The New York Times Crossword in Gothic

09.24.07 -- Silents and Silence

Nita Naldi

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Monday, September 24, 2007

Puzzle by Fred Piscop, edited by Will Shortz

While it’s true THERESNOIINTEAM (39A Admonition to a showboating athlete), there is a M and an E (think “me“)! PLAYME (9D Benchwarmer’s plea)! Joining in that “admonition” are an introduction, HERESJOHNNY (20A Old “Tonight Show” intro), and a question, WHERESWALDO (53A Kid’s book with a hidden character), comprising a trio of HERE, THERE, WHERE, or HERES, THERES, WHERES -- IDSAY (14A “In my opinion…”) it doesn’t really matter. This is a happy little back-to-work Monday puzzle which will please anyone who knows what day it is.

The other long entries are EYESHADE (5D Poker player’s headgear), NOTAWHIT (41D Zero), RELEASED (31A Set free), and IDENTITY (45A What a driver’s license shows proof of), followed by PACMAN (27A Classic arcade game), CASTLE (26D Windsor, notably), MIRING (30D Sinking in mud), TOWNIE (46D (Local no collegian, to a collegian), and STEELS (47A Makes tough).

Lots of five-letter words: DOUSE (1A Put out, as a fire), PIQUE (9A Arouse, as interest), SIEVE (Utensil used with flour), AMISS (19 Out of kilter), ACRID (36A Pungent-smelling), OLDIE (44A Almost any doo-wop tune), OCEAN (60A Atlantic or Pacific), HOARD (63A Squirrel away), ALIBI (Suspect’s story), INBAD (66A Out of favor, informally), SMITH (40D Most common U.S. surname), PURSE (67A Derby prize), TESTS (69A Activities in 57-Down) which is LABS, ALLOW (6D Give the O.K.), PATRI (27D Father: Prefix), ACHED (28D Felt sore), CRÈME (29D Oreo’s filling), ROOMY (31D Hardly cramped), SUEDE (33D Napped leather), EMAIL (34D Cybermessages), DOMES (35D Stadium toppers), and VENAL (49D Open to bribery).

There’s (there’s that word again) plenty of four-letter words: DISH, ODIE, USER, SAVE, LEAH, QUIP, URSA, EASY, GNAT, ELIA, SOAP, ACLU, MEIR, EZRA, REEL, AONE, LABS, DRAT, ODDS, GOLD, SUMO, REMI, and MAMA, and finishing off the fill are the three-letter entries ALF, LEA, LAW, ZEN, REA, ALL, ABS, SIS, IAM, AMC, HOW, GOT, and VIA.

Last, but not least is NALDI (22D Nita of silent films), the featured silent star of this Monday jewel.

Team photo, New York Yankees, 1926

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Johnny Carson’s last TV appearance (on Letterman), HERE.

For today's cartoon go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

Marcel Marceau, Mime -- 1923 - 2007

Appropriately, today’s crossword puzzle is silent, that is to say -- without its frequent variations, entries and/or definitions of a MIME.

Video HERE.

The New York Times Crossword Puzzle solution above is by the author of this blog and does not guarantee accuracy. If you find errors or omissions, you are more than welcome to make note of same in the Comments section of this post -- any corrections found necessary will be executed promptly upon verification.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games

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09.23.07 -- Words for Words

The Color of Words IX -- Wosene Worke Kosrof, Ethiopia

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Sunday, September 23, 2007

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FLIP-FLOPS
Puzzle by David Levinson Wilk, edited by Will Shortz

The familiar phrases of “go for broke”, “play for keeps”, “fish for compliments”, “work out for the best”, “king for a day”, “make up for lost time”, “thirst for knowledge”, “bob for apples”, and “free for all” are inverted, resulting in the following:

BROKEFORGO (23A Rolled sixes while on Water Works, in Monopoly?);
KEEPSFORPLAY (28A Doesn’t throw away, as a stage prop?);
COMPLIMENTSFORFISH (35A What a sushi chef loves to hear?);
THEBESTFORWORKOUT (48A “8 Minute Abs,” according to some?);
ADAYFORKING (69A January 15?);
LOSTTIMEFORMAKEUP (83A Was late to an appointment at the cosmetician?);
KNOWLEDGEFORTHIRST (95A What scientists working for Gatorade have?);
APPLESFORBOB (108A Dylan not liking Dell computers?);
ALLFORFREE (115A Like pro bono work?).

The remaining acrosses are: 1. Kicked off; 6. Pill, 10. Jacket-and-tie affair; 14. Afternoon fare; 19. Good, to Guido; 20. Comedy Central’s “CALL 911”; 21. Jubilant cries; 22. Unadulterated; 25. 552, on a cornerstone; 26. Whirlpool alternative; 27. Co-star on TV’s “Taxi”; 28. Doesn’t throw away, as a stage prop?; 31. Element that’s liquid at room temperature; 33. Remote; 34. King’s lands; 41. “Say Say Say,” say; 42. Royal jelly maker; 43. Hi-RES; 44. Nasdaq listings: Abbr.; 47. Opposite of morn, to a poet; 56. Wilson of Tinseltown; 57. Blackberry nos.; 58. Vatican emissary; 59. Extra-large; 64. Webster and Wyle; 67. Canon competitor; 68. Till; 72. Bond; 73. Pull a GROIN; 76. Unit of yarn; 76. Historical separation; 78. Dish; 80. Volume by Horace; 82. History; 88. Stroke; 91. Flight attendant’s announcement, for short; 92. German name part; 93. “Shine a Little Love” grp.; 94. Arcade; 103. Some moon rocks; 106. Three-day holiday; 107. Hero of Sophocles’ “Electra”; 112. Grosse POINTE, Mich.; 113. Opera SERIA; 114. Not closed all the way; 119. Part of TWA; 120. “HADI known then…”; 121. Gladness: Fr.; 122. Andropov and Gagarin; 123. To date; 124. Darkens, maybe; 125. Let go; and 126. Actress Graff.

The downs: 1. Fraud finder: Abbr.; 2. Grand tour locale: Abbr.; 3. A bird flying by on the right, to the Greeks; 4. Disheveled; 5. Words following see, hear and speak; 6. For now; 7. Start of many airline names; 8. Like Mozart’s Symphony No. 10; 9. Cozy spot; 10. Develop anacrusis; 11. Gridiron star; 12. Rings of islands; 13. “Like that’ll ever happen!”; 14. Indications of anger; 15. Kind of band; 16. One bit; 17. The Beatles arrived in New York in 1964 on this; 18. Does in; 24. Done, in Dijon; 20. 40% of fifty?; 30. Prayer; 31. A following?; 32. Wolf; 36. Withdraw; 37. Born as; 38. Try; 39. Basics of grade school learnin‘?; 40. Small number; 44. Certain shell; 45. “But of course, Monsieur!”; 48. More than buzzed; 48. Deuce; 49. “HESA Tramp,” Peggy Lee song in “Lady and the Tramp”; 50. Bagnold and others; 51. Carpenter, at times; 52. Spanish bloom; 53. Honshu port; 54. “Danger! Danger!”; 55. Dungeons & Dragons figure; 56. Mitch Miller, , e.g.; 59. What multitask do with things; 60. Displace; 61. Greek peak; 62. Ringo’s eldest; 63. EYEOF newt (witches’ brew ingredient); 65. With it; 66. Hogwarts professor; 70. Paul Bunyan’s dog; 71. Pulitzer-winning novelist Shirley Ann GRAU; 74. Little complaint; 77. Recipe amt. 79. Moves around; 81. “Peter Pan” pirate; 84. Cut (down); 85. 8 x 10, say: Abbr.; 86. TV character from the planet Melmac; 87. “Rock and Roll, Hoochie KOO”; 88. Rear seating section in a theater; 89. “What ELSE?”; 90. B’way buys; 94. Yearning; 95. Al in Cooperstown; 96. The Braves’ div.; 97. Online investing site; 98. Ruins; 99. Classic Ferrari; 100. Laid some tiles; 101. The Police, e.g.; 102. Son of William the Conqueror; 103. “No more, Luigi!”; 104. Parrots; 105. Nozzle choice; 109. Late Saudi king; 110. Any member of a 1970s R & B group; 111. Low: Sp.; 112. “Swan Lake” bend; 116. Nova, e.g.; 117. German article; and 118. Wind dir.

I found this Sunday crossword a bit of a dry and tedious solve -- the inordinate amount of familiar entries and their definitions contributed to my ennui; however, it does contain a lot of variety resulting in some artful wordplay.

Autumn Leaves

THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games

09.22.07 -- SPYVSSPY

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Saturday, September 22, 2007

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Puzzle by Mark Diehl, edited by Will Shortz

SPYVSSPY (1A Mad magazine feature) is the first entry in a crossword puzzle that no one will “solve” in five and a half minutes! Like, you know, reading, looking at the squares, typing in the entry, moving on to the next, etc. Thinking!

CONTACT (12D Help for a secret agent) -- In the early 70’s I worked off and on for The New York Times as a temporary missing link between computers when the newspaper was in the process of eliminating typesetters due to the advent of new technology.

EYETESTS (55A Providers of peer review?) -- One of the perks of the job was getting The New York Times Sunday Magazine with the crossword puzzle on the Wednesday before it’s general publication. Eventually, I was also able to get the daily the day before its publication.

TIRED (43A Played out) -- I was the who never OWNSUPTO (20A Admits) lacking ENDURANCE (50A Mountain climber’s need), or that while solving, he TANKS (22A Falls apart) and goes CATATONIC (30D Beyond oblivious) checking the Yellow Pages under SANATORIUMS (33A Rest stops?), goes running in the CITYSTREETS (30A Locale for most of the New York Marathon) screaming SITONIT (26D “Happy Days” catchphrase)!

CRAPPIE (11D Small sunfish) -- I miss being able to get a jump on the puzzle -- especially when blogging the puzzle. The hour gets late, my schedule is thrown off something fierce in the process.

NAPTIME (21D When the kids are out) -- I know the puzzle arrives in the hands of one blogger a fair amount of time before it comes on line, giving plenty of time to solve.

SCENEFOUR (53A When Hamlet first sees a ghost) -- Do the puzzle, if needed, then write the blog. Next, wait until 10:00 p.m. when the puzzle comes on line, then type the results into the “Play Against the Clock” crossword section of The New York Times on-line subscription service, as quickly as possible! ...and presto, post!

YOUONLYLIVEONCE (8D Daredevil’s creed) runs the entire length of the center of the puzzle, intersected by SATELLITE (32A Kind of state), sharing their “L”’s.

RXS (29A Ones needing fulfillment?) -- this will give the appearance of lightning speed-reading, excellent typing, and a store of trivial knowledge unsurpassed by any living being on the planet Earth! Oh, and all challengers subject to "purge"!

DARING (48A Risque) THENATION (14A Weekly since 1865) which INTONES (13D Cantillates) its moans, but ELECTS (19A Puts in) to follow the Majorette of Puzzle POLICE (27A Keep in order) in a comical OATER (23D Old drive-in fare)!

PHALANX (2D Troop group) in force SHANT (18A Quaint contraction) explain these murderous two -- BISCOTTO (46A One use for anise) and COCCI (9A Spherical bacteria) -- a powerful brew!

YOW (42A “That hurts!”) -- So ragged and torn my poor Webster’s, it be -- Google to check, after all, it is free! Constructors are using it, so why cannot we? Alas! Nothing Google-able but CBSSPORTS (9D Home of “The NFL Today”) and PAMELASUE (17A Martin of Hollywood).

VNECK (4D Some sweaters), VEE (40A Hum follower), NSYNC (54A Band active from 1995 to 2002), FOLGERS (38D Kind of crystals), I drearily drone with arched eyebrow in pretentious preternatural knowledge -- “those are all things one must major in college!”

STPETER (1D Figure in many jokes) and the YEMENIS (3D Arabs who are not in OPEC) lurk with their SALTS (5D Smelling things) waiting in STAS (6D London’s Covent Garden and others: Abbr.), being watched by PIS (7D Dicks) (I kid not)!

A puzzle from NEWSDAY (35D Part of the Tribune Company) is missing some pieces -- OAHU, ONTAP, SAL, ENIS, and SAM, SLUED, LEE, and PAN, SAL, CARET, DUNE, and ATARI -- such CORN (47A It’s hard to walk on)! You'll find them here, all stuck in strange places!

ONEMAN (39A Solo), a BARON (16A Financial V.I.P.), an ELF (36A Dobby or Winky, in Harry Potter) and CLEO (41A “Pinocchio” character voiced by Mel Blanc), the last who ANOINTS (34D Chooses) to chew on a SOYBEAN (33d Source of lecithin) when a LEANCUT (37D Round steak, e.g.) awaits, if worms are called "baits"!

CANAL (45A Rialto Bridge sight) -- smooth sailing, all’s well, nary a care and a gondolier’s song!

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games

09.21.07 -- The Long and the Shortz of It

Times Square - New Year's Eve 1938 -- MAKEARESOLUTION (38A Determine)

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Friday, September 21, 2007

Click here for LARGE PRINT

Puzzle by Paula Gamache, edited by Will Shortz

ASBADASBADCANBE (1A Just the pits);

THEREYOUGOAGAIN (16A Classic line of debate?);

LITTLEORNOTHING (17A Just a bit, if that);

OVERANDDONEWITH (30A Sewn up);

AIRAMERICARADIO (37A "The Randi Rhodes Show" network);

MAKEARESOLUTION (38A Determine);

LIBERALDEMOCRAT (53A Left-of-center party member);

ANYPORTINASTORM (57A "I'll take whatever help I can get"); and

SEATTLESEAHAWKS (58A Pro team whose mascot is a blue bird named Blitz)

The above are the main entries and fairly well the entire body of this frisky Friday crossword puzzle.

The remainder of the puzzle exists to serve the nine 15-square across entries.

The three triple-stacked entries across (in sets of three) are divided by two "passageway" triple-stacks with the requisite black squares, allowing only two letters each for entry between the three 15-square across triple-stacked entries.

MAST (18A Flag holder); TRIM (19A In shape); AVGS (20A Means: Abbr.); CYS (21A Songwriter Coleman and others); FAJITA (23A Food whose name means "little sash"); and PIC (28A Many an e-mail attachment).

LSD (39A It'll change you mind); INTONE (40A Drone); PLIE (41A Dance move); EKE (44A Scratch); BAIN (46A Winner of three consecutive Emmys for "Mission: Impossible"); KANE (47A Batman creator Bob); and Woody Guthrie's "Tom JOAD" (49A).

The clues for the down entries which are, in the main, happenstance fill to serve the accomplishment of nine full-across entries are:

1. Thrashers home in the N.H.L.: Abbr.; 2. One just filling up space; 3. Second of 24; 4. See 52-Down; 5. Arm raiser, informally; 6. Vote for; 7. In need of a sweep; 8. Ragged edges, in metalworking; 9. Lambs: Lat. 10. Destiny; 11. String player?; 12. Ottoman officers; 13. Simple; 14. Toot; 15. Some specialize in elec.; 21. They may give you a seat; 22. Spring river phenomenon; 23. Soundproofing material; 24. Converse alternative; 25. Yo-yo; 26. Requiem title word; 27. Alternative to a 23-Across; 28. Somewhat, in music; 29. Embarrassing way to be caught; 31. 1856 antislavery novel; 32. Insult, on the street; 33. Volt-ampere; 34. Peculiar: Prefix; 35. Relative of -ance; 36. Perfect; 41. He wrote that government "is but a necessary evil" 42. Gulf of Sidra setting; 43. Like the Keystone Kops; 44. "The ENDIS near!"; 45. New Hampshire's KEENE State College; 46. Longfellow's "The Bells of San BLAS"; 47. Rove in politics; 48. Old man, in Mannheim; 49. Rib; 50. Prefix with -hedron; 51. In ranks; 52. With 4-Down, black magic; 54. Raise a stink?; 55. Billy's call; 56. Logos and the like: Abbr.

As is obvious, the cluing for the down entries is in many cases convoluted and/or a stretch -- necessarily so, due to the droppings left from the blitz of long acrosses.

That said, the six 15-across "conversational" entries are, to crossword puzzles, original; and the remaining three -- "Air America Radio", "Liberal Democrat", and "Seattle Seahawks" can certainly count this crossword as their last full-length appearance for a while, at least.

All in all, a very satisfying and fun T.G.I. Friday solve!

Times Square, New Year's Eve -- OVERNADDONEWITH (30A)

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For today's cartoons, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games

09.20.07 -- THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA

Thursday, September 20, 2007

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Puzzle by Alex Boisvert, edited by Will Shortz

ERNESTHEMINGWAY (35A Author of a 1952 novel published in full in Life magazine) and six three-letter single-square entries -- THE, OLD, MAN, AND, THE, and SEA -- form the complete title and author's name of a novella by the author Ernest Hemingway written in Cuba in 1951 and published in 1952. It was the last major work of fiction to be produced by Hemingway and published in his lifetime. Internet reference to Hemingway and the novella at Wikipedia HERE.

The relatively unimportant entries which exist merely to form the title of novella are as follows: THELMA (14A Longtime Vicki Lawrence character); SMOLDER (15A Burn slowly); HERMAN (16A One of the Munsters); ANDEAN (58A Like llamas); EATHERE (59A Truck stop sign); and NAUSEA (60A Unpleasant feeling). The accompanying down entries forming the title are ATHENS (1D Peloponnesian War participant); FOLDED (7D Gave up one's hand); EMANATE (13D Flow out); ERRANDS (45A Odd jobs); ESTHER (50A Old Testament book); and RESEAT (53D Move to first class, e.g.)

For the purpose of solving the puzzle's three-letter-word-in-a-square device, I didn't notice any clue, other than the author's name spanning the center of the grid, and the inability of ATHENS and SMOLDER to fit into the alloted number of squares, but once I wrote in THE followed by OLD, the remainder of the title, which is perfectly symmetrical in the grid, reeled in the remainder of the solution of this very inventive and enjoyable Thursday crossword puzzle.

Spencer Tracy in the film "The Old Man and the Sea", 1958

The construction of the puzzle including the aforementioned entries and the remaining entries of the puzzle could well be self-described -- SPLENDID (20A "Jolly good!") and BOFFO (5A Terrif)! Seaworthy entries also include STERNS (42D Rears); CAREFREE (4D Happy-go-lucky); EAU (56D Evian or Perrier); TIEUP (40A Occupy); AZORES (26A Home of Sao Miguel Island); and BAIL (48A Throw out water).

TITI (37D South American monkey) makes a return; joining other animals -- BISON (22D Animal on the backs of three state quartrs); EMUS (52D Layers of eggs weighing more than a pound); and llamas (58A).

People along for the cruise include The Three Stooges with two entries, SLAP (2D Part of a Three Stooges shtick) and CURLY (62A A Stooge); CAGNEY (43D Oscar winner for "Yankee Doodle Dandy"); SHUE (10A Andrew of "Melrose Place"); BINET (22A Pioneer in I.Q. testing); HOWE (30A British general in the American Revolution); IAMS (41A Nutritionist Paul who founded a pet food company); EMIL (3D Dr. Skoda of "Law & Order") along with SHRINK (10D 3-Down's profession); HEINE (11D German poet who wrote "Don't send a poet to London"); Mata HARI (25D); GIULIANI (38D Politician who wrote the book "Leadership"); Thom MCAN shoes (51D); WYSS (34D "The Swiss Family Robinson" author Johann); Author ZORA Neale Hurston (27D); BSIDES (5D Elvis's "Hound Dog" and "Anyway You Want Me"); and a BGIRL (48D Old nightclub employee).
"No MAS!" (39A) leads a flotilla of small entries: ASEC, NEE, NAIR, RIGA, FEES, SSW and SSNS, ACME, INST, FER, ORT, SWAT, SAME, REC and RVER (54A Winnebago owner). Floating elsewhere are the larger entries of CHINESE (24A Takeout choice); the etymologically affinitive odd couple EGOTRIP (45A "I"-opening experience?) and EGGTIMER (50A Accessory for many a game); perhaps a Boatel with OMNI (6D Some chain hotels); CHUTES (43A Rodeo sights); OLEAN (47D Ingredient in some potato chips) and RESIN (55A Amber, e.g.); a CLAMP (24D Surgical aid); a FLEUR (29D Part of un jardin); a CHEAP (31D Badly made) CLARO (31A Light-colored stogie); and a FLASK (29A Lab container).
SITAR (42A Pear-shaped instrument) is intersected by STIRS (36D Rouses oneself); which, along with verbiage such as AHEM (26D Faux cough); URGES (12D Presses); GIVES (46D Buckles); RILES (49A Ticks off); and OWNS (28D Fesses [up to]), make for a little music and conversation for the old man and the sea.

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For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games

09.19.07 -- O, Baby!

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

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Puzzle by Stella Daily and Bruce Venzke

Four baby animals are hidden in the inter-related entries of CHICKFLICKS (18A “Pretty Woman” and “Waiting to Exhale”); JOEYLAWRENCE (28A Actor who got his start on TV’s “Gimme a Break!”; COLTREVOLVER (48A Shooter of westerns); and CALFMUSCLES (62A They’re exercised when cycling). Lurking less intentionally are the baby animals that might be inferred by EARLESS (26A Like harp seals); CATNIP (8A It makes Frisky frisky); BOAR (1D Animal hunted in one of Hercules’ 12 labors); even RABBI (20A Shul’s shepherd) which may have lost its “t” and ZBAR (37D Letter-shaped beam), an “e“-less anagram of zebra -- even PESTS (13D Termites and such), or NACRE (11D Mother-of pearl), not to open Pandora’s Box!

This pleasant puzzle’s pacing father seems to have withdrawal symptoms what with MRCOFFEE (39D Automatic-drip machine maker) crossing ALCOHOL (51D What virgin drinks lack), as he COMESIN (46D Arrives) NERVOUSLY (35D With shaking hands, perhaps) to deal with TRIFLERS (10D Those who don’t behave seriously) and dine on HUMBLEPIE (3D It’s embarrassing to eat) and FRET (23A Stew [over]) as WHISTLES (30D Sound from a teakettle) MAIM (38A Wing, e.g.) the brain adding RIGOR (31D Ordeal’s quality) to the proceedings.

Motherlessness? AIRACE (16A Top gun) kept reading as A. I. RACE (cyborgs in competition?) making one's KNEEBONE (19D Patella) and ILIA (58D Pelvic bones) AIL (9D Be indisposed) upon a FALL (4A Ladder danger).

YMA (71A Singer Sumac) (queen of eight octaves of whom it‘s said her real name was Amy Camus), warbles weirdly to over a half-dozen non-identical twins -- LAC and LOX, LEIS and LEAS, LACE, and LIEF, ORU and SOO, BOCA and BOAR, BAH and BEY, AIL and AIM, ARIA and ASEA, AMP and ARNE, OMOO and OMAN, RNA and RCA, ROAM and SENT, ERR and DOH, with wallflower ugly duckling singles JAM, MGR, SERB and YARN awaiting another day.

The mother of England, QEII (56A Oscar-winning role for Helen Mirren, in brief) makes her second appearance this week. Orphaned entries include SAAB (25D Fashion designer Elie) which gets a non-automotive clue, ORTEGA (66A Rival of Old El Paso) and SONIC (45A Hit Sega title character) also with new cluing. EXURB (59A Part of a metropolitan area) has returned, as has SNERD (43A Dummy Mortimer), ARNAZ (34A “I Love Lucy” co-star) and SAHIB (33A “Master“).

A new pair, ICKES (12D Clinton adviser Harold) and ICKY (57D Totally gross) join entries that seem to be up for adoption, including CELTS (53D Druids, e.g.), LOQUAT (49D Plumlike Chinese fruit); ALCOA (51D Foil-making giant), FACIALS (4D Spa offerings), TIVO (41D Busy viewer’s convenience), CAFTAN (8D Beach cover-up); and Opera’s KIRI Te Kanawa (67A) sings a lullaby.

LIARS (52D Specialists in storytelling?) are tucked away in the lower left of the grid, while that BIGOT (40A Archie Bunker, famously) for reasons unknown, sits dead center in the middle of it all.

Excuse me, I'm going to go burp the baby!

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For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games

09.18.07 -- Smile

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

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Puzzle by Chuck Deodene, edited by Will Shortz

SMILE (16A Beam), NONEEDTOTHANKME (Helpful person's line), GLADTOBEOF (32A With 42-Across, helpful person's line), ASSISTANCE (42A See 32-Across), HON (19D Darlin'), SAYSYES (43D Agrees), AROSE (48A Levitated); COZIEST (21A Most comfy), ETAL (57D And others, for short) provide a positive bent to this well-TUNED (46A Like good pianos and engines) Tuesday crossword puzzle.

However, not all is well in Eden -- DUMB (1A Inane), IBET (14A Cynic's comment), ALARM (25A Peturbation), CLIQUE (60A Coterie), JAB (23D Elbow); SLYLY (67A With cunning), RAT (6D Squealer), TORN (29D Having a hard time deciding), FUSS (36D Bother); TURNA deaf ear to (54A), and AWRY (58D Cockeyed) -- provide the opposite side of amiability.

Territorial and technical: IRIS scan (biometric authentication method) (5A); ZONED (9A Districted); NASA (15A Payload delivery org.); GALAXY (20A Spiral in space); USERID (39A Log-in info); LAND (66A Reel in); EVEN (65A Tied up); DINGS (1D Small jobs for a body shop); UBOAT (2D Kriegsmarine vessel); INDY (5D Annual racing classic); ISO (7D Prefix with tonic); ORE (24D Prospecting find); 1989’s LOMA Prieta earthquake (26D); Lithium-ION battery (45D); PVC (62D Piping compound, briefly); and SAIL (59D Clipper’s sheet), which technically is ROPE -- see following quote from Simple Language of the Sea:

“Sheet: The rope or tackle, attached to the clew of the sail, or to the outer end of a boom, used to adjust the trim of a sail. It is used to describe any rope or wire used to adjust the trim of a sail and is named for the sail to which it is attached, e.g. main, genoa, staysail, and spinnaker sheets.”

People, places, and pastimes: JOHNS (23A Vice squad arrestees, perhaps); NUDISM (38A Philosophy of bare existence?); SCOT (68A St. Andrew’s Day observer); EXPATS (18D Sojourners abroad, for short); PARIS (64A Popular place for 18-Down); SATCHMO (8D “Hello, Dolly!” jazzman); SHEA (28D Flushing stadium); ZSAZSA (9D One of the Gabors); DRESSY (47D Stylish); ALEC (41A Writer Waugh); HOPI (37A Mesa tribe); STOMP (22A Jazz dance); DICE (35D Cubes at Harrah’s); RIDE (31D Ferris wheel or bumper cars); a meal with SQUAB (53D Fowl entrée); MENLO Park (noted lab site) (3D); a SEEDY (55D Not yet gentrified) neighborhood; BTEAM (4D Substitute players); anchoring in ADEN (34D Mideast harbor city); and having refreshments on TEASETS (56A Spode ensembles) with LULU (33D “To Sir With Love” singer, 1967) and LEO (63D Fierce type astrologically).

Brands and business: OMNI (10D Bygone Dodge); NIKE (11A Giant in footwear); DEET (13D It’s repellent); SRO (44D Sellout letters); TIPS (56D Much of a waitress’s income); CENT (60D ¢); AISLE (52D Airplane seating request); STELLA Artois beer (40D); RAYON (49A Versatile fabric); ATM (50D Dough producer, briefly); and EBAY (69A Virtual mart).

This coming week gives us the EPIC (30D Like “Paradise Lost”) of the autumnal equinox, with the advent of the ASTER (27A Autumn bloomer), and the changing color of the ELMS (12 Graceful shaders); so enjoy the few days of Summer while it LASTS (Lives on)!

SMILE!

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Visit Mona and the dogs at The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games

09.24.07 -- Silents and Silence

09.23.07 -- Words for Words

09.22.07 -- SPYVSSPY

09.21.07 -- The Long and the Shortz of It

09.20.07 -- THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA

09.19.07 -- O, Baby!

09.18.07 -- Smile

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