04.26.09 -- Um... Er...



























Sunday, April 26, 2009












ROUGHLY SPEAKING, Puzzle by Trip Payne, edited by Will Shortz












Thirty-something two-letter entries of ER or UM squeezed into single squares gives this crossword its game. The remainder of the crossword, if pleasant enough, exists to serve the gimmick:












Across: 2002 Winter Olympics host: Abbr.; 4. It scans for problems; 7. J. J. ABRAMS, co-creator of “Lost” and director of 2009’s “Star Trek”; 13. Take for one’s own; 18. Prematurely; 20. Country singer EMMYLOU Harris; 21. Two lines may make one; 22. “ANGELAS Ashes”; 23. Op-ed piece, e.g.; 25. Worries for ransom recipients; 27. Resident of Asmara; 28. The 33rd pres.; 29. State animal of Maine; 31. Leonardo’s home; 33. Santiago, to Hemingway; 37. Parts of some cages; 39. It may go around the office; 43. Annually; 44. Anakin Skywalker flew one in “Star Wars Episode I”; 46. Home of the National Stock Exchange of India; 47. French Quarter’s home, with “the”; 48. Shadow; 49. Really enjoys oneself; 51. Coral Sea features; 52. Greeting you shouldn’t say at an airport; 54. Driving events that use checkpoints; 55. Baseball Hall-of-Famer George SISLER; 56. Flanged weapons; 57. More obstreperous; 59. Blood bank supply; 60. Tag line?; 61. Trappers’ trophies; 62. Partner of research: Abbr.; 65. Blunt; 67. Dervishes, e.g.; 68. Actress Amanda PLUMMER; 70. Salon product for flat hair; 73. Possible item in a window box; 75. Bridge tactic; 76. Reading without emotion; 78. Lyricist ALAN Bergman; 79. Reason to get all gussied up; 80. CARNE picada (burrito filler); 81. Ominous jungle sound; 83. Makes true; 84. Amer. Film INST (annual awards grp.); 85. Lousy tip; 86. Rubbernecked; 87. Like Santa’s boots; 88. “ITSUP to you”; 91. Reservoir’s edge; 94 Professional who may wear goggles; 98. Crowded, in a way; 102. Individual debtors pay it; 107. Be routed; 108. Hold tight; 109. One who’s barely working?; 110. North Carolinian, e.g.; 111. Pitched quarters; 112. Writing that needs defending; 113. Seventh-brightest star in a constellation; 114. Units in physics.












Down: 1. Sock away; 2. They aren’t gregarious; 3. Statement of philosophy; 4. Gang hanger-on; 5. Horse color; 6. “To recap …”; 7. Make AMESS of things; 8. Rolls-Royce’s parent company; 9. Guitarist Cooder and others, RYS; 10. High point; 11. Bird once hunted by the Maori; 12 Extras; 13. Much Arizona flora; 14. ONOR about; 15. Eyeball; 16. Feather, to Fernando; 17. State trisected by a river of the same name: Abbr.; 19. Inland SEA; 20. Madrid month; 24. Hollywood’s Roberts and others, ERICS; 26. BON voyage; 30. Either of two books of the Apocrypha; 31. Miles of film, VERA; 32. Unit indicated by “; 34. 19th-century geologist Charles LYELL; 35. Casino employee; 36. Aggregate; 38. TRAC II razor; 39. Poor orator, perhaps; 40. Its first sale was a broken laser pointer; 41. Buck or boar; 42. “The Blue Boy” and others; 43. Compassionate sort; 44. Using a certain abrasive on; 45. OBJET trouvé; 46. Its capital is Bamako; 47. Paul Robeson, e.g.; 50. Cheek; 52. Detestation; 53. Stabber’s attack; 56. Comedy webzine founded in 2000; 58. Detestation; 60. Extra in “The Producers”; 61. Spicy cuisine; 62. 2003 sequel to a popular 1994 comedy; 63. Issues; 64. Mesa VERDE; 65. Groucho Marx foil Margaret DUMONT; 66. A in German class?; 67. Teacher of Schubert, SALIERI; 68. Contribute; 69. Narrow shelf; 70. End of a famous claim; 71. Second son of Judah, ONAN; 72. What P.O.’s handle; 74. Get out of the line?; 75. Dark quaff; 77. Heart; 79. Alabama-born novelist, HARPERLEE; 82. Shoat holder; 85. Rude audience member; 86. Demitasse, e.g.; 87. What lumberjacks leave; 89. Recipe amts.; 90. Historic South Carolina fort SUMTER; 92. Taking off on; 93. Wall Street newsmakers; 94. It may require a password: Abbr.; 95. Relative of a lemming; 96. INAN awkward position; 97. ASST mgr.; 99. Exactly as required; 100. Greek peak; 101. Run a risk; 103. Kind of power; 104. III, today; 105. Largest known dwarf planet; 106. Prefix with glottis.
























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


























Click on image to enlarge.






Puzzle available on the internet at













THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games













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04.25.09 -- Parade


Catherine Deneuve, The Last Metro, 1980
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Saturday, April 25, 2009
Puzzle by Brad Wilber, edited by Will Shortz
What would crossword puzzles do without the little guys, you know, the ever-popular YMA and her sisters AMY, MAY, MAE and RAE, or ELO, ENO, ONO and OONA? LEX, REX and TEX? These names get more than their fifteen minutes of fame in crossword puzzles simply because they are inadvertently formed by other words across or down -- whereupon it is the chore of the crossword constructor to disguise them as something else. Today we have VAL disguised as VAL-de-Marne, France, along with his lady friends, ENID and OPAL.


However, this Saturday crossword features a geniune parade of people -- ABIE BABY (13D. “Hair” song with birthday wishes to a president); ANDRES (3D. 1993 N.L. batting champ Galarraga); EELERS (47A. Unagi restaurant suppliers); EL CID (Battle of Cabra victor, 1079); 45A. European conductor ERI Klas; EULER (42A. Introducer of the math symbol “e”); FRED EBB (8D. “New York, New York” lyricist); FDR (9D. Most famous resident of Warm Spr., Ga.); HENRY VIII (57A. Act of Supremacy institutor); ISAAC (56A. Shorthand inventor Pitman); 18D. Garson KANIN, writer and director of Broadway’s “Born Yesterday”; RON HOWARD (15A. Best Director of 2001); MAE WEST 39D. Who said “I’ll try anything once, twice if I like it, three times to make sure”); MOZART (21D. “The Impresario” composer); NIOBE (25D. Queen for whom an element is named); OAKIE (7D. “The Great Dictator” Oscar nominee); ODDS MAKER (17A. One might create a spread); SCIPIO (35A. He crushed Hannibal at Zama); 32D. Alfred SISLEY, “Footbridge at Argenteuil” artist; TUTSI (59A. Rwandan people); WITS (53A. Quotable types).
As they all RODE BY (2D. Passed, as in a parade), there were also a few more people in the clues -- ARUBA (16A. Setting of Queen Beatrix Airport); CELIBATE (36D. Like many clerics); SANDALS (14D. Wear for Peppermint Patty); THE LAST METRO (38A. 1980 Truffaut film that won 10 César awards); and uh, maybe WASHBOARD ABS (31A. Desirable trunk feature)?
Remaining non-people entries of length -- ASSONANCE (60A. Relative of alliteration); BUNDT PAN (12D. Thing with a sweet ring to it?); DRAINS OFF (1A. Runs through a petcock, e.g.), SHORES UP (35D. Bolsters); STEP CLASS (62A. Health club offering for aerobic workouts).
Mid-size -- BRAINY (37A. Bright); DROP IT (1D. Discussion ender); ETHICS (44D. Business school course); GO WILD (23D. Lose it); KEEN ON (24A. Fond of); LA NINA (43D. Cause of a dry spell in the Midwest); MELDED (21A. United); ODIOUS (30D. Repellent); PEBBLY (51A. Like avocado skins); RELIES (45D. Hinges); THE PITS (38D. Something dreadful).

Alfred Sisley. Footbridge at Argenteuil. 1872. Oil on canvas. Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France.
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Five letters -- HOTEL (33D. Shuttle destination); RINSE (48D. Shampoo shelfmate); SPEED (61A. Track asset); STROP (49D. It’s often seen next to a chair); SWANK (6D. Tony); TAKEN (10D. Like some seats); TUBAS (10A. They have big bells); TYSON (27A. Food giant based in Springdale, Ark.).
The leftovers -- BASE, BIZ, ENID (20A. City founded during the Cherokee Strip land run), HAS, HOLD, IBEG, IHS (4D. Christian trigram), LEA, NAPA, NHL, NOME, OPAL (30A. It has a play of colors), PER, RARE, SATE, SYNC, TBA, URAL.
Ah!…who doesn‘t love a parade?
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For today’s cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.

Click on image to enlarge.
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.