dannmann's NYT crossword puzzle ramblings

saturday, december 15, 2007
rich norris / will shortz
ny times online premium crossword puzzle















difficulty factor: while this one had its share of bedeviling moments, it really wasn't too bad...


theme: none


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in the "notes of record" category
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rich, either we're twin sons of different mothers, or somethin' spooky happened here... i was so in the pocket most of the way that even my wildest first guesses were 'spot in'... great puzzle


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in the "most googled" category
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46D 1957 rko purchaser DESILU (desilu was a television and movie production company formed in 1950 by desi arnaz and his then-wife lucille ball)

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in the "cool multiple word answer" category
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1A they get sore easily HOT HEADS

9A 6' 5" all-star relief ace with identical first two initials J. J. PUTZ

15A pretty poor chances ONE IN TEN

16A pro's remark I AGREE

31A words of expectation ODDS ARE

39A ingredients in a protein shake RAW EGGS

56A "enough!" QUIT IT!

58A fail to keep GO BACK ON

63A they're fried TOSS POTS (drunkards or druggers)

1D filled in for a vacationer, in a way HOUSE SAT

2D warned ON NOTICE

36D "probably" I THINK SO

37D gets the job done SEES TO IT

41D beginning with vigor GOING AT

55D "rent-_" A-COP


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in the "abbreviations, truncations, etc." category
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23A itinerary abbr. E.T.A. (estimated time of arrival)

26A rivals for the folks' attention, maybe SIBS. (siblings)

30A org. that fought warrantless wiretapping A.C.L.U. (american civil liberties union)

51A where mt. tabor is: abbr. ISR (mount tabor is located in lower galilee, at the eastern end of

the jezreel valley, west of the sea of galilee. it is also know as the mount of transfiguration)
6D caseworkers?: abbr. ATTS. (attorneys)

11D org. with aces and chips P.G.A. (professional golfers' association [of america])
32D grp. with a common purpose ASSN. (association)

34D "i'm sorry, dave" speaker of sci-fi HAL (h-a-l is derived from heuristic algorithmic and is a fictional artificial intelligence, the sentient on-board computer of the spaceship 'discovery' in in arthur c. clarke's "space odyssey" saga)

57D rx instruction T.I.D. (t.i.d., latin, 'ter in die' : three times daily [dosage])


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in the "further explanation" category
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18A 1970s-'80s australian p.m. FRASER (john malcolm fraser is an australian politician, and was the 22nd prime minister of australia, who came to power in the 1975 election following the dismissal of the previous government, in which he played a key role. his tenure and career ended with his alienation from his own party)

20A places to make notes STAFFS
22A _____-aztecan language UTO (uto-aztecan [or uto-aztekan] is one of the largest (both in geographical extension and number of languages) and most well-established linguistic families of the native american tribes. the uto-aztecan languages are found from throughout oregon, idaho, montana, utah, california, nevada, arizona, and throughout mexico)

47A butcher's offering LOIN
48A mother of hades RHEA

50A "a chapter on ears" essayist ELIA (charles lamb was an english essayist with welsh heritage, best known for his essays of elia, and for the children's book tales from shakespeare, which he produced along with his sister, mary)

52A paris possessive SES (french, 'ses' : 'its')

62A liszt's "paganini _" ETUDES (french, 'etudes' : 'studies [based in, or on]')

63A they're fried TOSS POTS (drunkards or druggers)

7D muscle named for its shape DELTOID (the deltoid muscle is the muscle forming the rounded contour of the shoulder, and is called so because it roughly resembles the shape of the inverted capital greek letter 'delta')
12D sci-fi author le guin URSULA
14D took dead aim, with "in" ZEROED
27D buddhist teachings SUTRA

29D top piece BRA
38D catherine I and others TSARINAS

40D _____ peterson, lead role in "bells are ringing" ELLA

42D composer puccini GIACOMO

44D certain ball MASQUE (french, 'masque' : 'mask... but in some circles it's more than just a li'l fancy dress-up affair...)
50D "symphony in black" and others ERTE'S (romain de tirtoff [born roman petrov de tyrtov] was a russian born, french artist and designer known by the pseudonym 'erté', a french pronunciation of initials 'r.t.' romain assumed the pseudonym to avoid disgracing his russian military father) [this is erté's "symphony in black"]
57D rx instruction T.I.D. (t.i.d., latin, 'ter in die' : three times daily [dosage])

59D "_ sine scientia nihil est" (old latin motto) ARS ("ars sine scientia nihil est" : art without knowledge is nothing." - attributed to jean mignot, french architect of the late 14th & early 15th centuries. consulted on the milan cathedral as it was being built he argued that the building would collapse if completed as planned. his arguments, based on structural measurements and geometric schemes, were rooted in said dictum)

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in the "damn-brand-new-t'-me" category
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names, names, it's always peoples' names

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in the "your mileage may vary" category
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favorite clueS/answerS: 33A raise canines? TEETHE,,, 44A get bronze, say MEDAL

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. they get sore easily 9. 6' 5" all-star relief ace with identical first two initials 15. pretty poor chances 16. pro's remark 17. shake 18. 1970s-'80s australian p.m. 19. they're lit 20. places to make notes 22. _-aztecan language 23. itinerary abbr. 24. up to snuff 25. take off 26. rivals for the folks' attention, maybe 28. wasnt straight 29. part of some disguises 30. org. that fought warrantless wiretapping 31. words of expectation 33. raise canines? 35. meanie 39. ingredients in a protein shake 43. part of a french 101 conjugation 44. get bronze, say 47. butcher's offering 48. mother of hades 49. dumps 50. "a chapter on ears" essayist 51. where mt. tabor is: abbr. 52. paris possessive 53. what reindeer do 55. pro fighter 56. "enough!" 58. fail to keep 60. not at all close to 61. dessert of chilled fruit and coconut 62. liszt's "paganini _" 63. they're fried 1. filled in for a vacationer, in a way 2. warned 3. subject to an assessment? 4. rushes 5. fangorn forest dweller 6. caseworkers?: abbr. 7. muscle named for its shape 8. didnt proceed forthrightly 9. flash 10. jostles 11. org. with aces and chips 12. sci-fi author le guin 13. be about to fall 14. took dead aim, with "in" 21. they come and go 25. tributary 27. buddhist teachings 28. eponymous theater mogul 29. top piece 32. grp. with a common purpose 34. "i'm sorry, dave" speaker of sci-fi 36. "probably" 37. gets the job done 38. catherine i and others 40. _ peterson, lead role in "bells are ringing" 41. beginning with vigor 42. composer puccini 44. certain ball 45. order to leave 46. 1957 rko purchaser 50. "symphony in black" and others 53. main route 54. low points 55. "rent-_" 57. rx instruction 59. "_ sine scientia nihil est" (old latin motto)