The New York Times Crossword in Gothic

Runner by,Grubbs Artist

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Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Puzzle by Samuel A. Donaldson / Edited by Will Shortz

“Go away” within the clues for RUN ALONG, BEAT IT, TAKE A HIKE, BUZZ OFF, AMSCRAY and MAKE LIKE A / BANANA / AND SPLIT constitutes the interrelated group of this Wednesday crossword:

RUN ALONG(17A. Go away as a marathoner might?)
BEAT IT (18A. Go away as a Michael Jackson impersonator might?)
TAKE A HIKE (22A. Go away as an outdoorsman might?)
BUZZ OFF (37A. Go away as a speaker of pig Latin might?)
AMSCRAY (40A. Go away as a speaker of pig Latin might?)
MAKE LIKE A / BANANA / AND SPLIT (56A. With 63- and 65-Across, go away as a soda jerk might?)

Other — ARISTO(13D. British upper-cruster, for short), NO HASSLE (1A. Easy, in adspeak), PREMOLAR (15A. Tooth next to a canine), RATED X (12D. Hard-core), SEE YA (10D. “Later!“), SOLEA (5D. Form of flamenco), STATUARY (70A. Sculptor’s works), TOY STORE (72A. F.A.O. Schwarz, for one).

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Galanthus

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Thursday, March 20, 2014 — Vernal Equinox

Puzzle by Victor Barocas / Edited by Will Shortz

GET, convoluted, within four answers constitutes the main feature of this first-day-of-spring Thursday crossword:

PATE-GURNER (Gripping read [“Get back!])
STORAG/E/TANKS (24A. Oil containers [“Get down!”])
COLLEG/E/TOWNS (50A. Amherst and Orono, for two [“Get up!])
A BRID/GE/ T/OO FAR (61A. 1977 W.W. II flm [“Get lost!”])

Other — CONGOLESE(11D. Brazzavlle inhabitants), EXTORTS (4D. Makes pay, n a bad way), JEZEBEL (45D. Prominent feminist blog), OUNCE and PINT (15A. 1/16 of a 17-Across); SALTIER (42D. More like sailors’ talk, stereotypically), SKUNK and SQUAB (29D. Leave scoreless; 5A. Alternative to a game hen), WRIT LARGE (32D. Presented prominently).

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Marcel Duchamp, 1912, Bride

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Friday, March 21, 2014

Puzzle by Brendan Emmett Quigley / Edited by Will Shortz

Across — 1. Spa supplies, TOWELS; 7. Sir Henry BESSEMER, pioneer in steelmaking; 15. Sulky, IN A PET; 16. Getting-off point, EXIT LANE; 17. Household, MENAGE; 18. Drink made with tequila, rum, vodka, gin, bourbon, triple sec. sweet-and-sour mix and Coke, TEXAS TEA; 19. Contractor’s fig., EST; 20. Edward SNOWDEN who was dubbed “The Dark Prophet” by Time magazine; 22. Invoice nos., HRS; 23. Actor/director LIEV Schreiber; 25. Standouts, ONERS; 26. 2014’s “The LEGO Movie”; 27. Contribute, ADD IN; 29. Mauna KEA; 30. Figure skater CARYN Kadavy; 31. Breaks away from a defender, GETS OPEN; 33. Feature of many a Duchamp work, PUN; 34. Follow every rule, DO IT BY THE BOOK; 38. N.B.A.’s TAJ Gibson; 39. Became tiresome, WORE THIN; 41. Formal dress option, ASCOT; 44. Bush beast, briefly, ROO; 45. “A Midsummer Night’s Scream” author, STINE; 46. What can help you toward a peak performance?, T-BAR; 47. Barbed spears for fishing, GAFFS; 49. Classic work in Old Norse, EDDA; 50. Many Ph.D. candidates, TAS; 51. Assesses, SIZES UP; 53. End: Abbr., ULT; 54. One learning how to refine oils?, ART MAJOR; 56. MINNIE Mouse; 58. Renaissance woodwind, CRUMHORN; 59. Fasts, perhaps, ATONES; 60. Nonviable, HOPELESS; 61. Engage in horseplay,CAVORT.

Down —1. Skype annoyance, TIME LAG; 2. Very unbalanced, ONE-SIDED; 3. Had the itch, WANTED TO; 4. Sustainable practices grp., EPA; 5. Durability, LEGS; 6. Anagram of “notes,”, STENO; 7. Funny or Die web series hosted by Zach Galifianakis, BETWEEN TWO FERNS; 8. Semicicular recess in Roman architecture, EXEDRA; 9. High rolls, SIXES; 10. Pollster STAN Greenberg; 11. High rollers, ELS; 12. Big name in colonial Massachusetts, MATHER; 13. Cabinet department, ENERGY; 14. “The natural organ of truth”: C.S. Lewis, REASON: 21. Well-pitched, ON KEY; 24. Tourist, VISITOR; 26. 1961 Michelangelo Antonioni drama, LA NOTTE; 28. Away from, NOT AT; 30. High rollers’ rollers, CUBES; 32. Popular sandwich, informally, PBJ; 33. PER usual; 35. Dances onstage, HOOFS; 36. “Hmm, ya got me”, OH I DUNNO; 37. More sympathetic, KINDLIER; 40. Most smart, NEATEST; 41. Paper-clip, say, ATTACH; 42. Pizza chain since 1956, SBARRO; 43. Raise by digging, CAST UP; 44. Some T.S.A. confiscations, RAZORS; 47. Enemy of Cobra, G I JOE; 48. Shrub that produces a crimson-colored spice, SUMAC; 51. Comic Mort SAHL; 53. Kind of bread, PITA; 55. Abbr. on a letter to Paris, maybe, MME; 57. National Adoption Mo., NOV.

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Cougars at the Cincinnati Zoo &

Botanical Garden’s Cat Canyon Exhibit

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Saturday, March 22, 2014

Puzzle by Greg Johnson / Edited by Will Shortz

Across —1. Passed in a blur, say, FLEW BY; 7. Develops gradually, GESTATES; 15. Smoking, RED HOT; 16. Change-making, ALTERANT; 17. Where to look for self-growth, INWARD; 18. Obsolescent storage device, ZIP DRIVE; 19. Historic first name in W.W. II, ENOLA; 20. Locale of three presidential libraries, TEXAS; 21. Fried, LIT; 22. One often behind bars, ZOO EXHIBIT; 24. Ditch, TOSS; 25. Doesn’t carry on, ENDS; 26. Oxygen’s lack, ODOR; 27. Rescuer of Princess Peach, MARIO; 28. Near: Fr.; 29. Churchyard gravedigger, SEXTON; 30. Signs of things to come, HERALDS; 34. Truckloads, LEGIONS; 35. Hard to grasp, OPAQUE; 36. Remains after the aging process, LEES; 37. Opposite of 28-Down, MINUS; 38. Santa’s reindeer, e.g., TEAM; 39. Some sharp words, SASS; 43. Lou’s “La Bamba” co-star, ESAI; 44. Concord concoction, GRAPE JELLY; 46. Many a “Meet the Press” guess, informally, POL; 47. Swindler’s moola, GRIFT; 48. Hiked, UPPED; 49. She had a single-season stint on “The View”, O’DONNELL; 51. Many a worker at Union Pacific headquarters, OMAHAN; 52. Like Enterprise vehicles, RENTABLE; 53. Fired up?, ABLAZE; 54. Best, as friends, TIGHTEST; 55. One of Leakey’s “Trimates”,FOSSEY.

Down —1. Decorated band along a wall, FRIEZE; 2. “Reality leaves a lot to the imagination” speaker, LENNON; 3. He directed Bela Lugosi in “Bride of the Monster”, ED WOOD; 4 High rollers, in casino lingo, WHALES; 5. Cheap, shoddy merchandise, BORAX; 6. Financial statement abbr., YTD; 7. Outdoor wedding settings, GAZEBOS; 8. Alchemist’s offering, ELIXIR; 9. Green party V.I.P., ST. PAT; 10. Three Stooges creator Healy and others, TEDS; 11. Concourse abbr., ARR; 12. Personalize for, TAILOR FOR; 13. Picture, ENVISION; 14. Troopers’ toppers, STETSONS; 20. Almanac info, TIDES; 23. Large pack, HORDE; 24. Get set to take off, TAXI; 27. What an 18-Across’s capacity is measured in, briefly, MEGS; 28. Opposite of 37-Across, PLUS; 29. Message sometimes written below “F”, SEE ME; 30. Regular embarkation location, HOME PORT; 31. Series starter, EPISODE; 32. Left, RAN ALONG; 33. “AQUI se habla espanol!”; 34. Did an entrechat, LEAPT; 36, Flier, LEAFLET; 38. Voice lesson subjects, TRILLS; 39. Protection for flowers in bud, SEPALS; 40. Socially dominant sorts, ALPHAS; 41. Dirty rat, SLEEZE; 42. Biggest city on the smallest continent, SYDNEY; 44. Diving bird, GREBE; 45. Mammoth, JUMBO; 47. Cookout irritant, GNAT; 50. NTH root (math quantity); 51. Bungler,OAF.

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Original carbon-filament bulb

from Thomas Edison’s shop in Menlo Park

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Sunday, March 23, 2014

“Bright Ideas”— Puzzle by Ian Livengood

Edited by Will Shortz

I HAVE NOT FAILED; I’VE JUST / FOUND TEN THOUSAND WAYS / THAT WON’T WORK(23A, 29A and 43A. Motivational comment attributed to 86-Across);THOMAS EDISON; THE WIZARD OF MENLO PARK (95A. Nickname for 86-Across);INCANDESCENT LIGHT BULB (106A. Development of 86-Across ... as depicted in the middle of this grid) and AHA MOMENT in circled letters forming the shape of a light bulb constitutes the interrelated group of this bright Sunday crossword.

Other — BUS LANE and TAN LINE; CHICAGO BULLS(12D. United Center team); DNA MOLECULE (3D. Bit of a code); LUNDGREN (116A. Dolph of “Rocky IV”); METALLICA (42D. “Death Magnetic” band); MUSSINA (76A. Pitcher Mike with 270 wins); NFC SOUTH (19A. Saint’s home, for short); OPEN CIRCUIT (67D. What an electric current does not flow through); SESAME BAGELS (60D. Deli stock with seeds); THE NINERS 47D. Five-time Super Bowl champions, informally); TUSHES (56D. Cabooses).

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Sunday, March 23, 2014

ACROSTIC, Puzzle by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon

Edited by Will Shortz

This Sunday’s acrostic draws a quotation from The Global Soul: Jet Lag, Shopping Malls, and the Search for Home by Pico Iyer.

[“The Global Soul”] deciphers the cultural ramifications of globalization and the rising tide of worldwide displacement. … Pico Iyer takes us on a tour of the transnational village our world has become. From Hong Kong, where people actually live in self-contained hotels, to Atlanta's Olympic Village, which seems to inadvertently commemorate a sort of corporate universalism, to Japan, where in the midst of alien surfaces his apartment building is called "The Memphis," Iyer ponders what the word "home" can possibly mean in a world whose face is blurred by its cultural fusion and its alarmingly rapid rate of change. ~ Goodreads.com

The quotation: I’M SITTING IN A PARISIAN CAFÉ… OUTSIDE CHINATOWN (IN SAN FRANCISCO), TALKING TO A MEXICAN-AMERICAN ABOUT BICULTURALISM WHILE A HAITIAN WOMAN STOPS… TO CONGRATULATE HIM ON A PIECE HE… DELIVERED ON TV ON SAINT PATRICK’S DAY

The author’s name and the title of the work: PICO IYER, THE GLOBAL SOUL

The defined words:

A. Edifice enabling surveillance of any inmate at any time, PANOPTICON
B. Ecumenical, as a service involving sundry religions, INTERFAITH
C. Midwestern city that’s a setting for “Rain Man”, CINCINNATI
D. Happening at spotty intervals, OCCASIONAL
E. Hint, remote reference, INTIMATION
F. Heavily bomb-cratered basin in the Nevada Test Site (2 wds.), YUCCA FLAT
G. Get rid of totally, wipe out, EXTIRPATE
H. Desperate recourse for the drought-stricken (2 wds.), RAIN DANCE
I. Metaphor for an uncontrollable rush (2 wds.), TIDAL WAVE
J. Fail to show decisiveness (3 wds.), HEM AND HAW
K. A long way from robustly fed, EMACIATED
L. Problem-solvng with no plan or clue, GUESSWORK
M. 828,000-square mile purchase of 1803, LOUISIANA
N. Opposite of a picky eater, OMNIVORE
O. Member of a more than one union, BIGAMIST
P. Horizontal coordinate on a geometric plane, ABSCISSA
Q. Present, but uninvolved, LURKING
R. Offerings from tellers?, STORIES
S. Musical style of Whoopee John Wilfarht’s band, OOMPAH
T. U.N. leader succeeding Dag Hammarskjold in 1961, U THANT
U. Old World finch called “Carduelis cannabina” for its liking of hemp,LINNET

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The full paragraph of the quotation: For more and more people, then, the world is coming to resemble a diaspora, filled with new kinds of beings—Gastarbeiters and boat people and marielitos—as well as new kinds of realities: Rwandans in Auckland and Moroccans in Iceland. One reason why Melbourne looks ever more like Houston is that both of them are filling up with Vietnamese pho cafés; and computer technology further encourages us to believe that the remotest point is just a click away. Everywhere is so made up of everywhere else—a polycentric anagram—that I hardly notice I’m sitting in a Parisian café just outside Chinatown (in San Francisco), talking to a Mexican-American friend about biculturalism while a Haitian woman stops off to congratulate him on a piece he’s just delivered on TV on St. Patrick’s Day. “I know all about those Irish nuns,” she says in a thick patois, as we sip our Earl Grey tea near signs that say City of Hong Kong, Empress of China. ~ The Global Soul

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Detail, Time Magazine cover, May 7, 1990

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Monday,March 24, 2014

Puzzle by Tom Pepper / Edited by Will Shortz

DIRTY WORDS (60A. Curses … or the starts of 17-, 27- and 44-Across), FILTHY RICH (17A. Not just well-off), GREASY SPOONS (27A. Low-class diners)and STAINED GLASS (44A. Window material in many cathedrals) constitute the interrelated group of this Monday crossword.

Other — GASPED(25D. Said “Oh … my … God!“, e.g.), GHENT (42A. Belgian treaty city), LOIRE (2D. France’s longest river), SHEEP DOG (39D. Border collie, for one), SPLIT PEA (52A. Kind of soup), SPURN and STUNG,THE CLOUD (21A. Where many digital files are now stored), USHERS IN (9D. Welcomes at the door, say), YERTLE (29D. Dr. Seuss‘ turtle).

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Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Puzzle by David Woolf / Edited by Will Shortz

IT AIN’T OVER UNTIL / THE FAT LADY SINGS(17A. With 57-Across, a die-hard’s statement), along withWALK-OFF HOMER (27A. Hit that proves 17-/57-Across) and BUZZER BEATER (45A. Shot that proves 17-/57-Across) constitute the interrelated group of this Tuesday crossword.

Other — FLOOZY(28D. Roxie n “Chicago,“ e.g.), JOGGER (25D. Pedometer wearer, maybe), Shoe designer MANOLO Blahnik, MIRIAM (9D. Moses’ sister), RICHARD III (30D. Shakespeare character who says “ have set my life upon a cast”), SHISH KEBAB (4D. Serving with a skewer), ZAFTIG (46D. Pleasingly plump).

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Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev created a periodic table of the elements that ordered them numerically by atomic weight, yet occasionally used chemical properties in contradiction to weight. Image, 1887

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Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Puzzle by Alex Vratsanos / Edited by Will Shortz

ATOMIC / NUMBER(18D. With 38-Down, property of the first pat of the answer to each starred clue [appropriately positioned in the grid], along with four examples, constitutes the main feature of this Wednesday crossword:

CARBON COPY(6D. *Typist’s duplicate of old), e.g., Carbon #6
NEON LIGHTS (10D. *They’re big on Broadway), Neon, #10
IRON MAIDEN (26D. *Medieval device with spikes), Iron, #26
COPPERHEAD (29D. *Ant-Civil War Northerner), Copper, #29

Other — EMERITI(57A. Retired academics), JEOPARDY (8D. Game show with the theme music “Think!”), LOLLIPOP (37D. Kid’s post-haircut treat, maybe), NIBLETS (41D. Green Giant canned corn), Australia’s Port PHILLIP Bay, RUDOLPH (56A. Team leader of song), SCALLOP (40D. Bit of surf in surf and turf), SQUIRES (9D. Knights‘ attendants)

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Thursday, March 27, 2014

Puzzle by Jean O’Conor / Edited by Will Shortz

FULL / CIRCLE (10A. With 66-Across, back to the beginning … or a description of 21- and 48-Down?), along with[PI] R [SQUARED] (21D. See 10-Across) and 2 [PI] R(See 10-Across) constitutes the main feature of this Thursday crossword.

Other — Temple of ARTEMIS, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, BANISTER (61A. It might be held on a flight), BIKINI TOP (33D. It wraps around a chest at the beach), DEAREST (22A. Honey pie), ELASTIC (56A. What gives?), HOEDOWNS (8D. Do-si-do whoop-de-dos), LIFE OF [PI] (20A. Best seller about shipwreck survivors), LISTON (1A. Clay pounder?), MAGNUM [PI] (53A. Tom Selleck title role), PERSEVERE (35D. Hang in there), R MONTHS and R MOVIES (24A. September through April, in a culinary guideline; 58A. “The Godfather“ parts I, II and III, e.g.), SEDUCERS (39D. Sirens), SERENADED (9D. Courted with love notes?), SEWED UP (40A. Finalized), SIDE 2 (47A. Where to find “Yesterday“ on the album “Help“), [SQUARED] AWAY (28A. Settled up), TASMANIA (38D. Southernmost state), TAX EVADER (4D. Shirker of one’s duties?), UNTESTED (11D. Green).

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Friday, March 28, 2014

Puzzle by David J. Kahn / Edited by Will Shortz

Five fifteen-letter across answers constitutes the main group of this Friday crossword, along with SOMALI PIRATES(16-Down - Hijackers who captured 38-Across), e.g., CAPTAIN PHILLIPS.

ORLANDO SENTINEL(15A. Central Florida daily)
SOURCE OF INCOME (17A. Part-time jobs for college students, say)
ALEXANDER CALDER (61A. Mobile creator)
LOSE ONE’S MARBLES (64A. Go mad)

Other across — 1. Those who respond to pickup lines?, CABBIES; 8. Drags, BUMMERS; 18. Disbelieving, AWED; 19. Major-leaguer from Osaka who threw two no-hitters, NOMO; 20. Trap, SET-UP; 21. Haddock relatives, CODS; 23. Constellation described by Ptolemy, ARA; 25. Part of 56-Across: Abbr., EST; 26. Conductor with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, MEHTA; 28. “A Chorus Line” lyricist Ed KLEBAN; 31. Iran’s Ayotollah ALI Khamenei; 32. Year the Angels won the World Series, MMII; 34. Brit’s cry of surprise, BLIMEY; 41. Standard, ENSIGN; 42. Extreme piques, IRES; 43. “I’ll SEE”; 44. Old letter opener: Abbr., MESSRS; 46. Upper regions of space, ETHER; 48. Org. of which Tom Hanks is a member, SAG; 51. Mauna KEA; 52. Shaving brand, ATRA; 53. Slip preventer, CLEAT; 56. Terminal announcements, for short, ETAS; 58. Writer William INGE; 65. Demanded immediate action from, PRESSED; 66. Superlatively bouncy,SPRYEST.

Other down — 1. COSA Nostra; 2. Aligned, after “in”, A ROW; 3. Relatively low-risk investments, BLUE CHIPS; 4. Actress for whom a neckline is named, BARDOT; 5. INC 500; 6. Unspoiled places, EDENS; 7. Meh, SO SO; 8. First of two pictures, BEFORE; 9. Start to color?, UNI; 10. Range parts: Abbr., MTNS; 11. Symbols of timidity, MICE; 12. Modern message, E-NOTE; 13. Fictional teller of tales, REMUS; 14. Wasn’t alert, SLEPT; 22. “What’s the DAMAGE?”; 24. First name in 60s radicalism, ABBIE; 26. Old club, MACE; 27. Flourish, ELAN; 28. Connected people, KIN; 29. Ready, ALL SET; 30. Nothing, NIL; 33. Eastern European capital of 2 million, MINSK; 35. Screw up, MISHANDLE; 36. Sport with automated scoring, EPEE; 37. River of W.W. I; YSER; 39. Dickens boy, TIM; 40. Ballpark dingers: Abbr., HRS; 45. Positioned well, SEEDED; 47. English hat similar to a fedora, TRILBY; 48. Where flakes may build up, SCALP; 49. ALL OR nothing; 50. Simple sorts, GEESE; 52. Musical grp., ASCAP; 54. Fires, AXES; 55. Western setting for artisans, TAOS; 57. They may be heavy or open, ARMS; 59. Bee GEES; 60. Formerly, old style, ERST; 62. Nautical heading: Abbr., NNE; 63. Part of 56-Across: Abbr., ARR.

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Oedipus listening to the riddle of the Sphinx.

Kylix, 467 BC, Vatican Museum

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Saturday, March 29, 2014

Puzzle by Barry C. Silk / Edited by Will Shortz

Across — 1. It’s made from an ear and put in the mouth, CORNCOB PIPE; 12. Highlander’s accessory, TAM; 15. 1967 ht by the Hollies, ON A CAROUSEL; 16. One may have a full body, ALE; 17. Copied the page?, RAN AN ERRAND; 18. They often land next to queens: Abbr., KTS; 19. Prefix with flop, GIGA; 20. They often land next to queens, DRONE BEES; 22. Cross quality, IRE; 23. Move a whole lot, AWE; 25. Backward, AREAR; 26. Fame, STARDOM; 29. Spice stores?, TINS; 31. Enigmatic, SPHINX-LIKE; 34. Nanny, in Nanjing, AMAH; 35. Question after a surprising claim, YOU DO; 36. Party bowlful, ICE; 37. Supply one’s moving address?, ORATE; 38. Network point, NODE; 39. Now whole, INTEGRATED; 41. Orphaned lion of literature, ELSA; 42. Knit at a social function?, TEA COZY; 43. Brownie alternative, TORTE; 45. “Veep” airer, HBO; 46. Pinch-hitter, SUB; 49. Smallest member of the Council of Europe, SAN MARINO; 52. See 7-Down, CASE; 53. Withdraw, EBB; 54. It’s between Buda and Pest, DANUBE RIVER; 57. After, A LA; 58. Forum setting, ANCIENT ROME; 59. 180, UEY; 60. Target of a spy,STATE SECRET.

Down — 1. Herder from Wales, CORGI; 2. Live warning?, ON AIR; 3. Voice lesson topic, RANGE; 4. Bulldogs play in it: Abbr., NCAA; 5. 86, CAN; 6. Rush target, ORE; 7. With 52-Across, something n a gray area, BORDERLINE; 8. Himalayan production, PURR; 9. Golfer Aoki, ISAO; 10. Ayn Rand, e.g., PEN NAME; 11. Higher-up?, ELDER; 12. Target, TAKE AIM AT; 13. Every second, ALTERNATIVE; 14. Jam, MESS; 21. Product of some decay, BETA RAY; 23. O’s is one more than N’s, AT NO; 24. Comb composition, WAX; 26. Like some pitches, SIDE ARM; 27. Orders, DICTA; 28. Locals call it the “Big O”, OKEECHOBEE; 30. Where spades may be laid down, SHED; 31. End of a song often sung by inebriated people, SYNE; 32. Shark’s place, POOL TABLE; 33. Polar Bear Provincial Park borders it, HUDSON BAY; 37. Minestrone ingredient, ORZO; 39. Repetitive, ITERANT; 40. Bunch, GOB; 44. Self-congratulatory cries, TADAS; 46. Not just wolf down, SAVOR; 47. “I’d love to help”, USE ME; 48. Part of Che Guevara’s attire, BERET; 49. Junior in 12 Pro Bowls, SEAU; 50. Highlander of old, INCA; 51. Period sans soleil, NUIT; 52. Magazine fig., CIRC; 55. Half of nne?, ENS; 56. U.S.P.S. assignment,RTE.

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"A thing there is whose voice is one;

Whose feet are four and two and three.

So mutable a thing is none

That moves in earth or sky or sea.

When on most feet this thing doth go,

Its strength is weakest and its pace most slow."

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Sunday, March 30, 2014

Musical Interpretation, Puzzle by Peter A. Collins

Edited by Will Shortz

Six song titles are featured in an unconventional manner in this amiable Sunday crossword:

R O C K [around] THE CLOCK (28A. With the circled letters, 1955 Bill Haley and His Comets hit?)
SMOKE (on) THE WATER (37A. With 43-Across, 1973 Deep Purple hit?)
A TEENAGER (in) LOVE (66A. 1959 Dion and the Belmonts hit?)
TIME (after) TIME (78A.1994 Cyndi Lauper hit?)
STAND (by) YOUR MAN (90D. With 89-Down, Tammy Wynette hit?)
NOOM DAB[BAD MOON] (rising) (90D. 1869 Creedence Clearwater Revival hit?)

Other — ALADDIN(93D. Rubber from Arabia?); DICK AND JANE (116A. Primer pair); DRIVEN MAD (114A. Made bats); EDITORIALS (75D. Slanted writing); EMPIRICIST (70D. John Locke, philosophically); IN BAD SHAPE (3D. Suffering), ISSUE DATE (119A. Info on a magazine cover); LAUDATORY (21A. Like an ode), SGT BILKO and SILVERS (65D. NCO of 1950s TV; 73A. Phil who played 65-Down); OUTERMOST (25A. Like Neptune among the planets in the solar system); SUBSISTENCE (23A. Kind of farming); TOE LOOP (62A. Olympic leap); TOO CAREFUL (16D. What fastidious people can‘t be); TWERK (7D. Back it up, in a way).

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L‘Angelus, 1858, Jean-François Millet

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Monday, March 31, 2014

Puzzle by Robert Cirillo / Edited by Will Shortz

MA AND PA (35A. Rural couple … or what the respective halves of the answers to the four starred clues start with), along with MASQUERADE PARTY, MASSAGE PARLOR, MACARTHUR PARK andMARDI GRAS PARADE, constitute the interrelated group of this pleasant Monday crossword:

MASQUERADE PARTY (16A. *Where Romeo and Juliet meet)

MASSAGE PARLOR (24A. *Often-seedy establishment)

MACARTHUR PARK (42A. *1978 #1 Donna Summer hit that covered a 1968 #2 hit by Richard Harris)

MARDI GRAS PARADE (56A. *New Orleans event with floats)

Other — BARBARELLA (10D. 1968 Jane Fonda sci-fi film), EX-HUSBAND (19A. Dick, to Liz, twice), HORACE and ODES (5D. “Ars Poetica” poet; 54D. Poems by 5-Down), INQUEST (4D. Official investigation), Pop artist JASPER Johns, MODEL T (60A. Car famously available in any color, as long as it was black), STORM SURGE (26D. Rise of seawater than might accompany a hurricane), URSA MAJOR (51A. The handle of the Big Dipper is its tail).

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Tuesday, April 1, 2014 — April Fools' Day

Puzzle by Andrew Reynolds / Edited by Will Shortz

[H/T][E/A][A/I][D/L]S, e.g., HEADS or TAILS(37A. Winner of the wager in 17-/56-Across, depending on how you fill the circled squares in the puzzle) along with the five circled squares containing bothH and T constitutes the interrelated group of this Tuesday crossword:

GUS[H/T] (3D. Sudden outburst) and IS[H/T] (19A. Suffix with cartoon)
FIS[H/T] (11D. It might be landed with a hook) and BAS[H/T]ES (21A. Clobbers)
[H/T]INT(24D. Bit of color) and[H/T]UMBLE (24A. Bring down)
[H/T][E/A][A/I][D/L]Sand RI[D/L]E(28D. Antagonize),M[E/A]LT (32D. Diner menu item), T[A/I]T (33D. Part of retribution, in a phrase) and[H/T]ONES (37D. Improves, in a way)
[H/T]AUNT(46D. Plague) and[H/T]OOT (46A. Blast)

Other — BEST THREE / OUT OF FIVE(17A. With 56-Across, common format for a wager), CODONS (44D. Genetic sequence groups), ETHELS (15D. Roosevelt and Kennedy), MOUSE PADS (14A. Desktops’ desktop), Penn State’s NITTANY Lions, RANCID (43D. Nasty-smelling), ROMANIA (9D. Bucharest’s land), UNINSURED (59A. Not using Obamacare, say).

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Anagrams or Words Alive game, 1920

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Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Puzzle by David Levinson Wilk / Edited by Will Shortz

Five anagrams comprises the main feature of this Wednesday crossword:

SWORD HILT (17A. Weapon part that’s out of this world?)
IRAN HIT (41A. Attack on a Mideast land that’s out of thin air?)
RARE CATCH (66A. Fisherman’s feat that’s out of character?)
WET HOODS (11D. Drenched gansters who are out of the woods?)
ARMY WASH (40D. Military laundry that’s out of harm’s way?)

Other — ARMPIT (49A. Lady Schick target), DISCOS (1D. Places where people hustle?), ECOTONE (10D. Environmental transition area), ENRAGED (4D. Steamed), I GOT NEXT (42D. Challenger’s announcement of a pickup game), JOHN MUIR (5D. Sierra Club founder), ORIGAMI (24A. Paper tiger, maybe), SEE PAST (47D. Purposely overlook, as a fault), SPEAK TO (45D. Have a talk with), YEOWS (55A. Cries of pain) and WAHOO (71A. “Whoopee!”).

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Monarch hatching, Butterfly Life Cycle ~ National Geographic

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Thursday, April 3, 2014

Puzzle by David Benkof and Jeff Chen

Edited by Will Shortz

CH-CH-CH-CH-CHANGES(58A. Chorus starter in a 1972 David Bowie song … ), along with CHANUKAH MENORAH, CHAOS THEORY, CHARLOTTE BRONTË, CHAIN-SMOKED(17A. December display; 24A. Mathematical field that includes the so-called “butterfly effect“; 36A. One of literature‘s “three sisters“; 44A. Went from butt to butt?), constitute the interrelated group of this Thursday crossword.

Other — ARCS (1D. Things that are tossed usually go in them), ASIAN FLU (16A. Outbreak caused by the H2N2 virus), CRAB and RAM (23D and 39D. Zodiac symbol), ESTS and ESTEE, FANBOY (9D. Many a sci-fi devotee), GET THIS (22D. “Would you beleve …“),LAILA ALI (62A. Boxer who competed on “Dancing With the Stars”), ‘NUFF SAID (6A. “That’s that!”), SAMISEN (19A. Three-stringed Eastern instrument), STIHL (46D. Big name in power tools), TSA and TWA, UNSORTED (64a. Like socks right out of the dryer).

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Sacrificial Lamb

Ghent Altarpiece by Jan van Eyck, 1432

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Friday, April 4, 2014

Puzzle by Martin Ashwood-Smith and Joe Krozel

Edited by Will Shortz

Eight 15-letter answers constitutes the main feature of this plodding Friday crossword:

SATELLITE STATES(1A. Romania and Bulgaria, once)
ADELAIDE’S LAMENT (16A. Frank Loesser show tune)
MARINE INSURANCE (17A. It might cover an oil spill)
SINGING TOGETHER (18A. Doing the rounds?)
SACRIFICIAL LAMB (56A. One given up for good?)
AM I GLAD TO SEE YOU (61A. “What a sight for sore eyes!”)
GASOLINE STATION (62A. Its islands are not surrounded by water)
ANTS IN ONE’S PANTS (63A. Unease)

Other across — ARM, AZOV, EMI, GUESS SO (38A. “You’re probably right”), HEX, IDIO, LAS and LIS, MAPA, RAH, REI, RIMY, ROZ, RTS, SBA, SIE, SNEER AT (34A. Pooh-pooh), SUMO, TAC, TROT.

Down — ADAIR (2D. “Love and Death on Long Island”), AIRE, A MAN, AMATIS (12D. Very rarely heard instruments), ARIOSE, BUNS, ELIGIBLE (4D. Unmarried, say), ENCE, ESSO, EXORCIST (36D. One getting rid of possessions), ID NO, LANI, LEAP, LIENS, MAS and MASTS, MILLI, NEZ, OHO, ORG, PAC TEN, SAGA, SAMMY FAIN (30D. Songwriters Hall of Fame member who wrote “April Love”), SAMS, SCARLET A (39D. Hester Pynne wore one), SHA, SLUG IT OUT (10D. Go a couple of rounds), SMOOT, STAY IN, STER, TARED, TEN HOURS (13D. Long shift, perhaps), TERNES (3D. Lead-tin alloys), TENTER, TIA, VIRGO (44D. Labor Day arrivals, e.g.), ZEAL.

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"Adelaide’s Lament"

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Fragmentary horse from the colossal four-horses chariot group

which topped the podium of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassos

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Saturday, April 5, 2014

Puzzle by Ashton Anderson and James Mulhern

Edited by Will Shortz

Across — 1. “That’s crazy, dude!”, WHOA; 5. Drive to drink, e.g., PRIMAL URGE; 15. It’s best to stay out of its way, HARM; 16. Debut Peter Tosh album, and a rallying cry for pot smokers, LEGALIZE IT; 17. Scheme for the start of a sonnet, ARAB; 18. Opinion leader?, I DO BELIEVE; 19. Pioneer of New Journalism, TALESE; 21. “r u there?,” e.g., TEXT; 22. Unpolished pro?, FER;23. Stationary, INSERT; 24. Cro-Magnon orphan of literature, AYLA; 25. Head turner, REIN; 26. Rihanna or Sharon Stone, SEX SYMBOL; 28. Big name in late-night TV, LORNE; 29. See 25-Down, IRA; 30. Dandy, LULU; 31. Ripped, CUT; 33. U.S. Open champion whose last name is a toy, TOM KITE; 34. Artist and chess player who said “While all artists are not chess players, all chess players are artists”, DUCHAMP; 38. The end?, IST; 39. It takes time to cure, PORK; 40. McDonald’s denial, NAE; 41. The end,DEATH; 44. It involves hand-to-hand,PATTY CAKE; 46. Souls, ONES; 47. Wish-Bone alternative, KENS; 48. Lodging portmanteau, MOTEL; 49. 1967 Calder Trophy winner at age 18, ORR; 50. THEO Epstein, baseball V.I.P. known as “Boy Wonder”; 51. Last name in “Star Wars”, KENOBI; 52.Singer with the 1996 triple-platinum album “Tidal”,FIONA APPLE; 55. Panache, ELAN; 56. Where Jason Kidd played college hoops, U C BERKELEY; 57. Rap’s YING Yang Twins; 58. 1996 Rhett Akins country hit, SHE SAID YES; 59. Store whose shoe department has its own ZIP code 10022-SHOE), SAKS.

Down — 1. “Yes?”, WHAT IS IT; 2. Certain chili,HABANERO; 3. Third degree for a third degree?, ORAL EXAM; 4. One may prefer them to blondes, AMBERS; 5. Bit of ballet instruction, PLIE; 6. Like Tickle Me Elmo, RED; 7. “My treat”, I GOT YOU; 8. Parent company, MA BELL; 9. Internet traffc statistics company, ALEXA; 10. Pleasant cadence, LILT; 11. Strong arm, UZI; 12. Joint, REEFER; 13. Buckle, GIVE IN; 14. Forever in the past?, ETERNE; 20. Up-to-date, STYLISH; 24. Like some seamen, ABLE; 25. With 29-Across, nest egg choice, ROTH; 27.Cockerdoodle, e.g., MUTT; 28. “Oh goody!”, LUCKY ME; 31. Clipped, CURT; 33.Young foxes, KITS; 34. Certain gumdrops, DOTS; 35.It was home to two Wonders of the Ancient World, ANATOLIA; 36. Earn a load of money, in modern lingo, MAKE BANK; 37. Some kitchen detritus, PEELINGS, 39. Impressive range, PANOPLY; 41. Tool, DOOFUS; 42. Fortify, ENRICH; 43. Oxygen user, AEROBE; 44. Imitated chicks, PEEPED; 45. Carnival items served with chili, CONEYS; 47. Yellow-brown shade, KHAKI; 50. Fictional home five miles from Jonesboro, TARA; 51. A through G, KEYS; 53. Duck Hunt platform, briefly, NES; 54. Historical figure a.k.a. Marse Robert,LEE.

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Sunday, April 6, 2014

“At Times” — Puzzle by Patrick Berry

Edited by Will Shortz

Nine redefined otherwise-common phrases constitutes the interrelated group of this Sunday crossword:

MEDICINE DROPPER(23A. Clumsy pharmacist, at times?)
COLT REVOLVER (28A. Dressage rider, at times?)
FOAM RUBBER (47A. Old-fashioned barber, at times?)
OYSTER CRACKER (54A. Inexperienced shucker, at times?)
ALL BETTER (65A. No-limit Texas hold’em player, at times?)
CHICKEN TENDER (74A. Farmer, at times?)
BACK BURNER (84A. Sleeping sunbather, at times?)
SNACK COUNTER (103A. Dieter, at times?)
BATHROOM SLIPPER (110A. Person getting out of a tub, at times?)

Other — ABSOLUT(90A. Spirits in Scandinavia), ASKS OUT (56D. Goes to court?), COCKERS (89D. Long-eared dogs, informally), MIDSTREAM (3D. Current location?), SNEAK UP ON (79D. Take by surprise), TRICK UP (88D. Dress in fancy duds).

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Go Away

Get!

03.21.14 — The Friday Crossword

03.22.14 — The Saturday Crossword

Bright Ideas

03.23.14 — The Global Soul — the Acrostic

Dirty Words

It Ain't Over Until the Fat Lady Sings

Atomic Number

Full Circle

Hijackers

Sphinx

Musical Interpretation

Rural Couple

Heads or Tails

Anagrams

Changes

The Friday Crossword

Two Wonders

At Times...