dannmann's NYT crossword puzzle ramblings

wednesday, january 09, 2008
john farmer / will shortz
ny times online premium crossword puzzle
















difficulty factor:




theme: the spelling of each of the days of the week (in order from top to bottom) are abbreviated in a row-set of across circles...

18 SUN
23 MON
32 TUE
36 WED
45 THU
55 FRI
59 SAT


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in the "notes of record" category
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john, i enjoyed the puzzle... i just wonder... was it "wednesday" enough?!


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in the "most googled" category
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45A people of burundi THE HUTU... and... 48. language family that includes finnish and hungarian URALIC


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in the "cool mutiple word answer" category
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15A "you know ... it's ... urn ... like this ..." I MEAN...

18A blindly SIGHT UNSEEN

23A have as a focus of one's studies MAJOR IN

32A weekly founded by walter annenberg TV GUIDE (walter hubert annenberg was an american billionaire publisher, philanthropist, and diplomat. against the odds and his financial advisors warnings he founded tv guide in 1952.)

35A "would _____ to you?" (1985 eurythmics hit) ...I LIE... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl1UvbGkQAs)

36A club choice WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

45A people of burundi THE HUTU

54A customized TO ORDER

59A expose, with "on" SHINE A LIGHT

70A boston five CELTS (the celtics, pro basketball team)

4D "_____ a putty tat" (friz freleng short) I TAW... (see the entire merry melodies' tweety bird and sylvester cartoon at: http://www.jibjab.com/player/main.swf?jid=109699)

37D jolly laugh HO HO


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in the "abbreviations, truncations, etc." category
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68A pittsburgh-to-boston dir. E.N.E. (east north-east)

10D blair, brown and others, in brief P.M.'S (prime minister's)

19D runnin' rebels of the n.c.a.a. U.N.L.V. (university of nevada at las vegas)

21D squares and cubes, e.g.: abbr. NOS. (numbers)

25D. one of the low countries: abbr. NETH. (netherlands)

34D half a mo SEC.

60D med. insurance choice H.M.O. (health maintenance organization)

61D slip in a pot I.O.U. (as in... a poker pot... "i owe you")

64D 1940s presidential inits. H.S.T. (harry s. truman)

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in the "other" category
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4A _____ lama DALAI

9A paintball sound SPLAT
16A watchmaker since 1848 OMEGA
55A import with a "cavallino rampante" logo FERRARI
3D actress rebecca of "ugly betty" ROMIJN
9D "in america" novelist susan SONTAG
11D winner at the second battle of bull run LEE (yep, robert e. lee)

27D naturalist who appears on the california quarter MUIR (john muir, founder of the sierra club, was one of the first modern preservationists. his voluminous letters, essays, and books tell of his adventures in nature, and wildlife, especially in the sierra nevada mountains of california. his direct activism and philosophy strongly influenced the formation of the modern environmental movement)
29D 1998 sarah mclachlan hit ADIA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y45mX79GhSw)

36D skater katarina WITT
38D sub in a tub OLEO (substitute [for butter] : oleo... in a plastic [pint/quart] 'tub')

39D bert who sang "if i only had the nerve" LAHR
53D actress laura LINNEY
57D part of a makeshift swing TIRE
63D baseball's hodges GIL


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in the "damn-brand-new-t'-me" category
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45A people of burundi THE HUTU


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in the "your mileage may vary" category
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36A club choice WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

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. vacation rental 4. _ lama 9. paintball sound 14. boo follower 15. "you know ... it's ... urn ... like this ..." 16. watchmaker since 1848 17. extension 18. blindly 20. possible cause of a swelling 22. filmmaker gus van _ 23. have as a focus of one's studies 26. place for steamers 31. feeling 32. weekly founded by walter annenberg 33. cool guys 35. "would _ to you?" (1985 eurythmics hit) 36. club choice 43. neighbor on the 1980s sitcom "mama's family" 44. footprint or loose thread, perhaps 45. people of burundi 49. all accounted for 54. customized 55. import with a "cavallino rampante" logo 56. "phooey!" 58. sen. hatch 59. expose, with "on" 65. totaled 66. intrigue 67. from cork, e.g. 68. pittsburgh-to-boston dir. 69. wry faces 70. boston five 71. what each set of circled letters spells 1. challenges for daredevil motorcyclists 2. blood lines 3. actress rebecca of "ugly betty" 4. ignominy 5. friend of frangois 6. part of a relay 7. relief reactions 8. unbroken 9. "in america" novelist susan 10. blair, brown and others, in brief 11. winner at the second battle of bull run 12. bronze _ 13. bronze 19. runnin' rebels of the n.c.a.a. 21. squares and cubes, e.g.: abbr. 24. "_ a putty tat" (friz freleng short) 25. one of the low countries: abbr. 27. naturalist who appears on the california quarter 28. vitriol 29. 1998 sarah mclachlan hit 30. bit for a basket weaver 34. haifa mo 36. skater katarina 37. jolly laugh 38. sub in a tub 39. bert who sang "if i only had the nerve" 40. a first for arabia? 41. some people have trouble carrying one 42. gets engaged to, old-style 46. milk dispensers 47. trillion: prefix 48. language family that includes finnish and hungarian 50. hockey's bobby 51. blackened 52. sister of albus dumbledore, in the harry potter books 53. actress laura 57. part of a makeshift swing 59. softhead 60. med. insurance choice 61. slip in a pot 62. loon 63. baseball's hodges 64. 1940s presidential inits.