SUNDAY, december 23, 2007
adam g. perl / will shortz
yule outsourcing
ny times online premium crossword puzzle
difficulty factor: if i had a "half-band-aid" system this would have been one and a half outta five
theme: yule outsourcing: a cutesy christmas quip
23A SANTA'S HAD AN EASY SEASON...
48A LYING IN HIS BIG RECLINER...
78A IF YOU ASK HIM FOR A REASON...
106A EVERY TOY IS MADE IN CHINA!
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in the "notes of record" category
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adam, i enjoyed this. it was on the easy side, but had a few "out there" clues/answers. thanks for a good time!
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in the "most googled" category
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21A former acura model INTEGRA
adam g. perl / will shortz
yule outsourcing
ny times online premium crossword puzzle
difficulty factor: if i had a "half-band-aid" system this would have been one and a half outta five
theme: yule outsourcing: a cutesy christmas quip
23A SANTA'S HAD AN EASY SEASON...
48A LYING IN HIS BIG RECLINER...
78A IF YOU ASK HIM FOR A REASON...
106A EVERY TOY IS MADE IN CHINA!
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in the "notes of record" category
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adam, i enjoyed this. it was on the easy side, but had a few "out there" clues/answers. thanks for a good time!
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in the "most googled" category
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99A decorative gateway in japan TORII (japanese, TOR-ee-EE) the gateway of a shinto temple, consisting of two uprights supporting a concave crosspiece with projecting ends and a straight crosspiece beneath it)
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in the "cool mutiple word answer" category
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39A area for a reupholsterer ARM REST
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in the "cool mutiple word answer" category
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39A area for a reupholsterer ARM REST
43A comment made with a nod "I SEE..."
44A "_____ alternative ..." AS AN...
45A "pay _____ mind" ...IT NO...
61A intrinsically PER SE
85A up _____ good ...TO NO...
86A porters RED CAPS
90A unemotional type, slangily ICE MAN
30D studio sign ON AIR
53D french-named city on galveston bay LA PORTE
62D like the christmas story, often RE-TOLD
75D will likely IS APT TO
76D "born _____" ...TO RUN (by bruce springsteen... from 1975... listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6se90rFN1qI)
79D "walk like _____" ...A MAN (by frankie valli and the four seasons... listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g85LqjVCeC8&feature=related)
79D "walk like _____" ...A MAN (by frankie valli and the four seasons... listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g85LqjVCeC8&feature=related)
93D take for _____ ...A RIDE
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in the "abbreviations, truncations, etc." category
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14A grade school administration, maybe I.Q. TEST (intelligence quotient)
in the "abbreviations, truncations, etc." category
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14A grade school administration, maybe I.Q. TEST (intelligence quotient)
28A "_____ gold" (1997 film) ULEE'S
29A suffix with respond -ENT
46A insect repellent DEET (fron d.t. - diethyl toluamide - a yellow to colorless, oily liquid, that has a mild odor and is highly effective at blocking insect receptors (notably those which detect carbon dioxide and lactic acid) which are used to locate hosts. in particular, deet protects against tick bites - which transmit lyme disease, several rickettsioses, and meningoencephalitis - and mosquito bites - which transmit dengue fever, west nile virus, eastern equine encephalitis [eee], and malaria)
58A nicholas and others: abbr. STS. (saints)
62A a.a.a. recommendations: abbr. RTES. (automobile association of america... routes)
83A fannie _ (investing options) MAES (from 'fnma' the federal national mortgage association which is a u.s. government sponsored enterprise (gse). as a gse, it is a privately-owned corporation authorized to make loans and loan guarantees for home and some business applications. and although it is sponsored by the u.s. government, it is not backed or funded by the u.s. government, nor do the securities it issues benefit from any explicit government guarantee or protection)
4D times in classifieds AFTS (afternoons)
8D home of christmas lake village: abbr. IND. (also known as santa claus, indiana)
9D rr stop STA. (railroad station)
24D f.d.r.'s successor H.S.T. franklin delano roosevelt... harry s truman... super trivia of the day: what does the 's' stand for? answer just above the sign-off)
33D univ. qb, perhaps B.M.O.C. (big man on campus)
50D memo starter IN RE (latin, "in the matter [of]")
94D news source, for short U.P.I. (united press international)
95D move, in realtor-speak RE-LO (re-locate)
107D big bang maker T.N.T. (tri-nitro-toluene)
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in the "further elaboration" category
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20A joint REEFER
in the "further elaboration" category
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20A joint REEFER
21A former acura model INTEGRA
55A _____ the mistletoe UNDER
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in the "damn-brand-new-t'-me" category
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in the "your mileage may vary" category
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favorite clue/answer: 30. way overdue to take off? OBESE
super trivia answer: truman's parents chose "s" as his middle name, in attempt to please both of harry's grandfathers, anderson shipp truman and solomon young, but it didn't stand for anything, as was a common practice among scots-irish
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. literary slips 7. lost 14. grade school administration, maybe 20. joint 21. former acura model 22. fashion's bartley 23. start of a holiday verse 26. locks 27. 10% 28. "_ gold" (1997 film) 29. suffix with respond 30. way overdue to take off? 32. former japanese p.m. shinzo _ 34. "being and nothingness" writer 38. about 39. area for a reupholsterer 43. comment made with a nod 44. "_ alternative ..." 45. "pay _ mind" 46. insect repellent 48. verse, part 2 54. author deighton 55. _ the mistletoe 56. audibly 57. expiate, with "for" 58. nicholas and others: abbr. 59. ticks off 60. church part 61. intrinsically 62. a.a.a. recommendations: abbr. 63. sandwich shop orders 64. lumber 66. "the sandbox" playwright 69. "what to do? what to do?" feeling 70. brown 71. young amphibian 74. flora and fauna 75. some sorority sisters 76. implied 77. christmas _ 78. verse, part 3 82. archer william 83. fannie _ (investing options) 84. theodemocratic state 85. up _ good 86. porters 88. popular cuisine 90. unemotional type, slangily 92. certain soldier 93. "little miss sunshine" co-star 94. mentalist geller 95. dangerous seepage 99. decorative gateway in japan 101. classic role played by gerard depardieu in "the man in the iron mask" 106. end of the verse 111. jack of "the apartment" 112. fruitcake and plum pudding, e.g. 113. tickles 114. source of "we three kings" 115. puts a new bottom on 116. blocks 1. once, old-style 2. where the bag of gifts is stowed on a sleigh 3. auberjonois of "the christmas star" 4. times in classifieds 5. promo, perhaps 6. fictional detective lupin 7. "mamma _!" 8. home of christmas lake village: abbr. 9. rr stop 10. of fast times? 11. discriminating sort, in a way 12. heated 13. word repeated in "now __ away! __ away! _ away ...!" 14. french pronoun 15. line former 16. green-blue 17. "anything _?" 18. blue-black berrylike fruit 19. whips 24. f.d.r.'s successor 25. longed (for) 30. studio sign 31. uncle _ 33. univ. qb, perhaps 34. grammy and emmy-winning soprano 35. until now 36. straps in a sleigh 37. number of lords a-leaping 38. grate-ful? 39. based on _ story 40. made a long story short? 41. title in toledo 42. difficult period 44. big range 45. stravinsky and others 47. christmas _ 49. garfield's assassin 50. memo starter 51. initiation rite 52. kind of artery 53. french-named city on galveston bay 60. mideast desert 62. like the christmas story, often 63. what snow shovels may produce 64. christmas cookie ingredient 65. cub's place 66. some 67. career soldier 68. peter of "everybody loves raymond" 69. elbows 70. it's a wrap 71. _salts 72. singer apple 73. joint part 75. will likely 76. "born _" 79. "walk like _" 80. part of captain cook's explorations 81. had 87. rafting area 88. big pickle? 89. out-elbowed? 90. pressed 91. group 93. take for _ 94. news source, for short 95. move, in realtor-speak 96. swear 97. moore of "g.i. jane" 98. "coffee, tea _?" 100. court hearing 102. "take _!" 103. author shere 104. lulu 105. lip 107. big bang maker 108. word left off the end of the clue at 13-down 109. poor grade 110. satisfactory grade, in kindergarten
60A church part SPIRE
75A some sorority sisters IOTAS (sigma alpha iota (ΣΑΙ) is a music fraternity for women formed to "uphold the highest ideals of a music education" and "to further the development of music in America", it continues to provide musical and educational resources to its members and the general public)
92A certain soldier ANT (ant vs. scorpion... who wins in less than a minute? watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpWaNeK-lxU&feature=related )
75A some sorority sisters IOTAS (sigma alpha iota (ΣΑΙ) is a music fraternity for women formed to "uphold the highest ideals of a music education" and "to further the development of music in America", it continues to provide musical and educational resources to its members and the general public)
92A certain soldier ANT (ant vs. scorpion... who wins in less than a minute? watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpWaNeK-lxU&feature=related )
93A "little miss sunshine" co-star ARKIN
94A mentalist geller URI
111A jack of "the apartment" LEMMON
3D auberjonois of "the christmas star" RENE
6D fictional detective lupin ARSENE (arsène lupin is the name of a fictional gentleman thief who appears in a book series of detective/crime fiction novels written by french writer maurice le blanc)
13D word repeated in "now __ away! __ away! _ away ...!" DASH
94A mentalist geller URI
111A jack of "the apartment" LEMMON
3D auberjonois of "the christmas star" RENE
6D fictional detective lupin ARSENE (arsène lupin is the name of a fictional gentleman thief who appears in a book series of detective/crime fiction novels written by french writer maurice le blanc)
13D word repeated in "now __ away! __ away! _ away ...!" DASH
31D uncle _ BEN'S (my go-to guy for all things rice!)
34D grammy and emmy-winning soprano SILLS (beverly sills was perhaps the best-known american opera singer in the 1960s and 1970s. she was famous for her performances in coloratura soprano roles in operas around the world and on recordings. of the myriads of music related awards she received throughout her career several stand out: three grammy award nominations with a win in 1976, and five emmy nominations with a win in 1975. after retiring from singing in 1980, she became the general manager of the new york city opera. in 1994, she became the chairman of lincoln center and then, in 2002, of the metropolitan opera, stepping down in 2005. sills lent her celebrity to further her charity work for the prevention and treatment of birth defects. she died five months ago, in july of this year)
34D grammy and emmy-winning soprano SILLS (beverly sills was perhaps the best-known american opera singer in the 1960s and 1970s. she was famous for her performances in coloratura soprano roles in operas around the world and on recordings. of the myriads of music related awards she received throughout her career several stand out: three grammy award nominations with a win in 1976, and five emmy nominations with a win in 1975. after retiring from singing in 1980, she became the general manager of the new york city opera. in 1994, she became the chairman of lincoln center and then, in 2002, of the metropolitan opera, stepping down in 2005. sills lent her celebrity to further her charity work for the prevention and treatment of birth defects. she died five months ago, in july of this year)
37D number of lords a-leaping TEN (there are many variations of this song lyric... and the objects for days twelve through ten are especially often arranged in a different order: "twelve lords a-leaping, eleven ladies [or dames a-] dancing, ten pipers piping [or ten fiddlers fiddling]..." but the most popular current version is as follows below.
since 1984, the cumulative costs of the items mentioned in the song have been used as a form of economic indicator. this custom began with and is maintained by pnc bank. two pricing charts are created, referred to as the "christmas price index" [an indicator of the current costs of one set of each of the gifts given] and "the true cost of christmas." [the cumulative cost of all the gifts with the repetitions listed in the song. the people mentioned in the song are hired at a "contracted per job" rate, and the items are purchased.]
although initially intended as a rather amusing form of economic trivia, trends have emerged. the christmas price index has often increased or decreased at a rate consistent with the other cpi - the consumer price index, a widely followed measure of inflation produced by the u.s. bureau of labor statistics. the total costs of all goods and services for the 2007 "christmas price index" is $19,507.19, an all-time high. the original 1984 cost was $12,371.36. over the last 22 years, the prices of services in general have increased, while the price of goods has decreased. in the 1984 christmas price index, goods were by far the more expensive component of the index. today, services are a much bigger piece of the index)
since 1984, the cumulative costs of the items mentioned in the song have been used as a form of economic indicator. this custom began with and is maintained by pnc bank. two pricing charts are created, referred to as the "christmas price index" [an indicator of the current costs of one set of each of the gifts given] and "the true cost of christmas." [the cumulative cost of all the gifts with the repetitions listed in the song. the people mentioned in the song are hired at a "contracted per job" rate, and the items are purchased.]
although initially intended as a rather amusing form of economic trivia, trends have emerged. the christmas price index has often increased or decreased at a rate consistent with the other cpi - the consumer price index, a widely followed measure of inflation produced by the u.s. bureau of labor statistics. the total costs of all goods and services for the 2007 "christmas price index" is $19,507.19, an all-time high. the original 1984 cost was $12,371.36. over the last 22 years, the prices of services in general have increased, while the price of goods has decreased. in the 1984 christmas price index, goods were by far the more expensive component of the index. today, services are a much bigger piece of the index)
44D big range ANDES (with just 'a----', "amana" looked SO right!)
45D stravinsky and others IGORS
49D garfield's assassin GUITEAU
68D peter of "everybody loves raymond" BOYLE
72D singer apple FIONA
80D part of captain cook's explorations FIJI (fiji is omprised of 322 islands, 105 of which are little more than rugged limestone islets or tiny coral atolls. the three largest are viti levu "great fiji," vanua levu "great land of the people," and the third largest taveuni, all of which are re-nowned for un-crowded surf, and scuba diving)
89D out-elbowed? AKIMBO (hands on hips with elbows out)
49D garfield's assassin GUITEAU
68D peter of "everybody loves raymond" BOYLE
72D singer apple FIONA
80D part of captain cook's explorations FIJI (fiji is omprised of 322 islands, 105 of which are little more than rugged limestone islets or tiny coral atolls. the three largest are viti levu "great fiji," vanua levu "great land of the people," and the third largest taveuni, all of which are re-nowned for un-crowded surf, and scuba diving)
89D out-elbowed? AKIMBO (hands on hips with elbows out)
97D moore of "g.i. jane" DEMI
103D author shere HITE (under seperate covers, shere hite compiled data from some 60 questions issued to 300 men and women across the country, from every age and economic group and from all walks of life. her aim was to reveal the complex nature of male and female sexuality. 'the hite report' features dozens of actual quotes from respondents in their own words and in their own way, to illustrate the conclusion at which hite has arrived)
103D author shere HITE (under seperate covers, shere hite compiled data from some 60 questions issued to 300 men and women across the country, from every age and economic group and from all walks of life. her aim was to reveal the complex nature of male and female sexuality. 'the hite report' features dozens of actual quotes from respondents in their own words and in their own way, to illustrate the conclusion at which hite has arrived)
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in the "damn-brand-new-t'-me" category
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100D court hearing OYER
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in the "your mileage may vary" category
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favorite clue/answer: 30. way overdue to take off? OBESE
super trivia answer: truman's parents chose "s" as his middle name, in attempt to please both of harry's grandfathers, anderson shipp truman and solomon young, but it didn't stand for anything, as was a common practice among scots-irishkeep 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. literary slips 7. lost 14. grade school administration, maybe 20. joint 21. former acura model 22. fashion's bartley 23. start of a holiday verse 26. locks 27. 10% 28. "_ gold" (1997 film) 29. suffix with respond 30. way overdue to take off? 32. former japanese p.m. shinzo _ 34. "being and nothingness" writer 38. about 39. area for a reupholsterer 43. comment made with a nod 44. "_ alternative ..." 45. "pay _ mind" 46. insect repellent 48. verse, part 2 54. author deighton 55. _ the mistletoe 56. audibly 57. expiate, with "for" 58. nicholas and others: abbr. 59. ticks off 60. church part 61. intrinsically 62. a.a.a. recommendations: abbr. 63. sandwich shop orders 64. lumber 66. "the sandbox" playwright 69. "what to do? what to do?" feeling 70. brown 71. young amphibian 74. flora and fauna 75. some sorority sisters 76. implied 77. christmas _ 78. verse, part 3 82. archer william 83. fannie _ (investing options) 84. theodemocratic state 85. up _ good 86. porters 88. popular cuisine 90. unemotional type, slangily 92. certain soldier 93. "little miss sunshine" co-star 94. mentalist geller 95. dangerous seepage 99. decorative gateway in japan 101. classic role played by gerard depardieu in "the man in the iron mask" 106. end of the verse 111. jack of "the apartment" 112. fruitcake and plum pudding, e.g. 113. tickles 114. source of "we three kings" 115. puts a new bottom on 116. blocks 1. once, old-style 2. where the bag of gifts is stowed on a sleigh 3. auberjonois of "the christmas star" 4. times in classifieds 5. promo, perhaps 6. fictional detective lupin 7. "mamma _!" 8. home of christmas lake village: abbr. 9. rr stop 10. of fast times? 11. discriminating sort, in a way 12. heated 13. word repeated in "now __ away! __ away! _ away ...!" 14. french pronoun 15. line former 16. green-blue 17. "anything _?" 18. blue-black berrylike fruit 19. whips 24. f.d.r.'s successor 25. longed (for) 30. studio sign 31. uncle _ 33. univ. qb, perhaps 34. grammy and emmy-winning soprano 35. until now 36. straps in a sleigh 37. number of lords a-leaping 38. grate-ful? 39. based on _ story 40. made a long story short? 41. title in toledo 42. difficult period 44. big range 45. stravinsky and others 47. christmas _ 49. garfield's assassin 50. memo starter 51. initiation rite 52. kind of artery 53. french-named city on galveston bay 60. mideast desert 62. like the christmas story, often 63. what snow shovels may produce 64. christmas cookie ingredient 65. cub's place 66. some 67. career soldier 68. peter of "everybody loves raymond" 69. elbows 70. it's a wrap 71. _salts 72. singer apple 73. joint part 75. will likely 76. "born _" 79. "walk like _" 80. part of captain cook's explorations 81. had 87. rafting area 88. big pickle? 89. out-elbowed? 90. pressed 91. group 93. take for _ 94. news source, for short 95. move, in realtor-speak 96. swear 97. moore of "g.i. jane" 98. "coffee, tea _?" 100. court hearing 102. "take _!" 103. author shere 104. lulu 105. lip 107. big bang maker 108. word left off the end of the clue at 13-down 109. poor grade 110. satisfactory grade, in kindergarten
2 comments:
I wonder if this puzzle wasn't made last year? You'd think that this year Santa would be more than a little concerned about all of the toys coming from China.
kalisah,
gee, the timing of this is a bit odd, isn't it?
dann
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