EMBALM (21D. Mummify)
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Thursday, April 30, 2009
Puzzle by Greg Kaiser and Steven Ginzburg, edited by Will Shortz
Crossword puzzles thrive on the pun, or paronomasia, a form of word play that deliberately exploits ambiguity between similar-sounding words for humorous or rhetorical effect from the intentional misuse of homophonical, homographical, homonymic, polysemic, metonymic, or metaphorical language.
CAPITAL OFFENSES (36A. Pun-crimes committed by the answers to the six starred clues?) is today's example along with KHARTOUM (15A. *Final resting place for old autos?); BAGHDAD (24A. *Father of the Ziploc?); TRIPOLI (49A. *Wide shoe specification?); NEW DELHI (63A. *Recently opened sandwich shop?); DUBLIN (2D. *Multiplying' by 2?); BEIRUT (48D. *Base of a fragrant tree?), resulting in car tomb, bag dad, eee, new deli, doublin' and bay root -- hey, no offense taken!
More geographics, sans paronomasia -- 56A. ASIA-Pacific; IDAHO (50D. Home of the Sawtooth Range); OKRA (6D. Food whose name comes from a language of West Africa); SIBERIA (14D. Home of the 2,700-mile-long Lena River); UBANGI (17A. Congo tributary).
Other long entries -- FANATIC (39D. Extremist); NO CARBS (29A. Extreme Atkins diet credo); PAN-ARAB (46A. Like Gamal Abdel Nasser's movement); RUMINANT (18A. Cow or goat); SPACE BAR (57A. Long key).
Mid-size -- AFRAME (34D. Simple building); ASSORT (47D. Categorize); BEAMED (20A. Showed joy, in a way); CIRRUS (64A. It's white and fleecy); COINOP (30D. Pinball machine, e.g.); DEAFTO (3D. Not heeding); EMBALM (21D. Mummify); GLIBLY (45D. With a silver tongue); HEFNER (25D. Original "Playboy"); INBORN (61A. Natural); MORALE (42A. Team esteem); ORIANA (33A. Author Fallaci); QUEUES (13A. Lines); SAMEAS (8D. Interchangeable with, with "the"); SARONG (43A. Island attire); SEEYOU (32A. "Ta-ta!").
Five-letter -- ADDLE (1A. Discombobulate); AQUAS (1D. Pool shades); BATTY (67A. Crackers); NOFEE (44D. Like many checking accounts); PANSY (53D. Violet variety); RIDGE (16D. First secretary of homeland security); SNOOP (31D. Listen in on); THUMB (7D. Big print maker).
Short stuff -- ABRA and ALFA, AONE, APAR, AWW, CDS, COST, DART, DEM, DUDS, DYES, EEG, ELAN, EMT, FEND, GRIN and GUN, LAWS, LUNA, MAN and MTN and MTGE, NIB, OPEN, OTS, PEA, PERI, SEP, SIT, SNL, TOA, YON.
No offense!
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For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
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Puzzle available on the internet at
THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games
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Remaining clues -- Across: 6. Reasons some games run long: Abbr.; 9. You can get one on the house: Abbr.; 19. Preceder of bravo in a radio alphabet; 22. Canine command; 23. Person on the left?; Abbr.; 35. Repel, with "off"; 41. Like some primaries; 51. Work, as a battle station; 52. Wm. H. Taft was the only U.S. president born in this month; 65. Parts of codes; 66. Thataway. Down: 4. ___ moth; 9. Atlas abbr.; 10. ___ degree; 11. Rev; 12. R.N.'s colleague; 23. It has feathers and flies; 26. Reddens, maybe; 27. Tiptop; 28. Bombs; 36. Ooutlay; 37. On ____ with; 38. Actress Gilpin of "Frasier"; 40. Personal flair; 55. Sign of sheepishness; 56. Start of a magic incantation; 57. ___ Digital Short; 58. Bit of a stew; 59. "How cute!"; 60. Bank offerings, in brief; 62. Penpoint.
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