dannmann's NYT crossword puzzle ramblings

monday, november 19, 2007
lynn lempel / will shortz
ny times online premium crossword puzzle















dpw difficulty factor: right in the "monday pocket" i caused my own difficulty


theme: the other four themed things are singular items you might find on printed 40A PAPER of, say, the new york times...

17A FIFTH COLUMN
23A TOILET ARTICLE
52A SCARLET LETTER
63A BEST PICTURE


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in the "notes of record" category
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it seems little refinements are occuring around here on a daily basis. i've only been at this for six weeks, but what a ride! i've found those that love it... those that don't... and a vast majority that are silent as stone.

someone asked me why will shortz's name was not in the date-author header of this daily blog. well t' be brutally honest about my own ignorance... i hadn't given it much thought. then i read 35 pages that he forwarded to me about will and his very tough job. so, two things are in order: first a public apology... i'm sorry will! i realize this thing i love so much would not be the same without ya! secondly, later today, i'm going back to amend evey post to include your name... again, i'm sorry

lynn lempel crafted a wonderful monday mornin' eye-opener... breezy but not too easy... i loved vile and vials crossing... and three and four prefixes!


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in the "not necessarily explained just by the answer" category
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5A "jeepers!" CRIPES (i SO wanted crikey here!)

11A burton who produced "the nightmare before christmas" TIM

15A native name for mount mckinley DENALI

17A subversive group FIFTH COLUMN (a fifth column is a small group of people who furtively undermine a larger group to which they purport loyalty... the term originated in 1936 when a nationalist general during the spanish civil war was describing secret militant supporters within the opposition republican government who would aid his four military columns who were moving on madrid... the term was used later - during the second world war - by those secretly fighting the fascist and nazi movements)

21A qb manning ELI

29A gardner of hollywood AVA (say... isn't that linda g?!)

38A _____ ness monster LOCH (this is a gen-u-ine actual photo... honest t' pete... well, maybe not!)

43A actor hawke ETHAN (did i not get the memo... i mean, am i missin' somethin' here? i don't get this guy's popularity at all)

45A sirius or xm medium RADIO (sirius radio and xm radio are competing satellite radio services in the united states and canada that offer pay-for-service radio, without commercials... sorta like how cable television started as an alternative to network television)

59A mullah's teaching (mullah [arabic, 'mawla' : 'vicar' and/or 'guardian] is but one title given in iran, and southeast asia to local islamic clerics or mosque leaders, and depending on how it is used it can be a term of respect [a learned man] or of abuse [a bigot and fanatic])

68A drooling dog in "garfield" ODIE

70A freshman's topper BEANIE (HUH? geez, maybe a couple o' hundred years, or so, ago...)

2D tennis champ nastase ILIE

3D one who'll easily lend money for a hard-luck story SOFT TOUCH

4D fuel by the litre PETROL (i like british terms!)

5D u.s. health promoter: abbr. CDC (the centers [yes, plural!] for desease control and prevention is an agency of the u.s. department of health and human services adjacent to the campus of emory university, east of atlanta, georgia. its primary focus is to protect public health and safety of people, by analyzing health threats and providing information to promote well-being)

6D auto last made in the 1930s REO (here is the 'speedwagon' model - and yes, that's where that late 70's band got their name)

8D newswoman zahn PAULA

9D new york city where mark twain is buried ELMIRA (twain died on april 22, 1910 in connecticut and was laid to rest in his in-laws family plot in woodlawn cemetery alongside his wife and children near quarry farm just outside elmira, ny where he wrote many of his much-beloved stories)

10D what it is "to tell a lie" SIN (a song written in 1936 by billy mayhew and featured in the broadway musical "ain't misbehavin'" and originally recorded by fats waller. since then, billie holiday, the ink spots, somethin' smith and the redheads, tony bennett, john denver, and brent spiner [lt. cmdr. 'data' of "star trek: the next generation" fame! who knew?!] have all covered it)

12D with everything counted IN ALL

25D ventriloquist bergen EDGAR (here with 'charlie mccarthy')

26D big electrical project inits. TVA (tennessee valley authority)

32D fed. air quality monitor EPA (environmrntal protection agency)

33D marsh plant SEDGE

36D jefferson's first vice president BURR (aaron burr, jr. was an american politician, revolutionary war hero and adventurer. he served as the third vice president of the united states. taking umbrage at remarks made by alexander hamilton -long-time political rival - at a dinner party, burr challenged hamilton to a duel in new jersey at which he mortally wounded hamilton. burr, who survived the duel, was indicted for murder in both new york and new jersey - though these charges were either later dismissed or resulted in acquittal)

37D curve-billed wader IBIS

44D org. for colts and broncos NFL (national football league)

51D charlton of "the ten commandments" HESTON

55D puccini opera TOSCA (opera in three acts by giacomo puccini based on victorien sardou's drama, la tosca)

60D met highlight ARIA (as in the metropolitan opera house)

65D _____ du diable ILE (french, 'island of the devil' or 'devil's island' houses the notorious french prison off the northeastern coast of frech guiana)

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in the "your mileage may vary" category:
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best clue of the day: 52A notorious stigma

best answer of the day: 35D INTERLUDE

worst clue of the day:

worst answer of the day: 56D LET ON (er... um... 'scuse me, but when you "let [someone in] on" [something] isn't the pretense over?! talk amongst yourselves...)

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 bit of smoke 5A "jeepers!" 11A burton who produced "the nightmare before christmas" 14A popular plant gel 15A native name for mount mckinley 16A long-distance number starter 17A subversive group 19A buddy 20A four: prefix 21A qb manning 22A repulsive 23A soap or lotion, say 27A searched 29A gardner of hollywood 30A debtor's promise 31A wise ones 34A suspect's excuse 38A _____ ness monster 40A where you may find the ends of 17-, 23-, 52- and 63-across 42A social slight 43A actor hawke 45A sirius or xm medium 47A three: prefix 48A no _____, ands or buts 50A furry burrowers 52A notorious stigma 57A umpteen 58A fish eggs 59A mullah's teaching 62A traveler's stopover 63A coveted film honor 66A stocking's tip 67A hardly hip 68A drooling dog in "garfield" 69A evil spell 70A freshman's topper 71A spiffy 1D blow gently 2D tennis champ nastase 3D one who'll easily lend money for a hard-luck story 4D fuel by the litre 5D u.s. health promoter: abbr. 6D auto last made in the 1930s 7D shoreline opening 8D newswoman zahn 9D new york city where mark twain is buried 10D what it is "to tell a lie" 11D subject of discussion 12D with everything counted 13D fracas 18D flags down, as a taxi 22D pharmacy containers 24D vault 25D ventriloquist bergen 26D big electrical project inits. 27D mah-jongg piece 28D underlying cause 32D fed. air quality monitor 33D marsh plant 35D period between 36D jefferson's first vice president 37D curve-billed wader 39D hirsute 41D real sidesplitter 44D org. for colts and broncos 46D eye-related 49D calm 51D charlton of "the ten commandments" 52D suffix with black or silver 53D it gets a paddling 54D building add-on 55D puccini opera 56D pretend 60D met highlight 61D assemble 63D fella 64D hawaiian dish 65D _____ du diable