06.13.09 -- Now You See It...

Picture from the Space Shuttle Endeavour of the southern aurora…
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Saturday,
June 13, 2009
Puzzle by Barry C. Silk, edited by Will Shortz
In this Saturday stumper,
MAGNETIC EQUATOR (35A. Line on which a dip needle is horizontal) crosses WIENER SCHNITZEL (8D. Dish akin to cotoletta alla Milanese).
The magnetic equator is the aclinic line, along which the needle of a magnetic compass always remains horizontal, e.g., an imaginary line around the earth near the equator, where the lines of force of the
earth's magnetic field are parallel with the surface of the earth and where a magnetic needle will consequently not dip.
Dip needle in the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments at Harvard University.
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As for cotoletta alla Milanese, the clue for Wiener Schnitzel, Cotoletta (from Italian: costoletta = "little rib", because of the rib that remains attached to the meat during and after the cooking) is an Italian word for a breaded veal cutlet -- alla milanese (milanese after its place of origin, Milan).
…and now you don’t!
After all, this is a crossword filled with deception and illusion wherein
LITHUANIA, a state, is clued as the neighbor of a city (15A. Neighbor of Kaliningrad), SHORT FOR (14D. A contraction of) ignores PROFS (28A. Indy Jones and others), having eliminated Abbr. in its‘ clue, but CHEM (4D. Bond analysis’ field?: Abbr.) doesn’t. A good one is a KNEESLAPPER and MAIMS is clued as Kneecaps, while ILLTREAT is not misuse but “This one’s on me”, you see, “I‘ll treat!”, huh?! MAGIC SQUARE (10D. Recreational mathematics construct) has eluded me my entire life, but it appears they were known to Chinese mathematicians as early as 650 B.C. Oh, but there’s hope -- for realism, we’ve SUN UP AT DAWN (58A. Crowing cue and 3D. When 58-Across occurs) and a RECESSION (62A. Slump)… or not!
Other nine-letter entries -- Alnus glutinosa, aka ALDER TREE (17A. Source of charcoal wood); ALERTNESS (64A. Opposite of torpor); EZIO PINZA (59A. 1960 Tony winner for Best Actor in a Musical); PEACH BOWL (1A. Louisiana State won the first one in 1968).
Eight -- APERTURE (36D. Crack); GOVERNOR (37D. Person in a mansion);
MALE ALTO (13D. Countertenor); MANASSAS (35D. Civil War battlefield).
Six --
BRAZOS (48D. River to the Gulf of Mexico); EILEEN (2D. Astonaut Collins); MEANIE (47D. Stinker); ON RAMP (7D. Traveler’s connection); ORGANS (49D. Much-needed donations); PLASMA (1D. High-definition video display); SEA ICE (45D. Nautical hazard).
Five -- 11D. “Law and Order” actress ALANA de la Garza; ALLAH (16A. Recipient of much praise);
ANNAN (26A. 2001 Nobel Peace Prize recipient); ARENA (50A. Fan setting); AROSE (61A. Loomed); BATCH (6D. Baker’s dozen, say); CARAT (25A. A little over three grains); COOER (53D. Pigeon or dove); INTER (21A. Facial or racial preceder); KHMER (23A. Like the Angkor ruins); LIONS (44A. Ones with stalking feet?); NIECE (52A. Splinter, to Woody Woodpecker); NO USE (51D. “It’s fruitless”); RAMBO (46A. Macho sterotype); SERER (63A. More desert like); STROP (55A. Tonsorial accessory).
Short stuff -- ADA, APO and ATO, AYN, CAN, ELF, ERA and ERR, FAQS, HAAG, HISN (57D. Dogpatch possessive), HUR, ICON, LAE, MEW (22A. Abyssinian language?), NEV, PST and PTUI (32D. Spittoon sound), ROHE, SAD, SEAM, SHAQ, SUCH, YEP (31A. “I reckon so“).
Now, about that WIENER SCHNITZEL!…
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For today’s cartoon, go to
The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
Click on image to enlarge.
Puzzle available on the internet at
THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games
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Remaining clues -- Across: 19. Fashionable meeting place?; 20. Sack; 30. Dungeons & Dragons player option; 33. Wilt Chamberneezy, more familiarly; 34. Olympic sprinter ___ Boldon; 40. Where private messages are sent?: Abbr.; 41. Word before and after “and”; 42. Needing buoying; 43. 36th of 50: Abbr.; 54. Go off; 56. “The ___ of Physics” (1975 best seller); 57. City name part that’s Dutch for “hedge”. Down: 5. Family name in a Lew Wallace novel; 9. Papuan port in W.W. II fighting; 24. Architect Ludwig Mies van der ___; 29. Newbies are often directed to them; 38. Recycle bin, for one; 39. Org. concerned with decay; 59. Bush ___; 60. It’s periodically observed in Hollywood: Abbr.

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