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Puzzle by Alan Arbesfeld, edited by Will Shortz
Four states each accompanied by an anagram of the state resulting in a phrase are the interrelated group of this Wednesday crossword -- TEXAS TAXES (17A. What helps pay the governor’s salary in Austin?), DIAL FOR FLORIDA (26A. Try to telephone some snowbirds?), KNOW RYE NEW YORK (42A. Be familiar with a city near White Plains?) and MAINE ANIME (54A. Some film work Down East?).
BABYSITTER (11D. Occasional role for a 30-Down, maybe) and AUNT (30D. Family member) and DRINK (29D. Have trouble passing the bar?), along with 40D. “Are you AWAKE?”, BE STILL (5D. “Hush!“) and IT’S TOO LATE (27D. “You had your chance”) conjure a deranged scenario. Other conversation includes 24A. “It’s a GIFT”, 36A. “Put IT IN writing”, EAT and ET TU (20A. Mother’s urging at the dinner table, 57A. Rebuke from Caesar), ABSENT (40A. Whimsical roll-call response), GLAD TO (6D. “My pleasure!”) and OLE (8D. Corrida cheer).
Mid-size -- A MINOR, AUTOS, B AND B (1A. Intimate inn, familiarly), DOREN, E-ZINES, HAS PULL (9D. Knows people, say), HOTELS, IRENE (14A. Cara of “Fame” fame), PONY UP and WRAP UP (22A. Pay, 43D. Finish), N Y TIMES (39D. Daily since 1851, briefly), ORATE, ROBOT, RUN-IN, SALAMI, TIFFS and TREKS.Short stuff -- ABAB, ACLU, AFRO, ALE, AMOK, ANO, ANTI, ARAM, AREA, ARTE and ATEE, BEEP, BITE, DNA, ELLE, GAEA (24D. Earth goddess), GROH, HIKE and HUNK, HILT (49D. Sword handle), IBLE, ISON, JAM and JIBE, MACE, METS, NET and NEXT, NOR, ROXY, SETS, STEW, TIDY, TRAP, TRU, URLS and URSA, WEEP, ZAHN…
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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. Actor David of “Rhoda”; 10. Common rhyme scheme; 16. Mug spray?; 19. Suffix with convert; 21. Like some sums; 25. Hudson and LaSalle, once; 31. Monopoly purchases; 32. Modern addresses, for short; 33. Broadway play about Capote; 34. Major in astronomy?; 35. Calendario span; 37. Back of a soccer goal; 38. Con; 45. Be grandiloquent; 46. Journalist Paula; 47. Deli offering; 49. Explore Yosemite, perhaps; 50. Pickle; 53. It may be sprung; 58. Vogue competitor; 59. Unthinking servant; 60. Have a bawl; 61. Hollywood constructions; 62. Journeys. DOWN: 1. Fall for something; 2 Figure in geometry; 3. On deck; 4. Kind of sample; 10. Key of Beethoven’s “Für Elise”; 12. Rights grp.; 13. Audible warning on the road; 18. Spats; 23. Platte River people; 25. Retro hairstyle; 26. Quiz show scandal figure Charles Van ___; 28. Unpleasant encounter; 31. Playgirl calendar type; 35. Perfectly, after “to”; 36. Airs; 38. Composer Khachaturian; 44. Online reads; 47. Worry (over); 48. “Laugh-In” comedian Johnson; 50. Agree; 51. Wild; 52. Team Gil Hodges both played for and managed; 55. Bass, for one; 56. Neither’s partner.
