dannmann's NYT crossword puzzle ramblings

tuesday, december 18, 2007
alan arbesfeld / will shortz
ny times online premium crossword puzzle
















difficulty factor: i was in the zone with this one, it was very easy.


theme: aah... ye olde "five w's" [or the "five w's and one h" - which has been bastardized into "the six w's"] that fundamental, formulaic concept - comprised of six interrogative words: who? what? where? when? why? and 'how?' [and/or 'how much?'] used in essay writing, news, research, and in police investigations that when truthfully answered better assures reporting the fullest story on a given subject.

i little mneumonic that sister mary joseph taught me - nuns were big on mneumonics (and wooden yardsticks or pointers) - so that i would never forget "the six w's":

i need only six best friends
to teach me all they knew
their names are how, and what, and when,
and why, and where, and who

anyway... the theme answers

17A WHO CAN IT BE?

26A WHAT MATTERS?

38A WHERE DOES IT HURT?

44A WHEN PIGS FLY!

59A WHY PAY MORE?!


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in the "notes of record" category
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alan, while this was a largely enjoyable puzzle, i really wanted to see "how much" as a down answer... bummer! oh, well...

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in the "most googled" category
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nuttin' requires that measure t'day, me thinks

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in the "cool mutiple word answer" category
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25A empathize with FEEL FOR

52A apartment window sign TO RENT

63A have an _____ mystery AIR OF

6D have _____ with ...AN IN...

12D "aint!" retort ARE SO!

23D convened again RE-SAT

29D steakhouse selections T-BONE

30D attach, in away TIE ON

40D "can i come out now?" IS IT SAFE

45D armed conflict HOT WAR

50D pour salt on, perhaps DE-ICE

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in the "abbreviations, truncations, etc." category
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19A 29,035 ft., for mt. everest ELEV. (elevation)

21A designer label letters D.K.N.Y. (donna karan new york)

32A sluggers' stats R.B.I.'S (runs batted it)

58A both: prefix AMBI-

62A computer with an isight camera I-MAC

4D private eye, for short TEC

8D pony players' locale, in brief O.T.B. (off track betting)

11D where the san andreas fault is: abbr. CALIF. (california)

25D come clean 'FESS UP ([con-]fess)

54D n.y.s.e. debuts I.P.O.'S (initial public offering [of stock])

57D fellow GENT (gemtleman)

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in the "further elaboration" category
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33A lhasa _ (tibetan dogs) APSOS

53A kudrow of "friends" LISA
66A teammate of snider and hodges REESE (edwin donald "duke" snider [the duke of flatbush] gilbet raymond "gil" hodges, and harold henry "peewee" reese are all former major league baseball players who spent most of their careers together... first with the brooklyn - and then- los angeles dodgers)

67A classic computer game set on a seemingly deserted island MYST
1D 1975 spielberg thriller JAWS
7D half of an e.p.a. mileage rating CITY (while the environmental protection agency does city and highway comparisons for automotive pollutant output; they arrive at a coincidental mileage rating for vehicles they test)

13D shaker's partner MOVER (as in... movers and shakers [almost exclusively used in the plural] is an idiomatic expression used to describe those who have power and influence in/over some area or activity)

18D genesis patriarch ADAM (yep, eve's better half)

27D alternative to a twinkie HOHO

39D dickens's drood EDWIN
48D rock opera with the song "pinball wizard" TOMMY
53D apollo's instrument LYRE

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in the "damn-brand-new-t'-me" category
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4D private eye, for short TEC (i've read hundreds of detevtive stories, involving all manner of murder and mayhem, and have never come across this truncation at all)

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in the "your mileage may vary" category
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favorite clue/answer:

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. comment not to be taken seriously 5. _ marley's ghost in "a christmas carol" 10. con game 14. unwanted spots 15. band together 16. poi source 17. response to a knock 19. 29,035 ft., for mt. everest 20. have a bawl 21. designer label letters 22. heap kudos on 24. "for instance ..." 25. empathize with 26. the important thing 31. a chaplin 32. sluggers' stats 33. lhasa _ (tibetan dogs) 38. doctor's query 41. scattered about 42. entre _ 43. metropolitan _ 44. "never!" 47. some apartments 51. uno + due 52. apartment window sign 53. kudrow of "friends" 55. mediterranean fruit 58. both: prefix 59. discounter's pitch 62. computer with an isight camera 63. have an _ mystery 64. plow pullers 65. unit of force 66. teammate of snider and hodges 67. classic computer game set on a seemingly deserted island 1. 1975 spielberg thriller 2. eerie cave effect 3. one not associating with the likes of you? 4. private eye, for short 5. place to find auto parts 6. have _ with 7. half of an e.p.a. mileage rating 8. pony players' locale, in brief 9. paging device 10. incredible bargain 11. where the san andreas fault is: abbr. 12. "aint!" retort 13. shaker's partner 18. genesis patriarch 23. convened again 24. "can you believe this?" look 25. come clean 26. knocks the socks off 27. alternative to a twinkie 28. from the top 29. steakhouse selections 30. attach, in away 34. terrible twos, e.g. 35. browse, as the web 36. sportscaster hershiser 37. hang around 39. dickens's drood 40. "can i come out now?" 45. armed conflict 46. battleship shade 47. sober 48. rock opera with the song "pinball wizard" 49. densely packed, in a way 50. pour salt on, perhaps 53. apollo's instrument 54. n.y.s.e. debuts 55. full of guile 56. tees off 57. fellow 60. step on it 61. soccer _