05.02.10 — Dust Thou Art

Contra viola pipes awaiting restoration for the organ at The Alexandra Palace in London 

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Sunday, May 2, 2010

FIX-A-TION, Puzzle by Kelsey Blakley, edited by Will Shortz

Adding TION at the end of familiar phrases resulting in new phrases clued with question marks constitutes the interrelated group of this dusty old Sunday crossword.

CONTRA VIOLATION (23A. Following the rules?), MIXED MEDIATION (36A. Variety of arbitrating techniques?, SHOWER CAPTION (53A. Title under a photo of rain?), SOAP OPERATION (73A. Detergent factory, e.g.?), SALES QUOTATION (90A. “$100 per dozen plus shipping,” e.g.?), SMITH CORONATION (106A. Enthronement of a metalworker?), HOME DEMOTION (16D. Being forced into a smaller house, say?), KINGS MENTION (60D. Passing reference in the “I Have a Dream” speech).

Other — ART MUSEUM (99A. Place for hangings), FLIP SIDE (79D. Opposite number), NON-TOXIC (3D. O.K. to put in one’s mouth), OBDURATE (31A. Unbending), RUNNER-UP (98A. Second best), SPOON REST (29A. Ladle cradle).

Seven-letter — AQUEOUS (86D. Watery), BRAMBLE, CALDERA (77A. Depression at the mouth of a volcano), CITY MAP, GO TO BED, GNOSTIC, STUTTER, SYMBOLS, TUSSLES (49A. Scraps).

Six — ACTORS, AIMING, ASK OUT, ATOAST, AVENUE, CRISCO, ENNEAD, GETSTO, NECTAR, OBRIEN, ON TOUR, PAPERS, PLANES, RECIPE, SALSA, 6D. Harum-SCARUM (reckless), SIERRA, SLURRY, STUMPS and STUPOR, 92D. 19th-century Swedish writer Esaias TEGNÉR, USOPEN.

Five — ACERB, ACHES, AIRUP, APNEA, ARROW, ARTIS, CLIFT (64A. Montgomery of “The Young Lions“), CLOYS, CRIBS, CURSE, EROSE, IDOLS, LACTO, LIEAT, ODOUR, ORALS, OSRIC, OWNER, RENEW, SAMOA, SEDAN, SEINE (63A. Subject of paintings by Corot and Manet), SHORT, SHUTS, SOFAS, SOLOS, SPATE, STATS, TATAS, TENOR, TETON, TOOLS, TSGTS, TUNAS, UNCUT.

Short stuff — ACID, ADE, AREA, ASSN, CAPN, CHAS, CIE, COG, CTA, DEC and DECO, DEI, DEN, DING, EDGE, EROO, ERGS, ETS, FTD, ICE, IDES, INCA, IRON, ITS, LANA, MAD and MAV, NETS, NUT, ONA and OVA, ONER, ORGS, PIT, REAR and SEAR, SLOE, SMUG, RITE and RTE, RRS, RUDD, SHE, SHOR, SIL, SMUG, SPRS, STE and STEP, SUN, TET and TOT and TOO, TOGA, UCAL, UEY, UPI, USSR, UTNE.

Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at

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