.”Il dolce suono,” e.g., OPERA ARIA; 16. It’s worth 8 points in English and 10 points in French, X TILE; 17. Backwater, in Australia, BILLABONG; 18. Certain pub, LOCAL; 19. GPS heading, SSE; 20. A search may be done with it, BING; 21. Fluff, LINT; 22. Figure on a table: Abbr., AT NO; 24. Works in a studio, say, OILS; 26. Schubert piece, WALTZ; 27. Get along, CLICK; 29. Reason to end an engagement, CEASE FIRE; 31. Virus containment specialist, TECHIE; 33. List, TILT; 3. Alpine stream, AAR; 35. You can feel it on the ground, informally, ONE G; 37. Girl’s name that becomes a boy’s name when the last letter moves to the start, LANA; 39. Envelope abbr., STE; 42. Lump, GLOB; 44. Market, BAZAAR; 48. Guitar device producing a vibrato effect, WHAMMY BAR; 51. Beat, PULSE; 52. Chilling, EERIE; 53. On a list of knowns, IDED; 55. Filled, RIFE; 56. Ages, ERAS; 57. Roast setting, DAIS; 59. Travel BAN; 60. Orkney Islands clan, PICTS; 62. Needlework?, TATTOO ART; 64. Dioxane, e.g., ETHER; 65. Measure of success, status bar; 66. Hyundai model, AZERA; 67. So simple, EASY PEASY.

 

Down — 1. Governmental stimulus of 2012, JOBS ACT; 2. Missive, EPISTLE; 3. Kind of acid that dissolves gold, SELENIC; 4. It might be a link, URL; 5. Auto with a “9” in almost all its model names, SAAB; 6. Onetime spokes model for I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, FABIO; 7. Having a twist, IRONIC; 8. Grappler’s gear, SINGLET; 9. No beauty, HAG; 10. Rose on stage, AXL; 11. Carleton College rival, ST OLAF; 12. Mediterraneo tourist locale, SICILIA; 13. Hyundai model, ELANTRA; 14. Fizz, SELTZER; 23. A power of dos, OCHO; 25. Breeze (through), SAIL; 26. Post-cookout item, WET NAP; 28. Cry when reaching the other side, KING ME; 30. Hunk, SLAB; 32. Tough to grasp, EELY; 36. “Place without water,” in Mongolian, GOBI; 38. Shade on the Riviera, AZUR; 39. Comics character named for a flower, SWEE’ PEA; 40. High-end accommodations, familiarly, THE RITZ; 41. Otalgia, EAR ACHE; 43. Statistician’s anathema, BAD DATA; 45. Opening words deliverer, ALI BABA; 46. What goes before that goes?, AS FAR AS; 47. Period of radio silence, RE-ENTRY; 49. Buddy, MISTER; 50. Some western gear, REATAS; 54. Jingle, e.g., DITTY; 58. Introductory course?, SOUP; 61. Sp. Name preceder, SRA; 62. Japanese market inits., TSE; 63. Sweet ending?, OSE.

 

This arid crossword was lavished praise from the house blog of The New York Times and friends of the author of that blog, Amy and Rex, noting that it was the 7,000^th New York Times puzzle for which Will Shortz was editor.

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01.18.13 — The Friday Crossword

 

 

Coit Tower, also known as the Lillian Coit Memorial Tower, is a 210-foot tower in the San Francisco, California built in 1933 using Lillie Hitchcock Coit's bequest to beautify the city of San Francisco; at her death in 1929 Coit left one-third of her estate to the city for civic beautification. The tower was proposed in 1931 as an appropriate use of Coit's gift. The art deco tower, built of unpainted reinforced concrete, was designed by architects Arthur Brown, Jr. and Henry Howard. Although an apocryphal story claims that the tower was designed to resemble a fire hose nozzle due to Coit's affinity with the San Francisco firefighters of the day, the resemblance is coincidental. ~ Wikipedia

 

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Friday, January 18, 2013

 

Puzzle by Tim Croce / Edited by Will Shortz

Across — 1. “Hold on, why am I being dragged into this?”, WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE; 16. Last single blasts?, BACHELOR PARTIES; 17. Unlikely to develop clothing lines?, CREASE RESISTANT; 18. Filched, TOOK; 19. 2007 Oscar winner TILDA Swinton; 20. Wildlife, BEASTS; 23. Twin or triplet, SIB; 26. San Francisco’s COIT Tower; 27. Bear in “The Jungle Book”, BALOO; 28. Resign, DEMIT; 30. Salem-to-Portland dir., NNE; 31. Classic brand with a bunny mascot, QUIK; 32. Choices for poachers, GRADE A EGGS; 34. Crop-killing caterpillars, ARMY WORMS; 36. Rock icon for whom a Manhattan block is named, JOEY RAMONE; 39. Key target of resolution, CRUX; 43. Massachusetts’ Cape ANN; 44. Filched, STOLE; 45. It’s lighter than mustard, MAIZE; 46. It has its limits, briefly, CALC; 48. Burn prevention meas., SPF; 49. Like some debts, REPAID; 50. I’m gone!”, ADIOS; 52. It’s bound to leave the field, BALE; 53. Does some flattering, MASSAGES ONE’S EGO; 60. Poke on Facebook, say, ATTENTION-GETTER; 61. Relaxes, RESTS ON ONE’S OARS.

Green-tailed Jacamar, a male with a white chin, made by Foek Chin Joe in Suriname in 2005

Down — Ring grp., WBC; 2. Part of a crack response?, HAR; 3. One in a pack, ACE; 4. “No worries”, THAT’S OKAY; 5. First European to cross the Mississippi, DESOTO; 6. Some spreads, OLEOS; 7. Pennsylvania city or its county, YORK; 8. What to take the lad from, ORE; 9. Brown letters?, UPS; 10. When many fleurs bloom, MAI; 11. “.... which ERST from heat did canopy the herd”: Shak.; 12. Top web developer?, ATTIC; 13. “Big Momma’s House” co-star, 2000, NIA LONG; 14. Going along, WENDING; 15. Willing subjects, ESTATES; 20. Grilling subject, informally, BBQ; 21. What bateaux move across, EAU; 22. “The Soul of a Butterfly” autobiographer, ALI; 23. Pirate, SEAWOLF; 24. Line to wrap things up with, I’M DONE; 25. Brasserie offering, BIERE; 28. Certain duster, DRY MOP; 29. Floppy lid, TAM; 32. Some univ. entrance exams, GMATS; 33. Reaches, as a vacation resort, ESCAPES TO; 35. They have end-to-end cars: Abbr., RRS; 36. Iridescent green bird of tropical America, JACAMAR; 37. Like many new couples, ON A DATE; 38. Eschews the draft?, ENLISTS; 40. Relative of a fjord, RIA; 41. Its 49-Down is about 200 meters, UZI; 42. Chose, perhaps, XED; 45. Riots, MELEES; 47. “Left” or “right” group, in math, COSET; 49. Shooting statistic, RANGE; 51. Lacking, SANS; 52. Old 58-Down capital, BONN; 54. It’s “really lookin’ fine” in a 1964 hit, GTO; 55. 58-Down article, EIN; 56. Jack SOO of “The Green Berets,” 1968; 57. Touchdown stat, ETA; 58. Eur. Land, GER; 59. Places with vital monitors, in brief, ORS.

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01.17.13 — Mind the GAP

 

Thursday, January 17, 2013

 

Puzzle by Milo Beckman / Edited by Will Shortz

 

Two separate grids with empty space where the eighth column would normally be (e.g., a “GAP”) and five entries spanning the same utilizing the imagined letters ‘G A P” as part of their answers constitutes the interrelated group of this commanding Thursday crossword:

THE BI[G AP]PLE (19A. Locational nickname with origins in horse racing)
HEL[GA P]ICTURES (32A. Noted series of paintings by Andrew Wyeth)
STRIKIN[G AP]OSE (39A. Preparing to be shot, say)
SIN[G AP]OREAN (49A. Dweller on the Straits of Johor)
MIND THE [GAP] (62A. Tube warning … or an apt title for this puzzle?) 

Other — BEATS ME, BEE’S WAX, CAR RACE, EMOTION, HOT DAMN, ICED TEA, I SEE NOW, LORELEI, OARSMAN, RADIO NEWS (33D. Top of-the-hour broadcast, maybe), RELIEVE, ROSS SEA, TEA TASTER (3D. One encouraged to drink on the job), THE PILL.

 

Mid-size — Up A TREE, AKRON, ALANS, “Bonne ANNEE!”, DONUT, DRAGS, E-CASH, ECOLI, EERIE, E-MAIL, GOLEM (44D. Automaton of Jewish folklore), NAOMI Wolf, PICOT (28D. Loop of lace), PRAISE, RATTAT, SEES TO, SELLS, SHAKY, TAMPA, TETHYS (4D. Midsize moon of Saturn).

 

Short stuff — ASE and ANSE, ANT, Christian BALE, BLUR, COAL, D-DAY, DDS, DOL, Gen. Robert E LEE, ETD, ETRE, EXO, Googly EYES, GNAW, IEOH Ming Pei, IHOP, NINE, OAK, ORB, PEAL, PIE, Roger REES, RIB, ROIS, SLIT, TOMB (6D. Dead center?), VAT, VIEW, WEI.

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Knock on wood, say; 7. Arizona product; 14. “Gotcha”; 16. “Hoo-oo-EY!”; 17. “No clue”; 18. One who made the crew cut?; 20. Amount to be divvied up; 21. Operation time; 23. Christian of film; 24. Antarctic body named for an Englishman; 28. Ring; 31. Raid target; 38. Face seen on many T-shirts; 38. 500, e.g.; 40. Capital of Australia: Abbr.; 42. Medical subject of Time magazine covers of 1967 and 2010; 44. Wear down; 47. Echecs pieces; 48. Symbol of might; 55. Shipwreck cause, perhaps; 57. Let up on; 60. Melancholy, say; 61. Private business, in slang; 63. Manages. — DOWN: 1. Lightly roast; 2. Enzyme suffix; 5. “As I Lay Dying” father; 7. “Come hungry. Leave happy” sloganeer; 8. Kentucky export; 9. Being in Bordeaux; 10. License to drill?; 11. Battle of Fort Brooke locale, 1863; 12. Text alternative; 13. Chinese dynasty during the Three Kingdoms period; 21. Bummers; 22. Food with an inedible center?; 23. Censor, in a way; 25. Inconclusive; 26. Like some extreme coincidences; 27. Composer Menken and others; 29. Bitcoins, e.g.; 30. Stuck, after “up”; 34. Reason for a food recall; 35. Emulates a bear; 37. Menu with zoom options; 43. Encomium; 45. Feminist Wolf; 46. City intersected by I-76 and I-77; 49. Cut open; 50. Architect ___ Ming Pei; 51. Lucky figure in Chinese culture; 52. Ball; 53. Roger of “Cheers”; 56. It’s about when you leave: Abbr.; 58. Brewery sight; 59. Prefix with thermal.

 

01.16.13 — Anniversary

 

Paper Flowers by Carol Gearing

 

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Wednesday, January 16, 2013

 

Puzzle by Michael David / Edited by Will Shortz

 

TRADITIONAL / ANNIVERSARY / GIFTS (28A. With 49- and 69-Across, a hint to the meanings of the bracketed clues), PAPER [1], WOOD [5], TIN [10], CRYSTAL [15], CHINA [20], SILVER [25], PEARL [30], RUBY [40], GOLD [50] and DIAMOND [60] constitute the interrelated group of this Wednesday crossword.

 

Other — CEREBRALLY (17A. In an intellectual manner), EGGBEATERS (59A. Ones whipping things up in the kitchen), FLANGES (41D. Projecting wheel rims), FREIGHT (40D. Rig contents), ILLEGIT (11D. Dishonest, informally), NABISCO (45D. Fig Newtons maker), OFF-PEAK (3D. Like late-night commuter trains), OLESTRA (2c. Faux fat), ONE LOVE (26D. Bob Marley classic), PUPPETS (39D. Some children’s show characters), STYRENE (12D. Compound in disposable coffee cups), VELVET (10D. Soft and smooth).

 

Mid-size — AD REP, APHIS, DANCE, DEERE, ERASES, EVOKE, HAD TO, LIEGE, NO FEE, PECK AT, PIN-UPS, SPOKE, TAKEN.

 

Short stuff — ALFA, ALPE, APEX, ASTR, ATE and ATT, AVE and AXE, BALI, BAUM, BELT, BRAS, BYTE, DAY-O, DEBT, DEFY, EFF, EKE and EYE, HANG, LEAR, LIE, NCAA, PFFT, POR favor, RAD. REBS, RET, RILL, ROLO, SANG, STS, THEY, TOI and TOP, URN, VIS, WAD.

 

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 10. Word on either side of “a”; 13. Sporty auto, for short; 14. Call to mind; 15. Asteroid area; 16. Stand up to; 19. Pointy-eared TV character; 22. Polished off; 23. Couldn’t help but; 27. Feudal lord; 32. Spoken for; 33. Climber’s goal; 34. Giga- follower; 35. Creator of Oz; 37. King of tragedy; 39. Dud’s sound; 42. Caramel-filled candy; 44. Prom, e.g.; 48. Cyberaddress; 53. Combine name; 54. Free pass, of sorts; 55. Some locker room art; 57. Garden pest genus; 63. Sci. branch; 65. He an she; 66. Like some checking accounts; 67. Sportsmanship Award org.; 68. Bourban and Beale: Abbr. — DOWN: 1. Crumple (up); 2. Faux fat; 4. Harry Belafonte catchword; 5. Eat like a bird; 6. Alternative to Ct. or La.; 8. Squeeze (out); 9. Gen. Beauregard’s men; 15. “South Pacific” setting; 18. Small brook; 22. Court fig.; 25. Do better than; 29. Red ink; 30. Let go; 34. Support providers; 36. Barista’s container; 38. Seller of TV spots; 43. Links concern; 47. Check out; 49. Mont Blanc, par exemple; 50. Clears the board; 56. Turned state’s evidence; 58. Pal around (with); 60. Parisian pronoun; 61. Gee preceder; 62. Emeritus: Abbr.; 64. “Awesome!”.

 

01.15.13 — Gone Fishing

 

 

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

 

Puzzle by Peter A. Collins / Edited by Will Shortz

FISH (65A. Something hidden in 20-, 28-, 43- and 52-Across … or landed with the help of 1-, 10-, 37- and 63-Across), along with THE PAPER CHASE, DIRECT ROUTES, LAB ASSISTANT, CAUGHT UNAWARE (perch, trout, bass, tuna), BAIT, HOOK, ROD and REEL constitutes the interrelated group of this Tuesday crossword.

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Switch’s partner; 5. Defeatist’s words; 10. Velcro component; 14. It extends from the elbow; 15. Futile; 18. Futile; 17. Expected outcome; 18. Pillowcase go-with; 19. Cavils; 20. 1973 film for which John Houseman was named Best Supporting Actor; 23. Melancholy; 24. Soviet launch of 1986; 25. Like some restaurants; 28. Shortest paths; 31. Surfer girl, maybe; 34. Grp. That suspended Honduras in 209; 35. Bird: Prefix; 36. Egg: Sp.; 37. Serling or Steiger; 38. Eucharist plate; 40. Slip up; 41. Chat room inits.; 42. Sunday best; 43. Igor, for one; 47. Column base; 48. Slugger Mel; 48. Squeal (on); 52. Blindsided; 58. Hip-hopper’s home; 58. Treat again, as a sprain; 59. Up to the challenge; 60. Guy; 61. Regions; 62. “Like that’ll ever happen”; 63. Film unit; 64. Things spun by old salts. — DOWN: 1. Baseball taps; 2. “Welcome to Honolulu!”; 3. How losses appear on a ledger; 4. Pat (down); 5. Motivate; 6. Stick together; 7. Violinist Leopold; 8. Fraction of a fraction of a min; 9. Ties; 10. Main part of Japan; 11. Get situated; 12. German direction; 13. Bout-ending slugs; 21. ___ acid; 22. ___ Z; 26. “If ___ catch you …!”; 27. TV spinoff of 204; 28. Stock payout: Abbr.; 29. Loses ardor; 30. Smidgen; 31. Young dog; 32. Hearing-related; 33. Weed-killer; 37. Prince’s père; 38. Ship of 1492; 39. Tiny sugar-lover; 41. Color akin to silver; 42. Obesity; 44. Women’s tennis champ Medina; 45. Original Beatle Sutcliffe; 46. Bird with a colorful bill; 49. Temple head; 50. Van Gogh home for a while; 51. Choppers; 53. Daughter of Coronus; 54. Layer; 55. Cosette, e.g., in “Les Misérables”; 56. Burnable data holder: Abbr.; 57. Regret.

 



01.14.13 — The End Is Near

 

 

The End is Near, by CoffeKec, Digital Art / Photomanipulation / Dark 

 

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Monday, January 14, 2013

 

Puzzle by Steve Salmon / Edited by Will Shortz

 

THE END IS NEAR (56A. Apocalyptic warning … or a hint to 20-, 33- and 42-Across), LENDING AN EAR (20A. Listening), RECTILINEAR (33A. Like the street grid of Midtown Manhattan) and GREG KINNEAR (42A. Oscar nominee for “As Good as it Gets”) constitute the interrelated group of this Monday crossword.

 

Other — ARSENAL (8D. Munitions depot), DA VINCI (30A. “Mona Lisa” painter), INCENSE (43D. Infuriate), MIS-SEND (45A. Mail to the wrong address).

 

Six-letter — ABUSES, AMULET, ASTUTE, BAKERY, CANDLE, CAREEN, NETTLE, NO DICE, REESES Pieces, SCENIC, SEEPED, SOREST, STANDS, TOASTS, TRAITS, TY COBB.

 

Five — ADELE, ALIGN, ANTON Bruckner, BRAKE, CLEAT, ENDOW, GET AT, “MAMMA mia!”, TAWNY, In VITRO fertilization.

 

Short stuff — ABE and ABS, AEC, AIRY, ANEW, ANN Taylor, ARID, AS A rule, CAN, DEMO, “In excelsis DEO“, DST, ERIE, ESS and ETS, HALE and hearty, HEEL, Once IN A while, MAC, MESS, MGMT, MGS, NERO, OLEO, PIE, SCAN, SET A good example, Feng SHUI, SOOT, SWAG, RUT, TDS, TEAR, TED and TEN, TEST, UKE, UNIT, USN, WEST.

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. They get crunched in gyms; 4. Pirate’s loot; 8. Insightful; 14. Apple computer, informally; 17. Hawaiian music maker, informally; 18. The “U” in C.P.U.; 19. Bleachers; 23. Smallest Great Lake, by volume; 24. Composer Bruckner; 25. ___ rule (normally); 28. First player elected to the baseball Hall of Fame; 40. Nuclear agency established by H.S.T.; 41. Yellowish brown, as a lion’s coat; 46. Browns, as bread; 51. 6-point football scores; 52. Gripper on an athlete’s shoe; 55. Emperor said to have fiddled while Rome burned; 59 What speeding cars do around turns; 62. Sample recording; 63. Dessert often served a la mode; 64. Mistreats; 65. Bar next to butter, maybe; 66. Aliens, for short; 67. Stinging plant; 68. Pioneer’s direction; 69. Summer clock schedule: Abbr. — DOWN: 12. Necklace charm; 2. Establishment that makes a lot of dough?; 3. Picturesque; 4. Feng ___ (New Age concern); 5. Aspirant; 6. Put in a row; 7. Suggest; 10. Sign of sadness; 11. Ensign’s org.; 12. Baseball great Williams; 13. Suffix with shepherd; 22. “Not gonna happen”; 25. Once again; 26. Read, as a b ar code; 27. Light and graceful; 29. Slow a car down; 34. Wick holder; 35. Perfect diving score; 36. Bosses, collectively: Abbr.; 37. Dry as a bone; 38. Meal I n the military; 39. Classic British roadsters; 43. Infuriate; 44. Occasionally; 47. __ Taylor (clothing retailer); 48. Oozed; 49. Characteristics; 50. Aching the most; 53. Give funds for; 54. Singer with the7x platinum single “Rolling in the Deep”; 56. Lab procedure; 57. Dog trailer’s “Follow!”; 58. Chimney black; 59. Bottle alternative; 60. Lincoln, familiarly; 61. Groove in a road.


 

01.13.13 — Numbers — the Acrostic

 

 

Sunday, January 13, 2012

ACROSTIC, Puzzle by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon

Edited by Will Shortz

 

This Sunday’s acrostic draws a quotation from The Music of Chance by Paul Auster.

 

This insightful novel is a taut study of the self-contradictory mind living by chance while thinking it can get away with anything. Jim Nashe is a frivolous Boston fireman who needs music as a life crutch. His wife abandons him just before his father dies, leaving him money that he squanders aimlessly while driving around America. Near desperation, he meets a bitter young itinerant gambler, Jack ("Jackpot") Pozzi, who lures him into a losing poker game with two shady recluses, Flower and Stone, on their Pennsylvania estate. Nashe and Pozzi must retire their debt by building a stone wall on the premises: what this Herculean labor does to them is the novel's leitmotif. An interesting story, but some may object that the journalistic prose merely tells the story instead of showing it. ~ Kenneth Mintz, formerly with Bayonne P.L., N.J.

The quotation:  EACH NUMBER HAS A PERSONALITY … TWELVE IS UPRIGHT … WHEREAS THIRTEEN IS A LONER, A SHADY CHARACTER … ELEVEN IS TOUGH, AN OUTDOORSMAN … TEN IS RATHER SIMPLEMINDED, A BLAND FIGURE WHO … DOES WHAT HES TOLD … NINE IS DEEP AND MYSTICAL

The author’s name and the title of the work: PAUL AUSTER, THE MUSIC OF CHANCE

The defined words:

A. Men associated with missions, PADRES
B. “What an ARTIST dies in me!” (Nero’s last words)
C. Relax after a hard day’s work, UNWIND
D. Home to Texas A&M’s Dustdevils, LAREDO
E. Earthworm or leach, e.g., ANNELID
F. 1789 discovery by Martin Heinrich Klaproth, URANIUM
G. Hangdog, SHEEPISH
H. Screwball comedy with Astaire and Rogers (2 wds.), TOP HAT 
I. View from the Hell Gate Bridge (2 wds.), EAST RIVER
J. It doesn’t go against the grain, RIPSAW
K. Giant goes of 2012, TIGERS
L. Loft where fodder is stored, HAYMOW
M. With more than a little learning, ERUDITE
N. Fillers of some books, MATCHES
O. Hard to handle, as a piano on a stairway, UNWIELDY
P. Taken from a hard case, SHELLED
Q. Concentrated to an extreme degree, INTENSE
R. Miffed, ticked off, CHEESED
S. With no attempt at secrecy, OVERTLY
T. Six-foot lengths, FATHOMS
U. Designer of a stained-glass window in the U.N. building, CHAGALL
V. Hang out, rub elbows, schmooze, HOBNOB
W. People of very little brainpower, AIRHEADS
X. Geometric shape of a Bahai temple, NONAGON
Y. Discipline, humble, CHASTEN

Z. Umm al-Quwain, for one, EMIRATE

 

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From the paragraph of the quotation: I've dealt with numbers all my life, of course, and after a while you begin to feel that each number has a personality of its own. A twelve is very different from a thirteen, for example. Twelve is upright, conscientious, intelligent, whereas thirteen is a loner, a shady character who won't think twice about breaking the law to get what he wants. Eleven is tough, an outdoorsman who likes tramping through woods and scaling mountains; ten is rather simpleminded, a bland figure who always does what he's told; nine is deep and mystical, a Buddha of contemplation.... ~ Paul Auster, The Music of Chance

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Click on image to enlarge.

 

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.

　

 

01.13.13 — Numbers

 

 

Sunday, January 13, 2013

 

MAGIC SQUARE, Puzzle by Elizabeth C. Gorski

Edited by Will Shortz

In a box in the center of this admirable Sunday crossword are three rows of three numbers that add up to 15 horizontally, vertically and diagonally. The related entries:

MATHEMATICAL (36A. Like magic squares)
ADD UP TO FIFTEEN (119A. With 98-Across, 34-Down and 48-Down what each line in the center square should do)
EIGHT ONE SIX (17D. Top row)
THREE FIVE SEVEN (23A. Middle row)
FOUR NINE TWO (67D. Bottom row)
HORIZONTALLY (98A. See 119-Across)
VERTICALLY (34D. See 119-Across)
DIAGONALLY (48D. See 119-Across)

 

Other — BLUESY (14A. Like Big Mama Thornton‘s “Hound Dog“), BONGOS (25A. Ones getting hit on at salsa clubs?), BRAWLS (96D. Donnybrooks); CON JOB (1A. Sting), GAZETTES (90D. Newspapers), INFIDEL (123A. One who‘s beyond belief?), LOOSE TEA (15D. Leaves out of the bag?), LYCEES (68D. Parisian schools), OOLITE and O’TOOLE (22A. Limestone variety; 99D. Co-star of “The Stunt Man”), OPERETTA (8D. Bernstein‘s “Candide,” for one), PLANET (124A. Revolutionary figure?), REAR EXIT (70A. Back door), SATANIST and EVIL (84D. Worshiper with a pentagram; 80D. 84-Down’s doings), SAUSAGE (49A. Pizza topper), SLITHER (49D. Snake along), STOICS (18D. Ancient Greek school).

 

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Click on image to enlarge.

 

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.

 

Remaining clues — ACROSS: 7. Makes a love connection?; 20. Inclined; 21. Mollify; 26. File extensions; 27. Gen. Bradley; 28. Sledge who sang “When a Man Loves a Woman; 30. Master; 31. Stretched, in a way; 33. Nesting place for a bird; 35. Horned Frogs’ sch.; 42. Investor’s bottom line; 44. Spider-Man” director Sam; 45. Numerical prefix; 46. Eco-conscious; 47. Like letters marked “Return to sender”; 51. Author of “Unto the Sons”; 54. Poison hemlock or Queen Anne’s lace; 56. When the estival de Cannes opens; 58. Peace ___ hand”; 59. Comic actor Jacques; 60. - ; 63. Company closing?; 64. Silent screen star Naldi; 65. Winging it?; 69. - ; 72. Lift; 73. “I’m impressed!”; 74. - ; 75. Woodstock artist Guthrie; 76. P.T.A. concern: Abbr.; 77. Atlanta Braves’ div.; 78. Knee-length hip-hop shirts; 83. Mother who wasa Nobelist; 85. Skeleton section; 91. Rotating surveying tool; 92. Hollywood’s Patricia and others; 94. “It Happened One Night” director; 95. Abruptly calls off plans, say; 96. Show some irritation; 102. Published; 103. Chorus after “All in favor”; 105. Road sign that may elecit a groan; 106. Used, as a dinner tray; 108. Dance instruction; 112 Ditch-digging, e.g.; 113. ___-Seltzer; 117. Hip; 122. Like some unexciting bids; 125. High-hat; 126. Tennis Hall-of-Famer born in Bucharest; 127. Get ready to ride, with “up”. — DOWN: 1. Women’s suffrage leader Carrie Chapman ___; 2. Workplace welfare org.; 3. Workplace rights org.; 4. “Eat at ___” (class sign); 5. Unlock, to a poet; 6. One of two photos in an ad; 7. Where Ponce de León died; 9. Black ___; 10. Stay fresh; 11. Pitcher’s datum; 12. Friendly introduction?; 13. Parts of pounds; 14. Short cut; 16. Bone connected to the oblique cord; 19. Start of an agreement that’s not really an agreement; 24. Muslim leader; 29. Light side; 31. Tuscan export; 32. Prie-___ (kneeling bench); 36. Gershwin’s “The ___ Love”; 37. Suffix with zillion; 38. Fed. Agents; 39. Price abbr.; 40. Coach Parseghian; 41. Trail; 43. Singer Dion; 44. Hitch; 50. Oil-rich land; 52. H.. senior’s exam, once; 53. Division politique; 55. Playwright Fugard; 57. Beginning of ___ (watershed moment); 60. - ; 61. - ; 62. - ; 65. “Yeah, that’ll happen; 66. Many a Rubens subject; 71. Sports car feature; 79. Greenish shade; 81. Slippery; 82. Mercedes models; 86. German pronoun; 87. Steamed bun in Chinese cookery; 88. E.M.T. training; 89. Drought-prone; 93. Dates; 97. Mete out; 100. “There is ___ …” (song by the Cure); 1901. Monet’s Dutch subjects); 104. Laundry problem; 107. The Wright brothers’ home; 109. “Hairspray” role; 110. Some e-mail attachments; 111. Diamonds, e.g.; 113. Somewhat; 114. Impart; 115. Bow attachment; 116. Price to play; 118. Commandment adjective; 120. Hand-oheld organizer, in brief; 121. Hollywood’s home: Abbr.

 

01.12.13 — Goose

 

Canada Goose, John James Audubon

 

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Saturday, January 12, 2013

 

Puzzle by Doug Peterson and Brad Wilbur / Edited by Will Shortz

 

AS LOOSE AS A GOOSE (15A. Not nervous at all), CHAINLINK FENCES (17A. They might make a dog run), WAITING TO EXHALE (52A. 1992 chick-lit best seller set in Phoenix) and IT TAKES ALL KINDS (55A. “Different strokes for different folks”) sprawl across this Saturday crossword filled with nerve-raking clues.

 

Other across — 1. Birder’s reward, SIGHTING; 9. Amount of olives, JARFUL; 18. On-air hobbyists?, HAMS; 19. Inspire warm feelings about, ENDEAR; 20. Aristotle’s “ARS Rhetorica”; 21. Select, ELITE; 23. Suffix with cannon, EER; 24. Oil deposit problem, ACNE; 25. Sports org. with the Colorado Rapids, MLS; 26. Jester’s locale, COURT; 29. Shortbread flavorer, PECAN; 30. Much paperwork, FORMS; 31. Be in the can, DO TIME; 32. “If you can find a better car, buy it” pitchman, IACOCCA; 35. Like some fake redheads, HENNAED; 36. “CLARA’S Heart” (1988 Whoopi Goldberg film); 37. Fit for the road, say, HONDA; 38. Promising location, ALTAR; 39. LATTE macchiato; 40. “Deo vindice” was its motto: Abbr., CSA; 43. In the wrong business?, NOSY; 44. Litter critter, CUB; 45. Ooh and aah, e.g., REACT; 47. Big 12 sch., TCU; 48. Emulates Chicken Little, PANICS; 51. Pico Mountain innovation of 1940, T-BAR; 556. Like many measuring spoons, NESTED; 57. Air, TELECAST.

 

Down — 1. Algonquian chief, SACHEM; 2. Promising start?, I SHALL; 3. One of Macbeth’s thanedoms, GLAMIS; 4. Jack or forklift, HOIST; 5. Exaggerated workload, TON; 6. Key, ISLE; 7. Foreign refusal, NEIN; 8. Look-sees, GANDERS; 9. “Aladdin” villain, JAFAR; 10. Smoking, say, AGER; 11. Wood or Underwood, RON; 12. Thick base for pizza, FOCACCIA; 13. Connection requirement, at times, USER NAME; 14. Fell off, LESSENED; 16. Activity with traps, SKEET; 22. Green jam ingredient?, ECOCAR; 24. Fortune 100 company named after a smoker, AETNA; 27. “The Two Towers” army, ORCS; 28. Portrayer of June in “Henry & June”, UMA; 29. Weigh, PONDER; 30. Venture, FORAY; 31. Dimple, DENT; 32. Sad sack’s lament, I CAN’T WIN; 33. Earmark, ALLOCATE; 34. Wear for some super heroines, CAT SUITS; 35. Like chop-shop cars, HOT; 37. Element, HABITAT: 39. Pair in a cage, LUNGS; 40. Place to change trunks, CABANA; 41. Barista’s injuries, SCALDS; 42. Stationary, AT REST; 44. Did a rush job on?, CANED; 46. Code of conduct, ETHIC; 48. Anti-cavalry weapon, PIKE; 49. COLE Hamels, 2008 World Series M.V.P.; 50. Move through a market, SELL; 53. Body image, briefly, TAT; 54. Vintage Jaguar, XKE.

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Click on image to enlarge.

 

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.