02.21.12 — Best Picture

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Puzzle by Caleb Madison / Edited by Will Shortz

BEST PICTURE (59A. What the starts of 18-, 24-, 38- and 49-Across each won), OLIVER STONE (18A. “Platoon” director), PATTON OSWALT (24A. Comedian who voiced the lead role in “Ratatouille”), REBECCA DEMORNAY (38A. Tom Cruise’s “Risky Business” co-star) and MARTY FELDMAN (49A. Igor player in “Young Frankenstein”) comprise the interrelated group of this winning Tuesday crossword.

Other — AMOEBAE (29A. Little blobs on slides), AMSTEL (46D. Brew named for a Dutch river), BONES MCCOY (30D. Sci-fi physician played by DeForest Kelley), DECREE, HELENA (5D. State capital whose main street is named Last Chance Gulch), LIGHT SABER (3D. Star Wars” weapon), NEEDED, OH STOP (4A. “You flatter me too much!“), REPINE, ROTATE, SARA LEE (45A. Big cake maker), TOSSES.

Five-letter — AGASP, AT PAR, FEUDS, KHAKI, LAP UP, NOOKS, OASES, OMEGA, POEMS, RONDO, SAGET, SPIRO, STOKE, TIVOS, WARES, Rowdy YATES, “Rawhide” cowboy.

Short stuff — ABET, ADAM, AEC, “Who AM I?”, AMFM, ASIA, CEO and CPO, CHER, DENS, EDS and EDT, EDYS, ERIE, ERO, EYES, GERE, HERA, HGTS, INT, IRE, KRIS, LAPP, LOL, MANE, OAK, OCTO, ODD, ODIC, OJAY, OJOS, ONE, OPEL, ORO, PEG and PER, ROME, SERF, SODA, SOLO, TEAL, UGS, YRS.

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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. “OMG ur so funny!”; 10. Vatican locale; 15. Complain; 16. Any of the singers of the 1973 #1 hit “Love Train”; 17. Something to hang your hat on; 20. “That tastes awful!” comments; 22. Leandro’s partner in a Handel title; 23. Camel refueling spots; 28. It gets flatter as it gets older; 33. Material for a military uniform; 35. Vassal; 37. Peculiar; 42. Fury; 43. Mtn. stats; 44. Sonnets and such; 48. Paneled room, often; 54. Audibly amazed; 5. Old nuclear regulatory org.; 58. Modern prefix with mom; 63. Navy noncom; 64. “Fifteen Miles on the ___ Canal”; 65. Necessary; 66. Symbol of sturdiness; 67. Blue-green shade; 68. Sends to the dump; 69. Soph, jr. and sr. — DOWN: 1. Drink greedily; 2. Last Greek letter; 4. Gold, in Guadalupe; 6. Vice president Agnew; 7. Saves for later viewing, in a way; 8. 2000 Beatles album or its peak chart position; 9. The “p” of r.p.m.; 10. Spin on an axis; 11. 13-Down, south of the border; 12. Neck line?; 13. 11-Down, north of the border; 19. Unaided; 21. Feed, as a fire; 25. Like much of Pindar’s work; 26. They might be hawked; 27. Kind of radio; 31. Leading man?; 32. Ben & Jerry’s competitor; 33. ___ Kross (‘90s rap duo); 34. Juno, in Greece; 35. Bob of “How I Met Your Mother”; 36. N.Y.C. summer hrs.; 39. “If I Could Turn Back Time” singer, 1989); 40. German car; 41. Sonata part; 47. Nordic native; 48. Edict; 51. Fights that go on and on; 52. For face value; 53. Crannies; 54. Help in crime; 55. Actor Richard; 56. Most of Turkey is in it; 60. Stat that a QB doesn’t want to be high: Abbr.; 61. Corp. honcho; 62. Mag. staff.