07.28.08 -- Mondays

ANGEL (3D. Extremely well-behaved child)

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Monday, July 28, 2008

Puzzle by Roger Baiocchi, edited by Will Shortz

START (1A. With 21-Across, begin from scratch) ATSQUAREONE (21A. See 1-Across), TAKECENTERSTAGE (41A. Move into the limelight) and ENDUPINLAST (59A. With 73-Across, be beaten by the rest of the field) PLACE (73A. See 59-Across) are the interrelated entries of this Monday back-to-work crossword, along with 72A. SITE-specific (like the answers at 1-, 41- and 73-Across).

On the grade of easy to difficult from Monday to Saturday, the start of the week always seems so friendly., perhaps because solvers never get a day off -- Monday’s are the closest to a vacation. One could just pile up a few days’ puzzles and knock ‘em off mid-week. However, for most it is a fix, an addiction, a must-do every morning along with a cup of JOE (40. Coffee, in slang). If you worked Sunday’s crossword, with its voluminous amount of some of the smallest entries one could possibly cram into one puzzle, plus glyphs of up, down, left and right -- well, then you certainly know what I mean when I say Monday starts the week in a friendly manner.

The next longest entries of today’s crossword are those of six letters -- ANDHOW (55A. “Really!”); AROMAS (39D. Kitchen emanations); CAREEN (10D. Lurch from side to side); ENTRAP (50D. Nab in a sting operations); ERUPTS (48D. Totally loses one’s cool); RELISH (24A. Hot dog topping); SYLVAN (36A. Woodsy); THESES (22D. Dissertations); THRASH (5D. Defeat soundly); USEDTO (45A. Once did).

The welcome average-size entry of five letters makes up the bulk of the puzzle: ANGEL (3D. Extremely well-behaved child); ASNIT (70A. Peeved, after “in”); CUTUP (42D. Such a jokester); EAGER (17A. Zealous); ENNUI (53D. Ho-hum feeling); HENNA (56D. Dye in temporary tattoos); ISSUE (26A. Number of a magazine); INALL (29A. Entirely); IRAQI (7D. Baghdad native); LISTS (52D. Tilts); 57. OPTIC nerve; RENTS (66A. Lets or sublets); RUINS (23D. Aztec or Mayan cities, today); RULES (51A. Recreation center posting); SINUS (8D. Nasal congestion locale); SLANT (54D. Tilt); STEER (1D. Have the wheel of a car); TEASE (2D. Tempt); TENET (47A. Element of a doctrine); TENTH (14A. Tithing portion; TEXAS (9D. Sam Houston served as its president, senator and governor); WASTE (58D. Fritter away).

Monday brings us all those three- and four-letter friends -- AGEE, AHOY, AJAX, AKIN, ASI, BYTE, COMB, DOIT, DYNE, EASE, EGOS, EPA, ERIE, ESE, ESL, EXES, GEMS, GIST, GOOP, ISLE, LEES, LOGE, LTD, MANX, MOON, NOME, OHIO, OMEN, OMIT, RIOT, RTE, SEAL, SETS, SHED, SITE, SNAG, STAT, TEND, TUNE, VETO.

Have a great week -- start at square one, take center stage, and end up in first place!

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Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games

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Search information -- Across: 6. Heart of the matter; 10. Hair untangler; 15. Great Lake touching four states; 16. Cry to a matey; 18. Tailless cat; 19. Emulate a mob; 20. WNW’s opposite; 27. Where to store a lawn mower; 33. Christmas ___ (holiday stamp); 44. “___ was saying…”; 46. Givers and receivers of alimony; 49. Sign from above; 63. Dump cleanup grp.; 64. Gunk; 65. It’s “catchy”; 68. Fail to mention; 69. Something to whistle; 71. 7-6, 2-6, 6-4, e.g. Down: 4. 66 on a map, e.g.: Abbr.; 6. Onyx and opal; 11. One of the states touched by 15-Across; 12. Apollo 11 destination; 13. Computer unit; 25. ___ of Wight; 28. Unit of force; 30. Cleanser whose name comes from Greek myth; 31. High-priced seating area; 33. Performers Peggy and Pinky; 33. Goals or assists; 34. Simplicity; 35. Related (to); 37. Bygone Ford; 38. Nix, presidentially; 43. Be inclined (to); 59. What modest people lack; 60. City south of the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve; 61. “Go ahead!”; 62. Writer James; 67. Course for a future U.S. citizen, maybe: Abbr.