dannmann's NYT crossword puzzle ramblings

thursday, january 24, 2008
matt ginsberg / will shortz
ny times online premium crossword puzzle
















difficulty factor: some minor, self-inflicted wounds



theme: it's all 'splained at... 63A words missing from the answers to the eight starred clues HIT THE...

13A ...PINATA
15A ...ROAD JACK
19A ...CAMPAIGN TRAIL
37A ...GROUND RUNNING
55A ...NAIL ON THE HEAD
62A ...BULL'S EYE
28D ...FLOOR
31D ...SKIDS


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in the "notes of record" category
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matt, this was a very enjoyable puzzle!


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


as anonymous noted in the comments below... it is indeed "dIan", not "dEan" (as originally posted) at 16D... hmm... something about 'haste' and 'waste' comes to my mind...

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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in the "most googled" category
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i never would've guessed it, but it looks like... 49A fictional c.i.a. unit on "alias" A.P.O. (in the american tv series 'alias', "authorized personnel only" is a fictional black-ops unit within the central intelligence agency)


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in the "cool mutiple word answer" category
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40A corrida chant OLE! OLE!
59A vein locale COAL MINE
7D morgue id TOE TAG
43D mrs. woody alien SOON YI
45D entertaining OPEN TO


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in the "abbreviations, truncations, etc." category
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6A not rx O.T.C. (over the counter)
21A announcement to passengers, for short E.T.A. (estimated time of arrival)
29A baseball stat. AVG. ([batting] average)
31A where wounded knee is: abbr. S. DAK. (south dakota)
48A star wars, briefly S.D.I. (strategic defense initiative)
51A calif, setting P.S.T. (pacific standard time)
64A the usual amts. STDS. (standards)
11D stomach acid, to a chemist H Cl (hydro-chloric)
26D ticker tape letters? E.K.G. (e.k.g. is an abbreviation from the german word 'ElektroKardioGramm')
34D johannesburg-to-nairobi dir. N.N.E. (north northeast)
35D telephone triad M-N-O (go ahead, check... they're sittin' right there next t' the '6'
40D a.m. drinks O.J.'S (orange juices)
56D shakespeare title starter ALL'S (all is...)
59D "the dukes of hazzard" network C.B.S. (columbia broadcasting system)


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in the "other" category
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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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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 ©2008 The New York Times
1. locks horns (with)6. not rx9. phil who sang "draft dodger rag"13. *party game15. *1961 chart-topper for ray charles17. stems (from)18. how trapeze artists perform19. *vie for votes21. announcement to passengers, for short22. taint23. rand who asked "who is john gait?"24. dolly, for one27. you, to you, or me, to me29. baseball stat.31. where wounded knee is: abbr.32. mrs. dick cheney 35. "mother of all rivers" 37. *get off to a quick start40. corrida chant41. hair net42. hockey great jaromir43. swell place?44. exclusive48. star wars, briefly49. fictional c.i.a. unit on "alias" 51. calif, setting54. escape _55. *get it exactly 59. vein locale61. classic studebaker whose name means "forward" in italian62. *shoot perfectly63. words missing from the answers to the eight starred clues64. the usual amts.65. served, as time66. gym bag items1. gets all ditzy2. capt. sparrow, e.g.3. zooid4. laryngitis symptom5. tick off6. algerian port in "the plague"7. morgue id8. have as a channel9. california hometown of the six million dollar man and the bionic woman10. selected11. stomach acid, to a chemist12. what's up? 14. largest of a septet 16. naturalist fossey 20. 10 benjamin franklins25. designer vera26. ticker tape letters?28. *react to gunfire, maybe30. chapter's partner31. *fail33. actor brynner34. johannesburg-to-nairobi dir.35. telephone triad36. musician brian37. pleased38. _ jeeves of p. g. wodehouse stories39. inappropriate40. a.m. drinks43. mrs. woody alien45. entertaining46. abominate47. swirls49. targets50. carried on, as a trade52. bygone potentate53. walter who wrote "the hustler" and "the color of money"56. shakespeare title starter57. straits58. doth own59. "the dukes of hazzard" network60. unsafe?