08.21.11 — Puns and Anagrams

Is biscuits cubist?

Bread and Fruit Dish on a Table by Pablo Picasso, 1909

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Sunday, August 21, 2011

Puns and Anagrams, Crossword by Mel Taub / Edited by Will Shortz

Across — 1. Pure wit in author’s account, WRITE-UP; 8. Fasteners one has as an afterthought, HASPS; 13. Nine toes examined, SEEN INTO; 14. Scares L.A. Rams, MADE IT; 16. Damages in some panels, INJURIES; 17. Succeeded with ad time, MADE IT; 18. Put away doters, STORED; 19. Miss. Doctrines, ISMS; 21. One revered by Auguste, in the end, STE; 22. Man with undergraduate degree, that is, ABIE; 23. One who’s chatty a lot with clients, ATTY; 24. Take Prince William’s bride for example, KATE; 25. Kind of key, LAC; 26. Where to find clerical names, MANSE; 28. Argue it could be boring, AUGER; 29. Flaw found at 600 feet, DEFECT; 31. Andrew’s custodians, WARDENS; 33. Weak male, LAME; 34. Italian guy in legal document, ALDO; 35. Looked out for Oct. dues, SCOUTED; 38. On which birds relax torsos, ROOSTS; 41. Tall and thin like Ellen (L in)Kay, LANKY; 42. Tree held dearly? Why not!, ALDER; 44. Fellow’s greetings, HIS; 46. Just the insides of nylons, ONLY; 47. Oh, it’s the elevator guy, OTIS; 48. Branch seen in intersection, SECT; 49. Central model of a poem, ODE; 50. Drinks for sale, ALES; 51. Water added to tank, i..e., INTAKE; 53. Surfaces of panels, PLANES; 55. Menace near the T, THREATEN; 57. Like the weather on Everest, endlessly, SEVERE; 58. Greet men who are newly independent, EMERGENT; 59. Stone attack, SET ON; 60. Offspring of many fodders (fathers), DODDERS (daughters).

Down — 1. Spoiled a wet band, WENT BAD; 2. Delight Joe & Eric, REJOICE; 3. Get used to U.N. ire, INURE; 4. Become bored with Michelin, e.g., TIRE; 5. Eat up, ENID; 6. Ill. Rep. follower, UTE; 7. Presumes where Spot is, POSITS; 8. Porky, HAMMY; 9. Regretful word a Scottish miss heard, ALAS; 10. Blue ads, SAD; 11. Prophesy pears, e.g., PRESAGE; 12. In love with mittens, SMITTEN; 13. Source of Lisa’s rope, SISAL; 15. Guides cattle, STEERS; 20. They manage things when stars wed, STEWARDS; 23. The day poker players kicked in, ANTEDATE; 24. At dusk, nothing but praise, KUDOS; 26. Beefy matey, MEATY; 27. Came out on top, ACME; 28. Do a RR fire, ARDOR; 30. Lucky to go by plane around Britain, FLUKY; 32. Even parts of Karl Rove may be soothing, ALOE; 35. They sailed to Oslo: Sp., SLOOPS; 36. Send Elsie (LC) a few for her cake, CANDLES; 37. A novel ‘e produced while away, ON LEAVE; 39. Where matinee is at 3:00, THEATER (at three); 40. Disgusts or makes fatter, as the lisper might say, SICKENS; 43. 51 Teds in the phone book, LISTED; 45. Surgical tube in tents, STENT; 47. Noel’s other name, OLSEN; 48. Place that gets a hand, STAGE (hand); 50. Sol preceder, AERO; 51. How one might feel after being taken for a ride, IRED; 52. Any dr., at heart, NERD, n, e, dr.; 54. Total of 10, NET; 56. Insurance provider for Dr. Ohm, HMO.

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08.21.11 — Finding NEMO

Sunday, August 21, 2011

UNDERWATER SEARCH, Puzzle by Alan Arbesfeld / Edited by Will Shortz

FINDING NEMO (37-Down: 2003 Pixar film) and a note at the top of the puzzle, e.g., “When this puzzle is done, look for a name (hinted at by 37-Down) hidden 17 times in the grid, each reading forward, backward, down, up or diagonally, word search-style“, asks the solver to go fishing for NEMO throughout the grid upon completing the crossword; however, even without searching for the seventeen NEMOs, the puzzle is still a fresh and breezy Sunday crossword, uh… nibble, nitpick or not.

Across — 1. One going into an outlet, PRONG; 6. Sonata movement, RONDO; 11. Org. for Lt. Columbo, LAPD; 15. 33⅓ and others, RPMS; 19. Buzz, RUMOR; 20. Huge quantity, OCEAN; 231. Cross letters, INRI; 22. “IRMA la Douce”; 23. Again, ONE MORE TIME; 25. “I before E except after C” and others, MNEMONICS; 27. Tampa-to-Orlando dir., ENE; 28. Swelling of the head, EGOMANIA; 30. Carry illicitly, SMUGGLE; 31. Modern: Ger., NEU; 33. Old Turkish V.I.P.’s, AGAS; 34. “Now you SEE IT …”; 35. Skippy alternative, JIF; 38. Attachment points under the hood, ENGINE MOUNTS; 42. Finnish city near the Arctic Circle, OULU; 46. Oodles, A MILLION; 48. Street on old TV, DELLA; 49. Racketeer’s activity?, TENNIS; 51. “Ideas for life” sloganeer, PANASONIC; 53. Skips on the water, DAPS; 56. “The Canterbury Tales” pilgrim, REEVE; 56. Sight near a drain, EDDY; 57. Also, NOT TO MENTION; 61. Dues payer: Abr., MEM; 62. Mark Twain, e.g., religiously speaking, DEIST; 64. Sp. Miss, SRTA; 65. Human, e.g., food wise, OMNIVORE; 67. Salad orderer’s request, NO OIL; 70. Mercedes competitor, LEXUS; 73. Bothered, ATE AT; 74. Attractive, MAGNETIC; 77. Mother of Horus, in Egyptian myth, ISIS; 79. “Mona Lisa” feature, SMILE; 82. Prince Valiant’s son, ARN; 83. Part of the Hindu Godhead, DIVINE MOTHER; 88. Summer hangout, POOL; 89. Italian 10, DIECI; 91. Organic compound, ENOL; 92. Rights of passage, EASEMENTS; 94. 1936 Loretta Young title role, RAMONA; 96. Pioneering computer, ENIAC; 99. Back end of a time estimate, LATE DATE; 100. Carolina university, ELON; 101. Terminology, NOMENCLATURE; 104. LOS Banos, Calif.; 105. Skipping syllables, TRA LA; 107. Edible Andean tubers, OCAS; 108. Cousin on “The Addams Family”, ITT; 110. Prepared for YouTube, say, VIDEOED; 113. Tyson nickname, IRON MIKE; 116. Suffix with planet, OID; 119. “Just a sec”, ONE MOMENT; 121. Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi, STATESWOMEN; 124. “Fargo” director, COEN; 125. “This IS IT!”; 126. Inner tube-shaped, TORIC; 127. Perplexed, AT SEA; 128. Objectives, ENDS; 129. Firm part: Abbr., ATTY; 130. Bag of chips, maybe, SNACK; 131. Unlocked?, SHORN.

Down — 1. Maven, PRO; 2. Bit of Viking writing, RUNE; 3. Sign, OMEN; 4. Ladies’ club restriction, NO MEN; 5. Miracle-GRO; 6. Nicolas who directed “The Man Who Fell to Earth”, ROEG; 7. Twice tetra-, OCTO; 8. Big name in upscale retail, NEIMAN; 9. Cracked or torn, DAMAGED; 10. What Rihanna or Prince uses, ONE NAME; 11. City of Kings, LIMA; 12. Former Texas governor Richards, ANN; 13. Like the alarm on many alarm clocks, PRESET; 14. Least hopeful, DIMMEST; 15. Notes to pick up on?, RING-TONE; 16. Self-righteous sort, PRIG; 17. Mid 22^nd-century year, MMCL; 18. Ed.’s convenience, SASE; 24. French island WSW or Mauritius, REUNION; 26. Non’s opposite, OUI; 29. Tryster with Tristan, ISOLDE; 32. Slippery ones, EELS; 34 Awake suddenly, SNAP TO; 38. “Have I MADE myself clear?”; 37. 2003 Pixar film, FINDING NEMO; 39. “GO NO further …”; 40. U.S.A. or U.K., INITS; 41. ULAN Bator, Mongolia; 43. Stoic, UNEMOTIONAL; 44. Occasional ingredient in turkey dressing, LIVER; 45. 1972 Bill Withers hit, USE ME; 47. Applies, as paint, LAYS ON; 50. Banks and Pyle, ERNIES; 52. PC key, CTRL; 54. Lower layer of the earth’s crust, SIMA; 58. Suffix with Capri, OTE; 59. Magazine with an annual Hot 100, MAXIM; 60. Neighbor of Que., ONT; 63. Stood like a pigeon, TOED IN; 66. Improvised musically, VAMPED; 68. “Lord, is IT I?’; 69. In concert, LIVE; 71. Hope grp., USO; 72. Spot, SITE; 74. One concerned with el niño, MADRE; 75. Sans-serif typeface, ARIAL; 76. Field of stars?, CINEMA; 78. Will of the Bible, SHALT; 80. Pick 6, e.g., LOTTO; 81. Someone ELSES; 84. Zero, NONE; 85. “Sense and Sensibility” sister, ELINOR; 86. “ESAU Wood sawed wood” (old tongue-twister); 87. Hears again, as a case, RETRIES; 90. Treats with scorn, CONTEMNS; 93. It often has dashes, MEET; 95. Fatigue may be a symptom of it: Var., ANAEMIA; 97. Approaches boldly, ACCOSTS; 98. O.K. Corral gunfighter, CLANTON; 102. Senior, OLDEST; 103. Capital of Eritrea, ASMARA; 106. Little hopper?, ROO; 109. Crown holder, TOOTH; 110. Viva VOCE; 111. Home IN ON; 112. One may be good or dirty, DEED; 113. Wee, informally, ITTY; 114. Suffix with arthr-, ITIC; 115. Sergeant in “The Thin Red Line”, KECK; 117. “I’M SO sorry!”; 118. One of them does?, DEER; 120. Annual b-ball event, NIT; 122. Has been, WAS; 123. Palindromic girl’s name, NAN.

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08.20.11 — Trouble

Carmen Sandiego is a media franchise of educational computer and video games, television programs, books and other media featuring a thieving villainess of the same name.

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Saturday, August 20, 2011

Puzzle by Byron Walden, edited by Brian Cimmet and Patrick Blindauer
(This crossword was the playoff puzzle at Lollapuzzoola 4,
 a tournament held in New York City on August 6th.)
  Edited by Will Shortz

Ooooo, nice puzzle!

Across — 1. Indian home, HOGAN, this gave me trouble, I’d TEPEE; 6. Store, STASH AWAY; 6. Gloucester and Kent, in “King Lear”, EARLS; 16. 1822 Walter Scott novel about Capt. Clement Cleveland, THE PIRATE; 17. Its calling code is +39, ITALY; 18. President Harding’s Laddie Boy and others, AIREDALES; 19. Elvis’s and Mariah’s record number of weeks at Billboard’s #1, SEVENTY-NINE; 21. Big mouth, MAW; 22. Carmen Sandiego cover-up?, TRENCH COAT; 23. 8 on the Beaufort scale, GALE; 24. Until June 25, 2011, its first three digists had geographical significance: Abbr., SSN; 25. “Tempest” Golden Globe nominee Julia, RAUL; 26. Purple, LURID; 27. Lived in King James’s era?, DWELT; 29. “Jason Lives,” e.g., PART VI; 30. Notes in passing?, REQUIEM; 33. Like the word “Its,” often, MISUSED; 34. Crows, EXULTS; 35. Ice cream case selections, PINTS; 36. Take what one oughtn’t, POACH; 37. Weapon that comes in easy-to-carry and hard-to-carry varieties, MACE; 38. Lacuna, GAP; 41. Snarling, say, RUDE; 42. Ursi maritime, POLAR BEARS; 45. Place that shows placing and showing: Abbr., OTB; 46. Miami or Amsterdam, for example, GATEWAY CITY; 47. Uniform shade, OLIVE DRAB; 49. “Let’s NOT GO there”; 50. Something one might be forced to wear at work, FAKE SMILE; 51. Top, ONE-UP; 52. Deal incentive, SWEETENER; 53. Some of them are flukes, WORMS.

Down — 1. Withdrawals that may incur substantial penalties?, HEISTS; 2. Tom Mix vehicles, OATERS; 3. Second Commandment word, GRAVEN; 4. Wrench handle?, ALLEN; 5. “It’s Gonna Be Me” band of 2000, NSYNC; 6. Emergency directive?, STAY CALM; 7. Become sparse, THIN OUT; 8. From above, AERIAL; 9. Blown, SPENT; 10. Mask, HIDE; 11. Constellation between Scorpius and Triangulum Australe, ARA; 12. Supercenters, e.g., WALMARTS; 13. More than gnawed at, ATE ALIVE; 14. Celebratory chant at Chicago’s Grant Park on 11/4/08, YES WE DID, this was my other trouble, I‘d had YES WE CAN; 20. Basketball long shots; THREES; 23. Mavens, GURUS; 26. In a bad place?, LAST; 27. Sweet, to Scipio, DULCE; 28. Dating, WITH; 29. Sebastián PIÑERA (president of Chile beginning in 2010); 30. Reprimands, REPROOFS; 31. Gary Cooper played on in “Man of the West”, EX-OUTLAW; 32. Certain ATV; QUAD BIKE; 33. Dickens character whose first name is Wilkins, MICAWBER; 35. Blonde picked up at a bar?, PALE ALE; 37. “We feel your pain” sloganeer, MOTRIN; 38. Ankle covering, GAITER; 39. Kind of eraser, ART GUM; 40. “Hearts and minds” activities, in military slang, PSYOPS: 42. Luke’s mother in “Star Wars”, PADME; 43. Already, BY NOW; 44. Tightwads’ prefix, ECONO; 46. Exploit, GEST; 48. Capital of Victoria, VEE.

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08.19.11 — Eat It

Gulls Flying Over a Garbage Dump by Josef Scaylea

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Friday, August 19, 2011

Puzzle by Patrick Berry / Edited by Will Shortz

I don't know... maybe there's a point to all this...


Across — 1. Actual title of the 1979 #1 hit known as “The Piña Colada Song”, ESCAPE; 7. “Family Guy” mayor, or the actor providing his voice; 15. Dump truck filler, LOADER; 16. Deliver, LIBERATE; 17. Shameless yes-man, LAP-DOG; 18. 1984 film starring Tom Selleck as a jewel thief, LASSITER; 19. Front covers, APRONS; 20. Fashion magazines, e.g., GLOSSIES; 21. Trespasses, SINS; 22. Higgins’s pupil in elocution, DOOLITTLE; 23. Abbr. rarely seen at the start of a sentence, ETC; 24. One rudely put out?, TONGUE; 2. Satellite community?, MOON BASE; 28. Small brawl, TUSSLE; 33. Removes from a spool, UNREELS; 34. Ignoring copyrights, say, PIRATIC; 35. “In the Night Kitchen” author, SENDAK; 36. Lady famous for piemaking, MRS SMITH; 37. Cash in, REDEEM; 39. Vegas hotel that hosts the World Series of Poker, RIO; 40. Nighttime assignment, often, GUARD DUTY; 44. “Star Trek: First Contact” villains, with “the”, BORG; 46. Girl’s name meaning “messenger of God”, ANGELINE; 47. Second run, REPEAT; 49. Foot-stomping music, FLAMENCO; 50. Unfazed by, USED TO; 51. Top-quality, FIVE-STAR; 52. DVD box set purchase, SERIES; 53. Wild West show headgear, STETSONS; 54. Place to sit, ironically, STANDS.

Down — 1. “ELLA in Berlin” (1960 live album); 2. Mineral used as chalk by tailors, SOAP STONE; 3. One born on Christmas Day, CAPRICORN; 4. Enlargement, ADD-ON; 5. Unskilled laborers, PEONS; 6. Newton-meter fractions, ERGS; 7. No more, ALL GONE; 8. Kind of box for input, DIALOG; 9. Moral theory that doesn’t allow for shades of gray, ABSOLUTISM; 10. Old-fashioned letter opener, MESSIEURS; 11. You might keep a watch on it, WRIST; 12. Weird Al Yankovich’s first Billboard hit, EAT IT; 13. What tuning forks are made of, STEEL; 14. Clipped, TERSE; 22. Sleep, in British slang, DOSS; 23. Skinny-legged trotters, EMUS; 24. Had one do through persuasion, TALKED INTO; 26. Outlaw Kelly of Australian legend, NED; 27. Like Lincoln before his presidency, BEARDLESS; 29. 1950s-’70s senator Ervin, SAM; 30. Added to the soup, say, STIRRED IN; 31. Pressed one’s suit?, LITIGATED; 32. Return a call?, ECHO; 34. Little game, perhaps, PREY; 36. Falling rocks, METEORS; 38. Company behind the 1960s yo-yo craze, DUNCAN; 40. Fishing hooks, GAFFS; 41. Dark, UNLIT; 42. Mesoamerican plant, AGAVE; 43. Ran into again, REMET; 44. Hemmed in, BESET; 45. “No good OPERA plot can be sensible …”: W. H. Auden; 47. Former Wisconsin senator Feingold, RUSS; 48. Dispose of, TOSS.

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08.18.11 — Pomp and Circumstance

Alma Mater, Daniel Chester French

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Thursday, August 18, 2011

Puzzle by Kevan Choset / Edited by Will Shortz

Six abbreviations for educational degrees, BFA, MBA, MA, BA, MD and JD, each squeezed into a single square, along with SIX DEGREES (40A. Often-cited distance between things … or what’s hidden in this puzzle) constitutes the interrelated group of this Thursday crossword.

• CA[BFA]RE / A[BFA]B (16A. It’s enough to take you for a ride; 6D: Hit Brit sitcom)
• ICE [MA]KER / [MA]INE (3D. Source of some cubes; 21A. Memorable ship)
• C[MD]R / E[MD]ASHES (51A. Nav. Leader; 44D. Parentheses alternatives)
• V[J-D]AY / [J D] SALINGER (62D. August 15, 1945; 67A: Writer featured in the memoir "Dream Catcher")
• [BA]TOR / [BA]SS HORN 39A. Part of an Asian capital’s name; 39D. Tuba)
• SLA[MBA]NG / ZI[MBA]LIST (20A. With force and much noise; 12D: Notable violinist)

Other — ANIMIST (29A. Nature worshiper, of a sort), BEASTIE (47A. Epithet for the mouse in Burns‘s “To a Mouse“), DOGSTAR (14D. Its rising signaled the flooding of the Nile in ancient Egypt), ERNESTO, FORESEE, HIPNESS, MABEL / MERCER (5D. With 52-Down, English born cabaret signer), PAPER BOY (23D. News deliverer), RAIMENT, SCRAWLS, THE HOBBIT (18A. Literary source of “Bless us and splash us, my precioussss!”), TIED INTO, TRITEST.

Mid-size — AGENA, AN ARM and a leg, ARLES, ASLAN, China ASTER, CRAZED, CRIERS, CROSSE, DENIRO, Zhou EN LAI, EX-CON, IMACS, ISOPOD (33A. Pill bug, for one), LESSER, MENSA (56D. Noted test provider), MONACO (52A. State of Grace), NO FEE, RELAID, S-STARS (74A. Cool red giants), THROW, WHENCE, YETIS.

Short stuff — ALT, “AS I was saying”, BAH, CDS, CIR, EINS, EAP and EAT and EPA and EPI and ERA and ERS, EWE, ICON, IOS, NERD, NGO, OAF, OBI, ON KP, OPT, ORG, OUSE, OVO, PAC, RAG, REF, RIG, RYE, SETS, SETA, STA.

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Traditional keilkogi accessory; 4. Apple types; 9. Manic; 15. One regulated by the F.E.C.; 17. “Sleepers” co-star, 1996; 22. Literary inits.; 24. City on the Rhone; 25. Peeling potatoes, perhaps; 27. Env. Contents; 31. Onetime NASA booster; 35. Stop: Abbr.; 36. Anticipate; 38. Call, in a way; 39. Part of an Asian capital’s name; 43. Collections; 46. Geom. Figure; 54. Judo move; 55. Apparel; 57. Jim Beam product; 59. River of York; 61. Lacto-___-vegetarian; 63. Creature in Dr. Seuss’s “If I Ran the Zoo”; 65. From where; 71. Reduced; 72. Narnia hero; 73. Center start?; 75. Himalayan legends; 76. Many an old T-shirt, now. — DOWN: 1. Reject, with “out of”; 2. “Pshaw!”; 4. Folder, sometimes; 7. Announcers; 8. ___ RECORD; 9. Modern records; 10. Fixed, as tiles; 13. 1990s Mexican president Zedillo; 19. Cool factor; 25. Ox; 26. Vietnam’s ___ Dinh Diem; 28. Connected with; 30. Free; 34. Assn.; 37. Parolee, e.g.; 41. Period of years; 42. Take in; 43. Writes poorly; 45. Most overused; 48. Wear walker; 49. Aegean island near Naxos; 50. Farm milk provider; 53. Game stick; 64. One from Germany; 66. Some TV drama sites, for short; 68. PC key; 69. Green grp.; 70. Fix.

08.17.11 — M/C, W/C and L/L

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Puzzle by Michael Black / Edited by Will Shortz

M/C Hammer?, W/C Fields? and L/L Bean? are the clues for MALLET OR CLAW, WRIGLEY AND COORS and LIMA OR LENTIL, respectively, in this weird-but-likeable little Wednesday crossword.

Other — AEROSTAR (43A. Former Ford minivan), PERIODIC (36A. Like Mendeleev’s table), SPACEMEN (8D. Sci-fi travelers), YARDARMS (42D. Sail supports), and a handful of conversation, e.g., ADIEU (29A. Closing bid?), AW MAN (69A. “You’re killin’ me!“), “I WAS framed!“, MOVE (67A. “Outta my way!!“), MY BAD (61A. “Oops!), “OH TO be in England”, PSHAW (9A. “Oh, get off it!“).

Mid-size — APART, ARRIVE, AT COST, BATHED, BEAME (66A. Big Apple mayor before Koch), BIDEN (54D. First Catholic vice president of the U.S.), CABIN, CRIMEA, EARNING, ELSES, ET ALII, EQUALS (21D. Comes to), FEEL BAD (52A. Have the blahs), HOWARD (2D. Stooge surname), ICICLE, Ab INITIO, IPANA, JETSAM, LAIRDS (22D. Scottish landowners), LLAMA, NYLONS, MANTA, PIXAR, SPAWN, XANAX (19D. Drug that treats panic attacks).

Short stuff — ADOS, ANA and ANY, ATOP, BAM (63D. Kapow!), CHEN, ERGO, GMCS, HAN, INDO, IRAE, “ERI tu”, IN A tough spot, MARS, MBA, NASL, NCAA, Film NOIR, NOM de guerre, NORA, OBOE, OONA, Q AS in queen, RAJ, RBIS, REIN, REL, RENE, ROAR, ROTA, SEES, SIN, SRTA, TAMI, WAX, WAIV, YEW.

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. “Big Brother” host Julie; 5. Mily Way maker; 14. “The Godfather” score composer Nino; 15. Riding on; 16. Toothpaste brand once advertised with Bucky Beaver; 18. Org. with Spartans and Trojans; 25. Raking in; 31. Suspense novelist Hoag; 34. Literally, “reign” in Hindi; 44. Risk damnation; 46. Mlle., across the Pyrenees; 48. Summer camp shelter; 55. Emergency contact, often: Abbr.; 57. Whichever; 64. Sac flies produce them; 68. Jockey’s handful; 70. Goes with; 71. Brouhahas. — DOWN: 1. Yalta’s locale; 3. List ender; 4. Pele’s org.; 5. Powerful ray; 6. For neither profit nor loss; 7. Have a hearty laugh; 9. Studio behind “Up” and “Wall-E”; 10. Engender; 11. Chinese dynasty name; 12. Santa ___ winds; 13. You might put your stamp on it; 26. Intro to Chinese?; 28. Yukons, e.g.; 30. Hence; 35. Tea in Boston Harbor, once; 37. Yule decoration; 38. A Chaplin; 39. Ragamuffin; 40. Russo of film; 41. “Of wrath,” in a hymn title; 47. Hit it big; 49. Took a dip; 50. Ab ___ (from the start); 51. L’eggs wares; 53. Andean wool source; 56. Someone ___ (another’s); 59. “An ill wind …” instrument; 60. Director Ephron; 61. Deg. Held by George W. Bush; 62. Tree with cones.

08.16.11 — AWGTHTGTTA

　

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Puzzle by David Steinberg / Edited by Will Shortz

HIDDEN TEXT (57A. Invisible writing on a computer screen … or a component of 18-, 23-, 36- and 52-Across?), along with the circled letters in GO TO HEAVEN; HONEY, I’M HOME; TOWER OF LONDON and KITTY LITTER constitutes the interrelated group of this Tuesday crossword — read OTOH (On The Other Hand); IMHO (In My Humble Opinion), ROFL (Rolling On the Floor Laughing) and TTYL (Talk To You Later) — Please!, no more of these inane text abbreviations in future crosswords (at least standing alone) — there's a countless number of this electronic junk!  Netlingo.com gives us a few hundred in “The List of Chat Acronyms & Text Message Shorthand, HERE.   No more, please!

Other — ARNESS, AT STUD, CLICHÉ (1D. Overused expression), CLOROX, DEANNA, EKBERG (44D. Anita of “La Dolce Vita”), F-TROOP, IPANEMA, “OCEANS Eleven“, RED HOT, TEETER, XM RADIO (31A. Satellite-based car option).

Five-letter — “Doe, A DEER”, AITCH, CHASM, CRATE, ERASE, KYOTO (33A. Former Japanese capital), MY EYE, NADIR, NO MSG, OBESE, PHASE, RERAN, TAPAS, TEENY, TENDS, TILED.

Short stuff, or is just more texting?! — ADDS, CROP, DAD, DEM and DEN, DINO, DONS, DYNE, EGO, ESE, ETS, FDA, FINN, HAMM, HAN, IDO, IDEA and IDEO, IGOR, IFS, IMAC, ING, “Dies IRAE”, KWAN, IRAE, LADY (38D. Disney dog), LAV, LECH, MAMA, MAO, MIEN, MIT, MOTO, NAIL, NONE, ODES, OFT, OMAN, OPAL, SOO Canals, SPAS, TAPE, TEN, TSE, Les États-UNIS, XIN.

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Cut down, as a photo; 5. Big Apple?; 9. Like many bathroom floors; 14. Poland’s Walesa; 15. It gets hammered; 16. Rub out; 17. Brainstorm; 18. Be rewarded for a pious life, as the devout believe; 20. Abyss; 22. Shipping container; 23. Stereotypical sitcom greeting; 26. Hypotheticals; 29. U.F.O. crew; 30. Roman “I”; 33. Former Japanese capital; 35. “The Flintstones” pet; 36. Castle on the Thames; 41. Doll call; 42. Spanish finger food; 43. A girl was from there in a 1964 hit song; 47. His big day is in June; 48. Rx watchdog; 51. Finger count; 52. Pet store purchase; 55. Big, big, big; 56. Aired again; 62. All’s counterpart; 65. Puts on; 66. Chinese restaurant request; 67. Force unit; 68. Apt. rhyme of “aahs”. — DOWN: 2. In very high demand; 4. Developmental period; 5. Suffix with seem or teem; 6. Chinese chairman; 7. Gee follower; 8. Laundry brand; 9. Be on the brink of toppling; 11. Restroom informally; 12. WNW’s opposite; 13. Room for trophies, maybe; 19. Soccer great Mia; 21. “Balderdash!”; 24. Inventor Sikorsky; 25. Mr. ___, Japanese sleuth; 26. Peculiar: Prefix; 27. Neighbor of a Swede; 32. Tacks on; 33. Skater Michelle; 34. Frequently, to a bard; 36. Mending aid; 37. Muscat’s land; 39. Memorable 1995 hurricane with a gem of a name?; 40. Low point; 41. Cambridge univ.; 45. Appearance; 46. Available for breeding; 48. Farcical 1960s sitcom with the Indian character Roaring Chicken; 49. Troi on “Star Trek: T.N.G.”; 50. “Gunsmoke” star James; 53. Minuscule; 54. Minds, as a fire; 55. Laudatory poems; 57. Solo of “Sar Wars”; 58. Vow at an altar; 59. Those people, in Brooklyn; 60. Mark, as a ballot; 61. Syllable after 6-Down.

08.15.11 — Zero

 

Monday, August 15, 2011

Puzzle by Stan Newman / Edited by Will Shortz

ZIP (56D. Nothing … or a hint to what’s hidden in 20-, 35- and 52-Across), along with, well, ZERO, hidden in APPETIZER ORDER (20A. Buffalo wings or bruschetta, e.g.), BILL MAZEROSKI (35A. Pittsburgh Pirates hero of the 1960 World Series) and WURLITZER ORGAN (52A. Music source on many an old fairground) constitutes the interrelated group of this Monday crossword.

Other — APERTURES (8D. Camera openings), BOTSWANA (35D. Neighbor of South Africa), CALLS TIME (33D. Gives teams a short break), IMPOUNDS (36D. Seizes, as a car), LIMERICK (11D. Verse often beginning “There once was a …”), ORATORIO (38D. Handel’s “Messiah,” e.g.), PASTORAL (5D. Rustic), SAM RAIMI (12D. “Spider-Man” series director).

Mid-size — BE COOL, BEZOS, CONGA, COOPER, CRAZE, DINNER, ELAINE, ERRORS, FANNED, INANE, IN SUM, LED IN, LOSERS, NAGS AT, ON A PAR, OTTER, REFER, RESIN, ROARS, SAUCER, SCOOP, SCRAPE, WAIT ON.

Short stuff — ACAD, ACME, ALEC, ALI, ALSO, AMMO, AOL, AWLS, BULB, CIAO, COMO, CRAB, CSI, III, INDO, ISO, LET, NEON, OAS, OGRE, OMNI, ONE, OOO, OSLO, PASS, PEA and PIE, RAP, RENT, REOS, ROB, ROLE and ROPE, STP, TIED, TOO, ZANE and ZENO.

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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. Ice cream utensil; 6. Sea creature that moves sideways; 10. “But wait! There’s more …”; 14. Cuban “line” dance; 15. Lasso; 16. Italian “bye”; 17. Crowd sounds; 18. Baldwin of “30 Rock”; 19. Bullets; 23. Kid’s “Shooter” projectile; 24. Formula ___ racing; 25. Overly; 26. Kanye West’s genre; 28. “E” on a baseball scoreboard; 30. Sylvania product; 31. Rightmost number on a grandfather clock; 32. Dish under a teacup; 34. High point; 39. Perry with the 1956 #1 hit “Hot Diggity”; 40. Winners’ opposites; 41. Auto additive brand; 42. Hole-punching tools; 44. Swung and missed; 48. Equal: Prefix; 49. W. Hemisphere alliance; 50. Allow; 51. “___ Baba and the 40 Thieves”; 56. Western writer Grey; 57. Heading into overtime; 58. Source of amber; 59. ___-European languages; 60. Prefix with potent or present; 61. Ridiculous; 62. “No bid”; 63. Noble gas; 64. Weasel family member. — DOWN: 1. Predicament; 2. “The Last of the Mohicans” author; 3. Commensurate (with); 4. Shrek, for one; 6. Hula hoops in the 1950s, e.g.; 7. Part of play; 9. “Take a chill pill!”; 10. Military sch.; 13. Tic-tac-toe victory; 21. All together; 22. Burgle; 27. Baked dessert; 29. Norway’s capital; 30. Jeff who founded Amazon.com; 34. Professional org.; 37. Direct elsewhere; 39. CBS forensic series; 42. Time Warner spinoff of ‘09; 43. Serve attentively; 45. Pesters; 46. Jerry’s ex on “Seinfeld”; 47. Supper; 50. Ushered; 53. Old-fashioned Speed Wagons; 54. Greek philosopher known for paradoxes; 55. Landlord’s due.

08.14.11 — Microcosmos — the Acrostic

Water drop green, by Dmitry Valberg 

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Sunday, August 14, 2011

ACROSTIC, Puzzle by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon

Edited by Will Shortz

This Sunday's acrostic draws a quotation from Microcosmos by Lynn Margulis.

A century after Darwin theorized that we descended from ape-like ancestors, science has in just the last two decades contrived an awesome description of our even more primordial development from microbes. Boston University biologist Margulis and science writer Sagan here produce a stunning, complex chronicle of those four billion years, from Hadean and Archaeon aeons when matter became "animated" and the mysteries we now call DNA and RNA became "the language of nature," to the first appearances of plant and animal life, including hominids. So immensely detailed is this elucidation of the developing microcosm (with its emphasis on natural selection and symbiosis in the bacterial world) that even advanced science readers will find the book difficult. But it is an important one, a comprehensive, popularized treatment of evolutionary microbiology spelling out a dimension that Darwin possibly never imagined, and proposing that only an understanding of the microcosm from which life sprang can make possible our ultimate leap beyond Earth into a human-devised supercosm. ~ Publishers Weekly, Amazon.com

The quotation: ANIMALS… THAT… ADAPTED TO… LAND DID SO THROUGH THE TRICK OF TAKING THEIR FORMER ENVIRONMENT WITH THEM. …NO MATTER HOW HIGH AND DRY THE MOUNTAIN TOP, NO MATTER HOW SECLUDED AND MODERN THE RETREAT, WE SWEAT AND CRY… SEAWATER.

The author’s name and the title of the work: LYNN MARGULIS, MICROCOSMOS

The defined words:

A. “LAUGHTER is an instant vacation” (Milton Berle)
B. One who knows his jib from his spinnaker, YACHTSMAN
C. Time for Papá Noel, NAVIDAD
D. Person regarded as a cipher, NONENTITY
E. Metaphorically, our source and sustenance (2 wds.), MOTHER EARTH
F. Goddess said to be born of ocean foam, APHRODITE
G. Site of colossal quake damage in 226 B.C., RHODES
H. In the shape of a droplet, GUTTATE
I. Trend contrary to the prevailing one, UNDERTOW
J. Jonathan LETHEM, author of “Gun, With Occasional Music”
K. Police tool in drawing facial composites (hyph.), IDENTI-KIT
L. King of theatre open only in the summer, STRAWHAT
M. Successor of Giscard d’Estaing, MITTERRAND
N. Experienced violent compression, IMPLODED
O. Beveled cut connecting two surfaces, CHAMFER
P. In a new draft, REWRITTEN
Q. Eightsome, OGDOAD
R. Be out of accord with Hoyle, CHEAT
S. Spangle, bauble, ORNAMENT
T. Actor William who said, “No, I’ve never had green alien sex”, SHATNER
U. Style sported by some punks, MOHAWK
V. When regulars drop by, OFTEN
W. Climactic moment in a poker game, SHOWDOWN

Mots-clé evolution fisherman, de andart, toonpool.com

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Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.