dannmann's NYT crossword puzzle ramblings

wednesday, november 14, 2007
jim page / will shortz
ny times online premium crossword puzzle
















difficulty factor: two band-aids... i caused more trouble for myself than the puzzle ever did


theme: as alluded to in 36A "slogan popularized in the 1980s ... and a hint to 17-, 25-, 28-, 48-, 51- and 60-across" JUST SAY NO, there's somethin funny goin' on 'roun' here. but instead of the emphasis of the nancy reaganism, "just say 'NO'"... we're gonna "just SAY 'no'"... not WRITE it in the six themed answers...


17A (no) HOLDS BARRED
25A (no) BRAINER
28A (no) GOODNIK
48A (no) FLY ZONE
51A (no) HIT GAME
60A (no) GREAT SHAKES


==============================

in the "not necessarily explained just by the answer" category

==============================

1A npr host _____ conan NEAL

14A chamber music piece TRIO (a composition for three voices or three instruments, as well as the three people performing it!)

15A blubber BOO HOO

16A when to get to the airport to pick someone up: abbr. ETA (estimated time of arrival)

20A western lily SEGO (utah's state flower)

21A granny, for one KNOT (it's most likely what you get when you don't tie a reef knot [square knot] properly)

22A _____ rio.tex. DEL

23A become bored by TIRE OF

30A mimieux of "where the boys are" YVETTE

32A world series prize RING

35A double curves OGEES

42A call at home SAFE (as in... baseball)

54A eastern "path" TAO (pronounced "dow")

58A "whoso diggeth _____ shall fall therein": proverbs A PIT

63A mag. info VOL (volume)

64A suffragist bloomer AMELIA (amelia jenks bloomer caused quite a stir in the mid 1800's when she tried to promote the idea of women abandoning their voluminous petticoats for a "sensible and hygienic" trouser similar to those worn by Turkish women. it was designed to reach to the ankle - although later shortened to just below the knee - and was frill cuffed and worn with a simple knee length skirt and bodice, and was later known by her last name)

65A hatcher of film TERI (a wonderful repeat photo from sat, nov. 3)

67A hal david output LYRICS (a multi-award winning american lyricist and songwriter... the bulk of his work has been in collaboration with burt bacharach and includes such gems as "raindrops keep fallin' on my head", "(there's) always something there to remind me", "walk on by", "to all the girls i've loved before", "alfie", and "the look of love")

3d wing part aileron (french, "little wing"... an aileron is a hinged control surface attached to the trailing edge of the wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. the two ailerons are typically interconnected so that one goes down when the other goes up, and are used to control the aircraft... the downgoing aileron increases the lift on its wing while the upgoing aileron reduces the lift on the other wing, producing a rolling movement on the aircraft's longitudinal axis

8D "the dick van dyke show" catchphrase OH ROB

9D "the bill and coo of sex" per elbert hubbard POETRY ("poetry is the bill and coo of sex." ) i was told by an english prof that this had something to do with how hubbard envisioned the art of lovemaking should be - not necessarily is. the "bill and coo" part refers to the first/most prominent thing you see/hear when it comes to birds [well, not me - i see the color, but, wth, over!] ergo, some really smarmy rhymes will make 'er putty in your hands, gents! [i really hafta wonder how elbert did with the tender gender...])

12D wheaties box adorner ATHLETE (the "breakfast of champions"... since lou gehrig in 1934 to today, hundreds of sports great have graced the box, but not until 1958 with olympic decathlon gold medallist bob richards, did they grace the front!)

13D singer ella _____ morse MAE ("the dynamite texas diva"... american big band, pop, and jazz singer of the 1940's and 50's)

22D muralist rivera DIEGO (born diego maría de la concepción juan nepomuceno estanislao de la rivera y barrientos acosta y rodríguez... was a world-famous mexican fresco painter influenced by cézanne. because of his communist leanings, a substantial portion of work contains struggling workers of all stripes)

26D "_____ calling!" AVON

27D hi-_____ monitor RES (resolution)

33D code-cracking org NSA (national security agency)

34D large fishing hook GAFF

36D self-professed ultrapatriot JINGO (someone who espouses vocal, energetic support for his country, especially one who supports a belligerent foreign policy; a chauvinistic patriot... a transparent euphemism for "by Jesus"... from the phrase 'by jingo' used in the chorus of a rousing 19th-century English music-hall song...)

37D old voice of america org. USIA (united states information agency)

41D 100 percent TOTALLY (and stop this damned "giving 120%" crap... ya can't give more than "all" you've got! that too many folks give dramatically less of themselves, doesn't mean that someone who gives in excess of others is giving more than anyone is capable of... but it sure makes slackers feel better, eh? cuz when somebody is said to be givin' 120%, they can delude themselves into thinkin' they're givin' more than they really are... and don't get me started on "grading on a curve"... that's just a bad teacher's way of enabling mass supidity and caving into pressure to look good)

44D like carter's presidency ONE TERM

49D repeated word in "she loves you" YEAH (yeah, yeah, yeah)

50D 1952 brando role ZAPATA

56D saharan land MALI

61D airline to oslo SAS (scandinavian airlines system, based in norway)

==============================

in the "your mileage may vary" category:

==============================

best clue of the day: 17A à la a free for all...

best answer of the day: 47D SMARMY... great word!

worst clue of the day: 16A when to get to the airport to pick someone up: abbr... holy cow! if you're just getting to the airport when the plane is scheduled to land, you're really late... these days!

worst answer of the day: 38D YELL... yell? how about "cheer"



keep on keepin' on...

dann
all elements of the puzzle (grid layout, clues, and answers), NYT, NY Times, and The New York Times logo are ©2007 The New York Times
1A npr host _____ conan 5A prevents, in legalspeak 11A dental device 14A chamber music piece 15A blubber 16A when to get to the airport to pick someone up: abbr. 17A ala a free-for-all 19A it's definite 20A western lily 21A granny, for one 22A _____ rio.tex. 23A become bored by 25A really easy decision 28A bum 30A mimieux of "where the boys are" 31A "newhart" setting 32A world series prize 35A double curves 36A slogan popularized in the 1980s ... and a hint to 17-, 25-, 28-, 48-, 51- and 60-across 39A fabled "snowmen" 42A call at home 43A unruly do 46A hunky sort 48A restricted airspace 51A pitcher's coup 53A good horseshoe toss 54A eastern "path" 55A bb's and shells 58A "whoso diggeth _____ shall fall therein": proverbs 59A museum hanging 60A mediocre 63A mag. info 64A suffragist bloomer 65A hatcher of film 66A whatever amount 67A hal david output 68A _____ race 1D to the _____ power 2D wind and rain cause it 3D wing part 4D stuck 5D fall back 6D overcharge 7D of two minds 8D "the dick van dyke show" catchphrase 9D "the bill and coo of sex" per elbert hubbard 10D lawn base 11D warming, of sorts 12D wheaties box adorner 13D singer ella _____ morse 18D shortly 22D muralist rivera 23D _____ friday's 24D holiday trees 26D "_____ calling!" 27D hi-_____ monitor 29D little foxes 33D code-cracking org. 34D large fishing hook 36D self-professed ultrapatriot 37D old voice of america org. 38D "gimme a c ...i," e.g. 39D derisive word 40D bibliophile's concern 41D 100 percent 43D handle 44D like carter's presidency 45D _____ diem 47D excessively flattering 49D repeated word in "she loves you" 50D 1952 brando role 52D mideastv.i.p. 56D saharan land 57D ear-related 59D things in tubes 60D hoedown partner 61D airline to oslo 62D family nickname