12.05.10 — Die!

Tattoo design of a die

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Sunday, December 5, 2010

ON A ROLL, Puzzle by Ben Pall, edited by Will Shortz

An origami of a “die” (a polyhedral object used in games for generating random numbers) is the result of following the instructions given within this crossword: CUT ON BOLD LINES (23. First step of instructions for what to do with this finished puzzle), SHADE THE CIRCLES (56. Instructions, part 2), FOLD ALONG DASHES (77. Instructions, part 3) and USE TAPE ON EDGES (115. Last step of the instructions). The circles referred to are the “O” letters. This clever and original Sunday crossword, while a refreshing diversion from the norm, seemingly allows for entries of just eight letters or less the remainder of the puzzle, making it hard to take the bulk of the crossword outside of the gimmick seriously. Here’s the result…

 

Incidentally, there is a note for the on-line solvers — Note: This puzzle may be solved in Across Lite or the Java applet as a normal crossword. However, since it contains bonus elements that cannot be rendered electronically, we encourage solvers to print out the PDF that is also being offered.

Continuing on… seven-and-eight-letter answers— DISCOLOR (43D. Fade, maybe), EASIEST, ELEMENT, ELEVENS (90D. Good rolls in craps), EURASIA (89D. Superstate in Orwell’s “1984), GOODNESS, IN A HOLE, IONIZED, MINUTES, NOSE DIVE (55D. Plummet), PRESUME, RESENTS, SAPPIER, SAPPIER, SARAJEVO (6D. 1984 Olympics site).

The Last Throw by Charles Robert Leslie 1840

Six — ACTS ON, AGREED, ANGOLA, APOLLO, AS EVER, EL PASO, ENLACE, EXITS, INVENT, LLAMAS, MENDEL (50D. Pea observer), NOD OFF, OH OH OH, ONRUSH, OOLONG (92A. It‘s between green and black), PEEVES, PLACED, QATARI (1D. Doha native), QUAFFS, REBELS, SADDEN, SALTER, SIEGES, SILVER, SPEEDS, STRESS, TERROR, UNEVEN.

Five — AND SO, AVERS, BOOTS, BUSTS, CAN DO, CAPES, CHARO, DO NO, EDITS, ERASE, EVOKE, FIXER, GLOOM, HOP ON, IDENT, JESTS, METES, NOMAD, OMAHA, “ONE OF Us,” 1995 Joan Osborne hit, OPENS, OPRAH, PHOTO, RULER, SAPOR, SCRAM, SEPOY, SHOER, SHRED, SIGHT, SOLES.

Not incidentally, while composing today’s post, I came across this…

A Throw of Dice, Franz Osten, 1929 — an Indian silent film, shot on location in the palaces and countryside of Rajasthan, that brings to life an episode of the Mahabarata. It tells of the rival Kings Ranjit and Sohan, both addicted to gambling. Sohan craves Ranjit’s kingdom, attempting to kill him during a tiger hunt, but Ranjit is nursed back to health by his old teacher, and falls in love with his daughter Sunita, who is also coveted by Sohat. On the eve of Ranjit and Sunita's wedding, Sohat arrives with his wedding gift, an exquisite set of dice. Would King Ranjit perhaps like a game before the ceremony? Ranjit cannot resist and soon his life, kingdom and the woman he loves are his stake. ~ Graeme Hobbs, MovieMail

Short stuff — ADOS, AGO and AMO, AIR, AOL, ARB, ASPS, ATE, AUNT, AVE, AVON, BASK, BDAY, BONA, CASK, CORD, DIRT, EBON, ENS and EOS and EROS, ERE, ETUI, FLEE and LEE, FLOP, FOR, GELT, HENS, HURT, ICE T (53D. Rapper with the 1988 platinum album "Power"), IDES and IVES, INDO, JAI, JEHU (110D. King in II Kings), KOI, LAPD, LIME, LINK, NAM, NAST, NEON, NOB, OLDS, OLLA, OMAR, ONTO, “OOH-la-la“, ORO, OSH and OSU, PAL, PART, PHIL, REEK, RVS, SAVE, SNIP, SON, URNS, VET, WAR, ZEN.

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God does not play dice. ~ Albert Einstein

God may not play dice but he enjoys a good round of Trivial Pursuit every now and again. ~ Federico Fellini

God may not play dice with the universe,

but something strange is going on with the prime numbers. ~ Paul Erdos

God not only plays dice,

He also sometimes throws the dice where they cannot be seen.
 ~ Stephen Hawking

God's dice always have a lucky roll. ~ Sophocles

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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. Hearty drinks; 7. Midwest city named for an Indian tribe; 12. More sentimental; 18. Major diamond exporter; 20. Closing to some letters; 21. Trapped; 22. It makes the hair stand on end; 25. N.Y.C.’s ___ of the Americas; 26. Goal of a screen test; 28. Many an extra on “Star Trek”: Abbr.; 29. Vacation conveniences, for short; 30. Vitamin C. source; 31. Raise a big stink?; 33. Kids; 37. Path of enlightenment; 38. European leader?; 39. Black; 40. Flavor; 42. Part of PIN: Abbr.; 44. Make up; 46. “Where does it ___?”; 47. Is; 48. ‘60s-’70s 114-Across locale; 51. Web browser provider; 52. ___ fide; 53. Part of every month; 54. Reveals; 63. Prohibition’s start; 64. ___ Little, “The Wire” gangster; 65. Old Philadelphia stadiu, informally, with “the”; 68. Earthen pot; 67. Bygone Starfire, e.g., informally; 68. ___ Rebellion of 1857-59; 70. Evicts; 72. Org. in 2005’s Oscar-winning “Crash”; 73. Hightail it; 74. Alternative to plata; 75. Cellar item; 76. Bedouin; 82. Demagnetize, say; 83. St. in a children’s rhyme; 84. Coupling; 85. Previously; 87. Half of many a business partnership; 88. Ticks off; 91. Plug’s place; 95. Viceroy, e.g.; 96. Snap; 97. Aware of; 98. Nile biters; 102. “We shun it ___ it comes”: Emily Dickinson; 103. “Beat it!”; 105. Litte bit; 106. Moolah; 107. Except for; 108. Certain thankful; 110. ___ alai; 112. Some funerary ware; 114. See 48-Across; 119. Tie up; 121. Cell phone plan units; 122. “Pick me! Pick me!”; 123. Long fights; 124 Lease puzzling; 125. Pedestal toppers; 126. Barrels along. — DOWN: 2. Lopsided; 3. Said “yea”; 4. The Beatles’ “___ No One”; 5. Edsel; 6. 1984 Olympics site; 7. The Cowboys of the Big 12 Conf.; 8. Portions; 9. Connecticut town named for an English river; 10. Coop group; 11. Wall St. worker; 12. Second place; 13. “___ it goes”; 14. Bud; 15. Dr. ___; 16. Charges, in a way; 17. Honda model; 18. Begrudges; 20. Follows through with; 24. Ripley’s last words?; 27. Insurgent group; 32. Pond fish; 34. Acme product in Road Runner cartoons; 35. Long-running hit TV show based in Chicago; 38. ___-upper; 40. Farrier; 41. Polly of literature, e.g.; 48. Conde ___; 47. Revises; 48. Doze; 49. Artemis’ twin; 52. Time for a party, in brief; 57. Board; 58. Latin lover’s word; 59. Elicit; 60. Alpaca relatives; 61. Home of minor-league baseball’s Diablos; 62. Depress; 68. Undersides; 69. Greek god whose name is one letter off from 118-Down; 70. Soak up rays; 71. Second-largest city in Kyrgyzstan; 75. “No problemo”; 78. “On tap” sign, sometimes; 78. Affirms; 79. Depressing darkness; 80. Scuttlebutt; 81. Device for winter sidewalks; 86. Virtue; 88. Take for granted; 91. One-named singer/actress: 93. Stampede; 94. [That’s awful]; 96. The rite person?; 99. Waste; 100. Finished second; 101. Gray hair producer, they say; 104. Superman’s closetful?; 105. Vista; 108. Pin holder; 111. Brouhahas; 113. Trim; 116. Packed away; 117. Head, in slang; 118. Greek goddess whose name is one letter off from 69-Down; 120. Virginia’s ___ Highway.