06.18.09 -- Æ

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Puzzle by Patrick Blindauer, edited by Will Shortz

Exchange of the letter E for the letter A in four squares are the interrelated entries of this Thursday crossword, resulting in nurse’s aide becoming NURSE’S AIDA (17A. Hospital employee’s role as an opera girl?); name that tune, NAME THAT TUNA (26A. What Starkist decided to do for “Charlie”?); delivery date, DELIVERY DATA (43A. A girl, born 8:48 a.m., weighing 6 pounds 13 ounces, e.g.?); and Rubik’s Cube, RUBIK’S CUBA (58A. Where a Hugarian toy inventor vacations in the Caribbean?). Not quite a grapheme!

LEX LUTHOR (33D. Villain from DC) and PIE CRUSTS (11D. Cobbler bottoms) are the other long entries, followed by four of seven letters, EMERGED (48A. Came out), SENATES (23A. Locales for some orators), SIESTAS (5D. Shop-closing occasions) and UTENSIL (42D. Knife, e.g.), and four of six letters, COARSE (6D. Not cultured); DELISH (45D. “Yum!”); I’M HOME (44D. Returnee’s “Hello!”); IMPORT (10D. BMW, e.g.).

Five-letter -- AARON (3D. Singer Neville); ATARI (14A. Maker of Gauntlet and Area 51); COCOA (22A. Tiramisu topper); DIARY (51D. Holder of secrets, often); EBBED (50D. Fell back); ETUDE (2D. Exercise performed on a bench); GOULD (49D. Creator of “Dick Tracy”); HALOS (31A. Circles overhead?); IDLER (62A. Goof-off); 65A. Talk radio’s G. Gordon LIDDY; PATHS (52A. Trajectories); RANIS (1D. Indian royalty); READS (1A. Examines a passage); SALON (54A. Where some dye for a living); SERTA (21A. Mattress brand); TAPES (37A. Hard-to-refute evidence in court); TIPSY (27D. A little stiff?); UPSET (42A. In turmoil).

Short stuff -- ABET and ABIT, ACHY, AMEN, AMIE and AMOK, ANON, APR, ASST, BANS, BARR, BETH, CARR, CATS and CAYS, CDI, DRS, ECHO, EYRE, HAND and HOE, IDO, IONS, IPOS, MIRA, MOPS and MVPS, NINE and NIX, OBI, OBOE, OREO and ORES, PEER and PETE, ROB, SARA, SEA, SEEM, SIS, SPAR, STNS, SURE, THOM, TOES, UMPS, YODA (8D. His planet of exile is Dagobah).

Want real excitement? Obama swats a fly, HERE!

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THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games

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Remaining clues -- Across: 6. Low islands; 10. Some Morgan Stanley announcements, for short; 15. Cousin of a heckelphone; 16. Oscar winner Sorvino; 19. Lord, e.g.; 20. Swear words?; 25. Attorney general before Reno; 34. Carbonium and others; 35. Boom preceder; 36. Grace period?; 39. Boarding zones: Abbr.; 40. Veto; 41. Does some floor work; 47. You might be safe with them; 56. Band from Japan; 57. Hollow response; 60. McAn of footwear; 61. Valuable deposits; 63. Orphan of literature; 64. 1976 top 10 hit for Kiss. Down: 4. Vets, e.g.: Abbr.; 7. Slightly; 9. Last word of “America the Beautiful”; 12. Three-layer snack; 13. Title sister played by Shirley MacLaine, 1970; 18. “… bad as they ___”; 22. Burmese and others; 24. Not long from now; 25. Most of the Ten Commandments, basically; 28. Furrow maker; 29. Almost perfect?; 30. Number two: Abbr.; 31. Full house, e.g.; 32. Gerard’s girlfriend; 37. Pirouette points; 38. Shower time: Abbr.; 39. Train in a ring; 41. Court stars, maybe, in brief; 46. Every which way; 52. Black ___, arch nemesis of Mickey Mouse; 53. Sore; 54. “You betcha!”; 55. Support when one shouldn’t; 58. Take the wrong way?; 59. Year Saint Innocent I became pope.