10.03.11 — The First Monday in October

Monday, October 3, 2011

Puzzle by Stanley Newman / Edited by Will Shortz

W-w-well, here we are in the colorful month of October — who knows the w-w-way w-w-we w-w-woo and -w-w-why, oh -w-w-woe, and is that a W-W-WAIT at 39-Down?  Evidently, GETS ONE’S WAY (17A. Wins a dispute), THE ROYAL WE (26A. Pompous pronoun), I CAN’T TELL YOU WHY (37A. “it’s a mystery to me”), TALES OF WOE (50A. Sob stories) and PITCHING WOO (59A. In romantic pursuit) constitute the interrelated group of this first Monday of October, the day that The Supreme Court of the United States of America is back on the job, oh indeed, w-w-woe!

Other — AIR SEA, ALASKA, AT DAWN, BASSET, CACTUS, CAVERN, DECENT, ENAMEL, NO TIPS, POP ART, SCAMPI, STOLID, TEMPLE, TRIOXIDE (38D. Compound containing O3), USA TODAY (9D. National paper), YER OUT.

Five-letter — A-PLUS, ARGUE, ARIES, BOOST, DUBYA (66A. 43^rd president’s nickname), EDUCE, FIT UP, HOPES, JESUS, LOWER, NINJA, PLATO, POSSE, REPAY, SEALS, USAGE, VIDEO, WICCA.

Short stuff — ABE (6D. 16^th president‘s nickname), ASOF, ATVS, CPAS, DNA, ENDS, EPA and ETA, EPIC, HER and HEY, HGTV, IRE and IRK, Call IT A day, LENS, LES, LEVI, MDS, NADA, NAG, NEHI, NEO, NIT, NOTE, OAS, OLE, OVAL, Olive OYL, PER, SET, STY, TAB, TNT, UFO, WAIT, WBA, XII, YEAS (41D. Thumbs-up votes).

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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. Teenage Mutant ___ Turtles; 6. Perfect school grade; 11. Bar bill; 14. Spring zodiac sign; 15. Promote; 16. When a plane is due in, for short; 19. Some “General Hospital” roles in brief; 20.Sci-fi vehicle; 21. Cry between “ready” and “go”; 22. I.R.S. experts; 23. Microscope part; 29. Clean air org.; 30. Recent: Prefix; 31. Pretty good; 32. YouTube upload; 34. Andy Warhol genre; 42. Two-front, as a Coast Guard rescue; 43. Practical application; 44. Italian shrimp dish; 47. Blaster’s buy; 53. Off-road bikes, for short; 54. Cameo shape; 55. Numeral at the top of grandfather clocks; 56. Yonder yacht; 58. “___ Misérables”; 64. Annoy; 65. Draw forth; 67. Crime lab evidence; 68. Satisfy, as a mortgage; 69. Shuts tightly. — DOWN: 1. Remind too often; 2. Wrath; 3. Trivial complaint; 4. Subject of Handel’s “Messiah”; 5. Beginning on; 7. Rap artist’s entourage; 8. Less lofty; 10. Home for hogs; 11. Place of worship; 12. When many duels were held; 13. Long-eared hound; 18. Make mention of; 22. Bit of desert flora; 23. ___ Strauss jeans; 24. Grand-scale; 25. Zilch; 27. Optimistic feelings; 28. Umpire’s yell; 30 Vacation resort policy, perhaps; 33. Tooth covering; 35. Soccer spectator’s shout; 36. Student of Socrates; 39. Hang around (for); 40. “House Hunters” cable channel; 41. Thumbs-up votes; 44. Unemotional; 45. Where to find stalactites and stalagmites; 48. Fairbanks’s home; 48. “M*A*S*H” soft drink; 51. Equip; 52. So-called “white magic”; 53. Put up a fuss; 57. Discontinues; 59. The “p” in m.p.h.; 60. “Just a cotton-pickin’ minute!”; 61. Bout-sanctioning org.; 62. Olive ___ (Popeye’s sweetie); 63. W. Hemisphere alliance.