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Friday, June 4, 2010
Puzzle by Martin Ashwood-Smith, edited by Will Shortz
Eight fifteen-letter tersely-clued entries are the main feature of this trying Friday crossword:
- A LITTLE LEARNING (14A. Dangerous thing, supposedly)
- COMPARED AGAINST (17A. Vis-à-vis)
- PAUSE FOR A MOMENT (54A. Take five)
- STRETCHER BEARER (58A. Battlefield attendant)
- A LOT ON ONE’S PLATE (2D. Many things to juggle)
- TIME OF DEPARTURE (3D. It’s often pushed back before taking off)
- MINATURE CAMERA (11D. Spying aid)
- INSTRUMENT PANEL (12D. Flying aid)
Other — BERETS (42D. Special Forces trademarks); BOOZE-UP (42A. Brit’s bender); the mythical CENTAUR (23D. Horseback figure?); DUMPS ON (22D. Criticizes severely); 10D. “Only the hand that ERASES can write the true thing”: Meister Eckhart; MIMOSA and/or PEKOE (21D. It may create a buzz in the morning; 43D. It’s superior to bohea), name your poison; MOOTED (21A. Brought up for discussion); NO LOSS (30D. “I won’t miss it”); REMAPS (47A. Adds roads to, say), RUFFLES (25A. Irritates); 60A. SCOTIA Sea (part of the South Atlantic); and the recently deceased Patrick SWAYZE (5A. People magazine’s 1991 “Sexiest Man Alive”).
Five-letter — ALTAR (49A. Last place to be single?), CESAR, FOLIO, FRANZ, LANGE, MAMAS, MORAN (33A. He tried to have Capone killed in 1926), PLANT (36A. One that shoots), PREEN, 39A. “I Can SING A Rainbow” (classic kids’ tune), SPITS, ST PAT, TAMER (15D. Chair person?).
Short stuff — ASA, AGTS, ALDO, APSE (49D. Oratory projection), BRET, COHO, CBS and CTS, DOH, EASE, EEE, FCC, INF, KAMA, MBA, MAC, MATS, MIA, MODS, NIPS, ONEG, OREL (37A. Oblast between Kursk and Tula), SALE, SARI, SEPT (38A. A third of vingt-et-un), SLR, SGT, White SOX, TEAM, TRE, TUN, WEED, “YEAH, you!”, XENO, ZAG.
Click on image to enlarge.
Puzzle available on the internet at
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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Gym equipment; 11. Parmesan possessive; 18. See 41-Across; 19. Spoken word that’s a sound trademark of 20th Century Fox; 20. They may rotate at luaus; 23. Ritz of the Ritz; 24. Like Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8; 29. Vintner’s vessel; 31. Adjustments, informally; 34. Mawashi wearer’s activity; 35. Blood designation, briefly; 40. Prefix with phobia; 41. With 18-Across, how some people work); 44. Short change?; 45. Be a dandy; 50. Former “Reach for the stars” sloganeer; 53. Hindu love god; 59. Oxford letters; 61. Crowd draw, maybe. DOWN: 1. Desktop option; 4. Green party V.I.P.?; 5. Canon shooter, briefly; 6. Unwanted 36-Across; 7. Lt. Raine of “Inglourious Basterds”; 9. Veer; 13. They get cuts: Abbr.; 16. Thimblefuls; 26. Page number; 27. Liszt or Schubert; 28. “Toosie” Oscar winner; 32. One may demand attention: Abbr.; 46. Luxury; 48. Half of a 1960s pop group; 50. Silver salmon; 51. Second baseman Boone; 52. Pakistani fashion; 55. TV monitor; 56. Many an exec; 57. Low numero.
