12.13.09 -- What's the Idea?




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Sunday, December 13, 2009

Puzzle by Mike Shenk, edited by Will Shortz

This Sunday crossword is accompanied by the note “the words in the shaded spaces will spell a quotation from Linus Pauling”, resulting in THE BEST WAY TO HAVE A GOOD IDEA IS TO HAVE A LOT OF IDEAS.  Watts the idea?!

The puzzle takes its own advice, providing plenty of ideas -- the longer ones being DON’T BE STUPID (24A. “That’s patently ridiculous!”), GOO GOO DOLLS (59A. Band with the 1998 #1 hit “Iris”), HIDE AND SEEK (66A. Activity for good-looking people?), LAPIS LAZULI (76A. Rich blue stone), POTATOE FAMINE (115A. Cause of Irish emigration in the 1840s- ‘50s) and WITH A VENGEANCE (84A. All out).


Personages of the puzzle include ABEL (5D. Early shepherd), ALADDIN (58A. Wishful thinker of story), ALI (116D. 2001 biopic), an ASS (75A. Muttonhead), 33A. Artoo-DETOO, DIANE (60D. Lane in Hollywood), ELMO (41A. Muppet with a goldfish named Dorothy), FLO (96D. Sitcom waitress), HECTOR (39A. Victim of Achilles), ILIE (70D. Netman Nastase), 22A. INDIRA Nehru Gandhi, KLINE (68D. “In & Out” star, 1997), LEN (38A. Cariou of Broadway’s “Sweeney Todd”), LEW AYRES (27A. He played Dr. Kildare in 1930s- 40s films), LINDA HUNT (42D. She won her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for playing a man), LYLES (54D. Actor Waggoner and others), 44D. Author Robert OLEN Butler, OYL (57A. Olive in the funny pages), PEDRO (8D. Director Almodóvar), RIBISI (50A. Giovanni of “Lost in Translation”), SWIT (79D. “M*A*S*H” co-star), a TEEN (93A. College freshman, usually) and ZONERS (78D. Members of some city commissions).


AT HEART (1A. Intrinsically) leads off the mid-size entries which include BOLO TIES (111A. Western accessories), BOOK TITLE (52D. Spine feature), DISPERSAL (13D. Riot police goal), IMPOLITE (118A. Churlish), MINIMUM (92D. Low point), MIDEAST (125A. Frequent Security Council topic), NOTEPADS (85D. List holders), OUTLIVES (122A. Is around longer than), OVERWROTE (81D. Replaced, on a hard drive), STINT ON (79A. Hold back), TABLETOP (23A. Setting setting), TOOL BARS (19A. Rows of buttons), TROWELS (7D. Helps in planting) and WEBSITES (12D. Net assets?).

Six-letter -- AIRERS, APTIVA, ATONIC and ICONIC, ATTEST and ATTICA, BITING, DEEPEN, DESIRE, DOWSES, HOBART, I’M LATE (90A. White Rabbit‘s lament), IN HAND, MONTES and NANTES, OMELET, RATTED, SECEDE, SOCIAL, TO A MAN.


Five -- ACARD, ANTIC and ASPIC, CABLE, CALLA (47D. Lily variety), CASIO, CLANS, CLEAN, DAWNS, DELTA, DRAMA, ELITE, ENTER, FOODS, HAKES, OASIS, OTTER, PAPAW (8A. Purple-flowering tree), RATED and RATIO, RICOH, SALON, SEINE, SEPTI, SPATE, RICOH.

Four -- ACLU, ALOE, AS IF, BILL, CARB, COME, ERIE, ETES, EURO, GATS, IPOD, IT OR, MERE, MAUI, NADA, ONTO, OVAL, PICS and PINS and PIPS, RAGA, SOLD, SPOT, STAT, SUPE, TARS, TIME and TRIP.

Three -- AID, ASK, ATT, EBB, EDU, ELL, ESE, FRI, HAT, HIP, ICE, IMA, LEA and LIE, NEA and SEA, SNL, TNT, TIS and YON.


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Remaining clues -- Across: 13. Intensify; 21. Superior group; 26. The Beatles’ “___ Loser”; 29. Apartment manager, familiarly; 30. Leviathan’s home; 31. Atkins diet no-no; 34. TV networks, e.g.; 38. Caper; 45. Swabbies; 47. Remote possibility?; 48. Kind of butterfly; 56. Unstressed; 62. Set the price at; 64. Where a flock flocks; 65. 300-cubit-long craft; 69. Femur terminus; 72. Carol contraction; 82. Carry the day; 83. Easily identifiable; 89. Birthplace of Jules Verne; . Spring site; 92. Piddling; 94. Turned informer; 96. Night “The Wild Wild West” was shown in 1960s TV: Abbr.; 98. Pulitzer category; 102. Seeks water, in a way; 104. Related groups; 106. Dry cleaner’s challenge; 107. Sculpting medium; 110. Junket; 114 Wrecking ball alternative; 120. Dish often served folded over; 121. Mouth feature; 123. Yen; 124 Business that makes the cut? Down: 4. Perpendicular wing; 6. Like bonds and movies; 9. Sunscreen additive; 10. They may be bowled over; 11. Brief writer, in brief; 14 Key in; 15. Part of a dean’s address; 16. Deck spots; 17. Niagara River’s source; 18. Squat; 20. Sudden rush; 25. 100 cents; 28. Over there; 32. Heavily satirical; 34. “Because Freedom Can’t Protect Itself” org.; 35. Break off; 37. Digital watch brand; 39. Skimmer, e.g.; 40. Lose intensity; 43. Haleakala National Park setting; 46. Big name in copiers; 49. Amphitheater shape; 50. Ravi Shankar performance; 51. “Believe ___ Not!”; 53. Nutritionists’ topics; 55. Codlike fishes; 61. Long-running NBC show, for short; 62. Meat-stock jelly; 63. The Pont Neuf spans it; 67. Begins; 71. Snaps; 73. Under control; 74. “Now!”; 77. Have ___ up one’s sleeve; 80. Proctor’s call; 86. G-men’s weapons; 87. Jargon ender; 88. Support; 95. “Like that’ll ever happen!”; 97. Numerical comparison; 99. I.B.M. computer of the 1990s; 100. Peaks, to Pedro; 101. Bear witness; 103. Web-footed mammal; 104. All washed up?; 105. Three more than quadri-; 107. It can carry a tune; 108. Turn up; 109. Busy times on the French Riviera; 111. Platypus part; 112. Aboard; 113. Cry accompanied by a gavel rap; 117. ___ culpa; 119. Creative story.

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