dannmann's NYT crossword puzzle ramblings

friday, december 21, 2007
patrick berry / will shortz
ny times online premium crossword puzzle
















difficulty factor: while not outright devilish, this was beautifully intricate


theme: none

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in the "notes of record" category
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patrick, i really liked solving this puzzle... especially the southwest corner


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in the "most googled" category
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6A violin attachments CHIN RESTS


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in the "cool multiple word answer" category
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6A violin attachments CHIN RESTS

16A novel that nobody reads AUDIO BOOK

19A multigallon container GAS TANK

36A perseveres HANGS ON

41A seven-foot star of 1960s tv GENTLE BEN

49A what a lack of evidence of forced entry might indicate INSIDE JOB

55A orthodox church council HOLY SYNOD

2D actress who was the voice of duchess in "the aristocats" EVA GABOR

8D witness statement I DO

13D on the way TO COME

34D assessment paid only by those who benefit USER FEE

39D cabin addition LEAN-TO

42D bridge declaration LAND HO! (on the bridge of a ship)


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in the "abbreviations, truncations, etc." category
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18A net sales? E-COMMERCE

33A sweetums LUV

52D "we know drama" sloganeer T.N.T. (turner network television)


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in the "further elaboration" category
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17A three-time u.s. presidential candidate NADER

24A king’s successor as s.c.l.c. president ABERNATHY (ralph david abernathy was an american civil rights leader who assumed the presidency the southern christian leadership conference after the assassination of martin luther king, jr.)
28A member of the 500 home run club SOSA
29A cannibal of anglo-saxon legend GRENDEL (grendel is one of the antagonists in the epic poem beowulf who is feared by all but beowulf. for a much easier read, and a slight twist on the story - from grendel's perspective - read gardner's book)
53A unchangeable situation STALEMATE
54A van _ ("jump" band) HALEN
2D actress who was the voice of duchess in "the aristocats" EVA GABOR
3D the pearl of the danube BUDAPEST
4D sucrose polyester, more familiarly OLESTRA (if you have a moderately off-kilter sense of humor, read one man's "scientific" research on the "olestra problem" http://www.zug.com/pranks/olestra/)

5D "travelin’ thru" singer PARTON http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx_I-byng78

7D literary pal of tom HUCK (tom sawyer and huckleberry finn)

8D witness statement I DO (in response to: "do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?")

11D longtime nbc sports exec EBERSOL (duncan "dick" ebersol is an american radio and tv manager. he was protégé of abc sports czar roone arledge and was a key nbc executive in the launching of saturday night live in 1975 and which he produced from april 1981 to may 1985. he became president of nbc sports in april 1989. in may 2004, dick ebersol was named chairman of nbc universal sports & olympics. he is responsible for all sports programming on the nbc and usa networks and also manages nbc universal's involvement with the olympics)

12D "man of constant _" (old folk standard) SORROW (dan timinski and union station version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKLm7-KrQdM)

14D stick on the grill SKEWER
23D one of the marsalis brothers WYNTON
25D "wild thing" band, with "the" TROGGS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PSKLQLtGAA

30D university of north texas home DENTON
32D product lines? BARCODES
40D heel bone, e.g. TARSAL
50D dutch painter steen JAN

52D "we know drama" sloganeer T.N.T.

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in the "damn-brand-new-t'-me" category
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21A grave mound BARROW


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in the "your mileage may vary" category
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favorite clueS/answerS: 32D product lines? BAR CODES... and... 38A union station? ALTAR



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
1. musical genre that uses a flatted fifth 6. violin attachments 15. it vibrates during snoring 16. novel that nobody reads 17. three-time u.s. presidential candidate 18. net sales? 19. multigallon container 21. grave mound 22. hostage holder 23. endearing, as a smile 24. king’s successor as s.c.l.c. president 27. shrink 28. member of the 500 home run club 29. cannibal of anglo-saxon legend 31. "science made clear": cocteau 32. stole, slangily 33. sweetums 36. perseveres 37. you may need it going in 38. union station? 41. seven-foot star of 1960s tv 43. they may raise some people’s spirits 45. films that require a lot of shooting? 46. sentence ender 47. their work stinks 49. what a lack of evidence of forced entry might indicate 51. send to the front? 53. unchangeable situation 54. van _ ("jump" band) 55. orthodox church council 56. inception 1. roll 2. actress who was the voice of duchess in "the aristocats" 3. the pearl of the danube 4. sucrose polyester, more familiarly 5. "travelin’ thru" singer 6. city largely destroyed by the normandy campaign 7. literary pal of tom 8. witness statement 9. rain clouds 10. worked one’s wiles on 11. longtime nbc sports exec 12. "man of constant _" (old folk standard) 13. on the way 14. stick on the grill 20. one of ferdinand ii’s kingdoms 22. house on a hacienda 23. one of the marsalis brothers 25. "wild thing" band, with "the" 26. 1946 literature nobelist 30. university of north texas home 32. product lines? 33. who’s left? 34. assessment paid only by those who benefit 35. moving vehicles 36. without apparent effort 37. bonus army member 38. venomous 39. cabin addition 40. heel bone, e.g. 42. bridge declaration 44. "politics is the _ of the imagination": ian mcewan 47. oz visitor 48. supine, possibly 50. dutch painter steen 52. "we know drama" sloganeer