02.05.12 — No Picnic

Le déjeuner sur l'herbe, 1852-53, Édouard Manet

————————

Sunday, February 5, 2012

STATE ANNEXATION, Puzzle by Charles M. Deber / Edited by Will Shortz

Ten overly-complicated cross-referenced answer/clues with imagined state postal abbreviations constitutes the main feature of this bothersome-but-doable Sunday crossword.

• EXCITEMENT (22A. 45-Down near Baton Rouge?), HOOP[LA] (45D. Basketball rim)
• GARDEN TOOL (25A. 124-Across near Dover?), SPA[DE] (124A. Whirlpool)
• OPERA SINGER (38A. 117-Down near Salem?), TEN[OR] (117D. Perfect rating)
• CONCENTRATE (58A. 1-Across near Hartford?), EXTRA[CT] (1A. Superfluous)
• SPLIT SECOND (78A. 114-Down near Boise?), RAP[ID] (114D. Hip-hop)
• PODDED PLANT (95D. 76-Down near Springfield?), LENT[IL] (76D. Spring time)
• BIRTHSTONE (111A. 61-Across near Phoenix?), TOP[AZ] (61A. Blouse, e.g.)
• MORAL TENET (113A. 9-Across near Boston?), DOG[MA] (9A. Follow persistently)
• SMOOTH FABRIC (33D. 6-Across near Indianapolis?), SAT[IN] (6D. Posed for)
• EASTER ANIMAL (43D. 119-Across near Albany?), BUN[NY] (119A. Cookout item)

Other — AS TO COST (5D. Regarding the price), CONTRAST (52A. Old TV knob), DEFAMED, DIORAMA (26D. Many a museum display), GUNSTAND (75D. Rack for a rifle), INANELY, LED PAST, OUTLAYS, PORCINE (32D. Like a sty denizen), RASPUTIN (84A. Role in “Nicholas and Alexandra“), SOLARIA (70A. Sun spots), STARTLE, UNHEALED, UNTASTED.

Six-letter — AMOEBA, ANEMIC, ARMADA, AS A MAN (54A. How Shakespeare‘s Rosalind dresses), BESETS, CARESS, CEDARS, DIGS IN, ELOPER (23D. Romeo or Juliet), ENAMEL, GASTRO, ISELIN, LEAP TO, “Hakuna MATATA“, MATRON, MAULED, OCELOT (118A. Critter whose name comes from Nahuati), PENCIL, PINION (74D. Bird wing), POTTED, SIMONE (6D. Jazzy Nina), STENTS, UNSEAL, VERSUS.

Five — AMESS and AMISS, AVERS, COSTA Brava, DAISY (28A. Flower girl?), DEMON (125A. Exorcism target), DUSTS, EDUCE, EVITE, EXTRA, GNARL, “I SHOT the Sheriff”, MANET (13D. “Le déjeuner sur l'herbe” artist), NEILS, ODEUM (91D. Site of a Greek tragedy), POETI (74D. Dante e Boccaccio), PRIMO (69A. Bitchin‘), RESOD, SCOUT, TASSE WILES.

Short stuff — ACED, ADAM, ADL and ADS, AGRO, ALE, Inter ALIA, ANAS, ATTN, AVE, “BE ON your toes!“, BITS, BOB, BUD and BUN, CEDE, CON, DOG, ECO, ELOI, ERE and ERR, ERES and ETES, EWE, GER, HERO, HOOP, HOUR, IKE and IVE, IRIS, LEE, LENT, LOB, LYE, MISC, NCIS, NOLO contendere, NUM, OBS and OPS, ODIE, OKAY, ORCA, ORG, “Is she not down so late, OR UP so early?”: “Romeo and Juliet“, RAP, RCA, REIN, RIME, ROM, SAGO, SAT and SGT, SNUG, SPA, SRI and SRO, SUDS, TACT, TEN and TEND, TLC, TOP, TOWS, VICE, WAD, XIX, YEAH.

————————

Right click and select Open Link in New Window to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.

Remaining clues — ACROSS: 12. Tiny blob; 18. Charms; 19. The Beatles’ “All ___ Got to Do”; 20. Old White House nickname; 21. Badly beaten up; 31. Photo ___; 34. Swindle; 35. Hindu title; 37. CD-___; 42. When sung three times, part of a Beatles refrain; 46. Bellyache; 48. Seine summers; 49. First name?; 51. Starch-yielding palm; 56. Sign by a theater ticket booth; 57. Smithereens; 62. Still broken, say; 65. Confirms; 66. “Ancient Mariner” verse; 68. Bad-mouthed; 76. Toss-up?; 81. Santa ___ (desert winds); 82. Get it wrong; 83. Certain implants; 87. TV police drama; 89. Comics canine; 90. 11 or 12, but not 13; 92. Paint choice; 94. “___ teaches you when to be silent”: Disraeli; 98. Mugful, maybe; 99. Actor Quinn; 102. Before, in verse; 103. Pioneer in quadraphonic music; 104. Caustic soda; 105. Against; 107. Badge earner; 109. This and that: Abbr.; 120. Roll of bills; 121. Bring out; 122. Assails; 123. Staff ___: Abbr. — DOWN: 1. Farm mother; 2. Women’s suffrage Amendment; 3. Pampering, for short; 4. Pull (in); 7. Boston’s Mass ___; 8. Lean; 9. Doesn’t budge; 10. “Sure!”; 11. E.U. member; 12. “What ___!”; 14. Expenditures; 15. “The Time Machine” people; 17. B’nai B’rith grp.; 24. French cup; 29. It might be blue, green or brown; 31. Assn.; 36. Some conifers; 39. Do over, as a lawn; 40. Abbr. before a colon; 41. Prefix with -pod; 44. Prefix with business; 47. Open; 50. Housemother, e.g.; 53. Passed easily; 54. Weak; 55. Armstrong and Sedaka; 57. Pal; 59. Light touch; 60. Certain online request; 63. Not quite right; 64. Arrive at too quickly in a way; 69. In one’s cups; 70. Brewskis; 71. How a fool acts; 72. Spots; 75. Knot; 77. Large-toothed whale; 79. Paraded by; 85. Number 2, e.g.; 86. Still to be sampled; 88. Shock; 90. Sub; 93. Big name in jeans; 96. Respectable; 97. Naval force; 101. Tidies up a bit; 105. Number two; 106. “Tu ___ mi amor”; 107. Cozy; 108. Drags; 110. Give up; 111. Weave’s partner; 112. Maternity ward workers, for short; 115. Deut.’s preceder; 116. Environmental prefix.