The New York Times Crossword in Gothic

Roberto Durán Samaniego, a retired Panamanian professional boxer, widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time. A versatile brawler in the ring, he was nicknamed "Manos de Piedra" ("Hands of Stone") during his career. ~ Wikipedia

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Sunday, February 24, 2013

I SURRENDER!, Puzzle by Joe DiPietro / Edited by Will Shortz

Nine phrases or words entered backwards across with the ending of same as part of a down answer, all clued as “back down” constitutes the interrelated group of this frustratingly unfriendly Sunday crossword.

BEAT A HASTY RETREAT,RTERYTSAHATAEB across with EAT down
CAPITULATE,UTIPAC with LATE
HEAD FOR THE HILLS,IHEHTROFDAEH with LLS
PULL OUT,OLLUP with UT
LOSE ONE’S NERVE,RENSENOESOL with VE
WITHDRAW,DHTIW with RAW
GIVE SOME GROUND, UORGEMOSEVIG with ND
CRY “UNCLE”, CNUYRC with LE
WAVE THE WHITE FLAG,LFETIHWEHTEVAW with AG

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The clues — ACROSS: 1. Drummer’s accompanier; 6. Best-selling author who served as a nurse in the Civil War; 12. Made up; 18. Hardens; 20. Fever cause; 21. Most bass; 22. Back down; 24. Back down; 25. Sinuous swimmer; 26. Grub; 27. Card game declaration; 28. Show off one’s “guns”; 29. Some seen in mirrors?; 30. Foul mood; 31. Floor vote; 32. Leaning; 33. Humdinger; 36. Bakers’ measures: Abbr.; 38. Mrs. Miniver’s husband in “Mrs. Miniver”; 40. Scope; 42. Sprinkler conduit; 43. Back down; 46. Run out; 48. Quarters used in Greenland; 50. Kegler’s org.; 51. Honeyed drink; 53. Back down; 54. Detour signalers; 56. The left, informally; 58. Parts of galaxies; 60. Siberian city; 61. Jacket decoration; 64. Handles receptions, say; 65. Back down; 68. Gather in bundles; 72. Joint committee?; 73. [How dare you?!]; 77. Talks without sincerity; 79. Envelope abbr.; 80. Like some first; 82. Back down; 83. Variety; 86. Pascal’s law; 87. Ball partner; 88. Downgrade, perhaps; 90. Back down; 94. Father of Phobos; 95. “Welcome Back, Kotter” guy; 97. La ___ Tar Pits; 98. Treasures; 101. Made one; 102. Tougth situation; 103. Company making arrangements, for short; 105. PBS has a big one; 107. When repeated, eager; 108. Staffs; 109. Winged; 110. “I’m ___ you!”; 111. Big name in ‘60s peace activism; 112. Back down; 115. Back down; 118. Sheen, in Sheffield; 119. Advent; 120. Like some oil refineries; 121. Clearly marks; 122. Mark, e.g.; 123. Boxer nicknamed “Hands of Stone”. — 1. Try to shoot; 2. Lays to rest; 3 Slick ones?; 4. Go wrong; 5. Four-time baseball All-Star Jose; 6. Itch scratcher’s utterance; 7. “Is Your Mama a ___?” (children’s book); 8. Capable of seeing in the dark; 9. Certain grilling; 10. One to one, for example; 11. It’s left on a keyboard; 12. Loudly lament; 13. Dos but not don’ts; 14. Mars candy; 15. Good name, informally; 16. Miss ___; 17. Common abbr. after a comma; 19. Cut off; 20. What’s the big idea?; 23. Circus support; 28. Vertical stabilizer; 32. “The Hostage” playwright, 1958; 33. Blooming tree; 34. Publishes; 35. Slightest complaint; 37. Lost, as a tail; 39. ___ strip; 41. Rounds begin on the first one; 42. Berry of “Perfect Stranger”; 44. Ages; 45. Apologues; 47. Yahoo; 48. Yahoo! Had one in 1996: Abbr.; 49. Kind of rat; 52. Inside look?; 55. Dish out; 57. Actress Berger; 59. Model material, often; 62. Pressure group?; 63. Play a flute; 66. Lay to rest; 67. Postseason football game played in Mobile, Ala.; 68. World; 69., Extreme aversion; 78. Author Canetti; 71. Silver’s is 107.87: Abbr.; 73. Garnish, possibly; 74. Keep at awhile; 75. Got ___ on (nailed); 76. Candy since 1927; 78. Healthy; 81 Where you gotta go?; 82. Take a card; 84. Actor Silver; 85. Frivolous types; 89. Demonstrates; 91. Be rewarded for good service; 92. Quai d’Orsay setting; 93. Coarse; 96. Entrances; 99. Procrastinator’s response; 100. Welcome through the door; 102. Ballet dancer’s support; 104. A disk can be slipped in one; 106. Was a little too fond; 108. Paul Bunyan, e.g.; 109. Do with a pick, maybe; 112. French key; 113. Crackpot; 114. N.C.A.A.’s Gamecocks; 115. Not keep up; 116. Prince of Broadway; 117. Native of Australia.

The star V838 Monocerotis's light echo

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Sunday, February 24, 2013

ACROSTIC, Puzzle by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon

Edited by Will Shortz

This Sunday’s acrostic draws a quotation from Why Does the World Exist?, An Existential Detective Story by Jim Holt.

“There could have been nothing. It might have been easier. Instead there is something. The universe exists, and we are here to ask about it. Why? In Why Does the World Exist?, Jim Holt, an elegant and witty writer comfortably at home in the problem’s weird interzone between philosophy and scientific cosmology, sets out in search of such answers. ...There is no way to do justice to any of these theories in a brief review, but Holt traces the reasoning behind each one with care and clarity—such clarity that each idea seems resoundingly sensible even as it turns one’s brain to a soup of incredulity.... I can imagine few more enjoyable ways of thinking than to read this book.” ~ Sarah Bakewell, New York Times Book Review

The quotation: FRED HOYLE FELT THAT AN EXPLOSION WAS AN UNDIGNIFIED WAY FOR THE WORLD TO BEGIN, RATHER LIKE “A PARTY GIRL JUMPING OUT OF A CAKE.” … HOYLE SARDONICALLY REFERRED TO THE HYPOTHESIZED ORIGIN AS “THE BIG BANG.” THE TERM STUCK.

The author’s name and the title of the work: HOLT, WHY DOES THE WORLD EXIST?

The defined words:

A. Hero by another name, HOAGIE
B. Customary haggis ingredient, OATMEAL
C. 1600s mathematician who invented mechanical calculators, LEIBNIZ
D. Some toy-store displays, TRAINS
E. Struck out, WHIFFED
F. Prepare to deliver a wallop; cart away (2 wds.),HAUL OFF
G. Terrier type, for short, YORKIE
H. Lexicographer’s lot, per Samuel Johnson, DRUDGERY
I. Mental dullness; imperviousness to light, OPACITY
J. Doménikos Theotokópoulos (2 wds.),EL GRECO
K. Made to feel like a nobody, SLIGHTED
L. Designed to retain body heat, THERMAL
M. Tree usually found indoors (2 wds.),HAT STAND
N. What an isolated system tends toward, ENTROPY
G. Gym equipment, WEIGHTS
P. Protest that may be sustained, OBJECTION
Q. Canary, singer (2 wds.),RAT FINK
R. What the Stoic Chrysippus is said to have died of (alcohol was involved),LAUGHTER
S. It has a head and hops (2 wds.),DRAFT BEER
T. Opting out of a traditional ceremony, ELOPING
U. Instrument played by jazzman Red Norvo, XYLOPHONE
V. “Hmmm …” (2 wds.), I WONDER
W. Peak visible from Yreka, Calif., SHASTA
X. Fully equipped, ready to operate,TURNKEY

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Monday, February 25, 2013

Puzzle by Angela Olson Halsted / Edited by Will Shortz

Quickly, LIPTON BRISK(17A. Iced tea brand),THREE-DAY FAST (27A. Observance prescribed in the Book of Esther),PACIFIC FLEET (47A. It’s headquartered at Naval Station Pearl Harbor) and TAYLOR SWIFT (62A. Country singer with the 2012 #1 hit “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”) constitute the interrelated group of this back-to-work Monday crossword.

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. ___ one’s time (waits patiently); 6. Open-air rooms; 11. Slippery, as winter roads; 14. Perfect; 15. Chili ingredients; 16. This instant; 19. Mom’s forte, in brief; 20. Greets the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, say; 21. Young’s partner in accounting; 22. “Cheers” actress Perlman; 23. Canadian capital; 25. Spine-tingling; 32. Provide with guns; 35. An “A” in N.C.A.A.: Abbr.; 36. Old-time actress; 37. Where an ocean and a continent meet; 39. BlackBerry or iPod Touch, for short; 41. Toots of a horn; 42. “… better left ___”; 44. Ye ___ Shoppe; 46. Baseball bat wood; 50. Al of auto racing; 51. Actor Brendan of “Journey to the Center of the Earth”; 55. Leave at the altar, say; 57. ___ cuisine; 60. The “I” of F.Y.I., for short; 61. Israeli-made weapon; 64. Imus of “Imus in the Morning”; 65. Literary device much used by O. Henry; 66. “Imus in the Morning” medium; 67. Poem of praise; 68. Ferber and Krabappel; 69. Look of disdain. — DOWN: 1. ___ Baggins of “The Hobbit”; 2. Birdbrain; 3. Commercial word after Home or Office; 4. Persistently aggravates; 5. ___-mo (instant replay technique); 6. E.g., e.g.; 7. Slender shorebird; 8. Lifted; 9. As an alternative; 10. “Don’t ___, don’t tell” (bygone military policy); 11. Close by; 12. Singer Nat King ___; 13. Service org. for females; 18. Gets closer; 22. Remington product; 24. Hypotheticals; 26. Hearty-flavored brew; 28. Clairvoyant’s skill, for short; 29. “It’s the ___ the world …”; 30. Small tastes; 31. Peter of reggae; 32. Smallish bra size; 33. Author Jaffe; 34. Like a he-man; 38. Matthew, Mark, Luke or John; 40. Every last one; 43. Blockbuster Bruce Willis movie; 45. Put off until later; 48. Kid’s coloring implement; 49. Taipei’s land; 52. Nasty, as a remark; 53. “The Hunger Games” chaperon; 54. Helicopter blade; 55. Cousin of karate; 56. Shirt brand that once had a crocodile symbol; 58. Humerus neighbor; 59. Santa’s bagful; 62. Make a knot in; 63. Former jrs.

Intersection of Three Streets, Woodcut by Helen West Heller

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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Puzzle by Gary Cee / Edited by Will Shortz

Road, highway, lane, avenue and street, each found in a line of a song, constitutes the interrelated group of this entertaining Tuesday crossword:

THUNDER ROAD[17A. Where “we can make it if we run,” per Bruce Springsteen (1975)]
VENTURA HIGHWAY [24A. Where “the nights are stronger than moonshine,” per America (1972)]
PENNY LANE [37A. Where “all the people that come and go stop and say hello,” per the Beatles (1967)]
ELECTRIC AVENUE [52A. Where “we gonna rock down to,” per Eddy Grant (1983)]
BAKER STREET [61A. Where “you’ll drink the night away and forget about everything,” per Gerry Rafferty (1978)]

Glass Tears, 1932, Man Ray

Other — ACRYLIC, BARBRAStreisand,BEHAVE, Dom DELUISE, INDIGNANT(10D. Huffy), IN UTERO, MAN RAY (50D. American avant-gardist),OPEN AIR, SAYS YES, SCRAWLS, SLENDER, STEVENS, SUNDAE, THE SHAH,TennesseeTITANS, VEGETABLE (32D. 20 Questions category),YOU’RE ON.

Five-letter — Hank AARON, BOCCI, COATI, DIDN’T, EBONY, ENTER, ESSAY, HELLE, KENAI Peninsula, L-DOPA(66A. Anti-Parkinson‘s prescription),NO LIE, READS, RINSE, SOAVE, STAYS, T-BIRD.

Short stuff — ACE and ASE, CPA, CRO-Magnon man, EARN, EAU, Brian ENO, EPA, ERE, GAS, GOAL, HEAL, HER, HID, KOS, LCD, NAB and NAN, NAVI, NEAP, OAR, RAGA, RAN, RBI, REY, ROT, RVS, SAT, SOS and SRS, TDS, THO, TKTS, VASdeferens, VIM.

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Sporty car introduced in ‘55; 6. Italian lawn bowling; 11. Urgent dispatch; 14. Alaska’s ___ Peninsula; 15. Hank with the retired #44; 16. Tax season busy bee, for short; 19. Spanish king; 20. Grabbed a chair; 21. Take captive; 28. Before, to Kipling; 29. Pass perfectly; 30. “For real!”; 31. Dry Italian wine; 34. Bit of Indian music; 36. The class of ‘13 in ‘13, e.g.; 40. N.F.L. scores; 43. Finish line; 44. Doesn’t budge; 47. Figure in the tale of Jason and the Argonauts; 49. Pep; 51. Corruption; 56. Dessert that may include a banana; 57. One of the Bobbsey twins; 58. Campers’ campers, for short; 60. Stashed away; 65. “Peer Gynt” widow; 67. Dark wood; 68. “Hannah and ___ Sisters”; 69. Homework assignment; 70. Lightly wash. — 1. Times Square sign shown in lowercase letters; 2. Doesn’t act up; 3. Unborn; 4. Bolted; 5. Failed to; 6. Singer Streisand; 7. Trireme implement; 9. Raccoon relative; 11. Doctors’ signatures, stereotypically; 12. Lacking a roof; 13. Agrees; 18. Liquide clair; 23. Yet, informally; 25. Kind of tide; 26. Plexiglas, e.g.; 27. Recover from a break, say; 33. Musician Brian; 35. Petrol; 38. “Avatar” people; 39. Merit; 40. Overthrown ruler of 1979; 41. Comic actor Dom; 42. Fat’s opposite; 45. “It’s a deal!”; 46. Former Supreme Court justice often seen in a bow tie; 48. Calculator screen abbr.; 53. Enjoys literature; 55. Step inside; 59. Eye irritation; 62. Ring wallops, informally; 63. Org. that monitors oil spills; 64. Baseball stat.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Puzzle by Daniel Kantor / Edited by Will Shortz

CHANGE OF HEART(37A. Decision reversal … or, literally, what can be found inside 17-, 22-, 49- and 58-Across),GREAT HORNED OWLS(17A. Yellow-eyed birds of prey),SECRET HANDSHAKE (22A. Part of a fraternity ritual, perhaps),COMPUTER HACKERS (49A. Cybermenaces) and SEEN BUT NOT HEARD(58A. How children should be, in a saying) constitute the interrelated group of this Wednesday crossword.

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Sing the praises of; 6. Online party reminder; 11. Josh; 14. “The Family Circus” cartoonist; 15. Corral; 16. Surgeon’s org.; 20. Apple products since 1998; 21. Solemn column; 28. energystar.gov group; 29. Sound of delight; 30. Spectrum start; 31. Traces of smoke; 34. Dr. Seuss’s surname; 41. Church laws; 42. Model’s asset; 44. Counselors’ org.; 47. It’s hot, then it’s not; 48. Web video gear; 56. Hunter in the night sky; 65. Eye, to a bard; 66. Apple products since 2001; 67. Blast from the past; 68. Code-cracking org.; 69. Guitar accessories; 70. Place to schuss. — DOWN: 1. Hosp. readout; 2. Gen ___; 3. ___ Bo (exercise system); 4. How elated people walk; 5. “I want to try!”; 6. Geologic span; 7. Vice ___; 8. Room offered; 9. Homophone of 3-Down; 10. Maze’s goal; 11. Where to order oysters; 12. “My answer was …,” in teen-speak; 13. Whacked good; 18. Magician’s prop; 19. Sound of delight; 22. Embroider, e.g.; 23. Movie that might have a cast of thousands; 24. Transaction option; 25. Unworldly ones; 26. Gauge site, for short; 27. Docile sorts; 32. Pre-election ad buyer, maybe; 33. Chaotic situation; 34. Crystal-filled rock; 35. Seemingly forever; 36. Southeast Asian tongue; 38. Swarming annoyance; 39. Major Thai export; 40. Late 19^th-century anarchist’s foe; 43. Ambulance letters; 44. Pursues, as a tip; 45. Wood-damaging insects; 46. Simple creature; 50. Wordplay from Groucho; 51. Sonata finale, often; 52. ___ Perot; 53. River islet; 54. Some Pacific salmon; 55. Belfry sound; 59. Razor brand; 60. ___ creek; 61. Blouse, e.g.; 62. Hoo-ha; 63. Letters on Halloween decorations; 64. Near-failing mark.

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Puzzle by Joe Krozel / Edited by Will Shortz

PRO / AND / CON(1A. With 4- and 7-Across, both sides … or the missing starts for all the remaining Across answers) and the aforementioned Across answers. alternating line-by-line between PRO and CON (with the black squares forming plus and minus signs), constitutes the main feature of this odd Wednesday crossword.

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 10. Plot; 12. Stops working; 14. For free; 15. Manuscript reviewer; 16. Talk; 17. Disclose; 18. Walks; 20. Like some explosions and substances; 22. German toast; 23. Bowl-shaped part of the ear; 24. Moral sense; 28. Traffic; 32. Atom parts; 33. Ban; 35. Study of verse; 36. Some golf events; 37. Family name on “Roseanne”; 38. Singer Stevens; 39. Characterized by; 41. Solidifies; 43. Be made up (of); 44. Hinders; 46. Squeezes; 48. Iran-___; 49. 1997 Nicolas Cage/John Malkovich thriller; 50. Ones jacking up prices, maybe; 54. Declared publicly; 58. Bit of mountain flora; 59. Introduction; 61. Signify; 62. Big shells; 63. Associates; 64. Show; 65. For a while; 66. French tales; 67. “Now!” — DOWN: 1. ___-Penh; 2. Rampant; 3. Something you might get your mitts on; 4. “___ Death” (Grieg work); 5. Conjunction that’s usually part of a pair; 6. Tidy up, in a way; 7. Cobra’s shape, at times; 8. French wave; 9. Declined; 11. Clears the board; 12. Complain; 13. Group of three rhyming lines; 14. They’re a couple short of C notes; 19. Cacophony; 21. Quaker cereal; 24. Laurel and Lee; 25. Astronomer’s sighting; 26. Orch. Member; 27. German article; 28. Ladies in waiting?; 29. Like some columns; 30. Keats, for one; 31. Some Security Council votes; 34. “___ pal”; 40. Picture of the Old West; 41. Twists into a knot; 42. Loses freshness; 43. Fathering; 45. Dander; 47. Narrow waterway; 50. Half of a best-seller list: Abbr.; 51. “___ hollers, let …”; 52. Overflow (with); 53. Shade of black; 54. Skips, as class; 55. Early time; 56. Counseil d’___; 57. Show, informally; 60. Test for an M.A. seeker.

Stonehenge, Salisbury, England, ca. 1895

Photochrom print by Photoglob Zürich

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Friday, March 1, 2013

Puzzle by Doug Peterson and Brad Wilber

Edited by Will Shortz

Across —1. Game with the figures “soldier’s bed” and “fish in a dish”,CAT’S CRADLE; 11. Real-estate mogulIGOR Olenicoff; 15. Superpower with which Clark Kent shaves himself,HEAT VISION; 16. Boulevardier’s accessory,CANE; 17. Waffling,IRRESOLUTE; 18. Fangom Forest denizens,ENTS; 19. Source of the line “Hope springs eternal …”, POPE; 20 Larder lineup,JARS; 21. It moves along via a series of belts,FIGHT; 22. Greg Evans comic strip,LUANN: 24. Dental patient, often,RINSER; 25. Daughter of Zeus and Leda,HELEN; 28. Drum that might accompany a fife, TABOR; 30. First carrier to offer regular in-flight movies, 1961,TWA; 31. Garment made of Gore-Tex, maybe,ANORAK;33. They’re no longer tender in a typical trattoria, LIRE; 34. Yellowfin, on some menus,AHI; 35. Tangles with, in the country,RASSLES; 37. Classic Chrysler,LEBARON; 39. Lead characters in “Mork & Mindy”?; 40. Impart,LEND;42. Coaching concern,MORALE; 43. Tillis or Tormé,MEL; 44. Place to moor, INLET; 46. Full of adrenaline, informally,AMPED; 47. West Point newcomers, PLEBES; 49. Aids in marketing?,CARTS;51. O. Henry is known for one,AWARD; 52. Baccarat cousin,FARO; 53. Estrangement,RIFT; 57. Zip,NADA; 58. 1971 film with the tagline “You don’t assign him to murder cases. You just turn him loose.”,DIRTY HARRY; 60. Like shellfish,TREF;61. Regime change catalyst,PALACE COUP; 62. Hard worker,SERF; 63. Site near an outdoor recording session in “Help!”, STONEHENGE.

Down —1.Pot item, CHIP; 2. Prefix with -stat, AERO; 3. Pool protector,TARP; 4. Six-time Lombardi Trophy winners, STEELERS; 5. Rx chain, CVS; 6. Spanish wine, RIOJA; 7. Leaning,ASLANT; 8. Like the snowy owl, DIURNAL; 9. Very much,LOTS; 10. Shanghai-to-Tokyo dir.,ENE; 11. Block during a blizzard,ICE IN; 12. Genre that glorifies gunplay,GANGSTA RAP; 13. Mostly,ON THE WHOLE; 14. Checked, RESTRAINED; 21. Emergency oil rig visitor, FIRE BOAT; 23. Out of one’s league?,UNALLIED; 24. “Whitman Cantata” composer,ROREM; 25. Part of an iconic Eden outfit,HAREM PANTS; 26. Durable kitchen items,ENAMELWARE; 27. Low-priced item, maybe,LOSS LEADER; 29. Cartoonist BIL Keane; 32. Ululates,KEENS;36. TV show that has spawned many movies, briefly, SNL; 38. Cold war concern,ARMS RACE; 41. Yvonne DECARLO of “The Munsters”; 45. Striped identifier, TARTAN; 48. 48 Zach BRAFF, “Garden State” actor/director; 50. Early automaker Frederick Henry ROYCE; 52. Direction from on high, FIAT; 54. Weights, colloquially, IRON; 55. “Hullabaloo” dance, FRUG; 56. Bang out, TYPE; 58. Fielding feats, for short, DPS; 59. When repeated, a sneaky laugh,HEH.

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Toxicodendron diversilobum

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Saturday, March 2, 2013

Puzzle by Barry C. Silk / Edited by Will Shortz

Across —1. White-whiskered sort,OLD GEEZER; 10. Symbol of Einstein’s gravitational constant,KAPPA; 15. Eager,RARIN’ TO GO; 16. Tons,A LOAD; 17. Time of one’s life, CHILDHOOD; 18. Youngest of five famous brothers, ZEPPO; 19. Ernst associate, ARP; 20. Things worth waiting for?,TIPS; 21. What head shots are used in, SOCCER; 22. People pick pockets in it, POOL; 23. Eddie’s partner in musical comedy,FLO; 24. Burial option, URN; 25. Cut out for it, ABLE; 28. Intentionally flooded field,PADDY; 30. Short order?,BLT; 31. One working with magnetite, IRON MINER; 33. Minor, legally,PETIT; 35. “Ha! Good one!”, DON’T MAKE ME LAUGH; 37. “Bummer”,AW GEE; 38. Word below a signature on a bill, TREASURER; 39. Zero, in 21-Across, NIL; 40. They often have good rhythm, POEMS; 41. Mr. T’s real last name, TERO; 42. Julia Child worked for it during W.W. II: Abbr., OSS; 43. Lav, CAN; 44. Escalator pioneer, OTIS; 46. Fox on Fox, MULDER; 48. Blast alternative?, DRAT; 49. Traffic court letters, DWI; 52. Facilitators of cultural growth, AGARS; 53. Toxicodendron diversilobum,POISON OAK; 55. Yogi Bear co-creator,HANNA; 56. Off-roading option; 57. Fire, ARDOR; 58. Grocery product with green leaves in its logo,SALADA TEA.

Down — 1. 400-pound calf, perhaps, ORCA; 2. Player of a big scaredy-cat?, LAHR; 3. No Mr. Personality, DRIP; 4. Drug czar GILKerlikowske; 5. Put anEND TO; 6. Where the Blue Nile rises, ETHIOPIA; 7. Jellyfish and krill, ZOOPLANKTON; 8. Some are fragile, EGOS; 9. Bygone means of corporal punishment, ROD; 10. Buzz generator,KAZOO; 11. “I’ll Be Around” songwriter ALEC Wilder; 12. TV Guide crossword focus,POP CULTURE; 13. Something that shouldn’t scare you,PAPER TIGER; 14. Garnish,ADORN; 21. Arch,SLY; 22. Marker maker,PENTEL; 23. It features a statue of a Scottie next to his master,FDR MEMORIAL; 25. Title slave of the stage, AIDA; 26. First cut on the album “Sticky Fingers”,BROWN SUGAR; 27. Home of the Ducks of baseball’s Atlantic League,LONG ISLAND; 29. Handle on farm equipment?,DEERE; 30. Humdingers, BEAUTS; 32. Fr. Address, MME; 33. Texting counterpart of “TY”,PLS; 34. Snow-THRO (winter blower brand); 36. Orwellian superstate,EASTASIA; 40. One of nine numbers on a card, PAR; 42. Clarkson College locale, OMAHA; 43. Alpo alternative,CESAR; 45. “I TOLD you!”; 47. 1958 spy novel set in Jamaica,DR NO; 48. “Cannery Row” brothel owner,DORA; 49. “Get busy!”,DO IT; 50. Boat trailer?,WAKE; 51. Pottery Barn competitor, IKEA; 53. 54-Down tally: Abbr.,PTS; 54. See 53-Down: Abbr., NBA

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Sunday, March 3, 2013

SEVEN BLURBS FOR SEVEN BIOGRAPHIES

Puzzle by Samuel A. Donaldson

Edited by Will Shortz

Seven clues consisting of imaginary blurbs for seven answers of imaginary biographies, each answer a standard phrase with the second and fourth word switched to achieve the “biography” title, constitutes the interrelated group of this friendly Sunday crossword:

THE COOKING OF JOY (22A. “It’s worth it just for Ms. Behar’s famous lasagna recipe”)
THE DESTRUCTION OF EVE (35A. An insightful look at how playing Miss Brooks took its toll on Ms. Arden”)
THE SPADES OF JACK (48A. “You don’t have to be a gardener to dig this book about Kerouac’s tools”)
THE TIME OF NICK (58A. “Finally, we learn how one Jonas brother defined an entire generation”)
THE RIGHTS OF BILL (73A. “Clinton’s a well-known southpaw, so this expose on his other-handed punches is an eye-opener”)
THE DARKNESS OF PRINCE(87A. “Required reading for all “Purple Rain” fans who think their idol is too goody-goody”)
THE WARFARE OF ART(103A. “A gripping narrative about one folk singer’s violent turn against Paul Simon”)

Other — ATAHUALPA(71D. Last Incan emperor), BLISTERPACK (63D. Plastic coating for some pills),CORD OF WOOD(15D. Winter supply usually stored outside),EASY DOES IT (66D. “Nice and slow”),O PIONEERS (16D. Start of Willa Cather’s Great Plains trilogy), PASSIVATE (17D. Give an anticorrosive coating), RIVERBOAT (72D. Casino that’s partly underwater?),TEETOTALERS(3D. Dry ones).

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Insect pupa sold as fish food; 7. Doesn’t get the memo, maybe; 15. Make do; 19. Show instability; 20. Offering with potato chips; 21. Amount owed by an insurance policy holder; 24. Crop up; 25. Cleverness; 26. TV’s Peter and literature’s Ben; 27. Walk through; 28. Mathematician Paul; 29. Bolivian bears; 31. Born as; 32. British actress Diana; 33. “Start already!”; 39. Spanish beaches; 41. Cole Porter title woman; 42. Slickers and galoshes; 43. Conger catcher; 44. Captain Hook’s alma mater; 46. Engine attachment; 47. Crumbs; 52. Long time follower?; 53. Sight at a supermarket or golf course; 54. Pack number; 55. Indisposed; 56. Relief; 57. Anesthesiologists’ locales, for short; 63. Jaguar rival; 66. Frozen dessert name; 67. It could pave the way; 68. Second most populous continent: Abbr.; 69. On the safe side; 70. Legal helpers, briefly; 78. “Really?”; 79. Writer ___ Hubbard; 80. Many an aria; 81. Notable flop; 82. Chicago lakefront attraction; 84. Family head; 86. Nasty ones; 91. Night lights; 92. Very often; 93. Take the lion’s share of; 94. Duffer’s hazard; 97. Drives a getaway car, maybe; 98. British submachine gun; 99. Reach rival; 101. Duffer’s org.; 102. Like some calls; 106. It beats ace-high; 107. Open quality; 108. “___ Restaurant”; 109. Bulb unit; 110. Northeast nickname; 111. Political symbol. — DOWN: 1. When many bars close; 2. Fruity sodas; 3. Dry ones; 4. Abbr. sometimes seen twice in a row; 5. Trivial Pursuit category: Abbr.; 6. French press remnants; 7. Des ___; 8. Lodges; 9. Certain frat boy; 10. Completely remove; 11. Put teeth into; 12. Fine-tune; 13. Christian name?; 14. Bond, for one; 18. Check out; 21. Cigarette purchase; 23. Reflex test site; 28. Start of an elimination process; 30. Reserved to the maximum extent; 32. Some bathroom crystals; 33. “___ you mother”; 34. Like tweets, by necessity; 36. “Tombstone” role; 37. Some fight finishes, for short; 38. ___-Z (classic car); 39. Retailer for Rover; 40. Composer of the “Gold and Silver” waltz; 44. Falco of “Nurse Jackie”; 45. Be all thumbs as a writer?; 46. Word with pay or page; 49. Pale; 50. Food Network host Guy; 51. Former “Idol” judge; 52. An ending to beat; 56. Prefix with phobia; 58. Receiving stats; 59. Calif.-to-Fla. Hwy.; 60. Blemish; 61. N.B.A. part: Abbr.; 62. In that case; 63. Plastic casing for some pills; 64. Donnybrook; 65. Fargo’s partner; 66. “Nice and slow”; 69. Take aboard a spaceship, maybe; 70. One of a nautical trio; 73. Long expeditions; 74. Butt (in); 75. Sexologist’s subject; 76. Clop maker; 77. “Charlotte’s Web” girl; 79. Old Italian dough; 83. Two-___ (extended TV episode); 84. Author with a fan site called “Into the Wardrobe”; 85. Unvoiced; 86. It may get squandered in a game; 88. Diner; 89. “Wheel of Fortune” category; 90. Din; 95. Match; 96. Stooge; 98. Actor LaBeouf; 99. Spirit ___ Louis; 100. String tie; 102. Avian call; 103. File extension; 104. Mens ___; 105 End: Fr.

King Tut Sarcophagus

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Monday, March 4, 2013

Puzzle by Ian Livengood / Edited by Will Shortz

RHO (35D. Greek letter that sounds like the end of 16-, 22-, 36-, 47- or 58-Across), along with ROW, RO, RAOH, ROUGH and REAU at the ends of SCOTT TUROW(16A. Legal thriller author who wrote “Presumed Innocent“),CONQUERING HERO (22A. Illustrious warrior returning from battle),EGYPIAN PHARAOH (36A. King Tut, e.g.),CALE YARBOROUGH(47A. Four-time Daytona 500 winner) and NEWS BUREAU (58A. Journalists’ office) constitutes the interrelated group of this sweet Monday crossword.

Other — ARENA and GYMNASIUM(29D, 48D. Sporting venue), ERIC the Red, Vincent vanGOGH, IMAN, LOUISArmstrong, NED, LittleNELL, MAGI, OARS (26A. Rowing implements),OMEGA(20A. End of the Greek Alphabet),OSLO and SOLO, T-MEN and U S MARSHALL, URSULA Andress and BOND JamesBOND.

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. ___-Saxon; 6. Chicago winter clock setting: Abbr.; 13. Big name in plastic wrap; 14. Performance for one; 15. Norway’s capital; 18. One-named supermodel from Somalia; 19. “___ see now!” (“Aha!”); 21. Thyroid, for instance; 25. Diner coffee container; 27. Visitors to baby Jesus; 3. Fake; 33. Laugh syllable; 40. Skirt line; 41. Increase; 42.Nevada city on the Humboldt River; 43. “Little” Dickens girl; 45. Bovine mouthful; 54. Cover all the ___; 55. Wanders; 56. “No seating” letters on Broadway; 57. ___ the Red (Viking explorer); 60. Talk up; 61. Finales; 62. Armstrong of jazz; 63. Something for the needy; 64. When the sun is out; 65. Enough. — DOWN: 1. Part of N.A.A.C.P.: Abbr.; 2. Cantina chip; 3. Body part often pulled in sports; 5. Traveling, as a band; 6. Small Welsh dog; 7. M.I.T. business school name; 8. AAA offering; 9. Water heater; 10. Law officer wearing a star; 11. Grassy expanse in the Southwest; 12. Name said before and after James; 14. One in court; 17. Some Feds; 21. West African nation; 23. One-liner; 24. Artist Vincent van ___; 27. “Whatever”; 28. Ripen; 30. Fleeting craze; 31. “The Lord of the Rings” tree creature; 32. Wall St. debut; 34. Just fine; 37. Accounts of Scheherazade; 38. Sit ___ by; 39. Make over; 44. Picks via ballot; 45. Hair parter; 46. Andress of “Dr. No; 47. Yule song; 49. Rambunctious; 50. Low-voiced chorus member; 51. Deplete; 52. Quest in a Monty Python movie; 53. Monopoly purchase before a hotel; 54. Old VHS rival; 58. Homer’s neighbor on “The Simpsons”; 59. CD-___.

Vesuvius in Eruption from Portici by Joseph Wright of Derby, circa 1776

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Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Puzzle by Gareth Bain / Edited by Will Shortz

WHERE IT’S AT(62A. Happening place … or a hint to 18-, 23-, 39- and 51-Across?),LATTER MATE(18A. Second of two spouses?),HATCHING POST(23A. Nest?),BAT PART(39A. Wing or fang?) and PATCH PERFECT (51A. Like a good quilt maker?) constitute the interrelated group of this very likeable Tuesday crossword — read litter mate, hitching post, bit part and pitch perfect.

Other — APPAREL (44D. Clothes), CULKIN (5D. “Home Alone” child star),HEN and OVARIES(27A. Egg producer; 28A. Egg producers), KITSCHY (4D. Tastelessly artistic), POMPEII (48A. City destroyed by Mount Vesuvius), Mark RUFFALO of “The Kids Are All Right”,SUMATRA (10D. Home to many orangutans), TEETER (50D. Show instability).

Satyr with pipe and a pipe case (Attic red-figure plate, 520–500 BC, from Vulci, Etruria)

Five-letter — ALOHA, ATLAS, CALVE, CARAT, CURSE, ELBOW,Standard ERROR, FOYER, HASTY, MATCH, MATTE, OATES, PLATE, POLAR, RETAG, SATYR(32A. Mythological debauchee), STOIC (35D. Follower of Zeno),TWEEN, USAINBolt, “USE ITor lose …”.

Short stuff — A BIT, ABLE, A CUP, AGRA, Jai ALAI, ALE and APE, ANAT, ARGO(33D. Oscar-winning film set in Iran), AWED, BOER, CHAS, DUAL, Life of EASE, ERA, ERIE, ETE, EURO, EXES, FLAW, HERBAlpert & the Tijuana Brass, ICER, IMF, KIA, KITE, LEIA,“LOVE is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies“, MACK, ORE, OWEN, OVER,Monte ROSA, SAKE and SALE, SIT, SOAP, SPAR, TAO and TAU, TEAR, TERM, THRU, TORT, UNIX.

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Big truck maker; 5. Blasphemous cry; 10. Alcohol typically drunk warm; 16. Operating system since 1969; 20. Addams who created “The Addams Family”; 21. Seoul-based automaker; 22. One of the “She’s Gone” singers; 35. Red-tag event; 37. Repeated lyric in “Java Jive”; 38. Valuable stuff in a vein; 42. The “E in B.C.E.; 43. Pearl Mosque home; 45. Paul Kruger of Krugerrand fame, e.g.; 46. Standard ___ (statistician’s calculation); 50. Cross shape; 57. Book often stored horizontally; 60. Tavern favorite; 61. Scratch in a diamond, e.g.; 65. Skilled; 66. Certain Iroquoian; 67. Not glossy; 68. “___ is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies”: Aristotle; 69. Like some people’s citizenships; 70. Entrance hall; 71. Wilson of “Meet the Parents”. — DOWN: 1. Success story for Cupid; 2. Island greeting; 3. Gemologist’s weight; 6. Lightning Bolt?; 7. Mark down, say, at a store; 8. Obedience school command; 9. St.-Tropez season; 11. Veterinarian’s subj.; 12. Diamond in the sky?; 13. The Gabor sisters had many; 19. Monte ___ (one of the Alps); 25. Like one of two extremes; 26. Partner of “done with”; 29. Champagne bucket; 30. Continental currency; 31. Boom or gaff; 32. “Days,” for one; 34. President’s four years, e.g.; 36. Big hairy one; 40. Somewhat; 41. It might be seen out of the corner of one’s eye; 53. Part of a cafeteria stack; 54. Pasta shape; 55. Gave birth, as a whale; 56. 12-year-old, e.g.; 57. Dumbstruck; 58. Via, quickly; 59. “Star Wars” princess; 63. Global lending org.; 64. Eastern “way”.

Land of Ooo, Adventure Time by Pendleton Ward

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Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Puzzle by Richard Chisholm / Edited by Will Shortz

OOO contained within four entries is the main feature of this Wednesday crossword — HASNOOOMPH (18A. Lacks pizzazz), TOOONESIDED (26A. Overly partisan), ZOOOCCUPANT (47A. Animal on display) and IGLOOOWNER (61A. Inuit, maybe).

Other — ABACUS(6A. Ancestor of a calculator), BISTROS (52A. Casual eateries),BLEW OFF(40A. Failed to show up for, informally), CARROT (49D. Stick’s partner, in an idiom), CHEERS (48D. “Bottoms up!”),ERECTED, GO HOME, I DO TOO, OH WELL, PAPA DOC (20A. Former Haitian leader Duvalier),TAKES IT (37A. Doesn’t fight back),THREADS, ZERO IN on (Focus).

"The Last Watch of Hero" by Frederic Leighton, depicting Hero anxiously waiting for Leander during the storm.

Five-letter — BOOLA, CORFU (16A. Ionian Sea vacation isle), DINKS, ELFIN, ETUDE, TéaLEONI, LT GEN, NO-FAT, OAKEN, OZAWA(27D. 2000s Vienna State Opera conductor),OZARKMountains, STONE(50D. Soup ingredient in an old folk story),SWISH, TALIAShire,TOTED, WOOED.

Short stuff — AERO, AFAR, ALFA, ARIZ, BEN, BILL, BOS, CHAD and SHAD, DAD and DAN, DEB and DEL, DICE, DOS, DOZE, ELLAFitzgerald, ERICAmbler,EWES, FLAP, GABS, HERO (63A. Leander‘s love),HUHS,“I GETAround“,IMUS, IRMARombauer,MOST, NEO, OBOE, ORES, RAFT, REAP, SENT, SET, SFPD, SIDCaesar,SLOG, SOLO, SWAM and SWAP, TAO, TARA, TERIHatcher, WED.

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Whitewater craft; 5. Chews the fat; 9. “Nothing but net” sound; 14. She sang with Duke and Dizzy; 15. Instrument called “an ill wind that nobody blows good”; 17. Out there; 22. Clothing, slangily; 23. Radio host who often wears cowboy hats; 25. Got hitched; 31. “Uncle” on a food package; 35. Sen. Biden represented it: Abbr.; 36. Jam session feature; 42. A lot of a flock; 43. “Major ___” of 1990s TV; 45. Shire of “Rocky”; 46. Roseanne’s husband on “Roseanne”; 50. Filming site; 51. Roe source; 56. Put up; 64 Téa of “Spanglish”; 65. Prefix with plane, to a Brit; 66. Calif. Neighbor; 67. Three-star rank: Abbr.; 68. Amount between some and all; 69. High roller’s pair. — DOWN: 1. Realize, as profit; 2. Sporty auto, for short; 3. Try to get airborne, maybe; 4. Setting in a Mitchell novel; 5. “Get lost!”; 7. Fenway nine, on scoreboards; 8. E-mail folder heading; 9. Ruined a shutout; 10. Tried to win; 11. Rombauer of cookery; 12. “Bullitt” law enforcement org.; 13. Confused responses; 19. Words said with a shrug; 21. Light tennis shots that fall just over the net; 24. Caesar of old TV; 26. Brought along on a hike, say; 20. Like some heavy buckets; 29. Assaying samples; 30. Cotillion V.I.P.; 31. Yalie’s cheer word; 32. Like Keebler workers; 33. Low-call yogurt descriptor; 36. One-for-one transaction; 38. “Same with me!”; 39. Confucian principle; 41. Chopin piece; 44. Built-in feature of the Apple II; 47. Focus (on); 52. Legislature’s consideration; 53. The Beach Boys “___ Around”; 54. Walk wearily; 55. Did laps, say; 57. Landlocked African land; 58. Hatcher who played Lois Lane; 59. Spy novelist Ambler; 60. Go out for a short time?; 62. Prefix with natal.

William Julius "Judy" Johnson (October 26, 1899 – June 15, 1989) was an American third baseman in Negro league baseball. He played for the Hilldale Club, Homestead Grays, and Pittsburgh Crawfords from 1921 to 1936. Considered one of the greatest third basemen in the Negro leagues, he was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975.

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Thursday, March 7, 2013

Puzzle by Jim Page / Edited by Will Shortz

HOT CORNER(35A. Third base, in baseball lingo … or a hint for answering eight other clues in this puzzle), along with eight answers (imagining the addition of HOT) down and across in the corners of the crossword, constitutes the main feature of this Thursday crossword.

POTATO (1A. Difficult political situation)
PEPPER (7A. Chili)
TAMALE (63A. Real good-looker)
DOGGED (64A. Showed off)
POCKET (1D. Snacks in the frozen food aisle)
RODDER (12D. Lover of souped-up engines)
TICKET (43D. It’s hard to score)
MUSTARD (42D. Spicy pretzel dip)

Other — A AVERAGES(32A. What honor students often have),ALUMNAE, CHATTEL, Dan DECARLO, ELITISM, EL NINOS, ENSTEEL, KAISERS(56A. Crusty rolls),LUNGING, OPEN ERA, OPHELIA, PRENAME, SEMINAR, SLIVOVITZ(20A. Plum brandy),STAMINA, TATIANA, TEA LEAVES(37A. Means of divination),TEARING, UP-TREND.

Mid-size — ANTED,“ …A TEN O’clock scholar”,E-CASH, E-ZINE, IT IS SO, ORECK, PARER, SISTAMonica Parker,TE AMO, TERNS, TETES, TIRANE(24A. European capital that‘s majority Muslim).

Short stuff — “… to skinA CAT”, JaiALAI, ANT and ANTI, CITI Field,DUH, ECT, Electric EEL, ELAM, ELI, ENID, ESL, GERE, GMT, GRES, HISS, IGER,“DiesIRAE“, MIG, MOR, NUS, OLAS, OSHA, PEP, “Riddle me, riddle meREE“, SAGS, SKIL, SULU, TAL,“Did I doTHAT?”, TINOMartinez.

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 13. Tennis world since 1968; 15. Dan who drew “Archie”; 16. Movable property; 17. Good news on the economy; 18. Plop preceder; 19. Digital dough; 21. So-called “Wheat Capital of Oklahoma”; 22. One “coming” in a Three Dog Night hit; 23. Big maker of power tools; 26. Ex-Yankee Martinez; 28. Eisner’s successor at Disney; 30. Western Sahara neighbor: Abbr.; 31. Slumps; 32. What honor students often have; 39. Shem’s eldest son; 43. 1960 chess champ; 44. Debate position; 45. George Takei TV and film role; 46. Formal “yes”; 52. Fraternity letters; 54. Slate, for one; 55. Frequent abbr. in BBC announcements; 59. Marathoner’s asset; 61. Gird; 62. Study group. — DOWN: 2. “Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind” speaker; 3. Making the rent?; 4. Army ___; 5. Heads overseas?; 6. Hoover rival; 7. Energy; 8. Outer: Prefix; 9. Certain kitchen knife; 10. John is a common one; 11 Current events?; 15. “Well, yeah!”; 24. Beach sights; 27. Workplace watchdog, in brief; 29. “The Hoax” star, 2006; 34. Advanced deg. Tests; 36. Spanish waves; 37. James Bond’s lover in “From Russia With Love”; 38. Undemocratic tendency; 40. Thrusting suddenly; 41. Barnard grads, e.g.; 47. Blues vocalist ___ Monica Parker; 49. Kettle sound; 50. Put up; 51. Latin lover’s words; 54. Subj. for recent arrivals, maybe; 60. Red fighter.

Lady Gaga, The Fame Ball Tour

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Friday, March 8, 2013

Puzzle by Paula Gamache / Edited by Will Shortz

Across —1. Terminal cases,BAGGAGE;8. Something to do experiments in,LAB COAT; 15. One of the Big Three in credit reports,EQUIFAX; 16. Eradicate,ABOLISH;17. Baking session,SUNBATH; 18. Old West German moniker,DER ALTE; 19. Goal of a 17-Across,TAN;20. Off the rack,READY-TO-WEAR; 22. Jewish rite, BRIS; 24. Tramp,SLOG; 25. SADIE Hawkins Day; 26. Bald Mountain’s range,UINTA; 28. Often-affected outburst,EGAD; 30. Time to go,TURN; 31. Navigator who named Natal,DA GAMA; 33. Nice things to be massaged, EGOS; 35. Adoption option,PET; 36. “The Whiffenpoof Song” ending,BAA BAA BAA; 39. Slush-pile pile: Abbr.,MSS; 42. SALT cellar; 43. Imitated a wound-up toy, YIPPED; 47. Schlemiel’s cry, OOPS; 49. Providers of football game,SODS; 51. Title woman in a J. P. Donleavy novel, LEILA; 52. Big name in water filtration, BRITA; 54. Charge,GO AT; 56. Shot after a break?,X-RAY; 57. Bar glasses?,BEER GOGGLES; 60. Goal,AIM; 61. Recreating, maybe,ON LEAVE; 62. It smells on a bug, ANTENNA; 64. More dear,STEEPER; 65. Sponge,MOOCHER; 66. Advanced photocopier features,SORTERS; 67. Synchronized,IN PHASE.

Down —1. One of a tight pair,BEST BUB; 2. Some zoo attractions, AQUARIA; 3. Really going after with “for”,GUNNING; 4. It was ceded to Brit. In the Treaty of Ultrecht, GIB; 5. Way off,AFAR; 6. Racetrack array,GATES; 7. Don’t hold your breath,EXHALE;8. Star of 2009’s Fame Ball Tour,LADY GAGA; 9. Assist with a job,ABET; 10. Parts of the Big Apple,BOROS; 11. Try to scratch,CLAW AT; 12. Greasy, perhaps,OILED UP; 13. Subject of the 2009 biography “Puttin’ on the Ritz”,ASTAIRE; 14. What “they say our love won’t pay,” in “I Got You Babe”,THE RENT; 21. Ruthless,DOG EAT DOG; 23. Try, STAB; 27. Latin trio member,AMAS; 29. Behave with respect to,DO BY; 32. Small cells, AAAS; 34. Take the junk out?,SAIL; 37. Post masters?,BLOGGERS; 38. There’s nothing above it,APEX; 39. Icing supervisor?,MOB BOSS; 40. Kia model, SORENTO; 41. One going over telemarketing lines, SPIELER; 44. Ruthless sort,PIRANHA; 45. Eatery seen in a “Manhattan scene, ELAINES; 46. Light fright?,DAYMARE; 48. Part of many a grid,STREET; 50. Torpedo layer,SALAMI; 53. Yawning,AGAPE;55. Construction piece with a mate,TENON, 58. See 59-Down,OVER; 59. With 58-Down, drop by,STOP; 63. Command level: Abbr.,ECH.

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Etruscan Mural ~ Head of a Lyre-Player,

Tomb of the Leopards, Tarquinia, 480 B.C.

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Saturday, March 9, 2013

Puzzle by David Steinberg and Barry C. Silk

Edited by Will Shortz

Across —1. “8mm” star, 1999,NICOLAS CAGE; 12. “Applesauce!”,BAH; 15. It hasa Snapshot Tool command,ADOBE READER; 16. IrishALE;17. His 1978 album “Excitable Boy” went platinum,WARREN ZEVON; 18. Marathoner Pippig, UTA; 19. Mrs. Gorbachev,RAISA; 20. Bicycle support, informally,SISSY BAR; 22. 1956 Santos rookie,PELE; 23. Groupie’s trait, ZEAL; 25. Past-tense verb that is the same as its present-tense form minus the fourth and fifth letters, ALIT; 26. JaneBYRNE, who was Chicago’s first female mayor; 28. Title science teacher of an old sitcom,MR PEEPERS; 31. Mud,JOE;3. Place for locks and pins,MAT; 34. MALA fide; 35. Gets in a lather, SUDSES; 37. Won’t allow, VETOES; 41. Mrs. Grundy type,PRIG; 43. Far East capital,YEN; 44. Kind of root in math,NTH; 45. Milk producer,DAIRY FARM; 49. Circus Maximus stars?, ASTRA; 51. Soviet attack sub, ALFA; 52. Gardener’s purchase,LOAM; 54. Bait thrown overboard,CHUM;55. Wine-tasting accessory,SPITTOON; 58. Pair in an average-sized orchestra,OBOES; 60. Get an edge on?,HEM; 61. One stoked to provide warmth,WOOD FURNACE; 64. A simpler one may be recalled, ERA; 65. Black-and-white, say, INTERRACIAL; 66. Typical house on “Hoarders”,STY; 67. Flashlight alternatives,GAS LANTERNS.

Down —1. Sticks nix, NAW; 2. “Go ahead and try!”,I DARE YOU;3. Orange relative,CORAL RED; 4. Inner Party member in “1984”, OBRIEN; 5. Sake brewery byproduct, LEES; 6. Star with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame,ARNAZ; 7. Informal remarks?, SEZ; 8. Image on a denarius,CAESAR; 9. Sominex alternative,ADVIL PM; 10. Storms, e.g.GEOS; 11. Cousins of kites, ERNS; 12. Bagatelle, BAUBLE; 13. Pioneering microcomputer, ALTAIR; 14. Rakes often break them, HEARTS; 21. Shrilly talk to,YAP AT; 22. Many tykes’ lunches,PBJS; 24. Potential throat clearer, briefly,EMT; 27. Filing aid, EMERY; 29. Hangover?,EAVE;30. Justice ELENAKagan; 33. “Highly doubtful”, AS IF; 36. Baltic Sea swimmer, SPRAT; 38. Live, maybe,ON THE AIR; 39. Ancient dweller in the Po Valley, ETRUSCAN; 40. Comforter go-with,SHAM; 42. Lugs,GALOOTS; 43 First name on the 1954 album “Mambo!”, YMA; 45. Five of them represent a zero,DASHES; 46. The “A” of A&M Records,ALPERT; 47. Polite cut-in,IF I MAY; 48. Chaucer’s “Merciless Beauty,” e.g.,RONDEL;50. Its contents are often wicked, SCONCE; 53. Be a blessed person, per Matthew 5:4;MOURN; 56. Skinny-ninny, TWIG; 57. Princess OONAin Donald Duck cartoons; 59. Certain pack member,BRAT; 62. Abbey title,FRA; 63. They have high stations,ELS.

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Sunday, March 10, 2013

CONDENSATION, Puzzle by Finn Vigeland / Edited by Will Shortz

H2O in seven squares, reading as WATER across and HHO down, is the main feature of this fresh Sunday crossword:

[WATER]GATE SCANDAL (7A. Subject of big 1970s headlines) along with WIT[HHO]LD (1D. Refuse to hand over)
ETHEL[WATER]S (35A. The second African-American, after Hattie McDaniel, to be nominated for an Oscar) with MOUT[H HO]LE (16D. Ski-mask feature
CARBONATED[WATER] (50A. Seltzer) with ELEVENT[H HO]UR (14D. Last possible moment
ON THE [WATER]FRONT (67A. Best Picture inspired by a Pulitzer-winning series of newspaper articles) with BAT[HHO]USE (51D. Where people are always changing?)
FRESH[WATER] PEARL (85A. Necklace decoration that’s not from the sea) with HIG[H HO]PES (68D. What an optimist has)
BREAK[WATER]S (102A. Coastal structures countering erosion) with HEIG[H HO] (80D. “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” song)
BATTLE OF [WATER]LOO (109A. Historic event on June 18, 1815) with FRENC[H HO]RNS (84D. Prominent features of the theme from “Star Wars” )

Other — AIRBRUSHED (112A. Like many Playboy Playmate photos), AQUATICS (87D. Swimming, diving, etc.),CATCH FIRE (83A. Ignite), HOLY SEE(43A. Papal court),MACHINE GUN (25A. Prop in many an action film), PHOTOSHOP (4D. Software for touch-up artists),ROADSTER(8D. MG, e.g.),SAFE HARBOR(73D. Sanctuary), TRIPTYCHS (53A. Many altar paintings of the Middle Ages), WASP (1A. Direct descendant of the Mayflower Pilgrims, e.g.).

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 5. Way up a mountain; 9. Dutch flower; 14. Humorist Bombeck; 18. Sun Valley locale; 20. Tony of the Dallas Cowboys; 21. Lancaster County folk; 22. Kings of ___ (Use Somebody” band); 23. Claw; 24. Puccini piece; 30. Elliptical; 31. Adriatic resort; 32. Western nickname; 33. Exchange; 37. Completes at the request of; 39. Old TV’s ___ Club; 40. Hero of a Hindu epic; 42. Zip; 45. Ape; 46. ___ Bo; 47. Enjoy; 56. Long-distance letters; 57. Onetime art glass manufacturer; 61. Rock subgenre; 62. Not loco; 63. Some college dorm rooms; 65. Pickle juice; 66. Bud; 71. Sporty cars; 72. In other words; 75. Book after II Timothy; 76. Sitcom diner; 78. Quipster;79. Femme fatale of cartoons; 82. Director Van Sant; 88. Pressed upon; 89. 20-20, e.g.; 91. Places to eat a late breakfast, maybe; 92. Nitpick; 95. Sound at a checkup; 96. Means of inheritance; 97. Unilever soap brand; 98. Auto shop offerings; 104. Tale written in runes, perhaps; 106. Unconvincing reason, informally; 107. ___ Island; 108. Pong maker; 117. Certain nest eggs, for short; 118. Actress Eleniak; 119. Greek War goddess; 120 SeaWorld resident; 121. Irish county; 122. Up to; 123. Snookums; 124. Leaves used in Mediterranean cuisine; 125. Chop ___; 126. Hens and vixens. — DOWN: 2. Slowly; 3. ___ niçoise; 5. Gothic window ornamentation; 6. Cleansing agent; 7. Bygone Ugandan tyrant; 9. Marvin Gaye’s record label; 10. Actress Thurman; 11. D.M.V. issue; 12. Relative of -esque; 13. Symbol of the golden ratio; 15. Robes, scepters and such; 16. Ski mask feature; 17. Queen ___ lace; 19. 20/20; 26. Japanese drama; 28. Adaptable aircraft, for short; 29. Cobbler’s tool; 34. HP product; 35. Gives off; 36. “Be quiet,” on scores; 38. Line of defense?; 39. Pasta primavera ingredients; 41. Doc grp.; 44. Marge who owned the Cincinnati Reds; 45. Recurring ideas; 47. Intervene; 48. Fleet; 49. N.Y.U. athlete; 52. One coming out; 54. N.B.A. star Ming; 55. “AC360” channel; 58. Nabob; 59. Unabridged; 60. Like matryoshka dolls; 63. Frame jobs; 64. Horn o Africa resident; 68. What an optimist has; 69. Kind of income; 70. Antique restorer’s “touch,” in brief; 74. Old Dungeons & Dragons co.; 77. Coach Don with two Super Bowl victories; 81. Word on either side of “to”; 83. Pivotal point; 86. Cupcake; 89. Open-faced sandwich topped with a fancy spread; 90. “Amen to that!”; 93. It’s clear; 94. Dolt; 97. N.Y.C. airport; 99. Early stone tool; 100. First-year; 101. Toasts; 102. Responded sheepishly?; 103. Wine aperitif; 105. Former “American Idol” judge; 106. Irish county; 110. Drop ___; 111. Coup de ___ (gunshot: Fr.); 113. Kind of connection from a mobile device to a PC; 114. Doo-wop syllable; 115. Suffers from; 116. U.K. record co.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

ACROSTIC, Puzzle by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon

Edited by Will Shortz

This Sunday’s challenging acrostic draws a quotation from The Italics Are Mine by Nina Berberova translated from the Russian by Philippe Radley.

Nina Berberova's "The Italics Are Mine" is a must-read for anyone intrigued by Russia, Russian literature, or Paris. In this substantial work, Berberova, a renowned writer who left her homeland along with many compatriots in the wake of the 1917 Revolution, chronicles the travails she encounters in poverty-stricken Russia, poverty-stricken Berlin, and poverty-stricken Paris, where she lived from 1925-1950. The work is teeming with examples of her original imagery as she describes in detail the Russian emigre community in Europe between the two world wars. Her important document is enlightening for those who are ignorant of the Russian colony in Paris.

A portion of the book is devoted to discussion of the Russian literary community, the circle she knew well. These segments are controversial, as Berberova was accused of fabrication. Yet while the non-specialist in literature may tire of the constant name dropping, the interested reader will be rewarded with amusing anecdotes whose truth will not matter. ~ Elizabeth Yellen, Amazon.com

The quotation: NOT LOSING TIME HAS BEEN MY PERMANENT CONCERN SINCE I WAS THREE YEARS OLD, WHEN IT DAWNED ON ME THAT TIME IS THE WARP OF LIFE, ITS VERY FABRIC, SOMETHING THAT YOU CANNOT BUY, TRADE, STEAL, FALSIFY, OR OBTAIN BY BEGGING.

The author’s name and the title of the work: BERBEROVA, THE ITALICS ARE MINE

The defined words:

A. Singer of the 2006 hit “Déjà Vu”, BEYONCÉ
B. Goya’s “The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters,”, e.g., ETCHING
C. Conducive to meditation, RESTFUL
D. Fish also called a swamp bass, BOWFIN
E. Sort of computer connection, ETHERNET
F. Take from the top, as a letter, REDRAFT
G. Attribute of most Nauru natives, OBESITY
H. Flight path; pollinating agent, VECTOR
I. Character like Tony Soprano or Gordon Gekko, ANTIHERO
J. Feeling a bit of a buzz, TIPSY
K. Spinning-wheel operator?, HAMSTER
L. Provide backing for, as a chair, ENDOW
M. How the Great Sphinx was carved (2 wds.), IN SITU
N. “West Side Story” duet for Tony and Maria,“TONIGHT”
O. Aware (of); side by side, ABREAST
P. Entry-level; budget (hyph.),LOW-END
O. Extreme disrepute, INFAMY
R. Main component of an octopus’s beak, CHITIN
S. Triangle often served with chutney, SAMOSA
T. Terminus for a steamboat line started in 1807, ALBANY
U. Cat breed known for going limp when picked up, RAGDOLL
V. Atlas or Calliope of Greek myth, EPONYM
W. Tally of cargo and passengers, MANIFEST
X. Application for minimizing a mouse (2 wds.),ICE BAG
Y. Seinfeld’s “pure evil” neighbor, NEWMAN
Z. Faculty assessed by means of a Snellen chart,EYESIGHT

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Stag, photograph by redditbot, March 9, 2013

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Monday, March 11, 2013

Puzzle by Robert Fisher / Edited by Will Shortz

TOM, STAG, BUCK, BULL and RAM found in TOMFOOLERY(17A. Prankish activity),STAGFLATION(23A. Double-whammy economic condition),BUCK NAKED (35A. Without a stitch on),BULL SESSION(50A. Impromptu, wide-ranging conversation) and RAMSHACKLE (58A. Shoddy and unsturdy) constitute the interrelated group of this fine Monday crossword.

Joseph Severn's depiction of Keats listening to the nightingale (c. 1845)

Other — ARMREST, BAY RUM (48A. Men’s grooming scent), “Polly want aCRACKER?“, C S LEWIS(41D. “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” writer), EGO TRIP (2D.Display of self-importance), EROSION, NEUTERS (40D. Spays, e.g.), ONCE MORE, RECKONED, RESTORE, RUBELLA (44D. German measles).

Mid-size — BOO HOO,“DANKEschön”, GAMUT, INSTS, LASSO, MISLAY, NO DICE, NOT SO, “ODE TOa Nightingale“,PUPIL, SPOTTY, STAFF, TRYSTS(20A. No-tell motel get-togethers),TULSA, U MASS.

Short stuff — ABS, ACRE, ADO, ALAN, ALIT, Forever AND Aday, GoAPE, Rest AREA, COLEslaw, DEFY, DRAT, DUST, EELS, EMU, ERE, ESSO, EST, FIR, FLEA, FLY, GERM, HEAD, HOT, ICED, IRIS, KRISKringle, LACK, LOBE, MAT and MET, NED, Anita O’DAY, OGRE, ORB and ORE, OSSA, PEWS, PIEà la mode,Hi-RES, RON, TEAS, UP TOno good.

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Noggin; 5. Sturdy walking stick; 10. Bug; 14. Folklore villain; 15. Part of the eye; 16. Rest ___ (roadside stop); 19 Not quite all; 21. Attic accumulation; 22. Before, in verse; 28. Lose; 30. The “A” of Chester A. Arthur; 31.Sought-after rock; 33. Did some figuring; 39. Again; 42. Farm unit; 46. Hi-___ graphics; 47. Came down on a branch, say; 53. Stomach muscles, informally; 54. Oolong and Earl Grey; 55. “Ain’t gonna happen”; 57. Church seats; 62. Part of the eye; 64. Slithery fish; 65. Bygone U.S. gas brand; 66. “Untrue!”; 67. Dang!” — DOWN: 1. On a streak; 3. What two theatergoers may share; 4. Boldly resisst; 5. Hit-or-miss; 6. Oklahoma oil city; 7. Go ___ (flip out); 8. Tree with needles; 9. Go by plane; 10. Full range; 11. Wearing away of soil; 12. Put back in good condition; 13. Wrestling surface; 18. Greek peak; 21. “___ schön” (“Thank you very much”: Ger.); 22. Relative of an ostrich; 24. Red gems; 25. One nipping Nipper, maybe; 26. Be short of; 27. Flanders of “The Simpsons”; 29. Brain section; 34. Jazz chanteuse Anita; 36. Amherst school, informally; 39. Big ball in space; 45. Letters on an ambulance; 48. “Gee, that’s really too bad”; 51. Catch, as a calf at a rodeo; 52. Research facilities: Abbr.; 56. Treated, as a sprained ankle; 58. Song syllable repeated after Da Doo”; 59. Big fuss; 60. Encountered; 61. D.C. winter hrs.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Puzzle by Bruce Sutphin and Neville Fogarty / Edited by Will Shortz

Opposites in circled letters constitutes the interrelated group of this Tuesday crossword, e.g., WIN/LOSE, TO/FRO, COME/GO, IN/OUT found in WINDING TO A CLOSE (17A. Finishing up), STOREFRONT (30A. Window-shopping locale),COMEDY GOLD (48A. Great source of humor) and FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH (63A. Ponce de León’s quest).

Other — BOOZER, DADDY-O, ED WOOD (50D. Director of “Bride of the Monsters“), FALSE RIB, GAZING, ICE TONGS, PIECES, REGISTER, SNIPER, WELL DONE.

Five-letter — ARTIE, AYRES, FUNGI, “HIT ‘EMwhere they ain‘t“, IF NOT, I’M A PC, MARIO, NEMEA, OBAMA, OFFER, OKEMO, OP ART, RALLY, SANDSof time, SEEDY, SPASM, SYRIA, TRAPS, VW BUS (59A. “Little Miss Sunshine“ vehicle).

Short stuff — ADA, ANTZ, ARAB, AREA and ARIA, ARN, ASE, BURY, DYED, ELSA, ERIE, ETAS,FEE, FLOP, GLEE, IMHO, ISE, IVY, IZOD, IZZY, LAID and LAPD, LAWS, LUNAmoth,MAI, MEAT, NENE, OFFS, ONE L, ORC, OR NO, OSLO(54A. Where the Storting sits),PENN, RENO, REP and REW, RYES, SEEK, SHOD, SOUP, SPAS, TIM, TYRA, UTNEReader, YEAS.

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. “Dragnet” force, in brief; 5. Spirited steed; 9. Bid; 14. Calculus calculation; 15. City with Aces Ballpark; 16. Good news on Wall Street; 21. “Miami Vice” informant; 22. Baths; 23. Affirmatives; 25. Cleveland’s lake; 27. “The way I see it,” briefly; 35. Avril follower; 36. Go after; 37. Hidden shooter; 38. Shaw of the big band era; 40. VCR button; 42. President with a Nobel Prize; 43. Chessmen, e.g.; 45. What a vegan vetoes; 47. Be an agent for, in brief; 50. Some airport announcements, for short; 51. TV host Banks; 52. Set (down); 57. Polo competitor; 59. “Little Miss Sunshine” vehicle; 66. Sore spreaders; 67. Hawaiian bird; 68. TV’s “Deal ___ Deal”; 69. Hiccup, e.g.; 70. Elation; 71. Like Easter eggs. — DOWN: 1. Acts; 2. La Scala performance; 3. One of the 53-Downs; 4. Cool cat . Prince Valiant’s son; 6. Checkout sight; 7. DreamWorks’s first animated film; 8. Sot; 9. Tolkien meanie; 10. Bone of the lower chest; 11. Big failure; 12. “Born Free” lioness; 13. Some whiskeys; 18. British suffix with formal; 19. Actor Lew; 24. Enzyme suffix; 26. Otherwise; 27. Apple ad line; 28. Lopez of “Extra”; 31. Vermont ski resort; 32. Dazzling gallery display; 33. Home of the lion that Hercules slew; 34. Snares; 36. Disreputable; 39. Champagne bucket implement; 41. Bravo!”; 44. Home of Damascus; 46. Oklahoma city; 49. Staring; 50. Director of “Bride of the Monster”; 53. Prestigious Eastern school, informally; 54. Does in; 55. Campbell’s product; 58. Like Nash’s lama (not llama); 60. Put six feet under; 62. Having protected feet; 64. Country singer McGraw; 65. A.T.M. imposition.

“Madama Butterfly“, artwork on the cover of ADRM London recording

with Freni, Pavarotti, Ludwig, Kerns, the Wiener Philharmoniker directed by Herbert VonKarajan

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Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Puzzle by Joe DiPietro / Edited by Will Shortz

OPERA(64A. Each of this puzzle‘s long Across answers sounds like one)— “Madama Butterfly”, "Die Fledermaus”, "The Barber of Seville” and“Boris Godunov” get a makeover with MADAM BOUGHT A FLY(17A. Lady paid for one insect?), DEFLATER MOUSE(26A. Rodent that lets air out of balloons?),BABA OF SEVILLE (44A. Spanish rum Cake?) and BORIS GOOD ENOUGH (57A. Headline after one of Becker’s Wimbledon wins?).

Other — COFFEE MILL(11D. Grinder of a sort),DRIES OFF (39D. Sits by a fire after a drenching, say),FLAG BEARER (28D. Certain marcher in a parade), FOUNDED (25D. Like St. Augustine, in 1565), GRANULES (4D. Bits of sugar),STELLAR(24D. Really, really good).

Mid-size — AD FEE,“Out ofAFRICA“, AGORAE, ALLELE(31A. Gene arising through mutation),ASCAP, AVIAN, DARLIN’, De FACTO, FLEETS, IGLOO, I HOPE, LED ON, LIE FOR, LOBOS, MORAL, OBOES, O’HARE, PIANO, RID OF, SOLDER, SPADES, TALUS, TONER.

Short stuff — AGEE, AJAR, A-ONE, BIAS, CLUE, CULL, DABS, DIVA, EEO, ELIA, ERA, EVIL, FIB, FLEE and FLEW, GAL, GOOP, GTO, IOUS, LAMP, LONG, MEW, MOO, NADA, ODIE, OJAI, OLEO, OOH, OPEC, PHEW, POGO and TOGO, REO, SAG, SCAN, SERA, URSAMinor,WANE.

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Like the “I” in “like”; 5. De ___ (in practice); 10. Read digitally; 14. Not quite closed; 15. Home near the Arctic Circle; 16. ___ stick; 20. One of the Baldwins?; 21. Old touring car; 22. Charge to appear in a magazine; 25. Groups of limos, e.g.; 33. Kitten sound; 36. Diagonal; 37. Enticed; 39. Demanding sort; 40. Slump; 41. Land O’Lakes product; 42. Sweet ’un; 47. Help with a cover story, say; 49. Comics beagle; 50. Site o some Chicago touchdowns; 51. Hoedown partner; 53. BMI rival; 60. Grp. Created at the Baghdad Conference, 1960; 61. Copier need; 62. Abscond; 63. Blood fluids; 65. Zipped (by). — DOWN: 1. Word after flood or floor; 2. City east of Santa Barbara; 3. Zip; 5. Taradiddle; 6. Ancient markets; 7. Miss Scarlet’s game; 8. Pizza parlor option; 9. “That’s gotta hurt”; 10. Popular card game; 12. Shoelace tip; 13. Poet best known for “The Highwayman”; 18. Tale’s end, sometimes; 19. Anklebone; 26. Light touches; 27. Kazan of Hollywood; 29. Finished with; 30. Stock answer?; 34. The dark side; 35. Grow dim; 38. Job listing inits.; 41. Heckelphone cousins; 43. Ornithology-related; 46. Unite, in a way; 47. Rock group Los ___; 48. “My fingers are crossed”; 51. Gunk; 52. The best; 54. Choose the best of; 55. Critic James; 56. “What a relief!”; 58. Powerful old Pontiac; 59. Tide competitor.

02.24.13 — I Surrender!

02.24.13 — Why Does the World Exist? — the Acrostic

02.25.13 — Quickly

02.26.13 — Intersections

Heart

PRO and CON

03.01.13 — Friday Rap-Up

Toxicodendron Diversilobum, et cetera

Praise for Prose

Rho Fare

03.05.13 — Where It's At

OOO

The Hot Corner

03.08.13 — The Friday Crossword

The Saturday Crossword

H2O

03.10.13 — Time — the Acrostic

03.11.13 — The Monday Male

Opposites

Opera