06.03.07 -- JOB

Sunday, June 3, 2007

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JOB DESCRIPTIONS

Puzzle by Kelsey Blakley, edited by Will Shortz

BOOHOO (14A Sarcastic comment of sympathy), and how Job suffered, oy! Wrong Job! Though many suffer at their "jobs", many do so because they are confused as to exactly what it might be that they are supposed to be doing. So, unfortunately, this puzzle is not about Job or descriptions of Job, but a crossword containing eight slightly amusing entries on a different topic, clued by the title given to the puzzle, JOB DESCRIPTIONS.

STOCKCHARACTER (23A Charles Schwab?)

SHOOTINGSTAR (31A Annie Oakley?)

MASTEROFARTS (50A Leonardo da Vinci?)

WIZARDOFID (64A Sigmund Freud?)

ACEOFCLUBS (69A Tiger Woods?)

LIGHTNINGBUG (84A Benjamin Franklin?)

COMPUTERICON (97A Bill Gates?)

BALLPARKFIGURE (114A Babe Ruth?)

The remainder of the puzzle (a considerable amount) is eclectic, but it is peppered with a few other occupations by clue or entry -- composer, mathematician, singer, author, President, Vice President, journalist, actor, animator, tennis player, ice skater, lama, poet, nutritionist, director, actress, football player, comic and Prime Minister, etc. -- but, alas, no crossword professional! Nominal slights to two of them -- ILICH (104D Tchaikovsky's middle name) could use a "var." notation, and STAN (7D Smith who won the 1972 Wimbledon) is an unused familiar.

Lots of O's and O-beginning words -- ORMOLU (51D Faux gold), OSSIAN (45D Legendary Gaelic poet), ORIANA (82A Author/journalist Fallaci), OTOOLE (92A "Lord Jim" star, 1965), ORION (98D Rigel's constellation), OBOE (79D Radio letter between Nan and Peter), ORE (79A It needs refining), ONSETS (120A Initial stages), ORALS (16D Grad school grillings), OTTER (19D Ursine: bear :: lutrine: _____), OPERA (18D "Idomeneo," e.g.), ONEGGS (15D Where hens sit), OTRAS (40A Others, to Pedro), and O-laden words (outside of BOOHOO), TAPROOT (21A Parsnip, e.g.), TOELOOP (12D Skater's leap), SOTTO (37A ____voce [quetly]), but only two K's, no Q's or J's and only one X and one Z -- which is sure to disappoint the Scrabble freaks!

GOLLYGEE (86D "Leave it to Beaver" catchphrase), pleasant puzzle -- not much else to say, except that blogging puzzles is just plain crazy!

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For today's cartoons go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

Illustrations: From above, Modlící se Job (Job Praying), Marc Chagall, 1960: :: Center: 50A, 114A, 31A, 84A: :: Below, 50A

If you find errors or omissions, you are more than welcome to make note of same in the Comments section of this post -- any corrections found necessary will be executed promptly upon verification.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games

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06.02.07 -- Planting the Seed

Saturday, June 2, 2007

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Puzzle by Byron Walden, edited by Will Shortz

PLANTINGTHESEED (7D Groundwork?) runs down the center and PIERCES (5D Runs through) this FIERCE (55A Cutthroat) but TIGHT (39A Like best buds) delightful POSTCARD (7A Deltiologist's purchase) of a puzzle as slick as through a ROTTED (22A Broke down) BIGARADE (50A Sour orange, in French cuisine).

This is what I like to refer to as a variety crossword puzzle, even though there are "professional folks" on the internet who insist on giving it a label indicating that something is missing. Would you call an OMELET (45A Western _____) a unborn scrambled chicken? Too much GRIT (33A Nerve)? -- ICANTLIE (54A Intro to an unvarnished opinion), even though I may have temporarily EVADED (17A Got around) an OMERTA (41D Gag rule, of a sort) the SPREES (57A Benders) of DRAGONFIRE (28A It might singe a knight, in legend) from those who hold themselves in EMINENCE (43A Distinction) are an anathema to any possible CIVILUNION (2D Coupling device?) especially when exuded by those who want to WINITALL (35D Sweep the competition). I take it with a grain of SALT (48A A pinch, maybe)!

I GRIN (33D :D, in an e-mail) at the thought of a real STEPCHANGE (1D Marked difference) by jumping in a REANIMATED (3A Jump-started) SMARTCAR (9D European two-seater) and driving past the STATETREES (30D Candlenut and buckeye) or even a TANOAK (10D Pacific Coast evergreen), with AHAT (12D "____ Full of Sky" [2004 Terry Pratchett novel]) and RIDE (13D Coaster, e.g.) with a SANDALED (56A Like centurions, typically) ALANLADD (18A "Two Years Before the Mast" star, 1946) look-alike to LIMAOHIO (16A U.S. city whose name is pronounced differently from its foreign namesake) for an EIGHTOUNCE (29D Sizable, as a hamburger patty) fast-foot presentation.

Weaving past an INDIANAN (21D Many an 11-Down fan), listening to ANGELINA (25A "Farewell, _______,", 1965 top 10 Joan Baez album) "o'er" the NITE (34A "Saturday ____", 1976 Earth, Wind & Fire hit), or CANTATAS (24A Part of Bach's oeuvre) replete with GCLEFS (42D Scoring leaders?), I'm sure I'd enjoy THETRIP (39D 1967 Peter Fonda film written by Jack Nicholson). Yes I know, I haven't TIEDIN (15A Connected) some entries of this variety puzzle, but they still ENDEAR (6D Charm)!

I'll WAGER (35A Something often laid at a window) that one cannot SCRAPE (1A Fix... or damage) up hotter clues for any variety puzzle than those for PIN (19A Green marker?), REIN (20A Silver holder), ANAIS (31A Literary name with a dieresis) (DIESES was an entry last week), or better entries than HUMPERDINCK (26A "Hansel und Gretel" composer), balanced in the grid with ONAHIGHNOTE (41A See 40-Across) (yes, 40A is clued as With 41-Across, go out nicely) and you know the answer!

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Illustrations (from above down): 50A and 7A, ("Bigarade" by Julian Merrow-Smith, a Postcard from Provence),then 7D, 28D, 9D, 39D (Planting seed, Chinese dragon, Smart Car, and The Trip).

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For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

The New York Times Crossword Puzzle solution above is by the author of this blog and does not guarantee accuracy. If you find errors or omissions, you are more than welcome to make note of same in the Comments section of this post -- any corrections found necessary will be executed promptly upon verification.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games

If you subscribe to home delivery of The New York Times you are eligible to access the daily crossword via The New York Times - Times Reader, without additional charge, as part of your home delivery subscription.