04.08.09 -- IRON

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Puzzle by Joey Weissbrot, edited by Will Shortz

IRON (69A. Element that can precede the starts of 20-, 31-, 47- and 54-Across), along with LUNG CAPACITY (20. An Olympic swimmer needs a big one), CURTAIN ROD (31. It may be over a window), HORSE SENSE (47. Sound practical judgment) and MAIDEN VOYAGE (54. Fateful event for the Titanic) are the interrelated entries of this Wednesday crossword.

DEEP PURPLE (6D. Group with the 1968 hit “Hush”) and TREASONOUS (33D. Spying against one’s own country, say) are the other long entries, followed by mid-size entries -- CANYON (10D. Echo location); 36D. Et CETERA; EDITED (27D. Ready to be typeset); EMPRESS (40A. Akihito’s wife, e.g.); IGNORE (30D. Turn a deaf ear to); KABOOM (29D. Big bang); ORIGAMI (4D. Art form that commonly depicts a swan); RUDYARD (46D. Author Kipling); SAMSON (46D. Author Kipling); SMITHS (28D. Paul Revere and others); SOLACE (26D. Grief relief); THIRST (22D. Common companion of a dry throat); URANUS (25D. Astronomical discovery of 1781).

Five-letter -- ADAGE (71A. “Poor Richard’s Almanack” bit); ALERO (14A Last Oldsmobile car); CABOT (1A. Venetian explored for England in the 15th century); CONGA (53D. Line dance); GRINS (68A. Makes like the Cheshire Cat); HOUSE (24A. Royal family); LORIS (17A. Tailless Old World mammal); MAGIC (35A. Tricks); NASAL (65A. Like spoken n’s); RARER (37A. Not so common) and 32D. RARIN’ to go; SMEAR (51A. Slander); TALIA (44A. Shire of “Rocky”); TOSCA (5D. Puccini opera); TRUCE (45A. Treaty signing).

Short stuff -- AARP, AES, ALAS, ALDA, ALE and ALI, ALOU, ARC, ASIA, BERN, BLOC, CALL, CASH, DABS, DOSE, EDOM and ESAU, ELLE and ELSE, ENV, ERAS, GANG, HST, IBN, ITEM, MAS and MER and MESS, NAT, NEXT, ONCD, PRO, SAX, SEMI, SKIM, TOO, TORO, UMPS, USED, UZI, ZERO.

Of course, there’s The Iron Horse -- and then Iron Maiden with Run to the Hills!

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Remaining clues -- Across: 6. Paints gently; 10. Mattress filler during a recession, maybe; 15. Palindromic magazine name; 16. “A pity”; 18. Land of the descendants of 67-Across; 19. “Step right up!”; 23. 50+ ORG.; 38. The Greatest; 39. Son of, in Arab names; 42. Rebelling Turner; 43. ___ pooped to pop; 52. Modern way to put out an album; 61. Diamond group; 64. Runner in Pamplona; 66. It turns a hundred into a thousand; 67. Jacob’s twin; 70. Where the crew chows down. Down: 1. Give a ring; 2. Baseball’s Felipe or Jesus; 3. Capital of Switzerland; 7. 2006 Emmy winner; 8. Congressional Black Caucus, e.g.; 11. Stout, e.g.; 12. “Harlem Nocturne” instrument; 13. 1940s-’50s White House inits.; 21. Part of a circle; 34. He ran to succeed 13-Down: Abbr.; 41. More, on Mallorca; 49. Part of S.A.S.E.: Abbr.; 56. A teaspoonful, maybe; 57. Reconstruction and the Roaring Twenties; 58. Indian’s home; 59. Club familiars; 60. End of a warning; 61. Gun produced by Israel Military Industries; 62. La Méditerranée, e.g.; 63. Whiz.