12.13.13 — Toccata, etc.

After Dark in Joshua Tree National Park, photo by Scott Stulberg

The name Joshua tree was given by a group of  Mormon settlers who crossed the Mojave Desert in the mid-19th century. The tree's unique shape reminded them of a Biblical story in which Joshua reaches his hands up to the sky in prayer.  ~ Wikipedia

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Friday, December 13, 2013

Puzzle by Gary Cee / Edited by Will Shortz

Across — 1. Kid in shorts with a cowlick, ALFALFA; 8. Soft soap relative, SNOW JOB; 15. Twisting, TORSION; 18. Industrial production unit, MAN-HOUR; 17. What black licorice or blue cheese is, for many, AN ACQUIRED TASTE; 19. What a parade may necessitate, DETOUR; 20. Goulash, OLIO; 21. Give the ax, HEW; 22. Organ showpiece, TOCCATA; 24. Things that are put on … or don’t go off, DUDS; 25. Sound of a belt, BAM; 28. Agitates, ROILS; 29. “Stand and fight” grp., NRA; 30. Like agateware and graniteware, ENAMELED; 32. One might be made for the shower, BOOTEE; 35. Goosed, EGGED ON; 36. Consolation prize recipient, ALSO RAN; 37. Novel followed up by “The Boyhood of Christ”, BEN-HUR; 38. Out to lunch, CLUELESS; 39. Need for muscle contraction, briefly, ATP; 40. Person who may work a lot, VALET; 41. One having a ball?, EYE; 42. Like a Madrilenian millionairess, RICA; 44. Apex, VERY TOP; 48. Geology topic, ERA; 47. Plot element?, ACRE; 48. Singular publication, ONE-OFF; 52. Line near the end of an infomercial, HERE’S HOW TO ORDER; 55. Get limited access?, ENTRAIN; 58. Finish line?, IT’S DONE; 57. Rural parents, MA AND PA; 58. Sexual desire, euphemistically, THE URGE.

Ange est saint Michel

Down — 1. Not much, A TAD; 2. Singular, LONE; 3. Rushing home?, FRAT; 4. Bit of chichi wear, ASCOT; 5. Smashed LIQUORED UP; 6. Like a common printing process, FOUR-COLOR; 7. The Skywalker boy, for short, ANI; 8. Processes ore, SMELTS; 9. Tennis star NADIA Petrova; 10. Not suckered by, ONTO; 11. Inquiry made while half awake, maybe, WHA’?’ 12. Mojave Desert sight, JOSHUA TREE; 13. Like some celebrities blogged about by Perez Hilton, OUTED; 14. Inn inventory, BREWS; 18. Chemistry Nobelist ROALD Hoffmann; 23. Hernando’s hundred, CIEN; 24. Go gaga (over), DROOL; 25. English channel’s nickname, with “the”, BEEB; 26. Being with une auréole, ANGE; 27. King John sealed it, MAGNA CARTA; 29. Direct, as a confrontation NOSE-TO-NOSE; 31. Israel Philharmonic maestro, MEHTA; 32. Technology standard named for a Danish king, BLUETOOTH; 33. “Calm down now …“, EASY; 34. Massachusetts motto opener, ENSE; 35 Hitch horses, ALLY; 38. All-Star 18 consecutive times from 1967 to 1984, CAREW; 40. “Where we lay our scene,” in Shakespeare, VERONA; 42. Take up one more time, say, REHEM; 43. IRENA Sendler, heroine of W.W. II’s Polish Underground; 44. Blocker working with a receiver, V-CHIP; 45. Out of sight, PERDU; 47. “Like A SAD Song” (John Denver hit); 49. With 51-Down, unscented, ODOR; 50. Wind, in Chinese, FENG; 51. See 49-Down, FREE; 53. Midwest attachment?, ERN; 54. Bearded TIT (reedling).

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Puzzle available on the internet at
THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.