11.19.08 -- Mix-Up

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Puzzle by Peter A. Collins, edited by Will Shortz

Anagrams of the entries LEATHER (23A. Jacket material for a mixed-up North Carolina athlete?); WINELOVER (37A. Oenophile, as a mixed-up Michigan athlete?); RANPAST (56A. Flew by, as a mixed-up Michigan State athlete?); ARGOT (10D. Jargon from a mixed-up Florida athlete?); and RUBIN (55D. Apply to the skin, as on a mixed-up U.C.L.A. athlete?) will produce TARHEEL, WOLVERINE, SPARTAN, GATOR and BRUIN, basketball, football, basketball, football, basketball.

I suppose the recurring clue “mixed-up … athlete” should make it obvious as to the interrelationship of the five entries; however, to be quite frank, I didn’t give a tinker’s damn about this puzzle’s anagrams nor the resulting sports -- I watch baseball. Never heard of the Tarheels, vaguely the Wolverines and the Spartans, have heard of the Gators and Bruins, but come on!, couldn’t they all be from one sport? There’s really no pay-off here, no tip to the solver during the solve, only a gnarly angst at the end in attempting to decipher “what in tarnation was that mix-up all about?”

The other long entries in the crossword have a bit more PIZZAZZ (3D. Flash): ELATION (25A. Joy); HEDONICS (21D. Study of pleasure); LASVEGAS (26D. Strip site); LOONIES (11D. Nuts); NAZARENE (6D. Jesus, notably); ZACHARY (20A. Presidential first name) -- and/or ONTASK (52D. Focused at work): SENSES (35A. Detects) and its’ pluralized anagram ESSENES (13D. Ancient Dead Sea sect); 40D. Veal MARSALA; the can’t-be-"nowhere" NOPLACE (42D. Not anywhere); ONEACAT (41D. Classic batting game); OUTSTEP (59A. Move beyond) and its’ partner, OVERTAKE (39D. Pass); the could-be-"depress" REPRESS (54A. Sit on), the cleverly-clued TRAPPER (45D. Hide seeker) and the stand-alone TWOTONE (12D Colored like some cars).

Mid-size entries: ASPER (63A. According to); ATEAT (4D. Really bugged); NOPAR (1A. Stock classification); DOZEN (17A. Bakery order); EVITA (14A. Lloyd Webber/Rice musical); IMSET (38D. “No more for me, thanks”); ISOLDE (50D. Wagner heroine); KORAN (71A. Holy text); MONTE (22A. Game with sleight of hand); MAGEE (22D. Tony winner Patrick); MONAMI (40A. Term of friendship in France); PESTO (57D. Rotini topper); PRAYER (8D. Grace, for one); RANCHO (5D. Where to find a vaquero); SALUT (58A. “Cheers!” abroad); STERE (68A. Cubic meter).

Short stuff: NIPS (6A. Shots for sots), ADZ, AGRO, ALI, ALTE, ATEN, ATME, DOZE, EDO and EGO, ELLA, ENE and ENG, ERA, EXT, EWA, GENE, GOOS, IGER, IVE, LACI, LAD, MES, NDAK, NED, NRA, ODE, OVO, RAG, REN and REX, ROWS, SCI, SOL, ULAN, and ZEAL (18A. Passion).

Speaking of anagrams -- 33A. ONA high and 48A. ANO (48A. What makes God good?) -- now that's a mix-up!

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