Silver teapot pouring tea, photos.com
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Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Puzzle by Andrea Carla Michaels and Peter L. Stein, edited by Will Shortz
In this awful Wednesday crossword, removing the first two letters, S and P, from space invader, spring chicken, spin the bottle and spellbinders as clued by SPOUT and/or SP (space) OUT (66A. Teapot part .. Or a two-word hint to 16-, 25-, 43- and 59-Across), yields the ridiculous ACE INVADERS, RING CHICKEN, IN THE BOTTLE and ELL BINDERS, weakly clued as 16A. Attila, for one?, 25A. Cowardly boxer?, 43A. Where to find a genie? and 59A. Holders of some pipe joints? SP OUT has a somewhat more bearable companion crossword utilizing SP IN, published October 27, 2008 -- HERE.
Other — CRAVEN (6D. Lily-livered), IN STONE (22A. How some things are set), MASSLESS, PREACHER, ROUGHAGE, TY-D-BOL (44D. Popular bathroom cleaner), UNSHAVEN, YES DEAR (47A. Polite reply that may be accompanied by eye-rolling).
Five-letter — ABACI, AROMA, ARRAU and AURAE, BELOW, WEARS, DEISM (37A. Jefferson’s religious belief), DEMUR, DIDUP, ENERO, GRIST, MOIST, OLEOS, PRODS, RECON, RESET, SHIVA (52A. The Destroyer, in Hinduism).
Short stuff — ADO, AMEN, ANT, ARIA, AWN, CHA, CHUM, CLAP, COOS and COS, DEBT, DEMI, DOOR, EGAD, ELAN and ELON, ESO and ESP, ETAT, EVEN, FIDO, FLOE, HIKE, HIPS, IDEA, ILSA, KATO, LENA the Hyena of “Li’l Abner”, LEOI, LODE, MOST, NAS (60D. “If I Ruled the World” rapper), NETS, OPEN, OPTS, ORR, PEAL, PER and PES, PROP, RIOT, ROME, SHOT, SOSO, TSA, VENI, WHIG (21D. Taylor or Tyler).
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.
Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Appetite rouser; 6. Show appreciation, in a way; 10. Busyness; 13. Reporting to; 14. “Gladiator” setting; 15. Groucho’s cigar, e.g.; 18. First-rate stand-up comic; 19. Bird sounds; 20. Neck and neck; 21. Is tiresome; 24. When said three times, a dance; 31. Voice opposition; 35. Food with lots of fiber; 36. North Carolina’s ___ University; 39. “L’ ___ c’est moi”; 40. Like a photon; 42. Herders’ tools; 46. Colony worker; 55. Relative of Bowser; 57. Concerning; 58. Trek; 61. Start the bidding; 62. Middling; 63. Nimbi; 64. Carry-on-checkers: Abbr.; 65. Bit of laughter. DOWN: 1. Early counters; 2. Military drone’s job, for short; 3. Spreads in bars; 4. Like towelettes, typically; 5. Barley bristle; 7. Prospector’s strike; 8. Word of agreement; 9. A pop; 10. “Habanera” from “Carmen” is one; 11. “Let’s Make a Deal” choice; 12. Stops waffling; 15. Flock leader; 17. Caesar’s “I came”; 23. Norris Trophy winner for eight consecutive years; 24. One to hang with; 26. Miller’s need; 27. N.Y.S.E. listing; 28. Green Hornet’s sidekick; 29. “Yikes!”; 30. Pulls in; 31. Prefix with god; 32. Zip; 33. Kind of votes a candidate wants; 34. Stubbly; 37. Cardholder’s woe; 38. That, in Toledo; 42. Foot, to a zoologist; 45. First pope with the title “the Great”; 48. Fixed fashionably; 49. Summer month in South America; 50. Pianist Claudio; 51. Change, as an alarm; 52. It may precede a chaser; 53. They may swivel; 54. Self-assembly retail chain; 55. Ice sheet; 56. She said “Play it, Same”; 59. “I know what you’re thinking” skill.
