Sunday, February 22, 2009
THE CRUCIVERBALIST, Puzzle by Barry C. Silk & Doug Peterson, edited by Will Shortz
This Sunday’s crossword is self-concerned -- BRAINSTORM THEME IDEAS (26A. Cruciverbalist’s Step 1); DEVELOP BEST ENTRIES (39A. Step 2); CONSTRUCT SUITABLE GRID (59A. Step 3); RESEARCH AND WRITE CLUES (66A. Step 4); SEND PUZZLE TO EDITOR (85A. Step 5); SEE BYLINE IN NEWSPAPER (105A. Step 6 [the payoff]).
So what else?
Well, lots of small entries with easier-than-usual clues to make up for the clue-less shop talk. Across, numerically: BORE (1. Put to sleep); EFFS (5. They keep you from passing); SIDE (9. Pro or con); PEPUP (13. Animate); OVEN (18. It takes the cake); 19. BELA Fleck and the Flecktones; HONEY (20. Pussycat); AMASS (21. Get a load of); MELGIBSON (22. “Hamlet” star, 1990); OTTER (24. Animal that eats while floating on its back); YPRES (25. Belgian city in W.W. I fighting); EDINA (29. Suburb of Minneapolis); RENTERS (30. They’re not buying it); CIR (31. Geometric fig.); RODENT (32. Chinchilla, e.g.); MOURN (34. Grieve); COROLLA (35. World’s top-selling car model starting in 1997); NBA (43. Org. with the Red Auerbach Trophy); SCI (46. Chem,, for one); ILS (47. They, to Thérèse); NOR (48. Negative conjunction); YOYOS (49. Fluctuates wildly); RNA (52. Molecular biology topic); OVINE (54. Like rams and lambs); 57. Pet PEEVE; 63. “I Saw HER Again (1966 hit for the Mamas & the Papas); ESTEE (64. Popular women’s fragrance); ERA (65. Significant time); ISLAM (76. Cat Stevens’s faith); RATSO (77. 1969 Dustin Hoffman role); SPA (78. Spring locale); HEAVY (79. Word with duty or set); NSA (80. Fort Meade org.); MAR (81. Deface); OXO (82. Kitchen gadget company); WAD (84. Walletful); EXTREME (95. Fanatical); OSAMA (96. 2003 Afghani film that won a Golden Globe); SOURED (7. Turned bad); WPM (101. Typing speed stat.); WASHERS (102. They have loads to do); MNEME (104. Memory principle); JELLO (110. Product once pitched by Bill Cosby); 111. “ARENT we all?”; EARTHWORM (112. Night crawler); CABBY (113. Driver of a 72-Down); 114. “MERCI bien!”; SLAY (115. Crack up); ASIA (116. One edition of the Wall Street Journal); TRAYS (117. Cafeteria supply); ESSE (118. To be, to Claudius); TYPE (119. Pound the keys); YELL (120. Long-distance call?).
Down: BOMBER (1. B-2 or B-52); OVERDO (2. Gild the lily); RELAID (3. Fixed, as tiles); 4. Twin-ENGINED aircraft; EBBS (5. Dwindles); FEST (6. Slug follower?); FLOOR (7. Elevator stop); SANREMO (8. Riviera resort); SOTHERE (9. “Hah!”); INTERNS (10. Some residents); DEEMS (11. Judges); EYRE (12. Brontë heroine); PAYDIRT (13. The mother lode); EMPEROR (14. Napoleon, for one); PARA (15. Law firm aide, for short); USES (16. Functions); PSS (17. Letter addenda: Abbr.); HOTTUB (20. Jacuzzi); INANE (23. Cockeyed); MNOP (27. Alphabetical foursome); ICONS (28. Desktop array); TVS (33. DVD adjuncts); CELEB (35. Page-oner); LINER (36. Sharply hit baseball); LEOVI (37. Pope after John X); ASRED (38. Comparable to a rose?); ECRU (40. Stocking shade); 41. LINC Hayes of “The Mod Squad”; TINA (42. Turner of records); NYC (43. “Annie” song with the lyric “Too busy / Too crazy / Too hot / Too cold / Too late / I’m sold”); BOO (44. Response to a bad call); AYN (45. Author Rand); OSHEA (50. Milo of “The Verdict,” 1982); STEAM (51. Pressing need?); ATEAT (53. Troubled); OUTDO (54. Better); VIEW (55. Penthouse feature); ITERS (56. Anatomical passages); PERCH (57. Twig, to a bird); EGALE (58. French equivalent); RRR (60. Elementary school trio) SSNS (61. Payroll Ids); 62. Virginia’s historic LEE Highway; RINSE (66. Shampoo directive); ESSEX (67. Hedingham Castle locale); SLANT (68. Inclination); CRAZE (69. The twist, once); 70. Germany’s HARZ National Park; IPOD (71. Song holder); TAXI (72. Modern advertising medium); UAW (73. Labor grp. Since 1935); 74. Actress EVA Marie Saint; SYD (73. Barrett of Pink Floyd); MUMMY (81. Boris Karloff title role, with “the”); OTS (83. N.F.L. tiebreakers); DRWELBY (86. ’70s small-screen role for Robert Young); PEPBOYS (87. Big auto parts chain); LOANERS (88. Auto shop offerings); ESSENCE (89. Gist); TAHITI (90. Setting for Melville’s “Omoo”); OMEN (91. Soothsayer’s subject); EARNEST (92. Purposeful); OOMPH (93. Zip); RUNAWAY (94. Target of a youth outreach program); REPOSE (98. Rest); 99. “EMERIL Live,” longtime Food Network show; DERMAL (100. Skin-related); WIRES (102. Some money transfers); SEALY (103. Simmons competitor); SEAR (105. Brown); ELBA (106. Island off Tuscany); LAME (107. Unconvincing); WRAP (108. Finish shooting); STYE (109. Lid irritation); JCT (110. Where I’s cross?: Abbr.).
The pay-off? Well, sure, “See byline in newspaper,” but Google your byline -- the crossword bloggers have immortalized it in the world of electronic communication!Have a blast at the Tournament!
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