01.13.15 — Nickelback

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Puzzle by Michael Blake / Edited by Will Shortz

NICKELBACK (58A. Billboard’s top rock group of 2000-09 …or where to find a 23-Across [before 1939] or 17-Across [today]), along with MONTICELLO (17A. Tourist attraction in Charlottesville, Va.), AMERICAN BISON (23A. Largest wild animal in the United States) and E PLURIBUS UNUM (47A. “Out of many, one”) constitutes the interrelated group of this friendly Tuesday crossword.

Other — AEIOU (33D. Run out of rhythm?), CARIBOU (25D. Image on the reverse of a Canadian quarter), CUE TIP (6D. It’s chalked in a pool hall), GLEE CLUB (41A. School singing group), IRON and URGE (2D. Press; 57A. Press), OSAKAN (45D. Resident of the so-called “Chicago of Japan”), RELEASED (32A. Turned loose), SCRIMMAGE (34D. Practice game, in sports), SINGAPORE (3D. Country in which English and Mandarin are official languages), Ernest TUBB, nicknamed “The Texas Troubadour“..

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01.12.15 — All in All

 The Scream, 1893, Edvard Munch

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Monday, January 12, 2015

Puzzle by Jason Finn / Edited by Will Shortz

Common expressions that represent entirety, all clued with "All ...", constitutes the main feature of this Monday crossword:

STEM TO STERN (17A. All, for a ship’s captain)
CRADLE TO GRAVE (23A. All, for a life insurance agent)
SEA TO SHINING SEA (38A. All, for an anthem writer)
START TO FINISH (52A. All, for a race organizer)
TOP TO BOTTOM (63A. All, for a house cleaner)

Other — AMECHE (67A. Actor Don of “Cocoon”), AZURE (54D. Sky-blue); FETCH (55D. Command to Fido while throwing a ball), IDEATE (8D. Do some brainstorming), I’M IN and NOT I (41D. “You can count on me”; 40D. “Don’t count on me”), NEGEV (12D. Desert of Israel), POOPED (48D. Plumb tuckered out), PSYCHOTIC (36D. Crazed, in a way), THE SCREAM (3D. Edvard Munch masterpiece).

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01.11.15 — We Learn Nothing — the Acrostic

Sunday, January 11, 2015

ACROSTIC, Puzzle by Emil Cox and Henry Rathvon

Edited by Will Shortz

This Sunday’s fine acrostics draws a humorous quotation from “We Learn Nothing” by Tim Kreider.

In We Learn Nothing, satirical cartoonist Tim Kreider turns his funny, brutally honest eye to the dark truths of the human condition, asking big questions about human-sized problems: What if you survive a brush with death and it doesn’t change you? Why do we fall in love with people we don’t even like? What do you do when a friend becomes obsessed with a political movement and won’t let you ignore it? How do you react when someone you’ve known for years unexpectedly changes genders? Irreverent yet earnest, he shares deeply personal experiences and readily confesses his vices— betraying his addiction to lovesickness, for example, and the gray area that he sees between the bold romantic gesture and the illegal act of stalking. ~ goodreads 

The quotation:  I HAVE NEVER EVEN IDLY THOUGHT FOR A SINGLE PASSING SECOND THAT IT MIGHT MAKE MY LIFE NICER TO HAVE A SMALL RUDE INCONTINENT PERSON FOLLOW ME AROUND SCREAMING AND MAKING ME BUY THEM STUFF FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.

The author’s name and title of the work:  TIM KREIDER, WE LEARN NOTHING

The defined words:

A. At a full gallop, as an English fox hunt, TANTIVY
B. “Was feeling” tense, IMPERFECT
C. Material wealth, riches, MAMMON
D. Affinity; family tie, KINSHIP
E. Strong liking; adder of zest, RELISH
F. Guillaume : William :: ETIENNE : Stephen
G. Bold; showing too much skin, IMMODEST
H. Stepped-all-over type, DOORMAT
J. Stat category for an N.F.L. player, RUSHING
K. Thriftless, pound-foolish, WASTEFUL
L. County within a county, ENCLAVE
M. Glowing with a soft radiance, LAMBENT
N. How a mob may move (2 wds.), EN MASSE
O. In the wrong (2 wds.), AT FAULT
P. Invalidate, cancel, annul, REVOKE
Q. Swell, bang-up, awesome, fab, NIFTY
R. Without the bells and whistles (hyph.), NO FRILLS
S. Like many people after Thanksgiving dinner, OVERFED
T. Leaving no stone unturned, THOROUGH
U. What Merriam-Webster calls a “cosmopolitan dipteran”, HOUSEFLY
V. Finger, IDENTIFY
W. Vexed with repeated questions, NAGGED
X. Material often checked, GINGHAM

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01.11.15 — Personal Statements

Sharon Stone, Casino, 1995

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Sunday, January 11, 2015

Personal Statements, Puzzle by Peter A. Collins 
Edited by Will Shortz

Seven last names of well-known people broken up to form first-name  possessives and one or two common words, clued to suit, constitutes the interrelated group of this nifty Sunday crossword:   

• 23A. The makeup affected the appearance of all the cast of "Casino," including SHARON’S TONE, e.g., Sharon Stone.
• 35A. After the 1946 World Series, the dugout was filled with the Cardinals and their happy sounds, including  ENOS’S LAUGHTER, Enos Slaughter  
• 51A. She said that when it comes to '60s teen idols, all you need to know is one thing:  BOBBY’S HER MAN, Bobby Sherman
• 67A. The bartender poured beers for all the action movie stars, including SYLVESTER’S TALL ONE, Sylvester Stallone
• 85A. [The members of the Metropolitan Opera were hit with a host of problems, including BEVERLY’S ILLS, Beverly Sills
• 99A. At Thanksgiving the Indians were impressed with the Pilgrims and their earth-toned platters, especially  MYLES’S TAN DISH, Myles Standish
• 116A. [While trading barbs during the filming of "M*A*S*H," no one was able to match LORETTA’S WIT, Loretta Swit

Other — ABRASIONS (42D. Scrapes); Guilty AS SIN , BREDA (85D. Dutch treaty city); BUBBLY (37D. What toasters often hold); CONNS (65D. Steers, as a ship); COLD WAR (108A. Backdrop for many Bond films); EYE LIFT (82D. Bit of cosmetic surgery); FENLAND (90D. Marshy region); MASAI (20A. People of Kenya); MONOGAMY (15D. Challenge for a playboy); Opa LOCKA, Fla.; OSLO (63D. City in Los Lobos?); PAPA John’s; PEI (71A. I.M. sent to a construction site?); POT USER (58D. High-minded sort?); RHONDA (5D. Title woman in a Beach Boys hit); SEALE (73A. Co-founder of the Black Panthers); SPALL (61A. Break up, as concrete); WHOLE MILK (48D. Half of half-and-half).

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01.10.15 — Saturday Sonata

Moonlight Sonata - Beethoven - Tubaseal Press 

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Saturday, January 10, 2015

Puzzle by Joe Krozel / Edited by Will Shortz

Of interest — ATTENTION GETTER (60A. Big wave, e.g.); CASUALTIES OF WAR (1D. Fighting losses); DIDI CONN (37D. Frenchy portrayer n “Grease”); EARTH SCIENTISTS (3D. Water cycle studiers, e.g.); MOONLIGHT SONATA (10D. Masterpiece designated “quasi una fantasia”); REST ON ONE’S OARS (61A. Takes a breather); REYNOSA (17A. City across the Rio Grande from McAllen, Tex.); ROSIE THE RIVETER (11D. Per a 1942 song, “She’s making history, working for victory”); SAGE HENS (6D. Nevadans); SARONGS (16A. Wraps around an island?); STATION MANAGERS (12D. Radio heads); T C CHEN (29A. Scorer of the first double eagle in U.S. Open history, 1985); THE NERVE and THE MRS (7D. “Such gall!“; 7A. “My old lady”); TRANSACTION DATE (2D. Invoice information), WASHINGTON STATE (57A. Locale of five major U.S. volcanoes).

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01.09.15 — The Friday Crossword

The Great Pyramids

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Friday, January 9, 2015

Puzzle by Patrick Berry / Edited by Will Shortz

Of interest — BALM OF GILEAD (29A. Resin-yielding tree whose name comes from the Bible), CHEOPS (8A. The Great Pyramid was his tomb), ELMORE James, the so-called “King of the Slide Guitar”, FLOTSAM (1A. Refuse on the surface), HALF-VOLLEYED (21D. Made a speedy return),  INEXPERT (17A. Amateurish), MIRROR MIRROR (7D. 1012 film adaptation of “Snow White”), PANIC BAR (32D. Emergency exit feature), SPACE INVADERS31A 1978 arcade classic from Japan), STARTER HOMES (33A. Inaugural addresses?), STATION HOUSES (15D. Law offices?), STORY OF ARC (31D. Thread in a series), ZABARS (45A. Famous Manhattan deli).

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01.08.15 — Half Measure

A half-gill O.E.W.S. double-volute baluster measure, circa 1760 

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Thursday, January 8, 2015

Puzzle by Jacob Stulberg / Edited by Will Shortz

HALF MEASURE (59A. Inadequate effort … or the contents of six squares in this puzzle?), along with the aforementioned six squares containing units of volume progressing in measurement constitutes the main feature of this dry Thursday crossword:

LIVING [PINT][PINT]ERS (17A. Place for a bed and dresser), e.g., LIVING QUARTERS along with RI[P INT]O and TA[P INT]O (6D. Tear asunder; 7D. Use as a resource)

HAROLD [CUP][CUP]ER (33A. 2005 Nobel-winning playwright), e.g., HAROLD PINTER along with HIC[CUP] and [CUP]ID (23D. Minor problem; 35D. Winged god)

RE[GILL][GILL]ERATED (41A. Got well), e.g., RECUPERATED, along with MC[GILL] and [GILL]IAM (32D. Montreal university; 42D. Funny Terry), here's reference to GILL.

Other — CAW and RAVEN (3D. 11-Across maker; 11A. 3-Down sound; ERITREA (4D. African nation with a much-disputed border);  ISLAS Marías (Mexican penal colony), Actress MOIRA Kelly; Nobel-winning novelist IMRE Kertész; George MAHARIS of “Route 66”; TAHINIS (39A. Sesame seed pastes); TENT SHOW (39D. Traveling circus, often).

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01.07.15 — Maze

The Minotaur

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Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Puzzle by Greg Johnson / Edited by Will Shortz

A note accompanies today’s crossword:  When the puzzle is done, the circled letters, reading from top to bottom, will spell something that belongs in the center square. 

MINOTAUR in a single square in the center of the puzzle and spelled out in circled letters, constitutes the main feature of this fine Wednesday crossword:

THESEUS (13A. Maze runner?)
THREAD (15A. Item used by 13-Across to navigate the 22-Across)
LABYRINTH (22A. Home of the [circled letters])
KING MINOS (48A. Ruler of 30-Down)
ESCAPE (63A. Avoid, as the [circled letters])
ARIADNE (64A. Daughter of 48-Across who helped 31-Across)
SWORD (26A. Weapon used to slay the [circled letters])
CRETE (30D. Home of the [circled letters])

Other — ABIDJAN (42D. Third-largest French-speaking city in the world [hint: it’s in Ivory Coast]), CLERKS (28A. Registered workers?), KODAK (48D. Big name in the film industry), LEGOS (41D. They stick together in the playroom), RINSERS (43D. Some salon workers), RRR (20D. Basic of education, colloquially), SHOULDA (17A. Slangy word of regret), UTLEY (21A. Late TV newsman Garrick), YAMMERS (34A. Goes on and on).

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01.06.15 — Deoxyribonucleic Acid

Tuesday, January 6, 2014

Puzzle by Joel Fagliano / Edited by Will Shortz

DNA (62D. Molecule hidden  in 4-, 11-, 23-, 25- and 29-Down) and a sort of DNA strand made of black squares in the center of the grid with blank spaces at the edges constitutes the main feature of this ingenious Tuesday crossword:

TOOTH AND NAIL (4D. Fierce way to fight)
GOOD NATURE (11D. Cheerful disposition)
ISLAND NATION (23D. Comoros or Barbados)
OLD NAVY (25D. Gap subsidiary)
BRAND NAMES (29D. Wilson and Hoover, but not Eisenhower)

Other — BUTTED (46D. Rammed like a ram); CLARICE Starling, “The Silence of the Lambs” protagonist; FERTILE (56A. Like loamy soil); GRAPH (49D. It has axes); MONTY (13D. Hall of fame); POST-DOC (20A. Lab research assistant, maybe); POT LEAF (31D. Image often accompanying the phrase “Legalize it”); REALTOR (54A. House tour giver); WE DID IT (22A. “Hooray for us!”); I DO TOO (66A. “Same here”); YOWIE (12D. “Ouch!”).

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01.05.15 — Birds

Monday, January 5, 2015

Puzzle by John Guzzetta / Edited by Will Shortz

EAGLE, BUZZARD, CHICKEN, HAWK and GOOSE, found as the second word of two-word phrases constitutes the interrelated group of this agreeable Monday crossword:

LEGAL EAGLE (16A. Skillful lawyer)
OLD BUZZARD (24A. Cantankerous fellow)
SPRING CHICKEN (37A. Relative youngster)
BUDGET HAWK (51A. Hard-liner on government spending)
SILLY GOOSE (60A. Goofball)

Other — AMENABLE (10D. Open to suggestions), AZTECAN (21D. Like many Mexicans’ forebears), DRACULA (25D. One trying to grab a bite at the theater?), EMUS (15A. Cousins of ostriches), Tom EWELL, onetime Marilyn Monroe co-star), PANDEMIC (38D. Nightmare for the C.D.C.), PIG and SPITTED (6D. Bacon source; 30D. Ready for the rotisserie), QUATRAIN (11D. “Roses are red …,” e.g.), SHOUT-OUT (37D. Public mention).

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01.04.14 — The Descent of Man

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Puzzle by Finn Vigeland / Edited by Will Shortz

Five answers with "MAN" descending at the end of the entry (a partial of the adjacent entry) constitutes the main feature of this friendly Sunday crossword:

• I’M ONLY HU[MAN] (30A. “Nobody’s infallible, not even me”) with SCHUMANN 15D. “Kinderszenen” composer)
• BILDUNGSRO[MAN] (32A. Literary genre of “David Copperfield” or “Ender’s Game”) with PAX ROMANA
• DO YOU WANT TO BUILD A SNOW[MAN] (71A. Title song question in Disney’s “Frozen”) with AW MAN (70D. “Gimme a beak!”)
• MORGAN FREE[MAN] (110a. Academy Award winner who has played both a U.S. president and God) with LE MANS (106D. 1960s-’80s Pontiac)
• WONDER WO[MAN] (112A. Cover subject of Ms. Magazine’s debut issue, 1972) with OTTOMAN (95D. Place to kick your feet up)

Other — ABACI (74D. Summers of old?); ALE GLASS, BREW PUB and TENDS BAR (91D. Container in a 34-Down; 34D. It’s drafts may be crafts; 18D. Is a mixologist); AMAZONAS (87D. Largest state of Brazil); ASYMMETRY (82D. Feature of much modern architecture), COME ON IN (23A. Greeting at the door); CRASH PAD (85A. Friend’s couch, perhaps); DARE I ASK (46D. Hesitant start to a question), FRO YO (50D. Cold treat, informally); HERNANDO / DESOTO (52D. With 126-Across, first European to cross the Mississippi); IN THE BAG (14D. 100% guaranteed); KISHKA (89A. Stuffed Jewish dish); MACARENA (120A. 1990s craze), MDMA (21D. Drug also known as Ecstasy); OSCAR (31D. Award for Hunt and Peck); PAX ROMANA (7D Long period of stability ending circa A.D. 180); REDDIT (55D. Website billed as “the front page of the Internet”); RICE WINE (86D. Popular Eastern beverage), ROSEMARY (38A. So-called “herb of remembrance”), TERMITES (100A. What may eat you out of house and home?), XWORD (25A. Daily newspaper feature, informally).

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01.03.15 — Game

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Puzzle by Sam Ezersky / Edited by Will Shortz

Across — 1. Bollix, BOTCH; 6. Rough selection?, SEVEN IRON; 15. 1975 Golden Globe winner, RHODA; 16. Merry Men member, ALAN A DALE; 17. Marty Robbins’s “AIN’T I THE Lucky One”; 18. One doing 40+, FULL-TIMER; 19. Speech closing?, IFY; 20. They’re laid down in shipyards, KEELS; 22. Notice after the expiration date?, OBIT; 23. “Uh, yeah!”, NO DOUBT; 25. BACON'S Rebellion (colonial uprising); 27. Just for Men target, GRAY; 28. Incidentally, BY THE BY; 31. Auntie Mame’s secretary, AGNES; 33. Rear of a disco?, BOOTY; 34. “LES Jeunes de Paris” (recurring “S.N.L.” sketch); 37. Munchie often dipped in marinara, MOZZARELLA STICK; 40. Info for air traffic control, ETA; 41. Like some carpets and autumn leaves, PILED; 42. Classic Harlem ballroom, with “the”, SAVOY; 43. Feature of many a convertible or Jeep, SOFT TOP; 45. Hinge, RELY; 46. “The Return of Doctor X” star, 1939, BOGART; 49. Poet Howard NEMEROV who wrote “A Primer of the Daily Round”; 51. Aéroports de Paris manages it, ORLY; 52. Kofi Annan’s home, GHANA; 54. Before now, AGO; 55. Ball carriers, TOY STORES; 58. Completely fixed, REDID; 60. Its last model was the 1941 Skylark, HUPMOBILE; 61. Dean’s “East of Eden” role, TRASK; 62. Eschewing a higher calling?, ATHEISTIC; 63. Maker of iComfort, SERTA.  

Down — 1. Crossword, e.g., BRAIN GAME; 2. “Oops, that had escaped me”, OH I FORGOT; 3. Boxer-turned-sitcom star, TONY DANZA; 4. Setting for Twins games: Abr., CDT; 5. Traditional three-liner, HAIKU; 6. Ejection protection, SAFETY BELT; 7. Month in which Creation began, by tradition, ELUL; 8. Triple-time dance, in Durango, VALS; 9. Size up?: Abbr., ENL; 10. Phillie foe, NAT; 11. Senselessness, IDIOCY; 12. No wuss, RAMBO; 13. Liquid part of fat, OLEIN; 14. “Shoot!”, NERTS; 21. Leave shore, perhaps, EBB; 24. Cry for attention, OYEZ; 25. Test letter?, BETA; 26. It’s unfathomable, ABYSS; 29. Flat sign, TO LET; 30. “Whoa, whoa!”, HOLD ON A SEC; 32. Taste, SAPOR; 34. Real-time storm tracker, LIVE RADAR; 35. One concerned with invasive species, ECOLOGIST; 36. Liquor with the slogan “West of Expected, SKYY VODKA; 38. Major fault, RIFT; 39. Something discounted at a deli, TARE; 43. Argument-ending declaration, SAYS ME; 44. One with a signature role?, PEN; 46. De Klerk succeeded him, BOTHA; 47. “In OR OUT?”; 48. Rosetta Stone figure, GLYPH; 50. Trading places, MARTS; 52. Clench, GRIT; 53. Start to ski?, HELI; 56. “Vous,” informally, TOI; 57. Special delivery figs.?, OBS; 59. Ahead of, once, ERE.

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02.02.15 — Minor Planet

Pluto, dwarf planet

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Friday, January 2, 2015

Puzzle by David Steinberg / Edited by Will Shortz

This fairly friendly Friday crossword is essentially three crosswords in one due to a single-square opening between three sections.

Of interest — ADULT MOVIES (14A. They may be marked with X’s), DAMES (39D. Women, in pulp fiction), DEMOCRATIC PARTY (40A. Group for people who are feeling blue?), HIS EMINENCE (17A. What to call a cardinal), IN EXISTENCE (51A. Living), IT’S ALL IN THE GAME (19A. 1958 #1 hit composed by Vice President Charles Dawes), “Fearless” star JET LI, JONI Mitchell with the platinum album “Blue”, Macroeconomics pioneer KEYNES, Sportswriter LEN Pasquarelli, LEGERDEMAIN (49a. Hocus-pocus), MINESWEEPER (34A. Classic computer game played on a grid), MINOR PLANET (31A. Pluto, for one), PIN CUSHIONS (24A. Stuffed accessories), POTATOES (11D. Fries things?), RED HOT POKER (33A. Brand maker?), RIPENED (33D. It might change color), TATTLETALES (32A. Rats), TAW (18A. Shooter for kids), UP TOP (28D. High-five request).

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01.01.15 — Golf

Thursday, January 1, 2015 — New Year's Day

Puzzle by Jill Denny and Jeff Chen

Edited by Will Shortz

PAR FOR THE COURSE (53A. Average … or a literal hint to 17-, 26- and 42-Across), along with phrases containing the words "one" and "two", either above or below "par", imagining the words for the golf terminology, e.g., “eagle,“ “bogey,“ and “birdie”, constitutes the interrelated group of this Thursday crossword:

“Eagle”, TWO over PAR:
THE TWO HAS LANDED (17A. Neil Armstrong declaration)
CAR PARTS (15A. Belt and hose)

“Bogey”, ONE over PAR:
THE ONE MAN (26A. What a parent might warn a child to watch out for) 
POOL PARTY (32A. Bash with a splash)

“Birdie”, ONE under PAR:
WATER PARK (38A. Chutes and ladders locale) with 
BYE BYE ONE (42A. 1961 Tony winner for Best Musical) 

PGA (53D. Org. that’s most likely to appreciate this puzzle?)

Other — ACT (1D. House work?), A STUDENT (1A. Person close to 100?), A TRAIN (60A. Duke‘s transportation?), AU LAIT (35A. Noir alternative), DE LEON (36A. Part of a Spanish explorer’s name), HOLY TERROR (27D. Real imp), KIDNEY BEAN (12D. Organlike legume), PASTE (32D. Wallop), PEEKABOO (61A. Game for which it‘s helpful to have hands-on experience?), STYNE (37A. “Funny Girl” composer).

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