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Saturday, June 30, 2012
Puzzle by Tim Croce / Edited by Will Shortz
Beyond absurd clueing, the main feature of this rather solemn Saturday crossword consists of six fifteen-letter answers:
ONE-FINGER SALUTE (1A. Bird)
CALIFORNIA GIRLS (16A. Hawaiian island dolls’ superiors, in song)
A FIGHTING CHANCE (17A. What every honest competitor deserves)
EMOTIONAL OUTLET (61A. Many a stress reliever)
MOMENT OF INERTIA (66A. Classical mechanics concept introduced by Euler)
SPARE THE DETAILS (67A. Not subject someone to a blow-by-blow)
Other — MINERAL SALT (33A. What a water softener removes), MY DARLING (49A. Sugar substitute?), PERSIAN CATS (43A. Some longhairs), SACROILIAC (10D. Strong pelvic joint), SAM ELLIOTT (30D. He played Virgil Earp in “Tombstone,“ 1993), TACO SALAD (23A. Entrée whose “bowl” is often consumed).
Mid-size — AGHAS, ATE IT, COATI, DOLES, ELISA, ENNEADS (8D. Baseball lineups, e.g.), GELID, GRIST, ICILY, LEROI, LIANAS, LOTTA, MR MOM, NAFTA, NAIAD, NOT AS, OCALA, O’NEIL, RCA DOME, REINE, SANTA FE, SOLTI, TIE A TIE (40A. What you don’t have to do on casual Friday), VASTER.
Short stuff — AAAS, ACAI, CONE, CSA, DO I, EASE, EMS, ESE, FIG and RIG, “IF HE can do it …”, IS ON, “Aloha nui LOA“, LTS, MII, MOP, NOH, NOTA, OLAV, OMA, ONO, RAN, SEI, SOTO, SUED and SUET, TECS and TENS, TEL, TLC, TRA, UPS, URN.
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Puzzle available on the internet at
Remaining clues — ACROSS: 18. Fuzz and Flap, in the comics: Abbr.; 19. Let up; 20. Really moved; 21. Remote fillers, maybe; 28. Jumping ability, in hoops lingo; 31. “Heck, yeah!”; 32. “Licence to Kill” Bond girl Talisa; 38. ___ quel (as is, in Arles); 39. Lucas Oil Stadium replaced it; 42. Early millennium year; 46. Johann ___ Koss, speed skater with four Olympic golds; 48. “The Bonnie Blue Flag” org.; 52. Airs; 56. Three dues?; 57. Hammer or Spade types; 60. “Spec of Dust” singer, 1982. — DOWN: 1. Southern city called the Horse Capital of the World; 2. Deal opposed by Perot; 3. Donovan of “Clueless”; 4. Trivial amount; 6. Part of N.B.; 7. Ammunition; 9. What a roughneck works on; 11. Ottoman commanders; 12. Jungle growth; 13. Barista’s container; 14. CrazySexyCool” R&B trio; 15. Computer peripheral?; 22. Like some copyright infringers; 24. Cousin of a kinkajou; 25. Bunch of, casually; 26. Bit the dust; 27. Passes (out); 29. Holdup?; 33. Michael Keaton title role; 34. Very unfriendly way to respond; 35. Aquatic dragonfly larva; 36. “The Toilet” playwright Jones; 37. XXX; 41. Antioxidant berry; 44. Terminus of a 19th-century “Trail”; 46. More like space;50. One on le trône; 51. Frosty; 53. Eight-time Best Opera Recording Grammy winner; 54. Buck in Cooperstown; 55. Less; 58. Dairy product container; 59. Material for some soapmakers; 61. 911 letters; 62. One whose head may be stuck in a bucket; 63. German granny; 64. Plays accompanied by hayashi; 65. Carefree syllable.
The primary targets of a water softener are: Calcium oxide or lime (which is not a salt), calcium carbonate (or chalk) and magnesium sulfate, of which the latter two are "mineral salts". When present, these compounds are said to give water hardness. They are removed by a process using ion exchange resins and sodium chloride (which is not properly called a "mineral salt"). The resin collects the impurities and periodically the resins are flushed with salt water to send the minerals down an appropriate drain. Some sodium chloride remains in the "softened water but barely enough to notice. If it is desired to remove this remaining salt (as in the case of persons with high blood pressure), the softened water may be run through a reverse osmosis filter(which is more expensive to operate on gross quantities of lime), which will remove other impurities as well as the salt.
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