Thursday, August 2, 2007
Puzzle by Robert Dillman, edited by Will Shortz
GETTHEPBOUT (17A “Shake a leg!”);
GOFORTHEAU (11D Try to win);
AGBELLS (24D Christmas song since the 1950s);
SNPANALLEY (28D Songwriters’ home);
CASTFEALIBI (59A Sound out?)
I mean, honestly -- how many people have committed to memory the Berzelius's symbols (Latin abbreviations) for ferrum (iron) Fe; plumbum (lead) Pb; aurum (gold) Au; argentum (silver) Ag; and last, lowly stannum (tin) Sn. You may wish to use these or other latin names of metals in your casual conversation in order to alienate those around you -- or just string them together as a sort of mini-Latin Mass -- “ferrum plumbum aurum argentum stannum -- et cetera!”
Oh, but that deep dark hole of a mineshaft wasn’t enough for Mr. Dillman, our possessed puzzle constructor du jour -- for good measure, he slaps us in the face with NAHUM (5D Prophet who predicted the destruction of Nineveh); FROSTS (8D Ticks off); WILD (26A Uncombed, say); IBN (31A Start of many Arabic names); and other clueless clues: Dimwit, Target of some testing; Territory on the Arabian Peninsula; Alternative to Le Bourget; Sobriquet for Charles V, with “the”; Suddenly changes course; Get on; Tired-looking; Common car decal; Warthog feature; Ones standing around monuments?; Farm letters?; Certain jack, in cribbage; Put up; Vacuum; Kitchen coat; Tie; and V.
Of course, there will be some who SNEER (68A Visual put-down) or SCOFFAT (54A Jeer) my consternation, and that’s just SWELL (37D Super) because I truly believe neither MORON (15A Dimwit) or MAVEN (1A Whiz) will find this puzzle any less than a mind-shaft!
“Ferrum plumbum aurum argentums stannum -- vade in pace!”
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.
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