11.24.10 — Shuttles

Space Shuttle Columbia, photograph by NASA

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Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Puzzle by Allan E. Parrish, edited by Will Shortz

SHUTTLES in circled letters defining an orbit, ATLANTIS, CHALLENGER, COLUMBIA, DISCOVERY, ENDEAVOUR and ENTERPRISE are the interrelated group of this Wednesday crossword.

Arts, entertainment and sports — AUDEN (53D. “September 1, 1939” poet), BORGE (46A. Performer dubbed “The Great Dane”), BOWL (7A. Word with Orange or Peach), BUCS (7D. Tampa Bay gridders, for short), CECE (26D. Grammy-winning Winans), “DARE TO Be Stupid” (1985 Weird Al Yankovic album), GIBB (11D. Andy with the #1 hit “Shadow Dancing”), GTO (11A. Car that was the subject of a 1964 top 10 hit), IAGO (34D. “I am not what I am” speaker), ILIE (25D. Tennis’s Nastase), ITEMS (1D. Twosomes), LEEZA (29A. Infomercial host Gibbons), NANCI (2D. Folk singer Griffith), RAVENS (69A. Team with a big B on its helmets), RUBEN (39A. Singer Studdard who won the second season of “American Idol”), SINISE (33A. Co-star of Hanks in “Forrest Gump”), TRIB (12D. “Lou Grant” paper with “the”), 22D. Mozart’s “UNA donna a quindici anni”.

Other — ANTENNA (45A. Dish alternative), BANZAI, CAT’S PAW (52A. Tool), CRABBY, ELEVATE, ENACTS, ENTICES, GREENER (48A. Like a next-door neighbor’s lawn, or so it seems), INCHED, LAURELS (10D. Symbol of victory), LITHO, ONSIDE, PEDANTS (43D. Nitpicking types), SILICON Valley, TAHINI (14A. Sesame seed-based sauce), TIBER, UNUSED, WEEDS, WELCH (9D. Laura Bush‘s maiden name).

Short stuff — AGE, ALPO, ATOM (56D. Orbit site), BANE, CHEZ, ECO, EMB, GIZA, HIC, ICES and ICUS, IDLE, IOU, IRK, MAZE, MCL, MOVE, MSRP and NLRB, NOL and NOR, OKAY, OVO, PYRE, RUE, SOUP, SUV, SWAB, THOR (65A. Old space-launched rocket), TRES, TTOP, URGE, UVEA, WAGE, ZOOT suit.

"The Shuttle is to space flight what Lindbergh was to commercial aviation." ~ Arthur C. Clarke

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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: 1. Crept (along); 15. Eye area; 16. Put out; 17. Passes; 18. #2; 20. Mid 12th-century year; 21. Hosp. areas; 23. Cantankerous; 26. At the home of, to Henri; 27. Hoist; 35. Puts away; 37. Cambodia’s Lon ___; 41. Sunroof or moon roof alternative; 42. What rings reveal about a tree; 43. Funeral fire; 50. Just sitting around; 55. W.W. II battle cry; 58. Qxe5, e.g., in chess; 59. Way in Quebec; 60. #5; 62. Kind of kick; 64. Fish-fowl nexus; 66. Still on the shelf; 67. Envoy’s bldg.; 68. Gazpacho, e.g. — DOWN: 3. #3; 4. Hawaiian Punch alternative; 5. Lures; 6. #4; 8. Lacto-___ vegetarian; 10. Symbol of victory; 13. Give a thumbs-up; 19. It may be hedged; 28. Italian waterway; 30. #1; 32. Might Dog rival; 33. Q-tip, e.g.; 36. #6; 40. Exhort; 41. Dos follower; 47. City with the Great Sphinx; 49. Prefix with hazard; 51. Certain printing process, briefly; 55. Ruin; 57. Workers’ rights agcy.; 58. Letters on a car sticker; 61. Letters from a debtor; 63. Aspen or Tahoe.