07.25.12 — Letters and Words




Donkey standing on a beach staring at the trash
left behind by the ocean waves like signals of a close future.
Location:  Moñitos, Colombia

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Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Puzzle by Daniel Raymon / Edited by Will Shortz

Four 15-letter made-up phrases of THREE (8A. With 68- or 69-Across, what 16-, 32-, 42- and 60-Across each consists of) WORDS (68-Across) containing only THREE different LETTERS (69-Across) constitutes the interrelated group of this devishly clever Wednesday crossword.

ASSES ASSESS SEAS (16A. Fools evaluate bodies of water?)
LESSEE SELLS EELS (32A. Renter finds a buyer for fish?)
SESTET SETS TESTS (42A. Musical combo designs experiments?)
REDDER DEER ERRED (60A. More embarrassed forest creature screwed up?)

Other — ABDOMEN, ARIETTA, DEBEERS (14A. Big name in diamonds), EVACUEE, RUNS OUT, SARA RUE, SURVIVE.

Mid-size — “Don’t try to be A HERO”, ALLOY, BERETS, CURST, ELSIE, ENTER, ERATO, ERSATZ, ESHKOL (15D. Ben-Gurion successor), ESSAY, IRENE, JULES, LATTE, LISTS, LOTTO, NADIR, OVERT, PESOS, REELS, SHAVER, STRAW, SYSTS, T-SHIRT, UPDIKE.

Short stuff — ABU Dhabi, AIDA, ALTA, Smart AS A whip, BEE, BENT, BUS, CEOS, DECI, DRS and DTS, ERL, ETS, EUR, EVE, HE’S A Rebel”, HTS,ICH bin ein Berliner“, IDED, III, ITT, JILT, MISO, NES, ORT, OVA, ROC and ROE, SAN, SETH, SID, SOY milk, TAZ (46A. Cartoon “devil,” for short), TBS, TELE, THAI, URI, VIE.

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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. Insect segment; 13. Get by; 18. Flier of legend; 20. Opposite of Baja; 21. Dump, so to speak; 24. “Rabbit, Run” writer; 28. Ocean State sch.; 29. Competition of sorts; 30. Scrap for Fido; 39. Sign up; 40. Oospheres, say; 41. Amalgam, e.g.; 47. Hairy sitcom cousin; 48. Puccini’s Cio-Cio-___; 51. Barber, at times; 54. Figs. In company reports; 55. “Prik khing” cuisine; 57. “Superman ___”; 66. Short operatic piece; 67. Is exhausted. — DOWN: 2. Tour ride; 3. Hosp. figures; 4. In-your-face; 5. Bowlful at a Japanese restaurant; 6. Runner from a bomb scare, e.g.; 7. Super Mario Bros. letters; 8. “Lopez Tonight” channel; 9. The crystals’ “___ Rebel”; 10. Moves like a tosspot; 11. Lyre-holding Muse; 12. Nora Ephron work; 14. Metric system prefix; 23. Isn’t upright; 25. Change in Chile; 26. Like chicory vis-à-vis coffee; 29. Guardian Angels’ toppers; 31. Intro to marketing?; 33. MacFarlane of “Ted”; 34. Palindromic time; 35. It might be served with a cinnamon stick; 36. Girl’s name that sounds like two letters of the alphabet; 37. There’s a drawing of it on TV; 38. Ways of operating: Abbr.; 43. Gymwear item; 44. “Less Than Perfect” actress, 2002-08; 48. What a sucker may have; 50. Rock bottom; 52. Opera that premiered in Cairo; 53. Go (for); 54. Subjected to a hex; 56. Carded at a club, say; 59. Wacky, as humor; 61. “V” visitors, briefly; 62. Schubert’s “The ___ King”; 63. ___ v. Wade; 64. Home of Ukr.; 65. Tosspot’s affliction.


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