Jack Webb as Sgt. Friday -- LAPD Badge
Friday, May 25, 2007
Puzzle by Mike Nothnagel, edited by Will Shortz
JACK WEBB (1A Actor with an L.A.P.D. auditorium named after him)
Viewers of the old TV program, Dragnet, remember Sgt. Joe Friday repeatedly telling the witnesses he'd question about a crime, "Just the facts, Ma'am." He had no time to get mixed up in the emotional aspects, he just wanted names, numbers, and details.
This Friday’s crossword puzzle has no time to get mixed up either -- names, numbers, and details:
(Scene, LAPD holding cell, suspect: the notorious Crossword Puzzle Butcher)
IMONADIET (14A Words that often follow sweet offers) -- see, cold, not hot.
HIRELINGS (17A Flunkies) -- more at mercenary. A flunky cringes.
"Just the facts, Ma'am."
ANKLET (19A It can have its charms) Vague clue, low blow.
FISCALQUARTER (33A Subject of a financial report) Good, cold, nice and cold.
"Just the facts, Ma'am."
NINELIVES (55A Feline gift) Also a cat food not on the shelf.
JIHADS (1D Crusades) Why is the puzzle so hostile?
AMINUS (2D It’s less than perfect) The way we were going, I thought Nothnagel was looking for “animus“.
Hannibal Lecter: "Tell me, Will. Did you enjoy it? Your first murder? Of course you did. And why shouldn't it feel good? It does to God. Why only last week in Texas, he dropped a church roof on the heads of 34 of his worshippers, just as they were groveling for him. He wouldn't begrudge you for one Journalist."
"Just the facts, Ma'am."
GRADEAS (13D Good eggs) and RATEDR (44D Like “The Godfather”) or "Goodfellas"?
GORE (29D 2006 Oscar winner for his first film) -- could be clued to fit a crime.
DIESES (45D Double daggers in printing) -- you were thinking Edward Scissorhands? Google it, you’ll get this message -- Did you mean: diseases?
"Just the facts, Ma'am."
SEMI (35D Interstate sight) Now that could be a really, really lot of different things!
“…the facts!”
Oll Korrect, OK! I confess, I confess -- a Lulu is a CORKER, KNELLS sounds ominously, MARKUP is an edit, the “Shoe” waitress was ROZ, well, not fully, just INASENSE, when she CALLS, secretaries often hold them, I put mine on a pedestal to IDEALIZE, I’m trying to keep it simple or MERE, SUEME, yeah, a snide challenge, you have a way of turning TOONESIDE, you can’t UNZIP, open, in a way my yap, I’ll POUT, look down, if you’re looking for AXEMEN or guitarists, slangily, I’m just one not mingling much, a LONER!
Am I making any sense, any sense at all!!!
"Just the facts, Ma'am."
Dah... da, dum dum!
(Commercial)
For today's cartoon go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
The New York Times Crossword Puzzle solution above is by the author of this blog and does not guarantee accuracy. If you find errors or omissions, you are more than welcome to make note of same in the Comments section of this post -- any corrections found necessary will be executed promptly upon verification.
Puzzle available on the internet at
If you subscribe to home delivery of The New York Times you are eligible to access the daily crossword via The New York Times - Times Reader, without additional charge, as part of your home delivery subscription.
No comments:
Post a Comment