06.06.09 -- Ups and Downs

Saturday,
June 6 , 2009
Puzzle by Doug Peterson, edited by Will Shortz
ITSY BITSY SPIDER (63A. Determined one in a kid’s song), LEAVE IT TO BEAVER (15A. This and Sputnik 1 were launched on the same day), MEAT AND POTATOES (59A. Nitty-gritty) and SEEING-EYE SINGLE (17A. Soft ground ball that finds its way between infielders), each of 15-letters, are the main entries of this Saturday crossword, the solving of which might is akin to that little spider‘s ups and downs.
There are a few seldom-seen-or-used words in this poser --
HADRON (41A. Subatomic particle in a collider), NOCKS (55A. Prepares to shoot, as an arrow), ZLOTYS (45D. Poles work for them), LENAPE (47D. The Delaware Prophet’s tribe), STYLETS (7D. Nematodes’ piercing mouthparts) -- additionally, there are a more than a few tortured clues.
Eight-letter entries --
AVIONICS (4D. High-tech navigation systems); DISSOLVE (64A. Film editing technique); QUIXOTIC (39D. Not at all practical); PENZANCE (44A. Cornwall resort port); STALWART (7A. Firm); TROUNCED (27A. Mopped the floor with). There are also quite a few look-alike entries in the remainder of the crossword.
Mid-size -- AL CAPP (1A. Creator of
Stupefyin’ Jones ); CAUSTIC (36A. Acid); CORONET (23D. Peer’s topper); LASERS (33A. Engraving tools); PECANS (65A. Ice cream shop supply); PENT UP (5D. Kept inside); POP QUIZ (38A. Classroom groan elicitor); RELAPSE and RELIANT (22D. Hanging on and 42D. Turn for the worse); WANT IN (11D. Wish to join).
Five-letter -- CHUGS (29D. Downs without a break); ELISE (46A. Kimberly of “John Q”);
EMILE (30D. Rousseau novel subtitled “On Education”); GRATE and GRIPE (25D. Ranke, and 25A. Many a letter to the editor); LATEX (49A. Swim cap material); NURSE (21A. Sticker by a hospital bed?); OR NOT (18A. “ … but things could change”; ROUEN (26D. Edward IV’s birthplace).
Short stuff --- ABO and ABS, ACDC, ALSO, AMID, ASTO, AVGS, CAEN, CCI and CCUP and CUSP, CODA, 32A. Killer CROC (green-skinned “Batman“ villain), DOZY, ELS, HAH, HDTV (54D. Cutting-edge set), HMO, LEER, LEI, LIT (48A. Stiff), KEEN, NIL, PIG, RELO and REPO, SETI, SSRS, TASS and TEES and TOES and TRES, THAI, TSOS and TSP, UGLY, UTE.
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THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games
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Remaining clues -- Across: 19. High ways?; 20. Chinese menu word; 23. Year the emperor Decius was born; 35. Coverage provider, for short; 40. Rice-Eccles Stadium athlete; 43. Hard to watch; 51. On; 54. “In your face!”. Down: 1. Therewithal; 2. Satyric expression; 3. Columnist who wrote “Baghdad by the Bay”; 6. Source of blood for blood pudding; 8. Drives obliquely; 9. Some are sculpted; 10. Strung souvenir; 12. N.Y.S.E. nos.; 1`3. It may accompany a promotion, briefly; 16. Some plumbing joints; 24. Astrological gray area; 31. On the way out?; 32. Bikini spec; 34. Kind of converter; 37. Resident near the Isthmus of Kra; 50. Main call; 51. Within; 52. Space-scanning proj.; 53. Info source for 58-down; 56. End notes?; 57. Itching (to); 58. Red grp.; 60. Typing letters?; 61. Next to __; 62. Shortening in recipes.

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