04.08.12 — IN-NUENDOS



From the film Men in Black, 1997

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Sunday, April 8, 2012

IN-NUENDOS, Puzzle Daniel A. Finan / Edited by Will Shortz

An innuendo is an indirect intimation about a person or thing, especially of a disparaging or a derogatory nature. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging (also called insinuation), that works obliquely by allusion. In the latter sense, the intention is often to insult or accuse someone in such a way that one's words, taken literally, are innocent. ~ Wikipedia.

A long way to go for a vaguely interesting payoff, this plodding Sunday crossword features seven entries with A) a first word in circled letters, B) the preposition “IN”, C) an assumed word clued by the answer, leaving the solver to D) a disclosure of mild amusement:

  • AFRICAN-AMERICAN (22A. 1997 Will Smith/Tommy Lee Jones flick), MEN in black
  • ITS TOLD USING A WATCH (36A. Preventive measure, proverbially), STITCH in time
  • TREATY RESULT (51A. Headstone phrase), REST in peace
  • COLOR FOR VALENTINE’S DAY (69A. Lurid 1979 film about John Dillinger‘s girlfriend, with “The“), LADY in Red
  • JUDGE’S MATTER (88A. “To be on the safe side …”), JUST in case
  • THE LONELIEST NUMBER (101A. Golf ace), HOLE-in-one
  • WOOL FACETIOUSLY (121A. One who looks friendly but isn‘t), WOLF in sheep’s clothing.

Other — BREACHES (15D. Security crises), GET A CLUE (89D. “Wake up and smell the coffee!“), GUARDIAN (43D. Certain angel), HONEDEWS (7D. Breakfast items often eaten with spoons), KNAPSACKS (27A. Hikers’ wear), MEAT EATER (85D. Tyrannosaurus rex, archetypically), PARCHEESI (114A. The Royal Game of India), POOLSIDE (48D. Locale for many a lounge chair).

Mid-size — ABUSIVE, ARCHIVE, ASTAIRE (109A. Rogers‘s partner), BAGS IT, CURLER, DENADA, DIOCESE, DURESS, EMOTIVE, ENORME (41A. Huge, to Hugo), EVOLVE, FONDUE, GIANNI Versace, GO DUTCH, IN UTERO, LEEWAY, ON FOOT, REDUCER, REDYED, ROOSTED, UMLAUTS, UTILITY, VACATED, VAMOOSE, YES DEAR, YOO HOO.

Five-letter — Make A PASS at, ARNIE, ASSOC, ASYLA, DOZES, EASES,EDGES, GEESE (`8D. V components), HI-HAT (102. Percussion instrument with a pedal), MEOWS, NO SIR,ON ICE (16D. Where skaters skate) PRIME, PSEUD, RINKS (17D. Where skaters skate), SASHA, SCOOP, SEINE, SHOUT, SKIED, SLAVE Driver, SPINE, TIGER, TRY ON.

Short stuff — ADE, “There is A GOD!”, AHI, AINU, ALOU (23D. Big name in the diamond business?), “Want me to draw you A MAP?”, ARCO, ARE, AVA, BORG, CAV, CCR, COOK, CRAM, DAMS, DAP, DISC, EGOS, ELO and ELLO, ERE, ESPY, EVAN, FEES, FIE, HINT, HUM, IOUS, Camaro IROC-Z, LEER, LIMO, L RON, LSD, MELO, NED, NOEL, NOT, NSEC, ODOM, OGRE, OLD school, ON OR about, ONUS, OOO, PHI, PIT, PJS, REIN, REPO, ROOF, RUIN, SAD, SANE, SEZ, SMEE, SOBE, SPIN, STE, STUN, SURE, TEC, TICK, TREF, TSAR, URAL, WACO, WETS, YANG, YETI, YORE.

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Puzzle available on the internet at
THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.
Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Split the tab; 8. Vacated; 15. McEnroe rival; 19. Under development?; 20. Put on microfiche, maybe; 21. Golfer with an “army”; 24. Van Gogh or Monet vista; 25. “Frost” air?; 26. Knicks star Anthony, to fans; 29. General refusal?; 31. Attention getter; 35. Bishop’s locale; 40. Yesteryear; 42. Prima donnas’ features; 46. Skip over water, as stones; 49. Some game; 57. Fraction of a min.; 59. Phony: Prefix; 60. Commercial suffix with Power; 61. Baskin-Robbins unit; 63. Smooths; 67. Athlete wearing a calligraphic “D” logo; 76. Went downhill fast; 77. Misses part of a movie, maybe; 78. Contortionist’s bendy part; 79. Letter seen twice in Philadelphia; 81. Stray sounds?; 84. Blocks (up); 87. Masculine principle; 93. Bank take-back; 95. Seasonal potation; 96. Hook hand; 97. Stone-pushing writer Olympian; 99. Japanese native; 112. Swiss cheese concoction; 117. Russia’s ___ Mountains; 120. Refuges; 126. 31-Across, for one; 127. Like some bad language; 128. Hammy, say; 129. Compos mentis; 130. Spouse’s acquiescence; 131. Perched. — DOWN: 1. Designer Versace; 2. Hoofing it; 3. Coercion; 4. Multipurpose; 5. Private investigator, in slang; 6. Do a semester’s worth of studying in one right, say; 8. “Amscray!”; 9. Total; 10. “Bad Moon Rising” band, for short; 11. Yellowfin tuna; 12. OFF! Target; 13. Ex-senator Bayh; 14. Reply to “Gracias”; 21. Org.; 24. Set (against); 30. It’s often slanted; 32. What [wink wink] may signify; 33. ___ about (approximately); 34. Dungeons & Dragons figure; 37 “Dianetics” author ___ Hubbard; 39. Bedews; 45. Canonized mlle.; 46. 45, e.g.; 47. Western U.S. gas brand; 50. Lounge lizard’s look; 52. Sasquatch’s kin; ; 53. Torpedo; 54. Does some yard work; 56. Pan handler; 58. Virginia athlete, informally; 62. Get ready; 64. What a texter of “:-(“ might be; 65. “Xanadu” group, for short; 66. “Oh yeah? ___ who?!”; 68. Glimpse; 70. Retainers, e.g.; 71. N.B.A. forward Lamar ___; 72. “Game of Thrones” protagonist ___ Stark; 73. Father of a grand duke; 74. Word on a cornerstone; 75. Person with a safe job?; 79. Sleepers; 80. Run nicely; 82 Home of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame; 83. Leave thunderstruck; 86. Prepare, as cotton candy; 90. Not kosher; 91. Cockney greeting; 92. Head turner; 94. Cross to bear; 100. Deutsch marks?; 103. Afore; 104. Wiggle room; 105. “why not?!”; 106. Quits slangily; 107. Not stay the same; 108. Went back to brunette say; 110. An Obama girl; 111. Check for fit; 115. Drink with a lizard logo; 116. Slips in pots; 118. Bar car?; 122. Onetime aid in psychotherapy; 123. “Bah!”; 124. Gardner of “The barefoot Contessa”; 125. Tic-tac-toe winner.

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