10.25.07 -- Trust Me!

Thursday, October 25, 2007

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Puzzle by Susan Harrington Smith, edited by Will Shortz

"To Trust is good; not to trust is better," an "Italian proverb" constitutes five inter-related entries -- ITALIAN (16A With 55-Across, description of 23-, 36- and 44-Across); PROVERB (55A See 16-Across); TOTRUSTISGOOD (23A Beginning of some folk wisdom); NOTTO (36A Folk wisdom, part 2); and TRUSTISBETTER (44A End of the folk wisdom) -- the clues redefining "proverb" as "folk wisdom".

Other quotes: “Thou art not lovelier than LILACS, no" (Millay sonnet start) continues HERE. “IVANT to be alone” (words attributed to Greta Garbo) is properly clued as “attributed” -- for what she really said, HERE (paragraph “Private Life“) -- “I want to be let alone.” (she did, however, speak the line as the aging, suicidal, isolated, fragile, and lonely-for-love Russian ballerina named Grusinskaya in the 1932 film "Grand Hotel" ) -- of course, to ever be quoted correctly is a PIPEDREAM (10A Bit of wishful thinking). More conversation is had with "...LETNO man put asunder" (wedding words) (1D), along with THERE (46D When doubled, comforting words) and PRATTLEON (32D Talk, talk, talk).

Of interest also are the entries of INTAGLIO (8D Incised printing method); DEVILLE (13A Cadillac model); ATROPHY (17A Wither); GILBERTS (27A Pacific islands in W.W. II fighting with “the”); Hugh CAPET, successor to Louis V as king of France (30A); TOREROS (59A Corrida combatants); ANTLER (62A Makeshift hatrack); SIXTH (25A The last Pope Paul, e.g.); DONAT (33A Robert of “The 39 Steps”); NONSTICK (36D Teflon, e.g.); and JONAH (39A Biblical prophet thrown overboard by his shipmates) -- all seen in crosswords from time to time

More acrosses: 7. Make even; 10. Neighbor of Afghanistan: Abbr.; INA jam (14); 15. Word with pick of pack; 19. Atlanta's CNN Center; 20. College square; 22. Playwright Edward and others; 26. Clod buster; 33. Kind of cup; 34. Les poissons swim in it; 35. Charter; 37. Doggone; 38. Nabokov novel; 40. Formal dress shoes; 41. Sane; 43. Norwegian coin; 49. Obliquely; 51. Bishoprics; 52. Old Eur. domain; 53. Cutout to fill in; 57. Additionally; 58. Green: Prefix; 60. Have; 61. Shade of blue.

Downs: 3. Wee, quickly; 4. Exact proper divisor, in math; 5. Part of a contract; 6. French legislature; 7. Spanish aunt; 9. Pendant place; 111. Yearn; 12. Phi Beta Kappa mementos; 13. Webster's, e.g.: Abbr.; 18. Melancholy woodwind; 21. Medicina cardiac stimulant; 24. Syngman RHEE, first president of South Korea; 28. Infield cover; 29. Heavely orbs; 30. Scorch; 31. She dies with Radames; 37. Any Sonny and Cher song; 39. Bumps on a ride; 40. Do some advance organizing; 42. Ayatollah's home; 43. Titania's husband; 45. Dividing membranes; 47. Cause for an erasure; 48. Fighters for Jeff Davis; 49. Regarding; 50. Pack; 54. Powell's co-star in "The Thin Man" ; 56. Speed: Abbr.

Illustrations, left: The Godfather, The Sopranos, Goodfellas

Most frequently seen entry -- ERROR. Least seen -- tie between JOUNCES and ALIQUOT. Interesting clues -- 15A, 25A, 33A, 34A, 49A, 53A, 62A, 3D, 9D, and 48D. Today's couples -- ADA and AIDA, HRE and HIRE, TIA and TIE, LETNO and NOTTO, OBOE and OBERON, LIL and LILACS.

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