Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh in Gone With The Wind, 1939
Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh in A Streetcar Named Desire, 1951
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Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Puzzle by Peter A. Collins, edited by Will Shortz
RED AND WHITE (18A. Like the Canadian flag … and a hint to the first names of 24- and 48-Across), SCARLETT O’HARA (24A. 1939 role for 57-Across, for which she won a 38-Across), BLANCHE DUBOIS (48A. 1951 role for 57-Across, for which she won a 38-Across), VIVIEN LEIGH (57A. See 24- and 48-Across) and OSCAR (38A. See 24- and 48-Across) are the interrelated group of this Wednesday crossword of color and variety.
For good measure, QUEBEC (5D. Its flag sports four fleurs-de-lis) (with colors of white and blue) crosses the Canadian flag of red and white, needless to mention, the red being for scarlet with the additional T and blanche, French for white. The crossword itself is sandwiched between the Olympics and the Oscars and exists in the short vacuum between the two major television events of this week (The Academy Awards are the evening of Sunday, March 7th on ABC).
Continuing on, the crossword includes CLIMB OVER (34D. Traverse, as a mountain ridge), HAMELIN (44A. Town that failed to pay the piper), PHILANDER (11D. Fool around). RACE (28A. Go like the dickens) and SPED (10A. Went like the dickens) are a pair, as are BAR (22A. Where Orvieto can be found) and ITALY (51D. Where Orvieto can be found).
Other folks in the puzzle -- ALI (17A. Tatyana of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”), BECK (40A. Fox News star), CARNES (63A. Kim who sang “Bette Davis Eyes”), DELANEY (29A. Kim of “NYPD Blue”), DRU (43D. Actress Joanne), EDD (9D. Former “Tonight Show” announcer Hall), ELIZA (3D. Henry’s tutee), ERROL (21D. “Captain Blood” star Flynn), GARR (46A. Ralph who was the 1974 N.L. batting champ), HALAS (23A. The N.F.L.’s Papa Bear), HST (60D. D.D.E.’s predecessor), IVAN (53D. Director Reitman), MEL (14A. Former Yankee pitcher and coach Stottlemyre), NERO (65A. Emperor who married his stepsister) and SOSA (33D. Slugger Sammy).
Six-letter -- SQUARE (4A. Equilateal quadrilateral), SUPPED (15A. Had dinner), OBOIST (66A. Woodwind player), UPDATE (6D. Modernize), SAHARA (10D. Most of Mali), ADAGES (47D. “Make hay while the sun shines” and others), GEMINI (46D. Early Cape Canaveral program), EL NINO (45D. Meteorologial phenomenon).Five-letter -- AMASS (1D. Pile up), APART (7D. Disconnected), ASCOT (32A. Fancy neckwear), BARBS (40D. Digs), DARES (43A. Challenges), ELATE (42D. Make ecstatic), HIERO (49D. Sacred: Prefix), I DON’T (53A. “Not me”), ORCAS (50D. Menaces from the deep), RELIC (2D. Excavated item), SATAN (52D. Pitchfork wielder), WHALE (19D. Starbuck’s quarry).
Short stuff -- AHSO, ALA, AMEN, ARCH, ARE, CAT, CSI, DIME, DNA, DOES, EDYS, ENCE, ESTA, HERR, IMA, LAB and LAT, MCS, MERE, NCO, ODEA and ODIN, REN, ROLL, SIZE, SRTA, SSR, SYN and SYNC, YAKS.
Click on image to enlarge.
Puzzle available on the internet at
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Remaining clues -- ACROSS: 1. “___ you serious?”; 16. Hammy “Now I see!”; 20. Number on a tag; 35. Nothing more than; 36. Paternity confirmer; 37. Eight the hard way, e.g.; 41. CBS show set in Las Vegas; 42. Breyers alternative; 55. “___ Fool to Want You”; 56. Miss from Mex.; 61. Big tractor, informally; 62. Follower of “for ever and ever”; 64. ___ king; 67. Dict. Offering. DOWN: 4. Lith. Or Est., once; 8. Cartoon pooch; 12. This, to Picasso; 13. They might bring in a few bucks; 25. Atlas fig.; 26. Old music halls; 27. Frau’s mate; 30. Suffix with confer; 31. Shaggy Tibetans; 32. Eyebrow shape; 38. Husband of Frigg; 39. Lip-___; 54. Five-and-___; 58. Sgt. Or cpl.; 59. Part of many a psych course.
